E.E. Burke's Best of the West: Ghost Riders with Kaye Spencer

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When beautiful widow Brenna Gérard comes upon semi-conscious gunfighter Matt Caddock, all hell is about to break loose. An unholy storm’s a-brewin’, and Brenna makes a split-second decision to save Matt from the spectral fire-eyed cowboys who forever chase the devil’s herd—and pick up lost souls along the way.

Once they reach the safety of the ranch, Brenna cares for Matt’s wounds and makes him welcome—no questions asked. But Matt must learn to accept the fact that Brenna is being guarded for a while longer by her deceased husband’s spirit—and he’s not leaving her just yet.

Though Matt and Brenna are fast falling in love, there’s the matter of a fortune in gold that stands between them—gold that Matt never wanted, but now must find and use to keep Brenna’s ranch from failing. Archer, an outlaw who Matt once partnered with, wants that gold just as badly—and he’s prepared to kill for it.

Can Matt settle the score with Archer and keep Brenna safe? And when the ghost riders return on the next lightning-laced storm, will they be taking Matt with them? Or will the love of The Gunfighter’s Woman be enough to ensure the future they hope for together?

Here's an excerpt:

“Brenna!” Matt left the bed in one frantic heart-pounding leap, sending the bedside table crashing. “Brenna!” With a Colt clamped in his fist, he stood with his back to the far wall. Raking his gaze over every inch of the moonlit room, he searched the shadows and corners.

The door flew open. “Matt! What—” Whirling out of modesty, she put her back to him.

Matt made a catapulting leap onto the bed, snatched up his trousers, and grabbed Brenna’s arm on his way out of the room. Hustling her along through the kitchen, he hit the porch door with such force it wedged open and ripped the cheesecloth from the upper half.

Words came fast as he pulled on his trousers while clutching his revolver. “Someone… A man. There was a man standing at the foot of my bed. One second he was there and the next he was gone. Just gone. What in hell fire was that? Who was that?”

Brenna’s smile turned to giggles. “Gregory.”

Comprehension arrived on frowning silence. “But…he’s… Hell, you said he was dead. How could he be in that bedroom?” He shook his gun toward the door.

“That was our bedroom, and he died there. I changed bedrooms after he started visiting me in the night. I didn’t think he would return to that bedroom once he began rocking in his chair by the fireplace. Obviously, I was wrong.”

Matt stepped back, his gun arm lowering. “He rocks in a chair?” He blew out a slow, hard breath. “That’s plumb crazy.” Wagging a finger at her, he accused, “I think you’ve been alone out here too long. You’ve got a case of prairie madness.”

Brenna crossed her arms. “Then we’re both crazy. You saw him, too.”

Matt opened his mouth then clamped it shut. “Damn.” Shoving his Colt into the waistband of his trousers, he went to the edge of the porch and stood in the doorway...

The Gunfighter’s Woman

https://www.amazon.com/Gunfighters-Woman-Spencer-Kaye-ebook/dp/B01LZVZUFT/

Meet Kaye Spencer

Native Coloradoan Kaye Spencer lives in a small, rural town located in the heart of the infamous

Dust Bowl area of the 1930s. While drawn to cowboys and the Old West, all genres and time periods are within her story-creating realm. She refers to herself as a lover of words, a crafter of stories, and a hopelessly hopeful romantic.

Reading Louis L’Amour’s westerns, listening to Marty Robbins’ gunfighter ballads, watching the classic television westerns, and growing up on a cattle ranch all inspired her love of the American Old West—truths and myths alike. Kaye's favorite movie line is from Quigley Down Under: “I said I never had much use for one. Never said I didn’t know how to use it." She admits to an obsession with Phantom of the Opera and the Arthurian legends. Her favorite book is The Mists of Avalon, her favorite movie is The Princess Bride, and she never tires of the music from Les Misérables and La Bohème.

Retired from a career in education, Kaye is living the dual life of full-time writer and spoiler of grandchildren.  Kaye is also afflicted with ACD (Accumulative Cat Disorder) for which there is no known cure.

Contact info/Social Media Links:

Website/Blog – http://www.kayespencer.com

Twitter – http://twitter.com/kayespencer

Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/author/kayespencer

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/kayespencer

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kayespencer23

YouTube Channel – http://www.youtube.com/user/kayespencer?feature=mhee

Newsletter – Front Porch Circular – http://ow.ly/Rwt7n

Q and A

E.E.: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Kaye: The Gunfighter's Woman is a paranormal western romance inspired by the old cowboy song, Ghostriders in the Sky (Stan Jones 1948). The legend of the ghost rider has its roots in Europe in the form of the ‘wild hunt’. Jacob Grim (fairy tale Brothers Grimm) developed the idea of the wild hunt through a volume of comparative mythology that he wrote. I incorporated the wild hunt in the form of the cowboy ghost riders in The Gunfighter's Woman as a motivating force in the hero's life to change his ways before it’s too late. This story was originally published in 2006 as a novella. Now, nine years later and with a significant amount of plot added to the story, it is novel length with a deeper romance and nastier villains.

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

Kaye: I need noise in the background when I write, so I usually have music or movies playing. I tune-in to Sirius XM radio’s Symphony Hall, or I put in soundtracks, particularly Lord of the Rings, Pirates of the Caribbean,  Last of the Mohicans, Gettysburg, Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, Hellboy, to name a few.

E.E.: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

Kaye: My favorite kind of story to get lost in is the epic historical novel (or close to historical): The Mists of Avalon (my favorite book and one I re-read every couple of years), Lord of the Rings/Hobbit, Gone with the Wind, Les Misérables, Count of Monte Cristo, Dr. Zhivago, Anna Karenina, Centennial, War and Peace.

E.E.: What’s the first book you remember reading?

Kaye: There are two books that I remember reading on my own in third grade. One was Broomtail by Miriam E. Mason and the other was A Horse for Henry (no author listed, just the publisher). I have a first edition copy of both books. Then my fourth grade teacher, who read aloud at the end of each day, ‘hooked’ me with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Little House in the Big Woods, and after that, I couldn’t read the Little House on the Prairie books fast enough.

E.E.: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

Kaye: My grandchildren always make me smile. I’m fortunate that of my six grandchildren, I am able to spend time with four of them just about as often as I want. The two grandchildren I see less often live in California. Consequently I’ve learned to embrace FaceTime on my iPhone to make up for the distance between Colorado and my California Girls.

E.E.: What’s the best birthday (or any holiday) present you ever received?

Kaye: The best birthday present I’ve ever received was the bicycle my three adult children gave me for my birthday two years ago. It was the first brand new bike I’ve ever had. It’s a Schwinn with big tires and a basket on the handlebars. I was, and still am, absolutely delighted with the gift.

E.E.: If you were a TV, film or book character, apart from ones you've created, who would you be?  

Kaye: I would be Catherine Chandler from the original 1988-1990 television series, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ (the Ron Perlman/Linda Hamilton series).  They were the perfect star-crossed couple—always together, yet so far apart. Theirs was love for the sake of love. I would change the tragic ending of the series, though, and I would live happily ever after with Vincent.

Thank you, E.E., for hosting me on Best of the West blog.

Today, I will give away an eBook copy of The Gunfighter’s Woman to everyone who comments (and wants a copy), or substitute a book/novella from my backlist if the commenter already has The Gunfighter’s Woman. Merry Christmas from me to you!

Thank you Kaye, for the very generous gift! 

Question from Kaye: When I wrote the villain, Archer, in my book The Gunfighter’s Woman, I envisioned him as Bruce Dern in his early acting career. What western movie villain(s) are your favorites or which actors/actresses are memorable as villains?