KIRK - BY CHARLENE RADDON

 By Caroline Clemmons

My friend, Charlene Raddon, is a prolific writer of heartwarming western historical romances and time travel. In addition, this very talented lady creates book covers at her Silver Sage Cover Designs, http://facebook.silversagecoverdesigns.com. I’m happy to announce that Charlene has a new book, KIRK, coming out on April 15^th, Book 3 in the sweet western historical Guns for Hire Series. By the way, Charlene created the series. Didn’t I tell you she’s talented?

 

 

Her book plots are always unique. She has the knack of taking the villain and turning him into a hero—with the help of a feisty and determined heroine. Her new book is one I can hardly wait to read. It’s available for preorder now so that it will magically pop up on your e-reader on release day.

Here’s the blurb for KIRK, Book 3 of 10, Guns for Hire Series:

Kirk Redick, a former preacher, is faced with either letting his brother be forced into the job of a hangman or accepting it himself. He chooses to take on the hated work until he finds the man who framed his brother.

Observing a hanging at Red River Crossing, Adina Kinnaird is touched as she overhears the hangman comforting the condemned man. When Kirk is shot, she helps him escape the gunman and the angry mob.

Traveling from town to town, Kirk and Adina search for the man who framed his brother and find themselves falling for each other. Kirk doesn’t want her living in the danger he faces every day.   

In a showdown with the outlaw, Adina is shot. Kirk’s heart stops. He doesn’t want to go on without her. Will capturing the gunman be enough to clear his brother’s name and give Kirk and Adina the freedom to live outside the shadow of the hangman’s noose?

 https://www.amazon.com/Kirk-Hire-Sweet-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DT7R89N8/ 

Series books already released are CREEK and DUSTIN. Don't miss any of this exciting adventure romance series!

Thanks for stopping by.

THE OUTLAW AND THE SHERIFF

by Caroline Clemmons

My friends Charlene Raddon, has a new book, THE OUTLAW AND THE SHERIFF. I love Charlene's writing--and so do her readers as you can tell by her 5-star ratings.

This series is a bit different in that each has an outlaw bride. Doesn't that sound intriguing? As you can see by the cover below, Charlene designs lovely, eye-catching covers when she wears her other hat, Silver Sage Covers.

Here's the blurb:

In the unforgiving landscapes of the Old West, Jerrellyn Ables confronts the moral quandary of her outlaw family's life when a bank heist leaves her wounded and forgotten by her kin. A twist of fate brings Blade McCreery, a charismatic ranch hand to her doorstep, saving her life and kindling an unexpected romance that challenges Jerrellyn's beliefs.

Determined to right the wrongs committed by her family, Jerrellyn faces peril as she tries to compensate a family they unwittingly harmed. Caught in the act, she's confined by her own blood, trapped between loyalty and her own redemption. Meanwhile, Blade, now the County Sheriff, leads a posse to capture the Ables gang, torn between justice and his burgeoning feelings for Jerrellyn.

As the showdown unfolds, questions loom: Will Jerrellyn escape her family's clutches? Can Blade reconcile his duty with his love for her? Amidst the dust of the Old West a vendetta-driven Pinkerton agent threatens their happiness. Will love prevail, or will Jerrellyn face the consequences of her family's crimes?

You can find the THE OUTLAW AND THE SHERIFF on Amazon at the following link:

https://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Sheriff-Brides-ebook/dp/B0CY3X636Z/

Let Charlene tell you a little about herself in her own words:

Believe it or not, I began my fiction career in the third grade when I told my class that a little sister I never had died of a black widow bite. I also wrote books through my teen years, always about a girl whose mother mistreated her by making her wash dishes, sweep the floor... you get the idea. Never finished any of those stories. But the idea of writing a real book and publishing it never occurred to me. It was a particularly vivid dream that drove me to drag out a portable typewriter and go to work on my first novel. In 1990, my second completed book, TENDER TOUCH, brought me a first place win in a writing contest and the following year became a Golden Heart finalist. That won me an agent and a contract from Kensington, who published five of my western historical romance novels. My books have placed or won in other contests as well. FOREVER MINE received a Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award nomination. I've always loved the Old West and I believe my novels reflect that emotion through their depth and vibrancy. I am always working on a new story. I hope you try my books and enjoy them. Follow me on my website at https://charleneraddon.com and get a free book.

Thanks for stopping by.

JOSEPHINE ON SALE FOR 99¢

By Caroline Clemmons

To celebrate new covers for my popular Bride Brigade Series, JOSEPHINE, book one, is now 99¢ at Amazon! 

Here’s the url:

https://www.amazon.com/Josephine-Bride-Brigade-Book-1-ebook/dp/B015M4FJUY

Everyone deserves a makeover once in a while, even a fictional heroine. So, Charlene Raddon at Silver Sage Book Covers created beautiful new covers for the seven ladies of the Bride Brigade. I hope you’ll agree the covers are irresistible. If you haven’t read this acclaimed sweet historical western series, here’s your opportunity to read the first book at a bargain price.

The remaining six books are only $2.99 in ebook, and are also in print and are FREE through Kindle Unlimited. I set the paperback at the lowest price allowed by Amazon. Now, Amazon has put two on sale, Prudence and Cassandra.

The bachelors of Tarnation, Texas threaten to leave unless marriageable women come to town. Wealthy widow Lydia Harrison and her friend Sophia Gaston go to Richmond, Virginia, where Lydia was raised. Lydia interviews young women who respond to her newspaper notice, but not everyone is accepted. The seven girls travel to Tarnation and live with her until they find a husband. She gives receptions, dances, and dinners so the women can meet the suitable bachelors she has invited to participate. Each story is different, but most of the characters get at least a mention in the other books. Here are the books and summaries:

Book 1, JOSEPHINE Josephine Nailor has good reasons not to trust men, especially those who hold an office. She isn’t even certain she wants to marry, but takes a job assisting the owner of the mercantile.

The series url is https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bride+Brigade+Series&crid=OXLUQD1NBB60

 

Book 2, ANGELINE Angeline Chandler was the victim of a lecher forcing her, who abandoned her when he learned she was pregnant. Instead of sympathizing with her, her parents evicted her from their lives. After Lydia literally saves her, Angeline goes to work taking care of the recently widowed minister's toddler son.

Book 3, CASSANDRA Cassandra Bradford was once wealthy, but circumstances changed and she endured the humiliation of working as a servant in her former home. She keeps the pain a secret, but  vows she will marry a wealthy man or remain single. *Amazon has put this paperback on sale for $3.81, and I don’t know why they have done so or why the price is such an odd number. They practically own the world, so they can do as they wish. I have to admit I do most of my shopping with them.

Book 4, OPHELIA Ophelia Shipp is the most spiritual and sweetest of the seven girls. She has difficulty letting go of her overzealous father’s teaching—after she heals from the last beating he gave her before she left home.

Book 5, RACHEL Rachel Ross has been betrayed and framed for something she did not do. Her family asks her to leave because her presence is an embarrassment. She finds a job with former Pinkerton Agent turned freighter.

Book 6, LORRAINE Lorraine writes stories and sells them under a pseudonym. She longs to find a man who will admire her writing ability and also her. In Tarnation, she finds a job assisting the newspaper owner. But he believes only men can write “real” news.

Book 7, PRUDENCE Prudence Lynch left her home after her grandmother died. Folks there labeled her a witch—except when they needed her folk healing to help them or her midwife skills to deliver a baby. She plans to continue her folk healing and midwifery, hopefully with more acceptance. She and Lydia are kidnapped. *Amazon has put this paperback on sale for $4.87, surprise to me.

 

There you have a very brief summary. If you’ve already read these books, please tell me who your favorite heroine was. Who was your favorite hero?

 

In the meantime, please don’t forget to read GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDERBRIDE  Rancher Gentry McRae marries a woman his late partner willed to him. https://www.amazon.com/Gentry-Texas-Country-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

and JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. Sheriff Jesse Cameron marries a woman on the run. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BD64JC1D?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

Right now, I’m writing the book about Quinn McRae, Gentry’s younger brother.

Stay safe and keep reading! 

PENELOPE'S TELEGRAM TELLS HER, "RUN!"

 Are you keeping up with the Love Train Series? Each book is a stand-alone story, even though a portion of each takes place on the Union Pacific 1216, with Henry Manners as the matchmaking conductor. My book, SAMANTHA, was released on June 1^st. If you haven’t read it yet, please do! It’s available in e-book, print, and is in Kindle Unlimited.

 Here’s the buy link: https://www.amazon.com/SAMANTHA-SWEET-HISTORICAL-WESTERN-ROMANCE-ebook/dp/B09XWHJ9GW/

Next is PENELOPE: SWEET HISTORICAL WESTERN ROMANCE, book 6, Love Train Series, by Heather Blanton. PENELOPE will be released June 15, but is available for preorder now at

https://www.amazon.com/Penelope-Sweet-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B09Z382YS5

Check out the description to see what a clever plotline Heather has written:

She's about to say, "I Do," when a telegram tells her, "Run!"

Penelope Barker believes in marrying for love ... love of food on the table and a roof overhead. Marrying a crime boss then might mean a little scandal, but it also means plenty of hot meals, soft beds, and decent clothes.

Mere minutes before the wedding, Penelope receives a telegram from her sister warning her that the groom is a killer, and she must run. Trusting her sister, and admonished not to trust anyone else, Penelope dons a nun's habit and jumps a train to Misery, Wyoming.

Lucius "Lucky" Burnett is a range detective--a term synonymous with hired gun. His wake of dead bodies never bothered him until an innocent child was killed. Now, Lucky believes he's not decent company for anyone, especially a good woman.

Hired by the Lodgepole Ranch to find rustlers, he meets the puzzling, sassy nun on the train and the more they're around each other in Misery, the more the attraction grows. There's not a thing he can do about it, of course.

But when trouble finds Penelope, the truth behind her habit sparks gut-wrenching choices ... for them both.

Will the sacrifices for love bring them what they want ... or keep them apart for good?

Grab this Christian clean and wholesome historical western romance in the Love Train Series today! 

As I mentioned previously, Charlene Raddon designed the cover for each of the books in the Love Train Series. She also conceived the idea. Pam Crooks has helped Charlene implement and market the series. I feel honored to be in this group. Don’t miss any of the books. Here’s the series release schedule:

CHRISTIANA

Book 1  ~ Pam Crooks ~ April 1

HENLEY

Book 2  ~ Shanna Hatfield ~ April 15

MELITA

Book 3  ~ Margaret Tanner ~ May 1

LULA MAE

Book 4  ~ Charlene Raddon ~ May 15

SAMANTHA

Book 5  ~ Caroline Clemmons ~ June 1

PENELOPE

Book 6  ~ Heather Blanton ~ June 15

IVY

Book 7  ~ Kit Morgan ~ July 1

AINSLEY

Book 8  ~ Jo-Ann Roberts ~ July 15

TALULA

Book 9 ~ Winnie Griggs ~ August 1

FANCY

Book 10  ~ Linda Broday ~ August 15

You can find the Love Train Series Page on Amazon at this link: 

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=love+train+series&i=digital-text&crid=1CIUF9YCW7T1K&sprefix=love+train+series%2Cdigital-text%2C743&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_17_ts-doa-p

Stay safe and keep reading!  

ALL ABOARD! AND THANKS TO OUR HEROES!

 By Caroline Clemmons

One of the interesting things an author can do is become part of a multi-author project (MAP). I’ve done this numerous times in series like Widows of Wildcat Ridge, the Pinkertons, several mail-order bride series, and Deborah Holland’s Kindle World (which became my Loving A Rancher series when Amazon deleted Kindle World). Now, I’m a member of the Love Train series. I continue to do my own books, too, of course.

Being part of a MAP does two things. First, the author gets to work with new authors or becomes better acquainted with others with whom she or he has worked previously. Second, the fans of each author in the series are introduced to each author and, hopefully, each author acquire new readers. Each book in the MAP is a stand-alone story, but must stay in the parameters set by the series creator. A private group on Facebook is set up so that authors can exchange ideas and insure that the authors haven’t come up with the same plot.

The Love Train series was conceived by Charlene Raddon with Pam Crooks’ help. As mentioned previously, Charlene did the cover for each book as Silver Sage Cover Designs. Working with Charlene and Pam is always a joy! Everything is organized from the start. Each of the books is sweet, a historical western romance.

Henry, the matchmaker

conductor

As I mentioned last week, there are two continuing characters in the Love Train series. Henry Manners is the friendly conductor of the Union Pacific 1216. He’s widowed, is around sixty, and loves to play matchmaker to passengers. Willie is the baggage handler. He’s muscular, with rust-colored hair that usually falls on his forehead. Although he is an orphan of around forty, he has the mentality of a child. He has no real home other than the baggage car. His main companion is a small dog he adopted, Scruffy. Even though dogs are against the rules, Henry doesn’t have the heart to forbid Willie his beloved companion. I learned the mane of the train is the number on the engine.

Willie's adorable dog, Scruffy

    

The Love Train books are released on the first and the fifteenth of each month. Here are the books:

Books in the Love Train Series

Christiana

Book 1  ~ Pam Crooks ~ April 1

Henley

Book 2  ~ Shanna Hatfield ~ April 15

Melita

Book 3  ~ Margaret Tanner ~ May 1

Lula Mae

Book 4  ~ Charlene Raddon ~ May 15

Samantha

Book 5  ~ Caroline Clemmons ~ June 1

Penelope

Book 6  ~ Heather Blanton ~ June 15

Ivy

Book 7  ~ Kit Morgan ~ July 1

Ainsley

Book 8  ~ Jo-Ann Roberts ~ July 15

Talula

Book 9 ~ Winnie Griggs ~ August 1

Fancy

Book 10  ~ Linda Broday ~ August 15

 

The Love Train Series contains several of my favorite authors. I hope you’ll read each book in the series. The ten books can be found on the Love Train Series page on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=love+train+series&i=digital-text&crid=1CIUF9YCW7T1K&sprefix=love+train+series%2Cdigital-text%2C743&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_17_ts-doa-p

Thank you, Heroes and Heroines!

 

I can’t sign off without mentioning all those who serve or have served to defend our country, two minister to the wounded, and to care for their families. Thank you for your service! Thank you for putting your life on hold and on the line so that we can enjoy our freedom. You are heroes!

In the meantime, keep reading and stay safe.

LULA MAE HAS A SECRET!

By Caroline Clemmons

In the past, I’ve worked with Charlene Raddon and Pam Crooks on several multi-author projects (MAPs). Each experience has been pleasant and rewarding. They definitely know how to  organize and execute a MAP series. That’s why, when I had the opportunity to sign up for a slot on the Love Train Series, I quickly accepted. Now I’m pleased to announce that Charlene Raddon’s book, LULA MAE, Book 4 of the Love Train Series, became available on May 15^th.

Charlene is one of my favorite people. I enjoy reading her books as well as working with her. Each of her books has a unique plot. In addition to being an author, she is the creator at Silver Sage Cover Designs. She designed each of the covers for the Love Train Series books. In the books, either the heroine or hero or both have a secret.

Here’s the description for LULA MAE:

Lula Mae Rivers must get to Cheyenne, Wyoming to get her niece, but a robbery left her broke. Dressed as a boy who calls herself Lou, she stows away in the baggage car of a train headed that way.

Unluckily, she's discovered. U.S. Marshal Gannon Calloway lets Lou stay aboard. He's expecting a robbery and, and an expert with a whip, Lou can help. Then Gannon learns that a killer he put in prison has escaped and is headed to Cheyenne seeking to kill a female witness he blames for his conviction.

What will Gannon do when he finds out the boy Lou is a beautiful woman, and the witness the convict wants dead? Can they work together to catch him?

And maybe learn along the way that love can come despite one's best intentions?

The buy link is https://www.amazon.com/Lula-Mae-Historical-Western-Romance-ebook/dp/B09X6CC8FH  LULA MAE is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.

Each book in the series is stand alone. There are two continuing secondary characters:

Henry Manning is the conductor on the Union Pacific 1216. Henry is a cheerful, kind widower who loves to play matchmaker with the passengers he meets. He’s around 60, with white hair and a beard. You’ll see Henry’s picture on each of the Love Train covers.

Willie is the baggage handler who lives in the baggage car. He’s an orphan of around 40 who is a large, healthy man with the mind of a child. Willie is also cheerful and friendly. He has a dog named Scruffy, even though he’s not supposed to have one in the baggage car.

Don’t forget that on June 1^st, my Love Train Series Book 5, SAMANTHA, will be released. You can preorder it at https://www.amazon.com/SAMANTHA-SWEET-HISTORICAL-WESTERN-ROMANCE-ebook/dp/B09XWHJ9GW/

Have you missed any of the series? Pam Crooks introduced the series with an outstanding book, CHRISTIANA. Check out that book and others on the Love Train Series Page

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=love+train+series&i=digital-text&crid=1CIUF9YCW7T1K&sprefix=love+train+series%2Cdigital-text%2C743&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_2_17_ts-doa-p

Keep reading and stay safe! 

COVER REVEAL OF SAMANTHA: SWEET HISTORICAL WESTERN ROMANCE

 

All aboard the Love Train ...

BACHELORS & BABIES = FUN READING!

As an author, I love each of the books I've written--some more than others, of course. The book coming March 1 is one I especially enjoyed writing and think readers will enjoy reading. The title is STUART, Bachelors and Babies book 10. This book contains humor as well as danger and romance.

The premise of this series is that a bachelor somehow is tasked with care for a baby that is under two years old. The baby in my story is eighteen months old because I wanted her to talk and walk. She doesn't talk much at the first of the story but the heroine helps the child learn to speak.

Author Charlene Raddon conceived this series and also designed all the covers from her Silver Sage Cover Designs. So far, this series is very popular. The authors involved in this multi-author project (MAP) have plunged these poor bachelors into some difficult situations. That means more fun for the reader.

Heroines come in a wide variety, too. Each bachelor has to find a woman to help with the baby, right? Authors get to have fun creating predicaments for these bachelors and heroines. Don't miss out on this series.

The Bachelors and Babies series page is on Amazon here.

The preorder link for STUART is here.

For those outside the United States, the Universal link is http://mybook.to/Georgina 

PLAYING MONOPOLY WHILE TURKEY ROASTS

Please welcome a bestselling author, Charlen Raddon, who also designs book covers.  Remember to comment to be entered in the giveaway of a Kindle Fire 7 on Christmas Eve!

What is your favorite childhood Christmas memory?

The smell of turkey cooking as I play Monopoly with my cousins.

Is there a Christmas song that’s your favorite?

A.   Secular:   “Winter Wonderland”

B.   Religious:  “Ave Maria”

Tell us about your family’s Christmas traditions.

My birthday is nine days before Christmas, so we always got our tree on that day and decorated it. Christmas morning, we would find gifts under the tree and the top of the buffet covered with fruit, candy, gum, and cookies. Mother always made us eat breakfast before we could open gifts and then my sister and I would take turns attacking the presents. We usually got a basket full of drawing stuff or sewing supplies, one big gift like a doll, or a bike, and a few small gifts like socks or a blouse Mother made. There would be coloring books, new crayons, and a book. Mom would cook turkey, stuffing, fresh green beans, Parker House rolls, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, and we always had cranberry sauce.

What about Christmas do you most enjoy?

Now that my grandkids are grown up, Christmas isn’t as much fun as it used to be. I guess my favorite thing now is when they come over.

Is there something about this holiday that drives you crazy?

Not having anyone to go shopping with.

What do you hope for this Christmas?

A new chain to replace the one that broke on the diamond necklace my husband gave me last year.

Do you have a treasured Christmas food? If so, would you care to share the recipe?

I make a yam casserole that my family demands I make every year. The yams are mashed, and I cover them with a crunchy topping like you find on apple pie. Anyone who wants the recipe, write me, and I’ll send you my Christmas short story eBook. The recipe is in the back.

Do you have a Christmas book you’d like to share?

Yes, my Christmas short story, CHRISTMAS SUPPER SEDUCTION. It’s .99 on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZXJS3Y

Charlene’s latest release is DIVINE GAMBLE. Here’s the synopsis:

SHE’S A SALOON WOMAN

For fourteen years Maisy Jessup has dealt faro in saloons, saving what she can from her small earnings so she can buy a house where she and her son can be safe from the man searching for her. Once again she’s escaped his wrath. Then Delilah, a saloon girl, is murdered and a high price is placed on the head of a hired gunman known as Wolverine who is suspected of killing her. Maisy resolves to avenge her friend. But when she finally finds the villain, she discovers two shocking facts—he’s innocent, and she’s in love with him. 

HE’S A MINISTER

The Reverend Brose Riker isn’t what he seems. As a hired gun called Wolverine, he barely escaped being hung for a murder he didn’t commit. Now, he’s posing as a circuit preacher and trying to protect Maisy Jessup from a man named Gold Kingsley who wants her dead and tried to hire Riker to find her. Years ago Riker saw her in a hotel hallway and never forgot her. He’s not about to risk losing her again.

ARE SECOND CHANCES TRULY POSSIBLE?

Even if Brose and Maisy survive Gold Kingsley’s vile plans, the future appears hopeless for them thanks to his reputation as a fast gun.  Will life grant them a second chance and allow them to find happiness?

Charlene Raddon, Author

Charlene likes to say she began her fiction career in the third grade when she told the class, during Show and Tell, that a black widow spider came down from the garage roof and bit her (non-existent) little sister to death.

After two years of college as a fine arts major, and a divorce, she moved to Utah, planning to wow the world with her watercolor landscapes—until her sister introduced her to romance novels. She never picked up a paint brush again.

Originally published by Kensington in the ‘90s, Charlene is an Indie author now. She writes western historical romance, except for one contemporary fantasy she hasn’t published yet. It’s a frog princess story about a man napping beside a pond. He awakens when a frog jumps on his chest. The frog kisses him. Suddenly, he has a naked medieval princess sprawled over him. Charlene has a vivid imagination and a romantic soul.

Please excuse Charlene now. She just heard a husky whisper from one of the dusty, shadowed corners of her office. Someone's lurking there, someone long, lanky and lascivious, beckoning to her. She has no intention of playing coy.

Visit Charlene’s webpage, http://charleneraddon.com and sign up for her newsletter.

Her book cover site is http://silversagebookcovers.com .

CHARLENE RADDON'S DIVINE GAMBLE!

Hi, Caroline. Thanks for having me today. I want to tell you about my latest book, DIVINE GAMBLE,  a gritty, sensual American historical western romance. Right now, this book is only .99. Just happens I’m working now on a sequel about Maisy’s son, Dan.

As a girl, Maisy Macoubrie witnessed the murder of her beloved father. She's been running from the killer for fourteen years. If only she could provide a safe home for her and her son… but she'll never get rich dealing faro in saloons, with a cold-blooded killer on her trail.

The Preacher never meant to become a gunman. Sometimes life deals a man a hard hand. Always alone, always hunted, he dreams of all he’s been denied—peace, family, love.

The moment Maisy and The Preacher meet, their lives change once more. United in battle against a powerful enemy, they fight side by side, but can they beat the odds they face? Is love worth the biggest gamble man has ever known?

~~^~~

DIVINE GAMBLE Excerpt:

The air shifted, and a breeze fanned the back of her neck. Someone had entered the saloon. Seeing Marshal Jake Harker look behind her and frown, she stuffed the bank draft into her pocket. The hair on her neck rose. She turned slowly, expecting to see death staring her in the eye.

A new stranger, built like a freight wagon, stood just inside. Small eyes squinted out from under bushy brows. Dirt and grime smeared his square, pugnacious jaw. He reminded her of Quasimodo, minus the hunchback, but with an ugly scar angled from the corner of his nose, and down across a fat-lipped, down-turned mouth, exposing a jagged tooth. Her father had played Quasimodo once on a beer-soaked stage in Wichita, frightening a five-year-old Maisy near to death. Did he seem familiar to her because he reminded her of that unnerving experience?

The newcomer gave her a bold once-over. He took what looked like a photograph out of his pocket, glanced at it, at Maisy, and, wearing a grisly smile, started toward her. Something behind Maisy caught his attention, and he stopped. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Harker staring at the stranger. The Quasimodo look alike cursed under his breath, spun about and left.

Maisy laid one hand over her heart and pressed the other to her lips as if that would keep her from falling apart. The man had gone but might be waiting for her when she left at quitting time. He must have seen Harker's badge and figured now wasn't the time to grab her. Maisy's heart raced. She closed her eyes and reminded herself of the other times she'd survived Gold's henchmen. She would survive this time, too.

A sudden urge to leave town assailed her. But the stage had left. The ore train from Telluride wouldn't arrive until morning. Why had she ever thought she'd be safe in a dead-end canyon like Pandora occupied? Yes, she had friends here, but she couldn't risk endangering them.

She discreetly closed her bag to hide the card box inside. "Snake eyes! I forgot my card box. Would you keep an eye on things, Jake, while I go back to the boarding house for it?"

"Let Delilah do it. I'd better go with you. Never know what gun-happy drunk might—"

She forced a laugh. "I'm a big girl, Marshal. I've been walking dark streets, storm or no storm, all by myself for a long time now, and I have my Deringer in my reticule. I don't need anyone holding my hand. Besides, Delilah's busy."

"Still, I think..."

"Don't be silly. I'll take Hock. He won't let anything happen to me."

As if comprehending her words, the dog rose and swiped a wet tongue over the back of her clenched hand.

"All right." Harker bent to pet the dog. "I think he'll make you a good guard dog. He knows you saved him. Get back here soon, though."

"I only need ten minutes, I promise. I'll take the back way, and no one will even see me." Slinging her cloak around her shoulders, she took up the bag and headed for the rear door of the saloon, the dog at her heels. The rest of her faro gear would have to remain here. Replacing it all would be expensive, but, if she took it, Harker would know she didn't plan to return and demand to know why.

Every instinct screamed for her to leave Pandora now. But she had to hang onto her wits, had to make plans. One choice would mean a steep and dangerous trek over a trail that zigzagged up the cliff and over the mountain. No, the train remained her best bet. She could only hope she'd be safe in her room until departure time. At least she had her reticule, the bank draft Harker had given her, and her Derringer. She'd managed before; she could do it again.

She had to.

Amazon buy link: http://a.co/4HFhf33

~~^~~

Charlene Raddon, Author

An avid reader, Charlene Raddon never planned to be a writer. A vivid dream changed that. She dragged out a portable typewriter and began to put her dream on paper. Originally published by Kensington Books, Charlene is now an Indie author. All her books have received high accolades, contest wins, and awards. When not writing, she designs historical book covers at her site, http://silversagebookcovers.com where she specializes in westerns.

Charlene’s website: http://charleneraddon.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/CharleneRaddon

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Charlene-Raddon/e/B000APG1P8/