Casey Dawes's Blog, page 6

Willa’s Grove Is a Taste of Montana

[image error] [image error] Willa’s Grove

by Laura Munson

Three women, from coast to coast and in between, open their mailboxes to the same intriguing invitation. Although leading entirely different lives, each has found herself at a similar, jarring crossroads. Right when these women thought they’d be comfortably settling into middle age, their carefully curated futures have turned out to be dead ends.

The sender of the invitation is Willa Silvester, who is reeling from the untimely death of her beloved husband and the reality that she must say goodbye to the small mountain town they founded together. Yet as Willa mourns her losses, an impossible question keeps staring her in the face: So now what?

Struggling to find the answer alone, fiercely independent Willa eventually calls a childhood friend who happens to be in her own world of hurt–and that’s where the idea sparks. They decide to host a weeklong interlude from life, and invite two other friends facing their own quandaries. Soon the four women converge at Willa’s Montana homestead, a place where they can learn from nature and one another as they contemplate their second acts together in the rugged wilderness of big sky country.

My Review

As a Montanan, I felt at home. I know this world where people can be stubbornly “self-reliant” while treasuring their connections to each other without realizing how inter-dependent we really are. I was a transplant, much like Willa, when I arrived in the 1970s. This book spoke to my heart.

I found myself pulled along, wanting to know the ultimate ending and how/if she and the town would achieve the growth they needed. I won’t spoil that for you.

There is a lot of talking, and at times, it can be a bit much. But it only detracts a little. If you’re in a mood for a little self-reflection and a taste of Montana, this is a great book to read.

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On the Road–The Beginning-Montana

Yesterday, three young men arrived and rapidly carried all our posessions to a U-Haul truck, left, and just as rapidly unloaded them into a storage unit. It was tough to see it go–our comfy furniture, knickknacks I’ve accumulated from all over the world, boxes of clothes I haven’t worn consistently in years, things I bought that I just knew I needed but haven’t used but once or twice.

Now there is an empty, echoing house. Beside it is our small trailer–and I do mean small! I’m fighting off panic–have we done the right thing? Can I have a do-over? (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted that chance in my life!)

But no … there is no go-back on this one.

I’ll adjust. I know I don’t do it well, so I need to be gentle with myself. Fortunately, my husband knows me as well, so he isn’t too wigged out by my gargantuan mood swings.

So I keep going forward. Editing and formatting for some of my clients, business coaching for others, and in between I write and market. Only my office has changed.

P.S. Did you know my book of short stories is free on Amazon for the next few days?

 

 

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Women’s Fiction in Color

[image error]I’m sure you’ve been affected by what is going on in this country like everyone else. Covid-19 has been eclipsed by riots on the nightly news, June’s elections were merely a blip. There are days I can ignore it all and write (because it is what I am good at), and days where getting the dishes done seems like too great a chore, and I escape into a good book.

But I am also aware I’m in the ranks of the privileged, although I’ve faced discrimination as a woman, so I’ve had a taste of that particular poison. So I want to take this time to share a few lists of women’s fiction/non-fiction written by women of color in hopes that you’ll find something that sparks your interest and read it.

10 Books by Black Female Authors that Should Really Be on Your Bookshelf from Marie Clare. Although this list goes beyond women’s fiction, there are some interesting titles.

10 of The Best Books by Women of Color repeats some of the books from the first list, so they might be a place to start.

14 Books by Black Women You Need to Read has a variety of books, including romance, to explore.

If you are looking for something more recent for your shelf, try this list: Books By Black Women We Can’t Wait To Read In 2020.

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Home Is Where the Heart Is Excerpt 1

If you are learning about my work for the first time, welcome! I know it can be hard to trust a new author, so I’m going to be providing a few excerpts from Home Is Where the Heart Is. In this one, photojournalist CJ Beck has just seen her new psychiatrist (it didn’t go the way she wanted) and has headed to the ranch supply store to pick up some supplies for her brother, Jarod.

CJ flinched when she entered the florescent-lit warehouse-sized store a half hour later. Too bright, like the burst of an explosion. She almost turned around to walk out, but she’d promised Jarod, and she needed warmer clothes.

Dozens of Carhartt shirts hung on spinning racks. So many choices. She’d forgotten a world beyond khaki and olive drab. A few of the garments were designed for dressy occasions, but most were flannel. She touched the shirts, her toughened fingers unused to the soft, warm fabric, the kind a Montana woman would wear to prove she was still a different gender, no matter that she could sit a horse as well as the next man.

She was going to be here for at least another month. Pulling out three shirts—neutral colors—in different sizes, she made her way toward the jeans, pausing to admire a pair of cowboy boots with elaborate etched stitching. Her hand stroked the polished leather. If she were staying …

A familiar figure caught her eye. It couldn’t be—not with a kid that big walking with him. Even under the winter coat, she recognized broad shoulders and a narrow waist and hips, echoed by what must be his son matching his stride beside him.

She turned back to the jeans, the almost twenty-year-old scar on her heart threatening to crack.

Nick Sturgis. Had to be. Next to taking photographs at Jarod’s rodeo events, he’d been the most important thing in her sixteen-year-old life … until Grace Bender had sashayed into high school.

All water under the proverbial bridge. She’d built her portfolio for her career and left her home behind in the dust.

Her fingers trembled as she selected a few jeans of different sizes then slipped into the changing room to try things on. As she slid the shirt up her arms, she trembled. Could she make it out of the store without running into Nick?

Who cared? That was over a long time ago … except she still remembered everything about him. How good it felt when he held her tight and soothed her. His lips on hers.

Ugh. She really needed to get over this man thing.

She buttoned up the shirt and slid on the jeans, the stiff fabric unfamiliar on her legs. Too loose. Off with the clothes. Another set. Still didn’t fit. The smallest size came close. Relieved, she went back to the racks, picked up a few more of the same, and tossed them in her basket.

Mentally, she ran through her list. The old jacket she’d found would do for a month; no need to spend money she didn’t have. Her desert boots worked fine on the ranch and would also handle a stirrup if she had a chance to saddle up a horse again. Gloves. Jarod had been right about that. Nothing the boys wore would fit her hands, and it was too cold to do without.

She snatched up a pair on her way toward the “ranch” part of the ranch store. Pulling her brother’s list from her pocket, she started to hunt through the various sizes and shapes of fittings and pipes he needed her to bring back.

“CJ?”

Her breath caught and she turned unwillingly.

“I thought that was you,” Nick’s voice said.

Damn him.

Home Is Where the Heart Is is available NOW from:

 

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Short Story Anthology

Explore five short stories in this sweet romance short story anthology.

This collection contains:

“Love on Willow Creek”: Desperate to overcome her past, Bridget returns to her home town. But will her high school enemy crash her business and doom the second chance love that’s possible?

“California Sunshine”: Santa Cruz, California is the perfect place for Sunshine to hang on to her hippie, activist ways. But will clutching to her causes prevent her from finding true happiness with an old flame?

“Chasing the Tumbleweed”: Captured by a killer at a lonely rest stop in windswept Nevada, Laurie keeps her wits about her as he drags her further into the wilderness. Will she be able to escape in time?

“A Christmas Hope”: Clara needs Richards Handmade Cheese to complete her business’s outing of artisan crafts perfect for the holidays in upstate New York. But all Sam Richards wants is for her to leave him and his sheep in peace.

“Keep Dancing”: The twitching of Zoe’s pinkie is probably nothing to worry about. But it’s simply one more thing to add to her list of concerns: Her son is going off to college. Final grades are due. And widower Ben O’Reilly wants to teach her to dance.

Available for pre-order on Amazon. Click the button below:

Psst! Want a free copy of this anthology? Sign up for my mailing list by May 5, 2020 and check your email on May 6th! Enter your email to the right and click “Submit.” It’s that easy!

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Kat Martin’s Romantic Suspense: The Deception Blog Post

The Deception

(Maximum Security)

Kat Martin

In my latest romantic thriller, THE DECEPTION, book two of the Maximum Security series, Kate Gallagher is devastated when she learns her sister has been murdered. Determined to find Chrissy’s killer, Kate hires lethal bounty hunter, Hawk Maddox. Working together, they follow a trail of clues that lead them deep into the city’s underbelly. Though Hawk warns Kate of the danger, nothing he says can convince Kate to walk away. ~ Kat Martin

 

Buy Now

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Hardback | Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble Nook | Barnes & Noble Hardback | Barnes & Noble Paperback

Kobo | Google Play | iTunes | IndieBound Hardback

Blog about The Deception

Characters

Finding the Right Match

When it comes to romantic suspense, one of the most import and often the hardest thing to do is to find the right match for the hero or heroine who is the primary character in the book. In THE DECEPTION, Hawk Maddox is a former Marine, a strong, tough, sometimes reckless, chance-taker. I needed a woman who was equally strong, tough-yet-feminine woman who could handle his reckless nature.

And because Hawk was an extremely virile male, a passionate woman, as well.

Kate Gallagher was all of those things. She also strongly believes in justice, which means finding the killer who murdered her sister takes precedence over a relationship with Hawk.

As the two are thrown together in their search for a killer, Hawk and Kate begin to appreciate the strengths they find in each other.

And there is the sexuality that vibrates between them. Though Hawk wants Kate from the moment he spots her on the dance floor of the Sagebrush Saloon, he understands her grief and her resolve.

Though the time isn’t right, Hawk comes to believe Kate Gallagher is a woman worth waiting for.

Working to make them a couple was fun, and of course sending them on a dangerous, desperate adventure added to the excitement of writing the book.

I hope you’ll look for THE DECEPTION, and if you haven’t read Chase Garrett’s story, THE CONSPIRACY, I hope you’ll give it a try.

Until next time, all best and happy reading. Kat

Publisher’s Weekly Review: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781335541895https://bit.ly/2PVYzoZ

About Kat Martin

Bestselling author Kat Martin, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, currently resides in Missoula, Montana with Western-author husband, L. J. Martin. More than seventeen million copies of Kat’s books are in print, and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Fifteen of her recent novels have taken top-ten spots on the New York Times Bestseller List, and her novel, BEYOND REASON, was recently optioned for a feature film. Kat’s next hardcover, THE DECEPTION, a Romantic Thriller, will be released on September 10th.

WEBSITE

http://www.katmartin.com/

CONTEST LINKS

MONTHLY CONTEST

Link: https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40241946-wait-until-dark

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Leaving Home, Book 3 in Rocky Mountain Front Series, Well-Received!

I am so pleased with the initial reaction to Leaving Home, book 3 in the Rocky Mountain Front series. This is Dylan’s and Megan’s story, but I’ll let some of the reviewers tell you more …

“Megan finds herself starting over, leaving North Carolina, she lands in Montana where the beauty of the mountains draws her in. I love her grit and determination as she focuses on her goals of building of business about fiber to fabric. So many people have let her down in her life so doing this on her own drives her. She works at a local café where she meets Dylan Beck. Dylan is the middle child, great at refereeing his siblings but struggling to find his purpose in life. His passion is art – painting, drawing – but he hasn’t found any real success. Meeting Megan, he is captivated by her drive and passion for fabric. While he drawn to her, he also is hesitant since she isn’t a local; he is afraid she will leave due to the harsh winters. As he tries to be a friend to Megan, she struggles to accept help and let him in. Will she be too stubborn to realize love is possible for her? That she can trust someone? I love the slow burn for this couple as they both work to find and pursue their passions.” ~ Mary Jo Toth, Vine Reviewer on Amazon

“Early in the story, the author pinpoints that crucial moment when Dylan knows his life needs to change, possibly in a big way. It’s such a relatable moment—we’ve all been there—and it’s the catalyst for all the events that follow. Fiber-artist Megan is the perfect fit for this gentle and creative man, and the author captures Megan’s strength and vulnerability, beautifully. We’re rooting for Megan throughout the story, even when she finds herself in blind spots and traps created by her own mind. It’s a bit like the game of chutes and ladders for these two, er, make that a very sexy game of chutes and ladders.” ~ Wendy Cohen, RN, on Amazon

“This book hooked me from the get go I just couldn’t put it down I fell in love with these characters and omg what a story just perfect!” Jeanne A Kotsios on Amazon

Get your copy today! Available on these online stores and more!

 

 

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3 Romantic Suspense Stories: Pivot

Pivot

by

Kat Martin – Rebecca Zanetti – Alexandra Ivy

In PIVOT, three friends, each survivors of a brutal childhood, grew up together in foster care.

Now as women, they’re fighting for their lives again.

When Meriwether Jones and her young daughter run from trouble in L.A., that trouble follows. By the time Meri reaches Spokane, she’s out of gas, money, and ideas. Her prayers are answered when ex-cop Ian Brodie hires her to help his aging father. But Meri is keeping a dangerous secret—-and Ian is in danger of losing his heart.

Melanie Cassidy finds trouble when she tries to save a young boy from being kidnapped. The last thing she expects is former love-of-her-life, Detective Gray Hawkins, to appear and rescue them both. But her good-Samaritan efforts pull her and Gray into a conspiracy of drug dealers and dirty cops –and forces them to examine the relationship they’d once abandoned.

Michelle Peach is one of Meri’s closet friends. She’s finally content in Portland—-until two rough men break into her home and threaten her life. The last person Michelle wants to see is Evan Boldon, a former Marine turned sheriff. But this time Evan is going to stop the trouble stalking Michelle-—and win her heart for good.

“The three novellas featured in this high-octane romantic suspense anthology form a captivating whole … Remarkable tonal consistency and interlocking elements ensure that these twisty, sizzling love stories flow seamlessly together. Readers won’t want to put this one down.”

—Publishers Weekly

Buy Now

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble Nook | Barnes & Noble Paperback

Kobo | Google Play | iTunes | IndieBound

Guest Blog Post: An Interesting Concept by Kat Martin

My upcoming release, PIVOT, began as a novella that I wrote to sometime back to introduce my BOSS Inc. series. Ian Brodie was the owner of the security firm, a tall, good-looking blond man, one of the Brodie cousins. The novella was AGAINST THE HEART, a romantic suspense set in a rural area of Spokane, Washington.

A year ago, Alicia Condon, my editor at Kensington, came to me with an idea for a collaborative novel that would include novellas by two other authors. Their stories would revolve around Ian Brodie and Meriwether Jones, the hero and heroine of AGAINST the HEART. The idea intrigued me and we decided to go forward.

Alexandra Ivy and Rebecca Zanetti, both bestselling authors of romantic suspense, came on board and started writing, taking sub characters from Ian and Meri’s story, telling their own stories, and giving us a glimpse of Ian and Meri’s life going forward.

In PIVOT, Alexandra and Rebecca started with the premise that the three girls involved in the stories shared brutal childhoods and grew up together in foster care.

Now as women, they’re fighting for their lives again.

When Meriwether Jones and her young daughter run from trouble in L.A., that trouble follows. By the time Meri reaches Spokane, she’s out of gas, money, and ideas. Then her prayers are answered when ex-cop Ian Brodie hires her to help his aging father. But Meri is keeping a dangerous secret—-and Ian is in danger of losing his heart.

Melanie Cassidy finds trouble when she tries to save a young boy from being kidnapped. The last thing she expects is former love-of-her-life, Detective Gray Hawkins, to appear and rescue them both. But her good-Samaritan efforts pull her and Gray into a conspiracy of drug dealers and dirty cops—-and forces them to examine the relationship they’d once abandoned.

Michelle Peach is one of Meri’s closet friends. She is finally content in Portland—-until two rough men break into her home and threaten her life. The last person Michelle wants to see is Evan Boldon, a former Marine turned sheriff. But this time Evan is going to stop the trouble stalking Michelle-—and win her heart for good.

I hope you’ll give this fun read a try. And if you haven’t read the BOSS Inc. series, INTO THE FURY, INTO THE WHIRLWIND, and INTO THE FIRESTORM, I hope you will. Till next time, happy reading and all best, Kat

My Review of Pivot

There are three short romantic suspense stories in this book: Against the Heart by Kat Martin, Shaken by Rebecca Zanetti, and Echoes of the Past by Alexandra Ivy.

In Against the Heart, Meriwether Jones and her daughter are on the run from the girl’s father (Joey Bandini) who wants money Meri doesn’t have and will do anything to get it. Fleeing from Southern California and heading to Portland, she somehow ends up in Spokane and meets Ian Brodie. I have to admit the geography took me aback a bit, but the story kept me going. Being familiar with the other Brodie stories made it more enjoyable.

In Shaken, Michelle Peach is an old friend of Meri’s. Joey Bandini comes to her along with fellow thug Kowalski to find out what Michelle knows of Meri’s whereabouts. Her mother, an addict, further complicates the issues when she betrays Meri over and over throughout the story. The hero is Evan Boldon, a member of the Deep Ops team, one of Zanetti’s series. This, to me, was the strongest story in the trilogy.

In Echoes of the Past, Detective Gray Hawkins goes undercover to find some dirty Seattle cops. The source of the information is Kowalski and the heroine yet another friend of Meri’s, Melani Cassidy. As in the other two books, the two become involved as they figure out how to save themselves from danger. This book doesn’t seem to be associated with any series.

I enjoyed all three stories, and found them fast reads. I’ve read books by Martin and Zanetti before, but Ivy is a new author to me.

About Kat Martin

Bestselling author Kat Martin, a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, currently resides in Missoula, Montana with Western-author husband, L. J. Martin. More than seventeen million copies of Kat’s books are in print, and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Fifteen of her recent novels have taken top-ten spots on the New York Times Bestseller List, and her novel, BEYOND REASON, was recently optioned for a feature film. Kat’s next hardcover, THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL, a Romantic Thriller, will be released on July 28th.

WEBSITE

http://www.katmartin.com/

CONTEST LINKS

MONTHLY CONTEST

Link: https://www.katmartin.com/monthly-contest/

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/katmartinauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KatMartinAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43705315-the-deception?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KatMartinAuthor

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Shelter in Place Sale

Well, isn’t this a doozy! I’ve been inside four days, and I’m about going stir crazy. Facebook kept me going for a little while, but the constant thrum of anxiety is difficult, and probably not healthy. “Shelter in Place” will be here for a while. How long, no one can really say. There is too much we don’t know.

What we do know is that things will not be the same on the other side of this crisis. But we do have choices. We can allow ourselves a little space–not only social distance, but mental distance as well. Let yourself breathe (just not near anyone who is ill!) and take a little time to hug your child, kiss your spouse, or cuddle in your favorite old sweater with a good book.

To help you out, I’m dropping the price of the five book California Coast Romance Series from $4.99 to $2.99 (For non-Amazon stores, click here). I’m trying to think of other things I can do to relieve your boredom yet still not give away the store, and I’ll keep you posted!

But also save some time to think about how we can adapt to the inevitable changes. Maybe this is the time to learn technology. Or learn a new craft. Many people are digging through boxes and closets to discover things they don’t remember buying. Then comes the problem of redistribution. Many of our children don’t really want our things. What then? I’m sure we can figure it out. We have plenty of time while we shelter in place.

One more thing. The divide between the people in our country dismisses me so very much. Our fear seems to be making it worse. So take a deep breath if you can, and reach out a hand to someone with whom you may disagree, and see if you can find a common ground, or at least some sympathy.

On second thought, make that a virtual hand. :-))

 

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Valentines Made with Love

Being single on Valentine’s Day is very difficult. It’s as if the world is mocking you, telling you that you have a missing limb of some kind. You may be alone due to choice or circumstance, but in reality, you are complete just the way you are.

Whether you’re single or with someone (or someones), the significance of the day is more than candy hearts, expensive dinners, or who can order the largest bouquet of roses. It’s in the everyday things we do for each other as human beings. The simple act of listening can have more impact that most people realize.

What can you do for yourself that reminds you it is necessary to love yourself first before you love anyone else? That was a hard lesson for me to learn. I was raised to always be giving, that if there was something wrong between two people it was probably going to be my fault.

Obviously, I learned some strange lessons growing up, lessons that kept me in unhealthy relationships far longer than I should have stayed. But when I finally learned that treating myself as a beloved needed to come before I was truly able to love someone else, I found my husband and best friend.

So for Valentine’s Day, I made him something with love. I’m not wild about how my second attempt at a sachertorte, but he loves it. Or at least he says he does. And that’s an equally beautiful gift.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my readers, past readers, and future readers.

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