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

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 ...