Monday, October 13, 2014

ONE SHINGLE TO HANG



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A commenter will win a $25 Barnes and Noble gift card via Rafflecopter. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Everyone knew Lil Wentfield would never marry. What man would want her? Granted she was a real beauty.

A woman with too much knowledge was at risk for insanity. Their fragile mind couldn’t handle it. That’s what Lil had been told when she went against convention and became an attorney. The 1800’s had fewer women lawyers than women doctors. Her pride knew no bounds when she hung her shingle—L.M. Wentfield, Attorney At Law.

Drew was a struggling cattle rancher, building a fledging Hereford empire. He was working toward that goal when he was accused of rustling and faced possible hanging. He needed a lawyer—a good one—a man. Chesterfield had one lawyer—a new one—L.M. Wentfield. He wasn’t prepared for a beautiful blonde with a sharp tongue and fiercely won independence.

Lil had no homemaking abilities. Her love was the law. And if the thoughts of the gray-eyed cowboy, who had the audacity to refuse her legal help stayed in her mind, she’d push them aside. She had nothing to offer a rancher . Even her wealth wouldn’t be considered an asset to a prideful man. And Drew Jackson was proud. So proud, he knew he couldn’t ask a woman of Lil’s stature to share his life—but he wanted to—from the moment he’d stolen that first kiss.


Enjoy an excerpt:

Everyone knew Lil Wentfield would never marry. What man would want her? She was too old, too set in her ways, and too damned opinionated. Granted, she was a real beauty, if you could get past all the other flaws. Long blonde hair, equally long legs, sparkling blue eyes, flawless skin, with just a hint of a European ancestor in the coloring. And lips, well to call them kissable would be doing them an injustice.

But spinster she was, with her hair coiled into a tight knot at the nape of her neck, as tight as the expression habitually worn on her lovely face. Wire rimmed glasses perched on her small nose, obscured flashes of emotion in those beautiful eyes. Except when it came to outrage. Then her eyes snapped, her spine stiffened, her chin raised, and she peered disdainfully at the offender.

Lil was like a badger when it came to proving her point and winning an argument. Her mother liked to say Lil was born arguing. What her father liked to say was more colorful and filled with disappointment. His only child compounded being born female, by having a mind of her own. Once Lil made a decision, she planted her feet firmly on the chosen path, and didn’t step off until her goal was accomplished.

Men found her unnerving. Lil Wentfield wouldn’t be any man’s ‘little woman’, her place in the home, serving her husband, and mothering children. She was unsettling; not material necessary for being the calming homemaker and acquiescent wife needed to soothe and support a man as he went about his business.


About Deann Smallwood:

I live in Colorado with my husband and my two Yorkie kid dogs: Stormy, four pounds, and Eli, six pounds. I’m a native of Colorado, but I’ve lived several years in Wyoming and Montana. I draw from these beautiful states for most of my books. My Western Historical Romances are: Montana Star, Sapphire Blue, Unconquerable Callie, Wyoming Heather and One Shingle To Hang. Tears In The Wind is a contemporary romance. Then I changed genres from my beloved romances and wrote, under the pen name of D. M. Woods, my first suspense/thriller: Death Crosses The Finish Line. The second book in this ‘death’ series, Death Is A Habit, came out January 8, 2014. I am currently working on the third book in the ‘death’ series, Death Walks C Dock. I am also working on another Western Historical Romance, Montana Man. It features the characters readers came to know and love in Montana Star. Truly, I mean it when I say my greatest pleasure next to writing is having my books read and enjoyed. There are many more stories just waiting to be written.


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4 comments:

Caroline Clemmons said...

Welcome, DeAnn. By the way, my middle name is DeeAnn. I looj forward to reading ONE SHINGLE TO HANG. Best wishes for continued success.

Unknown said...

Caroline DeeAnn thank you so much for hosting me and I'm delighted to share names. It made me feel instantly at home on you neat site. ONE SHINGLE TO HANG was a fun book to write and I was pleased to add it to my other Western Historical Romances. I appreciated seeing you write in different genres, too. I write my suspense thrillers under the pen name of D.M. Woods. I wish you lots of success with all your books. Again, thanks. I look forward to comments and will check in today...lots.

Unknown said...

Just checking in. I have to share. I’ve just finished my latest book, MONTANA MAN. I’ve had many requests to write more about the characters in an earlier book, MONTANA STAR. Here it is. If readers liked MONTANA STAR, they’ll enjoy MONTANA MAN. It will be out at Amazon.com and SoulMate Publishing in December.
Hope you're having a great day.

Jan Hougland said...

Sure am glad I was introduced to you on a blog post, DeAnn! I do love western romance (historical or contemporary), grew up on a small ranch and went to NMSU in Las Cruces, NMex...and my roommate (lived in a dormitory) was a rodeo queen. :-) I liked the description of the heroine in the excerpt: "...too old, too set in her ways, and too damned opinionated." That describes me precisely so I think I will really, really like this heroine. BTW, I am the proud mom of a Yorkie named Maggie so we have that in common too! Thanks for the post. jdh2690@gmail.com