Posted in Book Release, romance, Spotlight, Western on February 22, 2022

 

 

 

 

Hunter Whitloch’s Wall Street career is on the fast track until he learns about his boss’, Egon Gregory, underhanded dealings. Hunter’s and Egon’s confrontation means Hunter must turn a blind eye or return to Crystal Creek and walk away from a lucrative career and the only woman he’s ever loved⸻Egon’s daughter, Bryce. He won’t let her make a choice between him and her father, so he makes that choice for her.

Bryce watched Hunter walk out of her life and never expected to see him again⸻until he shows up at her father’s funeral. The mystery deepens when Bryce learns her father asked Hunter to return to New York⸻the night her father died. The authorities have ruled Egon’s death a suicide but attempts on her life unearth more questions than answers⸻namely who can she trust? The man who abandoned her a year ago, or her father’s right-hand man who wants to seize control of the company from her?

Hunter has to return to Crystal Creek, but he won’t leave Bryce as bait to someone who wants her dead. But Crystal Creek isn’t the haven he expected, and soon he and Bryce race against the clock to find out what secret died with Egon, and how to endure the pain that has them fighting to protect their hearts and their lives.

 

 

Amazon.in * Amazon.com

 

 

Meet Bryce Gregory and Hunter Whitloch

 

 

As the daughter of billionaire Egon Gregory, Bryce has it all, including men who want to marry her. She soon learns that her father’s billions makes her attractive to men who are looking for a way to get rich quick. One heartbreak is one too many,  and she develops a distrust toward men. Can any man love her for herself, or will her wealth be the most attractive feature about her? She won’t let her guard down when it comes to men. Though she’s cool and aloof, men still seek her out. Afraid of another heartbreak, she keeps her distance from men. It will take a special man to break past the barrier and convince her he loves Bryce for herself.

Could that man be Hunter Whitloch?

Hunter knows too well what it’s like to live in the shadow of the powerful. His grandfather is the wealthy financier Max Whitloch, Sr. Hunter’s father, Max, Jr., never forgave his father for abandoning him after his mother died.

Hunter loves his grandfather, but learned early on that many wanted to be his friend because of who his grandfather is. He understands Bryce’s reluctance to have relationships. He doesn’t know who wants to be his friend and who wants to use him. Because of Bryce’s fear of relationships, he lets her go. He’ll be there when she needs him.

After Hunter and Bryce graduate college, Bryce’s father, Egon, hires Hunter. He’s now climbing the corporate ladder. When Bryce opens her heart to him, he know she’s the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with.

His life couldn’t be better. He’s with the woman he loves, and he’s becoming a success without the help of his grandfather. He’s on the fast track …

Until …

His fraternity brothers started a company in their dorm room and want to take the company public. Hunter’s excited to help. He drafts the public offering and with Egon’s blessing prepares the deal. When the offering is scheduled to close, his brothers call and tell him the payout they’ll receive is less than the agreement.

Angry and humiliated, Hunter confronts Egon. Egon’s partner, Percy, is cheating Hunter’s fraternity brothers. Egon is enraged. How dare Hunter accuse Percy of underhanded dealings. Unless Hunter can prove Percy’s duplicity, he can leave.

Hunter can’t prove it. He’ll leave, but he’ll take Bryce with him.

Egon tells him that’s where he’s wrong. If he leaves the company, he’ll leave Bryce.

Hunter can’t walk away from Bryce.

What happens next?

Buy Whisper a Kiss and find out.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would.

After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life.

Though she and her husband have left warm California for cooler Colorado, they enjoy the outdoor life of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, and snow skiing. They satisfy their love of music by attending concerts and hanging out with their musician friends, but Laura still catches a few free moments when she can sneak off and read.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, Giveaway, Historical, Review, Texas, Western on February 17, 2022

 

 

THE SPARROWS OF MONTENEGRO

 

by

 

BJ MAYO

 

 

Categories: Western / Historical Fiction / Texas

Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing

Date of Publication: February 8, 2022

Number of Pages: 312 pages

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

Tree “Bigfoot” Smith and Cedar Jones first meet on the day they join the US Cavalry’s Fourth Cavalry Regiment based out of the Historic Fort Concho in what is now San Angelo, Texas, in 1870.

Their journey takes them into the heart of the dangerous Llano Estacado region known as the Comancheria. The area is ruthlessly defended by a band of Quahadi Comanche and their stoic leader, Lonely Horse. The Troop encounters a large group of Comanches and the gun-running Comancheros at Mushaway Mountain, close to Gail, Texas. A quick battle ensues that leaves eight men dead.

Post Cavalry life finds Tree Smith and Cedar Jones as cowhand and cook on the large Rolling J cattle ranch in South Texas bordering the Rio Grande River. The ranch employs two Vaqueros from the village of Montenegro in Mexico, just across the river, whom Tree befriends.

The quiet life on the Rolling J ranch is brought to an abrupt halt when a local sheriff warns that a band led by the cold-blooded, sadistic killer known as Gato Montes has been preying on the ranches along the Rio Grande. After the sheriff is nearly killed by these men, Tree is tasked with tracking them down, only this time, he is traveling alone and the dangers are greatly multiplied. His epic journey takes him back into the Llano Estacado where he is captured by Lonely Horse and taken to Mushaway Mountain where the Comanche carry out their own form of frontier justice.

Tree’s return journey puts him on the same path as Marco, a Mexican goat herder, who rides with him to the Mexican Village of Montenegro, where Tree meets Julia, who changes his life forever after he becomes involved in and bears witness to the wonderful celebration of Dia de los Muertos.

 

 

AmazonBarnes and Noble * Simon and Schuster

 

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PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

 

“I could not put this one down. Mayo has masterfully written a character-driven page-turner, a compelling tale for the reader who seeks something more than the stereotypical western novel.” Ron Schwab, author of Goldsmith and the Law Wranglers series

 

“This mild-mannered west Texas rancher has woven a border tapestry using yarns made of unimaginable horror and sweet innocence.” Tumbleweed Smith, author of Under the Chinaberry Tree

 

“A thoroughly enjoyable read—a cowboy’s trail you’ll want to follow, with a memorable cast of characters, renegades, soldiers, lawmen, and simple folks, and a hero that you’ll want more of.” John J. Jacobson, author of All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone

 

 

 

 

 

If you are in the mood for a historical western that has everything from cowboys & ranching, cavalry, Dia de Los Muertos, Indian justice, faith, humor, and even a little romance, then this is the book to read.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started this book and wasn’t sure where the first few storylines were going, but as I continued reading everything fell into place. As it was said in the book “Dios knows.” The stories weave together as if they were always meant to be there and the descriptive words of the sights, sounds, and smells will have you wondering if you were there with them experiencing the same thing.

There are so many likable characters, and of course some unlikable ones too. I’m not quite sure who my favorite character was out of all of them, but it was close between Tree, Marco, and Felicity. Tree is one of the main characters and like his name, he is steadfast and strong. Marco is a minor character we meet about 2/3 of the way through the book but his kindness and goat-whisperer abilities just spoke to me. Felicity is not your average woman and can definitely take care of herself as she shows us multiple times. Plus, her ability to move past her past and look forward to a future with Cedar is something many can relate to in our own lives.

This story is not a sweet recounting of what life was like in the late 1800s but a realistic look at what settlers might have endured from the Indians, banditos, wild animals, and weather that they may not be prepared to experience. The biggest obstacles were the Indians and the justice that they meted out to those trying to take over their lands or unsavory acts perpetrated upon the tribe or others. The truth isn’t whitewashed and the details may be hard to read for some, but it was how things were handled at that time.

While the story has multiple facets, the main focus is on Tree and his life during the cavalry and afterward. He is a noble character with flaws and a heart as big as Texas. So many go through life with events from their past that haunt them and this is no different for Tree. However, he learns to adapt and eventually captures the heart of a woman from a village across the border. While we don’t see a lot of their relationship blossom and it does seem to happen rather quickly, they are perfect for each other and ultimately complete each other.

I do have to add that I got a huge chuckle of what the men would call their privates – hangy-downs.

This is a wondrous tale that hovers between western and historical fiction, but it definitely made an impression on me. We give it 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BJ Mayo was born in an oil field town in Texas. His career in the energy industry took him to various points in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Bangladesh, Australia, and Angola, West Africa.

He and his wife were high school sweethearts and have been married for forty-six years. They live on a working farm near San Angelo, Texas.

 

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2/9/22 Review The Plain-Spoken Pen
2/9/22 Review Book Fidelity
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2/17/22 Review StoreyBook Reviews
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Posted in 4 paws, Giveaway, Review, Texas, Western on November 15, 2021

 

 

THE BIG EMPTY

 

by

 

LOREN C. STEFFY

 

 

Genre: Western / Rural Fiction / Small Town

Publisher: Stoney Creek Publishing Group

Date of Publication: May 25, 2021

Number of Pages: 304 pages

 

 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

When Trace Malloy and Blaine Witherspoon collide on a desolate West Texas highway, their fender bender sets the tone for escalating clashes that will determine the future of the town of Conquistador.

 Malloy, a ranch manager and lifelong cowboy, knows that his occupation—and his community—are dying. He wants new- millennium opportunities for his son, even though he himself failed to summon the courage to leave familiar touchstones behind.

Witherspoon, an ambitious, Lexus-driving techie, offers a solution. He moves to Conquistador to build and run a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant that will bring prestige and high-paying technology jobs to revive the town—and advance his own career.

What neither man anticipates is the power the “Big Empty” will wield over their plans. The flat, endless expanse of dusty plain is as much a character in the conflict as are the locals struggling to subsist in this timeworn backwater and the high-tech transplants hell-bent on conquering it. While Malloy grapples with the flaws of his ancestors and his growing ambivalence toward the chip plant, Witherspoon falls prey to construction snafus, corporate backstabbing, and financial fraud. As they each confront personal fears, they find themselves united in the search for their own version of purpose in a uniquely untamable Texas landscape.

 

 

Stoney Creek Publishing Group (Currently 25% off)

 

TAMU PRESS │Bookshop.org│ Amazon

 

 

Praise

 

“The Big Empty” captures a moment when Big Tech seemingly promised everything. By turns funny and painful, Steffy’s story builds like an accelerating freight train, reaching a fast-paced climax.”   — The Epoch Times

 

“Like the titular land itself, Steffy’s novel is uncompromising in spotlighting the strains that the drive toward material achievement puts on the individual in the face of nature’s whims.”  — Southern Review of Books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear, greed, family, and hope play a major role in this new novel set in West Texas.

If you have never experienced the vastness of West Texas, it might be hard to imagine this sleepy little town of Conquistador. But never fear, the author does an amazing job of describing the desolate open plains and hills so that the reader can picture the setting in their mind. There are multiple mentions of the sunsets and I can only imagine the brilliance of color setting over the horizon and putting on a display like never seen before.

Conquistador is a shrinking town and if not careful, could become a ghost town. The town consists of primarily cattle ranches with a few other small businesses tucked into the mix. The largest ranch has quite the history and it is the only life that Trace Malloy has ever known. His loyalty to the ranch is a blessing and a curse to his life. It is consistent, but also, not a steady way to make a living due to the droughts, beef prices, and lack of opportunity in a dying town.

Enter Blaine Witherspoon and AZTech. The opportunities that AZTech can provide might be what saves this town. However, there are many things that the company does not take into consideration and the main one is the available water supply that they will need. West Texas is dry and you don’t find lakes or rivers and all water is derived from the water table below the surface. Since the majority of the town are cattle ranches, they rely on the water in cases of drought to keep the livestock alive. There could be a battle for what little water is available especially during a drought.

As I started reading this novel, I couldn’t help but not like Blaine Witherspoon. He thought he knew it all and what he didn’t understand is how things really work in West Texas compared to where he was from, California. His attitude really grated on my nerves. But as the story continued and certain facts were revealed, Blaine slowly realized that perhaps he was going about this all wrong, and fighting the town for the water and electricity might not be the best for everyone involved. It takes a major event for this to surface, plus some other underlying events at his company, but I grew to appreciate his flexibility and willingness to sacrifice when the situation called for it.

Trace Malloy is what I would picture a cowboy to look like with a mustache, weathered skin, and a tough mental outlook. He is happy with his life but wants more for his son Colt. However, an accident that broke Colt’s legs shatters his dreams to fly a plane in the Air Force. If Colt can’t do that, he wants to remain on the ranch doing what he knows best, raising cattle. I think most parents want something better for their children, but sometimes you just can’t alter their dreams or desires.

This story starts off with a bang (literally) from two trucks colliding driven by Blaine and Trace. They could not have had a worse introduction to each other at that moment and because this is a small town, news will travel quickly no matter the subject. Many will get a chuckle out of the incident knowing Trace’s personality and how he would have reacted in the situation. Follow-up meetings don’t go well either and Trace will admit he is no goodwill ambassador and shouldn’t be trying to placate the “homies”. Homies is a term they came up with to call those that we’re moving into town to run the new chip production facility. They were creating a new subdivision and expected it to be like one you would find in any metropolitan area with a golf course and decorative fountain. They even had gates at the entrance which amused Trace because in a town that small, no one was stealing anything from anyone. Despite the drain on the water supply, this housing development will be a godsend in the end…but for reasons I’m not going to share and you will have to read the book to find out.

There are so many storylines that bring this novel together and create a story that will resonate with many. The first is Trace’s dealings with his mother and her dementia. Knowing several people with dementia, I know how hard it is to interact with them especially once they reach the point that they do not remember who you are or even where they are at that time. Blaine has family issues with a wife that would rather be in New Jersey and comes across as very selfish. There is also his son, Brandon, that has issues of his own including drug use. How and where Brandon was raised is very reflective in an incident that culminates in a major turning point for the town and the characters. But perhaps it is also a case of how he was raised by his parents.

But this book is not without some humor thrown into the mix. I think my biggest chuckle was when the Witherspoon family attended a BBQ and brought their own food since they are vegetarians. Trust me when I say that the ranchers weren’t sure what to do with the frozen veggie burgers mixed in with their steaks, burgers, and whatever else was on the grill. I did wonder if Brandon, the son, would have preferred a nice juicy burger versus the veggie burger.

Overall, this story is a look at how life really is like for ranchers and the struggles they face, and how dependent they are on nature to help provide some of what they need to survive. We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loren C. Steffy is the author of five nonfiction books. He is a writer at large for Texas Monthly, and his work has appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. He has previously worked for news organizations including Bloomberg and the Houston Chronicle, and he is a managing director for 30 Point Strategies, where he leads the 30 Point Press publishing imprint. His is a frequent guest on radio and television programs and is the co-host of the Rational Middle podcast. The Big Empty is his first novel. Steffy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M University. He lives in Wimberley, Texas, with his wife, three dogs and an ungrateful cat.

 

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11/21/21 Deleted Scene Forgotten Winds
11/22/21 Review Rainy Days with Amanda
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11/24/21 Review Bibliotica
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Posted in fiction, Giveaway, Historical, Interview, Western on September 12, 2021

 

RIO BONITO

 

The Three Rivers Trilogy, Book 2

 

By PRESTON LEWIS

 

 

Categories: Western / Historical Fiction

Publisher: Five Star Publishing

Pub Date: August 18, 2021

 

Pages: 336 pages

 

 

Scroll for the Giveaway!

 

 

 

 

With Lincoln County teetering on the edge of lawless turmoil, small rancher Wes Bracken avoids taking sides, but his goal is complicated by his devotion to what he sees as justice and by his friendship with William H. Bonney, who’s developing a reputation as Billy the Kid.

As Lincoln County devolves into explosive violence, Bracken must skirt the edge of the law to guarantee the survival of his family, his spread, and his dream. But dangers abound from both factions for a man refusing to take sides. Before the Lincoln County War culminates on the banks of the Rio Bonito during a five-day shootout in Lincoln, Bracken is accused of being both a vigilante and a rustler. As the law stands idly by, Bracken’s ranch is torched, and his wife is assaulted by the notorious outlaw Jesse Evans. Survival trumps vengeance, though, as Bracken tries to outlast the dueling factions aimed at destroying him.

At every turn Bracken must counter the devious ploys of both factions and fight against lawmen and a court system skewed to protect the powerful and politically connected. Against overwhelming odds, Bracken challenges the wicked forces arrayed against him in hopes of a better life for himself, for his family, and for New Mexico Territory. And throughout it all, Bracken stands in the growing shadow of his sometime pal, Billy the Kid.

 

 

 

 

 

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Books-a-million

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interview with Preston Lewis Discussing Writing

 

 

Every writer has a unique writing approach to a novel.  What’s yours?

 

I go through three drafts.  The first is the worst because you’re staring at a blank screen.  You don’t have anything to work with until you finish the first draft, so I try to get through it as quickly as I can.  Then with the second draft I work on resolving plot issues, improving transitions, polishing the dialog, ensuring story coherence and sharpening the prose.  In the third and final draft, I focus primarily on polishing the prose and finalizing it for the editor.

 

Do you use an outline or plot your chapters in advance?

 

It depends.  If I’ve got between 100,000 and 120,000 words to work with, I generally just start writing and let the plot take me where it goes.  I generally in these cases know where the story will start and how it will end, but not necessarily what happens in between.  This is the most fun because the story twists and turns often surprise me.  Now when I’ve got a word target I’m shooting for, say 75,000 to 85,000 words, I generally do a chapter by chapter synopsis so I hit the word target.  That takes more time on the front end, but generally saves time in the writing process, though it is less spontaneous.

 

How do you deal with deadlines?

 

My background is in journalism so I started out working for four daily newspapers in Texas.  I dealt with daily deadlines every workday and on longer pieces weekly deadlines.  So, deadlines are not intimidating.  I also know my limits.  There was year when I had contract for five books.  Four I managed okay around my day job, but the fifth was closing in on me so I took ten vacation days and completed the first draft of 300-plus pages in that span.  The first draft is always a chore, but the subsequent drafts are a breeze.

 

What is the best advice you ever got about writing? 

 

Perseverance trumps talent.  That came from Jeanne Williams, an award-winning and best-selling author of historical novel.  I consider Jeanne my writing mentor and her encouragement helped me in my early years of writing.  She said she had seen many talented writers give up, but lesser writers succeed because keep at it.  Jeanne told me if I kept at it, I would eventually earn some writing awards.  Her encouragement and faith in my abilities kept me going.  The second best piece of advice came from western novelist Elmer Kelton, who told me as he did all other young writers, “Don’t quit your day job.”

 

Were you ever tempted to quit your job and try writing full-time?

 

No, I had a family to support and my first obligation was to them.  Writers face two limitations:  time and money.  Some writers can deal with money issues and others can manage time constraints.  I’m disciplined enough to make efficient use of my time, but I could never have kept my writing sanity and temperament if I was worried about making the next mortgage payment or putting food on the table for my wife, son and daughter.  It’s a moot issue now that I am retired.

 

Any advice for aspiring writers?

 

Perseverance trumps talent and don’t quit your day job are still solid starting points, but writing has changed so much in the 40 years since I began developing novels.  There are more opportunities and options than ever before for your writing through the Web.  So the key is determining what it is you want out of writing, whether it’s a living or riches, whether it’s the personal satisfaction or public acclaim, and then mapping out a strategy that you think will get you to your goal.  There may be bumps along the way, but I’ve found the journey was as much fun as the destination.

 

 

 

 

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of 40 westerns, historical novels, juvenile books, and memoirs.  He has received national awards for his novels, articles, short stories, and humor.

In 2021 he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his literary accomplishments.  Lewis is past president of Western Writers of America and the West Texas Historical Association.

His historical novel Blood of Texas on the Texas Revolution earned a Spur Award as did his True West article on the Battle of Yellow House Canyon.  He developed the Memoirs of H.H. Lomax series, which includes two Spur finalists and a Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for western humor for his novel Bluster’s Last Stand on the battle of Little Big Horn.  His comic western The Fleecing of Fort Griffin and two of his YA novels have won Elmer Kelton Awards for best creative work on West Texas from the West Texas Historical Association.

He began his writing career working for Texas daily newspapers in Abilene, Waco, Orange, and Lubbock before going into university administration.  During his 35-year career in higher education, he directed communications and marketing offices at Texas Tech University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, and Angelo State University.

Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baylor University and master’s degrees from Ohio State in journalism and Angelo State in history.  He lives in San Angelo with his wife, Harriet.

 

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, Historical, Western on June 7, 2021

 

 

High Country Justice

 

by Nik James

 

Publication Date: 5/25/2021

 

 

Synopsis

 

Fans of William Johnstone will love this unique and riveting historical western series. A perfect gift for Father’s Day, birthdays, and holidays for the men in your life. 

 

It will take all this lone frontiersman’s skills to save his only friend from murderous outlaws.

Caleb Marlowe carved out his own legend as a frontier scout and lawman before arriving in the Colorado boomtown of Elkhorn. Famous for a lightning-quick draw and nerves of steel, he is mysterious, guarded, and unpredictable. Now, he wants to leave the past behind. But the past has a way of dogging a man…

When Doc Burnett, Caleb’s only friend in town, goes missing, his daughter Sheila comes seeking Caleb’s help. Newly arrived from the East, she hotly condemns the bloody frontier justice of the rifle and the six-gun. But this is outlaw country.

Murderous road agents have Doc trapped in their mountain hideaway. To free Doc, Marlowe tracks his kidnappers through wild, uncharted territory, battling animals and bushwhackers. But when Sheila is captured by the ruthless gunhawks with a score to settle, Marlowe will have to take them down one by one, until no outlaw remains standing.

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Elkhorn, Colorado, May 1878

 

Caleb Marlowe watched the embers of the fire throw flickering shadows on his new cabin walls. Outside, a muffled sound drew his attention, and Caleb focused on the door at the same time Bear lifted his great head. The thick, golden fur on the neck of the dog rose, and the low growl told Caleb that his own instincts were not wrong.

In an instant, both man and dog were on their feet.

Caleb signaled for the big, yellow animal to stay and reached for his Winchester ’73. The .44-­caliber rifle was leaning, dark and deadly, against the new pine boards he’d nailed up not two hours before. If he’d had time to hang the door, whoever was out there might have gotten the drop on him.

Moving with the stealth of a cougar, Caleb crossed quickly to one side of the door and looked out, holding his gun. The broad fields gleamed like undulating waves of silver under the May moon between the wooded ridges that formed the east and west boundaries of his property. Down the slope from the cabin, by a bend in the shallow river, he could see the newly purchased cattle settled for the night. From this distance, the herd looked black as a pool of dried blood in the wide meadow.

He could see nothing amiss there. Nice and quiet. No wolves or mountain lions harrying the herd and stirring them up. The only sound was a pair of hunting owls hooting at each other in the distant pines. Still, something was wrong. His instincts were rarely off, and he had a prickling feeling on the back of his neck. He levered a cartridge into the chamber.

Caleb slipped outside into the cool, mountain air and moved silently along the wall of the nearly finished cabin. Bear moved ahead of him and disappeared into the shadow cast by the building blocking moonlight. The crisp breeze was light and coming out of the north, from the direction of Elkhorn, three miles away as the crow flies.

When Caleb peered around the corner, he was aware of the large, yellow smudge of dog standing alert at his feet. Bear was focused on the dark edge of the woods a couple hundred yards beyond Caleb’s wagon and the staked areas where the barn, corral, and Henry’s house would eventually set. Bear growled low again.

Caleb smelled them before he saw them. Six riders came out of the tall pines, moving slowly along the eastern edge of the meadow, and he felt six pairs of eyes fixed on the cabin.

He had no doubt as to their intentions. They were rustlers, and they were after his cattle. But this was his property—­his and Henry’s—­and that included those steers.

If they’d been smart enough to come down from Elkhorn on the southwestern road, these dolts could have forded the river far below here and had a damn good chance of making off with the herd. It must have surprised the shit out of them, seeing the cabin.

“Bad luck, fellas,” Caleb murmured, assessing the situation.

He needed to get a little closer to these snakes. Standing a couple of inches over six feet, with broad shoulders and solid muscles, he was hardly an insignificant target, even at night. His wagon was fifty yards nearer to them, but with this moon, they’d spot him and come at him before he got halfway there. It’d take a damn good shot on horseback from a hundred and fifty yards, but they could close that distance in a hurry. And Caleb would have no cover at all. Beyond the wagon, there were half a dozen stone outcroppings, but nothing else to stop a bullet.

Just then, the cattle must have smelled them too, because they started grunting and moving restlessly. That was all the distraction he needed.

Staying low, Caleb ran hard, angling his path to get the wagon between him and the rustlers as quickly as he could.

He nearly made it.

The flash from the lead rider’s rifle was accompanied by the crack of wood and an explosion of splinters above the sideboard of the wagon. A second shot thudded dead into the ground a few yards to Caleb’s right. Immediately, with shouts and guns blazing, they were all coming hard.

 

 

About the Author

 

Nik James is a pseudonym for award-winning, USA Today bestselling authors Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick. They are the writing team behind over four dozen conflict-filled historical and contemporary novels and two works of nonfiction under various pseudonyms. They make their home in California.

 

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Posted in 5 paws, Adventure, Giveaway, Review, Texas, Western on March 9, 2021

 

 

All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone

 

by John J. Jacobson

 

 

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 352

Date of Publication: February 23, 2021

Categories: Historical Fiction / Action Adventure / Western

 

 

 

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All the Cowboys Ain’t Gone is the rollicking adventure story of Lincoln Smith, a young Texan living at the beginning of the twentieth century, who thinks of himself as the last true cowboy. He longs for the days of the Old West, when men like his father, a famous Texas Ranger, lived by the chivalric code. Lincoln finds himself hopelessly out of time and place in the fast-changing United States of the new century. When he gets his heart broken by a sweetheart who doesn’t appreciate his anachronistic tendencies, he does what any sensible young romantic would do: he joins the French Foreign Legion. On his way to an ancient and exotic country at the edge of the Sahara, Lincoln encounters a number of curious characters and strange adventures, from a desert hermit who can slow up time to a battle with a crocodile cult that worships the god of death. He meets them all with his own charming brand of courage and resourcefulness.

 

 

Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want to be taken on a wild adventure? Imagine a cross between James Bond and Macgyver, throw in the Wild West and North Africa, and the result will be this book.

“I like gettin’ out and see what’s stirring with the new day, while it’s still fresh and wild, before others get a chance to mar it’s newness.”

I started reading this book and wasn’t sure what to expect. We meet Lincoln Smith, a young man that loses his father to some outlaws in the wild west of Texas in the late 1800s. His father was a role model for Lincoln and he did his best to emulate his father all his life. I have to admit I could relate a little bit to Lincoln and how he did not like things to change. He didn’t like the trains coming through his town and definitely did not like the horseless carriages he encountered as a young man. He even says he was born too late and should have been born about 50 years earlier.

Lincoln decides after a Wild West show closes that he is going to join the French Foreign Legion to see places he has only heard of and places he hasn’t. We have all heard of this outfit and I have to admit, I really don’t know much about them other than they are a military organization. Apparently, this organization still exists and I could find myself going down a rabbit hole reading about the group but stopped myself. Anyway, Lincoln makes his way to France to join up in the early 1900s and meets Jake and Johnny, two men that will have his back more times than he can count. What follows is their adventure.

Lincoln has some crazy good luck throughout the book. He manages to wriggle his way out of tough situations and while it may seem impossible, it is what made this book so fascinating to me. I think Lincoln is a bit naive and could have easily been taken advantage of (and probably was a few times) but luckily he met various characters that took him under their wing and watched out for him.

There is one character that I didn’t like at first but came to admire and that is Amanda. She is the daughter of an Ambassador and she is very hard-headed and insists on doing what she wants despite the potential danger. But I think that is what attracts Lincoln to her and there could be a romance brewing but only time will tell.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and once the action really picked up about halfway through the book, I had a hard time putting it down. Sure, some of it may seem impossible but that is the great thing about books, they make the impossible possible and let us imagine a world other than our own.

We give this 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though John J. Jacobson didn’t join the French Foreign Legion after being jilted by a girlfriend, or over his displeasure of missing the last great cattle drive, he has, borrowing Churchill’s phrase, lived a rather variegated life. He was born in Nevada, grew up in the West, surfed big waves in Hawaii, circled the world thrice, survived the sixties and seventies, corporate America, and grad school. Among other degrees he has an MA in Renaissance literature from Claremont Graduate University.

 

 

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Posted in Giveaway, Historical, romance, Texas, Trailer, Western on December 1, 2020

 

 

ONCE UPON A MAIL ORDER BRIDE

 

Outlaw Mail Order Brides, #4

 

by

 

Linda Broday

 

 

Categories: Western / Historical Romance

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Date of Publication: November 24, 2020

Number of Pages: 352 pages

 

 

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Accused of crimes he didn’t commit, ex-preacher Ridge Steele is forced to give up everything he knew and make his home with outlaws. Desperate for someone to confide in, he strikes up correspondence with mail-order bride Adeline Jancy, finding in her the open heart he’s been searching for. Upon her arrival, Ridge discovers Addie only communicates through the written word, but he knows a little of what trauma can do to a person and vows to stand by her side.

Addie is eager to start a new life with the kind ex-preacher and the little boy she’s stolen away from her father―a zealot priest of a terrorized flock. As her small family settles into life at Hope’s Crossing, she even begins to find the voice, and confidence, she’d lost so long ago.

But danger is not far behind, and her father will not be denied. While Addie desperately fights the man who destroyed her childhood, a determined Ridge races to the rescue. The star-crossed lovers will need more than prayers to survive this final challenge…and find their way back to each other again.

 

 

 

 

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Praise

 

“An awesome culmination to a great western romance series!” ~ Fresh Fiction

“Broday concludes the Outlaw Mail Order Bride series with a sizzling finale that features a tantalizingly slow build to intimate trust that catapults into adrenaline packed ardor.” ~ Booklist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over twenty historical western romance novels and short stories. I reside in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed, and at times if the breeze is just right, I can hear their voices whispering in the wind. Texas’ rich history is one reason I set all my stories here where cowboys are still caretakers of the land. I’m inspired every day by their immense dedication and love for the wide-open spaces.

When I’m not writing, I collect old coins and I’ve also been accused (quite unfairly I might add) of making a nuisance of myself at museums, libraries, and historical places. I’m also a movie buff and love sitting in a dark theater, watching the magic unfold on the screen. As long as I’m confessing…chocolate is my best friend. It just soothes my soul.

 

 

 

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Full Autographed Set of the Mail Order Bride Series

 

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Autographed copy of Once Upon a Mail Order Bride

 

4TH PRIZE: $10 Amazon Gift Card

 

(US Only. Giveaway Ends Midnight, CST, 12/11/2020.)

 

 

 

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Posted in Giveaway, humor, Western on October 28, 2020

 

 

NORTH TO ALASKA

 

The Memoirs of H. H. Lomax, #6

 

by

 

PRESTON LEWIS

 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Western / Humor

Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing

Date of Publication: August 5, 2020

Number of Pages: 414

 

 

Scroll down for the giveaway!

 

 

 

 

WEALTH AND FAME IN THE WILD WEST ARE WHAT LOMAX SEEKS . . . HIS OWN BAD LUCK IS WHAT STANDS IN HIS WAY.

 

Swindled out of a mining fortune in Colorado and blamed for an ensuing murder, H. H. Lomax two decades later must finally face up to his past in Skagway, Alaska. Along the way, he encounters legendary madam Mattie Silks, suffragist Susan B. Anthony, novelist Jack London, and a talking dog.

 

To survive his previous missteps and avoid a prison sentence for theft, Lomax must outshoot infamous Western conman Soapy Smith, outwit an unrelenting Wells Fargo investigator, and outrun Shotgun Jake Townsend, the greatest frontier assassin who never was.

 

 

 

 

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  1. In May of 1898, flamboyant western conman Jefferson “Soapy” Smith set up his “business” inside this vacated bank building, which became the center of his fleecing operations for the ensuing three months of his life. The building was purchased in 1935 by a Skagway tourism promoter and served as a local attraction. The building was donated to the National Park Service in 2008 and refurbished.

 

  1. After his death, Skagway citizens refused to allow Soapy Smith to be buried in the city cemetery. Instead, he was interred just outside the graveyard’s boundaries. His grave and that of his purported killer, Frank H. Reid, remain major Skagway tourist attractions to this day.

 

  1. Unlike Soapy’s simple tombstone, which has been replaced several times, an imposing monument marks the grave of his purported killer, Frank H. Reid. Current research raises doubts whether Reid was the actual killer, but Skagway’s citizens of the time credited him with the death and showed their appreciation with this monument inscribed: “He gave his life for the honor of Skagway.”

 

  1. The Skagway Centennial Statue commemorates the hundred-year anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush and its impact on Skagway. The statue represents a Tlingit packer guiding a prospector or stampeder up the White Pass Trail. Skagway’s name is a variation of the Tlingit word “Skagua” for “windy place.”

 

  1. Near White Pass Summit, Alaska, a “Trail of 98” sign marks the treacherous trail that prospectors traveling from Skagway to the Yukon had to navigate with some two thousand pounds of supplies and equipment. Thousands of “stampeders”, as they were called, made the difficult trek in hopes of finding gold in the Klondike.

 

  1. Remnants of the White Pass trail through the rugged Alaskan territory are still visible today from the White Pass and Yukon railroad that parallels the original route into Canada. The route from Skagway to the chain of lakes at the headwaters of the Yukon River in British Columbia was so difficult that it was sometimes called “Dead Horse Trail” for all the animals that died along the route.

 

  1. Showgirls dangle their wares outside the second-floor windows of a local theater, recalling Skagway’s lawless past and promoting the “The Days of ’98 Show” that relives the tumultuous days of Soapy Smith, Alaska’s most notorious conman, since 1923. The vaudevillian musical explores his felonious life and dramatic demise on a pier in early Skagway.

 

  1. Tourism is the major industry in contemporary Skagway, drawing thousands of visitors each summer to enjoy the town’s lawless history during the Klondike Gold Rush. Here visitors and yellow tour buses advance down Broadway, the town’s major street.

 

  1. An abandoned railroad bridge along the original White Pass and Yukon railway spans the rugged territory between Skagway and British Columbia. Construction on the railroad began in 1898 for the route that served the transportation and mining needs of the region for nine decades, until it was abandoned in 1982. The line was designated an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1994.

 

  1. What were once the mudflats on Skagway’s shoreline have been dredged and replaced by piers that draw cruise ships and thousands of tourists to the region each summer to enjoy the Alaskan cool and the colorful history of Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush.

 

 

 

 

 

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of thirty novels. In addition to his two Western Writers of America Spurs, he received the 2018 Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Western Humor for Bluster’s Last Stand, the fourth volume in his comic western series, The Memoirs of H. H. Lomax. Two other books in that series were Spur finalists. His comic western The Fleecing of Fort Griffin received the Elmer Kelton Award from the West Texas Historical Association for best creative work on the region.

 

 

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TWO WINNERS: 1ST PRIZE: Signed copies of North to Alaska and First Herd to Abilene; 

 

2ND PRIZE: Signed Copy of North to Alaska.

 

OCTOBER 20-30, 2020

 

(US ONLY)

 

 

 

 

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, romance, Western on August 12, 2020

 

 

Wild Cowboy Country

 

by Erin Marsh

 

Publication Date: 7/28/2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

Who has more right to the land?

 

Park ranger Lacey Montgomery and rancher Clay Stevens are on opposite sides of a thorny issue. Lacey has spent her career reintroducing wolves to Rocky Ridge National Park and now oversees the welfare of the pack. Clay has struggled for years to make a success of the historic ranch he inherited and is tired of losing his calves to predators.

When Clay’s teenage nephew and his friends carelessly endanger a wild wolf and her pups, Clay and Lacey’s lives collide. They shouldn’t be so attracted to each other—she’s a hometown girl beloved in the community, while he’s still regarded as a city-slicker interloper. But Clay’s piercing blue eyes make Lacey’s pulse race, and her sweet face and kissable lips are drawing him under her spell, much as he tries to resist…

Opposites attract, but the terrain between them is awfully rough…

 

 

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Excerpt

 

Wiping his hands on a towel, Clay turned to her, his smile both hesitant and undeniably charming. “I’d offer an after-dinner walk along the river, but…”

The words hung uncompleted, neither wanting to finish the sentence and admit to the difficulties surrounding their new relationship. Instead, Lacey reached for Clay’s hand, wrapping her fingers around his. “I don’t need moonlit strolls.”

His blue eyes softened into warm pools as he lifted their intertwined hands and kissed the back of her knuckles. He released her fingers, only to gently cup her face instead. “I’d still like to take you on them though.”

A burst of joy ricocheted through Lacey, settling in her heart. She ran her fingers through his hair, and his expression turned so intense that she swore she felt a tug deep in her soul.

“Then why don’t you tell me about it.” She paused a beat before adding, “In your bedroom.”

He kissed her, his lips hot and demanding. She met his hunger with her own. His hands slipped from her face, skimming lightly down her sides until they settled at her waist. He pulled her close, and her body, already liquid from the warm heat spreading through her, molded against his. The kiss deepened. The more they indulged, the more they craved.

Clay lifted his lips from hers. They stood under the overhead kitchen light, each breathing hard. This time, it was Clay who extended his hand. Lacey immediately took it and allowed him to lead her.

“First, we’d walk through the scrub to get to the river,” Clay said, his voice low and soft. It seemed to have a current all its own, both peaceful and raging at the same time. “We’d hold hands just like this, and I’d rub my thumb over your skin.”

A shiver ran through Lacey at the gentle brush of flesh against flesh. “I like this stroll.”

He laughed, the sound a deep, rolling rumble. “So do I.”

They reached the first landing, and he paused by a window. Moonlight bathed them, and his blond hair almost appeared silver. He drew her close, his lips mere inches from hers. She could feel the puff of his breath, but he didn’t dip his head. Instead, he spoke in a husky whisper, this time using the present tense instead of what-ifs. “The water is below us now. It’s like a glowing ribbon cutting through the land.”

“I can hear it,” Lacey said. “A rushing babble breaking the night’s stillness.”

Clay’s mouth pressed against hers. A butterfly kiss. Then another. The next one landed on the corner of her mouth as he slowly worked his way across her cheek and jaw. When he reached her ear, he told her quietly, “We stop for a bit, enchanted by the beauty. But we don’t stay. We head for the grove of cottonwoods. Normally, we’d hear Steller’s jays scolding us, but they’re asleep at this hour.”

Clay stepped back and led her up the steps and down a hallway. They moved swiftly now, their breathing labored as if they’d actually taken a long hike. He paused at the end of the corridor. When he pushed open the door, Lacey said, “We startle a mountain cottontail.”

Clay chuckled. “I can just make out a faint rustle as he hops away.”

They entered his bedroom. He’d pulled the curtain nearly shut, but he’d left a big enough gap to allow bright moonlight to seep into the room. They walked inside, still hand in hand. The old wooden floorboards creaked beneath their feet.

“There’s the splash of an otter fishing in the creek,” Lacey said.

Clay stopped at the foot of the bed. “I lay out one of the old family quilts for us.”

This time, their narration wasn’t completely make-believe. A coverlet with a log-cabin design adorned the massive, mission-style bed. The room itself was bigger than most bedrooms for the time period of the house, but it had been designed after an English manor. It made for a cavernous space. Aside from a rope rug and basic furniture, Clay hadn’t done much decorating. Nothing hung on the walls, except for a single, unembellished mirror and a couple of photos of the ranch, which she assumed he’d taken. The emptiness momentarily sucked away some of Lacey’s joy, but she hid it. Clay hadn’t brought her into his private space for sympathy, and offering any would do more harm than good.

Instead, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him long and deep. He groaned against her mouth, the sound guttural. He picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around his torso. Without breaking their embrace, he carried her over to the bed. They tumbled onto the mattress, their lips locked, their limbs tangled. A desperate, urgent edge now drove their lovemaking. Lacey’s blood thundered through her like a galloping mustang, wild and unfettered. She reached for Clay’s Western shirt, her fingers fumbling at the buttons. His mouth moved from hers, trailing across her chin and then down her throat. When he hit a sensitive spot, she gasped. He paused, applying a gentle suction before his tongue darted out. Intense pleasure shot through her. She arched, yanking on the button still between her fingers. It ripped loose, and she felt his lips curve against her flesh.

“Why, Miss Montgomery, are you tearing off my clothes?”

“I’ll sew it back on,” she promised.

“I have more shirts. Feel free to continue. I want your hands on me. All of me.”

A landslide of need collided in her. Without taking time to think, Lacey bunched the fabric in both hands and pulled sharply. The buttons flew off with satisfying pops.

Clay lifted his head to stare down at her. The moonlight glinted off the golden strands in his arched brow. “You are surprisingly good at that.”

She smiled and ran her fingers over his defined pecs. “Beginner’s luck and plenty of motivation. I’ve been wanting to touch you for weeks.”

Clay responded with a long, hard kiss. “You’re making it very hard to take it slow.”

“Sorry,” she said with a surprising giggle. Even as a teenager, she’d rarely tittered. If she was going to laugh, it was going to be a full one. But now. In this moment. The lighthearted sound seemed right, a delightful echo of the buoyancy Clay made her feel.

His fingers grazed the bottom of her T-shirt. “May I?”

She nodded. “I’ve been fantasizing about that too.”

He chuckled, the sound a little raw. “Not nearly as much as I have.”

***

Excerpted from Wild Cowboy Country by Erin Marsh. © 2020 by Erin Marsh. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

About the Author

 

Two-time Golden Heart® Finalist Erin Marsh credits her childhood family road trips in her grandparents’ Grand Marquis with opening her imagination and exposing her to the wonders of the United States. The lessons she learned then still impact her writing today. She lives with her husband and daughter near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

 

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Posted in Book Release, Giveaway, romance, Western on June 19, 2020

 

 

Summer Creek is one of those small towns—the kind brimming with quirky inhabitants, pets with personalities (like a meandering goat named Ethel), meddling matchmakers, tumbling-down old buildings, and dreams. So many dreams. These sweet, uplifting romances explore the ties that bind a community together when they unite for a common purpose and open their hearts to unexpected possibilities. Heart, humor, and hope weave through each story, touching the lives of those who call Summer Creek home.

 

Readers who love Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series and RaeAnne Thayne’s Haven Point series will enjoy coming home to Summer Creek.

 

The first three books in the series release this summer.

 

Catching the Cowboy

Rescuing the Rancher

Protecting the Princess 

 

 

 

 

Title: Catching the Cowboy

Series: Summer Creek (Book 1)

Author: Shanna Hatfield

Publisher: Wholesome Hearts Publishing

Release: Date: June 9, 2020

Genre: Contemporary Romance (Western / Clean and Wholesome)

 

Synopsis

 

She’s fresh out of jail . . .

He’s fresh out of luck.

 Spoiled heiress Emery Brighton indulges in one mimosa too many, attempts to steal a horse, and winds up in jail. A sentence of community service leaves her at the mercy of strangers on a remote ranch near a small town in Oregon. Adjusting to country life is hard enough, but she has no idea how to handle her growing affection for a surly cowboy and his adorable daughter.

 Steady and dependable as the day is long, rancher Hudson Cole just wants to raise his little girl and be left alone. When his grandmother invites a lawbreaker dressed in Louis Vuitton to Summer Creek Ranch, Hud is convinced Grammy has lost her ever-loving mind. Determined to detest Emery, he instead finds himself doing the one thing he vowed would never happen again: falling in love.

With one foot out the door, will love be enough to convince Emery to stay?

 

 

 

 

 

The book includes a Reader’s Guide, perfect for book club discussions.

 

For a limited time, the ebook is available at the discounted price of just $1.99.

 

 

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

 

 

One (1) winner will receive a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a digital copy of Catching the Cowboy

 

 

 

For a chance to win, fill out this form

 

 

The giveaway will begin  June 9, 2020 and last through June 25, 2020.  The winner will be notified within two weeks of the giveaway ending and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Void where prohibited by law or logistics. The giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

 

 

 

Follow along for a full list of stops on the Summer Creek Blog Tour June 2020

 

About the Author

 

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes. When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

 

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