Cowboy Trouble by Joanne Kennedy

Libby Brown has decided that chickens are the way to go.  Coming from a bad relationship, her boyfriend leaving her for her boss, she decides to leave it all and move to Wyoming and raise chickens. Chickens don't care if you love them and they won't break your heart.

Luke Rawlins is a handsome cowboy who lives on a neighboring ranch.  He's just being neighborly when he brings Libby a casserole and helps her unload her belongings. But something about Libby tugs at his heart and he'll do whatever he can to get her to trust him.

Libby doesn't want Luke to be the rebound relationship so she makes it clear they are only friends.  With a journalist background, Libby gets a job at the local newspaper.  There really isn't any news in such a small town, with the exception of a disappearance of a girl two years ago.  Libby starts to investigate and things begin to heat up.   Cash, the local sheriff, sets his eyes on the lovely Libby and finangles his way into her space.  He offers up clues to Della, the disappearing girl, as bait to get Libby to spend time with him.

Luke can hardly stand the fact that Libby is spending time with the Sheriff, but wants to give Libby her space.  He is afraid to scare her off.  But when someone attacks Libby, it's personal.  Libby and Luke work together to investigate the two year old crime.  But when the heat sizzles between Luke and Libby, one of them backs away.  Libby is afraid to ruin their relationship with something more, and Luke is afraid to lose Libby. 

But when the clues begin to point toward Luke as the perpetrator, Libby freezes her heart.  Can Luke convince her that he is the cowboy of her heart? Can Luke and Libby figure out the bad guy before one of them gets hurt? You'll have to read it to get your answers! COWBOY TROUBLE is a fun and delicious romantic romp!

The pets of Libby's are a wonderful addition to the vivid cast of characters.  Luke and Libby's relationship is like a rose, slow to blossom, but then the reward is so satisfying!  Joanne Kennedy has penned a winner with Cowboy Trouble, and if you love cowboys, you won't want to miss this one! Romance, Mystery, and Spurs! YUM!!

YA ARC Double Pack Giveaway

Runholt's second mystery starring 14-year-old best friends Kari and Lucas offers readers light intrigue in a lush Scottish setting. When Kari's mother, a magazine reporter, is sent to Edinburgh to interview Seneca Crane, a 15-year-old piano prodigy, the girls get to tag along. Upon meeting Seneca, they realize that the young pianist is not only talented, but also very lonely. She is under the constant tutelage of her mother, stepfather, and overbearing tutor. The three girls quickly become friends despite Seneca's hectic rehearsal schedule. When she is kidnapped after a performance, Kari and Lucas sidestep some shady characters and supersleuth their way to a daring rescue.

 I couldn't find a picture that matched the ARC exactly.
This ARC includes Book One, Book two, and Book 3.

A Flower Blooms on Charlotte Street - In 1898, after her mother's death, Ociee runs wild with her brothers in Marshall County, Mississippi. Her mother's sister, Aunt Mamie, has other plans for Ociee. Her loving father agrees and packs his only daughter on the train to go live with her aunt on Charlotte Street in Ashville, North Carolina; it is the biggest metropolis that the child has ever seen. This protagonist, lively and sympathetic, stars in a story that is permeated with familial love.

Ociee On Her Own

The Further Adventures of Ociee Nash



Both ARCS will go home with one winner! USA ONLY!
Winner will be announced March 19th.

Book Blogger Hop

Jen over at Crazy for Books has started this delightful new meme. To join, just click on over to her blog and sign the wonderful Mr. Linky, then sit back, click away and discover some really great new blogs!  A truly awesome and inspiring idea!!

Sugar Doll Award

I received this wonderful award from my friend Lori @ Dollycas's Thoughts.  She's a relatively new blogger, but her blog is wonderful.  When you get time, stop over there. I'm sure she would love a visit! Thanks Lori!

How this award works is I tell you 10 things about ME, then I bestow this fabulous honor on ten other blogs.

1.  I'm a Sales & Catering Director at a hotel and I love my job.  Last summer, a groom actually got married wearing a kilt, and they had bagpipes. LOVED IT!

2.  I'm a mother of two teenagers.  One boy, one girl.  I didn't realize what I put my parents through until now.  Hats off to MY parents!!

3.  My favorite pastime is to read or watch drama TV.

4.  I have crooked finger and toes from when I was frostbitten horrible when I was two. It doesn't deter me, with the exception of arthritis.  Piano player I am not :)

5.  My favorite scents are lilacs and vanilla.

6.  I love country music; Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Willie Nelson and George Jones & Strait being my favorites.

7. The song Amazing Grace always makes me cry.  Always. One of the most beautiful songs of all time.

8.  I used to be able to put my feet behind my neck, then I got older and fat LOL

9.  Watching the tv programs Dirty Jobs and Cash Cab every Sunday with my husband is something I look forward to every week.  Time together is something I don't take for granted.

10.  I don't chew gum, eat taffy or anything sticky.  I'm a chocolate kind of girl :)

And I am bestowing this awesome award to:

1. Tynga's Urban Fantasy Reviews
2. My Blog 2.0
3. Bellas Novella
4. Brenda Loves Books
5. Cafe of Dreams
6. Emeraldfire's Bookmark
7. Starting Fresh
8. Cindy's Book and Movie Reviews
9. Crazy-for-Books.com
10. Amberkatze's Book Blog

Facelift!

You probably clicked here and thought you were in the wrong place? Wendy's Minding Spot is undergoing a facelift -- just in time for Spring! Doesn't it look fantastic? My good friend Jen has done a marvelous job; I love it!  I've still got to tweak a few things, but the new look is here to stay.  I hope you enjoy it :)

Author Interview: Joanne Kennedy with Giveaway

A cowboy like that could break your heart...
Fleeing her latest love-life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a farm-but without the constant help of her charming, sexy cowboy neighbor, she'd never make it through her first Wyoming season.
But he could sure keep you warm at night, too...
Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch. He's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance...
Then the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, and Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible...

Hi Joanne! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer a few questions.

      Thanks so much for having me!

1. Can you tell us what inspired you to write Cowboy Trouble?

First of all, I was inspired by Wyoming and the West. Since I grew up in New England, I felt like I’d come to an alien planet when I first moved out here. At one point in the book, my heroine says that seeing real cowboys in boots and chaps is “like moving to Austria and finding your neighbors decked out in Lederhosen.” That’s exactly how I felt. But I also fell in love with the wide-open spaces and the quirky individuality of the people out here.

Speaking of falling in love, I was also inspired by my own story. Like Libby, I met an irresistible stranger at the very moment I decided to swear off men forever. Since then, all my stories illustrate the point that no matter what’s happened in your past, love is always a risk worth taking.

2. When did you write the book and how much research went into it?

Cowboy Trouble is the first book I ever wrote. I finished it almost five years ago, but everyone told me Westerns were out of style, so I put it away after a few rejections and wrote some other manuscripts. Then my agent found out Sourcebooks was looking for Western romances, and here we are! Cowboy Trouble is truly the book of my heart, and I’m so glad it made it to the bookshelves.

As far as research goes, everything I do is research. A stop at a bar on a road trip led to the Roundup. (All the guys at the bar really were named Mike.) Seeing beat-up piebald pickups parked at rodeos and ranches inspired Luke’s truck. The idea for Crazy Mike’s muskrats was sparked by a flea-market display, and Libby’s dogs are sitting beside me as I write this!

I love exploring the West, and writing gives me a great excuse to take road trips off into the hinterlands. Looking at everything as a potential story element makes the world a fascinating place, because small towns and barren landscapes that might bore other people become potential settings. I find myself imagining what it would be like to live there. What kind of people would my neighbors be? How would I make a living? What might be dangerous or difficult about living there? I talk to waitresses and shopkeepers, gas station attendants and strangers in bars. Everybody has a story.

3. Which writers have influenced you the most?

That’s a tough one. As a bookseller, I probably approached writing a novel a little differently. I talk to a lot of readers, and I see what they enjoy and why, so lots of different writers have influenced me. I wanted to create a quick, fun read, so even though their stories are nothing like mine, I used short chapters like James Patterson and a clear, no-frills writing style like Jonathan Kellerman. Then I added zany humor in the style of Janet Evanovich, who is probably my favorite writer these days. In romance, I love, love, love Linda Lael Miller’s cowboys. I also love the way Susan Elizabeth Phillips addresses serious emotions with humor, and I admire Carolyn Brown’s Lucky series for its smart, snappy wit. I also enjoy light, humorous contemporary romances; a few recent favorites are Christie Craig, Elaine Fox, and Rachel Gibson.

4. What book is currently on your nightstand?

I’m reading Doppelgangster by Laura Resnick. It’s a very funny and quirky paranormal mystery that involves Mafia hitmen, tough city cops, and a terrific heroine—and who could resist that title? And I just finished I’m With Stupid by Elaine Szewczyk, which is an anti-romance where the heroine is desperately trying to shed her clueless boyfriend. Very edgy and funny.

5. Is there anything about Luke or Libby that only you know? (That isn’t discussed in Cowboy Trouble)?

·       Libby loves chocolate-covered pretzels and Cracker Jacks.

·       She tells everyone her favorite TV shows are Burn Notice and Lost, but she’s secretly addicted to Survivor.

·       Luke was an Eagle Scout.

·       Penny never really gets over her little problem of peeing when she’s excited.

·       That guy Libby dated before Luke? The one who was such a jerk? I dated him, too. (I think maybe we all did!)

·       There’s more about Luke, but I don’t kiss and tell…

6. Is there anything else you'd like your readers to know? Are you currently working on another novel?

First of all, I just want to thank readers for sharing my world. Characters aren’t truly alive until they inhabit the minds of readers, and Luke and Libby thank you, too.

And I hope you’ll also like meeting Charlie and Nat!. Their story, One Fine Cowboy, will be released September 7^th. Charlie Banks is a grad student from New Jersey who goes to a horse training clinic in Wyoming to study non-verbal communication. She’s an animal rights activist who thinks cowboys are animal abusers, but the man she finds at Latigo Ranch proves her wrong—and boy, does he ever excel at non-verbal communication!

Thanks again for stopping by Wendy's Minding Spot!

You’re very welcome! I love this blog; it’s so clear that you have a passion for books and reading, and you’ve found a great way to share it with people. Thanks for giving me a chance to connect with your readers!

COWBOY TROUBLE by JOANNE KENNEDY—IN STORES MARCH 2010

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a chicken farm—but without the constant help of her charming, sexy, cowboy neighbor; she'd never have made it through her first Wyoming season.

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch…he's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance. When the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joanne Kennedy has worked in bookstores all her life in positions ranging from bookseller to buyer. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and won first place in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest and second place in the Heart of the Rockies contest in 2007.  Joanne lives and writes in Cheyenne, Wyoming. For more information please visit http://kennedysmyth.com/ and http://www.cowboytrouble.com/.

Giveaway Opportunity!

2 Lucky Winners will receive their own copy of Cowboy Trouble.

USA and Canada Only

Please leave a comment with your email.

Winners announced on March 12th.

Omnimystery Book Tour: The Secret Keeper by Paul Harris w/ giveaway

THE SECRET KEEPER opens with a torture scene and quickly grabbed my attention.  Not that I like torture, but the fact I wanted to know the why and the who and the what had me up late turning the pages.

British Journalist Danny Kellerman was sent to Sierra Leone four years ago.  A place where rebels rule, it was simplistic and cruel.  There, he fell in love with American Maria, a relief worker who aids and rescues children.  But when the fighting was over, Danny returned to England without Maria.

Four years later, Danny is happy playing house with his girlfriend Rachel until he receives the letter.  It's from Maria and she begs for his help.  Danny is unsure of what to do, so he googles her name on a whim and is stunned at the results.  Maria has been killed by a band of bandits.  Danny uses his journalistic connections to be sent back to Sierra Leone, promising a story on his return.

But what Danny finds on his return there is not as it was when he left.  The area may  seem like it has moved forward into the new century with less fighting and more technology, but Danny digs deeper sensing something awry.  Those he counted as friends he finds are corrupt and those that led the rebellion four years ago now hold high ranks in politics.  Danny is determined to investigate Maria's murder, but can find no help in any quarter.

A thrilling page-turner set against the backdrop of Africa lends details and credence to the plot that has a shocking, yet satisfying ending. Obviously Mr. Harris's own work as a journalist lent credibility to his first work, as the details are very authentic.  For  a debut novel, it is simply a stunning and haunting work.  I finished it a few days ago, and still the story is fresh in my mind.  The politics took me a little while to wrap my head around and get straight, but Mr. Harris lead the path in a simple way for me to understand that really added a punch to the storyline.  Wonderful characters, a thrilling adventure, and romance blend together perfectly for THE SECRET KEEPER.

About the Author:

Paul Harris is currently the US Correspondent of the British weekly newspaper The Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper.  He has held the post since 2003.  Prior to that he reported from Africa for the Daily Telegraph, the Associated Press and Reuters.  He has covered conflicts and trouble spots all around the world, including Iraq, Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Pakistan.  In 2003 he was embedded with British forces during the invasion of Iraq.

The Secret Keeper was inspired by his reporting on events in 2000 in Sierra Leone as that country’s long civil war came to an end. 

Paul now lives in New York and is happy to have swapped the dangers of the front line for the less obvious perils of writing about American politics and culture.

To learn more about the author and the book, visit his website at TheSecretKeeper.us.

Giveaway Opportunity!

“Paul Harris is giving away a signed copy of his book, The Secret Keepr, to one lucky tour visitor. Go to his book tour page, http://paul-harris.omnimystery.com/, enter your name, e-mail address, and this PIN, 3251, for your chance to win. Entries from Wendy's Minding Spot will be accepted until 12:00 Noon (PT) tomorrow. No purchase is required to enter or to win. The winner (first name only) will be announced on his book tour page next week.”

The Long Way Home (The Homelanders) by Andrew Klavan

The second book in The Homelander’s series finds Charlie West on the run.   He woke up one morning, not remembering anything from the past year, finding himself the target of terrorist and police officials.  One of Charlie’s friends has been murdered, and he is the prime suspect.

Charlie heads home to hopefully get some answers, and maybe some of his memory back.  A thrilling adventure for adults and teens alike, THE LONG WAY HOME is an action-packed page-turner that manages to bring different messages to the reader. 

THE LONG WAY HOME may be the second in the series, but it does stand alone.  There are many flashbacks within the novel that catch the reader up with what happened in the previous work, THE LAST THING I REMEMBER.  I look forward to reading more from this author, and so are my two teenagers.

The Highlander's Sword by Amanda Forester w/ giveaway

First off, I want to say how much I loved this book!  I find it hard to believe that this is Ms. Forester's first novel, but if you love historical romance, you won't want to miss this one.  It's amazing!!

Padyn MacLaren is a Highlander who was betrayed by his French fiance' to the English. Now wearing a scar across his face from that fiasco,  his heart bruised and swearing to never trust another woman again, Padyn makes his way back home to the Scottish Highlands.  He had fought for five years.

On his return to his home, he finds devastation.  His crops are fallow, his land has been raided and most of his clansmen have left.  He immediately submerges himself into hard work to rebuild his home.  But when he returned, he brought his warriors with him and Padyn knows he must have more land.

Dundaff Castle has had their crops burnt repeatedly recently and if it continues, they will starve through the winter.  Laird Graham does not have the warriors to defend his land, so he sends a proposal to Sir Padyn.  If Padyn marries Graham's daughter Aila, then he will inherit Graham land, and help defend it.  It seems like a wonderful business transaction to Padyn and he readily agrees.

But unbeknown to Padyn, Aila was bound for the Church.  She was raised to be a nun, but marries Padyn as her father orders.  But when Padyn doesn't visit Aila on their wedding eve, Aila is devastated and runs away to the Church to beg an annulment.  Before she gets there, she is kidnapped by McNab, a clansman who wants Dundaff Castle for his own.

Padyn and Aila are two diverse characters who emotional well being are comprimised.  Their love story unfolds against the beautiful backdrop of Scotland and it has it's humourous moments, and it's ups and downs, much like any relationship.  Ms. Forester does an excellent job of keeping the plot going and you don't figure out who is the perpetrator until the final pages.  Romance, humor and a Highland mystery all rolled into one.  I'm looking forward to reading more from Amanda Forester.  Her writing just warms the soul.

I'm giving my gently read ARC to one lucky reader! USA Only.

Leave a comment with a valid email.

Winner announced on March 8th.

Countess of Scandal Winners

 A big thanks to Hatchette Books for allowing me to host this spectactular giveaway! If the winners don't respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  Didn't win? Lots of great giveaways coming soon, so stay tuned for more chances to win!

1. Martha Lawson - CONFIRMED
2. tetewa - CONFIRMED
3. Stacy - CONFIRMED
4. Teresa - CONFIRMED
5. Lyoness2009 - CONFIRMED

Congratulations!!