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Moonlight and Magic
Bed of Roses
In a hidden canyon of the Sierra Madres in Mexico, Zafiro Talavera is the caretaker of her grandfather's once-fearsome band of outlaws, and the task is not easy. She is constantly watching out for bounty hunters and other desperados searching for the loot her grandfather has hidden away. Equally daunting is coping with the eccentricities of the decrepit Talavera Gang. Zafiro's most fervent dream is of living in a normal town with a normal family. Then into her carefully guarded "fortress" comes a mysterious, wounded man known only as Sawyer. Has he come to steal her gold or her heart?
She enlists Sawyer to teach her men to be the outlaws they once were so they can defend themselves against the evil bandit sworn to steal Zafiro away from them. Sawyer resists the task of teaching a drunk, a deafman, and a codger who believes himself to be St. Peter how to ride and shoot. But when the threat finally comes, Sawyer and the men rally, defeat the enemy and save Zafiro.
Paisley is a master comedienne. This delightful story has characters that will make you laugh out loud and a love story that will give you goosebumbs.
389 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 2, 1996
16 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Paisley
21 books63 followersI wanted to write things ever since I learned to write my name. I started with letters to my grandmother like: “Der Grammey, I went on the ralerode trax today and finded a big pees of gum by the raleing. I piked it up and ate it. It was bananna. I chwed it till it did not have inymor flaver in it. Aftr I swaloed it I kind of thot I had sum majic in me frum the persen who first ate it. Mama sayed wat I did was veree nasty but I beeleeve in that majic.”
To this day, I remember that gum and the way it made me feel. I continued to write about things that happened to me. Sometimes they were pure non-fiction. But other times they were invented, like when I wrote a one page story about my father being Superman. He was an Air Force Fighter Pilot and often had to leave on secret missions he was forbidden to tell us about. He told us his Superman costume was hidden in the flight bag he always took with him when he left. So I wrote a page about how he didn't need his jet on that mission. No, he flew in the plain air and directed the other pilots where to go. Because of his instructions, all the enemies scattered and were never seen again.
And then I grew up and became a woman, but not before I wrote hundreds of stories. When I was about 28 or so, I wrote a very long historical romance…with my 2 year old son hanging on my leg the whole time. I sent that manuscript to every publishing house in NYC, and the editors rejected it every single time. You want to know why? Because I was writing what I thought the publishing houses wanted to buy. I was copying other authors’ styles. I didn't know any better.
After 17 rejections, I decided to write the book I wanted to read. Not a book for an editor or even readers. Freedom, at last! Freedom to invent characters that made sense to me. Characters whose thoughts mirrored mine, whose ways of doing things were my ways of doing things.
Whose hearts were offspring of mine.
I never thought to submit that manuscript to anyone. It was going to be mine, all mine, and no one else’s business because the heroine was so wild, so outrageous and different. She was not a romance heroine, Chickadee McBride. She defied every romantic heroine in the publishing rules.
But I did end up sending her and story in, and Avon Books bought her. The editor told me Chickadee McBride was a gamble, but Avon was willing to try her out. That book was THE BAREFOOT BRIDE.
After that sale, I never again wrote what other authors wrote. I stayed true to what I loved, what made me cry and laugh and be surprised. I never knew what my characters were going to do or why. I just wrote.
And eventually I became a Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author, which gained me a place on Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll and the accomplishment of becoming a RITA finalist. I won Romantic Times’ Lifetime Achievement Award and Career Achievement Award as well as a Reviewers’ Choice Award for Historical Romance Fantasy and a Best Love and Laughter Award.
None of these things would have happened for me had I not decided to write a book that appealed to my quickness to laugh, my love for the outrageous, my deep sensitivity. . .
. . . or the belief that if I can dream it up, it can happen.
To this day, I remember that gum and the way it made me feel. I continued to write about things that happened to me. Sometimes they were pure non-fiction. But other times they were invented, like when I wrote a one page story about my father being Superman. He was an Air Force Fighter Pilot and often had to leave on secret missions he was forbidden to tell us about. He told us his Superman costume was hidden in the flight bag he always took with him when he left. So I wrote a page about how he didn't need his jet on that mission. No, he flew in the plain air and directed the other pilots where to go. Because of his instructions, all the enemies scattered and were never seen again.
And then I grew up and became a woman, but not before I wrote hundreds of stories. When I was about 28 or so, I wrote a very long historical romance…with my 2 year old son hanging on my leg the whole time. I sent that manuscript to every publishing house in NYC, and the editors rejected it every single time. You want to know why? Because I was writing what I thought the publishing houses wanted to buy. I was copying other authors’ styles. I didn't know any better.
After 17 rejections, I decided to write the book I wanted to read. Not a book for an editor or even readers. Freedom, at last! Freedom to invent characters that made sense to me. Characters whose thoughts mirrored mine, whose ways of doing things were my ways of doing things.
Whose hearts were offspring of mine.
I never thought to submit that manuscript to anyone. It was going to be mine, all mine, and no one else’s business because the heroine was so wild, so outrageous and different. She was not a romance heroine, Chickadee McBride. She defied every romantic heroine in the publishing rules.
But I did end up sending her and story in, and Avon Books bought her. The editor told me Chickadee McBride was a gamble, but Avon was willing to try her out. That book was THE BAREFOOT BRIDE.
After that sale, I never again wrote what other authors wrote. I stayed true to what I loved, what made me cry and laugh and be surprised. I never knew what my characters were going to do or why. I just wrote.
And eventually I became a Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling Author, which gained me a place on Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll and the accomplishment of becoming a RITA finalist. I won Romantic Times’ Lifetime Achievement Award and Career Achievement Award as well as a Reviewers’ Choice Award for Historical Romance Fantasy and a Best Love and Laughter Award.
None of these things would have happened for me had I not decided to write a book that appealed to my quickness to laugh, my love for the outrageous, my deep sensitivity. . .
. . . or the belief that if I can dream it up, it can happen.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 21, 2011
Zafiro Quintana is the sole provider and caretaker for an aging group of outlaws. Zafiro and her wacky gang are hiding from the law and a madman who wants to kidnap Zafiro. You see, she possesses the ability to sense danger.
Sawyer Donovan stumbles upon the hideway and is nearly murdered by Zafiro's pet cougar. Zafiro fears Sawyer is a threat to her *family* and decides that he must die. It's a darn shame he just happens to be the most gorgeous creature she's ever laid eyes on. Instead of killing him outright she takes him prisoner.
What follows made me laugh out loud. This book contains some of the most hilarious scenes I've read yet. The snake scene is priceless. What I love most about Paisley's writing is that while she has the rare ability to make me laugh she can also make me cry buckets with her tender characterization and gut wrenching scenes. Her many characters are well drawn and add charm (as well as laughs) to the story. I enjoyed and never became annoyed by all of these wacky, wild characters. Zafiro is a lovable nut and Sawyer is a wounded soul that is absolutely to die for. I give this one my highest rating and highly recommend it!
Sawyer Donovan stumbles upon the hideway and is nearly murdered by Zafiro's pet cougar. Zafiro fears Sawyer is a threat to her *family* and decides that he must die. It's a darn shame he just happens to be the most gorgeous creature she's ever laid eyes on. Instead of killing him outright she takes him prisoner.
What follows made me laugh out loud. This book contains some of the most hilarious scenes I've read yet. The snake scene is priceless. What I love most about Paisley's writing is that while she has the rare ability to make me laugh she can also make me cry buckets with her tender characterization and gut wrenching scenes. Her many characters are well drawn and add charm (as well as laughs) to the story. I enjoyed and never became annoyed by all of these wacky, wild characters. Zafiro is a lovable nut and Sawyer is a wounded soul that is absolutely to die for. I give this one my highest rating and highly recommend it!
April 1, 2012
This was my first Rebecca Paisley book. I have to say I think this rating is misleading. I liked the book, but I would rate it about a 3.5. The beginning was good and the last 1/3 of the book was very satisfying but the rest of the book was not. I kept putting the book down to do other things because it did not hold my interest. The heroine's cute way of mixing up sayings started to bother me and her 'family' of crazy mixed up old-timers started to grate as well. It took way too long for the hero and heroine to connect physically. Once they did, the story became more interesting.
Good book, but not a 'keeper'.
Good book, but not a 'keeper'.
May 25, 2021
Quirky characters
What an imagination this author has when it comes to creating characters, such a misfit bunch. Poignant in one way to show what age can do to the mind, but so funny and ridiculous in other ways. I could never imagine what life would be like around them. They wore me out just reading about them.
This author always seems to give a communication quirk to her female characters in one way or another. I am always amused by them and quite awed at Miss Paisley's writing talent. She does the same in this one too. Her heroines are innocent yet strong, while her heros are always so masculine, kind and thoughtful whether they know it or not.
What an imagination this author has when it comes to creating characters, such a misfit bunch. Poignant in one way to show what age can do to the mind, but so funny and ridiculous in other ways. I could never imagine what life would be like around them. They wore me out just reading about them.
This author always seems to give a communication quirk to her female characters in one way or another. I am always amused by them and quite awed at Miss Paisley's writing talent. She does the same in this one too. Her heroines are innocent yet strong, while her heros are always so masculine, kind and thoughtful whether they know it or not.
February 13, 2022
definitely a bed of roses
The writer’s words are so mesmerizing. Zafiro’s twists on the idioms are so perfect and laughable, yet Sawyer is able to say the correct idiom. An extremely good read with lots of laughs and sadness.
The writer’s words are so mesmerizing. Zafiro’s twists on the idioms are so perfect and laughable, yet Sawyer is able to say the correct idiom. An extremely good read with lots of laughs and sadness.
March 25, 2016
Iam very disappointed. The original book was a lot funnier. Rebecca Paisley has left a lot of the funnier parts out in the rewrite. The way she was a lot more descriptive about the way the grandma thought she was very young and men could not resist her. She was descripted as having Breast that looked like tube socks and a pebbles at the ends was completely left out. I enjoyed the older version a lot more and am very happy that I still have that book so I can keep reading the original one over and over again.
Want to read
February 21, 2011I just love these old-school covers.
March 4, 2012
Bed of Roses by Rebecca Paisley
Another favorite laugh out loud funny, wonderful and entertaining book by Rebecca Paisley.
Another favorite laugh out loud funny, wonderful and entertaining book by Rebecca Paisley.
March 13, 2025
No real action until the last 100 pages. Slow start and fast finish.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews