I was all set to write a fun blog about wedding proposals today, but as I was working out on my elliptical machine, watching the news, a report came on about a woman- a mother-who had saved her children’s lives in a tornado that had demolished her home in Henryville, Indiana.  The story brought tears to my eyes and an ache to my heart and I thought to myself, this is what I want to write about today.  So I will save the fun proposal blog for next time and instead, we’ll talk about heroics and sacrifice.

Stephanie Decker knew the storm was going to be bad.  She ushered her two children, Reese age 5 and Dominic, age 8, into the basement, tied a comforter around them and then threw her body over them as the tornado hit.  Her home crumbled around and on top of her and she was terrified for her children.  As she lay bleeding, waiting for help, she remembered thinking, “I have to live for my kids.”

The storm and the tornadoes killed 39 people that day, 13 of whom lived in Indiana, but Stephanie Decker’s children survived, coming through the ordeal without a scratch on their bodies.  Stephanie was bleeding so badly, she thought surely she would die.  A steel beam had toppled onto her body. She managed to fashion a makeshift tourniquet to help stop the bleeding and after the storm passed, she sent Dominic for help.  Not knowing if she would make it out alive, she recorded a video message from her cell phone to her husband. 

Stephanie lost both of her legs that day, one above the knee and one above the ankle.  Her life will be forever changed.  But she saved her children and when she was asked, she said she wasn’t a hero.  “I call myself a mom.”

I choked up when I heard that.  Those of us who are mothers or know a mother’s love, understand the meaning of sacrifice.  We understand the courage Stephanie summoned and believe we’d do the same thing in her situation.  I would say Stephanie passed the “Mom” test with flying colors.  When we love so fiercely, we protect.  I would disagree with Stephanie though. I say she’s a Mom and a Hero. I would bet most of you agree with my assessment as well.

Stephanie Decker’s story is bittersweet and moving, a testament of true love.  It’s a story of great humanity, fierce protectiveness and unyielding spirit.  

When we write stories, our characters are tested time and again.  We see them go through major sacrifices along the way before they get their happily-ever-after.  In my story, my heroine Lizzie makes a supreme sacrifice for the hero, Chance Worth.  She is willing to give up the one thing she wants most in the world to save him.   I love telling fictional stories, because I am guaranteed a happy ending, but I think I’ve learned something from Stephanie Decker’s story, as well.  My imagination is not where my characters derive their strength of spirit and bravery.  I get my inspiration for my heroines from real-life women like Stephanie who look a natural disaster in the eye and say, I won’t give up without a fight. I won’t let you win.

What do you think about Stephanie Decker?  Have you ever faced a natural disaster?  Do you like reading stories of brave women who are tested, time and again?   What’s the bravest thing you’ve done in your life?  And to one commenter goes a copy of my new release, A COWBOY WORTH CLAIMING.

Be sure to join my mailing list today!  I’ll be holding an exclusive BRAND NEW-sletter Contest for members of my mailing list with great prizes!  www.charlenesands.com

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON in a 4 for 3 discount

Also on EHARLEQUIN 

Find me on Twitter and Facebook

The copies of JASON’S ANGEL go to…

CHEY AND ANNE!!!

So ladies, I will be e-mailing you your copies of JASON’S ANGEL in a few moments! I hope you thoroughly enjoy reading this short story!

Cheryl

Now, wasn’t that interesting. James and Livia Reasoner are a prime example of the spirit of the West. They respect and love each very much.

The two winners of REDEMPTION: HUNTERS are……

JAMES POWELL

JERRY GUIN

Gentlemen, I’m dancing a jig for you. I know you’ll enjoy this book. Someone will contact you for your mailing particulars so keep an eye out for an email.

That’s it for now. We’ll see around the bend!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend. Here at the Junction we’re reading and relaxing.

The winner of AGAINST THE NIGHT is………………………….

CATSLADY

Congratulations! I’m so happy for you. Someone will contact you about how to claim your prize. You get your choice of paperback, Kindle, or Nook versions.

Miss Kat had a great time and wishes she had books for everyone. She’ll be back again in April.

Since Academy Awards Night is one of my favorite evenings, I thought it might be fun to talk movies.  Old favorites, new favorites, worst picks of all time.

Let’s start with the positive.  Who doesn’t love ET?  Star Wars?  Gone with the Wind?  Wizard of Oz?  They’re classics, never to be forgotten.

Sometimes I look back and realize some of the books I’ve written were probably inspired by films I had seen and loved.  Gone with the Wind, at least the pre-civil war time in the South, elegant hoop skirts and Georgia mansions led to Captain’s Bride and Creole Fires.  I went on to follow Creole Fires with Savannah Heat and Natchez Flame.  Actually stayed in a gorgeous old plantation house inNatchez built in the 1840’s.

I’m a Star Trek fan, a total Trekie.  Maybe that’s how I got interested in UFO’s and wound up writing Season Of Strangers.  I did a ton of research for that one and was amazed to find myself convinced there’s a very good possibility UFOs are real.

I love Western movies.  Quigley Down Under with Tom Selleck is a personal all-time favorite (if you haven’t seen Tom in a pair of chaps you are really missing out!).  There’s a scene in my book, The Secret, a modern-day Western set inMontana, that was definitely inspired by the movie.  I’m excited that the publisher is re-issuing the book next year.

I loved True Grit, both versions, love some of the great old Westerns like Wagon Master, Wagons West, Brigham Young.  My husband, who still writes Western novels, and I belong to Western Writers of America.  We love attending the conferences and plan to be in Albuquerque, New Mexico mid-June this year.

I love high action adventure movies.  Old ones like The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Kathryn Hepburn, new ones like Taken, with Liam Neeson.  The plot for my new book, Against the Night, may have developed from the abduction theme of the movie.

Against the Night is Johnnie Riggs’s story, a fish out of water tale about a kindergarten teacher who braves the LA underworld to find her missing sister.  Its clear Amy needs help, and John Riggs is just the man for the job.  Unfortunately, Johnnie is more interested in Amy’s luscious little body than the money she can’t afford to pay him.

It’s a romp that starts on L.A.’s Sunset Strip and travels all the way to the tropical jungles of Belize, a fast-paced, high-action, hot-blooded adventure I’m hoping readers will enjoy half as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Here’s the back cover copy:

He knows what goes on in the dark.

She’s got the face of an angel and the body of…well, isn’t that what he’d expect from an exotic dancer? But there’s something about this girl that Johnnie Riggs can’t shake. The former army ranger is hot on the trail of an elusive drug lord—and suddenly very hot under the collar, as well.

Amy’s got her own agenda to pursue: her sister is missing and Amy seems to be the only one who cares. She’ll enlist Johnnie’s help and do her best to ignore her growing attraction to finally get some answers. But when the two trails begin to converge and reveal something even more sinister than they imagined, their mutual desire is the least of their problems. They’ll bring the truth to light…or die trying.

Johnnie is a hunk and the cover of the book looks just like him.  I hope you’ll watch for Against the Night and other of the books in my AGAINST series.  Out the end of May is AGAINST THE SUN, Jake Cantrell’s story, another fast-paced, heart-pounding tale.

In the meantime, have fun and happy reading.

Warmest, Kat

Miss Kat is giving away a copy of AGAINST THE NIGHT to one lucky commenter. Join the conversation to be entered to win.

Whoo-ee! Got the cattle all rounded up and bedded down for the night and some cowpoke is singing ‘em to sleep.

The winner of “Sixty Acres and a Bride” goes to…………………..

APRIL KIRKLAND

Aye Doggies! I’m dancing a jig for you, April. Someone will contact you about how to collect your prize.

For those who didn’t win come back tomorrow. Miss Kat Martin is giving away a book.

A big thank you to everyone who commented!  The winners of Brides of the West are:

anon1001

and

chey!  

If you’ll send your address to Victoria.Bylin@gmail.com, I’ll get the books in the mail to you!

I’ll bet Miss Jenna whetted your appetite real good for her Cahill Cowboy. Sure did mine.

I folded up all the names and put them in my old floppy hat and…………

The winner is………………………………

COLLEEN

Woo-Hoo!! I’m tickled pink for you Colleen. Someone will contact you for your mailing particulars so keep an eye out.

And the rest of you ladies keep visiting the Junction. You never know what we’ll give away next.

THE LAST CAHILL COWBOY rides into Cahill Crossing this month, completing the miniseries, CAHILL COWBOYS Texas’s Finest.  Author Jenna Kernan talks about writing a continuity series.

Ever wonder what it would be like to write four stories with four authors in four months? 

That’s what the authors of the Harlequin Historical series, CAHILL COWBOYS Texas’s Finest did exactly.  I had the joy and responsibility for winding up the series.  I remember thinking, Boy, I hope I don’t disappoint the other authors.   Not the readers, or my editor—the other writers.  Here’s why…

Three talented women passed on their own precious heroes and heroines to my control.   All of them would appear in my story.  I’d never written a story with a character who was not holy my own creation and that was very disconcerting.   And I didn’t have to face the same, because my hero, Chance Cahill, doesn’t appear in their stories except by reference.  Plus, I didn’t get to see the others stories, as we were all working on them nearly simultaneously.  Was my vision of Quin, Bowie and Leanna the same as their creators?

The best part for me was the creative collaboration on the overarching mystery, of who killed the patriarchs.  That was a bunch of fun.  Why, we even had our own yahoo group that filled up with images, photos, landscapes, maps, character details, story synopses.  You can’t imagine the number of messages (431) we had back and forth. What color is Bowie’s horse?  Who ran the saddle shop?  What does the inside of Leanna’s saloon look like exactly?  Questions and more questions.

The best part of this series, for me, was working with Carol Finch, Carol Arens and Debra Cowan.

I hope you get to meet all four of the Cahills, The Rancher, Quin, The Marshal, Bowie, Saloon owner Leanna and my favorite, Bounty Hunter Chance.  In case you want a short introduction to story, THE LAST CAHILL COWBOY, here’s a little excerpt from the opening, after Chance rescues Ellie from a crazed gambler by shooting him.

EXCERPT

“Welcome home, Chance,” Ellie murmured.

He nodded, thinking about hugging her again.

“I’ve heard you’re a bounty hunter and that you’ve killed over a dozen outlaws.”

Chance said nothing to this.  Did the number impress her or sicken her? 

“But not one person mentioned you had a death wish.”

Chance drew up short.  Ellie halted beside him regarding him with a disconcerting fixed stare.  It took him a moment to mask his surprise.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”           

“I saw you back there, Chance Cahill.  Are you trying to kill yourself?”

He gave her a look that made grown men run, but she continued to stare, her thin brows now descending low over her eyes.  This was Ellie, and she knew him or had known him back when he was another person.  The little spitfire didn’t retreat.  Instead, she stood toe-to-toe and lifted her chin in a defiant attitude.  If a man looked at him like that, he’d knock him down.  As it was he’d a good mind to kiss her, just to teach her a lesson.

“Why do you care?”

“Your mother would roll right over in her grave if she saw what you pulled in there.  You were going to let that man shoot you.”

He folded his arms across his chest.  “What do you want me to say, that sometimes I think about it?  Well, I do.  Now get out of my way, Ellen Louise, or I swear you’ll be sorry.”

Her jaw dropped open, though whether from the threat or what he had said before that, he wasn’t certain.  He left her there, wondering what possessed him to tell her the truth.  And why was it that Ellen Jenkins was the only one who had noticed that he no longer cared if he lived or died? 

Her voice followed him.  “What’s happened to you?”

He kept walking.

Excerpt THE LAST CAHILL COWBOY © Jenna Kernan

 
LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF THE LAST CAHILL COWBOY.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Award-winning author, Jenna Kernan has over a dozen novels published including Western historical & paranormal romance.  She has received two RITA nominations & won the Book Buyers Best Award in 2010.  Follow Jenna on twitter jennakernan@twitter.com or at www.jennakernan.com

Thank you all for your fun comments.  The women who bucked convention and remained single during the 1800s were certainly brave. Aren’t we lucky that women today have so many more options?   A copy of my book Dawn Comes Early  goes to:

ERIN SHEPHERD

Erin send your mailing address to me at

margaret@margaretbrownley.com/

I don’t have my author copies yet so it might be two or three

weeks before it reaches you.  So hold your horses tight till it gets

there. Hee-Haw!