Hi, all! We have a guest post today from Romance Gem friend Kathleen Lawless, so without further ado...
When is a Cowboy not a Cowboy?
Merriam Webster defines ‘cowboy’ as an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks.
Then I saw this other definition: One having qualities (such as recklessness, aggressiveness, or independence) popularly associated with cowboys.
Lightbulb Moment!
Thus inspired, I created Blaze, a daredevil stuntman who wears leather chaps and rides a Harley instead of a horse. And like any cowboy who loses his ability to rope and ride due to an accident, Blaze has to reinvent himself after a failed stunt nearly kills him. Which is when we meet him.
Excerpt ~
“You’re early.” Kaitlin opened the door to see a man clad in dusty, formfitting leather, his shaggy caramel-colored hair badly in need of a trim. She stepped back a pace. “Come on in. Let’s see what you look like under all that road dust.’’
The stranger stepped past her and into the front hall. “You must be Kaitlin. Steve said—’’
“My brother knows I can’t resist a challenge.’’ Kaitlin circled the man, eyes narrowed as she inspected him from all angles. Actually, in the right clothes, this one should clean up quite nicely. And he did possess a certain undeniable something.
“One good thing. We should be able to fit you off the rack. There’s no time to wait for custom-tailoring.” Broad shoulders tapered to lean hips, which were hugged by a modern-day version of cowboy chaps in supple-looking black leather.
“But those chaps. The look is all wrong unless you’re auditioning for a cowboy commercial.” The garment in question sheathed him like an intimate glove, up over snakeskin boots to hug an impossibly long length of leg, before ending in a V of faded denim below his belt. The scrap of exposed denim was the exact same shade as his eyes. Realizing where her gaze lingered, she looked away and hoped she wasn’t blushing.
He rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms over his impressive chest. One side of his mouth quirked up in an endearing half-smile. “I wasn’t expecting an audition.”
Dead silence hung between them and Kaitlin felt herself flush. Weren’t people supposed to outgrow adolescent blushing? Apparently not her. Even her ears were burning. “Somehow, I get the feeling you’re not my brother’s friend/wannabe model I was expecting.”
“Is that what he told you?” The newcomer braced one shoulder against the doorframe as if he had every right to be there, thumbs hooked in the pockets of his jacket. His half-smile turned into the real thing. The change in expression deepened the grooves in his cheeks and gave him a lazy look that matched his careless pose.
His smile was addictive and Kaitlin caught herself starting to smile back.
“How about I introduce myself properly? The name’s Blaze.” Lazily his right
hand stretched toward her, broad and sun-browned with a faint line of scars
visible across the first two knuckles. “I’m your date for the weekend.”
One Fantasy Fall is on sale in the US for only 99cents this week. Grab your copy here!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096CRGV1L/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3
Oh, my gosh! If that isn't the best tease ever! I'm going to get my copy; you should too!
Here's the official blurb...
Blurb~
He’s every woman’s heart throb, and all wrong for her.
When a world-famous stuntman shows up at her door, Kaitlin is taken aback to learn Blaze is her ‘fake date’ for a charity fundraiser. She feels like the true charity case, for she’s been dreading attending the event where she’s sure to run into her ex-husband and his girl toy. But showing up with Blaze? On the other hand, being seen with him could do wonders for her new PR career. The press is hungry for an update on what he’s been up to since his last stunt ended in disaster.
When Blaze’s stunt career is stalled by a life-changing accident, he’s wary of the press in general and PR people in particular. But he has a soft heart for the underdog and something about Kaitlin sparks feelings, especially when they join forces to find a housing solution for a group of young people with no other place to go.
Because of her past, Kaitlin avoids anything that smacks of extreme sports, and Blaze represents everything she dislikes about the risk-taking lifestyle. But when a catastrophe with their housing project sees him once more put his life on the line to perform a death-defying stunt, she has to decide. Will her fears hold her back or can she leap alongside him into the future?
Bio ~
USA Today Bestselling author Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her many alpha male heroes.
Her hero, Steele, in HER UNDERCOVER COWBOY, is a modern-day cowboy, so when she was wooed by a man called Steel— while he’s not a cowboy, he is an alpha male and her forever hero. Which is why all of her stories end Happily Ever After.
Sign up for Kathleen’s VIP Reader Newsletter to receive a free book, updates, special giveaways and fan-priced offers. http://eepurl.com/bV0sb1
AMAZON | WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB
Thank you so much for guesting today, Kathleen!
Please help me welcome Bonnie Phelps to the blog! And she brought a friend, MY SEXY VETERINARIAN! Yowza! Let's find out more...
BLURB ~
Nate Kincaid, wants to get out of debt and get his family off his back about his relationship status. The second means he needs a serious girlfriend, but after the death of his fiancé, he isn’t ready. No one knows about his nightmares—the ones that chase him into the dark places of grief. Dealing with debt means his fledgling veterinary practice must be successful—business before anything else. Always. Maybe a pretend relationship would solve his second problem so he can concentrate on the first.
Full-time psychologist and part-time model, Lauren Royall, has the perfect life. As a therapist she helps people. As a model, her free spirit reigns. When Nate suggests she pose as his girlfriend, she accepts on a lark. Lauren senses his pain and wants to help. She hadn’t counted on falling for the guy or the painful memories from her past his situation evokes.
EXCERPT ~
He pulled up in front of her house and came around his truck to let her out. Hand-in-hand they walked to her front door. Nate slid his hands under her jacket, trailing them down her ribcage before settling on her lower back. Pulling her tight, he wondered how one woman could set all his nerve endings on fire simply by being in his arms. He didn’t know, and at the moment didn’t care.
Their lips touched. He meant to keep it sweet, but his traitorous body had other ideas. Slowly he used the tip of his tongue to map the softness of her lips. When her lips parted to give him access to taste the essence that was Lauren, his resistance unraveled completely. Even while his heart raced, teasing her tongue, tasting her, she quieted him like the fading colors of the sunrise, heralding a promise of new beginnings. Were new beginnings even possible for him?
Her hands traced the contours of his chest, gliding across his hard planes, leaving streams of molten lava in their wake as they eased their way to his shoulders. Her arms circled his neck pressing her lush breasts tightly against him, tantalizing him with the thought of what they would feel like filling his hands.
Being wrapped in her arms was like being caught in a vivid dream, one he didn’t want to wake from, but the gray fog of past nightmares swirled into the frame anyway. Shapeless and disquieting the fear lodged in his chest. The need to scurry into his protective shell took over.
He gentled the kiss, pulling back slowly, until their lips parted and he cupped her beautiful face in his large, calloused hands. Slipping apart, he felt his soul follow her breath into her body. Scared. Him. Shitless. He could lose everything—again, have to climb out of the abyss—again, if he stayed in her arms.
“I’ll call you.” He hoped his statement would be true. He wanted it to be true, but he heard the hollowness of his words. He felt her smile brush his lips and the heat it sparked as she melted against him. He was lost.
She sighed, her breath skimming along his neck, but when she looked up mischief sparkled in her eyes. “After a kiss like that, you’ve ruined me for other men,” she whispered, her lips pursed at the laugh he suspected bubbled beneath the surface. “No other man can hold a candle to that kiss. That is a kiss for the ages. If you don’t call, I’ll probably die an old maid.”
He choked back a laugh at her bantering. She always seemed to know what to do or say to lift the cloud of anxiety followed him like a beast of prey. “While I can’t imagine you as an old maid, I certainly wouldn’t want your spinsterhood on my conscience. I’ll call. I promise.”
Nate waited while she unlocked her door and stepped inside. When he heard the deadbolt slide in to place, he turned and walked back to his truck still shaking his head, but with a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
AUTHOR BIO ~
Rumor has it that Bonnie began telling stories at a very early age. Photos exist of the author toddling around the corner of the house covered in mud babbling about magic rabbits leading her through the garden. Her parents were amused – until they discovered she had also walked across the newly poured cement patio – which only added fuel to the fire of her passion for writing. From then on, her active imagination continued to churn out plots and character sketches always wondering how different people would behave in similar situations. People are endlessly fascinating and stories are everywhere.
Bonnie used her writing skills throughout her professional life as a fundraiser and marketer for several nonprofits. She enjoyed the chance to tell and share the story of worthy organizations. In the late 1980s, Bonnie authored a syndicated column in several California newspapers in which she shared the experiences and misadventures of life as a wife and mother. The jury is out on whether or not her children appreciated her candor. Because Bonnie has romance in her soul, she also worked as a Wedding Planner for several years. Absolutely loved it!! She craves anything sweet, revels in any chance to travel, and is addicted to Ancestry.com. A native Californian, the author lives in Northern California with her husband.
You can find Bonnie here:
Website: https://www.bonniephelpsauthor.com (for additional information)
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35484981-my-sexy-veterinarian
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7238451.Bonnie_Phelps
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00MSCAR8I
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bonniephelpsauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonniephelps15
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bonniephelps15/
Blog: https://bonniephelpsauthor.blogspot.com/
You can buy MY SEXY VETERINARIAN here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072VVDMB7
CreateSpace: NA
Smashwords: NA until October 1, 2017
iBooks: NA until October 1, 2017
Barnes & Noble: NA until October 1, 2017
Kobo: NA until October 1, 2017
