TIME PLAINS DRIFTER IS RELEASED…AGAIN!

Time Plains Drifter is a different kind of romance novel than anything I’ve ever read.  I think that’s why I enjoyed writing it so much. 

After being released in December of 2009 with an unscrupulous publisher, I took my rights back after only three months and spent the next year searching for another home for it.  Just this past spring, it was placed with WESTERN TRAIL BLAZER, an imprint of PUBLISHING BY REBECCA J. VICKERY.  This is a marvelous company that handles some much “bigger” names than I have, such as Peter Brandvold, Jory Sherman, and Madeline Baker, among others.  Print books are important to me, although I understand that e-publishing is growing by leaps and bounds.  I’m sure that WESTERN TRAIL BLAZER will prove to be the perfect place for Time Plains Drifter, and I’m glad to say I now have the sequel in the works. 

That being said, let me tell you why Time Plains Drifter is so hard to pigeonhole and why that may be a bit scary in today’s market. 

I knew Time Plains Drifter was going to have to be classified as a time-travel romance; that’s how the H/h meet one another.  She’s from 2010—he’s from 1879.  That was the easy part.  The part that was a bit harder to work around was that he was dead.  I just couldn’t get past the premise that Rafe d’Angelico was going to be the “paranormal element” of the story.  I didn’t want him to be a werewolf, vampire, or shapeshifter.  So that left angels, demons, zombies and so forth.  I chose for him to be an angel.

Working with Rafe—an angel who didn’t want to be an angel—was a challenge.  I told him he had a pretty good deal going.  He told me, “I want to be human again.”  In the end, I realized he was right, and that was the only way to resolve the issue of time-travel-paranormal-angel-demon-human issues. 

Jenni Dalton, the heroine, was completely unsuspecting in all this.  She went out on a stargazing field trip with seven of her high school students one night and they never came home.  Instead, they ended up in Indian Territory, 1895; one hundred-fifteen years in the past. 

Jenni’s got it rough, trying to deal with her seven charges, four of them the senior class troublemakers.  It takes Rafe to bring them to heel and get them to toe the mark, until the gravity of their situation causes them to all make some surprising adjustments. 

As Rafe and Jenni realize their growing attraction to one another is fated, they also understand there is no way anything can come of it on a permanent basis—Rafe is an angel, and Jenni is human. 

The twists and turns that finally bring the book around to the HEA were the most fun to come up with for me.  But the story itself, being so unique, is tough to categorize. 

Time Plains Drifter is special to me because it’s the first project my daughter, Jessica, and I have had the chance to work on together.  She designed the cover art. I absolutely LOVE what she did. 

Time Plains Drifter was the recipient of The Reviewer’s Top Pick Award by Karen M. Nutt, PNR reviews.  It also received a 4.5 star review from Romantic Times Magazine.  I was selected as the recipient of the Honorable Mention—Best New Paranormal Author category in PNR’s PEARL Awards last year (March 2010), based on Time Plains Drifter. 

The sequel has been a delight to work on, with a different twist than the first book, and some familiar characters will be the stars of the show this time around since the story is built around Rafe’s brother, Cris, and Jenni’s sister, Victoria. 

Time Plains Drifter is now available in all formats, including print, Kindle, and Nook. Take a look at my Amazon page to order. (See link below.)

 Cheryl’s Amazon Author Page:

    http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002JV8GUE  

I’ve included the blurb and an excerpt below.  Please leave a comment!  I always love to hear from readers and other authors.  Visit my website at http://www.cherylpierson.com

Enjoy! 

BLURB:

Trapped in Indian Territory of 1895 by a quirk of nature, high school teacher Jenni Dalton must find a way to get her seven students back to 2005. Handsome U.S. Marshal Rafe d’Angelico seems like the answer to her prayers; he is, after all, an angel. In a race against time and evil, Rafe has one chance to save Jenni’s life and her soul from The Dark One—but can their love survive? 

EXCERPT from TIME PLAINS DRIFTER: 

He closed his eyes, letting the pleasurable feel of her wet mouth on his body wash over him, along with her voice. “Some things never change,”she’d said earlier. Her Oklahoma accent was a slow waltz to his mind, its lilting cadence urging him to accept what they had between them. Still, he couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t ever be dishonest with her, of all people.

“Don’t you want to know—”

She stopped him, placing two cool fingers across his lips, smiling at the tickle of his moustache against her skin. The smile faded as she absorbed the worry in his expression, the smoldering fire in his eyes, and made it her own.

“Not now, I don’t. You asked me—earlier—if I felt it. Whatever it is between us. I do.” Debating with herself, she hesitated a moment before coming to a decision. “I want you, Rafe,” she murmured. “I trust you.” She nuzzled his neck.“It doesn’t matter now, who—or what—you are.”

His hand closed in a fist around the shimmering satin of her copper hair, his chest filling with a sweet peace at her quiet words.

Dead…alive…Mexican…American…man…ghost…angel…

His mind churned as Jenni kissed him once again. Accepting him, for whoever he might be. She loved him. She hadn’t said it yet, but he knew it by the gentle way her lips grazed across his, then claimed his mouth completely, as if that was the only way she had to let him know how she felt. They breathed together, as one.

He answered her wordlessly, his tongue going into her mouth, fingers splaying and tightening against her scalp as he pulled her to him.

She came across his bare chest, the stiffness of the material of her own blouse gliding with gentle abrasion across his nipples. He groaned in pleasure and felt her smile against his mouth. She made the move again as she lifted her lips from his, emerald eyes sparkling into his searing gaze.

“We’ll talk later,” she assured him.

“It’ll be too late to change your mind about me then,” he said, half-jokingly.

“I won’t change my mind, Rafe.”

The sweet sincerity in her voice and the promise in her eyes reassured him. He pulled her down silently. As their mouths melded once more, he rolled, taking her with him, changing their positions so he lay atop her.

She gasped, yielding to him, her cool palms sliding over the fevered heat of his skin, across his chest and shoulders. He began to unbutton her blouse as he kissed her, his fingers moving deftly. He pushed away the first layer of material with his customary impatience, then started on the stays of her corset.

She twisted beneath him at the loosening of the undergarment. He pulled her upright momentarily, whisking blouse and corset over her head, dropping them in a heap on the floor.

In silent invitation, Jenni lifted her hand to him. She touched his side, and he flinched slightly as her fingers lingered over the very place the Bowie had gone into him earlier that day. Even though a red scar marked the spot, there was no pain for him, and he saw no puzzlement in her eyes…only concern.

“Does it hurt?”

It was as he had suspected. She’d seen what had happened, how bad it should have been…but wasn’t. And she had accepted it, unconditionally. They would talk later, as she’d said, but somehow, he felt he would find the words he needed to explain things to her. He shook his head slightly. “No.”

A vulnerable uncertainty crossed her face for a moment. “Well, then, Marshal—what’re you waiting for?” He unfastened her skirt and petticoat, then made short work of the stockings and underpants.

God. Rafe swallowed hard, reaching to trace the faded tan lines across her shoulders. He moistened his lips, his teeth sinking into the lower one momentarily. His pulse raced as his gaze moved over her face—then lower, to her breasts, her flat belly, and the triangle of soft hair, below.

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A native Oklahoman, I've been influenced by the west all my life. I love to write short stories and novels in the historical western and western romance genres, as well as contemporary romantic suspense! Check my Amazon author page to see my work: http://www.amazon.com/author/cherylpierson
I live in Oklahoma City with my husband of 40 years. I love to hear from readers and other authors--you can contact me here: fabkat_edit@yahoo.com
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25 thoughts on “TIME PLAINS DRIFTER IS RELEASED…AGAIN!”

  1. Cheryl,

    So glad to find TIME PLAINS DRIFTER on Amazon. I started looking when you first posted a excerpt a few months ago and couldn’t find it. Now it’s winging it’s way through cyber space to my Kindle. I can’t wait to read this story. It’s not my usual read, but it’s sounds so interesting I can’t resist.

    –Kirsten

  2. Ah, this is my kind of story! It’ll be on my kindle soon. Thanks for the great excerpt.

  3. Hi Kirsten,

    Thanks so much for the very kind words. I appreciate that! This has been a long road for Time Plains Drifter, but it taught me a very valuable lesson. I did lose royalties, I know, because of the piracy of the first publisher, Class Act Books. But now, this book is stronger after being re-edited, and better than it was before. Time Plains Drifter is one of my most favorite projects I’ve ever worked on, and I have just been itching to really “get into” writing the sequel. So far, I’ve got notes made and so on, but Real Life has taken up so much time the last several weeks, I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write much of anything. I hope you enjoy it, and look forward to hearing from you!
    Cheryl

  4. Love the cover of this book and it sounds like my kind of read. I love something that’s a little different. I will have to start looking for it. It sounds like you went to a lot of work just to get it published the way you wanted it.

  5. Hi Tammy,
    Thank you so much! I really enjoyed working on it. It’s one of those projects that was something I wasn’t sure about since it’s pretty non-traditional.I hope you enjoy it!
    Cheryl

  6. Congratulations on the re-release, my Filly sister! And I’m thrilled that you’re writing a sequel to it. Wonderful! Wishing you tons of success. The premise to Time Plains Drifter really hooked me. I love time travel romances. I can’t wait to find out how Rafe gets to be human in the end.

    Also congrats to your daughter for the cover art work. She does excellent work.

  7. Hi Lizzie,
    GREAT! Well, be sure and let me know what you think. This was a departure for me from what I had been writing, but since then I have written several short stories that have a paranormal element to them in different ways. Scarlet Ribbons, Homecoming, A Night For Miracles (Christmas), and my latest was just recently released. It’s called The Kindness of Strangers and was released in an all-western anthology, THE TRADITIONAL WEST-A WESTERN FICTIONEERS ANTHOLOGY.

    Thanks so much for coming by and commenting, Lizzie, and I hope you enjoy Time Plains Drifter.
    Cheryl

  8. Time travel stories are a favorite. I am glad this is now available in print form. I still don’t have an e-reader and have missed some good stories because they are available in e-form only.
    I am sorry you had trouble with your first publisher and were able to get your rights to the book back. Unfortunately, it seems too many authors have had a similar problem. You are with a good company now and should do well.
    I like the cover design. Your daughter did well. She just may have a future there.
    I’ll be looking for TIME PLAINS DRIFTER and the sequel when it comes out. Wishing you much success.

  9. Hi, Mary,

    Yes, it was quite a tale. I tell you, there were times I felt like I had stepped into the evil vortex with that publisher and all their illegalities. Actually had to threaten a lawsuit at one point, when they decided to re-activate the Amazon links for about 6 of us who had been with them previously and pirate our work. That was pretty unbelievable. LOL I hope to never go through anything like that again, for sure. I’m so, so happy to have found a great home for Time Plains Drifter and be able to “rest easy” about it. Also very happy that I got to keep the cover that my daughter created for it.
    Cheryl

  10. Hi Quilt Lady,

    It was really different, for me, too–to write. I did enjoy it, and was thrilled to receive Hon. Mention for Best New Paranormal Author in Paranormal Romance’s PEARL Contest, 2010. I’ve also had a lot of really wonderful reviews on it. That sure helps when you are trying to write in a different sub-genre. I love the off-beat paranormal stuff rather than vampires and such, which I’m not sure I could ever write.LOL
    Cheryl

  11. This is amazing for you Cheryl… So happy for you. I wish you as always many, many sales for this wonderful book.
    cheers
    Kathleen

  12. Hi Linda,

    Thank you so much for your kind words. Everyone has been so sweet and wonderful about this release, and let me tell you, it thrills me to know I have so much support, especially since it was so disappointing the first time around to have all that happen. I will let Jessica know how much you liked the cover–I thought it was really different–just loved it. I hope you enjoy Time Plains Drifter when you get the chance to read it. I think you will be surprised.
    Cheryl

  13. Hi Patricia,
    I know what you mean–I do have a Kindle, but haven’t used it nearly as much as I thought I would. Still, it’s a comfort to have it, knowing if I need it it’s there, and if I want to buy a story that’s only in e format, I can. My goal is to really get cracking on that sequel once I can finish “putting out fires” here on the home front–and I think maybe that will be all taken care of in the next couple of weeks. I really miss my writing time! LOL Thanks so much for coming by and commenting.
    Cheryl

  14. Hi Kathleen,

    Thank you so much. I’m hoping for tons of sales, too, but to me, it just means so much to have it back out there with a reputable company that I look at it like that’s the first hurdle. The BIGGEST one, in my mind. LOL
    Cheryl

  15. Mary,

    You know, time travel is one of those things that can be either very good, or very bad, in my mind. I’ve read some time travel books that just made me want to go, “REALLY??? REALLY????” LOLLOL And I think what hangs me up, is that while we must suspend disbelief to “go there” we also must think of it as having a REASON that is paranormal. I mean, it can’t just be (for me at least) that someone touched something and was hurled back in time and there was no reason for it, except just that it happened. I realize that not everyone thinks like this, but this is just my opinion. I like to have a purpose as to WHY they were hurled back. In Time Plains Drifter, there is a specific reason for things. I would love to read your time travel. Now that you’ve mentioned it…I am looking forward to that day when you get it written. (Notice, I didn’t say “if”.) LOL
    Cheryl

  16. I just wanted to say that I read Time Plains Drifter and how much I enjoyed it. The characters were wonderful and I really enjoyed the time travel aspects too. Great story!

  17. CATSLADY!
    Thank you so much! I appreciate you letting me know that you enjoyed Time Plains Drifter so much. Guess I better get cooking on that sequel, huh?
    Cheryl

  18. Hi Cheryl, congrats! I’ll be loading up my Kindle. I love time travel when it’s well done, which this is, and a Western hottie. What a thrilling combination. Best of luck with a bajillion sales. oxoxox

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