Gifts of Love - Blog Hop!

Winner! Winner! The Randomizer has been put to work...and pulled Elke's name from the hat! Elke, look for an email from me shortly with details on how to collect your prize. And, everyone, there's still plenty to be won - check in here for more winners!

It's a Happy Holiday from your favorite Authors and Bloggers. While we know everyone celebrates a different way, we wanted to make sure that you guys knew how much we treasure you all. So from Dec 14th to Dec 17th, all 200 or so of us will be blogging about the holidays and what they mean to us. And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger. We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win.

Okay, on to my post, holiday moment from my latest book, What a Texas Girl Needs:

Friends. Dance partners. This was so not going to end well for him.

            Twenty minutes after arriving at the New Year's Eve dance, Mat had yet to extricate himself from Vanessa. In truth, he didn't want to. He liked the woman he was with, he realized, probably a little too much.
            Because this wasn't the real Vanessa.
            The woman in his arms was as different from the spoiled, rich girl he'd known for the past few years as his California friends would say Cowboy Mat was from Heir Mat.
            The difference was the Cowboy Mat was the real Mat. The Mat he'd always been inside, even when he'd been hell-bent on living the high life, having the fastest car, and the hottest woman.
            Vanessa put all those women to shame, too.
            He held back a sigh and stomped along with the rest of the crowd as the band wailed their version of When Will I Be Loved. Vanessa stomped along beside him, although how she managed in four-inch heels was beyond him. Those shoes were made for waltzes, not country line dancing. She smiled up at him and then Kathleen yelled across the room, "Partner switch!" and someone new swept Vanessa away as Kathleen turned him into a side step.
            "You and Vanessa came here together?" She didn't mince words and she didn't wait. Kathleen jumped right to her point, as he'd always known her to do.
            For once Mat wished the eldest Witte sister would beat around the bush a little. He opted for the most literal interpretation of her question.
            "In my truck."
            "And?"
            He should have known a simple, literal answer wouldn't work.
            "She had some kind of car trouble. I happened along."
            "And you've been joined at the hip since you arrived."
            He just looked at her. Kathleen didn't bat an eye and she didn't back down.
            "My sister is in a weird place. She shouldn't be messed with."
            "I thought Vanessa was the black sheep. The sister you didn't get along with."
            "Doesn't mean I won't still look after her if someone comes along looking to mess with her." Just another reason he liked small towns over cities. His own siblings could barely be bothered to show up at the hospital, much less act as protector when the chips were down.
            "If you're this concerned about Vanessa getting hurt, you should have had this conversation with Paul a few months ago. Or maybe a few years ago."
            She had the grace to look chagrined.
            "For what it's worth, I'm not messing with your sister. We're …friends," he settled on the word Vanessa kept throwing around. It was the best option he could think of that wouldn't get him A) fired or B) subjected to another protective-sister talk.
            "Friends."
            Mat nodded. "Friends." He didn't even trip over not adding the words "with benefits" to the statement. Although he was fairly sure that was where this night was headed if he didn't step away from Vanessa now and run into the dark Texas night.
            He certainly wasn't going to do that.

       Blurb: What a Texas Girl Needs - releasing December 17, 2012!

Vanessa Witte is ready to finally claim her life. The middle of three daughters born into the Witte family - a powerful Texas name - she’s been content to float through life. Being dumped by her shady ex? A blessing in disguise. Having a one-night-stand with Matias Barnes? Not one of her more stellar moments. But she’s back in Lockhardt with a secret and a reason to start fresh: A baby.

Matias Barnes knows all about society women - it’s part of the reason he left his wealthy family behind and took a job on a ranch. He doesn’t like the endless string of parties, the inane conversation, or the gold-digging tricks those women have perfected. But that doesn’t stop him from wanting Vanessa Witte. Mat knows she’s so not right for him, but with her back in Lockhardt, can he resist her charms long enough to really let her go

      Buy Links: Amazon:   iTunes:  

                                                      Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Don't forget to tell me your favorite holiday tradition - include your email address! - below to enter my giveaway...a copy of my backlist, winner's choice. And just a note, Friday only, you can grab a copy of my debut, What a Texas Girl Wants for 99 cents! It's the first of the Texas Girls series. :)  And hop on to Carrie Ann's Place for more great giveaways and blogs!