Welcome to the Spring in the Country Blog Hop!
GRAND PRIZE: We are giving away a $100 gift card to Amazon or B&N
MY PRIZE: The entire Grass Valley series, in digital format!
I love spring for so many reasons.
Warmer temperatures and sunshine are at the top of the list, along with spring flowers, birds returning after the long, cold winter, and the promise of beautiful summer days ahead.
Growing up on a farm where we raised wheat, hay, corn, and beef cattle, spring brought many exciting things.
It began with the mud gumbo beginning to dry. This was a wonderful thing, especially if you wanted to get from the house to any destination without wearing a mud coating from the knees down.
As the fields dried, it was a welcome ritual of spring to see my dad out working the ground, preparing for a new crop.
My mom always had flowers that heralded spring like crocuses and hyacinths followed by daffodils and tulips.
Another sure sign spring had arrived was spring branding. The baby calves born during the cold days of the winter were rounded up, along with their mommas, and run into pens for branding and working.
My oldest brother and his friends could turn branding day into a big party, although they worked hard. If you’ve ever been involved with a branding, you know it wasn’t all fun and games. There’s dust, blood, sweat and the stench of burning hide.
Writing western romances gives me a great outlet to share some of my experiences from my growing up years and dream up new ones for my characters.
One of my favorite spring scenes is from The Cowboy’s Spring Romance.
Trent Thompson and his brothers, Trey and Travis, are in the midst of spring branding. Trey invites his wife, Cady, and Trent’s girlfriend, Lindsay, to come out to the pens when they finish cleaning up after lunch to experience branding for the first time. The girls reluctantly go…
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Arriving on the scene, the girls went unnoticed for nearly half an hour by the Thompson trio, who were in the thick of things. This gave the two women time to take in what was happening, hold their hands over their noses at the smell, and decide they would much rather wait at the house. They were turning to walk back when Trent spotted them and rode over to the fence.
“Hello, ladies,” he called, forcing them to turn around at his greeting. Lindsay lifted a hand in acknowledgement and elbowed Cady.
Trent tied Lass, his horse, to the fence and swung over it, landing in one smooth motion that sent his spurs jingling and the fringe on his chinks flying.
Lindsay, who had never been given to the twittering silliness of simpering girls, thought she might actually swoon as he swaggered toward them. The horrid smells and churning dust faded away into a golden glow surrounding the two of them. The cowboy staring at her with fire in his blue eyes was far more virile and good-looking than the heroes of the stories she liked to read. She watched Trent approach one enticing step at a time…
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Check out all the great bloggers participating in the blog hop and earn more chances at winning a $100 Amazon gift card.
You can also find details on the Cowboy Charm Facebook page.
To get in on the chance to win the $100 Amazon Gift card, just fill in the info on Rafflecopter!
To enter my drawing for a complete digital set of the Grass Valley Cowboys series (that’s five books!), just answer the following question below in the comments section.
What brings spring to mind for you?
Is it crocuses in bloom? The sight of a robin? The smell of new earth? Aisle filling with Easter candy at the store?
Post your answer below and get in on the chance to win the Grass Valley Cowboy’s series! Winner will be announced March 26.
Now, hop on over to the next blog at Cowboy Charm Blog Hops!
