I am thrilled to be with you again and to introduce my third book in the Hers to Redeem series. As some of you have heard me say, this is my favorite multiple-author series. I love the premise where something happens in the hero’s life that causes him to change and withdraw. However, the heroine comes along and makes him reassess his decision.
Inman’s Impersonation is set in Montana, one of the most majestic states I’ve ever visited, and I’ve been to all fifty. With gorgeous scenery, an abundance of wildlife, and a wealth of natural minerals, it’s been called the “Treasure State. The Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone National Park are two features that draw many tourists each year. The state is also known as “Big Sky Country.”
After his invalid father dies in Tennessee, Inman Lowe sells the farm and heads to Montana to find his older brother. When he finally finds him, Garvis is secretly mixed up with a group of thieves. Two of the bank robbers are caught and falsely tell the sheriff that Inman is also involved. At his brother’s advice, he runs and ends up being mistaken for the expected new sheriff in a small town. Being caught off guard, Inman goes along with the ruse, thinking it’s a good way to hide. He tries to be reclusive, but when he starts to fall for the storekeeper’s daughter, things get complicated. Why did he have to meet the woman of his dreams when he was living a lie?
Whenever I’m writing a book in this series, it becomes my favorite, and Inman’s Impersonation was no exception. I fell in love with Inman and the stray dog he picks up along the way. The man has a good heart, but he makes a bad decision and pays dearly for it. Come along with Inman and experience his adventures as he travels from Tennessee to find his older brother and ends up in Meadowlark, Montana where his life takes even more unexpected turns. The book just released and is available on Kindle, KU, print, and audible.
Here is an excerpt:
As he did with most growing towns, Inman skirted Missoula and headed north. About fifty miles out of Missoula, he decided to stop at the next town he came to because he needed to restock.
Meadowlark looked promising. He liked the neat town that had more businesses than he expected. He rode through to get the lay of the town, tied his horses, and turned to walk around on foot.
“What do you think, Driff?” Inman looked at his dog. “Do you think this might be a good place to settle?”
He didn’t intend to live in the saddle indefinitely. He wanted to find a place where he might fit in while he lay low. A town like this should have some kind of job he could do or at least at one of the surrounding ranches.
He decided to go to the general store first and see if he could gather any news. They would likely know of any jobs around.
“Hey, stranger,” a well-dressed man stopped him. “You look like you might be the man we’ve been looking for.”
Inman raised his eyebrows, but he didn’t say a word. He didn’t know what to say.
“We don’t get many strangers in Meadowlark, so I assume that you’re our new sheriff. I got a telegram, saying that you were on the way and should arrive today.”
The man put out his hand, and Inman shook it. “I’m Phineas P. Bradbury, the mayor of Meadowlark.”
“Inman…” Inman faltered. He couldn’t give the man his real name. He shouldn’t have even said Inman since an unusual first name would stand out.
The mayor looked pleased. “I know. Inman Lane. Except the telegram gave your name as I. J. Lane. Welcome to Meadowlark, Mr. Lane. We’re so glad you’re here. We are desperately in need of a sheriff. Come on; let me show you around and help you settle in. The rooms in the back of the jail should fit your needs for now. Do you have baggage?”
What is the place with the most beautiful scenery you’ve ever been to?
A winner will be selected to win a free Kindle copy of Inman’s Impersonation.
I write Christian historical western romance with a little faith, fun, and always a happily-ever-after.
Forty-one years ago (how time flies) I was a young geology student. One of the final hurdles before getting a geology degree is Field Camp. This I where you camp for weeks with other geology students and professors and learn to map and apply your knowledge to the real world. It’s fun and challenging and nerve rattling.
Cranes, which come here to nest, are gathering in the stubble and feasting on grain and probably mice.
mer drought, began to die. In January, the temperatures plummeted, perhaps as low as -63°F. A chinook came then, melting the top of the snow, then temperatures fell again, creating a hard crus on top of the deep snow. Stories tell of horses and cattle cut and bleeding from the knees down as they attempted to navigate the crusted snow. Cattle roamed into towns, bawling for food and eating shrubbery. Since little forage had been put up, ranchers had 
no choice but to watch their herds, their very livelihoods, starve and die.
tranger to cold weather. I was born in northern Idaho and I was there for the record cold temperature of -42°F in 1968. My dad was in college and we lived in a house with no insulation to speak of. My bedroom window, frame and all, would occasionally fall into my room if the front door was shut too hard and the nail holding it in wasn’t adjusted just right. I remember my mom putting so many blankets on my bed during that cold snap that once I was under them, I could barely move. The horses started running because of the cold and broke through the fence into the wheat fields. They had to be caught. Good times.
w in the world did the early settlers on the prairie–and I’m thinking the wind-whipped prairies with no mountains in sight–stay warm in those little cabins and sod houses with no wood to stoke the fires? The answer is cattle and buffalo chips and hay twists. The chips are, of course, dried bovine dung. The hay twists are bundles of dry grass twisted together. Both of these fuels burn hot, creating a lot of ash. The fire needs tended full time. One excerpt I read talked about one family member leaving the cabin with a bucket of ashes every time another came in with a load of fuel.
The following excerpt illustrates the ongoing battle of staying warm and cooking with cattle chips.