Cowboys with Benefits

What do you think of when you think of cowboys? Pintos and paints? Finely tooled leather boots? A Stetson set at a cocky angle? Charm and power rolled into one?

How about books, recipes, and silver necklaces?

Yes, it seems having your first Western out calls for quite the party. First up, thanks to those who played the Cowboy Name Game! The winner of the autographed copy of A Rancher of Convenience is sharyonda. Congratulations! E-mail your physical address to reginascott@owt.com, and I’ll send that right out to you.

But wait, there’s more!

To celebrate the publication of all three of the Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years books, my publisher is offering free on Amazon a collection of recipes related to the stories plus extended excerpts. Here’s one of the recipes to tantalize you, courtesy of Louise M. Gouge.  

Still here? Good. Because there’s even more!

To highlight all the fabulous Western romances available this month, my publisher Love Inspired is offering a chance at a copy of five books plus a beautiful silver necklace from Montana Silversmiths. 

Do not enter on this blog! You have to go to the Harlequin site to enter. Click here, and good luck!

Because, who knew cowboys came with benefits?

Launching a Rancher

It’s finally here! My first official “Western” romance arrives on bookstore shelves today. A Rancher of Convenience is the third story in the Lone Star Cowboy League: The Founding Years series, following Renee Ryan’s Stand-In Rancher Daddy and Louise M. Gouge’s A Family for the Rancher. However, you don’t have to read those books to understand this one.

Sweet mail-order bride Nancy Bennett can’t believe it when her husband is exposed as a cattle rustler—and killed. And when the banker holding the ranch’s mortgage questions whether she can run the ranch on her own, the pregnant widow has nowhere to turn. Until steady foreman Hank Snowden proposes marriage.

Racked with grief about his role in Lucas Bennett’s death, Hank resolves to do right by the man’s wife and child. So it’s natural for him to step in as Nancy’s newly minted husband. But the marriage of convenience may become more than a mere obligation…if only Hank and his bride can brave the first steps toward elusive true love.

Reviewer John Charles at Booklist had this to say about the book: “A smartly crafted, emotionally engaging love story that also admirably celebrates the inner grit and outer gumption needed by the women who settled the West.” 

I had some trouble naming Hank in this story. You see, he arrived with the name Clyde Parker, which I didn’t cotton to. Changes to the story necessitated that Clyde be a crotchety older rancher, so my cowboy told me he’d rather be named Hank anyway.

Wonder what the name of the cowboy in your life might be? Play my handy dandy little game below. If you share the results in the comments before 9pm Eastern Time on Thursday, September 8, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win an autographed copy of the book.

You can find A Rancher of Convenience at fine stores near you and online.

Harlequin 

Amazon  

Barnes and Noble 

Kobo  

iBooks 

Indiebound 

The Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)