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Guest blog with contemporary romance author, Lilliana Rose!

Fellow Soulie and contemporary romance author, Lilliana Rose is stopping by for a guest blog today! She’s talking about her latest release, GRAND PARADE, which looks fab. Read on to learn more about Lilliana and the inspiration behind her story. 😀

As part of growing up on a farm, my family would come down to the Royal Adelaide Show every year to exhibit sheep. This was my introduction to city life (which I’ve now embraced by living in the city).

Recently, when I became inspired to write romance stories, the idea of setting the story at the Royal Adelaide Show came quickly. I could use my experience of country and city life to draw on for inspiration, especially as I had so many memories from the Show. I remember how noisy it was at the show with the rides, the music and there were thousands of people when I was only used to a few. There were the smells of Dagwood Dogs, fairy floss, donuts and hot chips. Fireworks went off every night, which I would go and see with my family. It was such a different world to living on a farm where there was a lot of space, peace and quite, and the smells were only of soil and animals. It made for rich soil to grown my story in and a chance to have fun as I remembered life at the show (which was very PG rated compared to my characters!).

By setting the story at the Royal Adelaide Show I could also explore some of the differences between country and city life and what the characters, Megan and Jackson, might feel as they were introduced to the other’s world (like how do you tell the difference between a bull and a cow, which Megan naively asks country boy Jackson in Grand Parade which leads to a very funny conversation) and how vulnerable they would be, all while slowly falling in love.

Thank you for having me on your blog. I’ve enjoyed sharing about my book Grand Parade.

Thanks for stopping by, Lilliana! Read on to find out more about GRAND PARADE:

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Megan is a young photographer with her first real job at the Royal Adelaide Show, where she has to capture the agricultural event. As a city girl, she is clueless, and when she gets too close to a grumpy bull, she is kicked in the head.

Guilty that his bull hurt someone and aware of the painful side effects of head injuries due to the loss of his sister, Jackson takes care of Megan.

Megan is determined that she will be all right and continues photographing during the day before collapsing. Jackson is there to make sure she is taken to hospital and cared for.

Recovering, Megan finds herself drawn to Jackson, but she’s not sure that she can be anything than a city girl, even for love. Can Jackson, in his quiet, strong, country-boy style, convince her to take life in a new direction, with him?

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/2jhUaIc

Amazon US ~ http://amzn.to/2iSNrYA
Amazon UK ~ http://amzn.to/2iSL0Fj
Amazon CA ~ http://amzn.to/2j7mfTr
Amazon AU ~ http://amzn.to/2j7snv8

EXCERPT:

“Look out!”

Megan saw a blur of cream through her lens, and was about to put down the camera when something connected with the side of her skull. She screamed, the only reaction she could manage. An explosion went off in her head. Tiny sparks flashed on the edge of her vision as she fell backward. Her mind filled with something like a night sky, black with tiny lights that crept further into her vision every time she blinked. It fascinated and distracted her from the pain that throbbed in her head.

She thudded on her backside on the concrete. A new wave of pain swept through her body. Air escaped from her lungs and Megan gasped. She managed to piece together that she’d been hit in the head, though by what exactly she wasn’t sure. People rushed towards her.

Embarrassment flooded into her cheeks. The last thing she wanted to be was the center of attention. That’s why she was a photographer. She could hide behind the camera. My camera? She reached for it, and sighed with relief when her fingers wrapped around it. She looked down at her SLR digital Canon camera, and it appeared to be in one piece. It was hard to tell because of the pounding in her head.

More stars flashed. She noticed they twinkled in time with the bursts of pain.

“They don’t have points.” Megan knew she had spoken, but her voice sounded faraway, and not at all like her own.

“Are you okay?” A man knelt beside her. He was one of the men she’d been distracted by. She tried to look at him, but could only see the flashing stars now retreating to the edge of her vision. A fog seeped into her mind and she struggled to think clearly.

“No points,” she said again with disappointment. She’d never had a serious injury before, never broken any bones, nothing like today’s accident. So, this is what it’s like to see stars. The expression used didn’t describe the experience at all. Megan touched the side of her head, to make sure it was still there. She hadn’t blanked out which she figured was a good thing.

“What are you talking about?” The man touched her shoulder.

“The stars I can see,” said Megan, not totally processing what he had said. She looked at him. He was young, mid-twenties, about her age. His broad-rimmed hat hid most of his blond hair, and his blue eyes were crystal sharp. Light stubble edged his broad jawline. He was hot. She was rather impressed she had managed to work that out through the haze flooding her mind.

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “My Bruce hit your head, more like grazed it along the side from the looks of the mark, but still I’m sorry he was such a grump.”

“Bruce?” Megan looked at him, trying to understand. “Is that your name?”

“No. My bull. His hoof struck your head. Lucky it was only a half jump he made, and it wasn’t a full on blow.”

“Oh, so that’s what happened.” She wasn’t sure it was a half kick from the way her head felt. The adrenaline was dissipating and a heavy thudding took hold in her head. Megan tried to smile at the man by her side. This wasn’t the time to flirt, but heck, she couldn’t help it. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Lilliana has grown up on a farm in Australia, and has now swapped her work boots for city heels. Country life remains strong in her heart and this comes out in the characters and stories she creates. Check out more of her work: www.lillianarose.com

Connect with Lilliana at these links: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Instagram.

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Book Spotlight: RETURN TO RUBY’S RANCH by Rhonda Frankhouser

Fellow Soulie and western romance author, Rhonda Frankhouser, is on my blog today! Check out her latest western romance, RETURN TO RUBY’S RANCH. Looks like a great story! ❤

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Ruby Lattrell spends her days caring for her ailing father and younger brother. When they no longer need her, her life lacks purpose. Then she inherits Ruby’s Ranch – the only real home she ever knew – the place where her mother mysteriously vanished.  The smell of fresh cut hay and the most handsome cowboy she’s ever seen, Billy McCallister, greet Ruby when she arrives at the ranch.

Billy always dreamed Ruby would return home. When he finally sees her standing on Granny’s porch, now a mix of that sassy young girl he once knew and the reassured, sensual woman she is today, he knows his heart hasn’t misled him. Before she can fall into the timeless love that Billy offers, they must solve the mysteries that haunt Ruby’s Ranch. Will digging up the past hurt more people than it helps? Will the truth they discover tear Ruby and Billy apart?
 
Snippet:
The old, beat-up Chevy pickup came to an abrupt stop about a foot from the back of Ruby’s prized Jeep. She scowled with disapproval as the driver shoved open the door and dropped to his booted feet before the engine even had a chance to shut off.
“Help you, miss?” he asked, with a slow, deep twang, wiping the dirt from his hands with a handkerchief he’d pulled from his back pocket.
She squinted against the midday sun a little harder now as his voice rang a touch familiar. She watched him for an over-long moment, the mother cat twisting her lithe body around his legs in greeting. Sweat glistened on his tanned, muscular arms as he bent to pick up the kittens that came out to join their mother.
She smiled. There had to be something special about a man who elicited the love of animals. He was at least six foot two, and built like he could lift a hundred pounds straight over his head with no problem at all. A smudge of dried mud followed the line of his strong, stubbled jaw. He could be the most handsome man Ruby had ever seen. Not a sophisticated, city kind of handsome. More a Russell Crowe, gladiator, kind of handsome.
The irritated scowl returned to his face after he put the tiny, tabby kittens down, almost like he’d just remembered he wasn’t pleased about being pulled away from something important. This made him all the more interesting. Part of Ruby was glad she’d been such a bother. The day just became more intriguing.
“They’re adorable. And they seem to like you.” She tried to break the awkward silence.
Curious, soulful green eyes peered out from under his dusty Stetson hat. He gazed first at her well-worn Justin cowboy boots, then slowly up her long legs to the khaki shorts, pausing momentarily at the denim shirt she had tied loosely around her waist, showing just a hint of pale skin. His gaze stopped momentarily at the mess of red-blonde hair she’d pulled away from her face, before he finally met her eyes.
Ruby held her giggle as he finished his perusal, not wanting to make him self-conscious since she’d recognized him. Billy MacCallister. Had to be. My, how he’d grown from the runny-nosed brat who used to follow her around so many years before. He’d been the pain-in-the-butt, kid brother of her best friend.
But, this grown up Billy MacCallister was a whole different creature. Mercy, he’s definitely a full grown man now. Ranch life looks good on him.
“So,” Ruby avoided his eyes to keep him at a disadvantage for just a bit longer. She reached down to pet the dogs again, calming them. “How’s your sister these days, Billy?”
He stopped wiping the dirt from his jeans and searched to get a better look at her face.
“What’s the matter, Billy? Think you’re seeing a ghost?” A smile crossed her lips.
“Ruby?” he asked, quietly at first then louder. “Ruby?” This time with unashamed excitement. Billy took two long-legged strides toward her, tilting his hat to get a better look. “Well, look at that, it is you.”
Before Ruby had a chance to respond, he lifted her off the step and twirled her around, not caring at all that she now wore half the dirt he once had all over him.
The enticing scent of musk shampoo, salty sweat, and horses swirled around her, drawing her in. How could a man smell that good after working in the mud? It took all her strength to keep from leaning in and making a fool of herself. He smelled like home to her and she had to admit, it felt good to be held.
“Billy, good grief, put me down.” She tugged at her shirt to keep it down, embarrassed. The pups jumped up, anxious now to play, as Ruby tried to gain composure. Not an easy task when being twirled around by a handsome cowboy.
“Ruby Lattrell, it’s so good to see you. How the hell are you?” The honest joy in seeing her poured from him. “Oh my God, you look fantastic!” He set her down and brushed the hair away from her face, looking her over now with those same hungry eyes he’d had as a love-struck kid.
She glanced away, self-conscious. When she finally mustered the courage to gaze up at him, she couldn’t help but return his infectious smile. There was no worry there, or pretense. The tiny lines around his joy-filled eyes showed only that he knew how to smile. How to laugh. Something she’d forgotten how to do a long time ago.
“Well, that’s certainly more of a welcome than I expected.” She stepped back to get some space and a better look at him. He had to be coming up on thirty now. Strapping. Still driving his mom crazy with that unruly chestnut hair tucked behind his ears, no doubt. Same innocent, broad smile that held secrets.
He continued talking and following her every move, anxious to know everything all at once. Where had she been? How had she stayed so perfect? Finally, he realized she hadn’t said a word. He stopped then, smiled that secret smile again, his eyes slowly filling with concern. “Ruby, I’m sorry I’m just going on. How are you? Are you all right? Oh Lord, I’m so sorry about your grandmother.”
Ruby flushed when he caught her staring. “Oh, I ah, I’m fine. Thank you, though. I can’t believe she is gone. This place will be really weird without Granny Rube here.” She took a step back toward the door, gathering herself, hoping she’d find the key in the usual hiding place so she could make a graceful exit.
“You don’t act fine.” He caught up with her, supporting her elbow like a real southern gentleman. “Let’s get you inside.”
Ruby didn’t protest. She kind of liked the fuss he made. This was someone she’d known for nearly all her life. It felt good to know he’d missed her.
“Just wait till Claudie finds out you’re home. She’s going to just die.” He reached behind the rusted iron pot for the key and turned it in the lock. “She’s not living out here anymore. She’s got a place in town. Married a nice city guy who moved here from Arizona, Mike Calloway. They bought old Fike’s Market and fixed it up real nice. Doing real well with it. She likes living in town so much better than out here.” He kept talking as he closed the door behind them.
The familiar smells of the house hit Ruby first, distracting her from what Billy was saying. Gingerbread cookies, Pledge furniture polish giving off an ever-present hint of lemon.
Ruby stopped in the entry, closed her eyes, and visualized her mother and Granny Rube laughing in the kitchen, handmade aprons tied around their waists, shoving cookies in that old Wedgewood oven, sharing private giggles.
Ruby stood for a long while as she replayed the memories over in her mind, only vaguely aware Billy had gone silent and held a supportive hand at the small of her back.
“Welcome home, Ruby,” he whispered, his sweet eyes searching hers.
She didn’t know why, but just then she couldn’t keep herself from turning and wiping the dust from his cheek, feeling more true compassion from this one understanding look than she’d ever felt before.
“Thanks, Billy.” She realized suddenly her eyes filled with tears. “Thanks for making me feel so welcome. I’m glad to be home.”
She felt as if she’d stepped back in time. She was just a teenager when she left home almost two decades ago. Nearly everything in the house remained in the same place. The fireplace room still held the same worn velvet couches and mahogany side tables. The faded ivy wallpaper she’d helped Granny hang curled at the corners where moisture and age had gotten to the glue. The heirloom rug passed from her grandfather’s family, now worn and fraying around the edges.
The same photos capturing a more innocent time continued to be displayed on the dusty river-rock mantle. Yellowed images of Granny Rube’s parents looked too small and frail to have endured such a rough pioneer life. Next to that picture, Ruby saw the photo of her Grandpa Mac, taken only days before he was trampled to death by his prized bull, Heathen.
Ruby picked up the tarnished frame and held it close, realizing only now how handsome a man her grandfather had been, tall and lanky, his deep set eyes full of the devil. Reminded her of her mother.
“Granny used to say it served him right to get taken by the one beast on the ranch that was ornerier than him.” Ruby wiped the dust from the frame and replaced it back on the mantle in the exact place it was before. “Momma told me Granny put Heathen down herself with a twelve-gauge shotgun the night he killed Grandpa Mac, but I still don’t know if that’s true. She had such a flair for the dramatic, it was hard to tell fact from fantasy.”
“Your granny was a good woman, Ruby,” Billy finally offered, a measure of respect in his voice. “Always remember that. She helped me out more times than I can count.”
“I’m just sad I missed so many years with her. All I have are old memories of how things used to be. Silly stuff like, I remember when she calmed Jake and me during those hell-raising thunderstorms, and chased us into the pond when we were driving everyone nuts because we were so bored.” Ruby turned away from the photos and took in the room once again. “She always had time for us. I can’t believe I let her die alone.”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Rhonda discovered she had a knack for storytelling after she was diagnosed with cancer at a young age. To avoid dwelling on her own mortality, she sat down with pen and paper and got out of the way of her subconscious mind. Words and characters poured out of her from some hidden place inside her soul.  She discovered that writing was not only cathartic and healing but a necessary function for her future sanity.

Her first novel, MY LAST DAY, gained the representation of agent Ben Camardi, at Harold Matson Company in New York. This is a heart wrenching tale of a young woman seeking love and closure on her last day of life.  Her second and third novels, SHADOWING SOULS and RUBY’S RANCH, were quick to follow.  Each story has a contemporary romantic flavor, a solid family dynamic and a paranormal twist. RUBY’S RANCH will soon be available from SoulMatePublishing.com, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

Rhonda lives in central California with her Kisa, (Knight in Shining Armor), their beautiful and talented daughters, and two mischievous pug puppies, Geddy and Ruby. When she is not writing, she is supporting hospice patients as a volunteer coordinator, playing golf with her husband, or reading the latest masterpiece from one of her favorite authors. She is a member of the RWA – PAN community and the local chapter, Yosemite Romance Writers.

 

Where to find her:     
Twitter: @RJFrankhouser
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Interview with romance author, Erin Bevan!

Hellooooo there! 😀 Today I have romance author, Erin Bevan, for an interview! Her latest novel, WEDDING DAY, just released a few days ago and I’m thrilled to have her stop by today. Without further ado, here’s Erin!

Welcome, Erin! Tell us about WEDDING DAY. 😀

Hey LD! Thanks for having me. My latest book, Wedding Day, just released on April 13. It’s about a tough riding cowboy home resting with an injury. All in good fun, his brother makes a bet that he can’t land the new again veterinarian that’s come back to live in Frisbee. Dallas isn’t one to back down from his brother, so he takes the bet except he has no intentions of seriously dating this lady. Win the bet, and it’s over, or so he thinks.

Ha, sounds like fun! What was the hardest thing about writing this book? The easiest?

Probably the amount of rewrites I had to do. It’s taken four years for this book to see the light of day, but the time has finally come!

And cheers to that! *tips wine glass* If you could bring one of your characters (villain or hero) to life, who would you chose? Why?

Oh, that’s hard. Probably the best friend Spencer. She’s the type of friend I would like to have, and she’s very fashionable. She could help me out!

Great answer! And fun. 😀 Speaking of fun, Paramount Pictures wants to make a movie about your latest novel. Who plays the main characters?

Yah!! Perhaps Dallas is played by Jesse Meltcalfe. (YUM)

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Brittany Snow would be a good Cassie,

brittany-snow-profileand as silly as this sounds, I always pictured Miss Kay from Duck Dynasty as the mother but with acting skills!

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Haha! Awesome! Great choices. 😀 So tell us a little about yourself.

I’m a wife and mother of three. I’m an avid coffee drinker and spend most mornings at the local YMCA. If I don’t exercise, my brain doesn’t work.

Agreed on the coffee drinking and exercise (although I surely could use more of both ;)). Tell us one thing about yourself your readers may not know about you.

Umm… I don’t know! I lived in South Korea for a few years. Maybe you don’t know that!

I did not! That is very cool! Someday I will visit. 😉 What are you working on now?

Right now, I am working on edits for my follow up release after Wedding Day. I currently don’t have a release date on this book yet. Perhaps early next year. And beginning next week, I’m taking a little break. I’m going to read a few books on craft and perfect some outlines for the next three stories I have in mind before I began actually writing again.

Fantastic! And I totally get the need for downtime. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by–it’s been a pleasure! But don’t go too far yet, Dear Reader…here’s more about WEDDING DAY!

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BLURB:

Famous Bull Rider Dallas Day met Cassie Bailey briefly in high school, but her plain looks and quiet personality left no lasting impression on him. Cassie, however, couldn’t say the same about Dallas.

Their paths cross again ten years later when Dallas is home recovering from an injury, and Cassie is the only veterinarian who volunteers her services at the home-town rodeo. She’s jump-starting her new practice, and every eligible man within a ten-mile radius is trying to land a date with the attractive vet.

Dallas’ older brother bets him that, even with all his charm and fame, Dallas can’t land a date with the reserved lady vet. Not one to turn down a challenge, Dallas makes it his mission to win a date with Cassie. After seeing her, he realizes they’ve met before, but he doesn’t remember her being so pretty. His persistence pays off, but when Cassie finds out about the bet, their new love is put to the test.

EXCERPT:

“Is there anything I can help you with?” A deep voice asked from behind her.

“No, I think we have it.” She hopped down from the pen. Glacier blue eyes locked with hers. She would know his eyes anywhere. Her heart quickened just as it did the first time she’d ever laid her gaze upon him, and a tingling sensation shot through her.

Dallas looked older than she remembered, broader, gruffer, but still sexy.

Tucker, you have Tucker.

Where was he, anyway? In her haste to get ready, she’d forgotten to call him.

“Dallas? Yeah, we can use a hand.” Chevy still fumbled with the lock. “Can you come over here and help me with Knuckle Head? Dr. Bailey wants him to walk around so she can get a closer look.”

“I really don’t think that’s necessary–”

“I would love to help. That’s why I’m here.” Dallas jogged to the front of the bull and grabbed the lead rope with his left hand. A plastered cast circled his right wrist and rose halfway up his forearm.

She turned to Spencer and furrowed her brow.

Spencer stared back at her and displayed her pageant winning 2005 Miss Frisbee smile, her thumb up in the air. Some friend she was.

Dallas and Chevy led the bull out of the pen while she observed the bull’s gait.

“Let’s get him over by a water hose. I want to get a closer look at his foot.” She pointed toward a washing station and followed behind the men as they led the bull, sure to steer clear of Knuckle Head’s hind legs in the event he wanted to kick her.

From her position, she had a clear view of Dallas’s backside. Everything appeared to be as tight as she remembered, which did nothing to settle those distracting tingling sensations.

Focus.

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Wedding-Day-Erin-Bevan-ebook/dp/B01CSM9M92/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1458588952&sr=8-3&keywords=Erin+Bevan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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Erin Bevan was born and raised in Southwest Arkansas. She spent her teenage years working for her aunt at the local gas station flipping burgers and making milkshakes, dreaming of the day when something better would come her way, and it did in the form of a five foot six, one hundred and fifty pound engineer.

Fast forward ten years later, she found herself stuck inside an apartment in South Korea while her daughter went to preschool and her husband went to work. Alone and unable to speak the local language she turned to books for a friend. After reading a few hundred in such a short time, she decided to try her hand at writing one.

That first one sucked, but by the fifth and sixth book, Erin started to get the hang of this writing thing. Getting the first contract in the mail was a dream come true. Now, with three babies at home, she squeezes in stories one word at a time, one sentence at a time, one day at a time.

She’s a full time mom, a full time wife, with a little writer sprinkled in whenever she can get the chance. And the laundry? Well, it’s best not to open the washroom door!

WHERE TO FIND HER:

www.erinbevan.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinbevanwrites/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErinBevan

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6927178.Erin_Bevan