WANTED: TEXAS DADDY By Cathy Gillen Thacker

All small towns have their secrets. No one in Laramie, Texas knows about Sage Lockhart’s friends-with-benefits relationship with the handsome cowboy, Nick Monroe. However, Sage wants something more from Nick—something that could change the very nature of their arrangement. She wants to have his baby.

Nick has always wanted to take things with Sage to the next level. Having a child wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but it’s an adventure he can’t refuse. Of course, neither of them realized just how complicated things could get.

Now, with a baby on the way and all of their careful plans unraveling, Sage and Nick must face the one secret they’ve been hiding from themselves…and from each other.

Book Links

Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   Barnes and Noble   |   Kobo   |  iTunes

Bon Appetit and a Book: 

·         Chipotle Chicken Roll-Ups

o   Spread flour tortillas with thin layer of chipotle mayonnaise.  Sprinkle on shredded Monterey jack, and Cheddar cheese.  Add shredded roast chicken, thinly sliced tomato, red onion, avocado, and cilantro.  Roll up, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to eat.   (Available for a quick lunch at Sage’s bistro, The Cowgirl Chef café.)

Song Playlist:

·         Someone Like You by Dina Carroll

·         Just The Way We Do It by Chely Wright

·         Take Your Time by Sam Hunt

·         Give A Little Bit by the Goo Goo Dolls

·         Humble And Kind by Tim McGraw

·         Good Time To Cry by Jennifer Nettles

·         Make You Miss Me by Sam Hunt

·         Breathe You In by Dierks Bentley

·         Want You Back by Tim McGraw

·         Let Love In by the Goo Goo Dolls

How-to Tips for Aspiring Writers: Tips for those looking to get their work published/break into the industry.

1.       Finish the book.  You can learn a lot from writing the whole story, and you won’t learn enough if you only write proposals—aka first three chapters and an outline.  Plus, if you are unpublished, you need to present a full manuscript.

2.      Once you have finished the first book, send it out and then begin another completely new story.  The more novels you have out there, the more likely you are to make a sale.

3.      Read everything you can on perfecting your craft.  I am still studying books and articles on plot, characterization, pacing, conflict, and so on.  And I am still learning.

4.      Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was a publishing career.   Persistence and dedication to craft pays off.  It took me seven full manuscripts, in three different categories, written over five years before I sold my first book.  But what I learned during that time was invaluable.  Which is why, 35 years later, I am still able to earn a living, writing.  When success came, I was ready for it.

5.        Believe in yourself.  Only you can write your stories, your way.  That’s your voice.  It’s unique to you. 

6.      Listen to your editors.  They are your friends, and have a perspective you will never have when it comes to your stories.   If they tell you something needs work, fix it, don’t argue.  Trust in their judgment will pay dividends.  Remember, if you don’t succeed, they don’t succeed, so they have every reason to want you to put your best work out there.

7.        Pay attention to quality.  Although it is important to get enough books out there, to develop name recognition, it’s also important to make each and every book better than the last.  So make sure each new project has a fresh spin that makes it seem new and exciting.

Meet the Author...

CATHY GILLEN THACKER is a full-time wife, mother and author who began writing stories during “nap time” when her children were toddlers. She wrote seven books as she taught herself how to be an author, and her eighth attempt was published in 1982. Since then she has written and published more than 70 novels.