Melissa Cutler talks Cowboy's and offers up an International Giveaway!!

Melissa Cutler here, and do I ever have a super sexy excerpt to share with you today, as well as a giveaway of my latest book, The Trouble with Cowboys. In the book, Amy, the heroine of the story, is a chef, but not just any old chef. She's returning to her small town roots after suffering a cringe-worthy, utterly embarrassing meltdown on a televised chef competition reality show (think Top Chef). Videos of her meltdown instantly went viral, she was the butt of jokes by late night talk show hosts, and the worst part? She lost the competition to a conniving, all-hat-no-cattle cowboy who claimed to love her.

Done with cowboys for good and clinging to her pride by her fingernails, she picks up the pieces of her life and regroups. After all, she's got bigger fish to fry (ah, chef humor!) with her sisters on the farm she grew up on. It's just her luck that the key supplier to the restaurant she's opening the farm is just the kind of Stetson-tipping, heartbreaking bad boy she's sworn off.

The moment that cattle rancher Kellan Reed swaggers her way in a pair of just-right jeans, worn-in boots, and a cowboy hat, Amy knows she's a gonner. Which woman wouldn't be, right? What she doesn't expect is that Kellan's passion for the premium beef he produces on his ranch extends to what happens to it when it reaches the kitchen.

And when these two hot-blooded gourmet cooks hit the kitchen together…well, let's just say that the meal they fix together isn't all that sizzles. Warning! After reading The Trouble with Cowboys, you might never look at salt the same way again. Here's a peek…

Excerpt:

Kellan sifted through the box on the floor, checking labels. He unscrewed the lid of a square glass jar. 

"Have you ever tasted smoked salt?"

"No." Intrigued, she leaned closer. Kellan's breath fanned over her cheek. He shifted his leg to accommodate her nearness.

"Guava wood smoked salt from Kauai. Sweet, smoky, yet mild." The timbre of his voice was low and seductive, thick with implication. Amy turned her face up to his. The shaft of light from the pantry gilded his hair, casting his eyes in shadow.

Wetting the tip of his index finger with his tongue, he pressed it into the jar. "Taste it," he said as his salt-covered fingertip grazed her lower lip.

She ran her tongue over her lip. Kellan watched with rapt attention. The crystals dissolved over her taste buds and she hummed her appreciation as her salivary glands activated. "Braised brisket. That's what I'd use this salt on."

His lips twitched into a grin. "Good call. That's exactly what I use it for." He reached for a second jar. "Let's try another."

As he did with the smoked salt, he dipped his finger in. "This one is harvested off the coast of Molokai and blended with bamboo extract." He moved his finger toward her lips once more. "Tell me what you think."

This time, Amy drew his finger into her mouth, suckling the salt from his rough,, work-worn skin until he removed it with a ragged intake of breath.

"Exotic, slightly pungent. Delicious." She swiped her tongue across her lower lip. The residual salt essence made the underside of her tongue tingle.

Kellan lidded the jar, watching her lips with a heated gaze. "I can't quite remember the flavor of that one." His hand on her jaw coaxed her face up. "Refresh my memory."

The Trouble with Cowboys is in stores now.

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Trouble-With-Cowboys-ebook/dp/B0083JC13Y/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Trouble-with-Cowboys-Melissa-Cutler/9781420130041

Giveaway!

I'm giving away a copy of The Trouble with Cowboys to one commenter living in any country The Book Depository ships to. So tell me, are you a fan of reality TV shows, such as the chef competition show the book's heroine, Amy, appeared on? What do you love or hate about reality TV?

My thanks to Scorching Book Reviews for hosting me today. I love hearing from readers and am really easy to find at www.melissacutler.net, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/MelissaCutlerBooks ), and Twitter (@m_cutler). And you can always email me at cutlermail@yahoo.com or sign up for my newsletter (http://www.melissacutler.net/?page_id=255 ) to find out about my latest books and upcoming events.

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Melissa Cutler is a flip-flop wearing Southern California native living with her husband, two rambunctious kids, and two suspicious cats in beautiful San Diego. She divides her time between her dual passions for writing sexy, small town contemporaries for Kensington Books and edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for Harlequin. Find out more about Melissa and her books at www.melissacutler.net.