Showing posts with label Western Romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western Romance. Show all posts

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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WHERE can the book be purchased?

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DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ July 1, 2019.
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Thursday, September 05, 2019

The Story Behind THE LADY & THE LAWMAN

Howdy y’all. The name’s Jodie Ross, but my big brother calls me “Jo.” Now don’t go getting the wrong idea about a gal like me sitting behind bars. Sure, I may be dressed like a man and not keep the best of company, but I can explain. What the handsome new greenhorn of a marshal doesn’t know is that I didn’t realize what I was getting into when I went to live with my brother after our folks died. I was only ten at the time after all.

You see, Jerry’s fourteen years older than me, so he’s seemed more of an uncle to me than a brother. We get along pretty well. He taught me lots of things Mama never would’ve allowed, like shootin’, ‘n’ trappin’, ‘n’ fishin’—things I really enjoyed. Only after I got good at it, he started takin’ trips for work. I hated it. He always left me behind. He said a neighbor would check on me, but they hardly ever did. He’d leave me alone in our cabin for days, then sometimes weeks at a time.

When he missed our first Christmas together without Mama and Papa, that was it. I’d had enough of being alone. I demanded he start taking me on his work trips. For a time, Jerry kept his line of work hidden from me, just asked me to mind the camp and occasionally hold the horses for him and his buddies.

Once I got used to having a full belly again, I started asking more questions. He said he did work like Robin Hood, taking from the rich to feed the poor. Considering the hard winter I’d endured alone, I didn’t want anyone, including myself, to ever have to go through such an experience again. I guess that’s why I never said anything. Although, I think deep down I knew my brother didn’t really care about helping other people, but he never complained when I’d share my portion of the spoils with those I saw who were down on their luck.

Lately, however, I’ve been rather longing to cut out on my own and put down some roots, instead of hopping around from abandoned shack to empty cavern or sleeping out under the stars, or cooking for slovenly men who only keep their hands off me because I’m better with a gun than they are and the fact my brother nearly killed the last guy who tried to get, shall we say, “fresh” with me.

Sigh. Maybe one day my life will get better, but from where I’m sitting, I don’t see how. Maybe the God my mama taught me about can help, but would He even hear a cry from a gal like me?

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My Story Title:   Mistaken Marshal
The Lady and the Lawman: 4 Historical Stories of Lawmen and the Ladies Who Love Them

My Story Genre:  Historical Romance

My Story Releases:   August 2019

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The Author of My Story:    Crystal L Barnes
Other Authors in the collection include: Vickie McDonough, Annette O’Hare, Kathleen Y’Barbo

A best-selling author, bona fide country girl, and former competitive gymnast, Crystal L Barnes tells stories of fun, faith, and friction that allow her to share her love of Texas, old-fashioned things, and the Lord—not necessarily in that order. When she's not writing, reading, or singing, Crystal enjoys spending time with family, exploring on road-trips, and watching old movies/sitcoms. I Love Lucy and Little House on the Prairie are two of her favorites. You can find out more and connect with Crystal at www.crystal-barnes.com.

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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
THE LADY & THE LAWMAN.
(Contiguous US Addresses only. Sorry.)
Be sure to leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached should you win.
DRAWING TO BE HELD WEDNESDAY EVENING ~ September 11, 2019.

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