Tina Leonard | Q&A with PBR Rider Harve Stewart

Harlequin books has teamed up with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) to revive four romance titles by USA Today bestselling author Tina Leonard, featuring four unique, but equally blush-inducing bull riders! Each collector’s edition book showcases a real-life PBR rider—Matt Triplett, Reese Cates, Harve Stewart and Zane Lambert—on the cover! The books are exclusively available for purchase at Walmart during May.

Read the Q&Q with PBR Rider Harve Stewart below!

- How and when did you start getting into bull riding?
I grew up in Stephenville, Texas, which is a big rodeo town—a lot of legends have come from there. Ty Murray and the Carillo brothers (Adam and Gilbert) are just three of the greats to come from Stephenville. When I was 13 years old, I actually got on my first steers at their place and just fell in love with bull riding. They became my friends, and I felt kind of lucky that I was able to have that opportunity because not many people do. It was an opportunity for me to go and get on, and I didn’t turn it down.

- What do you remember about your first Built Ford Tough Series ride?
My first Built Ford Tough Series ride was in Anaheim and it was a bull called Nacho Hero. He was just a cool little bull. I don’t think I was even many points—82.25—on him, but it was just neat to get that first one down. It is something you never forget and sticks with you forever. You will have a Top Ten list of your favorite rides, and your first might not make it on that list, but you will always remember it. We’d had two one-day events, and I bucked off at my first two events and then went to California for my third event and rode my first one there. You are nervous and everything. It is new. You see it on TV, but it’s not something that I got to see before I got on tour—I had never been to a Built Ford Tough event until then. It was something really cool to see, but it dang sure took a while to get used to.

- In your career, what would you say was your most memorable moment? And why?
Probably when I rode Meat Hook in Thackerville, Oklahoma, a couple of years ago, in 2012. It was my first BFTS event win. I had gotten close quite a bit, finishing second and stuff like that, but I’d never won one. It came down to the last two guys and I stayed on mine. It was kind of a cool pressure situation—and to come out on top is something I will always remember.

- What’s your idea of a romantic night out?
Just a steak dinner and a movie—maybe even at home. We would go to a nice steak house, like a Del Frisco’s. If it was me planning it, hell, we would go golfing and then to a football game. Though it kind of depends on the girl and what she wants to do.

World Finals Qualifications: 6
Hometown: Stephenville, Texas
Residence: Stephenville, Texas
Height: 5-9
Weight: 160
Born: 12/28/87
Riding Hand: Right
BFTS Season: 9th
Career Earnings: $508,852
High-Marked Ride: 91 points on Savage Shaker in Tulsa, Okla., on July 22, 2007

Personal A former Texas High School Rodeo Association Champion, Harve rode his first bull at age 14 after watching a friend at nine-time World Champion Ty Murray’s ranch. He learned to ride from his father, Dee, who was a former bull rider and received further instruction from Murray and former PBR stars Adam and Gilbert Carrillo. Harve admits he doesn’t like to ride on an empty stomach and says if he had a choice, he would eat a steak before every ride, whereas most of his fellow riders choose that as their preferred meal after a contest. When it comes time to relax, Harve might be found hanging with fellow PBR riders or maybe watching a comedic movie. His most memorable ride was besting Meat Hook for 90.5 points in Thackerville, Okla. in 2012 to win his first BFTS contest. If he weren’t a professional bull rider, Harve would have liked to be a football player. When he retires he will probably spend more time golfing and envisions himself owning a business of some sort. “Anything where I can be my own boss.” says Harve. Follow him on Twitter at @harvestewart.

2014 Highlights Earned round wins in Billings, Montana, and Des Moines, Iowa…landed Top 10 finishes in Anaheim, California (8th), Fresno, California (T9), Des Moines, Iowa (T9), and Colorado Springs, Colorado (7th)…went 2-for-3 on his bulls in Colorado Springs for his highest finish on the season…fell out of the Top 35 following Springfield, Missouri, but competed as an alternate in Oakland, California, and Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Giveaway

Readers, who's your favorite bull rider? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a stuffed bull, plus the collector's editions of HEART OF A BULLRIDER, A FAMILY FOR THE BULL RIDER, ONE WILD BULL RIDER, and THE BULL RIDER'S TWINS by Tina Leonard!

Visit Harlequin.com to enter the PBR Sweepstakes for your chance to win a trip to Las Vegas and a VIP package to the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals!

About Tina Leonard

USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author Tina Leonard has sold over 2.6 million copies of her titles. She has made the USA Today Bestseller, Waldenbooks, Bookscan, and Ingrambook lists, and has written and contracted seventy-one books and special projects. Her work has been published by Harlequin, Samhain Publishing, Robinson Scarlet, and most recently Random House Loveswept contracted for a single title trilogy project, Hell’s Outlaws. Leonard was chosen to be among the first authors published for Robinson’s Scarlet line, writing four single title novels for that imprint. Not long after, she sold on proposal to Harlequin American, where she has since written several popular series, most notably the Cowboys By The Dozen, Morgan Men, and Callahan Cowboys series. Her newest single title project, HER CALLAHAN MAN, was published in January 2014.

Leonard is known for her fun sense of humor, endearing communities, snappy dialogue, and memorable characters.

About A FAMILY FOR THE BULL RIDER

Jack Morgan came home to the Morgans’ Texas ranch on urgent family business—not to get roped into marriage. But he’s finding it impossible to steer clear of his attraction to angelic Cricket Jasper. Now the virtuous deacon is pregnant…with triplets!

The sexy rodeo rider has always been in Cricket’s secret prayers. But she never dreamed she’d be having Jack’s babies! She knows the firstborn Morgan son came home to make things right with his estranged father. Now he’s about to become a father.

What will it take to make a family man out of this wandering rover? Because if three babies and the love of a good woman aren’t enough to settle down this lonesome cowboy, nothing will be!

Read an excerpt