Convincing the Rancher
by Claire
McEwen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Benson, CA,
represents all that Tess Cole doesn't want. So she intends to keep her business
trip there brief. Too bad her idea to quickly change the mayor's mind about some
planning issues dissolves the moment she recognizes him! That one night with
Slaid Jacobs remains a personal favorite for Tess—and for him, too, it seems.
Even though he's
gorgeous and hot, it's clear to Tess that the single dad wants a commitment—something
she avoids. It's also clear Slaid is bent on convincing her they can build a
future out of their passionate past. And that's a very tempting offer…
EXCERPT:
TESS WASN’T PREPARED for a Jeep that looked like an ice
sculpture. With a pang of longing, she pictured her underground parking space
in San Francisco, where even on the rare frosty morning she never had to worry
about a frozen car. Reluctantly she opened her wallet and stared at her rainbow
assortment of credit cards, wondering which one she could sacrifice as an ice
scraper. The Saks Fifth Avenue card was nice and thick and would work the best,
but she didn’t want to risk ruining it. Same with Bloomingdale’s. And there was
no way she’d sacrifice Nordstrom—their annual shoe sale was coming up.
She finally settled for Talbots and started scraping at the
frosted windshield. The ice came off in a spray coating her bare skin. “Ow!”
she exclaimed and pulled her hand away abruptly, shaking it to try to get the
frost off and the heat back in.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t bring gloves?” The deep voice had
her whirling to confront the mayor. He looked warm and comfortable, his thick
parka advertising the fact that he was prepared for the weather. The battered
leather cowboy hat on his head was one more reminder that she’d left San
Francisco far behind.
“It’s probably seventy degrees at home today,” she said by
way of an answer.
“It’s seventy degrees in San Francisco most days. Didn’t you
check the weather report before you drove out here?”
She hadn’t. She’d been in denial until she’d pulled into
town yesterday. Despite all the arguments with Ed and the cramming she’d done to
understand wind power, she’d ignored the fact that she’d be living in this tiny
town in the middle of nowhere for the next month or so. Tess could safely say
that denial was one of her strongest abilities.
And now a word from the author.
Why Do So Many Women Love Western Romance?
Thank you for inviting
me to Hope. Dreams. Life… Love today!
I’m so happy to celebrate the release of my new book, Convincing the
Rancher with you!
I’m not sure I know why ALL women love western romance, but
I know why I do!
First of all, let’s cut to the chase. Who doesn’t love a man in faded jeans, a
cowboy hat, boots, maybe a worn flannel shirt, or better yet, no shirt? There is just something about that look that is
pretty appealing! Just by donning that
hat, the jeans, the boots, a guy looks like he’s been busy doing something
outdoorsy and exciting. Like he might
take off at any minute to chase down an errant cow. There’s an automatic edge of bad-boy and
adventure to a cowboy!
Plus there is something about a cowboy that is so down-to-earth
and American, in the best kind of way!
Maybe it’s different for younger generations of women, but I was raised
on a heady combination of old John Wayne movies and Robert Redford in The
Electric Horseman saving that gorgeous and wronged racehorse. And that image of a man with his values
intact, who makes decisions based on what’s just and right, rather than what’s
socially acceptable and legal, is probably branded into my psyche
somewhere. I can’t resist those heroes!
I think the toughness and capability that it takes to succeed
as a rancher is another thing that really appeals to many women. A rancher or cowboy has to be capable - it’s
part of their job description. If
there’s a problem that comes up, they’re going to have to figure out a way to
deal with it. They’ll be up at all hours
taking care of their livestock, out dealing with issues in all kinds of
weather. I’m going to go out on a limb
here and say that most modern men I know aren’t really like that. It’s the women of my acquaintance who are out
in all kinds of weather taking care of whatever needs doing! How refreshing to spend some time with a guy
who gets things done - even if it’s just for a few hours in a book!
And the horses! So
many young women fall in love with horses and many of us never lose that
love. I know for me, the original reason
I chose to write about ranchers is that I grew up riding horses and I really
miss it. I knew if I set my book on a
ranch, I’d get to spend time with horses again, at least in my imagination.
This final reason might be more personal to me, but I think
there are so many interesting topics that can be woven into a story on a
ranch. I am pretty interested in
environmental issues and preserving open spaces. Drought, land use, water use, environmental
regulations, plant biology, livestock vs. wildlife – it’s all a part of a
rancher’s every day life because their livelihood is so directly tied to our
natural world. I like learning and
writing about all of it.
Whatever your reason for enjoying western romance, I hope
you’ll consider picking up a copy of my new book, Convincing the Rancher. It’s the story of a rancher who’s also a
single dad, and the mayor of his small town.
He’s got to try to find some way to balance his traditional values and
his role as a parent and a community leader, with the very unconventional woman
he falls in love with. It makes for a
complicated and emotional story that I hope readers enjoy!
Thank you for joining
me on Hope. Dreams. Life… Love today! And if you’d like, please leave a comment
about why you enjoy, (or don’t enjoy!) western romances.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Claire McEwen
lives by the ocean in Northern California with her family and a scruffy,
mischievous terrier. When not dreaming
up new stories, she can be found digging in her garden with a lot of enthusiasm
but, unfortunately, no green thumb. She
loves discovering flea-market treasures, walking on the beach, dancing,
traveling and reading, of course!
Convincing the Rancher is her third book for Harlequin Superromance.
Website: http://www.clairemcewen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CMcEwen.writer
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaireMcEwen1
Buy Links:
Amazon:
Barnes and
Noble:
Harlequin:
iTunes:
Kobo:
Claire McEwen will be awarding $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Use the link below to enter. You can find her tour schedule at http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/vbt-convincing-rancher-by-claire-mcewen.html
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt
ReplyDeleteLoved the word from the author :D
ReplyDeleteGreat author post, I enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for inviting me onto your blog today. I LOVED writing this post. Do you know... I'd never actually thought about why I liked western romance until I wrote this? I guess I'm not as introspective as I like to think I am! So it was great to try to define it and really think it through. I'd love to hear from other people commenting whey they enjoy western romance!
ReplyDeletethe excerpt's nice
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt best. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. I will totally have to add this book to my "to-read" list.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt and Tess' various store cards.
ReplyDelete