Fortunately, Mindy makes the close acquaintance of two “gentlemen,” Luke Wilhite and Gary Boone, who try to help her through these dangers. Luke is tall and fair, while Boone is taller and dark. Mindy feels an immediate attraction to Boone, but he's married! Or is he? Who will finally win Mindy's affection?
It's available for purchase at amazon: to order
at the EbookMall: to order
at Kobo: to order
at Google Play: to order
at Nook: to order
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JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!!
Purchase Melinda Heads West
and then write a short review on Amazon.com – Be entered to win a Beautiful
Silver-Finish (Romance) Heart bracelet with faux diamonds! The catch?
Use the word ‘lasso’ or ‘rope’ somewhere in your review. Can you do it? *smile*
On April 1st, I’ll pick one random winner from all qualified names
and contact that person to deliver the prize.
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Here's an excerpt:
Melinda Heads West
Chapter One
The
stagecoach bumped along the narrow gulch road. Mindy’s head and shoulder
throbbed from the number of times she’d been slammed against the hard wooden
door beside her, but she refused to allow herself to lean against the unwashed,
tobacco-stained person next to her.
Pinching her lips, she straightened in the seat, adjusting the green paisley
cotton skirt she wore.
Patience and faith will get you
through anything, Mindy reminded herself with a measured
breath.
Lifting
the oiled leather curtain to peer out the window, she jerked swiftly back,
covering her mouth in revulsion. “There’s... there’s...” Mindy started, staring
at the other passengers in the cramped quarters. She was unlucky enough to be
riding along with four unwashed males. Patience and faith... patience and
faith...
“Yeah,
we know...” said one of the men lazily. “You don’t particularly want to look
out the coach on that side, ma’am. We’re traveling over the Coosa Gully.
Nothing but a sheer drop off for about three miles.”
Mindy’s
stomach heaved, and she fought to control it. This task wasn’t supposed to be
so difficult. All she had to do was pick up a deed to a property. Yes, said
property happened to be located three states away from her home in Mississippi.
And yes, it was true that she’d never been more than twenty miles away from
home before this trip. But it had all sounded so simple!
Yet
she’d been poked, prodded, accosted by strange men, lied to, swindled, left by
the side of a road only tumbleweeds traveled with any frequency, and had almost
been arrested by the crookedest sheriff that ever lived.
If
she survived this trip – and that wasn’t a certainty – Mindy vowed she could
handle anything else life would throw at her. Certainly though, she soothed
herself, the worst was behind her!
That
is, if the coach didn’t plunge off this rocky path; if she didn’t die from the
fine stink of her fellow passengers; if she could hold her rolling stomach.
There were only thirty-five more miles between her and The Blue Saloon, where
the deed awaited; she could hold out that long or die trying. And in that case,
Mindy decided, pinching her small lips together tightly, she planned to have
her dead body delivered to the saloon, just for spite.
She
almost smiled, but then caught one of the men across from her begin to grin
back. Shooting him a mean look, she turned away.
*
Mindy
had been asleep for some while when the commotion started. The coach was
rocking and bouncing like a wild buck.
She
jumped in her seat, screaming, thrashing her arms for something to hold on to –
oddly enough, the other passengers didn’t seem as repugnant now. “Oh, mercy!”
Mindy cried. “We’ve done it! We’re goin’ over! Do something! Do something!” One
hand locked onto the shirt of the man to her left, and she pulled him around to
face her. “I’m not gonna die this way, you hear? I ain’t ever climbed a tree! I
ain’t been married! I ain’t been kissed!”
Mindy’s
short life flashed before her eyes, just as she’d always heard happened in
moments like these: splashing in the creek as a child, going to church services
with her family, disobeying her parents, picking on her little brothers,
playing mean tricks on her sisters. Suddenly, she was full of remorse and in
the middle of a heartfelt prayer when she heard the man across from her clear
his throat a second time.
“Ur,
ma’am? Like I say, we’ve lost a wheel, is all. I reckon you can save them
prayers.”
Mindy
paused, hands uplifted. She opened one eye. Now that she focused a bit, it was
clear that the stagecoach was easing to a controlled stop. Perhaps the driver
could be convinced to allow her to stay behind when the coach was repaired. She
had managed on her own before, she could do it again.
As
the hot, red flames of embarrassment climbed her body, Mindy tried to think
back over what she had done, had said, but she couldn’t remember. Suffice it to
say, the yellow in her had come out waving banners.
“If
a single one of you says a word,” Mindy said, staring at each man in turn,
“I’ll scratch your eyes out.” She hoped she sounded fierce enough.
***
***
My second book is a collection of Japanese short-form poetry, and it was written in conjunction with seventeen other women poets. I am extremely proud of this work! It's called Pieces of Her Mind, and it's all about the experience of being a woman. It will be available to order November 15th, 2012. Hurray~!
Here's a bit more information:
What do contemporary women really think?
Be prepared to laugh, be touched and entertained, or raise a fist and shout “Oh Yeah!”—especially if you are a woman. But, men also will find lots to love and learn in this collection of prose and poetry that is satirical, witty, ironic, and wise, from a woman’s point of view.
About the book: This innovative collection, Pieces of Her Mind, is the first anthology published exclusively by contemporary English Language women poets, of three types of short Japanese poetic forms (senryu, kyoka and haiga).
While readers who appreciate this genre of poetry will be particularly interested in this book, it will also appeal to men and women who love satiric and ironic “one-liners” (in the case of this book, three to five liners) that provide insight into how women think – in a “today” kind of way. Read the endorsements!
Pieces of Her Mind will also be enjoyed, studied, and appreciated by book clubs, classes, and writing and reading groups as a vehicle to reflect upon not only how women think about their worlds but also about these centuries-old forms of Japanese poetry. Throughout the book are instructive and personal reflective essays. In addition, an extensive, selected annotated bibliography and free online website resource (Q&A’s to facilitate and prompt discussions) are provided by the authors.
About the Authors: Pieces of Her Mind authors are diverse in age, ethnicity, geographical location and experience with writing. They share writing skills, wit and humor, and a commitment to engaging in a learning community. This anthology is the result of a year-long collaboration of 18 modern women poets who studied the poetic forms of senryu, kyoka and haiga, and shared their unique voices through online classes, group study sessions, interactive conference calls and online research. The book evolved over time due to the special talents and contributions of the various authors. The result is a merging of individual voices into one common voice, a voice which will be enjoyed by readers whether they like to read from front page to back or randomly skip to pages while on an airplane ride.
Publication Date: November 15, 2012
List Price: Paperback Version $9.95 ISBN# 978-0-9850350-6-8 Specs: 5.5” x 8.5” 207 pp.
Hard Cover Case Laminate $17.95 ISBN# 978-0-9850350-7-5 Specs: 5.5” x 8.5” 207 pp.
Available at: Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, omegapublications.net and through your local book store. Kindle and Nook versions available.
Publisher: Omega Publications, Palm Springs, 2012
www.facebook.com/PiecesofHerMind
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