by Shiloh Saddler
In Country Crush Blake Bonner rides the rodeo circuit as a team roper, a header to be exact. I grew up around rodeo events and terms. Everyone loves a cowboy, right? Not everyone is familiar with rodeos though. So here is some team roping basics. Team roping is the only team event in rodeo. Team roping grew out of the ranch chores of the past. Larger cattle would have to be immobilized for branding and doctoring by two ropers due to their strength and size.
Header and Heeler
The two cowboys involved in team roping have a specific job to do thus their name. The first, known as the header ropes the head of the cattle. The other cowboy, known as the heeler, ropes the heels or legs.
And the Event
The team ropers start from the box. The header is the first out trying to rope the head as quickly as possible without breaking the barrier. As with other roping events the cattle must get a head start. Once the catch is made the header dallies and turns the steer left. This gives the heeler room to do his job and rope the legs. The clock is stopped when there is no slack in both ropes and the horses face each other.
Timing and Penalties
If the barrier is broken a 10 second penalty is added to the time. Also, if the heeler manages to catch only one leg, then a 5 second penalty is added. In addition to these penalties there are only 3 legal catches that the header can make. These are:
both horns
one horn and the head
the neck
After a car accident Blake has been competing with a paralyzed leg. He cowboyed up and continued on the rodeo circuit as soon as he was cleared to ride again. However, getting back into the dating scene took him a little longer…
About Country Crush
Country singer Will Conrad is afraid coming out will tank his career. Being a celebrity makes it difficult to pick up a man and keep things secret. A gay one night stand online dating site is his salvation. While he is performing in Las Vegas he agrees to meet the real cowboy with whom he has been corresponding.
A car accident left championship team roper Blake Bonner with a paralyzed leg and a wounded heart. Now fully recovered, he is ready for a relationship, but will his blind date want to be topped by a cripple and will he treat him like a whole man?
When Blake finds out his date is Will Conrad he can’t believe it. He’s been his country crush since he hit the country music scene. But when the paparazzi catch them together will their burgeoning relationship be able to brave the media storm?
Purchase Country Crush at: Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes & Noble
Excerpt from Country Crush
“He is expecting you,” she said, and then disappeared around the corner without another word.
Heart hammering his rib cage, Blake rubbed his sweaty palms on the sides of his jeans. There was nothing to be nervous about. It wasn’t like his national title was on the line—just his pride. The young woman hadn’t said his date was waiting for him, but he could tell by the look in her eyes and her knowing smile he was. Finally he was going to meet the man he’d been emailing and texting and calling for months. His middle squeezed.
Accepting his disability online was one thing, in person it was a totally different matter. There were still days when Blake woke up and cussed out his useless leg. Here goes nothing.
Taking a deep breath, he opened the door wider and found himself face-to-face with Will Conrad.
Blake’s mouth dropped open, but no words came. There had to be some mistake. Maybe everyone with a backstage pass got to meet Mr. Conrad.
The country music singer’s gaze swept over him, and he stuck out his chest, his nipples stiffening under the scrutiny. Blake instantly felt the heat between them. Conrad’s eyes held appreciation, lust, and steamy sensuality with a hint of submissive. Dear God, his celebrity crush was gay.
Conrad’s gaze swept lower and Blake’s cock hardened all the way. Conrad eyed the bulge and licked his lips. After a second, his head snapped up and he met his eyes, offering his hand. “Name’s Will Conrad.” A playful grin spread across his face. “Of course, by the twinge of shock in your eyes I think you knew that.”
Blake gave his hand a firm shake. “You’re Cowboy66?” he choked out.
“Uh-huh.”
Conrad walked past him and shut the door. “I saw you sitting in the front row. You looked like just how you described.”
Blake’s cheeks burned. “Complete with crutches,” he muttered.
Conrad laughed. “You look all man to me.”
Blake’s blush spread down his neck. “Thank you, Mr. Conrad.”
“Call me Will.” He pressed his hand against Blake’s chest. “After tonight we’ll know each other intimately.”
A lump formed in Blake’s throat and had difficulty swallowing or finding words.
“Uh, and I’m Blake.”
Will pushed Blake’s hat back farther on his head. Their lips were close and for a moment Blake’s pulse skidded. Was he going to kiss him?
“I get ogled by women all the time,” Will said, “but I seldom get such a heated gaze from a man.”
Will stepped back, breaking contact with him.
Damn the man was a tease. The way his cock throbbed he didn’t need much foreplay to be ready.
“I gravitated to your side of the stage just so I could get a better look at you.”
“I thought…oh.”
“Your dark brown eyes roaming my body made me hot all over. I’m glad I was under the stage lights to hide my fever. The way you looked at me, Blake, I really liked it.”
About Shiloh Saddler
Shiloh Saddler likes to do research for her steamy romances first hand. She has invented a time machine and travels back to the 19th century on a regular basis. There are experimental settings on her time machine which could propel her into the future and even other worlds. She believes love and a good book makes anything possible.
Shiloh’s Social Media Links: Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
Shiloh is generously offering up an ebook copy in any format of her other M/M cowboy romance, Perfect Ride, to one lucky winner. (About Perfect Ride: Retirement looms for professional bull rider Garrett Anderson, but he refuses to quit. He rolls into Sheridan, Wyoming, hoping to ride Spitfire, and finds the bull’s handler irresistible. Can Garrett give up what he wants most to save the man he loves?)
The giveaway starts now and will end next Sunday, May 4th, 2014, at 11:59 pm EST. After which the lucky winner will be randomly picked.
All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below with your email address and you’re in!
Make sure to follow the blog for the winners’ announcement post or check back next Monday, May 5th, 2014, to see if you’ve won.
Good luck!
Title: A Hunted Man
The author lives with an imaginary cat, and works in computer support (you know, the day job), all in Upstate New York. He divides his time between writing humorous suspense novels, reading science fiction and urban fantasy, absorbing too much British TV (or as his roommate would say “those crappy BBC mysteries”), pondering why he didn’t write a scifi or fantasy novel, and his various hobbies. No, reading isn’t a hobby. It’s more like a vocation. The author also wonders how people get away with talking about themselves in the third person this way. It’s awkward. [cough]
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