The Insanity Defense ... by Kathleen Rice Adams

Authors — especially those who write fiction — can be classified in any number of ways, but among my favorite categories are “uncannily brilliant,” “deeply devoted to substance abuse” and “just plain nuts.” The jury remains divided about which camp I fall into, but at last poll the Twelve Angry Critics leaned toward acquittal by virtue of insanity.

After much rumination, I’m inclined to agree. There’s plenty of evidence, after all. What else but insanity could explain the devolution of an otherwise relatively well-adjusted, reasonably intelligent, fairly articulate person into a raving lunatic who engages in lengthy conversations with imaginary friends — or worse, imaginary enemies?

No one warned me about this unnerving possibility when I signed on to write fiction. Shouldn’t there be a clause in my contract somewhere? I’d like to see a label like the ones pharmaceutical companies are required to include with medications: “WARNING: Possible side effects of the writing life may include spreading hips, estrangement from family and friends, deteriorating eyesight, insomnia, abbreviated attention span, inability to abandon lost causes, crabbiness, extended periods of depression punctuated by brief euphoria, loss of interest in the real world, self-doubt, a tendency to woolgather at odd moments, and talking to people who don’t exist.”

It’s that last one that plays most decisively into the insanity defense. (Wouldn’t we all be ecstatic if spreading hips did?)

Talking to characters is what a jury might consider the smoking gun — at least in my case. By “talking,” I don’t mean the occasional rhetorical “Hmm. What would you do if…?” I mean carrying on protracted give-and-take conversations. Actually, arguments might be a better term.

After nearly twenty-five years, my significant other has learned just to ignore the patently loony behavior. Crazy babbling and fixed stares no longer cause him to reach for the phone number of the nice men with white coats and butterfly nets. (Of course, this is the same man who frequently finds his life in jeopardy when he bursts into my writing space to tell me some horrendous, funny-only-to-men joke just as I’m about to craft the quintessential bit of dialog that will save the day, so his judgment is questionable, at best.)

But I digress (which ought to be another of those fully disclosed possible side effects). About those character interactions: Lately I’ve begun to feel like a temperamental director dealing with a herd of malcontents and unrepentant hams.

“Gah! Cut! Cut!” I yell, tearing out my hair by double handfuls.

“What? What did we do?”

“That’s a good question. Exactly what is it you thought you were doing there?”

“Improvising.”

“Improvising? You do realize there’s a script, right?”

“Yeah, but it’s all wrong right here. Nobody behaves like that. It’s bogus.”

“Bogus?” I shake my head and sigh with weariness that knows no bounds. “See — this is part of the problem: You’re from the 19th century; that word’s not in your vocabulary. Who gave you permission to take off on your own little tangent?”

Just about then, another character usually joins the fray. “You know, if I were the hero, I’d—”

The Scream by Edvard Munch, 1910.
Courtesy the Munch Museum

“You’re not the hero,” I hiss, whirling on him. “If you’d spend as much time developing your own role as you do analyzing his, we’d all be the better for it.”

Depending on the character, at this point he’ll either sulk — meaning I have to expend valuable mental energy soothing his wounded feelings — or dive into a particularly vile tirade denouncing my writing ability. The latter does nothing to improve my relationship with a cast already doubting my fitness to be their leader.

Every so often, I find someone from a completely different project costuming himself or herself in the current project’s wardrobe and sneaking onto the set.

“You there — the Merry Man in the back. Aren’t you supposed to be on Stage 4 plotting with the rest of the gang in Last Train to Comanche Wells?”

“Uh… Well, yeah,” he’ll answer, shuffling his dusty cowboy boots. “But… Well, to tell you the truth, ma’am, they’re about to bore me to death over there. And it’s confusing — very confusing.”

“Incompetents and amateurs!” I explode. “Who’s in charge on Stage 4? I want him nuked.”

“Nuked?” (Misplaced Cowboy Guy only thought he was confused before.)

“Oh fer cryin’ out loud… Ask one of the Rigelians to explain it to you.”

About the time I begin chastising the hero from Chaste Through the Snow because he won’t stop pressing the heroine’s heaving bosom to his manly chest while for the umpteenth time uttering “Your eyes are like limpid sapphire pools” as she faints at the prospect of consummating their forbidden lust, I find myself consumed by heaving sobs of despair. It’s precisely at that moment the gaggle of slightly flighty but endearing, hard-as-nails southern belles escapes the pages of The Bougainvillea Ladies’ Luncheon Club and rushes to console me.

“Get away from me! I don’t want chocolate. Well, I do, but not right now.”

“Hon, what you need is a good roll in the sack with that hunk from Chaste.”

“You know, my deah mama always told me—”

“Oh for pity’s sake. Just gimme the damn chocolate and go back to fanning yourselves on the verandah, will you? Why can’t any of you behave?”

Half of them mutter “ingrate” under their breaths, and the others cluck knowingly and whisper, “This time the villain lives, but the writer is about to perish by her own hand.”

“I can hear you, you know.” Buncha know-it-all buttinskis. (I’m not above an occasional under-the-breath mutter myself.)

Perhaps insanity is a virtue after all. A rubber room looks more appealing all the time.

GIVEAWAY: Because I really would like to offload some of the ill-behaved louts in my head, I’ll send one of today’s commenters an autographed print copy of either Wishing for a Cowboy (in which my debut short story “Peaches” appears) or the soon-to-be-released Valentine’s Day anthology Hearts and Spurs. (I have a story in that one, too.) The winner may choose which book he or she would like to receive. Look for my debut novel, Prodigal Gun, later this year from Prairie Rose.

RUSTLERS AND OUTLAWS...JURY OR HANGIN'! by PHYLISS MIRANDA

Welcome lovers of the ol' West. For my first blog, I wanted to write about something western ... really western. Although I was born and raised in the Texas Panhandle trust me, horses run when they see me comin'. I haven't had good experiences with horses but admire them as a symbol of the true west. That's why in my historical western's, you won't have me doing a whole bunch of fancy stuff with a horse. My characters typically "get on and get off", although with some research and friends with a lot of patience, I have written a couple of scenes that ended up being pretty dern good.

I thought today it'd be fun to talk about another part of the Old West ... cattle rustling.

In the Old West, the terms rustling and rustler had several meanings. Livestock who forged well were called rustlers by cowmen; meaning the animals could graze or “rustle up” nourishment on marginal land. A horse wrangler or camp cook was also a rustler, but the most widespread and notorious use of the word referred to a cattle thief.

On the vast open ranges of yesteryear, rustling was a serious problem and punishable by hanging. At its peak, one of the largest ranches in the Texas Panhandle had over 150,000 head of cattle and a thousand horses. Obviously, thieves could drive stolen livestock miles away before a rancher learned he had animals missing.

The vast distances to town, hence law enforcement, often prompted ranchers to take actions of their own. Court convictions for rustling were difficult because of the animosity of small ranchers and settlers toward big cattle outfits. Many times, “vigilante justice,” hang ‘um first...ask questions later, was handed down by organized stockmen. Like horse thieves, cattle rustlers could be hanged without benefit of trial, judge or jury.

Today, even with detailed brands logged in books, registering with state officials, inspectors, and the meticulous paperwork involving transportation, not to mention a new era of branding technology to keep track of animals, ranches still face cattle rustlers...those dishonest people who want to profit from selling cattle without the bother of raising them.

No longer is a single head of beef stolen for food or an occasional American Indian slipping off the reservation to provide for his family... it is big business. Modern day rustlers often sneak onto rural ranches at night, or on weekends when the owners are away, steal and sell cattle. An average calf can bring thousands of dollars on the open market; so multiply that by a trailer, or even a truck load, of cattle and you can see why it’s a profitable business to thieves.

Amid warnings that cattle rustling is on the rise in Texas, recently the state Senate passed a measure that would stiffen penalties for stealing farm animals, making theft of even one head of livestock a third-degree felony drawing up to a ten year prison sentence and a fine. Until the proposal is signed into law, a rustler can steal ten or more head of livestock and the punishment is a drop in the bucket in comparison to the law of the Old West ... hang ‘um high and fast. But was hanging always fast and efficient?

I became interested in cattle rustling and the methods of rustlers researching for “Give Me a Cowboy” (Kensington 2009) where my Pinkerton Agent comes to the Panhandle to break up an outfit of rustlers. But I became interested in “vigilante justice” from my mother-in-law, who passed on in 2009 at the age of 93. A story teller, she was raised in Clayton, New Mexico. One of her favorite tales was about the outlaw Black Jack Ketchum, the first man hanged in the town. His execution turned into a big town event, with the lawmen actually selling tickets to the hangin’. As history has it, the sheriff had to use two blows of the hatchet before the rope broke. Probably because of their lack of experience in “structured” hangings, coupled with the lawmen misjudging Ketchum’s weight and stretching the rope during testing, he was beheaded. Ketchum was buried at Clayton’s Boot Hill on April 26, 1901.

But my mother-in-law’s story only began there. Three decades later, when she was in grade school, Ketchum’s grave was moved to the new cemetery. Because her father was Clayton’s mayor, she witnessed the reburial. According to her, they opened the grave and she and her cousin touched the bones of Ketchum’s little finger. I’m sure in those days a casket did not weather well.

To me it’s so fascinating when history bridges time and touches our lives. Do you have a family story where history inserted itself into reality?


To one lucky person who leaves a comment today, I will send you either a paperback or a hardback of “Give Me a Texas Outlaw” anthology which I shared with fellow Texas authors Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, and DeWanna Pace.

IT'S THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH......By GAIL L. JENNER

It’s the First Monday of the Month   and that marks one of the two days I will be blogging each month on the PRP blog site. In trying to decide what to write about I considered a couple of areas, and those include the following: 

 First of all, I am the wife of a fourth generation cattle rancher – and former bull rider (married 42+ years). We raise Angus-cross cattle in the far northern California mountains near the Oregon border, otherwise known as “the State of Jefferson,” and we live on the original farmstead. Three generations now work the ranch and we are immersed in history…because my life revolves around cows, horses, and cowboys, it was suggested that I can answer questions related to our life and lifestyle.

 I’m also a writer who loves to pursue various genres; though I love fiction (particularly historical fiction), I have established myself in nonfiction and will be sharing how that avenue has provided substantial opportunities for me in the writing and speaking world, including co-authoring four books on the “State of Jefferson” (but more on that in a new blog!), three with Arcadia Publishing, one with Old American Publishing. I have also co-authored a fourth book with Arcadia on the history of Western Siskiyou County, California.

I’ve also written two screenplays (one coauthored with my sisters), both of which have placed in a number of screenplay contests…..Of course, I am still waiting for that “big sale” but have learned a lot about the formatting and the keys to what makes a screenplay marketable in the process of studying, writing, submitting, and rewriting.

Finally, I’m a retired history and English teacher, with a degree in Anthropology, so history, culture, and “people groups” are of intense interest to me. I hope to share some intriguing historical sidebars in a few blogs as we move through the calendar year. My YA novel, another historical, is the first novel written about Black Bart, the Poet Bandit -- California's most successful stage bandit.

Obviously my writing is all over the map! From short story to screenplays to nonfiction and to novels, I find writing to be such a compulsion and addiction, that I’m forever finding topics and ideas and characters from all walks of life. I believe I was blessed to have parents who patiently encouraged my writing as a young girl; indeed, my first “serious” attempt at writing for an audience was in the fourth grade...

My twin sister and I wrote a play (“The Princess Who Could Not Spin”), and our mother invited our teachers to preview our production. As a result, we were able to perform and direct it for our entire elementary school! Looking back I recognize what remarkable teachers we had to allow two nine-year olds to put together an entire performance and then celebrate it on a school-wide basis. There was even a party held in every classroom following our “successful” production.

And I kept writing from that point forward. My writing for many years, however, remained personal. Not until I was an English teacher and received a fellowship that required me to write on a more public level did my writing take on new priority. Again, I was blessed to actually sell the first piece of article writing I submitted for publication. From that day to this, I’ve been “hooked.”

I hope my future blogs will provide either inspiration or information that will encourage others! I look forward to using this opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the last 20 years.

ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS won a WILLA Literary Award from Women Writing the West. It’s a story that took several years to write, and I’m proud to announce that PRP also found it worthy of publication.

 

Here are a couple reviews about ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS:

From Jane Kirkpatrick, multi-award-winning author of ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE, NO EYE CAN SEE, and WHAT ONCE WE LOVED:

"With three-dimensional characters and passion for her story, Gail L. Jenner authentically recreates the raw and rugged world of Montana in the late 1800s."

From Vella Munn, author of BLACKFEET SEASON, Tor/Forge:

            "Gail Jenner’s ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS is a love story, and yet to say that touches only the surface of what takes place within the pages of this remarkable book. Yes, there is a compelling relationship between the young pioneer woman Liza Ralston and the Blackfoot warrior called Red Eagle, but Ms. Jenner goes much deeper. Deftly detailing her complex characters, Ms. Jenner pulls the reader into a world controlled by the elements and decisions made by governmental and military leaders who saw the Blackfeet as the enemy. The words she has written sing, her research is extraordinary, and the plot mesmerizes. I feel the wiser for having read ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS, as if I have now walked on Blackfeet land, and, along with Liza Ralston, experienced something precious." 

For more about me, visit my PRP author page  or www.gailjenner.com. For more about my life and relationship to ranching, check out my blog, www.wheresthebeeffromsouptonuts.blogspot.com ... And I look forward to meeting again in two weeks....so look for more blogs on the first and third Mondays of each month. And thank you, Cheryl and Livia and PRP for this opportunity...it's going to be a great new year.

Please leave a comment to be entered in my drawing for a digital copy of ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS! Drawing will be held tonight after 7:00 p.m. to give everyone a chance to enter.

WESTERN READING FOR THE YOUNGER SET by CHERYL PIERSON

There’s been some discussion about how to get younger readers interested in western books and I’d like to show everyone what James and Livia Reasoner have been working on.

James and Livia just had a book for Middle Grade Readers released through Painted Pony Books. It’s called THE PHANTOM RANGER AND THE SKATEBOARD GANG, and it’s for Middle Grade Readers, ages 9-12. It’s an excellent story about a young girl, Codi Jackson, who solves the mystery of the "skateboard gang”—a group of kids who are terrorizing the local mall by stealing purses. Codi does this with the help of her great-great-great grandfather, Cody Jackson. Did I mention…he’s a ghost? It’s great reading and would make a wonderful gift for any young reader!

Here’s the blurb: Codi Jackson and her father have been forced to move again. Codi’s getting used to being the “new girl” in her fifth grade class—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Can’t life just be normal? With her mother out of the picture and her father working odd shifts as a police officer, friends are important—as long as they’re not the wrong kind. When Codi and a classmate, Keith Wright, are assigned to work on a history project, Codi has to make some hard decisions about her popularity in her new school. But everything changes when Codi picks up an old Texas Rangers badge that belonged to one of her ancestors and he appears right before her eyes! Her great-great-great-grandfather says he’s come to help her, but how? And how is she going to explain the ghost of her long-ago Gramps to her history project partner and her father?



Here’s where the phantom appears to Codi for the first time. I love the way he’s likable enough that he doesn’t scare the socks off of Codi, but still, who wouldn’t be a little frightened? Codi’s heart for adventure shines through and allows her to accept her ancestor and get to know him (that’s where the history part comes in!)

The badge started to feel warm. No, not warm, Codi realized. It was actually getting hot. She dropped it. "Whut in tarnation?" Codi gasped at the strange voice. She looked up, and her mouth fell open in shock. Her eyes grew wide as she pressed back against the headboard of her bed. Patches crouched and let out an angry hiss. A man was standing at the foot of Codi's bed. A man with a short white beard and a big white hat...

GIVEAWAY! James and Livia are giving away a signed copy of THE PHANTOM RANGER AND THE SKATEBOARD GANG to one commenter--not just any old copy--but a signed print copy of this exciting Middle Grade Reader. Leave a comment, and be sure to check back to see if you are the lucky winner.

You can get it here--in print or in digital formats! http://www.amazon.com/The-Phantom-Ranger-Skateboard-Gang/dp/149424893X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388897191&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Phantom+Ranger+and+the+Skateboard+Gang

Got something to submit to PAINTED PONY BOOKS? Here's the website: http://paintedponybooks.yolasite.com/

DO YOU HAVE A SUBMISSION FOR US? by CHERYL PIERSON

I thought this might be a good time to talk a bit about SUBMISSIONS to Prairie Rose Publications and our other imprints. The following is taken from our website SUBMISSIONS page--wanted to put it here too, for those who might be curious and haven't seen it yet. We're always looking for talented authors with submissions to offer!





SUBMISSIONS FOR PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS:



Guidelines for submission are easy to follow. They’re looking for well-written stories that will make readers want to come back for more. Since Cheryl Pierson and Livia J. Washburn are both authors, as well as wearing publishing hats here at PRP, they count on you to be acquainted with the comma and have shaken hands with quotation marks at some point. That is to say, because of time constraints, they are counting on you to know punctuation and grammar…and to also know that it takes more than the basics to write a memorable story. Submissions need to be 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, double spaced, attached as a doc attachment with one inch margins.


They are looking for well-drawn characters, plots that unfold deliciously as you’re telling your story, and endings that take place when the tale is over—not when the word count is up. Pretty simple, huh?


Because of that, PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS will be publishing writing projects of all lengths. Digital format as well as print copies WILL be available for projects that are novel and novella length. Short stories will be available in digital format, only. The exception to that will be short story anthologies that are published by PRP, and those will be available in both formats.


Short stories, novellas and novels will all be available at PRP for readers to enjoy—and for you authors to decide which length best suits each of your writing styles.


This company looks to provide excellent, entertaining stories for those readers who enjoy tales of the Old West days, whether there’s a bit of romance, none at all, or a whole lot of it! From time to time, they will be putting together anthologies and giving everyone a chance to submit a story to those. These are popular with readers because it’s a good way to try out writers they have not read before, and it gives each of the contributors a chance to increase their fan base.


They want authors to be very satisfied with their fair treatment at Prairie Rose Publications. Covers, light editing, set up with the distributors, publicity on our webpage and elsewhere will be provided by PRP. You will have some input into your editing and your covers. Livia does some fantastic cover art and she is glad to work with you within reason to give you something you truly love.


Royalties. PRP will retain 20% of net royalties. What this means is, the cost of setting up your books at Amazon and other affiliates online, the photos that are bought for your cover, and those kinds of expenses will be recouped first before any royalties are paid. After that, 20% will go to PRP and the rest will go to you. In the case of an anthology, 20% of the net royalties will go to PRP and the remaining 80% will be split equally among the number of contributors.


COMING SOON!




SUBMIT TO PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS HERE:
prairierosepublications@yahoo.com

SAY HELLO TO PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS! by CHERYL PIERSON

Five short months ago, Livia J. Washburn and I decided to take a plunge and open our own publishing house. It was a dream come true for me because I definitely do not have the computer skills and savvy that Livia possesses! So I would never have undertaken this project on my own. My part of the partnership is publicizing, acquiring new manuscripts, and editing. It is a match made in heaven for both of us. May I share with you all what our “dream company” has done in only five months' time? Let’s start with our debut anthology WISHING FOR A COWBOY. We were so fortunate to have such wonderful contributors to this collection! Phyliss Miranda, Tanya Hanson, Sarah McNeal, our own Jacquie Rogers, Tracy Garrett, reviewer Kathleen Rice Adams, Livia and me. This short story grouping is western historical romance, in the sweet to sensual category. All the stories mention a certain holiday food, and the story is either built around the food or can just bring it up casually. The recipes will be included in the back of the book, so there'll be lots of great eating! Our next anthology, HEARTS AND SPURS, will be available on January 15, 2014, for Valentine’s Day gift-giving and reading for those who want to “self-gift.” We were thrilled to have every one of the above authors sign up once more for this anthology as well, and we added another author, Linda Broday! Also in the mix, one of our anthology contributors, Tanya Hanson, has a brand new inspirational historical western romance, CLAIMING HIS HEART, recently released, and we’re all very excited about this one…because she’s talking about a sequel! Kristy McCaffrey’s INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS is available now, and Gail Jenner’s novel, ACROSS THE SWEET GRASS HILLS has also made its debut. Livia and I decided to “go for the gusto” when people began to ask about other submissions avenues—Do you publish contemporary or science fiction stories? Do you publish children’s westerns or historical? What about children’s contemporary stories? Well, what could we do? With that much support and those requests, we had to immediately branch out! We opened PAINTED PONY BOOKS, an imprint for youthful readers of historical/western stories with three levels of submissions/readership: Middle Grade readers (ages 9-12),Young Adult(ages 13-17)and New Adult(ages 18-24) TORNADO ALLEY PUBLICATIONS is the “sister” imprint for these same ages, but for the contemporary, futuristic, and fantasy categories. Finally, FIRE STAR PRESS is our imprint for contemporary, futuristic and fantasy categories for adults. Already, we have several unique and wonderful books and anthologies planned for these different companies that offer a wide variety of reading for all ages. While PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS accepts submissions from women only, the other imprints are co-ed! If you know of anyone who might be looking for an honest publisher, please send them our way! We appreciate you spreading the word for us, and all the support and well wishes we’ve received in the short time we’ve been in business. We have a brand new website here: http://prairierosepublications.yolasite.com/ And here's a sneak peek at our soon-to-be-released anthology just in time for VALENTINE'S DAY! HEARTS AND SPURS will be out on January 15, with NINE wonderful stories of love in the west! We will give a big ol' shout out when it comes to life, so y'all stay tuned. Nope, I didn't forget--I wanted to do a giveaway today to celebrate our big kickoff of our new company. So I'm giving a copy of WISHING FOR A COWBOY to one commenter--not just any old copy--but a signed print copy of this fabulous Christmas book with all the scrumptious recipes included that are mentioned in the stories. Leave a comment, and be sure to check back to see if you are the lucky winner. Also, be sure to "follow" us while you're here visiting--we look forward to having you with us!

NEW BEGINNINGS

Sarah McNeal is a multi-published author of several genres including time travel, paranormal, western, contemporary and historical fiction. Sarah is a retired critical care/ER nurse who lives in North Carolina with her four-legged children, Lily and Liberty. 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 Publishing by Rebecca Vickery, Victory Tales Press, Western Trail Blazer and Prairie Rose Publications. She welcomes you to her website at http://www.sarahmcneal.com  

New Beginnings

I am thrilled and privileged to be the first blogger on the Prairie Rose Publishing blog and I also get to kick off the New Year. Of course, it makes me a little nervous, too. I feel a lot of pressure to write a good blog to honor the occasion. So, here goes…

Remember how the world was supposed to end on December 26, 2012? Well, that turned out to be a bunch of hooey like all the other doomsday predictions. Maybe escaping these perilous predictions is good for us. It makes us take stock of our lives, what’s really important and fills us with gratitude that we have another chance to set things right. Truth is we really don’t know how long we’ll be here on Mother Earth or where the new year will take us. Last year may have been a hard year to get through for me with my battle to survive cancer, but here I am. We are all survivors and we made it through 2013—alive and maybe just a little bit wiser. Here we are at the beginning of a new year, a fresh start and a clean slate. We have wonderful things to look forward to.

It’s also the beginning of a new publishing company—Prairie Rose Publications cooked up and offered to us by Cheryl Pierson and Livia Washburn for women who write westerns. It’s imprints of Painted Pony Books for young adults and new adults who love westerns, Tornado Publishing for contemporary, fantasy and paranormal for young adults and Star for adults who love contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi and paranormal stories. I am so happy to be a part of this fledgling publishing company. My story, A Husband for Christmas, was part of the first publication in the Christmas anthology, Wishing for a Cowboy along with 7 other talented western writers.

A HUSBAND FOR CHRISTMAS

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

Blurb:

Jane Pierpont and her son, Robin, survived the Titanic, but her husband went down with the ship and the emotional scars of that night have kept her and her son locked into that frightening event years later . Robin is terrified of deep water and Jane has nightmares and survivor’s guilt. She yearns for a family, a loving husband and maybe another child, but she feels disloyal to Michael’s memory whenever Teekonka RedSky comes near her.

Teekonka RedSky loves Jane and her son, but all his efforts to help them past their painful memories of the night Michael Pierpont died have been unsuccessful. Unwilling to give up, can his Lakota beliefs help him bring peace to Robin and free Jane to love again? 

Coming up is the Valentine anthology, Hearts and Spurs, in which my story, Hollow Heart will appear. It’s a World War II era western.

(Cover is not finalized)

HOLLOW HEART

Love lost and the hope for possibilities

Blurb:

Madeline Andrews is a grown up orphan. Sam Wilding made her feel part of his life, his family and swore he’d come home to her when the war ended, but he didn’t return. With the Valentine’s Ball just days away, the Wildings encourage Madeline to move forward with her life and open her heart to the possibilities.  But Madeline is lost in old love letters and can’t seem to let go.

My excitement doesn’t end there. Also coming up in the New Year is another book in my Wildings of Wyoming series, Fly Away Heart. This story takes place in the Great Depression.

FLY AWAY HEART

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

Blurb:

Lilith Wilding can’t remember a time when she didn’t love the English born Robin Pierpont, but she knows he loves another so she hides her feelings beneath a hard veneer of self-protection.

Robin Pierpont dreams of flying airplanes and winning the heart of the one he loves, but when he gets involved in illegal rum running to help a friend, those dreams seem to turn into just a fantasy. When he is called upon to face his worst fear to save Lilith’s life, his fate may be sealed in death.

2014 promises to be a magnificent year filled with exciting and romantic books, prosperity and happiness. I wish for all of you the best year ever.

Sarah J. McNeal

I will give away a PDF copy of one of my books to one of my commentors. Winner’s choice of the following books:

WISHING FOR A COWBOY Christmas anthology (my contribution: A Husband for Christmas)

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

Jane Pierpont and her son, Robin, survived the Titanic, but her husband went down with the ship and the emotional scars of that night have kept her and her son locked into that frightening event years later . Robin is terrified of deep water and Jane has nightmares and survivor’s guilt. She yearns for a family, a loving husband and maybe another child, but she feels disloyal to Michael’s memory whenever Teekonka RedSky comes near her.

Teekonka RedSky loves Jane and her son, but all his efforts to help them past their painful memories of the night Michael Pierpont died have been unsuccessful. Unwilling to give up, can his Lakota beliefs help him bring peace to Robin and free Jane to love again? 

HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE

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

Lola, a woman with a chaotic childhood and  longs for a better life, falls into the past and finds a man full of secrets and a dark history—and she’s married to him.

FOR LOVE OF BANJO

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

Banjo Wilding wears a borrowed name and bears the scars and reputation of a lurid past.  To earn the right to ask for Margaret O’Leary’s hand, he must find his father and make something of himself.

Margaret O’Leary has loved Banjo since she was ten years old but standing between her and Banjo is pride, Banjo’s mysterious father and the Great War.

Will either of them find happiness?

 

THE VIOLIN 

Loneliness...Mystery...A step through time

Genevieve dreams of him almost every night and has for most of her lonely life. Intrigued, she buys his violin and finds the remnants of his life and the mystery of his death in 1927 revealed within its case. Intrigued, she makes a decision, one that will change her life forever.