I ONLY LIKE THE WOMAN IN THE BEDROOM!

 

Hey, gang, how the hell are ya?  Doing good here, just busy as all get out trying to work my way through Kickstarter and now BackerKit. But I’m getting there! 

So, today I wanted to tell you about what I faced last week at home…a dog.  To be specific, a little “wack-job” of a dog that can’t weigh even 20 pounds.  He’s (I think) a chihuahua / Jack Russell cross and is crazy as a goat that’s been loosed in an LSD lab.  Seriously!  The dog is a freak. Nothing this animal does makes sense. 

Okay, let me back up.  Here’s a cartoon picture of the little guy from a couple Christmases ago.  I know…he’s cute. Don’t let that fool you. He’s not all there, and he's a bad judge of character.  He actually belongs to my son and DIL, and he’s a total mommy’s boy…and the biggest fraidy cat I’ve ever seen. His name is Zeus.  I think they were hoping he would live up to that, but I honestly don’t see that ever happening. 

Anyway, here is where being a poor judge of character comes in…Zeus is afraid of me. Terrified, actually.  Or at least that is how it would appear to the casual observer. But the truth of the matter is…the dog just ain’t right.  He’s so terrified of me that he won’t let me catch him to go outside, so we have to leave his leash on him the whole time he is here…because he’s not smart enough to know that just because he’s under the bed, the leash is still out there where that woman can get to it. 

I have never abused the poor little thing, nor have I even threatened him and no one in the family can figure out why he has fixated on me. But Zeus has been part of the family for…hell, I think about eight years, and yet you would think every time he sees me that he is seeing some big, hairy monster for the very first time ever. They pull into the driveway, and he gets out of the car all excited to be here and I step out the front door and say, “Hi”, and he freaks the hell out. It’s the same routine every time and is so funny and weird that it has become the family joke that Zeus loves going to gramma’s house until he learns who lives there…because clearly, no one has ever told him before who lives at this house. 

Recently, he’s surprised us all, as he’s begun to warm up to me—well, sort of. His mom and dad will bring him and his sister, Zoe, by and leave them with me to babysit for a few days. Zoe…no problem. She’s in my lap the minute they are gone and, while she will cry a little bit over them leaving, she does great with me. 

Zeus, on the other hand, needs time to warm up to this stranger he’s clearly never seen before ever in his whole life.  Who could be so heartless as to expect a sensitive young man like him to just jump into the lap of a perfect stranger?! 

Well, the newest thing is that within an hour of his parents leaving, a switch flips in his brain.  He spends the first hour he’s here cowering behind a chair, peeking out to see if I’ve left yet. Then he just can’t stand it anymore and when he sees me sit down in the recliner in my room and Zoe getting all the pets, here he comes, launching himself into my lap. Scared the bejeebies outta me the first time he did it.  I saw him flying at me and worried that he'd finally snapped. 

So, once in my lap, he’s as happy as can be…stays glued to my side the rest of the day.  I sit, he’s in my lap.  I sit at my desk to work, he’s right behind me in the recliner…we are best buds…in my room, for the remainder of that day. 

Then he sleeps... 

Apparently, when he sleeps, his brain does a “clear storage” operation and he’s the living embodiment of 50 First Dates. I go to get them out of their kennel, and he is cowering in the back, avoids me like the plague all the way to the door, then hides behind a chair the minute I take his lead off and snap the short leash on him.  Yes, he still has to drag the leash because friendship is a very fleeting thing with this wackadoodle. 

This photo is the morning after he has just spent the entire day following me and laying in my lap.  Now, all this said, keep in mind that I do spend most of my day in my bedroom, working—either in the bedroom recliner or at my desk.  If I move into the living room mid-day, all bets are off…the dog that has just been in my lap all morning is now terrified of me again. I go to the bedroom, we are buddies.  Move back to the living room later and I’m dead to him. His friendship seems to be very location-specific…again, only with me. 

We have tried to sort it out and the only thing we can come up with is that he really only likes the woman in the bedroom.  Apparently, the woman in the living room is a terrifying, mean person that is NOT to be trusted. 

Have I mentioned yet that he is NOT right?

Well, that’s my story, weird and wacky, and I’m stickin’ to it. Hang on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna go real, real fast!

Love ya,  

 

Did you miss the Butterscotch Martini Girl Kickstarter? Worried about what new items we have added that you may have missed? You can still get in on the fun and pick up some great items either by backing a tier or choosing ala carte! Go to the BackerKit platform NOW at the link below, as you only have a short time and some of the new items are limited quantity only. When they’re gone, they’re gone.

COWBOY CRUSH CAMPAIGN ON BACKERKIT

WOO HOO…IT’S A RODEO!

 

Hey, gang.  How the hell are ya? Well, I certainly hope everyone out there is living their best life, having fun, and making life work for ya.  😊

Okay, so I’m gonna just cut to the chase here. The Butterscotch Martini Girls are working their proverbial (not actual) arses off promoting this big Cowboy Crush Kickstarter campaign we have going on. Trust me, it ain’t easy to keep a monster like this moving! 

Why? You ask.  

Well, let me ‘splain it to you, Lucy! The average number of tiers generally offered in a Kickstarter (according to internet sources) is 5.  We have 12!  And ours are so jam-packed with stuff that it’s spillin’ out the sides. That makes this a pretty large campaign with a lot of moving parts.   

Then…out of 62,255 Kickstarter publishing campaigns, only about 37% of them ever reached full funding. Yikes!  Glad we didn’t read that before we funded.  LOL 

So…bottom line…this is a complicated campaign with lots of rewards to find, prep, price, offer, order, create (in some cases), receive, assemble (in some cases), package, and ship. Then in between all of that, we have to build graphics, keep the campaign site updated, and…oh yeah…promote. 

And…we only gave ourselves 31 days to do it in…because we didn’t feel challenged enough.  LOL  (That was a joke…it really was just sheer stupidity on my part.)

All that said…we have a large and complicated campaign with lots of rewards to source, and (with any luck at all) a wagon load of products to acquire and ship after the fat lady sings and the Butterscotch Martini Girls drink. 

Where are we now?  Oh, I am sooo glad you asked. 

We are a couple hundred dollars over fully funded.  YAY! 

But what does that really mean? 

Well, what it means is that the project is no longer in “tentative” status.  It has met its minimum budget and will now become a reality. The question is…how much of a reality? 

Huh? 

Oops…sorry.  Didn’t mean to Kickstarter double-speak at ya. 

The term “funded” is sort of like a measuring stick that draws this invisible waterline around the project that says if you don’t go over this line, the project shuts down and no one pays a thing…basically, cancelled with no harm, no foul.  On the other hand, once a project hits this waterline, it is all systems “GO”…when the project closes, credit cards will be charged, product will be ordered and shipped, and eventually all backers will receive the goods identified in the tier they backed, along with any add-on items they may have purchased. It is literally the point of no-return. 

From the project sponsor’s perspective, the “funded” waterline is simply the bare minimum mark that must be achieved in order to provide the offered products without losing money. It is pretty much the break-even point. 

So…as I’m sure you have recognized by now…the objective is to EXCEED the “goal” by as much as you possibly can. Because this is the way we make money from all the work we put in and from the fabulous stories and merchandise we pulled together to make this project happen. 

Now that you understand the meaning of the Kickstarter “goal,” it should stand to reason that you now understand why we may be continuing to email and post to social media and (forgive me) blog sites more often about this campaign.  A helluva lot of work has gone into this project and we would not be doing our stories any justice if we didn’t work our (again) proverbial arses off to make it as successful as possible.  Successful projects are what enables us to do what we do and continue to provide our readers with stories they love for years to come.  If our businesses fail, we have failed our readers. 

It's as simple as that!                  

So be sure you head on over to the Cowboy Crush Kickstarter campaign and help us do justice to these stories and to the platform. If you find one of our tiers is something you cannot live without, we would be delighted to have you back it. 

And while you are there, check out the other publishing campaigns that are active, and back some of those as well because those authors are doing exactly the same thing we are—working hard to keep their businesses healthy so that wonderful stories continue to be told year after year. 

Yes, our project has achieved the first milestone and “funded”, but that’s just the beginning.  There are still miles to go and only 20 more days to do it in. So…back us, talk about us, share our social media posts…every little bit helps. And don’t forget that Christmas trees will be in the malls by…hmmm…next week, maybe. So put one (or ten) of these tiers on your Christmas list and watch the campaign page for some updates to come out over the next couple of weeks outlining some new offerings. 

What’s coming up, you ask? 

Well, I’m currently working with a vendor to design a box sleeve for the paperback
set.  It’s going to be gorgeous and if we get enough backers at the paperback level, we will be able to add some stretch goals for upgrades.  Uh-huh, uh-huh! 

And…I just finished a mock-up of the dust jacket that will be available with the hard cover version…which is going to be stunning, especially if you get it in the upgraded color version with the 5 original color cover images inserted into the book. 

Oh…anyone interested in vellum inserts?  We have some really gorgeous ones on the drawing board right now and are figuring out how to set them up as stretch goals. 

All that and the basics too?  Yep…all that along with HOT Cowboys, savvy heroines, shot glasses, martini glasses, flasks, coloring pages, a cowboy bear, and more HOT Cowboys.  And I haven’t even mentioned the stickers, coasters, add-on novels, printed bookmarks, leather bookmarks, book buddies in display cases…and have I mentioned HOT Cowboys?  Oh…and can you say, “Martini Recipes?” 

So…back a tier and sit back and watch for the new announcements to start rolling out. ‘Cuz this campaign is just fixin’ to get good.  

Well, that’s my story, exciting and expectant, and I’m stickin’ to it. Hang on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna run this pony for all he’s worth—let’s Rock this Rodeo!

Yeah, Baby!

Love ya,  

Check it out here...

COWBOY CRUSH KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

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C’MON…FOLLOW US!

Hey, ya'all.  How is everyone? I hope everyone out there is kicking ass and taking names, and that you're sittin' in a saddle that fits,   😊

 First, let me apologize for being MIA for a while.  I have had my head down, nose to the grindstone, working on a huge upcoming project for the Butterscotch Martini Girls.

 What? You say. 

 I’m so glad you asked!

 We are working on a big, exciting Kickstarter project.

 

What’s that?

Oh, baby!

Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform designed to help creators bring projects to life, be it a fancy contraption, some spiffy invention, or a good tale that needs tellin’…and you know we got lots of tales that need tellin’.

How’s it work?

Well, I’m happy as hell you asked.

Here’s the way it goes…you hitch up your project, slap on a snazzy pitch, set a goal and a time limit, and let ‘er buck. Then you spread the word to everyone you know—like I’m doin’ now—and ask ‘em to go take a look and please “FOLLOW” your project.

Then those that truly love you (see what I did there?) will mosey on over to the Kickstarter site and take a spin through your project, checking out all the stuff in the back of the wagon. At this point, it doesn’t really matter if they actually want any of the stuff in your wagon…all that matters is that they love you (I’m not above milking it) and they want to help you do your best. So they do just like you asked and they hit the little FOLLOW button on the campaign site.

What does this do?

Ah…grasshoppah…what this does is it tells Kickstarter that you found this project interesting.  You like it, and you want to see what happens with it. If enough people do this, Kickstarter starts to take notice and says to himself, “Self, people like this project. Maybe we should too.”

Why do we want Kickstarter to like it?

Because Kickstarter is powerful and one of the tools in his saddlebag is social proof. He’s got access to LOTS of people looking for stories just like ours, and he has a whole platform full of great projects. So, he’s got to depend on social proof to help narrow the field down to the best. When he sees a project starting to rack up FOLLOWs like a duck eating June bugs, he sits up and takes notice. Then he gives the project just a little more love on the website as he watches to see what happens.

Well, what happens?

This is the point where the campaign launches and folks come from far and wide to toss in some coin, hoping to take ownership of some of the fabulous stuff they saw in the back of that wagon. They do this by becoming Backers…which is really just a fancy word for Buyers. They buy what is called a Tier. Ever been to an auction? Where they sell stuff in “lots”? Well, this is similar…the stuff on Kickstarter is set up with groups of merchandise in Tiers. But the backer doesn’t have to bid on it. They just “Back It”, which is a commitment to buy the set of products in this Tier on the day the campaign closes.

Wait…I mighta misspoke. Sometimes “backing” a tier is similar to “bidding”. That’s when there is a limit on the number of sets available in that tier…like a limited edition.  And, like an auction where there might be 3 of the same lot, and only 3 people can win. But with Kickstarter, you don’t have to be the highest bidder…only the earliest. It is first-come, first-served. So, that tells ya you are gonna want to be one of the first ones into a campaign to be sure you are one of the backers that will be getting that package in the mail.

Is that all there is?

Oh no…this is where it really starts to get fun. When Kickstarter begins to see folks lining up to back a project that has great stories to tell, then they start to bump them up in line…they get a spot in the newsletter a better spot on the website, and this kick-ass little banner that says, “Project We Love.”

And this is where you see the Butterscotch Martini Girls doing the happy dance! Because this is where we start to get a little more love from Kickstarter and all the folks who love to support new projects.

So, is that all?

Nope, not quite. Remember that goal the BMGs set way back in the beginning? Yeah, we gotta hit that. After all, if you can’t ride a bull, ya don’t get to participate in the rodeo. Same here—if you don’t hit your goal, they don’t want you making promises to your backers that you can’t deliver on.

Am I at risk of buying a ticket and getting stiffed?

Not at all, not ever, not on our watch! Kickstarter protects you from loss by not charging your credit card for the amount of your pledge until after they know the campaign has met their goal and has enough funding to make it happen. So…if the goal has been met, everyone’s credit card gets charged as soon as the project closes, which in our case would be on September 15, 2023.

That’s when the real work begins. Kickstarter clears all of the pledges, takes their very reasonable cut, and shoots the money over to us. We now have the coin to place orders for all of the product and merchandise we need to create all the stuff we promised you in those Tiers. It takes a couple of weeks before the stuff starts to roll in, and we then fill up our garages and extra bedrooms (hopefully) with boxes and pallets of stuff that we begin boxing and wrapping in preparation for pony expressing it out to ya.

 

But the fat lady does NOT sing (nor do the Butterscotch Martini Girls drink) until we ship out that very last package and the pony is running his heart out to get it across the desert and into your hands.

So…if you’ve got love in your heart for the BMGs, go hit the FOLLOW button and let’s make Kickstarter sit up and take notice.

And if you’ve got the gumption and a pocket full of cowboy spirit…or a “thing” for HOT Cowboys…be sure you watch for the notification that the campaign is live (hint…it might be Tuesday, August 15^th). Then ride on over to the campaign site and look at all the stuff we are putting together. I promise you will not find it easy to choose a tier.

We have got ebooks and paperbacks, hard covers with dust
jackets, and HOT Cowboys, not to mention shot glasses, martini glasses, flasks, coloring pages, HOT Cowboys, digital wallpaper, leather bookmarks, an adorable cowboy bear, and…did we mention…HOT Cowboys?

So, saddle up and let’s blaze this trail.

Cowboy Crush Kickstarter

Well, that’s my story, enthusiastic and entrepreneurial, and I’m stickin’ to it. Hang on tight now ‘cuz we’re gonna ride that pony real, real fast—and this rodeo’s just gettin’ started!

Yeah, Baby!

Love ya,  

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Cathy McDavid and the Timeless Appeal of the Cowboy Hero plus a Giveaway!

Guest Author: 

Cathy McDavid

Seriously, just before sitting down to write this blog post, I happened to watch COLORADO SUNSET, a movie starring Gene Autry from 1939. I decided the character he plays isn’t so different from the cowboy heroes of today. Well, maybe except for that singing part. He’s handsome (by 1939 standards), he’s strong, his moral compass points north, even if he’s a little flawed, his job inspires the respect and admiration of others, and he’s not afraid to take on the bad guys.  Perhaps most importantly, he makes the heroine feel safe and, by the end of the movie, loved.  

Buy link:   Amazon

 

Not much has changed. If I were to describe the hero in my most recent release, HAVING THE RANCHER’S BABY, I could say pretty much the same thing. Cole Dempsey is handsome (by anyone’s standards), he’s strong, his moral compass points north, even if he sometimes has a little trouble keeping on track, his rodeo champion career inspires the respect and admiration of others, and he’s not afraid to battle the bad guys for his family’s ranch or Violet Hathaway’s honor. Most importantly, he makes Violet feel safe and, by the end of the book, loved.

Since the beginning of motion pictures, Hollywood has recognized the universal appeal of the cowboy heroes, a tradition carried on in later years by television. The same holds true for romance novels, be they contemporary, historical, sweet, or erotic. This particular hero type has endured for, literally, more than a century. He strikes a lovely and undeniable chord on our heartstrings, and we’re incapable of resisting him. But, then, who wants to? Certainly not me.

If you’ve attended a rodeo, you can understand the attraction of the cowboy hero. What these men attempt is incredible (I’m by no means excluding the gals — that’s a topic for another blog post). No one gets on the back of an eighteen-hundred-pound bull without having nerves of steel and the courage to match. I frequently use bull riders and bronc busters as the heroes for my books, there’s something about them that appeals to me as a writer and to reader fans of western romances. And as long as I’m going to research for my books, it doesn’t hurt having to look at all those great pictures of swoon-worthy guys wearing Stetsons and Wranglers — is it just me or did that sound like a book title?

I’m convinced there’s a reason my publisher recently changed the name of my line from Harlequin American Romance to Harlequin Western Romance, focusing entirely on contemporary cowboy romances. These are the books selling the most, the ones the readers want. Sure, they like the other elements, such as family and babies and spunky heroines. But, come on. It’s the cowboy hero on the cover that gets us to choose the book in the first place.

I want to thank Lexi Post for having me here today. To show my appreciation, I’m offering three free copies of HAVING THE RANCHER’S BABY! Just enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win. Three winners will be chosen on Saturday, August 20th.

Here’s to riding off into the sunset together with the man of our dreams. For me, it’s the cowboy :)

Warmest wishes,

Cathy McDavid

About Cathy:

Since 2006, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathy McDavid has been happily penning contemporary western romances for Harlequin. Every day she gets to write about handsome cowboys riding the range or busting a bronc. It a tough job, but she's willing to make the sacrifice. Cathy shares her Arizona home with her own real-life sweetheart and a pair of overly needy pets. Her grown twins have left to embark on lives of their own, and she couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments.

www.cathymcdavid.com

https://www.facebook.com/cathymcdavidbooks

https://twitter.com/cathymcdavid

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