Wind River Rancher:  Shattered, but still fighting to be whole once more…

Wind River Rancher, Book 2, Wind River Valley series, s an emotional story that will suck every reader in.  I’m known for gritty, visceral and emotional writing, and this book is no exception. It just happened to catch the eye of Publisher’s Weekly and it received a ‘starred’ review (like winning an Oscar) on 12.3.16.

This series I’m writing is about military vets returning home from combat from all over the world, mostly focused on the Middle East.  Having been in the US Navy during the Vietnam War era (I served stateside as a weather forecaster at USNAS Moffett Field (now known as Silicon Valley) near San Francisco, California.

Book 1, Wind River Wrangler, the hero is an ex-Army Special Forces operator, Roan Taggart.  He has left the Army with PTSD, no longer able to function at that high level any longer in black ops duties.  He gets a job as a wrangler at the Wind River Ranch, where it’s quieter, it’s out in Nature and he is slowly healing from his internal PTSD wounds.   Only, as life usually slaps us in the face, one way or another, he’s thrown back into a threat/life-and-death situation with Shiloh Gallagher, a writer from New York City.  She’s escaped to the ranch to hide from a stalker who has torn her life apart.  Figuring if she lives in Wyoming to write, her stalker won’t find her and she can breath once more, not look over her shoulder 24/7/365.  Roan’s peaceful, back water life explodes when the stalker locates Shiloh.  Once again, he’s thrust back into a combat situation.  And for Shiloh, the nightmare begins anew when she thought she’d found safety at the ranch.

Book 2, Wind River Rancher, the hero is an ex-Marine Corps captain who commanded a company of Marines over in Afghanistan for years. The deployments, the combat, eventually took a toll on him, too. Reese Lockhart was a twenty-year man, his only dream was to become a Marine officer and protect his people, guide them and support them. Only the Afghanistan war gradually wore him down and sucked the life out of him, as it did so many others. He was given an honorable medical discharge, against his wishes. His whole life-dream has been shattered. He’s fractured internally by the PTSD, and you will meet him two years later as his story unfolds. He’s degraded to being like so many other vets we see on the streets of every city in the USA: shamed, hopeless, depressed and he cannot hold a job. In this book, I took “the gloves off,” as we say, and delved into the hero’s state of mind, his distorted emotions, his thinking he was a failure in every possible way.

EXCERPT from the opening to Chapter 1 of Wind River Rancher

Reese Lockhart’s stomach was tight with hunger as he stood at the outskirts of a small Wyoming town called Wind River. The sign indicated a population of two thousand. He’d gone a month without decent food. Six inches of snow stood on the sides of the road where he’d walked the last ten miles on 89A north. It headed toward Jackson Hole, where he was hoping to find work.

The town, for a Monday afternoon, was pretty slow. A couple of pickup trucks came and went, a few people walked along the sidewalks on either side of the highway that ran through the center of town. He halted outside Becker’s Hay and Feed Store, an aged redbrick building standing two stories high. The red tin roof was steep and sunlight reflected off it, making Reese squint. Bright lights now hurt his eyes.

Taking a deep breath, feeling the fear of rejection once again, he pushed open the door to the store. Would he get yelled at by the owner? Told to get out? It was early May and snow had fallen the night before. The sleepy town of Wind River still had slush on its streets midday.

The place was quiet, smelled of leather, and he saw a man in his sixties, tall, lean, and with silver hair, behind the counter. He was sitting on a wooden stool that
was probably the same age as he was, an ancient-looking calculator in his work-worn hands as he methodically punched the buttons.

Girding himself, ignoring the fact he hadn’t eaten in two days, Reese’s gaze automatically swung around the huge establishment. A hay and feed store was something he was familiar with. Maybe the owner wanted some part-time help. He needed to make enough money to buy a decent meal.

Shoving away the shame he felt over his situation, he saw the man lift his head, wire-rim spectacles halfway down his large nose, his blue eyes squinting at Reese as he approached the long wooden counter.

“Howdy, stranger. Can I help you?” the man asked.

“Maybe,” Reese said. “I’m looking for work. I saw you have several big barns out back, and a granary. Do you have any openings?” Automatically, Reese tensed. He knew he looked rough with a month’s worth of beard on his face, and his clothes were dirty and shabby. At one time, he’d been a Marine Corps captain commanding a company of 120 Marines. And he’d been damn good at it until—

“I’m Charlie Becker, the owner,” the man said, shifting and thrusting his hand across the desk toward him. “Welcome to Wind River. Who might you be?”

“Reese Lockhart,” he said, and he gripped the man’s strong hand. He liked Charlie’s large, watery eyes because he saw kindness in them. Reese was very good at assessing people. He’d kept his Marines safe and helped them through their professional and personal ups and downs over the years he commanded Mike Company in Afghanistan. Charlie was close to six feet tall, lean like a rail, and wore a white cowboy shirt and blue jeans. Reese sensed this older gentleman wouldn’t throw him out of here with a curse— or even worse, call law enforcement and accuse him of trespassing.

The last place where he’d tried to find some work, they’d called him a druggie and told him to get the hell out; he smelled. While walking the last ten miles to Wind River, Reese had stopped when he discovered a stream on the flat, snow-covered land, and tried to clean up the best he could. The temperature was near freezing as he’d gone into the bushes, away from the busy highway, and stripped to his waist. He’d taken handfuls of snow and scrubbed his body, shivering, but hell, that was a small price to pay to try to not smell so bad. He hadn’t had a real shower in a month, either.

“You a vet, by any chance?” Charlie asked, his eyes narrowing speculatively upon Reese.

“Yes, sir. Marine Corps.” He said it with pride.

LINKS:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Wind-River-Rancher-Lindsay-McKenna/dp/1420141767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478800984&sr=8-1&keywords=Wind+River+Rancher

Kobo.com
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wind-river-rancher

BN.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wind-river-rancher-lindsay-mckenna/1123624029?ean=9781420141764

Apple/iBooks
https://linkmaker.itunes.apple.com/en-us/details/1099652774?country=us&mediaType=books&term=Wind+River+Rancher+by+Lindsay+McKenna

*~*~*

Lindsay McKenna
www.lindsaymckenna.com

Known at his law firm as “King of Torts,” JD Ackerman’s not even in the game when it comes to love. Since losing his wife, he’s buried himself in his career—until he runs into fledgling attorney, Lanie Winstead, who’s temporarily caught up in an inconvenient marriage that can’t be dissolved until after her estranged husband wins his re-election bid.

The attraction’s electric and irresistible, but when Lanie’s senator-husband is murdered, she’s charged with the crime. JD’s out of his element, so he enlists help from his law partners who specialize in criminal defense…

Great premise, I thought—but FRAMED was an entirely new direction for me, incorporating major elements of suspense—even a bit of the legal thriller—into what wanted to be a romance between a grieving widower and a young and vulnerable woman.

This book was two years in the making, and a result of many stops and starts as I felt my way through the conflicts and complications of a complex external plot having nothing to do with the inner feelings of Lanie and JD. I must have written 200,000 words to arrive at the final, 72,000-word novel!

My thanks to Julie Naughton for the expert editing that has made FRAMED a project I’m very proud of. I hope readers will enjoy it as much a I’ve loved stretching my wings and creating a story that’s as much suspense as romance, yet one that celebrates the triumph of good over evil, love over hate as these two story people find their way to happily ever after!

Contact info:
Website: http://annjacobs.net Email: ann@annjacobs.net Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authrannjacobs
Facebook: https;//www.facebook.com/AnnJacobsAuthor

Buy info:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Framed-Courthouse-Connections-Book-8-ebook/dp/B01MSWYKLP/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/framed-ann-jacobs/1125304684?ean=2940153553177
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/framed/id1184696357?mt=11 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/framed-38

Another year has come and gone. As we look back over the wonderful memories and the challenges we faced, our thoughts eventually turn to the year ahead. What will the New Year bring? What goals should we set for ourselves, not only as writers and readers, but as mothers, fathers, siblings, and even neighbors? Leading up to the New Year, we contemplate setting resolutions with the best intentions. Some are doable, some necessary and some simply unattainable (despite our best intentions). Some are even laughable or silly. And that’s okay too. Laughter is good for the soul.

Here are some of the silliest New Year’s resolutions I’ve run across over the years. They made me laugh, reminded me not to take this thing we call life so seriously. I hope you enjoy them too.

I will always replace the gas nozzle before driving away from the pump.

I will cut down on exercise. Too much is bad for your health, it can even kill you.

I will drive more carefully; people are starting to notice the dozens of dents in my car.

I will not hang out with girls – they think you love them and that sucks.

I will never again take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

I will stop saying,” Ooh, that feels good” when the security guy frisks me at the airport.

I resolve to stop poisoning my family with my cooking.

I will work less. Take it easy. All work and no play makes for a very dull woman.

I will take up a worthwhile new habit, like smoking – it helps keep tobacco workers in jobs.

I will eat only white snow!

I resolve to find out what the hell ‘resolution’ means anyway.

And finally…I promise this year to stick to these resolutions for more than a week.

What about you? Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you find it hard to stick to them? We’d love to hear about your resolutions for 2017. Or about a silly New Year’s resolution that made you laugh. Share with us by leaving a comment below.

Thank you so much, Delilah, for hosting me on your blog. Wishing you all a very blessed and prosperous New Year!

Keta Diablo

Check out Keta’s New Adult Romantic Suspense, Season, Unforgettable

*Finalist* Independent Author Network 2015 Book Awards, Romance Category

Season Scrimshaw isn’t selling the land her parents left her when they died, not even to the gorgeous Rann Brogan who saves her life in the forest. Especially not after she finds out he was in the woods to survey her property.

The company Rann works for—his mother’s company—wants the land for a luxury condo development and they want it bad. He never dreamed they’d go to such extreme lengths to get it.

Lives spiral out of control, lies and betrayal play center stage. Caught in the middle between his rich and powerful mother and the woman he loves, Rann discovers love is complicated…and sometimes lethal.

(A stand-alone contemporary romance with elements of suspense.)

Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1K1nXBr
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/season-unforgettable-keta-diablo/1121878222?ean=2940151329125
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id992988050

About Keta

Keta Diablo lives in the Midwest part of the United States on six acres of woodland. When she isn’t writing or gardening she loves to commune with nature. A lifelong animal lover, she also devotes her time and support to the local animal shelters.

Keta is a bestselling Amazon author who writes in several genres, including western romance, historical romance, paranormal romance and the occasional contemporary romance. Her books have received numerous Top Pick, Book of the Month and Recommended Read reviews.

You can find her on the net at the following places:

Author home: http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Keta-Diablo/e/B002BODURI/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KetaDiablo.Author
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ketadiablo
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ketadiablo

I have an exciting year planned. I can’t wait to share everything going on.

First, my last book in the Devil’s Shroud series with Harlequin Romantic Suspense released yesterday. I think you’ll love Andrew Stratford, his daughter Leigha and their protector Dix Reeves. Prepare yourself for an exciting conclusion to the series and to fall in love with the characters.

At the end of January, my sister, Delilah Devlin and I have a co-authored book coming out SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT. It’s book #2 in the Texas Billionaires Club series. It’s a light-hearted romantic comedy you’ll enjoy.

And watch for more exciting things coming from the BROTHERHOOD PROTECTORS Series.  I have 3 books planned and Amazon has given me a Kindle World for this series! That’s right. There will be many authors writing stories in this world. I can’t wait to see these stories. I know you will love them and the authors contributing to them, to include my lovely sister, Delilah Devlin!

DEADLY FALL

In a Gothic mansion on a windy coast, former soldier Dixie Reeves and her client, billionaire Andrew Stratford, are in grave danger. The single dad has hired her to help him protect his daughter from a mysterious threat. As their enemy closes in, even tough-as-nails Dixie has to hold her nerve…and keep her guard up to stop herself from falling for Andrew and his adorable little girl. The long nights pass, and Dixie and her handsome boss can’t deny they’re barreling toward the kind of love that changes lives. That is, if they can somehow keep their instant family safe from the danger at the door!

Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT

What happens when a young Martha Stewart teams up with the Oscar Madison of radio talk shows?  Sparks fly, romance blooms and their audience goes wild

Diane Denton is a cool, sophisticated home and garden talk show host on K-YAK 102.5 radio station.  All she thinks she wants is to talk about fertilizer and place settings, while fending off her well-meaning country club parents’ attempts to push her into marriage with the “right man.”

To Diane, fellow talk show host, Rip O’Rourke, is nothing more than a rebellious, overgrown teenager flaunting his baseball-capped, Hawaiian-shirted, ex-football player physique to “score” with anything with breasts.  Proof of his perversity is the crude, but popular, hour of programming he hosts that discusses such manly topics as wet T-shirt contests and sports statistics.  Diane wouldn’t spit on Rip if he were on fire, while Rip on the other hand, wants to do more than spend time with Diane.  She is a challenge to mankind as a whole and his goal in life is to see Diane’s crisp shirts and tailored slacks properly rumpled, just once.

Rip gets his opportunity when the radio station is sold to a large corporation and the station manager is challenged to come up with a prime-time show that will set the city on its ear.  From one of Rip and Diane’s public arguments springs the idea of a show about the differences between men and women giving their audience, “Something to Talk About.”

Amazon | Kobo |GooglePlay

UPDATE: The winner of the pretty shell necklace is Debi Mueller!

* * * * *

Hi Delilah, thank you for inviting me on your blog today. Hope you and everyone had a happy New Year.

I’m here today to talk about my latest release: Alien Heart (Chronicles of Arcon book one). It’s a science fiction romance. Aliens need love too.

~*~

Here’s the Blurb:

Divorcee and single mom, hardworking Audrey Westberry is the host of a cable TV show called Miz Fixit.
Romance was the last thing on Audrey’s mind when two handsome extraterrestrials join the audience of her show.
Soon Audrey finds out a single word “mated” has different meaning when you are born a galaxy away. After a wonderful night of passion, Audrey finds herself far from home, impregnated and her life turned upside down.
Will she ever be able to leave the alien compound, see her son again, or get home in time to film the fall season of her Miz Fixit show?
But what’s a girl to do with two aliens that smell like candy, and their kisses taste like it, too?

~*~

Before we get to the excerpt, I want to explain…I didn’t intend to write a series. I planned on one book and that’s it. But then, Saki the Goth girl in Alien Heart kept asking for her own book about how she got her mates. So, I wrote Alien Desire.

And then, one of my critique partners mentioned enjoying reading about space and space travel, and just like that, a story came to me about a reluctant intergalactic gladiator named Chase. And Alien Enslaved was born.

Look for both this coming year.

I only meant to write one… but Chase has his friends and…well… they need love too.

There are also three free reads that will be release on Amazon soon, which will be the start of the Chronicles of Arcon and introduce my aliens: Keefe, and Blade. And so on.

Oh dear, how did that happen? I have twelve books not counting the free reads.

And did I mention a book trailer? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGPOad55gdA

It all starts with my aliens who are from Planet Arcon. They came across the solar reaches of space to reach Earth, leaving their unstable sun, and their planet on the verge of being vaporized, and then tragedy struck.

Maybe it’ll be better if I let Keefe explain…

Excerpt from Alien Heart:

“This is what I did on my planet,” Keefe explained. “When I wooed my mate.”

“Okay.”

“I wooed my Aziza, for a long time. She worked for our government and was busy with her career. She was my heart, my soul, my mate.” He looked down, blinking rapidly. “She only had me. I enjoyed being alone with her.”

“Sounds wonderful, so where is she?”

“Something happened to her, which happened to all the females.” Again the dreadful emptiness filled his heart as he thought of his Aziza. I’m betraying her as I attempt to woo another. He wiped his eyes.

Audrey joined him on the couch, setting her hand on his back. “Can you tell me?”

He laced his fingers together, squeezing them tight. “We fled our world just in time, a massive solar event washed over our planet from our unstable sun. It ripped off the remaining ozone before burning our world to a cinder. As we raced out of our solar system, a solar storm caught up with our colony ships…,” he trailed off realizing he was leaking, but it couldn’t be helped. This happened every time he got overly emotional.

Audrey sniffed loudly. “Do you smell something?”

“Uh?” Keefe swallowed in a dry throat. Does she smell my pheromones?

“It smells like burnt vanilla.” She sniffed again, but then glanced at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. Please, continue with your story.”

Goddess, she does. Keefe took a deep calming breath. “All right.” He had to think back to where he stopped. “Our females by their nature were vulnerable to the radiation. Their place on the ships had the thickest shields our engineers knew how to make. Unfortunately, the radiation from the solar storm was stronger than our scientists had calculated, and our females were the hardest hit. While they died, their special built shielded compartment protected the rest of us, and we slept on unaware.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.” She rubbed his back.

“We didn’t know…” He wiped his face with a shaking hand. “Until we got to your galaxy and the hibernation cycle ended. The wakeup crew was the first to find them. They kept the rest of us out of their section.”

Keefe looked at Audrey, surprised by her sympathetic expression. “I wasn’t allowed to see my mate. I was told it was better if I didn’t.”

“Did you have a funeral at least?” Audrey ran her hand down his ponytail.

Keefe shivered at her touch. It was marvelous. A female hadn’t touched him in a long time. “We had a memorial service to release the bodies one at a time into space. Near the planet, you call Saturn. My podlings had to hold me up when they came to my Aziza. Then they kept me from flinging myself out the airlock after her.”

She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. It’s terrible to lose someone you love so much.”

“I lost a piece of my heart along with her.” Overwhelmed with gratitude that she sat there, hearing him go on about his tragic past, he kissed her forehead. “Thank you for listening.”

Audrey lifted her face, so he kissed her again. When her tongue touched his, it was softer than he expected. It was different, but he didn’t mind. As he deepened the kiss, an overwhelming need filled him. Mine, I want her to be mine.

His three erections throbbed. A slight sheen of sweat covered his body as his pheromones released in full.

Audrey moaned against his mouth, clutching his shirt.

Keefe’s hand slipped into the low top, touching her breast and teased a nipple. He shoved Audrey back on the couch to continue to touch and kiss her.

A car horn sounded outside. Startled, Keefe broke the kiss and jerked his hand away.

“My apologies, I was forward.” Goddess, what am I doing?

“Don’t be.” She grinned. “It was nice.”

~*~*~*~*~

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Alien-Heart-Chronicles-Arcon-Book-ebook/dp/B01N0N73OF/

Janice’s Website: janice-seagraves.org/

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