Western Authors Donate

The fifteen authors in the Rawhide 'N Roses  Western Anthology, that is up for a Rone Award, are donating all proceeds from the sale of the book to The Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary. 

Blurbs for the Rawhide 'N Roses Anthology:

ALISON BRUCE - GOLD MOUNTAIN

There's more than one way to mine for gold, as May Travers well knows, and Marshal Ben Jessup is about to find out.

CELIA YEARY – A GENTLE TOUCH

Adam Taylor tames mustangs with a gentle touch, but would the same method calm a frightened abused woman?

SIMONE BEAUDELAIRE – A MIDNIGHT CLEAR

A lonely widow finds a new opportunity for love during an icy Christmas in modern-day Wyoming.

CAROLINE CLEMMONS – HOUSTON McCLINTOCK

Prequel to THE TEXAN’S IRISH BRIDE

Houston McClintock is on his way home when an attack by vicious robbers redirects his life onto a surprising path to love and fulfilment.

CHARLENE RADDON – MARRYING JENNA

Branch McCauley and Jenna Leigh-Whittington's wedding day arrives at last, so why is Jenna riding hell-bent out of town wearing her wedding dress and a gun belt? Something's up, and it doesn't look good. Will the wedding ever take place?

RAIN TRUEAX – CONNIE’S GIFT

The gift of second sight, which Connie no longer believes she possesses, becomes a deadly threat to her and the man she loves.

CHAD STRONG – STABLE HANDS, STABLE HEARTS

When 17yr old Scott thinks he spots the girl of his dreams, will his feelings for her distract him from winning?

MARGARET TANNER – GUNSLINGER’S ANGEL

Gunslinger Cal Devereaux is saved by an angel, but is she a heavenly creature or a warm blooded woman?

SUSAN HORSNELL – PETTICOAT PATROL

When a man has no son, he calls on his daughters to help protect his ranch.

CAROL A. SPRADLING – WHEN LOVE ARRIVES

A stowaway's past and future collide on the Santa Fe Trail.

PATY JAGER – BLUFFING THE MARSHAL

Nellie Preston not only wants to keep her brother from hanging, she wants to become the marshal’s wife.

LYN HORNER – THE LAWMAN’S LADY

A prickly schoolmarm sets a handsome lawman’s teeth on edge until the day he starts to wonder what she’d look like without her specs and with her hair down.

PEGGY L HENDERSON – YELLOWSTONE PROPOSAL

(Yellowstone Romance Series short story)

Willing to face dangers only told in legends, Evan risks everything to find the woman who captured his heart.

JACQUIE ROGERS – MUCH ADO ABOUT MISFIRES

A short-short story in the Hearts of Owyhee series

A cowboy on rollerskates and an old flame with a new beau—can Reuben lasso the woman he loves?

CHERI KAY CLIFTON – DESTINY’S KISS

She gave up life in the present to find her destiny in the past.

Buy Links:
Amazon

Nook

Kobo

It was Destiny Cheri Kay Clifton was in the Rawhide 'N Roses Anthology

Please welcome another author from the Rawhide 'N Roses Western Anthology, Cheri Kay Clifton.

Paty, thanks for having me on your blog.  I’m so proud to be included in the Anthology, Rawhide N’ Roses, along with you and a wonderful group of western romance authors.

I have lots of notebooks filled with story ideas and characters just waiting for me to breathe life into them, so I had no problem choosing my hero and heroine for my short story, Destiny’s Kiss.  I’ve never written a time-travel before and thought this was a good opportunity to try my hand at it. 

Blurb: 

Mackenzi Lane gave up her life in the present to find her destiny in the past.

Excerpt:

What in the hell just happened!

Kenzi’s heart pounded inside her chest.  Unable to focus, she felt an aura of numbness sweep through her body.  Frightened and dizzy, she staggered away from the cheval mirror and collapsed into an armchair.

  She shook her head, desperately trying to gather her thoughts as she glanced around the room that wasn’t the attic.  Across from her stood a dressmaker’s form, beside it a treadle sewing machine.  On the tabletop next to her was a kerosene lamp, a magazine laid beside it.  Kenzi read the heading: Godey’s Lady’s Book, New Fashions for Spring, 1884. 

 She turned and faced the upright mirror again.  Her reflection stared back at her just as it had a minute ago … the hair rose on the back of Kenzi’s neck … before she had stepped through the glass.  Sweet Jesus!  This had to be a dream.

The loud clopping of horse’s hooves drew Kenzi’s attention to a large front window.  Outside a carriage passed by followed by two men on horseback.  A couple walked by, their steps resounding on what must have been a wooden boardwalk. 

  Maybe she was hallucinating?  Damn sure not a hangover this time.  She’d given up drinking and partying when she’d given up dating.

Been watching too many westerns on TV, gal!  Either that or getting too involved in American history research with her students.  She laughed, certain she’d awaken and once again be sifting through the antiques she’d discovered in the attic of the house she’d rented.

She closed her eyes and eased back in the chair, waiting for the dream to fade and reality to take hold.

Short author bio:

Cheri Kay Clifton is married to her high school sweetheart and has one son in the U.S. Air Force.  She and her hubby, both retired, divide their time between Florida and North Carolina.  When Cheri isn’t riding on the back of her husband’s motorcycle, she’s writing the third book in her Wheels of Destiny Trilogy.

I loved researching the history of my hometown, Kearney, Nebraska, known as the gateway to the Oregon Trail.  My passion for those brave pioneers, Native Americans led me to write, Book 1, Trail To Destiny in the Wheels of Destiny Trilogy.    

A turbulent cross-country journey of heated passion, bitter vengeance and a haunted past lead

Grey Wolf and Laura on their … Trail To Destiny.

Paty, I’m excited to announce my new release, Destiny’s Journey, Book 2 of the Wheels of Destiny Trilogy.

Family deception kept Jennifer O’Malley from marrying her first love ten years ago, West Point officer, Glen Herrington.  Now a Civil War widow, she leaves war-torn Richmond, determined to find her destiny.  She makes the long journey west in search of Glen, only to discover he is a notorious outlaw with a price on his head.

At the end of the war, Glen Herrington musters out of the U.S. Cavalry and hires on to Wells, Fargo & Company as an undercover agent.  When Jennifer confronts him locked in a jail cell, the embers of a love too long denied burn deep inside them both, yet Glen is honor bound not to reveal his true identity.

As life-long secrets and life-threatening dangers abound, Glen and Jennifer fight to reclaim their destiny in each other’s arms.

www.cherikayclifton.com

www.amazon.com/Trail-To-Destiny-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B0052O4N8E

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trail-to-destiny-cheri-kay-clifton/1009071005?ean=9780595912186

www.amazon.com/Destiny’s-Journey-Wheels-Destiny-Trilogy-ebook/dp/b00J7426H0

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/destinysjourney-cheri-kay-clifton/1118965029?eans=2940149540655

RAWHIDE ‘N ROSES - Margaret Tanner

Please welcome one of our Rawhide 'N Roses anthology authors from Australia. I met Margaret online through the same publisher and we are both monthly bloggers on Romancing the Genres.  

Hi Paty,

Thank you for inviting me to your blog.  

I was absolutely thrilled to be invited to participate in the Rawhide ‘N Roses western romance anthology. It is an honor to work with such talented western writers.

RAWHIDE ‘N ROSES

Saddle up your horses and head out to the heart of the Wild West in this collection of short love stories by authors of Western Romance from all over the country and around the world. Whether your passion is historical or contemporary, there's something inside for everyone.

http://amzn.com/B00IRPWDNM

My historical romances set in Frontier Australia, are not unlike romances set in the American West. Maybe I should categorize my stories as Australian Westerns. Both our countries share a similar history, a savage, untamed land, isolated communities of settlers, and a large single male population with very few young women. With a background like this, what a Pandora’s box of ideas and situations writers can play out to the happily ever after conclusion. And we do.

The Gunslinger’s Angel, is my contribution to the Rawhide ‘N Roses anthology.

Blurb:

 Caleb Devereaux is saved by an angel, but is she of the heavenly variety or a real flesh and blood woman?

Excerpt:

Hot searing pain speared through Cal’s chest with every breath he took. He felt as if a red hot poker gouged his flesh, slowly twisting and turning to increase his torment. Sweat pouring into his eyes blurred his vision. His whole body burned with such intensity he wondered why he didn’t burst into flames.

“This is your first taste of hell, Caleb Devereaux,” he muttered. “Get used to it.” At least he had sent the Tolson brothers on ahead to meet Satan. The fires of hell were probably already burning those vicious hombres to a crisp.

A warm breath fanned his face, followed by the fleeting touch of soft hands stroking his forehead. His eyes creaked open and an angel’s face hovered above him. She had milky white skin, huge pale blue eyes and golden hair. A whiff of lavender infused his nostrils. Did angels smell of lavender?

He couldn’t see her wings, and she wore blue rather than white. There had to be a mistake. Why had he gone to heaven instead of hell? His life was not without blemish. He had killed a dozen or more men, but never shot a man in the back, didn’t need to when he was lightning fast on the draw. As a boy, he had stolen food after escaping the clutches of his drunken parents. Maybe he wasn’t evil enough for hell, but he was hardly suitable for heaven.

“Here, drink this.” The angel’s voice caressed him.

Water trickling down his throat washed away the dusty dryness.

Margaret’s Blog:

http://www.margarettanner.com/

“Australian Westerns” I have written.

Savage Possession

A sweeping tale of love's triumph over tragedy and treachery in frontier Australia.

A mistaken identity opens the door for Martin Mulvaney to take his revenge on the granddaughter of his mortal enemy.

http://amzn.com/B008EL0FTI

Fiery Possession

American wild west versus Australian frontier.

Explosive results and tragedy follow Jo Saunders and Luke Campton when they cross the fine line dividing love and hate.

http://amzn.com/B00C2JOK6M            

Frontier Belle

Her feats of daring intrigued him, but her beauty scared the hell out of him.

Only in the new world can a highborn young Englishwoman and a tough frontier man, ignite the passion that will fulfil their hopes and dreams.

http://amzn.com/B00F03B42A

Rawhide 'N Roses with Charlene Raddon

            Thank you, Paty, for having me here today and giving me a chance to talk about Rawhide ‘n Roses, and my short story, Marrying Jenna.

            I love the title of this western romance anthology. Rawhide denotes so well the masculinity of our male characters, while what could be more feminine than a rose? In my story, Marrying Jenna, to present my hero and heroine with these qualities. Branch McCauley is tough, rough, and downright deadly, when he needs to be, but inside there’s a softness that is what ensnares Jenna’s heart. He’s a caring, giving man, a perfect match for Jenna’s gentle female emotions. Yet their relationship does not exactly proceed perfectly.

            Marrying Jenna is a sequel to my book, released in January, Taming Jenna, in which the readers first meets Jenna and Branch. Jenna is a Pinkerton, Branch a bounty hunter, and they are both after the same outlaw. In the book, Jenna mistakes Branch as her quarry, and he doesn’t take too well to having a woman get the drop on him. After all, he has a huge reputation he must do justice to, and this interfering woman sure doesn’t help. His efforts to get even with her go awry and she simply walks away.

            And so the story goes, with Jenna one-upping Branch, and him doing his best to teach her a lesson and tame her at the same time. He finally succeeds, sort of, by the end of the book, and wins her heart. He’d lost his to her long ago.

            Marrying Jenna is about their wedding day, which, like so many of the events in the book, does not go according to plan. It begins with Branch looking out the window and anticipating his wedding night, only to see Jenna tearing out of town on her horse in her wedding gown, gun belt, boots and Stetson.

            You’ll have to read the story to find out where she’s going and why, and whether the wedding takes place or not.

            On a different topic, many people have asked me about creating the cover for Rawhide ‘n Roses. Was it a chore, with fifteen other authors putting in their two cents worth and wanting the cover done their way? Yes, but it was also a huge amount of fun. I love creating covers almost as much as I love writing. To those who have known me all my life, this wouldn’t be much of a surprise. My major in college was fine arts, and I was always doing something creative in a variety of mediums. I’m sure the thing that would drive me crazy, should I be locked up in a prison, would be the inability to be creative. Above the door to my office at home is a sign a friend gave me that says, “I will live badly if I do not write”, but it could as easily say “I will live badly if I am not creative.”    

            After growing up in Southern California, I moved to Utah dreaming the of watercolor landscapes I could create here, an exciting prospect for a woman who was used to seeing little more than concrete, houses, businesses and the ocean. Seascapes were not my thing. I never dreamed I would end up doing my painting with words rather than paint. But I’ve never regretted that little zigzag in my road. So many authors I meet grew up dreaming of writing. Not me. What about you? Has life taken you down a road you never imagined?

You can learn more about Charlene at: www.charleneraddon.com

Read more about the anthology at: Rawhide n Roses Blog

Purchase links for Rawhide 'N Roses anthology.

Amazon         Nook

Rawhide 'n Roses author Rain Trueax

I met fellow Oregonian author, Rain Trueax online. We've helped one another with story details and find we both live rural and adore it. Please welcome another talented writer in the western anthology, Rawhide 'n Roses. 

When I began considering what might make an interesting, 2000 word, short story, for our western writers anthology, Rawhide and Roses, I decided to use secondary characters from an earlier book. I thought I’d enjoy taking a character I had liked and giving them their own story. To me secondary characters in any book are the key to the book working. I’ve had some great ones, a few that readers have related back how much they enjoyed anytime the characters appeared—which pleased me.

Deciding my character should be from the historicals, I first opted for one young man and intended to give him a romance. As soon as I realized with whom he would fall in love, I knew that was too complicated for a short story (going to be a novella or book by summer). That led to choosing a woman, also from Tucson Moon, who I had particularly liked—Connie Sicilla.

Connie is a natural psychic. She was taught by her mother and grandmother, with similar gifts, to accept hers as a responsibility, one from which she was never to use for profit. I’ve known a few like her. It’s rather amazing what they can see, but they do face problems because of a paranormal gift that some fear or misunderstand.

With her husband, faro dealer, Del Sicilla, Connie had left Tucson near the beginning of Tucson Moon. They weren’t driven out by word getting around of her readings, although that had also happened, but rather by his feeling there were greener pastures. The two, married over twenty years with no children, are still passionately in love and supportive of each other. What happens to them in a California mining camp is told in—Connie’s Gift.

Rain Trueax bio:

Growing up on a farm at the edge of wilderness and writing since childhood impacts my view of life as well as my creative work. All my romances emphasize the values of self worth, hard work, nature, and community. Through my characters, I especially like to show how our choices, good and bad have consequences. Some of our greatest growth comes through our intimate relationships where the challenges can be the most painful or joy filled.

Married with two grown children and four grandchildren, I work from our Oregon sheep and cattle ranch, a Tucson desert home, or on the road in the inter-mountain west. I have now published twelve contemporary and two historical romances along (plus three as yet unpublished Oregon historical romances). 

http://raintrueax.blogspot.com/

http://rainydaytrailers.blogspot.com/

My books:: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006UX64X8

https://twitter.com/RainTrueax

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rain-Trueax/200584236675973

Rawhide 'N Roses: A Western Romance Anthology - Carol A. Spradling

I'm pleased to introduce you to another western author in the Anthology with me. 

Please welcome, Carol!

Carol may have grown up on Florida beaches, but her heart has always belonged to the mountains. Last year, she and her husband finally fulfilled her lifelong fantasy. They moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains. YAY!!!!! If she can curb her endless mountain gazing from her front door, she might get some work done on her next book. She still can't believe she lives in an area she loves so much.

Short story writing:

When I was first approached to write a short story, I was excited and a little nervous.  I had the opportunity to be part of an anthology with a dozen authors that I admired and respected, but could I tell a full story within 2000 words?  All of my writing career, I've been advised to expand my scenes, add more depth, and express more emotion.  To keep a story brief seemed to go against everything I'd been taught.  Naturally, I viewed this exercise as a personal challenge.  It was time to prove I was worth my writing salt.

My next hurdle was to come up with an idea.  My stories are generally set east of the Rockies.  This anthology was to be true to the west.  No mountain settlers for this group.  I took another tentative step out of my comfort zone and settled on the Santa Fe Trail.  I'd seen enough cowboy shows to know wagon trains headed west all the time.  I now had the basis for my story.

As I began to place the "bones" of my story in place, I have to admit, it was difficult to not go into massive details.  But once I got past the desire to tell the reader every aspect of the story, I relaxed and the story flowed. 

It's my opinion that a short story is just that, a quick read that delivers a condensed version of a full-length novel.  And to be honest, every now and then, I think a short story is just what a reader wants, a good story without elaborate description.  Between you and me, I can't wait to be part of another anthology.

Where to find Carol A. Spradling

Website

Facebook

Blog

Other books by Carol A. Spradling:

Faithfully Yours (The Forever Time Travel Romance Series, Book 1)

Pursuing Honor (The Forever Time Travel Romance Series, Book 2)

The Highwayman's Grace (The Forever Time Travel Romance Series, Book 3)

Shades of Gray

For Mercy's Sake

Redcoats & Sleigh Bells

The Night Lamp