As a reminder, I'm giving away three ebook copies of THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP to commenters during this giveaway hop. Leave your email to qualify.
As a reader
and as a writer, I love heroines who match the hero for strength of will and
intelligence—with a little humor tossed into the mix. While the hero may be
physically more powerful, the heroine must be resourceful. Since I loved
visiting Bavaria, I’ve wanted to write a heroine from there. I live in Texas,
and many Germans settled the Texas Hill Country near Austin and San Antonio.
For THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, I needed a
stubborn, determined woman who could match wits with the hero, Storm Kincaid, a
rancher temporarily a Federal Marshal. After deliberation, Renata “Rena”
Hausmann Dmitriev appeared.
When her
grandfather-like husband is murdered, Rena will no longer stand for injustice.
In Bavaria, she had seen her father murdered when she was twelve. Rescued by
kindly Adam Dmitriev, she had traveled with Abram as his granddaughter until
she was fifteen. Due to her being Christian and him being Jewish, they fit in
no community. In the hope of warding off unwanted attentions as her beauty
blossomed, she and Abram married, but never consummated the marriage. Instead,
Abram continued to treat her as his granddaughter.
Rena and
Abram came to Texas to start over. All the while, Abram taught her English and
saved for her dowry so she could marry well when he died. That day came seven
years later. Rena had always been a dutiful daughter and wife-in-name-only.
When four killers tortured and robbed Abram, outrage replaced Rena’s patience. While
the murderers did their foul work, she had followed Abram’s instructions and
hidden in the secret place he’d constructed.
But no more!
This time, Rena is determined to avenge Abram’s murder. She’s donned a pair of
Abram’s trousers and has the pistol he taught her to fire. When Storm Kincaid
arrives and helps bury Abram, Rena tells Storm she saw the faces of the gang
members. She vows to shoot at least one of the evil men.
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| Cover design by the fabulous Kim Killion |
Storm says he
is chasing the men, who are probably heading from Central Texas toward Indian
Territory, a hard ride and one they might not survive when finally confronting
the men. Rena is insistent that she will shoot at least one of the men
who killed Abram. Rather than have her riding off on her own, Storm agrees to
let her accompany him. The two ride north across the Texas ranching county.
Nothing stops
Rena. She is wounded crossing the flooded Colorado River. She is almost trapped
inside a burning cabin helping Storm rescue three children orphaned by the same
killers, and helps Storm when one of the killers shoots him in the leg. The
adults and children are caught in a choking dust storm, but make their own
shelter.
When the
killers try to abduct Rena, she is able to shoot one to save Storm’s life. But
she doesn’t have time to revel in vengeance because Storm’s injury has become
infected. The local doctor wants to amputate Storm’s leg, but Rena refuses. How
could Storm ride around his ranch with only one leg? Instead, she wires his
sister who is an herbalist healer.
While taking
care of the three children, Rena follows instructions to treat Storm until his
sister can arrive by train. When Storm’s sister and brother in law arrive, Rena
thinks all will now be well. As the family travels to Storm’s home by train,
they all fall asleep. But the brother of one killer is seeking his own
retribution. During the night, their train cars are disconnected and the killer
attacks. Rena helps Storm battle the unknown assailant.
Rena has
traveled from Bavaria to Texas. She thought all she wanted was avenge Abram, recover
her dowry, settle in a nice town, and enjoy meeting suitable young men. She’s
learned that she wants Storm Kincaid and their three little ones, that life
with him holds all she desires.
Excerpt from THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP:
She emerged from the
brush straightening her trousers and shoving her pistol back into her
waistband. “Where do you think those men are going?”
“Indian Territory.
They’ll steal all they can before they reach the Red River and leave no
survivors to identify them. They’re selling off the stolen stock along the way,
so that will slow them some.” He wondered if she knew how to use the gun.
“But I saw their
faces.”
He sent her what he
hoped was a frightening stare. “If they knew that, you’d be dead for sure.”
She shivered, but
glared at him. “Do not think to frighten me. I will do everything I can to kill
these men and reclaim my gold and my mother’s locket. It is not that I care
about the jewelry that once belonged to Abram’s wife. But to him, it meant a
great deal, and I want it because he gave it to me.”
Storm wanted to shake
her. Not that he hadn’t lived all his life with stubborn women. At least his
oldest sister Pearl made sense. He’d worried about shy Sarah, especially when
she’d appeared head over heels with a con man. Now that Sarah and Nate were
married, she had life figured out. Nate had surprised everyone, even himself.
Storm suppressed a smile and worked up his anger again at his traveling
companion.
“We can be in Llano by
nightfall. We’ll get a couple of rooms there and you can rest.”
She shot him a
suspicious glare. “You think to abandon me in that town. If we stay somewhere,
we will be in the same room so I can watch you.”
Shocked, Storm wondered
what he could do with this woman. “We wouldn’t be allowed to stay in a decent
hotel. You want to sleep over a saloon? Besides that, folks will be shocked
when they see you in those trousers. You want people to think you’re a fallen
woman?”
With her chin raised,
she placed her hands on her hips. “I am a good woman. You can tell them we are
married and I wear britches to ride more easily.” She held up her hand and
wiggled her fingers. “I have a wedding band, see?”
He raised his hands and
backed up a step. “Oh, no. I’m not even pretending to be married. If I were
ready to marry, which I’m not, I’d pick a woman who knew when to let a man do
his job.”
“Ha, and when I recover my dowry, I will marry a
man who knows a woman can do as much as a man.”
He swept a formal bow.
“And when you marry, will you be wearing the lovely gown you now wear?”
She appeared angry
enough to use that Colt on him. “You are wrong to…to talk so. I do not have the
English words to tell you what I think, but do not try to leave me behind. If
you do, I will go after the men alone.”
Disgusted, Storm
stomped over and retrieved the horses. “Then let’s go.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-most-unsuitable-courtship-caroline-clemmons/1117264325?ean=2940045350990
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