Monday, August 3, 2015

Girl Code Blog Tour is HERE!!!

I'm thrilled to be hosting my dear friend and awesome author Cait Jarrod with her latest release Girl Code, a four part anthology currently screaming up the Amazon Kindle charts! Kick back, sit back and grab your favorite cuppa! And don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaway at the end of this post!

Hi everyone!
I have a theme in the books I write: Friendships, deep-seeded ones that stay with you for a lifetime. I have a group of friends I get together with at least once a month. Some of these ladies, I’ve known for over forty years. Simply amazing. How about you? Do you have friendships that have stayed with you for the long stretch?

Below are some shared memories and a giveaway!
Happy reading!
~Cait

 GIRL CODE: an anthology
FAITH by Cait Jarrod
All proceeds from sales are going to the
Wounded Warriors Project.

Introduction by Julie Ann Walker



Four best friends struggle with decisions that affect their lives, their hearts, and their futures. As sisters, they embrace the Girl Code.  
HOPE
 Josephine "Joey" Lockhart escapes her past, herself and her home town of Pearl, Ohio to Florida after high school. Years later, she meets a man that refuses to let her hide behind her camera lens and encourages her out of her shell. Will he be the one to push her to feel for the first time?  
LIVE
 After seven years in drug hell, detoxing Juliette "Juls" Carrington returns to her hometown Pearl to attend her grandmother's burial. Once more rejected by her family, she has a swim in a pond nearby when a mysterious camper, an ex-drunk, coaxes her to come to his hut in the woods. Together they must fight their inner demons for a chance to love...and live.  
FAITH
 Selena Bodine escaped into the United States Air Force to leave behind a painful past and the one man who she refused to let herself love. Years later, an urgent call from her father brings her back to Pearl, Ohio and face to face with the man she still loves. But will the secret that Cullen is investigating her threaten their second chance?  
PERSISTENCE
  Laydi Michaels has been running away from her past and bad memories for years. Finding herself wasn’t an easy task, but she’s managed to finally get to a point to where she wants to be. Only to wake up married to her boss….who fired her the night before. Wrapped in a case that puts her life in danger, and dealing with a grave situation back home in Pearl, Laydi figures out she wasn’t close to finding herself, and now, she’s risked everything.
5 star Goodreads review!
It's not often you read an anthology and truly love every story in it but I really did. These four authors are amazing women who I'm sure will continue to give us well written, heart warming, action packed, and steamy love stories for years to come.

FAITH Excerpt:
Selena filled her lungs with country air and the aroma of honeysuckle. The scent blasted her over the edge of nostalgia, to her sisters playing along the pond after a rainstorm. She stopped on the sidewalk before crossing the road.
Joey had her hands buried in the bank, making mud pies. The thought of dirt burrowing under Selena’s nails irritated her as much as nails dragging across a chalkboard, but she’d jumped right in so her new friend didn’t play alone. Juls and Laydi joined them. It didn’t take long for brown-reddish splotches to cover them from head to toe. They had laughed so hard. Life was rough, their home lives not worth talking about, yet they giggled.
Nothing else meant as much to them as each other. She smiled, remembering how they jumped into the pond to get clean. Young, alone, and taking a bath in dirty water, she couldn’t have been happier. That day, she realized, the girls would be in her life for the long haul.
Shared Memories:

Joey, Juls, Selena, and Laydi
from the Girl Code stories sharing the memories!


My friends and me
celebrating my big birthday in 2014.
Unfortunately, a few of us were missing in this pic.


 Cait Jarrod  
 "I write what I love to read - Romantic Suspense/Mystery- I love writing and creating the meet-cue (the point where the hero and heroine meet) to the blossoming of the romance. Add a suspenseful plot or a good mystery to the equation and the perfect book is born to curl up to and lose yourself in, taking you away from reality, troubles."
 
As a child, I entertained myself for hours playing pretend, but not with dolls and such. I created stories and pictured them in my mind, sometimes even acted them out, my well preserved secret until now. I spent years after leaving school trying to figure out my niche. Not being a literary enthusiast, I never thought my childhood pastime would lead in this direction.
 
In life, one door closes and another opens, so I'm told. This was true for me. I lost my mother, my best friend, to cancer. After a year without her, I picked up her favorite hobby...reading. After one book, a romantic suspense, I was hooked. In the past, I'd fall asleep after a few minutes of reading. Now, books rank up there with a good red wine. It didn't take long for my childhood muse to come back in adult version urging me to put the scenes in my head on paper.
 
I hope I have provided you with the escape similar to the ones I conjured in childhood and rediscovered as an adult, and I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I have loved creating them.
 
Cait's debut novel, Kidnapped Hearts won awards in the categories of Best Happily Ever After and Best Suspense. Cait lives in Virginia with her husband and three daughters. 
 
Cait’s Classy Chicks Street Team / Cait's Newsletter
 
D.C. Stone
"I write romantic suspense because I can connect with it, and love the thrill of kicking ass and being sexy while you're at it."
D.C. Stone is an e-book author and full-time fraud investigator when she isn’t diving into the world of Fiction. After serving eight years of service with the United States Air Force, she went on to transition into the world of Financial Crimes and became a lead investigator for many years. When she isn’t trying to solve a new puzzle in the world of fraud, she is engulfed with coffee, her laptop, and all those crazy characters in her head. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, Kiss of Death, and the Liberty State Fiction Writers. Come stop by on Facebook, Twitter or her website and say hello!
Find DC at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads   

Jessica Jayne
"My writing interests vary much like my reading interests. Though I mainly write romance type novels with a spicy twist, I have lived what some might call a suspenseful life. As a survivor of stalking and sexual assault, I learned the ins and outs of the legal system pretty quickly. It helped to precipitate my interest in getting my law degree... that and the fact that I grew up around attorneys. So adding suspense to my writing is no big surprise to me or anyone that knows me."
I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head!  
In the journey of life, I got my law degree (and license) and also became a wife and a mother of three children. So, life is always an adventure.  
I love to read and write... obviously! I’m a huge sports fan, especially college football and the Ohio State Buckeyes!  Go Steelers!  Go Rays! Go Lightning! I LOVE to travel... LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to travel. And I love sharing my love to travel with my children. Did I say I love to travel? I love to drink coffee in the morning and tea at night! I love a good glass of wine, especially if it comes from a bottle made by the FOOLS wine club… yep, I’m a founding member of that crazy group!  J  I love hanging out with my family and my friends!  Music makes me happy. I’m a mix between country girl and city chic. But I love nothing more than putting on my jean shorts, tank top, cowboy boots and hat and watching Tim McGraw or Eric Church belt it out!  I’m a sucker for a cowboy hat! 
Favorite quote:  “If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.”
Find Jessica at:  Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest

Lea Bronsen
"I love how well-chosen words can make your heart beat a little faster."
Lea Bronsen likes her reads fast, hot, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After venturing into dirty inner-city crime drama with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between psychological thriller, romantic suspense, and erotic contemporary romance.
She is signed with Evernight Publishing, Decadent Publishing, and Insatiable Press.
Find Lea at: Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads  Amazon  Email

Girl Code print copy giveaway:
 

Monday, May 11, 2015

Girl Code coming July 2015!!


Girl Code hits the shelves July, 2015!!!
Special Introduction by Julie Ann Walker
All proceeds go to Wounded Warriors

PRE-ORDER>>> HERE
WATCH THE GIRL CODE TRAILER>>> HERE
Writers In Crime WEBSITE
Writers in Crime FACEBOOK PAGE

HOPE by Jessica Jayne-Josephine "Joey" Lockhart escapes her past, herself and her home town of Pearl, Ohio to Florida after high school. Years later, she meets a man that refuses to let her hide behind her camera lens and encourages her out of her shell. Will he be the one to push her to feel for the first time?

LIVE by Lea Bronsen-After seven years in drug hell, detoxing Juliette "Juls" Carrington returns to her hometown Pearl to attend her grandmother's burial. Once more rejected by her family, she has a swim in a pond nearby when a mysterious camper, an ex-drunk, coaxes her to come to his hut in the woods. Together they must fight their inner demons for a chance to love...and live.

FAITH by Cait Jarrod-Selena Bodine escaped into the United States Air Force to leave behind a painful past and the one man who she refused to let herself love. Years later, an urgent call from her father brings her back to Pearl, Ohio and face to face with the man she still loves. But will the secret that Cullen is investigating her threaten their second chance?

PERSISTENCE by DC Stone-Laydi Michaels has been running away from her past and bad memories for years. Finding herself wasn’t an easy task, but she’s managed to finally get to a point to where she wants to be. Only to wake up married to her boss….who fired her the night before. Wrapped in a case that puts her life in danger, and dealing with a grave situation back home in Pearl, Laydi figures out she wasn’t close to finding herself, and now, she’s risked everything.

~AUTHOR CONTACT INFO~
 
CAIT JARROD

Cait’s Classy Chicks Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/629181983825796/
Cait’s newsletter: http://caitjarrod.com/contact-cait-andor-signup-for-news-from-cait-newsletter/
Webpage: caitjarrod.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cait-Jarrod-Author/500705936640529?ref=hl
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CaitJarrod
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6966274.Cait_Jarrod
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CaitJarrod/posts/p/pub
Email: cait.jarrod@gmail.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/caitjarrod/

From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves writing one. Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with a great group of women—the WWC, and loves a good glass of wine.

DC STONE

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/authordcstone
Facebook Profile: www.facebook.com/dc.stone.92
Twitter: twitter.com/DCStoneauthor
Email: authordcstone@gmail.com

DC Stone has over sixteen years of investigative experience, including working as a criminal investigator in the United States military and a private investigator. Currently, she works as an internal affairs investigator by day and a romantic suspense author by night. She has her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice and is dubbed, “The Investigative Whisper.” Commonly called upon to act as an expert witness, she also trains with local, state, and federal law enforcement officers. She provides numerous workshops that help authors gain insight into “digging” into a character’s mind to better understand motives, create suspense, and help maintain conflict.

When she isn’t trying to solve a new puzzle in the world of fraud, she is engulfed with coffee, her laptop, and all those crazy characters in her head. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America, Hudson Valley Romance Writers, Rom Vets, RWA Kiss of Death, and the Liberty State Fiction Writers. She served as the 2014 Vice President and Conference Chair for NJRW. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her at www.authordcstone.com.

JESSICA JAYNE
Website: http://jessicajayneauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Jessica-Jayne/388268367912903?fref=ts
Twitter: @JessicaJayne13 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6545547.Jessica_Jayne
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thejessicajayne/

"My writing interests very much like my reading interests. Though I mainly write romance type novels with a spicy twist, I have lived what some might call a suspenseful life. As a survivor of stalking and sexual assault, I learned the ins and outs of the legal system pretty quickly. It helped to precipitate my interest in getting my law degree... that and the fact that I grew up around attorneys. So adding suspense to my writing is no big surprise to me or anyone that knows me."

I am a born and raised small town Ohio girl, who moved to the Sunshine State after graduating from college. I graduated with a bachelor's degree in English because I could not imagine doing anything else but reading and writing. It is such a pleasure to be able to share all the stories in my head! 

LEA BRONSEN

Email: leabronsen@yahoo.com
Blog/website: http://leabronsen.com/
Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/wildhearted.author
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LeaBronsen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeaBronsen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6966248.Lea_Bronsen
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lea-Bronsen/e/B00BTFT8KS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1411971446&sr=1-2
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leabronsen/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LeaBronsen
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107003196851143670834/posts
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4125675

Lea Bronsen likes her reads fast, hot, and edgy, and strives to give her own stories the same intensity. After venturing into dirty inner-city crime drama with her debut novel Wild Hearted, she divides her writing time between psychological thriller, romantic suspense, and erotic contemporary romance.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Happy Book Birthday to Lynn Burke and Longing for Her!!!

Happy Book Birthday to Longing for Her!
Longing for Her
A Risso Family Novella
Contemporary Romance

Release Date: May 7, 2015
Straight-laced Cole Risso has longed for his sister’s bohemian best friend Gwen since he first laid eyes on her as a kid. Now, as future patriarch of the Risso Family, he’s expected to marry well. A free spirit and unconventional daughter of a pot-toking hippie hardly qualifies. 
When one night of giving into temptation ruins them both for any other, Cole and Gwen are faced with a decision - love the other enough to let them go, or defy family expectations and fight for their hearts’ desires.  No matter the decision, their choices have the power to destroy all they hold dear.
Purchase Links:
Excerpt:
I rounded the couch, but halted as a body came into view.
Cole lounged against the far side, one hand behind his head, half-empty beer bottle in the other. “Hey.”
Our gazes collided, sending a shock wave of energy through my blood. My heel itched to spin, but his focus wandered down my body and back up again, lingering on my bare thighs.
Oh, the temptation to taste him one more time. Three years of simmering desire had my kettle ready to scream hallelujah. “Hey,” I whispered back. “I thought you’d left.”
His smile melted my bones. “Decided to stay a while and reminisce.”
My lips tugged up. “I was eyeing the back of the couch while stealing some whiskey and doing the same thing.” Kind of.
“Care to join me?”
I considered the cushion closest to me and bit on the inside of my lip as temptation and love for the sexy man a few paces away warred in my brain. Knowing I owed Cole an apology, I decided to sit, curling my legs under me. “Sorry for being so harsh earlier. I…I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Cole twisted sideways to place the bottle on the coffee table. “I shouldn’t have cornered you like that.” He started to sit up, but hesitated, a question in his eyes.
“It’s all right. I won’t run.”
The leather squeaked as he swung his feet to the floor and leaned back, hands on his thighs. His blue tie hung loose, the top two buttons of his dress shirt unbuttoned. A hint of dark hair called out to my fingers. Averting my eyes, I focused on the tumbler clasped in both my hands.
“I know I’ve said it hundreds of times, Gwen, but I’m sorry. Please say you forgive me.”
Another gulp of whiskey gave me courage to speak. “Forgiving in my mind means making things right—getting back to normal and moving on.” I lifted my head enough to focus on the knot of his tie. “I can’t do that with you, Cole.”
“Why not?”
“Because even though it’s expected you’ll marry an uptight, snobbish princess,” I sucked in air and allowed the words to spew, “I want you every second of the day.”
His chest stopped its rise and fall, and I glanced up at his face.
Mistake.
Longing like I’d never known reached out from his eyes and froze me in place. My breath caught. Nipples pebbled beneath my thin shirt.
Every muscle in my body quivered as he stood and walked toward me, unwavering gaze on my face.
“What—” I licked my lips, hating how my voice wavered. “What are you doing?”
“Give me the whiskey.”
My pulse thrummed with life, and I put the glass in his outstretched hand.
He set it on the coffee table without breaking eye contact and leaned down, placing his hands against the back of the couch on either side of me, making an effective cage. His face hovered mere inches from mine.
I breathed in as he exhaled, the subtle scent of peppermint flooding my mouth with saliva. His lower lip called out to my teeth; the shadow lining his jaw begged for my tongue.
“Did you mean what you said about once being enough, Gwen? Because it’s not for me. I want to taste every inch of your skin. Bury myself inside you.”
My breath caught, and moisture flooded my panties making me squirm on the cushion.
I opened my mouth, having no idea what words would tumble out, but he swooped down, capturing my parted lips before I could speak.
Blessed Mary, mother of God.

About Lynn Burke:
Lynn Burke is a full time mother, voracious gardener, and scribbler of spicy romance stories. A country bumpkin turned Bay Stater, she enjoys her chowdah and Dunkin Donuts when not trying to escape the reality of city life.
Her current work, the Risso Family Novellas, revolves around four siblings from Boston’s North End.

Giveaway:
An ecopy of Longing for Her, Heart Pendant, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Slip into your finest cocktail attire and bunny slippers, and join us for a fun celebration of the release of Lynn Burke’s new Risso Family Novella, Longing for Her! There will be lots of laughter and fantastic prizes at this Facebook event!

Click on the image above for more information and the list of guest co-hosts!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Jannine Gallant and her Obsession with Dogs!

I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to have Jannine Gallant visiting with me today, who brings with her a snippet from her latest release, Every Move She Makes! Whoo Hoo! Be sure to follow the links below to download your very own copy! Take it away Jannine!!!
 
~ * ~

I admit it. I’m obsessed with dogs. Not just my own, though my daughters swear I spoil Ginger more than I do them. (Probably a good thing!) I’m talking about dogs in books. Yep, every one of my books features a dog. Big dogs, little dogs, black and white dogs, dogs that go in…but I digress. LOL Having a pet in a book adds to the entertainment value. Let’s face it, dogs are funny and adorable. They can also be a pain when I forget about them for three chapters and have to go back to add mentions. In my new release, Every Move She Makes, my heroine’s golden retriever sticks her nose in at an inopportune moment…

Two seconds later, he had her flat on her back with the banana lying on a nearby rock. He cradled her head in his hands and kissed her. When she kissed him back, desire surged even stronger.

So much for the slow approach.

“Do you know how much I want you right now?"

She bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I wish I could say yes, but I can’t.”

“I know. Can we do this?”

He trailed kisses down the side of her neck, burying his nose against her skin. She smelled like fresh air and woman. His breath came fast as he moved back to cover her mouth with his, his tongue stroking until he wasn’t certain he could stop.

A cold nose thrust between them. At a blast of stinky dog breath, they separated in a hurry.

“My savior.” Rachel’s smile shook as she gave Daisy a shove.

~ * ~

So, do you enjoy pets in your books? If you’re an author, do you have your own unique obsessions? Let’s hear about them.
 
No matter where she goes, he knows her every move…

Long ago, Rachel Carpenter was a glamorous soap star. She gave it all up to move to Napa Valley with her daughters to open a bookstore near her family vineyard. Her life is safe and dependable, until she encounters Kane Lafferty at a wilderness camp in the rugged High Sierra. A burned-out police detective struggling with his own demons, Kane is instantly attracted to Rachel. And like Rachel, he isn’t sure if he’s ready to open his heart. But everything is about to change…

Someone is watching from the darkness. A fanatic obsessed with Rachel for years has decided to claim what he believes is his. It will be up to Kane to not only protect his new love and her family, but to uncover the identity of the stalker before it’s too late for all of them…
 
 
Write what you know. Jannine Gallant has taken this advice to heart, creating characters from small towns and plots that unfold in the great outdoors. She grew up in a tiny Northern California town and currently lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband and two daughters. When she isn’t busy writing or being a full time mom, Jannine hikes or snowshoes in the woods around her home. Whether she’s writing contemporary, historical or romantic suspense, Jannine brings the beauty of nature to her stories. To find out more about this author and her books, visit her website at janninegallant.com.
 
Author Links:

Monday, March 16, 2015

Breaking All Barriers by Cait Jarrod!!!

breaking all barriers banner

perf5.000x8.000.inddHi readers! I’m excited to be here. I hope everyone is staying warm and safe this winter. From March 13-19, I’m having a Facebook party on Breaking All Barriers’ page. Each day, there will be a chance to win an autograph print book, ebooks, and more. Speaking of which, I have a raffle coinciding with the blog tour for an autograph copy of Breaking All Barriers. You can enter below. In addition, leave comments on the blogs with an email address and your name will be entered. RAFFLE! a Rafflecopter giveaway Happy reading! A huge thank you to the blog host for having Breaking All Barriers and me! ~Cait

Breaking All Barriers By Cait Jarrod
Release Date: March 13, 2015
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Can a single kiss change your life?
Businessman Cole Dunbar stays focused inventing the latest techno gadgets. When he learns of his deceased wife’s betrayal, he shuts the door on any personal relationships. There’s just one problem—the sexy Dina Wright who lives down the hall. He can’t keep her out of his thoughts and fantasies. When he sees her frightened on a New York City street, he tosses aside his reservations and reaches out to her. Dina is high on life. Not only is she starting an advertising agency and her best friend is returning to NYC, an honest-to-God hunk is sending her spine-tingling looks. Despite past betrayals interfering, the budding romance picks up momentum, but Mother Nature spins her wrath. Amidst the chaos, Dina vanishes.

Like the book on Facebook

Excerpt:
A single gunshot echoed in the night. An invisible death-grip tightened his throat. The road and buildings warped. Sound faded. Cole’s fear came to fruition, the worst moment of his life. He needed eyes on Dina now! Cole forced his legs to move faster into the darkness. The small amount of glow, seeping around the trailer from the junker’s headlights, gave him a visual to the only other intact car, parked next to the overturned truck. The cloud pattern shifted and the moon brightened the darkened sky. Beyond the downed trailer, demolished truck, past the crinkled unmarked car, hope soared, clenching Cole’s heart and stealing his breath. He stopped and stared, not sure if he could believe his eyes. The moon spotlighted Dina standing in the middle of the wreckage, staring at the road, her body shaking. Fright and pain visible in her profile felt like a bullet to his chest, forcing the wind out of his lungs and weakening his muscles. Her gaze left whatever caught her attention and she peered over her shoulder. Their eyes locked. In that moment of time, no one else existed, not the swirling bright blue and red lights approaching or the loud sirens demanding attention. Too afraid if he ran, his legs would give out from the overwhelming emotions, he walked toward her. Not moving her gaze from his, she pulled her lips inward and wiped a hand across her face. She’d been through so much. Instinctively, he wanted to pull her to him, feel her warmth against his chest. Afraid sudden movement might scare her, he tempered his urge and stopped in front of her. “Awe, babe.” He stroked a finger down her cheek and searched her face. Tears welled in her eyes, and something more frightening smeared across her skin—a reddish-brown color—blood.
 
Don’t miss Cait Jarrod’s other works:
KH - small MysticHearts-evernightpublishing-smallpreview
 perf5.000x8.000.indd girlcode-customdesign-jayAheer2015-smallpreview
Kidnapped Hearts - Band of Friend Series, Book 1 Mystic Hearts-Band of Friend Series, Book 2 Entangled Love Girl Code anthology, releasing Spring 2015

About the Author: From writing ‘every girl’s dream heroes’ to ‘strong, down-to-earth heroines,’ Cait Jarrod twists ‘cliff hanging plots’ and ‘clever, unpredictable sub-plots’. She loves diving into a good book as much as she loves writing one. Mother of three gorgeous daughters, she’s married to her best friend, hangs out with the WWC—a great group of women, and loves a good glass of wine. Cait’s debut novel, Kidnapped Hearts, won awards in the categories of Best Happily Ever After, Best Suspense, and Editor’s Choice. She also made the Amazon Best Sellers list.

Contact or follow Cait Jarrod: Website | Email | Facebook Fan Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Google+ |Linkedin
Sign up for her newsletter here: http://caitjarrod.com/contact-cait-andor-signup-for-news-from-cait-newsletter/

Heart Chalk board

Tuesday, March 10, 2015


Welcome to Part Six of Be Mine, Marshall, A Written Fireside Story!
 
Eight talented authors have gathered to bring you this free western romance, and if you've yet to read the first five installments of this round robin style story, please follow the links below and be sure to catch up! Just follow the links below!
 
Part 1 - Lori Connelly
Part 2 - Paty Jager
Part 3 - Julie Lence
Part 4 - Susan Horsnell
Part 5 - Aileen Harkwood
 
...and now to continue the story, I invite you to read Part Six of Be Mine, Marshall! Don't forget to check the scheduled dates for each post and follow the links below!
 
 
Be Mine, Marshall
Part Six
 
            The three sprang from their seats around Doc’s warm stove,  and Daniel’s gun rested in his palm before he’d even thought to pull it from the leather holster buckled on his hip. He strode straight for the door, but Fannie beat him to it, her hand closing around the doorknob under his.
Their gazes locked, and he tightened his grip around her slender fingers. Where did the fool woman think she was going? “You need to stay inside and let me handle this, Miss Fannie.”
Her chin jutted forward and she squinted. “The only man who gets to tell me what to do around these parts is my granddaddy. I’ve lived in Cold Spring my entire life and gotten along just fine. If someone out there is in trouble, I aim to help.”
Daniel aimed a stern frown at her, but she didn’t back down. Strange, considering one glare from him usually froze most outlaws in their boots. Instead, determination glinted in her soft blueberry eyes, surrounded by the dark fringe of her lashes.
The woman sure was a pretty little thing. Stubborn, but pretty.
A metallic snap broke the tension and Daniel glanced over his shoulder to find Doc Hartworth loading two shells into the barrel of a shotgun. She locked the barrel in place and rounded the table, offering the gun in Fannie’s direction. “Our Miss Fannie just happens to be the best shot between here and Lacey’s Spring, Marshall. You’d be a wise man to have her watching your back once you head outside that door.”
Was that so? He glanced at Fannie and his brow twitched as she fitted the rifle against her waist like she’d been born with a gun in her hand. Something told him he’d also be fairly wise to never test the beautiful woman’s patience.
“All right, then. But stay behind me.” He nodded once and cracked the door, peering out into the street.
A limp pile of rags lay in the dusty wheel tracks running the center of town but, other than that, the day was eerily quiet. Daniel’s gaze dropped to the dark red pool leaking across the packed dirt, and he gritted his teeth. First the fire at Fannie’s and now someone had been shot in broad daylight. He eased the door back, glanced left then right and crouched low, running toward the prone body with Fannie right on his heels.
He grabbed victim’s shoulder and rolled them onto their back, and his stomach sank as a pair of bright green eyes blinked up at him, filled with panic. Marigold Fisher.
Fannie gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Please…” Marigold panted, one hand pressed to her side and the other fisted in her skirts. “Help me.”
“Of course, of course.” Fannie set the rifle on the ground and pried the younger woman’s fingers away from her torso. “It looks like a bullet nicked her ribs.” She tore a strip of her petticoats from under her dress and pressed it to the wound. “Who did this to you, Marigold?”
Daniel kept his eyes peeled to the surrounding buildings and darkened alleys. Movement caught the corner of his eye and he looked toward the mercantile. A man limped back from the window, his steps off kilter as he disappeared into the shadows.   
 “I did it.” Marigold squeezed her eyes tight, tears streaming past her temples into her hair. “In case I die, I want everyone to know so’s Will ain’t blamed. Lester said I had to. Said if I didn’t, they’d kill me and Will.”
Fannie and Daniel exchanged a frown. She hadn’t shot herself, so what was Marigold talking about? Starting fire or stealing Doc Hartworth’s brooch? Or both? Daniel ran a hand along the bristle on his chin. Either way, they needed to get the poor girl off the ground and into Doc’s so she could be tended. Could be, Marigold Fisher was delirious with fear and didn’t know what she was sayin.
“Shhh now, Marigold, you ain’t gonna die.” Fannie pressed a hand to the girl’s forehead. “What did Lester make you do, sweetie? You can tell us.”
A loud wail careened through the air and Daniel spun on his knee, aiming the barrel of his pistol toward the noise. Now what in all the blue blazes was going on?
A young boy who couldn’t have been a year or two older than Marigold sprinted down the center of the road, hell bent for leather in their direction. “Marigold!” He skidded to his knees beside Marigold and shoved Fannie’s hands out of the way. “Don’t you touch her. Y’all never helped us afore and we don’t need your help now.”
Daniel placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “She needs to be looked after by Doc Hartworth, son. What’s your name?”
“Will.” He choked out his name, holding Marigold’s cheeks. “I told Lester somethin like this was gonna happen. I told him, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“Let me take her inside and see the doc.” Daniel holstered his gun, and gently eased his arms under Marigold’s neck and legs, lifting her off the ground. “Once she’s had her wounds tended, we can talk this all out.”
He smiled at the appreciative shine in Fannie’s eyes as she grabbed the Doc’s rifle off the ground, then turned with Marigold in his arms and strode toward Doc Hartworth’s office, Fannie and Will trailing behind him. The hair along the back of Daniel’s neck tingled a moment before the cock of a trigger pulled him up short.
“Not so fast, Marshall. That there girl belongs to me.”
Daniel froze. With Marigold in his arms, he couldn’t reach his gun, which meant Fannie was the only one who had any firepower between him and whoever held that loaded weapon.
~ * ~
 
I hope you enjoyed this installment of Be Mine, Marshall!!! To continue with the story, check back at the dates listed below and follow the links! Thank you!
 
Written Fireside Schedule:
Tuesday, February 3rd - Lori Connelly
Tuesday, February 10th - Paty Jager
Tuesday, February 17th - Julie Cerniglia Lence
Tuesday, February 24th - Susan Horsnell
Tuesday, March 3rd - Aileen Harkwood
Tuesday, March 10th - AJ Nuest
Tuesday March 17th - Mandy Baggot
Tuesday March 24th - Kathleen Rice Adams
Tuesday, March 31st - Kari Lemor