Release Day!

It's release day for Flavors of Ecstasy! Woo-Hoo! You can now read Eight Seconds plus all of the other fantastic stories included in the anthology.

Eight Seconds is a story that has a special spot in my heart. I'd started the book last summer with the intention of submitting it to Ellora's Cave. It was my hope I'd make the cut for one of their four Cavemen anthologies they release each year. Due to my mom's very serious illness though, I was kind of slow getting it going. Unfortunately, my sweet mom passed away on Sept. 3, 2008. The deadline to have the story submitted was Sept. 30, but I knew I still wanted try and make it. And I knew my mom would have wanted me to. So, after a few days of doing nothing but snuggling up on the couch, I was mentally and physically exhausted, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and got busy. Thank goodness I have a lap top because I still didn't really like to leave my cozy spot on the couch too much. And that's where the majority of Eight Seconds was written. I felt driven and energized to get the book done. I'm sure the looming deadline helped, but it was almost as if my mom was standing beside me cheering me on, telling me not give up. Much to my surprise and joy, I did make the cut! I'm convinced mom was there helping get the story done, and it seems fitting that the book is released now, one year later, in September. For me it's kind of a full circle thing.

Anyway, I hope you like Eight Seconds. It was written during a very tough time in my life, but the story certainly isn't a downer. Eight Seconds is about taking chances, and about digging down and finding your inner strengths to take those chances. Devlin and Taylor's story was a blessing for me because it made me dig down and find my inner strength. It was a light in a very dark tunnel and guided me out into the brightness once again.

I hope you enjoy reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Sherry

Eight Seconds

Wow! Just got the cover for the anthology! I love it. What's so cool about it is, this Ellora's Cave model, and I'm sorry I can't think of his name right, got to go look it up, is the guy who walked me across the stage at the Romantic Times convention in Orlando this past April! He was very sweet and seemed kind of shy.

I also like the way they did this cover because the model's look has kind of a cowboy feel to it. And since Eight Seconds is a cowboy story, woo-hoo! And, Fall is one of my favorite times of the year so I love the pumpkin touch, too.

So, let me know what you like/dislike about the cover? Do you think this guy is hot? Gotta love that torso! ;-) I'm always thrilled to get the cover of my new book because it makes the whole thing feel more real. I finally have something visual to validate that I actually have a book coming out. It's an amazing feeling and one I will never get tired of.

Anyway, enjoy the cover. And don't forget, today is the start of week 3 of my contest. Stop by my web site to get entered by Sept. 30th. You could win a print copy of the anthology and a Sherry James cowboy T-shirt!

Enjoy! And Good Luck!
Sherry

Cowboys are Hot!

It’s no secret. I love cowboys. All cowboys—historic, working cowboys, and rodeo cowboys. Cowboys are hot! For me, they are one of the ultimate heroes because they are one of the earliest heroes our country has ever seen. There is a huge romance factor that surrounds the American Cowboy and it has encompassed this breed of man for generations. And, I think, it always will. I have to admit, there is just something about a man in a nice fittin’ pair of Wranglers, a pair of boots and a cowboy hat that conjures up a whole other form of romance in my mind! But aside from the eye candy they provide, I love the history surrounding the cowboy, and the fact most historic cowboys tried to follow the code of the West, with a few liberties now and then which they believed to be justified, of course.

Yes, a lot of cowboys prefer solitude, but that’s one of the things I find intriguing about them. They can be a bit of a mystery and I can’t help wondering what makes them tick. What scars are they carrying? And I’m not talking just physical here. That is one reason I love to write cowboys. They can have a lot of angst and conflict floating around in their backgrounds and that makes for great story fodder.

Most cowboys I’ve known, although tough and hard workers, have a gentle side. They can break an ornery colt to ride, but show him compassion and caring, too. They are respectful of children and women, and when they give their hearts they don’t give lightly, but give for the duration. The cowboy is usually pretty darn patriotic, and he is a man with a ton of pride. Yes, sometimes that pride gets in the way of doing what he really wants, or giving his heart, but that’s another reason I love to write cowboys. Again, they are loaded with conflict. And if you’re an avid romance reader like me, you know conflict, aside from characters we can relate to and root for, is at the heart of any good novel.

If you like/love cowboys, I want to hear why. What is it about cowboys that make you sigh, drool, and dream? And don’t forget to enter my contest in progress. Go to www.sherryjames.com to enter.

Happy trails1

Three Contests This Month!

Howdy!

Eight Seconds will be released later this month in the Ellora's Cave Cavemen Flavors of Ecstasy Anthology Vol. III! Yee-Haw! To celebrate I'm hosting 3 contests. The first one is running now through September 10th. Visit my web site, www.sherryjames.com, and read an excerpt, answer a question, and enter. It's that simple. I'll draw a winner from all correct answers.

Also, this month I'll be blogging about COWBOYS! So if you love cowboys as much as I do, join in the discussion. We'll chat about contemporary cowboys, historical cowboys, rodeo cowboys, cowboys in romance novels, why cowboys are so hot, and whatever else I can think of that is cowboy. Do you love cowboys? If so, leave a comment here and tell me what cowboy related topic you'd like to jaw over in the coming days. I'd love to hear from you!