First off, I’d like to thank Delilah for inviting me and all these hot cowboys to join you today.

How many of you love cowboys? What is it that makes rodeo cowboys so attractive to you? Is it their old fashioned values, or their love of animals? Or is it their rugged good looks? How about all of these? In my opinion when you combine these qualities, you have the perfect romance hero.

My contribution to the anthology Catching A Cowboy: Roped into Love is Radio Rose. It’s filled with quirky characters, a small town that needs help and two people who are perfect for each other whether they realize it or not.

Radio Rose knows Martians aren’t real. As a DJ for a late night talk show about aliens, Rose Wasnowski could never admit to being a non-believer. Talking to crazies all night isn’t the perfect job for most people, but she’s happy with her solitary life. Until a middle of the night car crash and a blow to the head has her mistaking a reclusive rodeo cowboy for a real life extra-terrestrial.

Adam Cameron, raised by his narcissistic grandfather for most of his childhood, made his escape from Tullyville, Colorado the day he turned eighteen. He became a rodeo cowboy because he knew it would drive his domineering grandfather crazy. Forced to return ten years late for the reading of his grandfather’s will, he’s about to be pulled into a contest for a vast fortune and the future of a town he’d just as soon forget.

Relationships aren’t one of Rose’s strong points. Hell, she mistook the hot cowboy for an alien the first time they met, but Adam needs help and she’s the woman to help him—maybe.

In a town filled with new-found friends, Rose has to decide how far she’s willing to go to trust the loner.

Excerpt:

Still in shock, Rose shook her head. What a mistake! Glass shards of pain sliced into her brain. She slammed her eyes shut and sucked in a breath.

The alien-repellant helmet slipped to the side, and the being gently lifted it off her head. Pressing it into her hands, he waited for her to open her eyes.

She peeked at her helmet and saw half the lights had burned out. “Damn, piece of shit helmet. This piece of crap is guaranteed for ten years. How am I going to make good on the guarantee if I’m abducted? Answer me that.”
“Are you dizzy?” he asked. “Can you walk?”
As she lifted her gaze to his eyes, firefly sparkles flashed across her vision. She’d forgotten he was there.

I must be out of my mind. Abducted by aliens, and I’m worrying about this piece of junk.

As she tried to answer, the words froze into little clumps of ice and melted back down her throat.

“How many fingers do you see?” he asked, holding up one hand.

“Hold them still so I can count.”

“How many?” he asked again, impatience riding on each word.

It seemed a stupid question for an alien to ask, but now was not the time to question these guys on their mathematical skills. Focusing her eyes, she counted the fingers slowly, twice then told the truth. “Seven.”

“You need to sit down while I try to get you out of here.” He carried her to a vehicle, opened the door and placed her on the seat.

“Don’t take me with you. Please, I’m not a normal human. I wouldn’t make a good specimen,” Rose pleaded as she stuffed her trembling hands between her knees to hide the shaking. “Really, I’ll skew your results.”
She focused her vision and concentrated on his features. Nothing was making sense. He looked like a human, a darn nice one, but her callers had told her aliens could change form at will.

He placed her helmet in her lap. Only a light, here and there, was blinking now. Forty-nine dollars and ninety-nine cents down the drain when she didn’t have money to spare. If she disappeared into outer space to be experimented on money would be the least of her worries.

She didn’t have the energy to fight him when he lifted her legs, put them in the spaceship and dug around until he found the straps to tie her down. He reached across her, belted her in and shut the door. Now she was trapped. Running her fingers over the door, she tried to find the handle. Before she could make her move, she felt the spaceship lifting off.

Here are the blurbs from the other five books in Catching A Cowboy.

The Heartsong Cowboy by Melissa Keir- Can two people, one horse and the power of love cure a little girl?

Burst of Courage by Deb Julienne- Fixing your own mistakes can be the hardest to correct.

119 Days by RaeAnne Hadley- Divorced for five years, Celeste Howard was happy with her life. The only thing she missed was a man’s touch. Sean Mison fit her ideal of a perfect one-night stand, but what began as a simple stress reliever grew into more than what Celeste signed on for.

Promise Me Eden by D’Ann Lindun- She’s buried in grief. He doesn’t know how to help. Can they find their way back together before it’s too late?

Cowboy in Waiting by Leslie P. Garcia- She’d buried a hero. She wasn’t looking for another. But her cowboy in waiting was far from a hero…

Climb on board for the ride of your life!

Amazon buy link: Catching A Cowboy

UPDATE: The winner of this cool prize is…Rachael Abbott!

* * * * *

So…it’s almost my mum’s birthday!!!! Which got me thinking how much I LOVE my birthday. Mine in the beginning of December and I absolutely 169% love it. It’s a special day to remember I MADE IT ANOTHER YEAR and I rocked the shit out of it!

I love my birthday.

I love other people’s birthdays.

It’s just a special day to think about what you accomplished in the past year and what you want to accomplish in the next year. People you spent time with and loved, other people you miss and make a commitment to see them more.

And cake.

AND PRESENTS!!

And you get to feel like a pretty pretty princess!!! What? Just me????

I know some people don’t like their birthday but I’m soooooo thankful I’m one of the lucky ones who loves loves loves loves my day! So in honor of my mum’s almost birthday…….

Let’s have a giveaway with an AWESOME bag of goodies for one lucky poster! Two print books and lots and lots of other swag and kinky goodies! Plus a cup and a coozie and a pretty purple BED bag to hold it all!

**GIVEAWAY – US ONLY** – Just look at all the awesomeness you could win!!

So tell me the coolest thing you ever got for your birthday and who gave it to you!!

I’ll pick a winner on Friday the 14^th!! Good Luck!! PS –It’s always great to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you! Hate not being able to give winners their goodies!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

About the Author

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

Website – Newsletter – The Decadent Divas– Amazon Page
Facebook – Facebook Author Page – Twitter – Goodreads – Pinterest

I’m still at the writer’s retreat. Still hammering my little fingers on the keyboard, hoping to finish up some new stories to share with you. In the meantime, I wanted to remind you that book 5 in the Lone Star Lovers series releases on Friday! These are all stories I had with Samhain, but I’ve revised them, given them sexy new covers (courtesy of my wonderfully talented sister, Elle James), and now I’m re-releasing them.

Read an excerpt from Four-Gone Conclusion below!

Sometimes a cowboy needs a little help–or three brothers–to snare a wife…

Sam Logan’s boys have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. Most of it earned. When it becomes clear his foster sons won’t settle down without a nudge from him, he issues his challenge. Find a wife…

The oldest, Johnny, already had his eye on Mean Ellie Harker. Sam’s challenge just gave him the gumption to ask her out. However, before he makes his move, the twins kidnap Ellie from under his nose. Now, he has to compete with three brothers for the woman he wants.

Ellie thought her prospects were drying up until Johnny Logan finally untangled his tongue and asked her out. When his brothers kidnap her and take her to the ranch, she’s furious…then intrigued by the thought of four men bent on showing her what being their’s would be like.

Pre-order your copy here!

That excerpt…

“It’s time you boys found yerselves a wife.” Sam Logan made his pronouncement then waited, watching the four younger men seated at the table from the corner of his eye. He didn’t have to wait long for his words to sink in. They exploded in the room with the force of a silent grenade.

Johnny’s jaw closed with a snap, and he laid down his spoon on the scarred oak table. His black-winged brows drew together, nearly meeting over his dark eyes as he raised his head.

Sam suppressed a smile. That look could make the toughest hombre gulp, but Sam wasn’t the least bit concerned. Johnny tended to look mean when things changed. His oldest boy hated any kind of change.

If any other man had said what he had, Johnny would have cussed under his breath and aimed a piercing, silencing glare. However, he respected Sam, trusted him as much as he could anyone. That trust and respect were the only things that kept his butt on the bench beside his brother Killian.

For his part, Killian’s eyes narrowed. The corners of his lips twitched. Likely he was amused by Johnny’s reaction and didn’t want to let him off the hook too quickly, but was already lining up all the reasons why Sam’s idea was ludicrous. He was quick that way.

Sam calmly spooned the hearty stew he’d made into his mouth and let his gaze roam to the twins. Jason was coughing into his napkin, while Mace gave him “helpful” taps between his shoulder blades.

Mace caught his stare and grinned. “A wife, did you say?”

Sam grunted, ignoring the one word that had caught his son’s attention. “This is the third time this week we’ve had stew,” he murmured. Not to change the subject but to point out a glaring fact.

“I like stew just fine,” Johnny muttered.

“This house misses a woman’s touch.” There, he’d said it. Sat the big gorilla in the room right at the dinner table. Impossible to ignore.

“Gracie can’t be replaced,” Killian said softly.

The permanent ache next to his heart echoed that truth. Sam nodded. “She’s gone. Three years. I miss her every day. Know you do, too. But life goes on. You’re men now. You have an obligation. Ranchin’s a family business. Y’all need families.”

Johnny cleared his throat. “No disrespect intended, Sam, but you didn’t get sons the old-fashioned way.”

Sam slowly shook his head. “Not because Gracie and I didn’t try. And in the end, we had no regrets. We both loved you all like you was our own.”

“So, you’d rather saddle us with—”

Sam aimed a quelling stare. “Think I felt like Gracie was a noose around my neck?”

“No sir, but…” Johnny’s hands fisted on the tabletop. “Hell, how’re we to find someone like her?”

Sam understood what he meant. Gracie’s passing had left a hole in all their hearts. The boys had loved her. Took to her the very first day he’d brought each of them home. Gracie had been born to be a mother, and she’d showered them all with the things they’d needed most—acceptance and unconditional love.

“Boys, Gracie wasn’t born a rancher’s wife. Truth is, she didn’t know a bull from a cow and damn near poisoned me with the first meals she cooked. But she learned. Find a woman willin’ to learn, one you kin love and who’ll love you back.”

“You said, ‘a wife’.” Mace wasn’t gonna let that slip of the tongue go.

Sam shook his head and gave the twins a faint glimmer of a smile. Those two could always see the humor in any predicament. “Thought I’d give you two options. I know one can’t piss without the other goin’ too. And there are damn few single women to go around these parts. ’Nough said?” When all of them nodded, he cleared his throat. “I’ll be out of town for the next four days. Auction in Abilene. The house is yours.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Dear Readers and Friends,

I’ve been at a writer’s retreat since last Saturday. Every now and then, I soooo need time with other writers to recapture that spark. I pre-posted this blog before I left, and as it was the day Head Over SEAL released, that’s what’s on my mind! So, read on… 🙂

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s tough for me to let characters in my stories go. That was the case with Big Sky SEAL. I loved writing about Jamie and her friends at Montana Bounty Hunters, and I loved her new boyfriend, Sky. So when it came time to write something for Susan Stoker’s Special Forces Kindle World, I picked right up with their Happy Ever After.

So, while those two stories are books 10 and 11 of the Uncharted SEALs series, they are standalone, but connected to each other. Hope I haven’t confused you! And I hope you’re ready for more Sky, Jamie, and her dog Tessa!

Happy Reading! And if you’re ready to read stories about those Montana Bounty Hunters, let me know, because I’m ready to write them!

*~*~*~*

Head Over SEAL

Happy Ever After for a SEAL and a bounty hunter requires true dedication…

A former military dog handler, now Montana bounty hunter, Jamie Burke’s still trying to adjust to life with a live-in boyfriend. With a testy personality, Jamie’s circle of friends is very small, and includes one very loyal canine best friend. Which is how she likes it. She also likes uncomplicated, but her feelings for her boyfriend, Sky Reynolds, are anything but simple.

With ex-SEAL Sky away on a weeks-long mission, she jumps at the chance to work with the Charter Group again, happy to do anything to keep her too busy to worry about him. She heads to Mexico with her dog Tessa to be part of a team working to discover the whereabouts of a cache of weapons stolen from the Army. She’s thrilled when Sky meets her at the airport.

However, Sky’s not happy Jamie’s in the middle of this op. Having nearly lost her months before, he’s going to stick close. Not a tough job it turns out, since they’re staking out a beachside mansion from the mansion next door. Things heat up as they reconnect, but Jamie and Sky both worry about their future, until a cartel arms dealer arrives and bigger worries mount…

Get your copy here!

Cooking up a series with wounded soldier, BDSM theme, western setting

Too much for three short novels? I wondered, but I had to give it a shot.

Three siblings, raised in rugged, beautiful Wyoming…

ROPED: The youngest, Jared, has come back from Iraq missing a leg. He’s not certain he can still function as the alpha Dom he was, until a submissive nurse shows him he’s still the man he was, just as capable as ever to claim her with gentle domination. He’s all in to give her everything she needs, even if her kinks don’t always coincide with his own.

HITCHED: Brad, the local bad boy, owns a BDSM club. He wants to own Keely, but she’s reluctant to be seen with him outside the club—until they’re marooned together in a blizzard. He uses the time with her to show her she wants him, reputation and all, for her very own Dom.

LASSOED: A Retired NFL star now home on the ranch, Matt has wanted Diana, the oldest sibling, since high school. Having escaped a cruel master, Diana has vowed to make a switch. He’s willing to play sub to win her, but as they get reacquainted, she realizes his hot vanilla loving is just what she needs now as she recovers.

I will be running an exclusive giveaway through Book-a-licious.com from July 10 to July 21. There will be one grand prize of a Kindle Fire and the complete e-set of Roped, Hitched & Lassoed.  Five more e-copies of the set will go out to the runner ups.  Here is the direct link: https://app.viralsweep.com/sweeps/full/e80abe-21399&framed=1.  Winners will be announced on Saturday, July 22.

A reader recently asked me what sorts of research were required to write this series. Honestly, I did more studying about the Wyoming settings, which I’d never visited before in my writing. I’d written BDSM-themed books before, but I found I had to do a bit of indepth study about shibari, or rope bondage, as well as some nonfiction reading about the psychology of domination and submission as it affected Diana regarding the past abuse she endured.

As for Jared and his injury, I delved into the usual processes of recovery for a person who has lost a limb. I didn’t want him to seem debilitated physically, but I needed to show his doubts and fears about how his changed body will impact his relationships. I hope I achieved all I set out to do while writing these books!

Ann Jacobs

Website: https://annjacobs.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnJacobsAuthor
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AuthrAnnJacobs
Email: ann@annjacobs.net

The Lake District in the north of England has inspired some of the most romantic poetry and literature in the world. It’s no wonder William Wordsworth – one of the most famous poets of the Romantic era – made the Lake District his home, calling it “the loveliest spot that man hath ever found.”

Courtesy of Pixabay

The shining lakes, the green mountains, and the dramatic changes in weather in the Lake District make the perfect backdrop for a romance novel. The heroine of my novel Felicity at the Cross Hotel has travelled to the Lake District from her home in Norfolk – a part of England that’s renowned for being completely flat. Here is Fliss’s first sight of the spectacular view looking down on my fictional lake, Emmswater:

“The jagged mountains of the Lake District rose and fell in great dark peaks on the skyline, their sides flecked with splashes of bright, mossy green. Soft fields crept down into the valley, dotted with the fluffy white forms of sheep, and lying at the centre of it all was the gleaming lake.

Fliss took in a deep breath, letting the fresh air fill her lungs.  ‘What a magical place,’ she said to the man standing next to her. ‘ And look, the sun’s come out.’ She held up a hand to the pale sky. ‘Where I come from is so flat. I’m starting to get vertigo here, but in a really good way. Like being on the roller-coaster at Great Yarmouth fun fair.’”

Some people find living in mountains claustrophobic, but my heroine is trying to escape the stresses of working in her father’s business, and instead of feeling hemmed in she finds the mountains exhilarating. I wanted to capture this feeling of wild escape when she looks down on the wonderful landscape.

The setting of the Lake District is also a novelists’ dream because of the dramatic actions the landscape can inspire. The beauty of the scenery can become threatening, as swiftly as the clouds that roll in from over the mountains. Patrick Cross, the hero of my novel, is grieving the death of his friend, who died because of an act of recklessness while diving the still, green waters of the lake. There have been many deaths in the mountains and lakes of Cumbria, and I’ve used the symbolism of the landscape to reflect the contrast between the beauty and the danger.

It’s a shame that nowadays some parts of the Lake District are inundated with tourists, and the roads in summer are very often clogged. But it’s only in recent times that the Lakes have become a tourist destination, and there are many quieter areas that have remained unchanged for centuries. Alone in this magnificent landscape, away from the traffic, you can’t help but feel a part of a long, long history of the soil that stretches back thousands of years.

Lots of people have fallen in love in this wonderful setting, but there are some exceptions. Bill Clinton was famously moved to propose to Hillary for the first time by the shores of Ennerdale Water, but she turned him down. Obviously there are some people who remain unmoved by the romance of the Lakes!

Ennerdale Water, scene of Bill Clinton’s proposal. Attribution: Trevor Harris, via Wikimedia Commons

Will love blossom for Patrick Cross and Felicity Everdene, the hero and heroine of my novel? Here is the blurb to Felicity at the Cross Hotel:

A quaint hotel in the Lake District. The Cross Hotel is the perfect getaway. Or is it?

Felicity Everdene needs a break from the family business. Driving through the Lake District to the Cross Hotel, past the shining lake and the mountains, everything seems perfect. But Felicity soon discovers all is not well at the Cross Hotel …

Patrick Cross left the village of Emmside years ago never intending to return, but his father has left him the family’s hotel in his will, and now he’s forced to come back. With a missing barmaid, a grumpy chef, and the hotel losing money, the arrival of Felicity Everdene from the notorious Everdene family only adds to Patrick’s troubles.

With so much to overcome, can Felicity and Patrick bring happiness to the Cross Hotel … and find happiness for themselves?

Amazon universal buy link for Felicity at the Cross Hotel: https://mybook.to/FelicityCH

About the Author

Helena Fairfax is a British author who was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now which is just as well, since these days she lives in an old Victorian mill town in the north of England, right next door to the windswept Yorkshire moors. Helena walks this romantic landscape every day with her rescue dog, finding it the perfect place to dream up her heroes and her happy endings. Subscribers to Helena’s newsletter receive news of free stuff, competitions with prizes, gossip, and links to cool websites she’s been looking at when she should have been writing.

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They say “write what you know” and I feel like I’ve been studying for Unmistaken Identity, book one in my Fanboy series, my whole life. It started with the lack of cable TV out in the country where I grew up. We had one channel, two if there was good weather, and on one station my brother and I watched many episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. (Little did I know how much that would help me in my marriage.)

As the little sister, I wanted to do whatever my brother did, and he was a comic book guy. I followed him to the arcade, browsed comic books next to him, and played with his action figures the rare times I was allowed in his room. My grandma recorded movies that we constantly borrowed. In those days, there was little parental concern over what we watched. Before I was barely double digits in age, I was watching RoboCop, Batman (Micheal Keaton era), and Howard the Duck. (Little did I know how much that would help me in my marriage.)

Speaking of my marriage… Almost twenty years ago, my friend was telling me about his new roommate. “I mean, I like those shows, too, but he really likes them.” Turned out I really liked his roommate. Now there’s arguments over whether my hubs and I can go to Guardians of the Galaxy on our date night or if we have to take our older kids.

I’ve learned the difference between the comic universes of DC and Marvel—my brother is Marvel and my hubs is DC. So my kids get Spiderman-related gifts from my brother while my nephew runs around in Batman shirts and has a Justice League lunchbox thanks to me. We gotta keep the balance.

Despite all of this, I still have a hard answering one of the frequent questions I get from my kids: If you could have any superpower, what would it be? I default to flying because it’d be like rollercoasters with no lines to stand in for ever. What would you choose?

Unmistaken Identity

Mara Baranski is living the fangirl’s dream, running a comic book shop that supports her and her ailing mother. She is even given the chance to buy the building—for a dollar. That is, until her dear friend and landlord dies before the sale goes through. Now Mara has forty-five days to clear out her shop or convince the resentful son of the old owner to change his mind—if she can only corner him long enough to ask.

Despite being abandoned by his father years ago, Wesley inherited all of his dad’s assets and ambition—but not his gullibility. When the tantalizing woman at his nightclub turns out to be the woman who scammed his lonely father, he seizes the chance for a little revenge. But after using a fake name to get close to his target, Wes is soon coming up with excuses to keep his identity secret a little longer.

As the forty-five days count down, Mara’s loyal customers swoop in to help save her store. Even more, her handsome new boyfriend is making her believe in happy endings again. Too bad secret identities only last forever in comic books.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks  | Kobo

Excerpt…

She had to hunt Wesley Robson down tonight, didn’t want to waste more time on her search. As it was, the night would be too short for decent sleep. Saturday was game day at her comic book shop. Participants showed early and played intensely for hours. Board games, card games, electronic games. She would jump in and play them all, or run around the store helping customers.

It was her favorite day of the week, but still a long one.

What did Wesley look like, anyway? She would’ve seen him if she’d been able to go to the funeral. By the time she’d found out about Sam’s sudden death, though, he’d been gone and buried. There had to be a picture of his boy online. Just as she pulled out her phone to do a search, someone settled onto the barstool next to her.

“Macallan 12.”

The deep voice resonated through her bones. She almost groaned. He had the rumble of a rugged man, a primal mating call in her opinion. Admittedly, her last few dates had put the “boys” in fanboys, not men who knew their way around a woman.

She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. Her fingers tightened around the stem of her glass.

Holy hotness, Batman! He reminded her of one of her favorite superheroes. Jet-black hair, sky-blue eyes nearly glowing under the club lights, wide shoulders. If he wore a cape and had a large S on his shirt, she’d sit on his face. She’d still consider it, given his charcoal slacks and white-striped shirt, which likely had been cinched by a tie all day. The first two buttons were undone and his sleeves were rolled up. What was that style called? Industrial hot-as-hell businessman.

“What’s your poison?”

She shot him a surprised glance. He gestured to her already half-empty glass.

What had the bartender said it was? “I think it’s named after some rapper.”

He chuckled with genuine humor. “Are you here with the bachelorette party?”

When hell froze over. “No.”

The bartender leaned over the counter to hand him his drink. “The lady said she was looking for the owner.”

Stay out of it, dude. Wait, he knew the total package next to her? Maybe the new arrival also knew the owner. “Do you know Mr. Robson?”

His eyes crinkled with his smile. Even the man’s teeth were perfect. “Why would you want to find him? I’ve heard he’s an ass.”

She rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”

Hotness savored a long sip of his…whatever a Macallan was. “You’ve gotta tell me what he did to you.”

The pink bangs that framed her face dropped into her eyes. She feathered them away. His gaze traced from her hand to her dual ponytails, the plain brown hair streaked with pink. Instead of blond highlights, or lowlights, or whatever stylish women did, she’d chosen pink—because it was fun and girly. One of the few splurges she allowed herself.

Her hair often drew attention, not always the flattering kind. But she enjoyed his. “He’s shutting down my store. Tearing down the whole damn building. ‘Upgrading.’” She gave the last word air quotes.

His right eye twitched and he stared at her for a heartbeat. Humor drained from his expression and his gaze narrowed slightly.

Her heart rate increased at being the object of such scrutiny. She wanted more, but she also felt like she’d done something wrong.

Finally, a grin curled his full lips. “That bastard.”

About the Author

Marie Johnston writes paranormal and contemporary romance. Before she was a writer, she was a microbiologist. Depending on the situation, she can be oddly unconcerned about germs or weirdly phobic. She’s also a licensed medical technician and has worked as a public health microbiologist and as a lab tech in hospital and clinic labs. Marie’s been a volunteer EMT, a college instructor, a security guard, a phlebotomist, a hotel clerk, and a coffee pourer in a bingo hall. All fodder for a writer!! She has four kids, an old cat, and a puppy that’s bigger than half her kids.

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