Author Carolyn Brown: The Last of Spikes & Spurs and Giveaway

It’s always a hoot to welcome bestselling author Carolyn
Brown back to Thoughts in Progress because I know it means she has a new book out and lots of fun things to share with us. However, today’s return comes with a bit of sadness as her latest release, COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE, is the last installment in her tantalizing Spikes and Spurs series.


But with that sadness, Carolyn always brings joy. Thanks to her and the lovely Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have a giveaway to offer today to a lucky winner. Please see the end of the post for details.

First, let’s take a peak at what COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE is all about:
    He's Tough as Nails and Ready to Ride...     Rancher Dewar O'Donnell is just an old-fashioned cowboy at heart, and he can't wait to reenact the historic Chisholm Trail ride with his buddies. The trial-run cattle drive for a reality TV show sounds like a great time—until H.B. McKay pulls up in her slick red sports car...
    She's Way Out of Her Element...     Haley McKay is a feisty, high-powered businesswoman with the power suit and stiletto heels to prove it. She's keen to research her company's hot new idea for a reality TV show—but mount up with a bunch of modern-day cowboys? Are they kidding?
    It's too late to back out now, so Haley sets out to prove that it will take more than snakes, storms, and stampedes to make her back down.
    Besides, sleeping under the stars with Dewar O'Donnell could prove mighty interesting...

I hear Carolyn coming in, let’s see what she’s up to. I think she has a trip planned for us. Hi, there Carolyn, what’s up?

Y’all are cordially invited to come on over to my house today where we’ll be havin’ dinner…just to be clear, that would be the noon meal in this part of the world. It’ll be put on the bar at, you guessed it, twelve o’clock sharp and we’ll serve it up buffet style. 

Menu includes sweet tea with lots of ice because it’s hotter than the devil’s spiky little tail, mashed potatoes, fried squash, fried chicken, a nice big garden fresh salad with endive and fresh tomatoes, black eyed peas and a choice of hot yeast rolls or cornbread—or both if you’d like cornbread with your peas and maybe a hot roll when you go back for a second plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy. No one is counting how many plates you use up so don’t be shy. Dessert is your choice of pecan pie and/or fresh peach cobbler, with or without homemade ice cream.

While we’re eating we’ll gather around the ten foot dining room table and talk about COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE, the seventh and last book in the Spikes & Spurs series that started with LOVE DRUNK COWBOY in May, 2011. 

Dewar and Haley’s story was such fun to write. Next time the O’Donnell’s gather up to sing out under the shade trees in Ringgold, Texas (population less than 100), they’ll have a wild tale to tell about herding those cattle all the way up through Oklahoma to Dodge City, Kansas.

What’s that? Someone has a question down at the end of the table.

What is it that I like about country living that makes me continue to write about it? 

Well, darlin’ a few years ago I went to a little school auditorium up in Coleman, Oklahoma to see Jerry Clower. Some of y’all might not have ever heard of that fellow but he was one of my favorite comedians from the time I was just a teenager. Believe me, it was a big deal for me to get to sit up in the bleachers in the old gym and listen to him. I even bought a brand new pair of boots to wear that night.

After he’d entertained us with his stories about Marcel Ledbetter and Uncle Versy, he had a little time left before his car arrived to take him to the Dallas airport and on back to Mississippi where he lived. He opened up the floor for questions and someone asked him why he always talked about the country life and why he loved it more than city living.

His answer was that in the country folks know their neighbors and they take care of their friends. When his mama passed, the family all came home to her house and not one relative cooked so much as a biscuit during their time of mourning.

That kind of sums it up. In the country, folks might know everyone and get into their business and offer up advice when it’s not even asked for. But when babies are born, when folks pass on, when there’s sickness or joy, folks are there with food and a helping hand. And believe me not a dime passes hands for what’s done, either. Friendship is a priceless commodity like love. Country living has a heart beat and a pulse of its own and once you partake of it, you will come back for a second helping sometime. It might just to be for a visit, but you’ll get to cravin’ the slow simple lifestyle and nothing else will satisfy that itch but a day or two in the country.

That’s the way things are done in the Spikes & Spurs series down in Ringgold, Texas. Cash and Maddie O’Donnell are that kind of folks and they’ve raised their kids that way.
 
So it’s no wonder that Dewar has trouble wrapping his mind around falling for a city girl. And it’s no wonder that it’s difficult for Haley, being a city girl, to admit that she could fall for a country boy with values and a lifestyle so very different from hers. But the heart wants what it wants, and it don’t give a damn whether the body that houses it lives in the country or in the city.

What is it that appeals to y’all about country living? Or maybe we can take it a step on up the ladder and ask what is it about country living and cowboys that makes reading about them exciting to you?

While you’re thinkin’ on that, does anyone need a refill on their sweet tea while I’m up and checkin’ on the ice cream freezer?

Carolyn, thanks for the invite and dinner. Fine as always, but like your books. I have to agree with you and Jerry Clower (a funny man) about country living. It can’t be beat.

Now, for those who don’t know Carolyn let me share a bit of background. She is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with more than sixty books published. She writes bestselling single title cowboy and country music mass market romances, as well as women’s fiction. 

Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Look for THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS BABY in stores this October! 

For more information on Carolyn and her writing, please visit www.CarolynLBrown.com. 

Here’s what some others have to say about Carolyn:
    "Lazy drawls and pointy-toed boots are at the heart of Brown's Texas-set romance...the couple's relationship is hot as the Texan sun." — RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars
    "Funny, frank, and full of heart...One more welcome example of Brown's Texas-size talent for storytelling." — USA Today Happily Ever After
    "Alive with humor...Another page-turning joy of a book by an engaging author." — Fresh Fiction

COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE can be found at these locations: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, Indigo/Chapters, IndieBound, Discover a New Love, and Sourcebooks.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:
Now for the giveaway, thanks to Carolyn and Danielle. I have 1 copy of JUST A COWBOY AND HIS BABY (the book directly preceding COWBOY SEEKS BRIDE in the Spikes & Spurs series) to giveaway. The contest is open to residents of the US and Canada only.

To enter this giveaway, please send me an e-mail (mcbookshelf@gmail.com) with the subject line, “Win JUST A COWBOY.” Your message should include your name and mailing address. And, just so you know, I don’t share this information with anyone other than the publisher nor use it for any other purpose. The deadline to enter this giveaway for a chance to win a copy of JUST A COWBOY AND HIS BABY will be 8 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, Aug. 29.

Thanks for stopping by today. Well, what’s your thoughts on country living?

RED’S HOT COWBOY by Carolyn Brown

Much of the US has been experiencing near record breaking or above temperatures so now’s the time to relax with a good book set during cooler weather.

Reading one of author Carolyn Brown’s books always gives me the feel of warmth, friendship and family. While Brown’s latest release, RED’S HOT COWBOY, begins during the Christmas holidays make no mistake there’s plenty of heat when the cowboy and the entrepreneur tangle. 

When her great-aunt Pearlita died and left her the Longhorn Inn, Pearl Richland quit her big city banking job and decided to try her hand at running the motel. When the lights went out in Henrietta on Christmas Eve, rancher Wil Marshall just wanted a place to stay with electricity. A twist of fate and a mistaken identity threw the pair together and sparks began to fly.

From their first encounter, Pearl and Wil are a perfect couple whether they know it or not. The chemistry between the two sizzles and will make you a bit breathless. Pearl may appear sassy, brassy and out-spoken, but she has a heart of gold. She comes to the aid of a woman on the run from her abusive husband, as well as giving assistance to others in need. Wil is a rough and tough cowboy, but has a tender spot for family, friends and the fiery red head, Pearl.

Carolyn Brown brings her characters to life with fire and spunk. She creates characters that are loyal, caring and with enough faults to make them real. She blends romance, humor and a bit of mystery into a rip-roaring good read.

While RED’S HOT COWBOY is part of the Spikes and Spurs series, it’s a stand along book. Familiar faces from the previous book (LOVE DRUNK COWBOY) are re-introduced and new friends appear for the next installment, DARN GOOD COWBOY CHRISTMAS coming in October. The family gathering continues to grow and expand leading to new and exciting adventures.

Author Carolyn Brown’s website is http://carolynlbrown.com/

Red’s Hot Cowboy by Carolyn Brown, Spikes and Spurs Series, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2011, ISBN: 978-1-4022-5361-4, Paperback, 384 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

Author Carolyn Brown On Reading And Cowboys

Find a comfortable chair and reach for your favorite beverage of choice as you help me welcome award-winning author Carolyn Brown back to Thoughts in Progress today to talk about her latest release and new Spikes and Spurs Series.

Carolyn latest release is LOVE DRUNK COWBOY, the first in an exciting new cowboy series from the delightful author. Thanks to Carolyn and Danielle at Sourcebooks, I can offer 2 copies of LOVE DRUNK COWBOY as giveaways to visitors commenting on this post. The giveaway is open to residents of U.S. and Canada only between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Monday, June 6. Be sure to include your e-mail address if it’s not included in your profile.

Here’s a brief blurb about LOVE DRUNK COWBOY: She’s a Self-Made City Girl… High-powered career woman Austin Lanier suddenly finds herself saddled with an inherited watermelon farm deep in the countryside. She’s determined to sell the farm, until her new, drop-dead sexy neighbor Rye O’Donnell shows up…

He’s as Intoxicating as Can Be…Rancher Rye O’Donnell thinks he’s going to get a good deal on his dream property—until he meets the fiery new owner. Rye is knocked sideways when he realizes that not only is Granny Lanier’s city-slicker granddaughter a savvy businesswoman, she’s also sexy as hell…

Suddenly Rye is a whole lost less interested in real estate and a whole lot more focused on getting Austin to set aside her stiletto heels…

Carolyn was kind enough to answer some questions for me.

Hello! I’m so tickled to be here today to wind down my month long blog tour to promote LOVE DRUNK COWBOY! Thank you for inviting me back again to Thoughts in Progress and thank you, Mason, for that AWESOME review! You really crawled out there on a shaky limb discussing a “love drunk” cowboy on your Sunday blog! Maybe you should have a Saturday night blog where you discuss my rowdy cowboys! You do know that cowboys sow their wild oats on Saturday night and then go to church on Sunday morning to pray for a crop failure.

Carolyn, no shaky limb there. ‘Love drunk’ cowboys are the best kind. They are caring, responsible and put family first; not to mention being sexy. But a Saturday night blog about cowboys does have possibilities.

Mason - As a writer, do you feel it's also important to find time to read?

Carolyn: Yes, ma’am, as much and as often as possible. I used to try to read a book a day but lately, it’s about a book a week, since Husband retired.

Mason - What are you currently reading or is in your TBR stack?

Carolyn: Just last night I finished Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews. Loved it! Of course I would, she’s a southern writer. My TBR stack? How much room do you have here on this blog? This could go on and on. I read on PW this morning that there’s a new J.A. Jance book coming right soon and then I haven’t gotten Grace Burrowes The Heir read and she’s about to come out with the next one which will go on my TBR read list and then there’s Sue Grafton’s newest hiding down there somewhere. If we had an explosion in this house it would look somewhat like a tornado hit the Library of Congress and I keep seeing more that I really, really want to add to it.

Mason - If you could only have 5 books, what would they be?

Carolyn: Oh, dear, darlin’, that is one tough question. To pick five only…is it because of space on the blog, space in my suitcase because I’m going to a remote island or I only get to stay wherever you are sending me for five days? We could extend the blog a wee bit and I’ll get a bigger suitcase or leave part of my clothing behind, and I could stay longer. No…won’t work? Got to pick five only! Okay then. Remember that I’m an eclectic reader! My Bible (got to have that), Gone With the Wind (I read it about every five years and Margaret is starting to feel neglected), LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows (touches all my emotions from laughter to tears), The Godfather, by Mario Puzo and Exodus by Leon Uris.

Mason - How is your new series different from your Honky Tonk series and how is it similar?

Carolyn: They are both about cowboys, of course. The Honky Tonks were set in the old bar down in Mingus, Texas and the new series isn’t confined to a building. It starts out in Terral, Oklahoma with LOVE DRUNK COWBOY and jumps the Red River over to Henrietta, Texas for RED'S HOT COWBOY (August) with a setting in a fifty year old motel. Then we hop back to Ringgold to the O’Donnell’s horse ranch for DARN GOOD COWBOY CHRISTMAS (October) and to Ace Riley’s ranch for ONE HOT COWBOY WEDDING (April 2012). After that we are going on a pro-rodeo trip, a reenactment of the cattle drive on the Chisholm Trail and out to the Palo Duro Canyon in west Texas. So this series isn’t confined to a building. All of them are similar in that they have a stubborn cowboy trying to tame a sassy woman who doesn’t want to give up her kick-ass independence.

Mason - What can readers look for next from you?

Carolyn: Ooops! I think I just answered that one in number 4. So think more cowboys! More heroines with a mind of their own and who aren’t afraid to tell it like it is. More quirky secondary characters. More humor.

Thank you so much for letting me prop up my feet here today. Talk to me folks! Tell me what you are reading these days and if you want to see more cowboys on the market. Now Mason pop open that bottle of watermelon wine that I brought and break the seal on that box of chocolates and we’ll talk about Rye and Austin while we wait on the folks to comment. Did you like that Charley Horse scene, the one where they were sexting when she was in a business meeting or all that steamy kissing in the rain?

Oh, Carolyn! It’s always so much fun having you stop by. I see we enjoy some of the same books and sorry about limiting you to select only 5. Thought it would be fun to try and narrow it down. Now as for Rye and Austin, I think one of my favorite scenes was the mechanical bull. LOL Can’t decide which taste better, the chocolates or the watermelon wine, oh my!

Before I get too distracted, let me tell you more about Carolyn. She is an award-winning author who has published 36 bestselling romances for the library market. She now writes bestselling single title cowboy and country music mass market romances. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. Carolyn’s next book, RED’S HOT COWBOY will be in stores in August 2011, followed by DARN GOOD COWBOY CHRISTMAS in October 2011. For more about information on Carolyn and her writing, be sure to visit her website at www.carolynlbrown.com and www.sourcebookscasablanca.com where she blogs.

Now what your thoughts on Carolyn’s questions? What are you reading and should there be more cowboys on the market? Be sure to share your thoughts for a chance to win a copy of Carolyn’s latest release. Thanks y’all for stopping by, I really appreciate it. Hope everyone has a safe and Happy Memorial Day too.

Sunday Salon: Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown

Another week has past us by and it’s time for Sunday Salon where we share our thoughts on the recent books we’ve read.

I’m still away from blogdom except for a brief period each day. I continue to be in awe of the wonderful support and concern y’all have shown. My mother-in-law continues to get a little stronger each day, we just have minor setbacks due to her Alzheimer’s but all is looking good.

Now I want to share a great new book by author Carolyn Brown. Sunday Salon may seem like a strange place to talk about a ‘drunk’ cowboy, but remember it’s best not to judge a book by it’s cover.

LOVE DRUNK COWBOY by Carolyn Brown

Every time I pick up a book by author Carolyn Brown, I find characters and places I want to visit time and time again. She has created another wonderful story that will hold you spellbound from the opening paragraph until the last sentence.

Austin Lanier is a rising executive at an oil company in Tulsa who stays busy with her career. When her grandmother (‘Granny’ Verline Lanier) dies, she leaves specific instructions on how Austin is to handle her funeral, as well as her estate.

When Austin arrives in Terral, she finds her grandmother’s elderly neighbor she’s been talking to each week is really a hunky cowboy her age. She also learns her grandmother did more than just raise watermelons.

Rye O’Donnell was fond of Granny Lanier and as soon as he saw her granddaughter, he was in love. Rye worried that Austin would settle Granny’s affairs and return to Tulsa.

As Austin learns more about her grandmother’s day-to-day business, she begins to find peace and enjoyment in the small town, not to mention a huge physical attraction to her sexy neighbor. The twists and turns Austin and Rye encounter on their way to each other makes for a delightful and entertaining read. Be sure your AC is working because the chemistry between these two will have your turning the cold air on high.

Another aspect of author Brown’s writing that appeals to me is the way she shows respect, love and honor for older citizens in her stories. She gives them spunk and grit, but she also has the younger generation appreciating their wisdom (even if they don’t agree) and showing respect, a vanishing trait.

LOVE DRUK COWBOY is all about a sexy, smooth-talking cowboy and a self-assured, career-minded city girl. But, it’s also filled with loyalty, family fun, and friendship. It’s a reminder that sometimes simpler is more fulfilling. Can’t wait to see what’s next in this new tantalizing series.

Author Carolyn Brown’s website is http://carolynlbrown.com/

Love Drunk Cowboy by Carolyn Brown, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2011, ISBN: 978-1-4022-5358-4, Paperback, 416 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

What have you read this week? What about today, what’s that you’re reading now? BTW, has anyone ever tried watermelon wine? It sounds delicious. Thanks so much for stopping by. Hope to visit with you before long.