Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Author Interview. Show all posts

The First Kiss: Welcome Amanda Forester, Author of A Wedding In Springtime!

The First Kiss
by Amanda Forester

The first kiss.  There is nothing else like it.  It is the moment when intentions are made clear and two people move from friends or acquaintances toward becoming something entirely different.  It can be a powerful attraction, or it can be an alert you've made a terrible mistake.  Either way, that first kiss will always be memorable.

In my new release, A Wedding in Springtime, Eugenia Talbot has every reason to be wary of Mr. Grant. Five minutes into her presentation at court, the notorious rogue, William Grant, makes her laugh before the queen, ruining her debut. To hush up the scandal, Genie needs to make a brilliant marriage, and fast.  Genie's aunt hires a matchmaker to find a suitor—anyone except the infamous William Grant—but amiable Genie shows a disturbing tendency to follow her heart.  When a traitor creeps closer, threatening to ruin more than just her reputation, Genie and Grant are drawn into a dangerous world of deceit and intrigue, where losing their hearts could mean their ultimate undoing.

Here is an excerpt from the moment when everything changed for them, their first kiss.

The weather was indeed unstable, and the few raindrops were soon joined by others, until throngs of raindrops plagued them from above. The rain turned into a deluge, and Grant found it necessary to seek shelter or face death by drowning. He took Genie’s hand, and they both ran along the path. He expected complaint, as he would get from any finely bred London female, but Genie had been raised in the country and was made of sterner stuff. She merely smiled and ran along with him.
Finding a large willow tree, he ducked under the branches, pulling Genie next to him. The space was crowded with multiple branches, forcing Grant to pull her close. This was a disaster, stuck with a debutante under a tree in the torrential rain with his boots surely ruined.
Far from seeing the horror of the situation, Genie’s eyes were dancing. She screwed up her mouth, trying not to smile.
“My boots are ruined,” said Grant, stating his most pressing concern.
Genie began to laugh.
“I see you have no regard for my boots!”
“I do apologize!” said Genie between giggles. “But here we are stuck under a tree and all you can think of is your boots?”
“You would too if you knew how much they cost.”
“Yes, indeed. I did not realize they were so dear. I am sure my bonnet is quite ruined too.”
It was no great loss, but Grant said nothing. Despite the chill, he was suddenly quite warm. Genie stood next to him, close, inches away. He could touch her merely by shifting his feet. He would not, of course, but he wanted to. When was the last time he had been so attracted to a debutante of all things? When had he last been attracted to anyone this way?
Genie started to shiver, standing still in the cold. He guessed her long pelisse was borrowed from Louisa, since it was fashionable in style, but it was also made of muslin and not intended for inclement weather.
Grant put his hands on her delicate shoulders and gave them a gentle rub. “You are soaked, poor thing. Here, take my coat.”
“No, no, I couldn’t. You would be too cold.”
No, he wouldn’t. He was not cold at all. He was practically sweating he was so hot. He unbuttoned his coat, but Genie shook her head.
“Here, we can both be warm.” He opened his coat and wrapped it around her, drawing her to him.
“I do not think… is this proper?” Genie put her hands against his chest but leaned close to allow him to wrap his coat around her.
“No, not proper I fear,” confessed Grant. He was truthful, even if he was a cad. Genie felt delicious. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, reveling in her small frame, her gentle curves. She laid her cheek on his chest and he had to stifle a sigh. This was what he wanted. He wished he could stay under the tree forever, boots be damned.
His arms around her rubbed her back. He wished to reach further down but dared not; he could not let this get out of control. Yet in plain truth, it was already out of control. Genie sighed and melted into him. There was no other word for it. She fit with him—warm, soft, perfect.
Genie looked up at him, her blue eyes deep and inviting. “I am quite warm now, thank you.”
Grant was beyond warm. He prided himself on his ability to avoid complications with the gentler sex, but with Genie, he was a stupid schoolboy.
“I think it is letting up a bit. Perhaps we should try again to make it to the carriage?” Her voice was airy, her breathing fast, and he could feel every time she inhaled, pressing her bosom against him.
“Perhaps,” murmured Grant. He did not care about the carriage or his reputation or anything except the blue of her eyes and the rose pink of her lips. He leaned down closer, slowly. This was the time she should pull away, but instead, she tipped her head up to him. This could not happen; it must not. He stopped moving and yet still drew closer. As if moving of their own accord, their lips met. For one beautiful moment, he pressed his lips to hers and a tingling shock coursed through his body, energizing, waking parts of him, stinging him to life.
He pulled back slowly, taking a gulp of cool, moist air. What was he thinking?

I hope you have as much fun reading A WEDDING IN SPRINGTIME as I had writing it! I love to hear from readers so come visit me at my website, facebook, or twitter.

What was your most memorable first kiss!


Winner of Deceiving the Witch Next Door!

Congratulations to JenM! She was randomly drawn as the winner of an ebook copy of Deceving the Witch Next Door by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez. 

JenM - email me at Cheekyreads @ gmail.com so I have your email address to pass on to Entangled Publishing so they can get your the book. 

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered and don't forget to check out Melissa's book! 

Happy Reading! 
Cheeky Girl Sabrina 

Welcome Author Melissa Bourbon Ramirez & Enter to Win!

Cheeky Reads is pleased to welcome Melissa Bourbon Ramirez, author of the new release Deceiving the Witch Next Door! Melissa agreed to do an interview for our readers and is giving away an eBook copy of Deceiving the Witch Next Door to one lucky reader! 

Be sure to leave a comment on this post letting Melissa and me know if you love magical stories as much as we do! 1 comment will be randomly selected before 5pm Friday, Sept. 7th and will receive an eBook copy of Deceiving the Witch Next Door! 

Welcome Melissa!

WOULD YOU TELL US ABOUT DECEIVING THE WITCH NEXT DOOR, YOUR NEW RELEASE FROM THE COVET LINE FROM ENTANGLED PUBLISHING?     
Of course!  Thank you for having me today J  Storie Bell is a witch whose powers are fairly rooted in the natural world.  She comes back to Bloomington, Texas and has to figure out how to fit in.  But Reid Malone, a man she had a close encounter with just after high school, is also back (helping his dad with a very important task that forces him into the Storiebook CafĂ©, the business Storie just opened.  And, well, sparks fly—magical and otherwise. 

WHAT ABOUT YOUR HEROINE? WHAT THREE WORDS WOULD BEST DESCRIBE HER? 
Survivor. Resilient.  Girl-Next-Door (does that count as one word?)

NOW THAT WE KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR CHARACTERS, WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THEM THAT HAD YOU WANTING TO WRITE THAT HEA FOR THEM?
When Storie learns a truth about her mother, she goes to the lake and harnesses the power of a brewing Texas summer storm.  Clouds rolling in, thunder, lightning, and rain help ground her.  But Reid Malone is there, and he thinks she’s drowning and going to be electrocuted in lake.  I loved writing that scene and that’s when I knew Storie and Reid had to have a happily ever after.

WAS THERE A PARTICULAR SCENE THAT WAS THE MOST FUN FOR YOU TO WRITE? 
Absolutely, the mirror scene!

WHAT KEEPS YOU INSPIRED WHEN YOU'RE WRITING?
I love writing, and I love creating magical stories.  I’d love the world to have magical realism.  I like light magic, and that keeps my stories grounded in a contemporary world, and that is what keeps me inspired!

DO YOU HAVE A PROCESS YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW OR A FAVORITE PLACE TO WRITE? 
As long as I have my computer and a mocha, I’m happy and can write!  Inspiration happens…eventually.

I ALWAYS FIND THAT AUTHORS HAVE THE BEST BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS. ANYONE YOU'VE READ RECENTLY THAT YOU LOVED READING OR A NEW AUTHOR YOU'VE DISCOVERED? 
Good question!  I wish I had more time to read than I do.  I have a few standouts from the last year: Jennifer Donnelly’s Revolution and Kristen Hannah’s Night Road.  I loved them both so much!

WHERE CAN READERS FIND YOU NEXT AND IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?  
I’m working on the next book in my Magical Dressmaking cozy mystery series, A Custom Fit Crime.  Book 3, Deadly Patterns, comes out in October.  After that is my next romantic suspense, the next Deadly Legends book following Sacrifice of Passion.  Busy, busy!

About Deceiving the Witch Next Door:
Storie Bell has a little secret—she’s a witch. But magic hasn’t exactly kept her life from being a complete mess—her love life is non-existent and the town thinks she’s a total nutter. Plus there’s her neighbor Reid Malone who runs hot one minute and cold the next. 

Reid Malone can’t wait to escape Bloomington, Texas. Unfortunately, he’s stuck where he is unless he helps his father hide a very illegal secret. The only key to Reid’s freedom lies with the eccentric Storie…and he’ll do whatever it takes to get the information he needs from her. 

But Reid’s holding something back. Something big. And if he’s not careful, he’ll find out exactly what happens when you try to deceive a witch…

Also by Melissa Bourbon Ramirez:
Sacrifice of Passion
Texas rancher, Vic Vargas, finds himself facing more than his stubbornly silent son when the chupacabra, a supposedly mythical bloodsucking beast, starts killing his livestock—and stalking Delaney West, the town’s newly returned veterinary assistant, the sensual woman who ran from the altar and broke his heart twelve years earlier.

Reluctantly, he seeks her help to get to the bottom of the disturbing animal mutilations, only to have her break through to his sullen son...and rekindle the love he’d thought was lost forever. But her refusal to share a terrible secret sends her running straight into the lair of the chupacabra, plunging her back into her worst nightmare, and forcing them both to confront the wrongs of the past—in order to stay alive for the future they desperately want.
 Bare Naked Lola
Going undercover is second nature for Private Investigator Lola Cruz, but she’s out of her league when the case of a murdered Royals Courtside Dancer leads her to a local nudist resort. Parading around the sidelines of Sacramento’s professional basketball scene in a barely-there cheerleading outfit is one thing—but parading around in nothing but smile? If she has any chance of hiding this from her traditional family and on-again/off-again boyfriend Jack, she’s going to have a lot more than her duct tape bra and killer dance moves to keep under wraps…

About Melissa Bourbon Ramirez
Melissa Bourbon, who sometimes answers to her Latina-by-marriage name Misa Ramirez, gave up teaching middle and high school kids in Northern California to write full-time amidst horses and Longhorns in North Texas.  She fantasizes about spending summers writing in quaint, cozy locales, has a love/hate relationship with yoga and chocolate, is devoted to her family, and can’t believe she’s lucky enough to be living the life of her dreams.
She is the marketing director at Entangled Publishing, is the author of the Lola Cruz Mystery series with St. Martin’s Minotaur and Entangled Publishing, A Magical Dressmaking Mystery series with NAL, and is the co-author of The Tricked-out Toolbox and two romantic suspense titles.

Welcome Tom & Lexie From Ruthie Knox's New Release Ride With Me & Giveaway!

Cheeky Reads is super excited to welcome Tom and Lexie, the hero and heroine of Ruthie Knox's new contemporary romance to our site! I hope you enjoy meeting them as much as I did and don't forget to comment on their interview to enter to win a copy of their story!

How We Met: An Interview with Tom and Lexie

TOM: So what are we supposed to be talking about, again?

LEXIE: How we met, I think.

TOM [scowling]: I don’t want to talk about that.

LEXIE: Why not?

TOM: Because I was a jerk.

LEXIE: Actually, I wouldn’t say you were a jerk.

TOM [hopeful]: You wouldn’t?

LEXIE: No, I’d say you were a dick.

TOM: Oh, thanks, babe. That’s great.

LEXIE: Well, it wasn’t great at the time. It worked out okay.

TOM: I was trying to do the right thing.

LEXIE [smiling a little]: You were. You couldn’t bear to think of what might happen to me if I rode across the country by myself, so you let me ride with you. And then you wouldn’t talk to me.

TOM: You’re the one who gave me the silent treatment for three days.

LEXIE: Only because you deserved it.

TOM [reluctantly]: True. But in my defense, you’re kind of a lot to get used to. All that yammering. [smiles]

[Lexie punches Tom in the shoulder]

TOM: Plus, you were pretty awful to me, too. You told me you were married.

LEXIE: Only because you were so cocky. Like, [pitches voice low] I’m not going to sleep with you, sweetheart, so don’t even think about it.

TOM: So you were, like, Screw you, buddy, and the horse you rode in on.

LEXIE: Exactly. Except you rode in on a bike.

TOM: We both rode in on bikes.

LEXIE [smiling fondly]: Yeah. And you have such a nice ass. That was really my downfall—the view. That, and it turned out you have unforeseen charms.

TOM: I do?

LEXIE: Sure. I unearthed them. I had to dig around in your pants for a while, but—

[Tom covers Lexie’s mouth with his hand]

LEXIE: Mphm-bmbh mm hmubph mbuh.

TOM: We’re done here. They’ll have to read the book if they want to know the rest. [winks at CheekyReads] Thanks for having us.

CHEEKY [blushing]: You’re welcome. Thanks for stopping by.

[Tom pushes Lexie out of the room, keeping one hand firmly over her mouth.]

Curtain falls.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Ride with Me, available from Loveswept on February 13, 2012!


In this fun, scorching-hot eBook original romance by Ruthie Knox, a cross-country bike adventure takes a detour into unexplored passion. As readers will discover, Ride with Me is not about the bike!

When Lexie Marshall places an ad for a cycling companion, she hopes to find someone friendly and fun to cross the TransAmerica Trail with. Instead, she gets Tom Geiger — a lean, sexy loner whose bad attitude threatens to spoil the adventure she’s spent years planning.

Roped into the cycling equivalent of a blind date by his sister, Tom doesn’t want to ride with a chatty, go-by-the-map kind of woman, and he certainly doesn’t want to want her. Too bad the sight of Lexie with a bike between her thighs really turns his crank.

Even Tom’s stubborn determination to keep Lexie at a distance can’t stop a kiss from leading to endless nights of hotter-than-hot sex. But when the wild ride ends, where will they go next?

BIO


Ruthie Knox figured out how to walk and read at the same time in the second grade, and she hasn’t looked up since. She spent her formative years hiding romance novels in her bedroom closet to avoid the merciless teasing of her brothers and imagining scenarios in which someone who looked remarkably like Daniel Day Lewis recognized her well-hidden sex appeal and rescued her from middle-class Midwestern obscurity. After graduating from Grinnell College with an English and history double major, she earned a Ph.D. in modern British history that she’s put to remarkably little use.

These days, she writes contemporary romance in which witty, down-to- earth characters find each other irresistible in their pajamas, though she freely admits this has yet to happen to her. Perhaps she needs more exciting pajamas. Ruthie abhors an epilogue and insists a decent romance requires at least three good sex scenes.

GIVEAWAY - One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to win a digital copy of Ride with Me. Winners will pick up their copy through Net Galley. Good luck to all!

Welcome Authors Ros Clarke & Faye Robertson & Enter To Win 2 Holiday Romances!

Entangled Publishing is pleased to offer new imprints, Flirts and Ever Afters.  All I Want for Christmas (So nice of Mariah Carey and Justin Bieber to do the promo single for this title), by Ros Clarke, and Holly’s First Noel, by Faye Robertson, are paving the way for these two lines. We hope you enjoy our holiday gifts to you with these Christmas novellas. Flirts are priced at just .99 cents and enjoy Ever Afters for only $2.99.

Meet the authors behind the Christmas magic…

Meet Ros Clarke:
This year, I have two jobs which means two office Christmas parties.  Two Secret Santa presents bought (must remember to wrap them up).  Two menus to choose from. Two outfits to select. Two opportunities to embarrass myself in front of my work colleagues.

Fortunately, I have never embarrassed myself as much as the heroine of my Christmas novella, Anna Gardner. The office party is the one night in the year when she lets her hair down, with alarmingly predictable consequences. One too many glasses of punch and Anna always ends up at the karaoke machine. Anna has a great repertoire of Christmas classics, including Mariah Carey's hit (reprised this year with Justin Bieber!), "All I Want For Christmas Is You.”  Have you seen this fun version featuring the crew of a Royal Navy warship as they come home after eight months of deployment?  So much better than the Bieber version!


 About All I Want for Christmas:

Last night, Anna Gardner was the life of the office Christmas party—right up until she threw herself at gorgeous advertising executive playboy, Hugh Munro. Again. Last year, Hugh let her pretend their passionate kiss never happened, but this year he’s determined to make Anna admit she wants him as much as he wants her.

 Except, Hugh doesn’t know the office party is the only night of the year his friend lets her hair down. That every hour she’s away from the office is spent caring for her sickly mother. That her mother’s condition, early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, is hereditary.

When Hugh finds out what she’s been hiding, he’s forced to do some serious soul-searching. It’s not fair to Anna or her mother for him to get involved casually, but casual relationships are all he knows. Can he prove to himself—and to Anna—that she’s all he wants for Christmas?

About Ros:
Ros Clarke is a writer, a student, a church worker, a crafter, a blogger, a twitterer, a lazy gardener, and an appalling housekeeper. She is interested in almost everything except cricket and football (US and UK) and mostly she likes happy endings in fiction and in real life.


You can find Ros at her website and follow her on Twitter!
Get a copy of All I Want For Christmas at
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books On Board | Amazon UK


Meet Faye Robertson:
Coming up with a catchy title for a book is never easy, and the title for this one went through several incarnations before we settled on the final choice. I wanted something Christmas related, and liked the idea of echoing a carol. I considered setting the story in a hospital so I could call it Holly and the I.V. Actually my first idea was to echo a line in the book where Holly comments on the amount of snow that will fall overnight, but my editor assured me “Six Inches by Morning” was more of an erotica title. Likewise, I steered clear of anything to do with the North Pole and O Come all ye Faithful, not wanting to give the wrong impression.
But eventually we settled on Holly’s First Noel, and even though a dear friend has asked, “Does that mean she’s going to have a second one when she’s finished with him?” I think the title suits the story very well. It’s a sweet and sexy tale with, I hope, an uplifting emotional message—that the magic of Christmas isn’t to be found by making a traditional dinner and creating a perfect day, but that—without being too mushy—it’s what’s in your heart that counts, and love can turn any day into a celebration.

About Holly’s First Noel:
Music teacher Holly Jones is in a festive predicament. Her boyfriend just dumped her the week before Christmas, so why is she only depressed he made off with the mince pies? When the charming science teacher next door overhears the dreaded call and suggests she accompany him on his Scottish holiday retreat, she accepts, eager to spend a quiet week rediscovering herself.

Noel Coward’s wife died on Christmas Eve three years ago. To bury the memories of that day, he spends the holidays getting drunk and watching action movies—which makes him perfect company for a fellow teacher in need of solitude. Except, instead of wallowing in his grief, Noel finds himself comforted by Holly’s presence, fascinated by her mind, and after one innocent kiss, on fire for her touch. As the snow piles up outside, the temperature inside soars, while together, they discover the human heart’s amazing capacity to heal…and love.
About Faye:
Faye Robertson lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy contemporary romances for the modern woman who likes intelligent, spirited heroines, and hunky but approachable heroes. She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. She also writes romance under the name Serenity Woods.

You can find Faye at her website, on Twitter or connect on Facebook!

Get your copy of Holly’s First Noel at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books On Board | Amazon UK

So tell us, what's your favorite Christmas carol and why? Leave a comment and be entered to win an ebook of both of these awesome holiday stories!

Contest is open internationally! The contest ends at 11:59 on 12/18 and a winner will be announced 12/19 so you'll have plenty of time to read these stories while you're still in the holiday spirit!

Welcome Guest Author Beverly Jenkins & Enter The Giveaway!

Today I'm extremely excited to welcome author Beverly Jenkins to Cheeky Reads for an interview! If you don't know Beverly or her books yet, they are wonderful romances that historical romance lovers of historicals should enjoy!

Beverly has also been kind enough to offer a giveaway to one lucky Cheeky Reads reader - a copy of her historical romance Midnight! Be sure to leave a comment or ask Mrs. Jenkins a question to be entered to win. Don't forget to include your email so I can get in touch with you if you are the winner. Winner will be chosen on Monday, Nov. 7th. Open to US and Canada residents only.

Please Welcome Beverly to Cheeky Reads!

What was it about this story or characters that really called out to you to be written? My readers have been clamoring for Preacher to have his own story since he made his debut as a secondary character in my 1999 Avon release, The Taming of Jessi  Rose. The calls increased when he surfaced again in 2005 in Something Like Love, also from Avon.

Characters really make a story for me, so I always love to ask authors what three words would you use to describe your hero? Three words for Preacher – Stoic, layered, sexy

What three words best represent your heroine? Three words for Maggie – tough, resilient, dreamer

It seems this is very much the hero's story more so than the heroines. Do you find you like to write one journey more so than the other? Although from the gorgeous cover it might seem that the story is all about Preacher but in reality it’s about both lead characters.  I always try to balance my stories so that readers know the personality and motivation of both.  I’m not a big fan of lop-sided stories. J

What was your favorite part of writing Night Hawk? Any particular scenes or plot twists you couldn't wait to write? (Ok - we understand, no spoilers allowed!) Preacher is a gun toting, Bible quoting bounty hunter and I couldn’t wait to set him in motion.  Near the end of the story he tells Maggie a bedtime story that not only reveals his past but broke my heart.  Maggie shines with every scene. According to my readers,  I’ve created many memorable female leads,  but early reviews for Night Hawk rank her as one my best,  and I have to agree. She is a true force of nature.

You've authored over 30 books. How do you keep it fresh and are there any tropes you love to revist throughout your books? I keep it fresh by moving between genres.  I write historicals mostly, but I also write romantic suspense, contemporary romance, mainstream women’s fiction, and have written two YA historicals. Slipping back and forth keeps me from getting into a writing rut.

I love asking authors what they're reading and if they have any new books or authors they would recommend. Any you want to share with us? I am a BIG fantasy reader –so right now I’m on the third book in the Magic Bites series by Ilona Andrews; eagerly awaiting Jim Butcher’s next Harry Dresden installment,  and the third book in Cameron Halley’s’ Mob Rules series.  I’m also a huge Rick Riordan fan.

Where can our readers find you next? Readers can find me underground working on my next historical for Avon and working on the fifth book in my mainstream series Bring on the Blessings.  As for traveling, last spring I gave myself away as a prize to the book club that purchased the most copies of Something Old/Something New – the fourth book in the Blessings series.  A wonderful book club in Shreveport LA won me, so I’ll be visiting them in a few weeks.

Lastly, would you give our readers a little sneak peak excerpt from Night Hawk?
Excerpt:

As the train rolled into Kansas City, Maggie stared out the window at the largest depot she’d ever seen. There appeared to be more people milling around it than there were living in Dowd and Madison combined. She saw women wearing fancy traveling ensembles and carrying parasols. The gentlemen were decked out in cutaway suits of all colors and patterns and wore smart looking derby hats.  In her present filthy condition she knew she’d draw the eye of everyone within ten miles. She wanted to ask the marshal if she could get a bath before he turned her in but doubted he’d afford her such a luxury. 

As it stood,  all she could do to try and make herself presentable was attempt to tame her hair with her hands, but that was difficult because of the cuff on her right wrist attached to his left.  Raising her arm garnered a stare from him, so she explained. “I just want to try and plait my hair before we go out into the streets.”

“I don’t think it’ll much matter.”

Her lips thinned.  Ignoring him, she raised her hands to her hair again. She expected him to  protest but he didn’t so, she did what she could while his arm moved in tandem like a puppet.  When she was finished, she watched him slowly survey the results. Before he turned away, she  thought she caught a ghost of a smile cross his unshaven face. That didn’t help her mood, but there was nothing to be done about it.

 The train slowed to a stop. The other passengers grabbed the handles on their valises and carpet bags and prepared to depart.

“We’ll wait until everybody else gets off, “ he told her and placed his magazine into his saddle bag.

Maggie tersely nodded a reply while doing her best to ignore the disgusted looks the other passengers threw her way as they passed  by. She knew what she looked like. She didn’t need reminding.

“Okay. Our turn.”

Maggie scooted across the seat.  He led her off the train and out into the busy depot. 

As she and the marshal made their way, some of the travelers stopped and stared slack jawed. A buzz went through the place. Mothers grabbed their children as if the handcuffed Maggie or the tall man in black might do them harm.  One woman, wearing an expensive, bustled traveling costume looked so terrified, Maggie snarled at her like an angry puma. The woman screamed and swooned.

As people rushed to her side, the marshal didn’t break stride, but he glanced back at her satisfied face.  “Stop that.” 

“I couldn’t resist.”

“Try harder.”

“Yes, marshal.”

That earned her another look which she met unflinchingly.

While people continued to give them a wide berth, he headed to the end of the train to retrieve his horse.

“I’m going to undo the cuffs. If you run, I will find you.”

She believed him.

It was a magnificent smoke gray animal, even larger and more powerful looking than the one she’d ridden on her futile escape attempt from the sheriff. Bigelow led it down the plank and she watched as he greeted the animal with an affectionate voice. “We’ll be home soon, old boy. Promise.”

He handed her her old saddle bag that had been left behind in the straw when she and sheriff Wells were ordered off the train at gunpoint by Langley’s vigilantes. She opened it and checked the contents. Her precious red dress and shoes were inside but not her weapon  “Wells still has my Colt.”

 “You’re under arrest, you aren’t allowed firearms.”

“But it belonged to my father, “ she protested.  “That and this coat are all I have left of him.”

“Take it up with Wells next time you see him.”

“Please don’t patronize me.”

He viewed her silently for a moment.

She asked coolly, “Am I not supposed to know the meaning of the word patronize, marshal?”

“Not sure.” There was muted humor in his eyes.

“Something amusing?”

“Where’d you learn to speak so properly?”

“My father was an Oberlin graduate, and a schoolteacher before and after the war.” 

“That explains it.” He mounted his horse and offered her a hand up.  She accepted the help, and although the palm that closed over hers was rough and calloused, the grip was gentler than she’d assumed it would be.

“Hold on.” 

She wrapped her arms around the leather duster, and he reined the horse out into the streets of Kansas City

Maggie had never been to Kansas City before, so she was impressed by the modern brick buildings and all the people. She had no idea if Bigelow knew where he was going, but she stared longingly at the public bathhouse they rode past.

After another few minutes of picking their way through the thick traffic of wagons, carriages, buckboards and riders, he stopped. “We’re here.”

Maggie read Sheriff’s Office on the hand painted sign above the building’s door, and sighed resignedly. She dismounted and waited while he tied the horse’s reins to the post. 

Inside, a young man wearing a star on his red plaid flannel shirt was seated behind a desk. He eyed them curiously for a moment.  “How can I help you folks?”

“Got a prisoner for the sheriff. You him?”

“No, sir. I’m Deputy Peterson. Sheriff Nash is out with a posse. Bank was robbed this morning” The kid’s eyes slowly widened. “Why you’re the Preacher! I’ve seen your picture in the newspapers!”

Maggie glanced up at the marshal. Was he a famous lawman then? And why was he called Preacher?  She rememberd him quoting scripture before opening fire on Langely but she didn’t know any men of god who could wield a firearm  the way he had.

He didn’t speak to any of that however. “Dowd’s Sheriff Wells wants her kept here until the circuit judge comes around. Vigilantes are giving him problems.”

“Sheriff’s going to be real upset that he didn’t get to meet you.”

From the marshal’s stony set features, the deputy seemed to understand that Bigelow was there on business and nothing more. “Um, what’s she charged with?”

“Accidental death.”

“Can’t take her.”

“Why not?”

 “Under instructions not to put anybody in the jail. Sheriff wants the cell empty so he can throw the bank robbers in when he gets back.”

“And that’ll be?”

The deputy shrugged. “The men he’s after are supposed to be heading to Indian Territory so, maybe be a week, two, maybe three.” His eyes brushed Maggie. “Besides, we don’t have any place to put a woman. Try the sheriff in Abilene. Maybe he can take her.”

The deputy paused and grinned. “I can’t believe I’m talking to one of the most famous bounty hunters in the west. Heard Hanging Judge Parker down at Ft. Smith made you a marshal, too.”

 He didn’t speak to that either. “Dowd wanted me to leave her here.”

“I understand that sir, but you can’t.”

“Is there a marshal in town?”

“Yep. He’s with the posse.”

Maggie wanted to cheer, but kept her face  impassive as stone.

“Try Abilene,” the deputy repeated. “Sorry.”

Bigelow turned to go.  “Thanks.”

 Maggie followed him back out to the street.   She waited to see what he might propose next, but before he could, they heard a woman shout accusingly, “You!”

Maggie’s eyed widened at the sight of Minerva Quigley barreling down the walk towards them.

“I want that heathen arrested!” Minerva demanded angrily.

Ian sighed. Now what?  “Afternoon, ma’am. Is there a problem?” She was glaring at his prisoner with such vehemence  he was surprised there wasn’t steam pouring out from beneath her ugly straw bonnet. His prisoner appeared calm, but there was a hint of icy humor in her gaze.

“Somebody get the sheriff! I want her arrested!”

“She’s in custody, ma’am.”

You’re a lawman?”

“United States Deputy Marshal,” he said hoping that would deflate whatever this might be about.

The doubt on her face was plain. In many areas of the country, men of color were not allowed to wear a star, and those that did were sometimes forbidden to arrest Whites. Judge Isaac Parker didn’t follow the practice.  

By then a number of people on the walks had stopped to see what was occurring, including the young deputy who’d stepped outside to investigate the commotion.

“Why’s she in custody?” Minerva demanded to know.

“None of your damned business!” the Freeman woman responded.  

Hearing that, Minerva puffed up like an outraged hen. “Don’t you dare talk to your betters that way.” She raised her parasol as if to strike her for her insolence only to have the parasol snatched from her hands and thrown forcefully out into the street where it promptly struck a teamster in the head innocently driving by. The unexpected blow caught him so by surprise he lost control of his four horse team. They reared and spooked another team pulling a load of wagon wheels, which ran into a team of bays hooked to a fancy coach, that careened directly into the path of an ice wagon that lost its load and sent a buckboard skittering up onto the crowded walk where people scrambled to get out the way. Arguments broke out as drivers confronted each other over their wrecked vehicles, spilled cargos, and runaway horses, and then fisticuffs commenced. The young deputy tried to instill order by firing his gun in the air, which of course only caused more horses to rear in fear and more collisions ensued.

A speechless Ian stared down at the woman who’d caused it all.  She met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

A short while later when things began to settle down, Minerva Quigley turned to accuse Maggie Freeman of starting the disaster, but she and the marshal were no longer there.

Thank you Beverly! Don't forget to comment to be entered to win a copy of Beverly's book Midnight!

You can find out more about Beverly, her books and buy links at her website.

Smart Bitches Live Chat Today!

I received this awesome news from Sourcebooks, the publisher of Everything I Know About Love I Learned From Romance Novels:

This Thursday, October 6, you can chat with Sarah Wendell, author of Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels on the Sony eReader Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ReaderStore. The chat will begin at 3:30 pm EST and last about an hour.

Sarah will be chatting about her new book, Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels, in stores this month! Come with your questions about romance fiction, relationships, or anything you’ve always wanted to ask Sarah. 

For more information, you can follow us on Twitter:

Danielle @SourcebooksCasa
Sarah @SmartBitches
Sony @SonyReaderStore

And check out the Sony Facebook Page www.facebook.com/ReaderStore, Sarah’s page http://www.facebook.com/TrashyBooks and the Everything I Know About Love… page http://www.facebook.com/EverythingIKnow.

Seriously Romance Peeps - I'm sure this is going to be a hilarious and fun chat with Sarah! Be sure to join in. :)

Happy Chatting!
Cheeky Girl Sabrina

Welcome Guest Author Cate Lord & Enter to Win Lucky Girl!

I'm pleased to welcome author Cate Lord to Cheeky Reads today! Cate recently released Lucky Girl, a Chick-Lit story with loads of romance and is stopping by to tell us more about it and chat with readers. Don't forget to leave a comment or question for Cate and you'll be entered to win an eBook copy of Lucky Girl - open internationally!

Here's the lowdown on the story:

Jessica Devlin isn’t looking for love. Heartbroken after being dumped by her unfaithful ex-fiancĂ©, she’s determined to have a fabulous time during her vacation in England where she’ll be maid-of-honor at her cousin’s wedding. After working overtime as beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine, avoiding dating, and putting on ten pounds, Jess is ready to toss her past like an empty lipstick tube and party like a single gal.

But when she steps into the church on her cousin’s wedding day, she sees the one man who could sabotage her plan—James-Bond-gorgeous Nick Mondinello. She’s never forgotten the London marketing exec who held her in his arms after her beloved grandfather’s funeral two years ago. Ambitious, and lusted after by women everywhere, Nick is completely wrong for guarded, Plain Jane Jess.

Could Spy Man Nick ever fall for her? Nope. Not unless Jess is one lucky girl.

Welcome Cate!

This is your first Chick-Lit book, but it still has a strong romance storyline. Did you find it difficult to change genres or was it fun to blend the two? It was a lot of fun, actually! J I saw Lucky Girl as a healthy creative challenge. While the book is written in first person like most Chick Lit novels, and has a Chick Lit tone, I wanted the story to be a romance. The tricky part was to make the hero, Nick, multi-dimensional, when all we know about him is revealed through Jess and thus is highly subjective. Hopefully readers will get a good idea of Nick’s swoon-worthy character and will love the book as much as I adored writing it.
Characters really make the story for me. What 3 words would best describe your heroine & what about her called out to you to write her story?

I’d describe Jess as insecure, quirky, and loyal. She represents all of the issues modern women deal with: weight, appearance, finances, dating, workplace politics, fashion disasters, family conflicts, and more. I love to write stories about wounded characters who are “healed” through love. Jess is one such character. The issues she confronts—usually in a funny, self-deprecating way—are part of her journey to overcoming heartbreak, regaining her self-worth, and finding true love. By the end of the book, she’s “whole” again.

Part of this story takes place in Orlando, FL and part takes place in England. Did you get to travel to England for research? Was it fun to write a contemporary story not totally set in the US?

I didn’t travel to England specifically to do research for Lucky Girl. I lived and studied in the UK for a year (when I met my husband), and I drew upon some of my personal experiences to write about Jess. Since my husband is British, and he and I have relatives in England, we travel there every year or two. I always thoroughly immerse myself in the local culture (it’s a great excuse to stuff my face with Cadbury chocolate, clotted cream and scones! Yum!)

Yes, it was fun to write a contemporary novel that was mostly set outside the US. That helped to provide humor for the story.
What else do you have in store for readers and where can they find you next? I’m mulling over the possibility of a follow-on book to Lucky Girl. Jess’s cousins were fun secondary characters, and I’d love them to be heroines in their own books. I’m also working on two paranormal novels—one contemporary and one historical. I encourage readers to visit my website for updates on my books and appearances: http://www.catelord.com

I think authors are the best people to ask this question - What have you read and loved lately? Any newbie authors or books you would recommend?
I haven’t done much reading lately; my schedule’s been too full. I have several books by friends published by Entangled Publishing, though, in my to-be-read pile, and can’t wait to have some free time to start reading them.

 
Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers about you, your books or even where to connect with you online?
I love interacting with readers. I really appreciate when they leave comments on my blog posts and I have a chance to connect with them. Readers, after all, are very special people to us authors. J Readers can also connect with me via
Facebook and Goodreads.

Thanks so much for the interview! I enjoyed the questions.
Thank you Cate!
Ok readers - what questions do you have for Cate? Leave a question or comment below and you'll be entered to win an ebook copy of Lucky Girl!