Guest Blog: Lorelie Brown

This week, we're welcoming long-time contributor and romance author, Lorelie Brown, as she celebrates the release of her latest novel, CATCH ME, available now from Carina Press. Please leave a comment to win a copy! Here's the blurb:

Arizona Territory, 1882

Maggie Bullock's father needed expensive medical care and if that meant stealing from their friendly swindling banker, so be it. Once her father was on the path to recovery she would face the consequences. The whole thing was surprisingly easy until she's kidnapped by bounty hunter Dean Collier.

Collier is tired of tracking down worthless scum. He's afraid he'll lose his last scrap of humanity and become a stone-cold killer, just like the men he brings to justice. He jumps at the chance to become sheriff of Fresh Springs, Arizona. The one condition—capture Maggie.

He figured it'd be easy. Until beautiful, loyal Maggie breaks through defenses he'd thought cemented. His feelings for her run the range from fury to confusion to love, but if he doesn't bring her in someone else will. Can there be a future between a sheriff and a fugitive?

How do you deal with balancing the realities of historical settings with romance fantasy?

 Actually, I had a bit of a funny moment with that regarding CATCH ME. My original meeting between the hero and heroine had her stopping and bathing after a long time on the trail. The hero watched from the woods while developing a particular sort of interest in her figure. My fabulous editor pointed out this was a bit of a cliché. Accepting that, I changed it to have her sneaking up on him.

The copy editor pointed out that after two weeks on the trail she’d be rather stinky and did she ever have a bath?

I laughed, because what else could I do? My editor and I agreed that we’d leave it as-is with the unsaid assumption that life in the west was hard, but Maggie would have squeaked in a bath where she could have, even out of a basin. Because she’s a romance heroine, she’ll always smell amazing.

It’s just the rules.

Why switch from 1920s to the 1880s West?

I read Stephen King’s The Gunslinger one too many times? Which is just a short way of saying that I’ve had a long-term penchant for the late 1800s, same as the 20s.  To me, the key is that they’re both periods of extreme change. The dynamics of the world were changing. In the Old West, America was pushing her boundaries as far and as fast as possible, in the epoch of expansion. That meant lots of people struggling to find their place in the world. That’s the part that appeals to me.

Will you be writing more in the 1880s?

Absolutely. I just finished a book that’s set in Victorian London, at the same period. Don’t tell anyone important, but I would have much more preferred to set the story in New York. But I took marketing into consideration. Still, I think I kept that different flavor. The hero and heroine wouldn’t be right in any other time period.

Plus if you read CATCH ME, you’ll probably realize what I did: If Dean’s the tasty broody one, his brother Andrew is quite the rake prototype. He’s a lot of fun. I can’t leave him unattached forever.

What’s your favorite moment from CATCH ME?

Dean, Maggie and a pair of handcuffs. Neither of them are particularly happy with each other, but whoa-damn do the sparks fly. That was a lot of fun to write.  A taste:

          Like a conjured ghost, she was there when he lowered his hands. She held the canteen out and the cuffs gleamed in a sliver of moonlight. He hadn’t seen her mouth held that flat since he’d first abducted her from her hotel room.

          He took the water and his fingers brushed hers, sending a fluttery shock up his arm. It rocked him all the way down to his toes, tightening his body and making his dick perk up in eager attention.

          Her gaze ranged over his arousal and she cocked a hip. “Got yourself fully under control, do you? Looks like at least part of you thinks running away with me might be a good idea.” And then she smirked. Downright, goddamned smirked, lips curving in a sultry smile.

          His vision washed gray at the edges. After all this time, she still didn’t understand. The control he had to exercise, the rigid lockdown he had at all times.

          By god, he’d show it to her, exactly how dangerous he could get. And then she’d please, Christ, just shut up already.

          His hands flashed out and sank deep in her hair, yanking her head back and pointing her lush, tempting mouth up. He had only a second to see how wide her eyes went before he swept in and kissed her.

          Except this meeting of lips and teeth wasn’t about giving anything. It wasn’t a prelude to more. It wasn’t a promise.

          It was an exorcism.

Thank you, Lorelie! Please leave a comment to win a copy of Lorelie's latest, CATCH ME!

Excerpt Thursday: Lorelie Brown

This week on Excerpt Thursday, we're welcoming long-time contributor and romance author, Lorelie Brown, as she celebrates the release of her latest novel, CATCH ME, available now from Carina Press. Join us Sunday, when Lorelie will be here to talk about the novel and give away a copy! Here's the blurb:

Arizona Territory, 1882


Maggie Bullock's father needed expensive medical care and if that meant stealing from their friendly swindling banker, so be it. Once her father was on the path to recovery she would face the consequences. The whole thing was surprisingly easy until she's kidnapped by bounty hunter Dean Collier.

Collier is tired of tracking down worthless scum. He's afraid he'll lose his last scrap of humanity and become a stone-cold killer, just like the men he brings to justice. He jumps at the chance to become sheriff of Fresh Springs, Arizona. The one condition—capture Maggie.

He figured it'd be easy. Until beautiful, loyal Maggie breaks through defenses he'd thought cemented. His feelings for her run the range from fury to confusion to love, but if he doesn't bring her in someone else will. Can there be a future between a sheriff and a fugitive?


***

The fine hairs across his neck shivered.


He snapped the cylinder into the frame with a flick of his wrist, then let it spin. Loaded, locked and cocked.


In one move he pointed the pistol at a shadowy figure in the trees, perched on a branch. “Come down.”


“No, I don’t think so.” The voice was another surprise. Low and husky, she betrayed no fear. He could almost hear that voice begging sweetly in his ear while he stroked into her. “Who are you?”


The absurd thought of fucking Margaret was easily shaken off. The sharp-edged anger that often filled him swept through and eased the sting of denial. “I’m Dean Collier.”


“You’ll pardon me if I don’t give you my name. I don’t tend to introduce myself to strange men.” She shifted along the thick branch, crouching lower. A stray beam of sunlight worked down to caress her face.


Perched on her high ground, she seemed wild. Half feral. She wore men’s clothing, for one. Snug breeches clung to her narrow hips and curved thighs. Her hair was a tumbled mess, barely pulled back in a horse’s tail. Dark hanks fell around her face. The hair was a weakness. He could wrap the tangled length around his fist and lead her around.


If he could get past the revolver she had pointed dead at his stomach.


Gut shot wounds were decidedly unpleasant. He ought to know, he’d had to carry in three separate prisoners suffering from ones he’d doled out. They’d screamed and cried from the pain enough to give him a bellyache of his own.


“Can’t say as I blame you.” He shifted slowly from his seated position, but it wasn’t going to gain him much. One of the first rules of tactical advantage was to keep the element of surprise and the higher ground. He needed to know what type of woman he was up against, so he’d let her have them. Death didn’t scare him. Hadn’t for years. “But it doesn’t much matter. Your name’s Margaret Bullock.”


She leaned a shoulder around the rough bark. “I generally go by Maggie, but that’s certainly near enough. Should I know you? Beyond the fact that you’ve been following me for three days, that is.”


He kept his joints loose and his knees barely bent. High ground or no, he could shoot her dead before she even thought about firing. “I’ve come to take you in. You’ve got to go back to Fresh Springs.”


She considered a moment, her head tipping to the side. “You think so?”


“Yes, ma’am.”


An exasperated breath fluffed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Oh, for goodness’ sake, would you please stop calling me ma’am? I’m only two and twenty. Not exactly a spinster yet.”


A shock of surprise perilously close to amusement lifted his shoulders. She didn’t appear to comprehend her situation. “You’re going to trial, Maggie.”


“I didn’t give you permission to call me that, either.”


“It’s either ma’am or Maggie. Your choice.” This had to be the strangest showdown he’d ever participated in.


“Miss Bullock is still available.”


He stepped toward her tree. If he got near enough, he could at least block off her easy escape route. Hell, he’d like to shoot the twit out of the tree. Taking her feet out would be unwise, since he didn’t feel like carrying her all the way back to Fresh Springs. But maybe her hand… He eyed the fingers splayed over the tree bark. Masterson had insisted he bring the woman back unharmed, though. Said he wanted to dirty her up himself. “Miss is for sweet young ladies. You, however, robbed a bank.”

Weekly Announcements - 13 Sept 2010

Veteran's Day was this past Thursday in the United States, and it was Remembrance Day and Armistice Day in other nations. My own parents both served in the US Marine Corps during Vietnam, which has always provided a reminder of the risks involved in becoming a service man or woman. Our heartfelt thanks to all of those who have risked their lives.

In keeping with that theme, reader Kim Adams reflected on Veteran's Day in a post that mentioned author Margaret Mallory's father, Norman Brown, among others. Check it out!

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Lorelie Brown has sold her latest historical romance--a western set in the Arizona Territories in 1882 titled CATCH ME--to Carina Press for a July release. Congratulations! Here's the blurb:

Desperation has driven Maggie Bullock to rob a bank. Her father's stomach ailment treatments at the expensive sanatorium must be paid for somehow, and Maggie absolutely refuses to watch the last member of her family die. But the daughter of a sheriff should have known that there are consequences to lawbreaking.
 
Dean Collier is the gun-toting embodiment of consequences. A bounty hunter, he's shed enough blood to know every kill takes a little shard of his soul with it. So when he's offered a sheriff's post, just for bringing a slip of a woman like Maggie to justice, he's on her trail in no time.
 
But catching Maggie is the easy part. It turns out to be much harder to get back to Fresh Springs without falling in love with the little hellcat who rides, shoots and shows a determined spirit that disproves everything Dean knew about women. Meanwhile, Maggie does her best to escape from the dangerously broken bounty hunter...

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Join us Sunday when Kristi Astor will be here to chat about her first Edwardian-set romance, A MIDNIGHT CLEAR, set in England in 1909. She'll also be giving away a copy to one lucky commenter! Be sure to join us then.

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We'll also draw the winner of Jane Goodger's latest "Christmas" romance, A CHRISTMAS WALTZ, from her guest appearance on Sunday. You still have time to leave a comment or question for your chance to win.

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Stay with us through the coming weeks when we'll be featuring the best unusual historical authors! Kate Allan, Zoe Archer, Michelle Styles, and our fourth anniversary bash will be coming up. Join us!

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Have a good weekend! Remember, you don't have to be an Unusual Historicals contributor to submit good news to the weekend announcements. If it has to do with unusual historicals, we'd love to shout it out to the world! Send announcements to Carrie. See you next week...