Once upon a time, at the RWA conference in San Antonio, I made Donna Alward to laugh. And then Sarah M. Anderson gave us the side eye... and the rest is Not My 1st Rodeo.
My best ideas can start from the silliest of situations. While in Texas, I saw a commercial for a farmers dating website. I decided the commercial would be far sexier with cowboys. I told my online bestie Donna Alward to write me that book, but with hot cowboys and an imaginary schmexy dating site.
Donna is a good friend, so encouraged me to write the story myself. And to make sure I did, she'd do it with me. Sarah got roped in too...claiming the widower before we even finished telling her the idea.
I claimed the virgin...and then we decided on the Not My1st Rodeo theme. Our site would cater to the hot cowboys I wanted, but to create the deep emotion Donna and Sarah are known for we targeted those daters looking for a second chance at romance. A virgin who’d been divorced or widowed? How was I going to manage that?
I knew what I wanted in the story – a sexy summer thunderstorm, rustic cabin, and rancher who looked great with his shirt off. As long as I got my wish list, virginity was a minor inconvenience. Which gave me an idea...
If everyone who reads the Not My 1st Rodeo stories has half as much fun as we had writing them, it will be a very happy summer!
Here's a bit of my contribution to the anthology releasing in just SIX DAYS!
Anything for a Cowboy by Jenna Bayley-Burke
About the story:
When veterinarian Jacy Weston changes her location on her western dating website profile, she thinks it’s no big deal. Opal Creek…Myrtle Creek…what’s the difference? As little white lies go, this one barely qualifies. Besides, since her brothers have chased off every guy within a hundred miles, the expiration date on her virginity is way past due.
Ray Mitchell is not inclined to waste his time on something as unnecessary as dating, but it’s much easier to take a woman to coffee than to explain to his mother why he’s in no hurry to get married again. Despite NotMy1stRodeo.com’s promises, he doubts he’ll find any woman willing to find herself stuck on a remote ranch raising rodeo stock.
But Jacy is different. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Or to get down and dirty. Ray’s thinking he’s found the one, until the truth comes out…and he realizes the divorcee from the next county he’s been dating doesn’t exist.
Warning: Contains a virginal heroine looking for the nearest exit for the horizontal highway to heaven, and a cowboy willing to go the distance for the right woman.
EXCERPT
Ray knew his smile was probably a bit too wide, but it matched Jacy’s. He pulled off his gloves and stuck them in the back pocket of his jeans as he crossed the gravel yard to meet her beside her mammoth truck. Just like earlier, he felt that instant tug of desire, the urgent longing of man for woman. Every stray thought since he’d left her had been about her naked. And standing here with her flaming-red hair, worn jeans and a white tank top, she slid into every fantasy he’d ever had.
“You found me,” he said, instead of asking to skip the ride and take things indoors.
“The directions were spot on.” She put her hands in her back pockets, drawing his attention to her breasts. He forced his gaze up to the watercolor swirl of her hazel eyes.
“How long do you think we’ll be out for? Should I take a coat?”
“I’m not taking one.” He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, suddenly all hot and prickly. He’d prefer she not cover up, but that was for selfish reasons. Good thing one of them was practical.
“Then I won’t either. I tend to run hot.”
Her words hit him right in the libido. But like this morning, he didn’t know how to read it. He didn’t want to jump too far ahead and risk getting kicked out of the game entirely. He nodded and walked back towards the stable. She fell in step beside him.
“Who am I riding today?”
He clenched his fists and dragged his dirty mind out of the gutter. Since he’d sworn off dating-site hookups six months back, he hadn’t bothered with sex, a fact his body had decided to alert him to today. He hadn’t been this focused on bedding a woman since his first time.
Ray cleared his throat as they entered the paddock. “I saddled Little Joe for you. He knows this place better than I do. Plus, he’s as smooth as we’ve got since Candy’s getting ready to foal.”
She stopped beside him and reached for the gelding paint. “And who is this handsome fella?”
“No flirting with my girl, Hoss.” He patted the horse’s neck and undid the cross ties keeping the youngster in place. Joe whinnied in his stall.
“Let’s make him jealous,” she mock-whispered before mounting his horse in a smooth movement.
“Seriously?” He spoke more to Joe than anything, since Jacy had ridden Hoss smoothly into the corral. He climbed onto the horse his mother usually rode. “You better keep up, old man.”
Anything For A Cowboy is now available as an individual release! I love that readers have the option to grab the Not My 1st Rodeo anthology or choose just the book that interests them.
