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Rednecks and Romance
Issue No. 36
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10 things you didn't know about me
1. I love pickled okra
2. I am desperately allergic to cats
3. I collect birds
4. I burned off one of my toenails
5. My favorite fairy tale is sleeping beauty
6. My favorite ghost story is la llorona
7. I have 37 nieces and nephews
8. I'm addicted to china with rosebuds on it
9. I love stinky candles
10. I collect chairs
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| Howdy!
Happy
July, lovelies! Things here have been super busy. We've been
honeymooning and house hunting. I've had a bunch of yummy releases and
I'm looking forward to the end of monsoon season and the beginning of
our fall season.
I'm about to head out to Authors
After Dark, which is one of my favorite times of the year, all year
long. I love getting hugs from all the people, new friends and old ones.
This year my best friend from high school and my niece are coming to
visit, and my niece is bringing the grandnephew, so I'm excited.
:D
Much love, y'all.
BA
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Book News
Mick
is a lone wolf in all ways. He's left his pack, he's left his
homelands, and he's on the road, footloose and fancy free. Well, at
least until he wanders up to a little wolf behind a fence, running his
ass off. Mick stops to let the pup out and is stunned to hear Scotty
tell him no, no, his mate and best friend Danny keeps him locked up to
keep him safe while Danny fights to support them both. This makes all of
Mick's fur stand on end. Maybe Mick doesn't need a mate to bring him
home, maybe he needs two.
Hands-on
assassin Rose has the best job in the world and no issue at all with
taking out the bad guys in the world. In fact, the only problem Rose has
in her life is the game of sexy one-upmanship she's playing with her
biggest competition, Jane. Jane is a sniper who likes to do her job from
a distance, but no matter who manages to do the job first, the ladies
like to get together afterward to argue over who gets the fee, and have
hot make-up sex at the same time.
When Rose is burned by the
family of one of her marks, though, the game changes. When Jane's
handler tells her she gets the honor of taking Rose out, Jane knows she
can't just kill her best girl. Can Jane rescue Rose in time to keep both
of them alive, or will their ultimate contest end with a bang from
which they can never recover?
What
happens when rodeos start to get too tough for humans to compete in?
Midnight Rodeo, of course, where supernatural creatures like shifters
and vampires work for the prize money, and for the awe of their
audience.
In
Welcome to the Pack by BA Tortuga, when head bullfighter Denton is
killed by a demon bull, his twin, Denver, comes back to take his place.
Denver was gone for years, working mundane rodeos and missing his twin.
He's not sure the pack can heal him since the other bullfighters
challenge Denver at every turn. All except Blaine, who's an outcast
himself, and who knows Denver is like no one he's ever met.
Coming Soon:
It's time to ride hard for cattle country!
In
B.A. Tortuga's "Hoping for a Good Break," Colby left his man, Alan,
with harsh words that are made unbearable by the misfortune of a riding
mishap.
Cowboy
Korde has come to Austin to visit his sister, and to find some work
during a tough patch in his life. He has no idea what to do with
himself, though, and his sister needs him to amuse himself and stay out
of her hair.
When
food truck owner Josh meets Korde, he knows just what the hot cowboy
needs. Korde is willing, if completely overwhelmed by what Josh makes
him feel. Can Josh convince Korde they have the perfect recipe for
love.
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Sneak Peek from
Ever the Same
"Daddy, I learned a song."
"DId you, kiddo? Lay it on me." He settled into a chair, smiling at his kid. God, Grainger looked so nervous but pleased.
Grainger started playing a John Denver song, tiny voice clear.
He
tapped his foot, nodding along with the music, even when it slowed and
stumbled. Grainger didn't start over, just plowed through. Look at his
boy. He was so damn proud it hurt.
The end came with a little flourish, and Audie clapped, cheering. "Good job, kiddo."
"I did it!" Grainger grinned, the wiggly tooth in the front almost out, dark eyes lit up with happiness.
"You did."
"I like that song," Randi said, mouth full of ginger snap.
Grainger beamed, looking like he was going to bust open.
Lord, those two were thick as thieves. "Miss Randi did real well today. So did Sara."
"Did you have fun, bumble bee?"
"Uh-huh. Mr. Audie said Sarge could be just mine to ride."
"Really?" Dixon's brows drew down. "That means you have to take care of him, too. Right, Audie?"
"Well, I'll see to his day to day for now, but yeah. I'll expect you to groom and bathe and all, kiddo. Clean his tack."
"I will. I promise."
"Oh, bumble bee. I don't know if we can promise that right now."
"Daddy! Daddy, no. Don't say that!"
"Why
don't you guys all go help Grace in the kitchen, huh?" He wanted to
make sure Dixon knew he wasn't asking for anything, money or commitment
or whatever.
They all scrambled, gathering dishes with a clatter.
He chuckled when they fled. "They think we're fixing to argue."
"Are we? That sounds like a lot of work."
"I think so, too."
Copyright BA 2014
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What's On Screen (or which muses are riding my heinie right now)
Oh,
y'all. I'm working on a m/m contemporary that's focused on cowboys and
their kids. I'm working on a new series called Spirit Quest that is a
m/m paranormal set in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and I'm working on a
hot little contemporary playing with stereotypes, musicians, and
rednecks. ;-)
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Oldies but goodies
Thanks
to her attempt to make it as a freelance writer, Sara McGregor is on a
tour of the west, ending it at a Wyoming dude ranch. She's just there to
do an interview on the simple life, but things get very complicated
when she meets Cal Pearson. He's nothing like the men she knows back in
Berkley; he's arrogant, rude, and he calls her darlin', and she sets out
to prove to the irritating cowboy that she's not one bit attracted to
him.
Too bad
it isn't true. Sara and Cal fight it out with humor, stubbornness and a
healthy dose of lust, finding out that you can make love work if you're
just willing to find a little common ground, in or out of the bedroom,
and Sara gets the one thing she never thought she'd want. Her very own
cowboy.
The
little yellow VW Bug coughed and sputtered, almost growling at her as
it crawled up a little road in the midst of the Bighorn Mountains. Sara
patted the dashboard, unwilling to admit that the sick, scared feeling
in the pit of her stomach wasn't exhaustion and a reaction to the
altitude.
"Come
on, baby. Up this hill, one more hill. Then I'll interview Mr. and Mrs.
Callahan, spend a day or two taking pictures and we're gold. Goodbye
Wyoming, hello California." Seven months she'd been on the road,
visiting one ranch after another. Sara had been so excited when her
agent, Anna, had called in February as she was having breakfast with her
folks in the house they shared in Berkeley.
"Sara,
lovely, have I got a deal for you. A travelogue. Dude ranches, cattle
ranches, cowboys and horses and cows. True romance."
Sara
shoved her dark hair from in front of her face. Romance. Right. Dust and
heat. Filthy animals and lizards and bugs-oh, God, the bugs. Still, she
needed the money and the book and all she had to do was finished it and
maybe-just maybe-Mom wouldn't be on the cell phone every seventeen
seconds trying to convince her that she needed to head home right now
and go back to school.
She just didn't want to spend her life in the classroom.
The
dust kicked up, made both her and the Bug cough, and she rolled up the
window. Of course, she didn't want to spend her life in the boonies
either.
It
wasn't that the area wasn't beautiful-the summer was faded, the
evergreens mixing with the changing leaves to make things colorful and
bright. The mountains were stunning, a welcome change to the vast desert
in Arizona, the flat Oklahoma prairies, the bleak Texas plains.
Still,
Sara missed the easy pace of Berkeley. The ocean, the coffee shops, the
people who actually seemed to be living in the modern world and not
following some ancient cowboy code. Decent vegan restaurants.
Oh, what she wouldn't give for a nice falafel wrap...
The
Bug made it, sputtering and dying in the parking lot, a wisp of white
steam leaking out which Sara resolutely ignored. She'd let it cool down,
get her interviews and notes and pictures and maybe a night or two of
good sleep. Then she'd baby the old yellow car home. Dad could park it
in the garage and she could buy a nice fuel-friendly Toyota with the
money from her book.
"Looks like that old bomb needs some work, honey."
The
voice was deep and gravelly, and the man attached to it was tall, broad
and bowlegged, face and eyes shadowed by a gray felt hat.
Sara
couldn't decide whether to be more offended by the honey or the old bomb
and she rolled her eyes, grabbing her briefcase from the back seat,
cotton shirt trying to pull free from her slacks. "Thank you for the
observation. I don't suppose you could direct me to where I might find
Mr. Callahan?"
"Sure.
He'd be up at the main house. I'll walk you up." The hat got pushed
back far enough she could see a weathered face with blue eyes and almost
white brows. And a measuring look. "If you're a guest, you sure ain't
dressed for it."
She
resisted the urge to smooth her blouse, check to see if her little black
heeled sandals-and thank goodness she was heading home soon because it
was getting seriously chilly for sandals and her good boots were still
in the closet at home-had avoided the dust. "I'm not here to play
cowboy, no. I'm doing research for a book and the Callahans have agreed
to allow me to interview them, photograph the house."
She
got a good look at what she assumed was the main house as she turned.
It was breath-taking-natural wood and stone, huge windows, a vast,
inviting porch with fans and cozy seats and what looked like a
hand-carved rail all the way around. It was nestled right into the side
of the mountain, the afternoon sun turning everything to a warm gold.
Stunning.
"No
kiddin'? Well, they sure are nice folks." The man's tone implied that
the Callahans would have to be nice to do an interview with her and
maybe that she was nuts. Of course, maybe that offensive drawl was his
normal mode of communication. The man held the door for her on her way
in and pointed her to a little reception area.
"If they're expectin' you, just tell Sally there and she'll get you set up. Enjoy, honey."
She rolled her eyes, held out her hand. "Sara McGregor. Thanks."
There, she'd introduced herself to tall, broad and laconic.
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Free Read for Y'all :D
Lovin' Life: A Sara's Cowboy Story - Part 21
There was something wrong with Sara.
Cal
had watched her for two babies, watched her through both pregnancies
and she'd never looked so down, so tired. She had circles under her eyes
the size of saucers and she cried, all the time.
"Momma? Can you come down to the house, please?"
"Sure, son. What's up?"
"Sara.
Sara's... I don't know, Momma. She's not good and I don't know how to
help her and I can't make it better." And Cal was scared.
"I'm on my
way." Just like that. No bitching, no fretting. I'm on my way. "Give me
an hour. No. An hour and a half. I'll stop and buy steaks to cook."
"She might not eat them."
Momma snorted. "She's anemic. She'll eat."
He
finished with the feeding and headed to the house, his steps slowing
down, at least until Jonah came barreling out, wearing nothing but his
pajama bottoms and a coat. "DADDY! DADDY!"
That was pure panic and he took off like a shot. "Jonah? Son? What's wrong?"
"Mommy! Mommy fell down and I can't wake her up!"
"What?"
He pushed in the house, eyes searching for his Sara. "Sara! Sara, where are you?"
"Bedroom. Daddy, bedroom."
He ran in,
the sight of his wife, his lover, collapsed on the floor, black hair
spread out everywhere in a mess. Oh, God. No. No. That was his Sara.
His love.
His life.
She took a long shaky breath and his heart started again.
"Get your sister and go to the front room," he barked. "Now."
"Yes, sir."
Em was curled up next to Sara on the floor, tears streaming down her face, thumb in her mouth. Oh, god. Oh, god.
He dropped to his knees. "Sara? Sara, darlin'? Talk to me."
Her eyes
opened, the expression dazed, but she was breathing, she knew him. "Cal?
I... I don't feel so good. Can you call Doc Isaac, please?"
"You know it. Let's get you up on the bed, huh? The floor is cold."
Jonah was standing there, staring with wide eyes, Emily wrapped around him. Okay.
Okay, he had this.
He picked her up, eased her onto the bed. "I'm calling doc. You stay there."
She blinked up at him. "I swear. I love you."
"I know. You stay. You stay still."
"I promise."
He grabbed
his phone and called down to the main house, telling Jeanie that he
needed the doc, now, before bending down and getting a double handful of
his scared babies.
"I did okay, Daddy? I came for you."
"You did perfect, son. Perfect. I'm proud of you."
"Is Momma gonna die?" Em asked.
"Absolutely not." No. He needed her too much.
Come on, Momma. I need you. I need your help.
Copyright 2014 BA Tortuga
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