…Sarah Coiner! I hope you enjoy it and can say good things! Please e-mail me at tanya.hanson@gmail.com with the best e-mail address to get a PDF. copy off to you, and I’ll zap it over. Thanks to everybody for making today such a great day!

Howdy, Dora. Thanks so much for celebrating the release of Sanctuary with me. Your name got drawn from the Stetson so…e-mail me at tanhanson@aol.com so I can zap your copy off to you. God bless you!

Thank each and every one of you who dropped by and commented on my post yesterday.  I truly appreciate you.  It was hard to select a winner, but by random draw congratulations goes to  …

                Linda C. and Melinda E.

Linda and Melinda, if  you’ll contact me at PhylissMiranda@aol.com and let me know which book you’d like, plus give me your snail mail address, I’ll get them in the mail as quickly as possible.  Please remember that “Give Me a Texas Outlaw” won’t be out until late next month, so I’ll keep your name and address and will ship it as soon as a copy is available.  Congratulations!

Time for a confession.  I chose this unromantic topic as an intro to my new book.  After discovering that I was scheduled to blog on the most romantic day of the year, I scrambled to find a connection to the holiday.  Did I find it?  Read on.

In December 1917, a permanent ban on the manufacture, sale and transportation of alcoholic beverages was enacted by passage of the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  The amendment was ratified in January of 1919 and took effect a year later. 

Proponents of this so called “noble experiment” claimed that without alcohol the nation’s health would improve and crime would drop. It was also claimed that industries like dairy, would prosper as other types of beverages increased in popularity to fill the void left by the absence of alcohol. Juvenile delinquency was also supposed to be virtually eliminated.

By the time the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933, it was obvious that the measure was a failure.  Instead of promoting health, the opposite was true.  The illegal products brewed in hidden rooms or backwoods stills were often dangerous or much higher in alcohol content than the beer, wines and spirits they replaced.

The attempt to decrease the “evils” of alcohol actually created more – and new – types of crime.   Since illegal activity was required to market the illegal alcohol, criminal activity became organized and led to the rise of powerful crime syndicates that used murder, and the bribery of public officials to move large quantities of the illegal substance.  Criminals like Al Capone rose to power as gangs battled for control, climaxing in the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre of 1929.  (And there you have it.  Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!)

U.S. Marshals (see photo) were the principal enforcing agents of the Prohibition laws until the Treasury Department created the Bureau of Prohibition in 1927.   This brings me to U.S. Deputy Marshal Ethan Beaudry, the hero of my March book, THE WIDOWED BRIDE.  Ethan comes to Dutchman’s Creek, Colorado in the summer of 1920 to break up a bootlegging ring.

He meets his match in statuesque, flame-haired Ruby Rumford who came storming into the last chapter of THE HORSEMAN’S BRIDE.  Ruby has moved to Dutchman’s Creek to be near her brother and make a new start.  But she’s a lady with secrets – secrets that cause Ethan to suspect the worst of her.  Can he do his job, even if it means arresting the woman who’s stolen his heart?

You can learn more and read an excerpt on my website: www.elizabethlaneauthor.com And I’ll be giving away one copy of THE WIDOWED BRIDE for every ten readers who post.  So you’ll have a one-in-ten chance of winning.  Good luck.

The Outlaw’s Return is special to me for a couple reasons. J.T. Quinn is doing the hardest thing a person can do. In spite of instincts to the contrary, he’s trying to be a better man. It’s not easy when you have a past like his. The other reason I love this book is Fancy Girl. She’s J.T.’s dog, and she’s got a way with children. The pub date is February 8th, so today I’m giving away three advance copies.  To be entered in the drawing,  just leave a comment. For fun, tell us about your favorite dog or cat or any other critter that’s made you smile.

Here’s an excerpt . . . 

The Outlaw’s Return

 Chapter One

Denver, Colorado
July 1876

When J.T. Quinn vowed to find Mary Larue, he never once imagined they’d meet on a perfect Sunday morning in Denver. On those long nights when he’d lain alone in his bedroll, he’d imagined seeing her on a stage in some high class opera house. He’d pictured himself in a black suit and a white shirt leaning against the back wall with his arms crossed as he listened to her hit the high note only she could hit. Their eyes would meet and she’d recognize him. She’d miss a beat, but she’d pick up the song with even more power than before and he’d know . . . she still loved him.

That wasn’t going to happen today.

It wasn’t Saturday night, and J.T. wasn’t wearing a suit.

It was Sunday morning, and he had trail dust in every pore. He also smelled like the inside of a saloon. He hadn’t visited such an establishment for six months, but last night he’d walked past a gaming hall with a head full of memories. A drunken cowhand had stumbled out to the boardwalk with an open bottle of whiskey, and the contents had sloshed on J.T.’s trousers. The smell had sickened him in one breath and tempted him in the next. He’d have changed clothes, but the garments in his saddlebag were filthy. They stank, but not with whiskey. He’d resisted that temptation, and he’d done it because of his love for Mary Larue.

Heaving a sigh, he looked down at his dog. “What should we do, Fancy Girl?”

She whapped her tail against the boardwalk and looked up at him with her tongue lolling out the side of her mouth. J.T. didn’t know what kind of dog she was, but they’d been best friends since he’d walked out on Griff Lassen at the Dudley place. They’d been running off Ambrose Dudley and his brother, squatters up in Wyoming, when the dog had charged at them and started barking. Griff had ordered J.T. to shoot her dead.

J.T. had done a lot of mean things in his life, but not even he could shoot a dog. On the other hand, he’d come close to shooting Griff. When the man aimed his Sharps at the mutt, J.T. had shoved the barrel downward. The bullet had ricocheted off a rock and creased Fancy Girl’s head. J.T. had mopped her blood with his bandanna and fed her jerky from his pocket. When she’d followed him to his horse, he’d poured water from his canteen into a pot. She’d lapped every drop, and he’d filled it again.

He’d left the Dudley place with the job undone and Griff promising to get even, but the dog had followed him. That night he’d named her Fancy Girl because her fur reminded him of Mary’s blond hair, and he’d made a decision. He didn’t want to be the kind of man who hunted squatters and shot at dogs.

For the past ten years, J.T. had sold his gun for money. He’d been nineteen when he’d sold his gun for the first time, and next month he’d turn thirty. For a gunslinger, he had a lot of years on him. Today, standing outside a saloon and listening to Mary sing, he thought back on those years. He’d drunk oceans of whiskey and been with too many women. The whiskey had never failed to work its magic. The women, though, had lost that power and it was because of Mary.

She’d been in his head for two years now, ever since Kansas where they’d been a pair and she’d made him smile. Really smile. Not the sneer he usually wore. And not because she was generous with her affections. Mary made him smile because she believed he was a good man. He wasn’t, but after the mess at the Dudley place, he wanted to try. Leaving that day with Fancy Girl, he’d decided to find Mary and make a new life. He had some money saved, enough to open a saloon, a place where she could sing and live the life she’d always wanted. He didn’t plan to marry her. He’d changed, but not that much. Picking up where they’d left off seemed noble enough.

He and Fancy Girl had been searching for six months, and he’d finally caught a break. He hadn’t touched a woman or a drop of whiskey since the mess in Wyoming, but he still had to eat. Last night he’d taken supper at the boardinghouse where he was staying with his dog. One of the boarders, an old man with bad eyes, had told him about a woman named Mary who sang like a nightingale.

You’ll find her tomorrow morning at Brick’s Saloon.

Not once had it occurred to J.T. that Mary would be singing a hymn in a makeshift church. His mind had gone in the opposite direction. He’d imagined her finishing up a night’s work that involved more than singing. He’d been sick to think she’d fallen so low, but in the next breath he’d been relieved. No matter what Mary had done to survive, he still loved her. He wouldn’t wish her the suffering of selling herself, but he rather enjoyed the thought of riding to her rescue . . . 

* * *

I hope you enjoy J.T.’s story.  The book will be available February 8, 2011.   Good luck in the drawing!

Thanks to everybody for your good wishes and comments yesterday.

I drew Mary J’s name out of the Stetson, so I hope you will enjoy your copy of Marrying Mattie.

When you have a sec, Mary J, please send your mailing addy to

 tanhanson@aol.com

Again, thanks to  y’all for an enjoyable day.

Get ready, ladies!  Tonight the Filies will be announcin’ the winner of the $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble.  As the official counter of guesses, Miss Felicia can tell ya it’s a real horse race.  Take your best shots. Today’s prizes are…

Give Me a Texas Ranger from Phyliss Miranda

An e-copy of Hearts Crossing Ranch by Tanya Hanson

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

A Lady Like Sarah by Margaret Brownley

An e-copy of A Night of Miracles by Cheryl Pierson

Filly #10

1. Whoever said hell was hot had lied.

2. Jaret Walker crested the last hill and hauled back on the reins.

3. Thunder hauled him from a restless sleep.

Filly #11

1. Zeb Garrison didn’t think much of church or preachers, but he had to give Reverend Preston credit for striking a chord that hadn’t stopped echoing since Sunday morning.

2.  If Adelaide Clarke had been asleep like a sensible woman, she wouldn’t have heard the thump on her front porch.

3. Cassiopeia O’Rourke had been named for a constellation, but Heaven couldn’t have been further away as she stepped inside the Guthrie Corners sheriff’s office.

That’s all, ladies!  The Fillies are gonna tally up all the guesses for the winner of the $25 Barnes & Noble gift card.  Looks to me like they’l have to take off their boots and use their fingers and their pretty toes!  Check back for the winners of today’s prizes and the biggest prize of all!

 Y’all sure know the Filly books! You guessed ‘em all, but no surprises there.  You ladies are good at this!   Filly #7 is none other than Miss Elizabeth Lane.  Those first lines are from The Borrowed Bride, His Substitute Bride and The Horseman’s Bride.

 Filly #8 made things nice and easy. Miss Tanya Hanson even had a title in her first lines. She wrote Marry Mattie, Hearts Crossing Ranch and  Marrying Minda.

 Filly #9 is none other than Miss Winnie Griggs. Her titles are Something More, Lady’s Choice and The Christmas Journey.

Let’s get to the prizes! 

Congratulations to catlady!  You won a glass beaded bookmark and a book to go with it from Miss Cheryl St.John. Give her a shout at SaintJohn@aol.com

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy goes to . . .  ReneeC!   Give Mary a holler at Mary@MaryConnealy.com

Another shout-out goes to Tabitha.  She won Give Me a Texas Ranger from Phyliss Miranda. Email Phyliss at PhylissMiranda@aol.com

A hard copy of Marrying Minda  by Tanya Hanson goes to Laurie G!  You can find Miss Tanya at TanHanson@aol.com

Hello, ellie!  You won the title of your choice from Winnie Griggs’ back list.  Email Winnie at winnie@winniegriggs.com

And one more prize . . . Miss Phyliss is giving away an extra copy of Give Me a Texas Ranger. It goes to JackieW.  Email Miss Phyliss at PhylissMiranda@aol.com

That’s it for today, ladies! Tomorrow’s our last day for Fabulous Filly First Lines. The Fillies will be tallying up the right answers and announcing the Friday winners and the winner of that Barnes & Noble gift card in the wee hours of Friday night.

Ready for more prizes?  Y’all know how to play.  Take your best guess at which Filly wrote these cowboy-loving first lines.  No need to guess the book unless you want to show off! Leave a comment and you’re eligible to win a prize for today. The grand prize of a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble will go to the gal who gets the most right answers at the end of the week. In case of a tie, which there sure could be, the Fillies will put the names in the Stetson and pick one. Take a look-see at today’s give-aways… 

A Glass Beaded Bookmark and a book to go with it from Cheryl St.John

Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

Give Me a Texas Ranger from Phyliss Miranda

A hard copy of Marrying Minda  by Tanya Hanson

Title of your choice from Winnie Griggs’  backlist 

Okay ladies… take yer best guesses!

Filly #7

 1. Hannah felt the approaching train before she heard it.

2. By the time Quint found the woman, she was dying.

3. Clara Seavers closed the paddock gate and looped the chain over the wooden post.

Filly #8

 1. Caldwell Hackett was getting married tomorrow, and Lord save him, he was a virgin.

2.  Underneath the brim of his black Stetson, Kenn Martin squinted against the sun rising over Hearts Crossing Ranch.

3.  Where is Norman Dale? Minda’s heart thumped. The noon stage had run late, so he had plenty of time to get here. Unless he had backed out.

Filly #9  

1. Caleb crept downstairs, carefully avoiding the creaky third step.  He wasn’t supposed to be up, but this was important.  Besides, he was six.  That made him a big boy.  Daddy said so.

2. An unholy shriek ricocheted through the forest, startling a raucous cloud of blackbirds from the roadside trees.   “Easy, Trib.”  Adam Barr patted the horse’s neck as the animal shied.  What now?

3. “Hey!”  The reedy voice coming from inside Wylie’s Livery and Bridle Shop thrummed with outrage.  “You can’t take those horses ‘til you settle up with Joe.”

 The prizes are a-dwindling, but we’ve got plenty more to give away to y’all. And don’t forget. The gal who gets the most right answers is up for a $25 gift card from Barnes & Noble. In case of a tie, we’ll break out that ol’ Stetson for a draw-off. Here’s today’s pile o’ prizes from the Fillies.

The Horseman’s Bride by Elizabeth Lane

Give Me a Texas Ranger from Phyliss Miranda

A gift certificate to White Rose Press from Tanya Hanson

A Lady Like Sarah By Margaret Brownley

A Doctor in Petticoats by Mary Connealy

Y’all know the rules . . . It’s simpler than horseshoes.  All you gotta is take a stab at guessin’ which Filly wrote these first lines…   Holler out some names in the comment section, and you just might win a prize.

Filly #5

 1. “Watch out!”   

2. “Sometimes I want to take the top of your head off and screw your brain in right.”

3. Dense clouds parted to reveal a slice of silver moon in the narrow gap of sky above the dark alley where the fourteen-year-old girl crouched beside a stack of crates. She wasn’t afraid. No, there were plenty of things more terrifying than night. 

Filly #6

 1. Quinten Corbett plucked his watch from his printer’s apron pocket and studied the hour. Damnation, maybe time didn’t matter to some folks, but to Quin the world revolved around deadlines … professional and personal.

 2. “What in the …” Morgan Payne wasn’t sure whether to cuss or fight. “Son of a …” He stared across the alley at a young woman holding a bow. He damn sure knew where her arrow had ended up!

3. Not only was he tired, hungry, and dirty, but technically, Hayden McGraw guessed he was still on suspension with the Texas Rangers.