Visiting Locations Makes ALL the Difference
Additional Pictures and Giveaway
I just mentioned to my husband
that I was ready to spend the night under a gazillion stars again. I’ve never
seen as many as when we traveled to West Texas to research Protecting Their
Child. Thank goodness we did. There were so many details I was able to add
because of that trip. AND it inspired three more books in that area: The West
Texas Watchmen. Oh my gosh, the nights were so beautiful…there was so little
light pollution that you could see trillions of stars. It was one of the most
amazing things I’d ever seen.
I loved hiking through the Davis National Park. I don’t know why.
At first glance it looks desolate, desert-like. And beautiful at the same time.
But the isolation struck deep inside me as well. Sometimes it took hours to get
around the mountains–a very scary thing when you’re running out of gas. The
visit helped me create Kate McCrea. One of the strongest heroines I’ve been able
to write about.
Where did the actual story come from? Well, about twenty-five
years ago I had friends who lost a child… It’s such a sad moment. They stayed
together to have two more children, but many couples don’t ever get over the
loss.
Here’s a nice video someone made of the area to give you an idea.
This Excerpt from PROTECTING
THEIR CHILD
is when Cord & Kate are escaping over the mountains:
“Do you think I should go
first?” he asked, uncertain if it were safer to climb in front and check the
path or behind her in case she fell.
She threw her gloved
hands in the air. “I’m moving as fast as I can,” she said, the frustration of
talking to him plain in her voice.
“That’s not why I
asked.”
“Oh. Well, I don’t
think there’s a good—or safe way to accomplish this, Cord.”
He looked back to
the Jeep as he had every two minutes. A car dome light flickered on and off. “They
found the car.”
“We should get
moving. Any idea where we’re heading? Especially without our cells?”
“We couldn’t use
them without being found, babe.” The familiar endearment slipped out before he
caught himself.
“There’s nothing on
the other side other than the state park and observatory.”
“Then that’s where
we head. The observatory has satellites. People equal phones and they have a
field for a helicopter to land.”
“Good grief, do you
know how far that is? What’s wrong with hitching a ride to the highway?” She
rolled her shoulders, swung her arms back and forth as if she was warming up
for her workout video.
“Not safe. We don’t know who’s
in the car—driving or holding a gun to the back of their head.”
She shared a deflated long
sigh. “You’re right. I don’t want anyone else hurt. But you know we’re headed
to the highest point in the mountains and there isn’t anything
between here and there. No ranches, no Ranger stations and we have no cell
phones.”
The heavy mist that
would have eventually soaked them, turned into bigger plops on their jackets.
Kate got hit in the face. All she had was that old crocheted thing she’d made
with her mother many years ago. When he’d ‘borrowed’ his jeans and shirt, he
should have found Kate a suitable brim to keep the rain off her.
“Better get after
it, then. Wait.” He placed his favorite hat on top of her worn cap. She gave
him a genuine smile with lots of white, straight teeth and didn’t argue.
Kate set a steady,
careful pace. Easy for him to follow and keep watch for men who might be
following. So far there weren’t any lights flashing around below. Their
mud-caked boots—neither pair made for hiking—contributed to the consistent
slipping, adding another layer of danger to their journey.
Within minutes they
were soaked. The temperature had to be just above freezing. Cord glanced at his
watch again. They’d been climbing forty-five minutes with very limited headway.
Kate slowed for another short catch-her-breath minute. They’d taken several and
his back was more thankful than his lungs.
“There’s too much
rain to locate our position,” he shared. “Think we should use a compass?”
Even at the slow
pace she’d maintained, Kate huffed a couple of times before answering. “At this
point, using a compass is pointless. There’s really only one path—even though I
use that term very loosely.” She put her head down to avoid the pelting rain
and took another step, falling to her knee, then waving him off. “I’m okay.
Better get used to it. A scraped knee will soon be the least of our worries.”
She pointed to the
rock face just above them. This little trek wouldn’t get them over that. They’d
have to climb.
God help him, but
how had things come to this? He was the
one putting his wife in harm’s way now. Ex-wife.
The shrink’s voice popped into his head. She’s
forever tied to me now, his own voice replied. Family. He
could think of his child and his child’s mother as family.
“We can’t attempt to
climb in this weather. I don’t think anyone’s following, they probably haven’t
been since they didn’t know which direction we’d taken off.”
“And this isn’t the
logical choice.”
“Nope.” He pointed
ahead. “There enough trail to make it to the bottom? Might find a bit of an
overhang for protection. If we stop here, we’re fairly exposed to the elements.”
“I can make it,
Cord. Don’t worry about me.” She turned and got going.
From the looks of
things, they had at least another hour and a half before hitting the base. He
stretched his back, swung his arms a bit slower than Kate had. The pain shot up
his spine with the first step.
“I know you can make it,
superwoman,” he mumbled to himself. “It’s me I have doubts about.”
If you haven’t read The Marine’s Last Defense…I
hope you’ll give it a try.
Here’s what a couple
of readers thought
"If you love super-hot cowboys that kick butt
and don't take numbers, this is a book for you. I enjoyed the story and
re-connection of the relationship over the course of the drama. Cord and Kate
touched my heart. Their story was one of heartbreak and learning to move beyond
the pain. Look forward to more stories by Angi Morgan in the future..” ~Read-a-Holic
“Be prepared, because this book will keep you
up late into the night reading. From the beginning to the end Cord, a Texas
Ranger, and his ex-wife Kate are running for their lives. But there is another
life to consider as Kate is five months pregnant and Cord is determined to keep
them safe at any cost. But a drug lord wanted them dead, and Cord was haunted
by his inability to protect his family in the past. Love had never been the
problem between Cord and Kate, but they definitely needed to work on their
communication.
In this story, Angi uses her magic of writing
characters that make you care. With each obstacle and danger she throws at Kate
and Cord, you wonder how in the world they will survive. Even with bullets
flying, a winter storm, and being forced to climb the West Texas mountains, it
may be their unspoken words that cause the most danger to their hearts. This is a must read for all those who love a
good Intrigue.” ~Brenda R.
~
~ ~
USA Today Bestselling author ANGI MORGAN writes
Intrigues where honor and danger collide with love. Her work is a multiple
contest finalist and Publishers Weekly best-seller. She drags her dogs –and
husband– around Texas for research road trips so she can write off her camera.
They now have a map with highlighted roads they’ve traveled. Every detour
somehow makes it into a book.
~ ~ ~
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