{"id":15040,"date":"2013-06-18T20:52:49","date_gmt":"2013-06-19T01:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=15040"},"modified":"2013-06-18T20:52:49","modified_gmt":"2013-06-19T01:52:49","slug":"lights-cowboy-action-by-lesley-ann-mcdaniel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=15040","title":{"rendered":"Lights, Cowboy, Action by Lesley Ann McDaniel"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lesley Ann McDaniel<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\u00a0and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Lights, Cowboy, Action<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Love Inspired (June 4, 2013)<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
***Special thanks to Lesley Ann McDaniel for sending me a review copy.***<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>LESLEY ANN MCDANIEL is a lifelong lover of words, animals, and musical theatre.<\/p>\n

Born in Missoula, Montana, she was one of the original Dwarfs in the Missoula Children\u2019s Theatre\u2019s inaugural production of \u201cSnow White\u201d, which is still touring the world.<\/p>\n

While earning a degree in acting at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, she fell in love with theatrical costuming, and pursued that as a career while nurturing her passion for writing on the side. Through God\u2019s guidance, she has shifted her focus to honing her skills as a writer of romance and young adult fiction.<\/p>\n

Between working as a homeschooling mom and as a professional theatre costumer, Lesley has completed several novels. She would have done more by now if she didn\u2019t also occasionally stop to clean the house and fold the laundry. Fortunately she loves to cook, so no one in her family has starved yet.<\/p>\n

She is a member of the Northwest Christian Writers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, and a wonderful critique group. A native Montanan and a Big Sky girl at heart, Lesley now resides in the Seattle area with her husband, two daughters, three cats and a big loud dog. In her spare time (ha!) she chips away at her goal of reading every book ever written.<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Will COURTNEY JACOBS do whatever it takes to keep her job as personal assistant to an A-list movie actress? While filming in Thornton Springs, Montana, Courtney\u2019s demanding boss insists she set her up with ranch owner ADAM GREENE as a romantic \u201cdiversion\u201d. The only problem? Courtney\u2019s fallen for him herself. Now she\u2019s forced to merge the resurrection of her lost faith, her growing love for this town, and her attraction to Adam with her Hollywood career ambitions. What\u2019s a girl to do?<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/object><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Product Details:<\/strong>
\nList Price: $4.99
\nMass Market Paperback: 192 pages
\nPublisher: Love Inspired (June 4, 2013)
\nLanguage: English
\nISBN-10: 0373486634
\nISBN-13: 978-0373486632<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Courtney Jacobs doubted there could be enough coffee in all of Thornton Springs, Montana to see her through this movie shoot.After filling her paper cup with the morale-boosting brew, she headed back toward the set. All around her, sleep-deprived crew members hustled to transform this charming burg into an old western town. She checked her watch. Seven AM. Within an hour, Keith Kingsley, the temperamental director of North to Montana\u2014N2M to insiders\u2014 would be ready to call \u2018action\u2019, and he wasn\u2019t exactly known for his patience.\u201cMove it or bleed!\u201d A rigger bellowed as he charged past, swinging an aluminum grip stand just over her head.<\/p>\n

She danced around a coil of electrical cables then sidestepped a set painter as he examined the distressing he\u2019d given a storefront. Wincing as the gaffer shouted out coarse instructions to his crew of lighting techs, she ducked to avoid a swooping boom pole.<\/p>\n

A contented sigh slipped through her lips. With just four independent films on her r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2014 two a year since graduating from college\u2014she felt lucky to have booked a major studio-backed project so early in her career.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d been hired as personal assistant to the star, Angela Bijou\u2014an A-list actress with a reputation for supreme diva behavior and for taking up with her leading men. Angela had made it clear from day one that Jeffrey Mark Caulfield (sizzling from the recent success of The Pharaoh\u2019s Tomb), would be no exception.<\/p>\n

The bleep of Courtney\u2019s cell phone drew her from her wandering thoughts. Balancing her still-full cup on the edge of her clipboard, she opened a text from the key costumer.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ms. Bju s neded 4 a finl fttng of hr Act 3 pRT gwn 2moro @ 2. B sur sh\u2019s thr.\u2019<\/p>\n

Courtney gnawed at her lower lip. If Ms. Bijou didn\u2019t know about the fttng, it would be one more thing for her to take out on Courtney.<\/p>\n

Hurrying down the center of the newly dirt-encrusted street, she clenched her cup between her teeth and shoved her clipboard under her arm. She flicked open the phone keyboard and tapped out a response while dodging a gaggle of grips positioning an old wooden wagon by the edge of the just-built boardwalk.<\/p>\n

\u20182moro @ 2. No woriez.\u2019<\/p>\n

Nearing the area where the first scene of the day would be shot, Courtney hit \u2018send\u2019 and scanned the street. Several cast members milled about in costume but\u2014no surprise\u2014Angela wasn\u2019t among them. Giving a cursory glance to the pink berry Swatch she\u2019d been given as a \u2018thank you\u2019 from her actress on her last movie, she headed toward the make-up trailer in the hope that Angela had made it to her call on time.<\/p>\n

Striding across the set, she drank in the liveliness of her surroundings. It was great being a part of something this vital. So what if her job at the moment was keeping the leading lady on-schedule? She was an indispensable cog in the machine.<\/p>\n

\u201cCourt-neeey!\u201d<\/p>\n

Stopping in her tracks, Courtney spun around to face the familiar angry command. From the first day of rehearsals, Angela Bijou had demonstrated an annoying articulation of Courtney\u2019s name that made the word itself sound like an outright accusation.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had better explain what\u2019s going on here!\u201d The woman stormed toward Courtney with a heated, resolute gait and fire in her famous jade green eyes. Her flimsy peach silk cover-up and matching turban signified that she hadn\u2019t yet made it to hair or wardrobe, and screamed look at me\u2014I\u2019m a star.<\/p>\n

Courtney opened her mouth to respond, but Angela cut her off with a tirade that rivaled Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you completely incompetent?\u201d Angela screeched as she planted her lithe form two feet from where Courtney stood.<\/p>\n

As the blood rose to her face, Courtney became painfully aware that the entire cast and crew had turned to gawk. \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter, Ms. Bijou?\u201d She fought to keep her tone level.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d Angela tossed her platinum pin-curled head back with such force her tiny neck made a faint cracking sound. \u201cThe \u2018matter\u2019 is that I have no water in my trailer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney let that register. All this fuss over a plumbing problem?<\/p>\n

\u201cD\u2019eau Douce.\u201d Angela crossed her willowy arms. \u201cImported from France. Does that ring a bell? I\u2019m supposed to have four sixteen ounce bottles chilling in my trailer every morning when I arrive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026.\u201d Courtney skimmed her memory. \u201cFor\u2026drinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, for drinking.\u201d Angela gave her a scowl that implied she should audition for the next season of American Idiot. \u201cI wash my face in pure Norwegian spring water, which by the way I didn\u2019t see in there either.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney heard herself utter something about making a few phone calls to Norway as she took a giant step backward.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Angela apparently wasn\u2019t done yelling. \u201cI need sixty-four ounces a day. How else am I supposed to keep my skin so youthful and clear?\u201d She drew her fingertips across her youthful, clear cheek for emphasis. \u201cEvery. Single. Day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh\u2026 okay, Ms. Bijou.\u201d Courtney scribbled out a note on the top page of her clipboard as she took a half-step in what she hoped was the direction of water of all desirable nationalities. A thought stopped her cold. \u201cWas that sixty-four ounces of the drinking water or the washing kind?\u201d<\/p>\n

Angela\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cDon\u2019t play dumb. Obviously, you knew about this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gripping her half-cup of tepid coffee between her thumb and her index finger, Courtney flipped through the papers on her clipboard as if to exonerate herself from this allegation. She knew nothing about her actress\u2019 water preference and made a mental note to be sure always to ask in the future.<\/p>\n

With what she hoped would read as a competent smile, she turned to go, smacking into a carpenter as he flew past with an armload of railroad ties. Coffee flew from her cup, splashing across her papers and down the front of her sea green t-shirt. She winced.<\/p>\n

Angela\u2019s shrieky voice rang out from behind. \u201cCheck my contract! I need my water every day I\u2019m on the set. I\u2019m supposed to have it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney clutched her clipboard to her stained front and darted toward what appeared to be a grocery store in the next block. If the last five minutes were any indication of things to come, this shoot was going to be a nightmare.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cYessir, this is just about the biggest thing that\u2019s ever happened in this town.\u201d Cal wiped his hands on his apron and stretched a long gaze out the front window of his general store.<\/p>\n

Casting a dubious glance at Cal from under the brim of his Stetson, Adam Greene drew in a long breath. It was great that the movie people were boosting the town\u2019s flagging economy, but apart from that he really didn\u2019t see what all the fuss was about. \u201cSay Cal, you got any of those red lentils left? Janessa made a killer stew last week and I\u2019d like her to surprise us with a repeat performance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal wrested his attention away from the window. \u201cThat sister \u2018a yours is gettin\u2019 to be more like your mama every day. A regular Mary Stewart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam grinned. \u201cI think you mean Martha. Martha Stewart. Don\u2019t tell Janessa that, though. She\u2019s dead set against the idea of making some lucky man a great wife someday.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cal\u2019s head bobbed as he grabbed a jar of beans off a shelf. \u201cStill determined to get outta Dodge now that she\u2019s graduated high school, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s got plans.\u201d Adam studied a barrel of apples. \u201cNothing wrong with that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a thing. I just know you and your mama will miss her is all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue.\u201d Grabbing the brown bag of lentils Cal had filled for him, Adam raised an earnest smile. He had a full seven years on his baby sister and had been the man of the house since their father\u2019s death when Adam was fifteen. It was strange to think of her leaving the nest. \u201cFar be it from me to stand in the way of an ambitious female\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Abruptly, the front door burst open and in flew a young woman gripping a clipboard and a paper cup. She pushed a strand of sandy blonde hair from her forehead with the rim of the cup as she scanned the store, urgency fairly sparking from her hazel eyes. Adam\u2019s gaze dawdled a little longer than he liked to consider gentlemanly.<\/p>\n

As she surged purposefully toward the counter, his eyes followed. She looked young and pretty in a fresh-faced, no make-up sort of way. Judging from the walkie-talkie clipped to her belt, she must be some sort of behind-the-scenes worker, not an actress. A corner of his mouth lifted. Maybe having the movie people in town wouldn\u2019t be such a bad thing after all.<\/p>\n

Cal lit up. \u201cWhat can I do for you, young lady?\u201d<\/p>\n

She spoke with a resolute clip. \u201cPlease tell me you carry D\u2019eau Douce.\u201d<\/p>\n

The smile slid from Cal\u2019s face. \u201cDoe Do\u2026what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s French.\u201d She tapped the clipboard with the cup and scouted around some more.<\/p>\n

Sensing that Cal could use a hand on this one, Adam stepped up to the counter. \u201cExcuse me, ma\u2019am. Maybe I can help\u2026uh\u2026translate?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d Avoiding his gaze, she continued to search the shelves. \u201cDo you speak \u2018actress\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, no.\u201d While he felt for her obvious United Nations dilemma, he couldn\u2019t help but dwell on how pretty she was. \u201cWhat exactly is this thing you\u2019re looking for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWater.\u201d She moved a few feet to peruse the refrigerator case where Cal kept the milk and juice. \u201cWhat kind of mineral water do you carry?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam cast an amused glance at Cal, whose expression had grown even more befuddled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t\u2026I mean\u2026.\u201d Cal stammered.<\/p>\n

Seeing where this was going, Adam chimed in. \u201cYou\u2019ll be hard pressed to find any of those fancy bottled waters here, ma\u2019am.\u201d<\/p>\n

As her head snapped toward him, their eyes met for the first time. \u201cNo water? But what do people here drink?\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam tipped a shrug. \u201cWe drink well water, mostly. We\u2019ve got the best mountain spring water you\u2019ve ever tasted. I\u2019d be happy to\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. I mean\u2026thank you.\u201d Shifting the cup to the hand that held the clipboard, she pulled a cell phone out of a pouch on her waistband, and started punching in numbers as she moved toward the door. Looking back, her eyes rested briefly on Adam. \u201cThanks anyway.\u201d With a slight smile, she yanked open the door and bolted out.<\/p>\n

Leaning against the counter, Adam pushed his hat back a touch and folded his arms.<\/p>\n

Cal gave him a good-natured cuff to the bicep. \u201cShouldn\u2019t you be finishing that shopping?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShopping?\u201d Adam nodded slowly. \u201cOh. Right.\u201d<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Courtney surveyed the street as she darted toward the set, her hope of finding a specialty food store growing dimmer by the second. Her mind whirred. The only thing she could think of was to call the safe, actress-free office of her BFF back in L.A.<\/p>\n

\u201cSheila Macintosh here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney breathed out relief at the familiar greeting. \u201cThank goodness you\u2019re there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHey, Court.\u201d Sheila let out a little titter. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019re homesick already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot unless by \u2018homesick\u2019 you mean \u2018desperately missing the Von\u2019s delivery boy\u2019.\u201d Courtney firmed her resolve. \u201cSheil, I need you to do me a huge favor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it a favor for you or for Angela Bijou, \u2019cause you know I don\u2019t cater to queen bees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cConsider it a favor to your best friend who wants to stay employed. I need you to source some bottled water for me. I\u2019ll give you all my info so you can order it and have it billed to the movie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t have water in Montana?\u201d Sheila quipped. \u201cHow do they get the mountains so green?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFunny. Of course they have water, just not the right kind.\u201d Courtney stopped walking, not wanting anyone of importance to overhear her plight. \u201cWill you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m ready to write.\u201d Sheila\u2019s tone warmed. \u201cJust remember, you owe me a dinner at Mr. Chow when you get back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn my salary? Better make it Del Taco.\u201d Courtney rattled off the details of Angela\u2019s demand, hoping this wouldn\u2019t be the first of many. \u201cTell them I need it ASAP. Hire a private jet if you need to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sheila grunted. \u201cMovie people are weird.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said it.\u201d She started walking again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore you go,\u201d Sheila\u2019s voice grew coy. \u201cYou have to tell me. Is Jeffrey Mark Caulfield as hot in a cowboy hat as he is in a pith helmet?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t seen him in costume yet.\u201d Courtney\u2019s mind wandered back to the store she\u2019d left a few minutes before\u2014to that tall, handsome hottie in the dusty blue jeans and well-worn boots. \u201cHe\u2019s got nothing on the real cowboys out here, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh really?\u201d Sheila crooned. \u201cAny one in particular?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Courtney\u2019s face flushed. What was she doing? She had far too much to deal with to let herself get distracted by an admittedly attractive guy. Especially one she most likely wouldn\u2019t even run into again. Still, she couldn\u2019t lie, especially to Sheila. \u201cOkay, yes. One that I just met was\u2026movie star handsome. And nice too. Really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh huh. So they grow \u2019em handsome out there. Must be in the water.\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney smiled. \u201cYeah, the mountain spring water.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, you will be coming home when this movie is finished shooting, right? Or will you be changing your name to Mrs. Handsome Cowboy and learning to rope cattle?\u201d<\/p>\n

Courtney sneered at the phone. \u201cOh, you are so very funny. Just get my water ordered and pray I still have my job by the time it gets here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure thing. Oh, and that\u2019s not the only thing I\u2019ll be praying for, Mrs. Handsome Cowboy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clicking her cell phone shut, Courtney took a deep breath. Sure that guy seemed really great but this was the last thing she needed. She was here to do a job, not fall for some guy who lived a world away from everything important to her. Letting herself get caught up in thinking about him would just be irresponsible.<\/p>\n

Her pace slowed as she neared the set. Why did Angela\u2019s personal drought suddenly not feel quite so urgent? Thinking about the cowboy seemed to have a mysterious calming effect on her. She shook it off. With a major problem to solve, she had too much on her mind to leave her head in the clouds.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"divider2\"
\nMY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although I usually prefer the larger trade paperback novels in the historical or suspense fiction genres, there are times when I am just in the mood for one of the shorter mass market books such as those in the Heartsong or Love Inspired series. Easy for me to read in one evening, these short but sweet books still pack a lot of content into their limited number of pages and almost always manage to convey at least one relevant spiritual lesson.<\/p>\n

Lights, Cowboy, Action<\/a> definitely met my expected standards. A fun story about an assistant to a popular actress, it was filled with drama, humor, and romance. Character development was spot on and a well planned plot moved steadily to a satisfying conclusion. Misunderstandings and conflicts kept the narrative interesting.\u00a0 I was encouraged by Courtney’s willingness to reevaluate her impression that there was no room for Christian beliefs in the film and entertainment industry. I also liked the fact that the most disliked character in the novel had a major attitude change before the conclusion.<\/p>\n

Perfect for reading on the beach,\u00a0 the porch swing, or hammock, Lights, Cowboy, Action<\/a> is just the thing for a quick summer escape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,60,41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-contemporary-fiction","category-romance"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15040"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15048,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15040\/revisions\/15048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}