January Cowboy of the Month--Trevor Brazile

This month I’m starting a new year-long salute to cowboys. Each month I will profile a cowboy who inspires me to write my sizzling cowboy stories for you! I hope you enjoy, and I look forward to your comments.

To kick off the year I’m starting with the talented Trevor Brazile in honor of his Seventh All-Around Championship win! Yee-Haw! Congratulations, Trevor! Brazile won the title at this past December’s Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, NV. The 2009 win ties Brazile with bronc and bull rider Ty Murray, a legend in his own right, who dominated in 1989 - 1994.

A Texas native, Trevor has now qualified for the national finals 18 times in Steer Roping and Tie-Down Roping, and is the first cowboy to qualify for the NFR in 4 different events, (steer, tie-down, team roping header and heeler). A tough competitor, Brazile is the Triple Crown winning cowboy of 2007 by winning the All Around, Steer Roping and Tie-Down roping titles. He also holds the highest single-year earnings record for 2007 by banking $425,115.00. And if that isn’t enough, he’s also the youngest cowboy to cross the $3 million earnings mark! Wow! Sorry ladies. He’s happily married. ;-)

How does Brazile do it? Well, he has five things going for him—background, persistence, focus, horsemanship and practice. His rodeo roots run deep. His father, Jimmy, was a four time NFR qualifier in steer roping, and his mother, Glenda, rodeoed as well. While he was learning to walk, Trevor was also learning to swing a rope. And these days when Brazile is not in the arena competing for the gold buckle, he’s in the practice pen. Fellow cowboys say his focus and concentration are uncanny. Numbers don’t lie and it’s obvious this cowboy has no trouble shifting from one event to another at each rodeo. A skill he attributes to his father. "He wanted me to be an all-around cowboy, not just a tie-down roper, steer roper or team roper. He wanted me to excel in all of it," says Trevor. He also gives credit for his mental toughness to his father-in-law, five time World Champion Tie-Down roper and roping legend Roy Cooper.

When not traveling down the rodeo road, Brazile hangs his hat at his Decatur, Texas ranch where he enjoys family life with his wife and young son. He trains quarter horses and hopes to host roping clinics when (someday) he retires from the rodeo circuit.

The thing I like about Trevor is he is a true cowboy with a strong work ethic who lives, eats, and breathes the western life 365 days of the year. He’s tough, yet has the utmost respect and appreciation for his horses, stating that he’d be just another cowboy without the talent and athleticism of his four-legged partners. And, okay, I admit it, Trevor is a cutie, too!

Yeah, Trevor is definitely inspiration for a romance hero. What say you? What makes a cowboy hero material in your book?

Be sure to keep an eye out for February's Cowboy of the month coming soon!

Happy 75th Birthday, Elvis!

Wow! Elvis would have been 75 today. Hard to imagine. We thought he seemed kind of old when he passed away at age 42 in 1977 (of course, I was just a kid at the time and all adults seemed old!). In retrospect, 42 was darn young. Just think of all he could have continued to accomplish in the years since. He was so incredibly talented, handsome, and had an awesome stage presence. Elvis was the first to do so many things in the entertainment industry. No wonder he became such an icon and is still a legend today. And I, for one, still miss him! I never tire of his music and listening to his wonderful voice!


That's why it was such a thrill for me to visit Graceland this past June. My dear husband indulged me and we spent a whole day there (I splurged on V.I.P. passes) and we ended up touring the house twice and taking our sweet time on the grounds. It was great. If you are an Elvis fan, I highly recommend going V.I.P. Having the time to explore and not be rushed is the only way to go if you really want to maximize your Elvis experience.

As we were touring the house, I felt just like Alex and Casey did (Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge) and half expected Elvis to come around a corner, or to see him sitting at the piano, or watching TV. Graceland is still very much alive with his spirit. As I was writing Studs for Hire: Woman in Charge, I really developed a new appreciation for Elvis. I'd had been a fan since I was a kid, but when I was brushing up on my Elvis research, I really began to understand and appreciate all that he did for others, and what he accomplished in a rather short period of time.


In Woman in Charge, I try to honor Elvis in a respective and fun way. And like me, Casey develops a new appreciation for the King of Rock 'n Roll. Casey learns a lot of neat, fun things about Elvis while learning to give love a chance.

Some of my favorite memories of Elvis are his '68 Comeback Special (black leather never looked so good!), his Aloha from Hawaii Concert, plus too many more to bore you with. How about you? Do you have a favorite Elvis memory? Celebrate Elvis' Birthday with me by sharing your thoughts!

Blogging at TRS

Howdy, Readers!


Just a quick note, I'll be blogging tomorrow, Dec. 22nd, at the Romance Studio Blog! Please join me as we talk about snow, books, snow, and more books! Post a comment, and I'll put your name in for a prize! Hope to see you there.

Happy Holidays!

Sherry James

Black Velvet Seductions Holiday Party!

Hey, all! I wanted to let you know that on December 12, 13, and 14th, my one publisher, Black Velvet Seductions, will be hosting a 3 day holiday party potluck and pitch in on the Black Velvet Seductions Blog.

All readers who post during this three day holiday party will be entered in the drawing for the BVS Pick Your Own Prize Contest...where you can choose from a wide array of prizes, including Kindles, Nooks, Sony Readers, and gift cards...for a total prize package of $260. BVS will announce the winners on Valentines Day! There are two ways to get your name in the hat for the big prize! One--Subscribe to the BVS readers newsletter. And two--Post a comment on the blog. Simple!

So be sure to stop by this weekend and visit with us BVS authors. There will be all kinds of good stuff going on to celebrate the season!

Hope to see you there!
Sherry

Cowboy Research Winner!

Okay, I have a winner! Sorry for the delay in making the announcement. We had major snow here on Tuesday and Wednesday, school called off and kids under feet, so needless to say I'm running behind a little. ;-)

My thanks to all of you who stopped by to chat! My winner for this quickie contest is Shelley Monro! Congratulations, Shelley!! Please email me at sherryjames@hamilton.net and tell me your preferred e-book format and I'll get it off to you!

Oh, and be sure to tune into CMT this Saturdady. You can see Skeeter Kingsolver in the Posse and get a glimpse of life behind the bucking chutes. And cool, I get to say I know him! ;-)

Cowboy Research

I love to do research, especially when that research involves talking to real live, in the flesh, sexy cowboys. I know a lot about rodeo, bull riding, and the western way of life, but it’s always nice to talk to other folks who also live and breathe the life to get a fresh perspective. I also love to write about cowboys and I always strive to make darn sure I’m depicting the life as accurately as possible for you, the reader.

That’s why when my local radio station was giving away tickets to a dinner/meet & greet with PBR (Professional Bull Riders) bull fighters, stock contractors, and bull riders, I put three phones to work. My insane efforts paid off and I was the correct caller and got my name put in for the drawing. And by golly, luck was really on my side last week. My name was drawn out for the big package, including tickets to the bull riding. Yee-Haw! Thank you, KRGI FM! So, I called up my critique partner and good buddy, Julie Miller, and asked if she’d like to go. All in the name of research, of course! ;-) Even though Julie writes about cops in Kansas City for Harlequin Intrigue, she jumped at the chance to experience something new. I mean, what better way to talk bull riding, rodeo, and goin’ down the road then over a nice dinner and a few drinks with handsome men! Handsome men are always good inspiration for us romance writers!

Bull fighter, Cody Hollums of Midland, TX, was gracious and answered my slew of questions. He even asked me if I was going to write a book featuring a bull fighter as the hero. You betcha, Cody! And I can guarantee he’s going to look a lot like you. Keep an eye out.

Stock contractor, Chad (Bubba) Berger of Mandan, ND was a lot of fun, too, and I wish I would have had more one-on-one time to talk with him. Thanks for the beer, Chad!

Then I sat down with bull riders, Markus Mariluch of Elko, NV, and Skeeter Kingsolver of Mclouth, KS. These two were so down-to-earth, just good ‘ol boys, and were more than happy to answer all my questions. We talked about the lifestyle, the travel, and if fear ever enters their minds before they climb onto the back of those 2,000 pound bulls. Markus knows all too well what it’s like to be stomped on by a bull. In 2008 he rode a bull who tried to make hamburger out of his face. Amazingly, Markus was back in the chute a week later and ready to take another bull out for a spin. Now that’s tough. Cowboy tough!

As for Skeeter. Well, what can I say? Skeeter is just as cute as a bug’s ear. I mean this guy is young enough to be my son, but he’s as sweet, polite, and common as they come. I just wanted to squeeze him! And keep your eye out for Skeeter. He’s a rising star in the PBR and you can even catch him in the reality TV show, The Posse, airing on CMT this coming Saturday night Dec. 12th. The film crew followed Skeeter and other pro bull riders around this past summer to give fans a glimpse into the world behind the bucking chutes. Skeeter said it was fun doing the show, although at times he did get a little weary of the cameras being right there all the time.

The bull riding Saturday night was awesome. The bulls were rank, too. Big time. One bull was so rank that after he dumped his rider, he decided to take on the outrider and his horse. That cowboy suddenly found himself on a date with the fence, and his horse took an unwanted ride on the bull! Fortunately, neither the horse or cowboy, were hurt, but it sure looked ugly. On a positive note, one young cowboy who’d brought his girl to the bull riding had worked it out to bring her into the arena. Much to her surprise, he got down on one knee in the dirt and proposed! Now that’s romance the cowboy way. And you can bet that’s going to show up in a book someday. To me, that epitomizes the cowboy. He’s a gentleman, shows respect to women, all the guys we met stood when we stood, offered their hands in a friendly shake, and tipped their hats, and he’s down to earth. To me, they symbolize the honesty and integrity of the American way of life, and showcase the roots of our great country! Long live Cowboys!

So, do you like to read about cowboys? For you, what’s the allure? And do you prefer contemporary cowboys over historical cowboys? Or do you love them both? All of you who comment today will get their name into the drawing for an electronic download of the Flavors of Ecstasy Anthology Vol. III where you can read my latest cowboy story, Eight Seconds! Happy Holidays.

Pix: Bull fighter Cody Hollums of Midland, TX & little 'ol me!
And me with Markus Mariluch of Elko, NV, Bart Miller of Oshkosh, NE, and Skeeter Kingsolver of Mclouth, KS.

Music to Write By!

Every book I write has a theme song or theme album that I listen to repeatedly throughout the creative process of putting those coveted words on the page. I love music, and it's a great tool for us writers to create a mood, or help us conjure up the emotions we need our characters to feel and pour out onto the pages.

The last two cowboy books I've written, one historical & one contemporary, found me spinning the soundtrack from the movie Wyatt Earp over and over. Even though the books were set more than 140 years apart, the music just seemed to fit both. Some great emotional tracks on that album! And since I write romance, emotion is a key element to writing a compelling book.

Now, I'm at the start of revisions on another contemporary cowboy romance, Lassoed Heart, which I wrote a while back. Okay, quite a while back. ;-) Needless to say, I've been in search of a new theme song for this book. And I found it!

Once I find "that" song, it's forever connected to the book in my mind. I can't listen to that song ever again without thinking of that particular book. The characters, and all the emotions they and I experienced while writing that story come rushing back. That might seem strange to people who aren't writers, but trust me, it's a good feeling. It's kind of like visiting old friends by a warm cozy fire!

Although I'm sure I'll listen to many Country songs while working on Lassoed Heart, Forever by John Micheal Montgomery will be my main theme song. This is an awesome song and can be found on his Time Flies album! This song was released a few months ago, but for some reason it just hasn't received much air play. Why, I have no idea. It deserves it!!!

So, there's a little sneak peek into my creative process!