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Catherine Castle's Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series, Counting on the Cowboy, cowboy romance, excerpt from Counting on the Cowboy, inspy romance, Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Welcome to Tuesday Wedding Tales blog series,
where wedding-themed stories are the fare.
Today’s guest is award-winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter who writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance. Who doesn’t love a guy in a cowboy hat and boots? I know I do. Shannon will be talking about her newest Inspirational Contemporary Romance book, Counting on the Cowboy.
She’s also offering a chance to win one of ten copies which will be split among names drawn during her blog tour from March 13 – April 10. Leave a comment on her post to be entered in the giveaway. Today she’s not only on Tuesday Wedding Tales, but at http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/ and http://www.gingersolomon.com/ More details about the giveaway are at the end of the post, so be sure to read through for that as well as a great excerpt. So, without further ado, here’s Shannon!
Thanks, Catherine.
Devree Malone is a sought after Dallas wedding planner in my latest book, Counting on the Cowboy. At twelve years old, she attended her cousin’s nuptials and decided she wanted to spend her life creating stunning weddings. Her goal has been to put together perfect days for brides without breaking the bank.
Until six months before the book begins, when she met with a potential client bride only to discover her boyfriend was the potential groom. Soured on weddings, she decides to take her business in a new direction with event planning.
She ends up at a dude ranch in Bandera Texas owned by her sister and brother-in-law. With her sister in the last month of a high risk pregnancy, Devree agrees to stay and keep an eye on her. While at the ranch, she has to plan one last wedding booked there. The wedding is for a high-profile client and Devree hopes if she aces the ceremony, the bride’s father will hire her to plan his company retreat. But she doesn’t plan on having to count on the cowboy.
Brock McBride shows up at the dude ranch to apply for a job as the handyman. His dad was the handyman there when he was a kid and Brock was childhood friends with Devree’s brother-in-law. He moved away after his dad’s death when he was eight. With experience in building resort cabins, Brock gets hired to help with cabins being built on the dude ranch. But when he discovers someone from his past working at the ranch, he turns down the job. Until Devree begs him to stay so the cabins will get finished and her sister will remain stress-free.
She’s all city—afraid of fish hooks, doesn’t like getting dirty, isn’t outdoorsy, and isn’t fond of farm animals. She can’t wait to get this one last wedding over and for her sister to have a healthy baby so she can get back to her life in Dallas. Brock hates the city, loves everything country, and never wants to live anywhere else. But he’s just as anxious to get away from the dude ranch and that painful reminder from his past I mentioned.
In the midst of wedding planning, she’s tasked with readying an old cabin for the bride and groom’s honeymoon cottage. With Brock on hand to make repairs, they end up working in close proximity. Despite a growing attraction, they’re still on separate paths. Will Devree realize Brock’s a cowboy she can count on?
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Counting on the Cowboy
By Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Ranching is his whole life… until he meets one special city girl
Texas Cowboy
Brock McBride knows better than to fall for a city girl. She’ll leave and break his heart—just like his ex-fiancée did. But his job at Chasing Eden Dude Ranch requires working alongside Dallas wedding planner Devree Malone. And despite fierce resistance, he’s falling hard. Yet with Devree’s business back in the city, can he convince her she’s found her home…with him?
Excerpt:
Devree was cutting it close with her wedding party arriving today and the rehearsal tonight. She wound tulle around the pillars on each side of the stage, draping it just so. She’d done it so many times, she could almost do it in her sleep. Next, the ivy-and-pearl garland.
The door to the chapel opened. “Heard you could use a hand.” Brock strode up the aisle.
“I thought you were busy with Chase and Landry’s house.”
“I did too. But Landry doesn’t want you climbing the ladder in here alone.”
“Well, you’re too late, I’ve already been up there and I’m none the worse for wear. She’s a worrier, but I’m fine.” Finished with the pillars, she started to move the ladder to the lattice archway behind where the preacher would stand.
His hands landed on hers. “I’ll get that.”
Warmth moved up her arms. Reluctantly, she pulled away. “Over here, then. Underneath the archway.”
He placed the ladder for her as she grabbed more tulle from a plastic bin and started up the rungs.
“I can do the climbing if you’ll tell me what to do.”
“I’m fine. And you don’t seem like a decorating guru.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Guess I’ll stand here and make sure you don’t fall, then.”
She climbed the ladder, wound the tulle through the lattice. “Can you hand me the ivy-and-pearl garland.”
“This?” He held up the greenery.
She took it from him, wound it among the tulle, then started down the ladder to do the sides. But her foot slipped. “Oh!” She teetered, lost her balance. Strong arms caught her, lowered her safely to her feet but didn’t let go.
“What are you thinking climbing a ladder barefoot?”
“It was either that or my heels.”
“Why do you always wear those ridiculous stilts?”
“The wedding party is arriving today. I wanted to look the part.”
His gaze held hers prisoner, then lowered to her mouth as he dipped his head.
Her breath hitched as his lips neared hers.
The chapel door opened and they sprang apart.
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Want to read more? You can find Shannon’s book here.
Now Shannon has a question for the readers: Have you ever changed careers?
About the Author:
Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.
She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad, and she married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
Social Media: Shannon’s Website Shannon’s Blog Shannon’s Facebook
Giveaway details:
Comment to enter the drawing for a copy of Counting on the Cowboy. Ten copies will be split among names drawn during the blog tour from March 13 – April 10. One winner will get to pick the theme for a custom made memory board personally crafted by the author. Deadline April 20. Winners will be revealed on the author’s blog on April 21. Go to my website http://shannontaylorvannatter.com/ and sign up for my newsletter to enter more giveaways and get a free book download.
Follow my blog tour for more chances to win Counting on the Cowboy:
- March 13 – http://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/
- March 14 – http://theresalynnhall.com/blog
- March 15 – http://www.castlegatepress.com/blog/
- March 16 – http://shannontaylorvannatter.com/inkslinger-blog/
- March 19 – http://sarahruut.com/category/interviews/
- March 20 – http://http://brendaandersonbooks.com/blog/
- March 26 – https://kimberlysmusings.wordpress.com/
- March 30 – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ideas-to-books/id1245507117?mt=2
- April 2 – http://www.inspyromance.com/
- April 10 – http://craftieladiesofromance.blogspot.com/
- April 10 – https://catherinecastle1.wordpress.com
- April 10 – http://www.gingersolomon.com/
Shelia Hall said:
Yes I have!I worked for years in the garment industry now I am a in home health giver!
svannatter said:
Hi Shelia. I changed jobs lots of times. I started out as a hairdresser, then a loan clerk in a bank. I also had three different jobs in a large fragrance company. I was a receptionist there, then a data entry clerk for major department stores, and finally data entry in Accounts Receivable. I stopped working to be a stay at home mom and eventually got published.
Joan Arning said:
I went from secretary to employment counselor!
svannatter said:
Employment counselor sounds interesting, Joan.
Linda said:
I have changed careers more than once. After college I was on a church staff. Then I was a cook in a restaurant. Then an aid to elderly, and then a full time mom. Next I was a cleaning person for homes and businesses. And a crossing guard. A lunchroom aid. And finally a paraeducator, helping with special needs students.
svannatter said:
Wow, Linda. You’ve changed more times than I have. Lots of experience in different areas.