Monday, March 5, 2012

Shannon Taylor Vannatter's "Rodeo Dust"


|Title: Rodeo Dust
Publisher: Heartsong Presents

Cover blurb: Ad exec, Rayna Landers meets bull rider, Clay Warren at the State Fair of Texas. While Rayna thinks she’s content solo, Clay longs for marriage and family. Though poised to win his third world championship, his ranch is in a slump. Clay convinces his publicist to hire her advertising firm in a last-ditch effort to keep his employees and lasso her heart.

Soon the city girl is on the ride of her life, until the rodeo unearths buried memories from her past. Clay sees her through the trauma, but an injury and his stubborn determination to get back in the hypothetical saddle threatens their budding relationship. Can they rely on God to find their common ground or will they draw a line in the rodeo dust that neither will cross?

1) How did this story come to you?
My husband and I took our son to the Arkansas State Fair several years ago. I saw a cowboy to the bone, dressed in typical hat, boots, and Wranglers holding hands with a city girl in a business suit and suede boots. I wondered how they got together and what they had in common. The story sprang from my wondering.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I’d had my 1st three book series published with Heartsong Presents. I submitted Rodeo Dust with an idea for a series based on Texas rodeos. My editor initially rejected it because she thought the story was too heavy for Heartsongs. I changed one thread of the story, lightened it up, and my editor changed her mind. She liked the rest of the series.

In fact, book 2 was her idea. When I pitched my story about a bull rider and a city girl, she said, “Why is it always the cowboy? Why not the rodeo clown?” Book 2, Rodeo Hero is about a rodeo clown, known professionally as bull fighters.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I love to do jigsaw puzzles. But I don’t do them often because when I have one going, I don’t want to do anything else.

My husband and I met as children at my grandmother’s. He remembers a bunch of little girls being there and I remember a bunch of little boys being there. We remember playing the same games, but we don’t remember each other specifically.

For the last three years, I’ve been house dogless for the first time in thirty-seven years. After my last weinie dog died, I decided my heart couldn’t take anymore.

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
I’m knee deep in edits from my editor on book three in my rodeo series. My agent currently has a couple of proposals and we’re in waiting mode.

5) Parting comments?
I have a blog where I feature inspirational author’s real life and fictional romances with weekly book giveaways: http://shannonvannatter.com/blog/. Dawn has been a guest several times and I appreciate her hosting me again.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
Website: http://shannonvannatter.com/, Facebook: facebook.com/shannontaylorvannatter, and Twitter: @stvauthor

27 comments:

  1. please enter in for this book nice interview


    ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

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  2. Hi Shannon, I love romance stories and this sounds like a great romance and a cowboy. You are a new author for me and I have added "Rodeo Dust" to my wish list. Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us.
    Thanks for this opportunity to enter giveaway.

    misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

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  3. The title absolutely caught my attention: Rodeo Dust. It's the name of my favorite Valspar color of interior paint, which is the color of my room.
    And cowboys are cool, by the way. :o)


    Daphne
    dmwebb2009@gmaill.com

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  4. Hi , I this book sound great and I would LOVE to add it to my collection of books!
    Thank you for sharing this book.

    Blessings
    Claiming Christ, Judi Williams
    mrst72443@yahoo.com

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  5. A lovely interview. I like how the story/stories came to be.

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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  6. This sounds like a great book! Thanks for the chance to win a copy!

    wpd_2(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  7. Thank you, Dawn for the interview with Shannon. Shannon graciously allowed me to proof read her White Rose series, which i loved! Shannon...how long is several years? Just wonderin'. If you need puzzles or someone to puzzle with, my Mom loves to puzzle. We have to be careful not to get one out on Saturday, because time has a way of getting away from us while we puzzle. i am looking forward to reading your rodeo stories. i love going to the local pro bullriding, so i know i will adore these. Thanks for the opportunity to win

    Marianne from Arizona

    mitzi underscore wanham at yahoo dot com

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  8. Your book sounds really good. I am always looking for new authors to read. I would like to read yours

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  9. I love rodeos! I would love to read Rodeo Dust. Please enter me in the drawing. Thanks for the chance to win.

    Debbie Clark
    debbiemcla(at)msn(dot)com

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  10. I WOULD LOVE TO WIN THIS BOOK.
    angelac@mchsi.com

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  11. Love the title, I really would love to win.

    Lourdes11743[at]gmail[dot]com

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  12. I love to watch a good rodeo. Our son is a team roper. It's a great sport! I'd love to read this story.

    twinwillowsfarm at gmail dot com

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  13. I love cowboys, rodeo and romance, so Rodeo Dust sounds perfect. Please toss my name in, thanks!
    worthy2bpraised at gmail dot com

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  14. Opposites attract is one of my favorite thematic elements in romance. And I love country fairs and cowboys! This story sounds really fun, and I like the idea of the man looking for family rather than the other way around, which seems more common.

    I've never read any of Shannon's books and would love the chance to! Thanks for this giveaway, Dawn!

    -Emily
    emily_reynolds(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  15. Cowboys, rodeo and romance - sounds great. Please enter me in the drawing - rysalias-anything[a]yahoo dot com

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  16. My parents also met as young children! - I love reading Shannon's weekly interviews she does with different authors

    babykf629 at gmail dot com

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  17. appleblossom,
    Glad you enjoyed the interview. It was fun.

    misskallie,
    There's just something about those cowboys.

    Daphne,
    Ooh, I'll have to check out that color. I love paint. Not necessarily the painting part, but it sure can change a room.

    Hey Judi,
    Thanks for the compliment.

    Marianne,
    I think my son was three on that state fair visit. Now he's ten. So in this case several means seven.
    I wrote the story shortly afterward and it was just a short story at first. I was entering lots of short story contests at the time. But it kept bugging me until I finally realized it was a book. I probably finished the initial version in 2004 or so.
    Thanks for reviewing my white series and for loving it.

    Joye,
    I'm glad you like the story.

    Debbie,
    I love rodeos too. But the bull riding always makes me so nervous. That worked well for this book since the heroine is terrified of bulls.

    Hey Angela,
    Thanks for stopping by.

    Hey Lourdes,
    I had the title before the book really took shape. It just fit.

    Hey Pegg,
    The hero does a little team roping too. My dad used to announce at a very small, local rodeo and I worked the concession stand.

    Merry,
    Rodeo Romance, that could be a book.

    Emily,
    I tried to mix it up a little with this book. I think she was my first heroine not interested in marriage.

    Hey Rachelle,
    It was really fun going to The Fort Worth Stockyards for research. I'd never been there, so we made a family vacation out of it. I actually ended up going there twice and I never could catch the train. We were always there too early or late.

    Kim,
    Do they at least remember meeting each other?

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  18. I sure understand the trouble with puzzles! I have to tell my husband to pull me away when I start one!
    Book looks interesting. Rodeo settings often do make for good stories! :-)

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  19. I love mysteries as well as romance. Love to do jigsaw puzzles too. Finally, since I grew up in AR the story sounds very interesting.
    Barbara

    thomas.harris2(at)comcast.net

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  20. Great interview! The book sounds very interesting and I love how you got the idea for the story. There is a story behind each person we see and I sometimes wonder what their story might be.

    A new fan in Arkansas, Linda
    lniemeir@yahoo.com

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  21. Wonderful interview Shannon!!Would love to win the book too!

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  22. This sounds really good. I would love to win your book.
    Linda L.
    dlarock(at)wolfenet(dot)com

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  23. J:-)mi and Barbara,
    I dream of having a den someday with a puzzle table in it. Part of my problem is I don't have anywhere to put them where it doesn't interfere with eating. My parents got me a puzzle board for Christmas one year. It has drawers all around it. I love it, but you still have to put it on the table.
    Linda,
    I get my best stories from people watching.
    Hey Sheila,
    Thanks for following me around the net.
    Hi Linda L.,
    Thanks for stopping by.

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  24. Enjoyed the interview and love the title of the book. It sounds quite interesting and would love to be the fortunate person who wins the book.

    Blessings,
    Jo
    ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com

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  25. Sounds interesting, thank you for the opportunity!

    crystalaroach@yahoo.com

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  26. Hi Jo and Crystal,
    I wish I had a copy for everybody.

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  27. I have a winner. Pegg Thomas won the copy of Rodeo Dust. Thanks Dawn for having me on your blog again and I appreciate everyone for stopping by.

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