New Series from Old: Suspense, Romance, Out West in Arizona

Back in 2016, I published the first book in my Love and Murder Series with The Wild Rose Press. All five books eventually came out in audio too. But in the last couple of years, I wanted to update the covers and fine tune the narrative. In order to do that, I needed more control. I asked for the rights back, and thankfully TWRP handed them over. How exciting for me!

I read each book, cover to cover, and made corrections that were amazingly missed before. Another change I wanted was to make the books a bit more western in flavor. Although the titles of each novel remain the same, the new series is called Wild Horse Peaks. Books one and three are now set in Timberline, Arizona. Books two and four are set in Mustang Valley, about an hour outside of Timberline. 

The fifth book is now a sequel that finishes a story thread in book one. And adding to how special this book is...if you are a member of Brenda's Newsletter Group, you receive this sequel FREE. It can be read as a standalone and there are no spoilers to book one. If you'd like to get A Legacy of Love and Murder, a Sequel, for  FREE, then click: Brenda's Newsletter Group

The books will officially release beginning in January, but all of the eBook editions are up for preorder. The print editions will release over the next few weeks.

If you didn't read the Love and Murder Series or only some of them, I hope you'll enjoy reading the Wild Horse Peaks novels.

A woman searching for her past. A sheriff hiding in his present. Their future together threatened by murder. 

Forty-three years after the airplane crash she survived killed her parents, Lacy Dahl is looking for answers. When her research uncovers secrets about the mother she never knew and disputes the identity of her father, someone is willing to murder to keep her discoveries hidden. 

Sheriff Chance Meadowlark is still haunted by the death of his wife and the revenge he unleashed in the name of justice. When he meets Lacy, he is determined not to become involved, but their pasts make that impossible - saving Lacy may be his only redemption. 

Just as she begins to believe the present is more important than her past, Chance's connection and a murder spin her deeper into danger and further from love. When the truth is revealed, will the revelations free Lacy and Chance…or destroy them?

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Writing murder mysteries is all in a day's work until an obsessed fan brings Phoebe’s stories to life. 

Mystery writer, Phoebe Anderson, owes her success to killing her first husband on paper seventeen years earlier. Now, someone has actually done it. Taking a few days to re-group on an isolated ranch, she doesn’t expect romance…or murder…to find her. 

Mason Meadowlark is happy with his wild cowboy ways, avoiding love since the death of his baby and the end of his marriage twenty years before. When Phoebe shakes up his routine, he fights to control his emotions, fearing the pain of opening his heart again. 

With an obsessed fan close on her heels, Phoebe is thrown into her own murder mystery…and the next target on the psychopath’s list is Mason.

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Penny’s secrets can ruin the presidential contender who ordered her family’s murder…and mark her as the next hit. 

Penny Spark’s desire to reconnect with family this Christmas exposes her true identity—a secret she’s hidden for thirteen years from the political powers that murdered her family. 

Jake Winters is out of rehab and coming to grips with his demons. When he meets Penny, he believes this holiday season could be the start of life after rock star status…until her secrets blow up his world. 

With a government agent turned hit man closing in on her, Penny and Jake race to expose the presidential contender who targeted her family. Even if they win the race with death, the murder that stands between them could end their hopes for a new life…and love.

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A vengeful ex-husband and bloody fight for land threaten a love-struck couple’s happiness. 

After an abusive childhood and bad marriage, Laura Katz has finally found a home, stability…and possibly love. But her blissful refuge as nanny on the Meadowlark Ranch, miles from Flagstaff, shatters when her ex is released from prison, determined to reclaim her. 

Randy Silva, the Argentine foreman, has plans for his own ranch, but a brutal land grab is underway. As the battle escalates, Laura steals his heart, but there are outsiders who stand in their way. He’s in a vicious battle for his land—and the woman he wants by his side. 

Stakes are high, as the attacks on Randy and his ranch draw blood. While the vengeful ex-husband stalks Laura, a mob-backed land developer teams with a desperate gambler. Uncertain where the next attack will come from—will their love be caught in the crossfire.

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Inheriting an Austrian Castle is an Alpine fairytale for August, until someone begins targeting the heirs.

 

August Myer arrives in Austria to meet her great-grandfather and explore his castle estate filled with priceless art, only to find he’s died under suspicious circumstances. As one of his heirs, her life is in danger, turning her Alpine adventure into a nightmare of veiled threats, unexplained accidents, and murder.

 

Inspector Tobias Wolf splits his time between catching criminals and fighting the spread of neo-Nazism. But when the beautiful, intriguing American crosses his path during a murder investigation, ensuring her safety challenges his priorities…and his heart.

 

When August learns the handsome inspector is concealing secrets, and the death of her great-grandfather is somehow connected, she takes the investigation into her own hands. Can Wolf save her before the killer strikes again?

AMAZON BUY LINK   OR join Brenda's Newsletter Group and receive the book FREE.

Wicked Women, or just Wicked West? by Terri Benson #WickedWednesday #WomenOfTheNight

WICKED WEDNESDAY

Hey, Readers, please welcome Terri Benson back to Discover... She has a wickedly great take on those women of the night that add to the color of the Old West. Enjoy!

I write historical romance, set in the mid to late 1800s. My research has uncovered so many stories of women who were abandoned or widowed, or whose plans for a better life fell apart, leaving them no option but to work in the world’s oldest profession to survive. In The Angel and the Demon you’ll meet the newly widowed Winnie who, even at her age, could have found herself one of them, if she and Angelique hadn’t teamed up.

When I wrote The Angel and the Demon, I didn’t know which characters I would actually end up with. Winnie showed up one day, a poor but hard-working woman, and she was the perfect partner for Angelique. Then Francesca and Ebbie strolled into the story and boy, was I surprised, since I hadn’t set out to have prostitutes be important characters. But they revealed themselves to be ordinary women who had been subjected to extraordinarily bad situations and coped as best they could.

Further research into the timeframe revealed wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters who followed Spanish explorers or set up house at military forts, shipping ports, mining communities, railroad towns, and anywhere there was a semblance of community – and sometimes where there wasn’t. It was a rough country and a rough time, causing families to fall apart or circumstances to change, leaving a lot of single females. These women might initially have had hopes of setting up a bakery, or working as a seamstress, finding a husband, or just escaping the drudgery of their lives. Often, they were disappointed, unable to compete with the others who beat them to those businesses, frequently immigrant men. As a result, those women became entrepreneurs in order to survive. They set up business in grand mansions or filthy “cribs” or tents or soddys. They had to contend with violent customers, disease, strait-laced lawmen as well as crooked ones, “decent” women who would go to great lengths to run them out of town, and the sudden demise of western towns.

Many of the women of the night became rich or well-known, including Mattie Silks from Denver. Some became early philanthropists, providing money and supplies when earthquakes or fire ravaged their towns. But the majority worked under appalling conditions and died young.

Finding a “house of ill repute” with a Madam who took care of her girls was not commonplace, although there were some, Like Belle Brezing. I like to think Ebbie would be like that, and she might – when I get around to writing a short story about her life, and Bert’s courting of her.

Angelique Lawson, a naïve 24-year-old spinster, has an injured, murderous train robber dumped on her doorstep with instructions to get him healthy enough to hang. Damon Daugherty, as handsome as he is persuasive, turns out to be the owner of the railroad who was shot trying to stop the robbery, as well as owning a nearby gold mine. Their burgeoning romance is almost derailed by a conniving former companion of Damon’s, but his persistence wins Angelique as his wife. Just when they think they have their happily ever after, a more violent, and persistent, threat comes between them.

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A life-long writer, Terri is traditionally and self-published in novel length, with nearly a hundred articles and short stories published – many award winning. She was the Education Chair for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for more than seven years, is an irregular blogger (in more ways than one), member of Sisters in Crime, presents workshops at writer’s conferences, and teaches night classes at Western Colorado Community College.  Terri spends her non-writing time working at a Business Incubator, camping, jeeping, and dirt biking with her junior-high-school sweetheart/husband of 40+ years and a succession of Brittany spaniels. You can find more information on her at https://www.terribensonwriter.com/

The Angel and The Demon by Terri Benson #western #romance

 NEW RELEASE FROM CHAMPAGNE BOOK GROUP!

A prim, naïve preacher's daughter tasked with getting a handsome, persuasive train robber healthy enough to hang. What could possibly go wrong?

How about a western romance with plenty of action, great characters, and a complicated plot? I'm so happy to be able to announce the release of such a book by Terri Benson. 

Angelique Lawson, a prim, naïve spinster, has an injured, murderous train robber dumped on her doorstep with instructions to get him healthy enough to hang. The handsome, persuasive Demon Daugherty stirs feelings she’s never felt in all her twenty-four years, but it’s clear he’s not to be trusted. 

When his true identity becomes known and she has the opportunity for true love, her own past comes back to haunt her. It takes a deadly disaster to bring them together, only to have their plans spiked by a conniving woman intent on claiming Demon for her own, no matter the method. 

But Demons are fierce creatures and he risks it all to win Angelique back. Just when they think they have their happily ever after, a more violent, and persistent, threat comes between them.

Terri Benson has written a western romance that is sure to please. Get your copy today!

AMAZON BUY LINK

This man, this accused murderer—his face was the sort her dreams conjured. Perfectly proportioned. A faint puckered scar ran down the left side of his chin and another, crescent-shaped, was adjacent to his right eye. Rather than detracting, the slight imperfections reinforced his masculinity. A knight who’d fought a dragon to save his ladylove might have such scars. His hair, thick and lustrous, curled into a large comma-shape which dangled against his forehead.

She wished she could see his eyes. “Are they green? Perhaps blue? Would you look at me with longing like the handsome prince who rescues me each night? Would you want to run your hands over my…?” She clasped both hands over her mouth, mortified to find herself speaking of such things, even if he couldn’t hear her.

Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand, she fetched another basin of hot water and set about cleaning his lower body. She moved as quickly as possible, thankful the majority of blood had oozed down his hip and outside thigh to his knee allowing her to avoid his groin area. She used a torn piece of sheet to cover him, but her eyes kept straying to the spot as she smoothed the washcloth down his legs. Wondering. Imagining.

After wringing the last of the pink-tinged water from the cloth, Angelique stood at the foot of the bed and inspected the man. She noted several more scars, large and small, on his long, muscular legs. When her perusal reached the modest piece of white cloth, she made a conscious effort to address the bedding. She stripped off the blood-and-dirt-stained sheets, replacing them with clean, crisp linens smelling of sunshine and sage. The process took time as she heaved his unconscious body around as gently as possible.

After tucking in the last corner, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief and pulled the sheet up to his chin. She peered at his tranquil, handsome face, struggling to equate it to the face of a murderer. The man was not some noble knight. Not a highborn prince. Just a criminal soon to meet his maker, if the sheriff got his way.

AMAZON BUY LINK

A life-long writer, Terri is traditionally and self-published in novel length, with nearly a hundred articles and short stories published – many award winning. She was the Education Chair for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for more than seven years, is an irregular blogger (in more ways than one), member of Sisters in Crime, presents workshops at writer’s conferences, and teaches night classes at Western Colorado Community College.  Terri spends her non-writing time working at a Business Incubator, camping, jeeping, and dirt biking with her junior-high-school sweetheart/husband of 40+ years and a succession of Brittany spaniels. You can find more information on her at https://www.terribensonwriter.com/

The Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk Win Fest

Hey, Readers, you're in for a treat! You can experience a taste of ten of the stories from the extremely popular Honky Tonk Hearts series and be eligible to win, win, win!

This is a blog hop you are certain to enjoy. Gus Rankin himself has provided the instructions so read below.

Ladies, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking old Gus, owner of The Lonesome Steer honky tonk couldn’t have brought together all the lonely, broken hearts that he did. But I’m here to tell you I have. Not only do I have the pictures of these couples in my office to prove it, but there’s been a whole series of romances written about the men and women who found love at The Lonesome Steer. And just like every one of my couples, each of these romances is a keeper.

The authors of these books have put together a Valentine Honky Tonk Blog Hop, an easy way for you to get a sneak peak at every story. And there are prizes to put a bounce in your Texan Two-Step. To be eligible, visit each blog link below and leave a comment. The more hop stops you visit and comment on, the more chances YOU have to win a $50 gift card to The Wild Rose Press. In addition, the publisher has provided a second grand prize of a $25 gift card to The Wild Rose Press and a TWRP Mug for a random commenter (Sorry, US visitors only for the mug prize). Some of the ladies will also be giving away their own personal prizes. So whatcha waitin’ for? Happy hoppin’! 

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE ON MY BLOG AND AT THE BLOGS BELOW FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN!

Nothing But Trouble by Jannine Gallant 

Sing to Me, Cowboy by Lauri Robinson

Honky Tonk Man by Sylvie Kay 

A Song for Sophie by Mackenzie Crowne

Those Violet Eyes by Vonnie Davis 

Cowboy-sexy by Donna Michaels

Lonesome Cowboy by Stacy Dawn 

Back Where You Belong by Vonnie Davis   

Lost Memories by Sherri Thomas

Just for leaving a comment on my blog, you'll have a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press. So leave me a comment and then hop on over to all the other blogs for more prizes. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win.

My story is entitled, The Morning After, the tale of Abigail who wakes up with a redheaded cowboy named Bobby next to her in bed - a cowboy she's never seen - who believes in love at first site. Below is an excerpt from a scene that takes place a the Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk - the bar Gus owns.

THE MORNING AFTER

Knees shaking, Abigail concentrated on the door of the Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk, but as she came next to Bobby her heart hammered faster. Her neck stiffened, and in her peripheral vision, his glare seared her. Once she passed, rigidity turned to jelly; her chin dropped. The crunch of gravel beneath her boots echoed in the night, mingling with the muffled music inside the bar. She glanced at the boots of the man who strode beside her, boots that rightfully labeled Tex a shit-kicker.

“I guess you need a little more time,” Bobby called across the parking lot. “I’ll be in touch.”

She rolled her eyes. His lady friend must be so drunk he wasn’t concerned with her hearing him.

The tall cowpoke opened the door, and music and laughter poured out. Abigail stole a glance back. Bobby’s fancy red truck remained parked, lights on, but the flashing sign atop the building reflected off the windshield obscuring the people within.

Tex urged her forward toward the bar. The band covered Garth Brooks’s song, Mr. Right, sending Abigail’s mood into a downward spiral—one thing she did remember from her marriage night was two-stepping with her redheaded hunk to that song.

Her new friend waited for her to take a stool and sat on the one next to her. She propped an elbow on the bar and rested her head in her hand. After a few minutes, time enough for Bobby and his woman to leave, she’d head out.

Down the bar, Kiera Rankin waved in her direction while her father, Gus, stepped toward them.

 “We’d like a couple of Longnecks, Gus,” Tex drawled. Gus raised a brow when he looked at Abigail’s companion and darted a questioning look her way as he reached in the cooler for the beer. 

Now get on outa here and leave comments at all those blogs!

A Muse With a Mind of Her Own by Barbara White Daille

MUSE MONDAY

Please help me welcome Barbara White Daille to Muse Monday. Her muse keeps her guessing sometimes! 

Thanks so much to Brenda for inviting me here to chat with you on Muse Monday.

I'll let you in on a little secret.  I don't know about other authors, but my muse can be one fickle female. 

Sometimes she shows up for work with her shirtsleeves rolled to her elbows, ready to tackle the day ahead.  When she's in that mood, her cooperation comes as a gift, a solid chunk of an idea I can build on to create a story I love.

This happened with Court Me, Cowboy.  One of my earliest books, it's also the one that led to "The Call" and my first publishing contract. 

My muse gave me a nugget in the form of an image that wouldn't go away:  a man sitting on the edge of his bed and tossing his no-longer-needed wedding ring into the air and catching it.

With that flash alone, I learned Gabe had been married after a whirlwind relationship, then

abandoned by his bride soon after their Las Vegas wedding.  I also knew my loner hero wasn’t going to be at all happy when his wife returned to his ranch to share the very startling news she was carrying his child.

Of course, at that stage, I had no idea why Marissa summoned the courage to come back—or heck, why she'd run off in the first place.  Or how Gabe found the strength to believe Marissa was telling the truth.  But in that first tiny glimpse of an idea, my muse gave me a foundation that never changed throughout the writing of the book.

On the other hand...

With my newest story, Rancher at Risk, my muse took a long time to let me in on any details.  A four-books-long time, as a matter of fact, as this is the fourth book set in the small town of Flagman's Folly, New Mexico.

My hero, Ryan, is brand-new to me.  He's a man who lost his family in a tragic accident and is now on the verge of losing everything else, including his job and his self-respect.

The heroine, Lianne, is someone I've known since way back in book one, where she plays a small role.  Because she's deaf and not in town during that story, her "page time" came mostly from text messages and e-mails to her sister, the heroine of the first book.

Unfortunately, around the time I met Lianne, my muse was in one of her fickle stages.  Though she knew darned well Lianne had a story to tell, my muse would only offer the tiniest bits of information.

While I was still floundering, trying to find out more about Lianne, she appeared on-page in another of the Flagman's Folly books.  After a while, I was able to coax her into telling me what I wanted to know—with almost no thanks at all to that unpredictable muse of mine!

When the muse hands me her gift—that story nugget—I'm so excited to be able to jump right into the book.  Yet, when she makes me work my tail off to figure out the story before I can start writing, I always find it's well worth the effort, too.

Hmm...

Readers - what do you think—maybe my muse knows best, after all?

And if you're a writer—got any tips for getting along with a muse?

Rancher at Risk

A Fresh Start

After the loss of his family in a tragic accident, Ryan Malloy has been given one last chance to change his life. His boss sends him to Flagman's Folly, New Mexico, to run his ranch, but unfortunately, Ryan's troubled attitude lands him in hot water with the locals, especially the ranch's manager, Lianne Ward.

Deaf since birth, Lianne has never let her disability define who she is. But, she's yet to meet a man who treats her as an equal. Ryan seems different…that is, when they're not butting heads over the ranch's new school for disadvantaged boys

Forced to work together, Lianne and Ryan discover an unexpected attraction beneath their quarreling. But will Ryan's painful past drive them apart…permanently?

Rancher at Risk:

Amazon     http://amzn.com/0373755058   

Barnes & Noble     http://bit.ly/Rancher-at-Risk-Barnes-and-Noble

Harlequin Books     http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=49780

Powell's Books     http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780373755059-0   

IndieBound     http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373755059

Barbara White Daille

Originally from the East Coast, award-winning author Barbara White Daille now lives with her husband in the warm, sunny Southwest, where they love the lizards in the front yard but could do without the scorpions in the bathroom.

Barbara's newest title, Rancher at Risk, debuted this week in both paper and e-book formats.  An earlier book, Court Me, Cowboy, has just been re-issued as a Cowboy at Heart Special Release, available as a standalone e-book (at your favorite retailer) and in Larger Print (exclusively at www.Harlequin.com). 

Barbara would love to have you drop by her website:  www.barbarawhitedaille.com

and to see you on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/BarbaraWhiteDaille
and Twitter:  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille