Love them Cowboys!

I make no secret of it. I love Cowboys! To me there is just something about a nice fittin' pair of Wrangler jeans on a man, a sexy smile on his face shadowed by the brim of his hat, and a teasing glint in his eye. Add in the fact he can handle animals weighing in at over 1,000 lbs, ride a horse at breakneck speed, and still be gentle and caring with his woman, oh boy, the true American cowboy is number one in my book! So, it's only natural I write books about cowboys. My first published book featuring a cowboy hero is Cowboy Fling. I'm thrilled I've gotten such great reviews on this book. But I was even more thrilled that many of the reviewers found my hero, Lane Hart, so sexy. Nicole of www.mybookcravings.com said,

"Oh, God. Lane, what can I say, he is a "piece" of man that any woman would want."

Thanks, Nicole. It's nice to know I did all right in creating Lane Hart. Of course, I had a little help from George Strait. George was my primary inspiration for Lane. And what great inspiration. One of the things I love about George is that he is a true cowboy. He's not just a country singer putting on a hat to create a look. George is truly all that the hat stands for and more.

Now, that I'm working on Country Fling, the sequal to Cowboy Fling, I'm looking for a second cowboy to give me my inspiration in creating another sexy, wonderful hero to match wits with Dorie Holister, my heroine. I'm sure Vin Sheridan, my hero, will still have a little George Strait in him, but he's going to be more of the brooding/lost soul type of guy. Do you have a favorite cowboy who fits that mold? It can be a real cowboy, or a TV/movie cowboy. I loved Kevin Coster in Wyatt Earp, and in Open Range. Be still my heart! And I loved both Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer in Tombstone. And of course, I'm a huge fan of The Magnificent Seven TV series. In fact, my hero takes his first name from one of the cowboys on that show. Oh, and I love all the men on Bonanza! Someday I'm going to write a series of historicals with my own Cartwright/Magnificent Seven type of men populating a massive ranch. But that's another post.

So, tell me what cowboys you think are sexy and why? I can't wait to hear from you!
Happy Trails,
Sherry

Office View

I think it's always kind of fun to discover where fellow writers create their amazing stories. Many love coffee shops, but since I'm not a coffee drinker that holds no appeal for me. I prefer the solitfude of my own home. These days I mainly write my books on my lap top so I can be portable. With small kids, being portable is very important! I need to be near where the action is. But when I can, I go to the quiet of my office, carting the lap top with me. This is where my desk top computer sits waiting for me, too. I handle the majority of the business side of writing on my desk top. I like keeping that precious lap top as clutter free as possible! Plus there's something mental about keeping the lap top for writing only. I try not to play there. That's reserved for my main computer. My desk top computer also handles all of the email I receive, is the holding cell for all the web sites I maintain, and dutifully stores all the photos I take, plus is the home of my book covers, pub photos and all that good stuff.

One of the things I love about my office is the view I have. Especially this time of the year. It might not be a mountain top dusted with snow, or a lake dotted with sparkling gems courtesy of the sun, but to me, it's just as beautiful. It's a corn field. Yes, that's right. A corn field. I get to look over a vast field of corn and watch its progress throughout the growing season. I get to witness the first sprouts of spring, the first touches of yellow as the tassels emerge, and watch the deep, rich green of the leaves transform to a sea of gold that puts me in the mood for scarecrows and pumpkins. I love to watch the late afternoon/evening sun highlight the west side of the trees and throw shadows to the east and across the road. On days the weather cooperates, I love to open the window and be serenaded by a chorus of crickets chirping. They are usually accompanied by a little wind rustling through those drying corn stalks, making a beautiful autumn song. An extra bonus is the feel of the cooler breezes sneaking in and wrapping around me. Add a little music, a favorite candle, and I'm ready to write my fingers to the bone!

Do you have a favorite view that inspires you?

The Fun of Book Trailers

Okay, I'm finally getting back to actually posting on my blog. I've spent the last week tweaking, searching for just the right look that reflects me. I think I've found it. Anyway, today I'm excited to talk about book trailers. They are the newest, hottest trend in promoting books. They are basically like a movie trailer and are designed to give you a brief, but exciting synopsis of the book that it will, hopefully, intrigue you so much you can't live unless you read that story!

Being the creative soul that I am, I couldn't resist the temptation to do my own book trailers. I've done one so far for my first Ellora's Cave release, Cowboy Fling. After a lot of trial and error, I (for the most part) figured out the software and managed to create a trailer that reflects the book really well. It's short, snappy and fun. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to convert the trailer to the proper file formats for the various sights like Google video, Yahoo video, and You Tube, which I still haven't mastered. I think my choice of software has something to do with my troubles with You Tube. But I'll keep hunting and pecking in my software and hopefully will find a way.

Now that I have a cover for my new Studs for Hire book, Woman in Charge, I'm going to be creating a trailer for the Stud series. Keep your eyes open! My challenge so far with that trailer is finding just the right music. I did find one, but sorry, I have a hard time paying sixty bucks for 30 seconds worth of music. Guess I didn't like the tune THAT much! So, it's back to searching.

So, tell me what you like about book trailers? Live action? Still photos? Dramatic or upbeat music? Do you have a favorite book trailer? If so, tell me about it. Inquiring minds want to know! And enjoy Cowboy Fling!

Sherry

Getting my feet wet!

Well, I've finally taken the plunge! I've jumped into the blogger world. It's taken me a while to get here, but then, good things come to those who wait! Actually, I had to finish my last book, Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge, before I could take the time to explore all this fun stuff. Duty calls. I do web site work as a sideline, to help support my ficiton habit, but this is my first foray into the blogger world. Hang in there with me as I find my way around this territory.

And since the purpose of my blog is to connect with you, the readers, I want you to let me know what you'd like to see here. And please feel free to ask me about my books, characters, writing process, life in general, and what brand of beer I drink!

Sherry