Where did you get the inspiration for Charming the Billionaire Cowboy?

I noticed lots of cowboy romance novels and lots of billionaires, with a few cowboy billionaires. That got me wondering how a ranching family could wind up that rich. I doubt many cowboys would have the free time to run a billion-dollar business, but what if they won a lottery? 

Then I created the Tomlinson family with four brothers, each with different personalities. TC is the second oldest, exuberant and goofy, with something to prove. It’s been fun exploring how these people might respond to a sudden fortune and the complications it brings, such as envious friends and getting mobbed in public.

Meanwhile, Hallie was inspired in part by my friend Rachel Louise Snyder’s writing about the effects of strangulation. Hallie survived an attack from a stalker prior to this book’s beginning, so the book doesn’t get too dark, but it does address the effects of strangulation on the brain. For example, Hallie’s poor memory means she doesn’t realize TC is super rich when she meets him. 

Then I put Hallie at a wild animal rescue, working with wolves, bears, and mountain lions, to show off her courage – and because animal rescue is cool!

What has been your favorite part about writing a series set in Last Stand, Texas?

A lot of romance readers, including me, love interconnected stories because you get cameos from favorite characters throughout the series. I’ve written small town stories before, such as the six books in my Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series, set around a cat café. This is the first time I’ve written books set in a fictional town built by other authors. It’s fun picking out places or people mentioned in other books whenever I need a restaurant or community member.

What song would be in the soundtrack to TC and Hallie’s love story? Why? 

One of my favorite scenes in the book is when TC teaches Hallie the Cowboy Hustle line dance. I don’t name the songs they hear, but you might imagine them dancing (and crashing into each other, and teasing) to “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” by Brooks & Dunn and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” by Shania Twain. And maybe “Cotton Eyed Joe,” because that’s so fun to dance.

Charming the Billionaire Cowboy is a romance book, but you also write mysteries. What is different about writing mysteries vs romances? Which one do you enjoy more?

Yes, I’m also writing The Accidental Detective mystery series, with a witty journalist who solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. I recently finished writing book 5, where Kate’s perimenopausal insomnia gets her in trouble. I love the narrator, who is me in an alternative universe where I get to be more fearless and snarky. It’s so much fun to get back to Kate, her sister and father, and the “Coffee Shop Irregulars” who help them investigate.

On the other hand, mysteries require complicated plotting, and I have to come up with innovative new crimes each time. With the Accidental Billionaire Cowboy series, I get to focus more on romantic relationships. I also throw in some fun elements such as ostrich farming and llama shearing. So I enjoy them each for different reasons, and it’s nice to have a break from one series when I work on the other.

What are you currently reading?

Lately I’ve mostly been reading mysteries, some historical and some contemporary, along with some paranormal romance. I recently enjoyed The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal. Heather Novak’s Blood Thinners (Love Me Dead Book 1) is one of the next books on my Kindle, after I reread A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax, from the wonderful series by Dorothy Gilman, because that one has to go back to the library soon.

About the Author

Kris Bock writes novels of romance, mystery, and suspense. In the Accidental Detective series, a witty journalist solves mysteries in Arizona and tackles the challenges of turning fifty. This humorous series starts with Something Shady at Sunshine Haven. Kris’s Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series features the employees and customers at a cat café. Learn more at the Kris Bock website. Get a free cat café novella, mystery stories, and more when you sign up for the Kris Bock newsletter. Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. The Felony Melanie series follows the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie.