Thursday, June 25, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Mattie Welling and Jake Hicken ~ Lady and the Tramps by Jennifer Uhlarik

Hi everyone, my name is Mattie Welling.
I’ve been an orphan since I was eleven years old (I’m more than double that now—but we’ll let that be our little secret). For the first three years after our parents’ deaths, my brother Owlie and I lived on the streets of New York City. Then, a wonderful man named Charles Loring Brace took Owlie and me into The Children’s Aid Society. We lived out the rest of our childhoods there, and when Owlie turned eighteen, he went west to make his way in the world. He’s always promised to send for me when he had a place set up, so I’ve been waiting. And waiting. (It’s been years now…) When I aged out of the Children’s Aid Society, I stayed on with them as a worker, traveling with the Orphan Train program from time to time. Recently, I received a letter from a stranger, a doctor in Salinas, California, informing me that Owlie had died. Of course, I was heartbroken. My only family was gone. But the doctor sent along what Owlie had with him at his death—which included a deed to his California homestead. So after talking to Charles Loring Brace, we set up an Orphan Train going all the way to California, and here I am. At the end of the Orphan Train’s route, there were eight children who hadn’t been placed out, so since I have this wonderful home with lots of land to go to, I’m taking them with me. But we’ve run out of money to get that last short leg of the trip to Salinas, so we’ve stowed away in a boxcar. Hope no one notices!

And I’m Jake Hicken.

I’m a Wells Fargo Special Agent, which means I get called in to investigate when a shipment entrusted to the company is stolen. In this case, I’m not on the trail in search of an outlaw. In fact, I’m acting as a guard for a sizeable shipment that’s going to Salinas—trying to prevent it from being stolen, instead of waiting to chase down the bad guys if and when it is. That was a fortuitous happenstance, for sure. You see, I got a cryptic letter from one Mr. Ben Figueroa—a stranger to me—asking me to come to Salinas and meet with him. I was going to ignore the summons since I don’t know the man, but curiosity got the better of me. When I heard of this shipment and the need for an extra guard, I volunteered. So here I sit on a southbound train, pondering what on earth Ben Figueroa might want, and trying to keep my mind focused on my job in the process.

We hope you’ll read the story to see how we meet and what happens next!

Leave us a comment, and our author will give away one copy of our story (or another of her titles) to one lucky winner (US only).

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My Story Title:   Lady and the Tramps
          From Courting Calamity Collection
My Story Genre: Western Romance

My Story Releases:   July 1, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Jennifer Uhlarik



Jennifer Uhlarik discovered the western genre as a pre-teen when she swiped the only “horse” book she found on her older brother’s bookshelf. A new love was born. Across the next ten years, she devoured Louis L’Amour westerns and fell in love with the genre. In college at the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. Armed with a B.A. in writing, she has finaled and won in numerous writing competitions, and been on the ECPA best-seller list several times. In addition to writing, she has held jobs as a private business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, and her favorite—a full-time homemaker. Jennifer is active in American Christian Fiction Writers, Women Writing the West, and is a lifetime member of the Florida Writers Association. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband, college-aged son, and four fur children.

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Get Connected:

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DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ July 1, 2019.
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Thursday, June 18, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Kylie Stone (not really my name) & Luke Dryden ~ Justice Undercover by Connie Queen

Hello, my name is not really Kylie Stone. But don’t tell anyone. If I want to stay alive, I must remain dead. Three years ago, I was US Marshal Melody Garner and lost a young mom and two children under my protection to Hal Alcott, a popular businessman accused of laundering drug money and racketeering—a killer who will stop at nothing to protect the empire he built by illegal means. Injured and fearing Hal will come after me, I fake my own death and change my identity. My life is even more complicated by my mother’s cancer diagnosis, and I desperately want to get back to my loving family and let them know I’m alive. But first, Hal Alcott must be brought to justice. Even though my greatest fear is losing another family, I take a nanny job for a Texas Ranger so I can investigate his sister’s death—a death I believe may be connected to Hal.

Hello, my name is Luke Dryden. I’m a 34-year-old Texas Ranger and recently learned my dad—the man I idolized and loved—adopted me. I can’t believe I’ve been lied to my whole life and now I’m leery to trust others. My sister died and left me to care for her two-year-old twins. Not believing her death was an accident, I hire a nanny and delve into my sister’s past to see if I can find answers.

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My Story Title:   Justice Undercover

My Story Genre:  Christian Romantic Suspense

My Story Releases:   June 2, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Connie Queen

Connie Queen spent her life in Texas where she met and married her high-school sweetheart. Married for 34 years, they’ve raised eight children and are enjoying their grandchildren.

As a child, Connie remembers her mom and sisters reading, but she preferred to be outside. It wasn't until later, she found the joy of being whisked away into another world.

Today she resides in Nebraska with her husband, and Nash, her Great Dane, where she’s working on her next suspense.

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Get Connected:

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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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The author will be honored to gift a winner a signed copy of
JUSTICE UNDERCOVER.

Be sure to leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached should you win.

DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ June 25, 2020.

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Thursday, June 11, 2020

Our Story BEFORE The Story ~ Lexie Parker & Clint Rawlins ~ from The Cowboy's Missing Memory ~ by Shannon Vannatter

Hi, I’m Lexie Parker and I’m really nervous about this job I’ve taken on. I’m an occupational therapist. In case you don’t know what that is, I work mostly with the hands, developing fine motor skills. Some of my therapy for patients involves playing cards or board games or catch. All three activities involve repetitive fine motor skill movements. But also, I help patients with coping mechanisms brought on by their illness or injury.

Since I left home in Medina, Texas for college in San Antonio, I’ve been there working in a large hospital to pay off my student loans. But I just finished my two weeks notice there and I’m moving home to work in a small rehab center. Since I still owe, I’m planning to stay with my parents until I get everything paid off. Then I’ll get a place of my own.

But on my last day, I ran into Audrey Rawlins. My very first patient was her husband, Levi. He was struggling with degenerative brain disease from too many bull wrecks. I helped him learn to feed himself and eventually walk again. But he died a few months later.

I always felt like I failed him. And since I got close to his wife, Audrey during the time I worked with Levi, how could I turn her down when she begged me to be her son’s therapist? Clint Rawlins was recently injured in a bull wreck at a rodeo. I won’t even get into what I think of bull riding or what I think of Clint getting into the sport that killed his father.

Clint suffered a traumatic brain injury. He has balance issues, he can’t remember the last two years, and his fine motor skills have been damaged. He can’t feed himself, brush his teeth, or get dressed on his own, without difficulty.

I’ve worked with patients and their physical therapists enough to where I can help with the balance issues and though I took some counseling courses, his memory loss is out of my wheelhouse. I can help him learn to deal with his frustrations, but I’m not sure what to do about his memory.

But the thing I’m really nervous about, I’ve never been attracted to a patient before.

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My name is Clint Rawlins. I’m a rancher. Not a bull rider. That was my dad. Over the years, I dabbled in the sport, but it really wasn’t my thing. But my dad died six months ago and my mom was about to lose the ranch. So I secretly competed in the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, a two week, annual event.

I made it through the whole thing in 1st place. On the final night, I made the buzzer, but crashed on my dismount and the bull stepped on my head. I don’t remember much, but that’s what they told me when I woke up in the ER. To tell you the truth, my brain feels kind of scrambled.

There was a nurse in my room when I woke up. I knew her, but I wasn’t sure how. Turns out she’s not a nurse, but an occupational therapist. And I remember her from my dad’s funeral. She was his therapist, but we never met because she worked with him during the day while I was busy with the ranch.

But now my mom’s telling me that it’s been two years since Dad died instead of six months like I thought. And that this was the second time I’ve competed in the rodeo in San Antonio. But the ranch is fine, so I don’t know what I was doing there.

On top of that, my nephew is seven instead of five. And my sister isn’t pregnant like I remember. Her little girl is two years old. How can I forget my own niece? And my brother-in-law is nearing the end of his deployment in Afghanistan. I don’t even remember seeing him off.

I’m so frustrated. I can barely take a shower by myself. Getting dressed is a major accomplishment and when I eat, most of my food ends up in the floor. I’ve never had a beard, but I’m afraid if I try to shave myself, I might cut my own throat.

So mom hired Dad’s old therapist. Which makes me feel weak and useless and terrifies me that I’ll end up with the same disease Dad had. But with everything I’ve forgotten, I remember the one time I saw Lexie Parker. Maybe she can help me.

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 My Story Title:   The Cowboy's Missing Memory

My Story Genre:  Contemporary Romance

My Story Releases:   August 2020

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 The Author of My Story:    Shannon Vannatter

Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does.


She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.

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Get Connected:


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Five copies of The Cowboy’s Missing Memory and five copies of my Western Collection two in one with Jill Lynn – Counting on the Cowboy and Her Texas Cowboy will be split among commentors. Winner’s will be revealed on Shannon’s Blog on July 15th.

Follow my blog tour for a chance to win:
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Thursday, June 04, 2020

My Story BEFORE The Story ~ Emily Strealer ~SPIES & SWEETHEARTS by Linda Shention Machett

Hello, everyone! My name is Emily Strealer, and I’m the youngest of three sisters. We were born and raised in the beautiful state of New Hampshire which borders Canada. As a result, I became interested in the French culture and language, eventually getting my degree in education with a minor in French. As a junior in college, I was blessed to be able to spend a semester in Paris, and I fell in love with the City of Lights. (Did you know the nickname came from the fact that this gorgeous city was one of the first metropoles to have electricity?)

My sisters Doris and Cora are a bit overbearing, and I spend much of my time while I was growing up trying to prove myself. Is that a problem for all youngest children? I wonder! After graduation, I started teaching in 1939, and things went well for a while. Then the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and our lives turned upside down. Many of my students enlisted as soon as they graduated the following June, and a few even secured permission to join up before they turned 18. Like everyone else in my small town, I did my bit for the war effort. I volunteered with the American Women’s Voluntary Service doing aircraft spotting and delivering messages. I also rolled bandages with my church group. I wanted to do more, but my family discouraged me from seeking other opportunities.

Then the craziest thing happened: I was accepted into a top secret government program called the Office of Strategic Services. Here’s how it happened:

I kept in touch with several of my college friends, some of whom are from what you might call the upper social strata. My family and I are poor, but we certainly don’t have the kind of money some of these folks do! Anyway, one of my friends contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in using my French skills for the war effort. Of course, I did! The interview and background check process seemed to take forever, but one day I came home from school to a telegram telling me to report in one week’s time. Because the organization was secretive, I didn’t find out where I was going until I arrived at a small, unassuming office in Maryland.

After weeks of training in everything from codes and ciphers to propaganda, communications, police methods, and disguise, I passed the course and two days later received my orders: I was to parachute into occupied France as a radio operator-a dangerous job with a life expectancy of six weeks. I was excited and terrified at the same time.

Fortunately, (or unfortunately) I was accompanied by one of my most difficult instructors, a rather handsome man named Gerard Lucas. It didn’t take us long to get embroiled in all sorts of trouble.

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My Story Title:   SPIES & SWEETHEARTS

My Story Genre:  Historical Romance

My Story Releases:    April 15, 2020

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The Author of My Story:    Linda Shenton Machett




Author Linda Shenton Machett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. A volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII, Linda is also a trustee for her local public library. She is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and has lived in historic places all her life. She is now located in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

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Get Connected:

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The author will be honored to gift a winner a signed copy of
SPIES & SWEETHEARTS

Be sure to leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached should you win.
DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ June 10, 2020

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