Thank you for allowing me to visit Sweethearts
of the West, especially during February when you are discussing true love stories
from the Old West. Historical love stories, whether real or fictional, warms
our hearts and reminds us this powerful emotion knows no generation or century.
TUMBLEWEED |
DEADWOOD AND BLACK HILLS |
SOILED DOVE MANNEQUINS |
When rancher and
single father Cam McBride finds a letter tucked in a strip of cloth tied to a
tumbleweed, he is captivated by the mysterious author. Finding a second
tumbleweed letter further pulls him under the lonely writer's spell. He needs a
mother for his little boy and a wife to warm his bed. Could this mysterious
woman fill his needs?
Sophie Flannigan
is alone, scared, and on the run from a rogue Pinkerton agent. She spends her
days as a scrub lady at Madame Dora's brothel and her nights writing notes to
the four winds. Her life holds little hope until a small boy lays claim to her
and his handsome father proposes an advantageous arrangement.
Can these three
benefit from a marriage of convenience, or will a determined Pinkerton agent
destroy their fragile, newly formed bond?
She
could not, would not look at up him. He was so tall and broad shouldered, he
was downright intimidating. “That really
won’t be necessary, Mr. McBride. Good day.”
“Will
you at least accept my apology?”
Sophie
nodded and made a beeline for the door. For some reason, she wanted to get away
from this man.
“Ma’am?”
Footsteps echoed behind her. “Your name?” His hand wrapped around her wrist,
feather light, yet firm.
Her
stomach fluttered and her mouth went dry.
The
child leaned forward in his father’s arms and grabbed her collar. “Mine.”
Saints preserve me, this child will tear
apart me clothes yet.
“Sophie…Sophie Flannigan.”
“Won’t
you look at me when you talk?”
She
shook her head and tried to move away.
“Where
do you live?” His grasp on her tightened.
Goodness,
but his voice was spellbinding. Something about it made her body react in
strange ways that disturbed her. “I live where I work. Madam Dora’s brothel.”
His
hand fell away, and she hurried out.
Behind
her, a child wailed, “Mine. Mine, Daddy…mine.”
Jethro
Rhinehardt leaned against the pillar when she stepped out onto the porch.
Although she couldn’t see the man’s face, she recognized his build and
mud-splattered canvas duster. If she hurried, she might sneak past without his
noticing her. She’d have made it, too, if a nail poking out of the porch hadn’t
snagged the twine on the bottom of one of her shoes and ripped it, causing her
to stumble.
“Well,
well, little Miss Scrub Lady.” He turned and side-stepped, blocking her path.
For a heavy man, he slithered quickly, just like the snake he was.
Sophie
tried going around him, and he stepped to the left, stopping her again. “Can’t
you say good morning? Or are you too high and mighty?” He spit tobacco juice on
the porch, and it splattered against her skirt.
“Good
morning, Jethro. Now please let me by. I have errands to run for Dora. I can’t
afford to lose my job.” She stepped to her right this time.
Once
more he slid in front of her. To her surprise, he grabbed her around the waist
and lifted her so they were eyeball to eyeball. Tobacco juice stained his
scruffy beard that reeked of something foul. Her stomach lurched and she fought
to swallow the bile. She still clutched the folds of material over her
petticoat, determined this man would not see her undergarments.
“How’s
about a kiss for ol’ Jethro? Or do I have to pay first?”
Her
slap cracked in the morning air. “I’ll not be spoken to like that.”
Jethro’s
eyes darkened and his jaw clenched. First the bear of a man shook her and then
he had the audacity to slide his paw over her rump.
In
response, she fought like a barn cat—hissing, kicking and scratching. She
scratched his eye and tore a pocket off his shirt. “Get your filthy hands off
me, you heathen.”
Men—miscreants,
really—circled them. A few called out obscene suggestions for Jethro. There
were hoots and hollers. A few men laughed and pounded Jethro on the back.
She
fisted her hand and punched him in the nose. Blood splattered onto her bodice.
“How
about you unhand the lady and put her down before she kills you?”
Jethro
shook her again.
“Maybe
you didn’t hear me. I said put the lady down.”
Sophie’s
head whipped around to locate the man who’d spoken in her defense. Cam’s face
was a dark mask of fury. He slowly set his son on the porch and laid his
purchases at the child’s feet, his gaze never once leaving Jethro’s face. When
he straightened and stepped toward the dirty man, her captor set her down.
BUY LINKS:
THE WILD ROSE PRESS -- http://bit.ly/TumbleweedLettersAMAZON -- http://bit.ly/TumbleweedLettersDavis
YOU CAN FIND VONNIE ONLINE AT: www.vonniedavis.com or at her blog, www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com
Vonnie Davis is a retired technical writer who
has traded in her tailored clothes for the feathered boa of a romance writer.
Retired, she and her husband, who is also a published author, live in
south-central Virginia. She pens most sub-genres of romance and has a new historical release this
week, A Man for Annalee set in
Wyoming in 1871. She’ll be giving away two copies of Tumbleweed Letters and also one copy of A Man for Annalee to three commenters drawn from her husband’s hat.
So make sure you leave a comment.
Love the concept. It is similar to a story by Louis L'Amour. I loved his writing.
ReplyDeletedebby236 at gmail dot com
Me, me! Pick me, pick me!! Oh pretty please, pick me to be the winner! Geesh, I LOVE that excerpt. I hope I win. LOL CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RELEASE, VONNIE! You just got 'em popping left and right! Whoot! Here's to many sales, my friend!!
ReplyDeleteDebby, I'd never read Louis L'Amour until I started doing research. Then I devoured several of his books, loving each one more than the last. His writing style bespoke the era quite well and taught me several things in the process.
ReplyDeleteThanks AJ. Little Eli is quite the charmer and he worms his way into Sophie's heart. They need each other and theirs is a love story, too.
ReplyDeletevery cool excerpt, Vonnie, and eye catching imagery. I enjoyed the history of the area as well. I had no idea tumbleweeds weren't homegrown. Who knew, right? That was a good eye opener for today.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the best with your releases.
I was surprised, too, Maggie, when I read tumblweeds were indigenous to the States. They were also called "wind witches" and "Russian thistle."
ReplyDeleteHi Vonnie, I do believe that picture of you was taken in Bandera! I've also gotten book ideas from a dream but mine wasn't that vivid. I loved the excerpt and the child grabbed my heart. Well, Cam did too, but I love children in stories.
ReplyDeleteLove Louis L"Amour and Elmer Kelton, especially Elmer's The Pumpkin Rollers. I didn't know that's what cattlemen called famers who became wranglers.
Congratulations on your new release and Happy Sales.
Welcome to Sweethearts, Vonnie. Congratulations on your release...I also can't wait to read your Honky Tonk story. I started one but it never got done.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I see a tumbleweed blowing down a highway, I want to take it home but hubby says no LOL. xo
Hi Linda. We were in Bandera in October. I fell in love with little Eli, too. In fact, he's fashioned after my memories of my oldest granson at that age. Whew, could he throw a tantrum. Tim's 24 now which is a wonderment since I'm only 29. ;-)
ReplyDeletePumpkin rollers? Oh, I'm off to do more research. I have to know why they used that term. How interesting! Thanks for sharing that tidbit.
Oh, Tanya, in doing my online research I found two websites that use tumbleweeds in craft items. Is that wild, or what? I nearly ordered a tumbleweed with a ceramic bird holding a "welcome" sign.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Honky Tonk Hearts series, my THOSE VIOLET EYES is about a wounded vet who wants to start a ranch for amputee children. I have a second story in the series that will be out in April with a handsome bull rider raising his daughter alone with a secondary plot of school bullying. It's entitled BACK WHERE YOU BELONG.
Waving, Vonnie. So happy to see you visiting here with us today. I always look forward to the next night visitor to your bedroom during the night. It's amazing how your hubby sleeps thru these nightly visitors. :)
ReplyDeleteYour story sounds great. I have a copy and now need the time to do more reading. Hugs!
Congrats on release day for Annalee - lots of good wishes coming your way, Vonnie! We lived in AZ for a while, north of Phoenix, and had tons of tumbleweeds. Fun when you hit them with the car and they explode - ker-ploof!
ReplyDeleteHi Vonnie, welcome to Sweethearts! Love the excerpt from your historical. Sounds like a keeper!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your release! I love the sound of this story, would love to read it. I love reading western's they are my favorite read. The old west is the best but I read all kinds. Thanks for sharing your books with us today.
ReplyDeletequiltlady110 AT gmail DOT com
Vonnie, so glad you're here at Sweethearts of the West. Terrific excerpt. Wishing you continued success.
ReplyDeletePaisley, thanks for commenting. My husband writes, too. He recites lines from his book in his sleep, so he accepts characters visiting me. Often he'll say, "Angel, I have to get up and rewrite a couple paragraphs in chapter eight." I usually get up with him, too. We fire up the coffee pot and our computers and write until one of us falls asleep. Writers are a strange lot, don't you think? LOL
ReplyDeleteThanks, Melissa. I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for sharing about the tumbleweeds.
ReplyDeleteOh, Lyn, thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteQuilt Lady, do you make quilts? I have a friend in another state who makes quilts. She finds it very relaxing. Do you? I'm thrilled you enjoy Westerns. So do I.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your well wishes, Caroline. I love your Westerns; you take me there--and that's the best compliment I can pay you.
ReplyDeleteOh my, was I ever "struck" by the dream you had about the man saying he needed a wife for his boy! I was hooked on the rest of your interview response because of that dream. I am also a HUGE fan of western romances and I'm so glad I "met" you today on Sweethearts of the West. Can't wait to read your stories!
ReplyDeleteHi Vonnie!! You are a new to me author which I love finding. Your books sound awesome, I do love a good western. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeletemlawson17 at hotmail dot com
I've read several of the stories from The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series. They're out as individual stories now. I've liked the ones I read so far.
ReplyDeleteTumbleweed Letters has a wonderful premise and the cover is awesome.
I wish you every success.
starcriter at yahoo dot com
Vonnie, I use to make quilts all the time and then ran out of room to store them. I need to get back in it because I am running low on baby quilts and I give them away a lot for gifts. Husband seems to want to use my sewing machine to store his computer junk on and I need to make him clean it off so I can make my baby quilts.
ReplyDeleteJanice, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. All of my heroes come to me like that. The essence of my heroines are harder to capture, but not my heroes. Maybe I'm more intuitive to the men because I raised sons. Who knows?
ReplyDeleteMartha, I love Westerns, too. Historical and contemporary, and I write both.
ReplyDeleteSarah, one of my favorite Love Letter stories is by Beth Trissel. She has a lovely writing style. I hope you'll give Tumbleweed Letters a try.
ReplyDeleteQuilt Lady, I imagine the baby quilts you give are cherished not merely for the workmanship, but also because they came from you. I sense you have a very giving heart.
ReplyDeleteIf I could make the time I'd love to research the west, too, Vonnie. I know it was a life of hardship and toil, but so different from how the same toil was going on in some European places.
ReplyDeleteI really love to read love stories about the West. I love all of the western shows, too. Deb
ReplyDelete