WELCOME TO THE HELEN DUNN BLOG SITE

Helen Dunn is the author of “Untamed Women of Yesteryear” published by L-Books  – which received honorable mention by the Golden Crown Literary Society. She  has also been nominated for Favorite Lesbian Fiction Historical –  by the Lesbian Fiction Readers Choice Awards group for 2011.

Here you will find all the latest information about all of Helen Dunn’s books and stories. Don’t forget to click at the bottom of the page where it says “older posts” so that you get to see all the book covers, blurbs and excerpts with info on the books & URLS.

Clicking on the book cover will take you to where the book may be purchased, URLS for other formats are included at the end of the excerpt for the book.

Check here  often for news, updates and new releases, and feel free to add a comment or ask a question.

Also be sure and check out the links down at the right side of the page under “Blog roll” for more great lesbian fiction by other authors, as well.

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UPDATES BY HELEN DUNN:

New lesbian historical fiction – Witchwoman

Be sure and read the blurb and excerpt. Click on book cover to buy.

 

UPDATE:  Author Helen Dunn will be on The LAB (lesbian and bisexual) readings computer broadcast radio program hosted by Lara Zielinsky on March 31^st. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/readingslab

re: lesbian historical fiction on March 31^st. 

Please check blog site for time of afternoon broadcast. 

Helen will be doing a reading from The House on Bloodstone Road a lesbian horror and mystery novel set in 1930.  Also, make sure you don’t miss Helen Dunn’s Author Spotlight at Beth Wylde’s board on April 1^st and be sure to stop by for a chat with the author April 4^th from 3PM to 6PM. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bethwylde/?yguid=501451756

UPDATE Jan 8, 2012 –  UPDATE: 12/18/2011 NEW RELEASE:   1-2-3 Okay Everybody Change is now available in print.

Additional update:  My story “The Haunting at Quantman’s Wharf” now available in the anthology published by L-books as an e-book only:  “The Holiday Special Edition 2011.”

UPDATE:  11/7/2011 – three more books now available in print editions at createspace – “Nothing Keeps”, “Nightwood”, and “The House on Bloodstone Road”

11/5/11 I am thrilled to say that L-Books has accepted two of my novellas
“Weather’s Mill” and “Hartline” for publication as an anthology, which will most likely be out sometime in 2012, under the title: “Dangerous Secrets”. More info will be given later on. 

HAPPY READING!

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Witchwoman

Title: Witchwoman

Lesbian historical fiction/supernatural

Author: Helen Dunn

Set in 1761

Blurb:

Victoria Nathan – victim of a brutish, drunken husband is near despair when she is told of a healing woman called Sera Kane, who operates a small shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Her companion is Micheline, her familiar, a black cat that communicates telepathically.

The two women begin to fall in love with each other and Victoria soon discovers Sera is a practitioner of more than merely the arts of healing; she is a witch.

http://www.amazon.com/Witchwoman-ebook/dp/B00897LJNI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338996313&sr=1-1

And for Barnes & Noble’s Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchwoman-helen-dunn/1111766453?ean=2940014624466

* * *

EXCERPT:

It was close to midnight. Temple Quinne had long since retired to her own room, lips pursed with displeasure, but the earlier, overwhelming fear created by Micheline’s voice inside her head was gone and forgotten. The servants, likewise, were all asleep. Only Sera, Micheline and Jeremy were awake in the dark, quiet house.

Downstairs Sera heard Jeremy moving about, his voice rising from time to time with mumbled sentences and curses as he careened around, stumbling first against one object and then another. This was followed by the sound of his progress on the stairs.

He stopped in front of the door that led into Victoria’s bedroom then cursed and kicked at the recently repaired door.

Sera rose quietly and went to the dressing room door which led into the hallway, opened it and stepped out. Turning, Jeremy saw her. He stood staring at her, frowning in an effort to figure out who this woman was.

Sera faced him with aplomb, her dark eyes disdainfully taking him in, noting the disreputable appearance of the man. He had spilled wine on various parts of his clothing, his face was covered with unshaven stubble and the front of his trousers was open exposing him to view. He reached down and fondled himself as he spoke.

“Wh – where’s Vic – Victoria?”

Sera said nothing, merely coolly observing him. Her lack of answer did not seem of much concern to him for in a few moments he commented: “Doesn’t matter. You’ll do.”

He lurched towards her unsteadily, unaware of the small wax figure she held.  The long sharp fingernail on the index finger of her other hand pierced deeply into the wax crotch of the man-shaped form.

With a prolonged howl of agony, Jeremy clutched himself and tottered backward. His heels caught on the edge of the carpeting at the top of the stairs and he teetered precariously. His hands left his wounded manhood as he flailed his arms wildly in the air in a futile attempt to regain his balance and stop his fall. Then with a loud yell he tumbled backward. Just as he did, Sera put out a hand towards him and drew him back.

Panting, he fell forward onto the upstairs landing, on his hands and knees. He stared at her with disbelief. As he tried to stand up, Sera’s outstretched hand held him powerless, forcing him to remain on his knees. At last he crawled off on his hands and knees down the hallway towards his own rooms.

‘You wanted to destroy him.’ Micheline stated.

“Yes.” Sera admitted.

‘What stopped you?’ The cat asked curiously.

“I must first know completely of her feelings for him.”

Victoria started in her sleep, moaning softly and Sera went back into the room to her. As she laid a hand gently on Victoria’s shoulder, she relaxed once more, moving into a deeper, heavier, more healing sleep.

Sera moved her hand up to lay it upon Victoria’s forehead. “Dream my beautiful one.” She trailed her fingertips lightly across the surface of Victoria’s skin. “And let your dreams be of me.”

While still physically in the room and capable of interacting in that reality, Sera also seamlessly slipped inside Victoria’s dream. 

Victoria saw Sera standing in the beaded doorway of her small shop.

“Come to me, Victoria. Come to me, but of your own free will.” Sera called softly.

How beautiful she was, Victoria thought as she eagerly approached her.  Although she had always found women beautiful, Victoria had never kissed a woman before and had never fully considered desiring a woman before. In the dream, her normal shyness and reserve dropped away completely as she reached Sera and she put her arms up about the slender neck and brought her lips to the dark scarlet ones that seem to be waiting for hers.

“I am yours.” Victoria told her.

“Let me take care of you.” Sera said as her arms came about her. Gentle hands stroked over Victoria’s back as the healer drew her close returning her kiss with a warm passion. As the kiss ended, Sera’s hands moved downward caressing Victoria’s slim waist, and then upward to cup her breasts.  Her thumbs moved across the hard tips stroking them over and over.

Her dark eyes seemed like fathomless pools that held unnamed secrets as they gazed down into Victoria’s trusting gaze and she kissed her again before taking her hand and leading her towards the bedroom beyond.

Victoria was lightly panting as she lay back on the bed and an erotic heat encompassed her as Sera stretched out catlike beside her, moving her body so that it touched Victoria’s. The warmth from where their bodies met seemed to penetrate into the very center of Victoria and radiate outward with profound feelings of tenderness and caring.

Sera’s fingers trailed through Victoria’s hair and then she bent and began to kiss her. As she lightly touched her, Victoria wondered at the gentleness of the contact.  Never had she been touched like this, never had she felt like this. It was lovemaking as she had never known it.

In the dream their flesh flowed together melting hotly into a shared orgasm.

Following the peak of their passion, they lifted up into the sky and rode, by some means that was not clear to Victoria, thorough the velvet blackness of the night beneath the glimmering light of hundreds of stars.

* * *

 Available as an e-book at amazon for only $2.99

http://www.amazon.com/Witchwoman-ebook/dp/B00897LJNI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338996313&sr=1-1

Also available at Barnes & Noble for only $2.99 on the Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchwoman-helen-dunn/1111766453?ean=2940014624466

1-2-3 Okay Everybody Change!

 Title: 1-2-3 Okay, Everybody Change!

An LGBT comedy set in 1999, this book is aimed at an adult audience, and has frequent sexual references, although it is not overly explicit.   

 Author: Helen Dunn

 Disclaimer:  This novel is meant to be nothing more than an exaggerated comedy – and should in no way be considered a true reflection of transgendered, gay or lesbian people in any way. Or for that matter: doctors, lawyers, religious leaders, pornographers or cats!

 Blurb:

 It looks to be a gay ol’ time at the Cherub’s Cheeks Club featuring a lesbian amateur strip contest and a hunky pro dancer who calls himself Roman Candle.

Surgical genius and female medical student at the Frankenstein College of Medicine and Trivia, French Toast stole some male parts and attached them to her friend, Loretta Periwinkle, enabling her to become a male stripper calling himself Roman Candle. Now someone has put out a hit on Roman Candle!

 When the hit goes awry, everything’s up in the air including Roman’s private parts.

 However, that’s just the beginning for this cast of characters:

 There’s also French’s teacher and lover – Dr. Patsy Petite – an overly proud sex pioneer and multi-talented woman with a lot on her plate.

 George & Martha Miller, French’s neighbors, discover concealed cameras can capture a lot of interesting things and blackmail can fluff out one’s bank account as well.

 Melba Toast – suburban mother and hit woman – might be just a little too fond of her gun.

 Self-serving Bishop, Kilroy Periwinkle, who goes into an altered state during his severe migraines is trying to get Governor Jimmy-Bob Doop re-elected.

 When the Governor has a freakish accident at the hands of the Bishop it leads to some very unconventional surgery done on him by Dr. Patsy Petite, which affects his personality.

 Everybody’s either made some changes or will be making some changes – sometimes in gender, sometimes in personality and sometimes even what species they are!

EXCERPT:

Set in 1999

CHAPTER 1

Dealing with the parents

Striding authoritatively up the walkway to Melba Toast’s home, Dr. Patsy Petite, surgeon, veterinarian, teacher, and self-proclaimed sex pioneer, felt ready for the inevitable fight she felt certain lay ahead for her.

 At her side was her favorite and most promising first year medical student, French Toast. Frenchie had been playing doctor since the time she could toddle – trotting about with a stethoscope plugged into her ears, and a rectal thermometer in her pocket ready for use; a born doctor if ever there was one!

 Although French was eighteen, she still lived at home with her mother, a single parent, and so it was thought it might be best if they asked permission or at least let her mother know, before she accompanied Dr. Petite to the Strippers and Amateurs Night at the Cherub’s Cheeks Club.

 Patsy had been rehearsing the argument inside her head on the walk over from the Frankenstein College of Medicine and Trivia which was combined with the Frankenstein Hospital and Medical Center. In her mind’s eye she was seeing Melba Toast, her red hair flaming brighter than usual, harshly proclaiming: ‘Frenchie will not be attending any nudie shows with a nutjob like you!’

 “Your daughter, French, requires some additional education outside the classroom.” Dr. Petite actually spoke the line aloud as she continued playing out the dialogue inside her head.

 A good thorough sex education was of the utmost importance in Patsy’s opinion, you couldn’t know or experience too much when it came to sex. God knew she had been hammering away at the system long enough as a teacher and doctor to realize how much that could change the face of things!

 She was quite proud of the sexology class she had managed to establish at the local college and public school and which she hoped to establish as well in hospital nurseries for newborns. You couldn’t start something this important too soon. The things she could teach those fresh, untouched minds! In many ways it was truly a humanitarian effort that she would have done for nothing and she often felt like a pioneer blazing the trail for others.

 If only her hands weren’t so tied when it came to sex education, she thought with frustration. Although actually, if she was honest with herself, she supposed she was lucky she still had her teaching job at the Frankenstein School of Medicine and Trivia after last semester’s fiasco.

 Some of the students’ parents had been completely up in arms over the fact she had used her own body as a classroom illustration. Why? She had the perfect equipment for teaching everything any student could possibly want to know about the female anatomy. It certainly beat the old diagrams of Tab A being inserted into Slot B, Patsy thought.

 “Mom didn’t complain last week when I brought home that sex toy as part of my homework assignment.” French said hopefully to Dr. Petite. “In fact, I think she’s gotten more use out of it than I have. Maybe things will go okay.”

 She hoped her mom at least wouldn’t pull out the pistol she had concealed in an upper thigh holster, like she had done with that pushy door to door salesman just last week. That might rattle the good professor a bit too much.

 “Well!” Patsy proclaimed, “It’s time!” She paused for a moment in front of the Toast house before flouncing onto the porch, twisting her ample ass even more than usual in the skintight spandex, leopard print bicycle shorts she was wearing.

 “Mother!” French called, opening the door and coming into the somewhat garishly decorated Toast living room with its red velvet couch, pink wing chairs and day-glo green curtains.

 “I’m home and Dr. Petite is with me.” French announced.

 Buttoning her blouse and tossing a dildo over her right shoulder into the bedroom behind her, flame haired Melba Toast came sauntering into the living room to greet her daughter and guest.

 “I’ve got homework to do.” French said suddenly and abruptly exited the room, not waiting to hear the exchange between Dr. Petite and her mother, which as it turned out, was rather brief once a rambling Patsy Petite was finally interrupted by Melba who, realizing at last what she was trying to ask, replied nonchalantly: “Okay by me.”

 Dr. Petite was left stuttering and stammering for a moment or two: “Re – real – really?” Patsy said, her blue eyes opening very wide as she leaned slightly forward towards Melba Toast and blinked several times in disbelief. “I have your full permission to take Frenchie to the strip show at Cherub Cheeks?”

 “Sure.” Melba answered. “Have fun. I may drop by later myself.”

 “Well! If you’re sure that’s the way you feel about it!” Patsy proclaimed indignantly and then realizing she did not need to argue with anyone, gave a foolish grin.

 “Well, uh, well then…” Patsy fumbled for something to say – and came up empty-handed – never having had a similar conversation about such a matter before. Finally muttering something like a goodbye, she stumbled out the door.

 Want to read more increasingly raunchy and outrageous antics by some truly wacky characters?

 1-2-3 Okay Everybody Change! is available as an e-book only at amazon. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006NGUY10

Print edition: https://www.createspace.com/3756823

BOOTLEG

BOOTLEG 

author: Helen Dunn

Set in 1925

Bullets, Booze, and Love!

Blurb:

The story revolves around independent, tough, young mountain woman, Bailey Skinner, a bootlegger, who is falling for pretty widow, Minnie Givens, who doesn’t approve of “the devil’s brew”.

Bailey, her pit bull named Moonshine, and her partner, Little Jack – who may be small in size but big in courage – are also dealing with a crooked Sheriff, and shoot-outs with rival bootleggers.

 Excerpt:

Suddenly a bullet whizzed next to Bailey’s booted foot causing her to jump a bit, startled by the unexpectedness of it.

“You think I won’t shoot you!”

 “Oh I can see you would, Miss Minnie.” Bailey said doffing her big, wide-brimmed hat, and giving her a bow. She plucked a long, thin blade of grass and put it between strong, white teeth, chewing on it meditatively, as she took a seat on a nearby large boulder.

 Minnie stood watching her warily.

 “Tell me something, “Bailey said after a moment, “just how in the world do you go about making a living on this here mountain, Miss Minnie?”

 Minnie was momentarily taken aback. 

 “I have my goats and chickens and pigs.” Minnie told her.

 “And you make a living from them critters do ya?”

 “Yes. I sell milk and cheese and eggs, and a pig now and then.” Minnie said.

 “I see. Well, I ask, because I was born and raised in these mountains. Born in that house right over yonder,” Bailey gestured, “where I still live for that matter, and I’ve yet to see a good way of a woman making a living around here. And yet, here you are, an outsider, and you tell me you’re making a living here on Lone Peak.”

 “While I am, as you say, an outsider, I grew up on a farm, and I can assure you, Bailey Skinner, there are honest ways to make a living.”

 “You ever tasted home brew, Miss Minnie?” Bailey reached for her pocket and Minnie’s rifle barrel which had been lowering, came back up. Bailey held up her hands. “No weapon, no weapon, just something I want to show you.” She reached again, very slowly into her pocket and produced a flask. “Smoothest tasting stuff you’ll ever have on your tongue.” She held the flask out towards the other woman.

 “No thank you!” Minnie said tartly.

 “Oh come now, one sip won’t send you to the devil.” Bailey said with a smile, standing and coming towards her, the flask held out. She grinned with pure delight as Minnie, the rifle barrel now towards the ground, began to back up.

 Within moments, Bailey had come up to her, and easily snatched the rifle from her hands. She remained standing very close to the woman, enjoying taking in the scent of her. 

 “What a pretty woman you are.” Bailey murmured, her voice soft.

 Want to read more?

 Available as an e-book only at Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Bootleg-ebook/dp/B005ET4ZOY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321043664&sr=1-1

 

 

 

BLOOD LOVE

 Blood Love

author: Helen Dunn

f/f/ vampire

contemporary setting in Europe

 Blurb:

Eighteen year old Alexis Holden is immediately attracted to Dominique Tinnel, the new, young teacher who arrives at Chenier Academy – an exclusive girls prep school – located in the mountains and forests of Switzerland.

 Dominique feels likewise, but refrains from expressing her feelings because Alexis is her student.

 Both Alexis and Dominique fall under the spell of the mysterious Countess Benay Basquaist – who unknown to them – is an ancient and powerful vampire.

 EXCERPT:

“Have you ever met her, the Countess I mean?” Dominique asked.

“Yes, no, I mean, I’ve seen her.  She’s tall, dark, very beautiful…” Alexis paused, not only at the realization of her words of admiration, but the fact the mention of the Countess had brought back the memory of the strange encounters that had occurred the past summer shortly after her arrival at Chenier Academy. Only she had convinced herself, they had, of course, been dreams she’d had during an interval of sleep-walking.

It had been a beautiful moonlit night, and she had felt drawn to go walking on one of the hiking paths that surrounded the academy. 

It had seemed both real and yet not, but everything that followed had been so strange she had known it had to have been only a dream, followed by three similar dreams that summer. 

She had not gone far along the path when she had encountered a tall, beautiful woman with long, straight, black hair who was dressed in a black satin shirt and black leggings with boots and with a long, black cloak flung back from her shoulders.

She had smiled at Alexis, her white teeth gleaming in the dim light, and had told her she was Benay Basquaist, it was later Alexis had learned of her title. Alexis had smiled in return and given her name as well.

“I know who you are.” The Countess had said, surprising Alexis. “I have seen you about on the school grounds. You are new here at Chenier aren’t you?” Although a question, the Countess seemed to want no answer.

Come with me, Alexis.” She had said in a soft, coaxing tone, and Alexis had willingly followed her off the pathway into a bed of ferns.

The Countess had removed her cloak and laid it down atop the ferns and stretched out on it and held up a hand to Alexis, and drew her down beside her. She had turned towards Alexis and cupped her face in her hands and gazed deeply into her eyes in a manner that made the young woman feel hypnotized.  She could not take her gaze from those riveting black eyes, and then the Countess had kissed her quite thoroughly.

If you would like to read more click on the cover of the book or click on one of  the URLs given below:

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Love-ebook/dp/B005E0R5RC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1318364677&sr=1-1

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-love-helen-dunn/1100240351

 Print edition available at Createspace:

https://tsw.createspace.com/title/3602778

Adventures in Hollywood

A unique lesbian revenge tale.

 Set in 1950’s Hollywood

Marian Feldman Horiwitz, a lesbian in her early thirties, was doing well in a front marriage with a gay man with whom she worked in horror films, under the names Kris and Karisma Harris. She is faced with a financial situation when Hollywood doesn’t want her when she’s no longer part of a team.

At the suggestion of a gay photographer friend, Karisma opens an acting school. She soon becomes romantically and sexually interested in one of her adult students, a very talented young actress who,unfortunately has a brutish boyfriend.

EXCERPT:

 “You’re the best I’ve ever seen. Better than anyone I’ve ever worked with in a film.” As I said the words, I realized that really wasn’t much of a compliment considering the tacky movies I’d been in, but even tacky movies can have truly talented people in them. There are a lot of talented people who get lost in the shuffle in Hollywood.

 “Oh…Karisma…” She breathed the words, her eyes large and luminous. 

 She reached out and clutched my hands with her own, while gazing into my face with an expression of wonderment – as if I’d just told her she had won a million dollars, and then her face broke into a beautiful smile.

 I found myself wishing I could always make her smile that way.

 Please click on the book cover or on the URL given below:

http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-in-Hollywood-ebook/dp/B005ET16V4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320179668&sr=1-1

Untamed Women of Yesteryear

“Untamed Women of Yesteryear”

An anthology of three lesbian stories all in historical settings.

Published by: L-Books in a variety of formats

Trucker  Set in 1975
Toni Coletto, aka Trucker, is unsurprisingly a long distance truck driver. She rescues a damsel in distress, Sonar Von Cummins, from some undesirables and gives her a ride to LA. . Sonar, who had Hollywood dreams in her head – faces a tough reality when the trucker who befriended her suddenly drops out of sight.

The House Of Soleil Levant. (lesbian historical fiction)
The story begins in New Orleans in 1860. Eighteen year old Clover Quick lives with her mother Maggie and Maggie’s latest wastrel boyfriend, Dennis Gillis. Dennis is a gambler and a drunk who gets Clover to help him in a scam to cheat people at card games. Dennis is invited to the house of a beautiful and mysterious  brothel madam,  Soleil Levant and is told to bring Clover with him. With a turn of the cards, Clover’s life as she knows it will change forever.

Wild Guns  (western)
Outlaw Wynona Stevens escapes from prison with plans to get her old gang back together. When Wynona arrives at the ranch where  her former lover Billie Sue is, she finds her living with Shannon Manning, one of her former gang members, who is now a respected rancher. Wynona wants to win back Billie Sue, but there is also the complication of the cute piano player at the local saloon, Peggy Lynn, along with Wynona’s plans to get the gang together for one last big stagecoach robbery. 

Please click on the book cover

Heart of the Southland

Available in the anthology “Love in Times Gone By” – this story is also available separately on Amazon’s Kindle.

 “Heart of the Southland” is a romantic, lesbian drama with strong supernatural overtones in a southern, historical setting, taking place on a plantation, during the Civil War.

Eighteen year old Gabrielle Burnett is completely alone, or so she thinks, on East Wind Plantation in Arkansas. Her father and four older brothers have all been killed in the Civil War, her mother has recently died, and all the slaves have left. Although deeply frightened, Gabrielle elects to stay put.

Unknown to Gabrielle, a run-away slave called Bronze, disguised as a man, has been hiding at East Wind. Bronze’s former owner, Cerise Piper is losing her mind in her crumbling New Orleans mansion over the loss of her lover and slave and decides her only option is to ride north and find Bronze. Bronze has likewise been searching for her first love, a slave named Sophie

EXCERPT:

Noiselessly she dislodged the chair from beneath the knob, and moved it away from the door. The latch made a small click as she unlocked the door and stealthily eased it open.

She stepped out onto the landing. The floor felt cool beneath her bare feet. A breeze from the opened double doors below filtered up the stairway, ruffling her hair, moving the hem of the thin linen gown against her ankles.

Moonlight streamed in through the tall, east windows and she could see the dark bulk of the man moving about below her. As he stepped fully into an area where the moonlight was, she noted two things – one that he staggered as if from too much drink, and secondly that he wore the uniform of a Yankee soldier.

She pulled back the hammer on the gun. The slight noise it made, in the silence of the house, caused him to look up. Their eyes locked. A mixture of fear and loathing went through her.

“Get out of my house, you Yankee scum!”

“Awww now, you wouldn’t shoot me, would you little lady?” He slurred, coming over to the foot of the stairs. He placed a hand on the rounded knob of the newel post.

“Stay where you are,” she warned, “or I’ll shoot!”

“You just here by yourself?” He asked, guessing that she was. No other way a southern woman would be standing there alone holding a weapon. “Where’s your man, honey?” He placed a booted foot on the lowest step of the stairway. “Must be a mite lonesome for you just being here by yourself and all?”

This story is now offered separately on Kindle, only at amazon, and is from the anthology “Love in times gone by”.

Please click on the cover of the book or the URL given below.

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-of-the-Southland-ebook/dp/B005EVAA78/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320174776&sr=1-1

Love and Damnation

Set in the 1800’s, Love and Damnation,  now being offered as a separate e-story, is also available in the anthology “Love in Times Gone By” – (listed here)

 When Mandy McKay goes to live with her Uncle Osgood, a religious fanatic, whom she has never met, she’s in for more than a few overwrought life changes on his remote farm.

To start with Mandy falls in love with his wife, Julia, who is married to Uncle Osgood in name only to keep him out of the madhouse.

The complications in Mandy’s life have just begun, because next there’s an interfering mixed-up country preacher-woman named Sister Roberta Morton, who is determined to save Mandy from the devil and Julia Stuart!

EXCERPT

The lone figure stood shivering on the open platform. The wind was whipping at the girl’s coat and at the long strands of coppery hair that were revealed in a golden-red tangle upon her shoulders. She looked cold and pulled into herself.

Groversville was considered of such little consequence there was no depot building, only an open platform. From where Mandy stood, she could see most of the town. There was a one room schoolhouse, two or three churches, an equal number of small stores and perhaps 200 houses or so.

Julia pulled the buckboard alongside the platform and looked up at where the girl stood. “Amanda McKay?” Julia asked shortly. There was hardly a question mark behind it, and no welcome in her face, as her dark eyes flickered over the younger woman.

Mandy had seen the approaching buckboard and had taken the driver to be her uncle. It was with some surprise, she realized it was a woman. The woman was clad in a pair of men’s dark grey trousers with a heavy gray wool overcoat wrapped about her in fortification against the cold.

At Julia’s question, Mandy nodded. “I’m just called Mandy.” she answered.

Mandy hesitated to ask anything. It was plain the woman had no interest in exchanging more words or information than was absolutely necessary.

“Well, let’s get going.” Julia said brusquely, as Mandy stood hesitating. “I’m Julia Stuart.” She supplied. “Your uncle’s wife.”

Julia said no more as Mandy cautiously descended the steep wooden steps from the high platform, carefully clutching her mother’s large, black Bible. It was difficult, with the long, flapping skirt of her dress, her petite height, and the large book she carried, to get into the tall buckboard.

Julia realized she had no choice, so reached down and gave Mandy a hand up, glancing sourly at the black book the girl carried. She hadn’t wanted to touch Mandy, hadn’t wanted to take that small, cold hand in her own. She didn’t want to feel anything. She didn’t want to care. She didn’t want to admit how very pretty Mandy was with her cornflower blue eyes and waif-like face. The lost, scared look in Mandy’s eyes was making Julia want to gather her into her arms, keep her warm, make her feel safe, and take away the fear expressed in the white, pinched face. Julia didn’t have to use much guess work as to how that would make her feel.

No! She wasn’t going to let herself feel anything for this Bible-toting stray, who had turned up on her doorstep!  But, it happened. She could feel it happening as she took Mandy’s hand in her own, the moment she touched her and helped her onto the wagon seat beside her. Did Mandy feel it too? Was Mandy as lonely as she was?

Available as an e-story only at Amazon

Please click on cover of book shown here at the website or click on the link given below:

http://www.amazon.com/Love-and-Damnation-ebook/dp/B005ET1SEE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320174475&sr=1-1

The Fate of Four Hearts

A great, well-paced western story of four gals looking for romance and ready for some changes in their lives.

There’s butch Taye Rowland, wild saloon girl Halley Porter, unhappily married Katherine Braddock, and Etta Stanton who wants to kick up her heels and get out from under the thumb of her older sister.

Who will end up with who and who will be the victim of a fast gun?

EXCERPT:

 Taye Rowland liked the way the auburn hair was piled high and pinned atop the woman’s head, the big, blue eyes, the small, straight nose and the pink, pouty lips, that is when she could take her eyes off the hint of sweet, creamy cleavage at the top of the blue satin dress.

 Taye wore a gun holster low on her left hip, along with a laced buckskin shirt, blue denims, scuffed black cowboy boots and a white Stetson pushed back on her thick, dark hair.

 She dressed and worked like a man – most of the time, and sometimes she passed, but since her arrival in Saverton she wasn’t trying to fool anybody into believing she was male. When she didn’t pass, she usually had trouble in the western towns along the frontier, and her fast gun had helped her out of some bad situations more than once.

The customers in the Kickaround Saloon, except for the occasional newcomer, were now used to seeing her and didn’t bother her, so she had no problem when she went up to where the redhead stood.

“Howdy thar, purty thang.” Taye drawled. “Ain’t seen you in here before. This your first night workin’ here?”

From the anthology “Love in Times Gone By” (listed here), this story is also available as a separate story only on Kindle at Amazon

Please click on cover of story or on the link provided below:

http://www.amazon.com/Fate-Four-Hearts-ebook/dp/B005EPAWIG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1320172836&sr=1-1