Harlequin Intrigue
ISBN: 0373696582
THIS CHRISTMAS,
THE MCCABE BROTHERS
ARE COMING HOME TO
TEXAS...
VIRGIL by USA
TODAY bestselling author Julie Miller
Detective Virgil "Bull" McCabe hadn't
been back on the J-Bar-J Ranch in more than a decade. What he finds is his
family in turmoil and his childhood friend, Tracy Cobb, all grown up...and more
beautiful than ever.
MORGAN by Dana Marton
It took a lot to bring ex-soldier Morgan McCabe
home. But when his brothers sent out a call for help, that was all the
incentive he needed. Once there, though, it's his former flame, Dakota Dayton,
and her toddler son who might just convince him to stay.
WYATT by Paula
Graves
Sheriff Wyatt McCabe has faced a lot of criminals,
but none as ruthless as the one holding his sister hostage. Now, forced to work
with Elena Vargas, Wyatt has to ensure his family's safety without giving in to
his burning attraction to the gorgeous agent.
THE SHORT & SWEET ON JULIE
Boots: cowboy or fashion? Fashion
Jeans: boot cut or designer? Boot
Hats: straw, felt or ball cap? Ball cap
Transportation: SUV, sedan, truck or four legs? SUV
Favorite western: The Magnificent Seven
Favorite brother story: CHEROKEE THUNDER
& IRONHEART by Rachel Lee (brothers in a single book? THE LION, THE WITCH
& THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis)
THE SHORT & SWEET ON DANA
Boots: cowboy or fashion? Cowboy J
Jeans: boot cut or designer? Boot cut.
Hats: straw, felt or ball cap? No hat. Don’t touch
my hair! lol
Transportation: SUV, sedan, truck or four legs? I love my hubby’s old pickup truck. Very useful for my garage sale
addiction.
Favorite western: Cowboys and Aliens. Daniel Craig
and Harrison Ford in the same movie. It doesn’t get better than that J
Favorite brother story: Nora Robert’s
Chesapeake Bay series. Love the Quinn brothers.
THE SHORT & SWEET ON PAULA
Boots: cowboy or fashion?
Jeans: boot cut or designer?
Hats: straw, felt or ball cap?
Transportation: SUV, sedan, truck or four legs?
Favorite western:
Favorite brother story:
MEET THE McCABES
ANGI: Public service seems to run in your blood. Who
inspired you to serve in the military or law enforcement?
VIRGIL: God, good genes and years of hard work on the ranch made
me a big, bad S.O.B. There’s got to be a
reason for that—protecting people and taking down bad guys seems to work for
me. Besides, I saw and endured enough
trouble growing up that I’m motivated to keep any innocent from suffering the
way my brothers, my mom and I did.
MORGAN: The
older brother of my best friend who was a Navy S.E.A.L. He was tough, didn’t
take bull from anyone. He would defend the weak and stand for our country. He
was the first real life hero I met. Before that, I thought heroes were people
in history books.
WYATT: Both of my older brothers went off to be heroes. What was I going to do, sit at home on the
ranch while they were off being cool and all?
And as much as I love Serpentine, Texas, this wild and wonderful town
where we grew up, I couldn't think of a better town to protect.
ANGI: What’s the first book you remember reading?
VIRGIL: Um… That I’ll admit to?
I remember Mom reading SMOKEY, THE COWHORSE to me as a kid. I liked
it. And Tracy Cobb, my neighbor and best
bud, got me through American Lit our junior year. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is one I actually own a
copy of now.
MORGAN: The
James Bond series. He had the gadgets, the cars, always got the girl.
<shrugs> What’s not to like?
WYATT: Zane Grey's KNIGHTS OF THE RANGE.
ANGI: What’s your favorite “love” word?
VIRGIL: Blue
Eyes
MORGAN: I
rather show love then talk about it. And I definitely won’t talk about what
happened in the upstairs hallway closet. A gentleman doesn’t… kiss and tell ;-)
WYATT: What kind of sissy question is that? Did one of my brothers put you up to it? Oh, all right. I guess I like the word adore. What's not to like about adore?
ANGI: What’s your idea of a unique date?
VIRGIL: My
favorite date is to ride out to a remote corner of the ranch with a picnic
basket and some cold beers. Long talks,
fresh air, moonlight. Depending on the
company, I’d pack a blanket or sleeping bag, too.
MORGAN: Tandem
skydiving. Get a girl’s knees shaky and it’s easier to sweep her off her feet.
;-) I already have a date scheduled for you know who. Don’t tell her.
WYATT: I don't know if it's really unique, but a girl who finds the
romance in going bass fishing on Lake Amistad is what I'd call a keeper.
ANGI: Who’s your favorite action hero?
VIRGIL: Ben
Grimm in the Fantastic Four (btw, Morgan is Reed Richards—well, he thinks he’s
Mr. Fantastic—and Wyatt’s gotta be Johnny Storm—Flame on, pipsqueak!) We do
Adam, Hoss and Little Joe Cartwright, too.
(well, about 20 years ago we did.)
MORGAN: Laura
Croft. I like strong, smart women.
WYATT: Detective John McClane.
Yippy Ki Yay.
ANGI: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
VIRGIL: Elmer
Fudd
MORGAN: I’m
not admitting. My brothers would never let me live it down. Sorry, folks.
WYATT: Bugs Bunny, because he's chock full of attitude.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What was the most challenging
part of writing Virgil’s story?
JULIE’S GOTTA ANSWER: I had the brother angle on this story down
pat. But I will confess, I’m a Marine Corps brat/city girl, so creating
authentic ranch life with a hero who’s a former rodeo bull-riding champ
required a little research. Fortunately,
my CP (author Sherry James) raises horses and lives on a ranch, so she let me
ask her all kinds of questions. Plus, she won a dinner with a group of rodeo
champs when the National Finals for bull-riding were held in Grand Island,
Nebraska—and she took me as her guest! I met a real “Bull”—a stock manager from
South Dakota who provided bulls for the event.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What was the most challenging
part of writing Morgan’s story?
DANA’S GOTTA ANSWER: He’s soooo
stubborn. He never did what I wanted him to do. Dakota had the same trouble
with him. Sometimes it’s hard to decide whether to kiss a guy or strangle him.
He was that guy. I’m pretty sure he gave me gray hairs. Thing is, he’s worth
the trouble.
ANGI’S GOTTA ASK: What was the most challenging
part of writing Wyatt’s story?
PAULA’S GOTTA ANSWER: Trying to get the
flavor of South Texas right. That part
of the state is very different from where I live in Alabama — flat, dry and
expansive rather than hilly and damp — and I really wanted people to get a
taste of the terrain, since my characters spend a lot of time out in it.
Fortunately, I minored in Spanish in college, so I was able to sprinkle the
story with a little bit of Spanish, especially helpful since my heroine is
Latina.
FIND JULIE on the Intrigue-Authors Blog &
Previous GLIAS interviews
FIND DANA on the Intrigue-Authors Blog &
FIND PAULA on the Intrigue-Authors Blog &
Twitter
@Paula_Graves
Previous GLIAS interviews
UP NEXT
for JULIE:
TACTICAL ADVANTAGE
Harlequin Intrigue, March 2013
for DANA:
MOST ELIGIBLE SPY
Harlequin Intrigue, July 2013
for PAULA:
MURDER IN THE SMOKIES is the first
of three books in my new Bitterwood P.D. miniseries coming from Harlequin
Intrigue in June, 2013. Two more books
follow back to back in July and August.
PREVIOUS RELEASES
from JULIE:
KANSAS CITY COWBOY
Harlequin Intrigue, Aug. 2012
ISBN
# 978-0-0373-69634-5
from DANA:
DEATHSCAPE
from PAULA:
PLAYING DEAD IN DIXIE
Whistleblower Carly Sandano is in scalding hot
water. While the FBI wants her to testify against her crooked boss, her boss
just wants her dead. So when the bus she hops out of Atlantic City crashes, she
fakes her death and heads south to Bangor, Georgia, to fulfill a fellow
passenger's dying wish: deliver his casino winnings to his family.
But she didn't figure on the dead man's friendly parents, who dish up heaping helpings of southern hospitality. Or how sexy she'd find the smoldering, suspicious chief of police, Wes Hollingsworth. Before she knows it, the girl who never likes to stay in one place too long finds herself wondering how she's ever going to leave Georgia behind. But there's still a killer gunning for her, and the last thing she wants to do is bring bullets raining down on the sleepy little town...
But she didn't figure on the dead man's friendly parents, who dish up heaping helpings of southern hospitality. Or how sexy she'd find the smoldering, suspicious chief of police, Wes Hollingsworth. Before she knows it, the girl who never likes to stay in one place too long finds herself wondering how she's ever going to leave Georgia behind. But there's still a killer gunning for her, and the last thing she wants to do is bring bullets raining down on the sleepy little town...
THREE GIVE AWAYS
JULIE IS DRAWING for a signed copy of
THREE COWBOYS!
DANA WILL DRAW for a signed copy of
THE SPY WORE SPURS. (North America
only)
PAULA WILL DRAW FOR an amazon.com
e-gift card worth $20 to a winner. (US/Canada
~I can't ever figure out the exchange rate for the UK.)
DON’T FORGET to FOLLOW us on Twitter #GetLostStories or LIKE us on Facebook to keep up with all our guest authors and
their prizes. Come back tomorrow as Jillian celebrates the debut of A PRIVATE DUEL WITH AGENT GUNN. ~Angi
JULIE WANTS TO KNOW:
DANA WANTS TO KNOW: Who is your favorite cowboy actor of all times? Who is the one you
think really got it right?
PAULA WANTS TO KNOW: Do you think there's a particular type of hero or heroine that you’re
not seeing enough of in Intrigues. Could
be a career path never shown or a particular character archetype you'd love to
see. I'm curious what readers are
looking for these days.
"The Quick and the Dead" is one of my favorite movies. I don't have a favorite cowboy actor. I haven't read an Intrigue in a while that features an actor or singer hero or heroine.
ReplyDeletejanie1215 AT excite DOT com
Great to have you all with us!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED Young Guns in the movies and Young Riders on TV. Oooh, my favorite though is The Magnificent Seven (the movie).
Great taste in movies, Alexa. ;) I loved Young Riders on TV, too.
DeleteI love Tom Selleck in his western roles! He just looks good in a stetson! I used to like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman when it was on. Our whole family watched it. We enjoy John Wayne movies at our house too! I love reading ANY western romance.....love those kind of books!
DeleteGreetings, ladies!
ReplyDeleteJulie, that's like choosing your favourite kid! I DID enjoy Little Joe, Hoss, Adam, Ben, and Hop Sing on Bonanza! Then there was Miss Kitty, Doc, and Matt Dillon on Gunsmoke!
Dana, I'm partial to Roy Rogers. I wouldn't want to guess on who got it right, as I'm in central Canada and not exposed to cowboys around here!
Paula, I don't have a clue about which heroes/heroines I don't see often enough. I read a wide range of romances and enjoy each one on their own merits. I know I can never get enough of the physically strong and tall ones, as I dream about these heroes, and I'm tall and ... ahem ... overweight. They DO bring me sweet dreams, though! Often in my dreams, I get hurt and the hero has to carry me (tenderly, of course) somewhere safe, and ... well ... that's all I'm willing to divulge at this time.... ;)
Laney, I'm writing a book for you, then. ;) Right now I'm working on Pike Taylor's story in my Precinct: Task Force miniseries. The heroine is Hope Lockhart. Pike is one of my favorite hero archetypes--I'd like to say "gentle giant", but don't cross him...or his K-9 partner, Hans. They're a pretty tough, protective pair. Hope is, um... Rubenesque... and afraid of dogs. But she needs the kind of protection Pike and Hans can give.
DeleteRoy Rogers makes me think of my mom's favorite cowboy--Gene Autry. She talks about him and his songs often.
Love it, love it, love it. Can hardly wait for it to be published, Julie. Thanks for the heads up!
DeleteI'm loving ALL the responses here. Bringing back so many memories....
seytype at hotmail dot com
Great responses!!! Thank you so much for having us on this blog! I love it. So different, and so much fun! --Dana
ReplyDeleteDitto! It was a lot of fun interviewing the heroes.
DeleteJulie's question - The Wild Wild West. Love Robert Conrad
ReplyDeleteDana's Question - James Garner - Loved him as Maverick and his movies.
Paula's question - I would like to see more teachers as Intrigue characters
yenastone at aol dot com
I loved that show, Tammy! But I was an Artemis Gordon fan. They were a great team.
DeleteThat's probably an element of my favorite cowboy stories--like THREE COWBOYS and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN--that idea of teamwork. I know cowboys are known for their lonewolf status, but I LOVE it when a team of individuals comes together, complementing each other's strengths, forming an unbeatable alliance--the McCabe brothers do that well!
And the original MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was actually THE SEVEN SAMURI...It's also A BUG'S LIFE.
DeleteEndless, good story.
Would also make a very cool Intrigue series.
~Angi
Oh, Tammy, James Garner as Maverick was delicious! I used to watch the old TV show reruns when I was a kid. Loved them.
ReplyDeleteTeachers as Intrigue heroes? I had a teacher heroine in my first book, but now I'm suddenly intrigued with the idea of a hero teacher. Sort of a Kindergarten Cop thing, or Vin Diesel as The Pacifier, only not as silly as those. Heroine could be the principal, having to deal with the undercover SEAL/Marine/FBI/Cop agent suddenly wreaking havoc on her school...or maybe she's the target.
Have I just come up with my next proposal? I guess HOT FOR TEACHER is probably not an appropriate Intrigue title...
Coming up with a good title will be bugging me all day, Paula. There's gotta be something...
Delete~Angi
I've done several teacher heroines, but never a hero. I love your idea, Paula!
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Ladies !!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining us today !
I LOVE COWBOYS. Period. 'Nugh said.
My favorite cowboy actor though...hands down, Sam Elliott. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000385/bio I loved when he was part of the Sackett Brothers with Tom Selleck. But goodness, his deep voice just makes my day.
~Angi
I LOVE Tom Selleck as a cowboy! He's made some fabulous TV movies--don't know if they were all Louis L'Amour or not, but I loved them! He was pretty sweet in QUIGLEY, DOWN UNDER, too.
ReplyDeleteI like Sam, too. But Sam made me think of Tom...and I love Tom! ;)
Oh my! All of these cowboys sound like wonderful heroes. I really enjoy second chances stories when the heroes return home have face another chance with an old flame so am liking the Bull and Morgan's stories. Wyatt's story is exciting!
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite Western tv shows are Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and Little House on the Prairie.
Cambonified(at)yahoo(dot)com
If I can only list one Western star it would have to be Tom Selleck but there are so many!!!! As for TV show I loved the oldies, especially Bonanza. As for a career or hero that I would like to see more of nothing quickly comes to mind. But IU guess the teaching idea is a good one. You all do a good job of having a variety.
ReplyDeleteLilsis, if you're eligible for the drawing, don't forget your email addy. Or you can send it to me at GetLostInAStory@gmail.com
Delete~Angi
For current shows - Timothy Olyphant in Justied is my favorite cowboy!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read this book!
Mmm, Tim Olyphant is delicious as Raylan Givens. I've borrowed liberally from some of that hillbilly hotness in my upcoming Bitterwood P.D. miniseries, set in the Smoky Mountains. Yum.
Deleteand you knew I meant Justified. I can spell - I just can't type (Mac Keyboard at home - PC Keyboard at work)
DeleteI watched a lot of westerns when I was young. Kids nowadays don't care for them which is a shame. My friends and I would play cowboys and we would have a stick which was our gun, then we would go to the saloon for a drink.lol
ReplyDelete1.I always loved Bonanza
2.John Wayne was great in westerns
3.I really like story lines with a single dad.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
I grew up watching Bonanza with my brothers and dad. We used to sit on the couch and "ride in" at the beginning of the show every time the Cartwrights did. :)
DeleteSo what's your favorite Duke movie? TRUE GRIT is my all-time favorite, but I'm also partial to THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER and BIG JAKE.
I love them all. He was a great actor.
DeleteI don't think my comment got put in the right place! Anyway, I said I love Tom Selleck in his western roles! He looks great in a stetson! We watched a lot of westerns when I was growing up but while my kids were growing up we watched Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman and they loved it! We also like watching John Wayne movies at our house now that the kids are all grown up and gone. I love seeing "bad boy" heroes with kids "in the mix" kind of stories! There's just something about them that melt my heart! They try so hard to be tough but the kids always get to them
ReplyDeletewesternaz@msn.com
You are totally right Valri: "They try so hard to be tough but the kids always get to them." Who doesn't love a hero like that!!
Delete~Angi
My favorite:
ReplyDeleteMovie: The Quick and the Dead...
Favorite actor: Clint Eastwood and John Wayne
Favorite storyline: Fiesty heroines... doesn't matter what job they do!
maybe31 at yahoo.com
Nice interview.
ReplyDeleteI like Justified and Timothy Olyphant.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
Timothy Olyphant... oooh... definitely my top choice!! :-)
ReplyDeleteMy favourite western show was Bonanza.
ReplyDeleteMicheal Landon. I don't know who really got it right. I haven't met many cowboys.
I don't think there's a particular type of hero or heroine that we’re not seeing enough of in Intrigues.
AND THE WINNERS ARE:
ReplyDeleteJULIE's THREE COWBOYS: Valri
DANA's THE SPY WHO WORE SPURS: Tammy
PAULA's Amazon Gift Card: Jane
Thanks so much to everyone who left a comment or stopped by.
~Angi