NEW RELEASE!! Between Lonesome and Texas

Between Lonesome and Texas is book 5 in the Lone Star Cowboys series, with returning characters from the first four books. Come join the Morris Springs family as they celebrate love, new babies, and new beginnings. 

Blake Kaufman loves the rodeo, but without his best friends Cooper and Nick, he's finding life on the road a lonesome prospect. Most of all, though, he misses Mandy Wagner, much to his surprise. He's never really thought about settling down, and he doesn't think he could stay in one place for very long. But sometimes a man has to choose between being alone and footloose, and being with the one he loves. 

Mandy Wagner wants a husband and a family. Blake is her first choice, but loving a man who is always on the road doesn't fit in with the idealized version of marriage she's created. Besides, she has responsibilities at home that won't let her pick up and follow Blake. Which is more important? Responsibility, or love? And then there's that secret she's kept for far too long… 

Eleven Authors, Eleven Books, One Great Price

The Christmas Collection by the Authors of Main Street is now available for purchase at Amazon!

These popular, bestselling authors await you with Christmas stories on Main Street: 

The Christmas Wish by Tori Scott. Merry is a long way from home and missing her family as Christmas approaches, until she falls right into Santa's lap. 

Christmas Wedding Muddle by Mona Risk. The perfect fiancé is a cheater and the fabulous Christmas wedding is off. But the would-be honeymoon cruise may fulfill the dreams of Julia and her unexpected companion. 

A Snowy Christmas in Wyoming by E. Ayers. A Native American cowboy with his thirteen-month-old daughter and a national news anchorwoman have nothing in common, except for their pasts, but in this season of giving, will fate reach through time and give the gift of love? 

The Christmas Con by Jill James. Contemporary Romance. Two reformed jewel thieves, Robin and Ian, are on the job to retrieve a priceless necklace, but Santa has special plans for a reunion of the ex-lovers. 

Small Town Glamour Girl Christmas by Stephanie Queen. Small town girl Julie hates being an Audrey Hepburn look-alike. When the big city man of her dreams comes to town for Christmas will she sell out to model in the city or settle into small town life on his terms? 

The Christmas Gift by Pepper Phillips. When an opportunity to make money presents itself, eleven-year-old George faces the biggest decision of his life. Will he become a thief like his father or will he discover the fact that giving, rather than receiving, is the best gift of all? 

A Potters Wood Christmas by Leigh Morgan. A plot to steal an ancient artifact in the Bennett’s possession could be the key to opening an even greater prize. Will Cian find family and the spirit of Christmas again? 

A Baby for Christmas by Susan R. Hughes. When Ryan opens his home to Paige, a beautiful stranger who happens to be pregnant, will it take a Christmas miracle to make them realize where their hearts truly belong? 

A Light in the Christmas Cafe by Kristy Tate. A food thief, a haunted house, a matchmaking grandmother and a handsome stranger: Are the apron strings tying Deirdre to her grandmother’s café tangling up her life plans or are they leading her to love? 

What if...this Christmas by Kelly Rae. Will a marriage proposal be the end of Katie and Chris' forever? 

A Smoky Mountain Christmas by Carol De Vaney. Falling in love wasn’t in Tina’s plans. She’d survived the snowstorm, but could she survive the love of recently divorced Hank Gordon who’s sworn off women? 

Two new anthologies coming soon!

I have Christmas stories in two different anthologies. The first--Christmas on Main Street--is a compilation of stories from the Authors of Main Street. My novella, The Christmas Wish, will be a part of this collection. If you like small town stories, heartwarming stories, and Christmas stories, you'll want to check it out. Release date is Nov. 1, 2013.

The second is Debra Holland's Sweetwater Springs Christmas collection. My story is A Promise for Christmas, which is the story of how Logan Tanner's great-grandparents met. (Logan is the hero of Blame it on Texas) It's my first foray into writing historical fiction. This collection is now available for pre-order, with a release date of Nov. 18th.

It's hard to believe Christmas is only ten weeks away! Order your copies now to help you get in the holiday spirit. Goodness knows, if you're like me, you can use a little help. :)

New Blog Post up at Authors of Main Street

Have you ever been to the State Fair of Texas? Check out my blog post at the Authors of Main Street.

Also, The Authors of Main Street are putting together a Christmas boxed set. Eleven authors, eleven Christmas books ranging from novellas to full-length books. Coming November 1!

Things have been chaotic at my house all summer. We drove nearly 10,000 miles in June and July. We took our grandson to North Carolina and took the long way home, going up through Shenandoah National Park and touring the Smoky Mountains. Then we had to go pick up our youngest daughter in Boston and move her home. Right after we got home, my mom came to visit for seven weeks.

Then the youngest bought a puppy. Oh my word. There's nothing like a Great Dane puppy to disrupt your household.

All the above means this next book is LATE! I haven't written much in the last few months. A short novella for Debra Holland's Christmas collection, and now I'm working on Book Five in the Lone Star Cowboys  series that's tentatively titled Take Me Back to Texas. I also put Lone Star Justice out in print--just waiting for the proof copy so I can approve it and make it available for sale.

So how was your summer? Anything fun happen?

Freedom 911

A moment forever frozen in time

In all of our hearts and all of our minds

As we watched with horror what a few evil men

Can do with hatred and evil intent.

So many emotions filled us that day

Stunned disbelief, anguish, anger, and pain.

Our minds as clouded as New York's city streets

We could only pray and tremble and weep.

We waited for news of loved ones so dear

And listened to stories of bravery and fear.

We cried with the mothers and fathers and wives

We grieve for the children who want to know why.

How can we answer their questions when we,

as adults never dreamed how evil mankind could be?

So we hold our own close, so glad they are safe

And ask God to surround them with angels each day.

Then we lift our heads high and stand firm and tall

As we proclaim to the world that our country won't fall.

We stand united, red, black, white and brown.

And say you can't keep America down.

We'll see these men punished for what they have done,

No stone left unturned till we've found every one.

We'll pray for our soldiers as they fight and they win,

Then we'll put it behind us and build once again.

But we'll never forget the ones who were lost

in airplanes and buildings, we've counted the cost.

We'll mourn and grieve the heroes once more,

and emerge even stronger than ever before.

God bless America, this land of the free

May you always reign righteous and always believe

In the Almighty God who holds us upright

And ever continue, for our freedom, to fight.

Pamela J. Payne

September 12, 2001

Working on Book 5 in the Lone Star Cowboys series. Do you have the first four yet?

What an amazing couple of months! We took one of our grandsons to Davidson College in North Carolina for a summer program the first part of June. After we dropped him off, we headed up the Blue Ridge Parkway and drove it all the way to the end of Skyline Drive. It took us all day, because we had to stop at every overlook to take pictures. We hiked some just so we could say we'd hiked the Appalachian Trail. One particular hike nearly did me in. It sounded easy enough. Three quarters of a mile down to the waterfall. Not so far, and they'd labeled it as a moderate hike.

OMG. That first part wasn't too terribly hard, though it was strenuous. The falls were beautiful. But the hike back up? I thought I'd die. We weren't planning on hiking far, so we didn't take any water with us. Big mistake. No walking stick, either. But after lots of stops for me to catch my breath, I made it to the top without needing either paramedics or a body bag. (Wasn't so sure about either of those outcomes halfway through.)

The next day we drove back to where we'd started and went south on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a while. I have a book started that is set on the Blue Ridge, so I needed to do some research on the area.

From there, we headed to Smoky Mountain National Park. We loved the Smokies. So cool and peaceful, even with all the tourists. We drove through Cade's Cove, and we hiked up to Clingman's Dome. Saw bears and deer, wild turkeys, and more motorcycles than we'd ever seen in one location.

The hike up to Clingman's Dome was difficult for someone with COPD and mild heart failure, but I did it. The view was worth it, as was the sense of accomplishment.

From there we headed down to the Indian Village, but got there too late. Something to do on the next trip, I guess.

The next month, we had to go pick up our daughter (and a trailer load of her things) from Boston. We took a scenic route that took us through the Ohio Amish country. Loved it. So peaceful up there. Hubby really enjoyed the lunch at Mrs. Yoder's kitchen, too. Then we drove up through Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. We stopped at Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, Ithaca, Lake Placid, and took a ferry across Lake Champlain. I got to swim in a waterfall pool in Ithica, and there was an Amish couple on the ferry, both highlights of the trip for me.

In Maine, we went out to see the Portland Head Light (lighthouse) and drove through Kennebunkport.

All in all, we drove over 7000 miles, visited 20+ states, saw some amazing sights, got some great pictures, had lots of fun, and found places we'd love to live.

Have you taken a major road trip lately? Tell me about it in the comments!

New Release!

Just Released on Amazon! Beneath a Texas Star, Book 4 in the Lone Star Cowboys series.

Bull rider Nick Jackson has spent his entire life not knowing who he really is. Abandoned as a toddler and raised in foster homes, Nick is afraid to put down roots, to make commitments, to love, because life has a way of ripping those things away from you when you least expect it.

Psychologist Jean Sutherland wants to help Nick discover his true identity and find his family, but not as a professional. Her interest in Nick is purely personal. She finds it difficult not to cross the line between her personal and professional lives, and nearly ruins them both in the process.

Sometimes it's better to leave the past alone…

New Book Cover

Came home tonight to find this beautiful sight in my email. The new cover for Beneath a Texas Star. Thank you, Ade Ratna!

Look for it the second week of June, 2013!

My First Ever Live Interview

I'm being interviewed tonight on Blogspot Radio by the lovely Layla Darnell. Come join us at 8 p.m Central time and bring your questions! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dreamersradio/2013/05/24/literary-symposium-tori-scott

Cowboys and Lawmen Blog Hop

Who doesn't love a cowboy? I certainly do. When I was 18, I fell in love with a country boy. My mother was mortified. She wanted me to find someone in my own (middle) "class," but love doesn't see class. It sees only the heart.

I never understood her bias, especially since she married a west Texas farm boy herself. But my dad was an engineering student at Texas Tech, bound for bigger and better things. From the time I was six, we lived in big cities like NYC, San Diego, and a Dallas suburb. But I'd grown up with those city boys and I wasn't impressed. When I met my future husband, I was hooked from the first moment by his sincere eyes and his sweet unassuming smile. He had manners, something city boys had abandoned long ago. He had morals, which most of the boys I knew either never had much of or didn't worry much about.

Some of my books are about big-city guys, but they're more down-home types, guys with tough exteriors and soft hearts. But it wasn't until I wrote my first contemporary western romance that I felt like I'd found my place. I drew on memories of my cousins who grew up in west Texas, within minutes of my grandparents' place. The sense of family and community they all shared, which my busy city family never had. I drew on yearnings I didn't even realize I had, to return to the simple life in the country.

My husband and I tried the city life for the first 23 years of our marriage. He hated it, and I wasn't loving it. So in 1996 he moved the family to the country, not far from where his parents and his brothers lived. We raised the two youngest there, along with a slew of animals. We built our house with our own two (four?) hands. And now that the kids are gone, and quiet and peace has settled upon us, I'm reminded how much I love it here. Traffic is when the train comes through town and cars back up 6 or 7 deep at the crossing. The nearest Walmart is 25 minutes away, the nearest hospital 30 minutes away. I don't hear many sirens or cars honking or neighbors yelling. If I do, there's something major happening.

What I do hear is birds singing, cows mooing, the occasional braying donkey or barking dog. And the sound of a relaxed and happy spouse who knows he's where he's supposed to be and who he is supposed to be. When I walk out my door, I see trees and squirrels and cute little rabbits. I see roadrunners and cardinals and hummingbirds. I see the occasional snake. Mostly, I see peace.

Maybe that's why we love cowboys? The sense of peace they carry with them, never in a hurry, always willing to stop and chew the fat for a bit, always with a story to tell. We love the "yes, ma'am" and "no ma'am" and the touch of humility. The clear, direct gazes that have nothing to hide. The muscles that come from hard work and not from the gym.

If you put two pictures, side by side--one of a cowboy in Wranglers and a real cowboy hat (not one of those cheap imitations), the other of a clean-cut guy in a suit--I'm going to go for the cowboy every single time.

What about you? What is it you love about Cowboys?

Lone Star Cowboys series 

 Texas Cowboys and the city girls who learn to love them

Blame it on Texas is Book One of the Lone Star Cowboys series and right now, through May 3rd, it's on sale for just 99 cents. Check it out and see if the men of Morris Springs, Texas, tickle your fancy.

A home-grown killer blows a small town's secrets wide open...

I also have Lone Star Justice on sale for 99 cents for the same dates. Set in East Texas, Sheriff Rand McCade is pure western heart and soul.

Come check out the Book Lovers Buffet Bouquet of Books sale for more western and mystery romances on sale! 

Leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win a copy of your choice of either Blame it on Texas or Lone Star Justice plus a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card. Don't forget to leave your email address, too, so I can contact you if you win.

Introducing the Book Lovers’ Buffet. Load up, you won’t gain a pound!
 
The Buffet’s “Bouquet of Books” sale will be open May 1-3. More than 175 ebooks, all reduced in price to just 99 cents. Save in categories such as Young Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense, Erotic Romance, and more!
 
PLUS, visit the website to win gift cards to your choice of online retailers. $400 in gift cards up for grabs!
 
Titles from popular authors such as:
 
·         Gemma Halliday
·         Angie Fox
·         Jenna Bennett
·         Amanda Brice
·         Jennette Marie Powell
·         Clover Autrey
·         Carly Carson
·         E. Ayers
·         Genevieve Jourdin
·         CJ Lyons
·         Renee Pace
·         Sophia Knightley
·         Tori Scott
·         Meredith Bond
·         Emily Ryan-Davis
·         Anthea Lawson
·         Diana Layne
·         Lindsey Brookes
·         Gina Robinson
·         McKenna Chase
 
And many, many more!
 
 
Hosted by Indie Romance Ink.

Look Where Lone Star Justice is!

 #180 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

• #1 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Westerns
• #2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Westerns
• #9 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Romance > Mystery & Suspense > Suspense

Thanks to Pixel of Ink, Layla Darnell, and all who shared the link today!!

Wonderful Reads: Superstition-Tori Scott

Wonderful Reads: Superstition-Tori Scott: Book Description When Caitlyn Deveraux's brother Gage is killed in Iraq, she receives a necklace as part of his personal effec...

Go read Layla's review! It's great!

With Love to Boston

The events of April 15, 2013, shook our country once again. Shook, but didn't break, it. In the face of unspeakable tragedy, heroes arose as they always do in this country. While the coward who perpetrated the bombings might think himself some kind of hero, he/they is/are the worst kind of coward. Anyone who targets innocents is a coward.

The victims were children, women, and men who were there to watch friends and family members complete one of the hardest athletic competitions there is. They were there to cheer, to celebrate, to be a part of something wonderful. Now many are maimed for life, and three, including an eight year old boy, are dead. And to what end? 

To make us fear? We all have fears, but one thing cowards don't understand is that for most Americans, something like this only makes us stronger, more determined to live our lives in spite of fear. It brings us together and makes us put aside our differences to work together to make sure it doesn't happen again. It brings out the hero in the most ordinary person. Like the people who ran into the face of danger to help those who were hurt. They didn't know if another bomb would go off in their midst. Most likely they didn't even think about it. They just knew they had to help.

There were the runners who had just run 26.2 miles (I can't even begin to imagine that) who went on to give blood, to help however they could. The strangers who handed over their precious cell phones so others could call home. The people who gave the coats off their backs so others could be warm. Those who opened their homes to people they'd never met so they would have a place to sleep. 

There were our first responders, those brave men and women who put their lives at risk day after day to put a barrier between us and those who want to hurt us. They have families of their own, yet they risk their lives for ours. Police, fire fighters, EMS, doctors, nurses, volunteers or paid, they waded in and did what had to be done. The images will be forever fixed in their minds, images so horrible they couldn't be shown on television, yet they have to live with them. And they'll be there again, if they're ever needed.

This attack felt personal to me because I have a child who lives in Boston. And she's a runner. She wasn't at the marathon, thank God, but I didn't know that at first. Thankfully I was able to get through to her by text right away, before the phones went down, to find out she was safe. But this happened less than a mile from her school, a mile and a half from her home. It has to affect her in some way. And I hate that. I hate that some faceless coward has the ability to make my child look at strangers with suspicion, to make her weigh the risks when she wants to do something.

But like America, she's strong and she's a survivor. She'll make it, and most likely she'll help someone else to make it, too. That's what Americans do.

kboards: "Blame it on Texas," by Tori Scott

kboards: "Blame it on Texas," by Tori Scott: There's nothing like a well-written western romance, and we have a good one today from Tori Scott. City slicker Megan has dreams of a sp...

Oh, How Life Can Change

Today would have been my father-in-law's 90th birthday. When he passed away in 2005, I thought my world had ended. My husband had worked with his dad in their concrete business for 35 years, and he was excellent at his job, but his father was the salesman. He was the one with contacts, lifelong friendships with patio company guys and contractors, and the ability to talk to anyone. Hubby, not so much. I was looking at a bleak future.

I ended up taking over my father-in-law's role, though not anywhere near as successfully as he would have done it. We lasted two years before the economy tanked and building ground to a halt. There's no worse feeling than closing down a business someone else had managed to keep going for 40 years. You feel like a failure, a traitor, so many emotions I can't even explain. But there wasn't much we could do about it. We had bills to pay and there were no jobs.

Hubby was an amateur photographer, just as a hobby, but I went in search of photography jobs that would allow us to work together as a team. We'd discovered in that two years of concrete work that we worked well as a team. Lifetouch gave us that opportunity. While there was much to dislike about the job over the 4 1/2 years we worked there, it carried us through and gave us opportunities to travel that we wouldn't have otherwise had. But by the end of the 4th year, we didn't think we could face many more months of the abuse we took from the customers. Things were looking bleak again. Then one of my Wet Noodle Posse (GH 2003 finalists and winners group) friends posted about their self-publishing journey.

The Wet Noodle Posse

I'd read a little about Amazon's self-publishing venture, but didn't know where to start until Delle Jacobs gave us some pointers. I had one book out with Red Sage that made me about $10 every 6 months, so I didn't really have high hopes for making much money, but Delle was making in the thousands per month so I figured I had nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain. At that point I had two complete manuscripts in addition to the one Red Sage owned and wouldn't release the rights to. I polished those two up, had my husband make me some very basic covers, and learned formatting. Up they went on Smashwords and Amazon.

Delle Jacobs

We were still working for Lifetouch at this point, traveling pretty much full-time, but after I got those two books up, I picked up my unfinished manuscripts and got to work. I put three more novels and two novellas up in the next six months, and my income shot up to a level that shocked me. I was able to pay off our sizable debts, and hubby and I both retired from the grueling life on the road. During the next six months, our income leveled off, but it was still enough to keep the bills paid and food on the table, though a couple of months were questionable. But I put out 6 more novels and novellas, including two very popular series, and that helped get us back up to a livable income.

On the road for Lifetouch

It's been twenty-one months since I put up that first book, and we're still making it. We aren't millionaires or even anywhere close to it like some of my friends are. I haven't been invited to join any of the popular clicks of authors, or added to any prestigious groups, but in my isolated little world I have fans I love and I'm surviving. And I'm still writing, something I'd nearly given up on before I embarked on this phase of my life. I've had some huge successes, and some small failures. I've made new friends, and rediscovered some old ones.

The moral is, not matter how bad things may look, how hopeless they may seem, trust in God and He will show you a new path. It might look scary and uncertain, but once you take the leap of faith to take the first step, He will help you take each additional step. And the future will look bright once again.

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring about a transformation. At least it did for me.

Tori's Stories

Want to read an excerpt of one of my books? Click on the Tori's Stories link at the top of the blog. I finally got around to updating the page with all of my books.

Right now I'm working on Book Four of the Lone Star Cowboys series, which features Jean and Nick along with the whole gang from the previous books. Cooper finally gets his rodeo school going, and Jean and Nick join the staff. Both Nancy and Megan are pregnant, Carol and Jake have their hands full with the twins, Katie is beginning to fall in love, much to her father's dismay, and Mandy and Blake might be getting in over their heads.

Writing a series is a lot harder than writing stand alone books, but a lot more fun as well.

April Fool's Day

Just so you know, I don't do April Fool's Day. I never liked the practical jokes when I was in school, since so many of them were mean-spirited. I don't like seeing people made fools of, including myself.

Where did April Fool's Day originate? If you do a search, you'll find no one really knows. Some say it started with the advent of the Gregorian calendar, when Pope Gregory XIII changed the first day of the New Year from April 1 to January 1. Those who still went by the old calendar were referred to as April fools. Or it might be related to the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Iranian Sizdah Bedar, which is the oldest prank tradition in the world, dating back to 536 B.C.

Wherever it came from, it has become a time-honored tradition in this country. People try to fool others into believing wild stories, outlandish declarations, or they pester and annoy people with pranks. Prank phone calls, outright vandalism, fear-inducing actions. and attempts to make others look like fools. I don't understand the appeal. Then again, I despise movies, TV shows, and especially reality shows that attempt the same thing. I find nothing funny about it.

It's not that I don't have a sense of humor. I do. But to me, life is enough of a joke without adding more misery to it. I believe in letting others hang on to as much of their dignity as possible. So if you're expecting to see me announce that I've hit the New York Times best-seller list, or that I've won the lottery, you can quit watching for it. Those are things I seriously want, so I'm not going to joke about it.

All that said, I do enjoy hearing about really creative, non-hurtful, non-demeaning jokes others manage to pull off on their family and friends. So what are some of your favorite and most successful April Fool's jokes?