Chance's Return by Lucy Naylor Kubash

 An ex-rodeo champ and a young widow, both victims of unspeakable tragedy, meet under the splendor of the Grand Tetons and discover the road to love is a rocky path.

Today, Wild Women Authors feature Chance’s Return, a contemporary western romance, written by Lucy Naylor Kubash for the Sweetheart Rose line for the Wild Rose Press. Up first is trained librarian, current ranch cook, Casey Girard,

Good morning, Casey. Thank you for taking time away from the North Star Ranch to speak with us. Let’s begin with where you are from. I was born and raised on a farm in western Michigan.

Tell us a bit about Chance’s Return. As a single mom, I hoped time in Wyoming would help me recover from the loss of my husband. Working as a cook at the North Star Ranch for the summer offered an opportunity to start life over beneath the shadows of the beautiful Grand Teton Mountains. My young son, Jamie, and I both needed a change of scene.

          I never expected to meet ex-rodeo champ and prodigal son of the North Star, Chance McCord, who returned to face a family still divided by their own painful past. He came home to find a way to face his own haunting memories. He didn’t expect to meet me.

          But when we met, the attraction was undeniable and bloomed like the blue lupine in the valley. Learning to put our pasts to rest and trust one another was a challenge. Love did find a way.

What did you think the first time you saw Chance? I thought he was just another cowboy, who traveled around working different ranches and never setting down roots.

And your second thought?  That he was pretty darn handsome, if a little rough around the edges.

Was it love at first sight? Not really, although there was a definite strong attraction neither of us could deny. To be honest, he took me a little off-guard. I never thought I’d be attracted to someone like Chance. He was a bit overwhelming.

What do you like most about him? Chance is honest and what you see is what you get. He tells the truth and doesn’t pretty things up. But he sure knows how to kiss and has a certain charming way about him that’s hard to deny.

How would you describe him? He’s tall and rugged; his hair is a little too long, and he always has a four o’clock shadow on his face. And he has the most incredible blue eyes, like the sky above the mountains right before a storm.

How would Chance describe you?  I’m a little shy but I learned to stand up to him. He said my gray eyes are what first attracted him to me, that and my hair he described as the color of a mountain lion’s fur.

What made you choose library science for a career? I love books and history and have always been an avid reader. I also love kids, so working with them in a library setting is great fun. I like to share my love of books. My love of history also led me to help Chance’s father with writing his book, North Star Legacy.

What is your biggest fear? Like most of us, my biggest fear is losing a loved one. I lost my first husband tragically, and that was hard to overcome. Chance also lost his first wife, so together, we navigated that journey and learned to fall in love again.

How do you relax? I like to curl up in front of the fire with a good book and a cup of my favorite tea.

Who is your favorite fictional character? I would say Abbie from A Lantern in Her Hand, about pioneers homesteading in Nebraska. Abbie traveled to a harsh land and lived through many hardships, but she endured. I read that book in high school, and now I can relate somewhat, having traveled myself to Wyoming, a place very different from where I grew up.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? Chance’s motto is, don’t worry so much! I’ve tried to adopt that advice, but I’m just a natural-born worrier.

We thank you for this, Casey. Now we’d like to chat with Lucy.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Too many to list! But as for writing, Stephen King’s book, On Writing, was helpful, as well as a book that is now out of print, Fiction is Folks. I believe that author was Richard Peck. The Robert Redford movie, Electric Horseman, is a favorite of mine and influenced me to write Chance’s Return, because it’s also about a rodeo cowboy who wants out of the circuit. And the song from that movie, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, describes me.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? As a very young child, I watched TV westerns with my dad. I think that’s where I got my love of the genre. That was a long time ago, and he passed away when I was five, so the memories are vague, but I know we sat in his big easy chair and watched those movies. I’ve also always loved horses, so writing western romances with horses is fun. My husband and I have enjoyed many trips out west both for research and just because we love the scenery.

Tell us a bit about your publisher. I’ve been with the Wild Rose Press since 2009, when they first published Chance’s Return. This new, revised, and very different version of the book, is also with TWRP. I appreciate that they let me revise that book, that I’ve been able to write the kind of books I like, and that they are publishing my future North Star Legacy books.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Once again, too many to list! But I do have books by Kathleen Eagle I haven’t read yet, ghost stories by Karen White, and low country books by Mary Alice Monroe. My author friend, Anne Stone, has a trilogy of contemporary romance books out, the Lucky series. The final book, Lucky Strike, is up for reading next.

Last, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? Tetons by Morning, North Star Legacy book two will release on January 19, 2026. The story follows Chance and Casey through their first year of marriage with all the trials and tribulations they face. Fire in the Heart, North Star Legacy book three, is still in edits but I’m hoping to have a release date sometime later next year.

 To learn more about Lucy Naylor Kubash and the stories she creates, go to:  www.lucynaylorkubash.com

 To contact Lucy, go to:

https://www.facebook.com/LucyNaylorKubash  

https://www.instagram.com/lucykubash_author 

https://bsky.app/profile/lucynaylorkubash.bsky.social

https://www.pinterest.com/lkubash/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2966398.Lucy_Naylor_Kubash  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lucy-naylor-kubash  

 To purchase Chance’s Return, go to:  https://wildrosepress.com/product/chances-return/

 

 

Love Between Times by Beth Ford

 When her 21st century life falls apart, a chance to start over and find love comes from an unexpected source: a stranger who needs her help and who may actually be a 14th-century knight.

Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Love Between Times. This time travel romance, written by Beth Ford, was a November 2024 release by the Wild Rose Press.

About Love Between Times:

When Ashley Winston’s conventional 21st century life falls apart, she returns to England to write the book she shelved years ago, determined to take control of her life.
      Meanwhile, in 1377 Wiltshire, Thomas de la Warr, fighting his family’s insistence that he become a priest, plots to chase his dream of knighthood. While Ashley and Thomas search for answers, he suddenly appears in the modern day. Unable to communicate, his first encounter with Ashley ends with the police demanding his immigration papers. All Thomas wants is to return to the world he understands, but he and Ashley are drawn together again and again.

How will they find the answers Thomas needs before the authorities close in without losing each other forever?

Our Feature Piece today will begin with Thomas.

Where are you from? The Lydiard Tregoze estate in Wiltshire, England. Though the real question is when am I from. Even though I ended up in the present day, I was born in 1352.

Tell us a bit about Love Between Times. This is the story of how I unwillingly was whisked into the future and fell in love.

What did you think the first time you saw Ashley Winston? I thought she was the strangest woman I had ever seen. Plus, I had never seen a woman wearing pants before—or one who walked in public with their hair uncovered. Most strange indeed.

And your second thought? She was incredibly kind to me as she helped me figure out my situation—which endeared her to me greatly.

Do you feel it was love at first sight? Absolutely not. I was so scared at confused at being dropped into the year 2022 that romance was the last thing on my mind.

What do you like most about Ashley? She is willing to go out of her way to help those she cares about—and devotes herself deeply to them.

How would you describe her? A beautiful, determined woman who is sometimes too independent for her own good. I think she is still getting used to being helped and supported in return after her previous relationship.

How would Ashley describe you? As a caring, community-minded person with a strong faith. And while she may not say it, I know she can’t tear herself away from my blue eyes.

What made you choose the ministry for a career? I didn’t have a choice. As the second son of a baron, I’m meant to be ordained as a priest, but I’ve been putting this off as I would much rather be a knight. I want to see action and fight for my country against France like my older brother.

What is your biggest fear? Not doing anything meaningful with my life.

How do you relax? A long ride on horseback on a sunny day sounds perfect.

Who is your favorite fictional character? I love the epics of King Arthur.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received? That duty doesn’t have to dictate everything about your life—something that Ashley made me see.

Thomas, thank you very much for taking time to speak with us. We’d now like to chat with Beth.

What movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I did my master’s degree in 18^th and 19^th century British literature and did my thesis on Dickens—so the Victorian novel looms large in my canon. On a more fun note—and more relevant to this book—the initial idea of this book came from watching movies where a medieval knight lands in the modern day and there is no language barrier or difference in his worldview. I wanted to write a story about what would really happen if you encountered someone from the medieval world in the present day.

Is there an event in your private life that you were able to bring to this story and how do you feel it impacted the novel? Within Ashley’s story, it was definitely that time in your twenties when you are struggling to find yourself and who you want to be. She is a writer trying to commit to getting her first novel on the page, right around the age I was doing that as well.

Tell us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced your decision to submit to them? I found The Wild Rose Press through an online small press database. They’re a reputable press, and the genres they publish align with my book, so I was thrilled when they accepted Love Between Times for publication.

What book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Funny Story by Emily Henry is next on my list.

Last, what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I am working on the sequel to Love Between Times. Currently, I am addressing my beta readers’ feedback, so I hope to have it wrapped up relatively soon and on shelves in 2026. I can’t wait to share the next part of Thomas and Ashley’s story with everyone.

Beth brought along an excerpt for us:

Neither of them said a word. They stood in shock, each assessing the other.

Ashley stared at the young man’s strange clothes. He wore a long, blue shirt over—were those tights?—and oddly shapeless leather boots. Everything he wore appeared homemade. The leather crossbody bag he wore was the only thing he had of decent quality.

She lifted her gaze to his face. His eyes immediately captivated her. They were the most gorgeous shade of blue she had ever seen. His face wasn’t bad either. His hair was thick and a bit long. Even beneath the beard she could tell he had a strong jawline and fine cheekbones. He appeared her age or a bit younger.

Snapping back to herself, she took a few steps backward to put some distance between them. “Sorry,” she said nervously.

The man cocked his head at her like a curious cat trying to figure out what the game was.

“Are you all right?” she finally asked.

He said something that she couldn’t interpret. It was her turn to look confused.

“Are you going to Salisbury?” she asked, since he was headed in the opposite direction she was. Then tried again, “Salisbury?”

“Sarisbury,” he said firmly, correcting her. The middle sound held more of a “r” shape in his mouth instead of an “l.” She couldn’t tell where he was from. The words he had said to her sounded like nothing she had heard before.

But they were getting somewhere. She pointed down the hill toward the city. “Sarisbury,” she said, mimicking him.

He nodded, satisfied. His gaze tracked in the direction she pointed. When his eyes lit on the city, he took a few inadvertent steps back and stumbled over a tree root. Once he was steady on his feet again, he glanced wildly along the horizon.

Her eyes darted between him and the view, trying to guess what had surprised him so. Between them and the city, a stretch of highway trailed along the horizon. Nothing particularly remarkable about that. But the man turned pale and crossed himself. When that didn’t improve things in his mind, he pulled a necklace out from under his tunic—she had decided that was the best word for what he was wearing. The necklace was a simple leather cord holding a wooden cross. He rubbed the cross fervently and his lips formed a prayer she couldn’t interpret.

“Are you okay?” she asked again.

He glared at her before he turned and dashed back into the forest.

Ashley hesitated, then followed after him. Despite the fact that running into the woods after a potentially crazy man sounded like a setup for a horror movie, she had to make sure he was okay. She couldn’t just leave him here.

He didn’t go very far. A dozen or so feet farther into the woods, he knelt in front of a low, flat rock. Was he praying?

He stayed in that position for several minutes. Ashley hung back, debating what to do. All thoughts of her feud with Sadie blew away, and she focused on this new confrontation. Did he need help? He certainly seemed lost and scared. She would almost think he was a hermit living secluded in the woods, if they weren’t so close to town and the highway. She considered his clothes.

Was there a medieval reenactment happening nearby, maybe at Old Sarum where she had been headed? His outfit appeared of that time period. Had she interrupted some event? But no, the small copse was silent except for them and the distant sound of cars passing along the road.

She still hadn’t decided what to do when his eyes opened again. He looked around. When he saw her his face fell, but he didn’t appear so scared this time. He set his jaw in determination, stood, and approached her.

He said something to her. She almost understood a few words. There was something in the middle that sounded like “thu”—was he saying “you” maybe? When she showed no recognition, he said something again. It sounded different this time. The accent on a few words reminded her of French, but she didn’t speak that language except for a few important phrases she had picked up through pop culture such as Voulez-vous couche avec moi? That probably wouldn’t be the best sentence to introduce herself with. She captured a smile before it appeared on her lips.

It would be mortifying if it turned out she just didn’t understand his accent. When she’d lived in England before, she had always found it nearly impossible to understand anyone from Sunderland. Maybe he was from there. “Sunderland?” she asked. He still looked confused. So much for that theory.

He watched her as if he expected her to provide him with some clue or direction.

“Do you need to go to Salisbury?”

“Sarisbury,” he said. This was still the only word they agreed on.

She sighed. If he was a psycho murderer, it was probably best to get out of the countryside and back into the city where she could get help. She inclined her head toward Salisbury. He nodded and followed her down the hill.

To learn more about Beth Ford and the stories she creates, go to:

Website: http://bethfordauthor.com

X: https://x.com/BethFordAuthor

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/bethfordauthor.bsky.social

 

To purchase Love Between Times, go to: https://books2read.com/lovebetweentimes

 

 

 

 

Along the Trail by Kaci Curtis

                                  A perilous journey – An untamed spirit.

 Wild Women Authors focus on Along the Trail, a rose length coming of age YA western, written by Kaci Curtis, and released by The Wild Rose Press.

About the Book: In 1847, Winnie and her family are traveling west to start a new life in the Oregon territory. While many in their wagon train fret over river crossings, disease, and encounters with Native tribes, she relishes the unexpected freedom of life on the trail.

Threatened by storms, wild animals, and outlaws, Winnie must rely on the bonds she’s made and all she’s learned in order for them to make it to Oregon alive. She also must decide if she is ready to risk forming an attachment to Hal, the cowhand who has a knack for showing up just when help is needed, or whether she will emulate Mae, the free-spirited daughter of their trail guide.

 

Here’s an Excerpt:

The friends passed the next several hours on horseback, taking care to always keep the wagon train in sight. The wagon canopies were so small in the distance, they resembled a herd of sheep.

Mae recounted many stories from her native friends – outlandish tales of trickster coyotes, nature spirits, and ancestral guides who took the forms of animals.

As they hunted for the stream that Big John had spoken of, the wilderness around them seemed to come alive.

Winnie knew it was because of Mae’s stories, but she couldn’t help herself. The afternoon sun gilded the tree tops, and she found herself searching their branches and trunks for a glimpse of curious eyes or a wily smile.

When they ventured from the swath that had been cut by hundreds of wagons before them, the prairie grass grew tall enough to brush the bellies of the horses. It wasn’t hard to imagine something crouching there, peering at them between stalks of grass.

The wildflowers seemed brighter, the colors more vibrant. The biting flies that lingered around the livestock were long gone, and for the first time, Winnie thought she could see why people had begun to venture west.

Maybe it was the break from the monotony. Maybe it was the novelty of riding Lazy Loui instead of walking. Or just maybe, Winnie was finally beginning to actually see the wilderness, instead of only resenting it for its hardships and the simple fact that it wasn’t the farm she’d grown up on.

With that thought, she felt that she had found the root of the matter. The heart of the cause for the blinders she’d worn the past month and a half, which had kept her from finding anything about the trail worthy of its renown. She bore resentment. A bit of anger. Reluctance.

Papa had decided to bring them across the wilds to Oregon territory. He had spoken to Mama about it beforehand, but he’d been the driving force behind the idea. And months later, the animals Winnie had helped to raise were all gone. Millie’s little calf. The piglets that Mama Pig grunted with so affectionately. The chickens that had followed Winnie around the yard when she did her chores.

All were gone now, except for Millie the milk cow.

The simple life she’d known had been traded for the uncertainty of the westward trail, and she saw now that she had been determined to endure it, but also determined not to find anything about the scenery of their travels very pleasant or worthwhile.

With her stories, Mae breathed life into the trees, curiosity into the rabbits and squirrels, and omnipotence to the birds, and Winnie removed the blinders she’d been wearing. She saw the true feelings that had lurked there, ducking behind the exhaustion, the cautious excitement over her relationship with Hal, and the irritation over small inconveniences.

She’d been grieving the home she’d lost. And she’d never even known it, until now. It wasn’t until those wounds began to close over that she even acknowledged their existence.

 

A Bit About our Focus Author: Kaci Curtis is a military spouse, and mom of two. She was raised in Kansas City, MO, only minutes away from the town of Independence, where the Westward Trails began. She loves hiking, camping, reading while sipping coffee, all things National Parks, thunderstorms, gardening, and book club.

To learn more about Kaci Curtis, go to:

Website: kacicurtisauthor.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KCurtisWriter

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kacicurtisauthor

Along The Trail can be purchased at:

TWRP: https://wildrosepress.com/product/along-the-trail/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL1C55WW/thewildrosepr-20

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/along%20the%20trail%20kaci%20curtis

Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/along-the-trail/acddcf8eab8a6041?ean=9781509263165&next=t&next=t&source=IndieBound&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwildrosepress.com%2F

BAM: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509263165

 

The Tomato Jam Murder by Meg Benjamin

 Roxy’s spending her summer with burros and jam, but there’s a murderer in the mountains.

Today, Wild Women Authors focus on Meg Benjamin and The Tomato Jam Murder, the latest in the Luscious Delights cozy mystery series published by the Wild Rose Press.

About the Book: It’s burro racing season in the Rockies, and Roxy Constantine is all for it. Now if she can come up with a good recipe for tomato jam, her summer will be complete. But when Roxy finds a body on the burro racecourse, she’s suddenly plunged into a murder investigation.

And when her innocent friend is accused of killing her ex, Roxy must challenge a corrupt police chief who wants to shut her up. Now she needs to find the real killer and save a neighboring town from a plot to ruin its mountain magic.

Here’s an Excerpt:

The burro pushed his golden nose against my hand, and I rubbed a little harder. Whatever had upset him didn’t include me. “That’s a good boy,” I said softly.

He looked familiar in a way I couldn’t quite define, and I didn’t know why. He obviously wasn’t one of Laurel’s burros, and they were the only ones I’d spent any time with. Still, his coloring was distinctive, and I was sure I’d seen him before.

“Let’s see if we can find your human.” I picked up the burro’s lead rope and started down the trail slowly. He seemed happy to follow along, his hooves clicking on the rocks as we descended.

I studied the brush and trees on either side of the road for signs of a struggle. I was guessing whoever had brought the burro up on the mountain hadn’t let go without a limited fight. I was also searching for any other people on the trail who could help me, but we had everything to ourselves at the moment.

Below the next switchback, the burro came to a sudden halt, shaking his head again. “What’s the problem, boy?” I peered around his shoulder trying to see into the dense stand of evergreens on the uphill side of the trail. A flash of color caught my eye under one of the trees. “Hello?” I called. “Anyone there?”

The burro jerked against its lead rope as I spoke. “It’s okay.” I reached out to rub his nose again, but he pulled away from me. I looked around for someplace I could tie the lead rope so that he wouldn’t wander off while I checked out whatever was underneath the pine tree. The brush wasn’t that sturdy, and putting the rope under a rock would probably lead to a missing burro.

“Hello?” I called again.

“Hello yourself,” a male voice called. I put a hand to my hammering heart then stepped back and peered up the trail. Silas and his burro were on the switchback above us. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“I don’t know. I found this little guy wandering around, and I’m trying to find his handler. I think there might be somebody in this clump of trees.” I watched Silas climb down the trail above us. Oliver, his burro, wasn’t all that excited about slowing down his descent.

“Okay,” Silas said when he was level with me. “Give me the lead rope. I’ll hold onto him while you see if his owner is around.”’

I handed over the rope gratefully enough and stepped into the evergreen grove. The dense thatch of branches blotted out a lot of the light, but the trees were a little farther apart as I walked away from the trail.

A man was lying face down in the center of the grove. On the trail, I’d seen the bright red of the bandanna he had knotted around his neck. “Um…hi?” I said, tentatively. When he didn’t move, or give any sign that he’d heard me, I stepped closer. “Mister? Are you okay?”

Something about the stillness of that body made my throat tighten. I’d seen a few dead bodies in my time, but most of them had been clearly and thoroughly dead. This guy was just lying there. Very quiet.

You’ve got to check. You know that. I did know it, but I didn’t like it. I leaned forward and put my hand on his shoulder. I felt the cool dead flesh through his thin cotton shirt. Yanking my hand away, I stumbled to the trail where Silas waited.

“Call 911,” I gasped. “There’s a dead guy in there.”

About Today’s Focus Author: Meg Benjamin is an award-winning author of romance and cozy mysteries. Meg’s cozy mystery series, Luscious Delights from Wild Rose Press, concerns a jam-making sleuth based in the mythical small town of Shavano, Colorado. Her Konigsburg series is set in the Texas Hill Country and her Salt Box and Brewing Love trilogies are set in the Colorado Rockies (all are available from Entangled Publishing and from Meg’s indie line). Along with romance and cozies, Meg is also the author of the paranormal Ramos Family trilogy from Berkley InterMix and the Folk trilogy from Meg’s indie line. Meg’s books have won numerous awards, including an EPIC Award, a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Holt Medallion from Virginia Romance Writers, the Beanpot Award from the New England  Romance Writers, the Carly Crown Jewel of Books from the Mid-America Romance Authors, and the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers.

To Learn More about Meg Benjamin, go to:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meg.benjamin1/ (personal)

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063609878239 (author)

Instagram: @meg_benjamin

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@meg_benjamin

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/meg-benjamin.bsky.social

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2869971.Meg_Benjamin

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/meg-benjamin

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/megbenjamin/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Meg-Benjamin/author/B0030F12FY?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@megbenjamin1396

Website: http://www.MegBenjamin.com/

To Purchase The Tomato Jam Murder, go to: https://amzn.to/4oj93e5

His Sweet Obsession by Twilla Kay Lamm

 Zigzagging through a treacherous maze of compelling questions with unpredictable answers, truths embedded within lies, people hiding behind masks, and in the end, discovering a true and lasting love.

 Today, Wild Women Authors focus on:

His Sweet Obsession an Western Historical romance, written by Twilla Kay Lamm and recently released by the Wild Rose Press.

 About the Book: Following the Civil War, Captain Ethan Reed is recruited to find the truth behind the Lincoln Conspiracy. The facts are not as they appear. John Wilkes Booth pulled the trigger, but did someone else point the gun? Ethan’s job is to answer this question and see justice served, no matter the personal cost.

     Tormented with no answers about the death of her fiancé, Doctor Sabrina Clay seeks the truth—was it suicide or murder? If there is an answer, she must find it. On a hot day in Fort Hex, Kansas, Sabrina’s and Ethan’s lives intersect. They’re soon entangled in a web of deceit as attraction simmers. They each risk a second chance at love while discovering the truth.

 An Excerpt:

     He felt his heart seize. He wanted to hold her, and he wanted to tell her she wasn’t alone. But if he did, what would she do? He edged closer, hoping to absorb some of her pain.

     “We pitched the medical tent and waited.” She pressed the palms of her hands on her cheeks. “After the cold winter, the sun was bright and felt so warm. In the center of the beautiful meadow, American soldiers, some wearing blue and some wearing gray, marched forward. The drummers were young boys…only eight or nine—children in war.” She covered her ears. “Rump-pa-pa-pump…rump-pa-pa-pump. We waited for the killing to start.” She laughed without humor while tears sluiced down her face. “Civilized people waiting for the killing to start. Isn’t that a joke?”

     He untied the yellow bandana around his neck and offered her the fabric.

     She accepted the scarf and brushed his hand with her fingers.

     He felt his breath snatch, and his lungs refused to fill. He swiped his right hand over his mouth, while an overwhelming desire to protect her hurled straight into his heart. He firmed his jaw, grinding his teeth.

     “An hour later”—she blotted her tears—“the battle was over.”

     He heard the quiver in her voice and balled his fists. How could he help her? What could he do?

     “I could no longer smell the flowers…only the stinking sulfur odor of the gunpowder and the coppery scent of blood.” She crumpled his bandana. “The birds no longer sang…only the men crying out. All the beauty was gone, buried beneath a layer of bodies. Some men were dead and some were dying, and the blood soaked into the ground like a summer’s rain.”

     He wanted to say something, but what? She carried the scars of a battle-hardened soldier, she had witnessed the horrors of war, and she was fighting visions she could never un-see, just like me.

     “For two days, we worked—in the heat—with the mosquitos and the flies—and the putrid stench of rotting bodies. The wounded just kept coming…without arms…without legs…and without faces.” She scrubbed the bandana over her face.

     He helplessly listened.

     “At night, I peeled off my shoes and socks because they were stuck on from the blood.” She scrubbed her hands with his bandana. “There are times I feel I shall never be clean again.”

     He couldn’t afford to become involved with her. Hell, she could be as guilty as Nelson. “Sometimes, war is the only way to solve a situation.”

     “Not a very good one.” She sniffed.

     “No, maybe not.”

     Damn my investigation. He drew her against his chest and folded his arms around her. He wanted to confess he was in love with her, but this was not the time. God help me.

     This was the moment he had dreamed, and for now, she was his. He leaned back, focusing on her beautiful eyes, and seeing nothing but trust. He lowered his head, and when his lips touched hers, he discovered her mouth soft and yielding. She smelled faintly of summer lilacs and tasted like sugar. As her sweetness coated the inside of his mouth, he deepened the kiss and moaned. Frozen in a single moment with no past or future, he sensed her surrender.

 To Purchase His Sweet Obsession, go to:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1N91D5D

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/his-sweet-obsession-twilla-kay-lamm/1147098352?ean=9781509261109

https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509261109  

https://bookshop.org/p/books/his-sweet obsession/f3539ef7a791ffc6?ean=9781509261109&next=t&source=IndieBound&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwildrosepress.com%2F 

https://books.apple.com/us/author/twilla-kay-lamm/id1802650951

 A Bit About Our Focus Author:

     Twilla Kay Lamm is an Oklahoma writer who writes books about strong women and the men who love them. Twilla began her professional career as a medical laboratory technologist. After almost 30 years in the field, she went back to college and earned a masters degree in early childhood. Twilla chose to teach and work with underprivileged children and their families. When Twilla retired, she started writing and discovered creating fictional stories is a lot like child’s play.

 Twilla Kay Lamm Can Be Found At:

https://www.twillakaylamm.com

https://www.facebook.com/twillakaylamm

https://www.instagram.com/twillaklamm/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/twilla-lamm-53502a2ab/

https://amazon.com/author/twillakaylamm

https://allauthor.com/author/twillakaylamm/ 

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/963950138?list=about

https://bingebooks.com/profile/twillaklamm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/230401638-his-sweet-obsession?