Spotlight & Giveaway: The Sheriff and the Cowgirl by Debra Holt

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Debra Holt to HJ!

Hi Debra and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Sheriff and the Cowgirl!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Sheriff Gray Dalton has been in love with ranch owner and bucking bull breeder Tori Tremayne since he was 9 and she was 7. Tori’s had the same dream most of her life: breeding a champion bull on the professional rodeo circuit. She thinks she has a winner in Maximus, and can’t afford any distractions — especially not the tall, dark, and handsome sheriff she’s cared for all her life.

Gray doesn’t want to change Tori or derail her goals, but he does want to combine their dreams. He wants to build a life and family with her while she keeps her eye on the Best Bucking Stock trophy. Gray knows he needs to take action to get out of the friend zone Tori’s so set on keeping him in.

What happens when the determined sheriff takes on the feisty cowgirl?
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

“Loving Tori Tremayne was like holding onto a meteor shooting across the Texas sky. The key was to survive and hold on…not to fall and crash and burn. Gray had no idea how long he could hold on.”

“‘That’s right and we’ve got that trip to Alaska to check out using penguins in our next rodeo so that the giraffes won’t be lonely and…’
‘Wait…what?’ Tori sat up and looked at Trey, shaking her head a bit.”

“‘It’s natural to have uncertain feelings creep in. Nothing worth winning or having is ever easy for anyone. And you just have to hope that once you reach that top of the mountain you chose to climb, you can look where you came from and know it was worth it all.’”

What inspired this book?

I love rodeo families, and I watched the bulls one day as they were waiting their turn to unseat cowboys in the arena. One caught my attention, and my writer’s brain began playing a game of “what-if.” What if he was a demon in the arena, but a sweetheart out of it? Then I thought about some more out of the box scenarios, like adding a sweet tooth for Maximus and a friendship between him and the cowgirl raising him.

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

I got to know my main characters because I’ve known these amazing people growing up in the small town life. I was lucky enough to enjoy that lifestyle as a child and as an adult. My characters have some of the same traits of real people I know. I fashion the storyline to help them grow.

What was your favorite scene to write?

One of my favorite scenes is when Tori is having one of her heart-to-heart talks with Maximus, feeding him his favorite lemon drops and pouring out her heart about Gray. I would really love to hear what readers think about those scenes!

“‘I guess this seems pretty pathetic if anyone else knew I did this… sit and talk to a bull like he was my best friend or something.’ She stilled. ‘Wow… I guess you are my best friend… my best animal friend. Because Gray would have to be ahead of you on the human list. But he doesn’t really want to be my best friend. He wants to be… well… he’s just everything.’”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The most difficult scene to write was actually spread throughout the book. I wanted to bring the reader into Tori’s emotions and what drove her to want to excel in the man’s world of rodeo, and being the best stock producer of bucking bulls on the circuit. It was emotional in that it was tied to talks she’d shared with her parents growing up, and with Gray as an adult. I wanted the reader to understand and feel just what motivated Tori in her steadfast determination that led her to the brink of losing the love that was right in front of her all along.

“There was a slow nod against his chest. ‘I do understand what you’re saying. But I’ve had to work so hard to get to where I am right now… where my bulls are finally going to make their mark. People will take us seriously… take me seriously. I’ve just put 100 percent of my time and attention into that. And if I were to pull any of that away right now… what if it shows? What if I can’t give 100 percent to my career and 100 percent to us? I just am afraid of losing either the bulls or you. What if I lost both?’”

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

This book definitely showcases my writing style. My goal is to write the best story I can, a story the readers are really going to enjoy. Knock on wood, I’ve accomplished that with The Sheriff and the Cowgirl.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

I want people to take away the happily ever after feeling, to feel good and satisfied after they close the book. I want them to have enjoyed their time spent reading it.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

I’m currently working on the second book of a new series for Tule Publishing…the Texas Heritage series. It’ll be four books, coming out in late 2022 and early 2023. You can expect a wonderful Christmas romance to be included. Also there will be completion of the Yellow Rose Sisters series that I will indie publish in 2022.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of The Sheriff and the Cowgirl & 3 Tule ebooks

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What dreams are you so committed to that you’d put everything on the line to reach them?

 
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Excerpt from The Sheriff and the Cowgirl:

“Road Runner is on the move. Hold on to your hat, Sheriff.” The voice crackled over the radio in Gray Dalton’s SUV.
He keyed the mike. “Ditch the cartoon names. I’ve got this. Move over to the river highway and monitor the early weekend traffic.”
“Ten-four, Sheriff.”
Gray shook his head and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. This wasn’t a joke. And it was time it came to an end. Then he realized the words hit on another sore subject of late. The time was coming to put an end to a lot of things with this offender. But first things first.
Five minutes later, the heavy black rig flashed past his location behind the dilapidated old gas station clocking at eighteen miles over the speed limit. Gray blew out a heavy breath of frustration mixed with anger and flipped on the light bar, hit the siren. Dust flew up from his tires as he left his observation spot and pulled onto the blacktopped, two-lane highway.
“Pull over, Tori. I’m in no mood today.” Gray ground out the words to no one in particular except himself. Another half mile flew by. Then a flat stretch of roadway loomed ahead. Finally, the lights on the back of the fifth wheel and horse trailer combo rig flashed on as brakes were being applied by the driver. But she still didn’t stop, only slowed. That only raised his anger another five notches.
The red lights in front of him blinked a few times with her probably watching in her side-view mirror as she teased him, laughing at her little joke. Well, she wouldn’t be laughing when he did get her stopped. Not this time.
At last, the vehicle slowed enough to move over to the shoulder of the roadway. There was a turn in to where a wide area had been cleared for the row of mailboxes all situated on the same long beam that indicated several ranches were in the area. Tori had the good sense to aim for it, where the big rig would be off the roadway and he could exit his vehicle safely, too.
Both vehicles killed their engines. Gray reached for his Stetson on the dashboard and pulled it onto his head. Next, he grabbed the ticket book out of the console beside him. He didn’t write too many tickets, leaving that job to his numerous deputies. But today was the day to teach a lesson to a certain headstrong female. He exited his vehicle and then took his time walking the distance between the two.
The window was already rolled down on the driver’s side. He noted that there were no animals in the trailer. The rig was not even a year old. It’s black, silver, and red markings were the same as the rest of the Four T ranch vehicles, except this one touted their rodeo stock producing logo emblazoned across its side panel. Gray knew the rig carried a price tag of six figures. But it also served as Tori’s business office on the road and her living quarters. The special compartment on the end had been outfitted to carry either her horse or sometimes, her prize bull, Maximus. It was chock-full of safety features and everything else her protective brothers could think of—along with his valued lawman’s input—to make certain Tori was safe in the thousands of miles she often covered on the rodeo circuit. Her dog, Gypsy, a strategic gift to her on Valentine’s Day from Gray, was her only companion on most of her trips. Her brothers were usually onboard one of the three semis or flying off to another site ahead of their arrival.
“Geez, Gray. It’s a little hot out here you know. Why did you pull me over right now? Couldn’t wait to see my smiling face?” The words came from the woman who hooked her elbow on the open window beside her and tossed a saucy nod of her head as he came to a standstill beside her door. For a moment, his intentions faltered. Those sky-blue eyes and flash of dimples always had a way to hook him. But he had practiced this moment quite a bit in his imagination and that included not letting her beauty and infectious laughter steer him away from his plan.
That was one reason he had kept his aviator sunglasses on. Just an extra layer of protection against those baby-blue eyes that made a man…made him…want to volunteer for a drowning death in their depths on any given day. Keep it business.
“You were clocked at eighteen over the posted limit. Seems we’ve had this discussion before.”
“You pulled me over to tell me how fast I was going? This could have waited until I got home, and we could have a couple of glasses of iced tea in my air-conditioned living room.”
His tone lowered and it was the one that usually caused offenders to be quiet and hope for leniency. “License and registration.”
The smile hesitated…and then faded on Tori’s face. She wasn’t finding the matter amusing any longer. “Are you serious? This joke isn’t funny anymore.”
“On that we can agree. It’s neither a joke nor is it funny. License and registration. It’s time you learned a lesson.”
Tori reached for the paperwork from the console. Gypsy’s tail was beating against the leather seat cushion of the passenger side as it had been since Gray walked up. “Sit still, Gypsy, or he might nail you for disturbing the peace or some such nonsense.” She shoved the papers at him.
He took them without a word. She watched as he began to write on the form in the tablet in his hands.
“This is a fine way to welcome me home after a month on the road.”
“Yes, it is a fine way. And one long overdue. It’s a reminder that might save your life…if you learn a lesson from it.”
“I’m a good driver, Gray. You know that. I’m five miles from the ranch. I’m not even carrying any animals with me. I sent them on ahead with one of the trucks. I just was listening to some George Strait on the radio and in a hurry to get home to see my family…and a certain friend. A friend that I thought would be glad to see me and treating me a lot nicer right now.”
Gray removed the ticket from the book and handed it over to her. She took it from his fingers, none too gently.
“Tori, I’ve warned you more than a few times about that lead foot of yours. And I am glad to see you. I want to keep on seeing you, alive and well. Last month, we lost the Beaumont twins, Matt and Jeff, along with the Hall’s girl, Sydney. All under the age of eighteen, all invincible, and all with speeding tickets in their file. I don’t intend to have you be another statistic…not in my county. Maybe this will get the point across.”
Tori’s face had sobered, and her attitude had simmered some. “I hadn’t heard about those kids. I know all of them. How terrible for their families.”
Gray felt a tug in the center of his chest. He resisted the urge to soften his stance. But it was for her own good.
“We’ve played this game one too many times. I’m tired of you blowing through my radar spots, making my deputies begin to expect this as some sort of game of yours each time you return to grace our lives for a few days. It’s a waste of their time and mine. So from now on, you can expect a ticket and if you get too many of those, then you’ll find a judge taking away that license of yours. That would put a damper on you being able to get from rodeo to rodeo. Someone else would have to do the driving.”
The anger was back and flashed out in blue fire. “Thanks for the warm welcome home. And the souvenir,” she said, fanning the piece of yellow paper before tossing it on the dashboard. “Am I free to go now, Sheriff Dalton?”
He bit back what he wanted to say. He wanted to haul her out of that truck and kiss some sense into her head or shake some into it. Maybe both. Either way would be venting his frustration on the whole relationship situation between the pair of them. That showdown was still building.
“You are free to go, Miss Tremayne. Just don’t forget to keep your speed within the posted limits from now on.”
Tori didn’t say another word. She gunned the engine to life. Then she gave him a final parting glare. The rig moved off…slowly…following all the traffic laws until he lost sight of it over the far rise in the highway.
That was one hurdle handled. Gray knew that the next one they would face would be the most difficult. His mind still needed to argue with itself a bit longer. But in the end, he knew what was going to be the outcome. He had loved Tori Tremayne for as long as he could remember. Everyone…family, friends, neighbors… They all had watched him fall hard. And he was always there in the background, supporting her and cheering her on in dreams that most people thought were a bit insane.
Why would a smart, pretty thing like Tori Tremayne want to raise the biggest, baddest bucking bulls in the country? Did she have a few screws loose? That’s what the usual conversations were among those who didn’t know her so well. She was determined to the point of almost being fanatical in her hunt for the Nationals ranking for her “babies”…to prove something to the sport she had cut her teeth on, and she wasn’t giving up.
To that end, she was on the road with their rodeo stock more weeks of the year than she was at home. And that didn’t lend itself to any romance having much of a chance. The odds were definitely not in favor of a long-term relationship. But nothing had been able to make his heart understand that fact. Until recently. Until her last brother’s wedding. Until Gray had sat down and looked at where his life was and what his future looked like and he knew he had some decisions to make for himself. And they might not involve Tori. That left him staring down an empty road…and an empty future.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

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?

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Meet the Author:

Born and raised in the Lone Star state of Texas, Debra grew up among horses, cowboys, wide open spaces, and real Texas Rangers. Pride in her state and ancestry knows no bounds and it is these heroes and heroines she loves to write about the most. She also draws upon a variety of life experiences including working with abused children, caring for baby animals at a major zoo, and planning high-end weddings (ah, romance!).

Debra’s real pride and joys, however, are her son, an aspiring film actor, and a daughter with aspirations to join the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (more story ideas!) When she isn’t busy writing about tall Texans and feisty heroines, she can be found cheering on her Texas Tech Red Raiders, or heading off on another cruise adventure. She read her first romance…Janet Dailey’s Fiesta San Antonio, over thirty years ago and became hooked on the genre. Writing contemporary western romances, is both her passion and dream come true, and she hopes her books will bring smiles…and sighs…to all who believe in happily-ever-after’s.
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