Awesome August Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Awesome August Blog Hop, where bloggers from all over the Internet have come together to throw a summertime party!

Every blog on this hop is offering a fun prize, and entering is quick and easy. Simply follow the instructions on each blog, leave a comment, and bop right along to the next blog. You can win multiple times, so be sure to check out all the participating blogs!

On my blog, you can win an extremely rare autographed copy of best-selling YA author Janette Rallison's second novel, Dakota's Revenge! The book has never been read, so it's in brand-new condition. (I have my own personalized, autographed copy, so yes, I have read the novel.)

To enter:

1. Become a follower of my blog. If you're already a follower here, go follow my other blog at The Characters in Marsha's Head. A new window or tab should open up, so you don't have to leave this blog.

2. Fly on over to Amazon and click "like" on my first novel, The Man from Shenandoah.

3. Leave me a comment and tell me that you've done both things. If your e-mail isn't available through your profile, I'll need you to leave that, too - I can't tell you if you've won if I can't contact you!

This blog hop runs through Wednesday night (August 31) at midnight, so be sure to enter before then! The winner will be notified by e-mail.

Now that you've entered my contest, come meet all my other blog friends and see what fun things they are offering!

Awesome August Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author 2. Karen Hoover 3. Michael Young 4. Kristy Tate 5. cindy Hogan 6. Julie Bellon 7. Margot Hovley 8. Laurie Lewis 9. Mandi Slack 10. Melanie Jacobson 11. Joyce DiPastena 12. Renae Mackley

13. Debbi Weitzell 14. Donna Hatch 15. Carolyn Frank 16. Marsha Ward 17. Stacy Coles 18. Bonnie Harris 19. Danyelle Ferguson aka Queen of the Clan 20. Diony George 21. Lisa Asanuma 22. Susan Dayley 23. Christine Bryant @ Day Dreamer 24. Stephanie Humphreys

25. Ranee` Clark 26. Tamera Westhoff 27. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer 28. Heather Justesen 29. Rebecca Talley 30. Jennifer Hurst 31. Aimee Brown 32. Cheryl Christensen 33. Rachelle Christensen 34. Imaginary Reads 35. Andrea Pearson

Learn more about Awesome August Blog Hop here.
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Sweet Saturday Sample: Excerpt from Trail of Storms

This week's snippet for Sweet Saturday Samples (clean fiction excerpts from authors) is an excerpt from Chapter Two of Trail of Storms. The setting is Mount Jackson in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley just after the American Civil War, the genre is historical Western fiction, and the rating is G. Please note that I've skipped a raw scene. Sorry. But you want to buy the book anyway, right?
~~~

Robert ran down the Pike, his heart thudding in his chest. Where would the man take Hannah? If he was intent on doing her harm, he’d want a private place, like a barn or a grove of trees, even though the occupation soldiers and cavalry were doing pretty much as they liked these days. He’d have to ask if Hannah and the rider had been seen passing by. That might be useless—folks were staying out of each other’s business. His breath rattled in his throat. His side burned with pain. His legs seemed made of lead. No matter, he thought, and continued his headlong dash. Hannah needs me.

When he stumbled and fell, Robert lay with his face in the dust for a moment, then raised his head and eyed the road. The marks of horses’ hooves mocked him. I don’t know how to track. I don’t know what’s fresh and what might be five days old. He scrambled to his knees, got to his feet, and looked around. He was outside of town and had passed two farms already. Have I gone too far? He took a steadying breath. No. Those farms had been burned out by the Yankees. Their barns hadn’t been rebuilt yet and the woodlots were gone. No privacy there. Robert began to run again. George Heizer’s dairy farm was next. He had a barn.

Robert approached the Heizer place. From the lane he could see two men standing by a wagon in the barnyard, talking. They seemed calm, not looking over their shoulders or fidgeting. No Yankee’s been there, he decided, and continued down the pike. I’ll try at McNeely’s.

Robert ran another two hundred yards, turned into McNeely’s farmyard, skidded to a stop at the door of the house and rapped. His windpipe wheezed and his lungs burned as he sucked breath into them. After a moment, Mistress Maude moved the curtain to one side and peered out. She opened the door a crack, her white face telling of her fear.

Before he could say a word, the woman began.

“Mr. Fletcher! Oh, please, can you look? My Patrick won’t be home until after dark.”

“Look where, Mrs. McNeely?”

“Oh my! Out in the stable. There’s been the most horrid sounds coming from out there for such a long time. Screams, very terrible sounds, they were.”

He ground his teeth. “Do you have a gun?”

“A gun? Oh, no, Mr. Fletcher. We had to give it up.”

“A knife, then. Lend me your butcher knife.”

Her gasp told Robert how she felt about that idea as she closed the door in his face. He heard the lock snapping into place.

He found a stout stick of firewood he could wrap his fingers around, not thinking what he would do with it, but somehow needing to feel the wood’s heft, needing to have a weapon. He strode toward the stable.

~~~

Trail of Storms is available at Amazon US as a print book: 
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Storms-Marsha-Ward/dp/1440126046/
As a Kindle Edition in the US: 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55714
~~~
Now find another sample to read:

Sample Saturday: Trail of Storms, Excerpt 3 from Chapter 1

Today's Sample for the Sweet Saturday Samples blog hop follows the scene in last week's sample from Trail of Storms. The setting is Mount Jackson in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley just after the American Civil War, the genre is historical Western fiction, and the rating is an intense G.
~~~

Jessie shoved open the door of the bank with such force that it banged against the wall. Several customers turned to gaze at her in surprise. The clerks and tellers looked up from their work.

Jessie located Hannah’s husband, Robert Fletcher, in the teller’s cage at the end of the row. She ran across the tile floor and pushed aside the woman standing opposite him.

“You must come, now!” Jessie said to the man, gasping as she struggled to draw air into her burning lungs.

“Miss Jessica—” He turned to his customer. “I’m sorry, Miz Addison. I’m sure she didn’t mean—” He broke off and faced Jessie again, frown lines deeply creasing his face and sweat breaking out on his forehead. “What happened to you? You’re quite … untidy.” Robert took out a handkerchief and dabbed at the brow on both sides of his pronounced widow’s peak.

“Mr. Fletcher—Robert—Hannah’s been taken!” Jessie put out a shaking hand and grasped the counter to support herself. “We’ve got to get help.”

Robert took in a sharp breath. He stuffed the handkerchief in his pocket as he turned and leaped over the gate separating the teller’s cages from the customer area.

Before Jessie could blink, he grasped her by the elbow and shook her arm. “What do you mean, ‘Hannah’s been taken’?”

Jessie’s trembling almost overcame her. She forced herself to find her voice, still breathing with difficulty as Robert’s grip tightened. “You know those Yankee riders? One of them grabbed her and took her off. Oh, Mr. Fletcher, Heppie’s in such a state I had—”

An oath escaped Robert Fletcher’s lips as he dropped her arm. “Take me there,” he grunted, barging through the door to the street. She caught up to him and led off at a run, lifting her skirts out of the way of her feet.

They cut across the street, darting between vehicles and horses, bumping without apology into passersby, their silent haste fed by adrenaline and fear.

When they arrived at the street where Hannah had been abducted, Heppie bolted out of Mrs. Wiggins’s door, crying into her handkerchief. “Oh, Mr. Fletcher, I’m so glad to see you.”

Robert nodded briefly to Heppie, then turned and asked Jessie, “Which way did he go?”

Jessie pointed south on the Valley Pike. “It’s the redheaded one.”

Robert thrust Jessie into Heppie’s arms, saying, “Go to your ma’s. I’ll bring her there,” and ran down the street.

“Jessie, did you see his face?” Heppie wailed.

Jessie shook in her sister’s embrace as new fear enveloped her. “Yes. I’m afraid he’ll kill that Yankee.”

~~~

Trail of Storms is available at Amazon US as a print book: 
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Storms-Marsha-Ward/dp/1440126046/
As a Kindle Edition in the US: 
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Storms-Owen-Family-ebook/dp/B004Z1L266/
At Amazon UK as a print book: 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Storms-Marsha-Ward/dp/1440126046/
As a Kindle Edition in the UK: 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Storms-Owen-Family-ebook/dp/B004Z1L266/
At Smashword.com in many ebook formats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55714
~~~
Now find another sample to read:

A Productive Day

I can't complain about a day when I get to meet with other writers, or one where I write 374 words in half an hour, or one where I store away six boxes of books so I can get more elbow room around here. I own hundreds, if not thousands, of books. They tend to take over in 740 sq. ft.

Because eventually I will have a new novel in the Owen Family Saga series, I'm trying to make a list of all you all (I know I spelled it wrong, you Southerners) who are avid readers of my work and who are very likely to buy Spinster's Folly. I want to make sure you get the news when it comes out. Please drop me a line or make a comment here so I know you're seriously interested, and I'll put you on that special list of folks who get the word first.

Sample Saturday: Trail of Storms, Excerpt 2 from Chapter 1

Today's Sample for the Sweet Saturday Samples blog hop follows the scene in last week's sample from Trail of Storms. The setting is Mount Jackson in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley just after the American Civil War, the genre is historical Western fiction, and the rating is PG due to Jessie's attitude.

Jessie looked over her shoulder at Hannah and Heppie, who walked away from her toward the street corner, leaving Jessie to collect payment for a pie. Mrs. Wiggins, however, seemed inclined to chat.

Please just pay me, Jessie thought, looking the other way down the street. I don’t want us running into those Yankees again. She turned back to Mrs. Wiggins, anxious about the distance between her and her sisters. She didn’t want to be alone, even for the few seconds it would take her to catch up.

Mrs. Wiggins looked at Jessie expectantly. She must have asked a question.

Shrugging her shoulders to shake off her reverie, Jessie said, “I’m so sorry, ma’am, I fear I was woolgathering. What’s that you said?”

The stout little woman sighed. “Jessie dear, I was askin’ if your ma could bake me a loaf of sourdough bread for tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll need payment for the pie first, ma’am,” Jessie said, hoping it didn’t sound too rude.

“Can’t y’all wait to the end of the week?” Mrs. Wiggins looked flustered.

“Times are hard, ma’am. Ma needs to buy supplies.” Jessie glanced over her shoulder again. Hannah and Heppie were a half block away. A cold chill ran through her.

“That’s right, Jessie dear. Times are hard indeed, but Mr. Wiggins wanted an apple pie for his birthday.” Mrs. Wiggins sighed. “I’ll get your money.” She turned her back, left the door open, and took the pie into the house.

Jessie tapped her toe as she waited, watching her sisters grow smaller and smaller. Her stomach tightened on her breakfast and made her queasy. Hurry up! she thought, and mentally berated the twins for leaving her here. She was the “little sister.” More often than not, they stuck together and left her to do the more distasteful things like collect money from customers.

After what seemed like forever, Mrs. Wiggins returned with a few coins and counted out the price of the pie.

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll tell Ma about your bread,” Jessie said as she put the money into her pocket.

Mrs. Wiggins closed the door forcefully, as if to protest Jessie’s insistence on being paid.

Jessie snorted. Silly old bat! Of course she has to pay Ma now. How does she expect— Jessie left the thought alone and went on to her more immediate worry. With one hand she scooped up the basket she’d put on the porch while she waited, and with the other she grabbed her skirt, racing off after her sisters. “Hannah,” she called out. “Heppie! Wait for me.”

Jessie had covered half the distance that separated her from the twins when she tripped on a root and fell, landing on the hard dirt with her forearms straddling the basket.

Pain lanced through her arms but was instantly supplanted by the smart of her embarrassment. Oh, what mortification! You’d think I was twelve years old instead of eighteen, trippin’ over a danged root.

Heppie had looked back in time to see the fall. “Jessie,” she cried out, and started toward her, motioning for her to get up—as if Jessie were perfectly content to lie sprawled across the path as she was. Hannah continued on to the corner, then turned and waited while Jessie scrambled to her feet and Heppie helped her brush off her skirts.

“Jessie! Are you hurt?”

She rubbed her sore arms, getting the dirt off. “I reckon I’ll be—”

Jessie saw the man at that moment, the rider the Yankees called Red. In what seemed only a few seconds, he jumped off his horse, grabbed Hannah around the waist, and was back in his saddle, having thrown Hannah over the front of his horse like a sack of grain. Her basket tumbled through the air, spewing loaves of bread onto the ground. Jessie cried out and pointed, unable to form words to describe what she was seeing. Heppie turned and began to scream. Jessie lifted her skirts and ran toward the corner as fast as she could. He can’t be takin’ her, she thought, her heart pounding in her ears.
~~~

Available at Amazon US as a print book: 
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Storms-Marsha-Ward/dp/1440126046/
As a Kindle Edition in the US: 
http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Storms-Owen-Family-ebook/dp/B004Z1L266/
At Amazon UK as a print book: 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Storms-Marsha-Ward/dp/1440126046/
As a Kindle Edition in the UK: 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Storms-Owen-Family-ebook/dp/B004Z1L266/
At Smashword.com in many ebook formats: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55714
~~~
Now find another sample to read:

July Kindle Sales

In keeping with my open and honest approach to sales figures from my venture into selling ebooks on Kindle, here are my sales figures for July. The numbers represent how many of each story or novel were sold from 7/01/2011 to 7/31/2011.

The US Kindle Store:
Cottonwood Cowboys - 1
Ride to Raton - 24
The Man from Shenandoah - 40
The Owen Family Saga Sampler - 6
The Usual Game - 1
Thumps & Losers - 1
Trail of Storms - 28
War Party - 3

That is 104 units sold!

The UK Kindle Store:
Ride to Raton - 2
The Man from Shenandoah - 3
The Owen Family Saga Sampler - 4
Trail of Storms - 2
War Party - 1

The UK sales totaled 12 units.

So far in August I have 29 units sold from the US store and 0 from the UK.

Please let your British, Scots, Irish and Welsh cousins and friends know about my books in their local Kindle store.

And, if you know anyone in Germany . . . let them know great Westerns are available for them (in English) at Kindle DE.

Thanks

Book Review: The Assassination of Governor Boggs, by Rod Miller

I interviewed author Rod Miller on this blog in October of 2007. His list of works was quite impressive at that time, and he's added several new works since then, which you can read about on his website.

Today, I'm reviewing his new historical novel, The Assassination of Governor Boggs, which was recently released by Bonneville Books. If you read the interview, you'll note that at that time, he had just got his mind around how to tell this story. Well, tell it he does, and in a rip-snorting fashion!

From the back cover:

After an attempted assassination, Governor Lilburn Boggs couldn't prove who'd taken a shot at him, leaving the identity of his assailant a mystery. Twenty-five years later and after the passing of Gov. Boggs, Pinkerton Detective Calvin Pogue has been hired by the Boggs family to open this cold case and find out the truth about the assassin. From Missouri to California and into the heart of the Utah Territory, Detective Pogue relentlessly seeks clues that lead him to the legendary Mormon gunman Porter Rockwell--who still isn't making things easy for anyone!

Join Detective Pogue as he steps into this hair-raising mystery and tracks down Gov. Boggs's enemies and friends to a finale you won't believe.

This fast-paced historical mystery had me turning pages as quickly as I could to keep up with the story of a war-crippled Pinkerton detective traveling throughout the American West, seeking clues in this case gone cold. The folks he meets, many of whom are legends themselves, recount their memories of the events of the incomplete assassination, each in his own voice and way, whether they were a sheriff, an attorney, or a passer-by.

In that time, when the Mormon Church was getting its start and trying to survive among neighbors who didn't much like them--and vice versa--government on the frontier pretty much ignored the written law and took it into their own hands in order to shake loose an irritating burr under their saddle: a large, united body of folks with strange beliefs and ways. Governor Boggs hated the Mormons, and made no secret of that fact, acting on his hate in some pretty bizarre pronouncements and orders. In return, the Mormons, under his persecution, returned the emotion. No wonder everything came together with an attempt upon his life.

Rod Miller's decisive writing clearly illuminates this bitter period of the American experience. Anyone who wonders about the early Mormon Church, the Missouri period, or life on the frontier, should get a taste of that wild time from this novel.

The Assassination of Governor Boggs is available at LDS bookstores, and online at Deseret Book, as both a print book and in a Kindle edition at Amazon.com, and at Barnes and Noble.com. (The print book is on sale now at Amazon and BN.)