GUNS & SMOKE by Lauren Sevier & A. Smith *NBtM* **GIVEAWAY**

 

Notes from a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome authors Lauren Sevier and A. Smith to the blog today to talk about their new book, Guns & Smoke. You can find all the stops for this tour at Goddess Fish Promotions. Remember to enter the giveaway for your chance to win a $20 gift card. The entry form is at the bottom of this post.

GENRE: Dystopian/Western Romance

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Is the setting for your book real? If so, have you been there? If it’s fictitious, is there somewhere real that you’ve used as a model?

While the settings for Guns & Smoke are real places in the American southwest, a lot of the elements of the story are fictitious. At the beginning of the novel, the characters are in Vegas, which has managed to survive after the end of the world, but sometimes it feels as if the desert is trying to reclaim the city. Run down casinos, brothels, and gangs are the real rulers of this new iteration of Vegas. Even though the characters don’t stay there long, I really enjoyed imagining the Vegas strip as being a dusty, dangerous place reminiscent of the old west. When it came time to choose a destination for Jesse and The Kid, neither of us hesitated: Roswell. There’s a show that came out in the late ‘90s called Roswell, and it’s my favorite. I have never been to any of the locations in Guns & Smoke, but google has been a valuable tool. We spent a lot of time researching maps of the southwest in order to figure out which places the characters would stop and developing the new versions of them to be like memories of the old west. My grandfather is a huge fan of westerns, so I grew up watching them with him. It was a lot of fun to use that knowledge in building The Fool’s Adventure world.


Do you like to read in the genre in which you write? Or, are you adventurous?

I will read just about anything. While I prefer stories that are dystopian, fantasy, or paranormal, I read all over the place including literary, mystery, and romance. I’ve only recently got into the romance genre, so now I spend my days devouring just about any romance that I can get my hands on. I still adore the YA dystopian boom of the early 2010s because they produced some of my favorite titles. These days, I read a lot of Fantasy, from YA to Adult, and I am a huge Sarah J Maas fan, especially of her most recent publication. I will always stop to read a good dystopian, though. It’s absolutely one of my favorite genres.

If you listen to music while you write, what are the top three songs on your playlist?

I make a playlist for each of my novels. My spotify account is all over the place. For my Guns & Smoke playlist, the top three songs are: 99 Problems by Hugo, Poison & Wine by the Civil Wars, and I Know Places by Taylor Swift. All three of those really encapsulate the emotions of Guns & Smoke.

About the Book

In a world where safety is a luxury and honor is found only among outlaws, two people attempt to outrun danger lurking around each corner and the tragedies that define them.

Bonnie is an outlaw on the run. Beautiful but dangerous; her dark past stalks her like the crater beasts that roam the desert. As the notoriously cruel outlaw Jones sends his henchmen to track her down and retrieve the gun she stole from him, Bonnie hopes she can stay one step ahead. Because if he catches her, a fate worse than death awaits.

Jesse always dreamed of leaving the farm to explore the ruins of the big cities. He just never imagined he’d be forced to flee after strange men burned down his rural mountain town and murdered everyone he loved. Responsible for his kid brother and searching for an uncle he’s never met before, he isn’t sure he can navigate the perils of life among con artists and thieves long enough to find him. 

Their two paths collide as they find themselves thrown together on the adventure of a lifetime.

Together, they may just discover that life is about more than just surviving.

 

Enjoy an Excerpt

“I didn’t mean what I said earlier, about turning you over to Sixgun. I was just…” He struggled for the words.

“Hurt?” I offered, and he nodded. “I know. I have a talent for pushing people away.”

“I still shouldn’t have said it,” he muttered near my ear, his arm tightening around my shoulders to hold me closer.

“Do you really think I’m stupid?” I asked.

“No, I think you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met,” he said, with all the conviction with which he said everything else. I smiled against his shirt. “Did you really climb into my bed because you thought I was upset about the train?”

“No,” I croaked, hiding my face as best I could. “I don’t have nightmares when you hold me.”

“I don’t have nightmares when I hold you either,” he admitted.

So I let him. I let him hold me all night. We didn’t speak, we just leaned against each other until the sky began to lighten and the shadows of our pasts seemed to fade into the distance.

 

Meet the Authors

 

Lauren Sevier & A. Smith are long time friends and co-authors from southern Louisiana. Guns & Smoke, their first joint publication, began as a “short” story after having too much wine on girl’s night. Nine years later it is now the first novel in a Dystopian/Western Romance series.

The duo has plans to publish several series together in the future. A. Smith spends her time with her two rescue dogs and rescue cat surrounding herself with books and Labyrinth paraphernalia.

Lauren Sevier collects antique tea cups and tries to stay sane, though as the mother of a toddler she fails brilliantly most days. She also has a growing collection of crowns and tiaras and likes to act silly on TikTok. Look for more thrilling novels from The Fools Adventure series in the future!

Lauren's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads ~ YouTube

A. Smith's Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ TikTok ~ Goodreads ~ Newsletter Sign Up

 

Enter the Giveaway

Lauren Sevier and A. Smith will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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It’s been my pleasure hosting the writing duo of Lauren Sevier and A. Smith to the blog. Please come back later in the week for more authors, books, and giveaways.

Nancy

MR. PIERCE'S HERO by Author Kara O'Neal

It’s my pleasure to welcome friend and fellow author, Kara O’Neal, back to the blog today with her new book, Mr. Pierce's Hero, from her Pike’s Run series.

Genre: Historical/Western/Small Town Romance

About the Book

Pike’s Run, Texas, 1882

Corinne Taylor has a secret. And it must be protected. If her mother discovers what Corinne has been hiding, Hell will not describe the place in which she will find herself. Beulah, Corinne’s mother, has proclaimed herself “queen” of Pike’s Run, and no one crosses her, especially not her daughter.

And while Corinne does what she can to guard her secret, her best efforts aren’t enough. War comes to Pike’s Run and the Taylor household when Beulah learns of her daughter’s betrayal. The battle that ensues forces Corinne to seek help from a new arrival.

Jonathan Pierce, a successful lawyer, has come to Pike’s Run looking to find solace from his past. When Corinne asks for his support, her innocence and bravery call to the needs within his broken spirit, and he can’t turn her down. She is capturing his heart, but if she ever learns of his cowardice, she will reject him, killing any hope he has left of finding love.

 

Read an Excerpt

 

“You did all this?” Jonathan asked, amazement rushing through him.

She nodded, a blush staining her cheeks.

Even standing amidst the evidence of her talent, modesty enveloped her. He couldn’t help the slight smile that formed. “It’s magnificent.”

“Thank you.”

Should he venture into her world and help her? If he did, he feared the safety of his heart. Still, he couldn’t hold back. “And you can’t let your mother do…whatever it is you suspect she will do.”

His words made dismay flit across her lovely features. He wished he could recall what he’d said, but it was the truth.

“I know,” she replied, her voice hoarse with feeling. A moment of silence passed. “You’re quite sure it would be illegal?”

Ordinarily, he’d be irritated someone questioned his expertise, but he understood why she asked. “I am.”

She fidgeted with her skirt while her teeth worried at her lower lip.

The punishment she gave it made him want to cup her cheek to stop her. Then he’d run his thumb over her mouth and soothe her. Maybe kiss her. Maybe back her up against—

Hell. He had to remove himself from her presence. She was too damned dangerous.

“Would you…”

“Yes?” he prodded.

“Would you perhaps…come with me to speak to the sheriff?”

He shouldn’t. For one important reason. But…

“Do you really believe your mother won’t desist if you tell her it would be trespassing?”

She nodded her head slowly.

Damn it. Who was this Beulah? “Yes, I’ll go with you.”

Available on Your Favorite Platform

 

Meet the Author

Born and raised in Texas, I had to make the state the setting for my first series. From the food to the fun, like floating the rivers, it is the fire in my blood that inspires me. My family and friends take center stage in my books. My sisters and best friends are my heroines, and my husband created my favorite hero.

Love and family are the point of my stories, and I seek to entertain, relieve stress, and inspire people. Books can take one on a journey that one can relive over and over. I am extremely grateful to those authors who did that very thing for me. I learned and I fell in love with their words and characters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Kara's Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest

Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

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Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to more authors, books, and even some giveaways in the near future!

Nancy

 

DANCE TO A WYLDER BEAT by Author Marilyn Barr

 

Today I’m welcoming Author Marilyn Barr to Notes From a Romantic’s Heart. She’s here to tell us a bit about her upcoming book, Dance to a Wylder Beat, from The Wild Rose Press.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

 

Is your book based on real-life experience or a figment of your imagination?

Dance to a Wylder Beat is a figment of my imagination. I dreamed of the main character, Nartan Sagebrush, after a staff meeting about the series. I’ve learned for a great book idea; I need to eat a plate full of cookies before going to sleep. Once I read about the Arapaho people, their beautiful leather goods, and their culture, he came to life. My next step was to interview my friends of Arapaho descent and take a non-mechanized leather tanning course. Within a few weeks, I felt I could temporarily step into Nartan’s leather boots.

 

If you could trade lives with any other writer, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I admire Terry Pratchett and aspire to write books as complex as his Discworld series. While unfortunately he is no longer with us and developed early-onset Alzheimer’s disease before his death at age 66, his brilliance lives on. His books are timeless while acting as a time capsule for the 1980s and 1990s at the same time. The magic is in the layers. I write these layers in my books and hope to master his technique someday.

Each book I must read three times in a row. The first time I enjoy the plot and characters’ banter. The second time I get the humor whether they are inside jokes about the series or jokes about the world events at the time the book was written. The third time I see the satire and lampooning of a group of people. I first noticed this third layer in his book, “Pyramids” where the people in the tiny pyramid were caricatures of the Hollywood elite. I had to start the series over again to find what I had been missing.

 

What has been the most unusual experience you’ve had that you have written into a book?

My most unusual experience is written in the follow-up novel to Dance to a Wylder Beat which is Sound of a Wylder Silence. My son and I go to Natural Allergy Elimination Therapy for food allergies. Our usual practitioner had an apprentice who took over our appointments a year ago. The apprentice had been previously certified in Reiki and Shamanic healing and promptly recommend those as options for my son’s anxiety. My son was nine years old at the time, had trouble sitting still, and had been through many failed anxiety remedies.

After some research, I decided to sign up for one of the apprentice’s spiritual healing sessions for two reasons. The first being to test it out for my son. Could he sit still? Would it scare him? The second was my childhood night terrors had returned and I was throwing myself down my stairs to leave my house in my sleep. The appointment was right out of a paranormal movie with all sorts of spooky, ghostly events. My healing journey is the one Ikshu Sagebrush (you meet him as Nartan’s brother in Dance to a Wylder Beat) takes to reclaim his voice. Now I am the apprentice to a Shamanic Practitioner and Reiki Master.

If you had to create a pseudonym for your work that poked fun at the genre in which you write, what would it be?

I, Marilee-Lou Were-Barr, love shifter romance with a western twist in Dance to a Wylder Beat.

 

About the Book

Nartan Sagebrush's name may mean "to dance" in Arapaho, but he dances in secret. Forced to abandon his Shamanic apprenticeship, he is overwhelmed with homesteader life, and even his spirit guides are at their wit's end. Nartan takes fate into his own hands. Instead of divine intervention, a wife will help with his responsibilities and in assimilating into the Wylder community. 

Olive Muegge answer's Nartan's "wife wanted" advertisement.  Wildly independent she has secretly dreamed of a family to call her own. The secret she carries inside makes her an outcast and her wild ways don't fit the quiet wife Nartan thinks he desires.

Despite their differences, they are drawn to each other but a mistake may drive them apart.  Will Nartan embrace his Shamanic past to save them both or will he choose to rid himself of Olive forever? 

 

Read an Excerpt

When I turn back, the men are wrestling in a cloud of dust. Dead Eyes’ friends hoot like owls while a small crowd gathers around the scene. Being half-drunk, Dead Eyes is two steps slower than Nartan, who is landing punches on both sides. When Dead Eyes slams his gun on the ground in surrender, the dust settles, and I can study my future husband.

Nartan’s muscular body straddles the smaller man while his broad chest billows. His hat has blown off in the scuffle, revealing two thick black braids adorned with feathers. Tendrils of raven-black hair wave around his head. “Quiet wife for a quiet life” my bloomin’ butt. This man is a sweet lick of passion wrapped in a delicious exterior. I think I’m gonna like being Mrs. Sagebrush just fine. I can handle an odd stick as long as he has the countenance of Nartan because I’m not as normal as I appear myself.

 

 About the Author

Marilyn Barr currently resides in the wilds of Kentucky with her husband, son, and rescue cats. She has a diverse background containing experiences as a child prodigy turned medical school reject, published microbiologist, special education/inclusion science teacher, homeschool mother of a savant, certified spiritual/energy healer, and advocate for the autistic community. This puts her in the position to bring tales containing heroes who are regular people with different ability levels and body types, in a light where they are powerful, lovable, and appreciated.

When engaging with the real world, she is collecting characters, empty coffee cups, and unused homeschool curricula. She is a sucker (haha) for cheesy horror movies, Italian food, punk music, black cats, bad puns, and all things witchy.

Marilyn's Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

Amazon Author Profile ~ Goodreads ~ BookBub

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Please come back on Thursday and Friday for more authors, books, and a giveaway!

Nancy

 

BRODIE: DAWSONS OF MONTANA (SERIES) by Author Jan Scarbrough

Happy Friday everyone! Another week, another six wonderful authors! For the last day of the week, Notes From a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome friend and author, Jan Scarbrough, to the blog. Today, we’re featuring a look at BRODY from Jan’s Dawsons of Montana series. Let’s get started with a few questions.

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Is the setting for your book real? If so, have you been there? If it’s fictitious, is there somewhere real that you’ve used as a model?

The setting I used as a model for the The Dawsons of Montana Series is real. I found the guest ranch online BUT changed the name. Long after the books were written, my husband and I traveled to Montana to visit Paradise Valley near Yellowstone. I saw the entrance to the ranch but didn’t venture into the property. The internet is a marvelous way to find information for books.

If you could trade places with one of the characters from one of your books, who would it be and why?

I would like to be Melody O’Shea, American Saddlebred horse trainer at Royalty Farm in Kentucky. She’s the heroine of Kentucky Flame, a second chance and secret baby romance. She’s an excellent rider and trainer. Spoiler: She even wins the Five-Gaited World’s Grand Championship.

What has been the most unusual experience you’ve had that you have written into a book?

In Kentucky Cowboy, I added a scene that had happened to me and my daughter, who is now a dedicated veterinarian. She saw a mother mallard hit by a car crossing the highway. Her eight ducklings scattered into the underbrush on the side of the road. We trampled through the brush and captured all eight ducks. She then took them to a wildlife refuge.

 

About the Book

When champion bull rider Brody Caldera learns his stepfather has suffered a serious accident, he heads home to the ranch he’d left behind years before. Maybe the clean Montana air of the Six Buckles Ranch, near Yellowstone Park, will help him forget his cheating ex-girlfriend. But returning will also force him to confront another woman, the one he deserted when she needed him most.

Ten years ago, Brody had chosen bucking bulls over booties and bottles, leaving ranch worker Stef Chambers to raise their daughter alone. She’s done her best to cowboy up for the sake of her daughter and build a good life for them. She can’t let Brody’s return change that. Damn the man for breaking her heart once. It won’t happen again. But Stef’s hero-worshipping ten-year-old is enamored by the famous cowboy, and Stef’s best intentions are side-tracked from day one.

Is Brody ready to be the man Stef needs, or is he just taking her for a ride? Brody has troubles of his own, dealing with his injured stepfather and a stepbrother enraged that the family cattle ranch is now a dude ranch. Is he ready to settle down and trade bull riding for a bride?

Find the series on Kindle Unlimited

Read an Excerpt

Two o’clock a.m. ~ May 2017

Chicago, Illinois

He was home.

Brody Caldera’s heart quickened as he turned the key to the door of his high-rise apartment on North Sheridan Road. When his girlfriend Lori Ann helped him pick it out soon after they met two years ago, she’d loved the apartment’s million-dollar view of Lake Michigan. The location was trendy and close to downtown and her job at an up-and-coming ad agency. The apartment was to-die-for, and she said she’d be very happy living there alone between Brody’s business trips.

Yeah, Lori Ann was spoiled, all right. He gave her anything and everything she wanted. But why not? He could afford it. What else did he have to spend his money on but the woman he loved? Since the day he met her at a promotional event for his professional bull riders’ organization, he’d been head-over-heels in love with her. And she with him. They were a perfect match for each other. He was athletic, craved excitement, and took chances. She was sweet and calm, a great grounding rock for him. There was just something right about them together. And one day they’d get married and make beautiful blond babies together. Maybe sooner than she thought.

Even after all this time, he adored her. Still bought her clothes and jewelry. Still had hot sex with her. That’s why he’d caught an early plane home. He wanted to surprise her this morning and kiss her awake. And give her the ring he carried in his pocket.

His adrenalin surged just like it did when he was about to climb down on the back of a seventeen-hundred-pound bull. Brody slowly turned the doorknob, so he wouldn’t make noise and wake Lori Ann. She wasn’t expecting him.

What the hell?

Meet the Author

Whether it is the Bluegrass of Kentucky, the mountains of Montana, or Medieval England, Jan Scarbrough brings you home with romances from the heart.

The author of two popular Bluegrass series, Jan writes heartwarming contemporary romances about home and family, single moms and children, and if the plot allows, about another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a Bluegrass horse race or a competitive horse show.

A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan self-publishes her books with her husband’s help.

Jan lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with two rescued dogs, one rescued cat, and a husband she rescued twenty years ago. She needs a weekly horse fix and takes horseback riding lessons at Premier Stables and likes to volunteer at Alley Cat Advocates.

Jan's Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Newsletter Sign Up

Amazon Author Page ~ All Author ~ BookBub

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It's a wrap for this week's guests. Of course, that doesn't mean that I won't try to sneak something in this weekend! Feel free to stop by to see. Otherwise, we'll see you next week with more authors, great books, and fun!

Nancy