Jason Scott has everything a bull rider wants—success, money and traveling partner Andy Baxter. When he loses his sight in an accident, he stands to lose it all.
Jason Scott is at the top of the bull riding game, on his way to a winning season. Along with his traveling partner, Andy Baxter, he’s riding hard on the circuit, working around the country with all of the other bull riders and bullfighters, living the good life. The only thing he wishes he had is Bax, but he’s afraid to take the step that would make them more than friends, worried that it will ruin everything.
When a terrible accident leaves Jason unable to see, his whole life goes south. Jason decides to chuck it all, determined to go home and hide at his momma’s ranch. Bax has other ideas. He wants to make sure his best friend doesn’t give up, and he hatches a plan that stuns Jason and makes their friends and family think he’s crazy.
With the help of the other bull riders and a very persistent bull fighter named Coke, Bax convinces Jason to give life one more try. With Jason cautiously learning to hope, and his relationship with Bax going to the next level, life gets pretty complicated. Everyone gets in on the project, from Jason’s strong-willed mother to an entire ranch full of children, all of them working to help Jason do what he loves.
Publisher's Note: This book was previously released elsewhere. It has been re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.
Blind
Ride
by B.A. Tortuga was a beautifully
written story of friendship, love and tenacity. Jason and Bax, friends and
rodeo co-workers for many years, travel the dusty roads bull riding and
supporting each other as only best of friends could. Along the way each man
fell in love with the other but never acted on their desires. Tragedy brings
their friendship to the forefront and soon their lives take a very different
turn.
There were so many
things I loved about Blind Ride. Ms. Tortuga delivered camaraderie
between lovers and friends that created a bond which no one could break.
The cowboy speak catapulted me from my suburban
home to the laid back hills where ranches and cowboys reside, making me an
integral part of the scene. The authenticity was as genuine as the people Ms. Tortuga wrote about.
Each supporting character
played an integral part of the story and was not simply thrown in for the sake
of a moment. No fluff in this tale, pure substance.
A love story with men
who lead hard and dangerous lives, but somewhere in the midst of it all found
friendship and love along with an extended family that would weather any storm.
Book
provided by author/publisher in exchange for an honest review
Definite S.E.X.
A five handcuff
review
Food and Texas
One of the things that folks say about my books all the time is that they make them hungry. I get it. Totally.
I swear to God, I have eaten all over the country, and in a couple of others, and there’s nothing like food back home in Texas.
What? You don’t believe me?
Tex-Mex. Chicken fried steak. Pintos. Peach cobbler. Texas Sheet Cake.
Brisket.
Oh, God.
Brisket.
Juicy, delicious, crunchy on outside, tender on the inside glorious juicy meat.
Uh. Where was I?
Right.
Texas cooking.
It’s an obsession. We have the Poteet strawberry festival. The Spam festival in Austin. There are county fairs with funnel cakes and deep fried everything and…
Oh.
Corny dogs!
Those were invented at the Texas State Fair.
When I left home (deep east Texas) for Monterey, California (many, many, many, MANY years ago), one of the things I took was a list of all my favorite recipes from my momma. Yeast rolls, layer salad, biscuits, banana bread, potato salad, enchiladas, chicken fried steak.
Cornbread.
I still have those little pieces of paper. I don’t need them anymore; all those recipes are memorized. But I have the originals. The pencil marks are faded, the folds… well, let’s just say that when I unfold it once every few years to tell me wife the story of when I wrote them (she’s a patient woman), you have to not breathe too hard on it.
When I write Texans, which Bax and Jason truly are, there’s always a momma that shows up, someone to take care and cook and love on her sons, both born and adopted. Cowboys have appetites, you know, and sometimes a Texas momma is the one doing the feeding.
Recipe for Cornbread:
1 c. flour
1 c. corn meal
1 T baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 T. sugar
¼ c. oil
1 c. milk
1 egg
Put a cast iron skillet in a hot oven (425 is best) with a quarter stick of butter. In a big old bowl, mix dry ingredients, then add wet and stir. When the butter in the pan is melted and bubbly, remove from oven and add batter to skillet. Bake for 16 minutes.
Damn, life was good.
Bax liked riding fence. Well, all right, if he was honest, he liked riding fence with Jason. Somewhere after the first hour, Jason would take that starched shirt off and tie it to the back of the saddle, leaving him in just a tight, white undershirt, and damn. Oh, damn, Bax loved that.
Licking sweat off his upper lip, Bax leaned down to check a post joint, grinning when it wasn’t as dry rotted as he’d thought. “You think your momma’s baking right now?”
“Yup. She’s making a pie and one of them cakes you like. I saw beans on the back of the stove, so it’ll be brisket and cornbread for dinner.” Mini’s momma was as predictable as the day was long and, lord, that woman loved to cook.
“Oh, you know I like that.” Damn, his knee was throbbing. He pulled his bad leg up, leaning back in the saddle and stretching it out.
“You need to walk some, man?” Jason rode up closer, horses touching noses as Mini reached out, touched his knee. “It’s pretty swolled.”
The feel of that hand on him made him jump, even through work glove and jeans. “Nah. I’m good. I just need to remember not to lean so hard on the stirrup.
“‘kay.” He was given one more stroke—the crookedy thumb on Jason’s riding hand rubbing the inside a bit.
His cheeks heated up, and he was damned glad of the sun. Long as they’d been riding together, Bax’d never told Jason a bit what the man could do to him with just a touch.
“Anyway, we ain’t got much more to do today.”
“Nope. You want to ride to the river? Swim?” That straw hat was pushed back, the collar of Jason’s T-shirt wet with sweat.
“Shit, yes.” That water would be like bathwater, but it would be so damned nice to get wet. Bax approved. “Come on, slowpoke.”
“Slow… Oh, you old bastard!” Jason whomped Heidi, the two going tearing across the pasture, ass tight as a boar’s backside in that saddle.
Like the sound of Blind Ride? Buy it here.
About BA Tortuga:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife, Julia, her best friend, Sean, and coffee. Lots of good coffee.
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2015 ©Evelise Archer All rights reserved. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No portion of this work may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author.
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