Jake Tanner, a scarred ex-soldier haunted by the horrors of the Civil War, is on a mission to fulfill a friend's dying wish. The trail has brought him to Cera's door. Captivated by her Irish beauty, he wants to join her fight - but will she let him?
Elizabeth McKenna's debut novel is a fast-paced adventure filled with memorable characters that will leave you wanting more. Get lost in a time gone by and fall in love today!
Excerpt from Cera's
Place
While they waited for Ginger’s return,
Jake sized up the saloon owner. Besides the flaming auburn hair, Cera’s Irish
heritage had given her porcelain-colored skin. A splash of freckles dotted her
cheeks and nose, softening her sharp jaw. He couldn’t tell how full her lips
were, as she kept them pressed into a hard line. Though the bodice of her dress
was modestly cut compared to Ginger’s, the exposed flesh looked able to please any
warm-blooded man.
Cera thumped the butt of the shotgun
against the floor. Startled, he raised his eyes to find the fire in hers had
turned to ice. Jake quickly looked away, pretending to study the décor of the
room.
Breaking the awkward silence, he motioned
with his hand. “You seem to have a very successful business here.”
“We do all right,” Cera conceded in a
clipped voice.
Picking up Ginger’s wine glass, he asked,
“Do you sell much of this?”
“Not as much as whiskey and beer, of
course, but it comes cheap so I don’t fret about it. My partner’s friend is
trying to introduce sparkling wine to the region. We offered to help.” Perhaps
realizing she was being friendly, she clamped her mouth shut and resumed
glaring at him.
Unperturbed, Jake tried again. “I’m
surprised by the sophistication of your place considering the neighborhood.
It’s quite a dichotomy. ”
“Well, now, there’s some 50 cent words.
Looks like the soldier has some education under his gun belt. You mean you’re
wondering why I don’t sell whores, don’t you?”
Jake shrugged in response.
“I won’t make money off of someone else’s
misery, and whoring is a miserable business. Now you’re wasting my time,
Captain. What’s your story? I have a saloon to run and no time for lies.”
Jake shook his head. “What I told Big Red
is the God’s honest truth. I’m looking for a girl named Sadie. Before her daddy
died, he asked me to give her a locket. I’ve been trying to find her for
several years now. I was told she worked here—or used to. If you can tell me
where she was headed, I would be much obliged.”
Cera’s fingers wrapped and unwrapped
around the shotgun’s barrel a few times. “Ginger said you have proof. Show me.”
Jake pointed to his pocket and Cera
nodded her consent. He carefully brought out a faded photograph and an
oval-shaped, gold locket on a thin chain. As he passed the objects to her,
their hands touched and his heart skipped a beat. Surprised at his body’s
reaction, he thought back to the last time he had truly desired a woman. For
the briefest moment, he allowed himself to see his late wife’s gentle smile
before pushing away the melancholy memory.
Elizabeth
McKenna is a full-time technical writer/editor for a large software company.
She never read romance novels until one Christmas when her sister gave her the
latest bestseller by Nora Roberts. She was hooked from page one (actually, she
admits it was the first love scene).
She had always wanted to write fiction, so when a psychic told her she would write a book, Elizabeth felt obligated to give it a try. She combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write her first novel Cera's Place. She recently released a short story titled The Gypsy Casts a Spell.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin (Packers, Brewers, and Badgers - oh my!) with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a mom, she's sleeping.
She had always wanted to write fiction, so when a psychic told her she would write a book, Elizabeth felt obligated to give it a try. She combined her love of history, romance and a happy ending to write her first novel Cera's Place. She recently released a short story titled The Gypsy Casts a Spell.
Elizabeth lives in Wisconsin (Packers, Brewers, and Badgers - oh my!) with her understanding husband, two beautiful daughters, and sassy Labrador. When she isn't writing, working, or being a mom, she's sleeping.
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3 comments:
This book sounds fantastic. Can't wait to read it.
e.balinski(at)att(dot)net
thanks for another awesome book and giveaway
Thanks for the introduction to a new author and book for me.
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