Meet Colby and Dakota from Charlene Sands’s Newest + Amazon GIVEAWAY!

  1. Tell us about Redeeming the Texas Rancher and how you came up with Colby and Dakota’s story.

Colby and Dakota’s story came out of a scene I wrote in the prior Forever Texan series, Loving the Texas Lawman, where Dakota (Day) was bidding on my hometown sheriff, Jack Walker in a charity auction. Day’s attempts to make Colby jealous at the auction go awry and next we see the two of them, rancher boss (Colby) and wrangler (Day) are arguing at Jack’s engagement party. It’s a pretty heated exchange and the fact that their mothers are best friends and Colby and Day pretty much grew up together, only adds to the forbidden love story. When we first meet Day in Redeeming the Texas Rancher, she has pretty much given up on having a relationship with Colby.

  1. What do you think Colby and Dakota had to learn before reaching their happy ever after?

Let’s see…I think Colby had to let go of his past and the secret he’s kept all these years from Dakota. He had to learn to forgive himself or at the very least give himself a break. The secret dictates his world and is one that he’d never trusted anyone with, especially not Day.   So of course, when Day finds out quite accidentally, about it, she’s floored. Colby has always been her friend, and she thought she knew him inside and out. Apparently not. So for Day, she had to learn how to forgive past mistakes and trust in Colby again.

  1. What’s your favorite thing about Texas-set romance stories?

My favorite thing about Texas based romances is that there’s a certain rustic charm about the lone star state and its people. Texans are courteous and respectable and proud. They are a breed like no other and so writing a tall, handsome, honor-bound and sexy Texan is easy. Not that all people are alike, my heroes are all different, but they have certain qualities that scream TEXAN from page one. Or at least, I hope so.

  1. Did you have any actors or models in mind while writing Colby and Dakota?

Yes, I do. Colby is a rugged man of the earth rancher and Chris Hemsworth fits the bill and he often stars in my books. (ha!) And I adore Chris Pratt also. Either of the Chris’s will do.   As for my heroine, a tomboyish dark-haired beauty in Dakota Jennings, I am thinking of Jenna Tatum. What do you think?

  1. If you could choose just one song to represent Redeeming the Texas Rancher, what would it be and why?

The one song that represents my story would have to be: My Best Friend by Tim McGraw. The lyrics tell the story about how this woman, is not only his lover, but his best friend. And Colby and Dakota have always been friends. Redeeming the Texas Rancher has a lot to do with how love can heal past wounds and bring you closer. It’s a friends to lovers to friends again, romance.

I never had no one
I could count on
I’ve been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin’
So tired of searchin’
‘Til you walked into my life
It was a feelin’
I’d never known
And for the first time
I didn’t feel alone

You’re more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
I don’t know where I’d be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You’re my best friend
You’re my best friend, oh yeah

You stand by me
And you believe in me
Like nobody ever has
When my world goes crazy
You’re right there to save me
You make me see how much I have
And I still tremble
When we touch
And oh the look in your eyes
When we make love

You’re more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
And I don’t know where I’d be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
You’re my best friend
You’re my best friend

  1. Who are your top 3 favorite romance authors?

Oh, not a fair question. I have so many and I have to start with these wonderful and talented authors, Leanne Banks, Robin Bielman, Lynne Marshall, Samanthe Beck, Jane Porter and Tessa Dare. But then, I also have read every book these authors have ever written; Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Sandra Brown and my favorite of all-time author LaVyrle Spencer. I’ve read their books once, twice or three times!

GIVEAWAY! Thanks so much for stopping by today! To celebrate the release of Redeeming the Texas Rancher, I’m giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card! Just post a comment about who you rate as your favorite authors and what kind of books you enjoy reading the most?

My blog tour starts tomorrow. So please stop by one or two of these sites (below) and enter into the drawing for a gift card grand prize!

 


Charlene Sands is a USA Today Bestselling author writing sexy contemporary romances and stories set in the Old West. Her stories have been honored with the National Readers Choice Award, the Cataromance Reviewer’s Choice Award and she’s a double recipient of the Booksellers’ Best Award. Charlene is a member of the Orange County Chapter and Los Angeles Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

13 Comments

  1. I enjoyed this book. I read mostly women’s fiction and romance. I can’t pick just one favorite author because it would be like choosing which of my cats I love the most. they are all awesome.

  2. I like romance books. Since I’m from Texas, I love to read about Cowboys especially Cowboys in Texas. These books are on my tbr list. I need to get started on them next. You’re one of my favorite authors along with Melissa McClone, Jennifer Snow and too many to name.

  3. Like you, I find it hard to pick just one or even many. There are so many good authors writing today and many from the past whose books are still out there. I will list Julie Garwood as my first favorite. Her historical books were the first romances I read and they hooked me on the genre. From her Medieval Highland stories, I moved on to Regency England, both historical and contemporary Westerns (my current favorite thanks in part to Petticoats and Pistols. You are missed.), and Intrigues.

  4. Hi Janine, Patricia, Denise and Shelly. I agree, there are so many wonderful authors out there, it’s hard to name them all. I love when I find a new author, and then read all of her work. Thanks for stopping by today!

  5. I like western romance and so many favorite authors I say two long time favorites Jane Porter and RaeAnne Thayne and two new favorites Debra Holt and Jodi Thomas now I feel kinda bad there are so many of Tule authors I just can’t wait for their books.

  6. Favorite authors: Susan Mallery, Jill Shalvis, Karen Hawkins, SEP, VLT, Julia Quinn, Julia London, Sabrina Jeffries and your books Charlene

    I read both contemporary and historical romances. I like flirty, sexy romances with intelligent heroines.

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