Sarah Richmond's Blog, page 4

Bad Company by Sarah Richmond

New Release coming soon from Ellora's Cave Blush:
Bad Company
ISBN: 9781419947537Blush/Romantic Suspense
Pub. Date: Coming soon 
A fatal helo crash leaves Dylan Flannagan with terrible injuries. He blames himself for the accident and withdraws from family and friends. A year later he checks himself into a clinic to beat his addiction to pain pills. When Maddy Gillette offers him a job at her movie theater as a night watchman, Dylan knows she’s just another do-gooder trying to help him walk the straight and narrow. He takes the job, having run out of options.
    Maddy’s brother is in federal prison for drug smuggling. She hires people with substance abuse issues as a way of countering the damage her brother has done. They are a big, happy family, she tells Dylan, a notion he rejects.     When one of Maddy’s employees goes missing, she enlists Dylan’s help. He knows it’s a mistake for Maddy to rely on him, but he feels good being in the hunt.    Their search ends with another death, and Dylan must face his demons. He’s not the man he used to be. Maddy won’t let him take the low road and he realizes how important she is to him. When she agrees to cooperate with the authorities to find a killer, Dylan has her back.

Rosy's Story: Brides of Serendipity

                                                              Available for your Nook or Kindle

                                                                          Chapter OneSix rapid blasts shattered the morning’s calm. When Rosamund Sherry heard the shots she pushed the frying pan to the back of the stove. Jake had taken breakfast down to Will Cannon and the prisoner, a youngster from St. Louis who’d been caught stealing a horse out of Mr. Beaver’s livery. The shots came from that direction.She hurried to the front door. Her hand rested on the doorknob, trembling from the known and unknown. Her husband of five months, the Sheriff of Ragtown, Churchill County, State of Nevada, carried his father’s LeMat double barrel nine shot. His deputy, Will, packed a Navy Colt. Six shots meant a gunfight. Somebody was hurt or worse.Jake had told her time and time again to stay inside when she heard shots ring out. This corner of Nevada was a land that resisted taming, he’d warned her. Lawless men roamed these hills and valleys and they found a settlement of law-abiding citizens easy prey.So Rosamund left the door closed and locked it. Taking a seat in her parlor, she wrung her hands instead.From the window she saw Cal Turner’s boy, Jason, run up the street carrying his pa’s Winchester. The look of determination on his face matched the growing dread that gripped Rosamund. As agonizing as the sound of gunfire was, the waiting that followed tested the most patient person’s resolve. Rosamund Sherry had never been patient.Jason Turner slipped into the Mercantile, his first concern to check on the safety of his mother and father. Jason, even at the tender age of twelve, wouldn’t ignore his duty to defend his town and family.Rosamund hadn’t objected when Jake told her he wanted to leave Virginia behind and take up a new life out West. The War had damaged them all and he wanted a fresh start in a place where he could keep the peace.The lawlessness that came with the push westward was being tamed by men like her husband, seasoned in battle and decent to their core.The town, called of all things Ragtown, had grown up around fresh water, a tiny oasis that the wagon trains heading West made for before their ascent over the Sierra Nevada mountains into California.The town had been swept away by the Carson River in the spring of 1862. Settled by folks with determination and grit, the citizens of Ragtown built again and shaped the land to yield harvests and created a place that withstood nature’s fury. Now in the year of our Lord, 1871, in the renewal that was spring, Jake and Rosamund decided this was a good place to settle down and raise a family.155Sarah RichmondRosamund fidgeted with the hem of her apron. She hadn’t thought she’d take to domestic life but cooking over the cast-iron stove and keeping her own home made her happy. She’d added her own feminine touches to the house Jake built but cooking gave her the most pleasure. Seeing her husband’s face light up when he sat down to a home cooked meal gladdened her heart.Where was Jake? Why hadn’t he come home to reassure her everything was all right?Rosamund couldn’t abide the waiting any longer. She put on her bonnet and checked her appearance in the hall mirror. She didn’t recognize herself. She was no longer a belle of the South, a girl in hoop skirts and silk finery but a pioneer woman in calico and sensible shoes.Despite Jake’s warning and knowing full well he’d be angry, Rosamund opened the door. The street was empty. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Her nerves tingled but she had to know what had happened.She walked as quickly as decorum would allow to the side street where they’d built the jailhouse. People hid in the doorways of their businesses. The window of the Mercantile was crowded with faces straining to see. She turned the corner and saw a covey of men mingled outside the sheriff’s office. When she arrived at Jake’s office, she maintained an outward appearance of calm and civility toward the crowd of men, two qualities she’d learned from her mother. A lady never rushed and she remembered her manners at every occasion.When the men recognized her, they stepped back and gave her ample room to make her way up the steps to the boardwalk. They clutched their hats to their chests, a gesture she found endearing in this rough-and-tumble crowd.She reached the closed door, aware of the eerie silence. She was aware of her own ragged breathing and the pounding of her heart as she looked back at the men for an explanation. No one spoke and the men bowed their heads.She lifted the cast-iron latch on the door of the sheriff’s office. The door squeaked on tired hinges.Dr. McKinnon was putting his instruments into his black leather bag. He didn’t look up to greet her. Will Cannon stood next to him.Jake had been laid out on the big oak desk he’d been given by the retiring sheriff, Henry Barrett, before he and his wife left to visit her family in the old country.His eyes were half open. She expected him to break out into that lazy smile that made her feel special.There was no recognition in his eyes. There’d be no gentle admonishment that everything was all right and she shouldn’t have come.The smile and the kind spirit had been silenced forever. Jake’s shirt was riddled with holes the size of Liberty dimes. His gun wasn’t in its holster, which hung over his chair.156Brides of SerendipityShe gazed inquiringly at Will but he looked away. Jake’s gun should be there. Why wasn’t his gun in his holster?Rosamund was conscious of the odor of gun powder and blood. She didn’t cover her nose with her delicate, lacy handkerchief, which she kept in her pocket when the odors of the rural town became unbearable. She wanted to remember this smell.“I’m sorry,” Will said, at last, putting his hand on her shoulder.Rosamund shook out of his grasp, his consolation unbearable. Her hands tightened into fists.“The Kid got a jump on us,” Will explained. “I don’t know how. It happened real fast. Jake didn’t have a chance.”Rosamond’s eyes stung from hot tears and her lower lip trembled. She didn’t believe him. Jake wouldn’t be so careless.“Take her home,” Dr. McKinnon said.A firm hand grasped her waist. She allowed this liberty. Her legs had turned to cornmeal mush and her mind went cloudy as the walls of the room closed in and shock claimed her.Jason Turner burst into the room, his face and neck dappled red, all twelve years of him ready for a fight.Rosamund didn’t want the boy to see Jake like this. She stepped away from Will Cannon to block the view of her husband.“Will you walk me home?” Rosamund asked with control and some semblance of decorum.Jason searched the faces of the men in the room and then nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”Rosamund took his arm. Jason straightened to his full height and tucked the rifle under his other arm. With as much dignity as she could muster, they left the body of the only man she ever loved to the consideration of those he’d vowed to serve and protect.

Excerpt from A Most Ineligible Suitor

A Most Ineligible Suitor by Sarah RichmondMontlake RomanceExcerpt
The railway station was teeming with people. She searched for the ticket agent but stopped abruptly when she saw a familiar figure pacing in front of a stone bench, his head bent, his arms clasped behind him. Edward had arrived ahead of her. How her spirit soared to see him. At the same time she wondered why he was here. When he saw her, his dark, brooding countenance disappeared, replaced by a generous smile. She hurried to meet him, clinging to her hat, hoping beyond hope that he was here to take her home. His hand touched her gloveless hand as he reached to take her valise. Sparks raced to her core.“How did you know I’d be here,” she rasped. Her voice failed her as did her decorum. She flung her arms around his neck and embraced him.“I didn’t but I’m happy to have found you,” he whispered for her and her alone to hear.She drew back and gazed into his eyes. They had a moment before decisions must be made, of alternatives sought out and discussed. She would never forget this moment when they found each other.“I’m so sorry,” she said.“For what?”“For involving you in such a sordid matter.”“You did nothing wrong,” he said.“So you do believe me?”“I regret doubting you. It is in my nature.”Again she saw the gentle curve of his mouth, a suggestion of happiness. She sensed no fear in him. She’d been terrified, but he was reassuring her that her fears were unfounded.The sound of a steam whistle in the distance alerted her to the arrival of the next train. The milling crowd picked up their cases and parcels and crowded together on the platform. A little man wearing a blue jacket and cap waved frantically at them to step back from the track.“We must hurry,” Marjorie said. “Have you brought money for a ticket?”“Tickets won’t be necessary,” he said. “The police are satisfied you are innocent.”“But how?”He offered her his arm and she accepted. He steered her to the empty stone bench. “Sit down, Marjorie,” he said. “I’ve something important to tell you.”She heard the whistle of the approaching train and saw great puffs of smoke belching upward. “The train to Naples is almost here,” she said. “I want to be on it, to go home where I belong.”“Hear me out,” he said. “If you wish to return to England, I will understand.” “Yes, I believe you are the most understanding man I’ve ever met.”Mothers called to their children, and she heard their eager cries of excitement as the train squealed to a stop and sighed. People in the train lowered their windows and waved madly to those on the platform. People were getting on the train. Marjorie wouldn’t be one of them.She sat down on the bench shaded by a row of tall cypress. He took a seat beside her and reached for her hand. She held on to him with complete trust. His expression was very somber.Instantly, she became apprehensive. All was not well. He’d told her the police no longer considered her a suspect. What else could possibly be the matter?

New title with Montlake Romance

Sarah Richmond is now a Montlake Romance author. Find A Most Ineligible Suitor at Amazon.com this fall.

"Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing

I will be autographing copies of 'Dulcie Crowder Gets Her Man' on Wednesday, July 25 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center Ballroom (third floor). Please join me and four hundred other romance authors for this fun event.

Proceeds go to ProLiteracy Worldwide, Read Orange County and Literacy Volunteers--Huntington Valley.

Excerpt from DULCIE CROWDER GETS HER MAN

  CHAPTER ONE                          Hangtown, California, 1854

     Deputy Sheriff Tom Walker spotted the corner of the black ace peeking out from under Willie Crowder’s frayed sleeve, but he didn’t let on he knew the old boy was fixing to end the evening with a winning hand.     Willie laid four aces on the table as easy as you please and looked up at Tom with a twinkle in his eye. Tom shook his head and threw down his cards. “You’ve cleaned me out,” he said. “I never did see a man with such a string of good luck.”     Willie chuckled as if he and lady luck were on intimate terms. He scooped up his winnings into a hefty pile.     “Another cup of coffee?” Tom stood and stretched.      “Don’t mind if I do,” Willie said with a voice full of gravel. He drained his mug and handed it over.     Tom exited through the open cell door and poured two mugs full. The coffee had brewed for hours on the cast iron stove and was as thick as creek mud.     The sky had gone from black to gray and a few birds were twittering, but Tom refrained from looking at his watch. Willie was going to hang at eight o’clock. Jasper would be along when the time was ready.Hangtown had begun to settle down into respectability, the hangman’s noose being the preferred way to deal with criminals of all stripes. Dang it all if he hadn’t taken a liking to old Willie, a fatal flaw in a lawman sworn to bring law and order to the El Dorado. He handed Willie his mug.“I’ll send over to the Blue Stocking for some bacon and eggs,” Tom said, leaning against the iron bars of the cell.Willie scratched his stomach. “Not for me, I’m off my feed.”“Suit yourself,” Tom replied with understanding. Willie never wasted a drop of water or a crumb of his food. He didn’t intend to make an exception this morning.Willie took out a dirty square of kerchief from his frayed shirt pocket and gathered up his winnings.“Sheriff, I do have one last request.” “Shoot,” Tom said. He was the deputy sheriff. He’d corrected Willie a time or two but the old man insisted on the promotion.“A small claim, my mule and a Kentucky smooth bore flintlock are the full extent of my worldly belonging, along with this cash money.” He nodded at the handkerchief tied up in a bundle. “I’ve left my daughter up at the claim. Could you take the mule and weapon to her?”“This is the first you’ve mentioned you took a wife and had a child,” Tom said.“My Mrs. died birthing. Dulcie is all the kin I’ve got.” Willie warmed his hands on the mug and became thoughtful. “I reckon I could’ve done better by both of them.”It was the only regret Willie’d given voice to.Tom was more than willing to help him. “Don’t you worry about your girl. I’ll go fetch her and bring her into town.”Willie should’ve looked relieved but doubt creased his forehead. “Fair warning, Sheriff. Dulcie has a mind of her own. She’ll not take kindly to any suggestions she’s not capable.”“A girl shouldn’t be alone with desperadoes wandering these hills,” Tom reminded him. “I don’t think she’ll take to city ways,” Willie said.“She’ll need supplies one of these days. She’ll have to make the acquaintance of Hangtown sooner or later.”Willie rubbed his scrawny beard, salted with stiff white hairs. “I reckon you’re right.” Tom knew the old boy prided himself on being self-reliant and was as tough minded as any man he’d come across. No doubt Willie’s daughter was more of the same. As a deputy and as a man, Tom had a natural inclination to protect women folk, and he was confident his use of Walker charm would coax Willie’s daughter to safer surroundings.     Willie slurped his coffee. “She’ll be as angry as a hornet at what I’ve done,” he said. “After she grieves, of course.”     “Losing a loved one is never easy,” Tom answered. He emptied his mug and stepped back from the cell to let Willie mull over what must be a heavy heart. 

Easter Egg Hunt

Welcome to the start of our amazing Read2Review Treasure Hunt.

What you can win:Lots of free prizes.

This contest will run March 1st - April 8th. All entries must be submitted by April 8.

To enter please visit these websites and collect letters behind hidden Easter Eggs.

To enter the Grand Prize on 8th April you will need to collect 39

letters hidden on the different sites through the tour.

Starting March 1 at Read2Review!

Please check out the following list and be sure to collect the other

letters to be eligible for our mammoth grand prize packages - trust me you

do not want to miss out on the packages!

Avery Olive - March 2nd

Kid Lit Reviews - March 3rd

Keith Rommel - March 4th

Dina Rae - March 5th

Harrie Brooks - March 6th

Trisha Wilson – Author - March 7th

Tween and Teen Books - March 8th

Cassandra Carr – Hot Romance with Heart - March 9th

Lex Valentine, Author - March 10th

Empowered to Prosper - March 11th

jessINK - March 12th

Zenobia Renquist - March 13th

Danielle Gavan - March 14th

Philia Book Tours - March 15th

Bone Dressing - March 16th

Laura Braley - March 17th

Brewing Passion - March 18th

Lisa Bilbrey - March 19th

Under the Hat of MG and YA Fantasy Author Rebecca Ryals Russell - March 20th

Jen Wylie’s Blog - March 21st

JK Coi - March 22nd

Michele Richard - March 23rd

Adventure Unleashed - March 24th

Pandragon Dan - March 25th

Close Encounters with the Night Kind - March 26th

Elizabeth Lawrence - March 27th

Wendy Cartmell Author of the Sgt Major Crane Novels - March 28th

Sidney Bristol - March 29th

Suzanne Rock, Author - March 30th

Amber Skyze - March 31st

My World - April 1st

Sandra Bunino: Sweet. Sexy. Sensual. Romance - April 2nd

Cece reading and writing safari - April 3rd

Paper Crane Books - April 4th

Sarah Richmond–Take a Journey -April 5th

Renaissance Romance Publishing - April 6th

Ami Blackwelder’s Novels - April 7th

Read 2 Review - April 8th

Good luck to everyone who enters and lets have some fun.

From the back cover of "Dulcie Crowder Gets Her Man"

After her father’s death, Dulcie Crowder leaves their El
Dorado claim and travels to Hangtown. Her aim is
matrimony and she sets her hat for the handsome deputy, Tom Walker. When Tom balks,
she knows why. He wants a woman he can be proud to walk beside, so Dulcie tries
hard to transform herself into a lady.

Tom has vowed to bring law and order to the hardscrabble gold
rush town and knows Hangtown is no place for a wife and family. As Dulcie tries
to turn his head and win his heart, he notices. So do the hoards of other lonely
men in their community.

Dulcie finds out her father was hung for murder and Tom is
the one who put the noose around his neck. She has to dig deep for forgiveness
and wonders if the citizens of Hangtown will ever accept her as one of them.
The Vigilance Society is ready to run her and other strangers out of town.
There’s an election coming up and the head of the Society is standing for
Sheriff.

When Dulcie discovers corruption in the judiciary during the
trial of a friend, she naturally turns to Tom. The deputy looks for evidence
but Dulcie has other ideas on how to catch a varmint. As they both work for
justice, will she jeopardize her chances of getting her man?

Dulcie Crowder Gets Her Man

Sarah Richmond announces the December 15, 2011 release of "Dulcie Crowder Gets Her Man" from Avalon Books.

Dearest Reader:Rose Adagio is now available to transport ...

Dearest Reader:

Rose Adagio is now available to transport you back to the Edwardian Age. Meet the three Wainwright sisters as they vie for the attention of a very eligible Earl of Westhaven. Find Rose Adagio at Cerridwen Press, the mainstream division of Ellora's Cave.

Wishing you a sumptuous feast and blessings at Thanksgiving,

Sarah Richmond