I'm pleased to share a new anthology just in time for Valentine's Day. COWBOY KISSES is a collection of eight Old West romances, including my short story A Westward Adventure.
Aspiring novelist Amelia Mercer travels from New York City
to Colorado to aid an injured aunt. When the stage is robbed and her luggage
stolen, bounty hunter Ned Waymire comes to her aid, acquainted with the
harmless culprit and wanting to spare the boy. But Ned also seeks to impress
the independent young woman. Amelia's wish to never marry, however, clashes
with Ned's desire to keep her reputation intact. When a final bounty from Ned's
past threatens their future, she knows that A
Westward Adventure isn’t just the title of her novel but the new course of
her life.
Available in Digital and Print
What
could be better on a cold Valentine’s Day than to sit down with a book chock
full of stories about special cowboys and their ladies? COWBOY KISSES has just
what you’re looking for! Eight stories by some fabulous authors who share with
you their love stories of the old west!
In
Lorrie Farrelly’s tale of love and fate, a tattered old diary sends a young
woman into the arms of a long-ago Texas Ranger for A Kiss in Time.
Linda
Carroll-Bradd’s When My Heart Knew is
the story of young Maisie Treadwell, who has never been in love before, and
handsome Dylan MacInnes, who might or might not be the one.
A Westward Adventure by Kristy McCaffrey
is a story of aspiring novelist Amelia Mercer, who travels to Colorado,
determined to find her own adventure to write about. When bounty hunter Ned
Waymire comes to her aid, the true adventure begins!
Valentine Angel by Gail L. Jenner
is a poignant story of a determined young woman who rescues a wounded lawman
and then must help him fight off his nemesis.
In
Gil McDonald’s story, Hearts and Red
Ribbons, a feisty young woman who dresses in men’s clothes and a drifter
looking for—something—are thrown together by Fate on a wet February day.
Hunter’s Gamble, by C. Marie Bowen,
is a gripping tale of lost love and determination. Life is a gamble, and Hunter
knows he can’t always win. With true love in the mix, the odds are stacked in
Hunter’s favor!
Her Thief of Hearts by Tanya Hanson is
the tale of an outlaw, an orphan, and a socialite—is this a recipe for disaster
or true love?
Beverly
Wells will steal your heart in her story, Hopes
and Dreams. A woman on the run, a sheriff sworn to uphold the law, and one
little girl’s pleas to Mr. Cupid for a new daddy!
Settle
in for some mighty fine Valentine’s Day reading from your favorite western
romance authors!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Excerpt from A Westward Adventure
The front door opened and shut, and in the next instant Ned Waymire
filled the parlor entryway. As soon as Amelia locked eyes with him, he froze.
“Ned, I’d like you to meet my niece, Amelia Mercer.” Teddy
waved him into the room. “Amelia, this is Ned Waymire. He boards here. There’s
also another gentleman, but he’s been away recently.”
Mister Waymire removed his hat, revealing dark hair, and
cleared his throat. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, miss.” He stepped
forward to take her hand.
The touch was warm and his sun-darkened fingers overwhelmed
her pale ones. As she smiled and nodded, she tried to ignore the tingling
sensation that crept up her arm. Up close, he exuded even more strength than
was apparent in the marshal’s office.
A man who spent his days outdoors.
A man who called the earth his home.
Vivid blue eyes stood out on a sun- and whisker-darkened
face.
He was the perfect western hero.
“I just saw you,” she said, glad her voice sounded calm
considering how her insides quivered.
“That’s right.”
He stepped back from her.
“You’re not married, are you, Amelia?” Teddy asked.
“No, ma’am.”
“Why, neither is Ned.”
Heat suffused Amelia’s cheeks. “I don’t believe in marriage,
much like you Aunt Teddy.” The words rushed out of Amelia. “Women don’t need
men to make their way in the world. Why, look at you? You’ve done quite well on
your own.”
“I’ve never been placed on a pillar,” Teddy said. “What do
you think of that, Ned? I’m a woman of example.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Ned replied.
“Did you get Billings?” Teddy asked.
“Yep. You were right. He was in Old Man Hill’s abandoned
mine.”
“I knew it.” Teddy chuckled under her breath.
“Are you a bounty hunter, too?” Amelia asked.
Teddy cackled. “No, but I could be. Don’t you think, Ned?”
“You’d outgun us all, Teddy.”
Amelia sensed an affection between the two, and it warmed
her heart, although this entire reunion with her aunt was far different than
anything she imagined. She knew she had the first chapter of her new novel.
“I’ll just be turning in now, ladies,” Ned said.
Amelia, her cheeks still warm from being in the same room
with him, met his eyes briefly then looked away in embarrassment.
What if he thinks I
like him?
She imagined the type of woman he fancied was far from the
likes of her. Why, he probably thought her a silly city girl. And he’d be
right. But her mama had long taught her to be an independent thinker, to
believe that a woman’s mind was equal to a man’s. Most of Amelia’s writings had
been social commentaries, addressing important issues such as the educational
welfare of children, the plight of the homeless and less fortunate, and the
lack of voice the average woman had within marriage. But in her heart, she
longed to pen an adventurous tale of a woman who not only sees the world, but
tames a man in the process, who finds love with an equal, inciting passion in
her partner.
She hadn’t told her mother she planned to write such a novel—she’d
likely think it beneath Amelia—but her heart burned with the desire to share the
story singing in her heart. Coming to visit Aunt Theodora had offered the
perfect blend of adventure and inspiration.
Ned Waymire departed the room and his footsteps could be
heard climbing the staircase.
That man was the epitome of adventure and inspiration.
Copyright
© 2015 K. McCaffrey LLC
