Release Day Party for "Marriage Bargain" by Paisley Kirkpatrick

WE'RE HAVING A PARTY, A CELEBRATION, A HAPPENIN'

 

Paisley Kirkpatrick, one of my dear online friends, has a book release today. And she's given me the honor of throwing a release day party for her. I've been baking and cooking and chilling champagne. I'm thrilled you've stopped by. Won't you grab a flute of bubbly, a plate and fill it full of goodies?

 

Not only has Paisley agreed to tell us all about her new book--MARRIAGE BARGAIN--but she's going to answer a few questions of mine, too. You know how nosy I am. Paisley, welcome to Vintage Vonnie. How's the champagne, darlin'?

 

Well, the bubbles tickle my nose. Goodness! Champagne, chocolate and chick talk--some of my favorite things. After western historicals, that is. Thanks for having me today. My heart is pounding with excitement over having book two of my Paradise Pines series published--and by my favorite publisher, too. The people at Desert Breeze are the best.

Here, have some chocolate covered strawberries. I went a little overboard on the strawberry theme, but I found some fresh at the outdoor market. I love the banner your publisher made for your book, showcasing your series.

Isn't it the greatest? They've been so good to me.



While you enjoy your bubbly, let me ask you a few questions. What authors and genres do you like to read?

 

I've always preferred third person, historicals and have rarely gone off in a new direction. Just once, I decided to try a book written by my friend J. Morgan. He pulled me into a world of vampires and werewolves, a contemporary story set in the south, and written in first person. I was so engrossed in the story that by the time I reached the end of the third chapter, I realized he opened me to reading the others he'd written. I discovered I'd been cutting myself off from brand new adventures and now I want to read all genres and new authors.

J. Morgan! I had him here as a guest awhile back. He's so interesting. And comical in his own way. Tell me, what is one of your most embarrassing or laughable moments?

 

I have this embarrassing reputation at my local Sacramento Valley Rose chapter. In the beginning -- you know, before the earth's crust cooled - I had no idea what point of view was. I had been reading stacks and stacks of Harlequins and after looking back through them, found no POV. I had this particular story written and proudly handed it to a friend in the chapter. I couldn't wait to hear her response. Well, she made it through the first few pages with her red pen in her hand and then stopped and handed it back to me. Her comment was, "Learn POV and then I will look at it again." I spent years working on POV and now can proudly say that very rarely do I get caught out of POV. It became an obsession of mine. I guess it was Judy announcing to the chapter that in the first paragraph she had five sentences, four with different POVs and one was from a rock. Something like that can leave a BIG impression with a new writer. I know it did with me and I am ever so grateful.

Oh, darlin', I had to learn that, too. I'd been reading THE Nora almost exclusively and thought I ought to be able to pop heads, too. NOT! My agent ripped into me big time. it's all part of our learning curve as writers, don't you think? Tell us, what are you working on now? 

You mean besides all this food? Why did you make so much? No! No more champagne! I won't be able to complete one coherent sentence. Well, okay, maybe a few more drops. Now, where was I? Oh, my books...yes.

This third book is about the youngest of the Benjamin sisters. Used as a wager in a poker game, Marinda Benjamin’s life is drawn into a devious scheme of adventure and revenge. She acquiesces to her blackmailing boss’s demands and takes a maid’s job at the Braddock farm knowing full well she is expected to spy on Dr. Ethan Braddock. Her father’s life and care of her ailing mother depend on whether she cooperates with the hateful banker and retrieves files on a fraudulent insurance scheme. When Ethan Braddock discovers her cleaning his medical office and realizes from the first that she is the pawn of his arch enemy, he gives her a chance to prove herself.

Marinda survives being shanghaied and after a long journey ends up in San Francisco with Ethan. She is provided an opportunity to foil her former boss’s illegal insurance scam and reclaims her self-esteem by providing the proof to have him jailed.

How do you research your storylines or locations? Have you tried this chocolate layered cake? Why are you shaking your head? Surely one piddling little piece won't hurt...

 

MARRIAGE BARGAIN was born the day I picked up my great, great grandfather's handwritten journal. Charles Kirkpatrick, was one of those men who traveled by wagon train to California. He was a doctor and his plan was not to dig for the gold, but to set up a medical practice. He kept a 45 page journal along the way and it is now sealed in a glass case in the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley. My Mother was able to get a copy of the journal and I consider it a great family treasure. His beautiful handwriting took me with him as he faced the dangers and saw the beauty traveling west. He left me a lot of information that guided my hero and heroine's journey west in Marriage Bargain.

 

 

When Grandfather arrived in California, he worked for a while in private practice, served as a Surgeon Major during the Civil War, and then returned to private practice in San Francisco. He ended up delivering his grandson Arthur, who happened to become my grandfather. His wife is supposedly the first woman to have articles printed in a magazine. I have copies of those as well and much to my amazement, found a couple of passages I wrote that were almost verbatim to what she wrote, in a story similar, in a situation the same. Later I found out the story was her personal experience when she traveled west on a ship to San Francisco. Every time I read the last sentence in her story I get emotional and cry. I wonder if we have some kind of connection beyond me being her great, great granddaughter. She wrote this after she disembarked and stood on the dock in San Francisco:  "When I felt his hand on my shoulder, I knew I was home."

Oh, darlin', that makes chills go up and down my spine. Truly. Now, let's look at your book cover and your blurb.

 

 

BLURB:

The dusty trail of a wagon train leads west, but Darrah Benjamin finds it a pathway to love and forgiveness when an arranged marriage becomes much more than a convenience. Wagon scout Chase challenges her determination with his promise -- she’ll give him her heart and invite him to her bed before they arrive at their destination. Darrah will shape her own destiny and claim a woman’s spirit along the way.

Charles Danforth, a scout known as Chase, leads a wagon train of emigrants west through plains plundered by murderers. As an undercover agent of President Polk, he has sworn to stop the massacres.  Darrah's inadvertent comment gives him the clue he needs to achieve his assignment. His Sioux blood brother helps Chase end the killings, but almost ruins Chase’s chance of winning Darrah’s heart when he takes matters in his own hands to demonstrate the depth of love Chase has for his wife.

EXCERPT:

He tossed his hat near the heat and raked his fingers through dark, tangled curls before he got up and rummaged through his saddlebag. He returned and handed her a pistol. "Here, if it'll make you feel more secure take this for protection. You could scream, but I doubt anyone would come to your defense out here."

She held the barrel of the gun between her thumb and index finger. After a fleeting examination, she handed it back. "Umm, no thank you. I don't feel that threatened."

He put the weapon in his saddlebag. This time he returned holding a knife. "How about my Bowie knife?" he said, grinning.

She stared at the twelve-inch blade and bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. He was being absolutely charming. "You're a tease. The thing is so large you could gut a buffalo with it."

He let out a deep, exaggerated sigh. "Well then, this is all I have left." He hunkered down and pulled a four-inch knife from his boot. "You might keep it for your peace of mind."

Darrah accepted the weapon. "This one's more my size, but I don't have experience using a knife of any length. Would you mind showing me the proper place to stick a blade this short? If I must protect myself, I'd prefer to inflect the most damage possible with the first thrust."

His right brow quirked. "For my own preservation, I think not." He slid the Bowie knife inside his saddlebag and stripped off his wet shirt, tossing it next to the campfire.

Frozen in fascination, she couldn't tear her gaze from the mass of dark curls covering his tanned, brawny chest. He is handsome in a rugged sort of way she had to admit.

He sat next to her and tugged off his boots. "The offer's still open. You can shed the wet skirt and crawl under my fur with me." His mouth eased into a dimpled grin. "I can guarantee you'll not be cold anymore."

Website link     http://www.paisleykirkpatrick.com/

Buy links:

Desert Breeze: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/paradise-pines-the-marriage-bargain-epub/

Amazon; http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Pines-Book-Two-ebook/dp/B00BXQNPZ2/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1363837313&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=marriage+bargain+by+paisley+kirkpatrick

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paradise-pines-book-two-paisley-kirkpatrick/1114876203?ean=2940016273693
 

COVER FOR BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES.

 

Night Angel:

http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/paradise-pines-night-angel-epub/

http://www.amazon.com/Paradise-Pines-Book-One-ebook/dp/B00909PON0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362274363&sr=1-1&keywords=paisley+kirkpatrick

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paradise-pines-book-one-paisley-kirkpatrick/1112576086?ean=2940014889667

Well folks, I've partied like a dog...and what a blast it was. Paisley, I wish you all the best in sales and reviews. I cannot wait to read MARRIAGE BARGAIN.