By Caroline Clemmons
Dear Readers,
Thanks to everyone who made the Facebook launch day for my western historical romance, THE
MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP, fun. Please spread the word and make this book a
bestseller on Amazon and other sites.
This book was difficult to write. I started before we
decided to move from our rural home and downsize to a home in the city.
Although I love our new-to-us home and location, moving about killed us. We had
accumulated way too much stuff and were forced to make hard decisions about
what to discard. In fact, we are still making those decisions.
Trying to get into the writing zone while moving proved
almost impossible. My Hero did far more than his share of packing, hauling, and
sorting. And there was a lot to haul to charities or the dump. We saved some
collectibles so long they were no longer collectible and qualified only as
junk.
Anyway, now we’re moved into our cozy home that is close to
everything. We love the convenience. But I have digressed.
THE MOST UNSUITABLE COURTSHIP is about Storm Kincaid,
brother of the heroines in THE MOST UNSUITABLE WIFE and THE MOST UNSUITABLE
HUSBAND. Storm’s mother was Cherokee and he inherited her coloring. But he has
the startling purple-blue eyes of his father.
The heroine of this book is Renata “Rena” Hausmann Dmitriev,
who has come from Bavaria with the man who rescued her from death. To protect
her further, Abram Dmitriev married Rena in name only. Now she’s a widow and
curious to know more about what goes on between men and women.
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
She emerged from the
brush straightening her trousers and shoving her pistol back into her
waistband. “Where do you think those men are going?”
“Indian Territory.
They’ll steal all they can before they reach the Red River and leave no
survivors to identify them. They’re selling off the stolen stock along the way,
so that will slow them some.” He wondered if she knew how to use the gun.
“But I saw their
faces.”
He sent her what he
hoped was a frightening stare. “If they knew that, you’d be dead for sure.”
She shivered, but
glared at him. “Do not think to frighten me. I will do everything I can to kill
these men and reclaim my gold and my mother’s locket. It is not that I care
about the jewelry that once belonged to Abram’s wife. But to him, it meant a
great deal, and I want it because he gave it to me.”
Storm wanted to shake
her. Not that he hadn’t lived all his life with stubborn women. At least his
oldest sister Pearl made sense. He’d worried about shy Sarah, especially when
she’d appeared head over heels with a con man. Now that Sarah and Nate were
married, she had life figured out. Nate had surprised everyone, even himself.
Storm suppressed a smile and worked up his anger again at his traveling
companion.
“We can be in Llano by
nightfall. We’ll get a couple of rooms there and you can rest.”
She shot him a
suspicious glare. “You think to abandon me in that town. If we stay somewhere,
we will be in the same room so I can watch you.”
Shocked, Storm wondered
what he could do with this woman. “We wouldn’t be allowed to stay in a decent
hotel. You want to sleep over a saloon? Besides that, folks will be shocked
when they see you in those trousers. You want people to think you’re a fallen
woman?”
With her chin raised,
she placed her hands on her hips. “I am a good woman. You can tell them we are
married and I wear britches to ride more easily.” She held up her hand and
wiggled her fingers. “I have a wedding band, see?”
He raised his hands and
backed up a step. “Oh, no. I’m not even pretending to be married. If I were
ready to marry, which I’m not, I’d pick a woman who knew when to let a man do
his job.”
“Ha, and when I recover my dowry, I will marry a
man who knows a woman can do as much as a man.”
He swept a formal bow.
“And when you marry, will you be wearing the lovely gown you now wear?”
She appeared angry
enough to use that Colt on him. “You are wrong to…to talk so. I do not have the
English words to tell you what I think, but do not try to leave me behind. If
you do, I will go after the men alone.”
Disgusted, Storm
stomped over and retrieved the horses. “Then let’s go.”
They rode into Llano in
late afternoon. Since they arrived mid week, the town appeared peaceful and quiet.
Storm spotted a hotel by the livery he remembered.
“If you’re determined
to stick to me like glue, let’s stable the horses.”
At the stable, she
staggered when she dismounted and he thought she might fall. He grabbed her
arms. “Steady. You’re not used to riding so long.”
“Ja, my legs do not
work so well. Do not worry, I will be fine in a minute.”
She remained quiet
while he dealt with the hostler and insured his rifle and saddle would be safe.
He threw his saddlebags over his shoulder and retrieved the two pillowcases and
box he’d tied to the saddle pommel. They ambled the block toward the hotel.
He indicated a mercantile. “Just what we need.
After we get our room, let’s head for that store before it closes. You probably
need to replace a few things that burned.” When she glared at him. “I’ll give
you the money, all right? I don’t want folks thinking my wife runs around in men’s clothes. If anyone gets nosy, tell them
you lost your bag crossing a river.”
She sniffed and
sashayed as if she wore a ball gown instead of ill-fitting men’s trousers. “I
will keep track and repay you when I kill those men.”
I hope you will read and enjoy THE MOST UNSUITABLE
COURTSHIP. The buy links are:
If you read this book, please leave a review on Amazon.
