Meet Hero & Rancher Ethan Blackwell

THE BLACKWELL BROTHERS ARE COMING HOME…

…whether they want to or not.

THE RANCHER’S RESCUE

He isn’t home to stay
Until a mother-to-be changes his mind

Ethan Blackwell is back in Falcon Creek to save his family ranch after his grandfather disappears. When Grace Gardner reveals she’s pregnant with his child, she becomes Ethan’s top priority. But can he be the man he wants to be—preserving the Blackwell legacy and making a life with Grace—in a place he never planned to settle down?

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Cari Lynn Webb lives in South Carolina with her husband, daughters and assorted four-legged family members. She's been blessed to see the power of true love in her grandparent's 70-year marriage and her parent's marriage of over 50 years. She knows love isn't always sweet and perfect, it can be challenging, complicated and risky. But she believes happily-ever-afters are worth fighting for. She loves to connect with readers.

           

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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 either didn’t make it into the book (no spoilers) or that you needed to brainstorm from a co-author?

CARI LYNN: Ben Blackwell and Ethan Blackwell are twin brothers. Ben’s story is The Rancher’s Redemption by Melinda Curtis. Melinda and I worked together quite a bit on the brothers from what they looked like to their childhood. I had several scenes in my book that referenced the antics of the Blackwell brothers as children. I used my own three brothers as inspiration as well as my husband’s childhood stories – he grew up with three brothers too. Whenever I referenced specific childhood stories of the Blackwell brothers, I checked with the other authors to make sure those stories fit with their characters. We did have a rather long and funny text chain running about what kinds of things the Blackwell brothers would’ve stashed in the loft of one of the old barns. The brothers converted the loft into a hide-out, game room and hang-out over the years. We had quite a few things on that text chain that never made it into my book.

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

CARI LYNN: I like Ethan because he’s complicated and complex. He’s everything a hero should be to me. He makes mistakes, takes responsibility (perhaps not as quickly as he should) and loves his family. He’s independent and strong-willed, yet loyal to those he loves. And he’s a veterinarian and there’s something special about a guy that cares for animals as much as people.

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

CARI LYNN: I love the people on a working ranch that devote their lives to the land and the animals. I’m in awe of all that they accomplish from sunrise until sunset, seven days a week. I think ranching life is more than a job, I think it’s a calling and passion for those that choose a rancher’s life. I also love horses – they’re one of my favorite animals.

ANGI: Would Ethan take Grace to a fancy restaurant or a picnic? 

CARI LYNN: Ethan would take Grace on a picnic. Aside from the lack of fancy restaurants in Falcon Creek, a picnic suits both Ethan and Grace’s personalities. Ethan would take her to a lake or a park, pick up her favorite take-out and then spend the day making her laugh. Grace’s mom is a very good cook so Ethan might also sweet talk her mom into making a picnic lunch for them to take along. (Ethan is the son Grace’s mom never had and he’d be sure to work at their supply store stocking shelves or taking care of their family pets in return for the picnic lunch.)

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

CARI LYNN: My teenage daughter is hooked on Friends. Even though I’ve seen every episode, more than once, I will stop and watch whenever she puts on a Friends episode. I’ll also watch anything on the Food Network-that is my go-to channel. I love cooking shows.

ANGI: Worst thing about ranching (according to you or your hero)?

CARI LYNN: I’m not a morning person so I’d have to say getting up before the sun rises or even at sunrise to get started on the day. I’m a night owl and stay up late to write after the house is quiet and everyone is asleep. A rancher would have completed most of their work by the time my brain clicks in. 😉

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

CARI LYNN: This one made me laugh (and my family too) as I’m not a dare devil at all. I’ll leave the bungee jumping, sky diving and zip lining to everyone else. I’m more than happy to be the one to record everyone else being a daredevil. But I will say that pursuing my dream of becoming a published author was a different kind of daring. Staying focused and persistent in the face of rejections and set-backs required an inner courage and strength that at times was hard to find. But thanks to the support from my writing crew and family, the journey has been more than worth it.

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

CARI LYNN’S GOTTA ANSWER:  I wrote The Rancher’s Rescue in two places: my home office and my car. I spend a lot of time driving my daughters from school to swim practice and soccer practice. I carry my laptop or a clipboard with a pencil and paper everywhere I go. I’ll write in any parking lot while I wait for practice to be over. I also wrote during several travel swim meets up in the bleachers between my daughters’ events. (Side note – the minions serve a very important purpose. They hide my word count on the computer so I don’t panic about my lack of words for the day. And I love minions -they make me smile.)

   

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AVA’S PRIZE

City by the Bay Stories (#3)

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GET LOST WITH ALL THE BLACKWELL BROTHERS 

JON | ETHAN

Coming next month… BEN

In November… TYLER

And in December… CHANCE

PURCHASE:   JON | ETHAN | BEN | TYLER | CHANCE

Melinda, Carol, Anna, Cari Lynn & Amy

CARI LYNN is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card and e-copy of her last release, The Doctor’s Recovery. Opened Internationally.

Ethan loved animals from the time he was a child and got to help his father with the calf and horse birthings on the ranch. For him, becoming a veterinarian was a natural thing.

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Ethan loved animals from the time he was a child and got to help his father with the calf and horse birthings on the ranch. For him, becoming a veterinarian was a natural thing.When I was a kid, I wanted to be CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a doctor. My resume has neither of those titles but contains a series of different jobs. My favorite is being an author, even though I’d never considered it as a child. And now I get to write about doctors and CEOs so it’s the best of both worlds.

CARI LYNN WANTS TO KNOW: When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?

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.

  

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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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Buy the book

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?