Monday, November 10, 2014

Something About A Cowboy

by Shanna Hatfield

http://shannahatfield.com/contact/media-kit/cowboys-christmas-blog-tour/
 This week I'm up to my ears in cowboys and Christmas fun. (What a great problem, huh?)

The sight of a cowboy in a pair of dusty boots with his hat settled just so on his head never fails to make me smile.
My appreciation of cowboys and the western way of life came naturally, growing up as a horse-crazy girl on our farm in Eastern Oregon.
The fact my oldest brother spent weeks (and sometimes) months at a time working on remote ranches next door to the edge of nowhere only added to my fascination. He’d arrive home full of exciting tales of daring that made me sit up and take notice. Sometimes, he brought along a fellow cowpoke in need of a home-cooked meal and a few days of rest before they headed back to boonies.
As a little girl, I’d listen to them talk about a way of life that seemed to be all but disappearing. They always smelled like leather and horses and sunshine - a scent I still love to this day.
When I began writing sweet romances, it was a natural fit for me to make most of my heroes cowboys. Some of my stories take place in historical settings, others are modern day, but they common thread is that the men live by an unspoken code of honor I always associate with cowboys. With those boots and hats, it can be a lethal combination to the hearts of unsuspecting women.
In The Christmas Cowboy and Wrestlin’ Christmas, the first two books in the Rodeo Romance series, neither heroine wants to fall for a cowboy.

Here’s an excerpt from The Christmas Cowboy -
Quickly jumping off the fence, Tate jogged toward the stands. Kenzie looked around, getting her bearings, as he hustled up the steps and squatted down beside her.
“Dewdrop, I didn’t think you’d be able to make it.” He took her hand in his and squeezed her fingers. The warmth in her eyes as she gazed at him made his heartbeat kick into overdrive. Maybe she cared about him more than she wanted to admit.
The jubilant smile on his face made her glad she raced through her presentation, ran through the hotel as if the building was aflame, and pleaded with the taxi driver to put some hustle in it so she’d arrive at the rodeo on time.


And an excerpt from Wrestlin’ Christmas -
Tall and brawny, Cort McGraw happened to be one of the most handsome men she’d ever seen. From his silvery-gray eyes rimmed with black eyelashes to the dimple in his all-too-attractive chin, she wished Kenzie had given her some warning. If she’d known what he looked like, that he was so young, rugged, and hunky, she would have told Tate not to bother sending Cort to her place.
Mercy, he smelled good, too. Even now, his manly, musky fragrance filled her senses. Annoyed with herself for savoring his heady scent, she brushed at her nose, hoping to chase away the lingering aroma of his aftershave.



Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund®

JCCF logoNow through Dec. 24, I’ll donate 10 percent of the net proceeds from all book sales to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period.
 I first learned about them when I was researching details for The Christmas Cowboy. Because they were so great to work with, I wanted to give a little something back. This is my second year to donate to JCCF.

Debuts and Freebies

The Christmas Calamity CoverIn addition to all the cowboy fun this wee, the third book in the Hardman Holidays sweet Victorian romance series releases Thursday, Nov. 13!
The Christmas Calamity takes readers back to Hardman just in time for the holiday season. Preorders are available now for just $1.99 on Kindle. You can reserve your copy here: http://amzn.com/B00OGOO994
Arlan Guthry hasn’t got a chance once Alex the Amazing rolls into town
Dependable and solid, Arlan Guthry relishes his orderly life as a banker’s assistant in the small town of Hardman, Oregon. He has good friends, a great job, and the possibility of marriage to the town’s schoolteacher. His uncluttered world tilts off kilter when the beautiful and enigmatic prestidigitator Alexandra Janowski arrives in town, spinning magic and trouble in her wake as the holiday season approaches.

christmas bargain coverIn addition, the first book in the Hardman Holidays series, The Christmas Bargain, is available for free Kindle downloads Nov. 11 through Nov. 15!


Facebook-Party-Guest-Schedule

You’re Invited to PARTY!

You’re invited to join in the online Cowboys & Christmas Facebook Party today, Thursday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (PST). Drop in anytime during those four hours to enter to win great prizes, chat with guest authors, and more! Here’s the link to the party: http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasparty 
The wonderful and fabulous Melinda Curtis will  be a guest author at the party at 1:30 p.m. (PT).


Prize Basket 

Enter to Win Prizes!

To enter the drawing for an Amazon gift card, autographed books, chocolates, original western artwork, and more fun goodies, fill out this form.
http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasprizes 


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A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.
Find Shanna’s books at:
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple
Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:
ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter



4 comments:

  1. I'm always up for a party, a good book, and a good cause!

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  2. That's awesome, Melinda! So looking forward to partying with you Thursday!

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  3. Love hearing that you are giving back!

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  4. You certainly make cowboys sound romantic, Shanna. I know the leather horsey smell because I grew up around horses as well, but mine were in the English countryside!

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