Guest Blog - COWBOYS KNOW HOW TO RIDE ~ Emma Lang and Vivian Arend

My very wonderful friend Beth Williamson (who also writes as Emma Lang) and I got to talking, and we realized both of our next releases feature a to-die-for hero by the name of Matthew. Both books are westerns, although hers is historic and mine is contemporary.

It was too good a chance to miss. So we’ve arranged a little “Ode to Matthew”—five lovely little tidbits proving these cowboys are very good at a lot of things. We hope you’ll enjoy taking a ride with our boys! (The full list of places to visit to read tidbits is listed at my blog.)

In this post we’re going for Cowboys Know How To Ride…

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Leave a comment and one lucky winner will win their choice of Vivian's books Rocky Mountain Heat or Rocky Mountain Haven.  Winner will be selected 2/4/12, using random.org

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Matthew

 Circle Eight, Book 1

By Emma Lang

A man learns to hold what is his…

It is a vast spread in the eastern wilds of the newly independent Republic of Texas, the ranch their parents fought for … and died for. To the eight Graham siblings, no matter how much hard work or hard love it takes, life is unthinkable without family…

In the wake of his parents’ murder, Matthew Graham must take the reins at the Circle Eight. He also needs to find a wife in just thirty days, or risk losing it all. Plain but practical, Hannah Foley seems the perfect bride for him . . . until after the wedding night.

Their marriage may make all the sense in the world, but neither one anticipates the jealousies that will result, the treacherous danger they’re walking into, or the wildfire of attraction that will sweep over them, changing their lives forever.

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Enjoy a snippet from MATTHEW:

As they took care of their horses, she kept sneaking peeks at him across the stalls. He was as handsome sweaty as he was clean. She’d never noticed men that way before. She wasn’t sure if it was normal or not, but her body certainly recognized it. As though the elemental connection they had drove them to be together again and again.

And hopefully again.

She finished with Buttercup and stepped outside the stall to rinse her hands in the water bucket. As she bent over to scoop up some water, a groan sounded from behind her.

“Woman you’re gonna kill me.”

She glanced up at Matt. “I was just washing my hands off.”

His gaze landed on her behind. “I don’t care if your rubbing mud on your face, I wasn’t looking at anything but your ass.”

“Matthew!” Her cheeks heated at the bald statement.

“I can’t help it, Hannah. After that kiss, I’m just not thinking straight.” One large hand smacked her on the behind.

She yelped and straightened up, water flying every which way. He grinned and ran for the door.

“Remember, loser has to tell Eva.”

“Cheater!” Hannah wiped her hands on her skirt and ran after him.

His long legs gave him a significant advantage. There was no way she could beat him to the house. So she decided to cheat too.

Hannah threw herself to the ground. “Oh my ankle!”

He skidded to a stop and turned to look at her. “Did you get hurt?”

“I think I wrenched my ankle, Matt.” She touched it and moaned in pain.

Matt came back and knelt beside her. “Damn, Hannah, I seem to keep apologizing to you today. Let me help you up.”

His solicitousness was sweet, but she was playing to win. As soon as she was standing, she kissed him hard.

“Race ya.” She picked up her skirt and ran as fast as she could toward the house.

Matt cursed behind her and she heard his footsteps slamming on the hard packed dirt. He was nearly on her so she dug deep for another burst of energy, reaching the door a split second before he did.

They slammed into the house, laughing and breathing hard. Joy suffused her, bubbled up inside as if it were a font. She’d never felt so happy in her life.

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Buy links: Book releases January 31, 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | B-A-M | Chapters | IndieBound | Powell’s

Emma Lang/Beth Williamson: Website | Blog | Twitter

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Rocky Mountain Desire
Six Pack Ranch, Book 3
By Vivian Arend

Nothing comes easy. You’ve gotta work for it.

Matt Coleman always figured at this point in his life, he’d be settled down with a family. Since his ex split for the big city, though, no way will he give anyone else the chance to drop-kick his heart. Physical pleasure? Hell, yeah, he’ll take—and give—with gusto, but nothing more.

Hope Meridan is working long hours to hold on to her new quilt shop, going it alone since her sister/business partner ran off. Sex? Right, like she’s got the time. Not that she doesn’t have the occasional dirty fantasy about Matt. Fat chance he’d dream of knocking boots with her—the younger sister of the woman who dumped him. Nope, she’ll just have to settle for the F-word.

Friends would be far easier if there wasn’t something combustible going on between them. And when casual interest starts to grow into something more, their tenuous bond strengthens in the heat of desire. But it may not survive the hurricane-force arrival of the last person either of them ever wanted to see again…

Warning: Small-town rivals, men in pursuit and family meddling—in good and bad ways. Look for a cowboy who knows how to rope, ride and rein in a hell of a lot more than eight seconds of sheer bliss.

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Enjoy a snippet from ROCKY MOUNTAIN DESIRE: (I’m cheating- not riding horses. Heheh)

“That’s not what I want.” Matt stopped them on the top ridge of the slope, securing the inner tube with a foot as he brought their bodies close together, tucking a loose hair farther under her crazy toque. “I’m not hiding, and yeah, you’re right. People will talk, but I’m a grown man, so I can just get the hell over myself. You have permission to smack me whenever I get stupid. I’m trying.”

Hope grinned, her head tilted to the side as she looked him over. “Smack you? Hmm, sounds fun. You mean like this?”

She leapt forward, and he jerked to attention, catching her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Only with one foot up on the inner tube, his balance was far enough off-center that the force of her momentum tipped them both and she landed on him, squarely on the inner tube.

Their combined weight set them barrelling forward, and Hope buried her face in his neck as they bounced down the hill at an increasingly breakneck speed.

“Holy shit.” He scrambled for the handholds on the tube, spreading his legs to counter-balance their bodies. Hope lifted her head and shrieked with enthusiasm. Snow flew up on either side of them, a fine icy spray that coated everything before instantly melting to run in rivulets down his face and under his collar.

He laughed, the sound escaping in staccato bursts as they rocketed over a series of small bumps. “We’re all going to dieeee…”

It seemed forever before they spun in a slow circle, coming to a stop. They were both still laughing uncontrollably. Matt relaxed his hips, and they sank into the hollow in the middle of the tube, Hope collapsing with him. They were cradled together, but it was the bright smile on her face and the enthusiasm in her eyes that beaconed louder than the sexual chemistry between them.

Hope kissed his cheek then scrambled out of reach, slapping snow off her shoulders and knees. “That was awesome!”

“Next time I get to use you as a landing pad.”

She grinned. “You told me to smack you.”

“I did.” Matt grabbed the tube with one hand and reached for her with the other. “May I suggest we go for the spinning demon my brothers invented?”

“Sounds scary.”

“Only if you’ve had too many eggnogs first.”

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Rocky Mountain Desire: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Vivian Arend: Website | Blog | Twitter

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