New Blog Opening

The Sweethearts of the West group blog opened officially the first day of this month and today I got the chance to blog there for the first time. This exciting new group is all about western romance - good news for you Wayback Ridge fans! In fact, I share an excerpt from the Ridge family saga as well as break down readers' love of the contemporary west with a special focus on rodeos!

Read it all here today and check back soon for posts from fellow Sweethearts Caroline Clemmons, Celia Yeary, Anna Jeffrey, Anna Kathryn Lanier, Ashley Kath-Bilsky, Cheryl Pierson, Jane Leopold Quinn, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Marin Thomas, Nicole McCaffrey, Paisley Kirkpatrick, Paty Jager, and Sandra Crowley!

Release Week Party & October Events

Tomorrow the Ridge family saga's final installment, Bet It On My Heart, will launch from AudioLark, completing the Wayback Ridge Trilogy audio book collection. What a month it's been with these three thrilling audio book launches! It's the last week of September and, fittingly, the last week to party Ridge book release style so I'm celebrating first and foremost with fellow western author Anna Kathryn Lanier. Read a steamy exclusive excerpt from Bet It On My Heart right now at Chatting with Anna Kathryn!

Today I'm also returning to regularly scheduled programming with The Roses of Prose with a Monday post on Book Promotion Ideas. I'm breaking down guest blogging tips as the TRoP guest coordinator and taking questions and additional tips so head on over to the sweet-smelling grog! And I'll be joining two of my favorite grog ladies, Lisa Lipkind Leibow and Laura Breck, as workshop presenters of the Muse It Up Conference on October 11-17. More information on this next week....

I'd like to take this time to announce that I will be joining another group blog this week. This month I was invited to be a part of the launch of Sweethearts of the West, a group of western romance authors, including TWRP Yellow Rose imprint buddies Celia Yeary and Caroline Clemmons. The Sweethearts will officially launch on October 1. Be there this Sunday for my first fun western romance topic!

Finally, believe it or not, the holidays are fast approaching and The Season is gearing up for its new Tis the Season Writing Contest! This week it was revealed that the editors and agent donating 25 page critiques are editor Grace Bradley (Ellora’s Cave), agent Kevan Lyon (Marsal Lyon Literary Agency), and editor Leis Pederson (Berkley, a division of Penguin Group). The top prize not only includes a professional critique but $100 Visa Gift Card. Read rules and further info at The Season Blog.

September might have been one heck of a ride but the busiest months of the year are yet to come! October promises to be an exciting month so keep checking back in, Cozies, for all the latest. And the release party will be here again tomorrow to celebrate Bet It On My Heart's audio debut! See you then!

Cowboy Lovin' Day 2: Celia Yeary

Welcome to Day 2 of Cowboy Lovin'! I promised another author who knows her cowboys. Celia Yeary is a Texas lady and is another great voice in the western romance genre. She's also a fellow author of the Wayback, TX series. And it just so happens that she's celebrating a western romance release this month! Oh, and she brought her excerpts...

"Cowboy Lovin' Ways"

Don’t you just love a handsome, good-hearted, protective cowboy? I grew up with cowboys. No, not in real life, only in my imagination. My love affair with the gentle men of the West began at age eight when a traveling photographer came through the small West Texas town where we lived. He brought along a small Shetland pony for a photo prop. A lucky child who had parents with a little money might have his or her picture taken sitting atop the lovely animal. Me? Not that lucky, but I did watch others as they climbed up, gripped the reins, and turned their heads toward the camera, either smiling or stifling a sob from fear.

The vision stayed with me, and for Christmas I asked for a cowboy outfit and a six-shooter. Well, I did receive those—jeans, a plaid shirt, a neckerchief, and a six-shooter cap gun in a holster. Oh, and a red felt hat with a string to tie under my chin. My little sister also received these gifts, and we launched ourselves into the make-believe world of cowboys. We were never “cowgirls,” oh, no, we were cowboys!

This phase of dressing the part and playing cowboys evolved into attending the Saturday Afternoon Western Matinee. Each week, mother gave each of us two dimes—one for admission and one for a concession stand treat. Each Saturday, we watched Gene Autrey, Roy Rogers, Lash LaRue, or The Lone Ranger. Oh, those thrilling days of yesteryear!!!

As an adult, I write Western Historical romance novels, probably because that part of me never grew up. The heroes in my novels are visions in my head, but now with the wizardry of Google, I have the pleasure of finding just the right guy for a particular character. Let me show you.

In ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS, Ricardo Romero marries a prissy, proud young lady from East Texas. He takes her across Texas to the edge of the frontier so they may live on his enormous ranch. He has difficulty understanding his new bride, even though he really wants to. For various complicated reasons, she moves out of the main ranch house and into a small cabin to escape her new husband. Here’s what he says to her:

“What do you want?” she asked, never batting an eyelash.

“You know damn well what I want. I want to know what’s come over you to create such a stir and pull such a stunt. And I want you to pack and march your little fanny right back over there to my house.”

It seems Ricardo has much to learn. And he does, believe me.
______________________________________________________________________________

In SHOWDOWN IN SOUTHFORK, Cody Matheson, a champion bull rider, teases Marla Ellington, who tries to make sense out of this mysterious cowboy.

“Okay, just tell me this. Probably you think you bought Southfork, but that’s not possible. What makes you think you own it?”

Squinting his eyes, he looked out across the street, as if he searched for an answer. Finally, he drawled, “Bought it on eBay.”

Pointing her finger at him, she said, “Ah-hah. Just as I thought. I don’t know who you gave your money to, but whoever it was, man, did you get ripped off. Don’t you know enough to realize people put fake things on the internet all the time, and some sucker falls for it? You, Mr. Matheson, were taken.”

He tipped his hat back with his thumb and grinned at her. “Aw, don’t get all riled. I’m just teasing you.”

"Teasing? Then tell me the truth. Why are you here?”

“Well, Miss Ellington, your father hired me to be your bodyguard.”

Shaking her head, she said, “Oh, no, you don’t. I know nothing about a bodyguard. My daddy didn’t say anything about doing something like that, so I do not believe you for one minute.”

"Well, it’s the truth. Sounded like a bore at first, but now, well, it’s getting more interesting by the minute.”

______________________________________________________________________________
On Jan. 29, my third Western Historical will be released. Title: TEXAS BLUE. Buck Cameron finds Marilee Weston, isolated in the forest. Now that’s he’s located the beautiful young woman with the little girl, should he take the child as he was paid to do? Or rescue both of them to keep them safe?

She emerged from the bushes with Josie at her side. Buck already waited. Heavy, black stubble covered his face, and instead of a hat, he’d tied a bandana around his wet hair to keep it out of his face. He wore black twill trousers, tight fitting, molded to his thighs. Once again, he had strapped his pistols around his lean hips. His white shirt, open at the neck, exposed dark hair on his chest, and it contrasted sharply against his darkened skin. If she hadn’t known he was actually a gentleman, she would have been even more frightened, for he looked like a desperado.

But she saw the now familiar twinkle in his blue eyes and felt somewhat comforted.

"All set?” he asked her, staring into her eyes, warming her and making her yearn to reach out to him, to touch his dark skin.

Thank you for visiting!

Celia Yeary

Romance…and a little bit ’o Texas. You may see my website here: http://www.celiayeary.com/. Or contact me by mail: celiayeary@yahoo.com. Or read my weekly blog: http://celiayeary.blogspot.com/. The books can be found here: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

A thank you to Celia for bringing her love of cowboys to the party as well as some gorgeous covers and the teasers!

Readers, look for Celia's Texas Blue on January 29. Also be sure to check back tomorrow for more Cowboy Lovin'! And you can still enter Alison Kent's giveaway...

Special Guest: Celia Yeary

Today I’m thrilled to welcome another very special guest to Cozy, fellow Wayback author Celia Yeary whose novella Showdown in Southfork is available now from The Wild Rose Press!

Marla Ellington inherits an abandoned town on ranchland near Wayback, Texas. When she arrives to claim her property, and finds Cody Matheson sitting on the porch of the dilapidated honky-tonk, her temper flares hotter than her pistol. Anger blazing, she settles in for a showdown.

Cody’s only goal for the week is to win the bull-riding event at the Saturday night rodeo. But when Marla receives an anonymous threat that forces her to leave town, Cody finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a mystery. ’Course, catching a criminal and lasting eight seconds on a bull are easy compared to winning the love of the feisty, strawberry-blonde beauty who wants nothing to do with him. Now it's his turn for a showdown.

Welcome to The Cozy Page, Celia, and many congrats on the Wayback release! I’m eager to talk about Showdown in Southfork! It’s a wonderful addition to the Wayback series. It also harkens back to the suspenseful themes we found in Judith Rochelle’s Shadow of the Hawk and Sylvie Kaye’s Wrong Side of Love. Can you tell us a bit about this?

I’d be happy to. First, it’s light-hearted, even though an unknown person threatens Marla, and it’s humorous and a little sexy. I based the story on a real event about Albert, Texas—population 4. John Cave owned it—yes, he owned this ghost town with acreage and an old honkytonk—and placed it on eBay. Since we drive by that small place often when traveling, I “wrote” the story in my head on the way to our destination.

Intriguing! Your heroine Marla definitely lives up to Wayback’s feisty standards. Tell us a bit about Marla and what motivates her.

Marla is from a semi-wealthy family in Dallas, rather pampered as the only girl, but still, she has an independent streak. She inherits the town from her eccentric grandfather who lived there all alone until he died. The catch—she must stay there one week to claim her inheritance. When she arrives, Cody is there, a stranger, and the sparks fly.

I already love hero Cody. Cowboy and bull-rider are welcome qualities around these parts ;) Can you give us more insight into Cody’s character? What attracts him to Marla?

Cody is easy going and somewhat lazy when he’s free of actual work. But when he must accomplish something, he’s all male, strong-willed, and well—“bullheaded.” He loves to tease, play, and flirt, and he finds cute feisty Marla the perfect target. And she plays right into his hands—pun intended.

What is it about the cowboy hero that is so endearing?

Good question. Cowboys, as we know them or create them, are protective, aggressive, respectful, and loyal. Yep, that’s a cowboy for you. They can have broken hearts waiting to be mended by the right woman, a thick skull a female usually must crack to get a point across, and arrogance fit to kill when he thinks he’s right. Through everything, he’s looking for love—sometimes in all the wrong places—but we’ll forgive him for that.

What compelled you to write a story for the Wayback series? Care to share any of your favorite Wayback series moments?

I read the first two Wayback stories, and fell in love with the town and the story line. The series became very popular right away. I knew authors were submitting, so I began to yearn for that place in the Wayback lineup. You see, I have a killer instinct. Most people see me as a kind, sweet, mature woman. But underneath, I want to win. So, place a challenge before me and I’ll work very hard to make it my own. Now, I’m hoping my book will be in an anthology—most of my local friends and family want a book to hold, not read online, and they’d buy the anthology.

Please let us here at Cozy know if Showdown is printed in an anthology! You have another western romance available from The Wild Rose Press. Give us the skinny on Yellow Rose All My Hopes and Dreams.

It’s a story about two opposites—prim, proper, spoiled Cynthia Harrington who wants to choose her own husband but her father selects one for her; and Ricardo Romero, a wealthy Spaniard in town to buy blooded mares. Impulsively, he asks for her hand in marriage. She accepts and he takes her home to the ranch. Each must learn how to live with the other, and the task is not easy.

Do you have any upcoming titles readers should look out for?

Texas Blue has a release date in January 2010. It parallels All My Hopes and Dreams, in a way. I took characters from one to write the other story. This is a full-length novel.

According to your website, though Texas is your home, you travel quite a bit. What are your favorite places to visit and where haven’t you been that you would like to go?

We’ve traveled all over Europe, part of Russia, the Scandinavian countries, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, and of course, the United States. I’ve never visited a place I didn’t enjoy in some way. I cannot choose a favorite at all. But one place we’ve not been is Ireland and Scotland. If we do fly across the ocean again, I’d love to visit those places.

Okay, now for the fun part! What’s your zodiac and what does it say for today?

Virgo. ‘You thrive under deadlines now. Not everyone is as thrill-seeking as you, so be patient with the steady quiet ones.’ Very true—I do my best under pressure and with close deadlines.

If you could set a romance where you live, what genre would it be? Sweeping historical, heart-pounding romantic suspense, or hot contemporary?

I live in the Texas Hill Country-rugged, rough and beautiful. I would have to place a sweeping historical here!...with maybe a little hot sex thrown in. Why not?

If you were a mixed drink, what would you be and why?

Margarita, definitely. It says, “I’ve worked hard, so I’ll kick back, turn on some Tejano music, sit with someone I love, and have a plate of jalapeno cheese nachos to go with it.”

What recent read would you recommend?

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas. It’s not erotic, but it’s plenty hot.

What’s your favorite smell and is there anything that makes it significant?

Hmmm, wet, green grass, freshly mowed. Here in Central Texas, we often have long droughts and all the grass turns brown. With a little rain, it pops right back, and I feel rejuvenated and blessed. And the smell is lovely.

And last but not least, if you found your heart’s desire at the end of the rainbow, what would it be?

Oh, that’s difficult. My heart’s desire—to have my three young grandsons grow into worthwhile, happy young men who will make a difference in their world.

Thanks again for lounging with us here at The Cozy Page, Celia! I’m sure my readers will look forward to reading Showdown in Southfork. I definitely look forward to your January Cactus Rose release! To close, would you mind giving us a nibble of Showdown?

******

Cody turned to her, shaking his head. “Not a good spot for your bedroll. Not good at all.”

“Why not?”

“I saw mice droppings over here when I arrived.”

“Mice?” she squeaked.

“Yeah, I guess they come out over here.”

“Noooo,” she said with her hands on her cheeks. “Is that the truth?”

“Seems likely to me. That’s why I sleep back over there.” He motioned with his head.

“Then, where am I going to sleep?”

Cody looked behind her, and said, “Whoa! One just popped his little head out that hole.”

Goosebumps popped up on Marla’s arms and down her back. In one motion, she squealed, “Eeek!” sounding just like one of the mice again, turned, and slammed into Cody. He stood his ground while she literally climbed up his body, grasping his shirt, wrapping her legs around his hips, and moving on up to clasp her arms around his neck.

After only a few moments, she noticed that he hadn’t moved, except to lock his arms around her bottom and boost her a little higher. Leaning back, she looked into his face. He grinned like a Cheshire cat, or the one that got the cream, not unlike the roguish grin she’d seen earlier.
The man was dangerous.

“I’ll get down now,” she said, pursing her lips and looking away.

“Well…you’re gonna have to let go of my neck.”

When she did, he kept her escape in check by allowing her to slide down his body, unhurried, holding her close. When she stood toe-to-toe with him, she make the biggest mistake of her life. She looked up into his eyes.

“You sure are a little thing,” he whispered.

“I’m petite.”

“You’re short and compact,” he said low and sexy.

“I’m…will you stop it?”

“Haven’t done anything, yet.”

She raised one eyebrow in challenge. “Well?”

Great excerpt, Celia! Thank you again for sharing and I wish you tons of sales!

Readers, sound off: what are your favorite ingredients in a cowboy hero's character? Who're your favorites and why do they stand out? And don’t forget to stop by The Wild Rose Press and get your copy of Showdown in Southfork today!