by: Jennie Marts
Series: Cotton Creek
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 3, 2017
Publisher: Entangled ~ Lovestruck
Falling in love wasn’t part of the game….
California video game designer Adam Clark knows that, in his business, authenticity is the key. So, for their newest Western adventure game, he and his partners decide to try out Cowboy Camp. Only Adam’s friends never arrive, leaving him a bit—okay, a lot—preoccupied, trying to resist the gorgeous cowgirl who owns the ranch.
Single mom Skye Hawkins is too busy trying to keep her family’s dude ranch out of the red to even think about romance. But she’s having trouble avoiding Adam. He’s smart, he’s sweet, he’s funny…and he’s hot! Maybe it’s the mountain air, but she finds herself letting down her guard. And the fireworks are definitely worth it.
The only problem—they live in totally different worlds. Still, Adam is nothing if not resourceful. Sure, he wants to catch the cowgirl. But more importantly, he needs to find a way to keep her.
Hi Jennie. Welcome back to Read Your Writes Book Reviews. How are you?
I'm great! Summer is my favorite season and I’m loving the warm days and cool nights in Colorado. Thanks so much for featuring me and my book that is also set in the summer time in the mountains of Colorado.
You’re more than welcome. Before we start the interview, can we just take a moment to admire the cover for Catching the Cowgirl? It’s a beautiful cover.
I know--don't you just love that cover?! It's gorgeous! I was so happy when I saw it--it fits the feel of the book and the look of Skye and Adam just perfectly!
That’s great! Tell me about Adam Clark and Skye Hawkins.
Adam is a computer engineer from California who designs popular video games and goes to a dude ranch in Colorado to research his new adventure game that’s set in the Old West. He’s an adorable nerd that shows up wearing uncomfortable snake skin cowboy boots, a western shirt, and a Stars Wars belt.
Skye Hawkins is a single mom who is trying to focus on keeping her dude ranch out of the red while still raising a twelve year old boy. She doesn’t have time for romance, but she can’t stop thinking about the cute guy with the glasses and the gorgeous grin that had her cracking up as they tried to eradicate an unwelcome houseguest that was ‘hanging around’ in Adam’s cabin. These two are complete opposites, but opposites have a way of attracting, and Adam is finding that he might be able to catch the cowgirl, but now he has to figure out how to keep her.
I like the sound of these two. Skye is a single mother. Is this your first time writing a child into a story? What do you think kids add to romance stories?
No, I have kids in a few of my other books. I do that because that’s reality. There are plenty of women, and men, who are single parents, and I like having my heroes and heroines be ordinary people that the reader can relate to. Plus it adds an extra scenario of having the hero relate to the kid and to see if the hero is worth introducing to the heroine’s child and finding out if they can handle getting a package deal.
I really liked the dynamics of this story in that Skye has this twelve year old son that is drifting away from her because all he wants to do is play video games. Then she finds herself falling for a guy that designs the very game that is Cody’s favorite. But then Adam teaches her how to play the game so that she can connect to her son and spend time with him playing it. And Adam and Cody totally bond over the shared interest of the game, and Adam has Cody help him research and design the newest version of the game.
I love that answer. You are known to write very hilarious scenes, especially when they don’t happen to me. You know like setting an outhouse on fire. Having a snake fall into waders and then putting the waders on. What’s the funniest scene from Catching the Cowgirl?
Aw-thank you! You just made me smile!! I love to make readers laugh, and I love setting up a really funny meet cute—that first moment that the hero and heroine meet. I had a great time writing the scene where Skye first shows Adam to his cabin and he finds a bat hanging from the curtain in his bedroom. He’s totally icked out but has to play it cool as he and Skye work to get the bat out of his bedroom. It’s a lot of fun and really gives this couple a chance to get to know each other.
I would totally freak out. Before, you mentioned that you think the most romantic scene of a book is the first kiss. Tell me about the first kiss between Skye and Adam.
I love writing that first kiss scene. For Skye and Adam, it happens when they are sitting on the sofa eating chocolate chip cookies and he is teaching her how to play his video game.
Here is an excerpt from that very moment:
She drew back, but just slightly—just enough for him to see her face and take in her wide-eyed look of surprise.
His gaze dipped to her mouth—to her slightly parted rose-colored lips—and she inhaled a quick sharp pull of breath.
Not him. He couldn’t breathe at all, couldn’t move.
He was frozen in place, even though every synapse in his body was firing on all cylinders sending sparks of heat surging through his veins.
He looked back up, into her eyes, searching for a sign, anything that would tell him she was feeling the same thing, the same swirling sense of dizziness that had his own stomach in knots and his mouth going dry. Anything that would give him a glimpse of permission.
But she seemed to be frozen as well, suspended in the moment, as if she were waiting, afraid to move.
He leaned in—just a fraction of an inch—but close enough that his mouth was a whisper away from hers. She didn’t pull back, and he moved the smallest bit closer and brushed her lips softly with his.
She sucked in a soft gasp, the tiniest sound but full of gigantic meaning. A sound that was a cross between pleasure and pain. It pierced his heart.
He stopped, not pressing, but not pulling away, as he felt the slight tremble of her lips against his. He waited, his heart pounding hard against his chest, somehow knowing that this moment could change everything.
That sounds really nice. Skye and Adam seem to be from different worlds. They actually live in different states. Why do you think they are a perfect match?
I love writing opposite attract stories because they just start out with a gigantic hurdle from the very start. It’s two people who have everything in their lives telling them they shouldn’t be together, but they have to, because what they feel for each other is so strong.
And I love that opposites can bring out the best in each other. Skye and Adam live in two different states, two different worlds, but they find themselves falling in love and that love seems to be stronger than their differences.
Jennie, it was a pleasure catching up with you again. I’m looking forward to reading Catching the Cowgirl. Thank you the interview.
Thanks so much for having me! I can't wait to hear what you think of the story. There are a few characters that you might recognize from Romancing the Ranger—the first book in the series. Happy Reading! And happy summer!
“This ledge is crazy. I’ve died ten times trying to make this jump. I can’t make it across the river,” she said, passing him her controller. “Can you just get me past this part so I can move on?”
Normally he wouldn’t even consider it. It would take away from the game play and the integrity of the puzzle. But nothing about this was normal. And he was quickly realizing that he would do just about anything for Skye Hawkins—wear cowboy boots, muck out disgusting horse stalls, even attempt to country dance. Whatever she wanted.
He took the controller and easily maneuvered her character over the ledge and into the river.
“Oh no, be careful.” She tapped his leg anxiously. “This is the part where my character usually drowns.”
“I got this,” he assured her with a laugh. But her enthusiasm was so contagious, he played up the drama for her benefit. “I don’t remember this being so tough, though. I might not make it after all.”
But he knew he would. He’d designed this part and replayed every feature of it a hundred times. But he couldn’t resist the way she clutched his arm and hopped up and down in her seat with anxiousness.
“Watch out for the crocodile,” she shouted, pointing at the screen. “You’re almost there.”
He worked to manipulate the character so it swam past the crocodile and crawled out on the other bank, almost losing his concentration when she buried her head against his shoulder, laughing as she claimed she couldn’t watch.
When she saw that he’d made it across the river to the other side, she let out a sigh of relief. “You did it.” She gave him a hug. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
Adam caught his breath as her cheek pressed to his.
As if it had a mind of its own, his hand slid around her waist, pulling her to him as he hugged her back.
She drew back, but just slightly—just enough for him to see her face and take in her wide-eyed look of surprise.
His gaze dipped to her mouth—to her slightly parted rose-colored lips—and she inhaled a quick sharp pull of breath.
Not him. He couldn’t breathe at all, couldn’t move.
He was frozen in place, even though every synapse in his body was firing on all cylinders sending sparks of heat surging through his veins.
He looked back up, into her eyes, searching for a sign, anything that would tell him she was feeling the same thing, the same swirling sense of dizziness that had his own stomach in knots and his mouth going dry. Anything that would give him a glimpse of permission.
He looked back up, into her eyes, searching for a sign, anything that would tell him she was feeling the same thing, the same swirling sense of dizziness that had his own stomach in knots and his mouth going dry. Anything that would give him a glimpse of permission.
But she seemed to be frozen as well, suspended in the moment, as if she were waiting, afraid to move.
He leaned in—just a fraction of an inch—but close enough that his mouth was a whisper away from hers. She didn’t pull back, and he moved the smallest bit closer and brushed her lips softly with his.
She sucked in a soft gasp, the tiniest sound but full of gigantic meaning. A sound that was a cross between pleasure and pain. It pierced his heart.
He stopped, not pressing, but not pulling away, as he felt the slight tremble of her lips against his. He waited, his heart pounding hard against his chest, somehow knowing that this moment could change everything.
Purchase Catching the Cowgirl from:
The Cotton Creek Series:
USA TODAY Best-selling author Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, friendship, and intrigue. She writes for Entangled Publishing, and reviewers call her books “laugh out loud funny” and full of great characters that are “endearing and relatable.”
She is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two sons, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.
Places to find Jennie Marts:
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