Books-n-Kisses is please to welcome Leah Braemel to the blog today.
Leah, tell us a little about the premise of Slow Ride Home.
Two brothers, Ben and Jake Grady, have just inherited the family’s massive 71,000 acre ranch, Bull’s Hollow. But Jake’s taken his father’s death hard, and Ben feels that most of the work to keep the ranch running. He’s just learned that someone is claiming they own part of the ranch and has sold it to someone else, so in order to fight the claim and protect his ownership, his title insurance company sends in one of their claim investigators—who turns out to be Ben’s old high school flame, Allie O’Keefe. While Ben thinks Allie left him when her father was fired from Bull’s Hollow, Allie tells a different, darker story about the last day they spent together. While they’re unraveling the mystery of the ranch’s ownership, they discover the sparks that once flickered between them are still burning bright. But fifteen years is a long time to have been apart and Allie’s not the careful girl she used to be, and letting go of the anger and bitterness of the partner Ben’s family caused her isn’t easy to overcome, no matter how loveable Ben is.
How would you describe your main characters
Ben is stalwart. He’s always known where he belonged, and is ready to put in a long day’s work to keep the ranch going. He’s fair and firm with his hands, but he has some growing up to do too, which he quickly learns the longer Allie is around, and the more of his family’s secrets are revealed.
Allie is smart and smart-mouthed at times, but she’s also conflicted. All her life’s plans were changed by one act one afternoon so now she’s more cautious, but that inner adrenaline junkie she used to be yearns to come out and play. Preferably with Ben.
He cupped her jaw, the fierceness in his expression holding caught in his gaze. “Be strong. Don’t let anyone stop you from being who or what you want. Even me.”
Her breath hitched at his passionate reminder. It had been a long time since any one had believed in her like that. Fifteen years to be precise. Unable to deal with the emotions swirling inside her, she took his hand and dragged him down the path.
At the next pasture, three mares, one heavily pregnant, stopped their grazing to raise their heads and watch them pass. After ordering the dogs to sit beside Allie, Ben diverted from their path to call to one of them. “Hey, Miree, how you doin’, momma?”
The pregnant mare flicked her ears and wandered toward him. Allie never saw Ben reach into his pocket but he suddenly had a carrot stick in his hand.
“That’s my girl.” Once Miree had taken the treat, he lovingly stroked her neck.
Allie climbed onto the wooden fence and perched on the top rung. “I used to dream of them, you know.”
“Of who?”
“Of the horses. Especially the foals, with their big eyes and the way they look at you as if they can see right into your soul.” Rather like the way Ben’s had just seen into her subconscious.
“I used to think the same of you.” Ben’s voice turned husky. He stood behind her, resting his hands lightly on her waist. “I still do.”
“Don’t.” Don’t tempt me to want a relationship with you again unless you’re dead serious. And the idea that she wanted to be in another committed relationship scared the living daylights out of her.
What do you have on your desk?
A ton of sticky-notes, in a rainbow of colors. Seriously there are sticky notes on my monitors and my desk’s hutch with reminders like “the romance is the journey” and “sexual tension in every scene” to names of my characters — where they work, where they live, family trees, to-do lists, you name it. Usually at least one coffee cup, hand cream, note pads, my long-distance glasses (I wear a special pair of glasses set to the distance of my monitor), lip balms, and a theraband so I can do my physiotherapy while I’m sitting at my desk (I wrecked my rotator cuff from sitting typing too many hours a day)
5 Things you have to have to write?
The main thing I need is peace and quiet (as in no puppies whining at me the way our Shih Tzu Seamus is grumbling right now), oh and no cats climbing across my keyboard. I swear Turtle has changed programs with key combinations I didn’t know existed before. (And haven’t been able to set right since.) As for the writing itself, I need to know exactly where I’m going—what the scene needs to show—before I can settle in to writing. At least two cups of coffee in the morning (does that count as one item or two?), and a huge monitor – I use a 27 incher so I don’t have to squint.
Do you write with music on?
Sometimes when I’m writing a first draft — I’ve created several playlists to keep me in the country frame of mind while writing The Grady Legacy books. (You can find the songs that I listened to while writing since I created playlists for them: Ben’s playlist, and now Jake’s)
Plot or write by the seat of your pants?
I’m a die-hard plotter. Even though I have to know where I’m going with each scene, I write numerous drafts—as in at least 5 – 8. The first draft resembles more of an extended outline, with notes about what each scene needs to show, and snippets of conversation. Then in my second draft I’ll go through and fill out the detail, on third draft I fill in more detail and start layering in more emotion. Fourth draft, I start laying in more detail and even more emotion. Because usually I get partway through each draft, I discover a new fact about the hero or heroine that changes the slant of the whole story. Why my brain can’t figure these things out in the first draft, I have no idea, but it’s part of my process. Trouble is it makes me a much slower writer than some.
What’s next for you?
I’m finishing up Book 2 – Jake’s story which is called No Accounting for Cowboys. You get to see more into the secrets Jake’s been keeping and why—and he has more, very personal, family drama heaped on him that forces him to make some hard decisions. Then I’ll be diving straight into book 3—Wrangling the Past as the newest member of the Grady family wrestles with their new found family and identity.
Read more about Slow Ride Home, book 1 in The Grady Legacy trilogy on Leah’s website. Or buy the book from Amazon, B&N, or Carina Press. Or as an audio book from Audible
Slow Ride Home
Author: Leah Braemel
Book 1 in The Grady Legacy trilogy
ISBN-13: 9781426897351
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Contemporary Western Romance
Publication date: 11/11/2013
Amazon
Losing his father was hard enough, but now Ben Grady must face the fact that he and his brother may not be sole owners of their beloved ranch. To protect his family’s legacy, he’s forced to rely on the legal prowess of the woman who stars in his erotic fantasies: Allie O’Keefe. Ben’s never forgotten the illicit encounter they shared fifteen years ago—or forgiven himself for letting her go.
Allie thought she’d moved beyond the scandal that cost her Ben in the past. But working so closely with the seductive rancher arouses the wild child within the cautious woman she’s become. Though she tries to keep business and pleasure separate, Allie soon gives in to temptation, and discovers Ben’s sensual skills surpass even her X-rated memories…
Allie has every intention of leaving Bull’s Hollow forever after her investigation is complete. But there are a few complications. Not the least of which is that while saving the ranch, Allie’s lost her heart.
About Leah
The only woman in a houseful of men (even the cat and dog are male), Leah Braemel loves hiding away from all the dust bunnies while she writes sexy heroes and heroines finding true love. To read more about Slow Ride Home or any of Leah’s other books, you can visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or on Facebook.
**Leah is giving away a digital copy of her backlist to a lucky commenter.**
Great excerpt and intro, Leah 🙂
Thanks, FL — and good luck! (Looking good so far 😉 )
Well, Fedora it looks like you’re the winner. So email me at contest @ leahbraemel DOT com and let me know which of my books you’d like. (If you already own them all, I’ll come up with a substitute 😉 )