Category: Guest

Sharing is Caring- Carmen Peone’s Christmas Wishes

Today I’m sharing with you my friend Carmen Peone’s newest release, and if you read all the way to the end, an event I’m participating in.

Christmas Wishes

If you’ve read the other books in the Seven Tine Ranch Romance, this story is about Mandie and finally finding a man who’ll stay put. 
And be the father to Mandie’s daughter, Nona. 

This story came about at the request of a reader who wanted to know more about the ranch cook! “She needs her own story.”

I agreed and wrote Christmas Wishes. 

Being a sucker for December/Christmas brides, I knew this story had to be told. 

One dream wedding. Two uncertain futures. A season of decisions that could change everything….


Mandie Sellars is a single mom and ranch cook with a dream: to become Seven Tine Ranch’s event planner. She grabs her chance when a last-minute Christmas Eve wedding is booked. There’s just one problem . . . she’s planning her own wedding at the same time.

Hudson Piccolo is a dissatisfied small-town lawyer who has finally been offered his dream job—on the other side of the state. But accepting it would mean uprooting Mandie and her daughter just as life seems to be falling into place.

With conflicting dreams, and a wedding countdown ticking, can their love survive the season?

https://carmenpeone.com/books/christmas-wishes/

https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Wishes-Seven-Ranch-Romance-ebook/dp/B0FVTK5F5P

Book Trailer

Read the first chapter:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1blVgyDrSn8KuJha3D2fkjzKFqT-C6qZl/view?usp=sharing

Book Club Kit Link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13rKyDhvt2Hca2IpOHvoTs-PfDGPFUdrW/view?usp=sharing

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author of Young Adult and Inspirational Western Romance. With the love of history and the Western woman’s lifestyle, she weaves healing, hope, and horses into her stories, with a thread of romance. She lives with her husband in Northeast Washington on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation.

https://carmenpeone.com/

There could be a bundle of holiday gifts coming your way! 

I’m joining eleven other fabulous, award-winning, and best-selling mystery authors for a 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS STORY GIVEAWAY.

Here’s how it will work: 

For eleven days starting December 1st, you’ll receive a link for a completely free holiday story–no newsletter signups necessary. (except for mine, so you have access to the links to the stories) Then, on the 12th day, you’ll get a bundle of extra goodies to celebrate the season!

Sound like fun?

If you want to make sure not to miss any of the stories and bonuses, you need to sign up for my monthly newsletter so I can send you the links to the stories every day for 12 days. If, after that, you no longer wish to be on my list, just unsubscribe at any time. The link to sign up to be on the list for the 12 Days of Christmas and 12 Free Christmas mysteries, click here: 12 Days Giveaway

Special Guest and Friend, Carmen Peone

Carmen Peone’s series Seven Tines Ranch are sweet contemporary romance books that deal with abusive relationships. I’m happy to share my blog space with her and her books and hope they help women in similar situations.

Cowgirls with Grit

You gotta love cowgirls with grit.

They are hardworking, super businesswomen, dedicated, and beautiful – inside and out.

You might hear one saying something like:

A woman who wears spurs gets the job done.

Dwellin’ on lost love leaves no room for future romance.

Ridin’ the gossip wagon is not group therapy.

You might see one of them:

Carrying a flag, turning a can, wearing a crown, or roping a calf.

You might even find one, like my heroine, Rita Runninghorse, roping several calves, giving them shots, tending to bovine and equine wounds and illness, fixing fence, herding cattle, and baking her favorite dessert.

Check out the opening scene of my latest novel, Broken Bondage.

 Early October

Umatilla Indian Reservation, Eastern Oregon

“You dirty bugger, git over here!” Henry, the red-and-white

calf Rita Runninghorse had secretly named,

darted sideways as she winced at the pain in her sides,

gathered her lariat, and tried for another loop.

Her head pounded from when her fiancé, Bowie Dark

Cloud, had slammed her against the door of his pickup

earlier that morning and crushed her against a stall door two

days ago.

Concentration eluded her, and her timing dragged

like the sludge of cold cowboy coffee at day’s end. Dusk’s

chilly breath hovering over the rolling hills of the Columbia

Plateau country on her father’s ranch failed to help matters.

“Come on, Opal, let’s get ’im this time.” She swung her

lasso overhead and spurred her smokey grulla mare into a

gallop, close on the calf ’s tail. With her horse staying on him,

she landed the loop over its head and reined her mare to the

right. Th e jerk of the rope when her horse skidded to a halt

caught her breath.

The calf balked on the other end of the rope as Rita jumped

off, and her backside landed on the wet ground. Could this

day get any worse? She pushed to her feet, wobbled toward

the wide-eyed little one, and flopped him to the ground with

a deep groan. Good grief. Her father could’ve built a smaller

holding pen.

“Sorry, little man,” she said, thankful for the fall calf ’s

small size. “You shouldn’t have run from me.”

Rita pulled a short piggin’ string from her back pocket

and tied the critter’s legs together. Seconds later, he finally

quit fighting her. Th e cut on his leg was nastier than she’d

suspected. She went to one of her saddlebags and retrieved a

syringe and a bottle of penicillin. His round eyes watched her

while she cleaned the crusty wound, a low bellow escaping

his mouth.

Inhaling his earthy scent, she gave him a shot of antibiotic,

massaged the injection site, and untied his legs. “All better

now.”

Carmen’s Latest Book

Broken Bondage

A Road Trip to Redemption

Rita Runninghorse is about to marry the wrong guy. She has to get away from him. Now. She flees to a guest ranch in Eastern Washington State that offers a safe haven for women in need only to find the owner on a month-long speaking tour.

Robert Elliot has one thing on his mind: bronc riding. The Indian National Finals Rodeo is within reach, and he’s not about to let anything ruin his chances of going pro. Not even the woman he finds asleep in the stall of their rankest horse. 

When Rita’s fiancé discovers where she’s hiding out, she takes Robert’s offer to go with him on the road and prays her fiancé gives up the hunt. Saddled together, Rita and Robert must rely on each other as they go on the road to keep her alive.

Grab your copy now!

About Carmen

Carmen Peone is an award-winning author of Young Adult and Inspirational Western Romantic Suspense and lives with her husband in Northeast Washington and on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation. With the love of history and the Western woman’s lifestyle, she weaves threads of healing, hope, and horses, with threads of love, of course, into her stories.

Connect with Carmen

Website and Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | BookBub | Goodreads

Sign up for her newsletter and receive her novella, Gentling the Cowboy for Free. https://bit.ly/3WyltBG

Meet Brenda Whiteside

My husband is my consistent beta reader for all of my books. When he read my newest release, one of his comments, “I didn’t know you knew so much about architecture,” made me smile. Research, my dear. I believe a good fiction story has to have the details to make it real for the reader.

The MacKenzie Chronicles stories require me to research a wide variety of subjects, and, luckily, I have a connection to each one. That could be why I haven’t minded researching for this series. This part of writing used to be one of my least favorite tasks, but the subject matter for The MacKenzie Chronicles is right up my alley.

Pulling a few of the file folder names from my Research File: clairsentience, Jerome, AZ, auras, 1960s slang, hippies, 1920s architecture, flora and fauna, Jerome climate, 1970s, sun/moon, present day jewel prices.

I was born and raised in Arizona and have been in and out of the state all my life. My favorite area of the state is from central to north. We live in the high desert, and we’re only thirty minutes away from the pines of the Mogollon Rim, which mean snow in the winter. I’m inspired by this part of Arizona. The MacKenzie Chronicles is set in present-day Joshua, Arizona, an 1800s mining town, turned ghost town, turned hippie haven, and now a tourist town, hanging on the side of Spirit Mountain. The past always plays a part in the present.

Joshua, Arizona

My inspiration for Joshua and the stories of the MacKenzie family is a real-life Arizona destination, Jerome. Once dubbed “The Wickedest Town in the West,” the history is rich with tales of mining, brothels, and ghosts from another century. Add to that history the hippie settlers of the 1960s and 1970s who revitalized the crumbling town into an art mecca. The streets are stacked on the side of the mountain. There’s a jail still intact that literally slid down the mountain decades ago. Wine, food, ruins, and adventure await the tourist. The town looks much the same as it did in the early part of the twentieth century. If you get to Arizona, you really must visit Jerome.

Mystery on Spirit Mountain is book two in The MacKenzie Chronicles. You can preorder the book right now so it will be delivered to your eReader on September 15.

The past never sleeps.

The truth never dies.

Only Harlan MacKenzie can sense the troubled history of the Big Purple House. When he’s hired to restore the historical mansion, he doesn’t foresee the secrets—secrets that entangle his family in deceit and murder.

Phaedra is selling the house that has been in her family for decades. As her friends-to-lovers relationship with Harlan escalates, she puts her values on the line and chances losing him.

After a stranger comes to town, weaving her web of deception, hell-bent on correcting an old grievance connected to the house, dark revelations of the past implode the present. Harlan and Phaedra are thrown on a dangerous path, not only risking love but possibly their lives.

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Spirit-Mountain-MacKenzie-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B09CP3BXVG/

And while you wait, I invite you to read the first book in the series, Secrets of The Ravine:

The lies can haunt.

The truth can kill.

When a ringer for her long-dead love walks into her life the same day skeletal remains are unearthed, Magpie MacKenzie can’t ignore the universe’s warning…solve the mystery or become the next victim.

After Lawyer Zack Peartree visits purportedly haunted Joshua, Arizona, he’s instantly drawn to the free-wheeling shopkeeper. His attraction thrusts him into a dangerous present embroiled in her past.

Using clues from her father’s life and Zack’s déjà vu moments, the couple plunge into a treacherous race to save love and avoid a murderous fate.

https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/

Brenda Whiteside is the author of suspenseful, action-adventure stories with a touch of romance. Mostly. She and her husband are gypsies at heart having lived in six states and two countries. For now, they’ve settled in Central Arizona, but won’t discount the possibility of another move in their future. They share their home with a rescue dog named Amigo. While FDW is fishing, Brenda writes.

Visit Brenda at https://www.brendawhiteside.com

Or on FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Sign up for my email newsletter: https://us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4804e039587723cfe02e83f2c&id=5e4b22a4ac

Twitter: https://twitter.com/brendawhitesid2

Welcome to the Lillian’s Legacy Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Today, I’m sharing my blog with a friend and author, Carmen Peone.

Lillian’s Legacy is the final book in the Gardner Sibling Trilogy.

Lillian Gardner, a healer in the making using natural medicines, is certain she is the black sheep of the family. In an attempt to prove she is of value, she sets off into the wilds of Eastern Washington and Indian Territory with Doctor Mali Maddox, an elderly Welsh female physician whose husband has recently passed away. She hopes to marry her knowledge of herbal remedies learned from her mother and an Indian healer with new ways of western medicine. Will Lillian discover her true calling? Will she be respected as a female physician in training?

Book Launch Fun Facts:

Doctor Maddox introduces Lillian to an unusual medical instrument.

Have you ever listened to your heartbeat through a stethoscope? When I began researching Lillian’s Legacy, I knew the female Welsh medical doctor would not be using a binaural stethoscope in 1875. But I wasn’t sure what she would be using, so I did some research and came across… Read More Here

Carmen picked Maddox, or Madog, from her Welsh heritage for the female physician’s surname. The healer mentors Lillian as she finds her way around the medical field. Learn More Here

Learn more about the trilogy…

Hannah’s Journey

Delbert’s Weir

What are readers saying about Lillian’s Legacy?

“Ms Peone’s development of diverse and captivating characters adds depth to her writing and grabs the reader’s imagination in compelling and riveting ways.”

“I absolutely love the historical bits of the story because you are given a sense of what life was truly like back in those times.”

“I love this story. I would follow Lillian anywhere, into her next book if there is one. She is a sweet, brave, good-hearted, well-developed character. The writing is lively and detailed. I could see, hear, smell, and feel the land.”

Comment below for a chance to win a copy of Lillian’s Legacy.

The winner will be draw on July 20th and can choose between a Kindle eBook or signed softcover copy.

Award-winning author Carmen Peone lives with her tribal husband, Joe, on the Colville Confederated Indian Reservation in Northeast Washington. She gathered cultural knowledge from family and elders and studied the language and various cultural traditions and legends under the late Marguerite Ensminger. She is a horse and photography enthusiast. With a degree in abnormal psychology, the thought of writing never entered her mind, until she married her husband and they moved to the reservation after college. She came to love the people and their heritage and desires to create a legacy for her family.

Lillian’s Legacy and the Gardner Siblings include a Literary Guide.

This is great for summer fun, homeschool learning,and historical knowledge in the classroom.

Find Out More Here

Purchase Lillian’s Legacy today on

Amazon

Add to Goodreads

Carmen loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:

Website and Blog | Facebook | Twitter|  Instagram | Pinterest

A Cowboy Christmas with Shanna Hatfield

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The jangle of spurs mingles with the jingle of sleigh bells in this celebration of Christmas, cowboy style….

A Cowboy Christmas Western Celebrations, Recipes, and Traditions By Shanna Hatfield (October 2019 • 304 pages • 978-1493042340 • Cloth •$26.95)

Through photos, interviews, 15 how-to’s, and 75 recipes, this book offers a guide to creating your own Cowboy Christmas and a celebration of the style, traditions, food, and family celebrations unique to the lifestyles of American cowboys. Featuring ranch families, rodeo cowboys, and communities with western-style Christmas celebrations, this book will highlight the things that make a Cowboy Christmas special. Each chapter will feature traditions, recipes, decorations, and stories from the interviewees.


From October 1 through December 24, Shanna is donating 10 percent of the proceeds from all her book sales (not just A Cowboy Christmas) to the JCCF through her Read a Book, Help a Cowboy campaign. 

To check out a recipe, learn more about what is in the book, and to purchase visit Shanna’s website: https://shannahatfield.com/book/a-cowboy-christmas/

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes.  When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, snapping photos, or trying new recipes, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller, at their home near Walla Walla, Washington.