Blast to the Past: Adella's Enemy + Irish hero Cormac McGrady + St. Patrick's SALE!

Time for another BLAST TO THE PAST and an oldie-but-goodie, previously-released book and excerpt! ☘️ In honor of St. Patrick's Day ☘️, I'm sharing Adella's Enemy (my railroad romance featuring Irish hero Cormac McGrady) which is ☘️ on SALE for $0.99 ☘️ for a limited time. Or you can read the story for FREE any time with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Writing my "romance on the railroad" story was inspired by authors E. A. Burke and Jennifer Jakes --  and the Hell on Wheels TV series. So it seemed fitting that my railroad-foreman hero would be Irish. Cormac McGrady soon became larger than life as most Irish characters tend to do.

I ❤️ Cormac McGrady! He's the perfect match for my post-Civil War spy Adella Willows -- who is as capable as she is headstrong. But alas, poor Adella has a soft spot for...Cormac McGrady! ;)

Blurb ~ Adella's Enemy

The War Between the States ended five years ago, but she still pursues her enemy…

Rebel spy turned government rabble-rouser Adella Willows receives her mission straight from a Washington senator—play havoc with the Katy Railroad and derail its bid to win the race. The senator craves wealth. Adella craves revenge against the man responsible for her brother’s death. But her plans crumble into chaos when she enters a battle of wits with the railroad’s foreman.

An ocean separates him from his failures in Ireland, but he’s still haunted by those who died…

Seasoned railroad foreman Cormac McGrady’s sole desire is keeping his workmen safe and employed, which means keeping the Katy ahead of its rivals. But the beautiful spy bedeviling his railroad needs protecting as well. Cormac must choose between winning the race and winning Adella’s heart, while Adella must choose whether she lives for revenge or dies for love.

Can the pursuit of an old enemy lead to a new love?

Excerpt ~ Adella's Enemy

Adella & Cormac's first kiss... Almost!

Kansas - 1870

Adella’s fingers brushed the piece of paper hidden in her cleavage and she went as still as Cormac. Blast! She’d forgotten about the telegram! She needed Cormac to stay in her hotel room, but she couldn’t let him see the telegram.

“How do you know what I want?” she whispered, stalling for time.

“I don’t. But this is what I want.” In two strides, he devoured the gap between them. Then his mouth claimed hers in a hot, heady possession.

Pressed against the door, all she could do was kiss him back. She did so with abandon. Her skin tingled, and her blood raced as if her body had woken from years of sleepwalking. She didn’t want the feeling to stop. She wrapped her arms around Cormac’s neck and pulled him closer.

He suddenly lifted his head. “I want more than one kiss,” he murmured against her lips. “And I don’t mean merely claiming everything that’s under this dress.” His hand slid up her ribcage to cup her breast.

The telegram! With a gasp, she covered her chest with both hands. The corner of the paper poked her palm. Thank Dixie. It was still there. But had he seen it? She drew back against the door.

Cormac retreated as well, lifting his hand to rake it through hair that was already disheveled. Had she done that? He reached for the doorknob and she jumped aside.

“Stay away from the worksite, Adella.” He opened the door without his customary restraint. It banged against the wall. “And, for God’s sake, stay out of trouble. Don’t provoke a man beyond his patience.” 

~ * ~ 

Download Adella's Enemy on sale (or read the story free with Kindle Unlimited) on 

Amazon US | UK | Canada | Australia 

To learn what inspired Adella and Cormac's story, visit my Story Inspiration page on my website.

Wishing you a happy St. Patrick's Day 

Jacqui ❤️☘️ 

~ * ~ 

Fall in love with a new Old West...where the men are steadfast & the women are adventurous. 

Website: JacquiNelson.com

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/jacquinelson

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/authors/jacqui-nelson

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/JacquiNelson

Join my newsletter & receive Rescuing Raven (Raven and Charlie's story in Deadwood 1876) for free: JacquiNelson.com/download-my-free-read 

Valentine’s Week Special Offer: Spotlight on St. Patrick’s and Christmas Brides

This week, enjoy four seasonal romances in the Brides of Noelle series for less than the price of a latte!


Today, we'll take a closer look at a St. Patrick's Day and a Christmas bride

NORAH by Amanda McIntyre
On sale for 99 cents this week only!

Not proud of his seedy entanglements back East, Irish Immigrant Seamus (pronounced Shamus) Malone is determined to create a new and better life in the western frontier, but despite attempts to reach the woman that captured his heart, his letters for the last four years have gone unanswered. Will a plea for help from Noelle’s new matchmaker convince his estranged wife to join him in this new world, proving his love, and that he is a changed man?

Passion (and a controlling aunt) drove Norah into marriage, but when she finds her new husband dabbling in drink and dangerous liaisons, she bid him farewell, relenting to his pipe dreams of a better life, while she remained behind living in the shame of a broken marriage. But when a dark truth is discovered she must now decide if the love she once felt is enough to survive a second chance in the New West?

Here's an excerpt:

Seamus blinked. “I’m sorry, what’d you say? What is it you’d be needing, Felice?” He looked away before God could strike him down for his thoughts. He forced them to Norah, how she’d looked at him the last night they were together. He turned his back to check the stock on the shelves and see what he and his new partner (at least in his mind) could afford to sell.

He felt a hand slide down over his trousers.

“What I need, Seamus Malone, is some of this fine, Irish—”

“Whisky, Felice,” he said, taking her hand and dropping it at her side.

She gave him a little pout, and then her face came alive in a bright smile as she batted her lashes above captivating blue eyes. Rumor was, she’d left her husband and child to find success in the theater. Given the woman’s flair for the dramatic, the fact that she’d not made it in show business puzzled the heck out of him.

“I need something special, Seamus.” Her gaze took him in, head to foot. “Something that will set my place apart from all the other places on the row.”

His gaze narrowed. “What’d you have in mind?”

She twirled a corkscrew tendril around her finger. “One of my regulars who’s back in town working the mine was talking about a special homemade whisky you once sold to the miners.”

“Is that so?” He eyed the petite woman.

“Said it was the best he’d ever drank.” She cocked her head. “I don’t suppose you’d have of that famous whisky left, would you?”

And there it was. Like a sign from above. Sure, it had some risk, but maybe the old family recipe of Norah’s grand-da should be resurrected. He’d set aside for years, not having the time, and working hard to set an example for his boss. He needed something that would raise money. Maybe a few bottles sold locally, a few glasses served slightly higher than the standard fare, let news travel, and create a demand. He mentally counted how many bottles he had tucked back in the storeroom off the kitchen.

“It’s me private whisky, Felice. An old family recipe. Top o’ the line.” He gave her a wink. “It dunna come cheap.”

She gave him a wry smile. “Neither do I, honey.”

“How much you got?” he asked, already calculating how fast he could rebuild a new still, get more bottles, maybe have a fancy new label made to showcase his fine Irish-made whisky.

Felice planted her hand on her hip and, with a sultry smile, tugged at the lace ribbon of her bodice. “More than enough for the likes of you, honey.”

Seamus reached out and grabbed her wrist. “I mean, money. How much are you willing to pay?” he asked.

Her beautiful face crumpled in a frown. He’d offended her.

Seamus raised his brows, waiting. Business was business, and few in town understood that concept better than Felice.

“Same as the liquor we’ve bought before?” She patted her hair and gave him a side glance. “Two bits.”

“Two dollars.”

Her plump little mouth dropped open. “Two dollars?”

“Per bottle. This is a well-guarded family recipe, darlin’. And don’t tell me you don’t have that kind of money, Felice. We both know who makes the most money in this town next to Hardt.”

She preened a little to that comment, then shrugged.

Seamus was not to be detoured. “Further, you’ll be signing a contract exclusive to me and the Golden Nugget to purchase any and all liquor for your business.” He was thinking by the seat of his pants.

She didn’t look convinced. “What’s in it for me?” she asked.

“I tell you what, if you send me a new client, I’ll take a few bits off your next order.”

“I should be livid with you, Seamus Malone. Why, what you propose is nothing but plain horse-thievin’. You never charged Madam Bonheur such prices.”

“Madam Bonhuer never got any of my whisky,” Seamus said with his most charming smile.

“Well, then,” she said stepping around the bar and pressing herself against him. “If I say yes, maybe together we might find a way to seal our little partnership. Maybe have a little fun?” She giggled as she slinked her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek.

Seamus placed his hands on her shoulders, intent on pushing her away. He froze when he heard the sound of a man clearing his throat.

“I’m sorry. Is this the Golden Nugget? The stagecoach experienced a bit of trouble and needed repair, which is why we’re late. It was suggested that here is where our traveling companion might find a Mr. Seamus Malone?”

Seamus heard nothing of what the man said, his words like the drone of a beehive in the back of his brain. He stared at the trio standing in the middle of the saloon, unable to trust his eyes. “Norah? What in bloody blazes are you doing here?”

ROBYN by Jacqui Nelson
On sale for 99 cents this week only!


Who’s the perfect match for a flame-haired Welsh tomboy who loves driving wagons?

Raised by three free-spirited older brothers, Robyn Llewellyn has learned to fight for what she wants—and now she wants to transform her boss and best friend, Max Peregrine, into a lifelong partner. Determined to become the image of what a marriage-minded man wants, Robyn trades her trousers for a dress and heads to Max’s hometown of Noelle, Colorado. But changing who she is with the help of the now happily married Brides of Noelle puts her friendship with Max at risk.

Who’s the perfect match for a work-addicted Denver business owner who loves his independence?

Defying his brother and grandpa’s wishes for him to stay with them in Noelle, Max Peregrine has created his dream job—leading a highly successful branch of Peregrines’ Post and Freight while working beside Robyn, the only person who makes him smile every day. But when she leaves without a word, Max follows her to Noelle where the choices they both must face could make it impossible for them to stay together beyond Christmas day.

Here's an excerpt:


Denver, Colorado
 — December 21, 1877

“She’s gone?” Max Peregrine shouted, disbelief then panic raising his voice to a roar. “Where?”


Lined up shoulder to shoulder inside the Denver office of Peregrines’ Post and Freight, the three Llewellyn brothers studied him intently, not with surprise but curiosity. And something more. Something his careening thoughts couldn’t identify.


Brynmor, the eldest by several years, heaved a sympathetic sounding sigh. “She’s—”


“Fine,” Heddwyn interrupted, embracing his status as the swift-talking middle brother who needed to do everything quick, including driving freight wagons at breakneck speed. He shot his brothers a secretive glance. “Remember our plan. He sounds upset, but we need to know more.”


“Stuff your plans!” Max threw down his pencil and stormed around the desk where he’d been working on his ledgers. He’d throttle his answers from Robyn’s brothers if need be. “Why—did—she—leave!?”

Griffin, the youngest but also the largest, folded his arms over his barrel of a chest. “He sounds more than upset.” 


“Good.” Standing on either side of their flame-haired baby brother, Brynmor and Heddwyn spoke and nodded in unison, like matching musclebound bookends with the same auburn hair and sky-blue eyes. Except Bryn had one eye clouded white. Max had yet to learn why. 


The Llewellyns were fond of talk but notoriously unforthcoming on certain subjects. Like, at the moment, Robyn’s departure. 


“He’s regretting something,” Griffin added. 


Max froze. Leave it to Griff to pinpoint Max’s state of mind while never addressing his own. Griff’s hair color matched his sister’s, but his reputation as the Llewellyn sibling with a short fuse was his alone.


“I regret”—he unlocked his clenched jaw and tried to speak normally—“that your sister might have put herself in jeopardy.”


Heddwyn snorted. “Little Red can take care of herself.”


“Hedd’s right. The wee one is all grown-up,” Bryn proclaimed with another sigh. 


“She’s as tough as she is beautiful.” Griff’s gaze narrowed, studying him even more keenly. “Or do you believe otherwise?”


“I don’t,” Max muttered, thinking of Robyn’s lean strength, steely blue gaze, and stunning smile. A smile he’d been blessed to see every day since he moved to Denver. A smile he craved more than a miner coveted gold. A smile that had become increasingly melancholy of late. “Whatever’s wrong and wherever she’s gone, she needn’t be alone. I would’ve traveled with her.”


“You sure ’bout that?” Hedd released a low whistle as he pointed at Max’s face. “Look! Dog Bone’s turning the same shade of red as Ruddy does when he’s near to exploding.”


In Welsh, Griff meant ruddy, but that hothead remained poker-faced as he said, “We have eyes, Peaceful. No need telling us something we can plainly see.”


Max’s entire body burned with outrage. Not because of the teasing titles the Llewellyns loved to dole out, for themselves and others. In Welsh, Heddwyn meant blessed peace, a constant source of ribbing for a man who had too much energy to stand still. Max had learned to look below the surface of their name tomfoolery after Robyn revealed her brothers called him Dog Bone because he never stopped gnawing problems into submission. 


He didn’t give up. A trait all of the Llewellyns found admirable. If they assigned you a name, even one you didn’t find flattering, it meant you’d earned their respect. They didn’t waste their time on people they didn’t like. 


Robyn’s explanation along with her easy smile had ended his dislike for long conversations. But only with her. They’d talked about everything after that, argued as much as they’d agreed, but always ended up smiling. 


No topic had been taboo, or so he thought. Why hadn’t she spoken to him before she left? And how could her brothers question his resolve, especially when it came to Robyn?


Their lack of faith left him not only furious but frustrated and flummoxed. “If your sister asked, I’d have gone anywhere with her.” 


Bryn raised an eyebrow in challenge. “You said differently in the past.”

Also on sale this week: Ophelia, A Valentine's Day Bride by Kit Morgan 

and Jolie, A Valentine's Day Bride by E.E.  Burke. 

Pick up all 4 delightful romances for a sweet deal, only 99 cents each. Click the names below. 

Ophelia |Jolie | Norah |Robyn

If you missed yesterday's post about the two Valentine's Day brides mentioned above,  CLICK HERE. 

We're running a contest this week for 4 FREE eBooks from E.E. Burke, Kit Morgan, Jacqui Nelson & Amanda McIntyre, and a $20 gift card. 

Five winners will be drawn on Monday, February 18. Leave a comment to be entered (and don't forget to leave your email so we can reach you).

What was one of your favorite St. Patrick's Day or Christmas gifts, or one you'd like to receive?

The Liberator of Ireland by Regan Walker

Daniel O'Connell by George Hayter

Daniel O’Connell, who in the early 19^th century was one of the leading barristers in Ireland, led the campaign for Catholic Emancipation, which had consumed England for many decades, beginning in the 18^th century. He was a moderate and a brilliant voice, speaking for the Irish in a way that England could not ignore. His actions would gain him the title The Liberator of Ireland.

Though a Deist in his youth, after the infamous duel in 1815, where he killed John D'Esterre, a leading member of the Protestant Ascendancy who had challenged him, O’Connell returned to his faith. In 1816, he became a devout Catholic, to the great joy of his wife.

In 1817, he stated,

“My political creed is short and simple. It consists in believing that all men are entitled as of right and justice to religious and civil liberty…I have taken care to require it only on that principle which would emancipate the Catholics in Ireland, would protect the Protestants in France and Italy, and destroy the Inquisition, together with inquisitors, in Spain. Religion is debased and degraded by human interference; and surely the worship of the Deity cannot but be contaminated by the admixture of worldly ambition or human force.”

Until the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, Catholics could not, among other things, hold public office nor serve in Parliament. Ironically, the Prince Regent opposed Catholic Emancipation even though he married (illegally) Maria Fitzherbert, a twice-widowed Roman Catholic, who was arguably the love of his life. He did not, however, veto the new law in 1829, pressed by the Whigs and opposed by the Tories, which emancipated the Catholics.

In 1828, when Daniel O’Connell stood for election in County Clare and won, he could not take a seat in the House of Commons—not until 1829 with the new law. In finally gaining emancipation for all Catholics, Daniel O’Connell won the title “The Liberator.”

 

Daniel O’Connell was a tall, handsome man with a head of dark curls and shinning blue eyes. My hero in The Shamrock & The Rose, Morgan O’Connell, is Daniel’s fictional Protestant cousin with the same dark good looks. Daniel O’Connell did have a Protestant cousin and Protestant friends, so it’s quite possible a scenerio. In his younger days before he married, when he was training in England, Daniel was quite the rake. My fictional Morgan O’Connell was one as well until he met Rose Collingwood.

Put yourself in the mood and grab a copy of my novella, The Shamrock & The Rose, 99¢ on Amazon.

"A great story of suspense and romance; I loved it..." ~ Sinfully Tasty Reads

See it on my website.  

First Fridays with the Crew: Celebrate Celtic Heroes

This month, we're celebrating all things IRISH. 

Did you know?

The famous Irish saying 'To Hell or to Connaught' is a result of Oliver Cromwell's plans for the Irish according to the Act of Settlement 1653 where the Irish people were forced from their lands which were then given to the English. The people had the choice to die or move to Connaught!

Irish legend credits St Patrick with the Celtic Cross. It is believed he combined the pagan sun god (the circle) with a traditional Christian cross to create a Celtic cross. The Celtic Trinity Knot symbolises the 'Trinity' and represents the three forms of God as a single being. God the father, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Ireland is a nation of horse lovers! There are 26 race courses in Ireland, 24 in the Republic and 2 in Northern Ireland.

In 1761 Arthur Guinness (of Guinness stout fame) married Olivia Whitmore in Dublin, Ireland. They had 21 children. Dark beer = fertility?

Do you know what Tir na nOg’ is?  In Celtic mythology, it is called the land of perpetual youth. E.E. says she's looking for that land these days, as she celebrates a milestone birthday at the end of this month.

Did you know that it was once tradition for young unmarried girls to place a slice of wedding cake beneath their pillows in hopes they’d dream of their future husband?

SPEAKING OF SEXY CELTS... 

Who are some of your favorite Irish hunks or heroes in books, movies or real life? We'll share our crushes, if you'll share yours. We're also hosting a giveaway of our Irish-inspired books (enter the raffle below).

E.E. Burke 

Burke is an Irish surname, and my Celtic ancestry may be the reason I just can't resist Irishmen! Honestly, I have too many favorites to post all of them. If I have to pick one, let's go with my current "celebrity crush," who also served as inspiration for one of my characters.

Aidan Turner is an Irish actor best known for his performances in the blockbuster movie, The Hobbit, and the hugely popular Masterpiece Theatre series Poldark. He's also a dead ringer for David O'Brien, the hero in my novella, Victoria, Bride of Kansas.

Aidan hails from Dublin, where he still lives "under the radar," as he puts it. 

He's charming, down-to-earth, smart, and has a terrific sense of humor. All traits I look for in a hero... well, in addition to having a very attractive chest. ;)

Here are a few great Aidan quotes:

"Will McGregor, one of the directors on Poldark, sends me things, and he said, 'You have to know this is happening - your hair has its own Twitter account.' That's outrageous. If I was an avid social media person, it would freak me out quite a bit."

 

"I don't take myself that seriously. That's not to say I don't care about what I do, but I realize I'm in a very privileged position, and it comes with the territory. It's not bad stuff. If women want to go, 'Phwoar, look at Poldark, he's gorgeous and handsome, I'd love to take him home,' well why should I feel offended?"

[On his hair in Poldark Series 1] "My hair was that length. It's a lot shorter now so if we do go again for a second series I'm going to have to start growing my hair really fast. No, that was all me. That was all Aidan Turner hair. I don't know whether I'm that proud of it but-I mean it looks a bit 'wiggy' sometimes-but I guarantee you it is all mine."

My favorite YouTube video of Aidan is this one. His laugh will make you smile.

Today, I'll give away a copy of Victoria, Bride of Kansas, in the raffle. 


This month, starting St. Patrick's Day, my book Patrick's Charm will be on sale for 99 cents in honor of Irish heroes.

Patrick's Charm was inspired by my research about the Irishmen who served in the American Civil War, and the tremendous sacrifices they made for the cause of freedom, which was something they understood after centuries of English domination. Patrick is a fascinating character with his own brand of heroism, and I hope you'll fall in love with him, too.

You can read more about Patrick's Charm here: https://eeburke.com/books/patricks-charm/


Regan Walker 

I love Irish heroes, the real ones and the fictional ones. One of my favorite actors from Ireland is Liam Neeson.

Liam as Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars

 














And some shots of his many kisses:

One of my favorite quotes by him:

"Everyone says love hurts, but that is not true. Loneliness hurts. Rejection hurts. Losing someone hurts. Envy hurts. Everyone gets these things confused with love but in reality, love is the only thing in the world that covers up all the pain and makes someone feel wonderful again. Love is the only thing in the world that does not hurt."

But for fictional Irish hunks, I have my own: Morgan O’Connell from The Shamrock & The Rose. 

Get in the mood for St. Patrick’s day for 99¢. On Amazon.

  
Avril Tremayne 
 

Anyone who knows me will be surprised that as a Poldark tragic I'm not piping up with Aidan Turner - but the truth is, delectable though Aidan is, it's not him I'm in love with in that situation but Ross Poldark (and okay, a little bit with the evil dastard George Warleggan, too). And in any case, E. E. Burke already stole him from underneath me, so to speak. 

Instead, I want to draw everyone's attention to the astounding beauty of Jonathan Ryhs-Meyers. The sexiest guy ever to play Henry VIII. (And if you haven't watched The Tudors yet, I beg you to find it immediately - hot, hot, hot, HOT!) I also have a soft spot for Rhys-Meyers as he's my visual inspiration for a character in two of my books - Drew Stevens who appears in Wanting Mr Wrong and Escaping Mr Right - and who will get his own story next year, I hope!





AMANDA MCINTYRE

Ireland calls to me like no other country on the planet. One day I will get there. With a heritage of McIntire’s, McIntosh’s and Ferrell—there is a variable wealth of Scottish/ Irish blood in my DNA. Stories of its legends, the magic and lore, the ancient ruins of castles, the mysteries of its history, have appealed to me from the beginning of this journey I call storytelling. It is in this spirit of “storytellin’” that I wrote Tir na ‘Oge.

If you believe, true love lasts forever....

AMAZON KindleUnlimited

In 1947, a strange encounter in his youth with a Sighoge faery spawns a lifetime of collecting and documenting the tales and lore of Roan McNamara's Irish homeland. Even as decades’ age him, and life around him changes--friends come and go, die, move on--his passion for preserving these tales are his lifeblood, along with his deep love for Feeorin, whose very existence relies on Roan's belief in her world. Take a magical journey through decades of a man's deepest love as he seeks to preserve Tir na n'Oge--the land, according to faery lore, of perpetual youth!

I always had the hero Roan McNamara in my head, a quiet man, a bit stubborn, loyal to a fault, a true knight in shining armor to anyone in need—similar traits not unlike the modern-day cowboy ranchers and country boys in my current stories!

But I digress…since this story takes place over the lifetime of the hero in real time—over fifty-four years—I’ve had various images flit through my brain at each turn. But when I saw Clive Standen, I knew this was the guy who could portray Roan McNamara (in the made-for-TV-movie, of course!)

 Young Roan                     Middle-age Roan                                  Older Roan

 One of my favorite lines spoken by an older Roan, which I feel sums up his passion to preserve the stories he'd gathered through the years and had published. He is talking to his godson, William-son of his life-long friend. 
"This world takes all kinds, Will. There are those who hold the belief and preach, and those that listen and carry on what they believe to the next generation."
"I suppose then you'll want to know, Roan," Will said, " that should I have children, I won't let them forget the old stories."
Roan smiled. "That is a comfort to me. And I pray you have many to pass on the old stories to."

I'll be gifting TIR NA 'OGE in the raffle and hope you'll enjoy reading this unique tale of sacrifice and romance! As a bonus, this book includes a short Valentines day novella-When Candy Met Cupid!

And just for fun...I couldn't resist this wonderful meme--

 (yes its Scottish, but who doesn't love Outlander?)

Nan Dixon

Since my mother was British, we did tend to wear orange on St Paddy's Day. (Even though my sister--Patricia--was born on March 17th.) But how can I not love a good Irish hero.

In the FITZGERALD HOUSE series, the Fitzgeralds are of Irish descent, but in THROUGH A MAGNOLIA FILTER, I give Dolley a real Irishman, Liam Delaney. The book even opens in an Irish cemetery. Here's my inspiration for Liam. I love the black haired, blue eyed Irish.

THROUGH A MAGNOLIA FILTER just got a lovely 5-Star review from Long and Short Reviews. So I'm feeling generous. I'll be giving away an eCopy of the book.


Who are your favorite Irish heroes? Comment and enter our drawing to win one of three books featuring Irish heroes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway