The Bull Rider's Keeper by Lynn Cahoon ~ Review and Spotlight~

Wow, this was something new for me and I really enjoyed this take on a cowboy!

Jesse Sullivan is a champion bull rider, but he is also a very talented art student  at a nearby college. Taylor DeMarco is the privileged daughter of a wealthy family who have dabbled in the arts for generations. Taylor has proudly worked at the family gallery for years, and has high hopes of taking over and continuing the legacy her grandfather left for her.

When a gorgeous model appears in Jesse's art class as the subject for their art lesson, Jesse gets more than he bargains for in an attraction to the beauty, who just happens to be his art teacher's daughter. Is she off limits? Hmmmm.... Taylor finds something very interesting about the cowboy who loves art, but she can't figure out whether to open up to him, or remain wary of the all too handsome Jesse. She has after-all been burned by her fiance in the worst possible way, and a repeat of that just will not do for Taylor.

Without her knowledge, Taylor's parents decide to sell the gallery leaving her shocked and betrayed when she finds out that the buyer is none other than bull rider/artist, Jesse Sullivan. What can she do to stop this sale? What can Jesse do to prove to Taylor he's not just some conniving man ready to steal her dreams? Oh boy does Jesse have some work to do, especially when he brings in his unconventional mother and his manager into the mix, who create their fair share of drama.

I loved the stories that show the reader that there is so much more than meets the eye when you come face to face with the characters. Their unpredictability makes the read all the more enjoyable, as is the case in THE BULL RIDER'S KEEPER by Lynn Cahoon. Jesse's relationship with his mother is very interesting considering their lackluster past and it gives so much depth to the tale at hand. As so many point out to Jesse, he could have any woman he wants, but Jesse is over that and he shows it in how he treats Taylor. I love that. Taylor may may have had a privileged upbringing, but she is no snob, and the devil on her shoulder may be the one to prevail in this story. This is the first book I have read of Lynn Cahoon's and it will not be the last. I gave already added her previous Western Romances to my Kindle and they are raring to go. 

~KIMBERLY~

SPOTLIGHT ON AUTHOR LYNN CAHOON

Welcome to Book Obsessed Chicks and thank you for answering my questions.

    Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m an author of small town romance and mysteries. Living in a small tourist town myself, I get the best of all worlds. I’m an air sign that loves the water.  My favorite color was blue but now is moving darker into purple. I love deep and hard, so don’t cross me or those I love. J I’ve been married six years to my own hero, a reformed bad boy who shaved his head when I lost my hair to cancer treatments.  I’m a native Idahoan, so The Bull Rider’s series is set in my old stomping grounds.

   When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I toyed with writing during and after my divorce.  I took MFA classes and worked on the literary journal where I found a love of reading the slush pile.  Then I put away my dream until I had time. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I realized time isn’t promised anyone. So I started writing again in 2007 and made the time.

   Tell us about your upcoming work?

The book after THE BULL RIDER’S KEEPER returns my fans to South Cove California and THE TOURIST TRAP MYSTERY series.  MISSION TO MURDER will release July 31^st.

Here’s a tease…

In the California coastal town of South Cove, history is one of its many tourist attractions—until it becomes deadly…

Jill Gardner, proprietor of Coffee, Books, and More, has discovered that the old stone wall on her property might be a centuries-old mission worthy of being declared a landmark. But Craig Thomas, the obnoxious owner of South Cove’s most popular tourist spot, The Castle, makes it his business to contest her claim. When Thomas is found murdered at The Castle shortly after a heated argument with Jill, even her detective boyfriend has to ask her for an alibi. Jill decides she must find the real murderer to clear her name. But when the killer comes for her, she’ll need to jump from historic preservation to self-preservation …

    Do you have any mentors? Heroes?

I’m blessed to have a writing mentor who writes romance and mystery. Laura Bradford  aka Elizabeth Lynn Casey has been my rock during the ups and downs of getting published and staying that way. 

   Can you tell us your favorite character from your books so far and why?

From The Bull Rider series it has to be Jesse. The little brother who’s always in trouble and getting everyone else in the same boat.  But he’s more than just a bull rider. I love that he has doubts and concerns even if he doesn’t express them. And when he found his dream, I almost cried.

    Was it difficult for you to get published?

Define difficult?(lol) A large publisher had the first book in The Bull Rider series for two years and had expressed interest in publishing if I could get the edits right.  Well, after all that time, I didn’t get the edits right. I still target for this publisher and maybe someday.

After getting my final rejection, I sent the book to Crimson Romance which was my first e-publisher I chose. They were part of the Writer’s Digest family, so I knew I could trust them with my book. A week later, I had an offer.  And the same week, I got an offer from Lyrical to publish A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, my paranormal witchcraft novella. In 2012 I released three books and sold six. 

Now I’m working on the next step, a Big 6 (or 5) publisher.

  Who are your favorite authors/reads?

Sometimes it’s whoever I’m reading.  I’m into King again after devouring his DOCTOR SLEEP during my Christmas vacation. Now I’m listening to his 11/22/63 as I commute to the day job. I love Nora’s latest, THE DARK WITCH. And I’m drawn to small town stories like Robyn Carr’s THUNDER POINT series.  And Heather Graham.  Love her.  If we’re talking mysteries….I’ll stop there.

  Hobbies?

I love visiting our local antique shops and flea markets. It’s my finished- a-project treat on weekends. I love finding a unique piece that I could add to my collection. Last month my husband (who collects cars) got a 1974 issued penny bank in the shape of a car.

  What is your dream job?

Working at a university and talking books and training all day.

 Do you have any favorite TV shows?

Anything Project based. Project Runway (and the spinoffs), Top Chef (and the spin offs), The Next Food Network Star, American Idol, and on and on…. My guilty pleasure is Drop Dead Diva.  No redeeming value at all in that show… just fun.

  What’s next for you?

I’m finishing a Nashville based modern western contemporary while my agent shops my recently finished new cozy series a culinary paranormal mystery set in Idaho.

Then it’s back to South Cove to write the next three books.

  Where can we find you?

Links –

Goodreads -http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5857424.Lynn_Cahoon

Twitter - https://twitter.com/LynnCahoon

Facebook -https://www.facebook.com/LynnCahoonAuthor

Website and blog - http://lynncahoon.wordpress.com/

Amazon author page - http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Cahoon/e/B0082PWOAO/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

  What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m smart, sassy, and a bit of a wild card. My characters can make me cry and I hope have the same affect (in a good way) on my readers.  I love writing and enjoy talking writing to anyone I meet.