Ladies, I know what you’re thinking.
You’re thinking old Gus, owner of The Lonesome Steer honky tonk couldn’t have
brought together all the lonely, broken hearts that he did. But I’m here to
tell you I have. Not only do I have the pictures of these couples in my office
to prove it, but there’s been a whole series of romances written about the men
and women who found love at The Lonesome Steer. And just like every one of my
couples, each of these romances is a keeper.
The authors of these books have put
together a Valentine Honky Tonk Blog Hop, an easy way for you to get a sneak
peak at every story. And there are prizes to put a bounce in your Texan
Two-Step. To be Eligible, visit each blog link below and leave a comment. The
more hop stops you visit and comment on, the more chances YOU have to
win a $50 gift card to The Wild Rose Press. In addition, the publisher has
provided a second grand prize of a $25 gift card to The Wild Rose Press and a TWRP Mug for a random commenter
(Sorry, US visitors only for the mug prize). Some of the ladies will also be
giving away their own personal prizes. So whatcha waitin’ for? Happy
hoppin’!
I hope you’re having a good time
visiting all the blogs and reading excerpts from the stories! I loved writing
Sing to Me, Cowboy, and have truly enjoyed the other stories in the Honky
Tonk Hearts series! Be sure to leave a
comment for your chance to win!
Blurb:
Heather Gibson's past
catches up with her one dark Texas night.
Locked in a custody battle with an ex-husband who's looking for any excuse to take
her children, Heather doesn't need any more trouble. But when a broken-down car
and a dead cell phone leave her stranded at the Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk, she
comes face-to-face with the one man who could jeopardize everything--including
her heart.
Country-singing sensation Lance Dugan is back in Amarillo for his grandfather's
birthday and to take care of a bit of unfinished business--apologize to Heather
for leaving ten years ago. Lance has fought hard and won big the last few
years, but seeing Heather again makes him wonder if he's been fighting for the
right things.
Finding each other again may seem like fate, but one horrible secret, buried
deep, could divide them forever.
Excerpt:
“Lance!”
A roar of clapping and stomping
echoed over the parking lot as Bubba stepped out the door. “You’re up.”
The call of duty tore at Lance’s
insides. This wasn’t the first time he’d played at The Lonesome Steer, but the
other ones had been impromptu performances. This time Gus had advertised the
event, and Lance couldn’t let the honky tonk owner down. However, right now
there was something he wanted to do more than sing.
Frustrated he didn’t have a
choice, he took Heather’s hand, flipped it over, and laid the cell phone in her
small palm. “I’m sorry, but I gotta go. Use my phone to find the number and
call.”
“How will I get it back to you?”
He shrugged, but it was an act.
Deep down he wanted to beg her to stay, watch him perform. Learn he had made
something out of himself. “You can hang around. I’m only singing a few songs.
The tow truck probably won’t be here by the time I’m done.”
A smile shot across her lips like
a falling star, here for a moment and then gone.
“All right. Thanks, Lance.”
He gave her a nod, and then
slapping Bubba, his right-hand man on the arm, walked through the door. The
crowd was chanting his name, and as usual, his heartbeat increased. He loved
performing. Loved singing his songs for people, and here, in his hometown, he
loved it even more.
The performer in him burst
forward—a good thing since the man in him was still outside. Making his way
across the dance floor, he nodded to folks he knew, and some he didn’t. In a
single bound, he jumped onto the stage and lifted the guitar balanced against a
speaker.
“Hello, again!” he shouted. When
the noise died down, he added, “I had to step outside for some sweet
Texas-night air, and I gotta tell ya…damn, it’s good to be home!”
The roar could have lifted the
roof off the Lonesome Steer like a twister had done a few years back. Gus had
to pay a big company out of Amarillo to put a metal roof on the weathered and
well-used building. The man now loved to claim not even a Texas tornado could
put him out of business.
Strumming the strings, Lance
turned to Joey on the drums and Frank on the bass, two of his band members who
didn’t mind playing hometown gigs for free. “She’s My Angel,” he said.
They both nodded, and
simultaneously, started playing the intro. The words flowed over Lance’s tongue
as automatic as a wristwatch ticked away minutes. There was no need to think.
The music overtook him, made his toes tap, his fingers strum, and his hips
sway. The crowd started to sing along, and he played it up, nodded to someone
in the front row and then another, as if they had his full attention.
They didn’t.
His mind was still in the parking
lot.
Would she wait? He didn’t have a
right to, but he certainly wanted a few more minutes of Heather Childs’s time.
Heather Gibson. That’s right. She’s married, and Matt’s home with the
kids. A boy and a girl if his sister’s grapevine was right.
The song ended, and he flipped
the guitar under his arm to take a bow.
“Lance! Sing Riding Across
Texas,” someone shouted.
“Yeah! Riding Across Texas,”
others agreed.
“All right. Don’t ever let it be
said Lance Dugan doesn’t give his fans what they want.” He turned to Joey and
Frank again, waiting for their signals, and then finding the right notes, sang
his current number one song. It had been on the charts for the past thirty-six
weeks, nineteen at number one. Nature once again took over. It was his soul
that sang. His body was just a host. This time, he tried to keep his mind in
the room, and off Heather, but as he looked over the crowd, his gaze linked
with an unforgettable pair of blue eyes in the back of the room near Gus’s
office. Her hair was pulled back in a single ponytail, and the neon lights
behind the bar lit up her white tank top like a glow-in-the-dark poster.
He gave her a nod, just a gesture
to say, I see you, but what she did in response almost stopped his heart.
Holding up his phone, she then
set it on the bar, and disappeared into the crowd.
Here are the links to the other
stories one more time:
