Mandy Morgan swore she’d never step foot in Texas again after Beau Gentry left her for life on the rodeo circuit eight years before. But now her uncle’s heart is failing and she has to convince him that surgery will save his life. She never dreamed the first thing she’d see when she stepped off the plane would be her biggest nightmare...the one man she’d never stopped loving.
Beau Gentry had the fever for two things: the rodeo and Mandy Morgan. But for Beau, loving Mandy was complicated by his father’s vendetta against her uncle. This led him to make the hardest decision of his life and he can still see the bitterness and hurt on Mandy’s face. All these years it has killed him to think Mandy had forgotten him and moved as far away as possible from him. But now they’re back in Texas, and he’s going to do all he can to win back her love.
Ever since Mitch Broader set foot in Texas, he dreamed of owning his own ranch. Now that he’s bought a share in the Double T Ranch, he’s one step closer to the dream. Then his past greets him in the form of a baby basket, complete with infant and birth certificate naming him as the father. He can’t change diapers and work toward his dream at the same time.
When Sara Lightfoot, “Miss Hollywood” in Mitch’s eyes, rescues him with her particular knack for handling his precocious son, he hires her on the spot as a temporary nanny. No matter how much Sara’s dark eyes and warm heart make this bachelor think of settling down and making their arrangement permanent, she’s made it perfectly clear she has other plans that don’t include him or his dreams.
Sara Lightfoot never thought she’d return to her home on the reservation. Now she plans to reclaim the life she left by going back to the reservation as a Native American storyteller, teaching the Apache children stories of their culture.
She didn’t expect Mitch Broader’s sexy smile or job offer as a live-in nanny to derail those plans. After all she’s been through to come home, can she open up her heart once again to love?
As a top-notch cutting horse trainer, Cody Gentry was riding high until he lost his eyesight after a freak chemical accident. Unable to see the hand in front of his face, never mind the horse or cattle he trained, he knows his life is over and slips deep into depression. His whole future hinges on the success of an eye surgery that could give him his old life back.
When guide dog trainer, Lyssa McElhannon, arrives on his ranch like Florence Nightingale coming to save him, he wants no part of her or her guide dog. But something about Lyssa’s musical laugh coupled with her tenacity digs under his skin and won't let go. Having been blind most of her life, Lyssa understands the paralyzing fear Cody feels after losing his vision. But she refuses to let the stubborn cowboy waste his life away sitting in a chair when she knows first-hand that a good guide dog can change his world. She just needs one month to prove it to him.
Falling in love with Cody was not part of Lyssa’s plan, nor was having him open her eyes to see that there was a whole lot of living she’d been missing out on.
Now it's Giveaway time! This is your chance to win any of the above three e-books by Lisa Mondello!
All you have to do it leave a comment!
Tell us what you love about cowboy romance or which one looked good ( don't forget to leave you email addy! ) for your chance to win!
[ THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED ]
from "Her Heart for the Asking"
"What are you doing here?" Mandy Morgan asked, dropping her too-heavy overnight case on the sun-roasted tarmac. After a grueling forty-eight hour work stint and a five-hour flight from Philadelphia, she stood wilting under the brutal Texas sun, facing her biggest nightmare.
Beau Gentry.
She groaned inwardly, drinking Beau in with her eyes as if she hadn't had a drop of water in months. Eight years was more like it. If she were eight years smarter, she would be moving her aching feet as fast as she could in the opposite direction. But all she could do was stare at eyes so bright they rivaled the blazing sun. At lips so kissable she'd spent the better part of her adult life trying to wipe the memory clean from her mind.
She had expected Beau would have aged some. When she allowed herself to think about him at all, she reminded herself. The faint lines etched in the corners of his sleepy gray-blue eyes gave a hint of maturity, but most probably caused by long days in the cruel sun.
She fought the urge to take a closer look at his ruggedly handsome features, but failed. How could he have gotten better looking after being abused by every bronc-busting horse on the rodeo circuit? His angular jaw, strong and determined, was shaded with beard growth that was probably a day old, maybe more. Mandy suspected if Beau grew a full beard, it would grow in thick and be the smooth texture of his almost black head of hair. She forced aside past memories that gave her such knowledge with renewed irritation.
The man didn't even have the decency to have a crooked nose. What should have been bent and awkward from being broken a few too many times was instead long and straight, shaped perfectly between high cheek bones most women would swoon over, or kill to have themselves. But on Beau Gentry, it was just one thousand percent robust cowboy.
Damn him.
"I'm your ride out to the Double T," Beau said, gripping the edge of his white straw cowboy hat and tipping it in a cordial gesture.
She ground the heels of her low pumps into the soft tar to contain her growing irritation. Did he think she was an idiot? "No way."
"'Fraid so," he said, his expression slightly askew.
"Hank didn't mention anything about you coming to get me when I spoke to him on the phone."
"I suspect he thought you would have found some excuse not to come if you knew I was picking you up."
"He would have been right. Why didn't one of the hands come get me?"
Settling his hand at the base of his neck, Beau replied, "You're looking at him. As of three weeks ago I am one of the ranch hands at the Double T."
Niina : Welcome back to For The Love of Reading, Clark and Kathleen, I’m glad you could make it!
Kathleen : Hi Niina!
Clark : Howdy Niina. Thanks for having us.
Niina : My pleasure. Now let’s get started! Can you tell my readers here 4 fun unknown facts about you so we can break the ice?
Kathleen : One: I hate Muppets. All of them. Miss Piggy. Kermit. Ridiculous. Why do people like them? Baffling. That’s not something I share with too many people. I worry about hate mail.
Two: I am a geologist by training. Blood and Whiskey was especially fun because we wrote about sunstones, a gemstone form of plagioclase feldspar found in eastern Oregon, that has a profound influence on vampires.
Three: Intermissions profoundly irritate me. Whenever we go to plays, that’s the first thing I check. They exist to sell drinks for the theater.
Four: I love to ride my bike along the banks of Willamette River. Last week as I rode by, I saw a big bald eagle sitting on a log floating by. It was beautiful. An exquisite moment of joy.
Clark : One: I love graphic novels. The more graphic, the better. Lost Girls by Alan Moore, for example. Great, highly erotic storylines and beautiful art.
Two: I once shot myself in the leg while wearing a light blue rented tuxedo. Seriously. I was very lucky. The tux was ruined, my leg wasn’t.
Three: At a book expo, I met Patrick Macnee from the original Avengers TV show and got so star struck, I couldn’t speak. Kathleen had to ask him to sign my copy of his book for me.
Four: I am currently addicted to the new album Arrow from Heartless Bastards. Seriously addicted.
Niina : LOL! * removes all Muppets and guns from the premises * There we go! Now, tell us something about your book Blood and Whiskey that we wouldn’t know just by reading the blurb above?
Kathleen : One of my favorite parts in Blood and Whiskey is the way we focus on the Meta. It’s an external, shared consciousness where vampires go, where their “souls” go, when they die at dawn. Actually, it’s where all consciousness goes at death, it’s just that humans don’t experience it until, you know, the very end. It’s the opposite of the embodied conscious mind. The Meta has implications for human spirituality because it’s where the “self” goes when you die and forms the heart of classic near death experiences.
Clark : I like the the focus on the landscape of the American West. Along with describing life in a small rural town in the modern west, and plenty of chances to talk about how beautiful and rugged it is in Wyoming and Oregon, we introduced a bad-ass character straight out of the pages of the real old west, a sheriff named Henry Plummer. He had a quite a reputation in Montana, Idaho and California. Depending on who you ask, he was either a murderous bandit who ran a vicious gang of cutthroats, or he was an honorable lawman who was unfairly executed for crimes he didn’t commit. In our book, his motivations are pretty clear.
Niina : Like the idea of the Meta a lot myself and who doesn’t love the landscape of American West! What chapter and character did you most enjoy writing and why?
Kathleen : One of my favorite chapters was when Lizzie and Elita race back to the trailer on horseback to try and beat the sunrise, which will kill them, of course. They have just suffered through a terrible ordeal and there are strained friendships, shared intimacy, fear and the possibility of betrayal all hovering in the air as they gallop through the frosty night. As much hangs on what they don’t say as on what they do say. As for characters, I like Lizzie because she is strong and confident, or at least hides it well when she isn’t, and thinks about things I think about, like political systems and anarchy.
Clark : My favorite chapter is when Tucker and Lenny face a gang of evil cowboys. I don’t want to give away anything, but there’s a disgruntled porcupine involved. I grew up around porcupines and can attest to how cute they are, and just how sharp and horribly painful those quills can be. For characters, I’m a big fan of sexy Elita, for obvious reasons, but I have a man-crush on Lenny. Despite his paranoid conspiracies, he has a brilliant mind and is forever coming up with useful weapons, like a low rent version of M. in James Bond movies.
Niina : Anarchy, checked, disgruntled porcupines… that could be interesting, checked! (I actually share some interest in conspiracies with Lenny, so he’s a wacky fave of mine) So, how did you find your cover and if you didn’t take part in the search, what is your opinion of it?
Kathleen : We were very active in the cover design and worked with a talented artist. (Need a cover artist? Let us know, we’ll connect you.) We wanted to make sure the cover fit in with the first book in the series, The Cowboy and the Vampire, so readers would recognize it immediately, but we also wanted to take it a new direction. We think the Blood and Whiskey cover is sexier and a little more “country” compared to the first book. I love the polka-dots.
Clark : I’m really happy with the way it turned out. There’s something about the way she holds herself, the way she seems to be suppressing the very beginning of a smile. She’s strong, confident and sexy. And, judging from the blood on her lips, chances are pretty good she just fed on someone.
Niina : Which way are you going with series? Please tell me there will be more!
Kathleen : There will definitely be more. At least two more, in fact...
Niina : *blogger squeal of joy * Um… sorry, do continue.
Kathleen : We have them plotted out, but don’t want to give away any of the good stuff. I can say that we’ll be digging more deeply into Tucker’s past and his family, Lizzie will spend more time in the Meta and there will be new challenges from the Vampire world and from unexpected directions. Think weaponized Vampires. WVD.
Clark : We’re excited by the concept on the drawing board for book three. In Blood and Whiskey, we moved some of the action to our home state of Oregon, but in the next book, we’re thinking about spending some time in Washington, DC, where Kathleen was born and raised, and exploring the Meta more fully. I think it’s only fair that Tucker has to deal with big city life after Lizzie has spent so much time in LonePine. Plus there will be plenty of romance, action, horror and comedy. And more Rex.
Niina : I’m excited to read more, umm… obviously revealed above, and I like the little teasers, it’ll be interesting! Flirting with the idea of bringing a new mythological/paranormal creature to page, what would be exciting to write about?
Kathleen : We’re working on a concept for a genetically modified plant creature. It’s sort of a Frankenstein’s monster for a new age.
Clark : Along with that, I would like to write a classic ghost story. Writing about the Meta really got those neurons firing, and I already enjoy reading about the age of spiritualism – séances and table rapping and ectoplasmic manifestations, etc. — so a ghost story goes on my list. After the next two books in the Cowboy and Vampire Thriller Series. And our plant creature book.
Niina : LOL! Sounds good. What’s the best compliment you’ve received on your writing? And who complimented you?
Kathleen : We were pretty pleased to get a great review on Blood and Whiskey from Kirkus Reviews. That made my heart beat a little faster. And when a reader called The Cowboy and the Vampire “a damn good read,” that was pretty awesome too.
Clark : The best compliments I receive are from Kathleen. She’s a tough critic and when she says, “This is not bad,” it makes me feel like I just won a Pulitzer. Plus whenever a reader gives us direct feedback and let’s us know how much they enjoyed it, it’s powerful to know that someone is spending time with your work and that it is shaping their experiences, even just for a little while.
Niina : Now to more personal questions! What is your signature dish?
Kathleen : I’m a vegan, so my favorite meal is a tempeh reuben with lots of sauerkraut. Clark does most of the cooking, I’m lucky that way. The only think I can cook is vegan split pea soup, my mother’s recipe.
Clark : My favorite food is pizza, but I try to not go overboard. I also like Kathleen’s split pea soup. And really cheesy Mexican food — enchiladas. I like to cook and I tend to get creative but since I never write down the recipes, I don’t really have a signature dish. A recent soup I made that turned out pretty well was cream of sweet potato ( made with coconut milk ) with spicy roasted garbanzos beans spooned on top.
Niina : Now I’m hungry! And I’m on a diet damn you two. ;) Seriously though, sounds delish! What is your favorite guilty treat/pleasure?
Kathleen : Dark chocolate with nuts.
Clark : Single malt scotch.
Niina : What’s the sexiest article of clothing on a guy, or a woman?
Kathleen : A well-tailored suit. Or tight blue jeans.
Clark : I’ll go with blue jeans. And, at least for a woman, a Future Farmer’s of America jacket and nothing under it. ( You’ll have to read Blood and Whiskey to understand why I say that. )
Niina : LOL! What’s the number one thing you like to do when you are not writing?
Kathleen : Read.
Clark : Kathleen got me an iPad and when we’re not writing, or working on marketing, I use it to stay caught up on magazines. I also have several books I’m reading. I’m almost finished with Immortality ( Cave ) and about one third into The Egyptian ( Waltari ) which was sent to us by one of our favorite Finnish bloggers ( you! ). I had a little problem with my vision that kept me from reading for a few months — it was torturous — but I’m all better and getting back into it.
Niina : *all proud* Yes, quite right reading is the best way to spend free time. :) What's a typical day like for you two?
Kathleen : Go grumbling to work, come home late and tired, do some creative writing or marketing, then rinse and repeat until the weekend. We watch movies, or series. We were addicted to Battlestar Galactica and watched it obsessively for two months, but other than that we mostly write or read.
Clark : On the weekends, I too sleep late, and read in bed in the mornings. We walk in Forest Park ( we live just a few blocks from one of the largest urban forested areas in the country ) or take a bike ride. Now that it’s spring in Oregon and has stopped raining every day, getting outside is a priority. Our life is pretty simple. I like it that way.
Niina : Battlestar Galactica, I was so obsessed with it, I absolutely loved the last episode, so freaking epic! Before we finish, here are some Quick Fire Questions:
Ladies first, Kathleen…
Pick-up or Mini-van? Pick-up. Red. Old. Boots or Heels? Boots with heels. With motorcycle flourishes. Beer or Wine? Oregon Pinot Noir. Cocktails or Shots? Cocktails – preferably a very dry vodka martini with three olives. M&Ms: With or Without Peanuts? Without. Treats: Sweet or Salty? Love salty stuff. Date: Going to Park or Going to Movies? Park followed by movie. I like long dates. Winter or Summer? Summer, by the ocean. Jewels or Chocolates? Dark chocolates. Men: Alpha-male or Submissive? Alpha males that I can make submit. Men: Clean Shaven or Stubble? Stubble. Men: Bad boys or Good guys? Good guys for the long haul. Tattoos or Piercings on a guy? Not so much either. If I have to pick, hidden secret tattoos. Brunettes or Blonds? Silver. Romance: Vampires or werewolves? Vampires. Romance: Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? Sexy demons; angels sound boring. Like Muppets. Romance: Cops or Cowboys? Cowboys, of course. Time-Travel or Sci-fi? Sci-fi. Romance or Erotic Romance? Just erotic enough to engage the mind but not too obvious. Male POV or Female POV (Point Of View)? Female. I like strong female characters. Like Lizzie.
And then your turn Clark…
Pick-up or Mini-van? Pick up. Boots or Heels? On ladies? Heels. On me? Boots. Cowboy boots. Beer or Wine? Beer. Oregon micro-brew. Cocktails or Shots? Shots. Or, more accurately, whiskey, light rocks. M&Ms: With or Without Peanuts? With. Treats: Sweet or Salty? Sweet. Date: Going to Park or Going to Movies? Movies, they are romantic and private. Winter or Summer? Winter. Jewels or Chocolates? If I’m giving, chocolate because it’s cheaper. If I’m receiving, jewels; why not? Women: Self-sufficient or needing help (like, install my DVD player)? Self-sufficient but able to ask for help when needed. Women: Curvy or Slim? Curvy. Women: Nice girls or bad girls? Bad girls with a heart of gold. Tattoos or Piercings on a woman? Not so much. Brunettes or Blonds? Brunettes. Romance: Vampires or werewolves? Vampires. Romance: Fallen Angels or Sexy Demons? Depending on why they fell, and where, probably angels. Romance: Cops or Cowboys? Cowboys. Cops have too much to worry about for romance. Time-Travel or Sci-fi? Sci-fi. Romance or Erotic Romance? Erotic romance (Dear Penthouse, I never thought this would happen to me…) Male POV or Female POV (Point Of View)? Female; obviously, I like strong women as well.
Niina : Thanks for visiting the For The Love of Reading, Kathleen and Clark! Any news would you like to share with your readers, or websites they can check out?
Sunday 29th Day 3 ~ Author Interview with the creators of Cowboy and Vampire novels,
Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays!
( you are here! )
To makes this giveaway more interesting you can now play a Giveaway Quiz ( right answers give you more chances to win Blood and Whiskey, how fun is that?! ) also you can comment each of the Weekend Days individually to gain more chances, you can earn two point for each day! +2 for commenting on the Review, +2 for commenting on the Guest Blog and +2 for commenting on the Interview!
Everything is right there in Rafflecopter ready and easy to use! And don't be squeamish to comment, the authors will be dropping by this weekend!
The Giveaway is Open Friday 27th - Monday 30th! ( nice of us to give one extra day right, we are just awesome like that! ;) )
It's the Second Day in the Blood and Whiskey Weekend and McFall and Hays are back with another Cowboy and Vampire ( well-- in this case City Girl ) themed Guest Blog! Oh and don't forget the Giveaway at the bottom of the entry!
Smackdown: Big cities vs. small towns
by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall
Blood and Whiskey, the second book in The Cowboy and Vampire Thriller Series, captures the best and worst of rural and urban living.
In Blood and Whiskey, ( Pumpjack Press, May 1, 2012 ), Tucker and Lizzie once again find themselves marooned in tiny LonePine, Wyoming, battling the maddening aspects of small town life ( at least for Lizzie ) and the murderous international intrigues of sophisticated, highly urban vampires ( according to Tucker, the worst kind of city slickers ).
One of our favorite things about writing for these characters, and the tensions between cowboys and vampires, is the “opposites attract” relationship of Tucker and Lizzie. Tucker has spent his entire life in LonePine ( population 438, with one on the way ), with the notable exception of a fevered trip to New York when Lizzie was kidnapped ( you’ll have to read The Cowboy and the Vampire: A Darkly Romantic Thriller for more ). The evil vampires anxious to kill her and drain his blood were almost as bad as the crowds of people, bumper to bumper traffic on endless paved streets and rows of skyscrapers blocking the view.
Lizzie, on the other hand, grew up in New York and loves the hustle and bustle, the art and culture, the pace and energy and the international melting pot of people. She traveled to LonePine, a wasteland by her cultural standards, to research an article about the dying west. After falling for Tucker, she stays. And while she loves the clean air and wide-open spaces, she hasn’t quite adjusted to small — really small — town life. The highway truck stop is the only place to eat in town, the only play they have is put on by the fourth grade class during the holidays and the library is the same size as the drive-thru espresso shack.
Despite that, Tucker and Lizzie appreciate what’s special and different about the other and that’s what helps keep them together and keeps their relationship strong despite some serious obstacles including, at least in Blood and Whiskey, a price on Lizzie head and a scheming vampire world pushed to the edge of extinction.
That part of their relationship, east meets west, is drawn directly from our own lives.
Whitehall, Montana, meet Washington, DC
Our early years could not have been more different. Kathleen grew up in the very heart of Washington, DC, which has a population of more than 600,000 people and is located in a dense urban area of millions. Her childhood home was not far from the Washington Cathedral and just a stone’s throw from Embassy Row. For her, hopping on the metro and wandering through the Smithsonian, reading at the Library of Congress or taking in an exhibit at the Hirshhorn were all in a regular day. She learned to be confident around people and grounded in the history, creativity and learning unique to America’s capital.
Clark grew up on a ranch in Montana, 15 miles from the nearest town, Whitehall, which had about 2,000 people. His childhood home was a stone’s throw from Fish Creek, near a number of historic stage stops and homesteader cabins and was surrounded by a lot of sagebrush. For him, hopping on a horse and riding up into the mountains, reading a good book under apple trees planted by settlers or building fence torn down by elk was all part of a regular day. He learned to be confident in the wilderness and grounded in the history, beauty and tenacity of western living.
We met and fell in love in Portland, Oregon, a small town by Kathleen’s standards and a big city by Clark’s. We’ve lived here for years now and enjoy the best of both worlds. We visit the east coast often to visit Kathleen’s family and load up on art and cultural events, and we visit the remote areas of Oregon — Plush and Steens Mountain — to load up on the stillness and beauty of the wilderness. Plus, we are able to head over to the lovely Oregon coast frequently.
For us, like our characters, opposites really do attract and start to change each other. Kathleen has learned to love the empty spaces and Clark has become a fan of galleries and museums. With that in mind, here are two “top five” lists based on our experiences.
A city girl’s top five reasons to love small towns:
The views are spectacular, especially when there are mountains involved.
Clean air and no traffic.
Fewer lights make for beautiful starry skies at night.
Friendly people — everybody waves at everybody in western towns and really care about how your day is going.
There are no distractions for reading and writing.
A country boy’s top five reasons to love big cities:
History — especially on the east coast, you can visit buildings that have been standing for two or three hundred years. I know that has nothing on the historical cities of Europe, but for me, it’s old.
Art — I love all the shows and museums and galleries, even the ones I don’t really get ( which is most of them ).
Great food — there’s nothing wrong with small town restaurants, but eating at the drive-in every week gets a little old compared to Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Greek, etc.
Interesting people — sometimes really interesting, like you cannot look away they are so interesting.
Bookstores. And good coffee.
Read Blood and Whiskey to find out even more about the difference between small towns and big cities, opposites attract romantic tension — it doesn’t get much more opposite than a human and a vampire falling in love — and thrill-a-minute action. As Lizzie comes to terms with being undead, she has difficult choices ahead that will make Tucker far more uncomfortable than learning how to hail a taxi. And of course, their enemies are going to make it difficult for true love to last beyond the next sunset.
Learn more about the book
Blood and Whiskey is the second book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Thriller Series. It’s available from Pumpjack Press released May 1, 2012 as a trade paperback ( 362 pages ) for $14.95 and as an e-book for $4.99. You can find out more at: www.cowboyandvampire.com / www.pumpjackpress.com / www.facebook.com/cowboyandvampire / @cowboyvamp
About the authors Clark Hays grew up in Montana in the shadow of the Tobacco Root Mountains. In addition to his fiction work, he is a cowboy, a published poet and occasional food critic. Recently, he was nominated for Pushcart Prize for short fiction and not so recently for a Rhysling award for poetry. Clark brings a deep knowledge about the modern west, weaponry, country music and existentialism to his writing. Kathleen McFall grew up in the heart of Washington, DC. She worked as a petroleum geologist and, later, as a journalist, and has published hundreds of articles about scientific research, energy and natural resources. An interest in the overlap of science and mysticism are an essential aspect of her fiction writing. She received an Oregon Literary Arts Fellowship for fiction writing.
Saturday 28th Day 2 ~ Guest Blog by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall!
Smackdown: Big Cities vs. Small Towns
Includes a Cowboy top 5 and City Girl's top 5!
( you are here!)
Sunday 29th Day 3 ~ Author Interview with the creators of Cowboy and Vampire novels,
Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays!
To makes this giveaway more interesting you can now play a Giveaway Quiz ( right answers give you more chances to win Blood and Whiskey, how fun is that?! ) also you can comment each of the Weekend Days individually to gain more chances, you can earn two point for each day! +2 for commenting on the Review, +2 for commenting on the Guest Blog and +2 for commenting on the Interview!
Everything is right there in Rafflecopter ready and easy to use! And don't be squeamish to comment, the authors will be dropping by this weekend!
The Giveaway is Open Friday 27th - Monday 30th! ( nice of us to give one extra day right, we are just awesome like that! ;) )
"Lizzie is now the Queen of The Vampires and she’s pregnant with Tucker’s child, conceived before her turning. What the whole Vampire race is eager to witness if she can turn humans now, if she can then her rule begins and she’s determined to make change - if she can’t then it spells doom to the Royal Vampires..."
Blood and Whiskey starts where The Cowboy and The Vampire left off, Lizzie is now the Queen of The Vampires and she’s pregnant with Tucker’s child, conceived before her turning. What the whole Vampire race is eager to witness if she can turn humans now, if she can then her rule begins and she’s determined to make change - if she can’t then it spells doom to the Royal Vampires who will become extinct and free reign to the Reptiles who won’t miss their chance at gaining freedom and power.
It’s not all politics, Tucker and Lenny discover a gruesome effect of manufactured blood as Lenny’s niece goes missing, also with Lizzie pregnant Tucker wants to propose. Let’s not forget Elita’s education to following the Coda, her struggle to feed only from the evil seems to take it’s sweet time. And then there is Rurik, a Russian Vampire with more plots and schemes that one could count, and the Council of Nine, the most powerful Vampires in the whole world, heading to LonePine.
From toasting evil pop tarts to disgruntled porcupines Blood and Whiskey continues the unique journey of Lizzie and Tucker in a small town full of eccentric individuals, dogs and now a collection of world’s most powerful vampires in an astronomer’s convention. You can see how this is gonna turn out. Blood and Whiskey is entertaining, witty and fun with great twist of adventure and vampire politics spiced with anarchy!
If this was a story of Lizzie alone and her involvement in the vampire politics, or just Tucker and Rex taking care of the ranch and evicting alpacas I don’t think it would get too many raving reviews, but when you mix these two you get a superb combination of vampires, brooding cowboys and a mix of strange people who wouldn’t have dreamed of meeting otherwise.
I love it how either Lizzie or Tucker didn’t change much at all, Lizzie was still a new vampire refusing to drink from people and Tucker was just as grumpy about her vampire status as before, but they both had the undying ( bun intended ) devotion and love for each other, something that always beats the odds!
Blood and Whiskey is almost urban fantasy except it takes place in the not so urban LonePine, and it’s more paranormal than fantasy hence one should probably call it a Western Paranormal Thriller… And even that doesn’t sound quite right, I’m at odds what to call them! How about Excellent? Well they are! The writing is engaging, poetic and very dark at times, it has that dark corners, lurking in the night thriller feel to it with the paranormal of vampires, the good and the bad and the ugly – and the comic effect of conspiracy theories, military uppers, thermite grenades and animals with tons of odd personality.
An awesome mix of funny, evil and sexy, with loads of interesting vampire politics, wacky characters ( both evil and not-so ) witty one liners and enough action to prevent you from putting the book down!
Hays and McFall did it again, Blood and Whiskey is a great continuation to The Cowboy and The Vampire! These two novels come with my highest recommendation!
Rating :
And were aren't even close to being done yet!
Today is Day One of the Cowboy and Whiskey Weekend!
Check out what is coming up tomorrow and Sunday ~ and below is the Giveaway! This weekend promises to be a fun one! Don't be squeamish to comment, the authors will be dropping by this weekend!
Friday 27th Day 1~ 5 Star Review of Blood and Whiskey ( you are here! )
Saturday 28th Day 2 ~ Guest Blog by Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall!
Sunday 29th Day 3 ~ Author Interview with the creators of Cowboy and Vampire novels,
Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays!
To makes this giveaway more interesting you can now play a Giveaway Quiz ( right answers give you more chances to win Blood and Whiskey, how fun is that?! ) also you can comment each of the Weekend Days individually to gain more chances, you can earn two point for each day!
+2 for commenting on the Review, +2 for commenting on the Guest Blog and +2 for commenting on the Interview!
Everything is right there in Rafflecopter ready and easy to use! And don't be squeamish to comment, the authors will be dropping by this weekend!
The Giveaway is Open Friday 27th - Monday 30th! ( nice of us to give one extra day right, we are just awesome like that! ;) )
"Seeing Derek again wreaks havoc on her heart, but she can't let him get the best of her - but there's not much a girl can do when kidnapped to take through perilous terrain, drifter infested deserts and into the darkness of the night with a man who makes his desire for her known."
Author: Ella Drake Pages: 104 pages Publisher: Carina Press on April 2012 Form: E-book (from the author for an honest review) Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Romance Amazon:Buy / $6.35 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours ) Barnes & Noble:Buy / $3.51 (Nook) All Romance E-books:Buy / $3.99 (E-book) Excerpt:Chapter 1
Derek desperately needs a doctor to take home to his settlement to help a boy he's taken under his wing, the only place in this post-apocalyptic wasteland that he knows has a doctor in the army populated strong hold. But seeing Lidia again, he can't help his feelings return from ten years ago, she's still as gorgeous as she was then, still as kind... but more pigheaded. He'll do anything to get her to his settlement, and to keep her there.
Lidia has been dreaming of Derek the past ten years, the soldier she patched up with a new experimental weaponized arm, one that she has hoped has given him fair advantage against the looters and drifters running free reign on the desert. Seeing Derek again wreaks havoc on her heart, but she can't let him get the best of her - but there's not much a girl can do when kidnapped to take through perilous terrain, drifter infested deserts and into the darkness of the night with a man who makes his desire for her known.
I enjoyed this! It was a short story that was all about love, but had yummy side dishes of a world collapsing and people living in settlements in the desert America had become. Ella Drake writes an excellent story with romance in a post-apocalyptic world, her writing is fast pace, adventurous and her characters very believable, Desert Blade was a joy to read!
I liked the two part nature of the story, first you got to know Derek and Lidia, while she nursed him back to the books of the living after he nearly died trying to save his foster mother from looters. Lidia and her colleague fix him up with a weaponized prosthetic arm, with a wicked retractable blade. And then they get separated and don't meet until 10 years later...
And boy when they do meet! Yes the society is all most completely collapsed, food is the hardest thing to come across and drifters rob you and kill you every chance you give them - but still it seem love's not dead. I love the strong emotions of possession Derek has for his Doc, he doesn't dance around or flirt or court, he damn right goes after what he wants. And that is definitely sexy!
I loved the side Lidia brought to the story, her desire to help, heal and make the community she is in better. She's the kind doctor with a strong streak, but not a caricature of the profession, Drake has managed to create in Lidia a truly kind character, who can't help but respond to Derek's vulgar advances (which were hot, btw!) and give him her loyalty even if they haven't seen each other in ten years.
"Penny Anderson is sick of the questions that keep running around inside her head. Coming home to Bandit Creek is her opportunity to find out the truth of her mother’s death, as well as to discover if the flame still burns brightly for her high school sweetheart. Only, she never reckoned on the unexpected lust for not one, but two men."
Author:Jade Buchanan Published: Bandit Creek on October 2011 Pages: 92 Pages Form: E-book (from the tour for an honest review) Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (18+ Only) Amazon:Buy / $5.74 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours ) Excerpt:Chapter 1
"Penny Anderson is sick of the questions that keep running around inside her head.
Coming home to Bandit Creek is her opportunity to find out the truth of her mother’s death, as well as to discover if the flame still burns brightly for her high school sweetheart.
Only, she never reckoned on the unexpected lust for not one, but two men. Craig Baxter and Douglas McKenzie have their sights set on Penny and they aren't about to let her go." ~From Goodreads
Hard Candy is an erotic romance novella with a main focus on a could-be-ménage and sub focus on mystery of Penny’s mother’s death.
The plot in Hard Candy was pretty simple, girls comes back to her home town, meets her high school boyfriend in the flesh again, falls in love. High school boyfriend is conflicted with feelings of wanting both his best friend recently returned and his ex-girlfriend recently returned. And best friend conflicted with love for his best friend and his friend’s ex. Sounds complicated, it is but it’s also simple and makes for an excellent ménage plot! As a suspense plot with the mystery of Penny’s mother’s death it’s not quite there, there should have been a finale ( a confrontation or closure ) to keep up with the suspense it started with in the beginning.
Penny was very likeable, even if bit unrealistic, she was looking to her mother’s death and was conflicted with it but had time for blowjobs and hijinks ( hat was the unrealistic part ) – it’s an erotic novella so it needs to jump into the bed scenes pretty fast, but I felt the little emotional push to do it wasn’t too convincing. Craig I got completely, I mean men are wired that way, he was witty, bit goofy at times and still very sexy when it came time for it, he also really did love and want Penny which read very beautifully on the pages. Mack was the rough, brooding, sexy ( bit of a tease ) that fit in perfectly after all. He was the added stress and pleasure to the relationship – and a very yummy read with his trip down Craig/Mack memory lane.
The romance was hot, Buchanan writes super love scenes hot enough to make sure they get a girl’s breath hitched up. These something nice, something naughty and something tied. ;) And it makes for a hot read.
Rating :
"Coming home to Bandit Creek seemed like a good idea to Penny Anderson, especially after things start to rekindle with her old high school sweetheart and candy store owner, Craig Baxter. But, she can't forget the other reason why she's here...To finally discover the truth of her mother’s death so many years ago."
Author:Jade Buchanan Published: Bandit Creek on October 2011 Pages: 57 Pages Form: E-book (from the tour for an honest review) Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance (18+ Only) Amazon:Buy / $5.47 (Kindle) ( EU price, click to see yours ) Excerpt:Chapter 1
"Coming home to Bandit Creek seemed like a good idea to Penny Anderson, especially after things start to rekindle with her old high school sweetheart and candy store owner, Craig Baxter.
But, she can't forget the other reason why she's here...
To finally discover the truth of her mother’s death so many years ago." ~From Goodreads
Penny Candy is an almost sweet erotic romance novella with a main focus on Penny and Craig’s second chance at love and sub focus on mystery of Penny’s mother’s death.
The plot in Penny Candy was pretty simple, girls comes back to her home town, meets her high school boyfriend in the flesh again, falls in love. High school boyfriend has been falling for his ex the past year online Facebooking and will try and make sure his ex never leaves town again. As a suspense plot with the mystery of Penny’s mother’s death it’s not quite there, there should have been a finale ( a confrontation or closure ) to keep up with the suspense it started with in the beginning.
Penny was very likeable, even if bit unrealistic, she was looking to her mother’s death and was conflicted with it but had time for blowjobs and hijinks ( that was the unrealistic part ) – it’s an erotic novella so it needs to jump into the bed scenes pretty fast, but I felt the little emotional push to do it wasn’t too convincing. Craig I got completely, I mean men are wired that way, he was witty, bit goofy at times and still very sexy when it came time for it, he also really did love and want Penny which read very beautifully on the pages.
The romance was hot, Buchanan writes super love scenes hot enough to make sure they get a girl’s breath hitched up. These something naughty, something nice and plenty of emotional lovey dovey to go around. ;)
