Who doesn’t love a cowboy? And every February in San Antonio, the city fills up with them as our two week long rodeo gets underway.

 

Every year we have what’s known to the locals as Rodeo Weather. We have some gorgeous days in February, sure, but invariably we get some cold and rainy days. On one of these days, I had a mental picture of a young woman sitting on a bus bench, shivering, and I wondered what her story could be. I knew I wanted to tie it into the rodeo somehow, so I gave her the story that she had lost everything during her father’s illness, and the only person she knew to turn to was a childhood friend, her father’s protege, a rodeo cowboy.

 

That was At the Cowboy’s Mercy, which I admit I wrote after reading Fifty Shades.

 

Originally it was meant to be a duology, because I wanted to write Luke’s brother Liam’s story. But every time I started, well, it was a secret baby story. How could I write a secret baby erotic romance? Over a year passed before I could bring myself to write it, but dang, I really liked the challenge. And I liked watching playboy Liam tumbling into love.

 

That was The Cowboy’s Saving Grace. The inside joke there was that I watched a LOT of the show Saving Grace while I wrote it because I adored Butch Ada, played by Bailey Chase on the show.

 

Grace’s roommate Teresa was not supposed to be more than a minor character, but when I finished Saving Grace, her story was not done.

 

I toyed with the idea of not giving her a rodeo cowboy. I mean, the last thing she needed in her life was a guy who was going to be on the road all the time, right? But my friend Trish Milburn had done some research for her Harlequin Americans and she shared some of it with me. I was intrigued by the rodeo clowns (who don’t really call themselves that anymore, they’re bullfighters now). A lot of them are paramedics, seeing to the safety of the rodeos.

 

It was that kind of caretaker Teresa needed.

 

OMG, I loved writing Teresa and West’s story. It was like a gift. I woke up every morning eager to get to it, came home from work eager to get to it. I thought West was super-sexy, and I loved giving Teresa her happy ending.

 

Now all three stories are available in one volume, Taming the Cowboy, available at

 

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00IQAUTNO

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-the-cowboy-emma-jay/1118598016?ean=2940149303694

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/taming-the-cowboy

Taming the Cowboy Box Set Final

Three rodeo cowboys who never thought they’d be reined in Three women who never knew they had the power to tame them At the Cowboy’s Mercy A woman down on her luck turns to an old friend for help. But can he forgive her for the secret she kept? The Cowboy’s Saving Grace A cowboy looking for a good time returns to Las Vegas to the woman he left behind. Can she let him back in her life…or her heart? Faith in the Cowboy After a painful divorce, she’s not looking for anything from a man. But the sexy rodeo cowboy won’t let a little discouragement deter him…not until he breaches her defenses.

 

I hope you enjoyed hearing about the inspiration for my books. What is your favorite kind of cowboy? Rodeo, range or drugstore?