RELEASE DAY FOR LOVE UNDER FIRE! –by Cheryl Pierson

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!

Instant Attraction? It happens!

A new story. A new series. Book #7 of the Pink Pistol Sisterhood! I’m so excited.

As you know from Karen’s and Shanna’s stories this pink pistol with a legend attached gets passed from book to book. The woman in possession of the pistol can either accept or reject the call. But if she chooses to open her heart to the possibility of love, she will marry the man of her dreams.

I loved the premise of this series when Pam, Karen, Shanna, and Jessie first presented it. And how special that the Fillies could do it as a group. It was a wonderful idea.

My story is about Mariah Bartee, a young woman trying to raise her brother and sister after the deaths of their parents. She’s lived all her life in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado. But she dreams of going to the city that’s only thirty miles away. Without a vehicle, it might as well be the moon.

The arrival of a handsome stranger, Dax Nolan, shakes up her small world. He’s a cowboy searching for his little sister who was abducted.

When Mariah glanced up into Dax Talon’s serious brown eyes, she found him staring at her. Something in the manner of his look reminded her of summer lightning—quick with a flash of heat. Flustered, she missed a step and landed on his foot.

An attraction sparks even though she doesn’t trust strangers. Mariah finds herself agreeing to help Dax search for his sister. She warns him of the immense danger then armed with her shotgun, she leads him up the mountain to this family of moonshiners. A tip Dax had gotten told him to find the Tylers and he’d find his sister.

But…Mariah’s siblings found some bones up on the mountain, picked clean by the wild animals. Could they be Dax’s sister’s bones?

Mystery, suspense, and a blossoming romance lead to the satisfying conclusion of the 7th Pink Pistol story.

It’s available for preorder HERE. Karen Witemeyer’s and Shanna Hatfield’s books are already out. Pick them up and start following the Pink Pistol as it travels the country.

The Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series Page

And as you know, we have the FREE Pink Pistol magazines on Book Funnel. We’ve published three with a fourth soon to be available.

   

Link to Magazine 1 – Click Here     Link to Magazine 2 – Click Here     Link to Magazine 3 – Click Here 

Do you believe in instant attraction? I was instantly attracted to my second husband. I was waiting tables in a steakhouse when he came in and sat in my station. Oh man, I thought he was the most handsome, most interesting guy I’d ever met! His deep voice sent tingles through me.

I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to one of my commenters so weigh in.

LOVE UNDER FIRE — PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD BOOK #3 by Cheryl Pierson

Hi everyone! Serendipity came my way today, since it is my official PRE-ORDER DAY for my latest book AND my blog day for this month!

 

I’m so excited to have the chance to talk about my contribution to our new PINK PISTOL SISTERHOOD series. My book is LOVE UNDER FIRE and is the third of the series. There are eleven of the Petticoats and Pistols fillies participating in this venture (I should say ADVENTURE!) and we are all looking forward to traveling together to the end of this trail of wonderful stories— along with the pink pistol, of course!

 

You know what I love about these books? They span over a hundred years with historical stories from the 1800’s, 1900’s and even into the present day. That’s a lot of great storytelling to be had!

 

 

 

 

 

Karen Witemeyer kicked off our series with her story, IN HER SIGHTS. Shanna Hatfield’s LOVE ON TARGET comes next. Both of these stories are available to pre-order, and my story, LOVE UNDER FIRE is now up for pre-order as well! Soon, we’ll be looking for Kit Morgan’s story, BULLET PROOF BRIDE, the 4th in the series.

For those of you who love paperbacks, many of these books will be available in that format, too, including my LOVE UNDER FIRE, as of my release date, April 20th!

Here’s a little bit about LOVE UNDER FIRE—the story of a cavalry captain, also part Choctaw, who finds a very unexpected love with an Eastern society debutante sharpshooter! At first glance it would seem they have nothing in common, but as he tries to protect her from a would-be killer, love surprises them both.

BLURB:

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.

 

Before I treat you to an excerpt, I would love to tell you about a wonderful FREE magazine that goes along with our books. There will be four of them, and the first two 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 both magazines, so jump on over and snap them up, and be on the lookout for upcoming editions!

 

NOW FOR THE EXCERPT!

This excerpt is near the beginning of the book, after our hero, Captain Johnny Houston finds the wreckage of the stagecoach Krissy Donovan and some other passengers were on only a couple of miles from the stage station they were headed for. There’s a storm “a-brewin’” as they make it back to the station, but Krissy goes out to the barn to help care for the horses and calm her jangling nerves. The station master’s son gives Krissy a curry brush and she’s just met Josie, one of the horses. Of course, she confides everything to her new friend.

EXCERPT:

Krissy turned back to Josie with brush in hand. “Now, my darling, let’s get you taken care of. You are such a glorious girl, aren’t you?”

She leaned up conspiratorially toward Josie’s ear. “I met a man today, Josie. Captain Johnny Houston.” She plied the brush against Josie’s side, trying to ignore the shiver that rushed through her at just saying his name aloud. “You saw him.” She slowed, then stopped the brush strokes. “I’m engaged, Josie…back home in Raleigh. That’s far away from here—in North Carolina.  Everyone knows I’m to marry Eversby Witherspoon the Third in the spring.”

Krissy brushed slowly across Josie’s withers. “You know what I think is so odd, Josie? I never met him before today—Captain Houston, I mean. Yet, I feel as if I know him, somehow.” She stood back and looked Josie in the eye.

“You know exactly what I mean, don’t you, sweet girl? I feel like I know him…somehow better than—than I should.” She stopped and took a deep breath, then plunged on. “Well, I mean I only just made his acquaintance today, but…” Her shoulders slumped. “And why does it even matter? I have Eversby…”

After a moment, she said, “Who knows? I don’t even understand it. And I refuse…I refuse to put any kind of name to what I felt—” She sighed heavily. “I must have gotten hit on the head harder than I thought.” She gave another gentle brush, then said, “I don’t even know his middle name…”

Squaring her shoulders, Krissy fell silent and finished up grooming Josie. “Not that it even matters…about his middle name, I mean. Because I’ll soon be going back to North Carolina and…and Eversby…Eversby Wayne Witherspoon the Third.” Somehow, the name had lost much of its luster. With a soft pat, she added, “I know you understand, Josie-girl. I wish you could talk.”

Just then, Jason entered the back door of the barn. “Pa and the cap’n are here.”

Heat flooded through Krissy as she gave Jason a nod of acknowledgement. She was suddenly aware of her wind-blown hair and disheveled appearance. She’d never cared so much about her looks as she did at this very moment—and there wasn’t one thing she could do about it except wonder why it should matter so much.

In any case, she’d been scared silly in that runaway stage, then knocked out before she could ever take note of what was truly going on, then been without a comb…so of course she wasn’t looking her best!

But…when she’d come to from her unconscious state and found herself staring up into the darkest eyes she’d ever seen…those eyes had changed the very moment they’d connected with hers. Captain Johnny Houston had melted her heart with one smile… And just maybe her feelings had shown right through her own “windows of her soul” too, at that same moment.

But that didn’t make any kind of sense, and she knew she couldn’t believe what she’d thought she might have seen because…because she would soon be going home to Eversby Wayne Witherspoon the Third…and marriage.

Krissy quickly tried to finger-comb her hair into some kind of order from the riotous brunette disarray she knew it was. The first thing she should have done was gone through what was left of her bag and hope someone had found her comb, brush, and mirror set. Was the mirror still in one piece? Seven years of bad luck if it was broken. She gave a heavy sigh. Perhaps that was why her thoughts were so chaotic. Maybe it wasn’t at all because of the stagecoach crash, or…a certain cavalry captain.

And…speak of the devil.

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!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2143576775865837

TO PRE-ORDER:

LOVE UNDER FIRE

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX7CBQB3?linkCode=sl1&linkId=b7d26866cac9f28efc987846b38a98db&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl&tag=pettpist-20