Saturday, December 15, 2018

A HUSBAND FOR CHRISTMAS by Sarah J. McNeal #BlogABookScene #prairieRosePub #WildingsSeries


A HUSBAND FOR CHRISTMAS
by Sarah J. McNeal
Prairie Rose Publications
Historical Western Holiday Romance
Buy Link: AMAZON


A night of horror… a wish for a new life...and a secret love



Jane Pierpont and her son, Robin, survived the Titanic, but her husband went down with the ship and the emotional scars of that night have kept her and her son locked into that frightening event. Robin is terrified of deep water and Jane has nightmares and survivor’s guilt. She yearns for a family, a loving husband and maybe another child, but she feels disloyal to Michael’s memory whenever Teekonka Red Sky comes near her.

Teekonka Red Sky loves Jane and her son, but all his efforts to help them past their painful memories of the night Michael Pierpont died have been unsuccessful. Unwilling to give up, can his Lakota beliefs help him bring peace to Robin and free Jane to love again?



Excerpt:



He laughed, the sound rich and deep, interrupting her. “I know your name…Jane.” He spoke her name softly, reverently as if it were a treasure.  He chuckled a little. “My first name’s about as long as my last.”

“Does Teekonka mean something in Lakota, like brave or warrior, or some such thing?”

“It means ‘talks too much.’ Figures, doesn’t it?” He did laugh then, and Jane couldn’t help laughing along with him.

He touched her face at the corner of her mouth with his finger. “Your face brightens when you laugh.”

Jane backed away. “You’re just flirting with me now.”

He flashed her a wide grin. “Yes ma’am, I am, but I also mean it. You are very pretty.”

She stood speechless unable to respond to him. She couldn’t remember the last time a man complimented her, let alone blatantly flirted with her. It felt good, like a warm hug on a cold day. He bent his head and kissed her. His lips, warm and supple, took hers in a tender way, so sensual, yet asking nothing more. Jane’s heart beat against her ribs, and heat flooded her core. All too soon, Teekonka pulled away and grinned.







Diverse stories filled with heart










Friday, December 14, 2018

Prairie Rose Publications Christmas Sale December 14-16 99 Cents and FREE Books

HO HO HO!!! Prairie Rose Publications and Imprints has got the king of all Christmas gifts for YOU! Give everyone on your Christmas list (including yourself!) something wonderful to read--and at unbelievable prices! Join us for our VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SALE today, Saturday, and Sunday--where many select books in our various imprints are on sale for .99 or FREE! Stop by the PRP blog for a wonderful world of reading selections at a steal of a deal! .99 and FREE? You need to stock up! Historical and contemporary romance, sci-fi, YA, contemporary and historical mysteries, and westerns...BOXED SETS, novellas and novels...COME ON OVER AND TAKE A LOOK!

About this website
prairierosepublications.blogspot.com
Christmas is headed our way at break-neck speed and Prairie Rose…




HARMONICA JOE'S RELUCTANT BRIDE by Sarah J. McNeal FREE

Excerpt:


HARMONICA JOE’S RELUCTANT BRIDE (time travel western novel)



This book is where the Wildings series begins with Joe and Lola in the fictional town of Hazard, Wyoming 1910



A haunted house, a trunk and a date with destiny.



Buy links: AMAZON 



Excerpt:

             She heard bursts of laughter and the clank of glasses bumping together as she tried to open her eyes.  Someone played a piano in discord and feet stomped in time to the music.  The smell of stale beer, old wood and body odor assailed her senses.  Lightheaded and disoriented, it took a moment before her blurred vision focused.  She straightened from her crouched position and stood on a wooden plank floor covered in sawdust, peanut shells and bits of refuse.  The card that had dropped from her grasp lay on the floor at her feet.  She reached down and clutched it in her hand as she heard a man speak in a ceremonious voice. “I now pronounce you man and wife.  Harmonica Joe, you may kiss your bride.”  Laughter resonated and cheers went up around the room.

 

      Lola clasped the card tight in her fist and glanced up just in time to see an angular face with mesmerizing coffee brown eyes framed in sandy hair move toward her.  A day’s growth of beard graced his jaw but it only enhanced his handsome features.  She backed away a step only to have someone push her forward.  She collided with the solid body of this imposing stranger.  The stranger’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close as his head dipped down, his mouth capturing hers.  The bristles of his chin scraped her tender flesh that caused a thrill to scamper down her spine. 




Diverse stories filled with heart











WHEN LOVES COMES KNOCKING December #BlogABookScene #PrairieRosePub #WildingsSeries




WHEN LOVE COMES KNOCKING
By Sarah J. McNeal
Prairie Rose Publications

#blogabookscene  December's Theme: Season's Greetings

January"s Theme: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Excerpt:


She reached out her hand to him. “Thank you for everything you did today. It means a lot to me. I always enjoy your company.” She wanted to say more—so much more, but she had no sense of how he would react.

When he clasped her hand in his, her heart stuttered in her chest. Does he have any idea how much I care for him? “Any company is good in a storm.” 

She hated to think what he meant by that. His eyes turned dark, like black coffee, and he didn’t smile. “Your company is exceptional to my way of thinking.” What more could she say? She certainly wasn’t going to open up like a tin can and spill out all her feelings to him. If he didn’t feel the same, she would be humiliated and she didn’t want to ruin their friendship.

He still held her hand when he dipped his head toward her. For one brief moment, she thought he might even kiss her. Oh goodness, if only he would. If only
But he didn’t. She saw a light ignite in his eyes as he stared at her mouth, and then he backed away. “Thank you for the supper. You cook a fine meal. Well, goodnight, Penelope.”
“Goodnight, Gil.” She wasn’t sure he even heard her. He shut the door as she spoke. Something’s not right.



Diverse stories filled with heart

Sunday, December 09, 2018

Review for A CHRISTMAS VISITOR


Sunday, December 9, 2018


Book review: A Christmas Visitor by Sarah J. McNeal

A Christmas Visitor by [McNeal, Sarah J. ]



Blurb:
Matilda Barton’s broken heart may never heal. The love of her life, Sterling Thoroughgood, has been gone three years with no word. Is he dead or alive? Why should it matter to her? She’s spent the past three years trying to save her father, her ranch, and her dignity—but her heart has taken the worst battering of all. Now that her father has died, the livestock has been sold off, and the ranch is in disrepair, her life is empty. When Sterling Thoroughgood rides up to her house on Christmas Eve, is it any wonder she greets him with a shotgun instead of a kiss?

Sterling Throughgood has worked hard to build a ranch in Hazard, Wyoming. Admittedly, it took longer than he thought, but he had to have a good start for Matilda, the woman he’s always loved. Arriving at her house on Christmas Eve, he discovers a lot has changed in three years. Her father, his mentor, has passed away—and Matilda has become bitter because of what she felt were empty promises Sterling made in the past. But Sterling is not a quitter, and he will pit his determination against Matilda’s iron-clad will any day of the week—even on Christmas Eve.

He hopes that the puzzle box he made for her with his special gift inside will prove to her his ever-constant love, but is it too late for that? Can Matilda understand his three-year absence amidst all the loss she’s gone through? Is their love lost forever, or does the peculiar puzzle box hold the key to happiness for both of them? Can Sterling be more than just A CHRISTMAS VISITOR…
My Review:
What a cute Christmas story! Matilda and Sterling were sweethearts, but Sterling decided before he could marry her, he needed to make something of himself. Sadly, miscommunication left Matilda behind feeling lost and abandoned while Sterling strove and struggled to become worthy of her. Years past before Sterling returned, finding things weren’t quite as he expected.
Matilda used her stubbornness and strength to survive everything life had thrown at her after Sterling left, and your heart hurts for the depth of her dashed hopes and dreams. You also find yourself cheering for her as she works through her pride and reaches out to grab hold of her happy. 
Good thing Sterling also had a stubborn streak to keep up with Matilda and kept proving to her over and over his love for her - and it’s a good thing his heart was in the right place! I loved how he refused to give up and gifted Matilda with something she desperately needed.
This second chance love story offers a sweet and short Christmas time heart-warming happily ever after.
Purchase Links:

Friday, December 07, 2018

New Release: A CHRISTMAS VISITOR #BlogABookScene #PrairieRosePUB

I am so excited to announce the release of A CHRISTMAS VISITOR from Prairie Rose Publications, an historical western romance just in time for the holidays.  I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas filled with peace and love.



 


He left her...Now he's back...But not for long

Blurb:

 

Matilda Barton’s broken heart may never heal. The love of her life, Sterling Thoroughgood, has been gone three years with no word. Is he dead or alive? Why should it matter to her? She’s spent the past three years trying to save her father, her ranch, and her dignity—but her heart has taken the worst battering of all. Now that her father has died, the livestock has been sold off, and the ranch is in disrepair, her life is empty. When Sterling Thoroughgood rides up to her house on Christmas Eve, is it any wonder she greets him with a shotgun instead of a kiss?

Sterling Throughgood has worked hard to build a ranch in Hazard, Wyoming. Admittedly, it took longer than he thought, but he had to have a good start for Matilda, the woman he’s always loved. Arriving at her house on Christmas Eve, he discovers a lot has changed in three years. Her father, his mentor, has passed away—and Matilda has become bitter because of what she felt were empty promises Sterling made in the past. But Sterling is not a quitter, and he will pit his determination against Matilda’s iron-clad will any day of the week—even on Christmas Eve.

He hopes that the puzzle box he made for her with his special gift inside will prove to her his ever-constant love, but is it too late for that? Can Matilda understand his three-year absence amidst all the loss she’s gone through? Is their love lost forever, or does the peculiar puzzle box hold the key to happiness for both of them? Can Sterling be more than just A CHRISTMAS VISITOR…

 Excerpt:

        “Don’t you even think about stepping up on this porch, Sterling Alexander Thoroughgood, or I’ll shoot a hole in you big enough for a team of horses to jump through.” The woman wearing a faded blue calico dress aimed the shotgun straight at his heart…and sometimes his liver since she wasn’t holding the shotgun all that steady.
Sterling raised his hands in the air. His bare hands were practically numb from the cold. He glanced up at the slate gray sky. Snow’s comin’. Then he grinned at the woman holding the shotgun. “Merry Christmas to you, too, Matilda.”
She dipped the shotgun for just a moment, but raised it again as if on a second thought. “What do you want here after being gone for three years? Did you break some hearts up in Wyoming? Maybe you have some fathers and brothers gunning for you and you thought you’d come running back here to hide.”
Well, there it was. He’d hurt her when he left and she wasn’t about to let him forget it. “I came to see Allister. I told him I’d be coming back soon as I got my place up and running. We had an agreement about him selling me some cattle and maybe a bull to get a good, diverse herd started of my own.” He reached out his hand to press down on the barrel of her shotgun pointing it toward the broken down boards of the porch. “So, if you could see yourself clear to let me speak to your daddy, I’d be obliged.”
Matilda placed a hand on her hip while the other held tight to that shotgun. “Seems you’re a little too late, Mr. Thoroughgood. Pa died last year from pneumonia. He’d been sick a while and I had to sell off all of the livestock except for the mule and a few chickens to pay for the doctor and his medicine. I guess you’ll be leaving here empty handed.”
“Tilly, darlin’, I’m so sorry to hear the news that Allister has passed away. He was a good man and a good friend to me.” He stretched out a hand to touch her arm, but she stepped back just out of reach.
“Don’t you dare call me sweet names or my nickname, you snake. You’ve been gone three years and not a single word from you in all that time. All that sweet talk means nothing to me now.” She opened the door and stepped back to wave him into the house.
“I need to get my horses settled in the barn first, but I’d be obliged if I could come in for some coffee after that. It’s been a long trip from Wyoming.” He tipped his hat and turned to step off the porch. Once he had hold of the reigns of both horses, he glanced back up at Matilda who still stood with her hand on the door wearing a strange expression on her face.
“Don’t be surprised at the condition of the barn. Part of the roof has a hole in it. You might want to put the horses in the stalls on the left to keep ‘em warm and dry. There’s a little hay in the loft still.” Her voice seemed less determined and ornery. Sterling liked it better when she cussed him than when she pretended to be obliging.
“Thank you, Matilda. I brought some feed with me. Do you have some stock you need me to feed or have anything I need to bring in for you?”
Her throat worked for a moment and her eyes took a watery sheen. Please don’t cry, darlin’. His heart hurt for her. Things must have been tough for her over the past year. Finally, she managed to speak and her voice had its defiant edge to it again. “Hector, the mule, could use some hay and there are a few chickens needing to be fed some dried corn, if you don’t mind a little work.”
Sterling chuckled relieved she had regained her starch. “No trouble at all. I’ll see to things in the barn. You best get on in the house out of the cold. You reckon we could have a cup of coffee and talk when I get back from the barn? I’ve been riding for days in the cold to get here and could use something hot to get me percolating again.”
“Ran out of coffee three days ago. Hot water might have to do.”
“I brought provisions with me and some things I thought Allister and you might need. I need to see to my horse first, so I’ll just get on out and get those chores done. You take it easy for a while and I’ll fix us up a fine pot of coffee as soon as I get back from the barn.”
Matilda nodded her head as an answer, took up her shotgun and walked into the house shutting the door with a decided bang behind her.

Buy Link:  A Christmas Visitor



Diverse stories filled with heart

Monday, November 26, 2018

#InTimesOfTrouble by Sarah J. McNeal

J.R.R. Tolkien 


The world is a place full of turmoil and danger now. Many of us are afraid of what will happen next. But I am comforted, not by the words of politicians or preachers, but by the enduring words of J. R. R. Tolkien in his work THE LORD OF THE RINGS. It took him 12 years to write the famous fantasy, but it was worth every second as he wrestled over the story of how good won over evil, not with mightier soldiers, but with brave hearts and commitment.


Tolkien’s words of wisdom and valor are immortalized now. My favorite among all the wonderful characters is Samwise Gougee, Fodo’s best friend who lifted Frodo’s spirits up even when all seemed lost.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS is filled with inspiring messages about friendship, courage, truth, and most of all, hope.

Here is an excerpt of a conversation between Frodo and Sam that I love:

Frodo: “I can’t do this, Sam.”

Sam: “I know. It’s all wrong. By all rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo...the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know how they would end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. The folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: “What are they holding on to, Sam?”

Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…and it’s worth fighting for.

And this is why I love Sam. Through all they went through, when everything seemed lost, Sam never gave up, never surrendered to hopelessness.

In times of trouble, what phrase or passage helps you get through it? Do you have a friend like Samwise Gougee who lifts your spirits with positive energy? What work of fiction always makes you feel better when you read it?


Diverse stories filled with heart