GONE COUNTRY: Rough Riders Book 14 Blog Tour

December 4, 2012 By

 

There’s lots going on in this post-book excerpts, a contest, and more. So, read on, and have a good time.

 

I’m lucky, I just found Lorelei James and her Rough Riders series a while ago, so I haven’t been waiting as long as other die hards for the next installment in the series. But still…to me it feels like it’s been a long-time coming. Like at least a month. That’s what happens when you read a series of 13 books in as many days. You just want more. I need to know what’s happening with my favourite cowboys.

 

As a new convert to the sexy cowboy world I was very happy to be part of the GONE COUNTRY BLOG TOUR, which is to promote Book 14 in the Rough Riders Series, Gone Country. 

 

Gone Country by Lorelei James

Gone Country by Lorelei James (Nice umm..cover, yeah?)

 

She’s a little bit country, and he’s…not.

 

Arizona businessman and long-lost McKay love child Gavin Daniels has been awarded sole custody of his teenage daughter Sierra for one year. In order to steer Sierra back on track after a brush with the law, he pulls up stakes and heads to Wyoming, looking for support from his ranching family…even if he isn’t sure where they fit in the McKay dynamic. He’s prepared for every contingency with the move: the less-than-enthusiastic response from his daughter, learning to run his corporation remotely, but he’s thrown for a loop when his new housemate, Rielle, is a whole lot sexier, funnier and sassier than he remembered.

 

Rielle Wetzler has finally overcome the stigma of having hippie parents and being a young single mother. In the two years since she sold her ailing B&B to Gavin Daniels, she’s become financially stable running the homespun businesses she loves. But now Gavin is in Sundance to claim the house that’s rightfully his. Although Rielle knew this day would come, she isn’t prepared to leave the home she built for herself and her now-grown daughter. And to further complicate matters, her long-dormant libido is definitely not ready to live with this newly buff Gavin—who isn’t a cowboy, but has the take-charge attitude to prove he’s all McKay.

 

Sharing a roof, their troubles and their triumphs is too much temptation, and before long, Gavin and Rielle are sharing a bed. But sharing their hearts and lives forever? That’s a whole ’nother ball of wax.

 

Warning: Contains a feisty, independent heroine who doesn’t need a man to take care of her needs outside the bedroom and a sweet, sexy and bossy hero who’s up to the challenge of proving her wrong

 

A teaser…I mean, an excerpt…

 

Sierra could not believe her dad was making her ride the bus home from school.

The school bus.

Who gets stuck riding the bus? Especially in high school?

Losers, probably.

Great way to start her school year.

Hoisting her backpack higher, she walked to the semi-circle where the buses were belching diesel. She started with the last one, searching for number one eleven. Some kid hung out the window of one thirteen and yelled out, “I love you, Sierra!”

She ignored the jerk, who was no doubt being sarcastic since she was the new girl, and kept her head down.

At least she hadn’t been a total pariah, but being fresh meat in the small high school had made her a novelty. She’d met so many people she couldn’t keep them all straight. But she knew the novelty would wear off, probably within a week.

A shadow fell in step with her and she glanced over at the freckled redheaded cowgirl.

Marin Godfrey had taken it upon herself to befriend Sierra first thing in homeroom yesterday. They had two classes together and lunch, so Sierra hadn’t had to sit by herself.

“Hey, Arizona. You took off fast after the last bell rang.”

“I didn’t want to miss my bus since I didn’t ride it yesterday.”

“Your bus is always in the middle. I’m jealous. All the good people ride on your bus. That’s the one everyone wants to be on.”

Sierra wondered what good people meant.

Marin smiled. “You’ll see. Perverts ride on my bus. Always trying to cop a feel. And the grade school boys are the worst.”

“So the school secretary wasn’t bullshitting my dad? Everyone in high school really rides the bus home every day?”

“Not everyone, not every day. Like the jocks have practice after school. But everyone else? Pretty much.”

Bizarre. Didn’t any of these people have cars? In Arizona everyone she knew had a car and no one rode the bus. She didn’t think her school district even had buses. “What if there’s a drama club meeting or something?”

“If there’s an activity or a club meeting, it’s held after supper, not after school, if it can be helped.”

“Why?”

“The school is big on parental involvement and that means scheduling stuff when adults are done with work. Most the kids  who ride the bus have chores to do after school anyway.”

Chores. Such a foreign concept to her. After school let out in Arizona, she’d flopped on her bed and napped or watched TV until her dad got home from work.

“That’s why there’s no morning bus service,” Marin continued. “Gotta get them early chores done. So what’re you doing when you get home?”

“I’m sure my dad will grill me on how my second day of school went. If I made new friends. What I had for lunch. If I have homework.”

“That’s better than cleaning the chicken coop.” Marin pointed to the open door. “This one is yours. You’ve got my number. Call me later if you want.” She raced off.

Sierra reached the top step on the bus and the driver stopped her. “You’re Sierra?”

“How did you know?”

The older lady laughed. “Darlin’, I know every kid on this bus and have for years, most their parents too. So it’s nice to see a new face.”

“Oh. Which stop am I supposed to get off at?”

“Third to last stop.” Then the driver’s eyes were on the mirror, watching someone behind her. “Jimmy Dale, don’t you be messing with Liesl on the ride home, you hear me? Or I’ll make you sit up front.”

“Yes, Mrs. Craftsman.”

Sierra walked down the aisle. Little kids sat up front. A guy wearing a gray hoodie had claimed the last seat on the right. His athletic shoes hung off the end of the seat and he radiated a “back off” vibe. She chose a spot four seats up on the left.

Two girls from her history and math classes nodded at her they passed by, sliding into the seat opposite the hoodie wearer. A junior high couple sat two seats ahead and immediately started making out. Four guys she recognized from the lunchroom pushed and shoved each other, tossing out, “Hey, baby, we love you,” all the way to the back of the bus.

At least the spot next to her had stayed empty.

When the bus pulled out, she slipped in her earbuds and cranked her iPod, the universal leave-me-alone sign, focusing her attention out the window.

Maybe that wasn’t an obvious signal in Wyoming; she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She ignored it.

Less than thirty seconds later, a more insistent tap was followed by a loud, “Hey! I’m talkin’ to you.”

Sierra met the blue eyes of the dark-haired boy, about twelve, draped over the edge of the seat in front of her. He motioned for her to take out her earbuds. “What? Am I in your seat or something?”

“Nope. Man, you’re hot. Like really hot.”

Awesome that the elementary set thought she was dateable. But if this kid tried to cop a feel like Marin had warned, she’d deck him.

“Bet you can’t guess who I am?”

Her mind supplied a pain in the butt, but she said, “I have no idea.”

“Guess.”

She shook her head.

“Come on,” he cajoled. “Just one time.”

“Look, kid, I—”

“One guess,” he repeated stubbornly.

“Leave her alone, Ky,” came from the back of the bus.

Who had warned this kid off? She slowly turned.

The hoodie guy had removed his hood and was staring straight at her.

Oh hello, gorgeous. The guy was hot…beyond words actually, with long brown hair that nearly brushed his wide shoulders and dark scruff on his cheeks. He certainly didn’t look like he belonged in high school.

“Shut it, Boone. I wasn’t talkin’ to you,” the kid in front of her retorted.

Boone? Now that was a western name.

Buy the books

 

 

Lorelei James does more than write amazingly dirty books. She also writes mysteries as award winning mystery author Lori Armstrong. Her newest is Silent Mercy.

 

Silent Mercy by Lori Armstrong

Silent Mercy by Lori Armstrong, a free e-short story

Recently returned from training at Quantico, FBI agent Mercy Gunderson stirs up trouble and uses her rarely seen feminine side to seduce her unsuspecting boyfriend, sexy-as-sin Sheriff Mason Dawson. When she revs up her Viper to get his attention while he’s on patrol, tempers and sparks fly—but their rendezvous is interrupted by a disturbing cry for help. The pair rush to the scene, where Mercy discovers that even though she can’t always save the day, she doesn’t have to be silent about it.
Silent Mercy is a FREE e-short story, available December 4th.
Click here to get your free copy of SILENT MERCY
AND…so you can read all of her books without anyone knowing why you’re so red-faced, Lorelei is giving away, winner’s choice, a Nook or Kindle, up to $250 value, to one winner from all the different tour stops. Winner will be selected via Rafflecopter on 12/12.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hit the rest of the GONE COUNTRY BLOG TOUR:

December 4
12/4 - Under The Covers Book Reviews 

12/4 - Sunset Reader Reviews

12/4 - Read Your Writes Book Reviews

12/4 - Be Nice or Leave Thanks < ——-That’s me. You’re already here.

12/4- Mrs Condit and Friends Read Books 

12/4 - Lorelei James

December 5

12/5 - Herding Cats & Burning Soup

12/5 - Bookswagger

12/5 - Blackraven’s Erotic Cafe

12/5 - For The Love of Reading

December 6

12/6 - Queen of the Night Reviews

12/6 - Seductive Musings

12/6 - Melinda Doizer Contemporary Romance Author 

12/6 - Reading, Eating & Dreaming

December 7

12/7 - Harlie’s Books

12/7 - Book Sniffers Anonymous

12/7 - My Secret Romance 

12/7 - Lori’s Book Blog 

December 8

12/8 - Talk Supe

12/8 - Readers Confession

12/8 - Melissa Kendall Author

December 9

12/9 - Harlie Williams

12/9 - Tory Richards

12/9 - Simply Ali

December 10

12/10 - Fictional Candy 

12/10 - Sultry Storyteller

12/10 - My Keeper Shelf

12/10 - Romancing the Book

December 11

12/11 - Guilty Pleasures

12/11 - Passionate Encounters

12/11 - The Muse Unleashed

12/11 - Lori Armstrong

Filed Under: Books, Contests, Erotica, Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Stray Bullets: Right on Target

April 19, 2012 By
Stray Bullets by Robert Rotenberg

Stray Bullets by Robert Rotenberg

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again that I’m not a big fan of Crime Fiction.  I’m pretty sure its because I’m a Curious Cathy and can’t help flipping to the end to see the whodunnit. Which, of course, completely defeats the purpose of the genre, which, obviously, is the waiting. To see whodunnit.  As such, I have to exercise restraint when reading any type of suspense or mystery novel.  And, anyone who knows me is well aware that restraint and patience aren’t necessarily my strong points.

But… also like I’ve said before, when I’m sent books by Simon & Schuster that I normally wouldn’t pick up, I’m usually pleasantly surprised.  It’s nice when my own taste is trumped by someone else’s-I’m open-minded after all.

Stray Bullets is the second book I’ve read by Robert Rotenberg.  The first was Guilty Plea (I can’t link to the review right now, because of this. However, hopefully the rest of my content will be added to this site, and I will be able to.)

Just like in his previous novel, Rotenberg sets the story in our mutual hometown of Toronto.  The novel opens with a shooting at Tim Hortons, the home of the ubiquitous coffee us Canadian call a double double (two creams and two sugars).  The victim?  A little boy on his way into the coffee shop for a donut.  The motive?  A young woman has dumped her career criminal boyfriend while he’s still in prison.  He’s out for revenge, and turns up at the Tim Hotons where she works.

The potential perps? The jealous boyfriend, his sidekick best friend, the new love?  Who knows… the trouble is all caused by a stray bullet.  And the phrase, ‘Here, take this.’

What I liked

Rotenberg is an actual criminal lawyer, which lends an element of realism to the tale.  He weaves a true crime story,  and what’s great is that you get perspectives from more than one level of the criminal justice system-the detective, the police officer, the defence and prosecution lawyers. Its also nice that he carries through many of the same characters from earlier books. Its always nice to see old friends, after all. I was enthralled the entire time with Stray Bullets.  I was fooled, then I totally knew what happened, then I was fooled again. There were bad guys, good guys, redemption, and just rewards. All the elements of a great story were covered.  Lovers of this genre, I believe, won’t be disappointed.

What I didn’t like

Really, the only complaint I have with the book are the extensive references to the city of Toronto,.  Its obvious that Rotenberg loves his city dearly, and as such, gives it a starring role in his books.  However, the mentions become forced after a while, particularly the descriptions of each location or site’s history or importance.  When reading a book about New York or San Francisco, or even Detroit, natch, the reader is left to their own devices to place the locations in their imaginations.  After all, one can always Wikipedia if more details are needed.

Recommend Factor:  7/10 (Totally genre based)

Unputdownable Factor 9/10 (after all, it is a mystery..)

If you like watching any of the CSIs , you’ll love Stray Bullets….

Here’s the author answering some of your fan questions

You can find Robert Rotenberg on Facebook, or on Simon & Schuster’s Website.

And..lastly,if you are in the Toronto area, and want to meet Mr. Rotenberg and ask him questions of your own, check out his free Indigo event

Date: Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Time: 12:30pm-2:00pm

Location: Indigo Books & Music, Toronto Eaton Centre


 

Filed Under: Books, Fiction Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Tuesdays. A Short Story (by my son) Part 2

March 31, 2011 By

I know your waiting with bated breath to find out what happened with Mackenzie, the Zombies, and our hero, the boy who hates Tuesdays. So, without further ado, here’s the rest of the story.

 

The Zombie Diner (zombieslash.com)

TUESDAYS Part 2

‘What are you doing here, Mackenzie?” 

“I…I was eating here…it tried to bite me.”  She managed to get out between her sobs.

“Do you know what’s going on?” I questioned her again.

She didnt know. And it didn’t matter.  The immediate problem was the bloodthirsty zombie right outside the door.  It was starting to bang on the door.  It knew were in this tiny bathroom.  I went into one of the stalls and found a plunger that was sitting next to the toilet.  It would have to do.

I kicked open the door like a bad-ass and shoved the plunger on the zombie’s mismatched face.  He stumbled back as I grabbed Mackenzie and made a break for the back door.  the zombie ripped the plunger off and started after us, but we got to the door before he got to us, and smashed it in his face.  Then, we heard a splash through the diner wall as the zombie retreated

‘How did you find me?” she asked.

“I wasn’t looking for you.  I came to get some food and I saw…it.”

“Well, thank goodness that you did.  I didn’t know what I was going to do.”  She was grabbing onto my arm now.  Her head was on my shoulder.  I remembered when we were going out;  all those nights, falling asleep on the couch in exactly this position.  The good old days (last Saturday).  It almost made me forget about everything that was going on.

It was still dark out.  Fog was also entering the diner and it was getting chilly.  We agreed to try and make our way back to her house and on the way, see if we could find anyone else.  The more people together, the better, we thought.

Suddenly, we heard a scream.  the voice sounded like a girl, and not far away from where we were walking.  The door of a nearby house swung open as three zombies made their way out. 

“Stand completely still,” I told Mackenzie.  “Maybe they won’t see us.”

But, they did.  The first one caught sight of us and starting wobbling towards us.  the others followed suit.  We ran back in the direction of the diner.  As we got closer, I realized what the liquid on was on the floor when I first walked in.  It wasn’t water.  It was blood.

A shudder ran through my spine and I stoppped.

“What’s wrong?”  Let’s keep going!  ” Mackenzie yelled back at me.  I shrugged it off and caught up to her.  We entered the diner once again.  There was an eerie feel to it this time.  It was too quiety.  The only sound was our legs moving through the blood on the ground. 

Right then, the three zombies that had been chasing us barged through the door.  I had forgotten about them for one second.  One second that was too long.  They came into the restaurant in a triangle formation. 

“Weird’, I thought to myself. 

The middle one held up its index finger, and in the most unsettling, bloocurdling voice that you could possibly imagine, said, “Only one.”

I instantly knew what he meant.  He only wanted one of us. 

“I’ll go.  I have nothing left to live for, Mackenzie.  You were everything I had.  Now I have nothing. I wouldn’t want to live anyway, without you.”  It was what I had to do.  I stepped forward with my arms up, ready for anything they were going to give me.

The left zombie hopped over me and the firght one pushed me over as they both mad a beeline for Mackenzie. 

“Nooo!”  I screamed.  They were going after her, not me.  I jumped up, coverrd in blood from the floor, and ran to where she was backed into a corner with the three zombies drooling over her, ready for the kill.  This couldn’t be happening.  I grabbed the chair beside me and smashed it over the first zombie’s head.  I jumped on the second one’s back as the third sank his teeth into my neck.  It may have been the end of me, but I had saved her-my Mackenzie.

As I fell to the floor, I caught a glimpse of the zombie walking away, and Mackenzie sobbing in the corner.  She wuld be alright.  It was worth it.

Never say that nothing happens on Tuesdays.  I hate Tuesdays.

I hate Tuesdays

Filed Under: Fiction, Teenagers Tagged With: , ,

Tuesdays. A Short Story (by my son) Part 1

March 29, 2011 By

My Dad always said I shouldn’t over-promote my kids.  I say, Why the heck not!?!!?!  Here’s an original Short Story by my middle spawn, fondly known as Bubba.

(He’s now mortified that I posted it, but completely flattered at the same time. And people…that’s how you parent. Embarrass then praise;  horrify, then glorify.)

TUESDAYS

Sunday, January 31st, the day I fell in love.  Monday, February 28th, the day my heart was broken.  Tuesday, March 1st, the day I died.  They say that the best day to go get your drivers licence is on a Tuesday.  This is because they say that Tuesdays are the least busy days of the week and nothing happens on Tuesdays.  I beg to differ.  Let me elaborate.

I don’t know why I did it, but something inside me pulled me to the phone to give Mackenzie a call.  It was the day after she had told me that she wanted an ‘Alpha Male’ and that I was a ‘Beta Male’.  It didn’t make sense to me;  what classifies an ‘Alpha Male’?  Im decent at sports, adept in musical arts, what else could she want?  Anyways, she neglected to answer the phone, and I know that she declined the call because it only rang twice before I lost connection.  I decided that it would be good for me to get out, so I proceeded to a diner to get something to eat and get my mind off things.  It was two o’clock in the afternoon, but dark as a dungeon. 

Oh yeah, I forgot to meniton that I am currently a citizen of Juneau, Alaska.  Here in Juneau, sometimes we don’t get much sun.  At this time of year, its dark most of the time.  I don’t mind it much.  I love lividng up here, although I don’t know anyone and its only been two months since I moved here.  I moved to Alaska for her.  Mackenzie.

I got to the diner and it looked empty to me.  But, the sign said ‘OPEN’ so I walked in.  As soon as I did, I regretted it.  Water rushed out of the door, engulfing my ankles in liquid.  There must have been a leak, I thought, and looking back on it now, what a stupid thought.

What happened next was the biggest mistake of my life.  If I could take anything back, it would be walking into that diner.  If only I could remember the name of the diner, I would sue them for my death.

So, why did I go in?  I figured that if I could get to the telphone behind the counter, I could just call the owners and inform them about the leak, especially since I was already wet.  No need for me and them to both be wet, right?  Thinking back, I wonder, “What was I such a good guy?”

I started trudging through the water, and was about three metres in when I stubbed my toe on a lump in the water.  Bending down to pick it up, I realized that it wasn’t an overturned chair or a coat left from a previous customer.  It was a body.

I was completely freaked out.

“What happened here?” I whispered to myself.

At that, the body, which I had assumed was deceased, sprung up from the floor and grabbed me by the forearm.  I yanked my arm away and ran, as fast as I could, through ankle deep water, and right to the door. 

But the door was somehow stuck closed and wouldn’t open.  The pressure from the water was preventing the hinges from letting the door move.  The next closest place to go was the bathroom.  The body was making its way toward me.  Not very fast, but it was still coming.

‘What are you doing?”  I asked him.

No response.  I started to freak out.  The night before I had watched a horror movie, and I was 99% sure that this man was not a man.  It was a zombie. 

The bathroom door swung open and I sped in, slamming it sharply behind me.  I couldn’t believe this was happening to me.  I looked in the mirror and washed my face.  This situation was so weird. 

As I turned to the left, I caught sight of a girl just huddled in the corner crying.  She had been sitting there silently since I walked in.  It was Mackenzie. 

Tuesdays with Zombies

Stay tuned…. for the riveting next installment of  TUESDAYS

Filed Under: Fiction, Teenagers Tagged With: , , ,