Carolyn Brown writes sexy cowboys who know how to treat a lady right. In bed and out. Her books make us want to break out our boots, do a little two steppin' and rock out to some sexy country crooners.
WELCOME TO THE BLOG CAROLYN!!!
Meet Carolyn:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author and RITA® Finalist, Carolyn Brown, has published more than fifty books.
Brown's books have been translated into eleven foreign languages and fourteen have been reprinted in large print format. Her books have been reviewed in Library Journal, Booklist, Romantic Times, Romance Reviews Today, Publisher's Weekly, Cataromance, USA Today and Romance Reader At Heart. Two of her romances have been published as Japanese Manga books.
Brown writes cowboy romance for Sourcebooks: The Lucky Trilogy, the Honky Tonk Series and now the Spikes & Spurs Series.
She has also written more than forty sweet romances for Avalon which include several historical series as well as contemporary stand alone romance novels.
Sourcebooks will publish her debut women's fiction novel in January, 2013.
Connect with Carolyn: Author Site | Facebook
Thank all y’all for inviting me to participate in your week long celebration of your first Blogoversary! Congratulations on a fantastic year and may it be the first of many, many anniversaries.
The casting call has gone out looking for sexy cowboys and sassy women to play the parts in my Darn Good Cowboy Christmas cowboy romance book.
The day has come to talk to the actors and actresses and they are waiting. I’m going to look at all the faces and make a decision as to which ones I intend to talk to today.
Raylen O’Donnell is a cowboy from the heart out with his cowboy boots, jeans, belt buckle and attitude. A tall, dark haired, actor takes my eye immediately. He’s got some scruff on his face and those jeans and boots have seen some real cowboy type work. I motion for him to follow me and darlin’ he is definitely well over six feet and would you look at all those muscles. And Liz Hanson is a spit fire, dark haired, dark eyed carnie who is determined to put down roots in Montague County, Texas.
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| Josh Turner |
He waits for me to sit and says, “Where’s the microphone and my guitar?”
I put up a hand. “Whoa, hoss! This is a movie audition for the character of Raylen O’Donnell, the cowboy in Darn Good Cowboy Christmas.”
“I’m not an actor. I’m a country music singer. I was just here with a good friend,” he says with a drawl that melts my heart.
I wink at him. “Darlin’, I know exactly who you are. I’m one of your biggest fans and I was surprised to see you in the casting call waiting room. How’d you like to be in a movie?”
“The character is a cowboy?” he asks.
“Honey, he is so cowboy that he struts in his sleep.”
He smiles. “I reckon I could do that job.”
“Sit right there and don’t move. I’m going to find someone to help you out with the script.”
I open another door and there sits a whole room full of actresses but one stands out! She has a bit of the gypsy in her just like Liz Hanson. And she’s wearing red cowboy boots. I don’t need to look anymore. That is my character in the flesh.
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| Gretchen Wilson |
I hand her a script and she looks at me like I’m crazy.
“I’m not here for a part in the movie. I was sitting out there with my friend,” she says.
“Yes, ma’am, I know that but have you ever done any acting? You are a dead ringer for Liz Hanson, the sassy heroine in my book.”
“Read with me. It’ll be fun,” my cowboy says.
It’s my turn to explain. “Okay, in this scene Raylen has done pissed Liz off big time and she’s thrown back the shower curtain and there he stands in nothing but what God gave him. You start cowboy.”
Raylen: “Damn women anyway. Nobody falls in love with their soul mate when they are kids. I don’t give a damn if she could have walked a barbed wire fence instead of a rail one in her damned bare feet. I’ve been a fool to think that she was the one for me. Shit, any other woman wouldn’t leave me standing cold while they talked to their best friend. How would she feel if I left her sitting there while I talked to Ace about coon huntin’? Hell, I wouldn’t do that to her. I like her too damn much to talk coon huntin’ when I could be spending time with her. And I would never, ever throw her favorite hat in the dirt and then step on it.”
Me: “Okay, now, the cowgirl didn’t even knock on his door but plowed in without an invitation, and grabs the hat that she stomped on during their big fight and crams it down on her head, figuring she might as well take the damn thing to the next fight since she offended it in the first fight. The shower curtain flies open and there is Liz, her hands on her hips, anger flashing from her dark eyes, and his hat on her head.”
Liz: “What the hell was that all about?”
Raylen: “What the hell are you doing in my house and why are you wearing my hat?”
Liz: “Having a fight with you, you mule-headed jackass! The door was open and I followed the trail of clothes. And evidently this damn hat means more to you than I do, and since it started the fight, I figured it should be here for the next one. Now answer me.”
Raylen: “Don’t you treat me like shit and then yell at me. I didn’t cause this problem, lady. You did when you’d rather talk to your carnie boyfriend as me! And you can damn well go put my hat back on the rack. This steam will get it all out of shape.”
Liz: “You are a jealous horse’s ass. I wasn’t talking to a boyfriend. That was Blaze. I told you that he is my friend and Tressa’s been sick. And this hat is so damned ugly it would take more than a stomping or steam to get it out of shape. It already looks like shit.”
Raylen: “Oh, sure. Make an excuse. I heard you talking about him almost going out with a teenager. What kind of friends do you have that would be attracted to a little girl? And don’t talk about my hat like that.”
Liz: “The girl was seventeen, not a little girl. And she didn’t look like a child, either. And don’t be hateful! This is your fault, Raylen O’Donnell. Your Irish temper put you in this pot of boiling water.”
Raylen: “You put me in this pot, not my temper. You’d rather talk to your carnie friend as me? Well, go on and talk to him. And put my hat back and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.”
I start clapping instantly. They are absolutely perfect for the job. Plus I won’t even have to dub in voices for the actors when they sing the parts in the movie.
And I swear that’s exactly what happened at the casting call for Darn Good Cowboy Christmas when I sweet talked Josh Turner and Gretchen Wilson into playing the lead roles in the upcoming movie based on my cowboy romance.
(Of course, Hollywood hasn’t really come calling folks but when they do, I’m ready.)
Tell me, do you often see actresses, actors, musicians or someone you know as the lead characters in books when you are reading them?
DARN GOOD COWBOY CHRISTMAS:
Genre: ContemporaryGet Your Own Copy: Amazon(pb) | Kindle | B&N(pb) | Nook | Book Depository
Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks (October 4,2011)
He's One Hot Cowboy. . .
Raylen O'Donnell is one smokin' cowboy. He could have any woman he wants, but he's never been able to forget a certain dark-haired girl who disappeared from his life. So when she suddenly returns to the ranch next door, Raylen's not fixing to let her get away again . . .
And She's Out For a Sizzlin' Christmas
Raised in a traveling carnival, Lizelle Hanson thought all she wanted was a house that didn't have wheels and a sexy cowboy for her very own. But when settling down's going to take some getting used to, and catching Raylen, the hotter-than-hell cowboy next door, might just take a little holiday magic. . .
Other Books in Series(click on covers for more):
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- Leave a comment answering Carolyn's question: Tell me, do you often see actresses, actors, musicians or someone you know as the lead characters in books when you are reading them?
- Fill out the rafflecopter form below. You must leave a comment. All other entries are optional.
***Head over to Dani's blog (Ramblings From This Chick) to see who Carolyn cast for Love Drunk Cowboy and win a copy.***
A huge thank you to Carolyn for celebrating with us and for donating the giveaway books.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
When I read, I just try to imagine the characters in my head, not as actors, musicians or anyone else famous; not even as someone I know. I think it's more fun that way.
ReplyDeletee.balinski(at)att(dot)net
Joanne, several of my fans have written to ask me if I know their brother, uncle, that handsome cowboy on the next ranch over, etc., and was he the inspiration for a character? I love it when my characters are so real that my fans can imagine them as anyone or combinations of several folks they know! Keep reading and good luck on the draw!
Deletehmm some times normally I draw up my own. Though a much younger Rob Lowe pops into my head a lot :) Voices! they pop into my head like when I read certain books I give the characters voices from famous people. Is that weird? Liam Neeson ever since I seen him in Taken, has now been the voice of every dad I read lol Oh and when I read the hunger games I gave Effie the voice of the Green of hearts from Alice in Wonderland :)
ReplyDeleteSavannah, what fun! Would love to know whose voices you hear if/when you read my cowboy books...Sam Elliott, maybe?
DeleteI will def. let you know! I always wonder what Kevin Bacon would sound like with a cowboy drawl! I love the raspiness in his voice :)
DeleteActually, I don't. I usually see a dark face or shadow.... Some actors/actresses are too famous for me to see them in books.
ReplyDeleteMay, thank you so much for your imput and thank you so much for stopping by today!
DeleteI have to say I did picture Antonio Banderas as a Pirate character in a book I read once. When he starred in Zorro. :)
ReplyDeleteHave Darn Good Cowboy Christmas on my TRL. I've read Love Drunk Cowboy and LOVED it.
Carol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Great choices---love Josh Turner's voice *shudders*
ReplyDeleteI wish I had that ability, but I never can picture the characters in my mind, famous or otherwise. :)
Enjoy!
TBQ
TBQ's Book Palace
I will imagine Sam Elliot as the cowboy from now on. I can hear his voice with a nice slow drawl. He's still my favorite actor.
ReplyDeleteI will often picture an actor or actress as either the hero or heroine - especially if the actor has been in a movie or show similar to the book. I will sometimes imagine singers as well. But not always, usually.
ReplyDeleteI do not usually think of live people, but if the book was made into a movie sometimes that does have a bearing on what my mind sees. Usually, I just go with how the author describes their characters.
ReplyDeleteLoved your little mock up scene with the singers and acting try outs!
I never think of real people when I read and I think it's kinda funny when people do that.
ReplyDeleteIf I imagine a model or actor as a character in the story it is usually the hero not the heroine. I don't imagine what the heroine looks like. I am more interested in the hero. I tend to go by how the author describes the characters.
ReplyDeletegeishasmom73 AT yahoo DOT com
I usually use the description that the author provided.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your comments. I'm loving each and every one of them...
ReplyDeleteJosh Turner certainly has that gold old boy look to him, the kind of guy you can take home to your mom.
ReplyDeleteI don't usually picture actors/models when I am reading. I imagine people I have only met on pages, and sometimes I get a feel for a character and it differs with the authors descriptions. And no matter how I try to change it to fit what the author has written they keep reverting back in my head.
Tell me, do you often see actresses, actors, musicians or someone you know as the lead characters in books when you are reading them?
ReplyDeleteOh, most definitely actors. Hugh Jackman is a fav of mine especially for all the cowboy stories. lol. Sometimes I think of Simon Baker from The Mentalist. (I guess I have a think for Australians.) For some reason, I rarely picture an actress when I'm reading. I use my imagination.
Actresses, actors, musicians are the only ones I use when it comes to the lead characters... too scary for me to use people I actually know:)
ReplyDeleteyadkny@hotmail.com
I have enjoyed reading a couple of your cowboy books. For the males, I always picture someone like Sam Elliott and for the females I picture different people depending on the description the author has given.
ReplyDeleteNo. But then again I read more than I watch so...
ReplyDeleteNo. I always have a hard time picturing a real person while reading a book.
ReplyDeleteno I usually make up my own image to fit the character
ReplyDeleteRead this one - it was so much fun!
ReplyDeleteNo I don't usually visualize actors,etc as I am reading a book
ReplyDeleteSometimes I do. Usually I don't. I form a person I may have seen at the store or from a picture I have seen. I usually only see the images from the given descriptions. I make them in my mind's eye.
ReplyDeleteMel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
When I read I try to imagine them a the author describes them so they never look like actors.
ReplyDeleteandieleah78@gmail.com