It's been a long time...

I've been absent from this site for way too long. Too many things pulling me in all directions. I'm going to try and do my best to post again at least once a week. The posts might be about my writing process, background and behind-the-scenes information about my books, and my crazy life in Yellowstone National Park.

I'll start off by recapping the last couple of years that have really changed my entire life. If you follow me on Facebook, you'll know that my husband and I now live full-time in Yellowstone National Park. Yes! IN THE PARK! What a dream come true that was!

It all started two years ago when, on a whim, my husband answered an ad for a historical prervation craftsman position with Yellowstone's concessioner. When he was offered this seasonal position, we scambled to get my father-in-law's RV ready to live in for the next five months, and off we went on the adventure of a lifetime! Five months in Yellowstone! It couldn't get any better than that, right?

Lower Falls Summer

Well, it got better. At the end of the season, he was asked to return the following year. Of course we said yes. A month after we returned home, he got a call asking if he would consider a permanent, year-round position in Yellowstone. Um.... let me think about that for a while..... YES!

So, we packed up our house, downsized to bare minimum, and made the move into a tiny one-bedroom company-provided apartment. It was the best decision we ever made. We did know that this move was going to be permanent for us regardless, and knew we would be looking for a house after about a year.

Witnessing and experiencing all the seasons of Yellowstone has been spectacular. Winter in the remote interior is not for the faint of heart. Winter is long, cold, and lonely, and the only transportation is via snowcoach or snowmobile. I learned to snowshoe and cross-country ski this past winter, and look forward to more. For now, though, I'm glad that summer is finally making an appearance, although slowly. Before we know it, winter will be upon us again.

Lower Falls winter

Three weeks ago, we moved into our new home a short distance from Yellowstone, but due to the remoteness of the job, Mr. H still maintains his housing in the park. For now, I divide my time between our new home and the apartment. Life just doesn't get any better than this! Well, maybe once I add a few more cats and dogs to my family (I've missed being surrounded by pets more than I can say)

On the writing front, I've published the last full-length book in the Yellowstone Romance Series last December, added books in most of my other series, and started a new series - Wild Mountain Hearts, which is another spin-off of the Yellowstone and Teton Series.

I'm going to get this blog site updated over the next few weeks until I can put together an actual website, something I've put off doing as well.

Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date on all things book related, including Aimee's Journal entries and a new feature that's been hugely popular with the fans in my Facebook group - Campfire Chats with the Characters. I am aiming to make this part of this blog as well as in my newsletters.

Until next time!

~Peggy

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Well, today marks the beginning of a new year. I have now been a published writer for two years, and it continues to be an incredible journey for me. Last year I had to say goodbye to my beloved Yellowstone characters, and try to expand my writing into some other stories. Of course, there are certain people (and you all know who you are) who won’t let me forget the Osbornes and Russells, and we continue to discuss them as if they were our next door friends and neighbors. 



 I wrote and published Come Home to Me late in 2012, the first book in a new time travel venture, which took me completely away from the Yellowstone setting. The book was my personal challenge to write about something other than Yellowstone and the characters who were familiar to me. Being a history buff, I chose the Oregon Trail. 

While I was in Yellowstone in the summer of 2012, finishing up Yellowstone Deception, the idea for a story line set in the Tetons came to me (I remember standing in the Jenny Lake parking lot in Grand Teton National Park, gazing up at the mountains, when the idea popped into my head), but I had already started on Come Home to Me, a story idea that came to me from hearing the Eric Church song, Homeboy. 

 The Teton Trilogy, which would again bring me into a familiar setting (sort of my “comfort zone setting”) would have to wait until Come Home to Me was done, but the wheels in my head were already in motion. It’s an annoying habit my brain has to think about a new story while I’m in the middle of a current work in progress. I managed to publish Come Home to Me in 2012, making it five published novels in one year (but I had already written the first three Yellowstone books in 2011, so I didn’t actually write five books in one year, a seemingly impossible task), and couldn’t resist writing a Yellowstone novella that popped into my head during a four day weekend in Zion National Park.

 Finally, in December 2012, I was free to “return” to the mountains and begin the Teton Trilogy! I wrote Teton Sunrise in about eight weeks, because the story just came to me. Although it was sort of a spin-off of the Yellowstone Series, my intent was to make Teton Sunrise darker and more realistic than the Yellowstone books, to depict the harsh life of a mountain man with a bit more realism than what I had done previously, and yet still maintain the romantic aspect.  I wanted a completely different overall tone for the book than what I wrote in the Yellowstone Series. Under no circumstances did I want to clone Daniel Osborne when I wrote Alex Walker.

 I continue to experiment with different types of characters and situations – the anti hero, the tough as nails heroine, the heroine who, as a product of her time and upbringing might come across as weak but finds her inner strength because of the love of a good man, domestic abuse, rape, a bad childhood and rising above it, second chances and redemption, etc. 

 Although I didn’t meet my own goal of writing four books in 2013, I did manage to write and publish three - Teton Sunrise, Teton Splendor, and Ain’t No Angel (a long overdue second book in the Second Chances Series). 

 2013 was a great year in my writing career for many reasons. For the first time, I submitted two of my books, Yellowstone Heart Song and Come Home to Me, for formal review, to InD’Tale Magazine, a  romance publication in the Indie World. To my absolute disbelief, both books received Crowned Heart Reviews. 

 Yellowstone Heart Song remained on the Time Travel Best Seller list on Amazon for a second year. It even made the top 100 overall best-seller list on Amazon for a short time. Come Home To Me became my second best-seller that made it onto Amazon’s top 100 overall, going as low as #62. For me, that was a tremendous achievement. 

 This past year, I also managed to get all my books in print, and started the journey of getting them produced in audio. Hearing my characters come to life through the voices of some great narrators has been a neat experience. 

I’ve met some wonderful new readers this past year. It continues to humble and amaze me that people read and enjoy my books, and some of the emails and messages I receive from readers touch me to the very core, readers who tell me the books inspire them to go see the Tetons and Yellowstone, or have touched them in some other way. There is no greater reward for me than reading these kinds of emails. 

 One of the highlights of 2013 was my annual Yellowstone trip. It would be the highlight of my year anytime, but 2013 was especially great because I got to meet my editor, and two of my beta readers. My husband and family spent two wonderful weeks with my editor and her family, camping and hiking in Yellowstone and Grand Teton. The husbands had a great time kayaking in the Tetons and camping in the wilderness, while us girls enjoyed “girl time” at base camp. We’ll try and forget the near run-in with a grizzly while we hiked the String Lake Trail in the Tetons without bear spray. Of course, the husbands were rather jealous that they missed that experience! (Hey! They had their own adventure kayaking Jackson Lake to camp overnight on Elk Island!) 

 In Yellowstone, I met my head beta reader, who came to Yellowstone for the first time specifically because she wanted to see the park after reading my books. We spent a great day touring the park and a couple of evenings hanging out in camp. As an added surprise, one of my newer betas happened to be in Yellowstone at the time, and I got to meet her, too. 

 For 2014, my first goal is to get Teton Sunset, the final book in the Teton Trilogy, finished and published. I actually started the book right after returning from Yellowstone back in July. At the same time, however, I also started on Ain't No Angel. I can write two books at the same time, right? No problem, right? Wrong! Five chapters in on each book, and I couldn't do it anymore. I had to make a choice, and since it had been so long since the first Second Chances book, I decided to concentrate on ANA, and finish that story before diving into the last Teton book.

Now that I'm getting to know my Teton characters again,  Teton Sunrise is shaping up to be a fun book to write. After that (okay, I’m letting the cat out of the bag), I promised one of my betas I would write another Yellowstone novella. We’ve already been busy tossing around plot ideas for that story for months. Then it’s on to the third Second Chances book. After that, I have a few new projects swirling around in my head. Perhaps I should let my readers decide what to write next. 

 I am also taking part in a western anthology with a dozen other western romance writers, to be published in March of 2014. We’re putting together a sampling of our writing in short story format. I’ve already written and submitted my short, and I will shamelessly admit that I am not a short story writer. 

 One final book-related goal is to get the rest of my books produced in audio this year. All in all, I can’t wait to see what the new year will bring. 

I want to wish all of my friends and readers a happy and healthy 2014!

~Peggy

Guest Author - Mishael Austin Witty

I'm pleased to welcome contemporary romance author, Mishael Austin Witty today. And she's having a giveaway! Please leave a comment with your contact information at the end of the post, and you'll be entered in a drawing for an e-book version of her book, BELIEVE IN ME. 

Mishael, please introduce yourself. Tell us a little about the person behind the pen.

Do I have to? Ugh. This is always one of the hardest questions for a writer to answer (or is it just me?). There’s so much to say…Where do I start?

I’m a wife and a mother of two little girls. I also have two female feline fur babies who always like to sit next to (or on top of) the laptop while I’m trying to write.

I’m Kentucky-born and bred, but I’ve never been to an actual Derby (although I have been to a couple of horse races at Churchill Downs). I DO know all the words to “My Old Kentucky Home” (both the PC and the non-PC version), and I’ve always had a bit of a crush on Stephen Foster, the man who wrote the song.

I love this state, even if it didn’t officially choose sides in the War Between the States. I personally have to side with the North, since my great-great-great-grandfather, Nat Austin, was gunned down by Confederate soldiers (and he wasn’t even a soldier himself. He was a blacksmith in Tompkinsville, Monroe County).

I’m an amateur genealogist, I make my own jewelry, and I’m a Christ follower who is fascinated by all things spiritual.    

Why did you decide to write contemporary romance? What is the appeal?

I first got the idea for this novella when I decided to answer an open call for submissions for a collection of Christmas novellas by Entangled Publishing. The task was to come up with a title by using a lyric from the song “Santa Baby”, so I used the line, “let’s see if you believe in me” to come up with the title BELIEVE IN ME. From the title, I had to come up with the story idea. What would make someone feel like they had to say that to someone else? There obviously had to be a break in the relationship somewhere, so the story idea was born.

I’d really never written a romance before, but I thought it might be fun to try. I’m a psychologist by training, so I love looking into people’s minds, behaviors, and relationships. And, since romance is all about relationship, the genre seemed like a natural fit for me. It was so much fun to write this story – to get to know all the characters and see how their relationships and conflicts all played out.

How much research goes into your books, and how do you tackle that?

For most of my books so far (BELIEVE IN ME and my first, SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME), there hasn’t been a lot I’ve needed to research. For my zombie fairy tale, CAMPANULA (also available on Amazon), I needed to research herbs and their effects. Google and Wikipedia basically told me everything I needed to know about that.

For my upcoming historical novel, THE FADING SUN, I had to research a lot – what foods people in the Civil War era ate, how they dressed, etc. I wanted to really get in there and set the scenes authentically. Since the story is a fictional account based on the actual story of Nat Austin’s killing and the life of his widow, Jane, following his death, I used a lot of details gleaned from my genealogy research to fill in the character details, including ages, dates of births, marriages, number of children, etc. 

Also, I wanted to include local reactions to the major historical events that were occurring at the time, since there were so many social and political changes taking place. I used local historical papers (as local as I could get, anyway. I tried to stick with Kentucky) for this, accessed via the Louisville Free Public Library’s website. They have an awesome collection, and you can search for any date you want. So many fascinating story ideas in those pages too. I’ve gained several ideas for more historical fiction stories. I can’t wait to write them!

What is the best comment you ever received from a reader? The worst or weirdest?

The best comment I ever received from a reader was that BELIEVE IN ME reminded her of a Debbie Macomber Christmas romance, with “tension, romance, and characters that are warm and believable”.  I hadn’t yet made the connection between my book and Debbie Macomber’s books (although I have read several), and that “ah ha!” moment was priceless! Especially since it came from a reader.

The worst comment I’ve received from someone so far on this book was that it ruined her afternoon (and yet she kept reading to the end, even after she knew she didn’t like it). Here’s a particularly scathing quote: “The heroine was stupid, stupid, stupid. I couldn't believe her actions. Her mother, her mother's best friend, the stupid jerk from high school (10 yrs. ago) that was her sweetheart then, you name it. All just dumb. Even the dialogue was bad.”

And, for the weird? This one takes the cake: “Moved very quickly. Good character's [sic], Hyatt needed a little more fleshing out. Loved Mon and Mom. Look forward to reading another book with more meat to it.” These aren’t even my characters (with the exception of “Mom”). Was this person even actually reading my book? Very curious!

Still, I love hearing from readers – the good, the bad, and the odd. It’s encouraging to know that you’re not just writing into a vacuum. Someone is actually reading what you’re putting out there. It may not be their cup of tea, but at least they read it…and your writing caused enough emotional reaction in them to make them want to comment on it. That’s the best part (for me) of being a writer – making people feel something.

Tell us a little about your writing style? Do you plan and plot your stories, or do you just plow through them?

I always have to have some sort of plan before I begin writing anything; otherwise, the story doesn’t get written. If I don’t have any of idea of where I’m going, then I won’t even start.

I don’t, however, plot every detail. I tried that once with a historical novel that never got written because I wrote basically everything that happened down in my outline summary. When it came time to actually write the thing, I found that I’d outlined the excitement right out of the story. I was no longer interested in writing it. I may go back to it at some point. It’s been several years since I started it and gave it up. But, for right now, there are other tales to tell.

Can you tell us a little about your current work, BELIEVE IN ME? Is there a story behind the story?

There is definitely a story behind the story. As I mentioned before, I began writing the story in response to a call for submissions. Entangled Publishing didn’t want it. They said the story was good; it just wasn’t for them. So, since I’d already self-published one book, SHADOWS OF THINGS TO COME, I thought I’d try to self-publish this one, as well.

The underlying theme of this story is real, self-sacrificial love, forgiveness, and reconciliation. BELIEVE IN ME shows the magic that can occur when two people realize that they both played a part in making a bad situation worse, but they can both change their attitudes and turn things around to make it right again.  I published an article on my website that describes this in more detail. You can find that here: http://wp.me/p2r9mT-cJ.

What sets your heroine, Trina, apart from all the other women in your hero’s, Walt’s, life? Why is she perfect for him?

Trina is the only woman that Walt ever truly loved. She was the first woman he had sex with, and is really the only woman that he ever wants to be with physically. The thought of having sex with another woman has just never entered Walt’s mind ever since he met Trina in college.

She is stubborn, and sometimes childish, but so is Walt, and he acknowledges that. She brings out the best in him, in ways that he never thought possible. He never thought anyone could love him, with all his imperfections and insecurities, but Trina does, and Walt loves her because of that.

There’s not any one thing that separates Trina from all other women in Walt’s life. Everything about her sets her apart. She IS the only woman in Walt’s life, as far as he is concerned, and he’s determined to prove that to her.

Have you ever had writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

Ha! It seems that I, literally, go through this on a weekly, if not almost daily, basis. During these times, I’ll read…and, quite often, reading what other people write gives me the motivation to write my own stuff. Not that I think I can necessarily do it better than whatever author I happen to be reading at the moment (although sometimes that is the case), but mostly…it’s just that I’ll get a spark of an idea from reading someone else’s work, and then I can take that idea and make it my own.

I also once read a fabulous tip from Janet Burroway’s book, WRITING FICTION: GUIDE TO NARRATIVE CRAFT, about a writing technique called clustering. Actually, I think it’s more than a writing technique, but it works great for writers too. Basically, you just pick one word at random (you’ll probably need a hard copy of a book for this), try to think of as many other words as you can, build a story idea from that, and just write for 15 minutes. I wrote an article about one experience I had with clustering (and the end result). You can read that here: http://hub.me/a7Xzj.

Can you give us a little background on your hero, Walt, that’s only in your author notes, and not found in your story? What inspired you to create this character?

Yes. I definitely can.

Walt’s a largely misunderstood character (at least by the MC, Trina), and he has a fascinating background that doesn’t really come out at all in BELIEVE IN ME, but I’m thinking of developing an entire prequel based on Walt and his relationship with his mother…and how that nearly prevented his marriage to Trina. Walt and Trina never really have had an easy road. Poor guys!

That storyline does hit a little close to home for me, since my relationship with my own mother is so strained, and she was against me marrying my husband from the very beginning. But I did it, anyway, and it was one of the smartest decisions I ever made. He’s just perfect for me – and, as I said before, I think that Walt and Trina are perfect for each other, but they have a hard time figuring it out sometimes. So, basically, real life inspired me to create these characters.

Describe a favorite scene in BELIEVE IN ME?

I really love the last scene. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read it yet by giving too much away, but I think it’s really sweet how it ties everything together in a refreshingly romantic way. Since this was the first time I’d ever tried my hand at writing a romance, I’m especially proud of it.

I did have a little help, though, from some awesome beta readers who are more avid romance fans than I am! I’m sure I couldn’t have done half as well without them.

What else do you have in store for your readers?

First, I want to mention that the Kindle version of BELIEVE IN ME is on sale for 99 cents through the rest of this month (through July 31). After that, it goes back to its regular price of $2.99.

Also, I have a historical fiction/romance book coming out soon, which will probably appeal to at least some of the same readers who like BELIEVE IN ME. It’s about how a Civil War widow copes with the loss of her husband…and falls in love with his boyhood friend. This is loosely based on the aforementioned true story of the shooting of my great-great-great-grandfather and the aftermath for the family he left behind. It doesn’t have an HEA – at least not yet. This book, THE FADING SUN, is the first in the Sunset’s Hope trilogy, and the series does end happily!

Oh, and be sure to look for my upcoming (January 31, 2014) story, “Protecting Zoe”, in Kathi Macias’s  Twelve Days of Christmas series, from Helping Hands Press. The first story in that series (from Kathi herself) comes out in mid-August, and it’s a good one!  

BELIEVE IN ME Blurb:

Reconciliations can occur. Broken hearts can be mended. If you believe...

For the past year, twenty-something radio producer Trina Gray has been focusing
on her career and trying to forget that her once idyllic marriage is soon
coming to a heartbreaking end. Almost a year ago to the day, Trina caught her
husband, Walt, kissing her sister in her mother's kitchen under the mistletoe.

But it's Christmas time again, and Trina feels the familial pressure to
return to the nest for the annual holiday celebrations. It's only for a week.
Surely she can tolerate being in the same house with her sister for that long.
What she doesn't bargain for, though, is that her mother has invited Walt to
stay with the family for the holiday season, as well.

Walt's presence sends Trina running to her old friend, Mim's, bed and
breakfast, where she runs into her high school boyfriend, Kurt. Trina quickly
realizes the attraction is still strong between them, and the temptation to be
with him is stronger still, even if he is only looking for a one-night stand.
But, as Trina discovers, Walt's not willing to give up without a fight this
time.

Will Trina and Kurt rekindle their juvenile romance? Or will she repair her
relationship with Walt? Who can she believe in?

Buy on Amazon: amzn.to/NotU7A

Connect with Mishael Austin Witty online

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/woweditor12

Website: http://wittyonlineeditor.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007R5PTO8

Teaser Tuesday is back!

Okay. New book, new teasers. Unless someone wants more excerpts from the Yellowstone series. I do have some unpublished/cut scenes from Yellowstone Heart Song I could post, I guess, if anyone is interested. 
But for this Tuesday, I have a snippet from one of my current WIP's, Come Home To Me (Book 1 in the Second Chances Time Travel Series).
I published the first chapter at the end of Yellowstone Deception. This is a snippet from chapter 2.

“What the hell is going on here, reverend?” Jake forced the words from his mouth, his jaw clenched.  “What did you put into that glass of water yesterday? Or should I ask how long I’ve been passed out?”

“Take it easy, Jake,” the reverend said calmly, and scooted out from between the pews and into the center aisle. “Have a seat.” He motioned to the first row of benches.

“I want some answers, and I want them now,” Jake demanded heatedly. “I don’t need to sit down for that. I don’t take kindly to being drugged. You should know that.”

“I didn’t drug you, Jake. Not the way you’re thinking.”

Jake’s eyes narrowed. “But you did put something in that water,” he accused.

“Only to get you here,” the reverend said in his calm and casual tone that grated on Jake’s nerves worse than nails on a chalkboard. “Believe me, son, it’s a much smoother trip when you’re not aware of it.”

“Aware of what? Where exactly is here?”

Guest Author: Andrea Parnell

1   I’m pleased today to feature western romance author, Andrea Parnell.

1   Welcome, Andrea. Please introduce yourself. Tell us a little about the person behind the pen.

When I was a child my parents nailed an old saddle to a sawhorse.  I spent hours at a time astride my imaginary horse, pretending I was riding the range in the old west and chasing bad guys.  Each Christmas I got cowgirl duds and cap pistols.  Today I’m still a cowgirl at heart and even though I sold my saddle long ago, I still spend hours every day imagining adventures in the Wild West.  I’ve published three western romance novels.

2    Why did you decide to write romance?  What is the appeal?

I’m a romantic.  There isn’t a cure for it.  I write romance because the stories are about everyone and for everyone.  Romance can incorporate most every other genre and there are so many genres I like and want to do.  My ten books are primarily historical and all could be tagged romantic suspense.  As for western romances, that’s where my imagination started.

3   Do you have any writing quirks?

Plenty.  Most I won’t mention but I often begin by writing the last page first then looping back to page one and writing my way to the end.

4    Which comes first, the idea or the characters?

The idea shows up first, usually triggered by an object or event or something I’ve read doing general research.  With an idea formed, a character shows up claiming ‘that’s my story’ and soon it’s like a casting call.  Other characters appear and bring more dimension to the original spark.

5    Tell us a little about your writing style? Do you plan and plot your stories, or do you just plow through them?

I’m a fitful writer, that is to say I write in fits and spurts.  My ideal is to be perfectly organized and clock “x” number of words a day and have a neat desk.  I’m a combo writer as well.  I do some planning and some plunging.  My planning consists mainly of outlining a story arc to be sure I include all the structural elements I want.  I do a fairly extensive character chart on primary characters and that gives me most of the conflict.  Secondary characters tend to show up unannounced.  Always fun.

6   Can you tell us a little about your current work, Delilah’s Flame? Is there a story behind the story?

We are very conscious in present day of the impact a traumatic event has on a child.  I wondered how a child in the old west might have fared having witnessed a horrible crime done to a loved one.  And if the child were a girl, what would she do about it?  If she is feisty and determined, she might seek revenge, her way.  And that is Lilah Damon’s story in Delilah’s Flame set in California in 1859.

7    What sets your heroine Delilah apart from all the other women in your hero’s Tabor Stanton life? Why is she perfect for him?

She isn’t.  And that is what puzzles Tabor.  He is at first attracted by her beauty but senses she is out of place in the world in which he finds her.  She is too refined, appears to be a woman of means, all wrong for a saloon singer traveling from place to place.  There is a mystery about her and he wants to know her secret.

8    How did you come up with the title Delilah’s Flame?

Delilah has a theme song she uses in her act.  The title is a phrase from her song.  The song is a warning to someone in the audience, though that person never knows until it is too late. 

9    Can you give us a little background on your hero Tabor Stanton, that’s only in your author notes, and not found in your story? What inspired you to create this character? 

Characters surprise us.  Tabor once traveled to Japan as a naval officer before turning to ranching.  The experience is part of who he is but doesn’t factor into the story.  Tabor is inspired by my cowboy ideal, the tough good guy who loves his horse and the girl.

0   Can you give us an excerpt of your novel?

In this excerpt Tabor Stanton wakes up in jail following his first encounter with Delilah. 

A cloud of uneasiness darkened Tabor's face. "Just what is it I'm supposed to have done?"

"You ain't supposed to have done nothin', cow­boy," Marshal Walsh Peregrine barked. "I got a signed deposition on my desk says you did draw a gun on a lady and threaten to kill her. Maybe would have if her hired man hadn't got you." His eyes bulged as his anger mounted. "We don't take to a man mistreatin' a lady, or to a man welshin' on a bet."

"Delilah," Tabor mumbled as a line of her song echoed mockingly in his mind? ‘If you love Delilah there's a terrible price . . .’ He was finding out what that price was.

"I see you ain't denyin' it," Peregrine growled.

"I sure as hell am denying it." Tabor stood and grabbed the bars, too mad now to feel the pain. "The lady whacked me with a sherry bottle while I was in a vulnerable state. She also cheats at poker."

Peregrine grabbed Tabor by the shirtfront and jolted him against the bars. "Watch your filthy mouth, Stan­ton. Miss Delilah ain't the kind of lady to compromise herself with the likes of you."

"Lady, my eyetooth."

Peregrine shoved. Tabor hit the wood-framed bunk like a cannonball. "Now, don't go makin' me madder, Stanton." Peregrine's eyes threatened to pop out of his head. "Wouldn't take much for me to make you a permanent resident of the Yuba City jail."

Tabor groaned and heaved himself to his feet. He wisely avoided approaching the bars again. "Does that mean you're not holding me long?"

"It means I ain't holdin' you permanently," Pere­grine responded. "Six or eight months ought to be enough to make a better man out of you." He started to leave.

"Wait a minute, Marshal," Tabor called, for the first time realizing the severity of his situation. It wasn't going to be easy to reason with the marshal, not after that redheaded witch Delilah had worked a spell on him. He'd have to think of something. Meanwhile Curtis down at the livery would be expecting him to come for the Admiral. "I need to send word to the livery about my horse," he said.

Peregrine stopped at the door, turned, and grinned. "You ain't got no horse. Miss Delilah took ‘her’ horse with her."

I hope this excerpt tempts you to spend a few hours with Delilah and Tabor between the covers of Delilah’s Flame.  Reviews are welcomed.  Links are below.

1   What else do you have in store for your readers? 

Devil Moon, a western historical romance is next for e-release along with Guns and Garters, a novella, which ropes my western characters into a joint adventure with plenty of bullets and petticoats. 

I invite everyone to download Dark Prelude, a free novella, and look for my Gothic novels, Dark Splendor and Whispers At Midnight, available for Kindle and at any ebook store. 

I love hearing from readers.  Visit me at any of the sites below. 

Happy Trails.

Andrea Parnell's blog:  AndreaParnell.com

Twitter:                    @AndreaHParnell

Facebook:                AndreaParnell.com/Facebook

Amazon page:          Amazon

B&N:                       B&N

Smashwords:           Smashwords 

Kindle links:

Dark Prelude

Dark Splendor

Whispers At Midnight

Delilah's Flame