Peggy, thank you for inviting me to your lovely site. I’m
delighted to have you on mine today as well. I hope your followers will stop by
and leave you a bushel of comments. http://lynhorner.com/posts
Being a contributor to our Western Romance Anthology, Rawhide ’N Roses, is both a joy and a
challenge. I don’t often write short stories. It requires a whole different way
of plotting and forces one to cut out any “fluff”. I ended up cutting at least
a third of my first draft, a painful process as you know. We authors don’t
enjoy dumping sentences, paragraphs, even whole scenes for the sake of brevity.
However, tightening our prose usually improves a story in the end.
The first book I wrote was 150,000 words long, way too much!
After several edits I got the story down to a manageable level, even after
adding a paranormal element -- psychic siblings. There are no psychics in my
short story, just a case of opposites attract.
The Lawman’s Lady
by Lyn Horner
Blurb:
Marshal Trace Balfour doesn’t care for schoolmarm Matilda
Schoenbrun’s straight-laced attitude. However, a few moments alone with the
spinster lady makes him realize she isn’t quite what he expected. It also makes
him curious. Why doesn’t she like to be called Mattie? Most of all, what would
she look like without her specs and with her hair down?
Excerpt:
“Move aside,” Marshal Trace Balfour ordered, pushing
through the noisy throng gathered in the street outside the Golden Slipper
Saloon. Their shouts and laughter had drawn him from his office up the block. Among
the crowd, he saw the local Methodist preacher, the undertaker and the owner of
the mercantile across the dusty street. Several ranch hands, in town on their
day off, made most of the racket.
Trace also noticed the schoolmarm, Matilda Schoenbrun. With
her brown hair wound in a tight bun at her nape and wearing a drab calico gown
of the same color, she brought to mind a brown jay such as he’d seen as a boy
in south Texas. When she spotted him, she threw her shoulders back and narrowed
her lips, looking down her bespectacled little nose, setting his teeth on edge.
Texas Devlins 4 Book Bundle
Meet the Devlins, a trio of Irish-American siblings blessed
with rare psychic gifts. This boxed set combines the Texas Devlins trilogy and White Witch, a prequel novella.
Darlin’ Irish,
book one in the trilogy, is Jessie Devlin’s story. Haunted by dreams of a man
she’s never met, she believes they are fated to love. A clairvoyant vision
sends her west in search of him. Will her quest lead her to happiness . . . or
into a deadly trap?
Dashing Irish
stars Tye Devlin, an empath in modern terms. Tye literally feels other’s
emotions. He has learned to block out most of the “racket” to save his sanity,
but he has no defense against a Texas cowgirl’s troubled heart. Feuding
families and a perilous cattle drive threaten any hope for love -- unless Tye’s
gift proves stronger than hate.
Dearest Irish is
Rose Devlin’s story. Youngest of the siblings, Rose has an amazing ability to
heal with her mind, but she keeps a dark secret that blights her very soul.
Meek and mild, she’s terrified when a half-breed cowboy carries her off to the
Indian Territory to save his dying mother. Can she overcome her fear and dare
to love?
Find Lyn Here:
Looks like an interesting story, Lyn. I am looking forward to reading the anthology.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on undertaking the task of short story. It certainly is different, isn't it? Yours sounds terrific. Can't wait to read the anthology. Best of luck with it.
ReplyDeleteThe excerpt for The Lawman's Lady was so good! I saw the scene clearly. That one will be a hit in our anthology.
ReplyDeleteYou're very busy, and I do admire you for it. Keep it up.
I see that you've also wisely used the new bundling package idea for your Devlin series. Good move.
Keep up the work--you're on a roll.
Hey, Lyn, great descriptive scene for your short story - look forward to reading it and all the others in our anthology.
ReplyDeleteHi Ladies, I'm so glad you stopped by and liked my little excerpt. Can't wait for Rawhide 'N Roses to come out so I can read all the stories. I love the cover done by our friend Charlene Raddon.
ReplyDeleteLove it, Lyn.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading this story. I also like the bundle of your books.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Lyn! Love it!
ReplyDeleteExcellent excerpt! Loved it!
ReplyDeleteLani
After reading Lyn's and your excerpts, Peggy, I am waiting impatiently for the anthology to come out!!! Thanks for the post. jdh2690@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThank you, friends! Sorry for not answering you individually. Today is a crazy day and I'm off to a meeting in an hour. Willstop back her later this evening. I'm so glad you enjoyed the small taste of The Lawman's Lady!
ReplyDeleteI think short stories are so much harder. Kudos to you, Lyn. Tweeted.
ReplyDeleteLyn, I really enjoyed your excerpt and look forward to reading the whole story!
ReplyDeleteHi Lyn,
ReplyDeleteNice excerpt. I wish it had been longer. It certainly caught my interest.
Cheers
Margaret
Thanks, Ella, Jacquie and Margaret! The sooner the anthology hits the virtual racks the better! :)
ReplyDeleteI love anthologies, getting to keep a lot of my favorite authors close at hand! Congrats, Lyn, I am shuddering a little, though, at a 150,000 word book! Maybe three in one there LOL/ Hugs...and best wishes for continued success.
ReplyDeleteI am very lucky. As the co-ordinator, I have had the priviledge of having read all this story and like the others, it is brilliant. Cannot wait for this anthology to come out.
ReplyDelete