HEART OF A WARRIOR - Angela Couch - One Free Book

Welcome, Angela. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

Mostly, because they are the stories I really want to read about!

 

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

That would have to be my wedding day (just over ten years ago). It was honestly perfect (despite snow in May!)

 

How has being published changed your life?

Being published has been a goal since I was a teen, so the biggest change was the satisfaction that I achieved a long-standing goal. 

 

What are you reading right now?

I am just finishing Mary Connally’s Loving the Texas Negotiator. Since I’ve read all her historical novels, I figured I should check out her contemporary ones, too.

 

What is your current work in progress?

I am working on a Canadian Mountie series, so it’s fun to be writing a little closer to home. 

 

What would be your dream vacation?

Maybe a cabin in the mountains with a lake and lots of trees. Just time with family enjoying nature. 

 

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Each book is different, but for this new release, Heart of a Warrior, it was while driving through the Rocky Mountains and wondering how it would feel to be lost down there the valleys so thick with trees and winding like mazes. 

 

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Had to think about this one. I think I would enjoy an evening with an intellectual like Thomas Sowell or Jordan Peterson. 

 

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I enjoy gardening, teaching martial arts, and schooling my kids. 

 

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Finding the time with four busy kids to keep up with.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Take the time and effort to write, rewrite, edit and edit again, while listening openly to the advice and critiques of others.

 

Tell us about the featured book.

The Man She Fears Is Her Only Chance For Survival . . .


All Christina Astle wants is to reach Oregon before her baby is born, but the wagon train is attacked, and her husband killed, stranding her in a mountain labyrinth. Raised in the East, within civilization's embrace, survival is not a skill she's learned. Neither is evading the lone warrior dogging her trail.


Disgusted by the greed and cruelty of men like his white father, Towan has turned to the simpler existence of his mother's tribal people. He is not prepared for the fiery woman who threatens to upturn his entire life ... and his heart.

 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Autumn 1859

Eyes clamped shut against the subsiding ache in her abdomen, Christina Astle sucked in cool mountain air. Pine saturated the breath and constricted her lungs like the corsets she’d happily given up only months earlier. Her hand stole across her extended stomach. What had she been thinking, agreeing to follow Anthony away from society, safety, and a house with four walls? What if they didn’t make it to Oregon in time? She refused to give birth with nothing but canvas overhead.

The wagon wheel dropped into another rut, and a gasp escaped her, drawing her husband’s gaze. “I’m sorry. I wish I could go slower, but we’re at least a mile behind them.” He glanced at the sun hovering above, then slipped the gold watch from his breast pocket and flipped it open. “It’s after three already.”

“I know…and I am fine.” Christina raised her chin a degree but refused to look at him and his perpetually concern-laden eyes. Anthony did everything within his power to keep her comfortable, stopping often, even when it meant trailing behind the rest of the wagon train. As long as they caught up by nightfall. Still, heat rose in her chest. They should have waited another year, or—better yet—never left Cincinnati in the first place.

The crack of a discharging rifle pierced the valley and deepened into echo. Then a scream, soft and haunting. More gun fire followed, ricocheting off the high mountain ridges.

The wagon lurched to a halt, and Christina grabbed for the seat. She stared ahead at the empty trail scarred with evidence of those who led the way. Horses. Cattle. Families with children. God, no!

The wagon jerked and rocked off the trail, reins slapping the backs of the mules.

Christina dug her fingertips into the raw wood. “What are you doing?”

“I’m taking it away from the trail. I’m not leaving you sitting in plain sight.”

“Leaving me? You can’t. We don’t know what’s going on.” Her head spun. “No, Anthony. Not with these mountains full of savages. Don’t you dare leave me here.”

The wagon tipped slightly then righted, dropped over the slope, and rolled into an aspen grove. White bark glimmered in the bright sun, and young saplings sprang back into place as the wheels passed over.

“There’s only one way to find out what’s happening. If they’re being attacked, they’ll need help.” Anthony lunged to the ground and unharnessed the mules, fastening them farther out of the way. All except the one trained to ride. Anthony left him near the wagon, heaving a saddle over his withers and forcing a heavy bit into his mouth.

Christina remained paralyzed on the seat. “Anthony…no. Don’t go.”

He said nothing as he loaded his revolver and strapped it to his thigh. With the Winchester tucked under his arm, he swung onto the back of the animal and twisted the reins through his fingers. “You’ll be safe here. Most likely it’s nothing.” He looked away, giving the mule an angry kick. The animal balked but lurched to a trot toward the trail.

“Anthony!”

He rotated in the saddle enough to meet her gaze and yanked back on the bit. His brown eyes studied her face, and his chest released a sigh. “Chris, I have to go. You know where the other rifle is, and the shells are under the seat if you have any need of them. I’ll be back soon.”

Christina sagged against the back of the wagon seat. The edge bit her spine. Hooves scraped the loose rock of mountain trail and faded with the distant gun fire. 

 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

angelakcouch@hotmail.com 

Thank you, Angela, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. It sounds interesting.

Readers, here are links to the book.

https://pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=37_73&products_id=1471 

https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Warrior-Angela-K-Couch-ebook/dp/B0875NPKLZ/ref=sr_1_38?crid=2AWNJA1N1SBPA&dchild=1&keywords=heart+of+a+warrior&qid=1594225113&sprefix=heart+of+a+warrior%2Caps%2C198&sr=8-38

 

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-a-warrior-angela-k-couch/1136867479?ean=9781522398738

 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

 

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

 

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

 

If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:

Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com