Thursday, May 18, 2017

WILDE HORSES ~ Last in a Series by Jannine Gallant


WILDE HORSES, my 4th and final book in the BORN TO BE WILDE series releases on May 23rd. I'm excited, of course, but also a little sad. It's tough saying good-bye to the Wilde family after spending a couple of years with them, writing their stories. I always have that bit of nostalgia when I end a series. Am I the only oddball who feels this way? As a writer, do you miss your characters? If you're a reader, do you hate to see a series end?

To get you in the mood for WILDE HORSES, here's an excerpt. I'll call this one movie star meets cowgirl...


     Movement caught his attention as a small figure exited the side door of the barn. Wavy dark hair cascaded from beneath a tan cowboy hat. When she turned to face the collection of vehicles, the curves beneath a pink, short-sleeved shirt revealed a petite woman, not the young girl he’d imagined when her brothers talked about their little sister. Jeans hugged slim hips, and her boots crunched gravel in a no-nonsense stride as she headed his way. The frown that drew dark brows together over deep blue eyes made it clear she was less than thrilled by their presence.
     With nothing else to occupy his attention, curiosity got the better of him, and Blake strolled out to meet her. Her steps slowed as she met his gaze, and a round O shaped pink lips before she pressed them together.
     He held out a hand. “I’m Blake Benedict.”
     After a moment, she gripped his palm for a brief shake. “Eden Wilde. My family owns this ranch.”
     “Nice to meet you. The spread is beautiful, exactly the way Sawyer described it. I’m glad the producers chose it for our location shots.”
     She pointed toward the pasture. “Is there any way your people could make a little less noise with that equipment? Those horses are nervous enough without all the clamor.”
     Gorgeous and spunky. Her wide blue eyes held not one hint of starstruck reverence. A refreshing change.
     “I suppose I can ask them to keep it down.” Blake couldn’t hold back a grin as he tried to remember the last time someone had ordered him off on a menial errand. “Once the staging area is set up, I’m sure it’ll get a little quieter.”
     Behind them, a generator fired up with a roar. Out in the pasture, the assortment of scraggly horses kicked up their heels and ran.
     Those amazing eyes narrowed. “Are you kidding me?”
     He glanced over his shoulder. “Sounds like that’s coming from the food truck. They have to keep their refrigeration system going…” His voice trailed off as she silently mouthed a single obscenity.
     Maybe spunky wasn’t the right word. More like unabashedly brazen.
     “I knew this was a horrible idea.” The muttered words were audible, even over the din.
     “I’m afraid the buses all have generators, too. Uh, the noise shouldn’t be too bad from the house. I’m pretty sure that’s why the crew chose this spot for our base camp.”
     Eden closed her eyes and pressed fingers to her temples. He’d almost swear she was counting beneath her breath.
     “I guess I’ll have to move my horses to a different pasture.” Spinning on the heel of one leather boot, she stomped away.
     “Wow.” His slow smile grew with each determined step she took. When she disappeared around the corner of the barn, Blake headed back to his bus, which would be his home away from home for the next month. After opening the storage bin beneath it, he pulled out a lawn chair he carried toward the pasture, then set it up facing the mountains some distance to the west. Taking a seat, he let out a sigh. Maybe the wide-open spaces would help him clear his head. Lately, responsibilities and obligations tugged at him from every direction. He needed time to simply chill.
     And if a dark-haired spitfire added entertainment value, so be it.


Blurb:

The Wilde brothers may be attracted to all things fast and furious. But their spirited sister can’t be tamed when it comes to matters of the heart . . .

The beautiful vistas and peace and quiet on her family’s Wyoming ranch are a balm for Eden Wilde’s soul—and inspire a gentle touch when it comes to breaking the wild horses she loves. Though there’s no hope on the breathtaking horizon for her love life. Until her sanctuary is invaded by a movie studio shooting their latest blockbuster starring Hollywood’s man of the moment.

After a personal tragedy plays out in his real life, movie star Blake Benedict finds himself falling for the wide-open spaces and easy going pace of Wyoming—and for Eden. Around her, he feels safe shedding his public persona and letting down his guard. But then accidents begin to happen on set, mishaps that could end Blake’s career—or his life. And Eden will be forced out of her comfort zone to save the Hollywood hero from an enemy he never saw coming . . .

Pre-order WILDE HORSES now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, KOBO. Check out my website for info on my other BORN TO BE WILDE titles. Happy reading!

11 comments:

Leah St. James said...

Yay!! So glad Eden is finally getting her own story, and I can't wait to dig into it. I have, of course, pre-ordered. Yes, I will be sad to say good-bye to the Wilde family but am thankful for the hours of enjoyment it took (will take) to get to the end. Wishing you so much success with this book and series. :-)

Diane Burton said...

I'm always sad to end a series, esp. after spending years with them in their world. Yet, everything comes to an end. As a reader, I do like knowing what happened to the characters who appeared at the beginning of the series. If the author wraps up the little details, I don't mind the end, but I'm still curious as to what the characters are doing. Best wishes on this book. Sounds like another winner.

Jannine Gallant said...

Thanks so much Leah. My youngest daughter said this one was her favorite of the four, so I hope you enjoy it!

Diane, I tried to take the brother's stories from the first 3 books into the future with this one and included a double wedding to wrap things up. I agree it's nice to be able to get that glimpse into their HEA with the final book.

Rolynn Anderson said...

Excellent excerpt and blurb, Jannine. I like the juxtaposition of animals to tame (a process that is old as the hills and hasn't changed much) with making a movie (new technology and politics-chaos). Clever contrast. Yes, it will be hard to say goodbye to a family you bore, but you're sending them off to HEA heaven :-)

Jannine Gallant said...

Yeah, the contrast hits Eden hard, Rolynn. let's hope the HEA is lots of sales!

Alison Henderson said...

Congratulations on the release of Wilde Horses, even though you may be a little sad to say goodbye. It's been a terrific series from the very first book. I'm looking forward to this one and all the books to come!

Jannine Gallant said...

Thanks, Alison. I just started on the last book in my next series. I'm very excited for what's coming up, as well!

Margo Hoornstra said...

Nice! This is the first time I've read the excerpt. The Wilde family has been close to my heart for some time now. Ending the series with Eden's book was, dare I say it? A stroke of genius. Really wraps up all the loose ends. Best of luck. These 'guys' are gonna take you far!

Jannine Gallant said...

One can hope, Margo. Thanks!

Alicia Dean said...

I haven't found myself really missing characters. I guess I hadn't really thought about it. It's sad to see the series end, but it looks like it's going out in style. Wow, loved the excerpt and the blurb. Sounds like a great read. Congrats and best wishes!!!

Jannine Gallant said...

We spend so much time with our characters, Ally, then ditch them when the series is over. Kind of like old boyfriends. LOL Thanks for the good wishes!