genre: M/M Contemporary Equestrian
length: short novel
ISBN# electronic: 978-1-419915512
Price $5.20 download $11.99 print

electronic format: http://www.ellorascave.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=9781419915512

Get the Print book autographed directly from me: http://www.marywinter.com/?page_id=728

print format: http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-4572-180-ready-to-ride.aspx 

BLURB:

When a torrid affair ruined his rodeo career, Rock Brennan turned to the sport of reining. Ready to reclaim his position at the top of his chosen sport, Rock arrives at the United States Equestrian Team’s training camp ready to focus on his riding — until he meets his too-sexy-for-his-breeches roommate, dressage diva Andreas Thorpe.

Andreas has always had a thing for cowboys, and Rock is no exception. What starts as a training camp fling quickly becomes something more, but Andreas’ lifelong need for control keeps him from giving his heart to one sexy, gay rodeo cowboy.

But there’s one thing the cowboy has taught the dressage rider — in love and life, sometimes you’ve got to cowboy up to face your fears.

Reviews

“Rock and Andreas are both very sexy. I really enjoyed the interaction between them. Their relationship is sweet and sensual and feels very real to me. The setting is different and the author provided an intriguing look at the world of equestrian competition. COWBOY UP is a surprising and touching erotic romance.”
- Christina, Romance Junkies, 4 blue ribbons

“Cowboy Up is another entertaining read and enjoyable by author Mary Winter. Once again, this talented author has given her readers another well plotted story…Add in two sexy as sin horsemen, intense emotions, high passion, emotional uncertainty and blistering hot sex at the drop of a hat and you have the components of a wonderful gay contemporary romance.”
- Mystical Nymph, Literary Nymphs Reviews, 4.5 Nymphs

“Mary Winter details the background so well that non-horse lovers will be educated in some of the various equestrian skills and competitions. Even more important is the character evolution of her protagonists. Ms. Winter develops the background of each man and progresses them into the present, where sexual tension combats competitive spirit and personality pitfalls. Andreas and Rock must come to terms with their own natures and desires and determine what in the end is most important to their lives. Their intensifying sensual ups and downs and the accompanying emotions make for scorching reading against a fine backdrop of equestrian competition and “behind-the-scenes” details.”
- Frost, Dark Angel Reviews

“Mary Winter’s Cowboy Up is a story about love, trust and faith. The characters are a blend of hard edges and soft temperaments. Each gives balance to the other. Rock wears the scars of his last attempted relationship. He is not one to flaunt his sexuality but he is not ashamed of it either. Rock was attracted to Andreas before he was privy to the full view of his magnificence. Andreas is level-headed and focused on his career. After years of sacrifice he is at the top of his game. Rock is a distraction he didn’t count on and was unsure he could afford to have in his life. The sexual fire created by the lovers could melt an icecap. There was no turning back after the first kiss; the couple connected mentally and emotionally. Those who enjoy the genre will find Cowboy Up to be a wonderful read.”
-NeNe, Fallen Angel Reviews

“Mary Winter has written another wonderful story where her main strength is her characters who are so believable that they could walk off the pages of the book. Both Rock and Andreas were strong and focused on their career but when it came to a choice between love and sticking with their chosen profession it was time to COWBOY UP.” - Jessewave, http://reviewsbyjessewave.blogspot.com/2008/07/cowboy-up.html

Excerpt

Dining out turned into eating in when Rock called the restaurant and they had an hour wait to be seated. Andreas didn’t mind, though he suspected Rock wasn’t happy with the change in plans. The cowboy sat at the small table in their room, drinking a soda. He’d polished off the hearty steak dinner room service had brought and now, with his long legs encased in indigo jeans complete with a crease, polished ostrich boots and a crisp western shirt, he looked as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do.

Andreas grinned. He too had finished off his meal. He wordlessly got up and placed the tray with the empty dishes outside the door. “So you had a good ride today?” Andreas hated the small talk at the moment, the questions to which he already knew the answers. The idea of peeling the cowboy out of his jeans and boots, unfastening those pearl snaps on his shirt and stripping him naked held an appeal that hardened his cock. Turning from the door, he paused between the beds.

Awareness flared in Rock’s blue eyes. He looked Andreas over from head to toe, from the open collar of his polo shirt to the jeans and paddock boots on his feet. Andreas wondered what the cowboy saw. His cock hardened beneath the heat in Rock’s gaze.

Rock licked his lips with a lazy swipe of his tongue. “I’d like to hope that all my rides today are good ones.” He rose to his feet. “You want to test that theory?”

“On one condition.” Andreas strode forward, devouring the vision of prime male standing before him. Reaching out, he flicked open the snaps on Rock’s shirt with gentle flicks of his fingers. The lapels gaped open to reveal a large swath of tanned skin.

Rock’s breath caught in his throat.

“That I get to taste you.” Andreas flattened his palms against Rock’s chest and shoved the shirt from his broad shoulders. It caught on his arms, his hands in his pockets keeping the garment from falling to the floor. Heat radiated into Andreas’ palms as he stroked the strong lines of Rock’s clavicle. Defined pectoral muscles called to him, hard, pointed nipples begging his fingers to caress and tease. He stepped forward.

Deep breaths brought Rock’s scent to Andreas and he relished the cowboy’s earthy smell. Grazing Rock’s nipples with his fingers, Andreas grinned at his harsh breathing. His abs fluttered, enticing Andreas’ fingers lower, but he remained focused on the planes of Rock’s pectoral muscles. Leaning forward, he licked the rise of a shoulder.

Rock groaned. Yanking his hands from his pockets, he shoved his shirt to the floor. A quick tug pulled Andreas’ polo from his jeans and Rock flattened his palms across rippled abs. He forced Andreas to remove his hands long enough to pull the fabric over his head and toss it to the floor somewhere behind him.

Strong hands on his waist propelled him toward the bed. Andreas had just enough presence of mind to stop and twist Rock toward the mattress. A gentle shove sent Rock tumbling to the comforter. Andreas straddled his legs, pinning him down. “I said I want to taste you,” he said a moment before he pressed an open-mouthed kiss along Rock’s clavicle.

The flavor of hot, clean man burst on his tongue like an expensive wine or a decadent desert. Swirling his tongue along the intent of Rock’s collarbone, Andreas licked him like an ice cream cone. Nips and tastes took him along the width of his chest over to one nipple so he could wrap his lips around the hard nub and suck.

“Oh yeah,” Rock growled.

Andreas wiggled on him, feeling the length of Rock’s erection through his jeans. His mouth watered just thinking about having that heavy rod between his lips. “You want me, don’t you? You want me to fuck you.” He nipped lightly, laving the red marks his teeth left with his tongue.

Rock grabbed his biceps. With a twist he flipped himself from underneath Andreas and straddled him. “Maybe I want to fuck you,” he breathed. “Maybe I want to finish what you started in the barn.” He licked the arrow of hair bisecting Andreas’ abs, easing himself down, the button on his jeans his destination.

Andreas lay there, letting the cowboy take the lead. After all, he’d had his taste and suspected that Rock would have more than that before the night ended. Andreas lifted his hips to allow Rock to pull his jeans and briefs down. Boots hit the floor and his socks were removed, then Andreas lay naked to Rock’s heated gaze. He waited to see what the cowboy would do.