The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Ruth Cardello's Book:
Gentling the Cowboy
Today's Featured Book is
Gentling the Cowboy
Texan Night Series
Author: Ruth Cardello
AVAILABLE
Amazon
From New Times and USA Today Bestselling Author, Ruth Cardello, comes Book One of the Texan Nights Series, Gentling the Cowboy.
Tony Carlton knows trouble when he sees it—especially when it comes in the form of a gorgeous, innocent and very naked blond stranger dancing in his shower. When circumstances force his uninvited guest to spend the night, Tony decides that there are some home invasions he could get used to.
Sarah Dery is a frustrated writer who takes her twenty-fifth birthday as a wake-up call. She sets off for Texas thinking that a summer on a working ranch will finally inspire her. When one wrong turn leads her into the arms of a hot, broody cowboy, she’ll discover her spicy inner voice.
But is it enough? He says he’s not capable of love. Can she gentle this cowboy?
Excerpt
Chapter One
No real adventure ever started by waiting patiently on a doorstep.
Still, Sarah Dery hesitated before reaching for the handle on the screen door of her friend’s immense white farmhouse. The shelter of the wraparound porch did little to alleviate the heat of the midday Texas sun, but was that a good enough excuse to enter?
What if no one is home? Since there was no cell phone service, there wasn’t much else she could do unless she was willing to wait in her SUV.
Wiping one suddenly cold hand across a jean-clad leg, Sarah straightened her shoulders and opened the door decisively. She hadn’t survived the three-day drive from Rhode Island only to pass out from heat exhaustion on the porch because Lucy was late.
“Hello?” she called out. “Anyone home?” No answer.
The interior of the house was similar to the mammoth horse barn she’d searched a few minutes ago: well maintained, but lacking any personal touches. She was surprised that her friend lived like this, but perhaps when you worked all day on a ranch, decorating wasn’t a priority.
Sarah assessed the living room. It looked and smelled clean—the best compliment she could give it. The few pieces of wooden furniture, decorated with outdated, plain blue cushions, had probably never given a person a moment of comfort. She returned to the main foyer and appreciated the beauty of the room’s woodwork, even as she noted the lack of photos and artwork on the walls.
The house reminded her of the mansions in her hometown, built by wealthy factory owners who had long since left the area, along with their businesses. Although this house showed no obvious signs of disrepair, it felt cold. Empty. Can a house be sad?
She wandered through the downstairs rooms and marveled at the lack of electronics—no television, not even a radio. Lucy had hinted that her life in Texas wasn’t happy, but this was the first glimpse Sarah had had at how truly barren her life down here was.
No wonder she invited me.
Although she hadn’t seen her old roommate since college, they’d kept in touch via email and the occasional uneventful video chat. Until Lucy had asked, “How’s your writing going?”
What writing?
“I’ve been busy,” Sarah had said lamely.
“Didn’t you say that you’d taken the job at your parents’ company so you’d have time to write?”
Yes.
Apparently, time was not the issue.
Can you be a writer if you don’t write? Like a musician who never picks up an instrument? Who are you when the person you are in your heart doesn’t match the life you’re living?
I always wanted to be a writer—tell stories that would sweep readers away on a journey of laughter, tears, and growth. I dreamed of discovering myself through the characters I crafted.
So why can’t I write?
What’s stopping me?
God, I need this trip.
Lucy said she was desperate for companionship, and the offer of spending a summer on a working Texas cattle ranch had been too tempting to pass up. Taking a deep breath, Sarah announced to the empty house, “I’ll admit so far this isn’t living up to how exciting I thought Texas would be, but it’ll work out.” Maybe I watched too much “Dallas,” but I’m not ready to give up on my fantasy just yet.
She could almost hear her brother’s telltale sigh, which was often followed by a lengthy lecture. Charles Dery was a successful Wall Street investor and a self-appointed dictator when it came to his little sister. Moving to New York rather than staying and working for their family’s construction company hadn’t stopped him from getting involved as soon as she’d announced she was taking a leave of absence from her office job at Dery and Son—a company that should have been named Dery and Reluctantly Employed Daughter.
“Mom and Dad called me. They’re upset. There is no way you’re quitting your job to travel cross-country alone.”
“Yes, I am, Charlie.”
“Why the hell are you doing this?” he’d stormed.
“I need this,” Sarah had fired back, knowing that a deeper conversation wasn’t possible between them. I need this.
Before it’s too late.
Maybe it already is.
Twenty-five.
What is it about a milestone age that makes a person reassess her life? She’d graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor degree in English, but she could easily have gotten a degree in basket-weaving for all she’d done with it since.
Lucy’s question had haunted her, especially during her last birthday party when the forest of candles on her cake had hit Sarah like a bucket of ice-cold reality. How did I lose myself?
She wished there had been one grand event she could blame, but the truth was it had happened much less dramatically than that—more like a flower wilting in the sun until the life she thought she was meant for was nothing more than a pile of dried-out, brittle regret.
Charlie said I should think of how this is affecting others and not be so selfish. Easy for him to say from New York.
I tried to be the one who stayed behind to make everything okay, but the price was too high. Be good. Follow the rules. Avoid all unpleasant topics. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be the perfect daughter in the perfect family. I’m an adventurer. A pioneer. Texans hadn’t stayed where the boat dropped their parents. They’d boldly left for parts unknown.
Like I did.
Life in Rhode Island wasn’t awful. Her office position at her parents’ company paid enough for her to live in her own apartment and afford a horse she rode four nights a week at an exclusive equestrian facility.
I didn’t have anything to complain about.
Or anything to look forward to.
Until Lucy called.
“Hello . . . Anybody here?” The silence was eerie, but this wasn’t the movies––nothing extraordinary was going to happen.
Sarah grimaced. Nothing ever did.
Lucy had probably run to the store for some last-minute supplies. Isn’t that how it always works? You step away for just a minute and your company arrives.
A bead of sweat trickled down Sarah’s neck. The light cotton shirt she had chosen so carefully that morning was now plastered against her back. Sarah plucked at it while renewing her resolve. She’d adjust to the heat. Comfort didn’t matter. This was about finding herself, finding her voice.
She returned to the living room, plopped on the unforgiving couch, and flung out her arms in victory. I did it! The drive may have taken her three days, giving her horse time to rest along the way, but even that part of the journey had been amazing. Each bed and breakfast she’d stayed at on her way down had intensified her anticipation. Each time she’d told the other guests where she was going, she’d felt even more alive.
REVIEW
New Series is Hot-to-Trot, Galloping Great! September 16, 2013
Tony Carlson has escaped to an isolated ranch to forget his past and try to survive in the present.
Sarah Dery is an aspiring writer who is looking for her story, and she finds it: in the wrong town, with a cowboy who is as sexy as he is broody and angry. He's more than willing to help her research the spicier scenes, but when it comes happy endings, he doesn't believe in them.
The first book in Ruth Cardello's newest series, Texan Nights, launches one sexy cowboy and one sweet city girl into some scorching situations. You like angst? Tony delivers. How about sassy females? Sarah is your woman. And sizzling sex? Tony and Sarah try some things I've never read before… And don't forget Ruth's wonderful humor, this one gives you plenty of that too.
Troubled souls finding themselves and each other make for one hot-to-trot (or canter or gallop) romance!
By Karen Lawson - Amazon Verified Purchase
Author Genre: Romance - Contemporary
Website: Ruth Cardello
Author's Blog: Bestselling Author Ruth Cardello Presents…
Blog: ebook experiment
Twitter: @RuthieCardello
E-Mail: minouri@aol.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
LinkedIn: Check Out LinkedIn
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest
Author Description: Ruth Cardello lives on a small farm in Northern Rhode Island with her husband, three kids, three dogs, two horses, and some assorted chickens. If there is a happier place on Earth, she hasn't found it.
Author's Book List
Rise of the Billionaire
- Legacy Collection - Book 5New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author! Rise of the Billionaire (Book 5 of the Legacy Collection) Dreaming of Alethea gave Jeremy Kater the strength to survive a difficult childhood. Now that he has influential friends who owe him some big favors, he’s determined to become the kind of man Alethea would be interested in: rich and dangerous. Jeisa Borreto was hired to help Jeremy morph into that man. It’s a job she would enjoy, if it weren’t tearing her heart to pieces. How can she help him change once she’s realized she’s fallen in love with the man he’s always been? Hint: Sleeping with him doesn't help.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Saving the Sheikh
- Book 4 - The Legacy CollectionRachid bin Amir al Hantan is fighting for the sovereignty of his small country. He needs to find some powerful allies - and fast. Attending the wedding of Dominic Corisi is as much about reconnecting with old friends as it is about celebrating nuptials. The last thing he needs right now is the distraction of a woman.
Zhang Yajun is a self-made billionaire who can’t believe she accepted her friend’s dare to kiss Sheikh Rachid before the end of the wedding.
When impulsive words lead to even more impulsive actions, these two will discover that sometimes the last thing you were looking for is the one thing that can save you.
Book Trailer: Saving the Sheikh
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Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- iTunes
Bedding the Billionaire
- (Book 3) (Legacy Collection)New York Times Bestseller!
Lil Dartley’s life is upside down. Her previously steadfast and predictable sister is marrying an influential billionaire and needs help planning the wedding of the century in less than a month. Years of middle class rebellion have not prepared Lil for handling billionaires or paparazzi.
Jake Walton knows a train wreck when he sees one. Lil was trouble from the first day he met her, but since her sister is marrying his best friend, he has no choice but to help her or this wedding will be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Keeping Lil safe would be a whole lot easier if she didn’t drive him crazy both in and out of the bedroom.
Book Trailer: Bedding the Billionaire
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Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- Smashwords
- iTunes
Maid for the Billionaire: Ruth Cardello
- Legacy CollectionDominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail Dartley was just the distraction he was looking for, especially since having her took a bit more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him to fly to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No promises. No complications. Just sex.
Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn’t believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until she meets Dominic. He’s both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic’s company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?
Book Trailer: Maid for the Billionaire: Ruth Cardello
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Order the Book From: Amazon
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- iTunes
For Love or Legacy
- (Book 2) (Legacy Collection)Nicole Corisi will lose her inheritance if she doesn’t find a way around the terms of her father’s will, but she will have to partner up with her estranged brother’s rival to do it. As pretense becomes painfully real, Nicole will have to choose between Stephan and the family he is driven to destroy.
Stephan Andrade has been planning his revenge ever since Dominic Corisi unscrupulously took over his father’s company. With Corisi Enterprises gambling its reputation on the success of a new software network for China, Stephan finally has his chance to take back his legacy. Dominic’s younger sister, Nicole, asks Stephan for his help and provides him with an opportunity to exact his revenge on a personal level.
It all goes smoothly until he falls in love.
Book Trailer: For Love or Legacy
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Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
- iTunes
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
eBook Author’s Corner and HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.
Another awesome book by Ruth Cardello!!
ReplyDeleteOh My Lord one Hot sexy awesome book... loved all Ruthie's book but this one is woweeeee
ReplyDeleteGentling the Cowboy is an amazing book by Ruth.
ReplyDelete