Meet Hero & Rancher Jon Blackwell

THE BLACKWELL BROTHERS ARE COMING HOME…

…whether they want to or not.

THE RANCHER’S TWINS

She’s not the country nanny he advertised for
But she could be perfect for him…

Jon Blackwell needs a woman ready to tackle the duties of a cattle ranch and two lively, take-no-prisoners twin girls. But ever since Lydia Newbury showed up at his six-generation Montana spread, the frazzled single father is rethinking, well, everything. The Philadelphia dazzler is a marvel. What he doesn’t know is the secret that has Lydia on the run…

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USA Today and national bestselling author CAROL ROSS grew up in small-town America right between the Pacific Ocean and the Cascade Mountains, in a place where you can go deep sea fishing in the morning and then hit the ski slopes the same afternoon. The daughter of free-range parents, she developed a love of adventure and the outdoors at a very early age. She’s grateful for the “research material” that every questionable decision, adrenaline-charged misstep, and near-death experience has provided.

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THE Q&A

ANGI: Writing a continuity series takes a lot of work and cross-referencing with your co-authors. Is there any back story you needed for your characters that brainstorm from a co-author? either didn’t make it into the book (no spoilers) or that you needed to brainstorm with a co-author?

CAROL:  This is so true! There’s a folder in my computer called “Rancher Series” that currently contains 316 emails about the Blackwell family, ranching, the fictional town of Falcon Creek, Montana and all the made-up details that go along with it. At the beginning of my book, the boys are all (mostly) estranged and their parents died tragically. So there’s much history and drama in this family that we brainstormed about but only touched on in our books. I think the most enticing tidbits are about Elias “Big E” Blackwell, who is the boys’ grandfather. He’s been married five times, the latest to a much younger woman who was once engaged to his grandson, Ben. Readers will learn more about that fiasco in book #3, The Rancher’s Redemption, by Melinda Curtis. 

ANGI: What’s special about Jon Blackwell, the hero of your book?

CAROL:  Jon is a total man’s man; strong, capable, quiet, slightly intimidating. The kind of guy other guys crush on. Women love his integrity and honesty - and the way he thinks before he speaks.

ANGI: What do you love about a rancher or a rancher’s life?

CAROL: There’s something extremely appealing to me about the dichotomy of a rancher’s life. It’s simple and complex at the same time. There’s an obvious point to everything they do. Hard work = payoff. It’s as simple as that. And yet it’s complicated, too. Because a rancher is so connected to the land, so in tune with the circle of life, they have to be innovative and resourceful while battling and enjoying Mother Nature at the same time.     

ANGI: Would Jon take Lydia to a fancy restaurant or a picnic? 

CAROL: Picnic! Jon would have no use for going to a fancy restaurant and paying too much for too little food. Plus, paying for a steak that someone else raised? Yeah, no.

ANGI: Favorite TV rerun you watch every time you channel surf? 

CAROL:  Seinfeld, hands down my favorite TV show of all-time. “These pretzels are making me thirsty,” “The sea was angry that day, my friends,” “Wallet’s gone!” I’ll be 101-years-old and still making Seinfeld references and jokes. I hope there will be at least a couple fellow fans in my retirement community, so everyone doesn’t just think I’m senile.

ANGI: Worst thing about ranching according to your hero & heroine?

CAROL: Because of how much Jon values life, he would definitely say the loss of it is his biggest struggle as a rancher. Lydia would say the mud. Especially before she got herself some proper boots.

ANGI: The most daring thing you’ve ever done… Care to share?

CAROL:  This is an interesting question because I consider myself an adventurous person, but when I think about the most “daring” thing I’ve ever done, maybe I’m not as adventurous as I think. Lol. I like the adrenaline rush from hiking to a tall peak, mountain biking, skiing, rafting, kayaking, and rollercoasters. (I have a deep and abiding love for rollercoasters.) But none of these things strike me as particularly daring. However… The biggest thrill I’ve ever experienced, in that my heart was either frozen in my chest or beating at unhealthy speeds the entire time, was a jet boat ride in New Zealand. The kind where you fly over the water at a thousand mph through impossibly narrow river channels and it feels like you’re going to smash into jutting rocks or sheer cliff faces at every turn. Highly recommend. (Although you might want to consult your cardiologist before climbing aboard.)

ANGI’s GOTTA ASK:  Where did you write THE RANCHER’S TWINS?

CAROL’S GOTTA ANSWER:  At two and a half months, The Rancher’s Twins is the fastest book I’ve ever written. For me this is super-fast. I credit much of this to my fellow authors in the Return of the Blackwell Brothers series because we did so much plotting ahead of time. Which was awesome! But it also gave me a literal pain in the neck because, as you can see from the photo, this isn’t the most ergonomically correct writing space. I had to take about two weeks off after I turned in this book so I could recover. This reluctant writing vacation proved to be very motivating though, as I now have an adjustable-height desk complete with a keyboard tray and an office chair. But hey, “my twins” were born in this chair. And for that reason, I’ll keep it forever.

  

UP NEXT for CAROL:

DEFENDING CHRISTMAS

Christmas Town’s city attorney Lincoln Vasser suspects the multi-million-dollar lawsuit threatening the town is a fraud, but he needs help proving it. Private Investigator Jax Marshall comes highly recommended, but when Lincoln hires her he can’t quite figure out why. Her laid-back attitude, questionable work ethic, and apparent unconcern for the urgency of the case rub him the wrong way. It doesn't make sense for him to be attracted to her.

Jax Marshall knows that taking a case for the arrogant Lincoln Vasser is a mistake. But when he makes her an offer much more tempting than money, she agrees. She soon wishes she hadn’t. The guy is demanding and uptight, and, worst of all, he keeps trying to tell her how to do her job! He's almost completely unlikable. Almost.

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GET LOST WITH ALL THE BLACKWELL BROTHERS

 TODAY's BLOG JON

September 5th... ETHAN

Coming in October… BEN

In November… TYLER

And in December… CHANCE

PURCHASE:   JON | ETHAN | BEN | TYLER | CHANCE

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Carol is GIVING AWAY a $10 gift card and a digital copy of The Rancher’s Twins.

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CAROL WANTS TO KNOW: What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?