Today I am so pleased to welcome B.A. Tortuga to Joyfully Jay. B.A. has come to talk to us about her latest release, Best New Artist. She has also brought along a signed paperback to give away.  Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Best New Artist and the Playlist of Doom

Hey y’all! I’m BA Tortuga, resident redneck and playlist addict.

I know, I know, y’all know this about me, but when I write musicians? It’s worse.

Best New Artist is a story about Red Dirt Texas music. Now, I’m aware that a lot of the songs on this list aren’t traditional Texas singers, but I just pick songs that move me, that speak to the characters in the book, or just suit somehow.

For instance, Damn Country Music is Tuff, balls to bones – it talks about craving the lights and the fame but knowing that the music is, at the end, the true calling. Jonah, on the other hand? My Church. Music is more than Jonah’s job. It’s his religion, his heartbeat, his world.

I’d never ask y’all to listen to this whole playlist, but pick a few songs. Comal County Blues is as Red Dirt as they come. Love You by Jack Ingram? OMG.

Chris Stapleton is my newest crush. Kevin Fowler is the voice of Red Dirt.

AH! ALL THE MUSIC!

Comal County Blues by Jason Boland
Record Year Eric Church
That Don’t Sound Like You Lee Brice
My Church Maren Morris
The Devil Named Music Chris Stapleton
Fire Away Chris Stapleton
A Horse Called Music Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard
Damn Country Music Tim McGraw
Mr. Misunderstood Eric Church
My Church Maren Morris
Sober Saturday Night (feat. Vince Gill) Chris Young
Middle of a Memory Cole Swindell
Don’t Believe Everything You Think Lee Brice
You Look Like I Need a Drink Justin Moore
Mayday Cam
Head over Boots Jon Pardi
Used to Love You Sober Kane Brown
Texas (When I Die) Tanya Tucker
Measure of a Man Jack Ingram
Love You Jack Ingram
Lips of an Angel Jack Ingram
Country Is My Rock Trent Tomlinson
Just Might Have Her Radio On Trent Tomlinson
The Bottle Trent Tomlinson
The Truth Trent Willmon
On Again Tonight Trent Willmon
Good Horses To Ride Trent Willmon
I Ain’t Through Lovin’ You Yet TRENT WILLMON
Find Out Who Your Friends Are (Featuring Tim McGraw & Kenny Chesney)
Tracy Lawrence featuring Tim McGraw & Kenny Chesney
You Can’t Hide Redneck (Acoustic Version) Tracy Lawrence
Speed of Flight (Acoustic Version) Tracy Lawrence
Rock & A Soft Place (Acoustic Version) Tracy Lawrence
Friend of a Friend Tim McGraw
Let Me Love It Out of You Tim McGraw
Let It Go Tim McGraw
Put Your Lovin’ On Me Tim McGraw
Shotgun Rider Tim McGraw
Better Than I Used to Be Tim McGraw
Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow Alan Jackson
My Own Kind of Hat Alan Jackson
She Just Started Liking Cheatin’ Songs Alan Jackson
If I Go, I’m Goin (feat. Macy Maloy) Bart Crow
Addicted (Bonus Track) Blake Shelton
Play Me That Song Brantley Gilbert
The Driver (feat. Dierks Bentley & Eric Paslay) Charles Kelley
Miss Me Baby Chris Cagle
Anywhere But Here Chris Cagle
I Breathe In, I Breathe Out Chris Cagle
Let Him Fly Dixie Chicks
Landslide Dixie Chicks
She Don’t Love You Eric Paslay
He Stopped Loving Her Today (Single Version) George Jones
What Did You Expect Me to Do George Strait
I Can’t See Texas From Here George Strait
Texas Was You Jason Aldean
You’ll Think Of Me Keith Urban
Never Again, Again (iTunes Originals Version) Lee Ann Womack
Hard to Love (Acoustic) Lee Brice
More Than a Memory (Acoustic) Lee Brice
Play It Again Luke Bryan
Mixed Drinks About Feelings (feat. Susan Tedeschi) Eric Church
Cold One Eric Church
Anything Goes Randy Houser
Over When It’s Over Eric Church
A Man Who Was Gonna Die Young Eric Church
Better in Boots Tyler Farr
Sellout Song (feat. Zane Williams) Kevin Fowler
Come Over (Acoustic Mixtape) Sam Hunt
Vice Miranda Lambert
I’m Drinking Through It Jack Ingram
It’s Always Gonna Rain Jack Ingram
Song for Another Time Old Dominion

Much love, y’all.
BA


Blurb

Best New ArtistKasey “Tuff” Tuffman just told Nashville to kiss his you know what. After winning Best New Artist at an award show, he knows it’s time to head back home to Texas. So after a very public meltdown, Tuff makes his way to Austin, where the Red Dirt music lives large.

Jonah Littlejohn once loved KT more than anything in the world. When KT loses it on national TV, Jonah knows he has to reach out and offer his home studio as a place to heal and make music. A bad relationship has left Jonah broken and wary of romance, but he wants to help his old lover out.

Seeing Jonah again proves to Tuff that he’s made the right decision. Now all he has to do is convince Jonah that they’re the most perfect duet there’s ever been.

Buy links:


Bio

BA TortugaTexan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds and her beloved wife, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the  high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head. Find her on the web at www.batortuga.com.


Giveaway

B.A. has brought a signed paperback copy of to give away to one lucky reader (US or International). Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Sunday, April 30th at 11:59 pm EST.

  • By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win.  The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
  • If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
  • Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
  • Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
  • All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
  • By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
  • Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
  • Void where prohibited by law.
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