My publisher is celebrating the dog days of summer with a slew of fun releases.
Since summertime is for vacations and frolicking outside (unless you live in Phoenix as I do--most of our frolicking is done indoors under cover of air-conditioning), these short stories make the perfect quick reads. Grab them for only $.99 - $1.99.
Included in this collection is my historical western romance short Canyon Crossing.
(This was previously published in the anthology Lassoing A Groom.)
Now available in digital for 99 cents
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon
with a guide and a mule. When circumstances have her hanging from a cliff side,
her rescue at the hands of U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty is fortuitous in
more ways than one. He’s chasing the notorious Red Bandit, and it soon becomes
clear that Annabel’s brother is mixed up with the criminal as well. While the
marshal believes she may be in on a double-cross, she has a more pressing
secret to hide. She can talk to deceased spirits, and she wonders whether to
tell Angus about the old Apache ever near to him.
To celebrate, we're having a Facebook party!!
Date: July 27-28, 2015 (Mon-Tues)
Time: 5-10pm EST
A new author every 30 minutes ~ lots of prizes ~ winners chosen from among commenters ~ please join us, we'd love to see you!!
I'll be chatting on Monday, July 27 at 8:30pm EST.
My giveaways: $25 Amazon gift card and 2 digital copies of my western historical novel, INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS (total of 3 winners). To be eligible, stop by and leave
a comment during my chat.
More Info About Each Story
Kirsten Lynn: Race to Marry
Desperate to save her family ranch, Josie Allison signs up
for a bride race then begs a cowboy to put his John Hancock down to catch her.
Marrying a man you don’t know is crazy, but there’s something about this cowboy
that makes Josie want to trust him with her land and maybe even her heart. And
Josie knows marrying a man you do know can be twice as loco.
Cal Renner came to Sheridan, Wyoming, for one thing: ride
the horse known as a man-killer and use the purse money to buy his own ranch.
When a woman proposes to him five minutes after his feet touch Sheridan dirt,
he’s sure a Wyoming asylum is missing a patient. But when she turns those
summer green eyes his way, the promise of a family to go with that ranch is too
hard to resist.
When secrets are revealed and enemies join the race, Cal and
Josie will have to learn to trust each other, because the race to the altar has
turned into the race for their hearts.
* * * *
Celia Yeary: Starr Bright
Conrad Taylor has mixed emotions about his ranching neighbor
Starr Hidalgo. He can't stop caring about her, even though he is suspicious
about her morals.
Starr Hidalgo depends on Conrad as good ranchers do, but she
can't keep from admiring his good looks and strong personality. If only he
would relax around her so they could become acquainted on a personal level.
As the tension between Starr and Conrad heats up, they learn
more about each other, which can bring them together...or tear them apart
permanently.
* * * *
Kathleen Rice Adams: The
Last Three Miles
When an accident leaves Hamilton Hollister convinced he’ll
never be more than half a man, he abandons construction of a railway spur his
lumber mill needs to survive.
Believing no woman shackled by social convention can be
complete, railroad heiress Katherine Brashear refuses to let the nearly-finished track die. The magic of Christmas in a small Texas town may help them
bridge the distance…if they follow their hearts down The Last Three Miles.
* * * *
Kaye Spencer: A Gift of Christmas Hope
A shooting over a poker game, a family seeking revenge, a
blizzard sweeping across the Texas Panhandle—it’s more than the world-weary
gambler known as Lady Sapphire can handle without help. Determined to make it
to her childhood home by Christmas Eve with her stagecoach full of treasure,
she needs an escort, and there’s no time to be choosy.
Neal Behlen, a drifting gambler and occasional lady’s
man—depending upon the size of the lady’s bank account—has his eye on the
contents of Lady Sapphire’s mysterious steamer trunks. Taking on the job as her
temporary bodyguard seems a lucrative venture and a pleasant diversion, since
he plans to work in bedroom benefits along the way.
The price of their business arrangement is steep—their
hearts—and both are reluctant to pay. What they need is a gift of Christmas
hope, but will it arrive before it’s too late for love?
* * * *
Gail L. Jenner: Just in Time for Christmas
Della Wagner doesn’t need a husband. Widowed, she is
committed to running her boarding house and helping out with some of the town’s
students. But when one—eight-year-old Carson Baines—stumbles into her life, she
finds herself facing trouble and danger, in the form of Carson’s drunken,
abusive grandfather. And when James McMurray comes to her rescue, it isn’t long
before she realizes that he is more than the blacksmith he portrays himself to
be.
James McMurray didn’t come to Miner’s Creek looking for
love. But after taking up residence at Della’s boarding house, he finds himself
caught up with the widow’s campaign to rescue young Carson Baines, and in the
process, discovers that the gift of love can transform a hard heart, as well.
* * * *
Lorrie Farrelly: Christmas Treasure
Ex-Union officer Will Blackburn has tried to put the loss of
his Georgia home and the fierce alienation of his family behind him. His fresh
start on a Nevada cattle ranch has given him renewed purpose, but making peace
with the trauma of war is not so easily done.
When Will receives word that his beloved younger sister,
Mattie, has died, he must deal not only with his past, but also with a starchy,
stubborn young woman who has traveled more than two thousand miles to fulfill
Mattie’s last wish: that her cherished CHRISTMAS TREASURE be hand-delivered to
her brother. But will that unexpected
gift bring Will peace, or even greater pain?
* * * *
Sarah J.
McNeal: Unexpected Blessings
When Juliet Wilding’s dreams are crushed, she cancels her
wedding plans to Harry O’Connor. But Harry is not about to give up on the only
woman he has ever loved. What neither of them expects is the event that will
forever change both their lives.
* * * *
Sarah J. McNeal: When
Love Comes Knocking
Penelope Witherspoon was charmed into marriage by Evan
Thoroughgood only to learn she loved a philanderer, who gambled away his
inheritance and drank too heavily. It came as no surprise that four months
after their marriage, Evan was shot dead for cheating at cards. Since his
death, Penelope has come to depend on his older brother, Gil. In fact, she has
come to love and respect him. No two men could be further apart in character. But,
if Gil learns of her secret indiscretion, he will want nothing further to do
with her. What is Penelope to do?
* * * *
Tracy Garrett: A
RIVER’S BEND DUO
Wanted: The Sheriff
Martha Bittner may be considered a spinster at twenty-seven,
but she’s not planning to stay that way. For four years, she’s wanted the
sheriff of River’s Bend, Missouri, to notice her as more than a friend and a really good cook. With the first annual spring dance
only weeks away, Martha decides to announce her intentions—and declares the
sheriff a wanted man.
Sheriff Matthew Tate always thought he was better off a
bachelor. Growing up in Boston society, where marriage is a business
transaction and wealth his greatest asset, he’s learned to distrust all women’s
intentions. None of them even catch his eye anymore—until pretty Martha
Bittner tells him exactly what she wants…and he wonders why he ever resisted
capture.
No Less Than Forever
Doctor Franz Bittner is satisfied with his life as it is. He
has a good practice in a place where he is respected, in spite of his German
birth. He has good friends and enough income to provide him with a few
comforts. A wife would only complicate things. Then a tiny blond stranger is
pulled from the river and everything changes. With one smile she captures his
attention—and steals his heart.
Rebekah Snow Redmann barely survived her abusive husband’s
attack. Though she was given to him to pay her father’s debts, she’d rather die
than go back. Then she ends up in the care of the handsome local doctor and he
stitches up more than her wounds—he mends her soul. With him, she discovers
everything that she believes she can never have...a love that will last
forever.
* * * *
C. Marie Bowen: The
Kid in Black
Disguised as The Kid in Black, Nell Grant tracks down the outlaw
who killed her sweetheart and destroyed her future. At night, her dreams remind her she's a still
a woman. When she discovers the man who haunts her dreams is a marshal who
could thwart her plans, she knows she must choose between vengeance and love.
U.S. Marshal Sam Kline is sent to apprehend an outlaw.
Instead, he uncovers a passionate woman hidden beneath gunfighter's clothing.
How can he protect her when her hunger for revenge threatens to destroy her?
* * * *
Tanya Hanson:
SISTERS
Her Hurry-Up Husband
Prim and proper socialite Elspeth Maroney flees from an
indiscretion to the Wild West of Colorado as a mail order bride. She doesn’t
plan to stay long, only a month. Rancher Hezekiah Steller needs a wife quick to
get himself an heir, but what will the stagecoach deliver to his doorstep?
Their worlds collide deliciously until Ellie must confess
her mistakes. Will Hez still want her tomorrow?
Her Thief of Hearts
To escape her domineering mother, Omaha socialite Judith
Maroney heads to her sister's Colorado ranch on the morning train...a train
that’s ambushed by the very cowboy who stole her heart on her last visit!
Taking on the disguise of his outlaw twin brother, Tremaine
Heisler holds up a train to retrieve a family treasure—and finds his gun
pointed at the woman he loves. Is there any way out for either of them?
* * * *
Jill McDonald: Hearts and Red Ribbons
When a beautiful horse charges into their yard one spring
evening, Mrs. Jones and her tomboy daughter, Marlee, can’t know how much their
lives will change. Marlee goes in search of the owner of the big horse, only to
be jumped by an injured man. He’s hurt badly, and Marlee must get him home to
safety.
Ben Chambers is searching for something, but until he meets
Marlee Jones, he doesn’t know what. Settling down is the last thing Ben wants,
but he can’t seem to convince himself of that around Marlee. Valentine’s Day is
upon them and there’s only one thing to do—tie Marlee’s heart to his own with a
special red ribbon, and let the courtship begin!
* * * *
Sara Barnard: The Bank Robber’s Lament
With his troubled past never far from his mind, the
once-handsome Smith heads out to lose himself in the anonymity offered by the
American West. When he arrives in Gabriel's Settlement, Texas he succumbs to
the lifestyle of quick money and adventuresome living offered by a gang of wily
bank robbers. It isn't until he crosses paths with Johanna Johannsen and her
daughter Sadie that Smith discovers he isn't the only person in Texas with a
looming past, and some people's devils are much closer to home than his own.
When he learns of the Dalton Gang's plans to stick up the bank in Gabriel's
Settlement, Smith must make a choice. But is he strong enough to face his past
and be the man his own father couldn't be?
* * * *
Beverly Wells: Hopes and Dreams
When Claire O’Gill agreed to be legal guardian for her niece
should disaster strike, she never expected to fill that title. But now, she not
only is she guardian, she must flee the clutches of the wealthy, cold-hearted
grandparents who intend to snatch her niece away. Her determination to protect
little Tori has them zigzagging and backtracking from Philadelphia to Wyoming
to hide.
Sheriff Zach Ballard isn’t in the market for a wife. Once
burned by a money-hungry woman was more than enough. But he becomes enchanted
by the adorable Tori, and her mama seems to want to avoid him. His suspicions
as to why grow stronger, heightening his intrigue—and his heart yearns to trust
again.
All the while, Tori is busy talking to Mr. Cupid. She wants
a daddy, and she knows exactly who can fill that spot for her new mama. Can two
adults fight a little girl’s wish and the forces of Cupid?
* * * *
JACQUIE ROGERS: A
Gift for Rhoda
A mail-order bride disaster!
Rhoda Johnson is stranded in a lonely cabin without a groom.
The townsfolk say she’s better off without him, but her drunken groom sends a
message that he’ll claim her as his Christmas bride. Gunman and ex-Confederate
soldier Nate Harmon comes to Idaho to make peace with his abolitionist preacher
father. When half-frozen Nate reaches the cabin on a snowy Christmas Eve,
instead of his parents, he’s greeted by a pretty blonde with a shotgun who keeps
calling him Mr. Snyder. Will she shoot him, or melt his heart?
* * * *
Cheryl Pierson: These
Rough Dreams
When Southern socialite Gabrielle Mason discovers she’s
pregnant, she takes her future into her own hands. She has her family name to
consider, and a husband is what she needs. She answers an ad for a mail-order
bride in Indian Territory. But the man who proposes isn’t the man she ends up
marrying.
Johnny Rainbolt is not a family man by any stretch of the
imagination…but Fate is about to give him no choice. His late sister’s three
children will be arriving on the next stage, and he has no idea what to do with
them. When cultured Gabby Mason is left waiting for her prospective groom at
the stage station, Johnny sees a way to solve everyone’s problems.
Some dreams get off to a rough start. A mail-order marriage
is only the beginning. When one of the children is stolen, Johnny and Gabby are
forced to depend on one another in an unimaginable circumstance that could turn
tragic… or show them what might become of THESE ROUGH DREAMS.
* * * *
Livia J.
Washburn: Tinseltown
Carrie Fleming was on the run from a mysterious stalker. The
young cowboy known only as Pecos found the last vestiges of the Old West in
1920s Hollywood. Fate brought them together at Christmas, when the only gifts
that mattered to Pecos were winning Carrie's heart—and saving her life!
* * * *
James Reasoner:
POWDERSMOKE CHRISTMAS
Two wild and woolly Christmas stories by legendary Western
author James Reasoner.
’Tis The Season For Justice
It's a life or death Christmas Eve for the man accused of
murdering the son of the richest man in the territory. Former shotgun guard
Judge Earl Stark knows how to stomp his own snakes, and he makes sure 'TIS THE
SEASON FOR JUSTICE.
Presents for One and All
Texas Ranger Cobb is supposed to pick up a prisoner wanted
in Parker County and take him back down to Weatherford. Instead he finds himself battling a gang of
outlaws and tangling with an old coot driving a wagon full of Christmas gifts,
and it's up to him to make sure there are PRESENTS FOR ONE AND ALL.
* * * *
Livia J. Washburn: A
WILD WEST CHRISTMAS
Two action packed holiday Western stories by award winning
author Livia J. Washburn.
Blue Norther
Hired gun Lucas Hallam has been outnumbered plenty of times,
but when he comes upon a necktie party for a young boy accused of cattle
rustling, he has to step into danger once more—even with the odds stacked
against him. No one should hang on Christmas Eve.
When the nearby cattle stampede, it looks like things can’t
get any worse. But the weather is turning deadly, and if they don’t get the
cattle to shelter—as well as themselves—everything will be lost. Can Hallam
protect them from the coming BLUE NORTHER?
A Creature Was Stirring
Mistaken for a “skookum”, Buffalo Newcomb is shot by a young
boy, Tom Villard, as he stops by a creek to fish. When he comes to in a small
cabin, Buffalo is grateful to realize that the boy’s mother, Ella, has removed
the bullet and he has a safe place to recover.
It’s Christmas Eve, and A CREATURE WAS STIRRING—Buffalo can
only hope he’s strong enough to keep it from destroying the woman who has shown
him only kindness.
* * * *
Kathleen Rice Adams:
THE DUMONT BRAND
On the eve of the Civil War, family secrets threaten everything
a ranching dynasty has built…until Amon Collier finds salvation in the wrong
woman’s love. In the aftermath of battle, a woman destroyed by betrayal brings
peace to his brother Ben's wounded soul.
The Big Uneasy
To
escape the unthinkable with a man about whom she knows too much, New Orleans
belle Josephine LaPierre agrees to marry a Texan about whom she knows nothing.
Falling in love with his brother was not part of her plan.
Making Peace
After four long years in hell, Confederate cavalry officer Bennett Collier just
wants to go home—assuming home still exists. Widowed Jayhawker Maggie Fannin
will hold onto her home at any cost…even if she must face down the imposing
Rebel soldier who accuses her of squatting.
