Released: THE MAVERICK MEETS HIS MATCH

It is official. THE MAVERICK MEETS HIS MATCH, published by Kindle Press, is now available on Amazon. If you have Prime on Amazon you can get THE MAVERICK MEETS HIS MATCH free using Kindle Unlimited. Check it out: http://amzn.to/1OZ2gDO

Here's a snippet of a review posted on Amazon:

“The book had a pretty exciting plot with crazy twists, wonderful major/minor characters that I really want to know more about and quite knowledgeable facts about the rodeo lifestyle that kept me entrenched and interested in the story.” Amazon reviewer

If you've read the book, or when you are done reading it, I would be most appreciative if you would post a review. Many thanks in advance!

Rodeo, wedding bells, and one crazy will!
She wants her company back and him gone. He wants her…for a while at least.
She fears she’s risking her heart; He fears he’s playing with fire.
They are both gambling…on love.

THE MAVERICK MEETS HIS MATCH is available for Pre-Order

Today is the day that The Maverick Meets His Match is available on Amazon for pre-order from Kindle Press. For those who are interested, an excerpt follows the blurb. Hope you enjoy it.

Rodeos, wedding bells, and one crazy will!

For love…

When Mandy Prescott’s grandfather dies, this determined cowgirl expects to head up the family’s stock rodeo company. But JM Prescott’s last will and testament not only gives that honor to Ty Martin, a man who broke Mandy’s heart a decade ago, it contains a crazy provision: to wrest back control, she must agree to marry Ty Martin for a period of six months. Mandy has three days to decide—marry a man she doesn’t trust but is still attracted to, or risk her company being sold. Risking her company is one thing. Risking her heart is another

For money…
Maverick lawyer Ty Martin measures success in dollars and cents. And he’s promised JM Prescott to base his decision to keep or sell the company on that yardstick. Only now he’s presented with an intriguing bonus: a six month, commitment-free relationship with a woman he’s always desired. Ty’s certain he’s up to both challenges.

Forever?

But, when it comes to this feisty cowgirl, has the maverick met his match? 

Chapter 1

Ty Martin had never regretted the choices he’d made, until now. Shading his eyes against the sunlight glinting off the dial of his Rolex, he checked the time. Twenty minutes until life changed. Maybe temporarily. Maybe for good.

Or bad.

Tamping down the unease that always came with loose ends, Ty moved past the corrals where the cowhands were topping off the water troughs. Heads popped up like jack-in-the-boxes, but no one acknowledged him. Not a word, not a wave, not a nod. Instead, they stared as if he were some curiosity on parade.

Ty tugged the brim of his Stetson lower. At least being an outsider would make decisions easier.
Without breaking stride, he swept by the barn where the stalls were being mucked out and moved on past the low building that served as an office for the livestock rodeo company he would now head. Dust kicked up as he went, coating his custom-made alligator boots and threatening to settle on his black dress pants.

A steer bellowed in the distance, part of the ranch herd that had been brought in for culling.

He scanned the side parking area for a gray pickup truck. Silver metal glistened just a few feet away from his black BMW. At least he wouldn’t be the last one to walk into the lawyer’s office.

For most of his life he had run from anything to do with ranching, working his way through law school, scoring a job at a land development firm, and fighting his way to a partnership—only to eventually walk away. And now, here he was, heading up a livestock operation. A rodeo livestock operation.

Just a year. That’s what he had promised. Just enough time to decide the fate of the company that bore another family’s name. And they would hate him for it, or at least one person would hate him for it, if she didn’t already.

He clicked the remote in his pocket, and his car hummed in response. A few more steps and he pulled open the door. Semi-cool air blasted his face from the side vent, carrying with it that new-car odor. He slipped onto the sun-warmed leather seats, extracted a pair of Oakley shades from the center compartment, and opened the sunroof as he closed the door.

 It was too damn hot for May in Wyoming, he thought, removing his suit jacket and hat and laying them on the passenger seat. He buckled up, popped on the sunglasses, and shifted into reverse. Gravel crunched under the tires.

 Mandy Prescott would fight him despite this just being business. He might understand why the old man had worked it this way. She never would.

It would be easier if she wasn’t so damned attractive, and stubborn. A challenging combination he’d found tempting in the past. But the fact she was J. M. Prescott’s granddaughter had kept Ty’s pants zipped. He’d realized early on dallying with Mandy was not an option unless he was prepared to marry her. And that would never be the case—with any woman, but certainly not with a hardheaded, determined woman like Mandy, no matter how much she tempted him.

Ty shifted the car into gear. Of course, now that J. M. Prescott was gone, maybe a little fling with Mandy, if she was as inclined as she’d once been, would be just what he needed to fight this strange feeling that had come over him since JM’s passing. Like something important had seeped out of him, slowly, almost imperceptibly, but steady enough to leave an uncomfortable void.

Yup, Mandy Prescott’s feminine charms could be just what the doctor ordered, despite her current disposition toward him, because if life had taught him two things, it was that anything was possible and nothing was certain.

Pre-order at: Amazon

RELEASE DAY: LOVING A COWBOY

LOVING A COWBOY is now available at Amazon, B&N and iBooks. It is Book 1 in the Hearts of Wyoming series. 

Saddle bronc rider Chance Cochran knows a bad omen when he sees one, and Libby Brennan isn't just a bad omen, she’s the woman he was married to, five years ago, for all of forty-eight hours—before her father dragged her away and started divorce proceedings.

It isn't by coincidence Libby Brennan shows up where Chance is celebrating the win that put him in the million-dollar cowboy class. Older and hopefully wiser, she’s come to clear up a legal technicality as well as ask his forgiveness. Then maybe she can move on with her life.

But saying she’s sorry won’t be enough to make amends to this cowboy who has endured a lifetime of people abandoning him. When Chance needs some help after sustaining an injury however, Libby may have a second chance—at love.

Here's an excerpt:

Would he stop? The silent question hung in the air while Libby watched him approach, her gaze riveted in his direction like a nail caught in a magnetic field.

Her foot was shaking like it was ready for takeoff. She felt like running. She knew she couldn't. Not this time. 

"Imagine finding you at the Cattleman's Club after all these years."

That low, sexy male voice could still vibrate her heart. Libby struggled to hide any reaction as she looked up into the familiar stone-chiseled face and stormy gray eyes shadowed by a black Stetson.

"Congratulations," she managed to get out as Chance, dressed in a white shirt and black jeans, pulled out the empty chair across from her and filled it without waiting for an invitation. "You looked great out there today," she added, reaching for the easy compliment and hoping against hope they could keep it friendly.

Her pulse picked up, perspiration dampened her neck, and her heart actually fluttered at the sight of him sitting across from her. What had she gotten herself into?

 “Didn’t think you followed rodeo, Libby. Things must have changed.” His rugged features may have been schooled into a bland expression, but there was a challenge in his voice.

“People do change, Chance.” Her being here, facing him, should have been proof of that.

“Do they?”

He angled his body toward her, bringing along a musky whiff of aftershave. The same aftershave she’d bought years ago to remind her of him. She tried not to breathe too deep lest the scent launch her traitorous heart into full-out palpitations.

“You’ve changed, Chance. You’re a million-dollar cowboy now.” She’d never have imagined it, though she should have. Chance had more grit and determination than anyone she knew. He’d had to.

 “So you think money changes a man?” His gaze traveled down her silky pink camisole, stopping at the waistband of her denim jeans and causing a little shimmer to go through her. How could that still be after so much time?

“Question is, whether the change would be for good or bad,” he added, meeting her eyes again.

If you want more, here's the buy link for:
 Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Cowboy-Anne-Carrole-ebook/dp/B00SO0DWK8
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/loving-a-cowboy-anne-carrole/1121110910?ean=2940150212121

Enjoy the ride!

The Mystery Called Rodeo

I was confiding to a casual friend my interest in rodeo and she asked me a simple question--why? She wasn't being snarky, but she was looking at a suburbanite who was living a fairly typical suburban life and wondering how this woman (me) had fallen in love with rodeo.

Certainly, I grew up on a farm and we did own a horse and my sisters did barrel race, but my life now is far removed from those days. And maybe that's part of the attraction. When I'm at the rodeo, I'm that farm girl again. The one who used to bring home all the stray animals, who used to play in mud, who loved to eat cherry tomatoes right off the vine and dip her stick of fresh rhubarb in a bag of sugar for a bittersweet treat. That's the sentimental draw of rodeo.

But there is another, competitive side that draws me to rodeo. These cowboys are literally risking their life for a long shot at a little money. And they aren't competing with each other as much as they are competing with themselves and against the bull or horse they are riding or the steer they are roping. Most of the time, the bull or horse wins. This is especially true if you watch a small town rodeo--then you realize just how difficult the sport is. Whether bronc riding or tie-down roping, these are difficult skills which the top fifteen rodeo cowboys in each category make look easy at an event like the National Finals Rodeo, coming up December 3-12 in Los Vegas. It's a dream of mine to attend that event. I'm shooting for 2013 when my daughter enters college and my husband and I will be free to go. Until then, I have to be content with setting the DVR to tape in the wee hours of the morning, which is when the previous night's action is broadcast in my neck of the woods. That's how far removed I am from rodeo. (My small town, however, does host an annual rodeo--the only one to do so for miles and miles around.:)

And then, of course, there are the cowboys and horses that get to my passionate side. All those cowboys, all that horse flesh. I just love a man in a cowboy hat, chaps and boots sitting atop a horse. It always provides a creative boost, ala my story Re-ride at the Rodeo.

As for that mystery called rodeo, I like being just a little bit unpredictable, like that bronc that comes busting out of the gate, only to twist the exact opposite way than the cowboy expects.

Here's to all the cowboys out there and those barrel racing cowgirls who show gumption, grit and guts. My cowgirl hat is off to you all.

Rodeo, Cowboys and Romance

It's been a busy month with the release of Return to Wayback which includes my story, Re-ride at the Rodeo. But I promised you photos and before I leave for RWA National tomorrow I realized I needed to post these pictures. It was muddy but a lot of fun! Enjoy all the cowboys!

Return to Wayback-release date May 15 2009

Exciting news! Return to Wayback will be available at Amazon.com and a bookstore near you on May 15th! We can't believe it is so soon! View the trailer below for more about three hard-driving men, three different reasons to come back and the three special women who could give them a reason to stay.

Rodeo Cowboys Rock--or is that Dance?

Can't believe Ty Murray is going to be on Dancing with the Stars--along with his wife Jewel. They are going to compete head to head--or is that toe t0 toe. Should be fun to watch. Guess Murray can't be all that stiff from a decade riding rough stock. Though Trevor Brazile has tied Murray in gold buckles for all-around cowboy, Trevor competes in the roping events which are a lot easier on a cowboy's body. Murray earned his titles competing in all three rough stock events--saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding--and each requires different skills for keeping on an animal with saddle bronc (my favorite) requiring the most pure skill to do. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the new season and with some cowboys on the show!:)

Rodeo Tidbits for Your Re-ride at the Rodeo

Wayback, Texas is The Wild Rose Press Series centering on the town of Wayback, Texas and its rodeo. For Texas towns, the rodeo provides not only something to do but a way to earn some much needed money. So you can keep up with what everybody is talking about in Wayback, I've compiled a list of western talk and rodeo terms listed below. How many do you know?

And don't forget that Re-Ride at the Rodeo comes out October 3rd! In Re-Ride at the Rodeo, Clay Tanner is a saddle bronc rider when he’s not tending to his ranch and Dusty Morgan staffs the beer concession for the Blue Bug Saloon when she’s not looking for a teaching job. Despite her work, Dusty has an aversion to all things rodeo, given her upbringing, and to rodeo riders in particular. Clay’s just looking for a good time and can’t imagine any woman turning him down, especially not the tempting little blonde spitfire. But Clay shouldn’t ask for a re-ride unless he’s prepared to bite the dust.

So here are some terms I compiled for you to ponder (and feel free to add your own!)

Arm Jerker: An animal that bucks with a lot of power

All Hat, No Cattle: All talk, no substance—think Washington politician

Bail Out: A horse that comes straight up on its hind legs when it leaves the chute before it starts to buck.

Bailing Out: Not to be confused with the above, this is when a cowboy intentionally jumps off a bucking animal.

Bite the Dust: Just what you think it means; that cowboy got bucked off that bronc and landed face first in the dirt. Ouch!

Buckaroo: A cowboy who does ranch work for a living. (A professional rodeo cowboy’s sole occupation is rodeo competition.) Clay is a buckaroo.

Blooper: Bet you could guess that this is an animal that doesn’t buck much; maybe just kicks a little and runs around the arena. The rider may stay on but the score won’t be a good one unless the animal is a good bucker. Half the rider’s score comes from how well the animal bucks. Tougher animal, better score and more chance to win big.

Cantle Boarding: When the backward stroke of the legs of a saddle bronc rider’s spurring motion reaches the saddle’s cantle.

Chasing the cans: My sisters’ event—barrel racing

Cowboy up: It means get ready to ride but also the grit, hard work and strong determination that marks the character of a cowboy.

Crow Hopper: Kind of fun to imagine how this term got coined. It’s an animal that doesn’t buck so much as jumps around stiff-legged instead. Bet they ask for a re-ride when they get one of these.

Go-round: A round of rodeo competition. A rodeo in which each contestant competes once has one go-round. The Wayback rodeo has two go-rounds. Clay has to stay around because his friend placed in the first go-round in bull riding. That’s how he gets to know Dusty just a little bit better.

Ground Money: Purse money split evenly among all event contestants because no single contestant qualified to win the purse.

Gully Washer: an extraordinary amount of rain. Guess Hurricane Ike, Gustav and Katrina would qualify.

Hang-up: When a bull rider falls off the bull and his riding hand gets stuck or “hung-up” in his bull rope. He often gets dragged along by the bull as a result. Hard thing to watch but amazingly, the bull riders usually walk away with just their pride hurt.

Jam: When a saddle bronc jumps high off the ground.

Out the back door: When a rider is thrown over the hind end of the animal—ouch!

Pick-up man: Mounted cowboy who helps bareback and saddle bronc riders off when the ride is completed and leads the horse out of the arena.

Pulling leather: When a bronc rider holds on to any part of the saddle before the eight-second buzzer. This disqualifies him. Clay would never do that!

Re-Ride: If the bull doesn't do his job and the judges agree, you can get a second chance--a re-ride. Catch is that if you got a score, though likely a low one, on the first bull, you might get bucked off on the next ride for a no score or score even lower. It's the re-ride's score that will count, not the best of the two. So the choice for the cowboy often is--do I keep this low score or try for a better score knowing I risk getting no score at all on the re-ride. Much like Clay's dilemma regarding going after Dusty--again.

Rowel: A small wheel that forms the extremity of a cowboy’s spur. In rodeo, rowels are required to be free-wheeling and blunt so they don’t mark the horse. A competitor that uses spurs that will cause a cut is disqualified.

Rank Bronc: a bad one

Seeing daylight: When the rider leaves the seat of a bucking horse

Slick Heeled: A person not wearing spurs (see rowel above)

Slinger: A bull that tries to hit the cowboy with his head or horns while the cowboy is riding him. Ouch again!

Spurring Lick: When the rider’s movements are in rhythm with the bucking action of the animal.

Turn Out: When a rider passes on riding an animal he has drawn or the officials decide to give the rider a different animal. The bull or horse is released from the chute, without a rider, so he can be corralled back into the holding pen.

Walking in Tall Cotton: Doing real good, thank you.

Now that you're all set for Wayback, Texas, got any terms of your own you want to share? Any one of the above that tickled your fancy?

Re-ride at the Rodeo, October 3rd, The Wild Rose Press

Will he get a Re-ride? Find out on October 3rd.

Just found out that my book, Re-ride at the Rodeo, will be out in just 14 days!!!

Then you can find out if true love can exist between an footloose cowboy and a cowgirl who wants home and family. This romantic love story turns HOT when they decide to take a risk--on themselves and love. But sometimes those risks are more than either bargained for. Maybe they both need a life lesson. Here's the blurb:

Saddle bronc rider Clay Tanner is looking for a good time and the tempting little blonde at the rodeo looks like she could use one—except she turns him down. Feeling like he's been bucked off before the eight second buzzer, Clay's betting he can score if she'll give him a re-ride. But qualifying may call for more than he's prepared to give.

Dusty Morgan is determined to resist the sexy rough stock rider staking out her station. She's vowed never to get tangled up with someone who makes their living through rodeo and she's not interested in a hit and run. Though he may be what she desires, Dusty knows from experience he isn't what she needs—or is he?

Just $3 to take a Re-ride at the Rodeo. Available October 3rd at The Wild Rose Press

Re-ride at the Rodeo is the latest installment in the popular Wayback, Texas series.

Now you know why I've been late in posting!

Self-Reliance and Law and Order in the Old West

Two books I just read have some great stories about the cattle era in Texas: a contemporary-to-the-time account called Cowboys and Cattleland by H.H. Halsell and an historian’s view regarding Fort Worth’s notoriety during that period in Hell’s Half Acre by Richard F. Selcer.

The common theme that struck me was self-reliance. I’m not talking just about taking care of yourself even though that’s part of it. I’m talking about the need to trust in your own sense of right and wrong and implementing your own brand of justice. Even the lawmen kept their own counsel about what laws to enforce and what ones not to.

Here’s a few interesting stories and facts I gleaned from these books regarding the state of law and order in Texas during the late 1800’s:


“In the early 1870s carrying a six-gun was not only legal, it was expected. Shooting galleries were licensed within city limits, allowing a man to sharpen his aim or test his skills against other men without leaving town. Even after a law was passed by the state legislature ordering all men east of Parker County to stop wearing sidearms in town, it was widely ignored.” p. 58, Hell’s Half Acre, Selcer.


Seems attempts at gun control failed back then, too. Partially because the lawmen didn’t enforce all the laws all the time leaving a lot of gaps in protecting a citizen the way he or she thought they should be protected. Instead, law officers tended to use their own judgment about where and when to impose what laws on whom. That left a lot of inconsistency in law enforcement but with everyone armed that was probably the sanest if not safer route. Long-haired Jim Courtright, Marshal of Fort Worth from 1876-1879 and well-respected for his ability with dual six-shooters, apparently thought so.




“… Courtright preferred to enforce a personal rather than statutory form of the law. In his dealings with visiting cowboys, who were more unruly than dangerous, Courtright preferred tolerance and persuasion over coercion as the best way to keep a lid on things. In his own unique view of what a town marshal should do, he saw his job as being “to prevent the flow of blood, not liquor.” p. 92

Even killing a ranger could apparently be forgiven if the cowboy was deemed a good man. H.H. Halsell recalls how his brother shot a Texas Ranger in a well-documented gunfight outside a saloon in Hunnewell, Kansas over a woman who happened to be the town marshal’s girl. She apparently preferred O.D. Halsell and the marshal enlisted a Texas Ranger to intimidate O.D. on a false pretext. Add in some liquor along with the guns and the results are predictable. O.D. Halsell wasn’t a man to back down, especially when he had done nothing wrong, and being an excellent shot, the Texas Ranger died and O.D. fled. With a four thousand dollar bounty on his head (a lot in those days), dead or alive, O.D. asked his brother to broker a deal for his surrender.

Of course, H.H. went to the most influential man in town, the owner of the Hale hotel, and pleaded his brother’s case:

“Your gamblers and saloon men drug, rob, and kill our cowboys. And cowboys of the better sort resent that and shoot up your town, ride the sidewalks, and take the gals away from the town fellows because they are braver and have more money.” I said further that O.D. Halsell was well liked by all cowboys and they would follow him anywhere; and if they would put a stop to their devilment, we would do our part to keep the peace….Next day O.D. and two of his best friends, Dick West and Mat Laughlin, rode into town and Halsell was cleared of all blame. p.171

By all accounts O.D. Halsell was considered a man of integrity and maintained his role as a leading cattleman in Texas. Undoubtedly, killing a Texas Ranger quelled anyone else calling him out because there were no other accounts of O.D. Halsell being involved in a gunfight. But the argument made on his behalf is an interesting example of the Code of the West and the inconsistent application of the law. It’s hard to imagine many men would have gotten away with shooting at a town marshal and a Texas Ranger much less killing one of them, regardless of the circumstances.


It was clear people felt they couldn’t trust the legal system, such as it was, to do what they thought was the right thing. Thus the Code of the West backed by a six-shooter fostered self-reliance, at least where the law was concerned and has provided fodder for lot of good stories about the Wild, Wild West

Texas Rangers back in the day

Interested in a Quickie?

My short story, Ultimatum, the first prize winner of the annual Long and Short reviews contest is up on the site today, July 24th, as a free read--all 999 words of it. So if you're up for a Quickie, I hope you stop in at:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/story.htm

And let me know what you think!

For the Love of It!

Rodeo riders have to love what they do because they sure aren’t in it for the money. Except for those who make it to the top (to the National Final Rodeo) a rough stock rodeo rider often pays out more than he wins.

First there are entrance fees that can run a $100 or more, depending on the level of the rodeo and competition. A few years ago, that’s what cowboys competed for—a chance for a piece of the purse they all paid into. Now, most of the larger rodeos, at least, supplement the purse, some to a significant degree now that there are national sponsors.

Then there is all that gear they need to buy. My character, Clay Tanner in Re-ride at the Rodeo, is a saddle bronc rider. Rough stock riders, as those that ride bulls, bareback, and saddle bronc are called, may not have to haul around or feed and board horses like those in timed events, but they still have equipment needs.



In saddle bronc they supply their own saddle. New, it can run anywhere from $1300 to $2200. Then if they want a vest to protect them, that can be another $200 to $300. Bareback riders don’t have a saddle, of course, but they do have a rigging that goes for about $100 or so and their vest includes a neck brace so its pricier, running about $300 to $400. A bull rider might choose to wear a helmet which will set him back a little under a hundred and a vest that will cost $200-$300.


Then the cowboy has to look the part. Those Stetson hats that we writers like our heroes to wear cost generally between $150 and $200 though you can get a wool one for a lot less and a fancy beaver one for a lot more. Boots? A good set of croc boots could set you back over $400—and they laugh at city women and their Jimmy Choos! Then you’ve got to add spurs which can go from $35 upwards, depending on how fancy you want to get. I already discussed chaps a few blogs ago but that can add another $300 more or less. Cowboys may laugh at women for the price they’ll pay for a pair of designer jeans and high heels, but cowboys know a thing or two about what it costs to look good .

Travel expenses are added on top of all this. And they are extensive and getting more expensive with each fill at the gas pump. Rodeo cowboys can travel over 100,000 miles in a year if they are covering the National circuit (instead of a regional circuit). Most travel is by car or truck. To save on gas, cowboys carpooled usually two or three to a car. With gas prices going so crazy, it’s now more like four or six if they can all cram in. Then there’s the issue of sleep, if you aren’t driving all night to the next rodeo. This is when it’s good to have friends in a town but if not, you’ve got to spring for a hotel room which you’ll generally share with those same guys you car pooled with. Now you know why rodeo riders are a tight knit group. In close quarters like this there’s no room for quarreling.

Those that are well-heeled often fly to the big rodeos but that is the exception rather than the rule. And consider the expenses of those in the timed events where they need to haul their horse with them. Even for the top-earner of 2007, Trevor Brazile, expenses can significantly eat into winnings. A recent New York Times article, July 5, 20008, A Sport on the Move, a Rider Who Never Stops, listed Trevor’s income and expenses as follows:

Though Brazile earned more than $400,000 in P.R.C.A. events last year and another $150,000 in unsanctioned events, he pays a lot up front. He spent $65,000 in event fees, which was his top expense. At almost every rodeo, cowboys pay a fee for each event they enter. They need to perform well to make their money back.

Fuel costs him $31,000. Horse feed another $15,000.

This year, with diesel fuel at almost $5 a gallon, Brazile says he expects that to become his top expense. To keep those costs down, he stopped using one of his two trailers and began traveling more with his team roping partner, Patrick Smith. (Brazile also travels with his wife, Shada, and 7-month-old son, Treston.)

Brazile and Smith arrived in Santa Fe pulling Smith’s silver, four-horse Elite trailer behind a white Dodge truck that gets 8.5 miles a gallon.

And then there is the schedule they have to handle. In the New York Times article, Brazile outlined his schedule for this past 4th of July holiday period, known as Cowboy Christmas because of all the rodeos with big prize money that are around:

"Well, start with the 30th [of June]. I’m at Greeley, Colorado, that morning and that night, and then I’ll drive to Cody, Wyoming, that night. I’m there the morning of the first [of July], at Livingston, Montana, the afternoon of the first at three, and back to Cody the morning of the second. Red Lodge, Montana, the night of the second. We’ll get on a private plane from Red Lodge to Prescott, Arizona. I’ll be at Prescott the morning of the third and the night of the third.”

Then Brazile will get on another plane and fly to back to Greeley. “Or, if we didn’t make the finals at Greeley,” he said, “we’ve got a backup plan to go to St. Paul, Oregon, on the fourth and Molalla, Oregon, on the fifth.”

Brazile said he expected to have only four days off from competition this month. He will fight fatigue and injury.

That's what Brazile has to do to maintain his top earner status; that and competing in three to four events per rodeo! Being a top competitor has its rewards though. According to RodeoAttitude, Brazile collected $23,813 during the above time-period (coming in second for the holiday period to my favorite saddle bronc rider, Cody Wright, who won $24, 288 just competing in saddle bronc). Apparently Brazile had to go with his back-up plan, winning $9,467 in St. Paul Oregon. But oh that expense.

Even discounting the dangers, rodeo is a hard way to make a living for the majority of cowboys. Reminds me of an author’s lot. Those at the top may make good money (and work darn hard for it) while those of us trying to get to the top do it just for the love of it. Ride ‘em cowboy!

Where Else Can You Find So Many Cowboys?

Nowhere but at the rodeo and that's where I was this weekend. Our local rodeo is on the small side but that allows me to get right up there and take some wonderful pictures of some very nice and accommodating rodeo riders. Lots of good action shots for my book video for Re-Ride at the Rodeo as well as just plain fun. Now this is the kind of research I can really get into.

Besides all the cowboys-who were just the nicest gentlemen--I really enjoy all their gear. All those cowboy hats, taped riggings and how about those two-toned boots--aren't they a hoot? And then there are those chaps. Fringed, dyed and decorated they really say ride 'em cowboy.

Take a gander and let me know what pictures you like best; give me some ideas for that book video.

Cowboy Gear--For More Than Looking Good.

Chaps are not just for decoration though they can be pretty decorative. They help to protect the cowboy’s legs from getting cut up, whether from thorny bushes on the range or the horns of bucking bulls at the rodeo. There are different styles of chaps but rodeo cowboys like my character, Clay Tanner, in Re-Ride at the Rodeo usually ride with batwing chaps. Barrel racers often wear chaps too. Batwing chaps only have a couple of fasteners to go around the thigh and their loose fit allows the air to circulate. It’s also easier to mount a horse or bull with batwings and because they are loose they allow for the spurring movement that is part of score when riding broncs.

As the picture below illustrates, they look a lot like batwings when in motion.
















In the Old West, there were several versions that were popular depending on the region. Stovepipe or shotgun chaps were straight and narrow and were used by Texas cowboys beginning in the 1870s.

Chaps influenced by the vaquero tradition are the shorter chaps called Chinks and the slightly longer Armitas which enclose the leg and have to be put on like pants. The first guy in the photo to the right looks like he might have on Armitas.


Woolie chaps were used mainly by plains and mountain cowboys. Made of angora wool on hide, they were the warmest of the chaps—good for those cold winters in the Rocky Mountain states.

Chaps aren’t exactly cheap. Though a thrifty cowboy can buy a used pair of chaps for around $100 on e-bay if he’s not particular, a custom hand-made pair can run upwards of $250 to $350 or more. But then you can have it decorated with different colored fringe, add conchos, a fancy buckle and really express yourself. You could blow a day’s worth of hard-earned rodeo winnings just on a slick pair of chaps. Dress 'em up cowboy!

My Cover is Here! My Cover is Here--Hot enough for you?

My cover is here for Re-Ride at the Rodeo, part of the Wayback, Texas series from The Wild Rose Press! What do you think? Think Dusty will take a re-ride on love with him? Would you?

Saddle bronc rider Clay Tanner is looking for a good time and the tempting little blonde who’s working the beer concession at the rodeo looks like she could use one—except she turns him down. Feeling like he’s been bucked off before the eight second buzzer, Clay’s betting he can score if she’ll give him a re-ride. But qualifying may call for more than he’s prepared to give.

Dusty Morgan’s nonplussed when hard-bodied cowboy Clay Tanner hits on her. She doesn’t exactly have the kind of figure that attracts Texas cowboys. Besides, even though Clay’s deep timbered voice sends tingles clear to her toes, he’s an undependable rough stock rider and a player to boot. Though he may be what she desires, Dusty knows from experience he isn’t what she needs—or is he?

Drop me a comment and let me know what you think! Hot enough for you!:)

Re-Ride at the Rodeo contracted by The Wild Rose Press

Woo-hoo! My contemporary western romance, Re-Ride at the Rodeo, has been contracted by The Wild Rose Press.

While Re-ride at the Rodeo takes place against the backdrop of the rodeo, it is not a rodeo book as there are no rodeo event scenes in the story. It’s a romance, pure and simple between two people, Dusty Morgan and Clay Tanner, who meet as a result of the Wayback Rodeo.

She wants the happily ever after, he just wants a good time. She would never hook up with his type; he had never looked twice at her type. But when the rodeo gets them together, it’s anyone’s bet if they’ll take a re-ride on love.

I wrote Re-ride at the Rodeo expressly for The Wild Rose Press rodeo-themed series, Wayback Texas. I was checking out a friend’s book when I saw the invitation for submissions. I’ve got a strange obsession with the rodeo (it’s really for the cowboys :-) and for a girl from the east I’m pretty much out here by myself. We have a local rodeo in June in my town so I do get to see some now and again.

In any event, I hope you’ll pick up a copy of Re-ride at the Rodeo when it is released this summer. You don’t have to enjoy rodeo to enjoy this romance. It’s just that love can be found in the darnedest places!

Cowboys with attitude

Last week I talked about positive characteristics of cowboys. How about those romances about cowboys with attitude?

What do I mean by attitude? Surely you know the type: stoic, judgmental, chip on their shoulders? And they often take it out on the poor women who fall for them—at least initially. Yet, as I read those stories, I find myself attracted to these calloused alpha heros. In “real life” I’d probably run in the other direction if I stumbled across a man who treated me like I was on the low end of the food chain—handsome cowboy or not.

Characters that epitomize the “Cowboy with Attitude”?

Caleb Black in Elizabeth Lowell’s Only His. Not only does he treat poor Willow like she’s a harlot, he sets about seducing her even though he thinks she’s another man’s wife! Initially it’s all about him and his needs. Go figure. But hey, what a seduction scene in that natural pond.

Quinn Lassiter in Jill Gregory’s Cold Night, Warm Stranger. The man’s a gunslinger and takes advantage of Maura Reed’s hospitality and vulnerability because he wants a warm woman in his bed. Then gives her a hard time when she finds him to tell him she’s pregnant. Gratefully he does “warm” up before the story ends.

Rafe McCay in Linda Howard’s Touch of Fire. A fugitive in need of a doctor, he not only abducts Annie Parker, the town’s doctor, at gunpoint but puts her through a grueling trek and then figures he can warm himself by her fire. Of course, he blames her for his being attracted to her. But what his seduction technique lacks in finesse, he sure makes up for in passion.

John Rafferty in Linda Howard’s Heartbreaker. Linda is one of the best creators of “cowboys with attitude”. John is no exception. Lusting after the rich girl next door, when she hits rock bottom, he humiliates her with an offer of becoming his mistress and then sets about wooing her instead. He’s one of those men, though, that once you become “his,” treats you like a queen.

North Grayhawk in Joan Johnston’s The Next Mrs. Blackthorne. Paying homage to the beauty and the beast myth, North Grayhawk is both verbally abusive and excessively controlling as he seeks to make Jocelyn Montrose submit to his will. But when he succeeds, he’s the one who loses control.

Cole Mitchell in new author Karyna DaRosa’s Dry Moon. He’s a gunslinger hired to keep Cassie in line with regard to water rights. When circumstances throw them together, he strikes a bargain with her—essentially getting her to trade her favors for his protection. Then afterwards, he treats her like “she done him wrong” because he didn’t realize she was a virgin. Hummmm.


Yet, I confess, I found every one of these attitudinal alpha males attractive—but strictly in a fantasy way. I’d surely give any of these cowboys a big piece of my mind if they tried to put me in my place—or rather the place they felt I belonged. Of course, in the end, each of the heroines tames her man. And each of these heroes comes to understand the blessing and benefits of a good woman—but it sure does take awhile. Half the fun, though, is the journey. Do you find these alpha males attractive—in real life or just in reading? What romance characters would you add to the list of cowboys with attitude?

What Makes Cowboys So Hot!

Every week I'm going to be discussing hunky cowboys--either ones I'm reading about for Love Western Romances.com, ones I'm watching in movies or T.V. shows or cowboys I'm writing about in one of my manuscripts. All in an attempt to determine what makes cowboys so hot!

Have you seen the WE TV show Girl Meets Cowboy? Unfortunately, many of you may not get WE TV (Women's Entertainment Television) as it is a specialty cable station but if you do--check out 10 pm on Sunday nights. (And, no, I am not affiliated in anyway with WE TV!)

Premise: four women from the city, frustrated with love urban-style, come out west to a ranch to meet one cowboy. Over two weeks, he gets to know the ladies and then must choose one he'd like to continue seeing by the end of the hour. Each week it's a different cowboy with different women. For the women, it's the whole "duck out of water" thing. So far, they've mostly come dressed in stilettos, halter tops and tight skirts or pants. When they change into western wear,the fun begins.

In the first three episodes, the guys have all been hunks and sweet as can be. Gentle and tender but also sensible and resolute, by the end of the show they've pretty much figured out who is not right for them and who could be right for them. (Of course, the producers always include at least one high-maintenance "Paris Hilton wannabe" in the bunch.)

But the show may provide a clue about the cowboy (or myth of the cowboy) appeal. These are real people (well as real as anything is on reality TV). And the cowboys, so far, have demonstrated an engaging combination of strong but vulnerable, determined but caring, protective but independent. Next week's teaser showed a very hunky cowboy with a seductive smile and a mischievous twinkle in his eye so we'll have to wait and see if he has these intriguing combinations.

Now my own "cowboy" is anything but a cowboy--he's a sports loving PhD if you can believe it. But he does embody those combinations of characteristics. So is it that combination of characteristics or something else that appeals to you about cowboys?

Next blog I'll discuss cowboys with attitude from some of the Western Historical Romances I've been reading. Check in before next Wednesday for more.

And remember, if you love western romances,

check out http://www.lovewesternromances.com/--Anne