My lovely friend, Bella Settera is here today- and it’s cowboys all the way…Hold on tight!!
Q. Red-Light Wrangler is the second book in The Men of Moone Mountain Series. How come it’s a MM story whereas the first was MMF?
A. The Men of Moone Mountain are a mixed bunch, some gay, some bi and even some straight! It is a very open-minded community where no-one worries too much about their neighbor’s sexuality so anything goes.
Each book in the series is written as a stand-alone novel, so you don’t have to read the whole series to understand each book, although some of the same characters will crop up in each of the books. Rich Buchanan appeared in Menage on Moone Mountain and I really wanted to give him his own story.
Q. Was this your first MM or ManLove story?
A. Red-Light Wrangler was my first full-length MM novel, although I did have a gay couple of pirates in Secrets of the Siren (Siren Publishing), which was fun to write.
I enjoyed the challenge of writing Rich Buchanan and Nate Walker as both vulnerable and alpha-male at the same time, and would certainly write other MM characters in the future.
Q. Will there be any other MM pairings in The Men of Moone Mountain series?
A. Not yet. Book three in the series, Ménage on Ryder Ranch is a MFM story, and the book after that, Ménage at the Mode Boutique is another MMF, as was the first book in the series, Ménage on Moone Mountain, which has been my most popular novel so far. I wouldn’t rule it out, though 😉
Q. As a British author, how hard is it to write about ranches and to set your stories in America? It must be a totally different culture for you.
A. Indeed. This is a question I am often asked and a very good point. I do a lot of research into ranching and have learned a lot about the day-to-day functioning of American ranches, just so I can add the ‘normalities’ into my stories. A lot of information is available in books and on the internet, and I also have friends in the States who have experience of working on ranches, families who own them, and a few who have had working holidays on dude-ranches (they’re great for the nitty-gritty gossip about what really goes on as well as the ‘inner-workings’!) 😉
Also, writing stories relies mostly on using the imagination, and as authors we often set our novels in unreal and fantastic worlds. For instance, there would be no sci-fi novels if we all had to rely on going into space or time-travel in order to write them; and shape-shifters and werewolves might be unheard of without an author’s imagery. Then there are vampires, fairies, all things supernatural and paranormal, the list goes on and on. Basically all stories require a certain amount of creativity – the skill comes from drawing a reader into our world and making them believe, even for a short while, that they have been transported to another place
Q. Are your characters based on anyone in real life?
A. Hmm, that would be telling!!!! Actually, although it would be wrong of me to write about anyone who could be recognizable in any of my stories, I do find myself picking ‘aspects’ of people to add to my fictional cast. For instance, the handsome looks of an actor’s face might merge with the great body of model, while a friend’s mannerisms or accent might mingle with the vulnerability or humor of someone else. Even then, when it seems I have constructed the ideal hero or heroine, I like to throw in a few flaws just to make them a little imperfect – that’s how they get their character and make them relatable and interesting, in my book(s). J
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Can a bad reputation hide a good heart?
After realizing everyone he has been with only wanted him for his money, Rich Buchanan, the billionaire’s son, gives up the dream of a serious relationship and gets his kicks sleeping around. He prefers men, but he only brings home women, since his father would be horrified to find out Rich was gay. But secrets are hard to keep among the rich, and his antics soon earn him the nickname “The Red-Light Wrangler” when people discover that money exchanges hands whenever he sleeps with a guy.
When Nate Walker starts work as Assistant Foreman at the Buchanan Ranch, his good looks and gorgeous body immediately pique Rich’s interest. And despite the gossip, Nate can’t help falling for him, either. But when Rich’s cousin Joey decides to blackmail Rich to pay off his debts, he soon realizes he could get much more out of the situation. Outing his gay cousin and causing a rift between Rich and his father could be just the thing to secure his own position as Frank Buchanan’s sole heir.
Rich has no one to turn to but his lover. But Nate has secrets of his own, and his reasons for being at the ranch are not entirely honorable…
Story Excerpt
“Sorry to hear about your dad, Rich.” Kent Freeman, the Deputy Sheriff, stood there with a grim expression on his face. “Mind if I come in?”
Rich stood back, allowing the tall, handsome guy into his house. He had expected him to go straight into the office, but Kent turned into the sitting room where his eyes went directly to the small table. Shit!
Rich felt his stomach lurch as Kent stared down at the note. “This arrive today?”
“Yeah. I just found it in the mailbox.” Rich frowned. He had expected Kent to be surprised by the note, but he seemed to take it in his stride.
“Mind if I get it fingerprinted?” Kent asked, not even touching the paper.
Rich shrugged. “Be my guest. You know who it’s from?”
Kent sighed as he put on a glove before placing the note in a plastic bag he pulled from his back pocket. “Do you?”
“I’ve got my suspicions,” Rich replied.
“Let me guess. Your cousin Joey or Cole Jackson?”
Rich gawped at him. “How in hell do you know that?”
“You should’ve come to us right at the beginning,” Kent admonished. “Could’ve saved everyone a lot of time and trouble.”
“You took Cole Jackson in about the poisoning, said you couldn’t pin anything on him,” Rich reminded him. “Anything after that would just sound like sour grapes.”
“We didn’t know about your cousin trying to blackmail you. Or Dan Robertson’s involvement.” Kent looked at him, shaking his head.
Rich sighed. “Kent, you know how it is. I’m gay, man. Dad’ll go mad if he finds out. I’ll lose everything.” He slumped into the nearest armchair, and Kent followed suit in the one opposite.
“Being gay ain’t a crime, Rich, but blackmail is. And so is poisoning horses.”
“I know, but Dad won’t see it that way. He’ll disown me, I know he will. Joey knows it, too.”
“That’s what he’s banking on,” Kent agreed. “But you’ve lost half your livestock because of this. And if you can’t prove you didn’t do it yourself you won’t even get the insurance pay out.”
Rich took a swig of his whiskey. “So, will this prove I didn’t do it?” He gestured to the note which the deputy had put in his pocket.
Kent Freeman shook his head. “Nope. I’m afraid it just gives you a motive.”
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Extract
Suddenly Rich grabbed hold of Wyatt’s muscular arms and pulled him down onto the bed. He got up and stood over him, yanking the blond guy’s long, hairy legs over his shoulders. He heard a loud gasp as he hauled him down the bed to get a better position.
Wyatt grabbed a condom from the nightstand and passed it up to Rich. He snatched it out of his hand and grinned when he opened it. Ribbed. He rolled the rubber onto his pulsating dick and yanked the guy’s hairy ass open. He heard a yelp, but paid him no heed. He watched Wyatt screw his eyes shut and barked at him. “Look at me!”
Wyatt’s eyes shot open and he stared up at him. Rich had a sense of satisfaction at his control. He lined his cock up to the gaping asshole and stared into Wyatt’s eyes as he thrust past the tight rim.
“Aah!” Wyatt’s panicked eyes seemed to glaze over and his jaw tensed.
Rich massaged the guy’s ass with one hand, while stroking his cock with the other until Wyatt’s face relaxed. Then he pumped hard into him, eliciting another loud yell. The cowboy’s shouts soon became excited as the pain must have morphed to pleasure and he began grunting with each thrust. Rich grinned as he pounded hard into the guy’s ass. He needed this. He closed his eyes and Nate Walker’s face flashed into his mind. He felt himself grinning as he thrust harder and harder, visualizing Nate lying naked before him, Nate groaning in ecstasy.
When Rich opened his eyes they were watery and glazed. All he could see was a mass of blond hair on the bed and, with his mind still on Nate Walker, he moaned loudly. He felt the body beneath him thrusting back toward him and heard fevered yelps and groans. The fire in his belly was roaring now and he felt like his whole body was a raging furnace. He hammered hard into the ass under him, yanking on the dick in his hand. With a loud grunt the body he was fucking convulsed and he felt cum like boiling lava trailing down his hand. His own orgasm wracked him and he pounded hard into the guy’s ass, over and over. Lights flashed in front of his eyes and he heard himself roar as relief swept through him. He just kept thrusting until he was finally satisfied. His breathing was rampant as he slunk onto the bed next to his partner, and he felt the cool air wash over his sweating body.
Both men lay in silence, heaving at the air, eyes closed for several minutes. Rich’s eyes opened slowly and he stared at the face next to his. For a split second he had actually expected to see Nate Walker lying there, but realized in horror that it wasn’t. While Wyatt’s eyes were still closed, Rich shot to his feet and grabbed his clothes before heading off to find the bathroom down the hall. He disposed of the condom and splashed cold water over his face and torso. His breathing was still rapid and he took a glass of water to try to recover himself. Pulling his clothes back onto his still-sweaty body felt horrid, and he left his shirt unbuttoned, hoping that the cold night air would cool him off a bit.
His head automatically faced the bedroom when he retreated from the bathroom, but he thought better of it. Like a thief in the night he made for the front door and slipped out. The cold night air bit him hard, and he shivered as he climbed into his car. Opening the windows wide he relished the freezing cold of the wind as it swept through his hair and over his flushed body. He needed the cold. He needed the space.
He needed Nate Walker…
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About Bella Settarra
In Bella’s world all the heroes are gorgeous hunks and the heroines are always beautiful. Having said that, she firmly believes that ‘handsome is as handsome does’ and that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’. (She is also a big fan of clichés as well as alliteration!)
She has been hanging out with her ‘imaginary friends’ for a couple of years now and finds the profession exhilarating and intriguing. Her stories are all Erotic Romances, although they vary considerably in subject-matter.
She loves writing Cowboy Romances and was thrilled when the first book in her The Men of Moone Mountain series, (Etopia Press), entitled Ménage on Moone Mountain, received a nomination for the Ménage Romances Fan’s Award 2015 and became an ARe Bestseller, and the third book in this series, Ménage on Ryder Ranch was also nominated for the Erotic Ménages Romances 2016 . The fourth book in this series, Ménage at the Mode Boutique is now also available in digital format. She is currently writing another Cowboy series, Midnight in Montana (Siren Publishing), the first of which, Dallas at Midnight, is already available, with the second, Meet Me at Midnight due for release in June 2016.
Her Collar and Cuffs series (Etopia Press) also received an ARe Bestseller Award for Waiting on Summer, which has also been nominated for the BDSM Writers Con Golden Flogger Award 2016. This series was set in a BDSM club in Miami, and was a joy to write.
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Many thanks Bella- that sounds brilliant!
Happy reading,
Kay x
