Synopsis:
Born
in the wrong time…
In
1875 Dakota, Sheriff Jamie Carter has to hide his interest in men, even from
his gutsy twin sister, Anna. On a good day, the truth can mean a bullet between
the eyes, and on a bad, one in the back.
A
man on a mission…
Jamie
leaves Anna in charge of Blackrock and he hits the bounty hunting trail, along
with his faithful equine companion, Houston. Five territories, scores of
‘Wanted’ posters, and many bullets later, his path unexpectedly converges with
that of enigmatic loner, Kit Brooks.
Two
men with one soul…
Will
the smoldering fire between them rage into an inferno and break down protective
barriers, allowing them to find love? Or will it separate and kill them?
Beneath
Dakota skies…
Jamie
and Kit’s story is a sweeping saga of cowboys, Indians, persistent broads, and
vengeful villains, where the cowboys aren’t always the good guys, and love
can’t be taken for granted.
Buy
the book:
Excerpt:
In
a subdued tone, Jay related what a long, tough journey it had been from Texas
to Dakota for a boy of nine. Many didn’t make it, dying from disease, bandit
attack, or exhaustion. It was a far cry from the life they were used to. On the
road, a man kept his money in his boots, and protected it with a gun. No, it
sure as hell wasn’t a pleasant trip filled with singing and laughter. Though
there was some.
Days
would go by with no sunshine or bird song. At times, they got soaked to the
skin. The schooner’s offered good cover but the rain sometimes made it under
the canvas. It would take an age to dry out and get warm. At least, during
those times, they didn’t get eaten by bugs. The wagons weren’t comfortable
either. Every stone could be felt and sometimes it was easier to walk.
Jay
recalled how, part way through Kansas, he’d gone down with a fever. He didn’t
remember much about it. But he knew he scared the shit out of his family for a
while, having them convinced they’d be burying him. Thankfully for all
concerned, he battled through it.
He
didn’t go into much detail, seeing how his aunt and uncle already wore
expressions of sadness and concern. Instead, he scrunched his face in
remembrance of the foul-smelling brew Ma Carter concocted. It frightened off
any living thing that dared to venture in the direction of their wagon. Jay’s
mama also became a stickler for cleanliness, even boiling all drinking water, insisting
she wasn’t gonna feed her family anything that could have things still living
in it. The habit stuck with them all.
Jay
followed on with life at journey’s end, which wasn’t as dour as it probably
seemed. It was just very different to what they’d been used to in Texas.
Once
settled in Dakota, Ma Carter soon whipped family and housing into shape. She was
a woman of action, and though some tasks weren’t exactly nice, she’d happily do
anything in support of her husband and children. While her husband worked the
claim, Ma Carter did everything else, including kicking her children’s asses
when they got out of line.
Ma
Carter didn’t let her children’s education slip, either. Having been pulled
from school in Texas, she took care of lessons, both on the trail and when they
reached Dakota. On top of that, her children had to do their chores.
A
few claims, including the Carters’, were successful—good enough for the family
to be comfortable. However, the words ‘gold’ and ‘trouble’ were like squabbling
sisters sharing the same room. Spats between neighbors were commonplace. After
a while, Pa Carter noticed regular, more organized violence, creeping in like
an ugly, festering mold.
The
town needed an effective sheriff, before crime got out of hand. After a
meeting, John answered the call of the starred badge.
About the Author:
Her
love of books has been a long standing affair, with Taylin liking nothing
better than to lose herself in an imaginary world.
Until
she met Lily Velden, she never considered trying her hand at writing. However,
after talking ideas, Lily encouraged her to put pen to paper—or rather, fingers
to keyboard. Since, with a few virtual kicks in the right place, she hasn’t
stopped. Her confidence eventually led to her writing an original work for
submission.
Her
first published work was Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters, developed for the
Dreamspinner Press Anthology – Don’t Try This At Home.
Now
she absolutely adores immersing herself into the characters she creates, and
transferring the pictures in her brain to paper, finding it liberating,
therapeutic, and wonderful.
Outside
of writing, her interests include; martial arts (she’s a 2nd Degree Black Belt
in Taekwon-do), horse-riding, all of which facilitates her love of a wide
variety of movies. Her action heroes include Jet Li and Tony Jaa—finding the
dedication these men have for their art combined with their skill both amazing
and a privilege to watch. If pressed, she’ll admit to thinking that the screen
entrance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean
– Curse of the Black Pearl, and Shadowfax in LOTR, to be the greatest screen
entrances ever. Her all-time favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the
Rings.
The
simple things in life that make her day, putting a smile on her face are:
Laughter – especially that of her children.
The
smell of lasagna cooking – it makes her mouth salivate.
The
dawn chorus – no symphony ever written can beat the waking greetings of the
birds.
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