Bounty Hunters Were Tough by Caroline Clemmons

 

One of the interesting things about writing a book is the research required for background information. For instance, in SHAD I learned that bounty hunters occasionally didn’t get the reward they deserved. Can you imagine risking your life to capture a dangerous criminal only to learn when you brought him to justice that there were no funds to honor the bounty? I’d be mighty upset, wouldn’t you?


Another thing I learned about bounty hunters is that many considered them little better than the criminals they captured. To get close to their intended prey, they would have to blend in with the people who befriended the criminal. In some cases, that might mean looking pretty scruffy. Easy to be misjudged in that case, right?


Although they performed a service to society, they were not lawmen and had no credentials to protect them should a conflict occur. That’s one reason Shad carried the wanted poster with him. If he came up against a “his word against mine,” he had proof he was after the bad guy.


Bounty hunters spent a great deal of time alone or among strangers. Some men spent their entire working years chasing after the next wanted man. If they were clever, that might give them a normal lifespan. One mistake could mean death. Frankly, as much as I love reading and writing about bounty hunters in the Old West, an accountant or storekeeper seems a better career choice.

 Shad:  Book 7 Guns For Hire

by Caroline Clemmons

Shad is being relaunched August 15th.  If you remember, computer problems caused the file to be full of mistakes and typos.  I was so distraught over my Hero's death that I did not notice them until after the book was released.  I am soooo embarrassed, but I got a new computer that has actually saved my edits.  I am not putting this book up for pre-order, but it will be available from Amazon and will be in Kindle Unlimited.  The other books from the Guns for Hire series are out now.

Sweetheart Wedding by Mindy Hardwick

 

 

In the heart of a small town, love finds its home. 

Sweetheart Wedding

Cranberry Bay Book 5

by Mindy Hardwick

Genre: Contemporary Small Town Romance

Determined to start her life over after a failed engagement, Gracie has built her boutique inn into a successful Cranberry Bay business.

Meanwhile, youngest Shuster brother, Adam, loves helping his friends and family while working as a park ranger.

Devastated after a tragic accident, Adam guards his heart and is happy to have Gracie’s friendship. Both swear off love. But when Adam and Gracie are tossed together to help plan a Cranberry Bay wedding, they find their resolve not to fall in love crumbling.

And when Adam loses his Oregon State Parks job and takes a new job in Montana, both will have to decide whether to make the commitment to love each other and leave Cranberry Bay behind for a new life.

 

**New Release!**

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Find them on Amazon or B&N!

Mindy Hardwick holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. Her published contemporary small-town heartwarming romance includes her Cranberry Bay Series: Sweetheart Cottage, Sweetheart Summer, Sweetheart Christmas and Sweetheart Santa. She has also published a young adult romance, Weaving Magic and a young adult novella, Erin’s Choice. Mindy’s middle grade books include: The World is a Sniff, Stained Glass Summer, Some Stories Are Not Seen, and Seymour’s Secret. Mindy facilitated a poetry workshop for teens at Denney Juvenile Justice Center and wrote about the experience in her memoir, Kids in Orange: Voices from Juvenile Detention. Mindy can often be found walking on the north Oregon Coast beaches.

 

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What Is Your Guilty Reading Pleasure? by Stephanie Suesan Smith

 I am reading a werewolf romance novel right now.  Normally, I read nonfiction like history, true stories that are not true crime, science books, and romantic suspense.  I blame Laura Hunsaker, who writes on Smart Girls Read Romance on the 26th of each month.  This time she asked the important question,

" If you're allergic to dogs, would you be allergic to werewolves?"

Jewel, my miniature Poodle, on my messy bed.

As someone who is too allergic to dogs and cats to be the veterinarian I wanted to be, the question intrigued me. When I get a new dog, I sniffle and sneeze for two or three months before I get used to the dog. After that, I have no problem as long as I keep the dog clean. Good thing, too, because my dogs sleep on my bed, lie on my furniture, and basically expand to fill any available space.

When I explained that, the authors on Smart Girls had a spirited discussion about whether a person would be allergic to werewolves in their wolf form and whether that would carry over to when the werewolf was in human form. It was a lot of fun. I realized that I had not read any werewolf romances and didn't know much about them. In the spirit of research, I read a couple of the werewolf romances in Kindle Unlimited. Unexpectedly, I found I liked them to read when I wanted something to distract me, but couldn't read something I had to think about. Sort of a book to curl up with on a down day and be distracted for an hour or two.
Laura writes paranormal romance with a pal under the name Kenzie Maclir. You will have to read her books to see if the poor allergic woman is too allergic to the werewolf to be his mate.

So, what books do you read that are a guilty pleasure?

Luke: Guns for Hire Book 10 by Winnie Griggs

Luke:  Guns for Hire Book 10

By Winnie Griggs

Amazon Buy Link

The latest Guns for Hire book, Luke, is now out.  Here are the details:

Book Blurb:

He left without saying goodbye. Now he’s back—injured, weary, and in her care.
In the small northeast Texas town of Tucker’s Gap, Hattie Brooks has fought to overcome the quiet prejudices that shadow her birth and her chosen work. As her uncle’s medical assistant, she’s found her calling—and is slowly earning a place in a community that doesn’t easily forget. But when Luke Dawson—the boy who once rode away without a word—returns after a near-fatal accident, Hattie’s hard-won peace is put to the test.
Luke never planned to return to Tucker's Gap. As a Texas Ranger, he’s built a life defined by duty, danger, and distance from the past. But when an ambush leaves him badly injured, the only road to recovery leads back to the town he once left behind—and to Hattie, the girl he hurt without meaning to, now grown into a capable woman he can't ignore.
Luke's plan is to heal and leave as quickly as he came. But the more time he spends in Tucker’s Gap—watching Hattie work, reconnecting with old ties, and facing the ghosts he never quite laid to rest—the harder it becomes to walk away. Especially when he begins to wonder if the life he’s built is really the one he wants… and if the woman he left behind might just be the home he’s been searching for all along.

Author Bio:

Winnie Griggs grew up in south Louisiana in an undeveloped area her schoolmates considered the very back of beyond. With her two younger siblings and another family of three siblings for playmates, she spent many an hour exploring the overgrown land around her home, cutting jungle trails, building forts and frontier camps, and looking for pirate ships on the nearby bayou. 

Once she 'grew up' she found other outlets for dealing with all those wonderful, adventurous, imaginary friends by filling notebooks with their stories. And somewhere along the way, those scribblings gave way to full length books.

Eventually she found her own Prince Charming, a rancher whose white steed takes the form of a tractor and whose kingdom is situated in a small rural community that she loves to call home, and together they've built their own storybook happily-ever-after. Their lives together expanded to include four now grown children who share Winnie's vivid imagination and her husband's steadier influences and are now out in the world pursuing their own adventures.

You can learn more about Winnie and her books, past and future, at www.winniegriggs.com

Check out all the Guns for Hire books on Amazon.

 

Dreams of the Future by Laura Hunsaker

Dreams of the Future

by Laura Hunsaker

Buy Link

Book Blurb: 

Kate Landry is soon to be Kate Donovan, if only the groom would show up… 

 

Maid of honor Cara Nguyen wants everything to go smoothly for her best friend's wedding, yet almost immediately, the wedding turns into a fiasco. Kate and Kyle deserve to have the wedding of their dreams, and Cara wants to make it happen. How can she pull off the wedding of their dreams when the flowers are delivered to the wrong location, the groom is missing, and the lovely sunny day has become a sweltering hot mess? There’s a lot to do, and so little time to do it. She definitely doesn’t have time to get distracted by a sexy groomsman in a kilt. 

Kyle Donovan is ready to marry the love of his life, but first he has to get back to the church… 

Dash Helms is in the small town of Chester, California for his friend Kyle’s wedding. This should be a happy event, yet it seems everything is going haywire. A caravan of wedding guests breaks down on their way to the venue, one of the groomsmen misses his flight, and the wedding has to be moved inside. Yet the beautiful maid of honor is the only thing he can concentrate on. When Dash is asked to step in at the last minute as a replacement groomsman, of course he says yes. While the striking brunette walking down the aisle ahead of him wants nothing to do with him, even she can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. 

 With everything seeming to go wrong, what can go right? 

In this wedding short story written for Kate and Kyle from Dark Past, the cast of the Fatal Instincts series comes together to celebrate their friends. With everyone in the same place at once, and romance in the air, can this small town handle them? 

Excerpt:

 Chapter 1 

The weather was gorgeous. A light fog wrapped around the gazebo, snaking its fingers in between the leaves and flowers that were woven into the slats decorating it. One last cool foggy touch before the morning sun burned it off.  

The warm, buttery yellow sunlight hitting the tall trees of the Sierra Nevada was the most beautiful backdrop she could think of for the day she married her love. Although she could marry him inside an old shed, and she wouldn’t care. She just wanted to start her new life.  

And after the year she had had? She deserved something nice. They all did. She wanted the day to go smoothly, not so much for herself, but for her fiancé Kyle. He had risked his life for her; he knew all her secrets and every skeleton in her closet, and miracle of miracles, he loved her. She wanted today to be perfect.  

She glanced up at the picturesque view once more. She would never tire of the beauty here. The fires had torn through the California mountains a couple of seasons ago, but the new growth was coming in, and this area still had a lot of tall trees standing. It was beyond beautiful. They had survived. So, too, would she. Kate closed her eyes, and she tipped her face to the sun. And she would thrive.  

One more deep breath in, one more glance at the majestic scene, one more day as Kate Landry. From the looks of it, today would be perfect.  

Kate smiled to herself before turning back inside, her white satin robe whispering against her legs as she walked. She trusted that her family and friends had a handle on things. She could breathe, if not relax. She wasn’t feeling the stress she associated with weddings at all. Maybe because it was her own wedding? She shrugged to herself as she walked to the bridal suite to meet her bridesmaids. With a deep breath, she released the shadows of her past, and looked steadfastly to her future. Today was going to be fine.  

*** 

 

Nothing was fine. 

The flowers had been delivered to the wrong location. How on earth had the flowers been delivered to the wrong place? The town had 2,000 people on a good day, so how had they been delivered to the wrong location? 

Cara Nguyen was sweating in her bridesmaid gown as she contemplated the flower situation. She and the other bridesmaids had walked over from the hotel across the street, and didn’t have a rental car to go get the flowers. Topping it off, the lovely morning had become a miserable, sweltering day. The humidity was ridiculous, and she was worried the flowers would wilt if they weren’t brought into the air conditioning. Could the air conditioning even keep up with the outside heat? She didn’t know, but she prayed it could. 

The maid of honor was supposed to have a stressful job, she knew that, but this? This was beyond stress. 

One of the bridesmaids, Jenny, popped her head in. “The flowers are here. I called the company and when they refused to re-deliver them, even though it was their mistake, Scott rallied the guys and they brought the flowers over. Our bouquets are in the fridge in the reception hall.” 

Thank goodness. Cara wanted to sink into a chair and let her nerves settle. She really wanted this day to be perfect for Kate. She deserved it. But a maid of honor’s duty was never done. She ran her hands down her dove gray, strapless, tea-length gown, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from the silk. She took a deep breath, held it, counted to ten, and released it. There, all calm.  

“Great. Jenny, will you stay with Kate and make sure she doesn’t sneak off to see Kyle?” 

“Hey. It was just for a moment.” Kate didn’t even sound repentant.  

“You know the rule. The groom can’t see the bride before the wedding.”  

“I know, trust me. You guys made me stay at a hotel instead of, you know”—she narrowed her eyes— “my own bed.” 

“Uh, it was Girl’s Night! Plus, we totally pampered you.” Cara thought last night had been perfect. 

“Besides,” piped in Jenny, “You get to spend the rest of your life with Kyle. One night away isn’t the end of the world. It’s just the last night as Kate Landry, and after today, you will be Kate Donovan.” 

 

Author Bio:

Laura Hunsaker is an award-winning writer who writes romance set in the Scottish Highlands, but with a twist. Somewhere in between Historical and Paranormal, she writes Scottish Time Travel Romance and Paranormal Romance. She's hard at work right now, writing about protective men paired with strong women who knock them off their feet. 

Her Romantic Suspense series has really taken off, and readers everywhere are asking for more! 

She is a hybrid author being both traditionally published and self-published, as well as a member of Romance Writers of America® Cactus Rose Chapter and the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. 

She earned degrees in English and German, with a specialty in British Literature, and taught for a few years. As of now, Laura has a full-time day job which leaves nights for traveling through the mists of Scotland and beyond. 

Her latest adventure has been writing hockey romance as Kenzie MacLir with contemporary romance author Heather Lire. Their debut story is in the Icing the Puck anthology available now, and look for a new book to release this hockey season! 

 

 

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.

  

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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.

  

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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!

 

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New Web Site by Caroline Clemmons

https://carolineclemmons.com/

In June, I redid my website.  I added a list of all my books with buy links.  If I wrote the book, it is on my website along with the buy links.  Since I sometimes get questions about the best order to read my series, I made a page just for that.  You can also sign up for my newsletter.  When you do, I will give you Happy is the Bride, a short novella, for free.   I usually have a contest on the first of the month.  On the 15th of the month, I publish the winner of the contest.  

I have a blog about my books on the new website.  Follow me for exclusive excerpts from my books, interviews with the characters in them, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of my writing.  There will be some surprises, too.  I publish new articles each week on Monday.

I love hearing from my readers, so there is a contact form on my webpage for you to ask questions about my books and get answers. 

I also have a Facebook group called Caroline's Cuties.  We have fun discussions and activities where you may win something, so join me there.

I am so grateful to you for reading my books.  I hope you will stay connected.

 

Matthew: A Los Angeles Quakes Hockey Series Book by Alisa Jean

 

 

Matt is grumpy, Phoebe is sunshine. AND the sister of his teammate - 

are they a match made in heaven or hell? 

Matthew

A Los Angeles Quakes Hockey Series

by Alisa Jean

Genre: Sports Hockey Romance 

Matthew Holt uses his anger on the ice, gaining him the title of enforcer for L.A. Quakes and high minutes in the sin bin. But hooking up with a teammate’s little sister may earn him the highest penalty of all.

Ever since pee wee hockey, I’ve only known one way to play the sport I love – one hundred percent all in. My focus has always been protecting my teammates, so when the only team I’ve ever played for betrays me, trading me to a team thousands of miles from the family that needs me, who can blame me for taking angry and bitter to a whole new level.

Then Phoebe Anderson, the younger sister of my new teammate, literally falls into my arms and suddenly my life takes another, weird turn. Because believe it or not, my late sister voices her approval of the adorable klutz and refuses to be denied. Or am I going nuts? Either way, will our siblings prove to be too big of an obstacle to overcome? Or am I ready to let go of my anger and do whatever it takes to earn Phoebe’s love?

Matthew:
Hockey Romance
Sunshine-Grumpy
Teammate's Little Sister
Sneaking Around
Haunted Hero
Sin Bin Leader
One Night Stand into Fling

⁠

 Early readers are giving it rave reviews!⁠⁠

⁠"There is tension and chemistry that jumps off the pages, not just between potential love interests, but the team as a whole. This story is a definite attention grabber, so much I couldn't put it down. It has a gripping and incredible storyline, making you want to read it again. If I could, I'd give it 5 plus stars. "⁠

⁠

"Loved this book great read."⁠

⁠

"I enjoyed how there is more to him that no one knew. He definitely was an enforcer on the ice but deep down he was a big softy. And Phoebe is a girl who can’t stay on her feet literally...Definitely worth the wait. Can’t wait to read book 4."⁠

⁠

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**Don’t miss the other books in the series!**

Luka

A Los Angeles Quakes Hockey Series Book 2

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Lincoln

A Los Angeles Quakes Hockey Series Book 1

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Alisa Jean is the pseudonym for award-winning authors Marla A. White and C J Bahr. They first teamed up over thirty years ago over a bottle of Zima (don’t ask) while polishing their gear for a horse show. They’ve since moved on to better beverages and writing novels. Separately, Marla prefers to murder characters in the usual way, while C J uses paranormal means. The long-time best friends joined together as a writing team through their mutual love of hockey. Wonder twin powers activated! Their hockey romances examine flawed characters with heart, humor, and sexy sizzle.

 

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Some Call Me Eve by T. Pike

 

 

Enemies bound by desire. 

Allies torn by fate.

Some Call Me Eve

by T. Pike

Genre: Historical Romance

Princess Evangeline has an insatiate lust for power. As her kingdom’s most feared warrior and heiress to the throne, she plans to one day rule in her father’s place, just as she rules over countless men during secret nights of sin.

But when the castle falls to a new enemy, Evangeline becomes a slave in her own kingdom, forced to obey the heartless queen’s commands to honor her father’s dying wish: to protect her people.

The princess craves vengeance, but can she resist the carnal magnetism between her and Prince Rune, the queen’s son and royal pawn? And as rebellion brews, can she trust Rune, the man with the power to quench her torrid flames, to be her greatest ally?

 

**Releasing TODAY!!**

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As if summoned from the depths of the earth, my final challenger stepped forward. He towered over me like the great castle walls, his shadow engulfing me in darkness. I watched his sword intently as it swayed like a feather between his fingers.

He struck without warning. I was sent stumbling backward after a weak parry, underestimating the power of his swing. But speed was my greatest strength, and I recovered my balance almost instantly. The sheer force of his assaults far overpowered my own, restricting me to the defensive. Each slash of his blade flew by my head at frightful speeds, backed by a guttural grunt. I inched my way backward as each slice brought him a step closer. Without hesitation, my instincts took over, leading me into my signature move.

Gradually lowering myself to the ground, I bent into a squatted shuffle. My competitor’s attacks persisted, unrelenting. He leaned downward to better reach my chest. At just the right moment, when he carried his weight on the ends of his toes, I leapt over his low arcing swing, twisted through the air over his outstretched arm, and landed smoothly behind his hunched frame. Before he could regain his stance and turn to face me once more, I delivered a lethal blow to the back of his knees.

My rival released a monstrous howl as he fell forward, dropping into a kneel. The heavy pound of his knees shook the ground, a quake that silenced the entire training field. All watched in awe as their star fighter lay helpless by my feet.

I looked expectantly at my commander, my racing heart beating in my ears. It was clear by his crossed arms and knitted brow that he was disappointed in his disgraceful brigade, but from the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, I knew he was pleased with my performance. “Finish the job,” he said in a low voice.

I turned back to face my statuesque adversary. No longer was he the invincible beast he was just minutes before. Down on his knees, he became a shell of his former self, humbled and abashed by defeat. Through his face guard, I could just make out his pleading eyes, ashamed before his peers, begging me for mercy.

With that look, a flood of heat filled my core. A yearning. A hunger. A lustful rage.

I chuckled coldly. How pathetic.

With a skillful twist of my blade, I struck the base of his neck with the flat of my sword, simulating a dramatic beheading and sending his helmet soaring through the air. It bounced through the dirt theatrically, spinning on its edge with a clatter before finding its final place of rest before the feet of the crowd, its hollow interior facing the huddle of defeated men.

A slow clap broke through the deafening silence, echoing across the training field. I lifted my gaze to see none other than King Ricard, ruler of Vitalia. He was adorned in a violet tunic lined with golden thread, a puffed silver surcoat that augmented his considerable physique, and a long, draping cloak exhibiting an intricate design of the royal crest. His threatening stature was only deepened by his austere visage—a thick nose framing a set of demanding brown eyes; a bushy, graying beard matching the shade of his thick, protruding brows; and his lips, normally forming a thin, sober line, now curved in a sly side smile.

The cluster of knights immediately fell to their knees, dropping their heads in a respectful bow. Even the commander knelt upon the dusty ground before his crowned ruler.

But I did not kneel. Instead, I stood boldly, facing my king with my head held high. The monarch stilled his hands. All waited expectantly for him to break the silence once more, this time with his booming voice.

“Well done, Princess Evangeline.”

At his declaration, I sheathed my sword and doffed my helmet to reveal my face. I released the pin from my hair and let it flow down my back in long copper waves, shining like the silver armor it lay upon. My crimson lips wore their own smug grin, perfectly matching that of the king.

“Thank you, Father.”

 

T. Pike grew up in Northwest Arkansas where she swam competitively for more than 17 years. After graduating from Texas A&M University with an English degree and All-American honors, she returned home to pursue her master's in English and write her debut novel: Some Call Me Eve. Now a law student, she enjoys running and hiking with her dogs and exploring the mountains with her partner.

 

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San Antonio and the Rose Window by Stephanie Suesan Smith

 

Rose Window

San Antonio, Texas

For a large number of years, my parents, my sister, and I went to Padre Island, Texas for three days, then to San Antonio, Texas for four days.  We could only stand the beach for a few days before we got sunburned and sick.  When we went to San Antonio, it usually rained.  Sometimes buckets of rain.  

No matter, we always had to go on the Mission trail.  This is a collection of five Spanish missions built by the priests who accompanied Spanish soldiers to occupy the land and enslave the indigenous people.  The Spanish did their level best to exterminate the local population, or at least make them Catholic.  They forced them to build the missions and an aqueduct that still carries water today.

I personally didn't like going to the missions. I saw them once and wasn't impressed, but Mom liked to look at them. My sister and I have a series of photographs standing beside the rose window for several years running.

After the Mission trail, we would go to the Riverwalk and eat Mexican food.  That was the part of San Antonio I liked.  We would also walk through the open-air market.  Things were too expensive to buy, but looking didn't cost anything.  Of course, we ate Mexican food practically every meal while we were in San Antonio.

One year, my Dad got stung on the heel of his foot by a wasp.  He limped around for a day before Mom made him go to an urgent care place.  He was given antibiotics and a tetanus shot because, as the doctor said, you never knew where the wasp had been.

An Agent for Magdala

by Caroline Clemmons

Buy Link

Magdala, on the other hand, got to stay in the best hotel in San Antonio and try to catch a jewel thief who didn't want to be caught.  She also went to the market. 

Here is the blurb:

She craves adventure, but this may be too much…His job means the world to him…Capturing jewel thieves will test them…

Magdala leaps at the opportunity to become a Pinkerton agent. Learning the position requires a paper marriage shocks but doesn’t deter her. Maggie plans to get an annulment before her unusual family learns of the situation. She’s determined to prove she has the grit to be an excellent investigator. But, why does she have to be partnered with the one man who has been rude to her?

Douglas “Cloud” Ryan loves being a Pinkerton agent. Otherwise, he’d never go along with his boss’ crazy plan to marry him to a female agent. He’s certain women have no business dealing with criminals. After barely surviving the stagecoach trip from Denver to San Antonio Maggie needs to stay in the background and let him solve the case. He has reasons to distrust women, especially women like Maggie.

Can Maggie and Cloud catch the jewel thieves plaguing an historic San Antonio hotel without becoming victims? Will they take a chance on the love growing between them?