Category Archives: G

I'm Gambling on the Outlaw

Join me today between 4:00 – 5:00pm EST for the Facebook release party of Gambling on the Outlaw! I’ll be giving away a copy of my book Life: Living in Fulfillment Every Day! Fun starts at 12:00pm noon EST! Lots of authors giving away lots of cool prizes all day long! šŸ˜€

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Genre: Historical romance

Length: 84k

Nevada is no easy place for a woman, especially for Beth Caldwell, a gambler’s widow with an independent streak. When she refuses to marry the local cattle baron-who wants to add her land to his empire-Beth ends up with a powerful enemy. But it’s not until she finds a handsome outlaw hiding in her barn that her trouble really begins.

Isaac Collins survived the Civil War only to find himself the scapegoat for stagecoach robbery and murder. With nothing left to lose, he gambles everything on revenge…and barely escapes with his life. He stumbles back to Beth’s place, and as she nurses him back to health something tender and heated grows between them.

But in Nevada, sometimes everything can ride on one high-stakes game of chance…and Beth’s rejected suitor will do whatever it takes to get what he wants.

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Excerpt

I squared my shoulders and entered the room, determined to behave myself properly.

He was sat up in bed with several pillows piled behind him for support, looking every bit as if he belonged there, enough so that last night came to mind and I was tempted to crawl in and snuggle up next to him. But I gave myself a mental shake. He was quickly turning me into a silly schoolgirl.

I am a strong, independent woman.

I had other women depending on me and I couldnā€™t let some male drifter, a wanted man no less, distract me from my responsibilities.

I placed the tray on his lap and backed away as quickly as possible, taking a seat in the rocker Iā€™d spent so much time in the last few days.

ā€œIt seems your presence is causing quite a stir around here. My friends donā€™t quite know how to react to you.

ā€œWhat about you?ā€

ā€œWhat about me?ā€

ā€œYou said none of your lady friends knows how to react to me. What about you? Do you know how to react to me?ā€

The taste of his lips on mine leaped to mind unbidden, along with the feel of his hands on me, and thatā€™s all it took for my double-crossing heart, and my equally rebellious body, to react with lusty desire. Iā€™d assumed Iā€™d never again be lucky enough to find a man who made me feel that way, and yet here he was, already in my bed.

Although I wanted very much to shift from the rocker to the edge of the bed and assist him with his breakfast, perhaps feeding him bits of bread with creamy butter that heā€™d have to lick from my fingertips, I opted for maintaining at least a modicum of decency and kept my rear end rooted to the chair. I suspected where Mr. Isaac Collins was concerned, me and my good sense were in a heap of trouble, because my body had clearly declared war against us.

ā€œJust how would you expect me to react?ā€

Heā€™d been watching me, waiting for my answer, those warm brown eyes regarding me from under a fringe of dark lashes, making my belly flutter like a flock of hummingbirds had nested inside.

ā€œA smart woman would be on her guard. Sheā€™d be concerned and maybe even afraid, and sheā€™d send me on my way, happy to see the back of me. And I took you for a smart woman.ā€

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abouttheauthor

marg

Margaret writes romance and science fiction, and lives in the vast Northern Plains where itā€™s quiet, mostly empty, and conducive to letting her imagination run wild. When she’s not writing youā€™ll find her in a college classroom teaching English, or working as a literary agent for an amazing agencyā€¦and of course enjoying time with her family.

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Gloaming

The Gloaming

Gloaming: Evening twilight; shade or dusky light; or even as an adjective as in: gloaming-sky, gloaming-hour, etc.

If you are of Scots heritage, you may recognize this word. I first heard it at one of my husbandā€™s family gatherings. It was part of a poem: ā€˜roaminā€™ in the gloaminā€™. At the time, Iā€™d no idea what it meant, but it sounded cool.

Our wonderful Old English Dictionary has ā€˜gloamingā€™ blossoming into written usage sometime in the eleventh century, possibly even before, which means itā€™s quite possible the characters in Avelynn, set in 869, might have looked up and admired the gloaming-sky. Or perhaps they took a walk in the dimming of the gloaming-hour.

Hereā€™s a wee excerpt from Book #2 in the Avelynn series (still untitled because coming up with titles is hard! šŸ™‚

Alrik laughed, seemingly amused at her antics, and let her perch on his lap for most of the evening. Gil tried valiantly to engage me in conversation, but as the candles burned lower, my discord grew. Incensed by Mararedā€™s grating laughter and the deep rumble of Alrikā€™s voice, I pulled Alrik aside, feigning a need for fresh air.

We walked side by side under the weak light of a waning gibbous moon. The wind was sharp, and the damp chill from the sea sent shivers down my spine.

ā€œWhat is it, HjartaĆ°?ā€

ā€œMarared desires you.ā€

ā€œI have known her for several years. We are good friends.ā€

Friends my ass. I scowled at him, the force of my displeasure obscured by the gloaming around us. ā€œIā€™d just as soon you not fawn over her so much.ā€

He roared with laughter. ā€œThe vixen is threatened by the mouse!ā€ He reached out and played with a lock of my hair, his fingers brushing the skin above the kirtleā€™s neckline.

To be continued ā€¦ ;D

In gratitude,

Marissa xo

Avelynn