Author Carolyn Brown Visits

It is my great pleasure to welcome back award-winning author Carolyn Brown as the special guest blogger here today at Thoughts in Progress.

Many of you may remember Carolyn from her previous visits here. She’s back today to talk about her latest release, HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS, the last installment in the Honky Tonk series. In addition, thanks to Carolyn and Danielle at Sourcebooks, I have two sets of the Honky Tonk series (four books each) to give away to two lucky readers who comment on Carolyn’s post between now and 8 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Be sure to include your e-mail address with your comment if it’s not included in your profile.

Carolyn is always a delight to host. I not only enjoy her books, but also her visits here. She’s answering some questions for me so without further ado, here’s Carolyn.

I’m here! Bring out the donuts and coffee and let’s talk. I just love visiting this site! My Give a Damn’s Busted and Honky Tonk Christmas are both on the racks now! Aren’t they some kind of gorgeous lined up next to I Love This Bar and Hell, Yeah! All those sexy cowboys on one book shelf just about takes your breath away doesn’t it? I understand y’all have questions for me today so I’ll stop rattlin’ on about my sexy cowboys and sassy heroines. Okay, first question … just a minute, I need one more donut. They don’t have fat grams or calories if I’m answering questions so I can have an extra one this morning! Pretty tasty; now I’ll lick the sticky off my fingers and we’ll get down to business.

Mason: Your series features country music in each book. If they couldn't listen to country music, what type of music would each couple from your books listen to?

Carolyn: Oh, my! Oh, dear! The world with no country music? That would close down the Honky Tonk, shut up the Grand Ole Opry and put a high percentage of radio stations smack out of business. I shutter to think of a world without Blake Shelton, George Strait and Conway Twitty’s songs. And folks should buy up stock in the funeral home business because there are a lot of us who’d crawl up in a casket and suck in our last breath if we had to look ahead to a future without country music. But you asked about my characters … if they could not listen to country music, I expect they’d just have to rely on their memories and sing it, because they wouldn’t listen to anything else.

Mason: Of your main characters in this series, which one was the easiest to write and which one gave you the most trouble?

CB: Like teenage children they all had their moments of difficulty. Sometimes they were downright pesky demanding that I get their personalities just right. Sharlene even woke me up at night and badgered me into changing a scene when she thought she was being too nice. Daisy really liked the Honky Tonk and choosing between it and Jarod was agonizing. Cathy cried on my shoulder (don’t tell her I told you that or she’ll pitch a hissy) when Travis walked out the Honky Tonk door and she didn’t expect to ever see him again. I kept telling Sharlene there was a cure for those nightmares but she didn’t believe me until she curled up in Holt’s arms. But most of the time we got along fairly well!

Mason: If you could only use one word to describe each of your characters and you couldn't use the same word twice, how would you describe them?

CB: Jarod, sexy; Daisy, determined; Cathy, sassy; Travis, hunky; Larissa, beautiful; Hank, damnfine (that’s one word if you say it real fast); Sharlene, kickass (that’s one word, too); Holt, wonderful!

Mason: Is there a central theme you'd like readers to come away with after reading the Honky Tonk series or does each book have it's own theme?

CB: I hope my readers laugh so hard they can’t catch their breath, use up at least a few tissues and sigh at the end because they don’t want the books to end. The central theme would have to be that love conquers all: arguments, misunderstandings, in-laws, outlaws, speed bumps, good times, bad times and blah times.

Mason: Do you think you've shed new light onto how readers look at a honky tonk now?

CB: Oh, yes! My readers have been voicing their opinions and think they’d like to visit the Honky Tonk. I’m wondering when and where someone will ask me to help them design one just like it. When they do I’m going to have all four book covers enlarged to poster size and hang them above the bar. The ladies will love them!

Mason: What can the readers expect next from Carolyn Brown?

CB: I’m working on a series for Sourcebooks Casablanca called Spikes & Spurs about sassy women who give up their Prada and Jimmy Choos for cowboy boots down on the Red River but keep their kickass (see it’s one word!) attitude. And the cowboys in their spurs and Stetsons who find out taming one of those women is a helluva lot tougher than stayin’ on the back of a bull for eight seconds. Love Drunk Cowboy starts the fun in May, 2011.

Oh, Carolyn as always it’s fun having you visit here. I am one of those fans that hated to see the series end, but I’m looking forward to your next kickass ladies. BTW, I plan to have my review of HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS posted here Sunday. Now for a little background on the last two books in the series that just recently went on sale:

MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED

He’s just doing his job…
If Hank Wells thinks he can dig up dirt on the new owner of the Honky Tonk beer joint for his employer, he’s got no idea what kind of trouble he’s courting…

She’s not going down without a fight…
If any dime store cowboy think’s he’s going to get the best of Larissa Morley—or her Honky Tonk—then he’s got another think coming…

As secrets emerge, and passion vies with ulterior motives, it’s winner takes all at the Honky Tonk…

HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS

She Means business…
Sharlene Waverly is determined to have the “new and improved” Honky Tonk up and running before the holiday. For that, she’ll need Holt Jackson, the best darn carpenter in the state. But his warm, whisky-colored eyes make her insides melt, and before she knows it, she’s sharing her darkest secrets and talking about the nightmares…
He’s determined to keep things professional…
Holt Jackson needs the job at the Honky Tonk, but is completely unprepared to handle the beautiful new bar owner he’s working for.

Sharlene and Holt try like crazy to deny the sparks flying between them, but their love may just be the best Christmas present either one of them ever got.

A little more about Carolyn. She has published 36 historical and western romance novels for the library market, many of them bestsellers in that market. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. For more information on Carolyn and her books, visit her website at: http://www.carolynlbrown.com/

Remember, you have a chance to win a complete set of all four of Carolyn’s books just by commenting. What are your thoughts on sexy cowboys, beautiful independent woman, romance and all the wonderful things that bring family and friends together?

Sunday Salon: My Give A Damn’s Busted by Carolyn Brown

Author Carolyn Brown continues to prove you can’t judge a book - or a person - by first sight.

In her latest release, MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED, the protagonist is a sassy bar owner named Larissa Morley, who was given the Honky Tonk by it’s previous owner Daisy O’Dell Henry. Larissa came to Mingus, Texas, to find herself and found a completely new lifestyle instead. 

Finally feeling at peace with herself and who she has become, Larissa wasn’t looking for love when a deer caused her and the cowboy in the old pickup truck to almost collide.

Hank Wells was hoping to run into Larissa, but he didn’t mean to do it literally. Hank was on a mission to find out as much as he could about Larissa and what her weaknesses were.

Sparks erupt from their first run-in and continue to grow with each encounter.

Larissa has enough to worry about without getting involved with a cowboy. There’s an out-of-town businessman who’s been trying to buy the Honky Tonk from every owner and now he’s after Larissa. Seems he wants to turn the entire town into an amusement park.

Staying at his father’s ranch, Hank begins to see more and more of Larissa. He knows he has to come clean with her soon, but once she finds out what he’s hiding in Dallas, he’ll lose her for sure.

Larissa and the folks of Mingus pull together to keep their small town just as it is despite the large sums of money offered. It costs Larissa far more when she finally learned who and what was waiting for Hank in Dallas. Now Hank has to decide what’s really important in his life before you ever has a chance to redeem himself in Larissa’s eyes.

The story, like the great book cover, is about sexy cowboys, a bar and dancing until 2 in the morning. But there’s also a story of how friends pull together to save what they value most, how family can come through when you need them, and how family doesn’t always have to be related to matter.

Author Carolyn Brown has gathered another great group of characters together and brought them to life through their actions, words and emotions. There are moments that will take your breath away, while others will have you ready to help with the lynching party, and still others that will bring tears to your eyes because you’re laughing so hard.

This is the third installment in the Honky Tonk series. However, this is a stand alone book. For those who have followed the series, you have a chance to visit with some old friends while meeting new ones. If you’re new to the series, you won’t feel left out. But you will probably be enticed enough to find out how the Honky Tonk charm/curse got it’s start with book one and two (I LOVE THIS BAR and HELL, YEAH).

Some of the eclectic regular patrons remain at the Honky Tonk - Merle Avery, continues to play a mean game of pool and look after the owner of the bar since she was best friends with Ruby Lee, the original owner; and Amos and his motorcycle buddies drop in from time to time. Tinker has retired as the bouncer and now Luther’s checking Ids at the door and Tessa’s helping out some behind the bar.

New to the crowd are Linda, Janice, and Betty, along with their husbands J.C., Elmer and Frank. There’s also Sharlene Waverly who can talk a mile a minute while filling mason jars with beer. She lost her job as a newspaper reporter writing obits, now she’s working for Larissa at the bar.

Just when Larissa thought she had what she’d been looking for, she found there was more to family than she ever imaged.

It’s time to turn the radio down as Jo Dee Messina sings, “MY GIVE A DAMN’S BUSTED,” settled back with a copy of Carolyn Brown’s version and enjoy a delightful book of romance, suspense and just pure fun.

Carolyn Brown's website is www.carolynlbrown.com

My Give A Damn’s Busted by Carolyn Brown, Honky Tonk series, Sourcebooks Casablanca, @2010, ISBN: 978-1-4022-3928-1, 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.