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Thursday, February 8, 2018

New Release -- THE LAWSONS OF LARAMIE by Stacey Coverstone @PrairieRosePub

Nerves of Steel, Upholder of Justice, and a Fast Gun…Sheriff Sam Lawson—A New Hero for the Old West.

Whether it’s nailing a con artist, tracking down an outlaw, or nabbing a cold-hearted killer, Sam and his wife Bethany have a knack for solving crimes and mysteries—and the lawbreaking is plentiful in rough-and-tumble 1870’s Wyoming Territory.

With his skills of persuasion and her woman’s intuition, they effectively sort out the good guys from the bad, and Sam always catches his man—or woman, as the case may be.

EXCERPT


The Tattooed Lady

     Sheriff Sam Lawson and his wife Bethany knelt beside the body of the tattooed lady. Six feet tall with a neatly trimmed mustache, a short beard, and salt and pepper hair, Sam scrubbed a hand through his whiskers and over the stubble on his cheeks, thinking he'd never seen a woman like her.
     Opal Stevens, age twenty-four, was an exotic-looking creature with a nest of black hair piled on top of her head and a silk rose tucked behind one ear. Her eyebrows were thick, her lips painted blood red. She wore a strapless dress the color of eggplant with sequins stitched along the neckline. Ample bosom. Her entire upper body and arms were covered with tattoos of animals, birds, snakes, and trees. When her dress was lifted, both legs revealed more of the same. A goddess riding a lion was prominently displayed across her upper chest, and a pearl choker necklace graced her slender neck.
     “Who discovered her?” Sam asked Arthur Robinson, owner of the Robinson Three-Ring Circus. His wife, Etta, stood beside him. This was the first circus to come to Laramie in the Wyoming Territory, and Sam and Beth were among the first to see the show. It had been an entertaining afternoon. Until it ended in murder.
     “I did,” answered Arthur. He’d removed his ringmaster’s jacket and wore only an undershirt with suspenders over top. “When she didn’t appear for her act, I knew something was wrong. Opal was the ultimate professional. She would never let an audience down. Guessing she’d taken sick, the show went on without her. I came to check on her when we concluded and found her like this. It’s a stroke of luck that you were in the audience, Sheriff." When his wife shot him a strange look, he added, "What I mean is, so you can determine what happened, and Opal doesn't have to stay in this undignified position for long.”
     “Does anyone besides you and Mrs. Robinson know that Miss Stevens is dead?” Sam asked.
     “No. I didn’t want the troupe to panic.”
     Sam noted sweat beading on the man’s forehead. Aside from talking non-stop with a nervous hitch in his voice, he also gulped a lot.

      

13 comments:

  1. Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by. I'm very excited to share my new book with you. I wrote it in the style of a TV series, so as you read, you'll not only get to know Sam and Beth very well, but also some of their good friends who show up every now and then. There's plenty of action, crime and mystery, and I had such fun writing this story. I'm working the day job today, but I'll check in periodically, so let me know if you have any questions about my book. Thank you to Cheryl and Livia!

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  2. In the excerpt, I loved how the tattooed lady was so well dressed. I have a picture in my mind of her laying there dead as a stone, but somewhat beautiful in an exotic and unique way. Having a circus come through town creates a mystery in itself because all the members working in the circus are so diverse culturally. A great background for a mystery and I love a good mystery.

    Congratulations on your new release. I take it that the Lawsons of Laramie is a series? If so, how many books are in the series or planned for the series? Do some of the characters reappear in future stories? Or is this a single book?

    I want to wish you great success with your new release. It's always so exciting to have a new release. All the best to you, Stacey.

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    1. Hi Sarah. There is a sequel coming and Sam and Beth and their close friends are all involved in more mysteries and crimes, plus there are new characters who show up to cause mayhem. Thank you for your good wishes.

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  3. I really enjoyed THE LAWSONS OF LARAMIE, Stacey. Can't wait to see what you've got in store for this couple next. I kept looking forward to the next page all the way through this story! The style was really appealing to me. Can't wait to see what's coming next!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed the style of this book, Cheryl. I imagined it as an old western TV series as I wrote it. I love Sam and Beth and had such fun putting them into some tricky situations!

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  4. Stacey, I love the concept of a crime fighting husband/wife team in the old west! Best of luck with the book and the series.

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  5. Hi Stacey, Before I turned to writing Western Romances, I wrote cozy mysteries and I still enjoy reading them. Reading a western with a mystery to solve is going to be a treat. I'm looking forward to it. Best of luck with your new book.

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    1. This book is written like a TV series, Agnes, so there are many different mysteries and crimes that occur that Sam and Bethany solve. It was great fun to write.

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  6. Stacey, I'm very happy for you and this new story. Love the premis and looking forward to getting to read it. Best of luck. Doris

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    1. I hope you enjoy my book when you read it, Doris. Thanks for stopping by today.

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  7. Stacey,

    Best of luck with this new series. The premise is intriguing. I agree with Tracy that a husband/wife team is a great concept.

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  8. Stacey, I first apologize for being so late to comment, but was hacked and it took 2 days to straighten out and get security on my phone and computer. What a wonderful idea to write a western historical romance yet a murder mystery. Love the concept and so look forward to reading this one. Got it on my TBR list. Also, another great cover by Livia--very nice. Wishing you much success with this one and all future ones. Glad to hear it will be a series too.

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