Osiyo~

I have a special guest today who has wrangled a 2-fer! Yep. Stacey Coverstone has two releases and I talked her into bringing them both to the Round Pen for us to drool over! Woot!!

Hi Stacey. Let’s get this show going, shall we?

Number one:

TRAIL OF GOLDEN DREAMS (An Historical Western Romance):

In my novel, Trail of Golden Dreams (formerly published as Outlaw Trail), heroine Josie Hart is half-Tewa Indian, as her deceased mother was born and raised at the Nambe Pueblo in New Mexico. In the Tewa language, the word Nambe means “People of the Round Earth.” Prior to the arrival of Spanish explorers, Nambe Pueblo served as the primary cultural and religious center for the northern New Mexican pueblo communities. Today, the pueblo is a registered National Historic Landmark and is a major tourist attraction. It sits at the base of the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Sixteen miles north of the state capitol of Santa Fe, it encompasses 19,000 acres of land surrounded by national forest. Its terrain is scenic and striking, featuring waterfalls, lakes, and mountainous areas.

Josie and the hero of my story, Grey Paladin, ride 200 miles of dangerous New Mexico trail following a cryptic map in order to find gold nuggets hidden somewhere near the Nambe Falls by Josie’s outlaw father. To do research for this adventure/romance novel, I traveled to New Mexico and spent time in Santa Fe, where some of my story takes place. I also drove to the Nambe Pueblo and with my friend, Linda, who bravely climbed the side of the rugged canyon with me to the top, where we gazed upon the same magnificent view of the Nambe waterfalls and the valley below that Josie and Grey see in my novel. In addition, we spent time at the river and hiking the surrounding area. The entire region is central to my story and the culmination of Josie and Grey’s journey, so I wanted to be able to describe historic Santa Fe, the Nambe Pueblo, and the canyon, the waterfalls, and the river with accuracy. Sometimes it’s not possible for an author to travel to a destination for research. But I was glad I had the opportunity to do so for this book, where I was able to put myself into Josie and Grey’s shoes, literally.

BLURB:

At nineteen, Josie Hart has lived a hard and lonely life on her New Mexican farm. A cryptic map from her father gives her a chance to change all that and guides her on a perilous journey toward freedom and a fresh start. But there are others who want what she’s after and will stop at nothing to get it.

Grey Paladin seeks justice after having had his fortune stolen from him by Leroy Hart. He’ll do whatever it takes to retrieve what’s rightfully his and reunite with the only family he has left. That is, until a feisty girl stands in his way and makes his life more complicated.

When Josie and Grey form an uncertain partnership, they must battle outlaws, nature, and each other while riding two hundred miles of dangerous trail to reach their destination and the gold nuggets that will make both their dreams come true. What they discover at the end of the trail is something that’s been sorely lacking on both their lives, leading them each to rethink what the future could hold.

EXCERPT:

The tall, dark stranger looked down into Josie’s eyes. A muscle ticked along his jaw. After several long moments, she felt the release of pressure from the gun held at her temple. “Toss your gun on the ground,” she commanded, while keeping her derringer pointed at his ribcage.

“I’ll toss mine when you toss yours,” he said.

Josie searched his face. “Are you crazy, or just stupid? You think I’m going to throw down my gun? Why should I trust you?”

“Because I’ve never killed a woman before, and I don’t intend to start now.”

After considering his words carefully, Josie removed the gun from his rib. “On the count of three, we’ll both throw our guns onto the ground. Do I have your word as a gentleman?”

The man in black threw his head back and laughed. “Whatever gave you the idea I’m a gentleman?”

She rammed the derringer into his gut again and narrowed her eyes into pinpoints. The gun pressed into taut, rigid muscle. She had too much to lose to let him scare her out of a future she’d only dreamed about before now. “I’ll kill you right now, mister, and take my map, and it won’t bother me none.”

The man grinned. “You’re a tough little half-breed, aren’t you?”

“Half-breed!” she shrieked, lunging. Josie pounded on his chest with her fists and clawed at his shirt. He grabbed her wrists, and both the revolver and the derringer flew out of their hands and clattered to the ground. The stranger pulled her close. She struggled under his grasp. “Let me go, you big ignorant brute!” She kicked at his shins, but he lifted her off the ground before her boots could do any real damage.

“Calm down, missy,” he hollered. Keeping a firm grip around her waist, he danced the two of them around the cave, trying to avoid her bruising kicks. “I’m not ignorant. It was just a stupid joke. That’s what Leroy always called you. His little half-breed.”

Josie abruptly stopped fighting and glowered up at him. His arms still held her tight, squeezing her shoulders together. “What did you say?” she asked. “You knew my pa?” For the first time, she took a hard look at the cowboy. He was good looking for an outlaw. His mouth drew into a tight line, but his sun-soaked face was unshaven, his jaw was square like a chiseled piece of granite, and his brown eyes were so mesmerizing, she felt like climbing into them. She changed her mind about the mesmerizing eyes when he spit out his hateful answer.

“I knew your pa, all right,” he growled. “He was a no-good, low-down, common thief who got what he deserved when they hung him.”

BUY LINKS:

http://www.staceycoverstone.com/books.html

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R8B7PO

Number two:

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (A Time Travel Romance)

I have no idea where the storyline for Between Two Worlds (formerly published as Delaney’s Crossing) came from.  One day the entire plot unfolded in front of my eyes, and despite never having written anything close to time travel or fantasy before, I embraced the challenge and ended up writing about a modern career woman who time travels back to the Old West with the help of a magical Irishman, who might or might not be a leprechaun, in order to find her soul mate. Sound strange? I thought so too, until I started writing and convinced myself that it was okay to write this kind of fantastical story, because anything goes in fiction. I wanted to create a tale that allows the reader to completely suspend reality for a little while, because all of us need to “check out” from real life sometimes, which is the main reason most of us read fiction.

Irish blood runs through my veins on my maternal side, and I’ve always been fascinated by Irish myths and legends. Since I was a teenager, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of time travel and enjoyed many books with that theme.  Also, since I grew up watching westerns on prime time TV (okay, I’m giving away my age here), I’ve always held a special place in my heart for the historical American West.  When this plot for Between Two Worlds came to mind, I thought those three aspects of my own life would make a great combination for a novel that will let someone’s imagination take flight and still get the happily ever after ending romance readers crave. I hope I’ve accomplished that.

BLURB:

A 300-year old Celtic curse unites a career woman from the present with a western doctor from the past.

Delaney Marshall is disappointed with the dating scene and making costly mistakes in her career.  On a day when everything goes wrong, a rainbow appears and a strange Irish cab driver urges her to cross a bridge she’s never seen before—causing her to question her sanity after realizing she’s stepped into the Wild West 124 years in the past.

Gabriel Whitman, a handsome bachelor with a secret, is the town doctor in 1888 Phoenix.  When a runaway wagon threatens the life of a pretty blonde in a short skirt and mismatched shoes, he pushes her out of harm’s way, and more than sparks from the wagon wheels start to fly.

Somehow Delaney’s traveled into another world and found the man of her dreams.  But can true love transcend the separation of time?

EXCERPT:

Delaney turned in a circle. The thick scent of jasmine perfume clung to the air. The sweet tang of sweat and the sickening odor of ripe horse manure filled her nostrils. She heard the rumble of wagon wheels, the clink of the distant piano, and the laughter of children playing in the schoolyard. The hot sun seared the nape of her neck. Stumbling back into the street, she knelt and scooped up a handful of dirt. As she crumbled it between her fingers, dust spiraled into the air and tickled her nose. Her heart pounded with an insane rhythm. I can’t be imagining all of this. These smells. These sounds. If I’m dreaming, this is the most realistic dream I’ve ever had. If it’s not a dream, God help me, because that means I’ve…I’ve…I don’t know what it means!

She looked up and saw a ball roll into the street. A towheaded young boy chased after it. The loud pop of a revolver went off nearby, followed by the whinnies of horses. A freight wagon pulled by a team of four horses stampeded straight for the child. The frantic driver yanked on the reins, but there was nowhere for him to turn. Terrified screams of women from somewhere behind Delaney exploded in her ears. The boy stopped, whirled, and froze in the middle of the street. His eyes fearfully fastened on the wild horses galloping toward him.

Delaney kicked off her shoes, threw her purse to the ground, and bolted into the road. She lunged and shoved the child hard, pushing him out of harm’s way. The slipperiness of her nylon-clad feet caused her to lose traction in the gravel road, and she fell flat. Sprawled face-first in the dirt, more shrieks pierced her ears. The wagon! As she desperately tried to scramble to her feet in the tight pencil skirt and slick pantyhose, her head turned, and she stared straight into the crazed eyes of the beasts bearing down on her. Her whole world moved in slow motion. She squeezed her eyes shut. If there ever was a good time to wake up from this ridiculous dream, now would be the time!

She opened her eyes and BAM! All the air was knocked out of her lungs as she was tackled from behind. She lay trying to catch her breath.  Her head throbbed, and there was a ringing in her ears. She gasped for air. Suddenly, she realized why it was hard to breathe. A heavy body crushed her, and two hands were on her neck. Was some fool trying to suffocate her? Summoning every ounce of strength she had, she kicked her feet and managed to shout, “Get…off…me!” Feeling the weight immediately lift, she rolled onto her back and gulped precious air back into her lungs.

“Are you all right ma’am?” The male hovering over her had a voice as smooth as yogurt, but he didn’t sound particularly concerned that he’d probably just broken every bone in her body. In fact, a small smile quirked his mouth. Stunned, spitting out dirt and with hair in her eyes, she brushed the flyaway hair behind her ears and gazed at him. A black cowboy hat tipped over hazel eyes, and stubble covered his chin, cheeks and above his lip. Obviously, he’d just saved her life, but he’d nearly killed her and humiliated her in the process. She felt her skirt bunched up around her thighs. She tried, but couldn’t wiggle it back into place. A roar of laughter erupted. She turned her head from side to side and saw what must have been the whole town gathered round.

BUY LINKS:

http://www.staceycoverstone.com/books.html

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008T49AIM

Thanks for having me today, Calisa.  Happy Reading, everyone!

Stacey

Thanks for visiting the Ranch, Stacey!

Dodadagohvi~