She read to me before I could read and opened up that magical world where I still reside today. Then came television and movies. Now I had three avenues to feed my imagination...and boy could I eat! As you no doubt figured out, this led to my writing career. After several starts in between having a son, twin sons, then a daughter, I didn't get serious until my youngest child entered 1st grade. Now, I'm multi-published with several publisher and self-published in e-Book and print with a ton of voices in my head. I love those voices! They helped me win awards and become a New York Times and USA Today Best Selling author. Hope they never stop!
Champagne and Cowboys
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Authors Donna Michaels and Hildie McQueen are joined by bestselling and award-winning authors Amanda McIntyre, Tori Scott, Gem Sivad, Kathleen Ball, Rhonda Lee Carver, and Victoria Vane to bring you eight sexy cowboys in this holiday collection that will warm you from the inside out.
– Donna MichaelsWine and Her New Year Cowboy (Book 4/Citizen Soldier Series): A Going no male resolution excludes cowboys.
Kathleen Ball – A Kiss at Midnight: Will Anora accept Maverick’s Heart? Only a long awaited New Year’s kiss at midnight will tell him.
Rhonda Lee Carver – A New Year's Cowboy: Charlie has suffered tragedy, but a Christmas package offers hope and a cowboy.
Amanda Mcintyre – Lost & Found: Fate gives first love a second chance.
Hildie Mcqueen – New Year with You: A modern Cinderella type story with a humorous twist.
Tori Scott – Cowboy Masquerade: A New Year's Eve masquerade party reveals more than anyone expects.
Gem Sivad – Cowboy Burn: She slides down an icy road and lands in the arms of love.
Victoria Vane – A Cowboy’s Midnight Kiss: He never dreamed his soul mate would stumble into his life in stiletto-heeled boots.
Haley Wagner's life just got a lot more complicated. As if turning her struggling ranch around isn't tough enough, she's forced to call him for help. With his hard eyes and even harder body, Cord is an irritatingly sexy contradiction of hot and cold. How can she possibly hide her embarrassing secret when just looking at Cord is a combustible event?
Former Army Ranger Cord Brannigan has a secret, too. He promised his fallen teammate he'd protect the tempting, fiercely independent Haley from a distance, but now they're stuck together for three weeks. Alone. Keeping his hands off will take every ounce of control he can muster. And that control is slipping...
He risks more than his life protecting the commander’s niece.
Lured to the mountains of Montana, under the assumption her uncle and her godfather recommended her as a bodyguard for Brotherhood Protectors—an agency started by one of their former SEALs—Kat Crawford, former NIO, discovers too late, she’s really there as a client.
Former DEVGRU SEAL, Brogan “Sonic” O’Neal, dropped his packet to return to Montana to take over his grandfather’s wood shop and care for the dying man. A deathbed promise to “not” return to the teams sentences him to life without the adrenaline rush he craves, until an old SEAL buddy hires him as a part time bodyguard for Brotherhood Protectors.
A request to protect the niece of a former CO lands Brogan his first assignment, but it could be his last. Keeping objective is impossible. He’s watched the woman grow up through pictures in the commander’s office. Now she’s at Brogan’s cabin. Their chemistry is off the charts. And giving into their attraction is as inevitable as a Montana sunrise.
But when Kat suggests the Brotherhood uses her as bait to end the threats once and for all, Brogan realizes his feelings for the woman run deep. Can he resist the alpha need to protect her? If he does, will she survive? If he doesn’t, will their relationship?
Kissing the sexy soldier was a dare she couldn’t resist…
By-the-book event planner Beth Brannigan’s best friend dared her to kiss a cowboy. She should have said no. Instead, she said please…again and again. If her brother finds out she’s dating—okay, kissing—okay, sleeping with—one of his military buddies, he’ll kill her. Assuming he doesn’t kill his friend first.
Former Army Ranger Brick Mitchum isn’t a relationship kind of guy. But then he meets Beth and starts to wonder if maybe it’s time he settled down. She’s mysterious. Unpredictable. Curvy in every way he needs… And hiding something. He’s just got to figure out what.
Keeping it light has never involved more heart
Ever since his first deployment, Lincoln McCall came home a changed man, swapping life philosophies with his twin brother. No more playing it safe, or by the rules, or looking for “Miss Right”. Hell no. But holding onto that concept is hard after Linc fell into a pool with his arms full of the one that got away.
Coming out of the fog from her husband’s death, Ashely Patterson wants to live a little, have fun…feel alive. So when the sexy cowboy she crushed on in her youth hires her to work on his house, she gives herself permission to enjoy the attraction sizzling between them…after all, she’s only there temporarily, and he doesn’t do relationships.
But when their feelings turn serious, she’s in a heap of trouble. Linc is in the military. So was her husband and that got him killed. She can’t risk her heart to another man who could deploy and never return. Hell no. It was better to leave and take her heart with her.
Now, if only she could figure out how to get the cowboy to give it back.
Some incidents from the past are not easily forgotten…
For over a year, former National Guardsman Keiffer Wyne left his past in Pennsylvania to start a new life, drifting from ranch to ranch across the southwest. Unrestricted, nomadic, unaccountable—he embraces the new lifestyle, until he’s called upon to watch over his sister Brandy during her husband’s absence. The problem? She’ll be there. The one woman capable of breaking through his barriers and making him feel.
Caitlin Ryan can’t believe who blew into Harland County looking dangerous, hotter, sexier than the time they shared an unforgettable weekend together. She knows he’s still dealing with the death of his buddy and his mind isn’t in a good place, but neither of them are strong enough to fight their undeniable attraction. Keiffer’s troubled and all wrong for her, counting down the days until he leaves. Too bad she never learned to shy away from trouble…
Former Army Ranger Stone Mitchum doesn’t have time for sex. Since starting a company with his brother and two buddies, he’s had more important things on his mind. Like transitioning veterans back into society. But when his curvy new tenant falls into his arms—literally—his libido snaps to attention.
Jovy Larson has four weeks to prove she’s worthy of taking over the family business. Her challenge? Sell gluten-free, vegan food—in the middle of cattle country, Texas. It’s a tough task, but not half as tough as fighting her attraction to her sexy, surly landlord.
Before she knows it, Jovy’s tangling sheets with the hot cowboy, stalked by a jealous cow, and strategizing ways to help Stone’s ranch. But by the time her lease runs out and the test is over, she’s faced with a new challenge…competing against Stone’s sense of duty to win his heart.
Hot Shoe: 1. Driver who has the most past wins among active drivers at a particular track; is the quickest in qualifying, and is favored to win at that track. 2. Gorgeous footwear.
This Thanksgiving, Sgt. Audrey McNeil Watson is thankful for wine. Lots and lots of wine. And her closet of hot shoes. Together, they help her deal with the return of her sexy ex-boyfriend, the now famous NASCAR Champion she left after 9/11 to join the National Guard and make a difference. Too bad he still manages to accelerate her pulse and drive her crazy.
Professional stock car racing driver, Matthew "Stone" Bennett returned home to meet with the Wyne brothers to discuss a recent encounter with their estranged brother Keiffer, to face the reality of his cousin's suicide, and for the wedding of his buddy, Ethan Wyne.
Volunteering to draw the paparazzi away from the happy couple, he and Audrey agree to spend time together with purely platonic intentions. But he soon discovers their old flame never died, as well as old hurts and resentments. Matthew must face the pain of his past in order to sort out his future.
The brother of her sister’s fiancé is hotter than a Texas summer and back in Dallas making Layla Pickett want things she can’t have. Him. It doesn’t stop her from fantasizing though, especially since he often frequents her coffee shop—Coffee Cats—a place she opened for the firefighters to destress with kittens and cats while grabbing a quick coffee and a bite to eat. Although, whenever he’s near a very different destresser comes to mind.
Noah Donovan knew being around his future sister-in-law’s sister was going to be tougher than leaving his buddies in his guard unit and fire house up in the Poconos of PA. He’s faced bullets, bombs, and fires with those men, but returning to Dallas is even more dangerous. No amount of turnout or guard gear can protect him from the attraction that sizzle between him and Layla. And when he visits her shop, it’s not the cats he wants to play with.
But even if she is willing to take a chance on a guy who is about to become a permanent extended part of her family, will the fact her godfather is his captain put a damper on their heat?
Years ago, he unknowingly rescued his soulmate, now she's back in Texas and about to save his guarded heart.
Unlike his twin, Texas National Guardsman Sgt. Logan McCall would rather march barefoot and blindfolded through a cow pasture than date the same woman twice. After an active duty injury during a flood washed away his promising sports career and engagement years ago, Logan guards his heart more than his life until, fresh from deployment, he runs into a friend of the McCoys...literally. Hill Country's newest resident is hotter than the wing sauce soaking into his shirt.
Mission on.
Graphic designer and carrier of misfortune, Chloe Davis is a danger to herself and those around her, so entertaining thoughts for the sexy cowboy wearing her hot sauce should be a no-no...not a hell yeah--especially considering he's the guardsman linked to a horrible instance in her past. But when he turns out to be one of her clients, she can no more avoid him than the attraction sizzling between them. Chloe's back in Texas determined to make a fresh start, and she succeeds in business but fails to resist the handsome soldier's relentless pursuit.
But when he discovers her past, will he trust his heart or lose her forever?
When Lacey Turner's father contracted AIDs from a transfusion when she was five, her rough childhood made her strong and self-sufficient, so butting heads with the guy her brother leaves in charge of the ranch while he's away is as inevitable as her attraction to the hot cowboy.
Jesse Briscoe's word is his bond. Too bad he agreed to watch over his friend's ranch and sister while his buddy was away. The hellcat is as spoiled and self-serving as she is beautiful. But he'd witnessed firsthand what a woman like that can do to a man when his mother decided she no longer wanted to be a wife and mother and left when he was nine.
Worn down by a desire too strong to ignore, the two give in to their heated attraction, but will they give up control long enough to discover the truth behind their attitudes?
In order to keep close to an alpha cowboy her boss wants protected, Knight agent Tara Lynch draws on her acting skills to play a scared schoolteacher who witnessed the murder of a hitman, and on her restraint to resist falling for the sexy cowboy.
Former SEAL Callahan 'Rook' Lawe agrees to help his old commander, but with his hands already full investigating accidents on his training ranch that put his brother in the hospital, his attraction to the beautiful woman is a distraction he doesn't need.
Harland County Crossover
Texas cowboy, Lucas Harper relocates to the Poconos when he's named guardian of a teenager in the will of a father he didn't know existed. New job, new Guard unit, new house, and a new sister fills his 'new' limit...until he meets his sister's new boss. A Mr. Wrong magnet, pizza shop owner Evie Martelli decides to go 'no male' for the New Year, but the sexy, southern, older brother of her employee tests her resolution.
A DAYE with A SEAL by Donna Michaels/Dangerous Curves/Hot SEALs KW Crossover
Medically discharged after a mission gone bad, Navy SEAL Gabriel 'Hawk' Barrett regains his sight, and when hired by GAPS and the Knight Agency, most of his self-worth. Assigned to go undercover as a gun for hire, he's determined to do whatever it takes to complete the mission, but his restraint is tested when his buddy's hot sister becomes mistakenly involved.
When her brother disappears, coffee shop owner Gina Daye seeks help from his former teams members, only to have the almighty Hawk turn her down. But before she realizes he's in the middle of an assignment, she's embroiled in the mission.
Sequestered together to avoid an international incident, the pair face down the enemy, a multitude of bullets, and even more dangerous--their long denied attraction.
First off, thank you so much, Discrete Diva, for having me here today!
The readers have spoken. I’m excited to have signed another contract with Entangled Publications. This one is a two-book contract for Books 4 and 5 in The Men of At-Ease Ranch Series. The readers wanted Vince and Leo to get their own stories, so I’m thrilled to be writing Vince’s book right now, and I’ll go right into working on Leo’s when I’m done torturing Vince. 😉
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
The Right Ranger/Book 3 in The Men of At-Ease Ranch series deals with trust, truth, and learning to let go of the past. What I’d like readers to take away from reading the book, is that without trust, you don’t have a solid foundation, no matter the relationship, and that even if you’re keeping the truth from someone you love, it always has a way of coming to the surface. So, it’s better to be honest up front.
How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
My husband was at basic training when we started dating, and last month, he just retired with over 35 years in the military, so I’ve gathered a lot of real material for my books. The Right Ranger is not based off any one person, and most of the book is fictitious, but the conflicts reflect some of the real-life struggles of a few of the people I’ve met over the years.
Who designed the covers?
I love the covers in The Men of At-Ease Ranch series! They were designed by my wonderful editor, Heather Howland. She rocks!
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The most challenging part of writing for me is learning to turn off my internal editor. Lately, my words per hour have gone down because of it. The creative side uses one part of the brain, and the analytical/editing side uses another, so every time I stop to rework or edit a sentence, I get pulled out of the creative side. I’ve no idea why or how it started, and I’m still trying to figure out how to shut the darn thing off.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing back in 1992, when I only had one child, a three-year old boy, and all the romances I was reading started having heroines that were too timid and young for my liking. They were very hard to relate to, and since I’d always wanted to write, I thought it was time to give it a try myself. Within 3 months, I did manage to finish writing a first draft, but then I got pregnant with twins, and put my writing dream aside. It wasn’t until 2002, when my fourth child was in first grade that I picked it up again. In 2005, I sold my first two books to The Wild Rose Press, and haven’t looked back.
What book are you reading now?
I am reading Elle James’ new release: Montana SEAL Daddy from her Brotherhood Protectors Series, and enjoying every page. This release is about a former Navy SEAL fighting to protect the mother of his child from killers who wish to silence her testimony. Elle is my go to author for romantic suspense, and I was honored when she asked me to write a book in the first launch of her Brotherhood Protectors Kindle World back in June. I’m excited to say I’m scheduled to write another book for her world next year!
If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead?
Since I write visually, and picture all my books on screen, I’ll just go with my latest release: The Right Ranger/Book 3 in The Men of At-Ease Ranch series. It’s no secret that Jensen Ackles inspired my hero Cord Brannigan, so of course he’s going to be my choice as the lead for my hero. (Go Team Dean!) As for my brown haired, brown-eyed heroine, Haley Wagner, I picture Jessica Alba. And since Jensen and Jessica played on Dark Angel together, I already know they have great chemistry.
Do you have a blog/website?
My website is: www.DonnaMichaelsAuthor.com
Newsletter sign up: http://tinyurl.com/zaxbqe6
I would love to hear from my readers, you can contact me at: [email protected].
As always, thanks for reading.