Love Under Fire

THE ALL-TIME BEST SLOW-DANCE SONG (AND A GIVEAWAY)–by Cheryl Pierson

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Hi everyone! This is something that intrigued me the other day and I wondered what you all thought about it, too. I was on Facebook and saw this question: WHAT IS THE VERY BEST SLOW DANCE SONG?

Y’all know that got my little mind to wondering…and WANDERING! I had to scroll through many of the answers just to see what people thought—but not before I answered with my pick. The very best slow dance song (and in my opinion ONE of the very best songs ever recorded) is Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. I am careful to always say “by the Righteous Brothers” because this song had a lonnnnng history of covers and remakes before the Righteous Brothers ever made their version of it. And theirs is the best.

But what did other people think was the best? There were so many opinions—and some were songs I had not ever heard of that became popular in the 90’s and 2000’s. By the same token, I’m sure there were plenty of songs that were popular in long years gone by that I haven’t ever heard, either.

 

Since many of us write historical romance, this also made me realize that songs of those old days in history (back in the 1800’s) might not be as meaningful to us now as they were to folks then—maybe they even seem childish and simple, not a song that would speak of love to your partner as we would think of today.

HERE’S THE LINK TO UNCHAINED MELODY–JUST A GORGEOUS SONG!

https://youtu.be/IYj2hex99gY

Some of the others that people listed as the “very best slow dance song” were:

At Last by Etta James

Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton

In the Still of the Night

I Only Have Eyes for You

Only You by the Platters

Earth Angel

These are just a few! The thread was full of songs, too many to list here. My hubby and I never had a “special” song. In our early years, we had our own band and played mainly country rock and easy listenin’ music, so I heard (and sang) an lot of different songs, but Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers was always my favorite song (and that was one we never performed, because who can top the Righteous Brothers?)

Order your copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE today!

 

What is YOUR favorite slow dance song? I’m giving away two digital copies of LOVE UNDER FIRE today, so be sure to comment! (This did make me wonder what my characters, Johnny and Krissy, might have wanted to slow dance to way back in 1899!)  

CHERYL’S WINNERS

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Thanks so much for coming by today and reading about my “found” treasure, the sugar bowl, and commenting! I appreciate each and every one of you! 

My winners are…..

 MEGAN AND CONNIE!

Please e-mail me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com to CLAIM YOUR PRIZE! 

THE TREASURED SUGAR BOWL–by CHERYL PIERSON

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I don’t know if y’all remember my “attic saga” from a few months ago, but I wanted to tell you about a particular treasure I found. The attic floor was sagging from all the “stuff” that was stored up there—yes, it was all stuff I had kept, but in my defense a lot of it had come from other places: My mom’s and dad’s when they could no long live at home; my oldest sister when she had her stroke and had to go into a nursing home; and of course, the things I’d kept for my kids; and my OWN keepsakes! WHEW! That was a lot!

Everything has been cleaned out and gotten rid of or “re-kept”, but I’m down to a total of about 18 containers now from probably close to 75 or 80. There were still 5 or 6 that I had not gone through that I’d brought downstairs, knowing they were going to take some time, since they were a hodgepodge of things that included correspondence and pictures, as well as other things.

 

My dad and mom on their 47th wedding anniversary

                                             My dad and mom on their 47th wedding anniversary

But the very first time I opened one of them up and started to go through it, I found something wrapped in cotton, and then in tissue paper, and a bag, and I knew that was something my mom had done. Mom was one to always write notes on things to let us know what they were. This was something my sisters and I would roll our eyes at, because she was so detailed in the descriptions she wrote.

But this time, I was so glad.

This treasure was something I’d never seen or known about. It was a sugar bowl. The note explained it all, and I still get teary when I think of it.

 

You see, my sisters were 10 and 12 when I was born, so a good part of my parents’ lives together had already happened by the time I came along. Certainly, the very hard times of first starting out together, of having their first home, and their first child (and second!) and those lean years that were now in the past.

But the sugar bowl told the story in a way conversational description could not.

When I unwrapped it, it was a China pattern I had never seen, so the sugar bowl must have remained after the other pieces had been broken. Maybe that’s why she saved it. I took the lid off, half-hoping there would be a note inside to tell why it had been wrapped so carefully and kept all those years.

I was not disappointed. This note is so typical of the things my mom wrote and taped to keepsakes. She didn’t want her life or the past to be forgotten. What a blessing to have found this!

 

This just made my heart glad in so many ways, and this sugar bowl, with the note inside, is sitting on the top shelf of my desk so I can just glance up at it whenever I want. That remembrance she included in the note of how happy she and my dad were with their little family, before I was ever born, is something I will treasure forever.

 

Mom and Dad, newlyweds, 1944

Of everything I’ve come across in those crates from the attic, this is the most treasured item I’ve found so far. There is a chip in the lid, and a crack that has been glued back together, and Mom’s ever-present masking tape holding the lid shut so it won’t fall off and break, but it will take a lot to beat this treasure!

 

In my book, LOVE UNDER FIRE, my heroine, Krissy, finds the pink pistol amidst her possessions. She doesn’t know who it belongs to or how it came to be in her bag, but instantly, she admires the feel of the wooden case, and she knows it was carved with such love. That’s how I feel about this sugar bowl. That note my mom included is filled with love and gratitude for those sweet memories of earlier days.

Have you ever found or been given something that had been forgotten or put away that you felt this way about? Please tell us about it!

I’m giving away a DIGITAL COPY of Love Under Fire to two lucky commenters! Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you won!

Order your copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE today!

Be sure to check out the PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD series page on AMAZON!

CHERYL’S WINNERS

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Hi everyone!

I wanted to thank each and every one of you who came over today and read and commented on my LOVE UNDER FIRE release post! You made my release day AMAZING! 

The prizes go to….(DRUMROLL PLEASE)…

1 FREE DIGITAL COPY OF LOVE UNDER FIRE–LAINI

$25 Amazon gift card–KAREN JENNINGS

PLEASE CONTACT ME AT: fabkat_edit@yahoo.com and I’ll get your prizes sent to you ASAP!

Thanks again for a wonderful day today!

RELEASE DAY FOR LOVE UNDER FIRE! –by Cheryl Pierson

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I have been so excited for today to get here ever since I started writing my story LOVE UNDER FIRE, Book 3 in our PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD sweet romances series!

My heroine, Krissy Donovan, is on the verge of spinsterhood because of her unconventional ways in the staid society of Raleigh, North Carolina. But the year is 1899, and women have a bit more freedom in their lives—all, it seems, but Krissy and her two younger sisters. A crack shot, and even a part time teacher at Miz Oakley’s shooting classes, she is “volunteered” by her father to travel to Indian Territory to put on a shooting exhibition at an orphanage in Miz Oakley’s place. It’s a long, tedious journey, but she learns some wonderful things along the way about herself and how to break free of some of the expectations her parents have foisted upon her. She longs for true love and marriage—just not the one her mother has been planning for her!

Johnny Houston, might just be that true love Krissy is yearning for. But how can that be? They hardly know one another, and he’s already made it very plain to her that she is his “last assignment” before he musters out of the cavalry. Escorting her to the very orphanage where he and his brother spent a few painful years when they were growing up is something he wants to complete and be done with. He certainly has no idea of falling in love and getting married, of all things.

But when that mysterious pink pistol shows up, all bets are off and plans change for everyone, proving that there might just be such a thing as love at first sight… Especially when there is an orphanage full of children who need a fresh start, just as Johnny and Krissy do. With so much at stake, and so many obstacles how can they make it all work out?

 

BLURB:

His last assignment gets complicated when a beautiful sharpshooter targets his heart.

Beautiful Krissy Donovan, a student of Annie Oakley, is asked to put on a sharpshooting benefit for an orphanage. The trouble is, it’s half a continent away. Her father has promised her services, and she finds herself virtually alone in perilous Indian Territory. Krissy’s father realizes he has made a terrible mistake, but a cavalry scout, familiar with the savage land, is the only one who can protect Krissy now.

Rough-and-tumble cavalry captain Johnny Houston resents being asked to take on this last assignment of playing nursemaid to an eastern debutante before he musters out of the army. Johnny understands his duty as a soldier, so turning the order down is out of the question. With a killer stalking them, Johnny has to keep his mind on Krissy’s safety, but an attraction to his stubborn charge could end up compromising his heart.

Memories of his own harsh childhood at the same orphanage haunt him. He has no choice but to make a stand for the children, or some of them won’t survive. Krissy dares to hope she can help in some way, even though it means giving up the lavish future that has been planned for her since birth.

How far will Johnny go with his dangerous rescue plan? Where does Krissy fit into his life? The strange arrival of a beautiful pink pistol with the legacy of its creation may help them survive the deadly odds against them in LOVE UNDER FIRE.

 

LOVE UNDER FIRE is available in e-book and paperback formats at Amazon, and is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited!

EXCERPT:

Johnny and Krissy are on their way to the orphanage for the exhibition, but just as Johnny expected, there is someone following them. There are secrets he has kept from Krissy, but now it’s time to tell her everything. Here’s what happens:

They walked together toward the riverbank in silence. There was a smooth, flat outcropping of rock hanging over the river that Johnny unerringly moved toward.

Krissy laughed in delight as they neared it. “It’s beautiful here! And perfect.” She gave him a teasing grin. “Something tells me you’ve been here a time or two, Johnny. You knew right where to come for the best seat in the house.”

He looked preoccupied, she thought, but he still kept his hand at her back to steady her as they climbed the upward slope of the ground to get to the rock, and helped her sit. He took the seat opposite her where he had a good view of the area they’d come from.

Krissy realized this wasn’t coincidental, and she reached to rub her hand over the pistol she wore in the belt of her dungarees.

He nodded. “You’re right to be worried, Kris. You keep watch behind me, and I’ll do the same for you, honey.”

A fiery moment of dread slithered through Krissy. “Someone is after us.” It was a statement, not a question. This trip had felt ‘off’ from the moment her father had mentioned it. She supposed that was why she’d not been as enthusiastic about coming as she normally might have been. She just hadn’t listened to her own intuition.

“Yes. I believe so. There’s a lot to say, and some of it is pretty incredible, but don’t discount any of it until you’ve heard me out.”

“Who would want to hurt us?”

“Not ‘us’, Krissy. It’s you they’re after.”

“Johnny—”

“Listen to me.” Impatiently, he shook his head. “I don’t know where they are, or who they are, or how many. They’re out there, though, shading us. Twice today, I’ve seen the flash of metal in the sunlight.” He gave her a cool look. “Far away, but it was there, both times. I expect they’ll make their move under cover of darkness.”

 

I love that Krissy is confident with using her guns, but until Johnny tells her the rest of this story, she has no idea what kind of danger she is in or how to deal with it. She has no clue as to what is about to happen–especially without Johnny’s protection! This scene and the follow-up talk Krissy and Johnny have makes me think of how many times I’ve been so naïve–and boy, when I found out the truth of what might have happened, I’ve had a good scare or two. Have you ever been in some kind of danger and not realized it until later?

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT and tell us about it! This will enter you in the drawing for the prizes today!

 

 

I would also love to tell you about some wonderful FREE magazines that go along with our books. There will be four of them, and the first three are available NOW! They cost nothing and are full of recipes and stories, as well as a few short interviews of some of the P&P ladies you might be interested in, along with all the latest news and excerpts from the PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD stories. The links are below for the magazines, so jump on over and snap them up, and be on the lookout for edition #4 coming soon!

 

 

Also, don’t miss out on Volume 3 of the Pink Pistol Magazine that just released a few days ago.  You’ll find excerpts from Kari Trumbo, Winnie Griggs, and Linda Broday, as well as a short story from Karen Kay, along with recipes, games, and more!

If you missed these first three magazines, here are the links!

Pink Pistol Magazine 1 Link

Pink Pistol Magazine 2 Link

Get your FREE copy of the PINK PISTOL MAGAZINE 3 here!

 

 

To celebrate the release of  LOVE UNDER FIRE, I will be giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate–(perfect to use on the Pink Pistol stories!) AND will also be giving away one digital copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE! 

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in today’s drawing!

(MORE PRIZES TO BE WON AT THE FB PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD RELEASE PARTY TODAY–SEE LINK BELOW!)

 

One more thing you may be interested in is our PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD READER GROUP ON FACEBOOK! Please join us there for lots of brain teasers (from PAM!) and the latest news about this fun series. EVERYONE IS WELCOME! COME ON OVER TO OUR READER GROUP TODAY FOR MY RELEASE PARTY AND MORE PRIZES!

PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD READER GROUP

 

Order your copy of LOVE UNDER FIRE today!

A NEW SERIES FROM PETTICOATS & PISTOLS! by Cheryl Pierson

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Today is the BIG DAY we are announcing a new series from some of our Petticoats & Pistols authors! HOW EXCITING!

 

I can’t say TOO much yet, but this series is about—a matchmaking pistol! How does that work? (I know you are wondering!)  Well, hopefully you will be intrigued enough by that little tidbit to follow THE PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD as the pistol is handed off through time to some couples who really need a little extra help in all kinds of different ways. The Legend of the Pink Pistol is a thread that ties all these stories together and lets our couples discover why love and marriage is so important to each of them—and why their special romance is something they can’t live without.

 

Karen Witemeyer kicks off our new series with her book, IN HER SIGHTS, starting the journey of the pink pistol in 1893. You can preorder Karen’s book on March 2 (mark your calendars, it’s comin’ up!)

 

There will be a new release every 10 days, so y’all get ready for some fabulous stories.

Shanna Hatfield is second with her addition, LOVE ON TARGET, another historical tale that you will not want to miss!

My story, LOVE UNDER FIRE, is book #3, taking place in wild Indian Territory of 1899. My heroine, Krissy Donovan, has been asked to travel from North Carolina to Indian Territory perform a sharpshooting exhibition as a favor to none other than Miz Annie Oakley, the woman who trained her. Krissy is in some danger, and a handsome cavalry captain, Johnny Houston, must escort her through Indian Territory safely. Will they find love along the way?

Here’s the blurb:

Drawn to Indian Territory because of her father’s reckless promise, eastern sharpshooter Krissy Donovan is forced to accept the protection of a cynical cavalry captain. With a killer stalking them, Johnny Houston can’t afford any distractions, especially an attraction to his stubborn charge that could end up compromising his heart.

 

Kit Morgan’s story, BULLET PROOF BRIDE, takes place in 1900–another historical! 

Shanna’s story, mine, and Kit’s will all be available for pre-order on MARCH 10, but don’t forget that Karen’s story will be available to preorder on MARCH 2!

But that’s not all–Kari Trumbo, Winnie Griggs, Linda Broday, Pam Crooks, Jeannie Watt, Julie Benson, and Jessie Gussman have their own stories of THE PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD that will capture your heart and lead us through time to present day with the little pistol that makes it all possible! 

We have a special place at Facebook where you can keep up with all the wonderful stories in this series—THE PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD group! Here’s the link—and we sure hope you’ll pop on over there and take a look. We’ll have lots of things going on there, and here on the blog—prizes, fun, and some great conversations about these exciting tales of ours! COME ON OVER AND JOIN US!

FACEBOOK PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2143576775865837

LOVE UNDER FIRE is available for pre-order on MARCH 10! RELEASE DATE, APRIL 20!

 

Petticoats & Pistols