Jacqui Nelson has a story for YOU!

It’s been seven years since I had the good fortune to win the 2010 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award. Many lucky events have happened since. A few are...

2013: I became a Golden Heart double finalist and that autumn I self-published my first book, Adella’s Enemy. The best part about entering the publishing world was doing so with a group project (the Passion’s Prize anthology) and fellow Golden Hearts finalists Elisabeth Burke and Jennifer Jakes.

 

2014 - 16: I published two of my Golden Heart nominated books plus a couple of others which made my total published book count come to five. I’m not a fast writer but I’m tenacious, or some might say stubborn J

Then 2017 rolled around and I thought, hey I should write a free read for my newsletter subscribers. For some reason this story (even though it’s fairly short) took as long to write as a story with double the word count. I’m still happy I wrote it, because I always fall in love with my characters and my favorite story is always the one I’m writing. Now I’m thrilled to have the chance to join Get Lost in a Story and say, Choosing Bravery is done and ready to be shared!

Some highlights from Choosing Bravery are: a bear, a mountain cave with volcanic origins, an impatient Frenchman searching for a grand discovery, a legendary but traumatized fugitive tracker from the Far North named Lachlan Bravery, an equally legendary (at least on her mountain) wilderness guide named Élodie Rousseau, and a mystery involving a lost mentor, goldmine thieves and a vengeful spirit walker.

CHOOSING BRAVERY

Cascade Mountains, Oregon – 1868

When legends collide, will the sparks ignite their love or drive them apart?

After her parents vanished in the wilderness, Élodie Rousseau found a home with an Osage warrior and a logging camp schoolmistress who joined forces to return Élodie’s beloved spirit horse. With them as her teachers, she became the legendary mountain guide, Yellow Feather. She knows everything about surviving and thriving in the wild, but something is missing.

Brave the wild. Bury the past. Choose your destiny.

READ A LITTLE OF THE STORY:

from Chapter 1 when Élodie and Lachlan first meet:

“Trust me,” Élodie urged. “Open your eyes. I’m not your enemy.”

A tortured grimace sealed his eyes even tighter.

“We don’t have time for this.” She tamped down the impatience hardening her voice and strove for a sweeter tone. “I can help you. Ask any of the locals. They’ll tell you I’m a first-rate guide, a steadfast friend.” She stifled her sigh.

They’d also say she was dangerously impulsive, to herself and to him. If she hadn’t charged blindly to the rescue, she wouldn’t be wasting precious seconds scrambling to gain his trust before he died.

The pressure of his rifle against her eased. His strength was fading.

Her mind sped through the steps to save him: stitch his wounds, splint his leg, and drag him down the mountain to the nearest settlement.

On the long trail westward, Auntie Hannah had saved Uncle Paden’s life using a travois. This man shared Paden’s sturdy size. A small concern. Hannah had shown that a man’s weight was no match for a woman’s determination.

The snow would help. She could build a sled from fir branches and cheat the reaper as well—if this man let her.

“Lay down your weapon and we can help each other. Together we’re stronger.”

“Lies. All lies!” His words exploded with surprising strength.

The click of his rifle being cocked said the rest. Disbelief shook her like a deer realizing too late she’d run up against a wolf. She’d die here after all.

WANT TO READ WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Choosing Bravery is book 3 in my Lonesome Hearts series, but you don’t need to read book 1 or 2 in order to jump into this story. It’s a standalone read and, as I said above, it’s free!

Sign-up for my newsletter on my website and get your free copy of Choosing Bravery today.

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