Aussies and Texans and Babies and Falling In Love in the Center of a Storm

So, y’all.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the day that y’all get to meet Holden and Lachlan. I keep trying to think about what all I want to tell you about these men, about the tropes and the plotting and, I got to be honest.
What I love about these boys is that, although they started out as a wild idea, they became real men who proved that they were willing to fight for what they love, what they believe in.

Lachlan’s from Queensland and he’s as much as cowboy as any Texan I’ve ever written. Now, he’s a cowboy with more money than he knows what to do with, money in a way that most of us just dream of. He’s lost his sister, he’s lost his way, and if he’s not careful, he’ll lose the best opportunity he’ll ever have.

Holden, now this man isn’t a bazillionaire, but he ain’t hurting. Not even close.

Well, he ain’t hurting for money. He just lost his twin brother and his beloved sister in law in a plane crash and now there’s this angel baby girl that’s his to raise and his soul is cracked clean down the middle.

Those of y’all that know me know that action adventure snuggles with the western and the only thing they come in second to is the love. This is a BA book — through and through. Stuff happens and as soon as one disaster hits, another comes on. No worries, though. My beloved boys are supported (and screwed with) by family and friends and cowboys that come out of the woodwork.

I hope y’all give Lachlan and Holden a chance and let them worm their ways into your heart like they did mine.

Official blurb:

One Aussie. One Texan. One baby. One hell of a fight.

When his sister and her husband are killed in an accident, Aussie cattle station owner Lachlan McCoughney rushes to Texas to rescue their infant daughter, Chloe. He expects to find his niece living in squalor with the Sheffields, a rodeo family.

Instead, Lachlan finds Holden Sheffield, a salt-of-the-earth cowboy running a huge business operation. They want to explore their mutual attraction despite the many problems thrown their way, and together, they must find a way to give Chloe a new family and find a love that spans thousands of acres and two continents.

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7492

All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-trialbyfire-1991421-149.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trial-Fire-BA-Tortuga-ebook/dp/B01C8V5U44/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1457968876&sr=1-1&keywords=ba+tortuga+trial+by+fire

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trial-by-fire-ba-tortuga/1123451801?ean=9781634769815

And as always, y’all can find me at http://www.batortuga.com

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