I am thrilled to be a part of Cindy’s wonderful blog again. Thank you, thank you, Cindy for making this creative, generous space for sharing good books. I am pleased to highlight the third book in my Morgan’s Run Romances and to share a bit about the series (3 books so far and a fourth coming in June of 2016!
What genre(s) do you write in and why? ?
I write contemporary romances, mysteries (three series going), and YA fiction. I’ve also published three nonfiction books in my field of literacy education. I write the kinds of books I love to read, and, in the case of my nonfiction, the kinds of books I believe will be useful resources for K-12 teachers.
Tell us about your current series.
The Morgan’s Run books are contemporary, western romances set in the U.S southwest, a region dear to my heart and one I visit often. The first book, Emma’s Dream, was published on August 25, 2015, and book two, Lang’s Return on October 20th! Book three, Jeb’s Promise is scheduled to be published on January 5, 2016! These books chronicle the lives of the amazing Morgan family and friends, who live and work in Saguaro Valley, Arizona. The cowboys are gorgeous, the women astonishing and their romances sweet, sexy, and hot!
What is your favorite part of writing?
Sitting back, metaphorically, as I type away, in awe of where my characters take me. I always have a rough idea of the storyline, but the discoveries that unfold as I tell the tale are a lot of fun. I also love sitting down with a cup of tea, opening up my laptop and immersing myself in my characters’ worlds. It’s such a privilege. Believe it or not, I also love revising!
What is your least favorite part of writing?
Rereading one of my published books and finding typos despite expert copyediting and proofing. I always reread all books in a series before beginning the next so invariably I find a pesky typo or two. I don’t mind for me, as I just read right through, but I feel like I’ve let my readers down. They deserve a clean perfect book every time!
What is your next project and when will it be released?
My next project is book #4 in the Ricky Steele series. I’m drafting it now and having a great time. Readers have been clamoring for it so I’m trying not to disappoint them. It should be released in early summer 2016, maybe sooner! If you’re interested, the best thing to do is sign up for my newsletter as I always send out a note to readers when I release a new title.
How has your experience with self-publishing been?
Terrific from day one! Having a way to get my books “out there” has been great. The best part is hearing from readers who love my books. Every time I get an email or read a kind review, it brings such pure joy.
Give us an elevator pitch for your book.
The Morgan’s Run books are sweet, sexy romances that will make you laugh, cry and so much more! Jeb’s Promise is no exception. The characters are deeply human and approachable.
Tell us about your hero. Give us one of his strengths and one of his weaknesses.
Jeb Barnes in Jeb’s Promise, is cute, sexy and earnest with a stubborn streak and a heart of gold. He can be a bit of a hothead at times, but he always comes around.
Tell us about your heroine. Give us one of her strengths and one of her weaknesses.
Amy Foster is resilient and smart with a bit of a temper as well, especially when she knows she’s right.
Please tell my readers a little bit about your book.
Spark Foster drags his daughter Amy kicking and screaming on an extended vacation to Morgan’s Run. Sworn off men after a painful break-up, Amy takes a ride with adorably cute, wrangler Jeb Barnes and her broken heart skips more than one beat! Jeb is grieving the loss of his “almost fiancée,” and his white hot attraction to the beautiful stranger from Portland shakes him to the core.
Like moths to flames, neither can stay away from each other as they work side-by-side at Emma’s Dream, a camp for handicapped kids. As her vacation ends, Amy must face the hardest decision of her life– walking away from Jeb and Emma’s Dream as well as four-year old Toby Cooper, a foster child, who has captured her heart and Jeb’s so completely.
Excerpt: Jeb’s Promise
Chapter 1
“You can do this, cowboy.”
Jeb spoke the words aloud as he pulled the jeep alongside the barn. An hour early for work, he wanted to get settled in on his first day back before the rest barreled in.
“Your parents were great, Jebo!”
“They loved you, that’s for sure. Who wouldn’t? Now, if their good-for-nothing cowboy son could just go to college, everything would be hunky-dory.”
“Let’s have a picnic tomorrow. Who knows when we’ll both get another day off at the same time?”
“Okay, Stace, if you want.”
“Promise?”
“Of course.”
“Cause I don’t wanta hear how you have so much work, you can’t take the time.”
“No chance.”
“Cause the most important thing in life is to be happy, right? Promise me, we’ll always be happy.”
“Always.”
He reached down and felt the ring in his pocket, the beautiful engagement ring he had picked out a month earlier. Tomorrow I pop the question, he thought, just as lights blinded him and a deafening boom descended.
“Hello, are you in charge here?”
Lost in remembering, he hadn’t heard the car approach. He turned to spy a young woman hopping out of a huge white SUV. About his age, she wore jeans, new shiny boots, and what looked like a brand new Morgan’s Run tee shirt in the ranch’s newest color, coral. If he hadn’t been off the market, she was definitely his type. Petite, curvy, and fair-skinned, her shoulder-length auburn hair was held back in a loose ponytail. She held a ranch baseball cap in one hand, backpack in the other.
“Me, in charge? Not by a long shot. Can I help you?”
“I was told I could come down and go for a ride.”
“Excuse me?”
“Ride. You know, on horseback?”
Ignoring her sarcasm, his eyes took in every inch of her. She might be stunning in her new cowgirl duds, but who the hell did she think she was? Boots looked like they’d just come out of the box, the jeans right behind them.
“Who gave you the idea that you could come down at sunrise and go for a ride? Are you staying on the ranch?”
She nodded. “And you are?”
“Jeb Barnes. I work here.”
“Well, then, you must not have gotten the message.”
“From?”
“Mr. Morgan. He called and talked to someone yesterday.”
“So you’re staying with the Morgans?”
“We’re at the Lodge, for the wedding?”
The wedding! He’d been so wrapped up in grief and recovery that he’d totally forgotten about the eldest Morgan daughter Beth’s wedding. It was sometime soon. The invitation was tacked to his fridge, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember the date.
He shook his head. “I thought the wedding was a ways off.”
“It is. five weeks, actually. My dad dragged me here on an enforced vacation.”
He stared at her as if she was an alien. “Sorry. I’ve been away so I’m kind of out of it.”
On a different planet, more like it. Amy Foster stared at the young cowboy. A deep scar ran across his forehead, the wound fairly recent by the look of it. Other than that, he was perfect, if you liked cowboys, which she didn’t. Her dad had dragged her along on this trip, and she couldn’t wait to get through it and back to civilization. Still, the man standing in front of her was awfully cute. His reddish-brown hair curled under his Stetson. His tan face was sprinkled with freckles. About her height, five-eight, and broad-shouldered, he was all wiry muscle. When she met his eyes, she was surprised to see sadness reflected in their gray blue depths.
About Lee
M. Lee Prescott is the author of dozens of works of fiction for adults, young adults and children, among them The Ricky Steele Mysteries (Prepped to Kill, Gadfly, Lost in Spindle City), The Roger and Bess Mysteries (A Friend of Silence, In the Name of Silence and The Silence of Memory) Jigsaw, Song of the Spirit, and her newest contemporary romance series, Morgan’s Run Romances. Three of her nonfiction titles have been published by Heinemann and she has published numerous articles in her field of literacy education. Lee is a professor of education at a small New England liberal arts college where she teaches reading and writing pedagogy. Her current research focuses on mindfulness and connections to reading and writing. She regularly teaches abroad, most recently in Singapore.
Lee has lived in southern California (loved those Laguna nights!), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and various spots in New England. Currently, she resides in Massachusetts on a beautiful river, where she canoes, swims, and watches an incredible variety of wildlife pass by. She is the mother of two grown sons and spends lots of time with them, their beautiful wives, and her amazing grandchildren. When not teaching or writing, Lee’s passions revolve around family, yoga (Kripalu is a second home), swimming, sharing mindfulness with children and adults, and walking.
Lee loves to hear from readers. Email her anytime at mleeprescott@gmail.com, and visit her website to hear the latest and sign up for her newsletter.
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