Please welcome the fantastic romance author, Sarah Cass to my blog site by leaving her a comment.
BIO:
Blurb:
Minnie Woodward lives a lie. After barely surviving the
Bear River Massacre she’s lived in the white world of her guardian Mister
Rawlins, her life debt keeping her tied there. The last thing she needs is
Roy’s attempts to gain her favor. Her fate’s sealed. She’s never believed in
hope, and not even Roy can make her start.
Roy Ornum saves Minnie every night in the traveling Wild
West show. The job he took to break his gambling habit brought him a new
addiction – her. He knows she doesn’t want to be rescued, but maybe he does.
She’s the key to a past he lost, one he wants to find again.
As the two grow closer old wounds are reopened and their
burgeoning trust is shattered. When lives hang in the balance of their choices
they’ll need to work together. Otherwise everything will be lost before hope
can be found.
Excerpt:
Minnie couldn’t breathe, couldn’t see
anything but their linked fingers. A simple gesture, but one that could get
them in so much trouble if seen not only by the crowd, but by Mister as well.
Still, she couldn’t manage to pull away. All she wanted to do was stay right
there. Or maybe even take it further.
She let her fingers move toward his and he
did the same until their fingers laced together. Slowly she turned her head.
His light amber eyes twinkled, a smile
lifting his cheeks until the corners of his eyes crinkled. “I thought so.”
The crushing pressure on her chest released,
and the unfamiliar tension of a real smile pinched her cheeks. The rest of the
world no longer mattered now that she could stare into the eyes of one of her
own people. A giddy skip to her heart and she dared to lean closer to him,
dared to let the smile remain when she should have tried to erase it. “I don’t
know how it could be true. But yes, that’s what I called the boy. Called you.
You’re him, you are White Tail.”
“And now my dearest charge, the young woman
that’s like a daughter to me, will display her trust in my skills.” The
unfamiliar words of Mister ripped at the fleeting sense of relief. His face
held no hint of its usual patronizing smile when he approached. “Won’t you,
Minnie?”
Minnie couldn’t manage to shove away the
shock, she couldn’t even blink. Never had Mister used his sharpshooter skills
with her as a target. That action was reserved for people he didn’t trust. She
yanked her hand from Roy’s grasp, but she knew it was already too late. A
fleeting, desperate idea to plead her innocence emerged, but she ignored it and
pushed forward a smile as bright as she ever used for her white woman act. She
gave the Mister a nod, even as John pulled her toward the post.
Carl came up moments later with an apple.
“Foolish child,” he whispered. “Just close your eyes so you don’t see it, and
don’t move. He’s using his long shot and one little move could get you hit
instead of the apple.”
She refused to show him the fear threatening
to rip her stomach right out of her body. Instead she grabbed the apple with a
small nod. “I understand.”
John moved behind her and set his hands on
her waist. He kicked at her ankles before pushing them apart. “Wider stance
helps you stay more still. Head straight. This is his warning, he won’t hurt
you yet. Trust that.”
The advice wasn’t necessary, but she
appreciated the gesture. After a moment she managed to swallow down the thick
lump in her throat. It would do no good to show them her fear. “I’m not an
idiot. Go before they think I’m scared.”
Despite her harsh words, John squeezed her
shoulder in reassurance. Then he and Carl were gone.
Mister stood far down the street, the
farthest distance he could shoot straight from what she could tell.
Though she’d seen him take this shot many
times, she’d never been on the receiving end.
Back straight, she lifted the apple to her
head. In her mind she imagined the fantastical yelling of the Mister as he did
before every shot. In reality she heard nothing but her own heartbeat pounding
in her ears.
Slowly she dropped her hands to her sides,
curling her skirt under her fingers. Despite her own internal promise she
wouldn’t close her eyes, she did just that.
Through the rush of her heartbeat came the
crack of the gun. Cool drops of apple and apple juices ran down her nose.
Sweet Cravings Website
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Amazon - http://amzn.to/ZYH9CP
Barnes & Noble
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4 comments:
Welcome, Sarah...Have a wonderful day and best of luck with your new release!
Sounds intriguing!
Great excerpt! Thank you for sharing.
What a great title--it really captures the story. Sarah, you sound like you enjoy a life of constant surprises! Meredith
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