9/21/2017

Welcome to Chandler County



Hi GLIAS family! I’m so excited to hijack the blog today for a little shameless promotion of a brand new (for me) story world and soon-to-be-released book!

Last June I was lucky enough to attend a wonderful book signing event called Wild Deadwood Reads totally geared toward readers connecting with authors. (For information on this year’s event click HERE.) But I was also blessed to meet and get involved with a wonderful pair of authors who have created an exciting world called Chandler County, Kentucky. This past spring, six Chandler County books were released. Starting on October 26th, eight new stories will be released, once a week through December.

I’m so excited that my book, “Missing By a Heartbeat” will be among them, and be released on November 16th.
 
This is not a boxed set of books, it is available at all online retailers, not just Amazon, and it isn't a series that must be read in order. All CC books are stand alone novels. But they are set in the same wonderful place and share some of the same smart, sexy, sweet, rowdy, funny, beautiful characters. And there’s a heat level for everyone whether you love sweet inspy stories, hot sexy stories or something in between!

ABOUT CHANDLER COUNTY
Chandler County lies in 311 square miles between Lexington and Lousiville, Kentucky and consists of two main towns: Chandlerville (named for the founder Lyle Chandler) and Bourbonville (named for the prohibition-era government-led destruction of hundreds of private stills that flooded the town with bourbon and bourbon scent for weeks). Both towns thrive on business brought in by the Kentucky Derby every spring, but there are also many businesses that make up a successful economy.

In Chandler County you’ll find small town closeness and folks who’ve grown up in the area as well as lots of heroes and heroines who are new to the towns and the love they find there. Horses, horsemen and women, and thoroughbreds abound. In my book, you’ll meet a local veterinarian and a new-to-Churchill Downs trainer and plenty of scandal to give them trouble as well as push them together.

There truly is something and somebody for everyone!

Along with “Missing By a Heartbeat” here are the other seven books that will be released this fall:
“Missing Alaska” by Cherime Macfarlane
“Missing Desire” by PJ Fiala
“Missing Out” by Trish Edmisten
“Missing My Heart” by Tina Susedik
“Missing the Gate” by Aubree Lane
“Missing Us” by Traci Wooden-Carlisle
“Missing Home” by Stephany Tullis


In addition to the excitement of new releases, there is a Facebook Fan Page that’s full of fun little facts about each of the books: favorite recipes, favorite getaways, teasers, questions for readers, and giveaways. I’d love for everyone to hop on over and like the page so you can keep up with all the pre-release fun. 

ABOUT MISSING BY A HEARTBEAT
Here’s a mini synopsis of my book, which will be available for pre-order this coming weekend!

Dr. Victoria “Tori” Sterling has only been practicing equine veterinary medicine for seven years, but she already knows her way around race horse injuries better than most vets with twice her experience. Innovative and honest to a fault, in a world where tradition and rule-bending are standard practices, Tori has fought to earn her good reputation. She’s also learned the hard way that an eccentric, animal-focused lifestyle is too much for any man to understand much less share. Since every spare minute is spent on her career and her farm filled with rescue animals—she has no time for love relationships.
As a newcomer to Chandlerville, thoroughbred trainer Winn Crosby has escaped a troubled past and made it to his dream destination: Kentucky and the venerable Churchill Downs. With a dozen horses in his stable and a gift for getting the best from them, he wants only to keep his business out of trouble and reach his ultimate goal of training a big stakes horse. It’s not an easy task, however, when every one of his teenage grooms, as well as his assistant trainer, has a record. But Winn was once a troubled teen, and along with his love of horses, he loves “his kids” and will do anything to help them succeed as he has.
It doesn’t take him long to decide Tori Sterling is someone who can help him with his goals. In addition to being straight-talking and scrupulously honest, she’s funny, smart, and attractive, and she makes him feel the same way—something rare for a man who’s had to fight for respect his whole life. Despite her support and his best efforts, however, it doesn’t take trouble long to find him. When a Derby-bound colt is targeted by a saboteur, Winn and his stable of misfits are prime suspects. Then a series of mysterious and illegal happenings behind the scenes at Churchill Downs keep him in the crosshairs and force him into a partnership with Tori that’s part detective team and all crazy attraction.
Because even though Tori stopped looking for love long ago, Winn gets through her defenses like nobody ever has. In him she sees a true horseman, a kind soul, and a man who shares her passion for all things lost. Tori’s love of animals and kids makes her a perfect role model for the teens in Winn’s employ. And her farm is a haven for Winn, who has never fully left his lost and lonely childhood in Chicago behind.
Together they struggle to find out who is doping horses with a secret stimulant that seems to magically make winners out of losers, who is sabotaging equipment and causing barn-wide panic, and who apparently wants Tori and Winn out of the horseracing business altogether. And they have to do it before both of them lose their careers—and their chance at love.

Have you ever been to Kentucky? Have you ever been to a racetrack? Tell me your best horse racing or never-been-to-a-horse-race story! I have a choice of any of my back list e-books for a commenter today. Please leave your email address with your comment!

And watch for more posts about the individual Chandler County books as we get to their release dates! 

10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, darlin' -- I'm excited. And the other authors are so enthusiastic!

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  2. Hmmm, I have driven by a horse race track, but never actually went to one to watch a race... just on TV...

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    1. My folks took my brothers and I to Arlington Park in Chicago when I was about 11. They showed us how to bet ($2 max) and make it a cheap afternoon of entertainment. Cheaper than a movie, even nowadays! But even driving by makes for fun imaginings!

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  3. haven't been

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  4. My mom and I LOVE visiting Churchill Downs. Every time we pull up I can feel the history weaving it's magic. You want a funny story? ...
    Mom and I go to Churchill Downs for fun, not to make our fortune. Three men sitting in front of us had every sheet, newspaper, race day catalog, pouring over who the trainers were. They checked jockeys, owners, records... just absorbing information to make the best pick possible.
    On the other hand, I was reading the names of the horses running in that particular race to my mom. She didn't like any of the names so had me read the colors. I got to one that had red and yellow colors... Mom got all excited and proclaimed that they were Mcdonalds colors. That meant it was HER horse. The men in front of us were smirking and rolling their eyes at us, but I went and placed her bet. When it was time for the parade of horses, mom and I laughed our fool heads off. Her Mcdonalds horse was literally half the size of the others. But.... when those gates opened the Mcdonalds horse was off like a shot... it not only lead the entire race, it won with odds like 50 to 1. The men were furious. They threw all their papers down, cussing and then stomped off. One even told my mom she was unbelievable. Oh yeah? Well, she's an unbelievable winner. It's the only time my mom navigated the stairs and crowd to turn in a winning ticket. (I usually do all the running)

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    1. P.s. Don't need to win. Of course I have all of your books. Just thought you would enjoy the story.

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    2. Julie--I LOVE IT!! Best racing story. I think I might need to have a Julie and her mom in this book making that bet!! Do you think your mama would mind? We'll talk!!

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    3. We would love it if you used our story. It was 5 years ago and we still laugh about it. Those men were MAD. You can Facebook private message me if you want... I always love me some Lizbeth!

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  5. My dream place to go is kentucky when I was young my dad and I used to visit the race track every time he got me out of the foster home . He would let me pick a horse and then we would place 2 on him and if he came in all the change or dollars we made went towards my lunch and of course if I didn't and I was hungry he would buy. I liked buying out of my winnings and I would pick the horse that look pretty or the long shot. When my son was old enough there was a race that the one my dad took me to just 5 min from the house well we would go and I taught him what I would do when I was his age then he would do the same thing. He got to pick the horse then the winnings over 2 went towards his food. So much fun then when he got older the track started having breakfast with a jockey and we took the 3 kids and they loved going as the next night race on a weekend they would go where they get the horse ready and now it was a step farther they knew the jockey. They all loved going there but not as much as my son who was named after my dad. Then I moved back here to Iowa and my son was going on Sat to the track then when the track closed down we were all sad. As now you have to go across the bridge to get to the closeest track which was to far for my son as he used to walk to the other track. A few years ago my son took his girlfriend to the Derby and they had a good time! So it was generations passed down and we all learned the paper and the program and which of the clerks that you wanted to go to and which gave us luck as that is what we learned. So much fun and didn't realize those fun days would end but still have the memories with my dad so many as he also took me to the library and that is where my love of reading came from. He loved Westerns and history a wonderful man. ptclayton2@aol.com Thank you for the chance to win a print copy as severely disabled .

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