Title: The Queen of Paradise Valley
Author: Cat Dubie
Genre: Historical Western Romance
Book Blurb:
Diana Rennie, daughter of a wealthy rancher, attempts to persuade Del Russell to forgive her father for past mistakes. Her careful plan goes awry and results in a shotgun wedding and a prison sentence for Del.
Four years later, Del is back with a vengeance—back for his rightful share of Diana's ranch, back to prove he isn't a criminal, back to finish what the two of them started years ago in a passionate daze. And he isn’t going anywhere, no matter what beautiful, treacherous Diana does or says to try to get rid of him.
Two strong-willed people, two opposing views—their tempestuous battles become as legendary as the land they both love and must fight together to save.
Excerpt:
Del didn't know if the man pursued the topic, for he no longer listened. He envisioned Diana in the tent undressing for bed. Was she, like Lord’s statue of nude Aphrodite, flawlessly designed? He looked up. Piper had gone, but Clem was still there, eyeing him thoughtfully.
"And what do you think?" Del asked. "You agree with Piper?"
Clem hunched forward, burrowed deeper into his jacket and rubbed his knuckles together. "Ain’t no use being hitched to a woman and never sharing her bed."
"You know why we were married. Whatever pulled us together that one time is gone. She'd shoot me if I laid a hand on her. Hell, I get within ten feet of her, she turns to ice. She's as far away from me as the moon."
"When Mr. Owen was alive, she was different. I reckon them days are gone forever."
Del wondered just how different she might have been. How had that damned Spanish Count known her?
The foreman stirred the fire. "I 'member the first time I seen her in Rennieville. Mr. Owen's fancy New York daughter was just a scared girl, not knowing what to expect from a father she never seen since she was a mite.” Flames crackled, sparks flew. “I brought her to the ranch and seen her fall in love with it, just like Mr. Owen hoped. They adored each other, them two. When he died she hardened, shut away the part of her that could love."
Clem fell silent and Del added more wood to the fire. The moon hung low in the west, a silver crescent in an indigo sky. Diana despised him, didn't trust him any more than he trusted her. Their relationship was based on lies and retributions. And he was left in the somber darkness outside the reign of the moon, doomed by unreasonable desire for something beyond his grasp.
Clem eased himself down and it took Del some moments to realize he'd been gone.
"Here," the foreman drawled. "I got a bottle of Scotch whiskey for when the brandy's gone. Windy always brings some along for medicinal purposes, and hell, I got me some aches. This oughta cure 'em."
Del nodded. He also had some aches, but he doubted the whiskey would relieve them. His gaze again strayed to Diana's dimly lighted tent.
Buy Links:
Barnes & Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-queen-of-paradise-valley-cat-dubie/1127176154?ean=2940158564567
What’s your favorite part about being a romance author?
I like creating the two main characters, giving them names, birthdates, home countries, families, several basic qualities. They must also be passionate, about life, about a cause, about each other.
Here’s my tip to add romance to your love life:
Plan a weekend or even one night in a luxury hotel. Room service, bubblebath, champagne… Or if you’re adventurous and daring, spend a night in a no tell motel. [Bring the Lysol wipes!]
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Runs February 1 – 29
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Author Biography:
Cat Dubie was the girl who always had her nose in a book, the one who read with a flashlight under the covers or, when the moon was full, sat by a window for hours laughing, crying, loving characters whose adventurous lives wouldn’t let her sleep.
She has traveled the world in books. She has traveled back to the dawn of time and far into the future in books. Her keen interest in history determined the nature of her books, and the first Historical romance novel she read, settled the genre.
After working for various levels of government, she retired and now lives in the beautiful province of British Columbia, where she indulges in her need for creating stories about romance, adventure, passion, mystery, love ...
Social Media Links:
@CatDubie https://twitter.com/catdubie?lang=en
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