Please welcome guest author Hebby Roman to my blog!!
Good Morning, Romance Readers,
First, I
would like to thank Kristy for offering to host our boxed set collection of
contemporary western romances, A COWBOY TO KEEP, by spotlighting some of its
authors on her blog, “Pathways.”
Our
collection of seven authors’ stories has a little bit of everything for a lover
of western romance. We have ranchers and rodeos, mavericks and marshals,
mysteries and suspense, feisty cowgirls and handsome cowboys, and one story
contains strong paranormal elements. (I’ll let you guess which one!) It’s truly
a collection of what makes western romance a joy to read.
My
story in the boxed set is entitled: BORDER ROMANCE, and I believe it’s the only
story in the set that can be termed a “seasoned romance.” Just another bit of
diversity for this awesome collection of western stories.
But
what exactly is a seasoned romance? It’s a romance between couples older than
forty, sometimes called a second-chance at love, depending on the heroine and
hero’s past history together.
Personal
experience is a big part of the appeal of seasoned romance, and my inspiration
for writing my first seasoned romance, TO DANCE AGAIN, came from a very
personal situation.
My
husband’s cousin, along with his new wife, stayed with us while he went to
specialists to investigate possible treatments for a rare eye condition he had,
which could lead to blindness.
I was so
moved by his courage and his wife’s support, I found myself entertaining the idea
of a book featuring high school sweethearts, reunited after twenty years. She’s
widowed, he’s divorced, and they both harbor secrets. The hero feels he’s
living on borrowed time and can’t share his condition with the heroine because
he doesn’t want her to pity him. And she’s kept a secret from him that goes to
the very heart of their love.
Experimenting
with the mature themes of widowhood, failed marriages, missed opportunities,
and even what could be a devastating illness within the framework of a romance,
whetted my appetite for more. For me, as an author, that’s what makes them
fascinating to write, their inherent diversity and depth. Throw in some grown
children who don’t approve of Mom and Dad moving on with their lives, financial
struggles, and even grandchildren to consider, not to mention exes of all
kinds, and you know there’s a wealth of conflict to tap into before the heroine
and hero can reach their happy place.
I’ve
also written another series of contemporary romances called, “The Snowbirds,”
about mature couples finding love in an RV Park.
Given
my writing experience, it shouldn’t be a surprise that my book in this
collection is a seasoned romance, too. BORDER ROMANCE is the third in my series
called, “On the Border.” The first book in the series is about Leticia
Rodriguez, and her early struggles to save her family’s business and find love
and happiness after a disastrous
divorce. In the second book of the series, Leticia’s daughter, Camila, is
featured and her May-December romance with Leticia’s ranching partner, Rusty.
At
the end of the second book, Leticia, now widowed, needs help training her
charro horses. Charro horses are specially trained “trick” horses, much like
the famous Lippizzaner stallions of Austria. They appear in Mexican rodeos,
doing tricks and dancing around the arena on their back legs.
Leticia
hires Franco Ramos, a Mexican national, for his superb credentials,
particularly with regard to training charro horses. When they meet, he reminds
her of her late husband, and she’s attracted to him. And that’s where the
second book ends.
Thus,
the kernel of the story for BORDER ROMANCE was born. What if, Leticia, lonely
and grieving for eight years, falls in love with her new handsome horse
trainer?
How
will they overcome the sticky situation of Leticia being the employer of a
macho Mexican national? And even if Ramos falls for her, is he willing to give
up his native country, along with his children who still live there? The
built-in conflict seemed perfect for a seasoned romance.
But
when I started writing the book, it suddenly veered off, going in a very
different direction. Leticia’s foreman purchases a Quarter horse who’s been
bred for speed, and she considers starting a Quarter horse racing stable. Her
new venture brings her into contact with an old boyfriend. An old boyfriend
whose high-handed tactics when they were young and both newly-divorced, helped
to drive her into her late husband’s arms.
So,
who will Leticia choose, her hunky horse trainer or a way-too-handsome millionaire
rancher she’s known since high school? I hope you’ll read our boxed set and my
story to find out what happens to her.
Includes BORDER ROMANCE
Only 99 cents
Border Romance Blurb
When Leticia Villarreal, a lonely widow, considers
adding Quarter horse racing to her ranch, she finds she has a lot to learn.
John Clay Laidlaw, a millionaire rancher and old acquaintance, races Quarter
horses and offers to help. But he also cares for her and wants a relationship.
Remembering his high-handed tactics when they were young, she doesn’t trust
him. But when someone tries to harm her horses and John Clay rushes to her
rescue, can she open her heart to him?
Border Romance Excerpt
John
Clay swung back into the saddle and said, “You might think that calf is stupid
but compared to sheep, she’s a virtual Einstein.”
Leticia threw back her head and
laughed.
“But why cattle?” He asked. “I
thought your ranch was all about horses?”
“Yes, this is a horse ranch. The
cattle are just a sideline. We don’t keep a bull, but for some of the
better-bred heifers, we use our neighbor’s Angus bull. Keeps the herd young. We
cull the older ones and sell them, of course.”
“I’m surprised you bother.” He
inclined his head toward the ranch house. “Must keep you busy, considering you
said you’re short-handed.”
“Oh, that, it’s only temporary.” She
removed her Stetson and wiped her arm across her brow. The spring day was
heating up. “We need the cattle to properly train our horses. Our charro horses are our pride and joy, but
we’re just getting back into them. Mostly, we train working Quarter horses, and
you can’t train a cutting horse or calf-roping horse without cows.” She pursed
her lips.
He slapped the side of his head.
“Stupid of me. I wasn’t thinking. I’m all about sheep, except for my racing
stable.”
She laughed again. “Hey, don’t get
overwrought and knock your hat off.”
“Yeah.” He grinned and shook his
head. “Kinda silly.”
And
how right she was, he was acting like a goofy middle-schooler, just being
around her. “So, your manpower shortage is temporary. Does that mean I won’t
usually find you rounding up cattle?”
“No, not usually. I always have
plenty of paperwork to keep me from riding out. But today has been a nice
break.”
“I like the mare you’re riding;
she’s a good-looking horse.”
“Why, thank you, Mr. Laidlaw, how
nice of you to say.” She patted her horse’s neck. “Yep, Pearl is a sweetie.
Rusty and Camila brought her back from Ponder last year, and she was so good at
everything, we couldn’t make up our minds how to train her, cutting horse or
calf-roping or…”
She’d
moved ahead to a thicket of live oak and ducked her head under a low-lying
branch. “My mare, Sally, was getting old, so I decided to keep Pearl for
myself.”
He followed her into the thicket,
staying behind her horse to navigate the rough, one-horse trail through the
trees and undergrowth.
She
cleared the thicket and stopped, waiting for him. He could see the ranch house
ahead. He drew alongside her. “At least you have the grass for horses and cows.
My ranches only support sheep. We keep some milk cows for the ranch hands, but
other than that, it’s mostly mesquite and cactus and patchy prairie grass on my
spreads.”
She raised up in her stirrups. “Yes,
Eduardo chose well. This land is fertile, and we irrigate some, using Las Moras
creek to grow our own hay.”
She
gathered her reins and smoothed them, half-turning toward him. “But I can’t
wait to show you my new charro horse
foal. Midnight Princess just threw a beautiful colt a couple of weeks’ ago.”
“I won’t say no to seeing one of
your charro horses. I remember how
talented Eduardo’s horses were. I was sorry when I heard you’d quit breeding
them for a time.”
John Clay gazed at Leticia, and he
thought he could see the faintest glimmer of moisture on her eyelashes. It was
obvious she was still grieving for Eduardo? Where
did that leave him?
She dropped her head and fidgeted
with her reins, smoothing the long ends. “Yes, Eduardo was magic with the
horses.” She bit her lip.
He wished he was the one biting her
lip, her neck, and lower…
Hebby Roman is a New York traditionally published,
small-press published, and Indie published #1 Amazon best-selling author of
both historical and contemporary romances. Her first contemporary romance,
SUMMER DREAMS, was the launch title for Encanto, a print line featuring Latino
romances. And her re-published e-book, SUMMER DREAMS, was #1 in Amazon fiction
and romance. Her medieval historical romance, THE PRINCESS AND THE TEMPLAR, was
selected for the Amazon Encore program and was #1 in medieval fiction. She was
selected for the Romantic Times "Texas Author" award, and she won a
national Harlequin contest. Her book, BORDER HEAT, was a Los Angeles Times Book
Festival selection. Her contemporary romance, TO DANCE AGAIN, was a 2016 RONE
Finalist.
You can find Hebby at the following sites:
