Second Lt. Jack Walker doesn't always think ahead and when he
decides to defy logic and send off for a mail order bride, he might have left
out only a few details about his life at the all-but-forgotten Fort Gibson...
Upon arrival at a forsaken military fort in the middle of Indian
Territory, Ella Davis learns Jack's situation isn't quite what she's believed
from his letters and while hoping to avoid such a fate, she's been made the
fool again. Unfortunately, this time she can't run and hide from the man who's
done her wrong, but neither is she convinced their marriage will be the same
one she'd envisioned for them...
Now it's up to Jack to find a way to show his always skeptical
bride that he is indeed trustworthy and that despite what she might believe she
does belong somewhere in the world: right there, with him.
Excerpt:
Fort Gibson,
Indian Territory
Late
September 1845
Second
Lieutenant Jack Walker scanned the endless brown grass that stretched out for
miles ahead of him from where he stood in the top of the northwest lookout
tower. Lush, open
prairie, he scribbled on his paper. He mindlessly drummed his
fingers on the wooden ledge of the lookout, thinking of what else to write for
the ad he was placing for a mail order bride.
He
swiped the back of his hand across his forehead. Warm weather. He jotted
that down and looked up in time to see a man on his horse. Jack tipped his hat
to the man and the rider returned the gesture. Friendly neighbors.
There,
that should do it. He rescanned the lines of his ad, a slow smile spreading
over his lips. Perfect. He folded up the paper and stuffed it in his pocket,
lest anyone see him carrying it.
Whistling,
he went downstairs and across the large courtyard to his office where he
dripped hot wax on the top edge of the folded paper and sealed it.
“Jack?
Are you in here?”
Jack
snapped his head up to see the curious blue eyes of his friend and the reason
he’d had the nerve and motivation to
write the ad in the first place: Captain Wes Tucker. Wes had married a mail
order bride not even a week ago and everything seemed to be working out
perfectly for the two of them, giving Jack hope the same would be possible for
him.
“Do
you need something, Wes?”he asked as he shuffled around the
papers on his desk to hide the address of the Savannah newspaper he was writing
to.
“Yes,
it’s time for you to hie yourself up into
the watchtower.”
“Oh.
Right,”he
said trying not to scowl. Now that Wes was married, he was exempt from having
to spend a night in the watchtower. Just another point in the favor of
marriage. “I
just need to finish getting the mail addressed and in the basket, then I’ll be right out.”
Wes
nodded his head slowly and gave him a quizzical look. “Don’t be long.”
As
soon as Wes was out of the room, Jack finished addressing his letter, then
slipped it into the middle of stack of letters that were waiting to go out with
this week’s mail.
This is the second in a series of three Historical Westerns set in Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma) in the mid 1840s. The first in the series is The Officer and the Bostoner, which is also available, and Book 3, The Officer and the Traveler
USA Today Bestselling and Award Winning Author of more than a
dozen unusually unusual historical romances that have been known to include
scarred heroes, feisty heroines, marriage-producing scandals, far too much
scheming, naughty literature and always a sweet happily-ever-after.
When not escaping to another world via reading or writing a
book, she spends her time chasing two young boys around the house, being hunted
by wild animals, or sitting on the swing in the backyard where she has to use
her arms as shields to deflect projectiles AKA: balls, water balloons, sticks,
pinecones, and anything else one of them picks up to hurl at his brother who
just happens to be hiding behind her.
EE—Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?
Rose—Absolutely! I’m a hick from the sticks, so my favorite music is country love
songs. Not the ones about cheating and honky tonks necessarily, but those old
country love songs where the guys compare their love for their girl as being
better than owning a mansion or taking their dream trip or making it to the top
and becoming famous—just as long as they have her hand in his or if seeing him makes
her as excited as seeing her makes him, then life is perfect. I’m a sap, it’s why I write and read
romance!
EE—Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any
attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
Rose—A long time ago I did. But you know what, spending your 25th
birthday in tears over something you can’t change…just isn’t worth it. Fortunately
that was at the beginning of my career and I can say it’s been more than five
years since I’ve bothered to read a review. Some people will love your book
and some won’t, you can’t please everyone. Besides, if you get a bad review, take it as
a compliment—albeit a backhanded one—it means you’ve sold enough books to
get outside your niche! Think positive and keep at it.
EE—What do you do to unwind and relax?
Rose—Crafts. I’d love to go on Flea Market Flip and would design something
absolutely nuts that has a one-in-the-world audience. In other words, I am
terrible at crafts and upcycling, but it doesn’t keep me from loving
it.
EE— What sound or noise do you love?
Rose—That’s a toss up. Here are the runners up: 1. click, click, click of
an old typewriter. 2. the clicks and whirs of the dial on a rotary phone. 3. A
heavy ran and thunderstorm heard under a tin roof.
3.Where does a general keep his armies?
In
his sleevies!
These jokes were staples for many years in my house. Now we’ve moved onto ones I don’t think are appropriate
to share (nor would I want to admit I even know the joke). Boys. What can ya
do?!
EE—What has been your most rewarding publishing moment?
Rose—Making the USA Today on my own. No mega ads. (This was back
before the days of BookBub.) No special promotion other than a book being on
sale. I was truly humbled by the experience.
Rose will give away two copies of her first book in the series, The Officer and the Bostoner.
Enter the drawing below...and be sure to leave a comment. Have you ever visited any of the old forts along the former frontier? If so, which ones? If not, is there one you'd like to visit?
What do eight bestselling Western historical romance authors do when they get together? They collaborate on a boxed set bestseller! HEARTS ABLAZE is a collection of eight historical romances set in the Old West, and blazing with passion and adventure. All this, for only 99 cents. When we first came together to work on this project, we quickly realized we had something very special–a breadth of sweet to sensual stories that represent the varied and vibrant tapestry of the Old American West. From the wild Pacific forests to the lonesome prairie, on wagon trains and at frontier outposts, you’ll fall in love with lumberjacks and soldiers, trailblazers and trick riders, courageous warriors and rugged cowboys.
In Whispered Love, bestselling author Kathleen Ball transports you to the Pacific Northwest, a land bristling with handsome, well-muscled lumberjacks.
Foreman Samuel Pearse has only one rule; no women allowed. Until he finds one
asleep in his bathtub—Pat Clarke, the company cook. With her secret revealed
and her virtue at stake, Pat turns to the only man who can help her…the one man
who sets fire to her heart.
In Kate’s Outlaw, award-winning author E.E. Burke spins a suspenseful yarn
about a half-breed desperado who abducts—and then rescues—a railroad heiress.
On the run from danger, with enemies on both sides, Jake and Kate seek solace
in each other’s arms, and ignite a love as powerful as it is forbidden.
The Officer and the Bostoner, from USA Today bestselling author
Rose Gordon, follows the adventures
of a well-to-do lady traveling cross-country to meet her intended. Instead, she
finds herself stranded at a military fort and forced into an unwanted marriage.
Can a hot-blooded officer spark love in his wife’s cold heart?
Fools Rush from USA Today bestselling author Ciara Knight. A young
woman, desperate
for independence from all men, embarks on a crazy cross-country wagon train
adventure disguised as a man. Instead of finding her independence, a bounty
hunter captures her under the guise of horse thieving, a crime punishable by
hanging. Will a man she’s lied to for months save her, or will he surrender her
to a monster with a badge?
Ridin’ For A Fall by Kirsten
Lynn immerses you in a fiery tale of forever love. When circumstances force
best friends and Wild West Show performers, Lena Boden and Kyle Allaway to
marry and return to Wyoming, they must stand together against internal doubts
and external forces seeking their destruction—or risk a fall that will knock
them out of the saddle for good.
A Warrior’s Heart, by bestselling
author Amanda McIntyre, brings to
life the passionate story of a bold Cherokee warrior and the brave white woman
he rescues from certain death. Thrown together by circumstances not of their
own making, they overcome betrayal and tragedy to find a love strong enough to
bring nations together.
The Rancher, from bestselling author Hildie McQueen, transports readers to 1870s Montana Territory and
into a sensual encounter between an injured rancher and a woman running for her
life. Sometimes love enters at the worst moment…
In The Drifter, bestselling author Elizabeth Rose takes readers on an epic
journey across the plains, as drifter Chase Masters shows up wounded at Nessa
Pemberton's stagecoach relay station mistaken as the bandit who killed her
husband. Can a single mother learn to love again and put her trust in a man who
is nothing but a drifter?
Let’s corral the
authors and get to know them better…
Kathleen Ball
Writes contemporary and
historical western romance with great emotion and memorable characters.
Her books have appeared on best sellers lists including: Amazon, All Romance
Ebooks, Bookstrand, Desert Breeze Publishing and Secret Cravings
Publishing. She is the recipient of eight Editor's Choice Awards, and The
Readers' Choice Award for Ryelee's Cowboy. She was a finalist in the 2012 and
2015 RONE Awards and Top Pick, Five Star Series from the Romance Review, and
winner of the Lear diamond award for Best Historical Novel- Cinders' Bride.
You can find out more about Kathleen and her books at her website or on Facebook.
Kathleen, how did you come up with the idea for Whispered Love?
I had just watched
the movie The Revenant and the beautiful scenery and the time period awed me.
The Pacific North West is a place I never thought to write about but the idea
to set a book there kept coming back to me. It went from there to my hero, a
handsome, brawny lumberjack, and the story practically wrote itself.
Is writing or storytelling easier for you?
Growing up it seemed
as though everyone in my family had a gift for storytelling. Everyone but me.
My stories often missed the point, or went in circles. My father was a
wonderful storyteller and often had us on the edge of our seat. I started
writing seven years ago. I never thought to be a writer, after all I can’t even
tell a story but when my fingers touched the keys to my computer I was amazed.
I still can’t tell a story but I can write a pretty good one.
E.E. Burke
Award-winning author of sensual
and sweet historical romances. Woven through with real history, her stories
recapture a bygone era and resonate with enduring themes. Besides being a bestselling author, she's earned accolades in regional and national contests, including the RWA's
prestigious Golden Heart®. Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a
journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to
living the dream--writing stories readers can get lost in.
Learn more about E.E. and her books on her website or on her Facebook page.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
History, of course! I’ll admit
it--I’m a history geek. I get more story ideas reading history books and
exploring historical museums than anywhere else. When I was working on Kate’s
Outlaw (and the beginning of the Steam! Romance & Rails series) I found a
fascinating story about the Western band of the Cherokee Nation suing to stop
land giveaways to railroads, on the basis of sovereignty. I loved how they used
the white men’s judicial system to fight back against wealthy railroad barons
and dishonest speculators. I did wonder how they financed an expensive legal
battle, which led to some interesting theories…and a story idea was born!
What is your hero’s
“kryptonite” – in other words, what will bring him instantly to his knees?
In Kate's Outlaw, Jake Colson, or Wa-ya
(the Wolf) as he’s known among his people, has a deeply ingrained sense of
loyalty. He will protect those he considers part of his “pack," especially his clan
and family. In fact, dogged loyalty is, in a sense, his greatest weakness.
Because of loyalty, he does things he wouldn’t do otherwise. Loyalty is
also one of his shining strengths, as Kate discovers when he puts his life on
the line to protect her. I love taking a character trait and looking at it from
different angles, and using that trait to reveal both the best and worst in a person. Sometimes our weaknesses can turn out to be unexpected strengths.
Rose Gordon
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than
a dozen unusual historical romances that have been known to include scarred
heroes, feisty heroines, marriage-producing scandals, far too much scheming,
naughty literature and always a sweet happily-ever-after.
See more about Rose and her books at her website or on her Facebook page.
In The Officer and the Bostoner, what could we find in
your heroine's purse?
Very little money and absolutely no peppermints, which is a
horrible fate for a weary traveler with a roiling stomach. But, who knows,
perhaps fate will use that to her advantage.
Do you put yourself
in the heroine’s role?
Absolutely. When she hurts, my chest constricts and a lump
forms in my throat. When she's giddy with excitement, I can hardly sit in my
chair! When the hero tells her he loves her...I want to reach through the
screen and melt in his arms myself. Yes, I'm weird. It's okay.
Ciara Knight
Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author who writes 'A Little Edge and A Lot of Heart' that spans the heat scales. Her popular sweet romance series, Sweetwater County (rated PG), takes readers into small town romance full of family trials, friendly competition, and community love.The prequel novella of a brand new sister series, Riverbend, is now available, and the first four books will release in 2016.
To learn more about Ciara and her books, visit her website or her Facebook page.
In Fool's Rush, what one thing about
your hero drives his heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine
drives her hero nuts?
The fact that Bethany is dressed as a man and she can’t
touch Thomas’s strong chest, run her hands through his thick hair, or tell him
how much she’s in awe over his strong, giving nature nearly drives her mad with
restrained passion.
Thomas is frustrated with the fact Bethany keeps
disappearing on the wagon train headed west. The beautiful, strong woman is
going to send him into a heat stroke on the prairie if he can’t get his hands
on her soon.
Which is easier for
you, writing or storytelling?
Due to my significant battle with a brain-sucking monster,
AKA language disorder, storytelling is the easier of the two for me. Not that
I’ll ever let my learning challenge stop me. As far as story-telling goes,
let’s just say that I’m happy to say that I now enjoy living in my worlds and
not having to explain where I went when the teacher is calls on me. J
Kirsten Lynn
Kirsten is a Western and Military Historian. She worked
six years with a Navy non-profit and continues to contract with the Marine
Corps History Division for certain projects. Making her home where her roots
were sewn in Wyoming, Kirsten also works as a local historian. She loves to use
the history she has learned and add it to a great love story. She writes
stories about men of uncommon valor…women with undaunted courage…love of
unwavering devotion …and romance with unending sizzle. When she’s not writing,
she finds inspiration in day trips through the Bighorn Mountains, binge reading
and watching sappy old movies, or sappy new movies. Housework can always wait.
Find out more about Kirsten and her books on her website and at her Facebook page.
How did you come up
with the idea for Ridin' for a Fall?
Lena is very loosely based on my great-grandmother. She and
her brother were trick riders, and he even became part of Buffalo Bill's
Congress of Rough Riders. In real life, she had a hard life, abandoned by her
husband and raising the children alone. So, I wanted to give her a HEA. I also
wanted to set a series in the area where I currently live. Kyle and the rest of
the Allaways and Gowans appeared through my interactions with the people in
Sheridan and Big Horn, Wyoming. The A&G Ranch was inspired by many of the
ranches in this area. Her brother even makes an appearance as the silverware
stealing Alt Boden. There will be two more books in the Original Brand series
that will be based on my great-uncles during WWII.
What would you find
in your heroine's purse?
Well, since moving back to Wyoming and leaving the highbrow
life of a Wild West Show trick rider (where she was forced to wear dresses and
such in public), Lena rarely carries a handbag. You're more likely to find her
decked out in denims and tossing a saddlebag over her favorite Paint horse. In
the saddlebag for just a daily ride, you'd find jerky, an apple or two, cookies
(to share with Kyle), a change of cloths to change little Katie, and a change
of clothes for the baby, and some formula.
Amanda McIntyre
Amanda’s storytelling is a natural offshoot of her artistic creativity. A
visual writer, living in the rich tapestry of the American heartland, her
passion is telling character-driven stories with a penchant (okay, some call it
a wicked obsession) for placing ordinary people in extraordinary situations to
see how they overcome the obstacles to reach their happily ever after.
A
bestselling author, her work is published internationally in Print, eBook, and
Audio. She writes steamy contemporary and sizzling historical romance and truly
believes, no matter what, love will always find a way.
To learn more about Amanda and her books check out her website or her Facebook page.
How did you come up with the
idea for A Warrior's Heart?
I have always been interested in my ancestry. There were
stories growing up, that on my grandmother’s side, I was related to the Younger
brothers of Missouri, who once rode with Jesse James. I’m still searching, but
it would certainly explain my inner rebelliousness, wouldn’t it? On my father’s
side, there are a great many gaps, however, somewhere along the line there is a
portion of Cherokee blood. As I was tracing my lineage, I found the topic of
the Trail of Tears—a story barely touched on actually in school history books.
I kept reading, finding more and more about the story—which I won’t lie, is
heart-breaking, frustrating and yet, despite the odds—it was about a nation of
people, respectful of the earth and all living things, that managed to survive
as a nation, the terrible obstacles they had to face.
That was my fodder for A Warrior’s Heart. A complex story
about perceptions, greed, loyalty, deceit, betrayal, tenacity, kindness,
courage, redemption, forgiveness, retribution and understanding. Seasoned with
human emotions, and steeped in romance-it’s the timeless tale of two people
brought together under circumstances not of their own making, how they survive
and how love—and its many attributes—finds a way to bring two nations together.
What kind of stories do you get
lost in?
Whether a book or movie, I get lost in the type of story
that has complex characters that you peel away the layers to find the true
heart, how they respond to extraordinary situations. Some of my favorite
authors are those who write about the dynamics of family (whether by blood or
experience)—Nora Roberts, The MacGregors and her Quinn brothers trilogy, Anne
River Siddons-Colony, John Jakes-North and South to name a scant few. I love
the rich tapestry of personalities, what motivates their actions, their
reactions to the circumstances around them. As far as movies; the complexity of
Legends of the Fall, a brilliant fusion of history and family dynamics I could
watch over and over again. John Jakes, North and South is another. Stories like
Hope Floats, Practical Magic, The Help, Sweet Magnolias, Meet Me in St Louis
are lighter favs, while shows like Longmire, Hell on Wheels, Copper, and Ripper
street fascinate me in terms of the darker side of character in a dark setting.
In truth, my eclectic taste in books, movies and music very much affects my
writing as well.
Hildie McQueen
Bestselling author Hildie McQueen loves unusual situations and getting
into interesting adventures, which is what her characters do as well. She
writes romance because she is in love with love! Author of Romance in Highland
historical, Western Historical and contemporary, she writes something every
reader can enjoy.
Most days she can be found in her pajamas hiding from deliverymen while
drinking tea from her David Gandy coffee mug. In the afternoons she browses the
Internet for semi-nude men to post on Facebook.
Hildie's favorite past-times are romance conventions, traveling,
shopping and reading. She resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband
Kurt, an unruly boy Chihuahua Pepito and a spoiled rotten girl Chiweenie named
Lola.
Find out more about Hildie and her books on her website and her Facebook page.
In The Rancher, what one thing about your hero drives his
heroine crazy? And what one thing about your heroine drives her hero nuts?
Grant is stubborn
and not willing to take the time he needs to heal, it makes Julia angry that he
won’t take care of his injuries as needed. This comment she makes cracked me
up. “If you want to fall over with an infection and lay in a pile of skin and
bones until someone finds you, then it’s on you.” I think Julia is very hard to
get to know, so it drives Grant nuts that she won’t open up to him about her
life.
What is your hero’s “kryptonite” – in other
words, what will bring him instantly to his knees?
Grant Gentry loves
his brothers more than anything, his younger brother Lincoln and older brother
Emerson, who raised them. If anything happens to either one, he’d fall to
pieces. In The Rancher, Linc is missing, presumed dead, so Grant’s intensity is
easy to understand and your heart goes out to him.
Elizabeth Rose
Elizabeth Rose is the bestselling author of over 55 books,
an Amazon All-Star and in the Top 100 of Amazon’s most popular, bestselling
historical romance authors. She writes medieval, small town contemporary,
paranormal and western romance.
She is known for her series and sagas of family characters
that often cross over into other series. To find out more about Elizabeth’s
books, read excerpts, or to view her booktrailer videos, please visit her
website. For a limited time, if you
sign up for her mailing list, you will receive the Tarnished Saints’ Christmas
Prequel for free. You can also find her on Facebook.
How did you come up
with the idea for your book?
I love watching old westerns and learning about life in
those times and knew I had to write The Drifter. I started researching
stagecoach lines and found it interesting. Life on the plains was hard and
dangerous, and travel was rough and dirty. There were bandits, weather, and Indians
to worry about. Life running a stagecoach relay station was even more
fascinating. I knew I had to have my heroine doing just this. So to make it a
romance, I upped the stakes. Nessa Pemberton, my heroine is also a widow with a
young son and a brother who has been hurt riding shotgun on a stage during a
raid. And of course the thing she fears most is bandits, and my hero ends up
wounded in her barn and happens to look a lot like the bandit that killed her
husband.
This book was a lot of fun to write, and I was able to share
my research with my readers through Nessa and Chase’s story.
In The Drifter, what is your hero’s
“kryptonite” – in other words, what will bring him instantly to his knees?
Chase Masters is a drifter and a loner. He thinks he doesn’t
need anyone, but that is only because he is running from his mistakes of the
past. Ignoring them keeps him from feeling the hurt inside. But when Nessa
tends to his wounds and he is basically part of her family while he’s healing –
that is his kryptonite.
He loves her molasses pie, and likes being around Nessa and
her son, Billy, who looks up to him. He’s not a stranger to hard work and
doesn’t mind helping out around the stagecoach relay station, and likes to feel
needed. Through the years he’s convinced himself he’s a drifter and never stays
in one place long, but being around Nessa and her family makes him realize that
he’s only been fooling himself.
Join the Party!
On Thursday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. we’re hosting a Facebook party to celebrate the release of Hearts Ablaze. Come prepared to ask those burning questions (yes, you can put us on the hot seat, and feed us s'mores afterwards). Enter FLASH giveaways & a RAFFLE for the grand prize, a $100 Amazon gift card. Invite your friends! Here's the link to RSVP and join: http://bit.ly/HeartsAblazeParty
Now it's your turn!
What are some of your favorite characters in Old West
stories? Cowboys? American Indians? Soldiers? Outlaws? Tell us why.
Enter the drawing for a copy of the boxed set HEARTS ABLAZEor one of the eight books included.
This is the second in a series of three Historical Westerns set in Indian Territory (modern day Oklahoma) in the mid 1840s. The first in the series is The Officer and the Bostoner, which is also available, and Book 3, The Officer and the Traveler
