Readers have been eagerly waiting to learn more about COWBOYS DON’T RIDE UNICORNS, the second installment in the COWBOYS DON’T Series!!
Cowboys Don’t Ride Unicorns
(Cowboys Don’t Series, #2)
By Tara Lain
Hi! Welcome. What do you think of my beautiful new cover from the amazing Reese Dante? I’ve got to admit, my hero, Danny Boone, does make me drool. This is the second book in my Cowboys Don’t Series, but the book stands alone, so if you love bull riders who fall for very unexpected guys, then grab this book. (I should mention that book 1, Cowboys Don’t Come Out, was runner-up for best cowboy/western book of 2016 in the LRC Awards, so it’s worth a look! Read on and remember, you can pre-order now at Dreamspinner Press. Other pre-orders — coming soon!
Blurb
Cowboy Danny Boone—a name he made up one drunken night and has regretted ever since—harbors a big past and yearns for a small future. A short, bright career as a champion bull rider almost ended in his death when his homophobic father discovered Danny was gay. Now Danny longs for a plot of land he can build a ranch house on and enough money to make up for some of the education he missed.
Danny also hides a preference for beautiful femmes who like to top—a combo rarer than a unicorn. Then onto the guest ranch where Danny works drives San Francisco decorator Laurie Belmont, a young man so gorgeous he makes horses gasp, and so ballsy he almost kills Danny’s attacker.
Laurie’s trying to find his way out from under the thumb of a domineering mother, helpless father, and rich, privileged boyfriend. But no matter the attraction, their lives are worlds apart, and cowboys don’t ride unicorns.
Release Date:
March 3/22/2017
Available for pre-order at
Also available in paperback
Excerpts
The man
walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door. A graceful,
manicured hand emerged, and he took it. Out came a long leg in skin-tight black
pants tucked into knee-high boots. What followed forced Danny’s jaw to drop an
inch. Tall, though shorter than Danny or Rand, and slim as a greyhound, but
there the resemblance to a dog ended. Holy
fucking crap. The guy—and it was a guy based on the way those pants cupped his
package—wore a scarf around his head, wrapped like Grace Kelly or Audrey
Hepburn in the old movies. He reached up and whipped it off. His
shoulder-length hair beneath shone like—what was that color Apple called its
phones? Rose gold. Almost silver. Almost pink. Huge dark glasses covered his
eyes, but he turned his head and stopped, facing Danny. One rose-gold eyebrow
rose above the upper rim of the glasses.
walked around to the other side of the car and opened the door. A graceful,
manicured hand emerged, and he took it. Out came a long leg in skin-tight black
pants tucked into knee-high boots. What followed forced Danny’s jaw to drop an
inch. Tall, though shorter than Danny or Rand, and slim as a greyhound, but
there the resemblance to a dog ended. Holy
fucking crap. The guy—and it was a guy based on the way those pants cupped his
package—wore a scarf around his head, wrapped like Grace Kelly or Audrey
Hepburn in the old movies. He reached up and whipped it off. His
shoulder-length hair beneath shone like—what was that color Apple called its
phones? Rose gold. Almost silver. Almost pink. Huge dark glasses covered his
eyes, but he turned his head and stopped, facing Danny. One rose-gold eyebrow
rose above the upper rim of the glasses.
The other
guy—oh right, he was still there—-turned and saw Danny too. He waved a hand.
“Hi. You look like the right type for this vacation.” He laughed at his own
joke as he walked forward with his hand extended. He grasped Danny’s still
catatonic hand and shook it. “I’m Grove Chilcott. This is my companion, Laurie
Belmont.”
guy—oh right, he was still there—-turned and saw Danny too. He waved a hand.
“Hi. You look like the right type for this vacation.” He laughed at his own
joke as he walked forward with his hand extended. He grasped Danny’s still
catatonic hand and shook it. “I’m Grove Chilcott. This is my companion, Laurie
Belmont.”
Danny cocked
his head. “Laurie?”
his head. “Laurie?”
The young man
smiled. “Short for Lawrence. Haven’t you ever read Little Women?”
smiled. “Short for Lawrence. Haven’t you ever read Little Women?”
Danny didn’t
answer. Couldn’t. That voice. Like someone mixed Marilyn Monroe and Scarlett
Johansson with some champagne and stirred. The words slithered down his spine and
attacked his balls like an aphrodisiac. His cock started pressing against his
zipper. Shit, I’m in so much trouble.
He pulled at the brim of his hat. “Sorry, can’t say as I have.”
answer. Couldn’t. That voice. Like someone mixed Marilyn Monroe and Scarlett
Johansson with some champagne and stirred. The words slithered down his spine and
attacked his balls like an aphrodisiac. His cock started pressing against his
zipper. Shit, I’m in so much trouble.
He pulled at the brim of his hat. “Sorry, can’t say as I have.”
Chilcott
laughed. “Come on, Laurie, don’t test the cowboy on his literature choices
before you’ve unpacked.”
laughed. “Come on, Laurie, don’t test the cowboy on his literature choices
before you’ve unpacked.”
Danny stuck
the straw back between his lips. “Uh, I’m Danny Boone. Let me show you to your
room. I’ll help with your bags.”
the straw back between his lips. “Uh, I’m Danny Boone. Let me show you to your
room. I’ll help with your bags.”
Chilcott
slapped a hand against his own chest. “You’ve gotta be kidding with that name.
Our dude ranch guy is named Daniel Boone?”
slapped a hand against his own chest. “You’ve gotta be kidding with that name.
Our dude ranch guy is named Daniel Boone?”
“Danny.”
“Still, I
expect the Punk’d cameras to leap out
at me.” He laughed, but at least it was good-natured. Not a total asshole. “And
if you’re talking about carrying Laurie’s bags, you’re gonna need you and an
army.”
expect the Punk’d cameras to leap out
at me.” He laughed, but at least it was good-natured. Not a total asshole. “And
if you’re talking about carrying Laurie’s bags, you’re gonna need you and an
army.”
Laurie had
thought they’d get here, he’d hold his breath for eight seconds while Danny
risked his life, and they’d go home. No such luck. The competition included two
rounds. One in the morning and one in the afternoon—the “short go,” Danny told
them. Of course, Danny might not make it that far. Shit, I might not make it either.
thought they’d get here, he’d hold his breath for eight seconds while Danny
risked his life, and they’d go home. No such luck. The competition included two
rounds. One in the morning and one in the afternoon—the “short go,” Danny told
them. Of course, Danny might not make it that far. Shit, I might not make it either.
The smell of
horses, cows, and sweat filled his head like smoke. He’d imagined all that
testosterone crowded into one place would be an aphrodisiac, but the arena had
an odd feeling. Uncomfortable. Embarrassing to admit, but Laurie’d taken pains
to look butch today—as butch as he could—so as not to make Danny uncomfortable,
but apparently butch Laurie didn’t measure up in this rarified alpha-male
universe. Cowboys walked by and eyed him, some looking shocked and others mean.
Only a few appeared admiring or even neutral. Laurie shivered. Hell, he lived
in San Francisco and decorated people’s houses. His personal style got him
extra points in his world, but not here, baby. Pay attention. That’s how different you and Danny are.
horses, cows, and sweat filled his head like smoke. He’d imagined all that
testosterone crowded into one place would be an aphrodisiac, but the arena had
an odd feeling. Uncomfortable. Embarrassing to admit, but Laurie’d taken pains
to look butch today—as butch as he could—so as not to make Danny uncomfortable,
but apparently butch Laurie didn’t measure up in this rarified alpha-male
universe. Cowboys walked by and eyed him, some looking shocked and others mean.
Only a few appeared admiring or even neutral. Laurie shivered. Hell, he lived
in San Francisco and decorated people’s houses. His personal style got him
extra points in his world, but not here, baby. Pay attention. That’s how different you and Danny are.
Danny was
saying, “Okay, I’ve got to go back and get ready for my first ride.”
saying, “Okay, I’ve got to go back and get ready for my first ride.”
Andy smiled,
awestruck. “Did you already choose your bull?”
awestruck. “Did you already choose your bull?”
“No, I don’t
get to choose. I’m just an also-ran here, so my bulls are picked randomly.”
get to choose. I’m just an also-ran here, so my bulls are picked randomly.”
“Do you know
who you got?” Andy looked worried.
who you got?” Andy looked worried.
“His name’s
Humdinger. I saw him. I think he lives up to it.”
Humdinger. I saw him. I think he lives up to it.”
Another rider
walked by and gave Laurie a surprised look. Better than some. Laurie said, “Hey,
Danny, where’s your helmet? A lot of the riders have them.”
walked by and gave Laurie a surprised look. Better than some. Laurie said, “Hey,
Danny, where’s your helmet? A lot of the riders have them.”
“I don’t use
one. I need my hat for balance.”
one. I need my hat for balance.”
Laurie felt
his mouth fall open. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
his mouth fall open. “Isn’t that dangerous?”
Danny lowered
his head and gazed at Laurie under the hat brim, which he reached up and
pulled. “Hell, I gotta give that beast a fighting chance.” With a grin, he
sauntered off toward the rider’s entrance to the arena.
his head and gazed at Laurie under the hat brim, which he reached up and
pulled. “Hell, I gotta give that beast a fighting chance.” With a grin, he
sauntered off toward the rider’s entrance to the arena.
Rand snorted,
Aliki clapped, and Laurie just stared, mesmerized by the flexing muscles in that
gold-medal ass.
Aliki clapped, and Laurie just stared, mesmerized by the flexing muscles in that
gold-medal ass.
Cowboys Don’t Series
Cowboys Don’t Come Out
Bk #1
Available for purchase at
About the Author
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 32. Her best-selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Paranormal Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul-mate husband and her soul-mate dog near the sea in California where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!
You can find Tara at Lain
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Thank you for the excerpts. All of that rose-gold.