#NewRelease I HEARD THE BRIDES ON CHRISTMAS DAY by @JacquieRogers #HeartsOfOwyhee #Western #Romance

New Release!

I Heard the Brides on Christmas Day

by Jacquie Rogers

As part of the Prairie Rose Publications Third Birthday Bash, they've released a bunch of new novellas, including I Heard the Brides on Christmas Day. You can win your choice of two of these new releases at the Prairie Rose Publications blog.

About the story:
The Murdock brothers have a fine ranch in Owyhee County, Idaho. The only things missing are wives and kids, so Hec orders a couple of brides for Christmas. The catch is, woman-shy Zeke doesn't know about it. Dinah and Stella have a plan— If the grooms don’t work out, they’ll start a restaurant. Farm chores are hard enough, but a peckish chicken and a raging blizzard don’t help matters. Can Hec and Zeke capture their hearts?

How it came about:
I love Christmas stories all year around. Christmas and romance go together so well, because it's the season for giving, sharing, and loving.

So what would the ultimate gift be that a man could give his brother? Lifelong happiness with the woman of his dreams. That's how I came up with the idea that Hec Murdock could order Christmas brides for himself and his brother.

And what happens when two city women end up in remote Owyhee County in Idaho Territory? What if they had to do farm chores? They'd have no idea how to go about it. Well, Dinah and Stella are in that boat, but if nothing else, they're determined to make a life for themselves in the West, whether it's with the Murdock brothers or on their own.

I grew up on a farm so I actually have done all these chores, but many readers have asked how to go about them, so here it is right here in this novella. I had a lot of fun thinking of things that could go wrong.

Hearts of Owyhee series
All the Hearts of Owyhee novels and novellas are set in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory. "Owyhee" is the original anglicized spelling of Hawaii, and the area was named after some fur trappers from the Sandwich Islands were lost there in 1819.

Hearts of Owyhee Novels

Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Miners

Much Ado About Mavericks

Much Ado About Mustangs

Hearts of Owyhee Novellas

A Gift for Rhoda

A Flare of the Heart

Don't Go Snaring My Heart

The Texan Who Stole Christmas

I Heard the Brides on Christmas Day

#NewRelease MUCH ADO ABOUT MUSTANGS #Horses #Cossacks #romance #contest #Shakespeare

Cossacks?  Really?

IT’S HERE!! 

Much Ado About Mustangs 
(Hearts of Owyhee #5) 
by Jacquie Rogers

is now live on Amazon! 

To celebrate the release I'm giving away a big surprise for readers who share the pinned post from the Jacquie Rogers Author page on Facebook and write reviews for the newest Hearts of Owyhee book!  (Details below.)

About

Secret lives, hidden dreams, and forbidden sex in the Old West—what’s a woman of nobility to do when a handsome rancher tears through her world like an Owyhee dust devil? 

A British Aristocrat 

Or is she? Lady Pearl Montford has performed in theatres all over the West for crowds of all sizes, but what would the world say if her secret was found out—that she's really plain old Pearl Jane Evans from Kentucky. To make matters worse, Pearl's past life as a professional trick rider is floating to the surface thanks to an unsavory suitor from her past who wants either her—or $10,000. 

A Frustrated Rancher 

Rugged Josh McKinnon has a ranch to build and blooded horses due in any day, but there's one problem standing between him and his dream—Lady Montford, a high-falutin' diva actress. Wrangled into playing opposite the snooty Brit in Shakespeare's ‘Much Ado about Nothing,’ Josh has to put his ranch on hold and put up with her nonsense for two weeks. Only thing is—how can he focus on his ranch when all he can think about is the way Pearl sits a horse? 

Much Ado About ... Love? 

With a slew of critters causing stirs left and right, meddling family members and townsfolk playing cupid, and horse rustlers causing a ruckus, Pearl and Josh have a heck of a time keeping their minds on the play and their hands off each other. When the dust settles and the curtain falls, will Pearl and Josh be able to overcome the odds working against them and find love in the wild Idaho countryside?

Contest

The rules are easy to follow. Good luck to all who enter!! 

(Due to shipping costs the prize pack is USA shipping only. A gift card will be substituted if the winner is international.)

1. SHARE the Release post from Jacquie’s Official Author Facebook page starting Monday, June 1st. Each time you share it you get a chance in the drawing for the prize!  So you could share to your timeline, any groups you're in (that allow it), and to any pages you manage.  Yes, you get an entry for each share.  You can also post to Google+, Tumblr, Twitter, Tsu, or wherever else, as long as you can get the URL (link).  See #3.
2. POST a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Goodreads, Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter , your blog, Shelfari, and wherever else you can think. The MORE REVIEWS you post the MORE CHANCES you have to win! (Amazon will be up first, the rest to follow shortly.) Each review submitted (see #3) is an entry.
3. Send the direct link URLs to jacquierogersreaders@yahoo.com (Instructions to copy direct links can be found under Notes on Jacquie’s Official Author page.) Any questions can be directed to Diane Garland at the above email address.
4. Contest ends Tuesday, June 30th. The Grand Prize Winner and Runners up will be randomly chosen and announced Friday, July 3rd.
5. Winner receives a fabulous surprise gift basket from Idaho! 5 Runners-up will receive copies of Jacquie Rogers’ MUCH ADO ABOUT MADAMS (Hearts of Owyhee #1) and 10 Runners-up will receive the single read WILLOW, WISH FOR ME.
6. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the promotion should be directed to Jacquie Rogers, at jacquierogersreaders@yahoo.com not Facebook. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win. Must be 18 years or older to enter.
7. Here are the Amazon links:

Amazon.com | Amazon Australia | Amazon Brazil | Amazon Canada | Amazon France

Amazon Germany | Amazon India | Amazon Italy | Amazon Japan | Amazon Mexico

Amazon Netherlands | Amazon Spain | Amazon United Kingdom

Goodreads | Shelfari

Good luck!

Here are the other Hearts of Owyhee books

#NewRelease NO SMALL TEMPEST (Muleskinners #2) #western #novella #mules

No Small Tempest

(Muleskinners #2)

by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon | Smashwords

It's here!  The second story in the Muleskinners series took a while, partly because I got caught up in a bunch of other projects and partly because of the publisher's schedule.

What's it about?

Elsie Parry aims to get this load of salt delivered to Kearney, Nebraska, come hell or high water. Or outlaws. Or Indians. Her other driver, Hank, and her former outlaw brother Zeb will help – but her eight draft mules (who think they are Greek gods) will make the difference. If she can keep them from being stolen – or eaten.

The inside scoop

The Civil War wasn't kind to Elsie, her family, her home, or her neighbors.   In 1863, border ruffians abducted her brother, Zeb, along with the neighbor boy, Hank, from the family farm in Missouri. The next year, more came – she didn't know which side – and burned the farm to the ground. Elsie was given responsibility for eight draft mule foals and sent to live on a forested hill out of harm's way. She had little contact with the outside world, but her father visited infrequently.

She learned her mother had passed away, whether from sickness or hunger, Elsie didn't know, and neither did her father. In fact, he disappeared the last year of the war and Elsie thought he was dead, too, but imagine her elation to find him alive and relatively well five years later.

Meantime, those eight mules were her only friends and she'd named them after the Greek gods in her mother's book: Hermes, Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Aries, Apollo, Hades, and Plato (who's not a god but he's quite the thinker).  They have a good rapport, and she's very protective of them. 

Her papa was born with the gift of blarney, and he's a lot better at making deals than actually coming through with them. Still, he's her father and she loves him dearly – her only family other than the mules.

The underlying theme of the Muleskinners series is undoing the emotional damage that the war caused.  It tore her family apart--killed some of them, and scarred the rest.  But Elsie doesn't let these things get her down.  She's determined, bold, and can be a little hard-nosed at times.  She's also compassionate and has a wicked sense of humor.

Part of her character is patterned after my late aunt, who could get just about any animal to do whatever she asked of them.  Some people have it--most don't.  My aunt had it and so does Elsie.  My aunt also lived by her beliefs--right, wrong, or Bisquik.  Elsie has that trait, too, super-sized.  She also has a lot of other traits that my aunt didn't have.  Elsie is, bein's she's a fictional character, larger than life.

The series

Yes, you're better off reading Muleskinners #1: Judge Not first because this is a true sequential series.  Judge Not is the first leg of her journey, so while No Small Tempest could be read as a stand-alone, you'd get a lot more out it if you've read the first one.

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords	Amazon | Smashwords

About the cover model.  Or not.  We simply couldn't find any photos that worked for Elsie.  The one we chose was the least worst, so you'll see the same picture on the next three stories, and she'll be wearing the same thing unless we can find something else.  Despite that, I thought Karen M. Nutt did a great job with the cover.  Thanks, Karen!

I'd also like to thank Troy Smith who got me into this mess in the first place.  He told me I could write a story for the Wolf Creek series and I did--but used my own cast instead of the Wolf Creek characters as he intended.  Through that misunderstanding, this series was born, and now he, at the helm of Western Trail Blazer, is publishing it.  Go figger.  

May your saddle never slip.

Amazon Author Page

Website | Facebook | Pickle Barrel Bar & Books | Twitter | Pinterest | Tsu

#NewRelease MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALS "hilarious characters" http://amzn.com/B00RW84YRS

Much Ado About Marshals
Hearts of Owyhee #2
by Jacquie Rogers

Amazon Kindle

NOR Top Pick
CTRR Award
Winner: RttA, Best Western Historical Romance Novel

5 stars from Laron Glover: Need a break? This is a FUN book (seriously--when's the last time you read a laugh-out-loud book?)! Turn off the iphone, kick off yer boots (or Jimmy Choos) and let Jacquie Rogers provide that mini-vacation you KNOW you need!

Low-down on Much Ado About Marshals

Rancher Cole Richards rescues his friend from robbing a bank, but is shot for his efforts, and now is a wanted man. His friend takes him to Oreana to see the doc, but Cole's mistaken for the new marshal!

Daisy Gardner is obsessed with solving crimes just like dime novel heroine Honey Beaulieu. But Daisy's parents insist she marry a farmer. Problem is, she can't be a detective if she's stuck miles from town. What better solution than to marry the new marshal.

Now Cole faces a dilemma few men have to face—tell the truth and hang, or live a lie and end up married. Either way could cost him his freedom.

5 stars from romantchick: Nancy Drew meets William Shakespeare ...hilarious characters, memorable colloquialisms, a clever, engaging plot and fine writing. All of which recommends Rogers' Much Ado About Marshals as everything to do about a charming, well-written romp.

#NewRelease WILD TEXAS CHRISTMAS - What could be better than #cowboys & #Christmas?

Wild Texas Christmas

A new release today!

Is Christmas wilder in Texas? It just might be! These cowboys and their ladies sure have their hands full—and Christmas brings them together to sort it all out!

Cheryl Pierson’s Luck of the Draw is the story of a handsome gambler and a beautiful witch. With their own particular talents, they discover life is one big poker table—and love can be had if they are willing to risk it all!

Can a lumber baron and a railroad heiress save a small Texas town? Kathleen Rice Adams pens some holiday magic in The Last Three Miles.

When dreams turn to vengeance for a young gun-handy woman, it takes the love of a marshal to convince The Kid in Black that Christmas really is a time of miracles.

In The Texan Who Stole Christmas by Jacquie Rogers, a Texas cowhand is snowed in for Christmas in Idaho. When he becomes part of the town’s “Secret Christmas Angel” game, will he be able to part with his heart?

A lady gambler and a con man find themselves in an unlikely situation that could save both of their hearts if they’re willing to trust one another in Kaye Spencer’s A Gift of Christmas Hope.

Kindle | Smashwords

#NewRelease MAIL-ORDER TANGLE now in all major online stores! #Nook #Kobo #Apple #Kindle

Mail-Order Tangle

Two books

by bestselling western writers

Caroline Clemmons

and

Jacquie Rogers

Now at all major online stores!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple

Kobo | Scribd | Page Foundry

* Also in print! *

Mail-Order Promise
by Caroline Clemmons

Ellie Dickerson and her sister are in desperate straits when she contracts to become a mail-order bride to a Texas rancher. After her arduous trip from Virginia, she learns her fiancé has died. His handsome brother has sworn to take care of her and she’s instantly attracted to him, but he seems indifferent toward her. What will happen to her and her sister?

Kage Johanssen, co-owner of a ranch in Idaho with his cousin Matt, is forced to take over his family’s Central Texas ranch on the death of his older brother. Kage is in no hurry to get married, and when his brother’s bride shows up, she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife—except she’s stunningly beautiful. Despite his deathbed promise to his brother and his attraction to Ellie, he’s convinced she doesn’t have the grit to be a rancher’s wife.

When a greedy, sadistic villain attempts to take over the ranch and kill Kage, can Ellie save her true love? What will it take to prove that she’s the only woman for Kage?

Mail-Order Ruckus
by Jacquie Rogers

Matt Johanssen returned to the ranch he and his cousin Kage started in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory, not knowing he took Laura Dickerson's heart with him. Now that her sister no longer needs her, Laura wants a home of her own and a family to put in it. No other man would fill the bill as well as Matt, but he’s not interested. Not wanting to live as a spinster aunt the rest of her life, Laura signs a contract with a marriage broker, choosing to go to Silver City, near Matt’s ranch, in hopes that he might come around. But he’s not on the roster of eligible grooms!

When Matt sees Laura among the brides on display on the balcony of the Idaho Hotel, he feels gutshot. He’s in no position to take a wife, not with a ranch eating up every spare moment and dollar. But if he doesn't step forward, the one woman he wants will be wed at the end of the week—and not to him.

Will Matt walk away from the woman who stole his heart or let go of everything he's worked so hard to build go in exchange for love?

♥ ♥ ♥

We sincerely hope you enjoy these books.  It was a fun collaboration and of course we fell in love with the characters.  We'd greatly appreciate a review--that's such a tremendous help.

Happy Reading!

Caroline Clemmons Website Blog Newsletter

Jacquie Rogers Website Pickle Barrel Bar & Books Pickle Barrel Gazette

#NewRelease MAIL-ORDER TANGLE by @carolinclemmons & @JacquieRogers #romance

We PROMISE you
a RUCKUS
at the

MAIL-ORDER TANGLE Doin's!

We're fixin' to party at Facebook and Caroline Clemmons and I hope you'll join in the fun Saturday, September 13 from 1pm to 9pm Central Time, 11am to 7pm Pacific Time.

There'll be music, dancing, and goodies all served up by some hawt cowboys wearing jinglebobs (and we aren't saying what else).

Prizes Every Hour!

Hosted by the authors of Mail-Order Tangle (ahem... if they're not in the back room)
Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers.

Get your copy now! Soon available in print and in digital at all major online stores.

Here's the cover copy:
Mail-Order Tangle contains two books by best selling western writers Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers.

Mail-Order Promise
by Caroline Clemmons

Ellie Dickerson and her sister are in desperate straits when she contracts to become a mail-order bride to a Texas rancher. After her arduous trip from Virginia, she learns her fiancé has died. His handsome brother has sworn to take care of her and she's instantly attracted to him, but he seems indifferent toward her. What will happen to her and her sister?

Kage Johanssen, co-owner of a ranch in Idaho with his cousin Matt, is forced to take over his family's Central Texas ranch on the death of his older brother. Kage is in no hurry to get married, and when his brother's bride shows up, she's everything he doesn't want in a wife—except she's stunningly beautiful. Despite his deathbed promise to his brother and his attraction to Ellie, he's convinced she doesn't have the grit to be a rancher's wife.

When a greedy, sadistic villain attempts to take over the ranch and kill Kage, can Ellie save her true love? What will it take to prove that she's the only woman for Kage?

Mail-Order Ruckus
by Jacquie Rogers

Matt Johanssen returned to the ranch he and his cousin Kage started in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory, not knowing he took Laura Dickerson's heart with him. Now that her sister no longer needs her, Laura wants a home of her own and a family to put in it. No other man would fill the bill as well as Matt, but he's not interested. Not wanting to live as a spinster aunt the rest of her life, Laura signs a contract with a marriage broker, choosing to go to Silver City, near Matt's ranch, in hopes that he might come around. But he's not on the roster of eligible grooms!

When Matt sees Laura among the brides on display on the balcony of the Idaho Hotel, he feels gutshot. He's in no position to take a wife, not with a ranch eating up every spare moment and dollar. But if he doesn't step forward, the one woman he wants will be wed at the end of the week—and not to him.

Will Matt walk away from the woman who stole his heart or let go of everything he's worked so hard to build go in exchange for love?

See you at the party!

Meet My Character Blog Tour @kmnbooks @carolinclemmons

Meet My Character Blog Tour 

Welcome to the Meet My Character Blog Tour! My friend Karen M. Nutt is the one who roped me in, and for that, I thank her. So before we get to my character, Laura Dickerson, I’d like give you the rundown on Karen (and isn’t that just the cutest dog?).

Karen Michelle Nutt resides in California with her husband, three fascinating children, and houseful of demanding pets. Jack, her Chorkie, is her writing buddy and sits long hours with her at the computer.

When she’s not time traveling, fighting outlaws, or otherworldly creatures, she creates pre-made book covers to order at Gillian’s Book Covers, “Judge Your Book By Its Cover.” You can also check out her published cover art designs at Western Trail Blazer and Rebecca J. Vickery Publishing.

Karen designed the
fabulous cover for
Muleskinners #1: Judge Not

Whether your reading fancy is paranormal, historical or time travel, all her stories capture the rich array of emotions that accompany the most fabulous human phenomena—falling in love.

Meet My Character

Now I’ll introduce you to the heroine of Mail-Order Ruckus, a short western historical romance that will be included in a duet with Caroline Clemmons, Mail-Order Tangle, to be released in September.

1) What is the name of your character? Is he/she fictional or a historic person?

Laura Dickerson. She’s completely fictional, although I wouldn’t tell her that.

2) When and where is the story set?

1881-1882, first in Texas and then in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory.

3) What should we know about him/her?

Laura has always been a dreamer but she’s had to put her dreams aside to care for her younger, prettier sister. Their parents are deceased and the savings are gone, so now the two of them have to make do as best they can. Once her sister is situated, Laura is feeling a bit lost, so she decides to take her dreams out of the bag and make them happen.

What Laura might be wearing
when she arrives at Silver City

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

The man of her dreams—actually, he’s more handsome than she’d ever dreamed—won’t ask for her hand in marriage because in his mind, an honorable man must make a good living before he offers for a woman. But she’s 24, going on 25, flirting with the edge of spinsterhood, so she has agreed to be a mail-order bride. Now she’s contractually bound to marry at the end of the week, but her dream man proves to be more stubborn than she ever could’ve thought.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

Laura’s goal is clear—she wants a house to make into a home, and a husband and children to put into it.

6) Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The title of the duet is Mail-Order Tangle. You can read more about both books in the duet at

http://mailordertangle.blogspot.com. 

We don’t have much on the site yet, but the cover’s posted and there’s a blurb for each book.

7) When can we expect the book to be published?

We’re aiming for the first week in September. It’s an ambitious schedule and we have lots to do, but both Caroline and I are extremely excited for this release. It’s our first time working together, although we’ve been online friends for quite a while, and I’ve been a fangirl of Caroline’s long before that. So I’m tickled to be included in this book with her!

Next week (August 11), please check out these awesome writers’ characters!

Caroline Clemmons

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances whose books have garnered numerous awards. Her latest release is GABE KINCAID, book four of her popular Kincaid series. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline is a member of Romance Writers of America, Yellow Rose Romance Writers, From The Heart Romance Writers, and Hearts Through History Romance Writers. Her latest publications include the acclaimed historical Men of Stone Mountain series: BRAZOS BRIDE, HIGH STAKES BRIDE, and BLUEBONNET BRIDE and the audiobooks of BRAZOS BRIDE and HIGH STAKES BRIDE.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. Prior to writing full time, her jobs included stay-at-home mom (her favorite), secretary, newspaper reporter and featured columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, bookkeeper for the local tax assessor and--for a short and fun time--an antique dealer. When she's not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, getting together with friends, and enjoying watching the birds, butterflies, and squirrels wandering through her back yard.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest 

Wendy Delaney

Wendy Delaney writes fun-filled cozy mysteries and is the award-winning author of the Working Stiffs Mystery series. A long-time member of Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, and Mystery Writers of America, she's a Food Network addict and pastry chef wannabe. When she's not killing off story people she can be found on her treadmill, working off the calories from her latest culinary adventure. Wendy makes her home in the Seattle area with the love of her life and has two grown sons.

Website | Facebook | Amazon

6 Chances to Win: Western Round-up Blog Hop!

Do you ♥ Westerns?

You've come to the right place!

We're giving away bunches of books, so be sure to click on all the links at the bottom of the page to win even more. Woot!  And I'm giving away...

THREE digital copies of

Muleskinners #1: 

Judge Not

by Jacquie Rogers

Western Trail Blazer

Traditional Western

Elsie Parry and her eight mules survived the war, but can they escape the wrath of the Danby Gang? She lived alone for five years after the Recent Unpleasantness and was overcome with happiness to be reunited with her father. Now, his fondest desire is to leave all the bad memories behind and see the Pacific Ocean, so she agreed to head west. All’s well until they approach Wolf Creek, where they’re set upon by the notorious gang of ex-Confederate guerrillas… intent on proving the war is not over, after all.

Kindle | Smashwords 

The Muleskinners series of single reads is my first foray into traditional westerns. For those of you who prefer romance, I'm also giving away

THREE digital copies of

Sleight of Heart

by Jacquie Rogers

Sleight of hand? or Sleight of Heart?

A Straight-Laced Spinster

Lexie Campbell, more comfortable with neat and tidy numbers than messy emotions, is determined find the sharper who ruined her little sister and make him marry her. When his lookalike brother Burke appears, she greets him with a rifle and forces him to help her. Can she resist his magic charm?

A Gambler With Magic Hands

To claim the family fortune, smooth-dealing Burke O'Shaughnessy has to find his brother Patrick, despite being saddled with an angry spinster. But when Lexie shows an astounding talent for counting cards and calculating odds, he figures she might be useful after all. Can he draw the queen of hearts?

"... a fun and fast paced read with a charming and sexy hero!" ~Jennifer Haddad

Kindle | Print

All you have to do is comment, and tell me how long it has been since you read a straight western story, or why you enjoy westerns or western historical romance. Be sure to include your email address with your comment. Drawing will be at midnight, July 31st, Pacific Time.

Be sure to check these terrific authors and book bloggers!

#NewRelease Muleskinners #1: JUDGE NOT #western http://amzn.com/B00LMC6RS4

New Release! 

Judge Not

Muleskinners #1

by Jacquie Rogers

The first installment of the Muleskinners series, Judge Not, is now available.  This is my first traditional western story and I hope you enjoy it.  I really loved writing it, and four more stories are planned, the second installment will be released later this summer.  

Judge Not was first printed in Wolf Creek, Book 6: Hell on the Prairie.

About Judge Not

Elsie Parry and her eight mules survived the war, but can they escape the wrath of the Danby Gang? She lived alone for five years after the Recent Unpleasantness and was overcome with happiness to be reunited with her father. Now, his fondest desire is to leave all the bad memories behind and see the Pacific Ocean, so she agreed to head west. All’s well until they approach Wolf Creek, where they’re set upon by the notorious gang of ex-Confederate guerrillas… intent on proving the war is not over, after all.

About Elsie

Elsie's had a rough time of it.  In 1863, border ruffians abducted her brother, Zeb, along with the neighbor boy, Hank, from the family farm in Missouri.  The next year, more came – she didn't know which side – and burned the farm to the ground.  Elsie was given responsibility for eight draft mule foals and sent to live on a forested hill out of harm's way.  She had little contact with the outside world, but her father visited infrequently.

She learned her mother had passed away, whether from sickness or hunger, Elsie didn't know, and neither did her father.  In fact, he disappeared the last year of the war and Elsie thought he was dead, too, but imagine her elation to find him alive and relatively well five years later. Meantime, those eight mules were her only friends and she'd named them after the Greek gods in her mother's book.  They have a good communication, and she's very protective of them.  Her father was born with the gift of blarney, and he's a lot better at making deals than actually coming through with them.  Still, he's her father and she loves him dearly – her only family other than the mules.

Excerpt
Muleskinners #1: Judge Not
by Jacquie Rogers
Copyright 2013 Jacquie Rogers

My pa wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. He’d flapped his lips all the way from Missouri to the middle of Kansas, and I reckoned by the time we did get to the ocean, I’d be ready to dunk him in it.

“One of the mules is lagging.”

“Hermes,” I hollered. “Quit sniffing that bush and get over here.” Sure, my mules were coddled, but they’d been my only company for a year during the war, and the six years since, my best friends. “You know you’re supposed to stay by the wagon.”

The mule sent me a guilty look and trotted to his spot by the rear wheel with the other three. I have eight mules, but a harness for only four, so four mules pulled half a day, then I traded them out.

“Wouldn’t it be easier to tie the spare mules to the wagon, Elsie?” My father, Obadiah Parry, had lost his wife, son, home, and thought he’d lost me and the mules in the war, but he’d run into me a few years back. 

Believe me, the moment I saw that man was the happiest day of my life. His brown hair had grayed and he’d hunched over and slowed down considerable, but his blue eyes still had that sparkle – the one that let you know there very well could be a frog in the sugar bowl, so watch out. I wouldn’t call him a moocher, but he did let me do the working while he did the talking.

“Maybe, but I ain’t tying them up. They know their jobs.” Unlike Pa, who was more of a dreamer than a doer. The one dream he had that worked out was when he decided to start a draft mule business with a mammoth jack he’d won in a card game. He talked the local farmers who had quality draft horse mares into giving him one foal for every two breedings. The result was more than a dozen draft mule foals the next year, but then the war broke out.

Now his dream was to go to California. I had eight of the mules, the wagon, nowhere else to go, and I was happy to make up for lost time with my pa. He had the gift of gab and a hefty dollop of charm, which got me more than one well-paying freight job. We had a light load this time, though – supplies for the trip west. But we had to take a detour to Wolf Creek to pick up a wagon he’d won playing euchre last week.

Amazon | Smashwords

Another grand Wolf Creek adventure - STAND PROUD #western #kindle

Wolf Creek #11

Stand Proud

by Ford Fargo

This has got to be the most fun a writer can have!  It's a Western Fictioneers collaborative novel, the brainchild of Troy Smith, who is also one of the authors (his characters are Marshal Sam Gardner and Charlie Blackfeather).  We all write under the name of Ford Fargo.  I have two characters, Abby Potter who isn't in this novel, and Gib Norwood.  Actually, Gib is head of the Norwood family so I have the whole family. 

When Troy put out the call for characters, I thought Wolf Creek needed some milk.  I grew up on a dairy farm and one thing I know is milk cows.  In fact, I know way too much about milk cows and that's why I live in the 'burbs. LOL.  But one thing about dairymen, they work hard, lift lots of milk cans, bags of grain, and an occasional calf, so you can bet they'd be someone to stay away from in a fight.  And that's how the Norwood Dairy happened--there's Gib, his half-brothers Peter and Paul who are octoroons, and their mother, Glory, who is Gib's half-aunt.

In Stand Proud, the Norwoods are minding their own business, when the nasty bad guy, Andrew Rogers (um, no relation) uses the dairy as a decoy for his other objective, Matthias.  So the Norwoods start off the book.  I wrote chapters one and three.

This book has quite a line-up of authors.  Jory Sherman is one of the most talented writers of today, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, and his chapter is a thing of beauty--nearly ripped my heart out.  Robert J. Randisi is incredibly prolific and has written around 700 books to date--good books, too, so check them out.  His chapter in Stand Proud rocks.  Troy D. Smith has won both the Peacemaker and the Spur awards--he's the glue that holds these novels together (if you haven't read his Blackwells series, do it!  You won't be sorry.).  Jerry Guin has contributions in several Wolf Creek books, and then... there's me!  So here's the blurb:

Welcome to Wolf Creek.

Here you will find many of your favorite authors, working together as Ford Fargo to weave a complex and textured series of Old West adventures like no one has ever seen.

Greedy and ambitious cattle baron Andrew Rogers has caused a lot of trouble around Wolf Creek, intimidating farmers into selling out to him and hiring a small army of gunmen who have proven themselves capable of almost anything. But now he has set his sights on clearing out a whole town – Matthias, a hamlet near Wolf Creek settled by former slaves. Sheriff G. W. Satterlee has a plan to protect them… but it may be too late.

Writing as Ford Fargo in this volume:

Jory Sherman

Robert J. Randisi

Jacquie Rogers

Jerry Guin

Troy D. Smith

Wolf Creek: Stand Proud

Kindle | Smashwords

LASSOING A GROOM #newrelease #historicalromance #freebook

Lassoing a Groom

Prairie Rose Publications

I’m so excited that I sloshed my Arbuckles all over my keyboard! Lassoing a Groom was released today! I’m bouncin’ around like a goat kid on catnip to be included with five other talented authors in a new anthology from Prairie Rose Publications. Wait... I don’t think catnip does much to goats. No matter, since kids have springs in their hooves. The other five crazy hombres are: Kirsten Lynn, Tracy Garrett, Kristy McCaffery, Linda Hubalek, and Kathleen Rice Adams. If you knew these gals, you’d be as excited as I am— or runnin’ fer cover.

Speaking of goats, Lady Jane Grey and Cleopatra horned their way into my story, “Don’t Go Snaring My Heart.” So did two dogs, Max and Minnie, a mule named Princess, and Jethro, the killer chicken. I have no idea how Jethro got in there, but he has his own ideas about things. Just don’t ruffle his feathers and you’re relatively safe.

What are these stories about? Just that—getting a husband bagged good and proper. My heroine, Betsy Lynch, doesn’t use a lasso. Her preferred method of catching men is a snare. Was she any good at it? Well, she was good enough to make into this anthology. But she wasn’t aiming for a husband. She did teach a lesson or two to some claim jumpers who wanted her silver mine, and it’s not her fault Dex Madsen came along at the wrong time. Or was it the right time?

I have to say, every single story in Lassoing a Groom is a good read—whether fun or dramatic, all are sigh-worthy. Here’s the blurb:

Lassoing a Groom

Amazon | BN.com | Smashwords | Print

How is a woman supposed to catch a husband? In the wild, wild west, she’s got to find a way to Lasso a Groom! Some of them are lawmen…some are outlaws. Ranchers and homesteaders are fair game, as well—none of 'em safe from love’s lariat, or the women who finally manage to rope ’em in!

Don’t Go Snaring My Heart
Jacquie Rogers
Can rancher Dex Madsen get past loner Betsy Lynch's goats and killer chicken to help save her mining claim and win her heart?

Race to Marry
Kirsten Lynn
He’s in town to tame a man-killer. She’s accused of being one. When she proposes marriage the race is on.

WANTED: The Sheriff
Tracy Garrett
He’s a confirmed bachelor…but she’ll capture his heart.

Canyon Crossing
Kristy McCaffrey
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon. When U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty rescues her from a cliff side, her most guarded secret might save them.

The Perfect Homestead Bride
Linda Hubalek
Will a dangerous man from Gussie Hamner’s past sabotage the future she’s building with Noah Wilerson?

The Worst Outlaw in the West
Kathleen Rice Adams
An inept bank robber and a bossy spinster team up to rob an empty vault. What could go wrong?

Free Books!

Three ebooks to three commenters

Drawing will be held May 24th at 6pm Pacific Time.

Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can reach you!

99¢ today! MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALS @fkbt #romance http://wp.me/p2b82w-5IZ

Much Ado About Marshals

by Jacquie Rogers

Book 1 of the Hearts of Owyhee series

Featured today at 

Kindle Books & Tips 

5 stars from LKGlover: Need a break? This is a FUN book (seriously--when's the last time you read a laugh-out-loud book?)! Turn off the iphone, kick off yer boots (or Jimmy Choos) and let Jacquie Rogers provide that mini-vacation you KNOW you need!

Daisy Gardner wants to be a detective, just like her dime novel heroine, Honey Beaulieu.  She does not want to be a farm wife, but that’s what her parents want.  So what better solution to her dilemma than to marry the new marshal?

Cole Richards is honest, forthright, and stuck in a situation where he must lie and deceive or he and Bosco might end up as honored guests at a necktie party.  That’s why he plays along with being the town marshal.  He didn’t count going toe to toe with a lady detective who has marriage on her mind.

5 stars from romantchick: Nancy Drew meets William Shakespeare ...hilarious characters, memorable colloquialisms, a clever, engaging plot and fine writing. All of which recommends Roger's Much Ado About Marshals as everything to do about a charming, well-written romp.

#SundaySnippets MUCH ADO ABOUT MARSHALS: sex, lies, and chocolate in the Old West

Much Ado About Marshals

(Hearts of Owyhee series)

by Jacquie Rogers

Thanks to Ginger Simpson for organizing Sunday Snippets.  Here's a little about my first go at this, and I'm taking the six paragraphs from Much Ado About Marshals, which kicks off the Hearts of Owyhee series.

In the sleepy western town:

A wannabe woman sleuth is determined to marry the recently-hired town marshal... But the man sworn in is wanted for bank robbery!  Then there's a real bank robber and the actual new marshal who both claim the job, too.

Alas, affairs of the heart mess up everything!

This book is a lighthearted look at what happens when you put an honest cowhand in a situation where if he tells the truth, he and his best friend could face hanging, but if he lies, he'll be sworn in as marshal. The kicker is that the mayor's daughter is bound and determined to marry the new marshal!

It's set in Oreana, which is in Owyhee County, Idaho (Territory, in 1885). My husband and I were driving around while we were visiting relatives — I grew up there. We stopped by the church in Oreana. Actually, the church is about the only thing there. It's an interesting building, built of stone. I was even more intrigued when I found out that the building was originally a general store. So there it was--my heroine's father owned that store!

I built a whole bustling town in my imagination, and that's how the setting for the story came about. Actually, there's not much there in real life. Certainly no marshal's office!

Sunday Snippet from
Much Ado About Marshals
(Hearts of Owyhee)
by Jacquie Rogers

Daisy realized Aunt Grace had spoken to her. "Pardon?"

"I said, all your hard work trying to get Oreana to hire a marshal paid off."

"It seemed ridiculous," Daisy glanced at her sister, who smiled back. "I mean, to build a jailhouse and not hire a marshal. Besides, it's too far from Silver City for the county sheriff to come for anything except major crimes, which I hope we never have." Daisy knew she'd lapsed into her campaign talk, but her mind kept wandering to the man on Doc's table.

"Well, then," her mother said, "you can get back to finding a husband. I heard the Stanton boys over in Henderson are looking for wives. Maybe you could snag one of them."

Daisy's stomach roiled, but she stifled any outward reaction. Not only did the Stantons live thirty miles from civilization, they were both short. She wanted to be a detective and solve crimes and to do that, she had to live in town. So she needed to be married to the marshal. The tall marshal.

"Now, Betsy." Aunt Grace patted her sister's hand. "There's no hurry for Daisy to marry."

"It certainly is time. We were both married and had babies by the time we were her age."

♥ ♥ ♥

And here's the video (with the print cover)

Kindle | Print

Visit these sites for more great excerpts!
1. Charlene Raddon's Chatterblog
2. Keta's Keep Romance
3. Fried Oreos
4. Taryn Raye
5. Never Squat With Your Spurs On
6. roseanne dowell author
7. Romancing The West with Jacquie Rogers
8. Double the Mystery - Meg Mims

Valentine's Day! Cowboy Casanova Giveaway Hop #historicalromance

Cowboy Casanova Giveaway Hop

Welcome! The Cowboy Casanova Giveaway Hop is hosted by Lily Graison and runs February 12-16, 2014. Check out the links at the bottom of this article for more great giveaway stops.

What You Could Win

Your choice of the Hearts of Owyhee books and a $5 Amazon gift card!

Books for Valentine's Day

Sleight of Heart

Combine a dash of James Bond with a big dose of Bret Maverick and a smidgen of Remington Steele and you have Burke O'Shaughnessy. Combine Poker Alice with my Aunt Grace, and you have Lexie Campbell. Lemme tell you, these two characters led me on a merry chase!

Sleight of hand? or Sleight of Heart?

A Straight-Laced Spinster

Lexie Campbell, more comfortable with neat and tidy numbers than messy emotions, is determined find the sharper who ruined her little sister and make him marry her. When his lookalike brother Burke appears, she greets him with a rifle and forces him to help her. Can she resist his magic charm?

A Gambler With Magic Hands

To claim the family fortune, smooth-dealing Burke O'Shaughnessy has to find his brother Patrick, despite being saddled with an angry spinster. But when Lexie shows an astounding talent for counting cards and calculating odds, he figures she might be useful after all. Can he draw the queen of hearts?

"... a fun and fast paced read with a charming and sexy hero!" ~Jennifer Haddad

Hearts of Owyhee Series

Book 1: Much Ado About Marshals

*** NOR Top Pick ***

Buy a copy and see for yourself what everyone is talking about. Once you read just one of Ms. Rogers' books, I can assure you that you'll be a fan ... Diana Coyle, NOR Reviewer

Overview:
In the sleepy western town:

• A wannabe woman sleuth is determined to marry the recently-hired town marshal.
• But the man sworn in is wanted for bank robbery!
• Then there's a real bank robber and the actual new marshal who both claim the job...
• Alas, affairs of the heart mess up everything!

Book 2: Much Ado About Madams

Overview:
A suffragist schoolteacher with a hidden past,

Six shopworn whores cooking up plans for a better future,

And a hunky cowhand who isn't quite sure what to do with all these women...

Life isn't always comfortable at The Comfort Palace!



Book 3: Much Ado About Mavericks

Overview

• A sexy ranch foreman who just happens to be a beautiful woman
• A Boston lawyer who wants to settle his father's estate and go back East.
• Rustlers who have another agenda in mind
• Mayhem endangers them all--but can the foreman and the lawyer ever see eye to eye?

Benjamin Lawrence is a highly respected attorney in Boston, but in Idaho Territory, they still think of him as that gangly awkward boy named Skeeter. When he goes back home to settle his estate, he's confronted with a ridiculous will that would be easy to overturn--but can he win the regard of his family and neighbors--and the foreman?

The Bar EL's foreman, Janelle Kathryn aka J.K. aka Jake O'Keefe, is recognized as the best foreman in the territory. But being the best at her job still isn't enough--now she has to teach the new owner how to rope, brand, and work cattle before she receives clear title to her own ranch, the Circle J. The last thing she expects is rustlers. Can she save her ranch without losing her heart?

Book 4: Much Ado About Miners

Overview
Cupid’s bullet...

Hired gun Kade McKinnon interrupts a bank holdup and is shot by the teller, Iris Gardner, whose victims have a tendency to be the next groom in town. Will he be the groom this time?

Cupid’s bow...

Iris Gardner, a smart, independent bank clerk, fell in love with Kade when she was too young to know better. So when he walks back into her life and her bank, it's only fitting that she shoots him ... by accident, of course. But she’s a suffragist now, so his charms can’t affect her...right?

Cupid’s blindfold...

Kade doesn’t know Iris’s company is the one who hired him to escort a bullion shipment, and Iris doesn’t know Kade owns the security company, but they both know robbers are on their trail. Which is more likely to be stolen—the silver, or his heart?

For a special Valentine's Day treat, read my short story in Hearts and Spurs, A Flare of the Heart.

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?

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2. Sign up for my newsletter, the Pickle Barrel Gazette.

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