Miss Prinsella Primm, of Culdesac Corners, California, and Lifestyle Editor of the Courant, is visiting Wildflower
Junction today to present her interview with outlaw Jack Ransom, hero of Tanya Hanson’s latest release, Christmas for Ransom. One commenter today will receive a copy of the novella either PDF or Kindle version, so y’all, don’t be strangers.
November 30, 1880
MISS PRIMM, primly: Mr. Ransom, although I do detect a glint of naughtiness in your eyes, I also sense a good heart beneath the bulging muscles of your chest. So how is it you sank so low as to become a notorious outlaw?
JACK, fingering his pocket for his flask: How is it, Miss Primm, you rose up to become a newspaperwoman?
MISS PRIMM, more primly: My dear Mr. Ransom, journalism is a most honorable profession. Unlike yours. And this interview is about you, not me. So for our readers’ sake, how did your career path as an outlaw come about?
JACK, eyes downcast: When my gram-maw died, I lost my direction. She raised me up, and with her gone, I discovered I was good at something bad: stealing horses.
MISS PRIMM, shuddering: Goodness gracious, I believe your grandmother must be looking down in horror at your disgrace.
JACK, cheeks that bear three days-stubble turning red: I reckon you’re correct, ma’am. I loved her so. That’s why I decided to mend my evil ways and honor one of her deathbed requests. Jacky, learn to read.
MISS PRIMM, holding up two fingers: Would you mind sharing the other?
JACK, forehead wrinkling like a piece of paper: Share what, ma’am? A book.
MISS PRIMM, lips pursed: No. The other request.
JACK, redder yet: Oh, that. To live a righteous life. As you see, that trail never got blazed. But I’m gonna start now.
MISS PRIMM Primm, glaring with genteel disapproval: Who coached you in this dreadful life-altering decision?
JACK, with a wicked yet disarming grin: That would be Ahab Perkins, leader of the pack. We met up at approximately age thirteen. No folks, no home. No nothing. So we picked up a few more hooligans along the way. Truth is, our gang got along so good for a time we might have been a Boy Scout troop.
MISS PRIMM, peering over her spectacles: Try again, Mr. Ransom. Boy Scouting won’t originate for twenty years. Besides, horse stealing would be anathema to the Scout slogan Do a Good Turn Daily.
JACK RANSOM’s whiskey-colored eyes widen: Mighty big word there, ma’am.
MISS PRIMM, wearing a schoolmarm frown: Why, I thought you had honored that deathbed vow and learned to read.
JACK, eyelids lowering like they might do when he slept: Did so. Hiring a tutor is how I met my Eliza. She’s the schoolteacher in Pleasure Stakes, Texas.
MISS PRIMM, somewhat jealous: Eliza?
JACK, proud: Yep. My lady love. Me and she managed to get snowbound down in Backbone Hollow. She’s quite a gal, my Eliza. You see, while she tutored me, she had no notion whatsoever it was me who thieved her granny’s horses. For that matter, neither did I.
MISS PRIMM, profoundly jealous, disheartened and ready to close out the interview: Well, I hope you did all your homework.
JACK, triumphant: That I did, ma’am. Eliza and me, we’ll have a good life with me gone all reformed. Miss Primm, I surely do thank you for your time today. And dear lady, a most merry Christmas to you and yourn.
He leans across her battered desk and kisses her soft spinster cheek. Her face flames in pure delight as he heads out of the Courant office, his backside swaying over his boot heels in just the right way.
Miss Primm dearly wishes she’d been the one to get snowbound with the handsome, reformed rascal.
Blurb: Rebellious and independent, schoolmarm Eliza Willows wants to find the crook who thieved her rich granny’s horses and knocked Eliza out cold. When outlaw “Canyon” Jack Ransom hires the beautiful ‘marm to teach him to read, sparks fly and worlds collide…until she finds out just who her lover is.
Excerpt:
Pinching herself, she lost interest in everything except seeing what the stranger looked like in the lantern light. Brawny stalwart men were nothing new in a railroad town or on the ranch, but she never minded a good view.
Her breath caught so hard her sore rib tweaked. He was magnificent. The big-brimmed hat and flowing duster reckoned him a wrangler of some sort coming in from the range. Although he needed a bath and truly looked the worse for wear, she didn’t mind one single bit. The scruffy cheeks, the long rag-taggle coat, even the scent of masculine sweat were far more her style than the slick-haired dandies and overdressed fops she’d met at Boston cotillions.
“This here’s Ransom,” Ben said helpfully.
As he moved closer, the stranger removed his hat and tucked it under his arm with a polite half-nod. For a long luscious moment, eyes the color of manly liquor covered her with a mouth-watering gaze. Golden-brown hair touched the mountains of his shoulders like sunlight at dawn across the Guadalupe Mountains.
Air left her lungs. A slow burn started at the top of her spine, simmering at her breasts and pounding with fire at her womanly notch. Her nipples ached for his firm lips, her flesh desperate for the days’ worth of roughness adorning cheekbones carved like crags and valleys. She had to hold her hand still to keep her fingers from caressing the deep etches of his face.
Eliza couldn’t move as she stared up at him, aching and eager.
http://tinyurl.com/cbvyh8d Amazon
http://tinyurl.com/bne8e7g The Wild Rose Press
A California beach girl, I love cowboys and happy-ever-afters. My firefighter hubby and I enjoy travel, our two little grandsons, country music, McDonald's iced coffee, and volunteering at the local horse rescue. I was thrilled last year to receive the CTRR Award at Coffeetime Romance for Sanctuary, my tribute to my cancer-survin' hubby!
Wow think that I would like Jack Ransom under my Christmas tree……oh wait a minute he sounds a little like my husband so I guess I already have him. I would love a copy of Christmas for Ransom!
Clever post, Tanya. So little time, so many cowboys…
Hugs!
Snowbound with Jack Ransom…sign me up!!!
Toss my hat in the drawing too. Loved your post and look forward to reading “Christmas for Ransom”, sounds awesome.
Hi Connie, I’ve got a pretty cool hubby, too..actually the photo is a cowpoke who wrangled on the wagon train trip we went on around the Tetons. He gave me full permission to use photos of him any time, anywhere. I was taking so many pix hubby told me to tell Garrett I was a western romance author and thought he was the perfect cowboy…or else he would think e a stalker LOL. Thanks so much for posting today, and enjoy your Christmastime! It’s always so good to see you here!
Hi Margaret and Renee, my beloved filly sisters. Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m trying to develop a WordPress blog with Miss Primm (an unidentified ancestor; I named her myself LOL) as my alter ago, but as Margaret says…so little time! Love to you both. xo
Hi sbarnes, consider yourself in the toss. I hope you like the story. I had such fun writing it and it is one of my favorites! So nice to have you stop by today!
Hi Tanya!
What a fun blog, and I love the premise of your story. Wishing you much success, and Merry Christmas!
Well, Tanya, I’m in love with Jack Ransom. You’ve done it again! LOL I see why you had such fun creating him, and I know the sparks are gonna fly between him and Eliza, for sure. If I was Miss Primm, I’d be feeling the same way after that interview. Good luck with this one–it looks like a winner to me!
Hugs, my filly sister!
Cheryl
Hi Lynne, thanks for the comment. I so appreciate your good wishes. Merry Christmas backatcha! xo
Great excerpt, I think Jack Ransome sounds like a cowboy a school marm could love. 🙂
Your cover is just so stunning! Best wishes on the book…
Love the cover and it sounds like a great read! Best of luck to you. 🙂
Oh now what great Christmas prsent to find under the tree on Christmas morning.. Jack Ransom is going on my Christmas wish list for sure.
Love this, Tanya. Jack is yummy! Wouldn’t mind being snowbound with him myself. And that cover is just plain beautiful!
Hi Mary, yowza, as a former schoolmarm, I agree with ya entirely! xoxo Thanks, sister.
Thanks so much, Cheryl. I so admire your books and thank ya kindly for the love today, sis! xo
Love the interview with Jack. What a cowboy!! Looks like you have yourself a great little tale there, ma’am. Would love to win but may just have to rustle up a copy on my own.
Hi Veronica, when I got the cover, I about collapsed. It’s such a dream. Although my project in 2013 is overhauling my writing room and framing all my covers, this one got framed immediately! Design by Debbie Taylor. Thanks for stopping by today and for the lovely wishes!
Hi Maeve, first off, I love your name and plan on using it someday. I’ve got an “M” series going LOL. I so appreciate you stopping by today and wishing me well. Merry Christmas!
Hi Kathleen, I sure hope you enjoy your Christmas present LOL.
Jack is a stunner…if I do say so myself LOL. Thanks so much for visiting Wildflower Junction today and saying hi to Jack.
And me of course LOL.
Hi Christine, it’s raining today in my little corner (culdesac) of the world and nothing better than a cuddle-up with a good story…unfortunately my reading these days is pretty dark: researching the Donner party for an upcoming young adult I’ve got going. (Okay, we forego the gore and concentrate on NOT taking shortcuts LOL.) I hope you enjoy the story! Blessed Christmas to you and yours.
Hi Elizabeth, aw thanks. So glad you posted today, sister! Always love having you around. xo
Love Miss Primm and her interview of Ransom!! So funny. And if I hadn’t already decided to download the book into my Kindle the excerpt certainly sealed the deal. I can just picture Ransom in my mind. Your description was so vivid.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and much success in 2013!
Oh, Tanya, you have done it again! Given us that spark of ‘I have to find out what is happening next’. Another winner for you.
Hope all is well with you. Think of you often. I am older now and still don’t have a vehicle to go out to the burro reserve.
Mary J
Jack Ransom sounds like my kind of guy!! Wonderful cover and story. Love that excerpt too.
Oh that was a wonderful character interview! I really enjoyed it! 🙂 I will say that book cover is one of my favs… truly beautiful!
Congrats on the release, Tanya! Sounds like a great adventure. Love the tension of “wait until she finds out who he is.”
Love the interview and the pictures.
Loved it and I think you have a gorgeous cover!
Fell in love with the book cover yesterday when I saw it. Now your excerpt has done me in. Happy
Holidays.
Loved the post, Tanya! I have to agree with Miss Primm, I’m a bit jealous of Eliza myself. 🙂
–Kirsten
Hi Linda, when ya read it…I got info on the Canadian river from you, but if I put it wrong in the book, sheesh. I tried LOL. Thanks so much for your kind words and good wishes, filly sister! And Miss Primm is so fun to work with…she never gives me any lip!
Hi Mary J, I think of you, too, fellow donkey admirer! Loving and supporting them is so important and the next best thing to being there. I haven’t made it to the horse rescue as regularly these days myself. I so appreciate your commenting today and hope you enjoy the story. Blessings!
Hi Charlene, I know how much you love those cowboys. Yes, Jack’s right up your alley. Thanks! Love ya…
Hi Colleen, why, thanks kindly! I’m trying to have Miss Primm do interviews of my friends’ characters at the new personal blog I’m trying to give birth to…I so appreciate you commenting today and all your visits to us fillies here. And yes, this cover was a “be still my heart” moment for me. Love it!
Hi Melissa, well, no spoilers here but she does find at a most inopportune moment to say the least. ‘Course we all know it’ll be a happy ending nonetheless. I so appreciate your good wishes and your comment today!
Hi Nancy so glad you enjoyed everything! I appreciate it.
Catslady, always good to see you here. And thanks for lovin’ it! Merry Christmas early.
Howdy Nancy C., always glad to hear about hooking somebody in. Hope you like the story!
Hi Kirsten, yep, she’s somebody to be jealous of LOL. I borrowed Eliza’s portrait from my friend author Caroline Clemmons’ ancestral collection. I hate to say it, but my ancestors just don’t make the cuteness cut. Sheesh. (Hence the sturdy Miss Primm.)
Hi Tanya, I would love to win this book!! Thanks to
Mary Manner for sharing about your book. You are a new to me author that I want to learn more about. This would be my first of yours. The cover of this book is stunning!!
Hi Cathy, Mary sure is a gem, isn’t she? She’s been a real cyber-pal of support. I am so glad to be meeting you today! Thanks for the visit to Wildflower Junction. And don’t be a stranger!
Great interview! Love the cover of this book, beautiful. It sounds like a fantastic read.
Hi Quilt Lady…you’re just in time. The drawing is set to begin….I gotta shut down a tad early as we’ve been up since before the chickens due to a house remodel and workers here while it’s still dark. I need my shut-eye. Thanks, everyone, for the love, for the good wishes, For welcoming Jack and Eliza into the world!
This sounds like a really sweet story! I loved the interview and excerpt! Thanks for offering this giveaway! Congratulations, Tanya, on your new release!
Nancee
quiltcat26[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
Looks like quite a story! I’m working on a western right now. I love them. And that’s a beautiful cover, too!
Great interview. This looks wonderful!