Blood, guts and tears on the bull riding trail
Yes sir, there’s plenty of harm that can come to a man
sitting atop 1,600 pounds of pure power. A bull’s got his own mind and often an
ornery disposition to go with it. When a man straddle a beast that size he’s
mostly asking for trouble. Death and injury are common occurrences on the
Professional Bull Riders circuit and most riders don’t escape the sport without
breaking something. Garrett Anderson, the bull rider in Perfect Ride, breaks a
leg when it’s slammed against the fence by the out-of-control bull, Spitfire.
It’s not being mean to the character, it’s being true to life. Accidents happen
and they don’t always feel good.
Of course, fellow author Shiloh Saddler and I added a bit of
literary make-believe in our story. The bull’s not only mad as heck, it’s also
been drugged. By what, you ask? You’ll never believe me. By who? Well, that’s
another secret you’ll have to read to believe. Let’s just say bulls shouldn’t
let other bulls shoot up and rodeo clowns aren’t always funny.
For Garrett, the injury to his leg comes at the worst
possible time. He’s already feeling the necessity of retiring – at 32, he’s
practically the oldest man on the circuit – and the run-in with Spitfire comes
near the end of the year’s circuit. He’s got to have eight weeks to heal, but
those eight weeks will play havoc with his score and his overall standing,
pushing him out of the winner’s circle for the first time in… forever.
It comes down to this: Garrett must choose to either retire
or fight his way back to the top. But at 32 and a body full of aches and pains
from sitting on too many wild bulls, can he do it? Should he even try? Or
should he just hang up his hat and walk away, back to the sandy haired cowboy
he met in Sheridan, Wyoming on the dusty bull riding trail?
I bet you can guess the answer to that!
Stay tuned for an excerpt from Perfect Ride.
Thanks for reading!
Eva
The whole storyline for Perfect Ride is:
Professional bull rider Garrett Anderson lives
for the next town, the next trophy and his next ride. When he rolls into
Sheridan, Wyoming, the last thing he expected was to meet a cowboy like Cole—a
man who corrals his heart and leaves him aching for the kind of love he’s been
missing.
A bull tender on the PBR circuit Cole Richards
secretly longs for a lover but wasn’t prepared for Garrett’s passion or the
longing their one brief tryst kindles.
After he is shot and recovering in his hospital bed, Cole can only watch
Garrett’s disastrous ride afraid it could be his last. Heartbroken when the
battered and bruised bull rider leaves town, Cole knows better than to hope to
see him again.
Attacked again and knee-deep in trouble, Cole
wants only Garrett at his side. But can his bull rider trade fame and fortune
for a lifetime with his one perfect ride?
Excerpt:
Garrett
bit down on the mouth guard and squeezed the bull tightly with his legs. The
gate swung open and Spitfire didn’t move. He acted like he’d already expended
all his energy acting up in the chute. Come
on. You’re supposed to be one nasty
bucker.
The
gateman closed the gate and Garrett had to reset. Freddy stood near him ready
to offer any assistance. Garrett cussed under his breath and rewrapped his
hand.
“Come
on, Spitfire, it’s time for both of us to go to work.”
Garrett
slapped the bull’s side, getting his attention. He nodded again to the gateman
and this time they burst out of the chute, but he couldn’t spur until the bull
settled his footing. When he did, Spitfire charged and weaved down the arena
snorting and thrashing his head along the way. Every toss of the massive head
brought those creamy-white horns dangerously close to his thighs and his guts.
Garrett’s heart settled squarely in his throat and he struggled to breathe.
Holding tight to the rope, and squeezing his leg muscles until he ached, he
felt like he was being dragged by a runaway train. He wished the bullfighters
would come in and shoot the crazy animal.
The
bull didn’t slow down or change course. The steel barriers loomed closer and
closer and closer. Should I bail? If
he jumped, he’d have no chance at the money. He gripped the rope harder, his
knuckles turning white, and hung on as Spitfire crashed into the heavily
reinforced gate head on, horns clanging against the metal nearly pitching his
rider off over his head. Garrett felt his arm pulled out of its socket and pain
engulfed his shoulder. Then Spitfire spun and rammed Garrett’s leg against the
gate. Garrett heard the loud crack
over the roar of the crowd, felt the sharp stab of pain race up his thigh hard
and fast to jolt his brain. More adrenaline flooded his system and the pain
went away. His leg dangled uselessly against Spitfire’s side. Without it to
help keep himself upright, he was entirely at the bull’s mercy. Garrett’s
already hard breathing quickened. He felt the sickening surge of combined pain
and panic clawing at his awareness. Just
don’t get tangled up in the rope. With his broken leg, he wouldn’t be able
to stand and would be whipped around like a rag doll. Now he could only grip
the rope tighter and pray. His whole bull-riding career flashed before eyes
going all the way back to mutton busting. A sour taste rose into his mouth. Was
this going to be his last ride?
The
bull snorted and bucked into a right-hand spin. The change of momentum
threatened to push him into the well. Then he heard it. One of the sweetest
sounds he’d ever heard or would ever hear. The buzzer sounded and Garrett let
go of the rope with relief, crumpling to the ground. He laid there unable to
move. With the ride completed, awareness of the pain in his leg took over. It
was impossible for him to stand now, much less run. He gritted his teeth and
attempted to crawl away from the bull, the pain so intense it felt like his leg
was on fire. He finally gave up, crumpling into the dirt.
Perfect Ride is out now from Decadent Publishing.
By the way, Shiloh and I are currently editing book II,
which is young bull rider Freddy’s story. Look for it later this year!
Bio:
Eva Lefoy writes and reads all
kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to
chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of
life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all
her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers.
Contact Eva:
Bio:
Shiloh
Saddler likes to do research for her steamy romances first hand. She has
invented a time machine and travels back to the 19th century on a regular
basis. There are experimental settings on her time machine which could propel
her into the future and even other worlds. She believes love and a good book
makes anything possible.
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