Bride by Arrangement and Mitch’s Win: Some Excerpts and a Chance to Get a Free Copy (or Two) in Exchange for an Honest Review
For a short time, I took down the offer for a free copy of Bride by Arrangement in exchange for a review on this blog. Now that I have Mitch’s Win up with my publisher, Parchment & Plume, I can put the offer back up.
I did originally publish Mitch’s Win myself, but I have now published it with Parchment & Plume, so if you already read Mitch’s Win, you don’t need to get this book again.
You don’t have to review both Bride by Arrangement and Mitch’s Win. You can pick one or the other. If, however, you would like to review both, then I’ll be more than happy to gift you an ebook copy of both books.
In exchange for an honest review, I’ll give you a free copy of the ebook of your choice. You only have to review the ebook I gift you.
If you have already bought one of these ebooks and are willing to leave an honest review, I’ll gift you another ebook I’ve written.
Below, I’ll give two excerpts from the two novellas in this anthology. The first one is from my novella “The Purchased Bride” and the second is from Janet Syas Nitsick’s novella “She Came By Train.”
Then I’ll post an excerpt from Mitch’s Win after that.
From “The Purchased Bride” which is about a mail-order bride whose brother sold her to a man she’s never met:
Ada turned her attention to him. “I’m here to be Pete Kelly’s wife, right? He doesn’t have another wife or illegitimate children or engages in anything wrong, does he?”
“No,” the preacher said. “Pete lives by himself on a farm. He’s tender and kind. He’s a good man.”
Jimmy placed her trunk in the wagon then came over to them. “The situation with Pete is a delicate matter.”
Her stomach tensed and her grip tightened on her purse. “What is his situation?” she forced out.
From “She Came By Train” which is about a woman who must choose between two men who are vying for her hand:
For the first time, he realized what a smart woman he brought here. Not just in her intellect, but she also was levelheaded and charming. What a combination! A surge of warmth filled him. “Have a seat, if you don’t mind. I forgot to open my mail.”
“Go ahead.” She settled in a seat in front of his desk.
He picked up a letter opener, slit the envelopes open, glimpsing at each one before he stopped at the last one. He examined the return address then opened it and read the letter. His jaw clenched. Raising his head to Opal, he said in a low voice, “Reverend Stone should arrive tomorrow.”
Her face blushed and she wiggled in her seat. “Oh, that’s wonderful.”
His stomach twisted in resentment. He could not understand his reaction. Stuffing the letter back in its envelope, he returned it to his desk and glanced up at her. “We’d better get going.”
~~~*~~*~~~
A scene where Mitch realizes a young woman is among one of the items being bid on in a poker game:
Mitch slammed his money in the middle of the table and told John, “She’s not in this. We’ll use my horse.”
“Like hell we will!” Abe yelled, pounding his fist on the table.
“The woman stays,” John said as he dealt Mitch five cards. “I already have a horse from Boaz.”
Mitch glanced at Boaz who refused to make eye contact with him. With a look at the poor woman who sniffed back her tears, Mitch knew he didn’t have a choice. His only hope was to win the game. Then the woman could go back home where she’d be safe, and his brother could keep his horse.
John motioned for him to check his cards. Mitch did. He had nothing. No pairs or partial straights. Nothing. If he hadn’t been watching John, he’d swear the man set it up so that he’d have to lose. Trying not to give away the fact that he had a bad hand, he saved a jack and king of hearts. Might as well pretend he had a pair.
He tossed the other cards face down on the table and held his two cards. “Give me three.”
As John handed him the cards, he glanced at the woman and prayed she wouldn’t have to end up with John. The possibilities of that scenario made him sick.
He turned his attention back to the three new cards that sat in front of him, face down. Well, this was it. He was either going to win or lose.
~~~*~~*~~~
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