Christmas
is not as far off and as might like for it to be, so there’s no better time than
now to begin reading Christmas-themed stories.
I’m
delighted today to share a delightful new release with you (and an awesome giveaway at the end). Come along for the
fun.
Cowboys
for Christmas
Kim Law, Liz Talley, Terri Osburn
(A Holly Hills Anthology)
Publication date: November 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Kim Law, Liz Talley, Terri Osburn
(A Holly Hills Anthology)
Publication date: November 19th 2018
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
3
cowboys…2 weeks…1 wedding!
Claire,
Georgia, and Mary Catherine couldn’t be more different, but they promised they
would be there for one another no matter what. And when they all gather in
Holly Hills, Texas, for Mary Catherine’s Christmas wedding, they’ll find they
have one thing in common: hearts that are about to be branded—by unforgettable
cowboys.
In
“Love Me, Cowboy” by Terri Osburn, wallflower Claire would be more excited
about the wedding if it didn’t mean running into Mary Catherine’s brother—the
bull rider she once had a scorching one-night stand with…
Ivy
League volleyball coach Georgia never wanted to see Holly Hills—or another
cowboy—again. But a sexy veterinarian is making her rethink her vow to never
marry a Texas man in “Kiss Me, Cowboy” by Liz Talley.
Claire
and Georgia both think that Mary Catherine is getting hitched to the wrong man,
despite how perfect he is. And in “Marry Me, Cowboy” by Kim Law, a local
rancher with a wild reputation gives Mary Catherine a glimpse of what might
have been—and what could still be…
—
Love Me, Cowboy by Terri Osburn
Crossing the short distance to where he’d left his tools near
the back of the truck, Tyler bent down and lifted with his left arm, only to
have the box drop back to the floor with a crash. He gripped his left shoulder
as his face contorted in pain.
“Tyler? What’s wrong?” Claire was afraid to touch his arm for
fear of hurting him more. “Tell me what to do. I don’t know how to help.”
“It’s fine,” he said through a clenched jaw, then took several
deep breaths, keeping his eyes closed. “I just forget sometimes.”
Claire caught herself taking deep breaths with him and had to
make herself stop. “Forget what?” she asked.
Dropping his hand, Tyler opened his eyes and slowly lowered
his shoulders. “The face wasn’t the only thing damaged in the accident. As I
said at the Thirsty Cowboy the other night, my shoulder got torn up pretty bad,
too. Doc has me in physical therapy and it’s mostly healed, but the weight of
the toolbox was too much, I guess.”
He guessed? The man had taken years off her life with that
reaction. The pain must have been excruciating to take his breath like that.
“Thank goodness you won’t be doing that anymore.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, working his shoulder up and
down. “Picking up the toolbox? Not with that arm, I won’t.”
“Not the toolbox,” Claire said with a roll of her eyes.
“Riding bulls. No more climbing onto the back of a beast that would rather kill
you than let you stay there.”
Tyler’s face turned serious. “I have every intention of
getting back on a bull.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Dead serious.”
Claire threw a hand on her hip. “If that’s supposed to be a
joke, it isn’t funny.”
“I don’t make jokes about my life.” His eyes darkened. “My
life. I’m a bull rider, and I’m going to continue being one. No matter what you
or my sister or anyone else says.”
Jerking the toolbox off the ground with his good arm, Tyler
slammed it onto the truck bed, then hopped up after it. Claire had to shuffle
around to the back so she could use the bumper to climb up, but she wasn’t
about to let this stubborn cowboy walk away from this argument.
“Your sister loves you,” she yelled, storming across the empty
flatbed. “And I . . .” She what? Loved him? Unfortunately so, but she wasn’t
about to tell him. “I care about you, too. That bull could have killed you.”
“And I could get hit by a truck tomorrow. Doesn’t mean I’m
going to hide in my house.”
“That isn’t the same and you know it.” Why couldn’t he see
what getting back on a bull would do to the people around him? How they’d feel
if the worst happened?
Tyler turned so quickly, Claire nearly charged into him. “What
if someone told you to stop teaching?”
“What?”
“Didn’t your parents push you to be a lawyer? To do your civic
duty and join the family business of running towns and making decisions for
other people?”
Her situation was nothing like his. “Being a teacher isn’t
going to get me killed.”
“No? How many school shootings have we had in the past few
years?” Tyler asked. “Life is random, Claire. A meteor could kill us all
tomorrow. You have to live while you can, the way you want.” His voice dropped
as his eyes held hers. “I’m a bull rider. That’s what I do.”
Claire felt deflated. He was right. It was his life, and only
he could decide how he wanted to live it. But that didn’t stop her from wishing
he would choose another way.
“It’s going to kill your sister when you climb back on one of
those bulls.”
And it will kill me, too, she
thought.
“I can’t do what she’s done, Claire. I can’t walk away from
the thing I love because it’s what other people think I should do.”
The need to grab him and hold on was so strong, Claire did the
only thing possible.
She backed away.
“That banner probably needs to dry before being hung up. I’ll
get someone to help me with it tomorrow.”
“Claire, don’t—”
“Mom’s expecting me for dinner.” Claire looked at her watch.
Then at her feet. Anywhere but at the cowboy with his hand out. “You should
head out, too. Thanks for helping the kids.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, but she barely heard the words as
she hopped off the truck and stepped through the open warehouse door into a
chilly December evening.
—
Kiss Me, Cowboy by Liz Talley
Reed didn’t say anything. Just watched her. The way her glossy
lips shone in the neon glow, the way her eyes roved over the dance floor, the
way that dress hugged every curve of her body.
Georgia’s gaze returned to his, and she must have seen the
glint in his eyes. “I’m not going to sleep with you, you know.”
“What?”
“The way you’re looking at me, breaking in on my dance with
Rusty, I can tell.”
“Rodney.”
“Who?”
“His name was Rodney. Not Rusty.”
“Oh,” she said.
“And I never said I wanted to sleep with you,” he said, hoping
she couldn’t see straight through his bullshit. “I said I wanted to dance with
you. See, those are two different things. For dancing, you usually keep your
clothes on.”
“Depends on how you dance,” she said, cracking a smile. In her
gaze he could see her trying to gain control. Her boldness seemed part of her
protection. After Paul Milligan made the comment about Georgia growing up next
door, he’d asked Tyler about his fiery damsel in distress. He now better
understood the BMW, the fancy boots and jacket. He’d never been poor—quite the
opposite—but he could imagine coming home to a town that had pigeonholed her.
Not easy.
“Well, I suppose I could be talked into naked dancing by the
right girl.”
“Too bad I’m not the right girl.”
—
Marry Me, Cowboy by Kim Law
Mary Catherine glanced causally around as she headed back to
the bar, and this time she found Jax leaning against the far side of the
counter.
He’d also found her.
His hat was pushed back on his head and those blue eyes she
remembered so well were trained on her. And they didn’t seem anxious to move on
anytime soon. Her breath hitched in her throat.
“Buy you a drink?” A dark-blond cutie asked when she stopped
by an empty stool. “You’re the one getting married, right? I’m Tony. Me and my
buddies here would be glad to protect your integrity tonight.” All five men
gave her wide smiles.
She laughed with good humor. Her integrity didn’t need
protecting, but she was there for some fun. And these guys were harmless.
They’d been at the bar for a while now and didn’t seem to be looking for more
than an entertaining Friday night off the ranch. “You and your buddies good at
protecting a girl’s integrity, Tony?” she teased.
“The best.” He motioned for the bartender, and when asked what
she wanted, she took another peek at Jax.
“Tequila,” she said. She winked at Tony. “Top shelf.”
Cuervo was her go-to for forgetting denim blue eyes.
Her brother came in then and caught her eye. He scanned the
men now surrounding her and gave a wink—probably after also concluding that her
integrity was intact—then turned his gaze away to take in the remainder of the
crowd. Tyler was two years younger than her and was most definitely a town
heartthrob. He’d been gorgeous for most of his life. Now he had a nasty slash
across his left cheek.
It had only made him more good-looking.
A gaggle of women made their way over to him, and his broad
face broke into a wide grin. The poor rodeo star, recovering from a bad throw
from a bull. He didn’t seem to be suffering too much, that was for sure.
Mary Catherine shook her head at the unfairness of it all. If
a woman came in with a scar like that, men would turn the other way. She rolled
her eyes and leaned back against the bar, enjoying the night. The back of her
neck suddenly tingled, and she knew without looking that he was looking at her.
The bartender set down the shot, and she tossed it back in one
quick motion. It burned all the way down. She hissed in a breath between her
teeth then took another peek at Jax.
Yep. Still looking. One eyebrow lifted subtly. That pissed her
off. The man hadn’t spoken to her in ten years—other than to offer a foursome
with two other women the night she’d been in here after her college
graduation—and now, of all times, he showed up and wouldn’t look away.
As if something about her interested him.
Too damned bad. And ten years too late. She was an engaged
woman now.
She motioned to the bartender for another drink.
“A girl who likes her tequila,” Tony muttered, leaning into
the counter beside her. His eyes glowed with delight. “That’s pretty hot.”
Mary Catherine gave him a toothy grin. “Down boy. I’ve just
decided I’m going to be drinking a lot tonight. Which means you have to
behave.” She patted his shoulder. “I’m not expecting you to buy what I’m about
to put away, though, so that’s the bright side. But I will take you up on that
integrity thing. You keep me safe, okay? At least until my girls get back.”
She motioned to the dance floor with the second shot, where
Georgia was dancing with Reed McCormick, and Claire was once again running from
a handful of men. They’d been following her around all night as if she were a
dog in heat.
“You got it.” Tony nodded like an obedient puppy and scooted
in closer. He was taking the job seriously. The other four followed suit. Out
of the corner of her eye, she saw no less than three women now crowding around
Jax.
Maybe the four of them would have a foursome tonight.
Probably it was his regular Friday-night routine.
She downed the second shot and one of the guys ordered her a
third, and then she returned to that night ten years ago…
 |
| Author Liz Talley |
 |
| Author Terri Osburn |
 |
| Author Kim Law |
Thanks so much for stopping by today. What would you do if you
had to plan for a wedding around Christmas time? Did one or all of these
excerpts grab your attention?
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Three hot excerpts. Given that our Christmases are already hot, these could be incendiary.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cute idea for a trilogy of stories.
ReplyDeleteThat's a cool collection for a Christmas anthology!
ReplyDeletelucca infissi I must say that overall I am really impressed with this blog. It is easy to see that you are passionate about your writing. If only I had your writing ability I look forward to more updates and will be returning.
ReplyDeleteThose stories fit together quite nicely! And there is just something about both Christmas and cowboys that just goes with romance... Thanks for sharing, Mason.
ReplyDelete