Author Spotlight: Barbara White Daille

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the lizards in the front yard but could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.  Barbara writes romances—usually with cowboys, kids, and a touch of humor.  Her current title is Rancher at Risk, and she’s excited that her upcoming book, The Texan’s Little Secret, releases in less than a month! If any of you would like to write a review, she would be glad to provide you with a copy. It is also posted on Net Galley.

She would love to have you drop by her website:  www.barbarawhitedaille.com

and to see you on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraWhiteDaille
and Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaill

Welcome to Book Blather, Barbara.
                                                             

Thanks so much to the Book Blather Blog for this opportunity to drop by and share news about my upcoming release.  We’re in the countdown with this book, which debuts in just a couple of weeks!    

One of the things I love most about writing romance (besides the hot cowboys who always seem to be moseying along just when I need one for a new book) is the chance to write about relationships between different types of characters.

Naturally, the focus in a romance is on the hero and heroine.  But in The Texan’s Little Secret, for example, I love that I’m also able to show scenes between the hero and his baby daughter…the heroine and her father…even scenes with a much-too-nosy stallion or with a cantankerous bull who steals the stage.

I’m super-excited about the book, which some readers have called a “secret baby story—with a twist.”  It includes one of my yummiest heroes but also one of my most conflicted heroines.  Because of this, watching this pair work out the troubles between them made me cry more than once.  I hope the story affects readers as much as it did me. 

As you can see, the Art Department did the book proud by putting the hero and his child on the cover.  I’m thrilled, since it’s the perfect picture to show Luke’s love for little girl. 

                                                           

Here’s a look at the cover copy for the book

The Texan’s Little Secret

Coming home might be the worst decision Carly Baron has ever made. Each minute on her family's busy ranch is one minute closer to seeing him—her first love—the man who broke her heart seven years ago. While coming face-to-face with Luke Nobel again brings back painful memories, Carly quickly realizes there are other strong feelings just under the surface…. 

Luke would be a lot better off if Carly had stayed away. Being a single dad to an adorable two-year-old girl and managing the Roughneck is tough enough, but resisting the sparks that fly whenever he and Carly are together is near impossible. But first she must tell him her secret. The truth could heal their past…or forever destroy their chances of becoming a family.

And here’s a peek into the story:

Carly gripped the rail on either side of her.  "This was a pleasure ride—or so I thought.  And here you are working.  Are you always so thorough when it comes to your job?"

"I try to be.  With the job and everything else."

A shiver ran down her spine at Luke’s suggestive words.  But darn him, he simply looked back at her steadily, without a sign of teasing in his expression.

"You were that way with your job at the garage, too," she said.

"I tried to be.  No matter what anyone else thought."

"Why would anyone think something different?"

"Folks come up with crazy notions."

"About you?  Straight-arrow Luke?  I don't believe it.  Notions like what?"

He hesitated, then shrugged.  "Like I wasn't always such a straight arrow.  Like I pulled underhanded tricks to get whatever I wanted."  He turned his head and squinted against the glare of the lowering sun.  "We'd better head back soon, before we lose the light."

She nodded.

"Did you enjoy the ride?"

"Yes, actually."

He smiled.  "You sound as if you didn't expect to."

"I didn't."

One look at his face last night had told her he wouldn't accept no for an answer about taking her out on horseback.  Besides, he'd had her at a disadvantage.  "I didn't want to go on this ride at all.  You knew that.  But you also knew I wouldn't give you the satisfaction of arguing with Daddy and Anna standing right there."

He rested one hip against the fence, toasted her with his water bottle, and grinned.  "Thanks for giving me credit for that much, at least.  How did it go after I left?"

"I'm still standing, aren't I?"

"Sitting, technically."  He looked her over from head to toe.  "You do that well.  And you don't do badly on the back of a horse."

"Thanks for nothing."

He shrugged.  "Hey, it is nothing compared to riding a bull.  I gave you an easy out."

"Easy?  You'd better not let Daredevil hear you say that."

He took a long swig from his bottle, throat muscles working hard.  "You just had to choose the most cantankerous horse in the stable, didn't you?"

She smiled.  He'd nearly had a conniption when she had led the stallion, already saddled, out of the barn.

His mouth curved in a half-smile.  "Daredevil might be bull-headed—like some people I know—but he's still horseflesh.  And my offer to help with the bull riding tips still stands."

Dang.  After her sessions with Twister, she wasn't a hundred percent sure she even wanted to ride a live bull again.   
And after the way everything had ended between them, she couldn't believe Luke Nobel still wanted to help her.  Worse, she couldn't believe what she still wanted from him—and it involved a heck of a lot more than tips on how to ride a bull.

A proposition like this one, from a champion rider...  Turning him down would make her seem as wild and crazy as her family had always thought.
On the other hand, accepting his offer, agreeing to get close to him, would prove her just plain crazy.

Thanks for reading!  And please feel free to leave comments or questions.  I’ll be around to chat.

The Texan’s Little Secret can be found at: Amazon,Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, Harlequin, Powell’s Books,The Book Depository, IndieBound

URLs: Amazon:  http://amzn.com/0373755317

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Texans-Little-Secret-American-
Romance-ebook/dp/B00KDIBWII/ref=la_B002J6B0QQ_1_1?
s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404919419&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/Barnes-and-Noble-The-Texans-Little-Secret

Books-a-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780373755318

Harlequin: http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=52954

Powell's Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780373755318-0

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Texans-Little-Secret-Barbara-White-Daille/9780373755318    
    

IndieBound     http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373755318