Guarding Her Heart
a short story in
Nine days—nine stories from nine veteran western historical romance authors
Just in time for Valentine’s Day!
My first guest is Livia J. Washburn. Under the names Livia J. Washburn and L.J. Washburn, Livia Reasoner has been writing award-winning, critically acclaimed mystery, western, romance, and historical novels for thirty years. She began to write in collaboration with her husband, author James Reasoner, and soon branched out into telling her own stories Livia and James have had a long career working together, tweaking and editing each others stories. In recent years she's become involved in the publishing end of the business, producing ebooks and trade paperbacks for Western Fictioneers, and now for Prairie Rose Publications. A good day for her includes having time to create something new in the kitchen, on a story, and designing a great cover. Livia lives in the Texas countryside with her husband, and her dogs.
RTW: What intrigued you to write Guarding Her Heart?
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| Livia J. Washburn |
About Guarding Her Heart
Julia Courtland was on her way west to marry a man she had never met. Henry Everett, the marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, was the grandson of her uncle's best friend. It seemed like a good match for both of them, and the wedding was scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day.
Grant Stafford thought the young woman who got on the stagecoach at Buffalo Springs was the prettiest thing he had seen in a long time. She wasn't too friendly, mind you, but she was sure easy on the eyes. Not that Grant had time to worry much about such things. He was the shotgun guard on this run, but more than that, he was an undercover Texas Ranger on the trail of the vicious outlaw gang responsible for a string of stagecoach robberies.
Fate threw Julia Courtland and Grant Stafford together on a cold February day in West Texas, but it also threw deadly obstacles in their path. A runaway team, a terrible crash, and bullets flying through the air threaten to steal not only their lives but also any chance they have for happiness. If they're going to survive, they will have to learn to trust each other . . and maybe steal their hearts back from fate.
RTW: I can attest that this is a fabulous story! How about a small sample?
As she rocked along in the stagecoach, Julia Courtland wasn't sure her toes would ever warm up again. Wasn't the weather supposed to be milder in Texas? It was a lot farther south than Philadelphia, so that should have been true.
But ever since she had gotten off the train in Buffalo Springs that morning to catch this coach for the last leg of her journey, she had been cold, especially her feet.
Cold feet? Wasn't that what people called it when somebody had doubts about getting married?
RTW: And this is only the beginning of an exciting romantic adventure! Tell us what else you have for us to read.
by Livia J. Washburn
It’s time for the State Fair of Texas—and cooking contests galore! Fryers are heating up and stomachs are growling. But Phyllis Newsom had better watch out. Someone’s brought an appetite for murder....
Phyllis and her friends Carolyn and Sam are ready to whip up their best dishes and win some ribbons in Dallas. And they’re excited to learn that one of their favorite celebrity chefs—Joye Jameson of The Joye of Cooking—is broadcasting her TV show from the fair. When Phyllis’s funnel cake is picked as one of the best of that category, Joye invites her and the other finalists to prepare their delicious recipes live on the air.
But Phyllis’s moment in the spotlight is spoiled after Joye suffers a deadly allergic reaction from one bite of her funnel cake. Now she’s gone from top entry to top suspect. So in order to clear her name, Phyllis will have to turn up the heat on this investigation before the real killer slips through her fingers....
Includes Recipes!
♥ ♥ ♥
How do you capture a cowboy's heart? Hearts and Spurs is a collection of nine stories by some of western romance’s best—just in time for Valentine's Day! Following up their Christmas collection Wishing for a Cowboy, these ladies have done it again with new stories of handsome cowboys and the women who captivate them in Hearts and Spurs.
The Widow's Heart by Linda Broday
Skye O’Rourke thinks her imagination is playing tricks on her when she sees a man emerge from the shimmering desert heat. No one would willingly take a stroll under the scorching sun with a saddle slung on his back. She’s shocked to discover it’s Cade Coltrain, a man she once gave her heart to only to have him give it back.
Can she trust him not to abandon her this time? Yet, trusting each other is the only way they can survive. And love might just save them if they believe…
Guarding Her Heart by Livia J. Washburn
Julia Courtland was on her way west to marry a man she had never met. Henry Everett, the marshal of Flat Rock, Texas, was the grandson of her uncle's best friend. It seemed like a good match for both of them, and the wedding was scheduled to take place on Valentine's Day.
Grant Stafford thought the young woman who got on the stagecoach at Buffalo Springs was the prettiest thing he had seen in a long time. She wasn't too friendly, mind you, but she was sure easy on the eyes. Not that Grant had time to worry much about such things. He was the shotgun guard on this run, but more than that, he was an undercover Texas Ranger on the trail of the vicious outlaw gang responsible for a string of stagecoach robberies.
Fate threw Julia Courtland and Grant Stafford together on a cold February day in West Texas, but it also threw deadly obstacles in their path. A runaway team, a terrible crash, and bullets flying through the air threaten to steal not only their lives but also any chance they have for happiness. If they're going to survive, they will have to learn to trust each other...and maybe steal their hearts back from fate.
Found Hearts by Cheryl Pierson
Southern belle Evie Fremont has lost everything — except hope. When she answers an advertisement for marriage to Alex Cameron who lives in the wilds of Indian Territory, she has few illusions that he could be a man she might fall in love with — especially as his secrets begin to unfold.
Ex-Confederate soldier Alex Cameron needs a mother for his two young half-Cherokee sons more than he needs a wife — or so he tells himself. But when his past threatens his future on his wedding day, he and Evie are both forced to acknowledge their new love has come to stay — along with their Found Hearts.
Open Hearts by Tanya Hanson
To honor her brother’s last request, Barbara Audiss takes on his identity. Letting loose her secret will land get her arrested. But keeping it prevents her from giving her heart to handsome sheriff Keith Rakestraw.
Furious at “Judge Audiss’s” latest verdict, Keith discovers she’s a fake and consequences seem easy: toss her in jail. Instead, he finds himself eager to give her his heart.
Madeline Andrews is a grown up orphan. Sam Wilding made her feel part of his life, his family and swore he’d come home to her when the war ended, but he didn’t return. With the Valentine’s Ball just days away, the Wildings encourage Madeline to move forward with her life and open her heart to the possibilities. But Madeline is lost in old love letters and can’t seem to let go.
A Flare of the Heart by Jacquie Rogers
Celia Valentine Yancey has no illusions she’ll ever enjoy wedded bliss, so chooses marriage over spinsterhood even if she has to marry a man her father picked. On the way to meet her groom, she endures armed robbery, a stagecoach wreck, a dozen hungry baby pigs — and an incorrigible farmer.
Ross Flaherty retired from bounty hunting to become a farmer but now Celia has brought his worst fear to his door — in more ways than one. A ferocious wolf-dog and a dozen piglets are no match for this determined lady.
Which is more dangerous — the Sully Gang or Miss Celia Yancey?
Coming Home by Tracy Garrett
Sometimes it takes two to make dreams come true.
When a man who believes he’ll never have a home and family…
Former U.S. Marshal Jericho Hawken should have been shepherding a wagon train to new territory, but he unwillingly left them vulnerable to a vicious raider. The murder of the settlers he was supposed to be guarding is the hardest thing he’s ever had to face…until he meets the sister of one of the settlers.
…finds a woman who has lost everything…
Instead of a joyous reunion with her brother, Maryland Henry has come to River’s Bend to take responsibility for her three orphaned nieces. Fired from her teaching position and with no other family on whom to rely, Mary believes Jericho Hawken is responsible for all her woes. Or is he what she’s been searching for all along?
It takes a lot of forgiveness and a few fireworks to realize that together their dreams can come true.
Tumbleweeds and Valentines by Phyliss Miranda
When Amanda Love finds a tumbleweed lodged against her fence with an invitation to a Valentine Day dance stuck to it she thinks someone must be playing a joke. No one would invite her. No one ever had. Besides, she has no time for such things. She has a candy store to run. Curiosity gets the best of her though. Finding her name scrawled on it as bold as can be sends ripples of surprise through her. As she embarks on a quest to find the sender’s identity, she examines herself and the secret dream she harbors of having a husband and children.
Maybe, just maybe, someone had seen the yearning in her heart. But who?
The Second-Best Ranger in Texas by Kathleen Rice Adams
His partner’s grisly death destroyed Texas Ranger Quinn Barclay. Cashiered for drunkenness and refusal to follow orders, he sets out to fulfill his partner’s dying request, armed only with a saloon girl’s name.
Sister María Tomás thought she wanted to become a nun, but five years as a postulant have convinced her childhood dreams aren’t always meant to be. At last ready to relinquish the temporary vows she never should have made, she begs the only man she trusts to collect her from a mission in the middle of nowhere.
When the ex-Ranger’s quest collides with the ex-nun’s plea in a burned-out border town, unexpected love blooms among shared memories of the dead man who was a brother to them both.
Too bad he was also the only man who could have warned them about the carnage to come.
♥ Hearts and Spurs ♥
Kindle | BN.com | Smashwords | Print
Livia, you certainly accomplished your goal in "Guarding Her Heart." Loved Grant and Julia -- and that crusty old stagecoach driver. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Kathleen. You know I loved your story. An ex Texas Ranger, an ex nun, and tons of action. Add love to the mix and stir with a six-gun. Right up my alley.
DeleteI'm looking forward to reading this collection of stories. Really enjoyed the first one!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kristy. I liked this anthology even better than Wishing for a Cowboy, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.
DeleteLivia, I echo Kathleen! In a few short pages, you made me care about everyone in your story, including that stagecoach driver! And that was such a perfect title--Guarding Her Heart. Wonderful story that left me feeling warm all over.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cheryl. I am so happy to be a part of this anthology.
DeleteThis sounds like a great read anytime, not just Valentines. Love the story lines for all. Cogratulations on another winner.
ReplyDeleteLivia, I love that you write across genres and do so many other things well. What a great gift you are sharing. Doris
Doris, I love reading all types of books, so it naturally slips into stories. I guess I have written a little bit of every genre and crossed a few. I appreciate your kind words. You have a great day!
DeleteI'm eager to set down and read the collection...sorry life has gotten in the way the last few days. My love and best wishes to Prairie Rose Publishing, the best a--western publisher EVER. And our brilliant editors in chief.
ReplyDeleteTanya, I hope things get better for you. Something we all could use is more time to read. I do thank you for the kind words.
DeleteLivia, I totally loved your story. I'm partial to action so your story really filled the bill--a strong heroine, a to-die-for hero, and plenty of adventure-filled romance.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jacquie. I do love a strong hero. One of my favorite Western actors is Yakima Canutt, the famous silent movie star, and amazing stuntman of the talkies. I love the man's stunts. I guess my idea cowboy would look like Tom Selleck, talk like Sam Elliott, (on my he has a great voice), and ride like Yak. That would be my to-die-for hero. I do appreciate you letting me talk about my story.
DeleteI loved the premise for the Fatal Funnel Cake, Livia. The cover is so cute. Did you design it? Sounds like a delicious mystery.
ReplyDeleteNo I didn't design the cover The Fatal Funnel Cake. The editor asked what I thought needed to be on the cover and Jesse Reisch painted this one same as all the others in this series. I really like them.
Delete