Cate Masters's Blog, page 49

Cover Reveal: Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome-pure catnip to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...


Amazon Kindle Pre-Order http://www.amazon.com/Hard-As-Gets-Ink-ebook/dp/B00BATNM50/ref=la_B004XMNF6W_1_4_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1363991714&sr=1-4
Amazon Paperback Pre-Order http://www.amazon.com/Hard-As-It-Gets-Ink/dp/0062267884/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1363991714&sr=1-4
Nook Pre-Order Coming Soon http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hard-as-it-gets-laura-kaye/1114298655
Add to Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17331433-hard-as-it-gets



 
About Laura Kaye

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of nearly a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. Shelives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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Rites of Spring winners! Two nice reviews, too

I hope everyone enjoyed the Rites of Spring blog hop! I love being part of such a great giveaway.
The Grand Prize winners have been announced! 
1st Place: Kindle Fire  - Entry #4 Karl
2nd Place: $50 Amazon gift certificate  - Entry #187 Chum B. Thanks to everyone who commented on my blog, too! Your responses made me wish for warm weather, bird song and flowers. I can't wait to start planting again. It will have to wait, because we're due for more snow here tomorrow, ugh! At least it's good reading (and writing) weather! So without further delay, I'll announce the winner of my giveaway - winner's choice of either of my Decadent 1NS stories:
magic5905
I'll email you today, magic (love that email address, btw).  New reviews! Last week, I had a nice surprise - well, two actually! Two reviews for my fun futuristic fairy tale, The Twelve Dancing, Zombie-Killing Princesses. Dark Divas Reviews gave it 5 stars, and a Recommended Read! Woot! The reviewer said: I love fairy tales and zombies, usually not together, but when I saw The 12 Dancing Zombie Killing Princesses I couldn’t help myself. The 12 Dancing Zombie Killing Princesses is a short story and I finished it in just a few hours, but boy is there a lot going on. Lots of action, and romance. The zombies in this book aren’t your run of the mill undead, which Will and Meilin figure out quite fast. The plot sucked me in, moving fast and keeping me entertained as well as on the edge of my seat. Each new development pulled me deeper into the story wanting to know what was going to happen and if they would save Meilin’s family.You can read the full review here.  
Julie's Book Reviews gave it 4 stars!The reviewer said: This is a short book about Will, who returns to City from war wants to become a zombie fighter, on his way home he encounters the 12 adopted daughters of the city's mayor who appear to have some plans of their own ...I found it easy to slip into the authors world and also liked the way she humanised the zombies even if they are the bad guys!I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.You can read the full review here.
I'm always grateful when a reviewer takes the time to read my work. But it's such a thrill when they love it!  Have a great Sunday, everyone!  

Happy Spring!

I know, I know! If you live in the Northeast at all, you're making nasty gestures about now. Spring? But Mother Nature just dumped two inches of snow on us! Arrgh!
Despite it all, Spring has arrived. Mother Nature can pull all the pranks she likes but it won't stop the temps from finally warming, the robins and the hummingbirds and the butterflies from returning.
March 20 is the official first day of Spring! To celebrate, I'm part of the Rites of Spring blog hop.  Thanks to Jessica E. Subject and Heather Long for putting it all together.

First anythings in a relationship can be so magical. For immortals, in more ways than one! For Death and Azrael, it took an eternity (well, almost) to finally have a first one-on-one conversation. Both so busy with their duties as soul gatherer and patron angel of the dead and dying, they never bothered to look past the other's exterior.
Not until Azrael's promotion put them in daily contact did he work up the nerve to ask her out for a drink at The Nethers, the inter-realm bar. He'd always had a thing for her - at a distance. Once he got up-close-and-personal, he was smitten forever.
Death always assumed because Azrael took his duties so seriously, and never took time to have fun, that he was a stuffed shirt. She mistook his shyness for aloofness, his professionalism for coldness.Their first personal conversation revealed a much different male than the persona he projected. It shattered all her assumptions. Once the walls between them came down, they saw each other for who they truly were. Just like mortals, all they needed to do was open up and communicate.


MY GIVEAWAY
Winner's choice of either of my two 1NS releases:- A Hard Day's Knight (fantasy)- Tonight You Belong to Me (contemporary)
To enter: Leave a comment telling me what you love most about spring! Be sure to include your email address.
TWO GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAYS!
Kindle Fire (international)
$50 Amazon.com gift certificate
To enter: All you have to do is sign in (through Facebook or your email) to the link below (or if it's not showing, click here), and press the green enter button after you comment. That's it! Easy peasy - do that and you're entered.
Find the rest of the participants here:
http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=10037

http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=10037" a Rafflecopter giveaway target="_blank">Click here to find the rest of the participants in the Rites of Spring blog hop!http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a63a7d14/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveawaycloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cpt...

Want a $50 gift card to an online book store?

Come join me Thursday at Bitten by Books, where there's always a fantastic party going on. Death, party girl that she is, will be there, too. The event goes live at 12:00 Central time, so I'll update the post with the link when I have it.
If you're able to RSVP before Thursday, you'll gain an extra 25 entries! Go to: http://bittenbybooks.com/62300/author-cate-masters-interview-and-50-00-gift-card-contest-314-rsvp-here/ and enter RSVP in the comments section, then mention your RSVP when you come back on Thursday.
Good thing Death's a multitasker, because she and I will also be at Julie's Book Reviews on Thursday. I hope you can pop over and say hi: juliesbookreviw.blogspot.com

Free till Sunday for Read an Ebook Week

Happy Read an Ebook Week!
To celebrate, I'm making my contemporary romance, Going with Gravity, free till Sunday.
Enter code QE88Y at Smashwords.
Going with Gravity was a 2011 EPIC finalist, and reviewers have described it as: “so compelling I did not want to put it down. The sexual encounters were sizzling and the ending was unexpected. There were moments of poignant emotional conflict.” 
And “What happens is what storybook romances are made of and what everyone hopes for in their lives. But, you will have to read this romantic and heartwarming novel to learn just when and why Allison realizes she might have met the right man, and why Wes made sure to meet her on that fateful flight. “
I hope you'll read it, and enjoy it. 
Please, if you do download and read it, leave a review. Authors depend on your feedback to help spread the word if you liked their work! Thank you.

Bloggers Help Paws With a Cause blog hop

This is a blog hop dear to my heart! It benefits not only dogs, but people as well.

Lily, my Australian cattle dog/terrier, is a rescue dog - and such an amazing sweetheart. I was heartbroken after the sudden loss of Benji, our border collie/lab, and couldn't imagine another dog filling my heart the way he had. My niece emailed me photo after photo of puppies in rescue shelters who needed homes.  When I saw this pic of her, something clicked. I fell in love and wanted Lily. I emailed the shelter, and was turned down! I live in central Pennsylvania, a problem for Coming Home Rescue, which is in NJ. They are very protective of their pups, and like to do follow-ups. I pleaded and promised to send pictures to prove Lily was doing great. They relented, and we drove three hours to pick her up.

Once there, I understood why Lily's caregiver had grown so attached. Not only because Lily's so wonderful, but because Lily and her brother Sarge had been part of a litter infected with parvo, often fatal for dogs. This woman stayed with them night and day, nursing them back to health. She was in tears that day, and so was I.

Lily and Sarge were two of thousands of Australian cattle dogs abandoned in the South and brought North to find homes. Cattle dogs are herders, so we had to train Lily not to nip at us to "herd" us, lol. But she's such a pleasant dog, more than tolerant of the sometimes rough love my grandboys give her. It's hard to describe the connection I feel to her.

Isn't she beautiful? :)


So I'm more than happy to help raise money for Paws With a Cause, a wonderful organization that trains assistance dogs to help disabled people nationally. 
Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.  PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.  Paws With A Cause 4646 South Division Wayland, MI 49348
How to donate1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate. 
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! You're all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please state how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. You're all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

Main Giveaway

4 winners will be selected for the main giveaway!- 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store- 2 huge boxes of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies and Bitten by Paranormal Romance for US residents only




 

Shawna Thomas Spills the Beans

Hi! So glad to have you at Spilling the Beans, where we can learn a little bit about you, and your book. Grab a cappuccino and let’s chat. Unless you have another favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? A cappuccino is great. My go-to drink is always coffee and if I’m indulging, it’s coffee with a little caramel and lots of whipped cream.
Fur or feathers, petwise? Fur! Although I’ve had birds and loved them, I’m a sucker for a feline or canine friend.
I'm the same way. :) Any pet peeves? One thing that really burns your biscuits? LOL I have so many. I’m a very busy mom of seven so its not surprising that time management is my thing. Not being able to find something I’m looking for is a sure fire way to irritate the dickens out of me. I hate wasting time looking for something that should be Right. There.
Seven? Wow - kudos on finding any writing time! What’s your guilty pleasure? Sitting with my husband in the evenings, watching tv and falling half asleep. (I really should be working because the house is quiet.)
What’s your ideal day like? LOL An average ideal day or vacation-type day? Let’s see: Wake up, get the kiddos breakfast and off to school, play with baby, put her down for a nap. Work for an hour or two, fix baby lunch, play with her, get the kids from school, do homework, put baby down for a nap, fix dinner, work for an hour, eat dinner, baths-stories and bedtime, snuggle with husband on the couch... it never quite works out that way. My newest baby seems to have been born with the I-don’t-need-sleep gene. Seriously, we’ve taken her to the doctor... I’m lucky if she takes one 20 minute nap a day. An ideal vacation day? Bike riding along the coast with my husband, stopping at a dozen little stores, eating at a small café, then going back to our hotel room.
If you could live out any fantasy, what would you do? LOL Honestly, I think the ideal vacation day above pretty much sums it up. Yup, I’m a bit boring. On the other hand, I’d love to wake up one morning to find out my books are on the NYT best seller lists.
Ah yes, The Dream. :) Beethoven, Beatles, Foo Fighters or Keith Urban (what type(s) of music makes you rock out)? Oh Mozart, Beethoven, Breaking Benjamin, Red, 30 Seconds to Mars and yes I love the Foo Fighters. My tastes in music are pretty diverse.
Does music influence your writing? Do you have a music playlist for your book? Absolutely. Music gets me in the mood to write--helps me sink deeper in to character. Yes, I do have a playlist for each of the books. I recently did a guest blog about that very thing on RL Naquin’s blog.  http://www.rlnaquin.com/2013/02/music-manuscripts-and-magic/
Which of your characters would you most/least want to hang out with, and why? I think Sara/Ilythra. It may sound odd but I’ve known her for over ten years but I’d really like to sit down with her and pick her brain. I’d least want to hang out with Bredych. I actually had a fairly scary dream about him once.
While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned? I did a lot of research for these books. I studied herbal healing, warfare, watched a lot of fight scenes, but although all of it was interesting, nothing really surprised me. Honestly, the things I learned most were about me. I learned to trust my gut. I learned I can work under a lot of pressure.
Where can readers find out more about you? I’m usually close to Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shawna-Thomas/203067763106604You can find me on my website: shawnathomas.com.  I’m also on twitter: AuthorSThomas or on my blog. Shawnathomas.blogspot.com
Please share a book blurb and/or excerpt. Closing her eyes, she took the salty air deep into her lungs; her breathing evened as she focused on absorbing and channeling the energy of earth, sky, fire and water. Here, water ruled, followed by sky, but the other elements were present in lesser degrees. Her senses expanded. The sounds around her became distinct. Waves teased the wooden skimmer as the wind carried it through the waters. She opened her mind further. The ocean swarmed with life. Schools of fish followed the currents of the ocean in the skimmer’s wake while slow ponderous creatures—for which Sara had no name—crawled across the ocean floor or swam in its depths. She sensed beyond the visible to the unknown creatures hidden in every drop of water contained within the ocean. Far away, birds sailed the currents of the air and for a brief moment, Sara caught a glimpse of a greater cycle of which she was only part. Here was balance, beauty. They had always practiced meditation as a part of Shi’ia, the ancient art of warfare her grandfather taught her, but after he gave her the necklace, he explained she rode the winds of Teann. He called Teann the life-breath of the universe. It was as apt name as any to explain the experience. He admitted he didn’t understand any more than his Shi’ia instructor had taught him, but he knew there was more, much more. She agreed with him. The first time Sara had tried to meditate wearing the necklace, she’d gone so far so fast, she felt she would lose herself, but she adjusted, reveling in the abundance around her. With her eyes closed and life swirling around her, she pictured the stone in the necklace. Dark blue and swathed in silver filigree, the jewel was beautiful and as hard as it was to explain, she understood that it was now part of her, or who she was becoming. Who am I becoming? A chill of fear shot up her spine.
You can find Journey of Awakening on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Journey-Awakening-Triune-Stones-ebook/dp/B00APEYBEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359484982&sr=1-1
Carina Press http://ebooks.carinapress.com/F88B7F83-9D94-423C-B623-D4374BD6A05C/10/134/en/ContentDetails.htm?ID={33CADB06-EA93-4FA0-BBB7-7840D6719D14}
And many other ebook vendors.
Thanks for spilling the beans today Shawna!

Unnatural links

No sooner had I posted this link
http://www.problogger.net/archives/2013/02/15/why-blogs-that-allow-guest-posts-will-be-penalized-in-2013/
last week on my Facebook page as a heads up for writers, did I find in my email a request from Best Colleges Online to remove an “unnatural” link that might be hurting their blog’s – and mine – optimization in search engines.
A link to what? Their list of Top 100 Creative Writing Blogs.
Say it with me... 
Huh?
Posting a link for a writer’s resource is an “unnatural” link? I seriously do not understand. Nevertheless, I removed the entire post because it contained links to other sites.
If you read the Problogger article, it seems geared more to blogs of professional organizations rather than individuals, but obviously anyone’s a potential target.
For what? Having Google “de-value” your blog. Don’t ask me what that means.
Here's the notice I received:

Hi Webmaster,
 
We would like to discuss an important matter with you regarding your site.
 
It has come to our attention that Google has penalized our site due to our backlink profile. Unfortunately, a link to our site on your website may be considered unnatural by Google and may be partially responsible for our penalization.
 
Because of this, we request that you remove the link to our site that is located here and says:
 
top 100 creative writing blogs
 
Since we believe this link could be unnatural, it may affect the onearch engine rankings of your site as well as ours. Removing the link will be mutually beneficial, and we hope you will consider doing so.
 
Please drop us a line if you have any comments, questions, or concerns. We look forward to your reply!

And I did reply to ask what would make the link "unnatural" but as expected, received no answer.
So now, in addition to being extra careful about what images you post, you also need to be careful about links. But honestly, I have no working criteria for what links might be viewed as "unnatural" and what constitutes a "natural" one. Do you?
Has your blog been targeted as having "unnatural" links? Do you understand what it means? (If so, please share!)

Taryn Kincaid Spills the Beans - in a Blizzard!

Hi! So glad to have you at Spilling the Beans, where we can learn a little bit about you, and your book. Thanks for having me in, Cate! This is one of the most fun blogs to visit.
Grab a cappuccino and let’s chat. Unless you have another favorite drink (alcoholic or otherwise)? No, cappucino’s fine. I’m a caffeine freak. Must have my coffee. Early. And often. Although, when LIGHTNING and THUNDER came out, someone turned me onto a Dark & Stormy recipe: black rum (another dark rum will do), ginger beer (not ale) and a twist of lime.
And, when FROST came out for Valentine’s Day, I shared recipes for “The Ice Goddess” and “The Fire Demon” and a reader gave me another: Chocolate Raspberry FROST Martini.
Oo, yum! Those sound soo tempting.Fur or feathers, petwise? Honestly? I am really not a pet person. I once lost a fish. Literally. It was a gorgeous, swishy, blue-finned beta named “Shark” that matched my living room rug. And one day it vanished, never to be seen or heard from again. No amount of pushing and pulling furniture, of dusting or vacuuming ever turned up its little skeleton. If it even had a skeleton. Not its ghost, either.
Aw, poor thing! Something tells me it disappeared into that rug, lol.Any pet peeves? One thing that really burns your biscuits? Everything annoys me.
Ha! What’s your guilty pleasure? All of them.
Attagirl. :) Favorite quote? “You have to throw yourself away when you write.” ~ the great Maxwell Perkins
or
“Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.” ~ also Maxwell Perkins
Great advice. What’s your ideal day like? Not having to go to work. Everything else is icing.
If you could live out any fantasy, what would you do? I’d be queen of my own private tropical island. And have lots of coconuts and mangoes
Oh, can I come visit? I promise I'll bow. Or curtsy. Or weave lei's for your guests.Beethoven, Beatles, Foo Fighters or Keith Urban (what type(s) of music makes you rock out)? BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE.
You call me, baby?  
Ah, my Jersey boy. :) Does music influence your writing? Do you have a music playlist for your book? Not at all. Although, back in the days when I listened to country on the car radio (strictly news these days), I used to think every single country song I heard was a story waiting to happen. Well, they were all stories, really. Waiting to be fleshed out, maybe.
In BLIZZARD, the heroine, Mandy is driving along in her car when she’s trapped by the snow.  She was probably listening to Maroon 5, but we’ll never know for sure. When she hooks up with Jack, Barry White’s on the radio. Who else?
Which of your characters would you most/least want to hang out with, and why? OMG! All of my heroes, of course. They are all HOT and sexy. The heroines would not be invited.
They certainly are tempting! lol While creating your books, what was one of the most surprising things you learned? With BLIZZARD, the most surprising thing was that I could write a very short contemporary, without paranormal elements.
Where can readers find out more about you? Website| Twitter | Facebook | Facebook Author Page|Goodreads| AmazonPage
BLURB: Mandy Malone ditches her pharmaceutical convention and the married male colleagues hitting on her to hurry home to her waiting family. But she doesn’t bank on the blizzard that forces her off the road, into a deserted rest stop, and the rugged arms of the snowstorm’s only other road refugee.
Jack Manning is totally unprepared for Mandy’s unvarnished proposition, but intrigued by the erotic offer promising a night of no-questions-asked sex.
But when Jack notices the wedding band on Mandy’s finger, will he forego the lure of a torrid clandestine affair, or give in to the fantasy of blazing hot sex on the sly?
EXCERPT: “Is this what you’re looking for, lady?” Mandy glanced up, startled by the deep, rumbling baritone that seemed loud in the fairly quiet building. Even more startled by the tall, gorgeous hunk of manhood bundled into a down parka and standing next to her table. I could totally jump him. Right here. Right now.  From nowhere, steamy erotic images of what she wanted to do with the man leaped unbidden into her head. Beneath her sweater, her breasts swelled, her nipples hardened with need. She’d never felt such instant attraction to anyone, such a frantic desire to get naked and get fucked. Maybe it was a reaction to her frightening experience on the Thruway. Or maybe something else created the overpowering chemistry. Besides being the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, he held out a battery-operated pocket charger. Nearly alone with him in the deserted rest stop…and still she felt…safe. A sigh escaped her as he stared down at her. “It’s not the only thing I’m looking for.”  Her voice, husky and sultry, and laden with blatant sexual innuendo, shocked her. Where had those words come from? “Yeah?” The man removed his parka, revealing a plaid flannel shirt, the triangle of a white, cold-weather T peeping from the open neckline. As he raised his arms, thick bands of muscle rippled across his chest, beneath the layers of fabric.  He stared down at her with brilliant azure eyes, bluer than a lake under the summer’s sun. His hair, which curled a bit boyishly at his temples, resembled a wet beach, light, dirty brown, with shimmering bronze threads straggling through the locks. But this was no boy. No indeed. God. Gorgeous did not even begin to cover it. The longer he looked at her, the hotter she became. So hot she suddenly felt she could do anything, dare anything with this man.
Thanks for spilling the beans today, Taryn! And for giving us readers another great story! Thanks for having me!

Romancing the West blog hop

Welcome To The Romancing The West Blog Tour
Why do we enjoy writing and reading about the West? What is it about cowboys that is just plain irresistible? Over thirty authors and bloggers tackle these and other questions by explaining why we love Romancing the West.
But that’s not all, as you enjoy some awesome blogs and find fantastic books, for every post you comment on with your email address, you will be entered for some amazing prizes.
***PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO QUALIFY***
Grand PrizeA swag pack which includes books (both ebooks and paper), Amazon gift card, custom made butterfly jewelry, book cards, magnets and much more all tucked away in a keepsake box. (Available to US residents only. Winner will be announced on February 26 at 10 PM EST)My Giveaway
An ebook of A Midwest Summer Night’s Dream, released by BookStrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/a-midwest-summer-nights-dream
I’d love for you to check out the Casting Call, and more at:http://catemasters.blogspot.com/2011/04/midwest-summer-nights-dream-western.html
Here’s the blurb:Open sky, Shakespeare, solitude. All Jebediah Greene needs. Alone since his teens, he’s never known loneliness, until he leaves Winona Young in California. Worse, he fears she’ll trap herself in a loveless marriage of convenience. After acting as her guide to San Francisco, how far will Jeb go to win her heart?Reading provides escape for Winona Young. Usually. Fleeing Philadelphia, she learns her distant suitor isn’t who he seemed. Neither is her mountain man guide, in a good way. Intelligent, but mule-headed, Jeb’s impossible to speak to, in any language. Winona falls in love with the stunning beauty of the wilderness, with the simple ways of the Osage people, and with Jeb. But books can’t teach her how to tame a mountain man.
ExcerptCurses flew through Jeb’s head all day, but he cut them off before they reached his tongue. Stubborn woman. She’d cornered him like a fox in a hen house. Her chances were slim, but not impossible.The mere thought of riding beside her, wind rifling through her hair… Oh, what a pickle. He sure could use the cash, but the strain of avoiding her might do him in. He’d have to ride upwind so as not to catch her lilac scent, or the constant erection hitting the saddle might kill him.When she approached him that night as he relaxed on the porch swing, her sheepish expression said it all. “No luck?” “Not yet. But I’ll find one soon. When I do, will you be my guide?”Time to try a different tack. “What makes you think I’m trustworthy? I might be the kind of man who takes advantage of a lady in such a situation.”“You are trustworthy. Mrs. Wilson said so. I have implicit faith in her good opinion of you.”Why had he introduced the two women? Dealing with a single woman didn’t present a problem, not usually, but get two or more together, and damned if trouble didn’t brew in the kitchen right along with the coffee.At his silence, she folded her arms, and stole glances at him. Never a good sign. He could see the spokes of her brain working behind those dark eyes.“Perhaps you don’t have the gumption necessary for such an assignment.” She tilted her head, exposing her gracefully arched neck.His mouth watered, longing to taste it. A laugh burst from him. “Gumption?” He scratched his chin. “Or perhaps my foresight is keener than yours, Miss Young. Do you have any idea what such a trip entails?”“If you’re worried I can’t keep up with you—”“You can’t keep up, you can’t pitch in. You can’t even cook, can you?”She glanced away. “Well, I—”“If I shoot a rabbit for dinner, how would you prepare it?”She winced. “A rabbit?”“A saddle can get mighty uncomfortable after an hour. What would you do after three hours? Or five?” The image of her rubbing her sore rear stirred him. Mighty tempting to offer to rub it for her. His voice cracked as he said, “If you want to be in San Francisco sooner than the coach, we’d have to make good time. Six, seven, maybe eight hours’ riding every day. And if we get caught in a storm, or held up somehow, we’d have to make up the time.”Her jaw set hard, her lips pressed into a thin line.“I’m sorry, Miss Young. You are not cut out for that kind of hardship.” Nor was he built to resist such temptation, the kind that carried a long-term sentence. Not that he wouldn’t enjoy carrying it out; yes, just thinking of sharing a bedroll with her heated his insides and turned his brain to mush. Another strike against such a trip; he might lead them in circles, staring at her rather than the path ahead.She stepped closer, her eyes ablaze. “You think I don’t know hardship? You’re wrong, Mr. Greene. No, not the kind you face in your travels. I would think those hardships would be easier to bear than…” She looked away with glazed eyes. “Forgive me.”Her sudden fury gave him pause, and aroused his curiosity. She had mettle in her bones, a steel reserve of strength in her sinewy frame. He had no doubt she’d experienced something terrible, terrible enough to make her leave her home. Her stubbornness might fade in the face of the long trail.“I mean no disrespect.”“Your kind never do.”“Ma’am, believe it or not, I am not ignorant of the rules of civilization. I am well able to prevent myself from committing social blunders.”“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be unkind. My nerves have been on edge since we left Philadelphia. A woman traveling alone can’t take too many precautions.”“I don’t expect you’d encounter many willing to take up the challenge of threatening you, ma’am.” He regretted his words when he saw how she flinched under their sting. He wished her no harm, but everything she said provoked him in some way.
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