Spotlighting: Author Cathy McDavid, Expert on Cowboys

by Connie Flynn          

It's my pleasure to introduce my good friend and superb author,  Cathy McDavid. This is a big year for her, with a 4-book series and continuity contribution for Harlequin American books. What's more, she became a NY Times and a USA Today bestseller.Two of her books are spotlighted here so be sure to scroll down. They truly are don't-miss reads.

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Cathy McDavid gets to live her dream everyday --- losing herself in the pages of a good book. Lover of all things western, she writes contemporary ranch stories with hunky cowboy heroes for Harlequin American. Really, what could be better?  

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THE RANCHER'S HOMECOMING

Nine years ago, Annie and Sam were deeply in love. When he abandoned her to seek his fortune, Annie couldn't forgive him. Now Sam, widowed with a young daughter, is back and eager to help the town of Sweetheart recover from a devastating forest fire. But Annie needs more than bricks and lumber to heal her wounded heart. Could the love they once shared hold the key?

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HIS CHRISTMAS SWEETHEART
On the day of the forest fire, Will Desarro helped save the residents of Miranda' Staley's elder care home. The handsome ranch hand is a man of few words, but Miranda soon discovers that beneath that quiet exterior beats a heart of gold. Will can help save Miranda's home and her business—but only if their love is strong enough to conquer his painful past.


CONTACT CATHY:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.mcdavid

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CathyMcDavid

Harlequin American Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlequin-American-Romance-Authors/328758400590841

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Cathy welcomes comments and I urge you to drop in and say hello. As I said, this is an exciting year for her. Her books are wonderful. I know. I've read them.

Until later,
--Connie

Author Spotlight on Cathy McDavid

His Christmas Sweetheart
 by Cathy McDavid

A HOLIDAY FOR HEALING

Nothing's been simple in Sweetheart, Nevada, since the wildfire that ravaged the charming little town. Miranda Staley is among those who've sworn to stay on and bring Sweetheart back to life. She loves running a group home for the elderly, but it's getting difficult to keep her business going. She could lose everything she's worked so hard to create.

On the day of the fire, Will Desarro helped save some of Miranda's elderly residents. The handsome ranch hand is a man of few words, but Miranda soon discovers that beneath that quiet exterior beats a heart of gold. Will can help save Miranda's home and her business—but only if their love is strong enough to conquer his painful past.

November 2013  ISBN: 9780373754786 

SPOTLIGHTING: Cathy McDavid & Free Books Too

An Author Spotlight
by Connie Flynn

It's my pleasure this month to spotlight my good friend and critique partner, Cathy McDavid,  who, over these past few years, has managed to build a quietly spectacular career writing terrific unforgettable stories about modern day cowboys in the American West.  Today, she's not only going to share a little about herself and her writing journey, she's got some FREE eBOOKS to give away: Cowboy Dad and Wyatt: Return of the Cowboy.

About Cathy:
Cathy had no idea when she opened that first Walter Farley book in third grade, it would be a defining moment in her life. Bonanza and Big Valley reruns every day after school enforced her love of all things western as well as a fascination with "cowboy" history.

Always an avid reader, she penned her first novel in 1995, enjoying some success with smaller publisher. It wasn't until 2005 when she finally got to see her first mass market paperback on bookstore shelves. After that, there was no going back. In 2006, she began writing contemporary westerns for Harlequin American and is currently completing her twenty-fifth published novel.

Who knew all those years of reading every horse book ever written and watching old western TV shows would eventually pay off?


This month's in the spotlight question for Cathy is :What question have you never been asked but are dying to answer?

Cathy's response?

Why do you enjoy writing cowboy heroes?

Free Book

Free Book

Answer:  For me, it goes back to all those old TV and movie westerns I grew up watching. Cowboys are one of the original big and small screen heroes. This handsome, hard-edged guy with a mysterious or troubled past rides in one day, takes on the bad guy(s), saves the town folk, and wins the girl's heart. How romantic is that? I believe romance readers are drawn to that kind of hero. One who's a little dangerous, possibly walking the line between good and bad, yet strong and capable and who does the right thing in the end. While my series heroes are perhaps a bit tamer than those portrayed in the old shows and movies, they still pretty much fit that description.

99c eBook

Still romance, but not so Western, is Extreme Dating for 99c. It's a terrific romance with high tension.

What happens when Survivor meets The Love Connection? Park Evenson is about to find out. She's agreed to be a contestant on X- treme Dating, a hot new reality TV dating show.

Don't miss out on this great read.

Contact Cathy:

Check out Cathy's WEBSITE, where you'll learn more about the Harts of the Rodeo and other project and can sign up for her newsletter. 

Aidan: Loyal Cowboy by Cathy McDavid

Aidan "Ace" Hart left Flynn McKinley heartbroken when he put family duty above her feelings. Then one night, the old passions were reignited and now Flynn is about to get something she's always wanted—a child to love.

Ace takes his responsibilities very seriously. Running Thunder Ranch and his busy veterinary practice leaves little time for a personal life. That'll only get worse now that he's spending every spare minute with Midnight, the champion rodeo stallion he hopes will save the ranch from financial disaster.

Flynn refuses to marry Ace and be yet one more "responsibility" to him. She wants Ace to want to marry her! And until he admits he loves her, she's determined to raise her baby alone….

Bootcamp for Novelists September On-Line Classes

BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS ONLINE SEPTEMBER BOOTCAMPS

*September 5 - October 2 Author Spotlight*

Synopses - How to Take the Bite Out of Writing Them . . .
. . . using the classic movie, JAWS, as an example

Taught by Harlequin American author Cathy McDavid

*Whether plotter or pantser by nature and whether you write them before
or after you've written the book, the darned synopsis is often the part
of professional writing we hate the most. Yet, to be successful, we must
do a passable job of constructing one.

Unfortunately, there's no secret to writing a synopsis. However, in this
workshop we'll cover basic and simple steps that will let you produce
that passable, and possibly very good, synopsis. We'll also debunk some
common myths about synopses that may have been making the task more
difficult than it needs to be.

If you haven't watched JAWS recently (or ever), you might want to view
it before the course starts. For the romance plot, our example will be
Cinderella.

*COURSE FEE: $30
*
REGISTER AT http://BootcampforNovelists.com/current-courses.html

September 5 to October 2 Bootcamp Courses
*
POLISH TRACK*
*4P SUBPLOTS AND LAYERS/ taught by Linda Style/ *
Some of the most successful techniques used by bestselling authors are
the judicious use of subplots and layering, both of which add depth,
texture and interest to a story. But many writers don't make full use of
their subplots and sometimes even mistake a secondary plot for a
subplot. Many writers believe layering is simply adding more stuff to
make it interesting. Not so. In this class, you'll learn the intricacies
of subplot and layering and how to use them to your story's best
advantage. We'll cover what the subplot can do for your story, the
start, the finish and the why plus weaving, braiding, intersecting and
all that jazz and a look at the secret ingredients of the subplot*

_BASIC TRACK_

5B SPARKLING DIALOGUE /taught by Connie/*
Dialogue is not hard to write. But neither is it like real
conversations. Dialogue has a story purpose beyond showing that your
characters have voice boxes. This course gives techniques on writing
dialogue that reveal character and moves along the plot. We'll master
using dialogue to move your story, learn why how he thinks is how he
speaks, and cover techniques for dynamic dialogue and how to weave it
smoothly into your narrative.

These 4-week courses are delivered as a weekly lesson that
includes an exercise and detailed personal feedback.
FEE PER COURSE: $28
REGISTER AT http://BootcampforNovelists.com/current-courses.html