Broken Promise by Paisley Kirkpatrck

My online buddy, Paisley Kirkpatrick, is living both a dream AND a nightmare. On the day she and her husband closed on their property in Wisconsin, the 4th book of her fantastic Paradise Pines series released--May 23rd.  On the 27, the moving van arrives to load their belongings. After which, she and her husband, in cars loaded to the gills with clothes and last minute packed items, like plants, begin the long drive from California to their new place in Wisconsin. The senior citizens expect the trip to take them 4 days with frequent stops to rest tired eyes.
So, how is she going to promote this new release?
Well, this is what romance writers do best--other than write heart-warming stories. We help one another. I'm going to ask that you either copy and paste this post to your blog OR tweet and Facebook the heck out of it.
And to Desert Breeze Publishing and Amazon, where I copied and pasted the following items, my apologies. I'm only trying to help you sell more of Paisley's books, because as a human being, she's top notch.
I did have to laugh though. She mentioned in her email that she couldn't wait until she got her office set up and Internet access installed so her life could get back to normal. NORMAL??? We're writers. We don't do normal!
Paradise Pines Series

Broken Promise

By

Paisley Kirkpatrick

Paradise Pines Series

Night Angel

Marriage Bargain

Forever After

Broken Promises

Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

27305 W. Live Oak Rd #424

Castaic, CA 91384

http://www.DesertBreezePublishing.com

Chapter One

Sierra Mountain Range, California

Fall 1853

Rebecca Ryder's knees buckled. She staggered to hold herself upright as she stared at the cabin meant to be her future. You didn't build futures with sagging porches and roofs so patched they looked more like a quilt than something meant to keep rain off your head. Her breath remained trapped in her throat. Rebecca couldn't see the shining ray of hope her grandpa promised her in his letters. All she saw was her desperation reaching a new low. She might never recover from this one.

Her gaze swept the unkempt lot strewn with weeds and rocks. Giant oaks, cedars, and firs bordered the yard. Even their majestic stance couldn't lessen the unsightliness of the unpainted wood barn standing in disrepair.

Rebecca tethered her mare to a broken railing and stepped onto the narrow porch. Several pesky chicks scattered in her wake. As she proceeded across the warped boards, a few creaked and dipped under her boots. She knocked, but no one answered. Her hand paused on the door handle and dread filled her mind of what might be inside. She pressed her shoulder against the rough wooden plank and shoved it open enough to squeeze into the interior.

Oh, no, Grandpa. It was obvious he had been too busy working the mine to worry about such things as creature comforts. The stench of decay in a garbage pail curdled her stomach, but not as much as the thought of her dear grandfather dying alone in this squalor a few days before she arrived from Pennsylvania.

She stared at rows of newspapers standing side by side from the floor to eye level. What was he thinking? The papers nearly filled the room. She stepped further inside the cabin. Lace-like cobwebs hanging from the rafters caught in her hair and brushed against her face. She swiped them away and continued walking along the narrow pathway through the wall of newspapers.

A rusty woodstove with three broken bricks acting as a corner leg, stood in an area she would hardly consider a kitchen. Chipped crockery sat on the bottom shelf of a small, open cupboard.

She brushed her fingers over crumpled bedding covering a platform near the stove. The inside of this rickety shack was even worse than she expected.

Rebecca surveyed the rest of the open space. Her heart lurched at seeing the treasured rocker. It was the only piece of furniture Grandpa took with him when her father ran him off their Texas farm five years ago. The hope she had harbored that she'd turned the wrong way in this remote wilderness faded away. She moved around the edge of the makeshift bed and dropped onto the chair. The mess she found inside the shack made no sense. The grandfather she'd known all of her life was always neat and orderly. There must be a good reason why he lived like this. She moved her hands back and forth along the smooth armrests, wishing her grandpa were still here to explain it all.

BLURB:

After her grandfather's death, Rebecca Ryder finds herself the sole owner of his gold mine. 

The inheritance would be a great asset, but her grandfather didn't tell her how to find its entrance. Now, if she cannot find it, a looming property tax bill could take her legacy away from her. The gold mine is her only shot at the independence she's desperately dreamed of her entire life. 

Her problem is the infuriating Scots who live on the surrounding property. They are intent on ripping that future and her inheritance away from her. 

BUY LINK:   http://amzn.com/B00KI268Z6

Sneak Peek Sunday by Vonnie Davis

Welcome to my segment of Sneak Peek Sunday, where various authors share six paragraphs from either a published work or a work in progress. Just enough to entertain, to entice, to spark your curiosity.

Today I'm sharing from my historical novella set in a fictional town of Cicero Creek, Wyoming Territory, shortly after the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871. A MAN FOR ANNALEE is a "sweet" romance with a feisty heroine and a hero who finds her both comical and annoying.

Here's my six. The opening scene of the book that literally starts with a bang...

Gunfire jarred Annalee Gallagher. She straightened in her seat, her heart pounding. Another bullet zinged past the stagecoach, and the older couple sitting across from her gasped in unison. Heaven help her, she’d escaped one nightmare only to find herself in the middle of another. 

The broad-shouldered man who’d been drowsing against her jerked upright and drew a pistol from his holster in a blur so fast Annalee wondered if he hadn’t been holding it all along.

 

He fired six shots out the window before leaning back to reload. “Think I winged one.” Was he speaking to himself in affirmation or bragging to the occupants of the stagecoach?  

One thing for sure, though, Annalee wanted a look at the gunmen. Did they resemble the criminals in her dime novels? She slowly leaned toward the open window next to her. Surely one peek wouldn’t hurt. Thus far her journey from Chicago to Cicero Creek, Wyoming Territory had been blessedly uneventful. She’d met none of the miscreants and bloodthirsty Indians written about in her books, so the thrill of living through a stagecoach robbery, like those in stories she’d read, warred with her sense of self-preservation. 

If she’d had her wits about her, she’d be afraid, or so she told herself as she glanced out of the window, hoping to see the highwaymen. With her mind and heart so absorbed with grief this past week, this incident, no matter how perilous, was a welcome respite. 

The gunmen were out of her line of vision, but the pounding of their horses’ hooves grew closer. More shots rang out. The stagecoach driver cracked his whip and bellowed an order to the team of horses. “Hi-ya! Go! Go!” The stage swayed precariously as it accelerated over the bumpy road. Gritty dust blew into the coach with such force the air seemed alive with it.

 

BUY LINK:

Amazon ~ http://www.amazon.com/Man-Annalee-Vonnie-Davis-ebook/dp/B00E4WJ5VA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1393727946&sr=1-1&keywords=a+man+for+annalee

 

 DON'T FORGET TO VISIT OTHER BLOGS DOING "SNEAK PEEK SUNDAY." YOU'RE SURE TO FIND SOMETHING SPECIAL.
CLICK ON --
http://sneak-peek-sunday.blogspot.com/

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.

 

My guest today is Wild Rose Press author Kathy Otten. This is her first visit to Vintage Vonnie, and I’m thrilled to have her. She lives in the open farm country of western NY with her husband of thirty-one years. She enjoys taking long walks with her dog, who loves rooting through the tall grass and underbrush of the woods and fields where they trek. In the winter, she likes to curl up with a good book and one or two of her five cats, while the snow blows outside. In between family, work and animals she sits at her computer and weaves stories of laughter, heartache and love for the crazy cast of characters swirling around in her head.

Kathy, what is your writing schedule like?

My kids are all grown and live on their own now. Other than my husband and my pets, it would seem as if I’d have plenty of time to write, but it hasn’t worked out quite like I imagined.

My day job is actually a weekend job. I work 40 hours Friday, Saturday & Sunday, so with drive time I’m gone about 16 hours each day. That leaves Monday as my catch-up day. Laundry, cleaning, social networking sites and emails that have accumulated over 3 days, errands, shopping, and sleep.

Tuesday through Thursday, I go to the fitness center for an hour or so, shower, breakfast, then spend about an hour going through emails and social networking. I’ll spend another hour on research questions that need to be answered. Like, how many buttons were on the uniform coat of a Civil War Surgeon, or how long did it take a train in 1874 to get from point A to point B?

After lunch I have about two hours to write undisturbed. I try to write non-stop, but that’s not always possible. The darn cats want to go in or out, the phone will ring, or there will be a crash and I’ll have to go investigate. I have a couple of books going and I pick the characters who are yelling the loudest as the ones I work on. I quit around three and vacuum or toss in a load of laundry. When it’s not -18 degrees I walk the dog.

My husband comes home around 4pm and after we touch base I play around with non-writing stuff while supper is cooking. After supper I spend time working on blog posts, research, my newsletter, or workshop presentations. Sometimes I watch a little TV or do a crossword puzzle. After my husband goes to bed I try to write for another hour. Thursday night is my critique group meeting and I try to have ten pages ready for that.  Then first thing Friday I’m back at work and the cycle continues.

Tell us, what is the story behind your book title?

A Tarnished Knight sounds medieval, but it is actually a historical western. Characters come to me first and I saw my hero standing in the shadows wearing the brim of his hat pulled low.  When I searched my book of character names, the name Ryder jumped out at me. When I looked at the meaning I saw Ryder meant knight or mounted warrior. That was perfect, because my heroine was looking for someone to save her. The medieval thread in the story comes from the fairy tales Victoria’s grandmother told to Victoria whenever she had a nightmare. Ryder, something of a reluctant hero, became in Victoria’s mind her knight, though she wrote in her journal that his armor was a little tarnished. Hence, A Tarnished Knight.

I love that. What are you currently working on? 

I currently have two projects going. A Civil War romance novel about a surgeon and nurse at Armory Square Hospital that’s about 55,000 words. into the first draft. My second project is a bit outside my comfort zone. It’s a contemporary YA mystery/paranormal, in which I’m about 18,000 words into the first draft.

Now, let me hit you with my fast five...

FAST FIVE:

1.   Heels, sneakers or flip-flops?  Sneakers

2.   Chocolate, champagne or cheesecake?  Chocolate

3.   SUV, sports car or minivan?  SUV

4.   Earrings, bracelets or navel piercing?  Earings

5.   Fav vacation destination: beach, mountains or city? Mountains

BLURB FOR A TARNISHED KNIGHT--

Fleeing her abusive husband, Victoria Van der Beck is captured by down-on-his-luck bounty hunter, Ryder MacKenzie. As she comes to love this man who hides his face in shadows, she wonders if he could be the valiant knight for whom she's been longing. Is he the champion who would save her from the evil prince, or is MacKenzie just a paid lackey determined to return her to her husband?

Ryder MacKenzie never believed anyone could love him, for he was cursed the day he was born. He only wants to be left alone to live on his ranch in peace. But rustlers have stolen his cattle. He's been ambushed and his horse killed. Now his one chance to get his life back is to simply return a society princess to her husband. Maybe his luck is about to change. At least she isn't pretty.

EXCERPT --

The peacefulness of Ryder MacKenzie’s home settled into her soul with every breath of air she drew, soothing the restless need to run that had consumed her since she’d hit Nicholas with the whiskey bottle.

When she wandered back to the cabin, she expected Ryder to be in bed, but he was still in the tub, his knees drawn up, pale and knobby, his head resting on the rim.

She grabbed Beau by the scruff of his neck and shoved him outside closing the door with a sharp bang.

Ryder jerked upright, sloshing water over the sides.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ll come back.”

“No.” He leaned back and closed his eyes. “I’m done. I just want to wash my hair.”

“I can do it for you.” Before the words were out of her mouth, she questioned what part of her brain they’d come from.

Maybe it was because Ryder was safe, and this was a chance to physically connect with a man on her own terms, without fear.

Maybe she needed to satisfy the curiosity that had taunted her all week, urging her to explore the body of this man she desired.

But maybe it was simply because he was Ryder MacKenzie, and in his own determined, unassuming way, he’d touched her heart and become her hero, and there would never again be a man she so ached to know.

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ON THE WEB?

 

Website www.kathyotten.com  

Blog www.kathyotten.blogspot.com  

Facebook www.facebook.com/kathyottenauthor

Twitter www.twitter.com/kathyotten 

BUY LINKS:

http://www.amazon.com/A-Tarnished-Knight-ebook/dp/B00G8GTFPQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1382962374&sr=1-4&keywords=Kathy+Otten#_

Available in paperback from The Wild Rose Press
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=191&products_id=5445

 

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.