New Release -- CATCH A DREAM by Cynthia Breeding

Beautiful schoolteacher Elizabeth O’Malley travels through time from the 21st century to awaken in a barn in Texas—in 1849! To make matters worse, when she’s discovered by Texas Ranger Miguel de Basque, he believes she’s a prostitute suffering from amnesia—how else can her skimpy attire and wild tales of time-travel be explained?

Elizabeth is determined to find her way back to her own time, but as the months go by, she finds herself attracted to the handsome Texas Ranger. Even though they have different ideas of what their relationship might be, the desire between them is undeniable.

When Elizabeth is kidnapped by the Comanche, Miguel will risk everything to rescue her and bring her home. But can he keep her in his time? It seems their lives are not their own anymore. Will their love be enough to CATCH A DREAM—and hold it together—forever?

EXCERPT

     “Oh.” His dark eyes narrowed, and he studied her. He stepped closer and lightly touched the bruise on her forehead. “Is it possible you hit your head on something and can’t remember where you came from? I’ve heard tell that can happen.”
     “I know where I’m from. The twenty-first century—a hundred and sixty years into the future. We have cars and smart phones and computers—“
     “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Miguel interrupted, but for the first time he looked undecided. “I think I should take you to Fort Worth to see the Army doctor there. Maybe he can give you something or help you remember—“
     “No! If you won’t believe me—and you found me in your barn like this—what makes you think another person will? He’ll think I’m crazy.”
     Silence met her remark and she looked up to find Miguel regarding her. “You think I’m crazy, too! That I’ve just invented this whole story!” Fear suddenly struck her. She was truly powerless here, stuck in a time warp.  “I’ve heard what the insane asylums were like in this century.” She fought to control a rising hysteria bubble in her throat. “I don’t have any relatives here. No one to vouch for me.  I’ll be locked away and end up rotting somewhere.” She started shaking uncontrollably.
     Miguel put steadying hands on her shoulders. “All right. Calm down. Working girl or not—and I don’t have anything against them—I won’t send you off to rot, Elizabeth.”
     He’d used her first name. Why did that seem important? Whether it was that or the fact that she suddenly felt safe in his arms, as though she’d known him before. The trembling subsided. She looked up at him with troubled eyes. “What am I going to do?”

     

Book Review: The Second-Best Ranger in Texas by Kathleen Rice Adams

Blurb:

WINNER OF THE 2014 PEACEMAKER AWARD FOR BEST SHORT WESTERN FICTION.

His partner’s grisly death destroyed Texas Ranger Quinn Barclay. Cashiered for drunkenness and refusal to follow orders, he sets out to fulfill his partner’s dying request, armed only with a saloon girl’s name.

Sister María Tomás thought she wanted to become a nun, but five years as a postulant have convinced her childhood dreams aren’t always meant to be. At last ready to relinquish the temporary vows she never should have made, she begs the only man she trusts to collect her from a mission in the middle of nowhere.

When the ex-Ranger’s quest collides with the ex-nun’s plea in a burned-out border town, unexpected love blooms among shared memories of the dead man who was a brother to them both.

Too bad he was also the only man who could have warned them about the carnage to come.

My Review:

OHH!! Kathleen Rice Adams is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical western authors -- and so far I've just read her shorter stories. I can't wait to see how she sweeps me away with one of her full-length novels! She's got the knack of sweeping me away into the story, the words chosen building a world around me that kept me enthralled.

I was smitten with Quinn from the minute I met him; despite his grieving the loss of his best friend and partner he was still making me laugh. And then when Quinn met Maria? Ohhh! His presence continued to fill the room - all manly and bossy and larger than life. Maria quickly learned just what kind of man she tangled with and gave as good as she got - she was no fainting flower - and I loved it! The sparks kept sizzling between them. It was a pleasure experiencing them falling in love and honoring a beloved friend's request in more ways than one.

Even though the stories are different, in my mind's eye, I kept picturing Clint Eastwood's Two Mules for Sister Sarah while I was with Quinn and Maria -- the hardened man with the nun, the setting, the quips, the intrigue/mystery/danger, the soundtrack -- it still all kinda worked together to bring this story even more to life.

Purchase link:

Code of the West: A Knight's Tale #historicalromance @JacquieRogers

Knights of the Old West

by Jacquie Rogers

Romance of the Old West holds a strong place in my heart. And of course, when I talk about romance, I’m gonna talk about men. They’re so incredibly complicated but at the same time so basic. Women are complicated in different ways, leaving the man/woman relationship mystifying as to how or why it ever works. The romance genre delves into this complexity in every book.

When a woman looks for a mate, and that’s what romance is all about, she’s hardwired to look for the three Ps in a prospective candidate: Provide, Protect, and Procreate. Now, nearly all men are ready at any time for the third P (although we ladies are a bit picky about who fathers our children), but quite a few men aren’t all that keen about the first two.

And that’s why we women love the whole idea of knights and cowboys. Yes, I lumped them into the same sentence. Take a look at the Texas Rangers oath for deputy rangers:

Karl Urban
Commanche Moon

• Be Alert
• Be Obedient
• Defend the Weak
• Never Desert a Friend
• Never Take Unfair Advantage
• Be Neat
• Be Truthful
• Uphold Justice
• Live Cleanly
• Have Faith in God

You'd probably guess that was the Texas Rangers oath even if I hadn't told you simply because its the crux of what an American cowboy is even now.

Now here’s the Knights Code of Chivalry described in the Song of Roland: 

• To fear God and maintain His Church
• To serve the liege lord in valour and faith
• To protect the weak and defenceless
• To give succour to widows and orphans
• To refrain from the wanton giving of offence
• To live by honour and for glory
• To despise pecuniary reward
• To fight for the welfare of all
• To obey those placed in authority
• To guard the honour of fellow knights
• To eschew unfairness, meanness and deceit
• To keep faith
• At all times to speak the truth
• To persevere to the end in any enterprise begun
• To respect the honour of women
• Never to refuse a challenge from an equal
• Never to turn the back upon a foe

 That’s just a longwinded way of saying the same thing as the Texas Rangers did.

Truth is, people haven’t changed much, if ever. Our idea of the US Navy SEAL, the 19th Century cowboy, or the 13th Century knight all bring to a woman’s mind the perfect man to give us children, provide for them, and to protect them from harm so they can thrive into adulthood.

Our ideal romance hero is intelligent, loyal, honest, brave, and oh-so-sexy. My cowboy in Much Ado About Marshals is placed in a situation that tests him, because if he is loyal, he can’t be honest, and if he’s honest, he will betray his best friend. What a dilemma for a man who lives by the Knight’s Code of Chivalry, even if he’d never heard of such a code, because that’s the way of the good guys in the Old West.

This same situation could have played out in Medieval England as well as in the American Old West. It was Sir Lancelot’s dilemma in the days of King Author and the glorious Round Table, and now it’s Cole Richards’ dilemma in Much Ado About Marshals, set in the dusty desert of Owyhee County, Idaho. The cowboy’s word is his bond. Honor is everything.

Men are men. They’re warriors, hunters, and protectors. It’s through that tough exterior that women find his core of loyalty, honor, and most of all, love. The sweetest of women can tame the hearts of the toughest of men. This is our fantasy--this is what we’ve dreamed about since we were little girls.

And that’s why men in chaps and spurs melt the ladies' hearts.  Tell me who your favorite knight of the Old West is, and why.

Win a Free Book

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Much Ado About Marshals 
Book 1 in the
Hearts of Owyhee series

Be sure to include your email address in your comment, or else another name will have to be drawn.  Drawing will be held Apr. 27, 2014, 10pm Pacific Time. Thanks for visiting with us at Prairie Rose Publications!

New Release Thursday -- Lone Star Ranger: A Ranger to Ride With by James J. Griffin

Painted Pony Books would like to announce the release of the first book in an exciting new young adult series by James J. Griffin, Lone Star Ranger: A Ranger to Ride With.

Nathaniel Stewart’s life changes in the blink of an eye when his family is murdered by a band of marauding raiders. They’ve made one terrible mistake…they didn’t finish the job. Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel is very much alive and ready to exact the justice his mother, father, and older brother deserve.

Taken in by a company of Texas Rangers, he begins to learn what it means to survive in the rugged wilds of Texas. Each of the Rangers have something to teach Nate, as they come to call him, and he’s a fast learner. When some of the same raiders later return, Nate proves his mettle when he saves the Rangers from being ambushed and wiped out.

A RANGER TO RIDE WITH is the first story in the new western series, LONE STAR RANGER. Look for A RANGER TO RECKON WITH, coming soon!

Excerpt:

Nathaniel Stewart had just left his house and was walking down Linden Street in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. In a few moments, he’d arrive at his best friend Hugh Dickinson’s home. He and Hugh would meet up with a few other friends, then either head to the river for a swim, or more likely just laze around in one of the boys’ back yards.

The day was pleasant for late July, the air warm with a gentle breeze blowing, not hot and sticky as it usually was this time of year. Nathaniel whistled as he walked along the tree lined street, fronted with its rows of neat brick houses with their well-kept yards and flower boxes filled with colorful blooms on the windowsills. He was fourteen years old, with unruly brown hair and eyes of the same hue. He’d recently grown a couple of inches, so had the typical thin build of most teenaged boys. He’d also recently realized that girls were beginning to interest him, and that when he walked by some of them smiled at him, then giggled for some reason. Truth be told, he had no idea why he was out of the blue interested in girls. All he knew was that the scrawny, dumb, silly females who’d always made pests of themselves were suddenly pretty and attractive. And one of the prettiest was Becky Palmer, with her pert turned up nose, blonde hair, and blue eyes the color of forget-me-nots. For some reason he felt he’d like to sit next to her on the front porch swing. He’d never admit that to Hugh or any of the other guys, though.

Nathaniel meandered along, not being in any particular hurry. Unexpectedly, Becky appeared at the end of the block. When she spotted Nathaniel, she waved to him and called his name.

“Nathaniel! Nathaniel Stewart!”

Nathaniel raised a hand to wave in response.

“Nathaniel! Get back to hoeing, right this minute. Those weeds aren’t going to pull themselves out of the ground!”

Nathaniel was roused from his daydream by the shouting of his mother, who stood in the door of the three-room dogtrot cabin the Stewart family now occupied. The voice he’d heard calling was not Becky’s, but his ma’s.

“Do you hear me, Nathaniel?”

“Yes, Ma.” Nathaniel sighed and lifted the hoe he’d been leaning against. He again began chopping at the tough weeds between the rows of turnips. He and his family no longer lived in their former pleasant neighborhood in Wilmington, but now on a small ranch several miles west of San Saba, Texas. 

Amazon Trade Paperback Link

Amazon Kindle Link

B&N Nook Link

Smashwords Link