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Blame it on the mistletoe!


It's here! It's here! And it's all 'parkly (as Hope, my four year old granddaughter says)!
 
Can't you just feel the cold snow and smell Christmas when you look at the cover?
 
Sage is pouting a little bit because she didn't get to be on the cover but when I reminded her that she got to be the sassy one in the story, she felt much better.
 
The reviews have been great!  
 
"'Tis the season for hunky cowboys and Brown has delivered one right to us... a holiday treat to be savored. 4 Stars" - RT Book Reviews

"I felt like I was right there in the Texas Panhandle as Ms. Brown was describing the scenery....she is a master at building a story and the surrounding world." - Fresh Fiction

"Written with the verve and sense of liveliness that marks all her books... It's a wonderful reading experience as it engages the mind and emotions throughout. It is a book that simply begs to be enjoyed. " - The Book Binge

"I want Creed Riley for my Christmas present. No truer words have ever been written. This book was my brightness on a cold, dark autumnal day. It is a real pick me up of a story. I would go so far as to compare it to the literary version of a cuddle." - Book Protagonist

"Readers will page quickly through this fun holiday tale to see how they (Creed and Sage) make the most of their hilariously awkward Christmas together." -Publisher's Weekly

"Carolyn Brown does a wonderful job of bringing this amazing place vibrantly to life. " - Book Reviews and More by Kathy
 

 Since it's a Christmas book, let's have Christmas cookies and gingerbread and egg nog. And we'll use Sage's special recipe for snow ice cream, page 118.

And while we're enjoying all the goodies, maybe you'd like an excerpt...

“I’m Creed Riley, ma’am, and I reckon if you want to throw your dog out in the snow that’s your business, but I’m not that mean or cruel to animals. And I’m here to stay since I’m the cowboy who bought this ranch. I guess you’d be Sage Presley. I didn’t think you’d make it home in this blizzard. I heard the roads were closed off.”

He was well over six feet tall because Sage had to look up to him. His brown hair was a bit too long, and his mossy green eyes were rimmed with black lashes topped with heavy dark brows. His deep voice held a definite Texas drawl.

She backed up to the cabinet and braced herself against it. “Where is Grand? Is she behind you?”

“No, left a day early since the storm was coming in. I expect she’s in Pennsylvania by now where it’s fifty degrees and sunshiny today. Crazy, ain’t it? We get a blizzard and the east coast is downright pleasant. At least it was yesterday when she called to tell me that she’d made it fine and to tell you so when you got home. Guess her cell phone’s battery was dead and her sister didn’t have one so she called on a pay phone from the airport.”

Sage rolled her eyes. “You have got to be kiddin’ me!”

“No, ma’am! That’s the truth and that’s really not my dog. I’m bringing my two huntin’ dogs out here soon as we make this sale legal, but this old boy just appeared out of nowhere this morning and rushed right in with me. I figured he belonged on the property. He wasn’t none too pretty when he was covered in snow, but it was covering a multitude of ugly, wasn’t it?”

Sage crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

He ignored her and started peeling away layers of clothing, taking the time to hang them on a coatrack just inside the back door. He didn’t stop until he was down to jeans, socks, and a red and black flannel shirt.

What have you done, Grand? she thought.

The blizzard would end. The sun would come out and melt the snow. Electricity would be restored along with power lines and cell phone coverage. And Sage could have talked her out of the sale a hell of a lot easier face to face than over the telephone—if they ever got service back in the canyon.

This was Sage’s home and it wasn’t supposed to be sold to some rank stranger, even if his green eyes were sexy as hell with snow hanging on the lashes like that fake stuff out of a can that she and Grand sprayed on the windows when she was a little girl.

“Coffee smells good. Reckon it’s about ready?” he asked. “Thank goodness for a full propane tank. Miz Ada told me that she has a standing order with the propane company out of Claude. And you can wipe that mean look off your face, lady. We’re stuck here together until this ends. I’m not real happy about being holed up with you either, but it’s the way it is and we might as well make the best of it.”

Her eyes narrowed and her brow wrinkled.

You want your face to freeze with that nasty look on it? Her grandmother’s words came back to haunt her.

“Number one, Mr. Riley, you don’t tell me how to look or what to do. Number two, Mr. Riley, Grand won’t ever sell you this place, so don’t get too comfortable.”

“Rule number one, lady, I speak my mind, so get used to it. Rule number two, I’m settling in and getting comfortable because I think she will sell the ranch to me. The deed will say that you get to live on the ranch as long as you want when the sale is sealed, signed, and finished. And back to rule number one, darlin’, if you want your face to freeze like that, then just hold on to that nasty look,” Creed said.

Her face softened, but she wasn’t ready to smile and welcome the damn cowboy. Not yet, probably not ever.

“She wasn’t supposed to leave until today.”

Maybe the blizzard was a blessing. He’d see right quick that life in the canyon was too hard and he’d be ready to get the hell out of the place as soon as he could. Sage didn’t mind doing chores. She hated milking a cow, but she could do that too if the cowboy would ride on out of the canyon as soon as the roads were cleared. Hell, she’d call a helicopter and pay the bill out of her own money if he wanted to get out of the canyon before the snowplow arrived.

“What’s for breakfast?” he asked.

“Whatever you can scrounge up. I didn’t take you to raise,” she said shortly.

He smiled down at her. “Miz Ada said you’d be a handful and you’d come in here mad as a wet hen after a tornado. She was dead on, but darlin’, I am buyin’ this place. You are welcome to live on it. We can be friends, barely acquaintances, or enemies. Your choice and you don’t even have to make it today. But it’s going to be a long three weeks until she comes back and in this storm we’ve got no one but each other, so it can be pleasant or pretty damn miserable. Remember as you drink your coffee that this house ain’t very big and we are stuck in it together.”

The arrogance of the man!

He went on. “She left because of the storm and because her sister needs her, not because she was a bit afraid of you. That woman gave me the impression that she could face down the devil and own half of hell before the fight was over. You wouldn’t pose much problem.”

“You got her right, but you got me all wrong. I’m every bit as mean as she is. She raised me,” Sage said.

Creed wiped the snow from his cheeks as it melted from his lashes. “I like my eggs scrambled.”

“I like mine easy over.”

Creed raised an eyebrow. “Who’s cookin’?”

“Not me,” she told him. She wasn’t about to start cooking for him or feeding that dog he’d brought in either.

What do you want for Christmas? Leave a comment and tomorrow morning I'll draw a name out of my fancy red cowboy boot for a signed copy of Mistletoe Cowboy and you can see for yourself just how sassy Sage really is!


Comments

  1. He's adorable. Now if I could have him come home for Christmas, that's all I'd ask for! Love your story and the cover, Carolyn!

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  2. Happy release day, Carolyn! Great cover and excerpt!!

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  3. Love this and can't wait to read the whole thing! Off to share in cyberspace :)

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  4. I know what I'm going to ask Santa Claus for this year, and it won't be a puppy! Always glad to see another one of your cowboys hits the shelves.

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  5. Love that cover! It's really fun. I don't know about Oklahoma, but we're finally getting some cooler weather in Houston, and I am in the mood for Christmas reads. Perfect timing!

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  6. Morning Miz Carolyn,
    YAY you on another book release . I know I'm gonna love it as usual I mean c'mon another Carolyn cowboy love story uh yes please. Now about Christmas present question hmmm *rubbing hands together* ooh I know I want a pair of cowboy boots...honest I do :-) Hugs and happy release day love you :)
    Oh and let Lil Miss Hope know that Miss Cindi loves "parkly" stuff too ;)

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  7. Terry: If you are a very good girl Santa might leave a cowboy under your tree!

    Tracey: Thank you! Hats off to the folks who make the covers at SB...they do a bang-up fine job! I squealed when I saw that 'parkly gold!

    Lory Lee: Be very, very good and don't forget to tell Santa what you want. Sometimes it takes him a while to fill the list so write your letter early.

    Sara: Thank you for sharing! Happy reading!

    Grace: You are a darlin'! Today we share the shelf and I'm honored to get to sit beside you.

    Shana: YES, we are getting cooler weather in Okie-land as well and I agree...it's Christmas reading mood!

    Cindi: Hi! So glad that you stopped by. Folks, Miz Cindi is one of my bestest fans. Cowboy boots? I betcha Santa can arrange that! And I will let Hope know that you like the 'parkles, too!

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  8. Congrats on your new release. I love the cover. I want an IPod for Christmas.

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  9. Crystal: Thank you for stopping by. I understand there's a big demand for iPod's this Christmas so get your order in early and tell everyone real often so no one forgets and buys you chocolates or perfume!

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  10. Love the cover. With the way my life has been going as of lately, all I want for Christmas is to be hired by somebody. Thanks for the giveaway.

    kliu107 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  11. Congratulations - looks and sounds like a winner to me!! I'm happy just having my family around me and books are always welcome lol.

    catslady5(at)aol.com

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  12. Kristy, thank you for stopping by...and may you find a wonderful job between now and Christmas!

    Catslady, your family is lucky to have someone to love them that much! Merry Christmas to them and to you.

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  13. The,book sounds great. This sounds cliche, but i have everthing I could want. I have a great guy, 2 beautiful, healthy daughters, a house and some land. I don't need anything else. I'm content

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  14. Love the cover and love the excerpt. Your books always make me smile, Carolyn!

    Congrats the release!

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  15. Looking forward to another great read. What I'd like for Christmas is to get back into my jeans. I've got about 10 more pounds before that happens. ;-) Thanks for the preview & Happy Early Holidays! leann leamei1981@yahoo.com22

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  16. Happy Release Day to you Carolyn.. I so, so can't wait to read this book...
    I know what Santa could bring me for Xmas...One of your Hot Cowboys...

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  17. Carolyn, you always make me smile.
    Amelia

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  18. Brandy: That is the sweetest thing I've read today!

    C.H.: Thank you! I love it when my books touch emotions.

    Leeann: Oh, I'd like that, too, but if I'm wishin', I'd like to wish that I could get back into that pair I wore when I was a senior in high school.

    Kathleen O: If you are a very, very good girl, Santa Claus might put a cowboy under your tree!

    Amelia: Hello! Glad to see you here! I'm glad that they put a smile on your face!

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  19. I am beginning to feel the Christmas season creeping up on me. I'm not going to like the mall crushes but I am going to like staying indoors and reading Christmas books. For Christmas, I want books, books and a tablet. I already know I'm going to spend lots of time with my family and enjoy the season so that's win!

    Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  20. Na, it's only two months and 23 days until the big day, but between now and then there's lots of really good Christmas books coming out to put you in the mood for the final day!

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  21. Sparkly, I love it! And the mention of egg nog and Christmas cookies got me in the mood for the holidays. Too bad it is only the beginning of October! Oh well, it will be here soon enough. And give me time to think of a Christmas list...oh wait that is easy. Like I tell my husband every year, books!

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  22. Lexi, you make romance authors smile with a list like that!

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  23. Nice cover. I'd like an iPad.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  24. Awesome cover! Love the sparkly lettering :)

    As for what I'd like for Christmas, I would really love the new Kindle Fire.

    chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

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  25. Thank you to everyone who commented on the post! And the winner of a signed copy of Mistletoe Cowboy is
    KRISTY!!!

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  26. Congrats on the new book, I love the cover!
    The best present I could get would be a trip to California to spend Christmas with my sister and her family. But I'll settle for an iPad. :D

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  27. Congrats! And thank Carolyn for responding to everyone!

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