Sunday, April 7, 2013

To Have and To Hold, a western historical romance

Hello, and welcome to the Goddess Fish Party Pavilion. I was fortunate enough to have been invited to join the fun and participate by posting about my book. My name is Charlene Raddon and I am an award-winning author of historical romance novels set in the American West.

To Have And To Hold is my most recent e-release. The book has received excellent ratings. I think of my five published books, this is my favorite. The setting is a fascinating, winding, narrow, canyon in Utah known for it's ancient Indian ruins and petroglyphs. It is also known for lost treasures, which is partly why I chose it for my story. In reality it is called Nine Mile Canyon (although it is much longer) but in my book I call it Deception Canyon. Here is a blurb:


A woman without a prayer…

A widow with two children, Tempest Whitney had to mortgage everything to repay the money her husband had stolen. But even as she struggles to hold onto her Utah homestead, a scheming rancher buys up her debts, demanding she either get off his land or marry him. Then a dark-haired stranger shows up, claiming to be her dead husband…

A man without a past….

Buck Maddux spent two years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Now a death bed promise has brought him to Tempest’s dugout. A man without roots, he doesn’t plan to stay—or to feel so fiercely protective of this feisty beauty he saves from a forced marriage. Suddenly, Buck yearns for a home, a family, a lasting love. But what can he offer Tempest? The surprising answer lies in the forbidden canyons of an ancient Anasazi tribe, where fortune and danger await—along with a passion more precious than gold…



Excerpt 
Riding up to the house, he called out a hello and dismounted. Surrounded by barking dogs he proceeded to water his horse at a well built over a natural spring. From beneath the wide brim of his Stetson he searched for some sign of life. Finally he headed to the house, spurs jangling in his wake. His fist was raised, ready to knock, when the rough plank door swung inward and the business end of a Henry repeating rifle met with his nose.
            "Judas!"  He jerked back and stumbled over his own big feet. A cat screeched, letting him know he had mangled its tail. The critter got even by climbing Buck’s leg. Yelping and dancing while he tried to extract the cat, he trampled two or three more felines. Easy to do; half a dozen littered the yard, along with pigs and a flutter of chickens.
            "Whoa there, ma'am."  He held up a hand. "Don't mean you any harm."
            "What do you mean?" she asked.
            The cat took off, kinked tail in the air. Buck checked for damage and decided he’d live. "That's a mite awkward to explain."  He took off his hat, wiped his brow on his sleeve and replaced the hat back, buying time while he studied her.
            She wasn't much to look at. The braid hanging to her waist appeared as though crows had been pecking at it. Dun-colored strands fluttering about her head gave her a wild look that belied the delicacy of her face. A strong chin balanced her large eyes and a mouth as stubborn as the mules in the pole corral. A patched apron hung to her scuffed boots and hugged her legs snugly enough hint she wasn't wearing skirts. He was wondering what might be under the apron when she spat, "Spill it, mister. I haven't got all day."

You can learn more about To Have And To Hold on my website, http://www.charleneraddon.com

2 comments:

Debby said...

I cannot imagine being in jail for something I did not do.
debby236 at gmail dot com

Kemberlee said...

To Have and To Hold is a fabulous story. It's really like stepping into the past and living in frontier times. This is classic historical romance at its best.