Review & Giveaway: Cowboy Charm School by Margaret Brownley

COWBOY CHARM SCHOOL 
HAYWIRE BRIDES, #1

by

MARGARET BROWNLEY

Sub-genre: Western / Clean Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of Publication: September 4, 2018

Number of Pages: 384

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When Texas Ranger Brett Tucker accidentally derails a wedding, he’s determined to bring the estranged couple back together…but he never dreamed he’d start falling for the bride!

Texas Ranger Brett Tucker hates to break up a wedding, but the groom—notorious criminal Frank Foster—is a danger to any woman. So he busts into the church, guns blazing…only to find he has the wrong man.

 

STOP THAT WEDDING!

Bride-to-be Kate Denver is appalled by her fiancé’s over-the-top reaction to the innocent mistake and calls off the wedding—for good. Guilt-ridden, Brett’s desperate to get them back on track. But the more time he spends with Kate, the harder he falls…and the more he yearns to prove that he’s her true match in every way.

“Light and airy as cotton candy, this tale charms.” 

— Publishers Weekly

 

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AMAZONBARNES & NOBLEiTUNES

From the very first chapter, I could tell that this book wasn’t written by your typical romance novelist. I can’t put my finger on it, but perhaps it is Brownley’s word choice – none of those overused descriptions we see in most western romance novels – that sets this book apart from all the other romance novels I have read. Or maybe it’s because that first chapter, so suspenseful and visceral, doesn’t read like a romance at all. But don’t worry, come chapter two, you definitely know that you have picked up a romance novel, if the pretty book cover hasn’t tipped you off yet.

If you follow my blog, you know that I have recently reviewed another western romance that featured a young woman who makes candy for a living and eventually falls in love with a law man. You can rest easy that this book is completely different and exciting to read. The search for the robbers is paced nicely with very subtle clues about who the culprits might be. Kate’s job as the town’s candymaker is more than just a quaint occupation she holds, but a family legacy and vehicle with which she spreads hope and goodwill to the citizens of Haywire.

The part that I enjoyed most, that also had me sighing with exasperation at times, was Brett’s tutelage of Frank – very Cyrano de Bergerac. Although, I got the impression that Brett was easier on the eyes than Frank, which is not the typical Cyrano reincarnation. The whole “Cowboy Charm School” thing had me at war with myself. The idea that a guy can learn to be more romantic was sweet, but at what point is it like the games guys play nowadays just to land the girl? And the sticky situation of falling in love with someone that you’re trying to help someone else woo, that doesn’t usually work out well either. No matter, it was fun to read and to guess how it would work out in the end.

While Brownley’s language is beautiful, it’s not too flowery. There are no wasted descriptions or useless dialogue. I really am amazed that although this book can be considered a mystery, it very solidly reads like the western romance that it is classified as. I look forward to reading about the other Haywire brides.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a cozy romance, but also to anyone who likes mysteries as well.

New York Times bestselling author MARGARET BROWNLEY has penned more than forty-five novels and novellas. She’s a two-time Romance Writers of American RITA^® finalist and has written for a TV soap. She is also a recipient of the Romantic Times Pioneer Award.  

 

Her story, A Pony Express Christmas, will appear this fall in the Old West Christmas Brides collection, and book two of her Haywire Brides series will be published May 2019.  Not bad for someone who flunked eighth-grade English.  Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.

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Signed Copy + $10 Amazon Gift Card

September 24-October 3, 2018

(US ONLY)

 

 

 

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CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

9/24/18	Excerpt	Hall Ways Blog
9/24/18	Excerpt	The Clueless Gent
9/25/18	Review	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/26/18	Author Interview	Book Fidelity
9/26/18	Top Ten List	Books in the Garden
9/27/18	Review	Momma on the Rocks
9/28/18	Guest Post	Books and Broomsticks
9/28/18	Author Interview	Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
9/29/18	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/30/18	Guest Post	That’s What She’s Reading
9/30/18	Excerpt	Forgotten Winds
10/1/18	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
10/2/18	Guest Post	The Book Review
10/3/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
10/3/18	Review	Missus Gonzo

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Promo & Giveaway: Christmas in a Cowboy’s Arms

CHRISTMAS 

IN A COWBOY’S ARMS

with stories by

ROSANNE BITTNER, LINDA BRODAY, MARGARET BROWNLEY, 
LEIGH GREENWOOD, ANNA SCHMIDT, AMY SANDAS

  Genre: Romance Anthology / Western / Historical

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of Publication: October 3, 2017

Number of Pages: 512

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The Beating Heart of Christmas

In the wild and untamed West, it takes a cowboy’s embrace to see you through a long winter’s night. Stay toasty this holiday season with heart-warming tales from these bestselling authors.

Whether it’s a lonely spinster finding passion at last…an infamous outlaw-turned-lawman reaffirming the love that keeps him whole…a lost and broken drifter discovering family in unlikely places…a Texas Ranger risking it all for one remarkable woman…two lovers bringing together a family ripped apart by prejudice…or reunited lovers given a second chance to correct past mistakes…a Christmas spent in a cowboy’s arms is full of hope, laughter, and―most of all―love.

*Chick-a-Dee Christmas by Rosanne Bittner * The Christmas Stranger by Linda Broday * A Texas Ranger for Christmas by Margaret Brownley * Father Christmas by Leigh Greenwood * A Christmas Baby by Anna Schmidt * A Christmas Reunion by Amy Sandas*

PRAISE FOR CHRISTMAS IN A COWBOY’S ARMS: 
“An emotional powerhouse! This classic historical western is destined for the “keeper” shelf.” ―RT Book Reviews, Top Pick for Rosanne Bittner

“Fun and sensual…great for fans of history, romance, and some good old Texas grit.” ―Kirkus for Linda Broday

“A great story by a wonderful author.” ― #1 New York Times bestselling author DEBBIE MACOMBER for Margaret Brownley

“Greenwood is a master at westerns.” ―RT Book Reviews for Leigh Greenwood

“The perfect read.” ―RT Book Reviews for Anna Schmidt

“A genuine page-turner…electric and absorbing.” ―Kirkus for Amy Sandas

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CLICK TO PURCHASE

——–║——–

ANNA SCHMIDT, AUTHOR OF A CHRISTMAS BABY

Included in Christmas in a Cowboy’s Arms Anthology

About A Christmas Baby:

Rico and Louisa come from different worlds. Can their love survive once her family disowns her and can they find peace and reunion through the message of Christmas—and an innocent child?

INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR ANNA SCHMIDT

Where did your love of books and reading come from? Mostly my mother who had a seventh-grade education but was an avid reader and one of the smartest people I knew. Both parents put a LOT of focus on the importance of reading—books were always part of our Christmas “loot.”

How does your book relate to your faith? My faith is all about diversity and inclusion—it is no accident that the world is populated by so many different cultures and ethnicities. The key is to find ways to respect, appreciate and engage!!!

How has your formal education influenced or impacted your writing? My studies in both history and theater have greatly impacted my writing. When I write, I see the characters on a stage or movie screen—they walk and talk like characters on stage and I am always aware of who else is “in the scene.”

What do your plans for future projects include? This story weaves in with my LAST CHANCE COWBOYS series. Book 3, THE OUTLAW is available now and the final book –THE RANCHER—will be available in early 2018. Rico and Louisa as well as other characters from this story are all part of those novels.

Where is one place you want to visit that you haven’t been before? Scandinavia—I just had my DNA done and discovered I am 20% Scandinavian!!

What cultural value do you see in books and storytelling? The written word is a gift—stories are gifts that can allow a child to define who he or she truly is. They can also provide a refuge from the troubled times and hope for a better tomorrow.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Anna Schmidt is a three-time finalist for the coveted RITA award presented annually by Romance Writers of America. In addition, she has been a four-time finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine—an award she has won twice.

The author of over thirty works of historical and contemporary fiction, Anna has worked in the corporate world for two international companies, taught at the college level, and is a popular presenter of hands-on workshops. She splits her time between Wisconsin and Florida, noting that, “I am blessed to have a career that travels well!”

Rosanne Bittner

Website * Facebook 

Twitter * Goodreads

Linda Broday

Website * Facebook 

Twitter * Goodreads

Margaret Brownley

Website * Facebook 

Twitter * Goodreads

Anna Schmidt

Website * Pinterest 

Twitter * Goodreads

Amy Sandas

Website * Facebook 

Twitter * Goodreads

Leigh Greenwood

Website * Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

December 1-December 10, 2017
Four Winners will each get a prize pack which includes Christmas in a Cowboy’s Arms + another book(s) by one of the authors.  Three of the packs will also include a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

(U.S. Only)

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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:

12/1/17	Christmas Memories	Hall Ways Blog
12/2/17	Review	Books in the Garden
12/3/17	Spotlight on Amy	Syd Savvy
12/4/17	Review	Bibliotica
12/5/17	Spotlight on Anna	Missus Gonzo
12/6/17	Spotlight on Linda	Margie’s Must Reads
12/7/17	Review	Reading by Moonlight
12/8/17	Spotlight on Margaret	The Librarian Talks
12/9/17	Spotlight on Rosanne	Tangled in Text
12/10/17	Review	StoreyBook Reviews

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House of the Rising Sun by James Lee Burke

Lone Star Literary Life Blog Tours

 

presents

 

HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

a novel

by

James Lee Burke

 

 

 

Title: HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

Author: James Lee Burke

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

# of pages: 448

 

Order today from 

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iBooks

 

 

New York Times bestseller James Lee Burke returns with his latest masterpiece, the story of a father and son separated by war and circumstance—and whose encounter with the legendary Holy Grail will change their lives forever.

 

From its opening scene in revolutionary Mexico to the Battle of the Marne in 1918, and on to the bordellos and saloons of San Antonio during the reign of the Hole in the Wall Gang, House of the Rising Sun is an epic tale of love, loss, betrayal, vengeance, and retribution that follows Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland on his journey to reunite with his estranged son, Ishmael, a captain in the United States Army.

 

After a violent encounter that leaves four Mexican soldiers dead, Hackberry escapes the country in possession of a stolen artifact, earning the ire of a bloodthirsty Austrian arms dealer who then places Hack’s son Ishmael squarely in the cross hairs of a plot to recapture his prize, believed to be the mythic cup of Christ.

 

Along the way, we meet three extraordinary women: Ruby Dansen, the Danish immigrant who is Ishmael’s mother and Hackberry’s one true love; Beatrice DeMolay, a brothel madam descended from the crusader knight who brought the shroud of Turin back from the Holy Land; and Maggie Bassett, one-time lover of the Sundance Kid, whose wiles rival those of Lady Macbeth. In her own way, each woman will aid Hackberry in his quest to reconcile with Ishmael, to vanquish their enemies, and to return the Grail to its rightful place.

 

House of the Rising Sun is James Lee Burke’s finest novel to date, and a thrilling entry into the Holland family saga that continued most recently with Wayfaring Stranger, which The New York Times Book Review described as “saturated with the romance of the past while mournfully attuned to the unholy menace of the present.”

 

Praise for the author

 

“The heavyweight champ, a great American novelist.” —Michael Connelly

A classic saga of the American West from James Lee Burke

House of the Rising Sun

 

One of America’s most acclaimed and versatile novelists returns with a harrowing, historical epic featuring Texas Ranger Hackberry Holland. Starting in revolutionary Mexico circa 1918 and winding through seedy, gang-controlled San Antonio, Holland fights his way back to his Army captain son while protecting one of history’s most fabled artifacts.

“A gorgeous prose stylist.” —Stephen King

“The reigning champ of nostalgia noir.” —The New York Times Book Review

 

With my busy schedule, I’m embarrassed to admit that I prefer books that jump right to the meat and potatoes. James Lee Burke serves you a fancy multi-course meal. He is truly an artist that wraps you up in his beautiful descriptions and realistic characters. After dragging my heels through the first few courses, Burke grabbed me by the eyeballs and wouldn’t let go. Even as I tried to rest my eyes for the night, my mind spun with questions that wouldn’t be answered until I finished the book. What did Hack do to his son that was so unforgivable? What does the Cup of Christ have anything to do with all of this?

While the supporting characters are irritated by Hack, I actually loved the guy. I liked his understated sarcasm and wit. I liked even more that Ruby, who you would think would be a simple woman, calls him out on his encyclopedic knowledge used to abuse people. Burke is very Tarentino-esque with his strong and crafty female characters. As interesting as the Hack, Arnold, and Andre characters were, I was more interested in what made Ruby, Maggie, and Beatrice tick. As intelligent and strong as the men were, they were often bested by the women.

I haven’t said this about any other book on tour, but I could see this one as a movie *ahem, Tarantino*.

 

James Lee Burke, a rare winner of two Edgar Awards, and named Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels and two collections of short stories. He lives in Missoula, Montana.

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