Here's hoping that you are having
a wonderful Christmas day
wherever you are!
May the spirit of the season stay
with you all year.
Hugs,
Carolyn Brown
Y'all come on in!
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Western Romance Cafe Giveaway Extravaganza
Merry Christmas to all our amazing followers! We appreciate
each and every one of you and love all the support you give to us here at
Western Romance Café. To celebrate our 1500 friends milestone, we are having a
December celebration and today is my day to hold the microphone.
I live in southern Oklahoma and we’re all about cowboys,
country music, cowboys, good food, cowboys, Native Americans (my good friend
calls himself an NDN), reading good books, tornadoes and did I mention cowboys?
So for my prize package I’ve chosen a dream catcher key
chain, a hand made choker and earring set made by an elderly little Chickasaw
Indian lady, six of my Christmas Cowboy books (signed of course), a little Okie
refrigerator magnet, a Blake Shelton Christmas CD (because he lives in my home
town of Tishomingo), enough pecans to make a pie (picked up from my front yard
and picked out by Mr. B), and a Gone With the Wind evening bag (because I love
that book and Scarlett O’Hara’s sass). I could not figure out a way to put a
tornado in the box but several of my sassy heroines will make you think of a
tornado.
All you have to do tell me the top item on your Christmas
list this year in the comments on my Western Romance Café and your name goes into the famous red boot.
Drawing will be held tomorrow morning. Good luck and thank you again for being
a part of our Western Romance Café!
Click right HERE to go right to the page and please like us while you are there and come back and visit often.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
LAUNCH DAY...
has hit the shelves!
(Previously published as The Red Hot Chili Cook Off, it's now available in mass market paperback with a brand new title and cover)
One woman's quest for chili perfection
Carlene Lovell is going to hit her no-good, deadbeat, cheatin' ass, soon-to-be ex-husband where it hurts: at the annual chili cook-off, which he's won for 10 years in a row. To win, though, she'll need more than a little help...
Carlene Lovell is going to hit her no-good, deadbeat, cheatin' ass, soon-to-be ex-husband where it hurts: at the annual chili cook-off, which he's won for 10 years in a row. To win, though, she'll need more than a little help...
Is another man's second chance at love
Police Chief Jack Landry has been smitten with Carlene forever. Now that she needs some help keeping the peace (and getting revenge), it's his chance to prove that not all men are dogs....
Police Chief Jack Landry has been smitten with Carlene forever. Now that she needs some help keeping the peace (and getting revenge), it's his chance to prove that not all men are dogs....
"With a cast of characters that will leave readers grinning, Brown's latest is delightful, humorous "chick lit"... Fun, fun and more fun is on hand in a story that wins a blue ribbon in both originality and wit. 4 Stars" - RT Book Reviews
"Fun, fresh and hilarious... The author showed that laughter is the best medicine and a sure fire cure for the toughest of challenges in life." - Chick Lit Reviews
"A fun romp through the world of the dignified South, where a group of women opening a lingerie shop is only slightly less scandalous than a woman divorcing a cheating jerk of a spouse." - Calliope's Reviews and Stitching News
"The characters are vibrant and engaging, the story is endearingly off beat and full of down home folksy charm. A wonderfully heartwarming and highly entertaining novel." - Book Reviews and More By Kathy
"Fun, sassy, and showing that you should follow your heart..." - Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell
Thursday, December 1, 2016
December Sales!
Don't you just love a good sale in December?
Four of my books are on sale for the whole month of December. The Lullaby Sky and The Ladies' Room are both priced at $2 and Life After Wife and Hidden Secrets are only 99 cents. So while you are waiting in line, sitting in a doctor's office or maybe just curled up in your favorite reading spot with a cup of hot chocolate...here's raising my cup of coffee to you this morning and wishing you happy reading days!
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
All’s fair in love and war, and Sophie is determined to win the battle for her aunt Maud’s cattle ranch—even if it means fighting Elijah, a rude ex-military man. But it seems that even from the grave Aunt Maud is still matchmaking; her will states that both Sophie and Elijah must share the ranch evenly, and neither wants to give up a share. But Sophie’s main focus is on the ranch, not romance; she just put her life back together after being betrayed in her previous marriage.
As the two work side by side, their feelings begin to change. But before they can find their happily ever after, Elijah must see through Sophie’s hard armor to the sweet soul beneath, and Sophie must help Elijah overcome his wartime nightmares of fallen friends. In Life After Wife, second chances and true love are strong, triumphing amid heartache and despair.
in the church ladies' room are supposed to stay in the ladies' room. But that doesn't mean that what Trudy overhears there during her great-aunt Gertrude's funeral won't change the rest of her life.
Trudy has a daughter in the middle of a major rebellion, a two-timing husband who has been cheating for their entire married life, and a mother with Alzheimer's residing in the local nursing home. She doesn't really need a crumbling old house about to fall into nothing but a pile of memories and broken knickknacks.
Billy Lee Tucker, resident oddball in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, lived next door to Gert, and in her will she leaves him the funds to help Trudy remodel the old house. That's fine with Billy Lee, because he's been in love with Trudy since before they started school. And just spending time with her is something he'd never ever allowed himself to dream about.
A beautiful home rises up from the old house on Broadway, and right along with it rises up a relationship. But is Trudy too scarred from what she heard in the ladies' room to see a lovely future with Billy Lee?
Kim Brewster’s ill-fated marriage was annulled so quickly that she thought she could keep the whole thing a secret…until she found out she was pregnant. But before her confession can blow a hole in the seemingly perfect lives of the Brewster women, her great-grandmother, Hannah, drops a bomb of her own. She’s selling her hotel and moving to a farm in Oklahoma—and all the Brewsters are coming with her. Kim is sure her grandmother, Karen, and mother, Sue, won’t go along with the plan, but Hannah can be very convincing. Soon the women are working the farm, selling their wares from a roadside stand, and finally feeling like a family.
And as the Brewster women’s lives take shape in ways they never expected, Kim may have found another shot at love. Luke thought he’d washed his hands of women, but when he stops by the vegetable stand and meets Kim, he’s instantly smitten. To find love, though, they’ll both have to dig past their hidden secrets.
And here's the link to my author page on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Brown/e/B000APIBQK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Four of my books are on sale for the whole month of December. The Lullaby Sky and The Ladies' Room are both priced at $2 and Life After Wife and Hidden Secrets are only 99 cents. So while you are waiting in line, sitting in a doctor's office or maybe just curled up in your favorite reading spot with a cup of hot chocolate...here's raising my cup of coffee to you this morning and wishing you happy reading days!
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
______________________________________________________
All’s fair in love and war, and Sophie is determined to win the battle for her aunt Maud’s cattle ranch—even if it means fighting Elijah, a rude ex-military man. But it seems that even from the grave Aunt Maud is still matchmaking; her will states that both Sophie and Elijah must share the ranch evenly, and neither wants to give up a share. But Sophie’s main focus is on the ranch, not romance; she just put her life back together after being betrayed in her previous marriage.
As the two work side by side, their feelings begin to change. But before they can find their happily ever after, Elijah must see through Sophie’s hard armor to the sweet soul beneath, and Sophie must help Elijah overcome his wartime nightmares of fallen friends. In Life After Wife, second chances and true love are strong, triumphing amid heartache and despair.
___________________________________________________________
Secrets told
in the church ladies' room are supposed to stay in the ladies' room. But that doesn't mean that what Trudy overhears there during her great-aunt Gertrude's funeral won't change the rest of her life.Trudy has a daughter in the middle of a major rebellion, a two-timing husband who has been cheating for their entire married life, and a mother with Alzheimer's residing in the local nursing home. She doesn't really need a crumbling old house about to fall into nothing but a pile of memories and broken knickknacks.
Billy Lee Tucker, resident oddball in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, lived next door to Gert, and in her will she leaves him the funds to help Trudy remodel the old house. That's fine with Billy Lee, because he's been in love with Trudy since before they started school. And just spending time with her is something he'd never ever allowed himself to dream about.
A beautiful home rises up from the old house on Broadway, and right along with it rises up a relationship. But is Trudy too scarred from what she heard in the ladies' room to see a lovely future with Billy Lee?
_____________________________________________________________
Kim Brewster’s ill-fated marriage was annulled so quickly that she thought she could keep the whole thing a secret…until she found out she was pregnant. But before her confession can blow a hole in the seemingly perfect lives of the Brewster women, her great-grandmother, Hannah, drops a bomb of her own. She’s selling her hotel and moving to a farm in Oklahoma—and all the Brewsters are coming with her. Kim is sure her grandmother, Karen, and mother, Sue, won’t go along with the plan, but Hannah can be very convincing. Soon the women are working the farm, selling their wares from a roadside stand, and finally feeling like a family.And as the Brewster women’s lives take shape in ways they never expected, Kim may have found another shot at love. Luke thought he’d washed his hands of women, but when he stops by the vegetable stand and meets Kim, he’s instantly smitten. To find love, though, they’ll both have to dig past their hidden secrets.
And here's the link to my author page on Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/Carolyn-Brown/e/B000APIBQK/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Monday, November 21, 2016
GRAND LAUNCH
Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 22, is the
GRAND LAUNCH
of the
Blame it on Texas World
Facebook page.
I'll be opening the day long event at noon (CST) and closing it at 4 (CST). Every half hour a new author will arrive and there will be prizes all day long. At 5:30 I will give away a Kindle Fire and the winner will be chosen from all the folks who stop by and comment throughout the day So mark your calendars and come on over at noon and visit with us!!
Monday, November 14, 2016
CONTEST!!!
Happy Monday all y'all!
There's a contest/giveaway/visit going on over on the Blame it on Texas FB page!! Come on over and visit with me today. I'm giving away a book (for your Kindle) every hour or so and at the end of the day I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
Come on over...RIGHT HERE...and comment, visit or just hang out with us through this week. Today I'm on the site, tomorrow will be another author and then the next day, etc., so have a great time and get to know the world!
There's a contest/giveaway/visit going on over on the Blame it on Texas FB page!! Come on over and visit with me today. I'm giving away a book (for your Kindle) every hour or so and at the end of the day I'm giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate.
Monday, November 7, 2016
COVER REVEAL...
Come hell or high water,
Emmy Jo Massey will have a wedding.
After three generations of Massey women with children out of wedlock, she wants the whole town of Hickory, Texas, to witness the legitimacy of her union with Logan Grady. But dream weddings aren’t cheap. So she accepts a highly lucrative stint as a home health assistant to retired realtor, and town recluse, Seth Thomas—a decision her great-grandmother Tandy is dead-set against.
Seth isn’t happy about it, either. The eighty-two-year-old doesn’t want a “babysitter”—much less a Massey—something he makes clear when Emmy arrives at his house, an empty mansion built for the woman who broke his heart. But as Emmy stays and the two eventually open up to each other, she learns the reason behind a feud between Seth, Tandy, and Logan’s grandfather Jesse Grady that goes back six decades. She also uncovers a secret that forever changes how she sees her past and her future…
Arriving March 28, 2017
Available for preorder now in Paperback, Kindle and Audio at Amazon
Saturday, October 8, 2016
GIVEAWAY...
MERRY COWBOY CHRISTMAS
just hit the bestseller list, Grand Central/Forever is sponsoring a great giveaway! The prize pack will consist of the Lucky Penny Ranch series, a copy of HUMBLE & KIND by Tim McGraw and a tote bag from Forever. There will be 1 winner in this giveaway and it’s open to the US & Canada. All you have to do is sign up for my NEWSLETTER to enter. You can also add Merry Cowboy Christmas and Wicked Cowboy Charm to your Goodreads shelf for additional entries. Just click on this Rafflecopter link, then to my website and then jump on over to Goodreads. Good luck to everyone! Entry will end Oct. 14 so…ready, set, go!!!
Friday, October 7, 2016
The Countdown to Deer Season begins...
There he sits all alone. He cannot think of his wife, kids, tom cats or the drippy faucet or that eighty six point buck that evaded him last year will read his thoughts from a mile away, know he is there and stay hidden. Concentration must evolve around nothing but pretty white tail female deer so that he will come out of the woods right where the hunter has his gun already trained.
He hasn't used shaving lotion in weeks and has a beard that reaches to his belly button to prove it. Deodorant is a thing of the past and will only be used when the season is over. Only unscented soap can touch his body until after Christmas.
Only his eyes move, ever scanning the territory below him. Watching. Waiting. And even his eyes move slowly, never daring here and there. Not even a bikini clad model could make him whip around for a second look. Hunters are trained to know that any swift movement, including fast glances can scare off that big buck.
You can't see him, perched there in the trees on a little platform that's been painted to match the dead leaves. His clothing is also that color and so is his gun and even the funny looking gloves with the fingers cut out of them.
He left home at daybreak to sit in the coffee shop with others of the great hunter religion. Until the first rays of sunlight peek over the horizon they spin stories about what they will bag that day. That means what Bambi relative they'll strap down on the hood of their car. Then they'll drive very slowly through town so everyone can see that they are the biggest and best hunter in the whole county.
After the braggin' session, he goes to the tree stand to sit with more patience than he ever shows his teenage daughter or those boys that she brings home with their hats on backwards and their pants that are three sizes too big.
If the deer aren't biting that day, or is it fish that bite and deer that appear? I never can get all the terminology straight. In that case he takes home a case of chiggers and an allergy attack that promises to put at least two doctor's kids through college and maybe even put a pool in their back yards.
If the deer are biting and he does shoot a white tail that is worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records, then he takes home a case of chiggers, a dose of allergies, and a freezer of venison that the wife won't cook and the children refuse to eat.
It must be a hold over from the ancestors that date back to the cave days. Men brought home the meat and the women cooked it. But between then and now, women have burned their bras, burned the bridges at both ends and decided that packaged meat from the super market worked just fine. But the DNA surfaces in the fall and the men folks continue to talk about the hunt--about that bionic beast that ran away with six arrows protruding from it and two tons of shot imbedded in its hide.
Rest assure, there is another side of this story...kind of like Paul Harvey's news when he'd say, "And now the rest of the story."
While he's sitting in that deer stand, his wife has learned that it's the perfect time to shop, shop, shop. He'll never know what got bought or charged during "the season." He has to carry around a paper in his billfold to remember who he's married to and the names of his children.
Who does he think talked the gaming commission into putting "the season" so close to the holidays? It sure wasn't Santa Claus, darlin' deer hunter!
He hasn't used shaving lotion in weeks and has a beard that reaches to his belly button to prove it. Deodorant is a thing of the past and will only be used when the season is over. Only unscented soap can touch his body until after Christmas.
Only his eyes move, ever scanning the territory below him. Watching. Waiting. And even his eyes move slowly, never daring here and there. Not even a bikini clad model could make him whip around for a second look. Hunters are trained to know that any swift movement, including fast glances can scare off that big buck.
You can't see him, perched there in the trees on a little platform that's been painted to match the dead leaves. His clothing is also that color and so is his gun and even the funny looking gloves with the fingers cut out of them.
He left home at daybreak to sit in the coffee shop with others of the great hunter religion. Until the first rays of sunlight peek over the horizon they spin stories about what they will bag that day. That means what Bambi relative they'll strap down on the hood of their car. Then they'll drive very slowly through town so everyone can see that they are the biggest and best hunter in the whole county.
After the braggin' session, he goes to the tree stand to sit with more patience than he ever shows his teenage daughter or those boys that she brings home with their hats on backwards and their pants that are three sizes too big.
If the deer aren't biting that day, or is it fish that bite and deer that appear? I never can get all the terminology straight. In that case he takes home a case of chiggers and an allergy attack that promises to put at least two doctor's kids through college and maybe even put a pool in their back yards.
If the deer are biting and he does shoot a white tail that is worthy of the Guinness Book of World Records, then he takes home a case of chiggers, a dose of allergies, and a freezer of venison that the wife won't cook and the children refuse to eat.
It must be a hold over from the ancestors that date back to the cave days. Men brought home the meat and the women cooked it. But between then and now, women have burned their bras, burned the bridges at both ends and decided that packaged meat from the super market worked just fine. But the DNA surfaces in the fall and the men folks continue to talk about the hunt--about that bionic beast that ran away with six arrows protruding from it and two tons of shot imbedded in its hide.
Rest assure, there is another side of this story...kind of like Paul Harvey's news when he'd say, "And now the rest of the story."
While he's sitting in that deer stand, his wife has learned that it's the perfect time to shop, shop, shop. He'll never know what got bought or charged during "the season." He has to carry around a paper in his billfold to remember who he's married to and the names of his children.
Who does he think talked the gaming commission into putting "the season" so close to the holidays? It sure wasn't Santa Claus, darlin' deer hunter!
Thursday, October 6, 2016
USA TODAY...
MERRY COWBOY CHRISTMAS
made the
Bestseller List
for the week of October 6.
"A captivating cast of characters fills the pages of this sweet and funny novel."―Publishers Weekly"Top Pick! Carolyn Brown writes about everyday things that happen to all of us and she does it with panache, class, empathy and humor."―Night Owl Reviews on Merry Cowboy Christmas
"Jud with his slow, Texas drawl is one sexy cowboy who will have readers falling in love with him. His romantic connection with Fiona sizzles. Brown's modern storytelling and fun-filled plot will engage readers and wrap them up in this sweet, Southern holiday romance."―RT Book Reviews
"Carolyn Brown must have a magic wand because this book was a delight to read. Fiona is a woman who I would love to be friends with! She’s down to earth, funny and sweet. And Jud Dawson…*sigh* How can I even describe this delicious, sweet man!? He’s everything you’d want in a cowboy; loyal, handsome, sweet and currently single! The chemistry between these two is perfect, but Fiona is only visiting…unless Jud can convincer her otherwise. Carolyn Brown manages to bring back the Christmas magic no matter what time of year it is.
I highly recommend for those who love Christmas stories. "– Once Upon an Alpha
Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
BRAND NEW PROGRAM ON AMAZON PRIME LAUNCHES TODAY!
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Launch Day...
IT'S HERE!!!
Jud and Fiona are so ready to give all the folks in Dry Creek something to talk about! Will Fiona stay in Dry Creek? Will Jud get his heart broken? Will the Lucky Penny fail? So much to talk about...
Let the gossiping begin!
Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Monday, September 26, 2016
Tomorrow...
Dry Creek, Texas is filled with excitement!
MERRY COWBOY CHRISTMAS
will be on the shelves tomorrow!
Sometimes a couple of characters come along that just steal
an author’s heart. Jud and Fiona were like that for me. I loved Allie and
Blake, Wild Cowboy Ways
It was late summer when I wrote this book and I turned down the air conditioner and listened to Christmas carols to put me into the holiday mood. Here's hoping reading Jud and Fiona's story sprinkles magic holiday glitter over your days.
Here's one of the Christmas albums I listened to while I wrote the book...just a little something to put you in the mood for tomorrow!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
2 DAYS...
Fiona and Jud's story
will be here
in only 2 more days!
Have you signed up for my newsletter?
It will be mailed tomorrow!
Time is running out for the September letter so chase on over to my WEBSITE and sign up. It's simple--enter your name and email address and hit the button.
Thank you! Thank you!
Big Texas sized hugs for signing up!
The third book in Carolyn Brown’s Lucky Penny Ranch series features Fiona, who’s finally coming home to face her family, and Jud, a rugged cowboy with a rowdy reputation.
Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Saturday, September 24, 2016
3 DAYS...
GIVEAWAY...
3 Days!
On Tuesday, Sept. 27
Fiona and Jud's story
will be on the shelves!
There's a giveaway on Goodreads. 10 readers will each win a copy of Merry Cowboy Christmas. All you have to do is sign up in the next two days. Click HERE and you'll go straight to the page.
"A captivating cast of characters fills the pages of this sweet and funny novel."―Publishers Weekly
"Top Pick! Carolyn Brown writes about everyday things that happen to all of us and she does it with panache, class, empathy and humor. 4 stars."―Night Owl Reviews on Merry Cowboy Christmas
"Jud with his slow, Texas drawl is one sexy cowboy who will have readers falling in love with him. His romantic connection with Fiona sizzles. Brown's modern storytelling and fun-filled plot will engage readers and wrap them up in this sweet, Southern holiday romance."―RT Book Reviews
THIS CHRISTMAS, SANTA'S WEARING A STETSON'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house is the presence of one wickedly hot cowboy who's come to stay for the holiday. Fiona Logan is downright shocked to return to her childhood home and find that the tall blond stranger who came to her rescue on an icy road will be sleeping just across the hall from her bedroom. Talk about temptation . . .
Jud Dawson never believed the Lucky Penny Ranch would live up to its name until now. Fiona is gorgeous, smart, funny, and everything he thought he'd never find. Now all he has to do is convince her to stick around town instead of hightailing it back to Houston. But with wild weather, nosy neighbors, and a new baby in the family, getting her to admit that she's falling in love might just take a Christmas miracle.
Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Friday, September 23, 2016
FOUR DAYS...
Reader Reviews are A-MAZE-ZING!
From Goodreads:
*Ms. Brown has a way of telling a story that is mesmerizing, as well as captivating! She is such a talented author and never disappoints her readers. Her characters are realistic and engaging, her
Carolyn Brown's Truman O'Dell is one of the most colorful characters she has treated her readers to so far. His contributions to the dialogue in Merry Cowboy Christmas add some of the most humorous scenes in the story. Truman comes out with such comments as, "Colder'n a mother-in-law's kiss out here, ain't it?" Or how about this comment from Truman to tickle your fancy, "Women! Can't figure them out and it's against the law to shoot 'em."* Carolyn Brown's Truman O'Dell is one of the most colorful characters she has treated her readers to so far. His contributions to the dialogue in Merry Cowboy Christmas add some of the most humorous scenes in the story. Truman comes out with such comments as, "Colder'n a mother-in-law's kiss out here, ain't it?" Or how about this comment from Truman to tickle your fancy, "Women! Can't figure them out and it's against the law to shoot 'em."
*Carolyn Brown has a way... a way to show how families can pull together, how they are always there for you and how they seem to just know what you may need when you are doubting yourself. It may be a simple way of looking at things... but in the end... isn't that just what we would all wish for...
*If you want a lovely holiday book with plenty of good feels, holiday cheer and sweet romance, this is definitely the book you want to add to your holiday, feel good reading list. I couldn't help but to get lost in the story as I snuggled in with the gang from Lucky Penny. This featured all that I love about the holidays: family, giving to others, love and comfort. Don't miss this one.
*Ms Brown really has a gift for creating her characters with personalities that are totally unique...I especially enjoyed Jud quick wit and wry humor...he had me chuckling out loud on more than one occasion. And who knew Truman could spout such words of wisdom, and make you laugh at the same time. Where so many authors use graphic, erotic sexual encounters between characters in their stories, Ms Brown simply uses the imagery in the power of suggestion to garner the emotional investment that pulls at the heartstrings and drives the relationships between her characters.
*This book has the perfect family festivity setting and will definitely get you in that loving Christmas mood, featuring the family we have come to love. I enjoyed this book however not as much as the other two. It is definitely worth the read and is coming out in the running up to the festive holidays to get you in the mood.
Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Thursday, September 22, 2016
THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS...
5 DAYS!!!
THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!
A little excerpt for today:
So this was Jud, Fiona thought, the
cowboy in the Dawson
She was glad that he’d been close by
when that damn tire blew out. But sitting with him in the truck, traveling at a
snail’s pace? The air in the black crew-cab truck was way too thin. She inhaled
deeply and let it out slowly and was glad it was only half a mile to her home
because his coat around her shoulders suddenly made her hotter than blue
blazes.
Links to preorder!
- Amzn: http://amzn.to/2cf7XhS
B&N: http://bit.ly/2cf79JE
iBooks: http://apple.co/2cw9kbO
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2cLdn7s...
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2cIrdU0
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
THE LULLABY SKY...
HANNAH AND TRAVIS'S STORY IS HERE!
AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK, KINDLE AND AUDIO!
Hannah should feel a little bit of guilt.
After all her marriage had just ended in divorce but all she felt was relief.
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
Reader Reviews:
*Ahh.... comfort reading. I needed a nice heaping helping of comfort, and I certainly got that with The Lullaby Sky. This is a book about new beginnings, old friendships, family, love and living life to the fullest. I loved the positive messages in this book, and how the difficult topic of domestic abuse was handled.
*Hannah's story shows her moving on from a challenging past and making a new life for herself and her daughter, but that's not all, she's helping more women and children that have endured the same pain she has. I enjoyed the friendships and the family aspects through out this book. And Travis was such a down home amazing man, perfect as a hero in this story. This story has heart and soul.
*This is such a feel-good story. How can one get this feeling from a story that begins with the divorce of an abused wife? I invite you to answer that question by following the bread crumbs along with Hannah to a heartwarming happily ever after.
I appreciate all my awesome readers so much. Thank you for buying my books, talking about them, recommending them for book clubs and for telling your neighbors about them. And a double thank you to those to take precious time to write a review! You are all truly the wind beneath my wings!
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
A COWBOY CHRISTMAS MIRACLE has launched!
TODAY!!
It's on the shelves today and available for your e-readers! The last book in the Burnt Boot Series takes my readers back to the little town of Burnt Book, Texas, where the Gallaghers and Brennans are still feuding and it's looking like there won't even be a Christmas program at the church this year...or will there?
It will take a miracle bigger than the state of Texas for these two feuding families to survive the holidays!
Opposites might attract...
The Brennans and the Gallaghers put aside their one-hundred-year feud every Tuesday for their weekly poker game. This week, the stakes are sky-high. Goaded to recklessness, Declan Brennan bets one thousand dollars that he can woo the next woman to walk into the saloon. A minute later, fiery-haired Betsy Gallagher pushes through the doors. If Declan can tame this wild Gallagher, he'll have earned every penny.
If they don't kill each other first...
Betsy can outshoot anybody in Burnt Boot and loves ranching more than anything-until she falls for Declan. He's fallen for her too. But when she discovers what sparked their courtship, Declan will need a Christmas miracle to save his hide-and his heart.
Reviews have been wonderful:
"The highlights of Brown's latest are her strong, engaging storytelling and colorfully distinctive, down-to-earth characters, both of which move her light-hearted plot along well. Betsy's sassiness compliments Declan's cowboy swagger, and their heartwarming connection will appeal to readers. Steady pacing and humorous tension give depth to this wonderfully delightful story." - RT Book Reviews
When you pick up any Carolyn Brown book, you know you are in for a rip roaring good time. I mean who doesn’t love a HOT cowboy or two, strong and sassy women, and a feuding family that keeps the reader laughing from start to finish. I have read the entire series, and while this book can be read stand alone, you will want to read the rest of the series because the Brennan and Gallagher feud is a laugh a minute. In this book, we get a little Romeo and Juliet in the form of Declan Brennan and Betsy Gallagher.- Harlequin Junkie
This book is laugh out loud funny, but there is an underlying bittersweet tinge to it because of the forbidden and unrequited love the couple felt they would have to live with forever because of their family names. But, when they begin spending time together, working on the church’s holiday program, they keep it a secret from everyone as they fall hopelessly in love. But, what happens when their families find out? - The Book Review
I'd like to thank all my friends, fans and family who take time to read my books, tell their neighbors about them and leave reviews for them! You are all totally awesome!
Thursday, September 1, 2016
SEPTEMBER SALE!
I do love a good sale. I’ve been known to buy a pair of
shoes just because they were marked ½ of ½ when I didn’t have a thing that
matched them—and they even pinched my toes just a little! And more than one
shirt or dress has hung in my closet until it went out of style because it was
on such a good sale that I could not pass it up. When I lost ten pounds it was
going to fit me perfectly but alas, I gained ten instead and it never did fit.
But there’s a sale going on right now at Amazon that is one
of those one size fits all and it’s got many, many choices. It started today
and there are more than thirty of my books listed on the 250 Kindle books for
$1.99 or less. The Angels and Outlaws Series have three books: Morning
Glory, Sweet Tilly and Evening Star and they’re all on sale for only
99 cents each.
The complete set of contemporary The Broken Roads series has
five books, all on sale for only $1.99 each. The five book historical The
Promised Land series is also listed for only $1.99 each. Many others are $1.99
including The Wedding Pearls, The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop and Long,
Hot Texas
Enjoy this month of sales and happy reading to everyone. And please know that I appreciate all of my readers—for buying my books, for telling your friends about them, for suggesting them for book club reads and most of all for all the amazing reviews that you post!
Enjoy this month of sales and happy reading to everyone. And please know that I appreciate all of my readers—for buying my books, for telling your friends about them, for suggesting them for book club reads and most of all for all the amazing reviews that you post!
So go shopping and then grab a glass of sweet tea or a glass
of wine and curl up for lots of September reading! Here’s the LINK and you can
scroll through the books until you find something that you’d like to read.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Life After Wife...
is on sale for only $2!!
As the two work side by side, their feelings begin to change. But before they can find their happily ever after, Elijah must see through Sophie’s hard armor to the sweet soul beneath, and Sophie must help Elijah overcome his wartime nightmares of fallen friends. In Life After Wife, second chances and true love are strong, triumphing amid heartache and despair.
Life After Wife is the third and final book in the Three Magic Words Trilogy.
The first one is
Theron Warren has absolutely no intention of falling in love again. His one failed marriage was painful enough. As an elementary school principal, part-time cop, and full-time ranch owner, he doesn't have time for the sassy woman who suddenly appears in his life: first in the jailhouse, then at his school and soon everywhere he turns.
Fate is trying to tell Fancy Lynn and Theron that they are soul mates, but is having a tough time convincing them.
The second one is
A professional bull rider turned rancher, Hart only has eyes for Kate, but she is one sassy piece of baggage -- even more so than back when she was a teenager and she'd first caught his eye.
Trust is hard to regain once it's been broken, and neither of them are willing to take chances with matters of the heart -- not anymore. And then Kate's Cajun grandmother, Maw Maw, and some of her other relatives set a plan into motion to abandon the two on a primitive island in the bayou. No cell phones. No electricity. No running water. And no one to talk to except each other.
Will they figure out what Maw Maw already knows: that fate is drawing them together and they need to learn to trust their hearts?
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Win a copy of The Lullaby Sky...
100 e-book copies of The Lullaby Sky are up for grabs at Goodreads. To win a copy all you do is click RIGHT HERE and enter the contest! Good luck and happy reading.
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
Friday, August 12, 2016
50
Like the song says we were two young people who didn't have a thing, just livin' on love. We were from two different worlds even though we didn't need a passport to go from one to the other. I was the wild child Rebel and he was the very conservatively raised Yankee. Since the marriage wasn't going to make it to the six month line and maybe not past six weeks, there was no wedding shower. After all, why waste their money on towels and sheets when the wild child would leave and go back to the south when the dust and lust settled.
So my first kitchen had a blue granite roasting pan with an uneven bottom and a 9x11 cake pan. We bought four forks, knifes and spoons at the five and dime for ten cents each (a total of one dollar and twenty cents) and my sister-in-law, who became my best friend, gave us a set of Melamine dishes or we would have been sharing our supper in the cake pan each evening. Mr. B never complained a single time about eating fried eggs with ruffled bottoms or bacon that was slightly burned because I was used to cooking with cast iron. We saved our Green Stamps for two months to purchase a broom and we lived on love because that was all we had.
A year later we moved back to Oklahoma for him to go to college and lots of months we lived on prayers and love but with both of us working at whatever we could find, he got his education in three and a half years...and we had our first child, a son, Lemar, during that time.
Three years later we had added two daughters, Amy and Ginny, to the family while we were in Kansas. Still livin' on love and prayers, we stretched every dollar and made the Honorable Abe Lincoln squeal as we even had to stretch pennies in those days. Teacher's pay wasn't so great but hey, we had a full set of mismatched pots and pans, a broom and enough beds for three kids so we counted ourselves as truly blessed.
Lookin' back today, the time has gone so fast. We've had tough times that drew us closer together, good times that we still laugh about and we raised three amazing kids. Our son is a biology teacher, our daughter is an English teacher and our youngest daughter works in an office where she's a cracker jack in the order entry world. They've made us proud parents and when we count our blessings, they top the list.
We've achieved more than those two young kids that started out ever hoped to accomplish in their lifetime. Life has been good to us and for us...so today I'd like to take a minute to tell Mr. B thank you for living and loving me for fifty years. And if you go on before me like it says in the song, then walk real slow because I can't imagine livin' long in this world without you. Sit on the bench at the bottom of the stairs up to the Pearly Gates, darlin', and I'll be along in just a little while. You know I'll need to hold your hand so I can get up those steps.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Pistols...
So we made it to the airport in plenty of time despite six million people on their way to work that morning. I'd already printed our tickets so we didn't have to make that stop and we had a TSA pre stamp on them which meant I didn't have to take off my flip flops.
No problem. Just put my lap top and the biggest purse I own in the trays, send them through the machine and we'd be on our way to get a cup of coffee and a Danish before we boarded.
The rollers stopped. The lady looked at me like my mama did when I'd done something horrible...like that time I got caught skipping school. I started thinking: yes, I'd put my pink pocket knife in the checked luggage. No, I did not have a bottle of lotion, not even one that was three ounces or less, in my purse. No, I didn't have fingernail clippers, but I did have an emery board. Was that enough to warrant the old stink eye that she kept shooting my way.
Then she sent her cohort over to gather up three policemen. Oh, no, was it now against the rules to carry chap stick and dental floss?
"Who owns these two bags?" the policeman asked as if he couldn't believe I'd raise my hand.
"I do," I said. I hoped they were still serving breakfast in the jail cell where he took me but I wanted to hear my rights read out loud and if they scarred my pretty wrist watch with cuffs, believe me there would be a hissy in the airport.
"Is there a pistol in the second bag?"
"Yes, sir, there is and you are welcome to open it up and look at it," I said.
The expression on his face said he didn't know whether to send me straight to jail, do not pass go and do not collect $200 and don't even stop long enough for a Danish--or to laugh. Surely a gray haired granny would not try to take a pistol through TSA customs!
"It's in that bag right there, in a side pocket," I told him. "And it's a flash drive, not a gun."
He still didn't believe me but he and two other uniformed guys went to digging. They found my two inch metal pistol in a few seconds, pulled it out and with a look of pure bewilderment, looked over at me again.
"Pull the barrel straight out."
They did and found I was telling the truth. I did have a pistol. It was a flash drive and it did not have bullets. And yes, they took it away from me! You can not carry any form of a pistol on an airplane!!
So there it is--I wasn't even out of Oklahoma and was already causing trouble.
Beware all ye authors at the RWA Conference. I might not have a pistol anymore but I do have an emery board and a keychain!!
No problem. Just put my lap top and the biggest purse I own in the trays, send them through the machine and we'd be on our way to get a cup of coffee and a Danish before we boarded.
The rollers stopped. The lady looked at me like my mama did when I'd done something horrible...like that time I got caught skipping school. I started thinking: yes, I'd put my pink pocket knife in the checked luggage. No, I did not have a bottle of lotion, not even one that was three ounces or less, in my purse. No, I didn't have fingernail clippers, but I did have an emery board. Was that enough to warrant the old stink eye that she kept shooting my way.
Then she sent her cohort over to gather up three policemen. Oh, no, was it now against the rules to carry chap stick and dental floss?
"Who owns these two bags?" the policeman asked as if he couldn't believe I'd raise my hand.
"I do," I said. I hoped they were still serving breakfast in the jail cell where he took me but I wanted to hear my rights read out loud and if they scarred my pretty wrist watch with cuffs, believe me there would be a hissy in the airport.
"Is there a pistol in the second bag?"
"Yes, sir, there is and you are welcome to open it up and look at it," I said.
The expression on his face said he didn't know whether to send me straight to jail, do not pass go and do not collect $200 and don't even stop long enough for a Danish--or to laugh. Surely a gray haired granny would not try to take a pistol through TSA customs!
"It's in that bag right there, in a side pocket," I told him. "And it's a flash drive, not a gun."
He still didn't believe me but he and two other uniformed guys went to digging. They found my two inch metal pistol in a few seconds, pulled it out and with a look of pure bewilderment, looked over at me again.
"Pull the barrel straight out."
They did and found I was telling the truth. I did have a pistol. It was a flash drive and it did not have bullets. And yes, they took it away from me! You can not carry any form of a pistol on an airplane!!
So there it is--I wasn't even out of Oklahoma and was already causing trouble.
Beware all ye authors at the RWA Conference. I might not have a pistol anymore but I do have an emery board and a keychain!!
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
July 5
I'm always so glad to see July 5! I don't care if it's Monday, Tuesday or--you get the idea. It doesn't matter what day July 5 is. If Mr. B is alive, unhurt and well, then it is a good day.
Explanation: He arrived home on June 28 and on July 4 his aunt invited us down to her place near Harrisburg, PA. She had tickets for us to go to Hershey that day to a big park where we would go to a Kitty Wells concert.
July 4 started out well. She made a lovely breakfast and Mr. B and I spent the day wandering around the park. We were so much in love that everything was beautiful. Except the roller coaster! It was not beautiful and no, thank you, I did not need a second ride on that demon thing. And to this day, I still do not do rides at amusement parks. I wanted Mr. B to think I was a tough, sassy Texas Rebel with a big hair do. That roller coaster came close to turning me into a whiny, whimpering bag of bones and it messed up my hair. If I'd known a roller coaster was on the agenda that day I would have used a heck of a lot more of the hair lacquer that morning.
Then the day ended and his cousins asked us to go swimming with them and their wives/girlfriends. Now I'd spent my whole life swimming in Pennington Creek in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, so that was no problem for this country girl. So I donned my bathing suit, took along a towel so I could sit on the shore and got ready for an evening of watching my hot fiancé those tight fittin' trunks.
He climbed the tree at the edge of the water right behind his cousins. I remember him asking, "Is it deep enough to dive?"
And they answered, "Sure, it is. We do it all the time."
Now the difference is that they were about five and a half feet tall and he was well over six feet. And they were skimming the water not diving straight in. His feet were still sticking out of the water when his head made contact with a nice big flat rock on the bottom of the creek.
We went straight to the emergency room where they put thirteen stitches in the top of his head and told him to report to the hospital near his home town the next morning. After a long, painful night we followed orders and he was admitted for traction for the next ten days.
Now move ahead one year. We made the decision to move back to Oklahoma for him to go to college and we arrived on July 4. That meant that Mr. B met his mother-in-law for the first time on July 4.
He survived both but since then we celebrate the holiday very quietly. I'm glad all stores are closed and that the children are very busy with their own hoop-las! That means we can stay home all day and wait for the holiday to pass.
So far; so good!!
Explanation: He arrived home on June 28 and on July 4 his aunt invited us down to her place near Harrisburg, PA. She had tickets for us to go to Hershey that day to a big park where we would go to a Kitty Wells concert.
July 4 started out well. She made a lovely breakfast and Mr. B and I spent the day wandering around the park. We were so much in love that everything was beautiful. Except the roller coaster! It was not beautiful and no, thank you, I did not need a second ride on that demon thing. And to this day, I still do not do rides at amusement parks. I wanted Mr. B to think I was a tough, sassy Texas Rebel with a big hair do. That roller coaster came close to turning me into a whiny, whimpering bag of bones and it messed up my hair. If I'd known a roller coaster was on the agenda that day I would have used a heck of a lot more of the hair lacquer that morning.
Then the day ended and his cousins asked us to go swimming with them and their wives/girlfriends. Now I'd spent my whole life swimming in Pennington Creek in Tishomingo, Oklahoma, so that was no problem for this country girl. So I donned my bathing suit, took along a towel so I could sit on the shore and got ready for an evening of watching my hot fiancé those tight fittin' trunks.
He climbed the tree at the edge of the water right behind his cousins. I remember him asking, "Is it deep enough to dive?"
And they answered, "Sure, it is. We do it all the time."
Now the difference is that they were about five and a half feet tall and he was well over six feet. And they were skimming the water not diving straight in. His feet were still sticking out of the water when his head made contact with a nice big flat rock on the bottom of the creek.
We went straight to the emergency room where they put thirteen stitches in the top of his head and told him to report to the hospital near his home town the next morning. After a long, painful night we followed orders and he was admitted for traction for the next ten days.
Now move ahead one year. We made the decision to move back to Oklahoma for him to go to college and we arrived on July 4. That meant that Mr. B met his mother-in-law for the first time on July 4.
He survived both but since then we celebrate the holiday very quietly. I'm glad all stores are closed and that the children are very busy with their own hoop-las! That means we can stay home all day and wait for the holiday to pass.
So far; so good!!
Monday, July 4, 2016
Happy Fourth of July
This is the scene out of my office window this morning! A brand new flag with the creases still on it flying in our front yard. Wishing all y'all a wonderful holiday with family and friends. And thanking all our servicemen and women who can't be with their families today, for their sacrifice so we can enjoy this day with our families!
God Bless America!
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
COVER REVEAL...
unveils the cover of
A Heap of Texas Trouble
A Heap of Texas Trouble
and your favorite book stores.
(Pub Date: Dec. 6, 2017)
Carlene Lovelle, co-owner of Bless My Bloomers lingerie shop, found a pair of fancy red-silk panties in her husband's briefcase, and all hell is breaking loose. She custom-made those fancy bloomers herself—and she remembers the bimbo who bought them. If her husband had a lick of sense, he'd known there are no secrets in a town like Cadillac.
Carlene's cohorts—and their mamas—plan to exact revenge on Lenny Joe where it'll hurt the most: break his ten-year winning streak at the prestigious Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off. Never before has a woman dared to compete. But the ladies of Bless My Bloomers are cooking up a storm...and it seems the whole town is taking sides in the showdown.
(NOTE: This is a reissue of The Red Hot Chili Cook Off. Different cover, different title, same story)
Friday, June 24, 2016
100,000 COPIES!
Hold the Presses!
Exciting news!
Today I got this gorgeous shadow box from my awesome publisher at Montlake to commemorate the sale of more than 100,000 copies sold of Hidden Secrets. (The little plaque at the bottom says: Presented to Carolyn Brown to commemorate sales exceeding 100,000 copies: Hidden Secrets: April, 2016)
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
COVER REVEAL!!
ARRIVING SEPTEMBER 13!
USA Today HEA revealed the cover today!
After seven years of misery and abuse, it’s all over—Hannah O’Malley is officially divorced. Hallelujah. It’s like every Christmas in her life all rolled up into one glorious day. Not only does Hannah get to keep her grandmother’s spacious old house, but she has full custody of her sparky five-year-old daughter. All Hannah has to do now is put the past behind her.
And now that she’s free, she wants to make a difference. With the help of her warm, close-knit circle of friends—including her high school crush, Travis Wilson—Hannah begins turning her home into a safe house for other women who’ve endured the pain she’s known. But even as life and laughter return to Hannah’s home, she’s haunted by the memory of her dangerously unstable ex. With a second chance at love on the horizon, Hannah must face down her past in order to let the sunshine back into her life.
Monday, June 6, 2016
New Cover, New Title...same characters!!
RE-ISSUE Tomorrow!!
What Happens in Texas!
On Sale Tomorrow!
It's got a new cover and a new title but the characters are the same.
A little excerpt from the beginning of the book...
If Prissy Parnell hadn’t married
Buster Jones and left Cadillac , Texas Pasadena , California
They were already passing around
the crystal bowl to take up the voting ballots when Marty slung open the door
to Violet Prescott’s sunroom and yelled, “Don’t count ‘em without my vote.”
Twenty faces turned to look at her
and not a one of them, not even her twin sister, Cathy, was smiling. Hells
bells, who had done pissed on their cucumber sandwiches before she got there,
anyway? A person didn’t drop dead from lack of punctuality, did they?
One wall of the sunroom was glass
and looked out over lush green lawns and flower gardens. The other three were
covered with shadow boxes housing the blue ribbons that the members had won at
the Texas State Fair for their jalapeno pepper entries. More than forty shadow
boxes all reminding the members of their history and their responsibility for the
upcoming year. Bless Cathy’s heart for doing her part. She had a little garden
of jalapenos on the east side of the lawn and nurtured them like children. The
newest shadow box held ribbons that she’d earned for the club with her pepper
jelly and picante. It was the soil or maybe she told them bedtime stories but
she, like her momma and grandma, grew the hottest jalapenos in the state.
“It appears that Martha has decided
to grace us with her presence once again when it is time to vote for someone to
take our dear Prissy’s place in the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society. We really
should amend our charter to state that a member has to attend more meetings
than one every two years. It looks like you could appreciate the fact that we
did amend it once to include you in the membership with your sister, who by the
way has a spotless attendance record,” Violet said.
Violet, the queen of the Club as
most of the members called it, was up near eighty-years-old, built like Sponge
Bob Square Pants and had stove pipe jet black hair right out of the bottle. Few
people had the balls or the nerve to cross her and those that did were put on
her shit list right under Martha, aka Marty, Andrews’ name which was always on
the top.
Back in the beginning of the Club
days, before Marty was even born, the Mayor’s wife held the top position on the
shit list. When they’d formed The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society, Loretta Massey and
Violet almost went to war over the name of the brand new club. Loretta insisted
that it be called a society and Violet wanted to be called a club. Belonging to
Club just sounded so much fancier than saying that one belonged to Society. Loretta
won when the vote came in but Violet called it Club anyway and that’s what
stuck. Rumor had it that Violet was instrumental in getting the Mayor ousted
just so they’d have to leave Grayson County and Loretta would have to quit
Club.
Marty hated it when people called
her Martha. It sounded like an old woman’s name. What was her mother thinking
anyway when she looked down at two little identical twin baby daughters and
named them after her mother and aunt: Martha and Catherine? Thank God, she’d at
least shortened their names to Marty and Cathy.
Marty shrugged and Violet snorted.
Granted it was a lady-like snort but it still went right along with her round
face and a three layered neck. Hell, if they wanted to write forty amendments
to the charter, Marty would still do only the bare necessities to keep her in
voting standing. She hadn’t even wanted to be in the damned club and had only
done it because if she didn’t, then Cathy couldn’t.
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