Aloha to Joanne Kennedy and HOW TO KISS A COWBOY

Your Type of Cowboy by Joanne Kennedy

My newest romance, How To Kiss a Cowboy, features bronc buster Brady Caine, a charismatic cowboy whose carefree life is changed forever by a night of unexpected passion with barrel racer Suze Carlyle. Suze is too busy galloping to the top of the rodeo standings to take time for a relationship with a heartbreaker like Brady.

When they ride together at a photo shoot for a Western wear company, Brady unwittingly causes an accident that threatens to end Suze’s career. He swears he won’t leave Suze’s side until she’s back in the saddle, but getting past her stubborn pride isn’t easy—especially since he’s the one man in the world she never wants to see again.

I’m a longtime rodeo fan, and I’ve seen my share of cowboys ride. Bronc riding is my favorite event, but please don’t ask me to choose between Saddle Broncs and Bareback! I love the rhythm and grace of Saddle Bronc riding, but the wild, whiplash excitement of Bareback Bronc Riding is beautiful to behold.

What I do know is what style of bronc riding I like best. To my mind, there are three kinds of bronc busting cowboys: the “Kama Sutra Cowboy,” the “Fast and Furious Cowboy,” and the “Heart and Soul Cowboy.”

The “Kama Sutra Cowboy” is all about technique. He knows every move in the book, and has studied his horse to learn the animal’s personality and peculiarities. He visualizes the ride in his head a million times before he climbs on board, fantasizing a perfect ride followed by applause and adoration. He watches videos at night—you know, rodeo videos. Sometime he watches his own rides to see what he did wrong, and sometimes he watches other riders to see how he could improve. When everything goes right, the “Kama Sutra Cowboy” is picture-perfect, but he tends to get a little stressed, and as you know, stress can ruin everything. What was supposed to be perfect winds up a little tense, and our “Kama Sutra Cowboy” cowboy gets dumped in the dirt. And really, who wants perfection, anyway? I like a few rough edges on my cowboys!

The “Fast and Furious Cowboy” is usually new to the sport. Often he’s just a young ranch kid with his head full of dreams and daring. He’s tough and willing and full of try, but unlike the “Kama Sutra Cowboy,” he doesn’t know much about technique. All he knows is to climb on board and do his best to stay on the skyward side. Sometimes he manages to stay on top, and sometimes he doesn’t. But you can always tell he’s doing his darndest to make it to the buzzer, and when he dismounts—often a little too soon—you can tell he’s just glad to have made it through another ride without making a total fool of himself.

Brady Caine, my rodeo hero in How to Kiss a Cowboy, is my favorite kind of bronc rider: a “Heart and Soul Cowboy.” He takes his cues from his partner—the horse, of course—and matches that rhythm for a dance you’ll never forget. He knows as much about riding as the “Kama Sutra Cowboy,” but he also knows that it’s okay to show some rough edges if you ride with real passion. Sometimes he takes things right to the edge, but just when you think he’s on the verge of a spectacular wreck, he’ll take up that magical rhythm again and ride ‘til the sound of the buzzer blends with the roar of the crowd and a swell of excitement that can be—well, it can be downright orgasmic to watch that cowboy ride, mostly because he’s having one heck of a good time, and so are you!

What’s your favorite kind of cowboy, and what do you like about the way he rides?

Horses looking for cowboys on Oahu's North Shore

HOW TO KISS A COWBOY, Book 2 in the Cowboys of Decker Ranch, is available February 3, 2015, from Sourcebooks:  

Between rodeo wins and endorsement deals, Saddle Bronc Champion Brady Caine is living a charmed life. But when he causes an accident that could end a promising barrel racer’s career, he decides that he’s done with loose women and wild rides. All he wants to do is erase his mistake by getting Suze Carlyle back in the saddle.

The last person barrel racer Suze wants to see on her doorstep is the man who ended her rodeo career, but she can’t help admire Brady’s persistence. Sparks fly between them, but when her barn is sabotaged she wonders if he’s really the straight shooter he seems to be…

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Joanne Kennedy's lifelong fascination with Wyoming's unique blend of past and present inspires her to write contemporary Western romances with traditional ranch settings. In 2010 she was nominated for a RITA award for One Fine Cowboy. At various times, Joanne has dabbled in horse training, chicken farming, and bridezilla wrangling at a department store wedding registry. Her fascination with literature led to careers in bookselling and writing. She lives with two dogs and a retired fighter pilot in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

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Mahalo, Joanne, for joining us today at SOS Aloha!  I am giving away cowboy swag to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1.  Answer Joanne's question - What’s your favorite kind of cowboy, and what do you like about the way he rides?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 7, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 8.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Book 1 from the Cowboys of Decker Ranch