THE MAIL-ORDER STANDOFF - Margaret Brownley, Angela Breidenbach, Susan Page Davis, and Vickie McDonough - One Free Book

Bio: Margaret Brownley is a N.Y. Times bestselling author with nearly fifty books to her credit. She writes historical romances set in the Old West. A two-time finalist for the Romance Writers of American RITA award, she has written for a CBS soap and her next book, The Outlaw’s Daughter will be published in May.  Not bad for someone who flunked eighth-grade English.  Just don’t ask her to diagram a sentence.

Attorney Ben didn’t expect to get shot on his wedding day--and certainly not by his mail order bride.—Pistol-Packin’ Bride/Mail Order Standoff collection.

Welcome, Margaret. How did your story for the collection come about?

My story was inspired by a Mark Twain quote: “Adam was the luckiest man in the world.  He had no mother-in-law.”

 

Ben Heywood had been left on the church step as an infant and was adopted by three sets of parents. The poor bride-to-be has to contend with three mothers-in-laws; three interfering mothers-in-law.

Are these stories connected in some way? If so, how?

With dozens of mail order bride stories being published each year, it’s hard to think up a new twist.  But Vickie McDonough managed to do just that by coming up with the idea of giving our brides cold feet. 

How many other books have you had published?

I’ve been very blessed as a writer and have managed to publish 48 books so far.

What is the hardest thing about writing a part of a collection?

I always worry that my story won’t be on par with the other stories, and I’ll be the weak link in the collection.   

I understand that feeling, but when we get them all together, they are all good. How did collaborating with this team impact you?

I was honored when asked to join the team.  It was a pleasure working with such a talented group of authors, and it was fun to see the clever way each writer developed the cold-feet theme.

Please give us a peek into your story.

Prickly Pear, Texas

Elizabeth Colton stares anxiously out the window of the stagecoach.  Fresh from Boston, never could she have imagined a more desolate place. Every scary story ever heard about attacking Indians and highwaymen comes back to haunt her.

           

Before they reach town, her worst fear is realized. A horseman flags them down and yanks open the door to the coach.  Certain he is about to rob her—or worse—she pulls out her derringer.  Much to her shock, the gun goes off and the man falls to the ground.

           

Attorney Ben Heywood is lucky to be alive.  Fortunately, the bullet missed his heart—barely. All he’d done was stop the stage to tell Elizabeth that unbeknownst to him, his mothers (yes, all three of them) had placed the ad in the Matrimonial News and he has no intention of marrying her.      

           

It seems everyone in the small town has an opinion on the brash young woman who traveled west and shot the town’s favorite son. Now they refuse to believe the pistol packin’ bride is the right woman for him. At first, even Ben has trouble visualizing the two of them wed.

           

But in matters of the heart sometimes a wrong really does make a right, and Ben suddenly finds himself defending the blue-eyed beauty, and slowly falls in love with her.  Now he doesn’t know which task will be hardest; convincing his reluctant fiancée that marriage to a man with three sets of interfering…uh… well-meaning “parents” won’t be so bad (maybe).  Or proving to the town that Elizabeth really is the girl of his dreams. 

What did you want the reader to take away from your story?

I hope to show that there’s value and love to be found in even the most difficult of families.  Ben’s three sets of interfering parents aren’t going to change; what changes is the way Elizabeth comes to accept them as family.

What is the best piece of advice you received as an author?

I think the best advice I received was to give the reader something to “see” in each sentence.  That’s what I try to do. 

Where can my readers find you on the Internet?

Website: margaret-brownley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MargaretBrownleyAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/margaretbrownly

Book links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Standoff-Historical-Stories-ebook/dp/B081G73XRM/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

B and N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mail-order-standoff-angela-breidenbach/1136319116?ean=9781643522449#/

Thank you, Margaret, for helping us share this delightful collection. I’m eager to read all 4 stories.

Readers, 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

ECHO CANYON - Susan Page Davis - One Free Book or Ebook

Bio: Susan Page Davis is the author of more than sixty published historical romance, mystery, and romantic suspense novels. She’s a winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, the Carol Award, and the Will Rogers Medallions, and a finalist in the WILLA Awards. A Maine native, she has lived in Oregon and now resides in Kentucky.

Welcome back, Susan. Why did you become an author?

I love reading and telling stories. One day I realized I had a convoluted story in my head that I wanted to tell, so I wrote it down. Of course, writing a book and selling it are two different things. Five years elapsed before I held my first published book in my hands.

My first novel took eight years to be published. If you weren’t an author, what would be your dream job?

Since this is a dream, exercising horses.

If you could have lived at another time in history, what would it be and why?

I’d love to vacation in the Middle Ages, but then I want to come back here. I’ve always been fascinated by the way of life back then, but I’m sure it was much harder than we imagine.

What place in the United States have you not visited that you would like to?

I live in Kentucky now, and I’ve never been to Fort Knox. I think that would be interesting, since Fort Knox in Maine is one of my favorite spots, and they are named for the same man.

How about a foreign country you hope to visit?

Switzerland.

What lesson has the Lord taught you recently?

I have been through some difficult things, and I keep coming back to Psalm 48:14: For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even until death. This is what Iris had to learn in Echo Canyon, that God is there, He will not change, and He will guide us if we let Him.

Tell us about the featured book.

In Echo Canyon, Iris Perkins is told she will be married soon to a man she despises. A chance visit by two brothers and a beautiful woman from the other side of Echo Canyon gives her hope. For Edward Sherman, venturing into Utah with his brother to buy horses is risky. He only wants to find the livestock they need and get back to Fort Bridger, until he meets a frightened young woman in need. He’ll do anything he can to save Iris, even race against the man determined to marry her.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Iris was nervous the day Elder Whipple came home. He avoided looking directly at her when he greeted his family, then spent half an hour in the parlor with his wife, Louise, with the door closed. Iris could hear their low voices as she mixed the biscuit dough for supper, but she couldn’t make out the words. The council had met for three days, and she wondered what decisions they had made for the community.

The Whipples’ daughter-in-law, Annie, kept the churn going steadily on the other side of the kitchen. She and Iris worked in silence. No one spoke much at the Whipples’ house. They just did their work.

Iris wished Annie were more talkative and friendly, but she always looked frightened and tired. When Iris spoke to her, she would answer with as few words as possible. Her husband, young John Whipple, was just as quiet. No one seemed happy here, and Iris thought it was the dry, bleak land that had drained them of life and joy.

Annie stopped churning, and in the brief silence, Iris heard the hum of Louise’s flax wheel begin in the next room. The door to the parlor opened, and Elder Whipple stepped into the kitchen. Iris glanced at him, then turned her attention back to her work.

He walked over to her and stood for a moment, watching her knead more flour into the dough. “You’ll be going to Brother Zale’s place tomorrow,” he said.

Iris found it suddenly hard to breathe. She looked up at his bearded face. His keen hazel eyes focused on her, not unkindly.

“I don’t understand.” Hadn’t she pleased them here? She’d worked hard. She didn’t want to be shuffled off to another family that might not treat her as well. She didn’t know the Zales, and they might be farther from the mainstream of communication within the sprawling community of Saints, making it harder for Iris to seek out news of her own family.

The elder hesitated. “The men who went looking for your father’s outfit returned yesterday. They didn’t find any trace of them. It’s been three months since your father’s party set out, and nothing has been heard from them, Miss Perkins. The council is assuming the party is lost.”

“Lost?” She let that sink in.

“Yes. That’s the conclusion they’ve reached. It could be hostile Indians, or lack of water … It could be anything. The search party traced them about sixty miles southwest, but after that the ground was rocky. They didn’t find any more evidence of a camp or anything like that.”

She gulped and met his level gaze. “Or a struggle?”

“No. Nothing.”

Iris nodded. It was so stark, so unsatisfying. This was her father they were talking about! Her brother, too. They had left with three other men at the end of May, to seek out ore deposits for the good of the community. Lead was needed, and iron, and of course anything more precious. They were to have reported back in a month, with a map of the places they had been, showing the location of any minerals or other features of interest to the Saints.

“The elders discussed the situation. We feel it’s best if we send you to the Zale ranch.”

Alarm ran through Iris afresh. “What for?”

“You need to be incorporated into a family, Miss Perkins.”

“But I—” She hesitated, looking up at him cautiously. “Couldn’t I stay here as part of this family, sir?”

He sighed. “The council feels it’s time you were wed.”

You know I love your books, and I’m eager to read this one. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Find Susan at:

Website: www.susanpagedavis.com

Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

Newsletter: https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join

Link to Echo Canyon on Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2ieuqQ4

On Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/echo-canyon-susan-page-davis/1125434608?ean=9780997230840

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

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, Google+, 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

THE SABOTEUR - Susan Page Davis - One Ebook Giveaway

BIO: Susan Page Davis is the author of more than 60 novels and novellas in the historical romance, mystery, and suspense genres. She is the mother of six and grandmother of ten. A Maine native, she now lives in western Kentucky with her husband Jim. Visit her website at: www.susanpagedavis.com.

Dear Readers, Susan and I have been very good friends for a long time. We’ve been involved in several novella collections together. And we’ve attended a retreat for historical fiction authors in south Texas, as well as being at ACFW conferences together. I love her books. She’s a master at grabbing the readers and dragging them straight into the action. And I always love her characterizations.

 Welcome back, Susan. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

Well, for one thing, I had my first (and only so far) panic attack, and it terrified me. I was afraid a heroine who suffers anxiety attacks might be unsympathetic, but I’ve tried to make Debra a likeable person. And a town near where I used to live actually had a run-down old building for a police station. I learned from an officer that they had quit using holding cells there because state laws were so stringent on the care of people in confinement, so it sort of sprang into my mind that there might be old jail cells that were no longer being used. I’d better not say any more.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I’d pick Sibella Giorello (Love her Raleigh Harmon series!), Cara Putman, Sunni Jeffers, and Kristen Eckhardt (I’ve worked on some cozy mystery series with them), James Scott Bell, and Terri Blackstock.

Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

You, Lena, because you’re always fun to be around! Also, Vickie McDonough, Erica Vetsch, Angela Breidenbach, Julianna Deering (That’s her pen name, but you know—I adore her Drew Fathering series!), and Kim Sawyer. I think that would make a very interesting gathering. A little mystery, a little romance, a little humor.

I’d really enjoy that party. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

So many ideas, so little time, Lena! I want each book I present to be well done, and that takes time.

Tell us about the featured book, The Saboteur.

Debra Griffin takes a job at the local police station as secretary to the detective sergeant, Michael Van Sant. Michael is trying to learn who wants to sabotage his unit, and Debra is soon caught up in his hush-hush investigation—while she tries not to fall head over heels for her boss. But danger is nearer than she thinks. When she confronts the saboteur, Mike and his detectives race against the clock. But is one of the men he trusted is trying to get Debra out of the way and bring them down? 

Please give us the first page of the book.

Debra Griffin turned her face into the breeze as she pumped gas into the tank of her forest green Sentra. Pale green leaves were just unfurling on the big maple tree at the edge of the parking lot. Another fleeting Maine summer was on the way. The sun warmed her skin, and she wrinkled her nose as the gas fumes rose around her.

Behind her, the door to the convenience store closed, and she turned her head slightly. A young man hurried toward the Jeep Cherokee parked on the other side of the pumps. He pulled off a knit cap, and she thought he was overdressed for the warm spring day. His tousled brown hair eclipsed the goatee he was growing. He glanced toward her, and their eyes met for an instant. Debra turned away, not liking his sharp expression.

The Jeep started, and he pulled out of the lot onto the main road through town, driving swiftly away to the south. Massachusetts license plate, Debra noted. That figured. An early tourist. They always thought it was chilly.

She replaced the hose in its niche on the pump. Every week when she was at home, she bought gas at Farnham’s. The small general store had somehow survived on the edge of the city of Rushton, catering to people who had lived in the area for many years. Debra entered the little emporium, which sold everything from stovepipe to cappuccino, and was surprised that Belinda was not behind the counter.

She stood for a moment uncertainly, perusing the displays of small items on the counter. Lollipops, fudge, “penny candy” that sold for a dime, Maine key rings, Slim Jims, and bookmarks. Behind the counter was a lottery ticket dispenser and a rack of cigarette cartons. No other customers were in the store.

Debra turned around and called heartily, “Hey, B’linda! Where are you?”

“Back here!” came her friend’s voice, from the office at the back corner of the store. Debra walked swiftly through the aisles of Band-aids and tube socks.

“It was a guy in a black Jeep,” Belinda said as Debra entered the tiny office.

Belinda put her hand over the telephone receiver. “Sorry, Deb, we’ve been robbed.”

I’m eager to read the rest of the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?

Find Susan at:

Website: www.susanpagedavis.com

Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

Buy The Saboteur for kindle: http://amzn.to/2iuHyy8

Readers, leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the ebook. 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, Google+, 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

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS - Carole Jefferson (Susan Page Davis) - One Free Book

Welcome back, Susan. Tell us about your salvation experience.

I received Christ at a young age. I had Christian parents, for which I’m thankful. They took me to Sunday school and church. I was saved after a vacation Bible school session.

You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

Janice Holt Giles, Agatha Christie, Chris Enss, and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. I love their books for different reasons (two fiction, two nonfiction—and you didn’t say they had to be living authors. I admit the two fiction authors are deceased). Giles had such a beautiful writing style, and she had such a passion for detail (The Kentuckians, Santa Fe Trail, The Believers, etc.). Christie fashioned plots so clever they always keep me turning pages (Murder on the Orient Express, What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw, etc.). Enss writes a form of popular history that is very digestible and extremely helpful to writers (How the West Was Worn, Buffalo Gals, Gilded Girls, etc.), and Thatcher is a serious historian with uber documentation skills (A Midwife’s Tale, The Art of Homespun, Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History, etc.). I would love to have the chance to talk writing and/or history with any of these remarkable women.

Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

I speak to writers’ groups about various aspects of the craft, and to civic organizations about my writing life.

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

I never handle embarrassing situations well, so I’ll do what I always do when they occur—blush, say, “Oh, excuse me,” and refuse to mention it again.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I’d say go for it. I’d also advise them not to be afraid to let other people see their work and tell them where it might be better. Other tips would be to read widely, to write every day, and to get a professional edit when the manuscript is finished.

Tell us about the featured book.

Lights and Shadows is part of a series called Mysteries of Silver Peak. Sadie Speers is a retired teacher who owns an antique shop in a little Colorado mountain town. She hears that an old sci-fi movie shot in Silver Peak fifty years ago is going to be remade, right there in her hometown. But during the original filming, her best friend’s brother died. Memories of that time shake up the town. Add to that strange lights hovering above the mountainside, and we’re in for an intriguing cozy mystery.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Here’s a page from chapter one:

“I know everyone from school was very upset when Mike died,” Edwin said. “But I still think this new film project can be good for the town if no one lets it become a dark, gloomy cloud hanging over Silver Peak.”

“Yeah, I agree. But Roz … I’ll be there for her if she needs me.” Sadie had given her promise that morning under pressure from her friend, but now her determination grew. She would put the unanswered questions about Mike’s death to rest for Roz.

As Edwin drove higher up the mountain toward Sadie’s house, she noticed a glow in the sky that seemed to originate at some point beyond her house.

“What’s that?” She pointed.

Edwin peered ahead. “I don’t know. It’s the wrong direction for the moonrise.”

“Could it be a fire?”

He said nothing, but drove up her driveway and parked in front of the house. Both of them got out of the car and hurried to the side lawn.

“It’s some kind of aircraft,” Sadie said uncertainly. “I saw a blinking light.”

“It’s steadier now,” Edwin said. “But it’s not moving the way a plane would.”

“A helicopter?” Sadie hazarded.

“Can’t be. It’s not that far away, and there’s hardly any wind. We’d hear a chopper for sure.”

“I think it’s over Milo’s pasture.” Sadie couldn’t look away from the eerie illumination. The light reflected off the clouds, but the object from which it seemed to emanate sank slowly toward the horizon.

“Is it landing?” Edwin asked, his eyes still fixed on the blinking lights. The flying object lowered out of sight and then rose again to where they could see at least two distinct lights on it blinking. Edwin and Sadie turned and stared at each other.

“Okay, what is that thing?” she asked.

He shook his head slowly. “I haven’t the faintest idea.” 

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: www.susanpagedavis.com

Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

My newsletter: https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join

And on the 23rd of every month, I blog at: www.hhhistory.com

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this new book with us. It sounds intriguing.

Readers, this book is published by Guideposts. They have published series that are written by several different authors under one author name. Here is a link to the series:

http://www.shopguideposts.org/catalogsearch/result/?q=mysteries+of+silver+peak 

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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, Google+, 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

THE 12 BRIDES OF CHRISTMAS - Susan Page Davis and more - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Susan is a long-time, dear writer friend. I’ve treasured the special times we’ve been privileged to spend face-to-face time at conferences and on a couple of retreats. The 12 Brides of Christmas is a collection of 12 novellas that released last year individually as ebooks. These novellas are still available individually online. I’m reading this collection right now, and they are wonderful, historical Christmas stories.

Welcome back, Susan. What are some of the spiritual themes you like to write about?

I often write about forgiveness and reconciliation. In The Christmas Tree Bride, the theme is more of growth and acceptance.

What other books of yours are coming out soon?

I have a new novella coming out in March in the collection called The Cowboy’s Bride. I’m also working on a new project I’m very excited about. Guideposts is presenting a new series called Tearoom Mysteries, and I am writing the first book.

Congratulations. I’ll have novellas in two collections next year—Love is Patient in February and Mountain Christmas Brides in September. If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person (not a family member of yours), who would it be and why?

I’d really like to sit down with Alex Trebek (of Jeopardy) and see what he doesn’t know.

He has hosted that show for a very long time. I love Jeopardy. What historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?

Ulysses S. Grant. He went through a lot, and he wasn’t perfect, but he was one of the greatest generals ever. When urged to replace him as commander, Lincoln said, “I can’t spare this man; he fights.” Yet Grant himself said, “Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace.”

I found it interesting that Grant and Robert E. Lee were classmates in West Point. How can you encourage authors who have been receiving only rejections from publishers?

First of all, seek out a professional edit or critique. Is there some major flaw in your book that you did not see? Consider why this story might be rejected more than once. Is your writing not quite up to par, or is the genre one that is currently out of favor? Does it contain elements that some Christian publishers find objectionable? Is it too predictable, or too much like what is already out there? Many publishers are putting out fewer books right now than in the past. It might just be that they don’t have a slot for a new author. If people who have experience in the field tell you that your writing is good and your story is engaging, then maybe you should consider the self-publishing route. But if you go this way first, make sure the manuscript is well edited and presented in the best possible manner.

Tell us about the featured book.

The 12 Brides of Christmas is a collection of twelve historical romance novellas, each with a Christmas theme. My story is called The Christmas Tree Bride. In it, Polly Winfield has moved with her family to the plains of Wyoming, where evergreens are hard to come by. She develops homesickness, though she remains cheerful and helpful to her parents in running the stagecoach station.

A friend in Massachusetts sends Polly a postcard with a picture depicting a decorated Christmas tree, which sparks her longing for one. Polly is reminded of happy Christmases with family and the sense of security and being loved that always surrounded the tree when she was younger. The hero, stagecoach driver Jacob Tierney, is attracted to Polly. He agrees to look for a tree for her as his run takes him into different terrain, where trees are more plentiful. After all his efforts, will Polly’s hard-won tree have to be sacrificed in an emergency?

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

Polly Winfield dashed about the dining room, setting up. On days the stage came through, she and her mother always prepared to serve a full table. The passengers would eat quickly, reboard the stagecoach, and hurry away toward the next station.

           

Polly didn’t mind the hectic mornings on Wednesdays. The stage was heading west, and that meant Jacob Tierney would be driving it. Though his driving job was temporary, Jacob stayed at the Winfields’ home station from Wednesday until Saturday, when the stage returned, heading east. The driver on that run, Harry Smith, would stay at there from Saturday until Jacob returned the following Wednesday. They each had a run of a hundred twenty miles or so, covering six stations. On their days between runs, the drivers could do whatever they pleased. If Polly had anything to say about it, Jacob would be pleased to further their acquaintance.

           

Ma bustled through the kitchen doorway, carrying two covered baskets. “They’ll be here any minute. Set these out and fill the water pitchers.”

           

Polly took the baskets and set them on the table, enjoying the fresh scent of baking. The passengers always raved about Ma’s flaky biscuits. Polly had heard more than once that the Winfield station had the best food of any along the line from Fort Laramie to Salt Lake City.

The faint call of Jacob’s horn reached her. The stage was coming down the slope from the bluffs. She longed to run outside and watch him guide the team in, but Ma would have a fit if she disappeared now. Their job was to get the meal on the table and make sure every passenger was satisfied, while Pa collected the price of dinner and the tenders swapped the tired horses for a fresh team.

Jacob’s duties ended when the last passenger had stepped down from the coach. He’d give Pa and Harry any news he’d picked up along the way and then mosey out back to use the necessary and wash up. When the passengers were done eating and were scrambling back into the coach, he would stroll into the dining room and grin at Polly and say, “What’s to eat?”

Polly smiled as the first passenger came through the door. The next quarter hour would be hectic, but so worth the fuss. Her mother earned nearly as much with her cooking as Pa earned for running the station.

Eight men paid up and came to the table today. Ma was smiling, and Polly knew she was adding up the money in her head. The coaches had been full every week in the summer and autumn, but now cold weather was setting in, and sometimes Jacob had only one or two riders. People hated riding the stage in freezing weather.

Polly filled coffee cups, brought more biscuits, and distributed slices of apple pie.  She glanced out the window once. The tenders were guiding the fresh team into place.

“Got more coffee, miss?” one of the diners asked, and Polly hurried to get it.

A moment later, Harry poked his head in the doorway and yelled, “All aboard!”

Men grabbed one last bite of their dessert or a final swallow of coffee and headed out to the yard.

And there he was, leaning against the doorjamb, grinning, his whip coiled in his hand.

“What’s to eat, Polly?” Jacob asked.

She laughed. “You know we always have beef stew on Wednesday.”

He stepped forward and took a seat at the end of the long table. “Did you save me any biscuits?”

“I always do.” Polly whisked away the dirty dishes from the table in front of him and hurried to the kitchen. “Jacob’s ready to eat.”

“What about the shotgun messenger?” Ma asked. “Is Billy Clyde with him?”

“Haven’t seen him yet,” Polly said.

Ma ladled a generous serving of stew into a soup plate. “I’m saving enough for him. Didn’t expect so many passengers today, though. They nearly cleaned me out.”

Polly carried the stew and a basket of warm biscuits into the dining room.

“Where’s Billy Clyde?” she asked Jacob.

“Out yonder, jawing with your pappy.” Jacob’s eyes lit when she put the plate of stew before him. “I’ve been dreaming of this stew all week.”

“Naw, he ain’t,” Billy Clyde said from the doorway. “Miss Polly, he’s been dreamin’ ’bout you.”

Polly laughed and felt her cheeks warm. “Hush you, Billy Clyde.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

Visit my website at: www.susanpagedavis.com

Or my Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

Every month I blog on the 23rd at: www.hhhistory.com

And you can follow me on Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this new collection with us. My readers love Christmas stories.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
The 12 Brides of Christmas - Christianbook.com
The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection: 12 Heartwarming Historical Romances for the Season of Love - Amazon
The Christmas Tree Bride (The 12 Brides of Christmas Book 8) - Kindle

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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, Google+, 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

THE RELIABLE COWBOY - Susan Page Davis - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, here’s a Christmas story written by a dear friend and one of my favorite authors.

Welcome back, Susan. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I’m currently working on a new series for Guideposts, the Tearoom Mysteries. I’m writing the first book, and other writers will join me in writing more books in the collection. I also have several more historical novels brewing.

Tell us a little about your family.

I just got the good news of my tenth grandchild’s birth. My husband Jim and I have six adult children. We moved from my native Maine to western Kentucky about five years ago, and we’re now closer to all of them than we were before. Jim is a retired news editor, and he reads all my fiction before it goes out.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

I realized a few months ago that I was reading less for pleasure than I used to. I was spending more time at the computer, writing and marketing, and most of the books I read were for research. So I ordered a couple of “fun” books. I loved Van Reid’s Fiddler’s Green, and also a suspense book. I’m now reading a mystery set in Maine.

What are you working on right now?

Today I’m beginning a new western novella. It will be a romantic adventure in the Southwest.

What outside interests do you have?

I enjoy family history, cross stitch, logic puzzles, animals, and cryptography. Right now I’m trying to plan a way to get over to my son’s in S.C. to see my newest grandchild.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

Sometimes they are chosen for me, but usually I get to pick. I like to write about places I know or have at least been to, as I can picture it better. I like to be sure I have the flora and fauna right, and can help the reader feel the genuine atmosphere. I’ve lived in Maine, North Carolina, New York state, Kentucky, and Oregon, and I’ve visited a lot of other places. I’m mulling whether or not I’m ready to write a book set in Kentucky.

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

Joshua Chamberlain. He was such a hero. A professor, a general in the Civil War (he served in 20 battles and had six horses shot from under him), governor of Maine for four terms, and he wore many other hats as well.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

There’s not one huge thing that I wish I’d known. I wasn’t ready to know a lot of things then. You have to learn them as you go along in the author’s journey. I suppose it would have been very encouraging to know I would be published. But if we knew things like that beforehand, would we work so hard for the result?

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

One thing is that I may never know the answers to some questions, but that is all right.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Study the craft. Read widely. Do get a professional edit.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Reliable Cowboy is a novella, third in the Christmas Mail-Order Angels series. Isabella Johnston lost her husband to the sea, and she wants to get as far from the coast as she can. When she leaves Maine to marry a cowboy in Wyoming Territory, she reasons that Edwin Gray will be safe on the ranch. But every time he is late for an engagement, she finds herself worrying. What could be horrible enough to make him late for their wedding?

Sounds interesting. Please give us the first page of the book.

June, 1877

Merville, Maine

“Maggie! Where are you?”

“Out here.”

     

Isabella Johnston followed her friend’s voice around to the back of the small house the Crain family rented. Maggie struggled with a wet linen sheet, draping it over the clothesline behind the cottage. A sharp wind blew in off the bay. Summer was on its way, but it never put down roots in Merville.

     

“Let me help you. Your hands must be freezing.” Isabella dropped her handbag on the back step and hurried to Maggie’s side.

     

“No sense two of us getting our hands chilled. Go in and fill the teapot. I’ll be along soon.”

     

“Hush!” Isabella grabbed a wet shirt from the wicker basket and pinned it tails up to the line. “Your men certainly make a lot of wash.”

     

Maggie smiled at her putting a husband and boys, aged five and seven, in a pigeon hole marked, her men. “That’s right, they do. I suppose you’re here to tell me all about the Ladies’ Aid meeting I missed.”

     

“Oh, Maggie, you won’t believe it.” Isabella had started to shake out a linen pillowcase, but she stopped and stared at her friend in dismay. “I may have done the most foolish thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

     

Maggie paused with a clothes peg in midair. “What on earth did you do?”

     

Isabella gulped. “Becky Patterson read a letter asking for women to go to Wyoming for brides, and I—I told her I was interested.”

     

“What?” Maggie stared at her. “Brides? For men?”

     

“Of course for men. They have a mining town, it seems, where there aren’t many decent women. But there are some decent men, and they want wives.”

     

“Where did you say this is?”

     

“Wyoming.”

     

For a long moment, silence hung between them as the two young women gazed at each other over the clothesline.

     

At last, Maggie said, “I’m not even sure where that is.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

My website: www.susanpagedavis.com

Twitter: @SusanPageDavis

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor

My newsletter: https://madmimi.com/signups/118177/join

And on the 23rd of every month, I blog at: www.hhhistory.com

Thank you, Susan. This book will interest my readers as well as me.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

The Reliable Cowboy (Christmas Mail-Order Angels Book 3)

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of theE book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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, Google+, 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

THE OUTLAW TAKES A BRIDE - Susan Page Davis - One Free Book

Dear Readers, Susan Page Davis is a dear friend, and one of my favorite authors. I love her books. This book has a unique twist on a mail-order bride story. I love, love, love it. Her characters will grip you and not let go. There’s even a touch of mystery.

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

I write stories I would like to read. These are the stories in my heart. I write Christian novels, mostly romance, and a lot have elements of suspense or mystery. My books are split about half and half, contemporary and historical.

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

Marrying my husband Jim. That was a long time ago, but still one of the best memories!

How has being published changed your life?

It has allowed me to contribute to the family income while working at home. It has also introduced me to many incredible people.

What are you reading right now?

I just finished Terri Blackstock’s Truth-Stained Lies, and I’m reading Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette Wore to the Revolution as a research book.

What is your current work in progress?

I just finished writing a novella called The Cowboy Poet for Barbour Publishing, and I’m working on a seafaring novel with my son Jim.

What would be your dream vacation?

Go to England again (I was there 40 years ago) and visit my daughter and son-in-law.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I usually pick a place I feel would be best for the story to unfold in. Sometimes the town or the terrain are important parts of the story. For The Outlaw Takes a Bride, southern Texas seemed like the ideal place.

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

Harrison Ford—he seems like a very interesting person. I used to be a news reporter, and I’d love to have had the first interview after he crashed his plane.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I like needlework, family history, logic puzzles, and cryptography.

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

Finding time to do all the writing-related tasks and still have time to write new books.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Read a lot, across genres. Write something every day. And don’t publish before you are ready.

Tell us about the featured book.

In The Outlaw Takes a Bride, Johnny Paynter flees Denver to escape being hanged for a murder he didn’t commit. At his brother Mark’s ranch in Texas, where he thought he could take refuge, he finds his brother dead. Johnny strongly resembles his brother, and the people in town think he is Mark. Reluctantly at first, Johnny assumes Mark’s identity. But what will he do when he learns Mark has been corresponding with a widow in St. Louis? Sally Golding is en route to be a mail-order bride to Mark. Johnny must decide whether or not to go through with the wedding, posing as his brother. But Sally has secrets she's hiding, too. How will a marriage survive with so much deception?

Please give us the first page of the book.

Early May 1885, Colorado Plains

Johnny Paynter slung his saddle over his chestnut gelding’s back. He and Reckless would work alone today, repairing the ranch’s roundup pen. Johnny didn’t mind being up here at the line shack all alone—it was better than fighting for elbow room in the bunkhouse. Especially when he was on the foreman’s bad side. Still, he couldn’t help remembering that today should have been his day off.

Frantic hoofbeats pounded in the distance. Johnny dropped the girth ring and walked around his horse to stare down the trail. His friend Cam Combes was riding hard.

“What’s your hurry?” Johnny called as the other cowboy drew near.

“Get your gear. You’ve got to get out of here.” Cam pulled his horse to a stop.

“Why?” Johnny asked. “What’s happened?”

“It’s the foreman. Somebody shot him. And Johnny—they think you did it. You got to run for it!”

“What on earth?” Johnny stared at him. The Lone Pine foreman was known to be harsh and short tempered, but Johnny had mostly managed to stay on his good side—except for the words they’d exchanged right before Johnny came up here to the line shack, but that wasn’t serious. “Are you telling me that Red Howell is dead? How did it happen?”

“Nobody knows.” Cam swung down out of the saddle and dropped his pinto’s reins. “Ike found him this morning, on the trail about a half mile from the ranch. You were the only one unaccounted for when he rode in with the news. Red had told us he was riding up here to see you this mornin’. Wanted to know how you were doing with the roundup pen. Now I guess they think you ambushed him or something.”

“That’s crazy,” Johnny said.

“Some of the boys heard you the other night, when Red told you to come up here. They’re sayin’ you had a fight.”

Johnny shook his head in protest. “That wasn’t any fight. I told Red it was my Sunday off this week, and he said too bad, and I said I really needed a day off, and he said—”

“No time to argue. Get your stuff. You’ve got to go.”

“What, go down and talk to the boss?”

“No!” Cam frowned. “If you do that, they’ll turn you over to the law.”

“But I didn’t do anything.” Johnny glared at him. “I didn’t even know Red was coming up here. Don’t you think I should just go and tell them that?”

“No, I don’t. You need to lie low. Better yet, get out of Colorado. Before the sheriff rides up here to take you in.”

Johnny’s stomach felt hollow. “I’m not going to run. I didn’t do anything.” He went back to his horse and tightened the cinch strap.

“I believe you, but I’m not so sure they will. I heard some of the boys talking about a necktie party.”

Johnny froze. “Are you serious? You mean they’d string me up?”

“You know I always give it to you straight. Remember when Buck Higgins blamed you for lettin’ the remuda loose during the roundup?”

“Yeah.”

Cam nodded. “I told the boss you wouldn’t be that careless. Turned out Buck was to blame. I’ve got your back, Johnny, and I’m just saying you’ll be safer if you make a run for it now. Some of them are pretty hotheaded. If I were in your boots, I’d want to get out of here and not take the chance.”

Cam marched into the cabin, and Johnny followed, puzzling over what he had said. It wasn’t Cam’s fault. He was only delivering the news.

“I don’t know what to do—where I could go. . . .”

“There must be someplace you could hide out for a while, until things quiet down.” Cam grabbed Johnny’s extra shirt from a peg on the wall. He spotted Johnny’s saddlebag on the cot, picked it up, and stuffed the shirt into it. “What else you got here?”

His urgency ignited a flame under Johnny. He shoved the rest of his few belongings into the saddlebag, his mind racing as fast as his pulse. “I guess I could head down to Texas. My brother’s got a little spread there.”

“There you go.” Cam smiled. “That’s what you need—someplace where you can go and take it easy for a few weeks. When things quiet down, you can come back if you want to, and see if the boss will hire you on again. Give the sheriff time to sort out this shooting and find out who really did it.”

“I don’t know, Cam. Just take off without knowing—”

Cam shook his head. “They said the sheriff had gone to the other end of the county, and they don’t expect him back for a few days. Come on! I’ll ride with you. I admit, I’m worried about you. The fellows at the ranch are real riled. If you don’t get out of here soon, you’ll be dangling from the nearest cottonwood.”

“You’d go with me?” Johnny asked.

“Sure. You’re my friend.”

Relief at not having to go alone washed over Johnny, yet at the same time he hated to get Cam more involved than he already was. But that was Cam’s way, he supposed. It wasn’t just little things like the incident with the remuda. Johnny also recollected the time he’d been thrown from a green cow pony and landed on a barbed-wire fence. Cam had wrapped his cuts and ridden back to the ranch house with him, to make sure he got there without passing out, and he’d given up a night off to stay with him at the bunkhouse. He rubbed his forearm through his sleeve and could feel one of the jagged scars he still bore from that. Even though Cam could get a little wild sometimes, he had proven himself a true friend.

Cam rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not going to let them lynch you for something you didn’t do. Besides, I’ve never been to Texas. I wouldn’t mind seeing some new country.”

Three minutes later, the two men were riding hard down the trail away from the ranch. Johnny’s mind still whirled. His life was in danger. He could do nothing less than ride away, even though it went against every impulse.

“You said you have a brother in Texas?” Cam asked.

“Yeah. It’s a long ways. And I haven’t seen him for a couple of years.”

“Should be all right,” Cam said. “And it’s only for a little while.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

www.susanpagedavis.com   On my website, you can see all my books, sign up for my newsletter, enter a monthly drawing, and read a short story on my “Romance” tab.

https://www.facebook.com/susanpagedavisauthor is my author page.

www.hhhistory.com is a history blog where I post on the 23rd of each month.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

The Outlaw Takes a Bride Christianbook.com
Outlaw Takes a Bride: - Amazon
The Outlaw Takes a Bride - Kindle.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (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, Google+, 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