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Happy May! I’m working on winter material at the moment (Rhythm, Smoke, Inc.), so every once in a while I go out to the garden to enjoy the now. Adding to my time confusion, when I’m not writing, I’m back in 1884, visiting the Old West. I’m editing the eight books in the Eclipse Heat series that will be re-released, or published for the first time, during the summer and early fall. Tupelo Gold, Hamilton and Comfort Quince’s story, comes out May 3rd. For today’s Eclipse snippet, I’m moving on to Five Card Stud, Sam and Eden McCallister’s story, scheduled out May 24th but maybe sooner since it’s ready now.

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Five Card Stud: Chapter One: First Lines:

After weeks of sober silence on the trail, the drunken laughter and raucous voices inside the saloon suited Sam McCallister just fine. It had been a long hunt, the McCallisters had brought in a string of outlaws, and judging by the sound of hammering coming from outside the Lucky Deal, the gallows was already under construction.

 

Sam chugged his beer, using the mirror over the bar to scan the room behind him for trouble. When he saw the lady gambler at the poker table, he forgot to swallow and frothy liquid spilled down his chin like drool.

 

“Who’s the woman?” he asked, wiping off the beer.

 

“That’d be Eden Pace,” the bartender answered and grinned. “She’s in the process of separating every man in the poker game from his week’s pay. You gonna see if you can best her?”

Five Card Stud © Gem Sivad 2016

Sam McCallister enjoys looking at Eden Pace across a poker table. She has to be the prettiest woman he’s ever seen, smart too, and the best card sharp he’s ever likely to meet. He has no doubt the lady gambler thinks she’ll win in their game of five card stud. He’s got a hole card that says she won’t–a Wanted for Murder poster with Eden’s picture on it.

Eden’s doing her own outlaw hunting. She’s on the trail of the man who killed her husband. Though she’d like to forget the past and let Sam McCallister give her a future, she won’t do it. She’ll bring her husband’s murderer to justice or die trying. When Sam gets in the way of her goal, she uses seduction to free herself. But the hard-headed bounty hunter keeps dogging her steps, blurring the line between pursuer and protector.

Eden’s got more trouble than Sam chasing her. She’s using herself as bait to unmask a master criminal. The monster knows who she is, and he wants her dead. But Sam’s not about to lose the woman he loves. He’s pushing all the limits in their high stakes game. With hearts on the table and death on the line, nothing is certain until the last card’s played.

Five Card Stud Available @ Amazon 99¢ Pre-Buy Now

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Hi everyone! Whew, what a week! One set of edits finished, another book formatted and uploaded. I’m ready to kick back today and enjoy some fantastic snippets. Find more Weekend Writing Warriors  here.

I’m sharing another snippet today from Tupelo Gold, currently available on Amazon for pre-buy @ 99¢. It will release May 3.

 “For better or worse, Comfort,” Hamilton said gruffly. “We made vows that didn’t get real specific, but I’d say they cover this situation.”

 

“You presented yourself as truthful and my vows were pledged to that man. Having discovered he doesn’t exist, I feel no compulsion  to ‘honor or obey’ the real Hamilton Quince.” It wasn’t the tepid response Comfort had planned but her thoughts formed into heated words, escaping before she could stop them.

 

“Wasn’t sure what I’d do, and wasn’t looking forward to this,” he answered, pausing long enough for her to understand that this referred to their current conversation.”It’s time to iron this thing out.”

 

“Telling me that you’re moving us to the ranch is not ‘ironing things out’; I’m not a wrinkled dress to be pressed into tidy accord, Hamilton.”

 

“The children need a mama,” he growled, “and you said you wanted to be a mother.”

 

Comfort should have known he’d save his best argument for last.

 

Tupelo Gold © Gem Sivad 2016

Comfort Parker Bailey Quince wears her string of names with pride. Before she married Owen Bailey, she was a Parker, from Perry County, Alabama. She wasn’t one of the highfalutin branch. Comfort belonged to the scrabble in the dust, do anything to survive including sell herself for food, poorer side of the Parker clan. But, she dreams of being rich someday and studies a copy of Godey’s Lady’s Book, determined to learn the mannerisms of her more affluent kin.

Though her tall, curvaceous figure, creamy skin, and thick wavy hair might  be considered an advantage by some, her beauty often proves more of a curse when she’s forced to outwit men in order to survive. After Comfort’s abusive husband is killed, Hamilton Quince, sweeps her into a second marriage with the assurance he’ll always love and protect her.

Comfort’s plan to continue as a business woman residing in town, abruptly comes to a halt. Hamilton produces a ready-made family and expects her to move from her Eclipse boardinghouse to his VERY rustic cabin on the Double-Q ranch.She’s tempted to end the marriage and say goodbye.But leaving her husband isn’t that easy. Comfort’s finally discovered a love more precious than gold.

Available @ Amazon 99¢ Pre-Buy Now