Out Today! And A Smile (Roughstock #2)

I love my Roughstock boys. Adore them. But I have to admit, Coke and Dillon? 

They’re my heart boys, the ones that write themselves. The ones that I can look at and immediately they talk to me. (I’m plotting book 3 of theirs). 

What can I say? Bull fighters are my heroes.

I’m so pleased that they’re out in the world again, re-edited and massaged some (thank you, my beloved Sue) and published by Pride Publishing.

All Coke Pharris wants is for his cowboys to be safe—all of them. When rodeo clown, Dillon, sets to prove that there’s more to the bullfighter, people could get hurt.

It’s Coke Pharris’ job to save bull riders from bulls, and he takes his work very seriously. Which is why he’s devastated when one of his favorite riders gets hurt, and he’s determined to help the young man ride again. Dillon Walsh is the arena entertainer for the bull riding tour, and he wants to help. He also wants Coke, has been admiring the man for a long time. He hasn’t made a move on Coke for fear of messing up their friendship, but when he finds out Coke might feel the same way, Dillon has to try to win Coke over.

Coke thinks he’s too old for Dillon, too beat up and scarred, but he can’t resist when Dillon finally makes a play for him. Dillon is like a wet dream for Coke, and the two of them have a great time getting to know each other better, at least until the danger of their job threatens to come between them. Will Dillon and Coke be able to help their friend and weather the problems that blow their way?

Publisher's Note: This book was previously released elsewhere. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

 

Buy links: Pride Publishing - https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/and-a-smile

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015WFNSZ6?keywords=and%20a%20smile%20ba%20tortuga&qid=1445997056&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

All Romance Ebooks — https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-andasmile-1913943-340.html

Barnes and Noble — http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/and-a-smile-ba-tortuga/1122705073?ean=9781784308285

 

Much love, y’all!

BA

Bull Riding 101: Bullropes

 

So, the bull rope. 

Quick and dirty definition:

It’s the rope — nylon or grass — that goes around the bull behind his front legs. It’s what the cowboy holds onto during his (hopefully) eight second ride.

What’s it for:

Well, it hold the cowboy on the back of the bull, at least until his happy ass falls off.

theebullryder.proboards.com

Are there different kinds of bull rope:

God, yes.

An American bull rope is made up 5, 7, or 9 plaits, as a rule (5 is the widest and softest, 9 is the narrowest and hardest). The handholds come in three lace options — half lace, full lace and full/skip lace. (a half lace is soft, a full lace is hard and a full/skip is going to be less hard, but you’re also less likely to get tied up in your riding hand. The tails also come in a 5, 7 or 9 plait. 

When you talk about a bull rope, you have a 9/5 plait — 9 plait rope with a 5 plait tail.

A custom braider can add or subtract plaits to customize things even more.

A Brazilian bull rope pulls from the opposite side of American bull ropes.

Here’s a great video where JW Hart explains the difference TONS better than I can (and you get to listen to him talk): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-W3i6AFPrs

What to know how to tie a bull rope? Check this out: http://sankeyrodeo.com/For_Tying_Your_Bull_Rope.html

Why do we care?

See the Wrangler butt?

Pulling rope is one of the great joys of being a bull riding fan. ;-)

Much love, y’all.

BA

Frosty Fiction, Day 12: The Brazilians

“What are you doing, Joa?” Balta asked, staring at his lover, who stood on a ladder, naked as the day he was born.

“Hanging mistletoe.”

The view was lovely, so Balta didn’t complain, but it seemed an odd thing. “Why?”

“Because I thought it would be a good game,” Raul said, wandering into the room with a box of mistletoe hangers.

“A game.” He held one arm out and Raul came to him, a naughty look on the hawk-like face.

“Mmmhmm.” Raul smiled for him. “I thought we’d hang them all over and let the one who catches Joa under them tell him what they want him to kiss.”

“Oh. Oh, my wise Raul.” Balta beamed, grin getting wider and wider.

Joa peered down at them. “Wait. You just said there would be many kisses.”

Raul nodded. “So there will be.”

“Feliz Natal!” He applauded, most amused at this game.

Yes.

Merry Christmas to them.

***

;-)

Frosty Fiction, Day 10: Beau and Sammy

Sammy was singing.

Loud.

Silent Night. O Come All Ye Faithful. Go Tell It On the Mountain.

The First Noel, O Holy Night, Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town and ‘Zat You Santa Claus.

One after another.

Beau loved it. He sat there on Coke’s front porch, rocking and drinking a beer as Sammy worked on one of the four-wheelers Coke was having troubles with.

The fearless one himself came out of the house, with a Dr. Pepper for Sammy. “He’s having fun, Cajun.”

“He is, cher.”

“I. Does he know when he sings he don’t mess up the words?”

“Yep. I’ve had him sing for his supper sometimes.”

“No shit? I like it.” Coke grinned at him. “Dillon’s in the kitchen making sammiches. You willing to cook supper? I got pork loin in there.”

“Shit, yeah. S’long as Dillweed doesn’t get all up in arms.”

“You ain’t going to make gumbo; it’s all good.”

Sammy bellered. “O come let us a-DORE hi-IM, Chriiiiiiiist the Lord!”

Coke’s grin was bright as all fuck. “Going to get him his drink.”

“Thanks, cher.” Beau hummed along, heading in to see about that pork loin.

Sammy’s voice followed him, all the way in.

“All I want for Christmas is you...”

 

***

 

:D

Much love, y'all.

BA

Frosty Fiction, Day 9: Garret and Kelly

The pictures came in on his emails -- desert and sand, explosions, scarred earth. Soldiers in battle gear. Soldiers in the hospital. Kids with scared eyes and gaunt faces. It had started with long letters about how things were, about how much Kelly missed him, missed Nashville.

Then the long letters shortened to, “miss you, man.”

Sometimes it was just a date, a location.

Sometimes not even that.

Garrett wasn’t sure how Kelly bore it, day after day.

Christmas eve came, and he was sitting in his momma’s kitchen, bored out of his mind while everyone wandered and cooked and shit.

An email popped up on his phone, a picture of a tiny tree, a handful of lights. A note. “Need you like breathing.”

He sighed. This was utter bullshit.

He just emailed back. “Then come home to me.”

***

Garrett and Kelly are from the Roughstock novella, Shutter Speed. They want another book where they get their permanent happy ending. 

:D

You know the drill. Comment away. I'll announce winners Friday.

Much love, y'all.

BA

Six Sentence Sunday: What She Wants

"Oh, now. That's pretty." A camera flash went off, blinding him.

Adrian shot up on the bed, Packer grunting when Adrian's hand landed hard on his belly. "What the fuck!"

"Oh, don't stop on my account, boys."

***

From my latest release, What She Wants. Available at Torquere Books.

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on SundayThis snippet is from Adam's story, Tag Team, that I'm currently plugging away at. The boys are currently in a pervy position, in fact. :D Want to play along? It’s fun and easy 1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published 2. pick six sentences 3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

Frosty Fiction, Day 6: Bax and Jason

“Goddamn it, Mini! Are you trying to kill yourself?” Bax was about to boil over. Jason had been out there with an axe, trying to trim branches off their Christmas tree.

“No. If I was doin’ that, I’d be whacking at my legs and shit.” Jason’s eyes rolled, searching for him. “I didn’t hit an artery, did I?”

“No. No, but you were headin’ that way.” Bax took the axe, glad Mini didn’t make him wrestle for it.

“I was helping.” Oh, there was pouting involved now, full-on. Shit, marthy, that was cute as fuck.

Bax manfully fought the urge to kiss that lower lip where it stuck out. “How did you even find the axe, Mini?”

“It was in the toolshed.”

“So, what, you wandered around calling for it?"

“Nope. I wandered around feeling for it.” Jase just grinned like a monkey. “I moved the rakes.”

“Good to know. I ain’t blind, but I might just kill myself on them.”

“Don’t be pissy, Bax. This is the only way I’ll get to see the tree this year. Once the glass shit is on it, no one will want me touching it.”

Well, shit. He’d not thought of that. He had a bunch of stuff of his momma’s, and Brenda had sent a box for Jason...

“We could hang the glass stuff off the garland on the big wall. Do the tree up in stuff for you.”

Jason shrugged, cheeks pinking. “I don’t want to be no problem.”

“Why would it be a problem? This is our place, not your momma’s or mine.”

“It’d make things a little easier, to not have to worry about knocking into the tree.”

“Well, then, we’ll do that.” He forgot, sometimes, that Mini couldn’t see. Jase got around so much easier every day. It sucked, not to see the twinkly lights and pretty wrapping paper and all.

“Okay.” Jason sighed. “How ‘m I supposed to buy you a present, cowboy?”

“You think I need anything? Hell, tell Missy to take you to buy me new Wranglers.” He hooked an arm around Jason’s waist, hating that defeated fucking look, hating God and the job and the world with all his soul, for mucking up the man he loved. “You know my size. Intimately.”

“I know all about you.” That grin went all goofy and Andy knew he’d gone and done something good and that loosened up that acid in his heart. “Intimately.”

“There you go. All I want for Christmas I got.”

It wasn’t true. He wanted Jason’s sight back. Now, but both of them knew it, so neither of them said it.

Weren’t neither of them young enough to believe in Santa and shit. They just had to believe in each other.

That was enough.

 

***

*sniffles*

Much love, 

BA

What She Wants and Ink Out Today!

Calleigh and Adrian have always had an open marriage. Adrian being on the road all the time has made it easy for them to have separate lives, but neither of them acted on their agreement to see other people until Adrian met fellow Aussie and force of nature, Packer Stevens.

Now Packer and Adrian are always together, and Calleigh is left at home, missing her man. When Calleigh decides she’s not going to let Adrian go without a fight, she comes up with what she thinks is the perfect plan. She hits the spa, and the gym, and sets out to find her inner buckle bunny, intent on getting her bullrider back, and maybe on impressing Packer a little, too. She heads out on the road, ready to fight for her husband.

What Calleigh doesn’t understand is that her plan will be wildly successful, and also the hardest thing she’s ever done in her life. Packer is more than willing to play, but he’s as complicated as Calleigh is emotional. As much as he loves Calleigh and Packer, and the sexy games they play, Adrian has to try  to set things right, but can he find a way to give Calleigh what she wants, and make everyone else happy at the same time?

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=3758

Tattooed men are sexy, right? That’s the premise of the eight tales in the Ink anthology.

Victoria Sloane opens with The Frayed Line, the story of Dan, who daydreams about the black line on Jonah’s back until he finds out what’s underneath the ink. Sinner's Star by Elizabeth Brooks is the story of ex-con Dope, who discovers his best friend Rat isn't dead after all, but Rat has a new tattoo, a .45, and a grudge against Dope!

Katherine Halle brings us Kelly, who fantasizes about licking Dwayne's tattoos, and just might get his chance in Come Fly With Me. In Dragon by D.K. Jernigan, bartender Travis is haunted by a sexy man with a magnificent dragon tattoo. Now Travis just has to find him. Mychael Black's Detective Kris Winters is also looking for a man with a very special tattoo in Secrets.

In Pounding Skin by Emily Moreton, Mal's tattoo should confirm his commitment to the army. To his shock, it has far more impact on his life. In Simple Instructions by Zoe Trope & Brendan Adkins, Finn accepts an internship at a large law firm, and loves his position at the hands of Robert, a demanding, tattooed lawyer. Finally, in BA Tortuga’s Tramp Stamp, what's a vamp to do when he has a tattoo he can't get rid of? Read the Ink anthology to find out!

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=3757

Writing Contemporary Western Menage, or why it took my 3 years to write What She Wants...

Julia dared me, a few years ago now, to write a western contemporary menage that made sense to her. 

Now, I'm a fan of menage books -- in fact, I read them sort of voraciously. I love the werewolves, the were kitties, the contemporaries. I've got a huge collection and I enjoy them. 

Julia, though, the western contemporaries bothered her. 

"I want one that I buy, baby," she told me. "I want one where I can go, okay, yeah. Those two cowboys would share each other and some incredibly patient girl. I want you to write it for me."

I know a lot of cowboys. Rednecks? Rednecks play fast and loose with the rules, but cowboys are harder, cowboys have a code, rules. Y'all, I actually discussed this with my daddy and my brother. OMG, the awkward.

Finally, though, I did it and once the thought was out there? Let me tell you, Adrian and Packer were happy to oblige, and Calleigh? Well, this woman knows her own mind, that's for sure...

So, I got the concept pretty quick. What if there was this couple in an open relationship and the wife decided she was tired of waiting for her husband to come home to her? What if she wanted to play with him and his 'traveling partner', too.

Boom.

So I wrote.

And wrote.

And wrote.

And about 10K from the end, the file corrupted.

The backup corrupted. 

I ended up with the first, oh, 8,000 words recoverable?

So, Calleigh and the Aussies went in a box while I licked my writerly wounds. And lord, I did. God help you if you asked me where they were, how they were doing, because I'd just burst into tears.

Then one day I thought about them and didn't cry.

That's the day they went on the writing board.

What's the writing board, you ask? 

It's the whiteboard in the office where Julia and I pretend to keep track of things. (What She Wants isn't on this one because it was in editing already. For the record, (looks at the current board) it doesn't look like this anymore...the ink story is done, Julia's current square has stuff in it and my NEEDED square is, like, totally got 6 projects in it... O.o

It lingered for a few months, then I opened the file.

Cried.

Closed it, BUT I started talking about Adrian and Packer. Julia played along, encouraged me, then Calleigh started poking and, 70,000 words later, they're real.

:D

Also, Julia dubbed them incredibly hot, so yay. :D

Okay, so, that was the story of how Julia asked for a western contemporary menage and how it almost didn't happen.

Much love, y'all,

BA

Six Sentence Sunday: Adding to the Collection

Derrick woke up warm, real warm. Like he was wearing a bear rug as a blanket or something. Jesus, had he let Goofus come in and go to bed with him? That dog was going to be--oh.

He blinked at the unbelievably hot bull rider lying on his chest. Oh, Reno...damn.

 

This snippet is from Adding to the Collection, publishing December 12 from Torquere Press! (Yay! Roughstock Christmas!) :D .

 

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on SundayThis snippet is from Adam's story, Tag Team, that I'm currently plugging away at. The boys are currently in a pervy position, in fact. :D Want to play along? It’s fun and easy 1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published 2. pick six sentences 3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

Six Sentence Sunday -- Tag Team

"Come get it, you."

Adam jerked back to stare at him. "Are you serious? I won't push you, honey."

"You ain't gon' be bad to me; you ain't that way." Landon knew things, the bayou was in his veins, and Adam would do him right.

 

This snippet is from Adam's story, Tag Team, that I'm currently plugging away at.  The boys are currently in a pervy position, in fact. :D 

 

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday

Happy Hallo-Week! :D

Okay, that was stupid, still, it made me laugh like a monkey.

Today's treat is a Coke/Dillon flash fic, celebrating the season. It's in the Flash Fiction tab above or, alternatively, here: http://batortugaflashfiction.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-halloween-cokedillon-short.html

Much love and, please, if you're in the way of Sandy, take care of your baby bodies? I'm praying for all y'all. 

BA

 

Six Sentence Sunday -- Adding to His Collection

I've been reading these for a while and I decided to play (unofficially this week, possibly officially next week). 

This six sentences is from my upcoming m/m western Christmas story, Adding to His Collection: A Roughstock story.

***

They wouldn’t be alone, but they could feel each other out. If he was real lucky, they could duck off somewhere and feel each other up, too. He grinned at the thought, and Derrick moved even closer.

“Having good thoughts?”

“I am, cowboy, havin' deep thoughts.”

“I like it deep.”

***

This one is coming in December from Torquere Press. :D Hope you enjoyed.

Want to play along? It’s fun and easy

1. pick a project – a current WIP, contracted work or even something readers can buy if you’re published

2. pick six sentences

3. post ‘em on your blog or website on Sunday