Aloha to Joanne Kennedy and TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY

I was curious who coined the phrase, Tall, Dark, and Handsome.  The closest I found comes from the unflappable Mae West,

“Love thy neighbor -- and if he happens to be tall, debonair and devastating, it will be that much easier.” 

Perhaps today's guest can shed some light on Tall, Dark, and Handsome, er, Cowboy.  Please join me in welcoming Joanne Kennedy!

Joanne Kennedy is the author of three previous contemporary Western romances for Sourcebooks. She brings a wide variety of experience, ranging from chicken farming to horse training, to her sexy, spicy cowboy stories. She is a 2011 finalist in the prestigious Romance Writers of American RITA© Awards, for One Fine Cowboy. Joanne lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she is working on her next book, Cowboy Crazy (June 2012).

Grand Tetons, Wyoming

Kim:  Wyoming! Tell us your favorite sight, sound, and smell.

Joanne:  Sight – I love our wide open spaces. There are so many places in Wyoming where the land seems to go on forever. I especially love it in late summer and fall, when the grass turns gold and glitters in the sun and the sky is a deep, rich blue. Sound – I live near Warren Air Force Base and at 4:30 every afternoon they play the national anthem. I can just barely hear it from my house, so it sounds tinny and old-fashioned and reminds you of all the history that happened here. Smell–I love the smell of sagebrush. If you crush it between your fingers, it has a wonderful spicy, herbal scent that’s pure Wyoming.

Sagebrush

Kim:  I read on your website you’ve held a variety of jobs! What have you learned from horse training, chicken farming, and bridezilla wrangling (at a department store wedding registry) that you can apply to writing?

Joanne:  I didn’t start writing until fairly late in life, but I feel like I spent my whole life preparing for it! In everything I’ve done, I’ve noticed little details and out-of-the-way facts I can add to make a story richer. Having done these things, I can set the stage in a way that makes the reader feel like they’re living that life. I love it when books do that for me and I hope I do it for my readers. 

F22s arrive in Hawaii

Kim:  The retired fighter pilot - does he inspire any traits for your cowboy characters?

Joanne:  He inspires everything! He’s the best person I know and the reason I write romance. 

Kim:  Tell us about your new book, TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY.

Joanne:  At its heart, the book is about starting over. Lacey is a former trophy wife who swears off her ex’s ill-gotten gains and flees to Wyoming with nothing but the old beat-up car she had in high school. She’s hoping for help from her old friend Chase Caldwell who moved there when his family lost their farm. Chase isn’t about to hand over his life to the woman who broke his heart years ago, but the chemistry between them is hotter than ever. When her ex’s criminal cronies catch up with her, she needs help—and Chase can’t resist a damsel in genuine distress.

legendsofamerica.com

Kim:  What's next for Joanne Kennedy?

Joanne:  I just finished a new book that will be released in Spring of 2012. It’s called Cowboy Crazy and it’s about a city girl and a rodeo cowboy. I’m a huge rodeo fan and did a lot of behind-the-chutes research for it, so it was a blast to write. Plus it stars my hottest hero ever!

And I’m working on another cowboy story. I’ll keep the cowboys coming as long as readers want to keep reading about them. I’m so grateful that the world I know and love is one that readers enjoy! 

McGarrett on horseback

Mahalo, Joanne, for visiting SOS Aloha.  You are always welcome in Hawaii to the paniolos in paradise.   Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of TALL, DARK AND COWBOY, now available in stores and online:

She’s looking for an old friend… 

In the wake of a nasty divorce, Lacey Bradford heads for Wyoming where she’s sure her old friend will take her in. But her high school pal Chase Caldwell is no longer the gangly boy who would follow her anywhere. For one thing, he’s now incredibly buff and handsome, but that’s not all that’s changed… 

What she finds is one hot cowboy… 

Chase has been through tough times and is less than thrilled to see the girl who once broke his heart. But try as he might to resist her, while Lacey’s putting her life back together, he’s finding new ways to be part of it. 

To enter the giveaway, 

1.  Leave a comment about cowboys - who is your favorite cowboy from real life or the movie screen?

2.  Sourcebooks' giveaway is open to US residents only.   For our international readers, I am giving away a "cowboy souvenir" from Kualoa Ranch.

Kualoa Ranch

3.  Comments are open through Saturday, November 12, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, November 13.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii

Check out my review of TALL, DARK, AND COWBOY on Goodreads at this link.

To learn more about Joanne and her books, check out her website at www.joannekennedybooks.com.