Author Spotlight: Sinclair Jayne Is Here & I’m Excited!
We have a winner! Congratulations to Shari Bartholomew! You will receive Sinclair’s too-fun gift package! She will be in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who came by–we love our readers!
Best days are always when I get a chance to be with my editor and dear friend, Sinclair Jane Sawhney and today’s a best day because she is in the Spotlight with her new book, Marry Me, Please, Cowboy! It just landed on my Kindle and I can’t wait to dig into this new story by one of my very favorite authors (and my very favorite editor!). Be sure to check out her giveaway at the bottom of this post–it’s pretty awesome!!
Sinclair Sawhney is a former journalist and middle school teacher who holds a BA in Political Science and K-8 teaching certificate from the University of California, Irvine and a MS in Education with an emphasis in teaching writing from the University of Washington. She has worked as Senior Editor with Tule Publishing for over nine years. Writing as Sinclair Jayne she’s published fifteen short contemporary romances with Tule Publishing with another four books being released in 2021. Married for over twenty-four years, she has two children, and when she isn’t writing or editing, she and her husband, Deepak, are hosting wine tastings of their pinot noir and pinot noir rose at their vineyard Roshni, which is a Hindi word for light-filled, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Shaandaar!
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I love how Nan always greets her readers and fans as ‘mes amies.’ It has such a lovely ring to it, more glamorous than my friends–and also makes me wish I’d studied French in college instead of German (but that was fun too), especially as my daughter speaks French and studied in Aix en Provence her junior year of college.
I had a chance to meet Nan in person when she and her husband, Jim, visited our vineyard, Roshni, in Oregon’s Willamette Valley this past summer. It was a blast to taste wine, talk, and sit outside and enjoy the music and vineyard views for a few days. It’s so much easier to chat and let down our guard in person than in Zoom or on conference calls. Nan and I linked up again at a Tule Publishing retreat about a month later, and there was so much comradery that I never wanted to retreat to end. I hadn’t realized how easy it is to become lonely and how reuniting with friend and colleagues is like a long, cool, tasty sip of spring water.
I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship a lot this year as I wrote Marry Me Please, Cowboy. First, because the whole point of my series, the Montana Coyote Cowboys was about exploring the intensely deep and loyal friendship my five heroes have with each other. They are brothers-in-arms, and then when they each peel out of the military and travel to Marietta, Montana to fulfill a task for their fallen commanding officer, they continue to build their friendship over the course of the series—helping each other, teasing each other, and working towards building a business together. I wanted to explore male friendship—the ride or die type. I wanted to test my heroes and the bonds of their friendship so that they would understand that they are accepted and do belong even when they become ‘civies’ or make a mistake.
Second, I was lucky enough to score a spot in this multi-author 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo series with my bestie, Jane Porter, and also two other talented authors, Megan Crane and CJ Carmichael, who have become great friends. Working with friends was a new experience for me. I have not been on a lot of author retreats nor attended conferences with other authors often so to visit the shockingly beautiful and cold Canmore in Alberta Canada and immerse myself in the creative process with women who had worked and plotted and played together for years was inspiring and beautiful. Working with Carla and Megan and Jane felt right and safe and made me want to dig deep and work hard to measure up to their wide open hearts, fierce intelligence and incredible skills.
And third, I wanted to explore friendship between a couple—not just the sexual pull and magical zing of a new romance, but to build characters who could and would become true friends and lovers. Both Huck and Willow are accustomed to only relying on themselves. They both had childhoods where they felt adrift and isolated. They are both strong, determined and independent, especially Willow, a barrel racer. Huck is accustomed to working with others to achieve a goal. Willow only trusts herself, and I wanted explore the push and pull struggle that pits an alpha, get stuff done cowboy hero with competitive cowboy girl who’s loathe to trust or ask for help.
Writing can often be a lonely process. It’s me in my head with my characters, and I’m happy there—not always as in control as I’d imagined, but often in a zone–but at some point I have to come out and rejoin the world. My friendships are critical for my mental health. Even if I’m too busy to hang out, I try to text or send a picture with a personal message. Now that my kids have mostly launched, it’s harder than ever to keep in touch with my friends. They’re working, traveling, creating, taking care of parents or college age kids. Spending time with Jane, Meghan and Carla for a few days in the icy splendor or Canada reminded me of how much I value my friends, and how they are always worth my best efforts every day.
I hope that you get a chance to read Huck and Willow’s love story. And there are three other wonderful rodeo-based romances in Tule Publishing’s 10th anniversary that are a bit of a shout out to the original four novella rodeo romances Tule Published: Take Me Please, Cowboy, Tempt Me Please, Cowboy and Promise Me, Please Cowboy.
Thanks for hanging out with me today and best wishes,
Sinclair Jayne
GIVEAWAY: Sinclair has a fun prize package for one commenter (Continental US only). Check out this fun collection of goodies! Just tell her what are some ways that you like to connect with friends? We’ll draw a winner at random on Saturday morning.
Marry Me Please, Cowboy
She has her eye on the prize. He has his eyes on her.
Former soldier, now rodeo cowboy, Huck Jones doesn’t believe in love or marriage. Still, a promise is a promise, and he’s prepared to honor his fallen team leader’s wish to walk his sister down the aisle in Marietta, Montana. When the groom bolts moments before the ceremony, Huck offers himself as her alternative groom.
Barrel racer Willow McBride hates the cowboy code, and the soldier code is even more annoying. She’s pregnant, not helpless, so when her late brother’s sexy friend offers himself as a sacrificial husband, the answer is a resounding no. She wants love not duty. Plus, the 85th Copper Mountain Rodeo is looking to be her last as a competitor, and she intends to win.
Huck may no longer be a soldier, but he still believes no man—or woman—should be left behind. He’ll need to woo the beautiful, stubbornly independent cowgirl and change her mind. Failure is never an option.
21 Comments
DeeAnn Kraft
Loved your new book. I am new to Marietta and really enjoying my time here.
Kimberly Field
I treasure my friends, I try to send a message or a text at least once a week. Very excited about the new series and all the rodeo books!
Cherie J
I keep in touch through emails, sending cards, and an occasional girls’ day out.
Kaz Delaney
I adore this title, Sinclair – and am looking forward to tucking into this lovely story. I, too, want to see how this couple overcame their personal obstacles to learn to trust and share. Good luck with the release of the series!
Kate
We keep up on Facebook and messaging!⁰
DeeAnn Kraft
Loved Marry Me Please Cowboy.
Latesha B.
Happy Release Day to you, Sinclair. I like to connect by posting quotes online or emailing or sending cards.
bn100
book club
Janine
Most of my friends are online. We stay in touch through emails and messages. One day I hope to get to meet them in person.
Shari Bartholomew
For my book lover friends it through texting and social media, love to share my love of reading. With my bestie, whom I work with a nice cold beer is the best thing!!
sinclair
I don’t have many friends anymore I can have a glass of wine with–ironic as my husband and I have a small vineyard and make a bit of wine, but I do love to text friends with funny thoughts or pictures. I need to get more active on SM–something I say often, but I don’t think about. I live in the moment and then the moment is gone.
Linda May
I love to connect with friends by calling them and setting up a lunch date where we can catch up on what’s happening in there world. I absolutely love Cowboy Romances they make me feel warm and cozy inside. Thanks for your great generosity. Linda May
sinclair
I am a huge fan of lunch dates or coffee dates are more common. When my kids were still at home and in school, I had a lot more friends I could hang out with, but now a lot of people have moved away, but I still have a few to call and set something up. I love writing cowboy romances. I think they have become my favorite, which surprises, yet pleases me.
Brandy L
Hi Sinclair! I absolutely loved this book, I was completely wrapped up in it! Ways I keep in touch with friends – I send postcards! Especially to their kiddos, but also to my friend. Also sending silly memes or just a little text to let them know I’m thinking of them ❤️
Sinclair
Brandy, I am so pleased you loved this book. It was a ton of fun to write. I didn’t really get hung up on anything as I wrote although I re-thought the mom a few times–dialed her back thinking she was too much, and then dialing her back up and then stepping back and thinking about why I wanted the mom to be so different–communing with spirits in a small town Montana cowboy romance. Jane Porter, my friend and best selling author and Tule Publisher always wants authors to think about what they are doing and why. She says ‘think about the reader.’ And I was worried I wasn’t thinking about the reader. But the more I thought about the mom, the more vividly she came to me. I based her on my aunt, and yet obviously there are differences, and then I realized why I was doing it, because I needed to set up something in book 5 of the series, which I hadn’t even consciously thought of yet, but as I walked my dog several times a day around the neighborhood ‘pea patch’ and thought about making a ‘spacey’ mom for Willow, my reasoning all came together. My subconscious is smarter than my day to day brain, I think. The mom was part of Willow’s growth arc as well.
Liz Flaherty
Wonderful post, Sinclair. I know Nan and Jim had such a great time when they visited! Good luck with the new release–I love the MCs’ names, and their story sounds terrific.
sinclair
Liz, my husband Deepak and I had such fun hosting Nan and Jim. The Willamette Valley is so beautiful and there is so much to see and do, and I still don’t take it for granted after twelve years, and it was lovely to sit on our deck and see them both just relax and enjoy themselves.
Doris H Lankford
I stay connected with friends by calling or texting them. I also send cards and letters to them keeping them up to date on what is happening in my life.
sinclair
Wow Doris, sending cards and letters is such a spectacular thing to do. I am so out of the habit, but I remember before email how I used to LOVE sending letters to friends. I spent so much time (and money on postage) crafting out my letters. It was fun and I was always so hopeful to get mail back. Now I rarely check my mail box, but my messages will often have a nugget of hello or updates from friends.
Roseann McGrath Brooks
Love the book write-up. I love vacations with friends. In fact, I’m in London right now on a girls’ week! Sinclair, did you daughter study at IAU in Aix-en-Provence? I studied my junior year there in 1981!
Sinclair
Roseann,
London is my FAVORITE city to visit. I just love, love, love London and hope to go back again soon. I hope you are enjoying your girls week. What a fantastic thing to do together. Lakshmi loved Aix. She was at the Science Po as she is a political science/history/philosophy major, and I think that is their political science and international relations uni. She loved the town and the life style and made so many friends as I’m sure you did as well–and so easy to travel once you are in France. She’s hoping to go back and do a year in Paris for law once she has her undergrad. Happy and safe but adventurous and fun travels.