Debut Author Jacqui Nelson

Can the pursuit of an old enemy lead to a new love?

In a race for riches, anything can happen. Five years after the Civil War, a Kansas railroad race heats up as former Rebel spy Adella Willows receives her mission from a Washington senator—play havoc with the Katy Railroad and derail its bid to win the race. The senator craves wealth. Adella craves revenge against the man responsible for her brother’s death. But her plans crumble into chaos when she matches wits with the railroad’s foreman, a handsome Irishman torn between two desires: winning the race or winning Adella’s heart.

Adella’s Enemy is a standalone novella and also one of three interlinked stories in the Passion’s Prize anthology. This anthology, written with Romance Writers of America Golden Heart sisters Jennifer Jakes and E.E. Burke, is the first in a new series, Steam! Romance and Rails.

EXCERPT

   Adella’s fingers brushed the telegram hidden in her cleavage and she went as still as Cormac. Blast! She’d

forgotten about the telegram! She needed Cormac to stay in her hotel room, but she couldn’t let him see the telegram.

   “How do you know what I want?” she whispered, stalling for time.

   “I don’t. But this is what I want.” In two strides, he devoured the gap between them. Then his mouth claimed hers in a hot, heady possession.

   Pressed against the door, all she could do was kiss him back. She did so with abandon. Her skin tingled, and her blood raced as if her body had woken from years of sleepwalking. She didn’t want the feeling to stop. She wrapped her arms around Cormac’s neck and pulled him closer.

   He suddenly lifted his head. “I want more than one kiss,” he murmured against her lips. “And I don’t mean merely claiming everything that’s under this dress.” His hand slid up her ribcage to cup her breast.

   The telegram! With a gasp, she covered her cleavage with both hands. The corner of the telegram brushed her palm. Thank Dixie. It was still there. But had he seen it? She pressed back against the door.

   Cormac retreated as well, lifting his hand to rake it through hair that was already disheveled. Had she done that? He reached for the doorknob and she jumped aside.

   “Stay away from the worksite, Adella.” He opened the door without his customary restraint. It banged against the wall. “And, for God’s sake, stay out of trouble. Don’t provoke a man beyond his patience.”

Jacqui Nelson writes historical romantic adventures set in the American West and Victorian London. Her love of Western stories came from watching classic Western movies while growing up on a cattle farm. Her passion for Victorian London wasn’t far behind and only increased when she worked in England for four years and explored the nooks and crannies of London on her weekends. Jacqui currently lives in Victoria on the west coast of Canada where she works as a book seller. Her previous jobs have included animator, systems analyst and fundraising event coordinator.

Her debut release, Adella's Enemy, is part of the Passion's Prize anthology and the Steam! Romance and Rails series. She is a Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® winner and three-time finalist.

CLOVER: It was so fun to meet you in person in Atlanta. So tell us, how often do you get lost in a story?

JACQUI: It was wonderful meeting you in Atlanta as well, Clover! Can I say again how much I love your name? Okay, how often do I get lost in a story? Not as much as I’d like! I work in a bookstore and sometimes its torture shelving all the lovely books and listening to customers recommend their favorites. My ‘to be read’ list is huge! 

CLOVER: Working in a bookstore? Best job ever! I’d never get anything done. Okay, who’s your favorite villain?

JACQUI: I’m not sure if he is a villain, but he isn’t a hero either. He is so many things and for me that’s what makes him so fascinating. He’s Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane) in the TV series, Deadwood.

CLOVER: Aw, Deadwood. *grinning* You write about both Victorian London and the American Frontier. What about these time periods and places do you find fascinating?

JACQUI: I love the adventurous spirit of London and the American Frontier. And, even though they are both dramatically different places, they both feel like home. You see, I spent the first eighteen years of my life on a cattle farm. The fields, forests and barnyard were my playground. Then, not too long ago, I had the opportunity to work in England and make London my playground. 

CLOVER: It’s one thing to put your heroes and heroines in the past. If time-travel was possible, where would you want to visit and why?

JACQUI: I would visit the Western frontier. I think the land, with all its untouched beauty and abundance of wildlife, would truly be a sight to see. But then again, Victorian London would also be tempting…I have some story details I’d like confirmed.

CLOVER: Story details. That could get interesting. What’s the first book you remember reading?

JACQUI: I read so many books when I was kid that I can’t quite remember where the start began. At one point my mom started hiding my books because she worried I’d ruin my eyesight! But I do remember the first book that I fell in love with so much that it still sits on my bookshelf—Judy Van der Veer’s Hold the Rein Free. The price says $0.75 on the cover. For me as a kid, its worth was priceless.

CLOVER: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

JACQUI: I don’t usually listen to music while I write. But on occasion I have a compulsion to listen to the Moulin Rouge soundtrack and in particular the song “Bolero” from the closing credits. It has a build in tempo that really inspires me.

CLOVER’S GOTTA ASK:  What are the next five books on your ‘to be read’ pile?

JACQUI’S GOTTA ANSWER:   

I’ll pick from the books I brought home from the RWA conference in Atlanta…

Abigail Sharpe’s Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy?

Jennifer Bray-Weber’s Blood and Treasure

Lena Diaz’s Simon Says Die

Shea Berkley’s The Fallen Prince

Shelley Adina’s Her Own Devices

NOW IT’S JACQUI’S TURN TO ASK US:

Much of my writing inspiration comes from watching movies and TV series. My current favorite is Hell on Wheels, but I also adored Deadwood. And then there was my fascination with Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica and a series called Space: 1999. Oops, I think I just dated myself. Moving on! Do you have a series (old or new, and of any genre) that you love?

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So what do you have coming up next?

Before the end of 2013, I plan to release two Western historical romance novels: my 2010 Golden Heart winning manuscript, Between Heaven and Hell, and my 2013 Golden Heart nominated manuscript, Between Love and Lies. In December 2014, I plan to release my Victorian London-set Angel Street Agency series.

Jacqui will be giving away an Amazon gift ebook copy of  Adella’s Enemy to one lucky commenter. 

(The winner of the ebook is bn100. Congratulations!)

Note: Please leave an email address for notification. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.

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