12/08/2015

E.E. Burke's BEST OF THE WEST: New Release from Linda Broday

Today's BEST OF THE WEST feature is a new release from bestselling author Linda Broday. After reading the first two books in the series, I've been impatiently waiting for this one! FOREVER, HIS TEXAS BRIDE is the last of the three-book Bachelors of Battle Creek series. Let's read more about it...


“There’s this thing between us that refuses to die. I’d like nothing better than to be able to…” His words faded. He’d give anything to change people’s views about his race… to be able to make her his wife. But the world wasn’t that simple. Not for people like them.

She was a pickpocket and he a half-breed…bound by a love that’s stronger than iron bars.

All his life, Brett Liberty has straddled two worlds: white and Iroquois. The only place he’s truly at peace is with his wild mustangs. Arrested for the color of his skin, he discovers Rayna Harper in the cell next to him. Rough and tumble Rayna has known little kindness, but Brett sees the depth of her heart hidden beneath layers of hurt and fear, and he refuses to leave without her.

Something about the damaged, flame-haired beauty calls to him. Yet even as the two outcasts are drawn together, terrible danger at the hands men eaten with hate threatens to tear them apart. Brett knows he should let her go, but he’s taken with the woman who looks at him as if he were just any other man...and melts in his arms as if the brush of his lips is enough to chase all her demons away...

Check out this excerpt from Forever His Texas Bride:

   “I had some dreams once—and hope.” Rayna hated the bitterness that crept into her voice. “But I learned that hoping and dreaming were for other folks, not me.”
   Brett took her hand. “Those aren’t allotted only to certain people. Anyone can have them.”
   “Not me. My heart can’t take any more blows.”
   “Courage is getting back up once we’ve been knocked down. Shame is in not trying. I’ll help you get back up.”
   “Why?”
   “Because I want to. I see a spark inside you just waiting to flare brightly.”
   “My father hammered into me that people like us don’t get to be normal…or liked. We’re outcasts. We stay with our own kind. I made a mistake in forgetting that.”
   “As Cooper would say, that’s hogwash. You’re just as normal as anyone. Stop limiting yourself.”
   Rayna inhaled the fragrant breeze, wishing she didn’t have to keep hobbling the yearning welling up inside at times so strong she couldn’t breathe. “I have to. It’s a lot less painful. If you don’t pin your hopes on things, your heart doesn’t get broken as often. Our fight is my fault. I have this problem of always thinking things mean more than they do. It’s just that I wanted what we had so badly to be true that I got lost in pretending.”
   He hesitated only a moment before putting his arm around her shoulders. “If I was able to take a wife for real, I’d want it to be you. But I’ll never marry anyone. I’m a color that no one appears to have a particular fondness for.”
   “It doesn’t make any difference to me. I see your heart, not your skin.”
   “Thank you, but it does matter a great deal to some.”
   Rayna rested her head on his shoulder. “Not to the people of Battle Creek. Mabel told me that everyone loves and accepts you.”
   “This town is only one place in thousands, and the resentment others harbor outside of here would fall to you also. I refuse to let that happen. No one will hate you because of me.”
   “It’s not because I’m no lady?”
   “No. I swear it.”
   “Do you think all this hating will ever change?”
   “I hope so.”
   Relief flooded Rayna. “Then I will wait for you.”
   “I can’t let you do that.”
   She lifted her head from his shoulder and sat up straighter. “I’m volunteering. I will wait however long it takes.”
   “Change may not happen in this lifetime,” he warned.
   “Then we’ll try to hurry it along.”
   “Dear sweet Rayna, I wish others could see things through your eyes. So you’ll let me try to help you?”
   “I suppose.” Rayna picked at a loose thread of her patched dress. “I’ll need something to do while I wait for the world to get some sense.”
   .…..They walked in silence for a minute. “Brett, I’m sorry for getting angry. Thank you for coming after me.”
   “You’re welcome.”
   With her arm tucked in the curve of Brett’s, Rayna’s heart settled. She swallowed the last of her resistance and bitter disappointment.
   As they passed under the shielding overhang of a big evergreen tree away from the glare of the saloon lights, she turned to stare into the dark shadows of his face. “Could I have something to remember the time when someone almost loved me? One final kiss? After this moment, we’ll be nothing but friends.”
   “I don’t think that’s wise.”
   She sensed Brett’s yearning as his hand rose to touch her, only to let it fall.
   Powerful need for one last feel of his fingers on her skin gave her the courage to beg. “One light brush of the lips between friends here in the darkness. It won’t mean anything.”
   “Rayna…” The word came out hoarse and wounded.
   Tingles raced up her spine as he gently traced the curve of her lips as though he, too, was filing a memory away. She lowered her lids in an effort to soak up the sensations. Her breath hitched when he lowered his sensuous mouth to hers.
   Hunger…
   Sweet ache…
   Torment…
   Desire blazed with the heat of a raging prairie fire.
   This first kiss without steel bars between them, was full of raw power, danger and beauty.
   Brett’s hands plunged into her hated curls, holding her just like she dreamed. This man, hunted and despised, seemed to pour all the secrets of his soul into this kiss. With a low moan, she slid her hand around his neck, drawing him closer.
    Delicious agony arced out like the branches of the old tree they were under, reaching, straining for more of the sweetness.
   The jolt of his thigh brushed her hip when she leaned into him. She knew she overstepped boundaries he’d set, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her need to store up memories for the lonely times ahead was too great.
   Touching Brett’s face, she met his dark stare. “I think my brother was right.”
   “What about?”
   “Kisses do have magic.”

Meet Linda


Linda is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her interest in reading and history came very early, so it was no surprise when she began writing western historical romances. She resides in the Texas Panhandle on land the American Indian and Comancheros once roamed, where ghosts from the past lurk around every corner. Humble roots and the love of family have become focal points of each book she writes. 

CONTACT LINKS:
Visit me at: www.LindaBroday.com
Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/lindabrodayauthor 
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbroday  


BUY LINKS:
Barnes and Noble: http://goo.gl/TzYzOQ
Books-A-Million: http://goo.gl/wCSous

Now, on to the questions...

E.E.: What sound or noise do you love?
Linda: The sound of the ocean is hypnotic to me. I love the waves, the horns on boats and the seabirds squawking overhead. It’s like I’ve come home. My soul feels at peace and I sleep like a baby. I can spend hours just sitting on the beach watching the waves.

E.E.: What was the first story you remember writing?
Linda: I wrote a story when I was in the seventh grade about a family of ants playing football in the family’s sugar bowl. This was big stuff for me then, but not so riveting now. It was a start though. I remember the deep yearning back then to tell the stories that were in my head.

E.E.: Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them or let them influence your writing?
Linda: Yes, I do to both questions. I want to know what readers and reviewers think about my books. I always welcome their comments except for the nasty ones that I ignore because some people get their kicks by being mean. Over the years I’ve learned that I can’t please everyone. Some will give you a negative review no matter what you do. The constructive criticism is great and I believe me I do listen. I’ve been known to change certain things in my stories because of reviews.

E.E.: Tea or Coffee? And how do you take it?
Linda: I prefer coffee with Splenda and one cream. I love the taste on my tongue and the warmth of the liquid sliding down my throat. Can’t beat it on a cold winter’s days. Or when I’m dragging. It lifts me up. Coffee doesn’t judge or criticize. It sits there like a silent friend.

E.E.: What one thing about your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?
Linda: Brett Liberty is one of firm convictions. Once he makes up his mind there’s no changing it and this really gets under Rayna’s skin. She simply can’t change Brett’s mind about letting her live on his ranch and not for the lack of trying. And for Brett, Rayna has this obsession with superstition. Every single thing is a harbinger of bad things to come and her constant need to try to involve him in her beliefs drives Brett nuts.

E.E.: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?
Linda: The Outlaw Josie Wales. That movie had everything—a strong hero that was driven to avenge the deaths of his wife and children, drama, suspense and danger. I just love this movie and even though I’ve watched it probably two dozen times I still find it gripping and full of raw emotion.

E.E.: What drew you to write western historical romance?
Linda: It was Angel by Johanna Lindsey. He was a ruggedly handsome hired gun with eyes as black as sin. I fell hard for him and I knew I wanted to write those bad boy heroes with a fast gun. But it was more than the character. I loved the danger and excitement and that yearning for something he could never have. And there was the love of a beautiful woman who had to try to tame him. That book sparked the deep desire to write like that.

I’m a big movie fan and, when I’m writing, I see everything unfolding in my mind like I’m watching a movie. What was the last movie you went to see and how did you like it?

Today, Linda will give away an eBook copy of FOREVER HIS TEXAS BRIDE  to a lucky commenter. Just answer the question and enter the drawing. "LIKE" and Tweet to improve your chances.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

24 comments:

  1. Nice to have you back, Linday !
    Thanks for coming !

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  2. Morning Angi, it's great to be back at GLIAS! I really love the warm welcoming atmosphere of the site. I'm ready to tell readers about my newest release. Gonna be a good day. I can already tell.

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  3. Huge thanks, GLIAS, for having me back. I'm so excited. This is such a fun place where books and stories abound. It's great to introduce readers to my latest hero Brett Liberty and his ladylove Rayna Harper. They meet in a very unlikely place--a jail. The bigoted sheriff shot Brett, threw him in jail and began building a gallows with the intention of hanging him. His crime? For being born he was told. Rayna occupied the cell next to him. Picking pockets was her only crime and was pretty flimsy. The real reason was that she was a bone picker's daughter and despised for the family's profession which was collecting the bones of buffalo after the great slaughter.

    The last movie that really stood out for me was The Longest Ride with Scott Eastwood. Oh man! He has charisma and sex appeal in spades! I drooled during the entire movie. And then I bought it when it came out on DVD.

    Thanks again for having me!

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  4. Enjoyed this article and look forward to reading your book

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    1. Thank you for coming, mfw741. I'm glad you enjoyed the article and learned a little more about me.

      Have a wonderful day and keep reading no matter what.

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  5. Welcome back Linda! As you know, I've been very impatiently awaiting this story after I finished the first two. As I was reading them, I kept wondering, but what about Brett? What's going to happen to him? Now I'll find out!

    The last movie I went to see was Brooklyn. Very nice period piece. I enjoyed it and would recommend. Didn't recognize any of the actors, but they were all good. Just got through binge watching Poldark. Oh my. Aiden Turner is just...well, he's just perfect.

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! Being here is such a joy. I always feel like I've come home each time I visit. This is a great place for readers and writers. I'm going to have to pick your brain about Poldark. This is on PBS, isn't it? I saw it somewhere when I was flipping through the channels. The storyline intrigues me and I'd love to start watching it. I agree about Aiden Turner. Be still my heart!

      Yep, now you get to know all about Brett. I'm sorry I made readers wait so long. Just to be clear, it wasn't my idea though.

      Have a wonderful day!

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  6. Last movie I saw was Mockingjay Pt 2 epic finale to the saga... after waiting so long I can say I was not dissatisfied at all.. I'm actually sad it has come to an end

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    1. Hi Natasha, thank you so much for coming. I'm glad to know that Mockingjay Part 2 was definitely worth the wait. I'll have to get to the theater. I'm always sad when either a series in books or movies comes to an end. I get really attached to the characters.

      If you entered the drawing, good luck!

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  7. The last movie I saw was on tv and it was a John Wayne marathon... Big Jake.

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    1. Hi girlygirlhoosier52, thank you for stopping by. It's great to see you. You sound like my kind of woman. A body can never go wrong with John Wayne. And it doesn't matter how many times I watch his movies they're always fresh to me. He's simply timeless. I think my favorite one of all though was The Cowboys. I still tear up when I see all those little boys going on that cattle drive with him. They were so small and yet did a man's work. That's the kind of story I can really sink my teeth into. One that's dripping with emotion.

      If you entered the drawing, I wish you good luck!

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  8. Hi, Linda! Welcome to Glias and congratulations on your book.

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    1. hank you, Vicki. I'm feeling mixed emotions right now. I hate that the Bachelors of Battle Creek series ended but I'm excited that I'll get to write a whole new series. Which I've already started and on Book #2. Crazy.

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  9. saw gone with the wind on tv; didn't like the ending

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    1. Hi Bn100, thank you for coming over. I liked Gone With the Wind but it's so long. I get tired before it's over.

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  10. Hi Linda! It's me Kathleen!**Waving** We met at Buns and Roses. You're such a nice person and I love your excerpt - it was lovely. I look forward to reading it.

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    1. Hi Kathleen!!! I'm waving back. Yes, I remember. Thank you again for that beautiful ad design. It turned out fantastic. I'm glad you enjoyed my excerpt for this book. I hope you like it. Thanks so much for coming over.

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  11. Hello you two lovely ladies, as always I have enjoyed reading the blog and experts on your new book.

    The last movie would have been an action but for the life of me I can't remember the names. It would have been one we watched at home we do not go out to the movies.
    Have a wonderful evening and congrats on your new release.

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    1. Hi Page by Page Inside Out Reviews! Thank you for coming by and leaving a comment. It's great to have you. You sound like me on trying to remember the name of the movie. I do that all the time. My memory fails me at the worst times. I appreciate the congrats.

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  12. The last movie I saw in theater was, Still Alice. I went with a couple of girlfriends, and we loved it. Julianne Moore is an amazing actor, and did a wonderful job. I rarely see movies in a theater.

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  13. I enjoyed the post and I'm looking forward to reading this book :)
    Lori

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  14. Hey Linda, great interview. ..this book is on my want list and looking forward to reading it. ..blessings

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    1. Hi Dawn, thank for coming by! It's wonderful to see you. I'm glad you enjoyed the interview. I'll keep my fingers crossed you win the book! If you don't, come over to my personal blog at www.LindaBroday.com and enter the drawing there. All you have to do is leave a comment.

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  15. Can't wait to read this, Linda. Love your writing.

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