Jacob “JT” Whitloch, Defending Her Heart by Laura Haley-McNeil @laurarmcneil #Cowboy, #Music World, #Western Romance

Jacob “JT” Whitloch, Defending Her Heart by Laura Haley-McNeil @laurarmcneil #Cowboy, #Music World, #Western Romance

I’d like to welcome JT Whitloch of Defending Her Heart by Laura Haley-McNeil

RW:   What's your story/back story? Why would someone come up with a story about you?

JTW:  Back story isn’t something I want to discuss. No one needs to know why I came to Crystal Creek. That secret should remain buried and would have, but then my entire past erupted and came to life in that petite bombshell who rocks the stage with her sultry voice and fathomless dark eyes.

RW:    Can you tell us about your heroine

JTW:  I can tell you she’s interrupting my life. She’s not who she pretends to be. The more I find out about her, the more I don’t like. The more I try to stay away from her, the more she interferes, stirs up memories and stirs up the past.

RW:    What problems do you have to face and overcome in your life?

JTW:  If I knew the answer to that, I’d have some peace in my life. That’s why I came to Crystal Creek—to find peace. What I wouldn’t give to have one night of restful sleep, but instead every time I close my eyes, the nightmares come full-blown.

RW:   Do you expect your heroine to help or is she the problem?

JTW:  She’s definitely the problem. She waltzes into town with more money than God, or at least more money than the Whitlochs have, and starts buying up the place. She wants the ranch, she wants the show horses. She’s putting down roots and she’s making it clear—she has no intention of leaving.

RW:    Where do you live?

JTW:  In the bunkhouse on the Crystal Creek Ranch. A far cry from my European estate, but I won’t stay in the place that turned my life upside down. Crystal Creek offers me peace and quiet. Or it did until she showed up.

RW:    During what time-period does your story take place?

A.                    Now.

RW:    How are you coping with the conflict in your life?

JTW:  If I could remember what happened that night, that would be a start, but it was a typical night at my estate—the parties, the beautiful women, the drinking. You can guess the rest. I must’ve blacked out or fallen asleep, but when I came to, the authorities were there pummeling me questions. I couldn’t answer them because I couldn’t remember. I still can’t remember.

RW:    City life or country life? E-Book or paperback? Zebras or elephants?

JTW:  I used to jet around the world to some of the most exotic place on the planet. My every whim was granted. I lived the life of luxury, until the night everything changed. Now the country offers more riches than all the money in the world.

Not that I have time to read, but I’d be happy to hold a dogeared paperback any day.

Zebras or elephants—that reminds me of the safaris my personal assistant used to schedule for me. The massive size and the intelligence of the elephants I’d see always appealed to me.

RW:    If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

JTW:  Stay away. You don’t want to be a part of my world. There’s no peace here. And if you get dragged into my nightmare, I can guarantee you you’ll never escape.

RW:    Party life or quiet dinner for two?

JTW:  A few years ago, it would’ve been the party life. It WAS the party life, now it’s dinner for one. I’ve already ruined the life of one innocent person. I’m not about to drag anyone else into my nightmare.

RW:    I'm always ready for (fill in the blank).

JTW:  I can’t say no to peace and quiet and solitude. Every chance I get, I’m on my horse and riding over the ranch. Colorado is a beautiful state and no place is more perfect than the Crystal Creek Ranch.

RW:    Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you for speaking to me.

Laura Haley-McNeil

Bio

Laura Haley-McNeil is an award-winning author of romantic suspense and women’s fiction in novel length and in short stories. Her work has been featured in several women’s magazines. She has studied piano and ballet and has been a board member for two community orchestras. She and her husband reside in Colorado. When she isn’t writing, she jogs, bicycles and crochets.

DEFENDING HER HEART

Book 6 of the Crystal Creek Series

The Plot

JT Whitloch can’t close his eyes without seeing the body of the woman who drowned in his swimming pool two years ago. He doesn’t remember that night but blames himself for her death. He walks away from his affluent life and moves to Crystal Creek, but still he can’t find peace.

Then Gretchen Moore moves to town. She stirs up his desire and his past with a secret so deadly it could destroy her.

Gretchen wants nothing to do with JT. Because of him, someone wants her dead. The terror from his past forces them into an alliance that soon ignites their passion. Fighting these feelings leads them to the secret of the woman floating in JT’s swimming pool, but the knowledge doesn’t ease JT’s inner turmoil. Instead, it reveals an answer that could destroy him and Gretchen. His own destruction he could accept, but he’ll defend Gretchen to his death.

An Excerpt:

Chapter One

JT Whitloch sensed the woman the moment he set foot inside the auction stables. Through the scent of anxiety-ridden horses and a mass of humanity floated the fragrance of delicacy and wealth. A wave of disappointment dropped over him. He’d been twenty-three years old when he’d walked away from that life two years ago. He thought he’d suppressed his urges for women—at least that kind of woman. The desire pumping through him was a quick reminder—he’d failed.

The brim of the woman’s cowgirl hat cast a shadow over her I’m-a-celebrity sunglasses. Two words popped into his mind—elegant and stunning—as elegant and stunning as the Arabian stallion they both eyed.

Behind her glamorous exterior he sensed something else—cool strength and determination. She may be used to winning but if she planned to bid on the stallion, she’d learn she was no match for Rose Whitloch, JT’s stepmother. What Rose wanted, Rose got, and she wanted to add this horse to her Crystal Creek ranch stable.

The stud’s whinny rang in JT’s ears. It was a refined timbre practiced to receive immediate attention. And it demanded freedom.

That was what JT wanted—freedom from these urges pouring through him and freedom from the past.

The past didn’t let go.

Contact Laura At:

Website & Blog:  http://laurahaleymcneil.com

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

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/laurarmcneil

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Laura-Haley-McNeil/e/B008S3WD10/

Book Links:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Defending-Heart-Crystal-Creek-Book-ebook/dp/B079QVZDFH/

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/defending-her-heart

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/defending-her-heart-laura-haley-mcneil/1127951550;jsessionid=99CC144C2F1E272328398980D4E60247.prodny_store02-atgap11?ean=2940155417736

Apple

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/defending-her-heart/id1347905885?mt=11

Beverly Bateman @kelownawriter #ContemporarWwestern, #RomanticSuspense, #BlackfootTribe,

I’d like to welcome Beverley Bateman, author of Targeted to my blog today.

RW:    Tell us about yourself, your family, where you live, etc.

BB:     I’m Canadian, a nurse and an administrator, who has loved plotting murders since I was a teen. I’ve recently left the wine and lake country of Kelowna, BC and moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta with my husband and two Shiba Inu dogs. And to avoid the icy cold winters I snowbird in Tucson.

RW:    Why did you decide to write? When did you submit your first manuscript and what genre was it?

BB:     I’ve always written; notes, plots, and even chats with those people in my head. I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and figured out someone was sending me a message. I’d always written but not seriously, so I decided to write a novel. I heard romance was easy (which it’s not) so I wrote a romance, but kept adding in touches of murder.

RW:    Who are your favorite authors? Who influenced your writing?

BB:     There are so many great writers. A few of my favorite are JD Robb, Robyn Carr, BJ Daniels and Loreth Anne White—an eclectic group. As for who influenced my writing, there have been many people I know who have read, critiqued, and brain-stormed with me, who have all encouraged and influenced my writing.

RW:    Who are your favorite characters among the books you’ve written?

BB:     Lillian Abernathy—an older woman with early Alzheimers from A Cruise To Remember. Susan T. Brown, my heroine dog walker in Death Awaits. And Kye Hawkins, my hero in Targeted.

RW:    What makes a good book? A great romance? Is humor important in fiction and why?

BB:     A well-written hero and heroine, good internal and external conflict, an intriguing plot that keeps you turning the page, and a romance that becomes strong and overrides the external conflicts. Humor helps lighten tense situations and gives the reader a break until the next conflict.

RW:    How much does reader feedback matter to you? Do your fans’ comments and letters influence you in any way? Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

BB:     Reader feedback is always important. It lets me know what I’m doing right—wrong—and maybe need to change or improve. They definitely influence me.

RW:    Tell us about your latest book. What motivated the story? Where did the idea come from? What genre is it? Does it cross over to other genres? If so, what are they?

BB:     Targeted is the third book in my Hawkins Ranch Series. The story originated in the hotel where I was staying. I looked down into a fancy lobby with marble floors and pictured a cowboy striding across in spurs. Then I figured out why he was there. He was a brother in the Hawkins family. The book and series developed from there. It’s a contemporary western and crosses over into the paranormal slightly with Indian burial grounds and ghosts.

RW:    What do you do to relax and recharge your batteries?

BB:     I meditate. Then I might listen to relaxing jazz and have a little wine.

RW:    Bubble baths or steamy showers? Ocean or mountains? Puppies or kittens? Chocolate or caramel?

BB:     Steamy showers, oceans, puppies, and chocolate.

RW:    A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less?

BB:     People Who Lived in Her Head

RW:    If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

BB:     Paris. I’ve visited there a few times and I love the architecture and history. A perfect place to plot murders. Just need to brush up on my French.

RW:    Those are all the questions I have for you. Thank you for speaking to me.

BB:     Thanks, Rochelle. That was fun.

TARGETED

The Plot

After an eleven-year absence Janna Kincaid inherits a ranch and must return to a town she remembers with unhappiness, a man she briefly married and never wants to see again, and someone is trying to kill her.

Kye Hawkins has loved Janna since they met. They were married, but right after she left without an explanation. He hasn’t figured out why. Now she’s coming back. Can he rekindle the romance and prevent her from being killed.

Janna doesn’t want Kye’s help, yet he’s always there when she’s in trouble. Can they work together to stop a killer, and find romance again?

An Excerpt:

Someone had shot her back tire. Janna gripped the wheel to keep the vehicle on the road. She debated whether to try and outrun the shooter, wherever he was, or find cover. The windshield shattered as a third bullet entered the passenger side.

So much for outrunning the shooter.

She scanned the area and spotted an outcropping of rocks a few feet ahead on her right. She aimed the vehicle in that direction.

Two more shots, and both the back tires went down.

Definitely find cover.

Janna ducked low behind the steering wheel until the vehicle reached the rocks. When the car stopped, she grabbed the keys from the ignition and her purse and dove out the door. Bullets bounced off the rocks behind her as she scrambled for cover. Whoever was doing the shooting was serous. Anyone of the shots could have hit her.

She reached the rocks, keeping low until she got to the middle where she curled up as tightly as possible, her back against a rock. Her heart pounded in her ears, her breathing came in gasps. This was getting to be a habit. First someone tried to kill her in Seattle, and now, out in this god-forsaken country.

What the hell is going on? Why are they shooting at me? Was it the same person who shot at me in Seattle? That doesn’t seem likely, but who even knew I was coming here? Maybe it’s someone just trying to rob a stranger.

Yeah right, be honest, Janna, does this road look like many strangers came this way? And if they did, would they have a lot to steal? You really think this person selected a spot in the rocks where he would have a good shot at my vehicle. Coincidence? Not damn likely.

At least she’d worn boots and jeans—even if they were designer jeans. Now they were filthy, and so was her red sweater and jean jacket.

Another shot hit the rock behind her. She rolled over onto her stomach, shaded her eyes, and squinted into the sun. He must be up on the cliffs straight ahead. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she might have glimpsed a light, maybe a reflection off his scope.

Terrific! Now what? My gun is in my purse. I could fire back, but that would be a waste of bullets at this distance.

She yanked out her cell and punched in 9-1-1.

Damn—no reception.

A pounding pulsed through the ground and came closer. Janna could feel the vibrations. It felt like horses. She glanced around, without raising her head, to see what was coming.

Suddenly there was a hand in front of her face.

“Grab it and jump on.”

The deep, rumbling voice was not asking. It was an order.

Janna grabbed the strong hand. In one smooth motion, she swung up behind a man on his horse. Seconds later, she had her hands wrapped around his well-developed, muscular chest, as the big chestnut thundered across the ground, out of the bullets’ range.

The man wore a leather jacket over a sweater. Her hands slid under the jacket for better grip. Even through the sweater she could feel sinewy muscles. She laid her head against his back and his braid. She took a breath in, inhaling the rich scent of leather, trying to calm her racing heart rate.

She glanced behind her. The cliffs were fading into the distance. The muscles of his well-developed shoulders bunched and relaxed as he led the horse at a gallop across the field. She felt safe for some unfathomable reason.

He had a familiar woodsy scent that made her think of sex under pine trees, not that she’d ever made love there. In fact, her sex life was pretty negligible these days.

They’d been riding for several minutes when Janna leaned forward. “You can put me down any place. I can manage now.”

“Really? And just what are you going to do out here, miles from town, by yourself, with someone shooting at you?”

The voice was deep, but soft, and rolled over her like warmed brandy. It triggered something in the back of her memory. The earthy scent, the sinewy body, the braid, the voice… She knew this person who had ridden up out of nowhere to save her.

“I have my cell. I’ve already called 9-1-1,” she snapped.

“And did you get an answer?”

Janna yanked her cell phone up where she could see the screen again and re-tapped in 9-1-1. And then there was that famous phrase—No Service.

There was a deep chuckle. “That’s what I thought. There’s no service in this area. The mountains block it.”

Beverley Bateman

Bio

Beverley Bateman now lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, exchanging the Okanagan vineyards and orchards for ranches and farms.

She lives there with her husband and Shiba Inu dogs. Winters she heads south. She writes her latest romantic suspense in both places. Hunted, Missing, and the newest —Targeted—are part of her Montana, Hawkins Ranch series. She also has her Holly Devine series; A Cruise to Remember, and A Murder to Forget. Don’t Go is her darker romantic suspense.

Book Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B016E1RAP6

BN: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1123164617

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/targeted/id1054711828 

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Beverley_Bateman_Targeted

Contact Beverley At:

Website:  http://www.beverleybateman.com

Blog:  https://beverleybateman.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beverley.bateman.18?fref=ts

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/kelownawriter

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Beverley-Bateman/e/B008M01F5E