Showing posts with label #newrelease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #newrelease. Show all posts

Monday, July 28, 2025

Scare Thee Well by ReGina Welling

 

 


Meet Tansy Shackleton

She's just the witch to finish what her ancestors started.


Scare Thee Well

Laurel Haven Witches Book 2

by ReGina Welling

Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction



Three hundred years ago, one witch had to live with her mistakes. Today, another might have to die for them.

 Tansy Shackleton has spent her entire life carrying the guilt of her family's legacy. If not for her ancestor's mistake, good witches might not be trapped in the coastal town of Laurel Haven, Maine. But no matter how hard she tries to make amends, she can't stop seeing the stain on her soul. Not even at the cost of her marriage.

 Connor Shackleton has tried everything he can think of to get his wife to see that she's not to blame for the unwitting actions of a long-dead witch. At his wit's end and unable to watch Tansy work herself into the ground for something that wasn't even her fault, he proposes they take a break for a few days, just to get some perspective.

 He should have known Tansy would martyr both their happiness on the alter of guilt, but he didn't. He wanted her back almost from the minute he walked away, but she's shut him out of her life as firmly as the door she closed behind him.

 The problem is, life and death in Laurel Haven go hand in hand for witches of the blood, and just like Tansy, Connor's one of them. The only way to move forward is to turn and face the past head-on. Together with her new coven, Tansy will have to put all of Laurel Haven's ghosts to rest or die trying.

  

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads



Rue the Slay

Laurel Haven Witches Book 1


Three hundred years ago, four witches went into the forest to cast a spell of protection against the evil creeping into their town but they were too late.

Today, Rue Channing never sees it coming, and she should because seeing is her special power. Still, who would have expected to be kidnapped and hauled off to a small coastal town in Maine?

But that is exactly what happened. Now, Rue, a lover of order and strict routines, is dragged out of her comfort zone and into a new life in the small, coastal town of Laurel Haven.

Things could not be worse, she thinks, until she meets the man next door and decides they could. Ry McFadden is the most infuriating man on the planet. He’s a study in contrasts; grumpy yet generous, intensely private, but somehow open. Rue can’t think what to do with him, except she can, and that just makes things worse.

The problem is, Ry McFadden just might be part of Rue’s destiny as she learns she’s been brought to Laurel Haven to finish what her ancestors started.

  

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo * Bookbub * Goodreads




ReGina Welling prefers not to talk about herself in the third person so...

I live in Maine with my husband, a silly flufferpup named Dash, and a crazy cat named Cricket. I write full time and also create mixed media artwork when I get the chance.

When I was three, my mom brought home a new book and when she went to read it to me, I read it to her instead. That was when she realized I'd learned to read. Since then I couldn't even estimate the number of books I've read. It's a lot!

I love talking to other readers so please visit me in any one of these various places and don't forget to let me know you stopped by!

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads



Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $10 giveaway!




Friday, June 13, 2025

BOOK BIRTHDAY! by Caroline Clemmons

 Father’s Day weekend is an important celebration for most of us. For me, it’s even more momentous. Drum roll, please!



Father’s Day is the launch of my latest western historical romance, SHAD, Book 7 of 10 in the popular Amulti-author Guns For Hire Series! I’m so excited for you to read this book.

For the past seven years, Shad Stone has been a bounty hunter. A loner for the most part, his gruff exterior hides a tender heart and a quirky sense of humor. He’s known as a man who slips in and out like a shadow to capture the criminals he seeks. I hope you’ll love him as much as I do.

The beauty he encounters is Avonleigh Adams, only child of widowed Hamish Adams. She’s wounded and on the run from the murderer who’s stealing her family ranch. The wanted assassin believes he’s killed Hamish and is determined to wed Avonleigh.

Here’s the blurb:

 A bounty hunter with nothing left to lose. A wounded woman with everything at stake. Can love survive when danger rides with every shadow?

Shad Stone’s dreams of owning a ranch are shattered when his uncle’s reckless actions wipe out his savings. Now, Shad is determined to capture a high-value outlaw to rebuild his future—even if it means facing a ruthless criminal protected by a dozen gunfighters and a corrupt lawman. But fate intervenes when a storm drives Shad to shelter in a cave, where he finds Avonleigh Adams, badly injured and on the run from the very man Shad is hunting.

Avonleigh’s family has lost everything to the outlaw who stole their ranch and shot her father. Though Shad knows rescuing her will complicate his mission, he can’t abandon a woman in need. As they join forces against overwhelming odds, Shad must decide if he can trust Avonleigh—and if he dares to open his heart again.

Can one man stand against a gang of killers? And can the woman he saves teach him that sometimes, the greatest reward is love?

Perfect for readers who love sweet western historical romance, bounty hunter heroes, frontier adventure, strong heroine stories, romantic suspense westerns, redemption tales, and found family romance.

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/4jJ0Lt3

SHAD will soon be available in paperback and audio formats. It is enrolled in Kindle Ulimited.

Thank you for stopping by today.




Friday, June 06, 2025

SUCCESS FOR ASH!

By Caroline Clemmons



ASH by Jo Ann Roberts is a huge success! I hope you are one of many who purchased and read Book 6 in the Guns For Hire Series. If not, grab your copy today at https://www.amazon.com/Ash-Hire-Sweet-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DXMWC1PS/

Here's the blurb:

An outlaw looking for a fresh start

A schoolteacher who might hold the key to the town's salvation.

Ash "Shotgun" McRae can never make up for all the wrongs he's done. After leaving a notorious outlaw gang, he thought he'd discovered the peaceful existence he'd been looking for when he found work laying tracks for the railroad in Rivers Bend. Yet, when trouble shows up in town, he fears he may never free himself of the burdens from his past.

Schoolteacher Kate Cummings stands as the one bright light in contrast to the curious looks and behind-the-glove whispers blowing through the town. The arrival of Padraic "Patch" Rooney and his gang challenges the small-town serenity she holds dear. Still, her steadfast trust in Ash awakens the strength of courage within them all, giving rise to the collective defiance against the approaching danger.

In a deadly game of dangerous outlaws and secret schemes, Kate and Ash must decide whether they are willing to risk everything for their love, including their lives.

                                                    


And while you're at Amazon....

Please remember my book, SHAD, is available for preorder now for its June 15 release at https://www.amazon.com/Ash-Hire-Sweet-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DXMWC1PS/.


Friday, May 09, 2025

SHARING TIME

 By Caroline Clemmons


So many of my friends are wonderful authors. The three below are writers I met through a group of women who once wrote for Precious Gems, a line at Kensington. The line is no more, but I’m happy to say these ladies are still writing great books!



 



LIZ FLAHERTY

BACK TO McGUFFEY’S

**Special Price!

The one that got away

Could Kate Rafael’s day get any worse? First she lost her job, then her house burned down and now her ex is back in town. Apparently, Ben McGuffey’s taking a break from being a big-city doctor to help at his family’s tavern and reassess the choices he’s made for his career.

Ben ends up giving Kate a hand, then giving her kisses and finally, a second chance. But when a local teenager shows them both a glimpse of what it means to be a family, Ben wonders if having kids in small-town Vermont would clash with his ambitions. Or can he truly come home again to Kate?

https://www.amazon.com/Back-McGuffeys-Liz-Flaherty-ebook/dp/B00JZFL4LA/






LUCINDA RACE

WEDDINGS & WANDS

A Paranormal Book Store Cozy Mystery, Book 12

Enjoy this witty, small town paranormal cozy mystery by award-winning and bestselling author Lucinda Race.

Welcome to Pembroke Cove, where witches and murderers are multiplying.

In less than a week, wedding bells will ring for Greg Erikson—a.k.a. Detective Cutie—and bookstore owner and witch Lily Michaels. Lily’s to do list is already miles long. Adding “solve a murder” wasn’t part of the plan. But they have little choice when Lily discovers a dead Elemental witch across the street, revealing a grudge that threatens to upend not just their big day, but the entire Pembroke Cove coven.

Weddings & Wands is the twelfth novel in the A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series. Although each book can be read as a standalone, it is best to read them in order. This is a humorous, small town, cozy mystery that guarantees the culprit is caught. Happy reading!

https://www.amazon.com/Weddings-Wands-Paranormal-Witch-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DSLZDTJ5/

 


NANCY FRASER



CAMELLIA

Garden Belles Mail Order Brides, Book 6

From the time she was four years old, Camellia Sutton has been told she’s “Too smart for her own good”. It all began when she started reading storybooks to her older brother. When her mother took the books away, Camellia began telling him the stories verbatim from memory.

Now at twenty-four, with a degree in medical research, she’s looking to escape her previous life in Saint Louis and get away from those who want to stifle her intellect. When a new friend suggests she locale to Oregon as a mail-order bride, Camellia is hesitant.

Widower Owen Marshall teaches mathematics at the Univesity of Oregon. He can handle his lesson plans and his students just fine. What he can’t handle is his nine-year-old daughter. When his longtime friend and housekeeper suggests he needs a wife, he disagrees. Not to be discouraged, the woman takes matters into her own hands, initiating contact with the Garden Belles matchmaking service.

If Camellia agrees to relocate and become Owen’s bride, will he honor his promise to allow her a career? Can two people with exceptional intellects create a loving family so they can all live happily ever after?

https://www.amazon.com/Camellia-Garden-Belles-Mail-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0DYBVJ7RX/

These ladies write fun, romantic books that appeal to all readers of romance.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, February 05, 2025

Kyle Ann Robertson Author Spotlight and Giveaway

 

 

Behind Closed Words: Exploring the impact of miscommunications and misperceptions within families, delving into the chaos that ensues, even when driven by love.

 

White Picket Fences

Behind Closed Words Collection #1

by Kyle Ann Robertson

Genre: Women’s Fiction

 

White Picket Fences is a heartfelt family drama fueled by an honest story of motherhood, written for those of us caught up in our own self-searching journeys. The one thing Julie Cahill knows because of her transitory upbringing as a military brat is that she never had a hometown. So she has made sure her kids would grow up in one forever home, in a forever neighborhood, with lots of forever friends. Yet her dream of a permanent hometown has her feeling fenced in.

Set in the Delaware Bay area, Julie has achieved her dreams but struggles with having to accept invisibility, underappreciation, and being taken for granted by her family in trade for her unconditional love. Her guilt over not being available for her family on that one fateful day has her challenging karma by tightening her grip on her daughters and husband, ultimately pushing them away.

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads




Not So Little Things

Behind Closed Words Collection #2


Tina Edwards loved her childhood and creating fairy houses, a passion shared with her father, a world-renowned architect. But at nine years old, she found him dead at his desk and is haunted by this memory. Tina's mother abruptly moved away leaving Tina with feelings of abandonment and suspicion. Raised by her loving, wheelchair-bound Aunt Liddy, her father's sister, 33 year old Tina has become a miniature room artist and cherishes the control she has over her life in Northeast Georgia as she works hard to please her beloved dead father's wishes of following in his footsteps in art and history. 

 

 At the same time Mr. Jake Martin, all six-foot three of him, with a heavy southern drawl and winsome dimple, hires Tina to build replicas of the original rooms of his own family's Victorian mansion purchased to turn into a B&B, Tina's estranged, dying mother re-enters her life with family secrets that must be told. Amid their research for Jake, Tina and her assistant find out that stories from his past were unfounded and prove that miscommunications and misperceptions passed down through families create unwarranted, painful separations, echoing Tina's life story.

 

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads


Since achieving her Creative Writing Certificate from Emory University, Kyle Ann has authored the children's book series " Nissa The Woodland Fairy." as writer BB Walsh. is the CWO (Chief Writing Officer) of the blog IF CORKS COULD TALK. And now her first novel WHITE PICKET FENCES with more to come. Kyle Ann's a retired Physical Therapist Assistant with most of her education coming from raising four children who are all out of college, happy in their own space, and paying their own bills! She spends as much time as possible reading, writing, golfing, gardening, and enjoying a glass of wine with friends and family. KyleAnnRobertson.com

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon giftcard,

Audiobook of White Picket Fences,

Audiobook of Not So Little Things

-1 winner each! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday, December 06, 2024

SIDNEY IS HERE! - AND LIMITED TIME AUDIBLE SALE

By Caroline Clemmons

Great news—the e-book is here of SIDNEY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, Book 6 of the historical western romance series Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. The print book will be available soon. This book is enrolled in KU.

Here’s the link at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNTP95FD

 



Here’s the description:

Sidney Garton, owner of Garton’s Mercantile in Harrigan Springs, Texas, sent for a wife:

“What I hope for is that she cooks our meals and manages the household, but also assists me in the store when needed—which would be quite a bit  of the time.”

Antoinette Fournier must evade her father’s plan to marry her to a terrible man. She’s confined to her room until she agrees to wed the rogue. Her sisters arrange with the matchmaker for her departure and help her get away immediately. Antoinette doesn’t have time to read the letter her groom-to-be sent the matchmaker until she is on the train for the first part of her trip to Texas.

Uh oh, she foresees a huge problem. She can’t cook. Her training in managing a household is directing the servants. She’s never worked in her life.

What if he sends her away?

He doesn’t, but what if he resents her forever?

When Sid is injured, she proves she is capable of managing his store and confronting a robber. But the criminal has sworn revenge against her. When he escapes from jail, can she and Sidney foil the evil thief’s plan? Is happily-ever-after together in Antoinette and Sid’s future?

 

                                LIMITED TIME SALE AT AUDIBLE

If you remember I've mentioned that two of my Pinkerton Matchmaker books are now on Audible, narrated by Chris Kemsworth. The news is that the audible version is now available for a limited time for 99 cents. Of course there’s a slight catch (isn’t there always?). See the deal  below the information about the two books.  

AN AGENT FOR MAGDALA

 


 
She craves adventure, but this may be too much…

His job means the world to him…
Capturing jewel thieves will test them…

https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Magdela-Pinkerton-Matchmakers-Book/dp/B0DNRQ5P2R

                                       AN AGENT FOR LYDIA

 


When Lydia Wood is left at the altar, she believes something beyond her Pinkerton Agent groom’s control has happened. Two years with no word have hardened her heart. She has to get away from her parents’ constant urging her to choose an acceptable husband and wed. Becoming a Pinkerton agent suits her plans.
https://www.amazon.com/Agent-Lydia-Pinkerton-Matchmakers-Book-ebook/dp/B0CPQBGP7H/

                                         

LIMITED TIME OFFER FROM AUDIBLE ON THESE BOOKS

  For a limited time, join Audible for only $0.99/mo for the first 3 months, and get a bonus $20 credit for Audible.com. Bonus credit notification will be received via email.

·         1 bestseller or new release each month from our entire selection - yours to keep.

·         Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts & Audible Originals.

·         After 3 months, $14.95/mo. No commitment. Cancel online anytime.

 

Those are not bad conditions, are they? 

Friday, November 29, 2024

PRE-ORDER NOW!

 By Caroline Clemmons

SIDNEY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, Book 6 of the historical western romance series Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides, is headed your way! In fact, you can pre-order your copy now for December 4th release.

Here’s the link at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DNTP95FD 



 

 Here’s the description:

Sidney Garton, owner of Garton’s Mercantile in Harrigan Springs, Texas, sent for a wife:

“What I hope for is that she cooks our meals and manages the household, but also assists me in the store when needed—which would be quite a bit  of the time.”

Antoinette Fournier must evade her father’s plan to marry her to a terrible man. She’s confined to her room until she agrees to wed the rogue. Her sisters arrange her departure with the matchmaker and help her get away immediately. Antoinette doesn’t have time to read the letter he sent the matchmaker until she is on the train headed for Texas.

Uh oh, she foresees a huge problem. She can’t cook. Her training in managing a household is directing the servants. She’s never worked in her life.

What if he sends her away?

He doesn’t, but what if he resents her forever?

When Sid is injured, she proves she is capable of managing his store and confronting a robber. But the criminal has sworn revenge. Can she and Sidney foil the evil thief’s plan? Is happily-ever-after together in Antoinette and Sid’s future?

 Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, February 10, 2023

QUINN IS HERE!

By Caroline Clemmons

This is a wonderful day! QUINN AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE released today. QUINN is book 3 in the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides Series. I am super excited about this book. This is a sweet historical western romance. If you read GENTRY, you’ll recognize that Quinn is his younger brother, although each book is stand alone.



Quinn is a good man with a tortured soul that causes him to… umm, to be less than he should be. After fifteen years apart, he is with his two older brothers, something he’s yearned for the entire time apart. He is a step closer to achieving his goal of owning a ranch. First, he has a lot to learn—and a secret to share.

Priscilla Bradford is a well-bred Boston woman to whom fate has dealt a horrific blow. The tragedy might break most women, but not Priscilla. Her quiet, ladylike behavior masks her strength and willpower.

Here’s the blurb:

Priscilla Bradford is determined she and Quinn McRae will have a happy marriage—all she has to do is convince him.

Priscilla Bradford’s once-impressive family has fallen on desperate times. She and her brother have lost everything. Against her brother’s wishes, she leaves Boston to become a mail order bride to a man in Texas. She’s relieved when she arrives and finds her groom is a handsome and charming man. His family welcomes her—at last, she feels part of a loving, happy family. But her husband soon behaves as if he were two people. She’s certain he’s a good man, and is determined to discover the reason for his mysterious behavior.

Quinn McRae is overjoyed to reunite with his brothers after being apart for fifteen years. They don’t understand why he doesn’t fit into ranch life on their terms. How can he explain the heartbreaking event that continues to create his horrific nightmares? He can’t—at least, not without revealing the secret he believes would cause them to send him packing. In addition to his internal battle, a local bully is determined to kill Quinn and his brothers.

How will Quinn overcome the bully’s attempts to destroy his family? Can Priscilla and Quinn conquer his doubts to become the happy couple of her dreams?

https://www.amazon.com/Quinn-Order-Bride-Country-Brides-ebook/dp/B0BSTMWV5X


Priscilla Bradford McRae


Here’s an excerpt when Priscilla urges Quinn to be more gracious to his brother Gentry:

“Easy for you to say, I’m out there working like a dog in this weather while you’re in here living like the lady of the manor. Isn’t that the way you grew up? No worries, nothing but parties and fancy clothes all your life.” His tone was pleasant but his words were spoken to sting.

Why had she bothered? She grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket and waved it as if it was a fan open in her hand while she gestured delicately with the other hand. With a coy smile, she gave her impression of a Southern belle.

“I do apologize, Quinn shugah. Of course, I grew up in fine silks and satins, waited on hand and foot, attended fancy balls and dinners, and besieged by beaus.” She fluttered her eyelashes. “Why, a big, str-ron-n-g man like you must wonder why someone like little ol’e me would leave a life of leisure and privilege to become a mail order bride.” She reached up to pat his cheek. “Bless. Your. Heart.”

Narrowing her eyes, she changed to a tone of disgust. “Sometimes you are an arrogant idiot!” She turned and sashayed into the next room.

 

I hope you’ll give QUINN AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE a read. I think you’ll enjoy it. In fact, I think you'll enjoy all three of the books of this series. Let me know whether you do or not at https://carolineclemmons.com


  

Friday, April 29, 2022

THE WAIT IS OVER - ZOE WILDER IS BACK!

 

By Caroline Clemmons

I’m so excited to share my book with you! DEATH IN THE GRAVEYARD, the next book in the Zoe Wilder cozy mystery series, launches today! Zoe just can’t seem to avoid finding dead bodies. Much to the chagrin of Sheriff Caleb McBride (aka Sheriff McBossy), Zoe can’t resist getting involved in the investigation. She tried, honestly she did.  

This is a sweet, light, humorous cozy mystery with romance.



Here’s the description:

Zoe Wilder is enjoying life in her perfect home—until her trip to lay flowers on Nana Wilder’s grave has Zoe finding the body of a young woman. Wondering how this could happen to her again, she’s determined to let hunky Sheriff McBride capture the killer. But then she's begged to help find the killer. How can she resist? The sheriff's warnings don’t prevent her efforts to help the sheriff, but she’s slowed by other obstacles she must combat. Zoe’s trying to adjust to her greatly changed, but wonderful lifestyle. Her friend and housekeeper, Letty, is temporarily out of commission from a broken leg. Zoe’s resisting the bullying of her longtime nemesis who is the now Chair of the local HOA. Once again, Zoe becomes the killer's target. 

Join Zoe for a light-hearted cozy mystery certain to entertain you.

 

Get your copy of DEATH IN A GRAVE YARD now!  https://www.amazon.com/Death-Grave-Yard-Wilder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09T99CR9C

 

 


Early readers' comments

Stay safe and keep reading!

  

Monday, February 07, 2022

Gateway I: The Gareway Trilogy by Dariel Raye

 

 

 


Gateway I: The Gateway Trilogy

Every predator has a weakness.

When an ancient being, the last of his kind, meets a fiery woman sought by evil, neither one of them is prepared for the consequences.

Gateway is a shape-shifting demon hunter who finds, protects, and prepares the Chosen - human females with the ability to redeem or destroy demons. For centuries, he has followed the rules…

Establish connection

Complete genetic imprint

No personal attachments…

Until he meets his newest charge – curvy, fiery, headstrong, and angry with the world. Following the rules while fending off demons is going to take everything he has and then some.


Available at Amazon



The employee who came to get Gateway stopped short of the hallway, his blue eyes wild with fear. More symbols lined the back of the club where the offices and restrooms were, but once again, there was no time to ask about them.

As soon as we reached the small sitting area outside Gateway’s office, two men were waiting there for him.

They both held guns as they glanced at me, then at Gateway, dropping their heads in the next second as if they had broken some unwritten rule I wasn’t aware of. The whole thing was like a scene from a bad mafia movie.

Gateway immediately shoved me behind him before I could even gasp, but he didn’t let go of my hand.

“Good Evening, Mr. Savoy,” one of the armed men said.

The last thing I wanted to do was distract him, but I instinctively placed my free hand at his back for support to keep from passing out. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I had never been one of those weak, simpering females like so many in horror movies. I didn’t mind a good fight from time to time and I had definitely won my share, but guns were different. They had a strong tendency to give the holder almost 100% advantage, if the holder knew how to use them, that is.

Gateway squeezed my hand in reassurance and for some reason I believed him. I trusted that he had it all under control. Of course, my subconscious was screaming for me to get the hell out of here and stop acting like a damn fool, but I needed to believe him because my feet wouldn’t move and my legs felt wobbly. I really didn’t need the drama right now or ever, for that matter. Hell, I was embarking on a job search the next morning.

“Evening. How can I help you?” Gateway asked as if he didn’t see the guns.

My hand tightened, clutching his back like a security blanket.

“We figured one of your staff would see the urgency of getting your attention,” the man with the gun replied. “What you can do for us is to open your safe.”

The next few seconds were a blur of rapid movement and I was still behind Gateway, so I only caught bits of the action.

 Arms moved, mostly Gateway’s and feet scuffled, mostly everyone else’s except for Gateway’s. The scuffling feet were mostly the gunmen’s.

I couldn’t see how he managed to do it, and I’d only managed to do it a few times in self-defense class, but somehow Gateway took the guns from both men and dropped them to the floor. I knew I would never forget the clattering sound they made when they landed on the concrete. I know concrete is supposed to absorb sound, but the guns sounded like thunder in my ears because all of my senses were amped with adrenaline.

 Then Gateway finally let me go and stepped away long enough to lift both of the men by their necks and pin them against the wall.

The sound of running water drew my attention to the fact that one of the men was pissing himself.

Both of their faces were masks of horror, eyes huge, mouths open, soundless. They just hung there, all the fight gone out of them in an instant.

I wondered what exactly were they seeing and thinking.

“Look what you made me do. You scared my lady friend, and almost made me lose my temper.”

Gateway sounded dangerously calm to my ears and I couldn’t see his face. Almost? What is he like when he actually loses his temper? “If I ever see either of you again, you’ll end up in the same condition as your weapons, except I’ll make sure to make you suffer first. Understood?”

The men nodded in quick time like bobble heads, unable to speak with Gateway’s hands around their necks.

 I slumped against the opposite wall in an attempt to pull myself together. I was probably in shock, but I definitely was mesmerized by the way Gateway had dismantled the would-be robbers.

The minute he released the men and turned to face me, my feeling of relief flew out the window as the thieves ran for one exit and I ran for the other. I wasn’t running from Gateway, but from the whole near-death experience. If not for meeting Gateway, I would have sworn this day had been sent from Hell.

I glanced back like Lott’s wife in the Bible and like her, I immediately regretted it. Unlike the nameless biblical character, I was looking to see if Gateway was following me. A flash of red grabbed my attention and I couldn’t look away. 

Amazon | Goodreads | BookBub




https://darielraye.com






Friday, December 10, 2021

BOOK BIRTHDAY FOR AMY: ANGEL CREEK CHRISTMAS BRIDES

Help me celebrate a wonderful Book Birthday! Today is release day for AMY, book 25, Angel Creek Christmas Brides Series. This is the fourth and final year for this popular mail-order bride series set in Montana after the Civil War.  With so many young men killed and others homeless and going west to seek a new start, young women in the east—both north and south—far outnumbered marriage-age men. 

What’s a woman to do? Does she stay at home with her parents? Does she even still have a home, or was it destroyed in the war? Is she destined to be alone instead of a wife and mother? And then there are the women who don't fall into those categories, women like Amy...

 Amy Gordon had a hard life, first in a poorly run orphanage, and then as the pawn of dishonest men. Her spirit refused to be crushed. Get your copy here:

https://www.amazon.com/Amy-Angel-Creek-Christmas-Brides-ebook/dp/B098GK1PCH/

 

Here’s the book description for AMY:

A desperate woman on the run…

An overwhelmed sheriff who’s guardian of 3 nieces…

Events that threatens their fragile relationship…

Amy Gordon is a swindler escaping from a deal gone bad and the former employer who blames her. Determined to stay out of trouble and out of his clutches, she takes the first train leaving Chicago. When the train derails, she steals the ticket and identity of a crash victim headed to Angel Creek in Montana Territory.

Amy believes if she can make it to Angel Creek, she can evade the vengeful former associate. But as a lifetime Chicago resident going to Montana, Amy had no idea such a desolate landscape existed. She decides to play her part as Bethany until spring, but then she will head for civilization and a new life.

Sheriff Spencer Wood has become guardian of his three young nieces and needs help caring for them. In addition, he admits he’s lonely and is ready for a companion to share his life. His solution is to send for a mail-order bride who will be a good example and caregiver for his nieces, and for the future children he and his wife will have. When Spencer is severely injured, he wonders what will happen to his family if he doesn’t recover.

Spencer is the kind of man Amy had hoped existed, but never thought she’d meet. He treats her with respect and charm. But raising children is confusing, and she’s a novice at managing a household. How long before she can move on? She hardens her heart against her husband and the girls, but finds herself slipping under their spell. Just as she believes she’s found the perfect life, disaster arrives.

Will she have the courage to stay or will she run?


 

Enjoy an excerpt from AMY:

Amy picked up her spoon, but she realized the girls had bowed their heads. Without drawing attention to herself, she rested the spoon on the table and folded her hands in her lap.

Spencer folded his hands and bowed his head. “Dear Lord, we give thanks that Bethany arrived safely. Bless her as she joins our family. Thank you for the food we are about to receive. Thank you for giving us this day and our many blessings. Help us remember to treat one another with kindness and keep your commandments. Amen.”

Amy stared at her bowl. Had anyone ever given thanks for her safety? She doubted she’d ever even been mentioned in anyone’s prayers before. In fact, she wasn’t certain she knew anyone who even believed in prayer.

She’d heard of the Ten Commandments when she was at the orphanage. Not that the staff lived up to them. Well, Nurse Kathryn did. She’d been patient and understanding—the closest Amy had had to a mother. She wondered what the nurse had thought when Amy had run away.

Many nights after she’d fled, she’d cried herself to sleep, careful no one else knew, and wished for Nurse Kathryn’s arms around her. No matter how she’d tried to harden her heart, she failed. Sap, you’re such an easy mark yourself. This time, though, you made out all right—if that oldest girl doesn’t ruin everything.

 


Many women became mail-order brides. Chris Enss, author of HEARTS WEST, collected true stories about mail-order brides. Not all of them turned out happily. Don’t worry, though—all of the Angel Creek Christmas Brides books guarantee a happy ending. The fun is the twists and surprises in getting there.

Stay safe and keep reading!