OH MY, WHAT WOMAN DOESN'T LIKE A COWBOY BY CONNIE VINES

Howdy, Pard, er, I mean Connie. Welcome to the F&W Ranch. That's Flowers and Thorns.

Ooooh, I see you brought Lynx with you, Connie, and you're gonna tell us how you met him and have him answer some questions. Yippi-ki-yay.

Cut me a break, readers, I'm trying to set the mood here. So get along lil doggie and all that. Okay, so tell us all about it.

 

Well, I was sitting on a hard, cold wooden bench, watching a rodeo in Thedford, Nebraska when the question came to mind.  This town had been a spot on the off-the-usual-tourist places I frequent during family vacations.  This time my husband, two young sons and I, were absorbing the ambience of the western United States.  My father was a fourth-generation Texan, rodeoing when he was in high school in the panhandle’s amateur rodeo circuit, so I understood the battering bronc riding had on the body. However, I hadn’t realized how strong the rodeo fan base was outside of the Lone Star State.

Everyone I’d spoken to loved cowboys, thought he/she was a cowboy, wanted to become a cowboy, or simply loved the concept of ‘being a cowboy’.

That was when Lynx Maddox entered my life (figuratively J).

What a cowboy!

“Lynx” is Book 1 of my Rodeo Romance Series.

Trailer for Book one

 

(Blurb)

With a dangerous reputation for taking chances and tempting fate, rugged cowboy Lynx Maddox had one goal in life—to win the coveted Silver Buckle rodeo championship. But when he sets eyes on lovely Rachel Scott, he becomes determined to capture her as well.

Rachel traveled the circuit with her famous rodeo rider dad until his fatal accident in the arena. Now, she wants nothing to do with that world—or the men who risk their lives for one brief moment of glory. But her attraction to Lynx becomes too powerful to deny. . . and his unexpected gentleness too seductive to resist.

 Right now, here is the transcript of my interview with Lynx Maddox.

Connie: Today’s rodeos feature the most skilled cowboys and cowgirls. They show off their roping, riding, and many other talents to the world. Being a rodeo cowboy, especially a bull rider, is a dangerous occupation where the only the strongest and smartest will take home the victory.

I would like to welcome, Lynx Maddox, one of rodeo’s top bull riders, to Lorrie’s Blog today.

Lynx: "I'd like to thank all of the Lorrie’s blog followers and Books We Love readers for logging on for my interview."

Connie: "For the readers who aren't familiar with PRO rodeo cowboys who support community projects for worthy causes. Lynx, you were at the Fairgrounds this weekend to support build awareness for projects to prevent domestic violence, isn't this correct?"

Lynx: "Yes. Dan and I were at the Snake River Stampede last week where a local band helped collect donations to support a newly built women's shelter."

Connie: "I know you are reluctant to brag. . .but virtually all former and current world champions have competed at the Stampede at one time or another. But few are as generous with donating their purse winning as readily as you are."

Lynx: "Now, I wouldn't say that. Everyone does what he or she can to help contribute to these worthy causes. . .be it in dollars or in time. . .Weren't we gonna discuss the sport of bull riding?"

Connie: "Yes, Wildcat, we are. According to the ABBI guidelines for judging bull riding, based on five categories: buck, kick, spin, intensity, and degree of difficulty. All of which sound extremely uncomfortable for the rider. Would you mind explaining what this all means?"

Lynx: dry chuckle. "'Buck' refers to the height achieved with the front feet and shoulders as a bull begins each jump of a trip. Technically correct bulls will complete this action by kicking their hind legs, however not all will kick, and that is a separate category from buck. Bulls that “get in the air” and get their front feet a foot or two off the ground as they peak and break over get the most credit in the buck category. Another consideration is the number of jumps they complete during the course of the trip. Still another factor can be how much ground they cover."

Connie: "I know the 'Kick' refers to the extension and snap of the hind legs at the peak of each jump. But I don't know the determing factors for scoring."

Lynx: "Again the score is determined by how high and how hard the bull kicks, how much vertical body angle he achieves as he kicks, and whether or not he kicks each and every jump. Additionally, bulls that kick at the peak of each jump instead of waiting until their front feet reach the ground deserve more credit in this important category."

Connie: "So at any time, a bull-rider can find himself falling under one of the massive animals?"

Lynx: "Well, I reckon so, but that is not the aim of the rider. . ."

Connie: "Sorry, but. . ."

Lynx: "Heard about what happened--"

Connie: "In Cheyenne, Wyoming? Yeah."

Lynx: "The 'Spin'." Takes a sip of coffee. “Also referred to as the speed category, spin is the most difficult to assess if a bull is only ridden for a jump or two. In this situation, a judge must assume that the amount a bull was spinning (or the number of rounds) would have continued at the same rate for eight seconds. For this reason, it is important, in order to achieve high marks in the spin department, to “turn back” or begin to spin as early as possible so that more time is spent spinning than covering ground."

Connie: "The 'Spin' is assessed the same way?"

Lynx: "Basically yes."

Connie: "The final category is 'Degree of Difficulty'. Difficulty equals painful, I take it?"

Lynx: "Naw. By the end of the ride most bull-riders bodies are numb."

Connie: smothering a laugh. "Please continue."

Lynx: "There are a number of factors that can occur in a bull's trip that elevate the degree of difficulty, and it is important to note that the bull that does everything else right automatically has a high degree of difficulty for that simple reason. Therefore just because a bull is honest and doesn’t use tricks to get a rider off, he shouldn’t be penalized in this category for doing things right. Having said that, there are those elements of a trip that some bulls employ that make them harder to ride than bulls that don’t. These things don’t necessarily make a bull better, and again it should be mentioned that the most desirable methods of increasing degree of difficulty are by doing the core elements (buck, kick, and spin) well. Further, the bull that is using time and energy performing some of the trickier elements generally associated with degree of difficulty is usually losing ground in some other area. The most generally defined elements of this category are: drift or fade, accomplished by a bull covering ground as he spins; moving forward in the spin; belly roll; drop; direction change; and lack of timing."

Connie: "Lynx, thank you so much for taking time from your packed schedule to explain the element of rodeo to those of us here a Coffee Time Romance Coffee Thoughts. You make bull-riding sound like everyone's nine-to-five job. However, we all know that is not true. Rodeo is a very dangerous sport."

Lynx: "I can't deny that fact."

Connie: "Where are you off to tomorrow?"

Lynx: "Tonight. After I wrap things up at the Fairgrounds, I'm driving up to Running Springs, Montana." Rising to his feet, he tips his hand and exits the booth.

Connie: speaking over the canned music, 'The Yellow Rose of Texas, “Thank you Wildcat. Let's all thank Lynx Maddox for stopping by today."

#

” Brede”, Romance Book 2 is also available on Amazon.com.

 

 

Download at Amazon HERE

 

(Blurb)

Trouble is something hard-edged rancher, Brede Kristensen, knows all about. A widower with a rambunctious young daughter, a ranch to run and an ornery cook who has just runoff, Brede doesn’t need another problem. Yet in the midst of a violent storm, he finds an injured woman. The beautiful woman can’t recall her name or her past, but Brede vows to protect her from harm. What he hadn’t bargained for was her laughter and gentleness finding a way into the lonely corners of his heart.

Beaten and left for dead, Amberlynn Maddox has no memory of her past. Accepting Brede’s offer as temporary ranch cook, the woman, now called Kate, discovers the sexy rancher with his protective nature and sizzling kisses has claimed her heart. When a madman discovers Amberlynn’s hiding place, no one is safe from harm: not Brede, his young daughter—or Amberlynn herself!

I’d like to thank everyone for blogging with me here today at Lorrie’s Blog.

 

Happy Reading,

 

Connie Vines

 

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