Amazon discontinued the ability to create images using their SiteStripe feature and in their infinite wisdom broke all previously created images on 12/31/23. Many blogs used this feature, including this one. Expect my archives to be a hot mess of broken book cover images until I can slowly comb through 20 years of archives to make corrections.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Great Western Drive: Link Wrap-Up

I don't know about you all, but the traffic on my blog (when I bother to even look at it) tends to be a bit of a dead zone on the weekend. Y'all must have lives or something. Anyway, I thought a Sunday was a perfect time to do a final wrap-up of The Great Western Drive and I thought some of you would appreciate having a shit-load of links all in one spot. Well, I know I would appreciate it.

I hope you all enjoyed our little moment of week-long insanity, and as always much love to two of my favorite western hos, Sybil (who keeps me in Harlequins) and Kristie (who gives me a gentle nagging when I need it). You're two of my favorite people. I also want to send a very special thank-you out to Sandy, one of Sybil's minions, who not only designed our awesome icon, but also helped out with some last minute stuff. Sandy, my girl, you rock the house! Now, on to the linkage:

Introductions and Why We Love Westerns:
Kristie's Great Western Drive
Sybil's Intros: Part I and Part II
Wendy explains why it's all Kristie's fault

Let The Recommendations Commence!:

Some Of Kristie's Faves
Wendy's Mad Love For Harlequin Historical
Wendy Has Mad Love For Maggie Osborne
Kristie Talks Favorite Western Authors
Wendy Recommends Books by Berkley, Leisure and Avon
Kristie Keeps Talking Favorite Western Authors
Sybil Pimps Some Of Her Favorites
Kristie Reviews Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne
Sybil Pimps Harlequin Historical Westerns

Features:
Cheryl St. John Talks Inspiration Westerns At TBTBTU
Kristie Gets Interviewed At Petticoats And Pistols! Squeeeeeee!
Kristie Provides Some Linkage
Sybil, Kristie and Wendy Talk Westerns Over At TGTBTU
Sandy Talks Contemporary Westerns At TGTBTU
Wendy Highlights Some Upcoming Releases
Wendy Resorts To Begging (And It Ain't Pretty)
Kristie Resorts To Begging (And It Ain't Pretty)

Contests:
A Chance To Win One Of Four Copies Of A Reason To Live by Maureen McKade
Chances to Win Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman - Here and Here

Chance to Win Tucker's Claim by Sarah McCarty
Petticoats And Pistols Giveaway (this one is US only)
Kristie Issues A Challenge - With Prizes!

Around The Web:
Jo Goodman Q&A at Library Journal
Victoria Janssen: My Favorite Westerns
Emily Becher: Ode To All Things Western
Taja Reviews Cherish by Catherine Anderson
Jane @ Dear Author Reviews Never Love A Lawman by Jo Goodman (giveaway is now over)
Phyl Reviews Mountain Wild by Stacey Kayne
Leslie Reviews A Reason To Live by Maureen McKade
Lea Pimps The Great Western Drive (and my Maureen McKade contest)
Tumperkin Tips Her Hat To The Great Western Drive
Nath Brings The Pimpage
AmyC Gives Us A Shout-Out And A Contest!
Barbara Gives Us Cowboy Eye-Candy And Talks Books
Lusty Reader Gets Rowdy
While Carolyn Is Away Miss Doreen Warns Us Of Cowboy Menages
Sarah Gives Us A Shout-Out At Monkey Bear Reviews
Leslie Ponders Some Authors She'd Like To See Write A Western
Unusual Historicals Welcomes Guest Author Christy Hubbard (giveaway!)

These were the links that I happened to stumble across thanks to Google Alerts and my own Google Reader. If you posted about The Great Western Drive on your blog and you don't see yourself on this list? Please leave a comment on this thread and I'll be sure to add you!

Thanks for following along with us this past week. We're going to return to our regularly scheduled Bat Cave programming later on Monday.

12 comments:

Kristie (J) said...

Took a quick trip into town - no, not by horse but by car *g* but then I'm off to the country again, but I just had to give you a tip of the hat to the excellent idea of putting all the links in one easy to find place!
It has been A BLAST doing this Great Western Drive with you and Sybil. When I first came up with the idea (me and my ideas!) I just wanted a few recs from my fellow Western hoe's. But the way you two jumped in and got on board - well, you two are just the best!!!
And I hope we have put the Western front and centre in readers minds once again who used to read them and made those who never have, curious enough to try them. And for those who have turned their nose up at them (and I don't blame you - there have been genres I've done the same thing to) I can only hope at least one of those we've recommended this week has got your attention enough to even reluctantly think "Oh, all right, maybe I'll try this one"

Virginia said...

Thanks for the links, I will be checking a lot of them out.

Carolyn Crane said...

I have really been enjoying this - this is a subgenre I am SO in the mood for right now! I can't wait to start reading more cowboy stuff. (no matter what Miss Doreen says.) And hey, thanks for the linkage!

Carrie Lofty said...

We're giving away a western this week at UH--coz westerns are still unusual! Just a happy coincidence...

Taja said...

I loved reading all the posts and I think it a great idea to have all the links in one place. Thank you. And thank you for including me in your "shit-load of links" even though it was a coincidence that I posted my review in time for "The Great Western Drive."

nath said...

LOL, great round-up Wendy! I'm not sure I would have been as patient as you :) and you put my blog there?!? LOL :P

You ladies did a great job :D

Samanthadelayed said...

Finished "The Rebel and the Lady" and I quite enjoyed it. It was a little slow near the middle, but had a fantastic ending.

I have never had a thing for cowboys, and I guess I had it in my head that all westerns were just about them.

I am glad that I gave a western a chance, and I am sure I will read more in the future. I love historicals, and this is just one more sub-genre for me to add to my faves.

Wendy said...

Taja: Yeah, the review was a coincidence, but timely. So that's why you got included :)

Nath: You gave us a shout-out, so you got linkage!

Samantha: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Tumperkin said...

I am looking forward to my recently ordered Western (Kristie-recc'd Bittner, Outlaw Hearts) moseying on through my letterbox in a week or two.

Mageela Troche said...

Thank you for the Great Western Drive. As a western romance writer, I have stories I wish to share with my fellow romance reader. I mentioned it on my blog www.mageelatroche.blogspot.com I hope y'all stop by. And let's save the cowboy, lawmen, Brave Native American warrior and the no nonsense heroine.

ReneeW said...

Thanks for the link wrapup. I've visited most of them and my wishlist has grown my leaps and bounds. You ladies did good.

Marin Thomas said...

For those of you who like series romance, the authors of Harlequin American Romance are sponsoring a Mmedia Blitz Contest once a month at www.harauthors.blogspot.com to help promote the line's first-ever six book continuity--The Codys: First Family of Rodeo. The series launched in June and will release a new book each month through November.

July 16th is out next Contest date and I'll be giving away copies of Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (book 2) and some "cowboy stuff" that day so please stop by on July 16th and check out the contest and prizes.

For information on the books in the series please visit http://firstfamilyofrodeo.blogspot.com/

Marin Thomas
RT Top Pick
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy July 2010
www.marinthomas.com