Release day and Talking Two Lips Contest

Today is Friday the 13th but it is a lucky day for me. My third book Saddle Up is officially released today by Secret Cravings Publishing. This book is one of my favorites it's hot and funny. The main character Tasha is constantly putting her foot in her mouth and saying the wrong things.

Also, I'm participating in the Talking Two Lips "I didn't get to go to RT contest.". I'm going to post some questions on their loop that can be answered by reading the blurb and excerpt from Saddle Up. The winner will receive a free copy of the book. Here's the link to play and win:

 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TalkingTwoLips/ 

Saddle Up by Marie Rose Dufour

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=5&products_id=300

Tasha Lane never realized how boring her life had become until one phone call in the middle of the night totally changed it. Can this forty-two year old accountant put aside a nine-year age gap and perpetual “foot in mouth” disorder to find love and happiness with an ex-rodeo star turned rancher?

Three years ago, Devin Grant traded the rodeo circuit for a cattle ranch. If someone told him, he would fall in love with a woman he’d never physically met, he’d think they were kicked too many times in the head by a bull. When her brother is thrown from his horse, it was finally time to meet the sexy woman of his dreams and convince her, he was worth taking a chance on.

Can he convince her before she goes back to her boring life? Will she be able to overcome their age difference and her own insecurities?

Excerpt

“Hello.” Tasha fumbled around in the dark to answer the phone, spilling a glass of water all over the floor in her haste.

“Hello. Am I speaking to Natasha Lane?”

“Do you know what time it is? Who is this?”

“I’m sorry for the lateness, ma’am. My name is Devin Grant. I own the Double Barrel Ranch. Your brother, Dave, has been working for me this past month.”

“Oh. My. God. What happened? Is David alright?” Tasha felt like her heart was going to explode out of her chest.

“He will be. His horse threw him earlier today when it was spooked by a rattler. He broke his leg in three places and had to have surgery. He is resting right now.”

She felt like she was paralyzed.  She was hearing the words that Devin was saying, but it felt like he was talking to someone else. She was numb. David had been hurt. He was the rock in the family. If something needed to be fixed, you called David.  If you were in trouble, you called David. He was always there for his family. Except for one month every summer, he flew to Colorado and worked on a ranch.  He loved it.  It was so different than working in a bank.  Last month, he decided to quit his job and move to the ranch permanently. The rest of the family didn’t understand, but Tasha did.

“How can you leave me alone with Mom and Paul?” Tasha had joked with him while choking back the tears. She would miss him so much.

“You’re just worried about how you will have to start hiring someone when things break around here. You’re not going to miss me, you’re going to miss my tool belt.”

“You know, you’re right. Just hand me those yellow pages out there. With the rate that things break in this house, I’m going to have to find someone and put them on speed dial.”

She stared at her brother as her heart was breaking. “You will be careful, won’t you? It’s a hard life you’re choosing to live.”

“Careful is my middle name. Now come and give your little brother a hug.” He enveloped her in a huge bear hug.

“You know that this is going to make me happier than I’ve ever been before, right?”

Tasha nodded, not trusting her voice. The next day he was on a plane for the ranch.

“Natasha. Natasha. Are you still there?

The voice on the phone broke her out of her revelry

“Yes, yes.  I’m still here,” she whispered in a small voice.

“I’ve arranged a plane ticket to be available for you at the USAir terminal. Do you think that you could be ready and at the airport in two hours?”

“What? What are you saying?”

“I figured that you’d want to come here and see how he is for yourself. So I bought you a plane ticket. It’s waiting for you. The only thing is that it’s in two hours. It was the only flight available. You’re really going to have to pack quickly if you want to make it.”

“I don’t know what to say. It is extremely generous of you.”

“Ma’am, you’re brother is my friend. I know that the two of you are close. He’s always talking about you. Sometimes I feel we’ve already met from the stories that he tells. He’s going to want to see you when he wakes up.”

“I can’t thank you enough. I’ll make the flight. You’re going to have to give me the hospital information. I’ll go there the minute I land.”

“I’ll be at the airport waiting to bring you to the hospital myself.”

“Ok. So I’ll see you in a few hours. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Grant, if you call me ma’am one more time, I might have to kick your ass despite your generosity.”

“Not a problem, sweetness. I’ll tussle with you anytime you want. See you at the airport.”

Tasha stared at the phone for a few minutes after he disconnected. What did he mean by that? Could he have been flirting with her over the phone? Nah! Just her mind playing tricks on her.

Two hours later, she was sitting in first class and on her way to Colorado to make sure that her brother was all right and to meet the intriguing Mr. Grant.