Cowboy Lovin' Day 25: Donna Marie Rogers

Today I welcome to Cowboy Lovin' the talented Donna Marie Rogers, author of western romance Golden Opportunity, who brings to The Cozy Page an interesting question: "Can a city girl do a cowboy?"

Amber, thank you so much for including me in your homage to cowboys, those classic American heroes. You've had some amazing guest bloggers this month, including my fantastic editor, Spencer Glenn!

What does a city girl know about cowboys? Not much, actually...LOL But this city girl has always had it bad for those rugged, handsome heroes, whether in historical or contemporary settings. Picture it...A dark-haired, blue-eyed cowboy leaning against the corral, one booted foot up on the rail, black Stetson tipped back as he gazes off into the beautiful Colorado Rockies....

Oh, yeah, I like the Stetson. Hat head doesn't bother me a bit. *grin*

I fell in love with Colorado through the eyes of my good friend & co-author of Welcome To Redemption, Stacey Joy Netzel (you may remember her from yesterday). I knew if I ever decided to write a western, it would have to be set in Colorado. That's how Golden Opportunity came to be. Fascinated by Stacey's passion for those gorgeous mountains, I decided to do some research, and fell hard & fast for the city of Golden. And their motto: Where the West Lives. Love it!

Golden lies west of Denver at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Situated between Lookout Mountain and the two Table Mountains, this gorgeous city lies within a sheltered valley fed by Clear Creek. Sigh...Doesn't that sound stunning? Here's the picture that first stole my heart. And how breathtaking is this?

A few fun facts: Golden was Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859; the mining camp was originally named Golden City in honor of Thomas L. Golden. The Adolph Coors Company was Founded in 1873. Golden is the birthplace of the Jolly Rancher, a candy bought out by the Hershey Foods Corporation. Famous western showman William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody is buried nearby on Lookout Mountain.

Okay, so Colorado is obviously my favorite setting for a western. But I must admit, Texas runs a close second. :-) So tell me, what is your favorite setting? One commentor will win an e-copy of Golden Opportunity!

Blurb:

James McMillan is a third generation owner of the most prosperous horse ranch in Golden, Colorado. When a gorgeous little filly shows up at his door waving what she says is the deed to half his ranch, James is unconvinced. But the document is authentic, according to his lawyer - his brother, Reese, sold her his half of the Double M during a poker game in Atlantic City. So not only must James find a way to get back those shares, he needs to fight his growing attraction for his luscious new business partner, who turns out to be a lot more than just a pretty face.

Having been on her own since she was a teenager, Angela Roberts has never wanted nothing more than the security of a real home. Her dreams come true when the chance to own half of a Colorado horse ranch falls into her lap. If Reese McMillan is too blind to appreciate what he has, that's his loss. Only she hadn't counted on the hostile reception she receives from his brother. Surly as a bear, James McMillan is also much too handsome for her peace of mind. Refusing to be intimidated, Angela sets out to win him over by proving she has what it takes to help him run the ranch - and ends up losing her heart to both.


Excerpt, Opening scene:

"I'm telling you I bought it fair and square. This deed proves it."

James McMillan glared down at the crazy woman waving a document under his nose. So his fool baby brother had finally done it--he'd gambled away his half of the ranch. James' biggest fear had come true, and she barely reached his shoulder. He blew out a silent breath and thumbed his Stetson back. "Look, Miss...?"

"Roberts. Angela Roberts."

"It'll take me a few days to raise the funds to buy it back. In the meantime, there are several hotels in downtown Golden-"

"Sorry, Cowboy, but you're not getting rid of me that easy. I'm staying right here at the Double M. Reese said-"

"Reese is an idiot, and I don't give a damn what he said. I'll be dipped if some gold-digging opportunist is gonna set one foot inside the home my great-grandparents built with their own hands. Now, I'll pay for your hotel room if you can't afford one, but either way, you're leaving."

She huffed out a sigh of frustration and crossed her arms over her ample chest. Big blue eyes clear as the Colorado sky gazed up at him, and for a brief moment, James became lost in them.

He gave himself a mental shake, ignoring her full pouty lips and shiny auburn hair, which hung in loose waves down to her waist. Lord, did he love long hair on a woman. Damn you, Reese.

"I told you, I'm not going anywhere. I own half this ranch, whether you like it or not. And if you insist on making me leave, I promise you I'll be back with the sheriff."

Great. Just freakin' great. Sheriff Martin would pounce like a mountain lion on a chance to make James miserable. And if she got that vindictive old cuss involved, the story of Reese's stupidity would be all over town by nightfall. His frustration must have shown on his face because a knowing smile curved those luscious lips. James propped his hands on his hips in defeat and took a step back. "Fine. You wanna play house, lady, be my guest. Just don't get too comfortable."

With a toss of her head, she picked up her suitcase, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor of the foyer as she strode past him. It took all James' self-control not to give her denim-clad ass a swat as she passed by.

Excerpt #2:

"What the hell do you mean it's legal and binding? It's written on a hotel letterhead, for chrissakes."

"I'm sorry, James," his lawyer said with an audible sigh. "It would be legal if it were written on toilet paper. It's spelled out to the letter, both parties signed it, as well as two witnesses and a notary republic. I'm afraid Miss Angela Roberts owns forty-nine percent of the Double M Ranch."

James blew out a hard breath. "Thanks, Cal." He tossed the receiver in its cradle and leaned back in his leather armchair. Bitterness ate at his soul until he thought he might choke on it. Reese's resentment of James had been going on for so long he could barely remember how the hell it got started. Over something minor, no doubt. And each year the rift between them had grown wider.

Until Reese had stepped over the line and lost James' respect for good.

He shot to his feet and paced the floor for a few seconds, then headed to the sideboard to pour himself a bourbon. The welcoming burn blazed a path straight to his gut. He downed a second and was about to pour a third when someone knocked on the study door. Shit, the last thing he wanted to do was sit through one of Meara's lectures. He set his glass down with a thunk, stalked over and yanked open the door.

Only it was Angela standing there in the dim light of the hallway, gazing up at him with those big blue eyes. She wore an oversized New York Giants T-shirt that hung down to just below her knees, and she'd pulled her thick auburn hair up into a ponytail. She looked vulnerable and uncertain and more beautiful than any woman had a right to.

And the bourbon was suddenly warming more than just his stomach.

~~~~~~~~

Amber, thanks again for having me, and thank you to anyone who stops by! I hope you enjoyed the excerpts. Golden Opportunity received some amazing reviews including a Reviewer Top Pick from NOR, and 5 hearts from The Romance Studio. It's available at The Wild Rose Press. Please visit me at my website: http://www.donnamarierogers.com/

**Remember to leave a comment and share your favorite Western setting for a chance to win an e-copy of Golden Opportunity!

Wow, that's a great prize! Readers, Donna's giveaway will be open for entry until midnight EST January 29th and the winner will be announced the following Tuesday, February 2nd. Chances of winning depend on the number of entries and you must be 18 years or older to enter.

Thank you so much, Donna, for visiting! I can't wait to read Golden Opportunity!

And I should mention that if you'd like a real taste of Welcome to Redemption, Donna's co-author Stacey Joy Netzel's giveaway is still open for entry as well as Sandy Sullivan's giveaway....

Special Guest: Donna Marie Rogers

Today I’m happy to announce that The Cozy Page is a stop on romance author Donna Marie Rogers’ virtual book tour for her new novel—launching today!—Meant To Be:

She's running from her past, he's unsure about his future. Maybe together they can figure out what was Meant To Be.

Officer Garrett Jamison is at the lowest point in his life. He's lost faith in his ability as a police officer after unwittingly setting his sister up with a dirty cop. Garrett ended up getting shot, and his sister's son kidnapped right out of his own bed. He takes a leave from the force, in need of some time to make a decision about his future. Too bad he can't get a decent night's sleep thanks to his sexy new neighbor and her howling cat.

Jessica McGovern moves halfway across the country to start a new life in Green Bay, Wisconsin after her ex-husband is convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their young son. Her new neighbor is as infuriating as he is handsome, but when her ex is released from prison early and shows up in town, Jessica discovers she's never needed anyone more.

I’m thrilled to have you here today, Donna, and to learn more about the sequel to one of the best contemporary novels I’ve read in some time, There’s Only Been You.

Thank you so much, Amber, and thank you for having me. I’m thrilled you enjoyed There’s Only Been You and hope you feel the same about Meant To Be.

First of all, please introduce yourself. Tell us about your home life and how’s the weather where you are?

Well, I live up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and today the weather is quite nice. Warm, but not too warm, and slightly overcast, which I prefer. I’m one of those nuts who prefers cloudy and rainy days to sunshine & warmth...LOL The hubby and I have been married for 14 years, and we have two young daughters, 5 and 10. We live in a renovated old schoolhouse out in the country...or what I call country considering I’m a city girl who grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. :)

Meant To Be is the second book in a series, am I correct? Did you plan to write a follow up to There’s Only Been You or did Garrett’s character simply demand it? :)

Yes, Meant To Be is the second story in my Jamison trilogy. There’s Only Been You, which features Garrett’s younger sister, Sara, is first. Head Over Heels is the third book in the trilogy and will feature another brother, Nick (though that story is only in the plotting stages right now).

I don’t know that I planned it from the start, but Garrett quickly wormed his way into my head, and melted my heart. I started on his story as soon as the first draft of There’s Only Been You was finished. I love the relationship between Garrett and his nephew, Ethan, especially in light of the bad blood between Garrett and Ethan’s father, Mike. So I knew Ethan would play a prominent part in Meant To Be.

Since relationships fascinate me, what makes Garrett and Jessica click and was it fun to write such opposing characters?

Relationships fascinate me as well, which is probably why I’m such a sucker for reality shows. Since Garrett is a big moody cop (6’ 5” and built like a Mack truck) and Jessica is barely over 5’ tall, I wanted to start things off with some major conflict. It just so happens that Jessica gives as good as she gets—which turns Garrett on in a big way. LOL He’s the oldest, so Garrett’s used to being the voice of authority. And here’s this tiny little woman in his face, not letting him get away with squat. She really turns him on his ear. ;-) I had a blast writing for these two, no question about it. And Uncle Luke has a little romance of his own in Meant To Be, just in case you were curious...LOL

Will we be seeing anymore of the Jamison family? (Please say yes!)

LOL Yes! Nick’s story, though I’m not sure when, will definitely be written. And I’ll probably write the youngest brother’s (Danny) story as well.

You’ve also written an anthology with Stacey Joy Netzel called Welcome to Redemption, which received an excellent review from Romantic Times Magazine. There’s a rumor going around about a sequel. Care to enlighten us? (You knew I’d ask ;)

As a matter of fact, that’s what we’re working on now. :) Though I had a lot going on the first half of the year, so I’m waaay behind in my writing. Stacey already has her first story written, and as soon as I can, I’m diving back into Home Is Where the Heart Is (Yep, Drew & Lindy’s story ;-).

You’re a strong contemporary writer, but you delved into western romance with Golden Opportunity with praise from readers and reviewers alike. Being a lover of western romance myself, I have to ask: did you enjoy your cowboy jaunt and do you have any plans of doing it again?

Wow, Amber, I need to guest blog for you more often...LOL Thank you for your kind words. I love cowboys. Next to cops they’re my favorite kind of hero. :) And I loved writing Golden Opportunity. Stacey’s the one who piqued my interest in Colorado. One day I was reading about the city of Golden, looking at the most gorgeous pictures, and was struck with the urge to write a western. I always laugh because I’m such a city girl. But Stacey, thankfully, owns horses, so she helped me with the details; made sure I didn’t embarrass myself too badly. LOL I do plan to write the brother’s story. I asked everyone who read it if they thought Reese was redeemable, and almost everyone did. I’m just waiting for inspiration to strike as far as his storyline.

And speaking of hot cowboys and high praise, Amber, I’ve read some incredible reviews for your own contemporary western Blackest Heart. ;-)

Aw, thanks, Donna! Please write another western! You know how I feel about cowboys. According to your website, the late, great Kathleen E. Woodiwiss inspired your love affair with the romance genre. I know it’s hard to choose, but in your opinion what is the greatest romance you’ve read to date?

That really is a tough one, you’re right. But if I had to choose, I’d have to say A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught. It is simply the most incredible romance I’ve ever read. In fact, I really should dig it out of my closet and read it again soon. Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood comes in a close second. Rainbows & Rapture by Rebecca Paisley is at the top of my list, too. Well, and I can’t leave out Cry No More by Linda Howard. I could tear up just thinking about that book. LOL

Your tagline reads “Sizzling Romance, Small Towns, Simply Irresistible.” What is it about writing small town romance that keeps you going?

To me, there’s just nothing sexier than a blue-collar hero. Especially if he’s a cop or handy man, like a carpenter or electrician. And if he drives a pickup truck, even better. LOL No idea why, but those boys just do it for me. ;-) For whatever reason, big city locations usually don’t excite me the way those homey small town ones do. There’s just something about that close knit, small town mentality that’s charming and inviting.

That's an intriguing theory! Would you mind sharing a short snippet of Meant To Be?

I would love to, thank you, Amber!

Excerpt:

"Come here, Miss Crabbypants."

Jessica resisted, but it was no use. The big oaf outweighed her by a ton. "Look, I just want to finish my tea and relax. Today's my last day off for almost two weeks."

He leaned back and frowned down at her. "Why are you working so many hours?"

She rolled her eyes. "Um, I have bills to pay...?"

His gaze became pensive as he massaged the back of her neck. Slowly, she relaxed until she was leaning into his broad chest, eyes closed, inhaling his spicy masculine scent. He always smelled so good...Damn, the man was a magician; she'd already forgotten why she was mad at him...Wait, oh yeah. "So what's with all that hammering?"

"We're building a doghouse."

His busy fingers moved to her shoulders wringing a groan of ecstasy from her. Oh, God, was she drooling on his shirt? Then his words registered. Jessica leaned back and swiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. "A doghouse? But you don't have a dog...do you?"

"No, but Ethan's been begging for a puppy for a couple years now. I guess he finally wore Sara down. And Mike's still in the ‘buy-Ethan-anything-he-wants' phase." Garrett glanced down at his T-shirt and chuckled. He reached out and recaptured the back of her neck. "Liked that, did you? You do seem a little tense—"

"Oh, no you don't." She ducked out of his reach and took a few steps back. He started to follow but she held up both hands. "You stay right where you are."

He propped his hands on his hips. "So do I have a date tonight or what?"

"Or what."

He grinned. "Wear something sexy," he said with a wink before strolling out the back door. The jackass even had the nerve to whistle.

Jessica walked over and slammed the door with a muttered, "Nutjob." Then she headed into the bedroom to search through her closet.
* * *

LOL, already I love the banter! Thanks so much for stopping by today, Donna! Meant To Be is definitely on my auto-buy list and should be on everyone else’s!

Thank you for having me, Amber, this has been a blast!

**I plan to choose a winner from everyone who posts a comment here today, and the prize is a free download of Meant To Be! So everyone, I’d love it if you told me what your all-time favorite book is. :)

Ooh, that's a great prize. I'm jealous already ;)

To learn more about Donna and her books, visit her website. And be sure to visit The Wild Rose Press to grab your copy of Meant To Be today!

Romance author Donna Marie Rogers lives in a renovated old schoolhouse in beautiful Northeast Wisconsin with her husband and children. She's an avid gardener and home-canner, as well as an admitted reality TV junkie. Her passion to read is only exceeded by her passion to write, so when she's not doing the wife and mother thing, you can usually find her sitting at her computer creating exciting new characters, fresh new worlds, and always happily-ever-afters.