UNDER A MULBERRY MOON #UAMM

I'll give away a copy of UNDER A MULBERRY MOON to someone who comments on this post.

Have you spent time planning and implementing a project that seems far in the future only to be surprised when presentation day arrives? That’s what happened to me with the anthology that has been released today.

For a while, our progress seemed like herding cats. Once authors were gathered for the venture, we had to choose the title, make certain our stories were not the same as the other eight authors involved, choose a cover, and get the tales written. Finally, the endeavor is ready for your reading pleasure.

UNDER A MULBERRY MOON anthology offers Adventure! Mystery! Romance! Nine award-winning and bestselling authors present sweet western historical stories to ignite your imagination and feed your passion for reading. Let us sweep you away from your daily cares and entertain you with our sigh-worthy novellas set between 1865 and 1900. What a line-up we have for you! 

Only 99 cents for a limited time! Amazon buy link: http://a.co/99Odsch 

This anthology includes a cover photo with each title.

Titles are:

A FAMILY FOR MERRY, by Caroline Clemmons

A FAMILY FOR POLLY, by Jacquie Rogers

ADA AND THE TEXAS CAVALRYMAN, by Carra Copelin

COMES A SPECTER, by Keta Diablo

MATTHEW'S FREEDOM, by Cissie Patterson

MILLWRIGHT'S DAUGHTER, by Zina Abbott

THE LADY LASSOS AN OUTLAW, by Charlene Raddon

THE WIDOW BUYS A GROOM, by P. A. Estelle

WORTH THE WAIT, by Patricia Pacjac Carroll

Orphan train, children, and guardians

Jacquie Rogers and I wrote about two women who had been adopted at age eight from the orphan train by Joe and Ruby Bird, an awful couple in Nebraska. Jacquie’s heroine in A FAMILY FOR POLLY is Polly Friday Bird, so named because the Children’s Aid Society authorities found her on a Friday. Mine in A FAMILY FOR MERRY is Mercedes “Merry” Murphy Bird, who went to the orphanage after she was old enough to know her last name was Murphy. Now that Polly and Merry are grown, the sisters own a successful boardinghouse in Mockingbird Flats, Texas.

When the orphan train comes to Mockingbird Flats, Polly and Molly can't resist the five children least likely to be adopted. Molly selects two girls and a boy while Polly chooses a girl and a boy. Problem is, children are only supposed to be adopted by married couples. Merry and Polly hoped authorities wouldn’t notice that neither of them is married. About a month later, the Children’s Aid Society lawyer comes to check on the children. Oops. Merry and Polly must each find a groom within a week or lose her children.

Excerpt from my story, A FAMILY FOR MERRY:

Outside the mercantile, they met Mr. Blake Woolfe. “This looks like a fun outing.”

Abigail tugged at his hand. “Know what? We got new clothes and I got a dolly. It’s nicer than the one I had at the orph’nage. Tammie got a bear because they didn’t have a lamb. I got new shoes, two pair so I can save one for church. Do you go to church too?”

He smiled as if he’d understood her rambling. “Yes, I’ll be going to church. Where are you headed now?”

“We’re going to get a treat from someplace called the con… con…” she looked at Merry for help.

“Bea’s Confectionary a couple of doors down.”

Abigail tugged on his hand again. “Why don’t you come with us? Do you like treats?”

He looked poleaxed but recovered. “I think I will. I’m making the rounds to introduce myself to business owners and I haven’t met Bea yet.”

Merry couldn’t have been more surprised. “You need not feel obligated because Abigail invited you. We understand you’re a busy man.”

He sent her an inscrutable glance. “I always have time for a treat.”

Mulberries on the tree

I hope you’ll snap up UNDER A MULBERRY MOON while it’s available at the bargain price. Of course I’m biased, but I believe you’ll enjoy reading this anthology. If you do, please leave a review on Amazon.

New Release ★ Free Content ★ Upcoming Release

Celebrate with me! THE RANCHER’S PERFECT BRIDE is up for pre-order and will release on Monday, June 25, from Amazon. This is book 7 of the Loving a Rancher Series, a sweet western historical romance. In this story, Zenobia Stanton wants to be the perfect mail-order bride for Callum McFadden—if only she knew how to cook and clean! She’s a fast learner, but has what I hope you’ll find are interesting encounters along the way. The purchase link is http://a.co/5ORxMym.

The previous titles in this series were part of Debra Holland’s Montana Sky Series for Kindle World. Because Amazon is dropping the Kindle World program, the rights to these books (with Debra’s permission) return to me on July 16. I will be republishing them as soon as possible after that date. Of course, the names of Debra’s characters have been changed because they belong to her. Now I'll be able to offer the books in print as well as e-books.

THE RANCHER'S PERFECT BRIDE Excerpt: (Zenobia is alone at the ranch on the fifth day of her marriage. The day before, Callum gave her shooting lessons.)

She saw the stocky man’s muscles bunch and recognized he was going to jump up and lunge at her.

“Mister, you try to stand up and I’ll shoot you.”

He raised his head and sent her a lethal glare. “I’ll bet you don’t even know how to shoot. You look like that there gun is getting too heavy for you.”

“If it does, I have a revolver in my apron pocket. Would you prefer I shoot you with a revolver?”

The skinny man’s voice was an unpleasant whine, “Don’t shoot us at all. You let us ride away and we won’t bother you none.”

“As if I’d believe that. Thieves like you two aren’t going to change your ways.” Where was Callum? He should have come by now.

She took a step back and fired three more into the air. When she did, the stocky man leaped to his feet. Her fourth shot was at his feet.

He kept coming at her so she shot at him, this time plugging his shoulder. His eyes widened in surprise and he stopped momentarily.

“I’ll teach you to fire at me.” He called her horrid names.

The man recovered his momentum and rushed at her. She shot him again, this time hitting his knee. He dropped to the ground cursing and repeating what he would like to do to her.

His talk caused her knees to shake but she couldn’t let him know. She scowled and pretended to regard him as expendable. “If you’re of a mind to continue, I still have ammunition. When I said ‘on the ground’, that’s what I meant.”

He continued calling her names and cursing. “You shattered my knee. I’ll have the devil of a time walking after this.”

“I didn’t ask you to come at me and I have no sympathy for you.”

The sound of hoofbeats reassured her. Callum and his hands rode into the yard at a gallop. When he stopped, he was off his horse and running toward her.

The three ranch hands converged on the two thieves.

Callum grabbed her shoulders and searched her face. “Are you all right? What’s happened here?”

She set the rifle on the porch and clung to his arms. “I’m okay but have never been so grateful to see anyone. These two men didn’t know I was here. They waited until you and your men were gone then rode in to steal hens and meat. They’re living in your old soddie.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Zenobia, I’m sorry you had to confront them, but you held your own.”

She rested her head against his strong chest. His accelerated heartbeat reflected his anxiety. “I thought I would have to kill that stocky man. He was determined to reach me. The leering way he looked at me scared me witless.”

She leaned close and spoke quietly, “Callum… um, I have to tell you the truth. The first time I fired at him, I intended to hit his boots and got his shoulder. The second time, I aimed at his other shoulder and hit his knee. Frankly, I’m surprised I didn’t miss entirely.”

He hugged her to him again. “Don’t tell anyone. You’ll have a reputation now as a woman who can defend herself. Let’s keep it our secret that you aren’t as good a shot as you’d like.”

“I don’t want to be tested again by the likes of those two but I think I should practice more. If I’d missed him he would have overpowered me.”

FREE SAMPLE BOOK 

We always like something FREE, right? A sample of an anthology I’m in is now available from most vendors at http://a.co/f0JZ1Rj. MEDLEYS AND MUSINGS includes blurbs, excerpts, recipes, historical tidbits, and bios from the nine authors in the upcoming UNDER A MULBERRY MOON western historical anthology being released July 19. I’ve loved what I’ve read of these stories so far and have found they offer a nice variety.

UPCOMING RELEASE NOW ON PRE-ORDER

You can pre-order UNDER A MULBERRY MOON now at http://a.co/dSvcFdc and it will magically appear on your e-reader on release day. Don't you love technology? (When it works, that is.) Authors included in the anthology are Zina Abbott, Patricia Carroll, Caroline Clemmons, Carra Copelin, Keta Diablo, P. A. Estelle, Cissie Patterson, Charlene Raddon, and Jacquie Rogers. Snap it up now at only 99 cents. 

Thank you to all those who have purchased my books! I love writing but can only continue as long as I have readers. Thank you also to those who have left reviews. Reviews are helpful to authors as well as prospective readers.