New Release -- Under A Western Sky: Western Historical Romance Boxed Set - @prairierosepub #westernromance #PrairieRosePub

Where do the very best love stories blossom? UNDER A WESTERN SKY, of course! This fabulous boxed set of six tales of danger and romance are sure to capture your imagination as you are carried away to the old west. These handsome marshals, Texas Rangers, gunslingers, and wealthy landowners meet their matches with the daring women they happen to fall in love with, and you won’t want to put this boxed set down until you’ve read the very last story! 

Authors Cheryl Pierson, Celia Yeary, Kaye Spencer, Tracy Garrett, Patti Sherry-Crews, and Agnes Alexander spin six incredible novel-length love stories filled with danger, excitement, and romance that will keep you turning page after incredible page until the very end. Saddle up and kick back for some excellent reading, as star-studded romance finds you UNDER A WESTERN SKY! 

FIRE EYES by Cheryl Pierson

Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him.

Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. Can she afford to gamble with her heart one last time? For when Kaed recovers, he is sworn to join the other U.S. marshals in their battle to wipe out the renegade gang. When vengeance is done, will Kaed keep riding? Or will he return to claim his future with the beautiful woman the Choctaw call "Fire Eyes?"

ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS by Celia Yeary

To escape an arranged marriage, beautiful, proper Cynthia Harrington from East Texas impulsively marries Ricardo Romero, a striking, sensual Spaniard who ranches on the far edge of the Texas frontier. She naïvely steps into a hotbed of anger, rivalry, and strong wills. She struggles to gain a foothold in the hostile household and foreign ranch community, determined to make a place for herself—but will she also find a way to make her husband love her?

Can he convince her that they both want—and need—the same thing? Cynthia is in search of nothing more than a loving home and husband. But is it already too late for them? With a rough beginning to their married lives, can their love survive—and give them all their hopes and dreams?

TEXAS GOLD by Tracy Garrett

Texas Ranger Jake McCain is hot on the trail of a band of murderous outlaws when they ambush him and leave him for dead. 

The last thing Rachel Hudson expects the deadly spring blizzard to bring is a wounded Ranger with a pack of trouble he’s got to catch up to and eliminate—as soon as he’s able. As memories of her earlier life haunt her, Rachel realizes Jake McCain is far more dangerous than any storm. 

But the past Rachel had hoped to escape suddenly looms over her future. She and Jake have more than a powerful mutual attraction in common—the dangerous gunmen he’s been chasing intend to steal Rachel and her brother, Nathan.  Life is worthless without love, and Jake’s not about to lose the woman who means everything to him—Rachel, his TEXAS GOLD…

Previously published as TOUCH OF TEXAS

THE COMANCHERO’S BRIDE by Kaye Spencer

Beautiful heiress Elizabeth White is exiled to Texas with family friends until she “comes to her senses” and agrees to marry the prominent politico her parents have chosen for her—Grayson Beal.

When Elizabeth is approached at a fiesta by dark-eyed, handsome Mingo Valderas, she knows her heart will never be her own again. But Mingo has a checkered past—a reputation as a Comanchero, and a man who is as fast with his knives as he is with his gun. An ex-outlaw with many secrets, Elizabeth gives her trust to him, and their whirlwind courtship begins.

Beal will stop at nothing to claim Elizabeth and her inheritance. In a deadly cross-country race for her freedom, only one man stands between her and the monster who follows her. Fueled by dreams of a future together, Elizabeth and Mingo stay one step ahead of Beal…but will that be enough?

MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN by Patti Sherry-Crews

Pampered Margarita McIntosh is sent away by her father, Jock, for her own safety—from what, she’s not sure. The long journey ahead tests her personal strength of will, and the secret she carries in her saddlebag could be the death of her. 

A rough Irish gunman, known to her only as “Rafferty”, is entrusted with getting her to her destination “safe and intact”—something he fully intends to do. With a price on his head, the promised reward money is Rafferty’s ticket to a new life. With her father’s enemies after her and the secret she conceals, will Rafferty’s protection be enough to save their lives? And will the heat of their passionate love be enough to seal their future together—if they do survive?

XENIA’S RENEGADE by Agnes Alexander

An urgent plea for help from a family member calls for action from Xenia Poindexter and her sister, Mea Ann. But traveling west to save their uncle is not what these two well-bred, innocent ladies expected. A raid on a stagecoach way station would have seen them dead if not for the quick thinking of one of the other passengers—handsome half-Sioux rancher, Ty Eldridge. 

Ty wants to protect Xenia from her uncle’s schemes, but can he? Ty has been burned in the past by his love for a white woman—and he won’t risk his heart again. Though others say they’re all wrong for each other, Xenia has never felt more “right” than when she’s in Ty’s arms. For Xenia, prejudice doesn’t exist—there’s enough love in her heart to hold Ty and heal his wounds. Is true love worth the chance of becoming XENIA’S RENEGADE?

On sale for only 99¢

The Comanchero's Bride by Kaye Spencer - a novel in the boxed set Under a Western Sky #westernromance #PrairieRosePub

I am so pleased that my novel, The Comanchero's Bride, is included in the fine company of five other outstanding western romance novels in the boxed set, Under a Western Sky, which releases tomorrow, January 11th.

Six great novels in one tidy package to take us into the heart of the winter reading season. How wonderful is that?

A little about The Comanchero's Bride...

The country music artist, Marty Robbins, has been an influence in my writing since...well, since forever, it seems. Themes and snippets from his gunfighter ballads and songs of the Old West show up in my stories as my little way to pay homage to a man I greatly admire. His ballad, Meet Me Tonight in Laredo, is the inspiration for The Comanchero's Bride. I expanded upon the forbidden love between the high-society woman (Elizabeth Bradford White) and the former outlaw and Comanchero (Mingo Valderas), and I added the woman's spurned and revenge-seeking suitor (a well-connected politician) to spice-up the plot.

This is Marty Robbins singing Meet Me Tonight in Laredo.

Here is an excerpt from The Comanchero's Bride.

At the livery, Mingo remained in the shadows where he could see both ways along the street. Opening the wagon doors just wide enough to allow him to pass through, he eased his way inside. Speaking in a low soothing tone to his horses, he packed and saddled them under the moonlight coming in from two windows. Opening half the double doors, he led the two riding horses out the back, tied them to a corral rail, and returned for the packhorse.

He no more than reached the packhorse when a cold voice in the shadows stopped him in his tracks.

“Don’t turn around, Valderas.”

Mingo froze. A few more steps and he would have been on the off side of the packhorse, but where he was, he had no protection.

"I’ve got a good bead right between your shoulders. I know about your fast draw and the price on your head. I’ve also heard stories about your throwing knives, so keep your hands where I can see them.”

“You know me. But who are you? What do you want?” Mingo didn’t care. He knew the challenge from the shadows was a bounty hunter. He needed the man to talk so he could pinpoint his location.

“I came out of El Paso. A man named Jack added to the price on your head—dead or alive—and some politician is offering a pretty penny on top of that to bring in the woman you have with you. He wants her alive.”

From the sound of the man’s voice, he hadn’t moved and was off to his right. Mingo fought the urge to whirl and fire, but shooting blindly was not his way. He wouldn’t risk wild shot that could injure a horse, and gunfire would bring others into the fray. Shadows were both his enemy and ally, depending upon how he used it.

“The way’s clear behind you, so back towards the open wagon door, and keep your hands away from your body. When I heard the talk of a Mexican man traveling with a white woman, and they were staying at the hotel, I figured I’d hit pay dirt. I was just supposed to worry you into making a wrong move. Never thought I’d be the one to catch you.

“I’m taking the woman to El Paso. You, I’m locking up in the back room of the saloon for safe keeping…unless you give me an excuse to kill you right now, which I’ve a yearning to do. I can’t miss at this range. It wouldn’t do my reputation any damage to be the man who took down Mingo Valderas.”

Now, he knew who he was up against. Earl Johns was vicious and a killer, a back-shooting coward. Mingo inched backward, buying thinking time.

“Where’s the woman, Valderas?”

“There is no wom—”

“She’s too close for your comfort.” Elizabeth’s voice cut through the night.

The sound of a shotgun hammer pulling back was an angry, lethal sound that made the hairs on Mingo’s arms prickle.

Under a Western Sky is available on Amazon.
Print | Digital | KindleUnlimited

Until next time,

Kaye Spencer

Website/Blog- http://www.kayespencer.com
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Creativity (An 8-Part Series): Part I - Imagination

By Kristy McCaffrey

 When I was in the final stages of completing my third book, I had a strong sense of cultivation, as if I were gardening. As I strove to refine the story and add more details that would, hopefully, enliven the tale more deeply, I could literally feel the soft, sweet, moist earth fall through my fingers as I scooped it up and packed it into the world I'd created. In moments like these, the creative life fully connects with ordinary reality. It's why painters paint, sculptors sculpt, and writers write. It's why we, as humans, create. We want to bring meaning to our lives, and art—in any form—presents an outlet for us to express this yearning.

We all create, whether you label yourself an artist or not. Decorating your home, landscaping your yard, crafting long letters to friends and family—all are forms of self-expression, a deeply-rooted desire present in all of us.

Artmaking is making the invisible, visible. ~ Marcel Duchamp

Studies have shown that activities such as writing, drawing and even knitting reduce stress and increase serotonin levels. A UCLA study found that when young people engaged in artistic pursuits from a young age, they outperformed their peers in categories ranging from academics to life skills.

Cross-cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien states that in many traditional cultures, a healer will ask an ill person four questions: When did you stop singing? When did you stop dancing? When did you stop telling your story? When did you stop sitting in silence?

We need our creativity to survive. And we need to move through our creativity ourselves.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught. ~ Oscar Wilde

In this series on Creativity, I'll be discussing the following, each in a separate post:

I.      Imagination

II.    Domestication vs. Wildness

III.   Shape-Shifting

IV.   Forbearance

V.    Maiden/Mother/Crone

VI.   The Virgin and the Sacred Prostitute

VII.  Synchronicity

VIII. Magic

Part I: Imagination

Imagination is when you step outside of time. I've often thought that imagination is less something we create and more something we tap into. As a fiction writer, I most definitely conjure ideas and make-believe people to fill the pages of my stories. Or do I?

I wrote my very first novel based on an idea that came to me when I was 15 years old. It was at that time I first became acquainted with my heroine. Years later, as I drove cross-country with my mother and sister—a leaving-the-nest move from Phoenix to Pittsburgh—we pulled off at a rest stop outside of Amarillo. It was a desolate place, with wide-open sky and the endless flat expanse of the Texas Panhandle. And that's when I felt her, standing in the tall grass, watching me. My heroine. And she was whispering to me.

I was about 22 years old at the time. I didn't write that book until I was 33, but in that moment it was as if the character breathed her spirit into mine. It's been said that stories chase the right person to tell it. So, perhaps imagination is less an activity of making something up and more a sense of remembering.

How might you trigger this remembering?

Playing. Children know it, and animals do as well. When children play, they follow their innate talents. It simply doesn’t occur for them not to. Playing is any activity that disengages the rational mind—for some it may be sports, or sewing, or playing a musical instrument. As adults, we often encapsulate play into vacations, but it should really be present each day. How can you add more play to your day? Think about it, and then let go and just have fun.

A Labrador retriever plays through its lifetime and dies a child. ~ Dr. Stuart Brown

Dreams. Whatever your personal beliefs about dreams, and why we have them, there is nothing better at shining a spotlight into your life than your dreams. The key is learning to work with the imagery. Renowned dream archaeologist Robert Moss suggests keeping a dream journal to begin understanding the messages relayed. Working with dreams isn’t a passive endeavor. Everything around us is alive with meaning; all you have to do is pay attention. For further guidance, read Moss's Active Dreaming—Journeying Beyond Self-Limitation to a Life of Wild Freedom (New World Library, 2011). If you’re still not certain that there’s something to be gained from this dreaming thing, check out his book The Secret History of Dreaming (New World Library, 2009) in which he elaborates on the dream lives of Joan of Arc, Mark Twain, and Winston Churchill.

In dreams begin responsibilities. ~ William Butler Yeats

Solitude. Numerous studies tout the benefits of meditation, but even if you can’t quiet your mind enough for a deep practice, time alone can trigger a rush of ideas, from planning dinner parties to writing a book. Immersing yourself in the words of others can offer additional stimulus. Perhaps you’re inspired by perusing the latest fictional tale, or devouring Deepak Chopra, or quietly absorbing passages from the Bible. Or perhaps soothing music does the trick, or a hot bath and candles. A practice of daily solitude will fine-tune your access to imagination.

To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. ~ Mary Oliver

Imagination is the act of creating new ideas. The key is learning to open the floodgates within the mind that can hold it back. Playing, dreams, and solitude are three ways to allow the remembering to enter your life.

Don’t miss Part II in the Creativity series: Domestication vs. Wildness

Until next month…

Connect with Kristy

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Newsletter

#blogabookscene BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

Oh, boy, is it ever! Even for January in Missouri, it is cold.  This is my first blog of 2018, and its the start of something new.  For the next 12 months I’ll give you a scene from one of my books or stories that fits a them.  Let's see... Baby, It's Cold Outside... winter...  I know exactly which one to start with…

TEXAS GOLD

Scene 1. The setting:  1890, early spring in the Davis Mountains in west Texas. An unexpected snowstorm catches our hero off guard. Can he make it to shelter? Or will they find him when the snow melts?

And, action!

Whoever said hell was hot had lied. It was cold, bitter cold. Not that he’d live to tell anyone of the discovery. The snow came down sideways, so hard Jake McCain couldn’t see past the end of his horse’s nose. He had no way to tell where he was or where he was going. The icy pellets were like razor sharp knives, flaying his face until he figured he must be bleeding. Lucky for him the cold kept him from feeling much of anything. Death dogged his heels and he couldn’t find the energy to care.

He’d climbed from the saddle an hour ago—or was it only a few minutes—and started walking. He hated using his horse as a windbreak, but the animal’s hide could take the stinging ice longer than his own skin, no matter how many layers of clothes he wore. But Griffin was beginning to tire. If Jake didn’t find shelter soon, they’d find whatever was left of him and his horse at the next thaw.

Jake braced himself against the saddle before lifting his head enough to look around. The vicious wind stole his breath. He could barely force his eyes open against the onslaught. He usually had a good sense of direction and distance, but the blizzard and the vicious beating he’d taken at the hands of the men he was supposed to be arresting made it impossible to be sure of anything. He could be close to the mining town he’d been heading for, or miles from anywhere.

Narrowing his eyes against the blowing snow and ice, he studied the frosted landscape. Something flickered, only for an instant, in the distance. Was it his imagination? With his grip tight on the reins, he started for the spot. Real or not, he’d rather be going somewhere than standing around waiting to freeze to death.

He struggled forward, toward the light, or where he thought it should be. He’d lost sight of it. Jake ducked his head behind Griffin’s neck, squeezed his eyes shut a couple of times and looked again, but it was gone. Had he somehow gotten turned around? Just when he decided he’d been walking in circles, the wind backed off, the snow lessened, and he saw the light again.

He concentrated on each step, putting one foot in front of the other. Griffin stumbled, catching him by surprise and taking them both to the ground. It took all Jake’s will to drag himself to his feet and urge the big horse back up. He buried his battered face against the animal’s furry neck, and trudged on, making for that little flicker of salvation.

The next time he looked up he couldn’t see the light. Must’ve been his imagination after all. He took a step, sinking in a drift. Jake thought of his mother, alone in Abilene. He hoped whoever gave her the news of his death was gentle with it. He dragged his other foot forward. His frozen boot caught on something and he fell face down in the snow. Wooden planks broke his fall instead of rock hard ground. He tried to lift his head, but it took too much effort. Griffin took advantage of the stop to turn his rump to the wind, leaving Jake with no protection from the vicious storm.

Battling against the brutal cold, he dragged himself forward. His head bumped something solid. He pulled himself up until he half sat against a thick wood door, but he didn’t have the strength left to knock. Cursing his weakness, Jake tried to force a hand up. No use. Both lay limp at his sides.

If he’d had the breath, he would have laughed at the cruel joke life had played on him, one of many tossed his way. He’d made it—somewhere—and he was going to die anyway. His mind rebelled at the thought of the bastards finally beating him, but even failing his last assignment couldn’t give him the strength to lift a fist. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back. At least he would be found and buried properly.

When the darkness came, he fought against giving in, but it was stronger, dragging him down into the unending black.

On January 11, 2018, TEXAS GOLD will be included in UNDER A WESTERN SKY. And you can pre-order the set right now.

SIX FULL-LENGTH NOVELS for only .99! This western historical romance boxed setis up for pre-order for this fantastic price--but it won't last long! A few more days and the price goes up.

 

Want to know a little more about TEXAS GOLD? Here's the back cover write-up:

TEXAS GOLD

   Texas Ranger Jake McCain is hot on the trail of a band of murderous outlaws when they ambush him and leave him for dead. A candle in a faraway window shines dimly in the night, and with his last ounce of strength, he makes his way through a blinding snowstorm to a solitary cabin and blessed shelter where he can heal.
    The last thing Rachel Hudson expects the deadly spring blizzard to bring is a wounded Ranger with a pack of trouble he’s got to catch up to and eliminate—as soon as he’s able. As she works to save him, Rachel begins to fall for his dark gaze and seductive touch—and she must remind herself she’s got her younger brother to think of. As memories of her earlier life haunt her, Rachel realizes Jake McCain is far more dangerous than any storm.
    But the past Rachel had hoped to escape suddenly looms over her future. She and Jake have more than a powerful mutual attraction in common—the dangerous gunmen he’s been chasing intend to steal Rachel and her brother, Nathan. 

   Jake vows to protect Rachel, the innocent beauty with a smile that touches his heart and kisses that burn straight through to his soul. Now that he knows life is worthless without love, he’s not about to lose the woman who means everything to him—Rachel, his TEXAS GOLD…

Previously published as TOUCH OF TEXAS

THE THREE 'C's

There are three 'Cs' in my life at the moment. The three are Cats, Colorado and Creativity. I'm sure if I took the time, I'd find more, but these three will do for now.

Cats! I love cats, always have and probably always will. As I sit here writing, I can look up at a photo my mother sent me. I was about two years old at the time. Our dog is lying on his back looking up at me. I am holding not one, not two but three cats in my short, two year old arms. I loved out dog, a collie mix, but the cats were something special to me. Even today I have two that share the house with me. Gabriel came to me because the wife of his owner got mad because he scratched their three year old. Of course my thought was, teach you child how to be around cats. But I was the winner. Gabe is so special, easy going and so loving. Of course he is primarily a black cat. (Did I say, I love black cats?).

Gabriella came to me from a co-worker. She was from a litter and no one would take this sweet little black kitten. Since I had an eighteen year old at the time, I knew Gabe would be alone soon. As a result, I took Gabby in and she soon was ruling the roost. She lives life on her own terms, and sticks to it. Still, she and Gabe manage and both bring me a lot of joy.

Gabe on the left, Gabby on the right

Colorado! I've talked about my adopted state many times. I look out my windows and see the mountains. Pikes Peak is always in view, except for those few cloudy days. And speaking of cloudy days, we get very few of those. We average over 300 days a year where the sun shines at some point during the day. 

I also am enamored of the history of the state, and the region I live in. While many areas were settled by people who were 'leaving' for reasons wide and varied, Colorado was settled because the people wanted to be here. Usually it was for the mineral that came out of the ground. What most may not know, Colorado was a large volcanic plateau. Pikes Peak is not a volcano, it is solid granite, but a lot of the area around the peaks were very active. That activity created the minerals, gold, silver, gemstones and more, that brought so many to this region. Also the clear, dry climate was a haven for health seekers even as the gold seekers were heading to the mountains. 

Pikes Peak seen from the Northeast

Creativity!  As I've moved from my first and second career, I decided I would try writing. I love telling stories, you could have asked my mother when she was alive, of the validity of that statement. What most may not know, I've always had creativity as a focus in my life. 

I started performing for audiences when two and a half. I've always sang. I started playing the piano at five, and sometimes still sit at the keyboard. Unfortunately the piano I inherited from the lady who raised my mother was destroyed by the flood. I've written plays, music and even recorded, both as an actor and musician. Yes, I've done film, even directed a short movie. I've taught acting and worked as a semi- and professional actor. 

Helen (Hunt) Jackson at Seven Falls

All these 'Cs' fuel my life and my determination to keep doing what I love. There are other 'Cs' and more, but the three I mentioned are at the forefront of what is happening in my life now.

What is your focus? What fuels your life? What makes you happy? That's the joy of life. We all have those things that make getting up in the morning worthwhile.

ALSO: If you have been following, you know that Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints are now doing a themed 'blog a book scene' marketing tool.  If you are not on the Yahoo Group, just watch Twitter for the hashtag #blogabookscene and if you see it, retweet it. Check with Kaye Spencer if you wish to know more. 

Thus ends my first Sunday blog post for Prairie Rose Publications in 2018. It's a great venue to get your name and work/passion out there. We can all grow if we support each other. Life changes, but friends can be forever.

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Member of National League of American Pen Women,

Women Writing the West,

Pikes Peak Posse of the Westerners

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

A NEW RELEASE FROM THE WILDINGS BY Sarah J. McNeal

THE WILDINGS

I’ve been writing about the Wildings for several years. It all started with a time travel western romance in which Lola Barton inherits a haunted plantation in Virginia from a mysterious relative who terrified her on the one occasion of their meeting. Lola falls into an antique trunk that takes her back to 1910 just in time to hear the words, “I now pronounce you man and wife.” She is immediately accosted by a horrible man who thinks she’s another woman named Callie. With nowhere else to turn, Lola goes home with her new husband Joe Wilding. I only intended to write this one story, HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, but something happened.

Banjo, an intelligent and courageous, albeit wild teenager raised by whores until he was 10 saved Lola’s life, almost died in the attempt, and won my heart. I simply could not let go of him until I wrote his story in a sequel to Harmonica Joe. Joe’s father adopted Banjo and gave him the last name of Wilding in the novel FOR LOVE OF BANJO.

My fictional town of Hazard, Wyoming cast a spell over me (I have to blame it on something so it may as well be magic) and I decided to write about the second generation of Wildings: Joe and Lola’s two daughters and one son and Banjo and Maggie’s 3 sons, the last two of whom are twins. I also brought to Hazard Teekonka Red Sky who has been searching for his nephew, Banjo. He falls in love with the English immigrant Jane Pierpont who has been raising her son, Robin, on her own after her husband died on the Titanic.

I have written stories of the Wilding children now all grown in the 1950’s. The last of Banjo’s twin sons, Kit Wilding ,a survivor of WWII with battle fatigue now called PTSD has settled into marriage in the story IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE is about to release on January 15, 2018 with Prairie Rose Publications imprint, Fire Star Press.

My final story is with Kyle Red Sky and Mia Beckett. Because it is the final book in the Wilding series I will bring the entire clan together one last time to say goodbye. I can’t let them go without some kind of acknowledgement. These characters have been like my family all this time. I have lived through their adventures, heartbreak, and triumphs. I have fallen asleep thinking about them and I confess I will miss them.

You might wonder what I’m going to do now. I’m starting with my contribution to the SWEET TEXAS CHRISTMAS anthology for Prairie Rose this year with A Christmas Visitor. The hero of my story, Sterling Thoroughgood, has one last stop before he leaves Texas to make his way home to the growing little town of Hazard, Wyoming.

Have you ever written a series? Was it hard to let go of your characters? How did you write the final volume in your series?

THE WILDINGS WESTERN ROMANCE SERIES IN ORDER OF PUBLICATION:

HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE (time travel western novel)

This book is where the Wildings series begins with Joe and Lola in the fictional town of Hazard, Wyoming 1910

Logline: A haunted house, a trunk and a date with destiny.

Buy links: AMAZON 

Harmonica Joe’s Reluctant Bride is included in a 5 novel collection titled A COWBOY’S BRAND by veteran western authors.

Buy Link: A Cowboy’s Brand

FOR LOVE OF BANJO (novel)

Banjo was the street wise teenager, raised by prostitutes that Joe and Lola took compassion on and Joe’s father, Ben, adopted. World War I era story in which Banjo searches for his biological father and attempts to prove he’s worthy of Maggie, the woman he loves.

Logline: Deceit stands between Banjo Wilding’s love for Maggie O’Leary and his search for the father he never knew.

Buy links: Paperback at Amazon:  Amazon kindle  

A HUSBAND FOR CHRISTMAS (year 1919 short story also included in the Christmas anthology titled WISHING FOR A COWBOY as well as a single)

Buy Link: AMAZON)

While in New York, Banjo saved an English immigrant, Jane Pierpont and her son, Robin, and brought them to Wyoming. Banjo’s uncle, Teekonka Red Sky, has fallen for the widow Jane, but his chances of winning her are slim…until one magical Christmas…

Logline: A night of horror… a wish for a new life...and a secret love

Buy Link: AMAZON

FLY AWAY HEART (novella Great Depression era)

Lola and Joe’s oldest daughter, Lilith, has fallen in love with the English lad, Robin Pierpont, whom Banjo saved along with Jane, the boy’s mother for a factory fire. But now they’re grown and Robin, who loves flying airplanes, finds himself in a desperate flight to save Lilith.  

Logline: The Great Depression…Rum Runners and Old Fears…Love Against the Odds

Buy Link:  AMAZON PAPERBACK AMAZON KINDLE

FLY AWAY HEART is also in a collection of sweet western romance novellas titled

LOVE’S FIRST TOUCH (collection of 5 sweet western romance novels)

that includes myself and 3 other western writers,  Celia Yeary Sarah McNeal Meg Mims Agnes Alexander and Karen Mihaljevich 

AMAZON

HOLLOW HEART (post World War II short story also included in the Valentine anthology, HEARTS AND SPURS as well as a single)

Buy Link for anthology: AMAZON KINDLE  AMAZON PAPERBACK )

The grown up orphan, Madeline, was engaged to marry Sam Wilding, Banjo’s oldest son. But when the War ends, Sam doesn’t return and now Madeline is faced with a lifetime ahead without him. Now what?

Logline: Lost love and the hope for possibilities

Buy Links for short story: AMAZON KINDLE 

THE BEAST OF HAZARD (1940’s short story included in the Halloween anthology, COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO, Volume 1)

 Buy Links: AMAZON KINDLE  AMAZON PAPERBACK)

Joe and Lola’s youngest child and only son, Joey Wilding, has transformed the family ranch into a veterinary clinic where he treats anything from house cats to cattle. He meets a circus performer who finds herself in desperate straights.

Logline: A Terrorized Town…A Killer Beast…And Deliverance

The Beast of Hazard is available as a single, but if you’re looking for a real bargain, you can buy a boxed set that includes COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO VOLUMES 1&2. Volumes 1&2 Boxed Set

UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS (1950’s short story also included in the summer anthology,

LASSOING A BRIDE)

Buy Links:   AMAZON PAPERBACK  AMAZON KINDLE

Joe and Lola Wilding’s youngest daughter, Juliet, has cancelled her wedding to Harry O’Connor when she learns some devastating news. What happens next may surprise them both.

Logline: A broken dream…a cancelled wedding…and an unexpected blessing

Buy Links for the single: Amazon 

WHEN LOVES COMES KNOCKING (a short story also included in the Christmas anthology, A PRESENT FOR A COWBOY) Buy Link: AMAZON   

This story takes you back to 1910 before Banjo was adopted by Ben Wilding. Later in his life, Banjo speaks kindly of the widow, Penelope Thoroughgood. When Love Comes Knocking is the widow Penelope’s story which takes place at Christmas time.

Logline: A lonely widow…an indiscretion…a gift for redemption

Buy Links:  Amazon 

HOME FOR THE HEART (Contemporary Wilding novel)

Logline:

Love doesn’t come easy…for some, it may never come at all.

Blurb:

Lucille Thoroughgood is a social worker for orphan children. She is known to the town’s folk as dependable, logical, determined, and…well…stubborn. But Lucille has a secret affection for the determined bachelor, Hank Wilding.

Hank Wilding loved hard and lost. He has sworn to never marry. After Lucille makes a bargain with him, he agrees to allow troubled and physically challenged children from the orphanage to ride his horses as equine therapy. One of the orphans is a half Lakota boy, Chayton, who reminds Hank of his own father’s painful childhood. 

But a Lakota prophesy holds a shadow over the rejected, embittered teenager, threatens the happiness of the inhabitants of Hazard, Wyoming, and may end in tragedy for Lucy.

Excerpt:

Smoothing her hands over her lavender shirtwaist dress, Lucy took a deep breath. Hank is never going to be interested in a plain woman like me. She turned from the mirror just as she heard the knock on the front door downstairs.

Her mother called up the stairs. “Lucy, honey, Hank is here.”

A thrill rippled through Lucy’s core. Hank. Handsome, unattainable, Hank Wilding. A reminder flashed through her mind. Even if she was beautiful, it wouldn’t matter. Hank was a self-proclaimed bachelor. Guard your heart, Lucille Thoroughgood. It will only get broken.

The sight of Hank standing with his hat held politely in his hands at the bottom of the stairs caused her heart to leap into her throat and beat so fast she could barely breathe. Her hands shook from the surge of adrenaline. No man should be that beautiful. A lock of his bronzed hair had an enticing way of falling over his brow. She wanted so much to touch it and sweep it back just so she could feel its texture. Hank gazed up the stairs at her with his dark brown eyes and seemed to hold her in his spell. And if that wasn’t enough, he grinned at her in that charming, crooked way she found so endearing. It wasn’t often Hank smiled. He frowned most of the time. It was a good thing, too, because, if he did smile often, women all over town would be swooning at his feet.

Buy Links:

Amazon:  Kindle     Paperback

Releases January 15, 2018:

IT’S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE (contemporary Wilding romance)

June believed Kit loved her…until she married him

June Wingate has just married the man of her dreams only to overhear a conversation at her wedding reception regarding the truth about why he married her and that her marriage is a pretense. Her heart and trust are broken. 

The newly elected mayor of Hazard, Kit Wilding, needs a wife because the town demands that their mayor be a married man. He trusts June, but now that they’re married, his wife has become distant and secretive. Kit wants to fix things. He is not the kind of man to give up easily.

 Excerpt:

A loud slap echoed through the house. June’s hand stung as she placed it back in the pocket of her dressing gown, part of her vast trousseau paid for by her parents.

Kit stepped back and rubbed his reddened cheek with his left hand while Snort, Kit’s dog, barked. June couldn’t help but notice the flash of his golden wedding band in the light of the dressing room. Her heart clenched at the sight of it. They’d been married only a few hours and now this…

“Hush that barking, Snort.” The dog quieted, but kept a sharp eye on June just in case. Kit glanced from the dog to June. “What the hell was that for, June? Did I do something wrong by trying to kiss my wife?”

“You bet you did. I thought you loved me and now…” She wasn’t quite sure how to say it to him now that she knew the truth. Honestly, she could barely believe what she had overheard at their wedding reception. How could she explain to him what she heard and express the doubts she had about his love because of it? Well, best to find a way because it seemed quite evident to her that he wasn’t about to leave her be until she did.

“You’d best tell me what this is all about, June, because I’m beginning to have doubts about your sanity and beginning to wonder about my own.” He cocked his head and narrowed his blue eyes at her.  If this is one of your cockamamie jokes, it isn’t funny—and please don’t tell me you married me just to spite your parents. I’m fairly certain your mother doesn’t think I’m good enough for you. She’s only spoken to me about four times in all the years I’ve known you. It’s a little late for second thoughts, June.” Snort began to pace between June and Kit as if to decide whose side he should take.

Preorder Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078S3SK4Q
AMAZON

I DREAM OF YOU (Coming Soon)

Logline: A Dream…A Kiss… And Deadly Secrets

Blurb:

Kyle Red Sky dreamed of the woman with fire in her hair, but when she comes to town, something dark and dangerous follows her. He wants to help her, but she is reclusive, secretive, and always wears a scarf around her neck to hide something that happened in her past.

Mia Beckett is a survivor. Finally, she has found sanctuary in a small western town far from danger where no one knows her or her past and she intends to keep it that way. But she can’t forget the a man she saw once in a dream who told her the paths they walked were destined to meet and he would be waiting for her. Secretly, she wished the dream would come true. However, when she meets Kyle Red Sky and realizes he is the man from her dream, she knows, if the dream becomes a reality, he may die.

Excerpt:

Kyle kicked open the door of his mother’s former dress shop regardless of the sign that read, No Men Allowed. The raging fire upstairs in the private quarters made this an emergency, certainly enough to ignore that sign. Smoke began to fill the shop as he raced up the stairs calling out the name of the new shop owner. “Miss Beckett! Miss Mia Beckett, where are you?”

As he reached the landing of the second floor, he heard someone cough nearby. With the wet blanket wrapped around him he rushed toward the direction of the cough until he found the woman lying on the floor almost unconscious from smoke inhalation. As soon as he removed the wet blanket he wore and wrapped her in its protective layer, he scooped her up in his arms to carry her away from the flames and smoke. The scarf she wore fell away from her neck and her head lolled back against his chest to reveal a thin, straight scar that ran all the way across her throat from her left ear to her right. It wasn’t an old scar, probably more like just a few months in the past. She attempted to raise a hand as if to cover her throat and replace the silk scarf. He’d always seen her wear a scarf of some description or another around her neck since she arrival in town. Now he knew all those scarves must be intended to hide the scar. She was a woman attempting to keep a secret.

To learn more about my Wildings series click on my link: The Wildings

Or go to my Author Page at Prairie Rose Publications: Prairie Rose Author Page

Sarah J. McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western and historical fiction. She is a retired ER and Critical Care nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily, the Golden Retriever and Liberty, the cat. Besides her devotion to writing, she also has a great love of music and plays several instruments including violin, bagpipes, guitar and harmonica. Her books and short stories may be found at Prairie Rose Publications and its imprints Painted Pony Books, and Fire Star Press. She welcomes you to her website and social media:

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