Wild Western Week Blog Tour – Alysha Ellis
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Title: Claiming The Cowboys
Author: Alysha Ellis
Genre: MFM / MM / Menage Romance
Publisher: Totally Bound
Blurb for Claiming the Cowboys:
Two cowboys. One woman to rope ‘em and ride ‘em!
Two cowboys enjoying a passionate bout of sex in the living room is the last thing Sophie expects to see when she arrives to inspect the homestead she inherited from her grandparents. Outraged by what they believe to be trespass, the men insist the prosperous horse stud is theirs.
The confrontation catapults Sophie into a torrid sexual adventure. The only way for her to win is to round up her cowboys and ride ‘em.
Reader Advisory: This book contains M/M scenes.
Publisher's Note: This story has been previously released as part of the Lasso Lovin' anthology by Totally Bound Publishing.
Excerpt from Claiming the Cowboys:
For the next forty minutes the only sounds were the soft crooning Sophie kept up at the mare’s head, the huffs and moans of the horse and the grunts of exertion from Hamish. Every now and then Jackson wiped away the rivulets of sweat that poured down Hamish’s forehead, then returned to trying to push the foal around from the outside.
At last Hamish let out an explosive breath. “Got it.”
He withdrew his arm, the glove covered in a substance Sophie didn’t want to think about, and collapsed backwards into the straw. Jackson immediately stripped away the soiled latex. Around Hamish’s upper arm the flesh was bright red, with lines of compression scored into it. Below, the skin was an unnatural bluish-white. His lips were clamped together, lines of weariness dragging his mouth downwards.
Jackson settled beside him, drew his head onto his shoulder and ran his hands in long smooth strokes over the creased skin, down to Hamish’s wrist and back, over and over. The pressure of Jackson’s fingers left white indentations which filled rapidly as the blood began to circulate. Hamish gritted his teeth and moaned.
“Is he all right?” Sophie asked.
“His circulation’s been restricted for too long.” The anger that colored his voice the few times he’d spoken to her had gone. “The ring of muscle’s still tight. Until we got the foal the right way round, the pressure of her contractions was working against her.”
“I’ll be okay in a minute.” Hamish’s raspy voice reflected his fatigue. “I should check her out again. See if the labor is progressing normally now.”
“She won’t deliver immediately. You have time to recover.” The tenderness with which Jackson spoke, the gentle touch of his hands, stunned Sophie. She would never have predicted this gruff, hard man could be so caring.
“I could get you coffee, if you wanted.” She knew where the kitchen was. Jackson looked almost as tired as Hamish. The whole time Hamish had been trying to turn the foal, Jackson had been on his knees pushing hard against the mare’s heaving sides, trying to help turn the foal from the outside.
Jackson’s hands faltered and he looked at Sophie. He seemed to take a long moment to think, then his lips curved. It wasn’t the kind of smile that lit up his face, but it softened the harsh lines. He gave a short nod. “That would help, thank you. Hamish has his with milk, no sugar.” He returned to his massaging.
“How do you take yours?”
“I’m all right. Just make sure Hamish gets a good strong cup.”
Sophie scrambled to her feet, giving the mare a parting touch on the forehead. “I’ll get some for all of us. So I’ll ask again. How do you take your coffee?”
Hamish puffed out a laugh. “He takes it black.”
“I could have guessed. And I bet he doesn’t take sugar either. Nothing sweet about Jackson.”
“Go and get the coffee,” Jackson grumbled, but he sounded more amused than annoyed. Who knew the big man would respond positively to being teased?
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Guest Post - Alysha Ellis
Claiming the Australian Cowboys
I grew up around cowboys. The Australian version anyway. I spent a lot of time with my uncle, whose veterinary practice mostly dealt with cattle and horses. And where there are cattle you find the men who work them.
Cowboys, cattlemen, stockmen, graziers, jackaroos. Call them what you will, there has always been something fascinating about the men who live isolated from the city-- hard enough to survive hot days and cold nights out in the open, tender enough to care for their animals. I've seen men who would laugh to scorn the idea that they were gentle, sit up all night to oversee difficult births, massaging a labouring cow's heaving sides, whispering encouragement and praise, watching in awe as a foal takes its first wobbling steps.
That particular incident moved me so much I included it in my short story Claiming the Cowboys. I set the story in Australia, because I wanted to celebrate our outback heritage, which encompasses anything away from the narrow coastal strip where the vast bulk of our population lives.
Most people are familiar with the American Cowboy. There are enough books and movies to make sure of that. We all know the American version wears blue jeans and a stetson hat. His boots are made of tooled leather.
The Australian cowboy is, like his American counterpart, long and lean, but instead of jeans he wears dust coloured moleskins and elastic sided riding boots. The moleskins are like the stockmen themselves. They look soft, as if they were made from creamy suede, but they take years of hard riding in the saddle without showing wear. The boots are brown, low heeled and part of the classic Australian look. Add a blue cotton shirt and a broad brimmed, flat crowned hat and you have your Australian stockman. Who of course looks exactly like Hugh Jackman-- or Heath Ledger--or Chris Hemsworth, because let’s face it, all Australian men do.
This hyper masculinity, combined with the sensitivity needed to be a carer and nurturer, seems to lend itself to m/m/f romance. The complexity of the cowboys' nature, the two parts of their psyche, make it easy to envisage men who need the love of both a man and a woman.
Australia is made up of extremes. Cowboys face flood and fire and the cruel reality of repeated droughts. Instead of being broken by them, farmers, graziers, stockmen band together. Time and time again, men have driven thousands of kilometres with a truckload of feed for drought stricken animals, or to help fight a fire or just to get together for a celebration, because it's for “a mate.”
The concept of mateship is embedded deep in Australian culture. In other countries the term mate refers to a sexual partner. To be an Australian mate carries a promise of loyalty, of sacrifice, of a code of behaviour that is understood and understated. It's altruistic, it's unbreakable and I very much believe it's love. It was part of the inspiration for my cowboys Hamish and Jackson.
I based the character of Hamish on my uncle, the vet. I spent a lot of time in my teenage years tagging dutifully behind my uncle, fetching and carrying while he worked to save the lives of the animals he loved. The scene in the book where the foal is born is based on a real experience.
Jackson is a different type of man. His emotions run deep, but they are hidden from most people. To truly know what a man like Jackson is feeling, you have to earn his trust and his affection. He doesn't give either easily or often. But once he does, they are yours for life. And there is nothing he wouldn't do for you.
The role of women in this masculine world can be problematical. Sophie, the heroine of this story believes the stud farm has been left to her by her grandparents. Her arrival stirs up feelings Jackson has never felt able to speak about, even to Hamish.
Sophie is far more than a catalyst. She's a strong character. She has a well formed sense of fair play and justice, a sensual nature and an overwhelming curiosity. These last two traits are set into action when she arrives at the horse stud, walks into a house she believes is deserted, and interrupts Jackson and Hamish in a very private moment.
How the three of them solve their problems depends on Jackson and Hamish's ability to open their relationship to include a third.
I loved writing this story. I got the chance to revisit people and places dear to my heart, and to explore the ways lovers interact, grow and change. I'm fortunate to be able to indulge my desire to write and to have a great publisher, Totally Bound, who helps me do it.
About Alysha Ellis:
Alysha Ellis lives in Australia and when she isn't busy drinking champagne, eating chocolate and letting her inner tart run free, she writes erotic comedy. Her favourite quote comes from Mae West… A hard man is good to find. Who could argue with that? Alysha tries very hard to be bad, because bad girls have all the fun.
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What an informative post about the cowboys of Australia. One seldom notice the differences as the American version of a cowboy has become the general accepted norm. I know I'll look twice at cowboys from now on. Thanks for sharing this Alysha.
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