Save a Horse by Rhonda Lee Carver

 Two Hot Pre-orders You Don't Want to Miss

Pre-order Here!

Blurb:

A cowboy and a city girl…and an unforgettable love affair.

Parker Manley is at risk of losing her job in Chicago, so she’s sent to Montana to breathe life into a failing Floral Shop. A rock bottom business isn’t the only thing she finds in Second Chance. A sexy, rugged, cocky cowboy will have her resuscitating those parts of her which have been neglected since her divorce. She didn’t realize how lonely she’s been until Raven Ryder. A whirlwind affair never hurt anyone, right? Unless the heart is involved.

Big-city girls have never been Raven’s type, but when Parker strolls into town in her impractical heels and high-maintenance attitude, and a sadness in her eyes, he wants to help her. Maybe even forgive the fact that she likes gourmet coffee, fancy restaurants, and getting all dressed up to attend the opera.

As things heat up, truths and lies start to unravel. Parker will innocently find herself in the path of someone who has been terrorizing the community. Raven realizes he’s fallen for the city girl and will protect her at all costs, even if that means it’ll break his heart in the end.

UNEDITED Excerpt:

"Tell me what you want, cowboy?" Parker slid to the end of the bed, looking at him through the fringe of her thick eye lashes.

"Isn't it obvious? I want you. Undressed and wearing those heels that I can't stand," he growled.

The corners of her mouth lifted. She leaned back, striking a sexy pose. "I think you love my heels. They're growing on you. Maybe I am too. Just a little. City girls aren't so bad, huh?" She crawled up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck. They were perfect height with her on the bed and him standing. Eye to eye. 

"Parker..." Her name came out on a ragged exhale.

"Raven..."

"Let me show you a cowboy is more than a saddle and a rope." He kissed her cheek, her neck, lower to the valley between her breasts. Breathing her in. Tasting her. His mouth salivating.

"Oh...the rope isn't an extension of a cowboy? I'm a bit disappointed. I've always had a few fantasies." A low hum fell off her parted lips.

At that moment, without one iota of doubt, he was a goner--in trouble. And he wasn't mad.

Do You Love Mega Anthologies?

How About Mega Anthologies That Are ONLY 99 Cents?

Pre-order Here!

Don't wait! Saddle up and pre-order this collection of Hot Cowboy Romances today!

Pre-order now for only 99¢!

Universal Link: https://books2read.com/wildrideanthology

The Wild Ride anthology includes stories by Donna Michaels, Stephanie Morris, Megyn Ward, Jen Talty, Sylvia McDaniel, Rhonda Lee Carver, Gem Sivad, Becca Turner, Anjelica Grace, Mia Miller, Zee Irwin, Dove Daniels, Britney Bell, Vic Leigh, Peggy McKenzie, and Colleen Beth Williamson

In the mood for a Silver Soldier?

Buy here!

SILVER SOLDIERS: A BOYS BEHAVING BADLY ANTHOLOGY will satisfy the reader who craves stories with older alpha male heroes...

This collection features “silver soldiers”—those salt-and-pepper hotties with crow’s feet earned through rugged training and years of combat. Former soldiers finding their footing after their first careers, or current soldiers nearing the end of their military careers.

Table of Contents

Fight Like Cats and Wolves by A.J. Harris – After their helicopter is forced down by a rogue war machine, an Army veteran must use wits and fangs to survive with his mysterious pilot

Handfasted to the Highlander Warrior by Aurora Russell – A hardened warrior reluctantly prepares to release his vivacious bride from their handfasted union…until a sweet, sexy surprise changes everything.

SNAFU—Situation Normal, All F***ed Up by Ava Cuvay – A sidelined Army cyborg’s only joy is the dimpled smile of a curvy Pentagon admin until she offers him a proposition he should refuse

Operation Purple Sparkle Diamond by Brenda Margriet – A resolute Afghan veteran deploys on his most desperate mission yet—wooing the hesitant heart of his daughter’s kindergarten teacher

Ripples by Delilah Devlin – A former Special Forces soldier, looking forward to the peace and quiet of his new houseboat, finds his solitude shattered by the arrival of his neighbor and her kid.

SEAL in Distress by Denise De Marco – While dealing with an unwanted inheritance, a former SEAL confronts his toughest battle yet against an unexpected woman

Storm on the Bayou by Elle James – A retired Navy SEAL and a pretty parish deputy hole up in a bayou fishing shack, weathering a violent meteorological and unexpectedly passionate storm

Star Diplomacy by Kimberly Dean – With the threat of an interplanetary war looming, a hardened military negotiator must find a way to connect with the enemy’s beautiful ambassador

Take Me to the Water by Michal Scott – An unexpected dare holds the key to a second chance with the disgraced Buffalo soldier she’s never stopped loving

This Time Forever by N.J. Walters – A retired Delta Force operator thwarts a holdup, saving the life of the woman he left behind twenty-seven years ago

Weathering the Storm by Natasha Moore – During a violent storm, a stranger walks into a woman’s bar who reminds her of the lover she lost who died behind enemy lines years ago

Sarge in Charge by Reina Torres – When lowlifes threaten the curvy bar owner in his Arizona town, the president of the Broken Arrow MC proves he’s the sarge in charge

Broken Trust by Rhonda Lee Carver – A retired SEAL must protect an old flame who’s feisty and more dangerous than any criminal—and dead if he can’t earn her trust

Clear to Engage by Sukie Chapin – One struggling bookshop owner, one hot-as-hell former SEAL-turned-carpenter, one line drawn in the sand—until the job is done, they’re not clear to engage

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhondaleecarver.author/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/RLCarver

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rhondaleecarver/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhondaleecarverauthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rhondaleecarverauthor/

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Rhonda-Lee-Carver/e/B00CQLXKTO

BookBub: www.bookbub.com/profile/rhonda-lee-carver

Street Team: www.facebook.com/groups/471259293018665/

Newsletter: Subscribe here

Washington Trip and Chanticleer Awards

  I had a wonderful trip to Bellingham, Washington for the Chanticleer International Book Awards.

  It was a long drive from Buffalo, Wyoming, but well worth it. There were so many neat places along the way to see and several new book ideas are rolling around in my head.

  As we drove, I couldn't help but think about the pioneers that traveled across the plains and mountains in with wagons or on horseback. I thought of the mountain men that explored the mountains so long ago. Far tougher people than I will ever be as I cruised along in my rented car.

Leavenworth, Washington

Shi Shi Trail

  Hiking through the forest was an adventure and I wish we'd had more time to explore more trails. I loved sitting by the ocean and watching the waves come in. Being in land locked Wyoming, we don't have a lot of water. I love our mountain creeks, but the ocean was fascinating. I could sit there for hours writing. Next year I plan on taking a couple of days just for ocean time.

Cape Flattery

   As always Bellingham was beautiful and welcoming. It has been three years since I've been to the Chanticleer International Book Awards, and I was so thrilled to attend. This year Outlaw's Redemption made the Finals for the Chatelaine Award and Guarded Hearts was a Finalist for the Laramie Award.

Bellwether Hotel

  

    The Bellwether Hotel hosts the conference and awards banquet. It is a beautiful hotel that sits on the bay with a gorgeous view. There was so much to learn at the conference, and I was lucky enough to sit in on a panel about genre boundaries. It was my first time doing that, and I did okay. It was a learning experience and hopefully I can do it again sometime.

  I was honored to be able to announce with winners in the Shorts: Novellas and Collections. Three of my table mates were winners and I was thrilled to announce their names. Our table was lucky. All of those who made the finals, won first in category. There were six of us.

   Guarded Hearts won First in Category in the Laramie Awards.

  I was beyond surprised and so excited that Guarded Hearts went on to win the Laramie Grand Prize. Never in a million years did I think I would ever get a Grand Prize. I was glad to be able to be there in person for the great news. 

  It was an amazing trip. First time on a panel at a conference. First time standing on a stage talking into a microphone to announce winners. First time getting Grand Prize. First time giving an acceptance speech (I wasn't prepared and have no idea what I said). Ha! 

  I'm planning on going back to Bellingham next year for the conference. I won't have a book finished in time to put into the Laramie contest. I'll be there to cheer on my friends.

Check out Chanticleer and all that they offer.

Chanticleer Book Reviews

   

Guarded Hearts

5 Star Amazon Review

David Fitz-Gerald

LaRisa is an auburn-haired, emerald-eyed beauty with unimaginable powers. She thinks that no man wants to court a woman like her, so she lives in seclusion and avoids everyone in town.
Strykes is a reformed outlaw, or is he? It is hard for Strykes to ride a straight and narrow path because the past keeps coming to town. When a gunslinger named Lucas, an old nemesis, returns to settle a grudge, Strykes must face his enemy to protect the woman he can no longer live without.
I enjoyed reading Guarded Hearts, and I always enjoy spending time in the fictional town of Rimrock, Wyoming. I love the way classic western meets western romance in this series.
The heroine, is spellbinding, and her supernatural abilities are intriguing. I’m glad that supernatural tendencies run in the family, and I look forward to my next “visit” to Rimrock.

Struggle - These Women Doctors Moved Past That

 Post (c) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (c) Doris McCraw

There is a history of women struggling to be accepted in the early part of the 1800s. It began with Elizabeth Blackwell and her efforts for acceptance into Geneva medical college. 

Dr. Blackwell, who graduated in 1849 from Geneva was not the only woman who made the effort to attend medical school or practice medicine openly. Dr. Harriot Kezia Hunt practiced in Massachusetts in the 1830s and had applied to Harvard Medical School, at the same time Blackwell applied to Geneva, but was denied acceptance. (It should be noted, the faculty agreed to let Dr. Hunt and men of color audit classes, but the student body objected.) Dr. Hunt was later given an honorary degree from the Female Medical College of Philadelphia in 1853. 

In 1864 Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first woman of color in the United States to earn a medical degree. Dr. Sarah Hackett Stevenson, a physician in Illinois was admitted to the American Medical Association in 1876.

On January 8, 1873, the Denver Rocky Mountain News, carried the following advertisement. “Mrs. E. A. Gillett,M.D. Office and residence: Curtis Street between I and K. Special attention given to Obstetrics and diseases of women and children. References: John Major, M.D., Dr. C. Wakefield, Bloomington, Illinois: R.A. Gunn M.D., H.D. Garrison M.D., L.S. Major M.D., Prof. Bennet, Medical College, Chicago.” How long Dr. Gillet remained in Denver for approximately two years before continuing further west.

The idea of a female doctor in Colorado does not seem to be one of fighting prejudice. At least not overtly. Dr. Gillett had supporters, most of whom are male. There were women doctors in the 1870s in Colorado who did not fit any of the parameters we've seen in the television shows. Dr. Alida Avery came to Denver in 1874 as the director of hygiene. Dr. Avery's credentials were impressive. She graduated from the New England Female Medical College in 1862 and then Boston University of Medicine in 1863. Prior to Colorado, Dr. Avery was a professor at Vassar from 1865 to 1874. Matthew Vassar in 1864 wanted to use all female professors, but in the 1860s there were few who would qualify. He did locate two, astronomer Maria Mitchell and Dr. Alida C. Avery, physician, and physiology professor.  Dr. Avery, along with Miss Lyman and Dr. Raymond, were called by some of the students ' The Trinity' for their power in the institution. A case for fighting prejudice might be made for Dr. Avery if you include her work on behalf of women and the suffrage movement. By the time Dr. Avery arrived in Colorado, two years prior to statehood, she was involved in and was the president of “The Organization for Women's rights”. The Rocky Mountain News announced her arrival in style. The June 11, 1874 edition of the paper included the following: “the well-known professor of physiology and hygiene, at Vassar College, Alida C. Avery, M. D., has arrived in Denver and taken up residence on 20^th St., corner of Champa. She has been the resident physician of that institution from its opening in 1865, having usually under her care the health and habits of some 400 young women from every part of our country. The Poughkeepsie news, in announcing her resignation, makes mention of the remarkable fact, that not a single death occurred among the pupils under her charge, during her eight years of administration....”

While Dr. Avery may have been the first female physician to remain in Colorado for more than two years, she was not the only one. Dr. Rilla G Hay, one of the first to be licensed in California when they began in 1876, spent time in active practice and furthered her education, taking additional medical courses over the years she was in practice. Dr. Edith Root was the first woman to receive a license in the state of Colorado when the state began the process in 1881. 

While women had to work to achieve their dreams, so did many others. What we can take from their journey is the determination to follow through and just do it.

If you would like to know more about the women doctors who practiced in the Colorado Springs area the book: "Under the Stone: Early Women Doctors in Evergreen Cemetery" is available as an ebook. Amazon Purchase Link

Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy.

Doris

Careful or you'll end up in my next novel - by Jan Scarbrough

You may have heard that saying. It sometimes appears on T-shirts. Do you ever wonder if writers put people they know into their novels?

I don’t think I’ve actually put a real person into my books. But my life has influenced everything I write. Being a single mother is one of my themes, because I’ve been there. Now I write “seasoned romance” and “second chance” books because I’ve been there too. I can relate to many emotions, because over the years I’ve had them. I’m sure there’s a little bit of me in everything I write.

However, most of my books come from my imagination. Let’s face it, I’ve never been a jockey, a bull rider, a cowboy, or a horse trainer. I’ve shot a gun only once at a firing range. It’s hard for me to think up bad things to happen to my characters, because I don’t like bad things.

I do sometimes use my experiences in a book. Take this partial scene from Kentucky Cowboy, for example. (Judd is the hero, Mandy is the heroine, and Georgia is Mandy’s niece.)

Ten minutes later, outside of town on a back-country road, Mandy screamed, “Stop the truck!”

Judd’s heart spiked as he swerved to the right, tires squealing. He braked hard. The front and back tires lurched to a stop in the grassy slope by the side of the road.

Mandy threw open the passenger side door and disappeared around the back of the vehicle.

Georgia scrambled out behind her.

He was shaken. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve got to save them!” the little girl shouted over her shoulder.

He threw open his door and stepped down from the cab just in time to see several ducklings scurrying into the underbrush on the other side of the road. Mandy and Georgia squatted over a limp mother mallard lying on the opposite shoulder of the two-lane highway. After looking both ways, he crossed the pavement.

“She’s dead,” Judd said.

Mandy climbed to her feet. “We know.”

“It’s so sad,” Georgia wailed. “They were just crossing the road in a line when that stupid car hit them.”

Although he had noticed the passing car, he had been looking down the road and had missed seeing the tragic hit and run. Mandy and Georgia had witnessed everything.

“Do you have a box in the truck?” Mandy glanced toward the brush where the ducks had disappeared. He recognized that determined look in her eyes. She was putting on her game face, readying for action.

“No, but I have a duffle bag.”

“Get it. Georgia and I are going to catch those babies.” Mandy turned away from him and plunged into the thicket. Georgia followed without hesitation.

Were they crazy? Judd ran back across the highway, opened his topper, and dug around in the truck bed for his duffle bag. By the time he’d emptied all his equipment—a handmade bull rope, riding gloves, and leather chaps—Mandy and Georgia had vanished.

This is suicide. He crossed the road again, dodging a fast-moving truck. “Mandy, this is dangerous.”

“No more so than riding bulls.”

She had him there.

Georgia poked her head out of the brush. “We need your help.”

Judd looked at the serious expression on Georgia’s sweet face. He eyed the tangle of scrub trees and brambles. Oh, heck. “I’ll help.” He ducked under a limb and picked his way slowly through the underbrush.

The first thing he noticed was that it was dangerous. Georgia’s little legs were already scratched and bleeding. He had the protection of jeans and boots, but Mandy and Georgia were wearing sandals.

“I caught one.” Mandy appeared with a small scrap of tan fluff cupped in her hands. She looked pleased with herself. A strand of hair had slipped from her once-proper ponytail.

Peep, peep, peep.

Judd opened the mouth of the bag and Mandy slid one little bird inside.

“There are eight of them.”

Her eyes were bright. Damn, she was determined. And beautiful.

“What do you want me to do?”

She peered at him. “Will you hold the bag?”

“Sure.”

He waited and watched, sweat pouring down his back, soaking his shirt. It was hot and humid, another sweltering Kentucky summer evening.

Georgia came up to him holding another baby. “This makes two.”

The ducklings might be tiny, but they were quick wild creatures that were terrified of humans, even humans wanting to help. The minutes ticked by as Mandy and Georgia tried to corner the frightened ducklings. Slowly, the count in the bag rose to three, four, and then five.

Saving eight ducklings and taking them to a wildlife rescue happened to my daughter and me. Sadly, there wasn’t a hunky bull rider with us.

All Buy Links for Kentucky Cowboy: http://books2read.com/u/bpjKx9

Sign up for my monthly newsletter and receive a free eBook! 

May 3: Poet Clark W. Bryan & Good Housekeeping Magazine ~ Julie Lence

Clark W. Bryan
Wikipedia

    Poet Clark W. Bryan is someone many of us aren’t familiar with. Born August 12, 1824 in Harpersfield, New York, Bryan began his publishing career alongside his brother, beginning with The Catskill Messenger. In 1852, he signed on with Samuel Bowles and Co., working as editorial and business partner to Samuel Bowles for the Springfield Republican upon the death of Bowles’ father. Bowles went on to dissolve the company with his shareholders, paving the way for Bryan to purchase it and rename it Clark W. Bryan and Co. In 1872, Bryan’s company purchased the Springfield Union and later sold it in 1872 to Joseph Shipley, editor-in-chief. On January 1, 1880, he established The Paper World in Holyoke, Massachusetts. In 1889, he went to work for Amateur Gardening as publisher, and between those 2 endeavors, he founded Good Housekeeping 

Magazine, with the mission “to produce and perpetuate perfection — or as near unto perfection as may be attained in the household.”   

1st Edition Worthpoint.com

   The 1^st issue of Good Housekeeping was published on May 2, 1885. A go-to magazine for women, Good Housekeeping was an early groundbreaker with articles relating to food safety. In 1887, topics ranged from watered-down milk to candy contaminated with asbestos, which lead to a national campaign for the need for a federal consumer protection law. The result of which was the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

Around 1900, Good Housekeeping Experiment Station was founded. It was later renamed the Good Housekeeping Research Institute, with scientists and other experts developing recipes and cook time and temperature charts for different foods. The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval was established in 1909.

Pocketmags.com

   Good Housekeeping Magazine was bought by the Hearst Corporation in 1911.  At that time, the magazine had a circulation of 300,000, and was Hearst’s most successful magazine during the Great Depression. Today, the magazine is available in print and digital forms and has a readership of 17 million. (It’s website has 12 million readers.) Over the years, most of the articles have been written about women, including Betty Friedan’s 1960 article, “Women Are People Too”.  As for  Clark W. Bryan, he took his own life in 1899 while mourning the loss of his wife and son. He was also in financial ruin. He had moved The Paper World to the Pulitzer Building in New York City in 1898, retained little more than creative input, and tried to sell to another company, but the sale was a failure. After his death, all of his other publications were discontinued, with the exception of Good Housekeeping Magazine.    

Cowboy Fashion, 1970s Style

 

I have a new book releasing in June. The setting is near Boise, Idaho, during the summer of 1972. 

One of things that made me ridiculously entertained while writing this story was looking up fashions from that era.

My hero is a potato farmer, but when he "heads into town," he dresses like a cowboy (which is exactly what my farmer dad and brother always did.)

I thought it might be fun to share some of the western fashion highlights I could find online.

The kids had to get in on the action. 

You could order these outfits for your little cowboy wannabe.

Quite the fashionistas!

From Wrangler. The hats might have changed, but the jeans remain a classic.

Stylin' in those colored pants.

And this one I had to add just because it makes me laugh. So much!

What about you? Any fun memories or fashions from the 1970s?

Be sure to check out my book, Lucky Shot, coming June 20, book 9 in the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series!

What’s a girl to do when her aim is true?

 As a registered nurse at the Boise VA Hospital, Grace Marshall is devoted to her patients, but some wounds require more than medical care. A patient too stubborn and angry to accept the help he needs storms out of her exam room, ruffling her feathers. Yet, when the man returns to apologize, something about him tugs at her heart.

 Levi Gibson left for war young and idealistic but returned from Vietnam with physical scars and a haunted soul. He tries to banish the darkness brewing inside him with hard work on his family's potato farm, but it’s a young nurse’s kindness that brings unexpected light and joy into his life. If Levi can open up to Grace and let her see his pain, could she be the key that unlocks a future full of hope instead of mere survival?

 After her father sends Grace a legendary pistol, target practice provides an excuse to spend time with Levi during the summer of 1972. As his shadows overwhelm him, it will take far more than a lucky shot for Grace to hit love's mark. 

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet romances filled with hope, humor, quirky small-town characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

Connect with Shanna at her website.

Walnuts in American History

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

Walnuts are the fruits of the walnut tree. They ripen from September to November in the northern hemisphere.

Pecans are the only indigenous nut in the America’s, but walnuts were first planted by Franciscan monks in the 1700’s. Walnuts rose to importance in America in the 1840’s, first in San Diego and then Los Angeles. Russel Heath was the first to plant a commercial walnut orchard in Santa Barbara County in the early 1860’s. By the 1880’s, he had one of the largest walnut orchards in the country. Walnut production thrived in Southern California due to its similar climate to the Mediterranean.

Back then, ranchers sold their crops to brokers, who then sold to wholesalers, but in 1896, the ranchers formed a cooperative to sell directly to wholesalers. The ranchers would send their crops to a packing house where the walnuts were graded according to size bleached to improve appearance, dried, and packed in 100-pound sacks for shipment.

While many of the health claims of walnuts have been deemed inconclusive by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, may lower blood pressure, and may improve cognitive health—they are filled with good polyunsaturated fats, B vitamins and magnesium, as well as many other vitamins and minerals.

In my upcoming book, The Canary, walnuts play a role in the story.

Coming July 25, 2023

Arizona Territory 1899 

Sarah Ryan grew up in Texas digging up animal bones and potsherds, but she always dreamed of searching for the extraordinary dinosaur fossils in the American West. When a wealthy benefactress gives her the opportunity to join the team of esteemed paleontologist Dr. Allan Brenner, she eagerly accepts. But when she arrives in the wild and wooly town of Holbrook, Arizona Territory, ready to start digging, she’s faced with the very real obstacle of being a female in a world dominated by men. 

Dr. Jack Brenner is looking for his father who disappeared into the Painted Desert two months ago. Assuming leadership of his father’s expedition has Jack suddenly saddled with Sarah Ryan, a young female paleontology student. When his guide refuses to let Sarah accompany them into the wilderness without a chaperone—and a colleague threatens her—Jack finds himself in a pretend marriage to protect the determined woman whose passion for paleontology was something he once possessed. But he has bigger problems than his beautiful new wife—someone has been stealing fossils and selling them illegally to collectors, and Jack fears it might be his father. 

Sarah is the daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE.

Pre-order THE CANARY at Amazon, Apple Books, and Nook.

Grab this special offer for one more day.

Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok