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Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Burn Card Blitz

 


A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours Book 3

Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Action Romance

Release Date: August 31, 2021



She plays her cards close to the vest. He hides from himself. Will a few drinks and a quick Vegas wedding change everything?

Teacher Caroline Peters has never fit in as one of the girls yet finds herself at a co-worker’s bachelorette party in Vegas. This girls gone wild weekend gets her up close and personal with her friendly neighborhood firefighter. This man is the fantasy she’s kept at arm’s length because there’s more to her than meets the eye.

Captain James Haskell has been burned by love, and he’d much rather focus on the firefighter convention than the temptations of Las Vegas. All bets are off when he runs into his next-door neighbor. After a wild night between the sheets, he bets big with her at an all-night chapel.

Will this newfound love be enough for two people to finally hit the jackpot in love? Or will their hidden and secret pain leave them broken beyond repair?

***

Sip a fizzy cocktail for the third book in the Metro Gen After Hours series. This 'Married in Vegas' romance will spin you from hope to heartbreak with a tear-jerking HEA ending that proves love can conquer any scar. Buy Burn Card now!

Don't forget to check out the other half of the Vegas romance in Roulette, MetroGen After Hours #4 available September 2021!



All Books in the MetroGen After Hours series:

Wildcat: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours Book 1

She's not looking for Mr. Forever - just Mr. Right Now. He's aiming for the city's first football championship in forty years. Neither were betting on love.


Embers: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 2

When her firefighter brother disappears, Abby is determined to find him. Will she find love too on her journey to the ashes in NYC?


Burn Card: A Strong Woman Firefighter Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 3

She plays her cards close to the vest. He hides from himself. Will a few drinks and a quick Vegas wedding change everything?


Roulette: A Strong Woman Medical Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 4

Coming September 30, 2021

She’s only spoken to him online. He’s used to making crazy plays. Will they bet on passion’s winning numbers?


Unchecked: A Strong Woman Medical Romance

MetroGen After Hours, Book 5

Coming November 30, 2021

Sometimes girls just wanna have fun, so dating three guys isn’t bad . . . unless someone gets their heart broken.

Amazon



About the Author

The author is a full-time triple board-certified physician who started writing dramatic medical romances after 20 years in the trenches of health care. She promises she never had sex in a call room - the mattresses are not comfortable - or had a fistfight with a patient - though she did work as a fight doc at the Octagon.

She writes the MetroGeneral Downtown series that tackles the personal and professional challenges facing our front-line providers. Her stories have the drama of Grey's Anatomy, the comedy of Scrubs, the sexiness of Outlander, and the medical details of Forensic Files. They feature fast, witty dialogue, strong women with goals, sexy heroes and quirky ensemble casts.

When not working or writing, she is a brown belt in judo, an avid reader, and an attending surgeon in stuffed animal veterinary medicine for her six kids. (No one trusts her husband's medical skills because he's just a lawyer.) You can follow her at carinaalyce.com


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RABT Book Tours & PR

Forgive Me Tour and Giveaway

 

Forgive Me

by Kateri Stanley

Genre: SciFi, Horror, Thriller


A secret video tape. A painful truth. A quest for revenge.

Investigative journalist, Susan ‘Stripe’ McLachlan, is constantly hounded by eager documentarians for interview requests about the Night Scrawler murders. One of the victims of the mysterious serial killer was a member of her own family, her father.

At the peak of her career, her services are sought by Isaac Payne who commissions her to write an article for his website. Usually, her projects delve into more uncomfortable, questionable topics, but there’s a deep, almost hauntingly familiar pull about her new client that intrigues her.

As she learns more about Isaac, Stripe digs up fresh secrets about the murders, arousing her suspicions. After an awkward confrontation, she wakes up in Isaac’s bed — with a chain around her ankle.

Isaac shows her harrowing footage on an old VHS tape. The contents hits close to home…closer than Stripe ever imagined. Now, she has to wrestle with her own moral compass and unpick the truth from the web of lies that turn into a crescendo where memories created from misery and suffering cannot be silenced.

Will Isaac ever lay the past to rest? And how will Stripe cope with the revelations that challenge everything she has ever known?


Goodreads * Amazon


  1. Chapter One


  1. Summer 2017


I see the click and switch when you turn off the television. I hear your heartbeat when you climb up the stairs. I can feel your soft bare feet on the carpet as you walk into your bedroom.

The night is peculiarly tranquil when I come to visit you. I try to keep my tread light as I step across the arms of the branches. The closer you are to me, the more I want to see you. I should know better. I shouldn’t be here, but I guess I’m just like any hot-blooded man. I’m weak. I’m drawn to you. I can’t stay away.

I hold on to the branches, easing my way across so I can see you. I smell the perfume you wore today, the wine you drank lingers on your lips. My heart pounds in my chest. One single snag and I’m done for. You’d know I was here, creeping around, spying on you.

I wouldn’t visit during the day because you of all people should know that I was made to be hidden, to pounce when the moment is right. I’m not here tonight to track and trace. Remember, I wouldn’t ever... ever harm you.

You waft out from the darkness, staring from your bedroom window. You tap your finger against your chest, you’re worried about something and I know why.

The authorities are hunting for me.

I know you've been tracking my every move. You’ve been searching and reading and ringing people. You’ve kept a keen eye on the news. The stories are rife. I know what they call me. But they don’t know the true tale or what my makers did.

I know about the urban legend. Some say I’m as tall as a tree, others say I wear a gas mask when I mutilate my victims. Some of the details make me laugh and frankly, some of them make me sad.

If I were to rewind the clock and undo the past, then I wouldn't have met you. You wouldn't know what you know and we wouldn’t have...

I tremble as I think about it. That kiss…

Your words, your skin...

Do you remember it? Do you ever think about it?

Hang on, forget what I said. Look, I took something precious from you many years ago. I stole it, ripped it from your heart. If things were different, I’d be inside this house, beside you, loving you - but you probably hate me. I don’t blame you at all if you do - and if you don’t, you should. I wish I could leave this alone, but I have something to do and I can’t ignore it, not this time. Neglecting the wounds will just make the infection worse.

Something screams from inside the house and you move from the window, disappearing into the darkness. Worry bubbles up from my core. I hope it’s not anything insidious or I’ll slash it to shreds.

Minutes trickle by and you haven’t returned. Where have you gone?

Scream or make a gesture and I’ll help you. If something bad is there, tell me and I’ll get rid of it. Where are you?

My heart slows when I feel your presence. Your heartbeat echoes in my ears. You’re calm, but there’s another beat. You emerge from the darkness again and I can’t breathe as I see it.



Perched against your chest, nuzzled by your shoulder. You cradle it so dearly. I want to cry at the sight of it.

No...

No, don’t.

Pull yourself together.

But there it is, there she is… The little life clings to your robe.

She has a crown of dark hair and ice blue eyes. I wish she didn't have those features. I’ve never been so... scared of anything before. I can imagine you laughing right now. When it comes to something like me – I’m what people are frightened of. I’m the entity teenagers tell, at sleepovers, to scare their friends. I’m the one bereaved family members try to summon with their Ouija boards.

Her cry is sickly. She has a fever. She’s been having nightmares, I can tell. I hope she doesn't dream about me. That’s the last thing I want.

You sway slightly, moving from left to right. You hum under your breath, a melody I remember from years ago when you first found me. You cup her tiny head in your palm, breathing tentatively as you sing. You’re a wonderful mother.

You cradle your daughter. Our daughter.

Her little cry begins to simmer. She’s falling asleep again, she feels safe. She’s in the best place.

You rock her and stare out of the window.

I’m here, but you can't see me. I wonder how you’d react if you knew I was here. Would you be repulsed?

I want to be able to knock on your door like any civilian and have the courage to do it. But we don’t live in that world. If it existed, it wouldn't be full of monsters like me or others we have come across together. You know what I’m talking about.

If she ever asks who her father is, or where he might be, make something up. Say I was a soldier who died serving his country, or I passed away from some natural disaster. Please, don’t tell her what I am or what I’ve done. I don’t want our child growing up hating me, and I don’t want her childhood wrecked like mine was.

She may grow curious in the future. If she ever starts to ask questions, you’ve got to promise you will stop her. Don’t let her investigate.

I can tell you know new things because your face shivers with concern. You must understand, not everything written about me is true. Some of the details in the news must make you sick, but I’m not responsible for its entirety.

As our baby girl falls asleep on your shoulder, a flame of a smile dances across your lips. You look out to the trees where I’m hiding and for a flash, your gaze locks with mine. You know I’m here, don’t you?

You stare at me for just a second, then your eyes dart down to our child. The innocent beauty is consumed by her dreams. She won’t be having anymore nightmares, not for tonight anyway. I’m just sorry for you and our little one.

Your eyelids start to hover. You must go to sleep. I’ll be back, sometime. I’m not going anywhere. I wouldn’t leave you but... if things do come to desperate measures, I just hope I won’t need your help. You’re the only one who understands what happened to me.



You still stand there, watching, on guard. The way you’re stationed reminds me of a time when things were different, when you stood before me, your expression wild and curious, when the innocent girl revealed she wasn’t scared of a monster. When she...

No, I won’t go there. That time is long gone now. Those moments are in the stars, unreachable and distant.

I remember waking up and finding you gone, your scent all over me like droplets of morning dew. Now I know why you ran, but I don’t understand why you’d keep digging for answers.

You move to the side of the window and pull the blind. All I can see is your silhouette.

I feel your footsteps as you put our daughter to sleep. I hear the switch of the baby monitor and her little whimper. I sense the sweep of your gown falling against your legs when you wrap your limbs into the bed covers. I close my eyes for a second, I wish your arms were around me.

My hunger and desire grow like the sun in the dawn. I can taste your skin all over again, hearing you gasp and pant against my neck. But I can’t stay in the past anymore. I’d willingly drown in that memory if I could.

I feel you falling into your dreams. You do it so easily.

I wait for a while until I’m certain you’re both at peace. I climb down quietly from the trees and focus on the house. Please, stay out of this from now on. I know how your mind works. Once you grab a theory hot in your blood, you will hunt and seek it out until you get answers. Maybe, the news will churn out viler content and you will stay away, for good.

I walk across the front garden, fleeing from the house. I say a prayer for you and our child. I love the both of you so much.

Forget about me, please. But, now and then, maybe when you’re alone. Remember me.


Kateri Stanley graduated from The Open University with a degree in Arts and Humanities and worked for the National Health Service for 8 years. When she's not writing stories, you can find her binge-watching films, creating playlists for her projects and dabbling in the occasional video game. She currently resides in the West Midlands, United Kingdom with her partner. They are hoping to be cat parents soon.


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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon 



Coven of Angels Release Blitz

 


LGBTQ Fiction, Gay Romance,

Release Date: August 31, 2021



Jeffery Carlos Blake grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, under the watchful eyes of his Hispanic, Catholic mother. Any memories of his blond-haired, blue-eyed military father are few and far between. Now that he was away from home, pursuing his dreams of medical school, it had become Jeff's life goal to locate his estranged parent, retired Master Sargent Richard Blake.

Jeff's journey takes him to rural South Dakota, to volunteer at the hospice wing of a local Veteran's hospital. Their first encounter brings about more questions than answers; issues of fate, destiny, and love beyond lifetimes.

What will Jeff do with these new revelations? And how can he move forward to live a life that honors all aspects of his culture? That's a question only a team of angels can answer.



About the Author

Mary Ramsey is a blogger, artist, and writer. She served in the United States Air Force and has a BA degree in Cinema. Although she was born in California, her work in the military took her all over the world including the diverse Midwest, from the beautiful landscapes of the Dakotas to the small towns of Wisconsin.

She has always had a fondness for unique superheroes--underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ, abuse victims, and so on. She loves an inspiring story that will make her cry. Her favorite movie will always be 13th Warrior.

Mary lives in San Francisco, California with her husband.


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RABT Book Tours & PR

Release Blitz: Afflicted with Desire by Crimson Syn

🔷 NEW RELEASE 🔷️

☠️𝔸𝕗𝕗𝕝𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝔻𝕖𝕤𝕚𝕣𝕖☠️

Series: Royal Bastards MC

🔥 New Orleans, LA Chapter 🔥

Author: Crimson Syn 

Model: Hank Meyer - Fitness Model 

Photographer: Golden Czermak 

Cover Designer: Lou Gray 

🔹️Order Today🔹️

https://geni.us/AfflictedwithDesire

🔥 Enter for a chance to #win one of these prizes: 

A $10 Amazon Gift Card or Ecopy of Afflicted with Desire 

Enter -https://bit.ly/3DjoAUx

🔥 BLURB 🔥

Only two things mattered to Julian Scorn.

One was bounty hunting, and the other was women.

He was the one you called when deals needed closing

And people needed finding.

There wasn’t a soul on this earth who could contain an outlaw like him.

At least, that’s what he claims.

But the fates have something in store for this Nomad,

And the depths of the Bayou may just be his last stop.

🔷 Get the other books in the New Orleans, LA Chapter 🔷

Inked in Vengeance - https://books2read.com/InkedInVengeance-ebook

A Biker For Christmas - https://books2read.com/ABikerForXmas

Scarred by Pain - https://books2read.com/ScarredByPain-RBMC2

A Cowboy Under the Mistletoe - https://books2read.com/ACowboyForXmas

Quivering Heart - https://geni.us/RBMC-QuiveringHeart

✔ Website/Series Links: https://www.royalbastardsmc.com/

✔ Follow the Royal Bastards MC here: https://www.facebook.com/royalbastardsmcbooks/

Relatively Normal Secrets Book Blast



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. C. W. Allen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Like most siblings, Tuesday and Zed don't always get along. Unlike most siblings, their arguments are over things like whether their parents are hiding a life of crime, or are simply the weirdest adults on the planet. When they decide to go on the hunt for some solid evidence, things get weirder than ever: two thugs with shape-shifting swords show up, their dog shows off some tricks she definitely didn't learn in obedience school, and even their treehouse turns out to be more than meets the eye.

Their escape leaves Zed and Tuesday stranded in a land where robots and holograms live alongside quaint medieval villagers and soldiers on horseback. Soldiers who insist their father is a disgraced fugitive, and their dog a legendary monster.

If they ever want to see their parents again, they'll have to learn to work together. After all, they've got a mysterious code to break, secrets to unlock, bandits and soldiers to outwit, and a rowdy dog whose antics are getting more outrageous by the minute. Even if they manage to evade the eerie secret police and uncover enough clues to figure out what's really going on, they're not sure they're going to like the truth.

Zed and Tuesday will have to decide who to trust and what really matters, or they'll never get back to normal (whatever that is.) Because when it comes to normal, everything is relative.

Read an Excerpt

At lunch, her father was the headlining topic of conversation. Perhaps, everyone joked, he was some kind of secret agent—if anyone found out what he really did all day, he'd have to erase their memories or have them deported to Jupiter. Tuesday made a hasty decision: better to ride the wave of laughter, than drown in it. This was ridiculous, of course!

Of course it was.

Tuesday heaved her backpack onto the lunch table and made a production of searching for a missing paper until the cafeteria’s collective attention bounded on to a new distraction. She retrieved last week’s History assignment and tried to look intensely interested in reviewing it, staring through the page with unfocused eyes while zoning out to the satisfying snapping sound her carrot sticks made, the pitch falling rhythmically as her teeth chopped each one shorter and shorter.

The newly-hatched suspicions about her parents’ routines burrowed in with the rest of the doubts nesting in her brain. It wasn’t just the way they sidestepped any mention of their lives before they had children. It wasn’t just their odd taste in names. It was just—oh, everything.

Her last name should have been different, for one thing; Tuesday was sure of it. Her father wouldn’t say what it might have been, but anything else would have been fine with her, really. Anything that wouldn’t make her a walking punchline. If her parents hadn’t been so weird, her mother would have taken her father’s last name when they got married, like normal people. Then Tuesday could have inherited his name, instead of just his face.

About the Author:
C.W. Allen is a Nebraskan by birth, a Texan by experience, a Hoosier by marriage, and a Utahn by geography. She knew she wanted to be a writer the moment she read The Westing Game at age twelve, but took a few detours along the way as a veterinary nurse, an appliance repair secretary, and a homeschool parent.

She recently settled in the high desert of rural Utah with her husband, their three children, and a noisy flock of orphaned ideas. Someday she will create literary homes for all of them. (The ideas, not her family.)

Relatively Normal Secrets (Cinnabar Moth Publishing, Fall 2021) is her debut novel. She writes fantasy novels for tweens, picture books for children, and short stories and poems for former children. Her work will appear in numerous anthologies in 2021. She is also a frequent guest presenter at writing conferences and club meetings, which helps her procrastinate knuckling down to any actual writing.

https://www.cwallenbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/cwallenbooks
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2983485.C_W_Allen

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Relatively-Normal-Secrets-C-W-Allen-ebook/dp/B098DMNM1N
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/relatively-normal-secrets-cw-allen/1139805820
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Relatively_Normal_Secrets/R_uAzgEACAAJ

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Monday, August 30, 2021

The Marshal's Lady Tour and Giveaway

 


The Marshal's Lady

Liberty Valley Love Book 3

by Josie Malone

Genre: Time Travel Historical Romance



While trailing a serial killer on horseback, homicide detective Beth Chambers finds she has somehow ridden back in time—to 1888! When she comes across injured Marshal Rad Morgan, she has no choice but to try to save his life. Though the handsome marshal believes a lady should stand behind her man, Beth is determined to catch the killer she’s chased through time, and prove she’s a capable law enforcement officer in any century.

A former Union soldier, Rad has survived the Confederate hellhole of Andersonville Prison—but his toughest challenge is beautiful Beth Chambers. As the headstrong female detective from the future lets him in on why she’s there, Rad becomes convinced that her stubbornness may get her killed. But when he is shot and left for dead, the marshal has no other choice but to put himself in Beth’s hands—and hope they can both survive!

Two officers of the law from different centuries chasing the same killer could be a recipe for disaster—especially with the distraction of love!


Goodreads * Amazon

PART ONE


“Action is the antidote to despair.”


Joan Baez


CHAPTER ONE


“To do HER Sacred Work, SHE chooses a Guardian,

 then creates a hallowed place, despite Time and Space....”

Rules of Chronos


Friday, April 13th, 2018

Ambushed by the suspected serial killer she pursues through Mount Baker National Forest, Homicide Detective Beth Chambers prays for a second chance to stop him.


* * * *

The sloppy wetness of Luke's tongue as he licked her face roused Beth. Her head spun. She struggled to lift one hand. She forced open her eyes and gently pushed the dog away. He whined and sat down beside her. She reached up, felt the bump on the back of her head where it’d hit a rock. 

Remembering the sight of Luke's broken body beside the trail, she touched the dog, stroked his brown fur. He pressed closer, and she rubbed his shoulder. He’d been stunned, not killed. “Guess we both messed up, buddy. We've gotta be a lot more careful from here on out.”

Luke growled and licked her hand. She risked trying to sit up. Her mind fogged and she almost slipped into welcome darkness. No time for rest. The accident had obviously been Tigger's fault. It wasn't the first time the stallion had thrown her. However, it was the first time he'd reared and gone over backward on top of her. 

“Damned, stupid idiot. I ought to have bought a Quarter-horse instead of falling in love with a beauty like you when Nina took me to Xanadu Arabians. I shouldn’t have listened when Audra bragged about how brilliant you are and your terrific pedigree.”

From where he pulled at a few tufts of grass near a granite boulder, Tigger nickered in answer. Beth glared at the horse. A faint wisp of memory filtered into her mind, and she tried to follow it. She had fallen off him, hadn’t she? Wasn't she pinned by the stallion for at least a moment or two? She must have passed out prior to Tigger standing up. No wonder she thought she was dead meat. For a moment, she recalled a sense of pervading peace, love, admiration, and acceptance. There had been all of that and yet something more.

The harder she tried to remember, the more the feeling slipped away. Reluctantly, she gave up the battle. She’d think about the accident later, after her head quit hurting. She hugged Luke tightly for a moment, then rested one hand on the German Shepherd’s solid, eighty-pound body and struggled to her feet. Her ribs throbbed in protest. She must have cracked one, if not broken it. 

Her head swam. She took a step. Her stomach rebelled and she barely made it to the side of the trail before she hurled, grateful lunch had only been beef jerky and water eaten in the saddle hours ago. Should she head home? Nobody would blame her if she stopped searching for Gary Smith, nobody but herself. She raised a hand to her forehead and felt for the cut she remembered. The blood had frightened her. She'd been so sure she was dying. 

There was no blood on her face now and no sign of the injury either. She tried a cautious step. Her legs were fine. She could walk. Her hysterical fear during the accident prompted the notion it was the end of the world and her life. Nina often said, “A good fall is one the rider walks away from.”

Recalling her friend restored Beth’s courage. She took a deep breath. Her body might feel a little sore, but she wasn’t finished yet. Smith deserved to spend the rest of his life behind bars and justice must be served. She wouldn’t wimp out now, not when she was so close to him.

“No.” She petted Luke. “We’re not going back yet. We’re getting that scumbag off the streets and behind bars.” 

The dog pressed against her. She stroked his bristly short hair. “Come on, partner. Let's go look around.”

Crossing to the Arabian, she took the rifle from its scabbard. She checked the load and started up the path. The stud whickered and then trotted after her.

“Now's a fine time to tell me how much you love me.” She swung around to catch the reins and tie up her horse. The sight of a bloody crease in the center of his forehead stopped her. A bullet wound. She was closer to Smith than she'd imagined. Tigger's spooking saved her life. She rested her hand on his gray neck. “I’ll be more careful. I don’t want you hurt.” 

The stallion nuzzled her arm and Beth changed her mind. She couldn't leave the horse tethered. If he were loose, he could run away from Smith, and since the Arabian was used to getting treats from her, he'd come when he saw her. She glanced at the trail, a thin scattering of dirt over granite. 

She went to Tigger’s right side. She opened the saddlebags and removed evidence bags and plastic gloves. Now, if she found anything, she would be able to use it against Smith. She worked her way through the overgrown salmonberry bushes and alder saplings, glad when she found her way back among the evergreens. Less than a hundred feet up the trail, she discovered the place where Smith had launched his attack. A few cigarette butts littered the muddy ground, and she recognized his footprints.

Removing her digital camera from a jacket pocket, she took pictures of the area then collected the evidence. No way she’d use her phone to take a video and risk losing it to the inept prosecutor. John Watkins, the lead homicide detective still complained about having to replace his smartphone when it was seized for evidence. She’d turn the cigarette butts into the lab when she got back to town. Tests would prove Gary Smith indeed attacked her, leaving her for dead.

The man was long gone. Did he think she was finished? Why hadn’t he made sure? He generally beat his victims almost to death, then slit their throats to be certain they couldn’t testify against him. Shooting her wasn’t his usual M.O. Why had he changed? She shrugged. Everyone made mistakes. Smith was a human being, not only the monster she personally thought of him.

Slowly, she returned to Tigger, collecting her hat on the way. She replaced the rifle in the scabbard, checked the tack, and then swung into the saddle. For the next hour, she rode cautiously. She kept a wary gaze on the trail and often rested a hand on the butt of the rifle. Luke remained closer this time, a few feet from the Arabian.

Suddenly, the path opened into a small clearing. A hill rose before her, clawing into the sky. Even misty fog and slanting rain couldn’t disguise the hazardous trail up the steep incline. She saw paw prints in the mud and knew Luke had already started the climb. She petted Tigger’s neck, lingering to watch the moon rise above the giant cedars and hemlocks. Something in the atmosphere caused the bright globe to appear red tonight. It provided plenty of light to see the trail and that was all she cared about. 

Tigger tossed his head and snorted, the loudness shocking her. She returned her attention to the mammoth slope in front of her. Huge granite boulders lined the path while smaller fragments awaited an unwary hoof. A light sprinkling of dirt covered the slick gray stone and a tiny evergreen clung precariously to the side of the hill. Fog shrouded the top of the ridge, hiding the steepest part of the ascent. 

She took a deep breath and measured the climb again. Then, she urged Tigger forward. The gray stallion leaped up the rocky incline, scrambling for footing. Granite pieces fell behind them and she glimpsed another horse’s hoofprint and a scrape on gray stone. So, Smith still had Wonder, an abused Appaloosa stallion he’d stolen from Nina Armstrong’s horse rescue facility. 

Nobody knew where the starved wreck of an equine came from almost two years ago, but Nina, a famous Washington State horsy do-gooder nursed him back to health. The woman had interrupted Smith when he’d absconded with the horse three days ago and she’d paid the price. Beth found Nina before she died. She identified Smith and asked Beth to return the stallion to her barn. 

The drizzle grew heavier, silvery rain slashing down in a curtain of thread-like drops, streaming downward. Waves of water rolled, small drops followed by larger ones creating a hazy view, a thin fog-shrouded screen blocking most of the path behind them. Tigger collected himself for another series of leaps. When they gained the first plateau, she reined him to a halt. 

Oddly enough she could breathe better up here, better than she had when she first mounted after the accident. Her ribs had stopped hurting. Her head no longer pounded like someone beat a jack-hammer against her skull and her stomach wasn’t roiling. She truly had walked away unscathed. She’d have to tell Nina when they returned that her advice was correct as always. Of course, the younger woman would pitch a fit when she heard about the fall and lecture Beth for the hundredth time about keeping her heels down and staying balanced in the saddle.

She waited for Tigger to regain his breath. With a squeeze of her legs, she sent the horse forward again, grateful for the bright red moon lighting their way. More than once she heard his hooves strike small rocks. He jumped another log and came to a halt on the summit. She petted his steaming neck, scanning the top of the ridge. The evergreens which were so huge at the bottom of the hill had become tiny tips, like baby Christmas trees, insubstantial from this height.

Grateful the rain had stopped, she eyed the descent, stretching before her, down a winding trail. The path seemed clearer in the evening moonlight with none of the hazards they’d overcome on the ascent. She touched Tigger’s sides with her legs and the Arabian headed downhill at a faster pace. When they reached level ground, the small stallion picked up a jog.

Suddenly, she heard a short yip. Luke had found something of interest. A low, menacing growl came next. It meant the discovery was male, a human male which the large German Shepherd considered fair game. His refusal to work with men had almost ended the canine’s career with the department before it started.

“Luke, hold.” Had she found Smith already? Why wasn't he shooting at Luke or her? She pulled her carbine from the scabbard.

Tigger snorted as they came around a bend. He leaped sideways as he caught a glimpse of the shadowy figure huddled near a boulder. Luke stood in front of the man, continuing to growl, hackles raised.

She cursed the dusk. The red moonlight didn't help her see much. She couldn't get a clear view of the man, but he appeared bigger than her suspect. “Smith?”

“No.” The stranger groaned. “I'm hurt. Bad.”

She shoved her rifle back into its holder. Her voice deepened with frustration and impatience. “What the hell are you doing here then?”

“Bleeding.” Faint amusement filled his bass rumble.


Cowboy Spell

Liberty Valley Love Book 2



Liberty Valley Love, Yesterday and Today ~ where no matter what, soulmates find each other.”

Wrangling her pony farm on weekends, Elinor Talbot is strong and smart, but still struggles to make ends meet for her family. Divorced for years, she isn’t looking for romance; however, love finds a way when her mischievous kids summon a replacement dad with the Cowboy Spell. With her indomitable spirit as a guide, Elinor challenges wickedly handsome, smooth-talking horseshoer Sean Killian to the true test of love.

Be Careful What You Witch For!

At almost 40, Sean comes with a painful past, but he knows there’s no future in living in that past. He’s ready for a family of his own, and he thinks he’s finally found the right woman. Honest, and hardworking, he calls things as he sees them, putting him and Elinor at loggerheads. Will the magic between them heal their wounded hearts, or is it all an illusion brought about by the Cowboy Spell?


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A Man's World

Liberty Valley Love Book 1



Defending her honor . . . and her life!

1887 in wild, untamed Washington Territory is A Man’s World so Trace Burdette masquerades as the toughest man around, fooling everyone but new neighbor, ruggedly handsome Zebadiah Prescott. With their love on the line, they must deal with the past and the outlaw who stalks her.


**Only .99 cents!!**

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Josie Malone lives and works at her family business, a riding stable in Washington State. Teaching kids to ride and know about horses, she finds in many cases, she's taught three generations of families. Her life experiences span adventures from dealing cards in a casino, attending graduate school to get her Masters in Teaching degree, being a substitute teacher, and serving in the Army Reserve - all leading to her second career as a published author. Visit her at her website, www.josiemalone.com to learn about her books.


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