Shannon here: Talking books in a crazy world. Hope everyone is well. I’m sharing an excerpt from my latest release, Hill Country Redemption. Since I shared the first chapter in my newsletter, this scene is on into the second chapter of the book. Comment or answer the question in any post dated March 17 – 20 to enter the drawing for a copy. Deadline: March 28th, 11:59 pm central time.
In Hill Country Redemption, Larae Collins has returned home to sell her childhood ranch. But once she realizes it’s in the red and her marketing job for a large indoor rodeo gets downsized, she considers starting a rodeo on the ranch. The problem, her high-school sweetheart lives next door. Rance Shepherd doesn’t know he fathered her child back before they became Christians. He’s ready to put down roots and run a stock contracting business.
Excerpt from Chapter Two – Hill Country Redemption by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
The rodeo could work whether Larae stayed or not. She could get it going, then go back to Dallas.
To do what? The rodeo in Mesquite was out of the picture. It was fully staffed and comfortably set up, and it ran only three months each year anyway. Besides, she couldn’t let Rance think she was running away because of him. He needed to think he didn’t matter to her one way or the other.
But she couldn’t hire him. Her heart couldn’t survive working with him. And she had to keep him away from Jayda. Maybe she was right about him, that he wouldn’t stick with stock contracting for the long run. He’d leave, and this constant pressure in her chest would dissipate.
“Here comes just the guy you need.” Denny gestured behind her.
As if on cue, Rance strode down her drive, headed straight for her. Had he gotten even better looking in the past eight years? Definitely. A shadow of dark hair edged his cowboy hat, bottle green eyes sparkling in the sun, cleft chin. Oh, if only a sinkhole would open up in the baked earth and swallow him whole.
He and Carson spoke in passing as she tried to come up with a reason to escape. What if Jayda woke up and came outside looking for her? What if Rance saw his daughter?
Calm down. Jayda didn’t look like him, and everyone assumed she was five or six instead of seven. Her secret was safe.
***
Rance’s steps stalled a few feet away from Larae. Even after all these years, she still held him captive. “Since Carson was here, I assume you’re going ahead with the rodeo.”
“He’s getting me some stats to help me decide.”
“Well, I’m here to convince you to hire me if this thing gets real.”
“Why would I do that?” She hooked her thumbs in her pockets and peered up at him.
“Because I’m guessing all the stock contractors you know are in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Using them would cost
more. I’m right next door—willing and able—at a lower price. And you’re in the thinking stage of this rodeo to make a profit, right?”
“I know it’s none of my beeswax, Larae.” Denny propped his boot on the fence rail. “I know you want an experienced contractor and Rance is just getting started. But he knows his stuff. You’re shooting yourself in the foot if you don’t hire him. There aren’t any other stock contractors outside of San Antonio.”
Way to put her on the spot. “There you have it, Denny’s stamp of approval.”
“Just my way of watching over you, like your daddy would want.” Denny headed for the barn. “I best get to work.”
“Thanks, Denny.” Larae leaned her elbows on the fence and kept her gaze on the foreman’s retreating back, instead of looking at Rance. “How did Denny become your biggest fan?”
“Several men from the area eat breakfast at the Old Spanish Trail just about every morning. Tex Warren, my dad, and Denny included.”
“So he thinks you’re awesome because your dad does?”
“Tex Warren is Ty’s dad and Clay’s granddad. Both Warrens won the Championship Bull Riding title four times apiece. Tex was impressed with some of my bulls.” But no matter who his bulls awed, Larae would remain unconvinced. “The rodeo is a great idea. I want the job. Do you have any idea of how much stock you’ll need? You do your marketing and publicity thing. I’ll handle the livestock.”
She faced him and propped her hands on her hips. “How do you know what I do?”
“I trained under the stock contractor who supplied the rodeo you work for.”
One eyebrow lifted. Aware of how smoothly his old boss’s stock operation ran for her rodeo, she couldn’t help but be impressed. Could she?
“I can check with Carson on the arena sizes he’s running, then give you numbers, cost and prospectus for each.”
“You can?”
“What? You didn’t think I knew big words like prospectus?”
“Actually.” She pursed her lips. “I must admit I’m impressed. I didn’t know you handled the business end of things. I figured you tended to the cattle and let somebody else crunch numbers.”
A compliment? “Listen, can we call a truce and work together on this? I really think your rodeo could be successful here. Area businesses could use a new influx of tourist dollars. Keeping costs low would allow the competitors a bigger purse, which would line the cowboys’ pockets and put your rodeo on the map. Everybody wins.”
She blew out a sigh that ruffled the long layers framing her face. “I’m sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I just wasn’t expecting you, and I lashed out. If we’re to work together, we need to forget the past and focus on the rodeo.” Her glance strayed toward the house as if she had somewhere to be…or was waiting for someone.
Was she married? His gaze dipped to her left hand, then back to her face. No ring. “I’m in. I’ll run some numbers and get back to you. Tomorrow?”
“Sure. Just give me a call. We still have the landline, and I’ll give Carson a heads-up on working with you.” Her gaze snagged on something, and her eyes widened.
He followed her line of vision. A little girl skipped in their direction.
“I have to go.” Larae bolted toward the child.
About Shannon: Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.
She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects. Learn more & connect:
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About the book – Hill Country Redemption:
This cowboy has one more chance to make it right…
He already lost her once…
Now he’s fighting for her—and their daughter.
When Rance Shepherd takes a job stocking cattle for a local rodeo, he’s shocked that his new client is his ex-sweetheart, Larae Collins. Now he’s determined to prove to the single mother that he isn’t the restless cowboy she remembers. But when he discovers her little girl is his, they both must forgive past mistakes for a second shot at a future together.
Can’t wait for the drawing or worried you won’t win? Get your copy now!
Hill Country Redemption – Amazon Hill Country Redemption – BarnesandNoble
(Available at Walmart from mid-March until mid-April)
Question for Readers: I know we’re all sick of it, but it’s the elephant in the room we can’t ignore. How many books have you read since the Coronavirus shut things down? Have you had any plans that got cancelled?
Read books? What’s that? 😀 Our household hasn’t really changed with the virus. Hubby’s retired. I work from home and am continuously on deadline, it seems! Our son still has to go to work. Oh, and we’re preparing to sell our house once all this passes! So, reading books has become a luxury. 🙁
(Don’t enter me. I’ll purchase your book!)
Hey Brenda, I’m pretty much an office rat with a deadline, so I haven’t left the house all week. I’m fighting a sinus infection too and I only have rough toilet paper because it’s all we could find, so my nose is raw. But I have phlegm and no cough, so don’t worry. Grant has ventured out a few times against my wishes, but he’s stubborn. We have two cases currently in our hospital that I know of. A preacher who’d gone out of state to a conference and someone else.
Thanks for purchasing, Brenda. God’s got this, so I’m not really worried about sales.
have read 3 books(thick) since I have been isolated. church and dinner plans have been cancelledas well as working with group making bears for ER.
Hey Shelia, I was supposed to be doing critiques at a writer’s conference today and then teach tomorrow. But it got cancelled, so I’ve been doing the critiques over the phone this week.
This looks like a really good story. I can’t wait to read this.
All my plans have been canceled! The book might be found on Walmart.com or they have a service to order on line and pick up in the parking lot. You can order more than good. I have read a few books and listened to audio books since everything shut down. Maybe you can still order from the websites that sell Love Inspired books. Is it on Amazon? It looks like a great book and I love the cover.
It is on Amazon and Walmart.com, Rose. And I didn’t know that Walmart would do anything other than necessities for pickup, so that makes me feel better. It’s been almost two years since I had a book release and my new one finally releases when everything is shut down. This stuff only happens to me 🙂
a couple
You’ve read more than I have, bn. I have three on my side table for when I meet my book deadline though.
I’ve only read one book, but it has been busy here at home. I plan to read more, especially at night when everything is quiet. I love the excerpt!
Hey Candace, I guess you’re school isn’t shut down since you homeschool, huh. We’re wondering if our son will get to graduate in a ceremony. It’s supposed to be May 3rd.
I have not read as much as usual due to all the extra e-mails and Facebook chatter! Other than not being able to attend church or get everything I want at the grocery store, my life hasn’t changed.
My husband scored a big pack of TP yesterday, Joan. It’s the cheap kind, but beggars can’t be choosers right now.
Our Sunday and Wednesday night church activities were done on-line. I’ve read maybe 4 books this week. Yours sounds amazing!
Thanks Lisa. I’m glad you’re getting some reading time. We’ve cut services down to 30 mins on Sunday morning with everything santized before and after and no touching or sitting close. My husband’s a pastor and just can’t bring himself to forsake assembling. Tomorrow’s the first day with new rules, if not many show up, we may resort to online too.
If anything, my reading seems to have slowed. 🙁
You see, my husband and I are raising our six year old grand-girl right now and they’ve closed down our schools. So instead of going to Kindergarten all day, she’s home and I do more now to take care of her while my husband is at work. Don’t get me wrong, I love having her, it’s just priorities got shifted and routines got thrown to the wind. I usually read two to three books a week…now I’m lucky to get one read and a second started.
I’m thankful, we have food, shelter and all we need for the long haul. God has been good. My heart goes out to families who already struggle to make it in normal times. So many people are impacted, it breaks my heart.
One thing that got cancelled for our family is our vacation for Spring break. We were planning on going to my sister-in-law’s for most of the week and really looking forward to quality family time. She lives four hours away, so we don’t get to see her as much as we want to. My husband rarely has vacation time, so this really threw a monkey wrench in the works. Disappointing for sure! We’re hoping to make that time up later in the year.
Thank you for the giveaway chance, Shannon! Things certainly went topsy-turvy in a hurry.
I remember when my son was younger and him being home from school changed my schedule. He’s 18 now and working. He’s supposed to graduate in May. I’ve heard chatter about them having an online graduation ceremony with each graduate showing up for an appt to be filmed getting their diplomas. It’s crazy. He was born 3 months after 9 11 when the world was in chaos and now he’s graduating in chaos.
I haven’t gotten to read as many books…yet. Almost done with #2, but I’m blessed to be still working for now, and I still have boys that I’ve been stressing about schooling (just a little). I’m saddest for my senior son, who has had his final school play cancelled and his final fine arts competition, where he was practicing for a vocal solo, among other things. Now his final quarter is in doubt, and he might lose the rest of those highly anticipated events. Also, he works at a restaurant, as do my married daughter and her husband, and they’re all faced with reduced hours and income with bills that still come due. But we’re still healthy and trusting God for the rest.
I have a son who’s a senior. Prom is cancelled. And they’re talking about pushing the graduation ceremony to June or July. He’s just glad to be out of school for a month.
I actually haven’t had much extra reading time, hubs & I are doing some projects around the house. I have read a couple of books though, while he rests after working so hard. 😉 I really miss our small group at church.
I have winners! Penelope, Judy, & Lisa Sapp won this drawing during my blog tour. I appreciate everyone for stopping by.