UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C!
*~*~*

Hello Delilah!  Thank you for welcoming me here today!  I’m happy to share news about my latest anthology project.  Love on the Range has brought together a group of authors writing cowboy and cowgirl stories.

I admit, when I first heard of the project, I wanted to sign up.  My friend asked me if cowboys were my brand.  Naturally, I admitted, nope! I didn’t sign up for the anthology and I moved on.

A little niggle in the back of my brain kept poking up and saying: FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).  I really wanted to be part of this project.  My mind started wandering.  What did I know about people who worked on ranches and farms?  What kind of farms are there in my area? (I have a series based near where I live — I like to keep things simple.)  Then I remembered I had created a therapy ranch in my town, where clients spent time with the horses and the therapy dog and started to open up about their struggles and issues.

Okay.  My lead therapist and her sister, the manager, dressed in jeans and ran a ranch…but this wasn’t the type of ranch I assumed other authors would write stories about.

Then it hit me – what if someone who worked on a range visited my “ranch?”

I had my story.  I had a therapist living a very happy life.  She was good on her own with her (sort-of) therapy dog, Rex.  She had friends.  She considered her coworkers at the ranch like family.  She didn’t need someone in her life…but then she met Will.

Will’s a real cowboy.  He works on a ranch in Alberta.  He’s visiting his sister in Mission City, British Columbia, at Christmas, which also happens to be the anniversary of his beloved wife’s death.  A misunderstanding lands him in therapy at Healing Horses Ranch.  Now, he’s not Avery’s client, but there is a spark nurtured by Avery’s friends.  A party brings the two together, and Christmas magic happens.

This is a cute story where a misunderstanding leads to love.  I sent it to the anthology people.  They had space.  A Touch of Cowboy had a new home.  Will doesn’t give up being a cowboy — just in case you’re worried.  Sometimes, life can take us in a different direction, and it’s amazing.

Anyway, I hope you snag a copy of Love on the Range as it’s available only for a limited time.

Thanks for hosting me, Delilah.  I’d love to give away a $5 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter.  What’s your favorite setting for a book?  Or, what setting would you love to see more of?  Random will select one commenter for a prize!

Love on the Range

From Montana mountains to Southern plains, there’s nothing more romantic than a lonesome figure and the girl who can tame a wild heart…or is it the other way around?

From mountain men to wild child women and snowed in cabins, read these stories of courageous hearts fighting for each other through harsh odds…and always finding each other.

Authors:
Wynter Ryan
Amy Stephens
Angelica Kate
Sophia Vincent
TB Mann
Harper Michaels
S L Hollister
Bonnie Poirier
Cynthia Terelst
Chele MacCabe
Francis Black
Jane Poller
Annee Jones
Heather Scarlett
A.R. Bell
Sonja Flowers
Sofia Aves
Anna Allen
Ellis Worth
Gabbi Powell
T S Simons
Chelle Pimblott

The anthology will only be available for a limited time.

Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/tnrc2024loveontherange
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CP25J549
Add it to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202756938-love-on-the-range

Gabbi’s story: A Touch of Cowboy

Avery Stinson’s work at Healing Horse Ranch has been her lifeline against loneliness, whether it’s the counselling she does, or training her rescue dog, Rex. Sure, she sometimes dreams of finding her special person, but if her work’s going to be her whole life, it’s at least valuable and fulfilling. She loves seeing their clients leave with more confidence and hope than they thought possible.

She really hopes Will Dupont, a new arrival seeing one of her colleagues, can have that kind of success because the man’s heartbreak is almost palpable. When they find themselves together at the Christmas party, Will opens up about his personal tragedy, and Avery’s drawn to the brave, quiet, stoic cowboy. He’s not her patient. Getting closer isn’t really against the rules. As day follows night and Will begins to heal, Avery begins to wonder, can they have a happily ever after this Christmas, or will the call of the wide-open range a thousand miles away prove too strong for Will to resist?

About the Gabbi Powell

Gabbi Powell has been a lover of romance since she first put pen to paper in the eighth grade to write her first romance.  She writes her novels while living in Beautiful British Columbia with her trusty ChinPoo dog a as companion.  She also writes gay romances as Gabbi Grey and contemporary dark erotic BDSM novels as Gabbi Black.

8 Seconds to Die

When veterinarian and amateur sleuth, Dr. Tullah Holliday reluctantly agrees to help a former high school bully, now ex-con on parole, and a breeder of rodeo bulls, who is being threatened by a drug syndicate, she finds herself in a world of corruption; especially when she digs up dirt on a dishonest sheriff and his deputy.

From a rattlesnake delivered in a giftwrapped box, to a vicious bull attack, as Tullah puts together the pieces of the case, a killer is preparing to strike again, and this time, it could send this nosy veterinarian to an early grave.

Excerpt from 8 Seconds to Die…

The silence that permeated the room had never sounded so loud. I finally said, “What happened then? Did you call the sheriff, or 9-1-1?”

Caleb poured another drink. It was halfway to his mouth when Caroline admonished, “That’s enough, Caleb.”

He racked a trembling hand over his face before downing the bourbon. He grimaced. “Yeah, sure, it’s just that I keep seeing Pop’s mangled body.” He heaved a deep sigh. “We rushed to the barn. Diablo had blood on both horns where he’d gored Pop. My ol’ man lay in a heap like a broken doll. I wanted to shoot the bull. I guess it was a good thing Rex and Baily stopped me. “We called Sheriff Coffey. He came with two deputies and the medical examiner, Reed Duckworth. Duckworth put Pop’s death at approximately two a.m. He said it appeared almost every bone in Pop’s body had been broken by the mauling.”

I had to ask, “Was there an investigation…did you request an autopsy?”

Both Caroline and Caleb gave me owlish looks. Caleb said, “Investigation…what was there to investigate? The bull broke out of his pen. He gored my father to death. End of story. And no, we didn’t request an autopsy. We knew how Pop had died. I don’t understand why you’re asking these questions, Tullah.”

Not satisfied with the shortened version of the answer, I persisted. “From the way you’ve reinforced the pens with metal bars, how did the bull get out? Was your father gored in the front or in the back? Wasn’t there a door or a ladder to the loft that he could’ve used to escape the attack? Was there any evidence of tampering with the latch on the gate of Diablo’s pen?”

Caroline and Caleb sat silent. Their silence cued me that there was more to the story. I waited. “Listen, you two, you’ve asked for my help. I’m getting a bit weary of the pranks and the evasiveness. What is it you’re either hiding or not telling me? Was Carl’s death an accident or murder?

“Does his death have anything to do with the threats you’ve received, and especially threats against your children? Have the perpetrators made demands for money or for something otherwise?”

*~*~*

8 Seconds to Die is book #5 in the Doc Holliday Mystery Series.

Books are available at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Seconds-Die-Doc-Holliday-Mystery/dp/1509254919/
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/8-seconds-to-die-loretta-c-rogers/1145014706?ean=2940186042167
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209767678-8-seconds-to-die

About the Author

Loretta C. Rogers is a fourth generation Floridian. She has rounded up cattle and participated in a couple of twenty-five-mile endurance trials with her mustang mare. She uses her life experiences to create stories. For example, rodeo is her favorite sport. Years ago, she and hubby were at a rodeo in Kissimmee, Florida. They were camping out and had to skedaddle when someone opened the gates to the bull pens. Thankfully, only their tent suffered. On the upside, Loretta got to meet Michael Landon, who played Little Joe Cartright on Bonanza. These and other past life experiences spurred the idea for “8 Seconds to Die,” a rodeo themed contemporary mystery that includes murder, drug syndicates, rattle snakes, and laced with a thread of paranormal.

Contact Loretta at:
https://www.facebook.com/loretta.rogers.3591/
https://www.lorettacrogers.blogspot.com/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/loretta-c-rogers
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Loretta-C.-Rogers/author/B004948XP2
https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FBooksbyLoretta
https://www.instagram.com/rogers.loretta2018/?hl=en

Kelly Willis was a good girl by anyone’s definition. She’d never dated around, having gone steady with her star quarterback boyfriend since her sophomore year of high school. He’d been her first kiss, her first experience with sex. Her parents had adored her boyfriend and had delightedly set about planning her future so she didn’t screw up a good thing.

To make sure she was ever-present to their goal for her, she’d headed to college with him, wearing his promise ring, and had never once looked astray for attention from other men. Further, she’d gained her degree in a perfectly respectful, acceptably feminine profession.

She’d gone to church every Sunday of her life, never once doubting that God saw that she was good and would reward her for her virtue.

So, for her to be contemplating doing what she was now would’ve shocked the panties off her dear mother, her white-haired pastor, and her high school sex-ed teacher, who’d been long on abstinence and short on understanding a younger woman’s hormones. But then again, where were they all now?

Not here, stuck outside a hotel in Bozeman, Montana, while she waited for the snowplows to clear a passage through the mountains so she could get to her destination.

She hadn’t wanted to stop, and if the roads hadn’t been blocked by traffic barricades and a police officer directing vehicles to the nearest exit, she’d have kept driving—the winter storm be damned. By now, she’d had plenty of time alone with her thoughts.

Crazy, mixed-up thoughts of revenge and retribution filled her imagination with images of the fiery pit of Hell. Not for her. No, the person who deserved to be cast down into its depths wasn’t even here to feel the anger that had her fuming hot despite the chill, near-zero temperature.

While every curse word she’d never uttered aloud flitted through her mind, she felt her ire burbling like acid in her belly until it had to find its release.

“Fuck,” she whispered, then glanced around to make sure no one else standing in the parking lot had heard her. No one was looking her way.

And once she’d said it, she felt disappointed in herself. Not because she’d uttered that coarse, forbidden word but because she’d said it so softly. Was she gutless? Hadn’t she earned the right to rebel against a lifetime’s strictures? She’d been the Queen of Pristine, or so the boys at her high school had labeled her behind her back.

He had thought that title was hilarious, given what they’d done after the Friday Night Lights dimmed. He, who shall not be named. Ever again.

She sniffed back a sob, tamping it down deep.

“That fucker,” she said a little more loudly this time.

She stood straighter. No bolt of lightning had struck her. In fact, her chest felt a little lighter now. She could finally draw a deep breath.

Again, her gaze went to the man on the edge of the group, standing outside the hotel’s diner while employees were scurrying inside to open for a bunch of stranded, hungry travelers.

He’d do. Not that he’d given her so much as a glance. It didn’t matter that she’d decided for him. He was in the right place at the right time—although “right” and what she intended had nothing to do with each other. She turned up the fur-lined collar of her puffy jacket and strode in his direction. For the moment, she was filled with confidence because she’d earned this. Years of servitude to a single, hallowed goal would have their reward.

She didn’t even care if he was handsome. Good looks hid ugly flaws, or so she’d discovered. She hoped he had a big nose and was missing a tooth—just one. She’d want to kiss him after all. She was sure he’d have calluses, given he was wearing a cowboy hat that looked like it actually served a purpose, with its faint ring around the crown. His jeans were faded by actual use, not some weird fashion statement. His boots were scuffed and a plain brown. No nonsense. A working man’s footwear, not a poser’s.

The closer she drew, the more confident she felt about this plan. First, she’d insinuate herself into sharing a table with him. She’d smile and flirt, then drop her extra key card on the table when she excused herself.

She was almost there; he was turning toward her…

No, he turned and smiled at a grinning woman who was waving her keycard in her hand and rushing to his side.

Well, shit. She only just managed to keep the words inside her mouth.

The doors to the diner swung open, and she was caught in the crowd of twenty or so individuals who flowed inside the heated space.

Tables filled quickly, and she eyed an open stool at the counter, but a man whose large bottom nearly swallowed the stool laid claim before she could.

She stood with her shoulders drooping, looking for an empty table, when she heard a throat clear to her left.

Glancing sideways, she saw a man with a lop-sided smile waving a hand to the open seat across from him. “I don’t mind sharing, ma’am.”

*~*~*

What Happens in Bozeman arrives on March 19th. Pre-order your copy now!

It’s heeerre!

If you’ve enjoyed my bounty hunters so far, you’ll love Malcolm and Darleen’s story! This is a transition book as well. There are hints aplenty of where the hunters are going next and who’s going to be front and center in the next series. So, if you’re eager to start the new series, you’ll need to read this one! I’m excited for you and me. There are many more adventures to come.

For now, Malcolm is available at Amazon in both eBook and print. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get the book for FREE! Happy reading! ~DD

Malcolm

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS: DEAD HORSE, MT
Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

Two fiercely independent bounty hunters must fight their attraction while learning to trust each other as they work together to bring in a dangerous skip.

Former SEAL Malcolm Winslow was looking for a change. He’s been bounty hunting on his own since leaving the teams and has missed the camaraderie of fellow warriors, so he accepts a job with the Montana Bounty Hunters. His first hunt takes a turn when the MBH team discovers that another lone hunter has found their target first. Not wanting to infringe, they stand by just in case their competition needs help.

Darleen Crockett has things well in hand. Sure, she’s alone, without a weapon (because where would she hide it in her skimpy outfit?), and the skip she’s determined to take down is one mean MF, but Darleen likes to ride that dangerous edge between victory and disaster. She’s an admitted adrenaline junkie.

When her skip attacks, she has things well in hand but is suddenly rescued by a rugged, tattooed man who makes her heart pitter-patter. What’s up with that? She’s quickly recruited by Malcolm’s agency and finds herself on the biggest hunt of her career. Denying her attraction to her temporary new partner isn’t possible when they spend so many hours alone, but what she doesn’t expect is finding something more with the equally footloose and independent Malcolm. Things get thorny between them when Malcolm can’t seem to get past the fact she’s a woman to trust that she can handle herself.

When the agency prepares to track an old adversary preparing to flee justice, Malcolm and Darleen are quickly folded into the team heading to Lander, Wyoming, to find their dangerous skip.

Order your eBook now!
Also available in print!
Read an excerpt!

 

I’m so excited it’s finally here! Knox and Carleen were so much fun to write! What should you expect? Do you see that cover? It’s the story. Seriously. Girl chases boy. Boy chases girl. Sexy times abound. And I’d so move to Dead Horse if it existed. If you have the time and the inclination, tell someone about it and/or leave a review so another reader will know it’s worth a read. I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! Enjoy!

After relentlessly pursuing the biggest badass around and failing, Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child offers him an irresistible proposition—one night of passion, one and done, and she’ll walk away forever…

Dead Horse, Montana’s wild child, Carleen Crossley, knows what she wants—or rather—who. She’s spent years chasing after Knox Ramsey, the biggest badass in Dead Horse, MT. However, she’s resigned herself to the fact that her methods of gaining his affection aren’t reaping any rewards. Yes, her antics keep the townsfolk amused, and Knox definitely knows she’s alive, but she has yet to break through his cold, hard heart to claim her man.

For Knox, Carleen is impossible to ignore. She’s everywhere he is. The sexy vixen has made him uncomfortably aware that she’s his for the taking, and Lord knows he’s tempted. However, he knows he’s not the man for her. He’s his father’s son with his father’s temper, and he won’t succumb to Carleen’s charms because she deserves better than him.

In one moment of frustration over his refusal to really see her and everything she’s offering, Carleen proposes a deal Knox finds impossible to resist. One night of passion—one and done—and she’ll never bother him again.

When she keeps her promise afterward, Knox’s pursuit begins because once was not enough.

Order Ebook: Kindle
Order Print: Amazon

I’m so excited! If you pre-ordered Jackson, you should already have it! It’s a fun, sexy read, and you’ll see the other hunters and folks from around Dead Horse “peopling” the story, too. I love writing in this world. I hope you enjoy their latest adventure. If you have the time and the inclination, please leave a review!

MONTANA BOUNTY HUNTERS:
DEAD HORSE, MT
Authentic Men… Real Adventures…

The games begin when a bounty hunter, who likes working alone, clashes with a cable TV showrunner who’s determined to make him a part of her show…

Jackson Black’s life is just fine. He is free to work when he wants, as much as he wants. He has the freedom of the open road, nothing and nobody weighing him down—until he crosses paths with a group of bounty hunters deep in a national forest, who are trying to steal his skip from under him. Worse, the hunters have a film crew with them, led by a woman who won’t take no when he refuses to sign a contract for the use of the footage her crew has filmed. After giving her his firm no thank you, he loads his skip into his vehicle and drives away.

Rachel Cabot didn’t get where she is, the showrunner for her network’s two highest-rated cable shows, without being committed to her job. She’ll do whatever it takes. If it means following Jackson Brown then catching him on tape doing something sketchy to “convince” him to do what she wants, so be it. However, she suffers immediate remorse and decides to apologize to Jackson but can never find the right moment to do so. What she doesn’t know is that Jackson has turned the tables on her.

When Jackson is invited to join the hunters on a high-value takedown, with Rachel’s crew accompanying them, their personal stakes just get higher.

Get your copy now!

UPDATE: The winner is…Gail S!
*~*~*

This is the last day of March! Where does the time go? Without any further ado, I’ll dive right into my recap…

March

Work-related:

1. I completed work on my latest Montana Bounty Hunter story, Mica! And I published it!!!
2. I’ve been doing minimal work on the Silver Soldiers anthology, which comes out May 9th! Mostly, working on a promotional calendar with the authors in the anthology.
3. I completed only 3 editing projects for other authors in March. The injury to my hand severely impacted my ability to work at my usual pace, at least for the first half of the month.

Health-related:

1. I continued wearing the brace on my hand until March 17th. The break is healed, but now I have to work on physical therapy to improve my hand’s function. My hand aches after I use it for a while, and my fingers get numb when I hold a paintbrush or pen for very long.
2. I had a visit with a cardiologist this month. He has me wearing a monitor stuck to my chest for a week to see how it functions day to day. It’s beating a little slowly and has a slight arrhythmia. My blood pressure is still way too high, but the cardiologist adjusted my meds, and we’ll see how that goes.
3. I haven’t been dieting like I should, what with my heart and blood pressure issues, and I haven’t been great about cutting my salt intake. My weight loss is stagnant! I think I was a little depressed by my hand injury. I could tell because I wanted to sleep way too much and didn’t want to go out at all. I don’t like to wallow in negativity, but it has been hard to motivate myself to move forward.
4. As for physical activity, I’m not doing enough. Again, I’m feeling tired all the time. Which I know has to do with my weight, meds, and inactivity. All my issues are interrelated. I just need to get my fat ass off this chair and move more often.

Happiness-related: 

1. I’m back participating with my local art guild or humanities council. We had some planning meetings for upcoming exhibits and programs. It felt good to get out and mingle again.
2. I am still participating in the #the100dayproject art online art challenge. As of today, I’m on Day 38. Here are a few of my March pieces…

April

 

1. To complete my short story for the Silver Soldiers anthology.
2. To compile all the Silver Soldiers stories into the anthology and get it formatted for release on May 9th.
3. To begin work on Cold Hard Cash, the first of the We Are Dead Horse series.
4. To complete 4 editing projects in April!

For health related, I plan:

1. To restart counting those points for my Weight Watchers diet (I hate that word) and hopefully shed at least another 5 pounds, remembering, as always: Slow is good!
2. To continue to reduce salt, processed food, and incorporate foods good for blood pressure (spinach, broccoli, bananas, red wine).
3. To get the pool cleaned up—as soon as the weather cooperates—so that the minute the water is warm enough, I’m swimming (hopefully by end of April).
4. To begin walking and counting my steps.
5. I’ll re-dedicate myself to doing more housework, too, because my art room is a disaster. And cleaning is exercise, right?

For happiness-related, I plan: 

1. To continue producing some small piece of art every day as part of #the100dayproject. I’m volunteering several times a month to sit in the Art Center to keep it open. I use those quiet days away from my computer just to paint!
2. Try to complete one of the many already paid-for online art classes I’ve lined up to do.
3. To blog about art (on my Emerald Casket site) just to keep myself honest!
4. To work toward re-opening my Etsy store!

Contest

Comment on anything you’ve read in this post. Tell me what you’re doing to make yourself happier and healthier. Tell me what you plan to read in April…

Like I said, comment on anything for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!