Today we say hello to author B.A Tortuga stopping by Love Bytes to talk about her newest release Blind Ride
Welcome B.A 🙂
My Rodeo Bucket List
Hey y’all! By now you’ve probably figured out I write cowboys. I love them all, from Texas ropers to Wyoming bronc riders (though don’t get me started on who has better manners!) to working cowboys in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and deep West Texas.
I grew up going to rodeos all over, from county fairs to the Texas stock shows in Fort Worth and Austin. I’ve marked a lot of big rodeos off my list. Cheyenne Frontier Days. The Denver Stock Show. Rodeo Houston. I have the best story to tell y’all someday about George Strait and the rodeo Houston arena where we were fixin’ to touch hands but I’m short as all get out and he’s a pocket cowboy and we missed each other by a spare inch. There are still some rodeos I need to go to, though. Need to! So, here’s my bucket list:
Calgary Stampede: Rodeo! In Canada! That alone makes it worth the trip, but this thing is huge. A full week of rodeo and concerts. Nashville North, baybee. Woo!
Pendleton Round Up: Oregon. Grass-floored arena. Oh, man, I want to see this. Let ‘er buck!
Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days: The tiny town of Gunnison, Colorado has an amazing tradition dating back 115 years. Woo. That’s an old rodeo and I’ll be in my wife’s old hunting grounds up there.
Makawao Parade & Rodeo – Rodeo in Hawaii? I’m so there. I have an uncle in Maui. Think he’d let me stay with him? Yeah, probably not, but I want to do see all the colorful saddles and bright colors!
The Cody Stampede: A 90 year old rodeo in Cody, Wyoming, this one has all the best parts of a PRCA rodeo and a ranch rodeo combined. They have all the pro rodeo events, plus cattle penning, wild horse saddling and more. Plus there’s nightly fireworks. That’s all a girl can ask for!
Rooftop Rodeo, Estes Park, Colorado. Okay, so this one might not be huge or fancy, but it’s in Estes Park! Gateway to Rocky Mountain National park and one of my favorite places on earth.
The Festa do Peão in Barretos, São Paulo State, Brazil: This is a monster. More than a million people attend every year. It brings in 120 million dollars in revenue. That’s a national sport, don’t you think?
The Navajo Nation Fair, Window Rock AZ: Bullriding. The nation’s largest Native American fair. Tacos! Plus I get to shop for Native arts, which is one of my other favorite things.
The National Finals Rodeo: Nope. I’ve never been to the NFR. Someone has to die for you to get decent tickets. I want to go, y’all. Anyone got season tickets to sell? (Winks)
There you go, y’all. That’s barely a drop in my bucket list, but it hits the high points. Next time I’ll tell you about Aussie events I want to go to and about how I met my first French bullrider at the Rodeo de Santa Fe…
Excerpt from Blind Ride:
The crowd was rockin‘. Bax loved it when they were into it, cheering and screaming, egging them and the bulls on. It ramped up the energy, made him want to put on a better show. It also made Jason a crazed lunatic. Made the man incredibly determined to cover all his bulls. Bax just loved it.
He stood on the rail, pulling at Jason’s rope, watching Mini fold his gloved fingers over and pound on them, getting the rope good and tight in his riding hand.
It was sexy as Hell.
Bax could see Jason clenching his jaw, over and over, knew he was talking to himself, going over the same thing, again and again. Getting ready. The bull was jumpy as fuck, thinking about climbing up and out of the chute, Bax could tell.
Bax crawled over the fence, back behind the chute, snarling, “Give him the nod, for fuck’s sake.”
“Bitch, bitch, bitch.” He got this wild, pure wicked grin and that black hat dipped.
The gate swung open, Triple-Dip jumping strong and going for the right, just like always.
Jesus, that man had balance and grace and pure-D strength. Bax watched every jump and spin, the bull trying to pull Jason forward and missing by a mile. Shit, Mini was spurring, looking as if he was having a ball. Eduardo and Buck were screaming their heads off, AJ pounding Bax on the back as the clock hit eight.
Bax pumped a fist in the air, all but leaping off the gate when the bull turned back and took a swipe at Jason’s ass. He liked that ass in one piece.
Jason took a leap, hanging on the gate, hat going flying as the son of a bitch laughed. “Did you see that, Bax? Did you see that bastard?”
“Fucking A, man.” Leaning across, he grabbed Jason’s shoulder, laughing like a loon.
The scores came in—89.75. Not bad. Not bad at all. The crowd went wild, Jason waving, grinning wide, heading up and over the chute.
“You’d best go do your interview now or she’ll track you down back in the locker room in your skivvies.” Bax put an arm around Jason’s back a minute, pounding a little.
Blurb for Blind Ride:
Jason Scott has everything a bull rider wants—success, money and traveling partner Andy Baxter. When he loses his sight in an accident, he stands to lose it all.
Jason Scott is at the top of the bull riding game, on his way to a winning season. Along with his traveling partner, Andy Baxter, he’s riding hard on the circuit, working around the country with all of the other bull riders and bullfighters, living the good life. The only thing he wishes he had is Bax, but he’s afraid to take the step that would make them more than friends, worried that it will ruin everything.
When a terrible accident leaves Jason unable to see, his whole life goes south. Jason decides to chuck it all, determined to go home and hide at his momma’s ranch. Bax has other ideas. He wants to make sure his best friend doesn’t give up, and he hatches a plan that stuns Jason and makes their friends and family think he’s crazy.
With the help of the other bull riders and a very persistent bull fighter named Coke, Bax convinces Jason to give life one more try. With Jason cautiously learning to hope, and his relationship with Bax going to the next level, life gets pretty complicated. Everyone gets in on the project, from Jason’s strong-willed mother to an entire ranch full of children, all of them working to help Jason do what he loves.
Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released elsewhere. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.
Like the sound of Blind Ride? Buy it here.
About BA Tortuga:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia, her best friend, Sean, and coffee. Lots of good coffee.
You can check out BA’s website and blog or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
Enter Pride Publishing’s August blog tour competition for the chance to win an eBook of your choice (not including boxsets or anthologies).
https://www.pride-publishing.com/pride-august-blog-tour-competition