We're in for a real treat today. An exclusive look at a brand new series from multi-award winning author Jacqui Nelson.
"Thank you Elisabeth and Get Lost in a Story for inviting me back to your blog! The last time I was here I shared an upcoming release that I believed would be ready very soon (in a month or two). Well, it’s almost a year later and finally that book is ready! Between Love & Lies released yesterday, August 30th."
"Thank you Elisabeth and Get Lost in a Story for inviting me back to your blog! The last time I was here I shared an upcoming release that I believed would be ready very soon (in a month or two). Well, it’s almost a year later and finally that book is ready! Between Love & Lies released yesterday, August 30th."
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| Purchase on Amazon |
Sadie Sullivan lost everything when a herd of longhorn
cattle bound for Dodge City trampled and destroyed her farm. Now she works in
Dodge—one of the most wicked and lawless towns in the West—at the Northern Star
Saloon. But her survival in this new world of sin and violence depends on
maintaining a lie so deadly it could end her life before the town of Dodge can.
The one man capable of
unraveling all of Sadie's secrets is Noah Ballantyne, the Texan rancher whose
herd destroyed her home. Back in town and taking up the role of deputy
alongside legendary lawman Bat Masterson, Noah vows he won't leave until he's
made things right. But with the saloon’s madam unwilling to release Sadie and a
rich cattle baron wanting her as well, the odds aren’t good for finding love…or
leaving town alive.
Here's a never-before-seen excerpt:
Noah swore under his breath. “I’m getting
you out of Dodge if I have to carry you out.”
“The first chance I got, I’d leave you and
come back.”
The silence that followed gnawed at Sadie’s resolve not to give in
to him in any way. But it was her dread of what she might see if she looked at
him that kept her gaze pinned on the door.
“You’d rather stay here than leave with
me?” he asked in a much too quiet voice.
“I’d rather say goodbye to Dodge on my own
terms. That way I won’t be a whore—to you or anyone else.”
“It’s too late for that.”
His words hit her like a slap in the face,
rocking her on her heels. She squeezed shut her eyes to hide her pain from him.
“Damn it, Sadie.” His breath left him in
hiss. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t think of you as a—”
She forced herself to cut him off. “I work
in a saloon with a brothel above it. Don’t lie to yourself. I’m a whore. But
right now my illness saves me from those duties. The doctor, Gertie, Cora— If I
do what they say, they leave me alone, and so do the men. If you had control over
one thing in your life, would you give it up?”
“Sadie, you can’t go on like this. Whatever
happened when you first came to work at the Star, it doesn’t have to be like
that. Let me show you.”
Disbelief made her gaze careen back to his.
He couldn’t mean—
“Will you listen to reason?” he asked.
“You haven’t said anything reasonable.”
“You’re right. I was never good with words,
but I’ll listen. Tell me to stop and I will.”
For every stride he moved closer, she took
one back until the wall against her spine halted her. He planted one palm on
the faded wallpaper next to her head. She waited for him to raise his other
hand and hem her in. He didn’t. He’d given her a chance to escape.
She didn’t take it. She was too busy trying
to stop herself from leaning into his strength. “I was fine before you came
along, last week and a year ago on my farm.” Her growing anticipation made her
thoughts tumble out uncensored. “Every time you show up, you kick the
foundation from under everything I’ve struggled to build.”
He leaned down until his lips hovered over
hers. “Let me make it up to you. Let me in, Sadie.”
Meet Jacqui
Q&A
E.E.: What is your hero and heroine’s “kryptonite”?
What will bring them instantly to their knees?
Jacqui: Last time
I shared my hero, Noah’s kryptonite—the guilt he carries and can’t ignore. This
time I’ll add my heroine, Sadie’s—she’s determined to keep her vow to her
friend, but unfortunately doing so might be the quick route to a grave in Boot
Hill.
E.E.: Who’s your favorite villain?
Jacqui: My
favorite villain is Al Swearengen (played by Ian McShane) in the Old West TV series
Deadwood. Sometimes cutthroat, other
times compassionate, Al is one complex individual and the fact that he has an
equally complex right-hand man named Dan...well, that makes things even better.
E.E.: Which of your characters would you most like to
invite to dinner?
Jacqui: A year
ago, I chose legendary lawman Bat Masterson because he was the most fun to
write. His meddling ways and sharp wit really had me smiling.
This time around, I’ll choose my villain’s right-hand man. Handsome John works for the
madam who owns the Northern Star Saloon and all the girls working
there—including Sadie. Sadie describes John as a “box herder” who keeps the
girls inline if they get any ideas of independence. John’s full of surprises
though. He also has his fair share of scars. I added the Handsome to his name
because he’s the opposite of that. The same way Little John (in Robin Hood) isn’t little.
E.E.: Describe an absolutely perfect day.
Jacqui: Sleep in
and then write all day in my pajamas. Start with coffee (to get me going) and
end with a glass of wine (to celebrate being one day closer to finishing
another story).
E.E.: If you could interview one person, who would it
be?
Jacqui: Annie
Oakley because I’m planning to make my heroine (in Book 2 of my Gambling Hearts series) a sharpshooter
who joins a Wild West show and then comes home to the quiet life where she grew
up—the land around Noah and Lewis’ ranches. My “little sure shot” heroine thinks
Lewis’ land is hers. Who will win? Maybe they both will :)
E.E.: Were there any last minute changes to Between Love & Lies?
Jacqui: In the last
hour of editing, I changed the name of my doctor (who will be the hero of Book
3 in my Gambling Hearts series). He
went from Isaac Ingram to Doctor Rhodes. I don’t know why, but he just did. I
don’t mention Doctor Rhodes’ first name in Book 1, but I’ll tell you here...it’s
Theodore, or Theo.
E.E.: You’ve written a novella in the Steam! Romance and Rails series. Does your
new story have any trains?
Jacqui: Yes! There’s
a scene where Sadie decides she can no longer stay in Dodge, and she executes a
well-planned escape via a cattle train bound for the Union Stockyards in
Chicago. The best laid plans usually go wrong, and they do for Sadie.
E.E.: Complete this sentence. When I want to relax, I.
. .
Jacqui: Go to my
mom’s house and have a beer with her in her beautiful garden. Chances are high
that if you’re following me on Facebook, you’ll have seen one of my
drinking-in-the-garden photos.
E.E.: Does you hero or heroine have a trusty horse?
Jacqui: Noah has a
faithful gray named Pepper. He’s called Pepper because he had a lot of sass and
spice when he was young, but now he’s older and steadfast, just like Noah. They’ve
been together so long they can sense each other’s wishes. Noah’s riding Pepper
when his herd of longhorns destroys Sadie’s farm. And a year later, Pepper
carries Noah back up the hundreds of miles between Texas and Dodge in search of
Sadie.
Today, Jacqui is giving away a FREE ebook, Between Love and Lies, Book 1 of the Gambling Hearts series. Share your favorite Western book, movie, TV series or actor—John Wayne, Client Eastwood, Anson Mount—or just say hello!
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