Tag Archives: Alissa Callen

Meet Tule Publishing’s First 10 Cowgirls as Part of our #Tule10 Anniversary!

Tule Publishing has hit a milestone 10 years and we’re celebrating all month long with showcasing some of our first 10’s! Learn more about our first 10 authors, meet our first 10 cowboys and cowgirls, and maybe find yourself wrapped up dreaming of the holidays with our first 10 Christmas stories!

We are so thankful for each of you for continuing to put your faith in us to continue bringing you amazing reads. You are a crucial part to our success and we couldn’t have made it to our 10th anniversary without you! We hope you stick around all month for more celebratory blogs and are looking forward to another 10 years – cheers!

Meet Tule Publishing’s First 10 Cowgirls

Big Sky Mavericks, Book 1
Big Marietta Fair, Book 2

Some dreams come with a big price tag.

Bailey Jenkins left her hometown of Marietta, Montana at eighteen, poised to take college and the rodeo world by storm–despite Paul Zabrinski. On the eve of her great escape, at the top of the Ferris Wheel at the Big Marietta Fair, he invoked his great-grandmother Hilda’s curse. “If you do this, Bailey Jenkins, I will hate you forever. And I’ll call on my great-grandmother to curse you. She was a Gypsy witch, you know.”

Fifteen years later, Bailey’s back–shattered, humbled by fate and bruised at the soul level but determined to rebuild–once she helps her parents get back on their feet. She didn’t expect Paul Zabrinski to meet her plane, but seeing him strong, handsome and successful is somehow fitting. After all, Bailey didn’t need Paul’s gypsy great-grandmother to put a curse on her–Bailey already had the worst luck on the planet.

Never say never.

One look at Bailey Jenkins–his first love, the woman he adored…and cursed–and every emotion Paul Zabrinski felt fifteen years earlier comes rushing back. The love of his life broke his heart and made him hate her…or so he thought. The line between love and hate is very narrow, with only so much room for forgiveness. But Paul Zabrinski owns Big Z Hardware and Construction. If anyone is capable of building a bridge for them to cross together, it’s him.

Carrigans of the Circle C, Book 5

For years Callan Carrigan has been her father’s right hand man, so when her dad’s will names city slicker Court McAllister the new owner of The Circle C Ranch, Callan feels betrayed on every level.

Then she and her sisters find their mother’s diaries, hidden from them by their father since their mother’s accidental death 18 years ago, and the shocking revelations explain a lot. Reeling, Callan seeks refuge in the local saloon, where it seems no one can reach her, until Court offers her a challenge.

If she agrees to be foreman at the Circle C for one year, he’ll deed the ranch back to her and her sisters. The deal seems too sweet at first—until Callan realizes Court has his eyes on something she protects even more than her family’s land—her heart.

Wildflower Ranch, Book 4

Australian cowgirl Bridie Willis travels to Montana to escape the pain of losing her father. Headstrong and determined, she plans to spend the summer alone photographing wild animals. Instead she finds herself saddled with a stubborn cowboy as a back-country guide.

Ethan Morgan has been shaped by a childhood spent on the run. Cautious, steady and conservative, he is tasked with ensuring the beautiful, risk taking cowgirl doesn’t ditch him or come to any harm.

But the biggest challenge Ethan must face is to accept how Bridie makes him feel. And the biggest risk Bridie must take is to trust in her heart.

Wildflower Ranch, Book 6

Headstrong cowgirl Peta Dixon has put her life on hold this Christmas to prove she can run her ranch as well as any man. There isn’t anything she can’t ride, fix, or stare down, and the only things to scare her are long hemlines and sky-high heels.

Self-made rancher Garrett Ross normally doesn’t take orders – he gives them. But when asked to step in to act as a temporary foreman on a Montana ranch over the holidays, he can’t refuse.

Yet when Garrett meets the beautiful and stubborn ranch owner, he realizes he’s signed on for a whole lot of trouble. Cynical and jaded, he has no time for feelings. And when Peta meets the man she’s to share her life with until Christmas, she discovers she no longer wants to be the person others expect her to be…

Will the rancher finally listen to his heart and admit he can’t live without a certain straight-talking cowgirl?

The Gallaghers of Montana, Book 5

He knows who she is…but she doesn’t

PI Mitch Hardeman is an expert at finding people, so when Glenna Gallagher disappears from the ranch where she works, her brothers hire Mitch to find her. He thinks his job is done after he tracks her down, but Glenna doesn’t know him, and she doesn’t remember her brothers or even her real name. Mitch must earn the beautiful cowgirl’s trust so he can bring her back home.

She doesn’t know who she is… but she knows who she wants

With traumatic amnesia caused by a bus accident, Glenna Gallagher knows nothing of her life before that day. She only knows she’s in danger, and that Mitch offers protection and the truth about her identity. But once home in Marietta, her memories are still missing. Can she convince Mitch that she doesn’t need to remember her past to know he’s the only man she wants? And will she regain her memory in time to save herself and the man she loves from the danger that follows her?

Blackberry Cove Cowboys, Book 1

When Kendall Kelly‘s career as the free spirited punk country crossover queen ends in a fiery ball of doom and humiliation, she has no place to go but back to her hometown Blackberry Cove, California, where she abandoned her secret husband years ago without so much as a note. She’s hoping to pick up the pieces of her shattered life and finally cut the last tie to the only man she ever loved.

As part owner of Kelly Family Farms, Damian Sloan has spent the last few years rebuilding the floundering business into a growing organic farm. He thought he’d moved on from his broken heart, but when Kendall barges back into his life—broken but beautiful as ever—he soon realizes he hasn’t forgotten. Or forgiven. Kendall threatens everything he’s built, but he can’t quite turn her away.

Damian and Kendall must put aside their differences for the success of the farm they both depend on. Maybe, in the process, they can rebuild what they tragically lost.

The Tremaynes of Texas, Book 4

What happens when a tenacious sheriff takes on a determined cowgirl and her champion bull?

It’s never easy to make it in a man’s world, and cowgirl Tori Tremayne has chased the same dream most of her life—producing a champion bucking bull on the pro rodeo circuit. With her prize bull Maximus, she’s so close to winning top prize in the finals this year she can taste it. She can’t afford any distractions, especially not the tall, dark and swoony sheriff she’s admired all her life.

Sheriff Gray Dalton has been in love with Tori since they were kids. He doesn’t want to change Tori or derail her goals, but he does want to combine their dreams—build a life and family with her while she continues to pursue her career and passion. Gray knows he has to shake Tori up so that he can step out of the friend zone she’s so determined to keep him in.

Can Gray prove to Tori that with him she can have it all—career, love and a family?

The Hartman Brothers, Book 3

She has a lot to prove and won’t get distracted by a cowboy again…

Barrel racer Ella James Sanders has one goal for her breakout year in Pro Rodeo—to make it to the National Finals Rodeo and prove to her hometown that she’s more than a girl raised on the wrong side of town. But her dream quickly crashes when an accident injures her and her horse, ending her rodeo season and leaving her in the care of the man who carelessly broke her heart years ago.

Cowboy and veterinarian Ty Hartman knows what it’s like to be rejected by those close to him. Ty’s loved Ella since high school, but she’s rejected him twice so he’s resolved to keep his distance and protect his heart…until an accident forces Ella and her horse into his life and he can’t step aside. As he cares for the feisty cowgirl, he feels himself falling for her again.

Can he convince this cowgirl that not only is he a man she can trust, but that he’s also a man she could love?

Texas True, Book 4

They’re made for each other, he just needs to prove it.

Pilot Nate Kershaw may be one of Whiskey River’s biggest players, but from the moment he met cowgirl Damaris Walker, he was smitten. After sharing a searing kiss years ago, she made her feelings clear so Nate doesn’t dare press for more than friendship. No other woman can win his heart, so when his beloved grandmother tells him her dearest wish is to see him settled down, Nate decides it’s the perfect opportunity to convince Damaris they’re meant to be.

After a devastating betrayal years ago, Damaris is still unable to trust or risk her heart—especially with a charming lady-killer like Nate. Against her common sense, she agrees to be Nate’s fake girlfriend and finds herself falling for him harder than she did two years ago.

When Damaris learns Nate has been deceiving her about his true feelings, her fears and trust issues reignite. Will Nate be able to convince Damaris to overcome the pain of the past and take a risk on forever—with him?

The Raffertys of Last Stand, Book 4

Sometimes the line between love and hate is blurry…

Cody Rafferty and Britt Roth may have grown up on adjacent Hill Country ranches, but they’ve always been oil and water. Britt knows it’s because Cody’s a tech nerd who doesn’t get the ranch life she loves. Cody knows it’s because Britt’s a single-minded cowgirl, who lives to complain about the technology he loves. Their families claim it’s because they were born within minutes of each other.

They’ve declared one truce in their lives—when Cody’s father was KIA overseas. Neither of them expected there would be another, but when Cody suspects a crash of his test drone spooked Britt’s champion barrel racing horse, endangering her life and future, he calls a second truce. Prodded by guilt, he steps up to take care of Britt and her beloved horse. Britt balks, but Cody’s hard to refuse even for a tough cowgirl. Forced together, they learn surprising things about each other neither ever knew.

Can these two lifetime adversaries learn to get along, especially when they realize that the sparks that fly between them aren’t fueled only by anger?

. . . . . . . . . .

Thanks for stopping by to meet the first 10 cowgirls of Tule Publishing! Here’s to a great year of #Tule10!

“His Outback Cowgirl” Giveaway and Exclusive Excerpt!

3-18 AlissaToday we’re celebrating the release of the fourth book in Alissa Callen‘s Wildflower Ranch series, His Outback Cowgirl, by giving you a chance to start the book for free AND enter a giveaway!

Giveaway

To enter to win a print copy of Alissa‘s Cherish Me, Cowboy along with three other stories by Rachael Johns, Melissa McClone, and Megan Crane, read the excerpt below and tell us why you think you’re going to love His Outback Cowgirl!  A random winner will be announced next Wednesday, March 25th. Good luck, Book Girls!

 

HisOutbackCowgirl-300dpiChapter One

“Tell me again why I’m supposed to be this Aussie cowgirl’s babysitter for the summer?” Ethan Morgan lifted a brow and stared at his father across the kitchen table.

The timeworn creases on Henry’s face dissolved into a grin. “Because you drew the short straw.”

“The short straw, huh?”

Ethan rubbed his chin. Bad luck had nothing to do with him being designated the job to keep Zane Nash’s half-sister out of trouble. Henry had recently had a hip replacement and had resisted Ethan leaving his Colorado Springs ranch to stay with him while he recovered. Even now, the independent old rancher took any opportunity to ditch him.

Amusement warmed Henry’s hard blue gaze. “Yeah, the very short straw.”

“So my keeping an eye on Bridie has nothing to do with you wanting to get rid of me?”

“Not at all.” Expression innocent, Henry fed breakfast waffle to the Australian shepherd, Rocket, who lay beside him. He then broke a smaller piece for the puppy, Milo, who chewed on Rocket’s fluffy tail. “Has anybody told you that you have a suspicious mind?”

Ethan bit back a grin. Remaining suspicious was the only way to stay a step ahead of the canny and determined man he’d discovered last fall was his biological father. “Only when it comes to you. You sent me to Marietta yesterday to run errands so you could drive the pickup, didn’t you?”

Henry grunted. “It’s been six weeks and the Doc said I could drive.”

“Technically it’s been only five and a half weeks.” Ethan sliced off a corner of warm waffle. “Shame the truck keys weren’t on the rack.”

“Yeah.”

Ethan shot Henry a quick look. His father’s tone had been a little too smug. Before he’d left for town, Ethan had rifled through the key rack to make sure he’d found all the pickup keys. Had his crafty father stashed a spare set somewhere?

“Don’t give me that look. Yes, I found some keys but no, I didn’t drive the truck.” He shook his head. “I have no idea why you and your brother think I’m always up to something?”

Ethan laughed. Henry’s aggrieved expression didn’t match the sharpness of his gaze. Henry’s body might be aging but his mind continued to be whip-smart. “Because you are. What about the time you told Cordell he had to stay with Payton at Beargrass Hills Ranch because there was no accommodation in town?”

“What about it? There was a wedding on and there was no place to stay.”

“In town there mightn’t have been any beds but you had an entire spare guest wing free here at Larkspur Ridge Ranch.”

A smile tugged at Henry’s mouth. “And look how well Cordell staying with Payton turned out … they discovered how perfect they were for each other.”

Ethan shook his head. “Your matchmaking isn’t going to work this time. Bridie and I are incompatible. She has trouble written all over her.”

Henry’s gaze snapped to his face. “You’ve seen her?”

Ethan withheld a sigh. So much for heeding life’s lessons. A childhood full of uncertainty and fear had shaped him and his brother. Cordell may have blanked out his emotions and used his fists to protect them, but Ethan had learned to use words and silence as weapons. Now was a time when silence would have served him well. He couldn’t have Henry know how much the prospect of looking out for strong-willed Bridie unnerved him. He was supposed to be the calm and steady twin.

“Yes, very briefly at Grey’s Saloon last night.”

He concentrated on another mouthful of waffle and on keeping his expression neutral. If Henry discovered he’d taken more than a brief look at the Australian cowgirl with her snug jeans and her devil-may-care grin, having to babysit her would be the least of his worries.

With Cordell and Payton engaged, Zane and Trinity together and Rhett and Ivy soon to be married, Ethan felt the heat of being the last single cowboy standing. A situation he was in no hurry to remedy. He wouldn’t be pushed into, or jump into, a relationship. He’d partner up when ready, after deep consideration, and only with the right girl. He’d survived his unstable childhood by being careful, cautious and wary. He wasn’t about to follow in Cordell’s risk-taking footsteps, even if they had led him to beautiful Payton.

Henry grunted. “And …”

“And what?”

“What was she like? You can spot a poorly heifer a hundred yards away so don’t tell me you didn’t notice a stranger with an accent?”

Ethan chewed slowly before he answered. “She plays a mean game of pool, and I wouldn’t want to cross her. Nick Ryan got a little too up-close-and-personal when he gave her some pool tips. He’ll have a bruise for a week where her elbow connected with his ribs.”

Henry fed Rocket another piece of waffle. “She takes after her grandmother then. Daisy Ashton was full of pluck and a woman you’d not want mad at you.” Henry cast him a quick look. “Does Bridie have the Ashton blue eyes and dark hair?”

Ethan finished his mouthful. He had no idea what color Bridie’s eyes were but the image of her long, night-dark hair that had fallen down her slender back to the sweet curve of her waist had stayed with him long after he’d closed his eyes.

“I think so. I really didn’t get a good look.”

Henry grunted again. “Then she not only has her grandmother’s spirit but also her looks.”

Ethan finished his waffle and drained his coffee mug. This conversation needed to end. He had ranch chores to do before Henry decided he wanted to help out. He’d also already wasted too much time last night watching Bridie and all the cowboys who’d made a beeline for her. There was something about her quick smile, her restless energy and the angle of her small chin that put him on edge. As much as he loved his act-now-talk-later twin and would watch his back, Ethan knew a woman who possessed the same willfulness wasn’t for him. No matter how well she filled out her faded jeans and green western shirt.

He came to his feet. “That’s great Zane’s sister has her grandmother’s spirit because I’m sure the last thing she’ll want is a babysitter. She’ll be more than capable of looking after herself while she explores. So short straw or not, you’re not getting rid of me yet.”

Instead of answering him, Henry turned his good ear toward the oversize kitchen window beside them. The clear glass provided a framed view of the scenic drive through the rolling foothills into Larkspur Ridge Ranch. A white pickup navigated its way toward the ranch house.

Henry grinned. “That’s Zane’s pickup. If I was a betting man, I’d say it was his sister behind the wheel.”

Ethan’s fingers tightened around his coffee cup. He had no doubt it was the Australian cowgirl driving. Whenever Zane visited, the truck’s wheels didn’t kick up such a thick plume of pale dust. For a road Bridie didn’t know, she sure drove fast.

Gravel crunched beneath tires as the truck approached, slowed and then parked beneath a cottonwood tree. Rocket leapt to his feet and sped out the kitchen doorway. Milo yipped and followed, his small paws sliding on the polished floorboards. Henry made no effort to stand. Instead he stared through the window as Bridie left the truck, shut the door and strode toward the front door.

The summer breeze caught in the loose fall of her dark hair and she lifted an impatient hand to drag the glossy strands off her face. Bridie was dressed in fitted denim and a pale pink shirt, and every sure stride showcased her lithe curves and the energy that shrouded her. Ethan swallowed.

Beautiful and spirited, this woman would lead from the front foot and embrace all that life offered. Just like his brother, she’d be a risk taker and live dangerously. A strange sense of loss slipped through Ethan. She wasn’t the type of girl who’d fall for a boring and reliable rancher.

A smile shaped Henry’s lips. “Yep. She’s an Ashton all right.” He made no effort to stand. Expression deadpan, he looked at Ethan. “Off you go. Go and greet her. You know the Doc said I’m to take it easy. It’s a long walk to the front door.”

Ethan settled for an exasperated eye roll. Even when just home from hospital, Henry hadn’t taken it easy. Ethan placed his mug and plate on the bench and at the kitchen doorway turned to waggle a finger at his father.

“You had better be sitting there when I get back. No truck driving until next Thursday.”

Henry scowled but not before Ethan caught a glimmer of laughter in his eyes.

The doorbell rang, triggering a chorus of excited barks. Rocket’s deep woof was interspersed by Milo’s higher pitched yip. Ethan made his way down the long hallway. His gut told him Zane’s sister’s outback home would ice over before she’d allow herself to be babysat. He rolled his shoulders to disperse the sharp bite of tension. There was no cause for alarm. He’d only have stubborn Henry to watch over. He wouldn’t be spending the summer keeping a headstrong and gorgeous cowgirl out of trouble.

Her Big Sky Cowboy Giveaway!

9781942240273***Congratulations, Shari! You are our winner. Please message us your mailing information through the contact form here: http://tulepublishing.com/about/#contact Happy reading!***

If you haven’t yet met Alissa Callen and her cowboys, now’s the perfect time to start!

The third book, Her Big Sky Cowboy, in Alissa‘s Wildflower Ranch series is available now!

To celebrate, we’re giving away a stack of books including Alissa‘s Her Mistletoe Cowboy along with everything you see pictured!

To enter: Comment below with your favorite book by Alissa. Was it Cherish Me, Cowboy, Her Mistletoe Cowboy, or do  you think it will be Her Big Sky Cowboy?1-13-15 Alissa

Check back here on Friday, January 16th, to see if you’ve won! Good luck!

 

Wildflower Ranch Series:

Book 1: Cherish Me, Cowboy
Book 2: Her Mistletoe Cowboy
Book 3: Her Big Sky Cowboy
Book 4: Coming soon!

Alissa Callen’s Melt in the Mouth Gingerbread

Delicious recipes straight from the kitchens of your favorite Tule authors.

Her Mistletoe CowboyIngredients

  • 25 g butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to moderate heat.
  2. Line two trays with baking paper.
  3. Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Mix in ginger and cinnamon,  sweetened condensed milk and egg.
  4. Add sifted flour and baking powder. Mould mixture into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate 10-15 minutes.
  5. Cut dough in half. Roll out between sheets of baking paper or on floured bench. Cut out gingerbread men or other Christmas shapes. Repeat with rest of dough.
  6. Bake until golden. Cool and decorate but most of all enjoy.

Happy Christmas :)