Aloha to Jodi Thomas and WILD HORSE SPRINGS

Jodi Thomas joins us today to chat about her new novel, WILD HORSE SPRINGS, Book 5 in the Ransom Canyon series ...

Now and then when a writer is working on a series, one of the characters steps from the shadows and comes alive.

This happens to me often, maybe too often. My sons say they are afraid I'll name one of my characters in the will. :)

But, Sheriff Dan Brigman started as a character in someone else's story. book 1, Ransom Canyon. He was a good guy. An honest man like most of the men I've met in law enforcement. As the series continues he proved to be a good friend, a concerned father and a man the town of Crossroads could depend on.

Only, Dan never had anyone to love. His wife had loved her career far more than him and their daughter. Then, he was the sheriff in a small town. How does the sheriff date? The only women he met were usually speeding or bailing their husband out of jail. He wouldn't even let friends set him up with their unmarried relatives for fear of hurting their feelings when he didn't ask for a second date.

Soooo, finally in WILD HORSE SPRINGS the sheriff's chance comes. One night, in the middle of a deserted highway, he finds a fancy ladies boot in the center of the road. It has him wondering what kind of woman would own such a boot and his quest begins.

When he finally finds her, she's as beautiful and wild as he guessed she might be.

As the weeks passed, this story almost wrote itself. Some nights I couldn't wait to get back to it and see what happened to Brandi and her sheriff.

Now, finally, WILD HORSE SPRINGS is about to hit the stands. I'm excited to share it with readers.

Come along with me and see what happens when the sheriff finds the lady who fits the fancy boot.

Jodi Thomas
jodithomas.com
facebook.com/jodithomasauthor
twitter.com/jodithomas

WILD HORSE SPRINGS is available Tuesday, January 24, from Harlequin Books:

In the heart of Ransom Canyon, sometimes the right match for a lonely soul is the one you least expect

Dan Brigman may not lead the most exciting life, but he's proud of what he's achieved: he's a respected lawman, and he's raised a bright, talented daughter on his own. But finding a lone, sparkly blue boot in the middle of a deserted highway gets him thinking maybe the cowgirl who lost it is exactly the shake-up he needs.

After losing her baby girl, Brandi Malone felt like her soul died along with her daughter. Now singing in small-town bars to make ends meet, she's fine being a drifter until a handsome sheriff makes her believe that parking her boots under his bed is a better option.

College grad Lauren Brigman has just struck out on her own in downtown Dallas when a troubling phone call leads her back home to Crossroads. Her hometown represents her family, friends and deepest hopes, but also her first love, Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming be another heartbreak, or a second chance for her and Lucas?

New York Times and USA Today's bestselling author Jodi Thomas has published over 30 books in both the historical romance and contemporary genres, the majority of which are set in her home state of Texas. Publishers Weekly calls her novels "Distinctive...Memorable," and that in her stories "[tension] rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes." In 2006, Romance Writers of America (RITA) inducted Thomas into the RWA Hall of Fame for winning her third RITA for THE TEXAN'S REWARD. While continuing to work as a novelist, Thomas also functions as Writer in Residence at the West Texas A&M University campus, where she inspires students and alumni in their own writing pursuits.

I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1. From WILD HORSE SPRING, "One night, in the middle of a deserted highway, he finds a fancy ladies boot in the center of the road."

Do you have cowboy boots?  I don't ... but my husband does ... so borrow his when needed!

(When I met him at the Pentagon, he sang in a Barbershop Quartet called the Tone Rangers).

2. Comments are open through Sunday, January 29, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll post the winner on Monday, January 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

More books in the series ... 

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and SUNRISE CROSSING (Ransom Canyon Book 4)

Return to peaceful Crossroads, Texas—where community comes first and love thrives in the unlikeliest places—with SUNRISE CROSSING, the fourth title in the six-book Ransom Canyon series by New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Jodi Thomas. The sweeping drama, and the story of a rugged hero and mysterious heroine set against the beautiful Texas landscape, will delight fans of Western romance.

Yancy Grey is slowly putting his life back together after serving time for petty theft. As he rebuilds an old house, he finally has a sense of stability, but he can't stop thinking of himself as just an ex-con. Until one night, he finds a mysterious dark-haired beauty hiding in his loft. But who is she, and what secret is she protecting?

The art gallery Parker Lacey manages is her life—she has no time for friends, and certainly not lovers. But when her star artist begs Parker for help, she finds herself in a pickup truck, headed for the sleepy town of Crossroads. A truck driven by a strong, silent cowboy…

Gabe Snow has been a drifter since he left Crossroads at seventeen after a violent incident. When he accepts a job in his hometown, he'll have to decide whether he can put the worst night of his life behind him and build a future in the community that raised him.

SUNRISE CROSSING is available wherever books are sold and at HQNBooks.com.

Check out this book trailer with gorgeous scenery for Western Romance at this link.

A fifth-generation Texan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas chooses to set the majority of her novels in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. A former teacher, Thomas traces the beginning of her storytelling career to the days when her twin sisters were young and impressionable.

With a degree in family studies, Thomas is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A&M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.

Commenting on her contribution to the arts, Thomas said, “When I was teaching classes full-time, I thought I was making the world a better place. Now I think of a teacher or nurse or mother settling back and relaxing with one of my books. I want to take her away on an adventure that will entertain her. Maybe, in a small way, I’m still making the world a better place.”

When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating a historic home they bought in Amarillo and “checking up” on their two grown sons.

For more information, please visit Jodi’s website at jodithomas.com.

I am giving away a print copy of LONE HEART PASS, Book 3 in the series, to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Leave a comment about sunrises - where have you seen one?  I enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise while camping with the Boy Scouts on Bellow Air Force Recreation Center - a beach in Hawaii!

2. Comments are open through Saturday, September 3, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3. I'll contact the winner on Sunday, September 4.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

RWA Recap - The Joy of Writing and Walking the Land

Last Thursday, RWA was in full swing. I moderated two workshops and I share them with you:

The Joy of Writing (WRITER’S LIFE)

Speakers: Anne Elizabeth, Cathy Maxwell, and Julie Rowe

Best-selling, award-winning, and perpetually positive authors share how they savor their passion for writing while navigating the pitfalls of the publishing industry.

I submitted the proposal for this panel based on Anne Elizabeth's mantra to always find joy. The authors shared the challenges in their lives, both personal and professional. They offered techniques to take care of themselves and inspire the creative process.

I commend Julie for sharing the semi-colon tattoo on her arm; it represents it isn't over, just at a pause.

Walking the Land: Building a World That Makes Readers Feel They’ve Visited Your Setting (CRAFT)

Speaker: Jodi Thomas

Discover how to create the essentials to make the world of your stories come alive. Help your readers "walk the land" with you so they feel as if they’ve visited your setting, not just read about it.

I volunteered to moderate this panel since I admire Jodi and her writing. She uses the western setting for her historical and contemporary books. Jodi "walked" through how she researches her setting by walking among rescued horses, listening to ranch hands, and lifting items abandoned along the wagon trail. She taught the audience (and myself) that emotion comes from the five senses.

Authors, find someone who bought the conference recordings and listen to these workshops!

Readers, where have you "walked" recently? I walked all over the USS Midway in San Diego and "heard" the stories from sailors.  One randomly selected commenter wins a book choice from my convention stash. Comments are open through Saturday, July 23, 10 pm in Baltimore. I'll post the winner on Sunday, July 24.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and LONE HEART PASS (Ransom Canyon Book 3)

The incomparable Jodi Thomas is celebrating the release of LONE HEART PASS, Book 3 in her Ransom Canyon series.  She offers a guest post ... 

Someone asked me once what I would be if I didn’t write. My answer was I’d be a teacher. Teachers change the landscape of your life. Mrs. Dickerson in the fourth grade saw that I couldn’t read. She took the time to learn why and send me to a school for two summers. She opened the world of fiction for me. Without her, I would have been fine. With her, I’ve lived a much richer life.

As a writer I meet many interesting people and some of them are in my mind.

When I began LONE HEART PASS two people stepped into my mind. One, Jubilee Hamilton, who has just had all her dreams crash and the other, Charley Collins, who feels like he’s never had the chance to follow even one dream. Both are fighting to simply survive. Together they learn to start believing in love and form a dream, not of riches or fame, but of family.

Jubilee and Charley came to me fully developed. I saw them sit down in front of my desk (in my mind) and begin to tell me their story. Charley’s love for his daughter. Jubilee’s need to put down roots. His knowledge of ranching. Her fascination with keeping records and charts. Them learning to trust one another when no one believed in either of them.

I’m now the writer in residence at West Texas A&M University and the best part of my job is setting down with students in my office and beginning our journey with, “So, you want to be a writer?”

So now you can step into Texas with me. I promise you’ll love Charley and Jubilee. 

Image by Billy Hathorne (link)

About LONE HEART PASS ... 

With a career and a relationship in ruins, Jubalee Hamilton is left reeling from a fast fall to the bottom. The run-down Texas farm she inherited is a far cry from the second chance she hoped for, but it and its abrasive foreman are all she’s got.

Every time Charley Collins has let a woman get close, he’s been burned. So Lone Heart ranch and the contrary woman who owns it are merely a means to an end, until Jubalee tempts him to take another risk—to stop resisting the attraction drawing them together despite all his hard-learned logic.

Desperation is all young Thatcher Jones knows. When he leads an injured Steeldust horse to a ramshackle ranch, he needs help. A horse-stealing ring is on his trail and the sheriff suspects him…and his only protection is the shelter of a man and woman who—just like him—need someone to trust.

LONE HEART PASS is available wherever books are sold and at HQNBooks.com.

A fifth-generation Texan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas chooses to set the majority of her novels in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. A former teacher, Thomas traces the beginning of her storytelling career to the days when her twin sisters were young and impressionable.

With a degree in family studies, Thomas is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A&M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.

Commenting on her contribution to the arts, Thomas said, “When I was teaching classes full-time, I thought I was making the world a better place. Now I think of a teacher or nurse or mother settling back and relaxing with one of my books. I want to take her away on an adventure that will entertain her. Maybe, in a small way, I’m still making the world a better place.”

When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating a historic home they bought in Amarillo and “checking up” on their two grown sons.

For more information, please visit Jodi’s website at jodithomas.com.

Robert Bruno's Steel House overlooking Ransom Canyon

Image by Leaflet (link)

I am giving away a print copy of LONE HEART PASS to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,

1. Let chat about that steel house - here's a link.  What do you think of the "sculpture"?  Have you seen an unusual house in your travels?

A La Ronde in Devon, England, is a "quirky 18th-century, 16 sided house with fascinating interior decoration and collections", maintained by the National Trust (link).

2. Comments are open through Saturday, April 30, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3. I'll post the winner on Sunday, May 1.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and RUSTLER'S MOON (Ransom Canyon, Book 2)

From the desk of Jodi Thomas ...

When I began writing RUSTLER’S MOON, I wanted to tell a story of love and mystery, of trusting someone even when you don’t know all about them. Angela Harold was a woman running for her life after her father died. She wants to move to this small town in Texas and vanish from all who knew her, only she didn’t count of bumping into Wilkes Wagner. They might have nothing in common, but sparks fly from the first. Wilkes considered his life an open book while Angela is afraid to let anyone really know her.

In ranching a rustler’s moon is a sliver of moonlit night were rustlers can see to steal cattle, but it’s too dark to see the outlaws well enough to identify them. It’s also thought that a cowboy can still his sweetheart’s heart beneath a rustler’s moon. My story circles through the shadows between the lives of the characters as they learn who to trust, who to believe, and who to love. This one will keep you reading long into the night and who knows, you might finally fall asleep beneath a RUSTLER’S MOON.

One thing I love about writing a series is that characters can play small parts in one book and major parts in another. The reader gets to watch a character learn and grow. As the series continues, the people of Crossroads, Texas will seem like old friends dropping by to visit.

Maybe I like this so much because I’ve grown up in the same town I live in now. I love knowing the histories of whole families and knowing that there are people who care about me just because they knew my father or worked with my uncle, or went to school with my brother. I know there are great advantages of having lived all over the world, but there is a peace too in being in a small town.

A fifth-generation Texan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jodi Thomas chooses to set the majority of her novels in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. A former teacher, Thomas traces the beginning of her storytelling career to the days when her twin sisters were young and impressionable.

With a degree in family studies, Thomas is a marriage and family counselor by education, a background that enables her to write about family dynamics. Honored in 2002 as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Thomas enjoys interacting with students on the West Texas A&M University campus, where she currently serves as Writer in Residence.

Commenting on her contribution to the arts, Thomas said, “When I was teaching classes full-time, I thought I was making the world a better place. Now I think of a teacher or nurse or mother settling back and relaxing with one of my books. I want to take her away on an adventure that will entertain her. Maybe, in a small way, I’m still making the world a better place.”

When not working on a novel or inspiring students to pursue a writing career, Thomas enjoys traveling with her husband, renovating a historic home they bought in Amarillo and “checking up” on their two grown sons.

For more information, please visit Jodi’s website at jodithomas.com.

I am giving away a print copy of RUSTLER'S MOON to one randomly selected commenter:

On a dirt road marked by haunting secrets, three strangers caught at life's crossroads must decide what to sacrifice to protect their own agendas…and what they're each willing to risk for love. 

If there's any place that can convince Angela Harold to stop running, it's Ransom Canyon. And if there's any man who can reveal desires more deeply hidden than her every fear, it's Wilkes Wagner. Beneath the rancher's honorable exterior is something that just might keep her safe…or unwittingly put her in danger's path.

With his dreams of leaving this small Texas town swallowed up by hard, dusty reality, all Wilkes has to show for his life is the Devil's Fork Ranch. Though not one to let false hope seduce him, he can't deny the quiet and cautious beauty who slips into his world and changes everything.

Lauren Brigman finally has freedom at her fingertips. All she needs is Lucas Reyes's attention—a look, a touch, some sign that she's more to him than a girl he rescued one dangerous night. But now it's her turn to rescue someone, and the life-altering decision may cost her more than a chance with Lucas.

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about the moon - did you see the full moon on Christmas night?  My family ventured outside to see it through the cloud cover.   Here's an article about the full moon from NASA.

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 30, 10 pm in Baltimore. 

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 31.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

More books in the series ...

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and RANSOM CANYON

In the new series I’m writing, RANSOM CANYON, I blended the beauty of the canyons on West Texas into my stories. Once, when flying into Amarillo, the lady next to me looked out at the flat land and said, “Why would anyone want to live in Texas? I just smiled wishing she could see the beauty of it like I did. The red mud of the Red River, the sunsets that run on forever, the ribbons of layers of the earth dancing along the canyons. In this series, I invite the world into my world. So, pull on your boots and step into a town you’ll enjoy filled with people you’ll consider family before the series is over.

I knew I had to open RANSOM CANYON with Staten Kirkland. He is a well-respected rancher who believes he needs to work harder than any hand he hires. He’s strong and honest and broken inside by the death of his only love, his wife. When his son is killed during a storm a few years later, Staten runs to a quiet woman who has been his friend since grade school and his wife’s best friend. Shy Quinn asks nothing of him. She offers understanding amid the storm of his life.

Their friendship develops into a gentle, loving affair that grows to rock both them with its depth. Staten will have to learn to love again and Quinn will have to open up to someone. The whole town watches the birth of passion and love as Staten stands beside her letting her be strong, and quiet Quinn discovers one man’s love can wash away all the pain in her past. Through storms, cattle rustlers, and facing Quinn’s greatest fear, they fight for each other as the whole town stands behind them.

Readers will feel, not like they came to visit, Crossroads, Texas, on the edge of Ransom Canyon, but the town will start to feel like home. My goal as a writer is to keep you up late reading because you have to know what happens next.

So, saddle up with me and step into RANSOM CANYON.

Jodi Thomas
jodithomas.com
facebook.com/jodithomasauthor

WINTER'S CAMP, the prequel to RANSOM CANYON, is free to readers through August 31:

A wanderer’s life was all James Randall Kirkland had known since he was an orphaned boy in San Antonio. And while years of adventure had satisfied his younger self, now he’s longing to put down roots of his own and is prepared to go it alone. But when he sees the Apache slave woman with the startling blue eyes, the course of his journey is changed forever.

Ever since the Comanche raided her village and took her for their own, Millie hasn’t known any kind of freedom. After years of being outcast, beaten and traded from tribe to tribe, she’s unprepared for James’s patient tone and gentle ways. Still, as her handsome savior slowly earns her trust, Millie struggles between desire and fear, sure it’s just a matter of time before James tires of her and her burgeoning feelings are nothing but another wasted memory.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

I am giving away a print copy of RANSOM CANYON to one randomly selected commenter:

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendant of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady…or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand's son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn't imagined.

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn't plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town's weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car's pedals, isn't prepared for what he encounters.

To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about Texas - have you visited the Lone Star State?  I enjoyed San Antonio last summer (link).

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, August 29, 10 pm in Baltimore. 

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, August 30.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha  Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to Jodi Thomas and ONE TRUE HEART

Texas sweetheart, Jodi Thomas, joins us today to celebrate the release of ONE TRUE HEART, Book 8 in the Harmony series, available April 7, 2015, from Berkley Romance ...

ONE TRUE HEART is a book I’ve been waiting to write for several years. Sometimes characters sat around the kitchen in my mind waiting for their story to be pulled off the back burner and come to life. For those of you who have followed me through Harmony you’re going to see one of my favorite couples Beau and Trouble. And of those who are new, you’ll meet new characters that I think you’ll fall in love with.

I think I’ve wanted to write this story since I wrote TWISTED CREEK. After all, someone had to move into Luke’s cabin after he moved out and what better than a broken hero.

When you step into ONE TRUE HEART you’ll step into Harmony where the lives of the people in the town blend together. You’ll meet Millanie McAllen and Drew Cunningham. Both hiding out from life for different reasons. In their love story the gentle, loving man wins out. As they face the truth about real love they also must both face their fears.

Drew, who is always organized and calm has, what he believes, is the craziest sister on the planet. She dances in the moonlight and tells fortunes. In her first session with Johnny Wheeler, he’s arrested for killing his ex-wife. Kare knows Johnny didn’t do it. She didn’t see murder in his lifeline. Johnny thinks she’s nuts, but she’s determined to help him even if she has to draft her big brother to help.

Another story threads its way through the book. Beau Yates comes back to town for a few days. He’s a successful singer in Nashville, but deep down knows that all his love songs are about one girl. He doesn’t even know her name, he simply calls her Trouble. She used to pick him up after work. She’d every dream he’s ever had about love.

This story has people who will come to life as you read. You’ll fall in love with a first love and fall in love for the last time with a forever love. I hope my characters will walk off the pages for you as they have for me.

Now and then I get a letter or e-mail asking me where Harmony, Texas is. It’s in my mind. It always has been. It’s the small town where people care about each other. It is as alive as any town I’ve ever lived in and I hope it will come alive for you also.

Happy reading,

Jodi Thomas

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 41 novels and 13 short story collections. A five-time RITA winner, Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. 

jodithomas.com
facebook.com/JodiThomasAuthor
twitter.com/jodithomas

ONE TRUE HEART

Jodi Thomas takes us back to Harmony, Texas—a small town where love blooms and secrets of the past threaten to alter the future… 

Millanie McAllen is always logical. But after returning to her childhood home, she learns that some things are beyond explanation—like her undeniable passion for Drew Cunningham… After finding success as a singer on the road, Beau Yates returns to Harmony to make peace with his dying father— only to find the woman he’s been dreaming of for years. But the secrets they discover might be too much for him to bear… 

When Johnny Wheeler is charged with his wife’s murder, he turns to the only person who believes he’s innocent. Fortune teller Kare Cunningham’s life has always danced around reality—but Johnny is able to ground her like no other… As their paths cross in new, captivating directions, the townspeople of Harmony need to learn to love and let go in order to live together in their little slice of heaven. 

“Filled with amazing people..”—Romance Reviews Today

Pre-order from jodithomas.com.

Jodi (center) with her RITA award in 2011.

I am giving away "heart" swag to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  What brings harmony to your life?

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, April 5, 10 pm in Baltimore.

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 6.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Aloha to BE MY TEXAS VALENTINE with Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda, and DeWanna Pace

In Texas, Valentine's Day is for restless hearts, brave second chances, and passions rekindled. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda, and DeWanna Pace tempt you with four delicious treats. . .

Out on these rugged plains, love never comes easy. And four daring ladies will do whatever it takes to capture the hearts of four irresistibly sweet-talking Texans. . . When a quiet foreman comes to the aid of a mystery lady, they'll find that this perfect starlit night is made for courtin'.... A determined heiress gambles high to reclaim the rancher she's never stopped wanting. . .. When a spirited lady and a go-getter mayor compete for their town's future, it's two dreams for a lifetime. . .. And to attract a lonely doctor's attention, a shy young woman needs courage--and two unlikely matchmakers. . .

Jodi Thomas, jodithomas.com

Linda Broday, lindabroday.com

Phyllis Miranda, phylissmiranda.com

DeWanna Pace, dewannapaceonline.com

I am giving away a print copy of BE MY TEXAS VALENTINE.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Let's flashback to our school years ... did you give valentines in your classroom and/or to your teacher?  I remember making Valentines from construction paper but folding the paper in half and cutting half a heart.  

2.  Comments are open through Saturday, February 21, 10 pm in Baltimore.  

3.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, February 22.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City