Release Blitz for The Way We Play by Tia Louise

 

The Way We Play by Tia Louise is now live!

How does one get to be a thirty-year-old virgin?

In my case, start with being risk-averse and cautious, focused on building your career, then inherit your 12-year-old, special-needs brother. Done!

Zane Bradford appeared at the perfect time.

He takes my brother to equine therapy, he gives me rides to work, and he rescues me when I collapse in the shower. (Yes, he saw me naked.)

He says he only breaks things, but I only see him fixing everything. Heck, his job is as a repair man.

This grumpy, angry god with lean muscles, silky dark hair, and ice blue eyes has taken himself out of the game.

But massage therapy is my job, and I'm ready to play.

Hello, I'm Zane Bradford, and I break things.

Starting with my little sister's dreams, followed by my football career.

Yes, I'm grumpy and distant; I'm following the script: No attachments; no one gets hurt.

Rachel Wells is ruining everything.

She walks into my workplace and argues with me, talks back, defends herself.

She gives me romance books to "improve my mood," and insists on massage therapy to ease my pain.

Chronic pain isn't my problem--she is, with her bright green eyes and sassy attitude.

Then she tells me she's never been kissed. (What's wrong with the men in Birmingham?)

The more she tempts me, the more I feel my resolve weakening.

She wants to play, but I'm not going to break.

(THE WAY WE PLAY is a small-town, grumpy-sunshine, sports romance with close proximity, enemies-to-lovers vibes, and a virgin FMC, and an over-protective alpha hero. No cheating. No cliffhanger. No third-act breakup.)

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3MLIxcn       

Audible: Live October 7th

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4ccjdqn 

 

Meet Tia Louise

Tia Louise is the USA TODAY best-selling, award-winning author of super-hot and sexy romances. All her heroes are alphas with hearts of gold, and all her heroines are the smart, sassy ladies who love them. 

 

Connect with Tia

Website | www.TiaLouise.com      

Goodreads | https://www.goodreads.com/Tia_Louise   

Amazon | http://smarturl.it/TLMAA    

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTiaLouise     

Facebook Group |  https://www.facebook.com/groups/tiasbooksbabesmermaids     

Instagram |  https://www.instagram.com/authortlouise  

TikTok |  https://www.tiktok.com/@thetialouise    

Twitter |  https://twitter.com/AuthorTLouise     

Bookbub |  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tia-louise     

Pinterest |  http://pinterest.com/AuthorTiaLouise       

Newsletter |  http://smarturl.it/TLMnews     

Text Updates |  Text "TiaLouise" to 64600 (U.S. only)

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Audibook Review for The Romance Line by Lauren Blakely

The only thing that annoys me more than the grumpy goalie is

how much I think of kissing him. But rule number one of

working in sports PR is no dating the players.

 

The Romance Line

Love and Hockey, Book 2

By: Lauren Blakely

Narrated by: Vanessa Edwin, Teddy Hamilton

Series: Love and Hockey, Book 2

Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins

Unabridged Audiobook

Release date: 10-02-24

Language: English

Publisher: Lauren Blakely Books

 

Publisher's summary

Performed with duet narration by Teddy Hamilton and Vanessa Edwin!

The first rule of handling PR for a hockey team? Never hook up with a player.

That shouldn’t be a problem since the last man on earth I want to give an image makeover to is our goalie. He’s infuriatingly hot, famously grumpy and lives to spar with me after every game. But shining up his rough edges is my path to landing the promotion I desperately need, so I grit my teeth and do my job. No matter how hard he makes it (especially with that sexy smirk and cool blue eyes.) As we travel from pose-with-a-pet photo opps to cuddle-a-kitten fundraisers, we bicker like it’s foreplay. Turns out it is. Because as I get to know the man behind the broody iceman exterior, it’s me that melts–right into his arms as he devastates me with a kiss that turns into the hottest, most forbidden night of my life.

Only once turns into every night as Max shows me how much he wants to take care of me. His possessive touch makes me feel adored for the first time in my life.

But the man is entirely off limits and I can’t risk my job for more of those soul-deep kisses.

Because the only thing worse than hooking up with a player is falling head over heels for him.

 

Audiobook Review:  I enjoyed listening to every word of this book.  The dual narrators are perfect for the characters and the story.   The story is perfect for a listener who likes to listen to fun, sexy, and sports…a sports romance!  

Hockey is my go-to reading/listening sport and Lauren Blakely wrote a great sports romance.   She had the cockiness of a professional athlete, the cautiousness of the women who is to help his publicity, and the way they would fall for each other written out perfectly.    I loved seeing them circle each other and try to follow the rules.   Rules were made to be broken!

The Romance Line has sexy banter, instant attraction, dislike-to-like, and sports.   So many things that I enjoy in a book. 

Thank you to the author for a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

 

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Audible or Amazon

 

READ THE EXCERPT:

“Just let me walk you to the door.”

“Fine,” she says, her palms raised in surrender.

I set my hand on her back again. A slight shiver seems to run through her when I

touch her. I try not to let that go to my head. Or my dick.

But as we go, I spread my fingers wider across the silk of her shirt. Press a little

harder. Rub a little more. Curl my thumb around her waist. Register every hitch of her

breath.

 By the time we’re at the top of the steps, my hand feels too right on her back to let

go. “I’m not sure I have made my point, Everly.”

She turns to me, facing me, so I have to drop my hand from her back. Her gaze is

wary but intrigued, her eyes flickering with questions. “What’s your point exactly?”

“Like I said earlier, if this was a date I’d walk you to the door.”

“But it’s not. You keep telling me it’s not.” It’s like she’s trying to catch me on a

technicality, or maybe to push me into admitting something. She doesn’t make a move

to go inside. Her gaze is locked on mine, and the air is charged between us. It crackles

with anticipation. 

“You’re right. It’s not,” I say, weighing how far I’ll go. What it’ll cost me.

She rolls her lips together, then breathes out, like she’s centering herself. “And you

did it anyway.”

“True,” I say. Like I could do anything else with her. I couldn’t have stopped myself

from showing up at The Spotted Zebra tonight if I’d tried. I couldn’t have resisted driving

her home. I couldn’t have refrained from walking her up her steps. Now we’re standing

in the warm October air, the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance, the ocean hugging us.

And I’m not walking away—not with her closer than she’s ever been. I look at her lush

mouth one more time, then her gorgeous eyes. “And if this were a date I’d kiss you at

the door.”

She’s quiet, but her lips curve up. “That’s not what you said at the restaurant.”

Wait. I’m confused now. “That is what I said,” I point out.

She crosses her arms, shaking her head, but she’s smiling and it’s flirty. Inviting. “No,

Max. You said you’d devastate me with a kiss.”

And that’s it. That’s enough. Just f*&k it. F*&k everything. “I guess I’d better start.”

 

ABOUT LAUREN BLAKELY:

 

A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible

Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute

but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner

party. 

Connect w/ Lauren:

Website: laurenblakely.com

NL Signup: http://laurenblakely.com/newsletter

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LaurenBlakelyBooks

Instagram: http://instagram.com/laurenblakelybooks

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laurenblakelybooks 

 

Release Blitz for The Breaking Point by Fallon Greer

 

The Breaking Point  by Fallon Greer is now live!

Grace Kensington has been my secret crush since we were kids.

Though she is definitely all grown up now.

Long blonde hair, big blue eyes, and curves that could bring even the toughest hockey player to his knees. She's the full package, too--smart, funny, and as real as they come.

One might go as far as to say perfect. Except for one tiny detail: Grace is my coach's daughter. 

And she just walked back into my life. Apparently she's doing an internship for the team.

The last thing I should do is get close to her again. 

So the plan is to keep my distance.

But that plan flies out the window the very first time we run into each other...and I'm naked in the locker room.

 Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3yUYxp6  

Audible: https://adbl.co/3Bh7gmw   

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4dknk57

 

Meet Fallon Greer

Fallon Greer is a twentysomething lover of romance novels, coffee, and bookish t-shirts, of which she has far too many. She lives in Miami with her Persian cat, Mortimer, who loves to sit on Fallon's laptop when she's trying to write.
Fallon first discovered her love of reading when she'd steal her mother's Lisa Kleypas novels. That led her to start writing the types of books she loves to read.
When she's not daydreaming through conversations with people and pretending to listen, she's putting those daydreams to good use, writing novels as hot as the Florida sun.

 

Connect with Fallon

Website | https://fallongreer.com/      

Instagram |  https://www.instagram.com/fallongreerauthor/%20   

Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/people/Fallon-Greer-Author/61553397643622/

Book Blitz for Transference by Ian Patterson with a GIVEAWAY

 

Transference
Ian Patterson
Publication date: October 1st 2024
Genres: Adult, Dystopian, Science Fiction

Nicholas Fiveboroughs is a Sicko, someone that takes on others’ illnesses. In a city where diseases can be transferred, the rich buy longer lives without pain, and the poor get a short life of constant sickness. Maybe it was fate, or maybe someone is looking out for him, but after Nicholas barely survives his latest affliction, he gets the chance to try and change things. To finally stop the whole disease transfer network.

Tensions escalate as Nicholas infiltrates a higher society he doesn’t understand, and starts to fall for the very person he needs to manipulate to be successful. And between run-ins with a talking animal and genetically modified humans, the world around him just keeps getting stranger. Can Nicholas tear down the disease transfer architecture? And can he do it without losing his own humanity along the way?

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The Disease Transfer Machine, or the Box as we call it down here, was invented some time before the city. It’s always existed here, the primary thing shaping our lives. It sounds noble at first, the elimination of disease, until you realize it only works that way if you can afford it. For those of us in the lower levels, it’s the thing killing us. It’s the only job we can find. It’s the poison that we can’t stop eating.

Do I know how it works? Not a fucking clue. One person sits on each side of the giant metal box, various tubes extend from it and connect to each of them. There’s a giver’s seat and a receiver’s seat, and no one else in the room when they turn the thing on. It’s a strangely intimate thing, sitting across the room from your destroyer. There’s a feeling of great suction all over your body, and then the misery sets in. The symptoms start like a bucket of ice water dumped on your shoulders. I’ve always wondered what a great relief it must feel like on the other side.

The backbone of our economy is built on it. The very rich trade their diseases to the very poor for appropriate compensation agreed on by both parties. But realistically, when you’re poor enough you’re too constrained to know what appropriate compensation is. Some people have tried to create laws around it, establishing contractual requirements and base pay for different diseases. They don’t mean much though, there was always someone willing to go under the base pay, there was always someone that needed the money badly enough to take the risk. Laws just give the illusion that what’s happening is fair. Of course, it’s not.

This new caste of people, the perpetually ill, were lovingly nicknamed Sickos. The working poor hated them for the ease they got their money, the middle class decried the horrors of rampant capitalism they represented, and everyone tried to buy their services when their own bill came due.

Author Bio:

Ian Patterson is many things. Importantly here, he’s the author of Transference, Book One of the Narrator Cycle. He’s also an engineer, cyclist, foodie, coffee lover, cat dad, human dad, and reader of books. Preferably, thick books that deal with strange things and big ideas. He’s dreamed of being an author for decades, but finally began the journey with the birth of his first daughter. This is an objectively terrible time to start work that requires quiet concentration, and he knows it, but he loves the chaos nonetheless. He lives in Colorado with his wonderful family.

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Book Blitz for Spellcaster Wild Card by Nikki Jefford with a GIVEAWAY

 

Spellcaster Wild Card
Nikki Jefford
Publication date: October 1st 2024
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Win the game. Change the world.

Winning the show means living forever. It is the golden ticket to fame, fortune, and a place among the vampire elite.

Being remade isn’t on my wish list. I like being me, and with nearly a million online followers, it’s working. My parents and big sister are the do-gooders in our family who want to make the world a fair and just place for all humans and paranormal creatures. I just want to finish high school and keep doing what I do best—sharing hair and beauty tips while discussing Spellcaster and how the show’s vampire judge Malachi Rayne is the hottest male on the planet.

Then, life as I know it ends. There are evil forces who will stop at nothing to maintain world dominance—indefinitely.

It’s hard to care when I’ve become dead inside and out.

After my family is violently attacked, the host of Spellcaster insists I audition for Season 13. For the first time in the show’s history, they want to represent every species of paranormals. That’s me now. Not human. Not vampire. Not the class of creature anyone EVER cheers for.

This season’s prize is power beyond anyone’s imagination. It is the kind of reward that contestants and their sponsors would kill to possess.

Let the other contestants and judges underestimate me. They can gossip all they want about the hotshot wizard and the alpha werewolf behaving as though I’m another prize to be won. And if Coach Malachi can’t handle a bold influencer with abilities, then he can suck it. I preferred watching him from the other side of the screen. He’s about to discover that Haylee Hutchins is a force to be reckoned with. The whole world will.

Someone thought they could silence my family for good. Instead, they created a monster. I’m still here, and I am much harder to kill.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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EXCERPT:

Everything is spinning. My body. My vision. My brain. I clamp my mouth shut to keep from vomiting. The cleaning crew just got the stage cleaned. Then there’s the second reason I keep my lips pressed tight. I refuse to beg Malachi for mercy.

My hands flail and grasp for something to hold on to, but the wind rushing between my fingers is no help. If this is what flying feels like, then it’s highly overrated. I lean forward in an attempt to go vertical, which has the ill effect of pitching me forward so I catch a brief view of how far I am from the stage. My body flips around another time. I don’t want to land on my feet and crush my ankles. I certainly don’t want to land on my head and shatter my skull. I don’t want to break anything on my body!

If I won this season’s prize, I could defend myself instead of swirling helplessly like the roof of a house caught in a tornado.

The wind rips out my hair tie and blows my braid out in an instant. Blond hair whips me in the eyes. My body begins to descend slowly, while the spinning continues in full force. The tornado fades little by little into the stage until I am set down gently and it disappears altogether. I try to remain standing while the theater seats and stage continue to spin, but I tilt to one side and misstep. Thump. I fall to the stage, sprawled out on my side. It could have been worse, though. Way, way worse.

It’s a little hard to feel grateful as partially digested lunch rushes up my throat. I swallow it down.

Malachi stomps over. “What the hell was that, Hutchins?”

Great. He’s using my last name. The coaches never use contestants’ last names. I must be in trouble.

It’s a serious effort to get to my feet, which takes outstretched arms to keep my balance, but I’m not about to listen to this lecture in a crumpled heap on the stage.

My loose hair tickles my cheeks. I swallow again and cover my mouth with my hand. Malachi’s not in my face, but I don’t want him scenting my vomit breath. Well, not technically breath, but whatever foul waft might originate from the leftover taste on my tongue.

Malachi doesn’t wait for me to answer his question before drilling into me. “First rule of magical combat—never lose hold of your wand.”

“You lost yours,” I mutter, which is the wrong thing to say.

Author Bio:

Nikki Jefford is a third-generation Alaskan nomad married to an amazing Frenchman. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt! Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing, and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. The dark side of human nature fascinates her, so long as it's balanced by humor and romance.

To get in on the fun and adventure, visit Nikki at her website for release alerts, updates, exclusive giveaways, and a free story when you subscribe to her newsletter: https://nikkijefford.com/newsletter/

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
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Book Blitz for Trophy Wife by Ellie Hall with a GIVEAWAY

 

Trophy Wife
Ellie Hall
(Love on Thin Ice)
Publication date: October 3rd 2024
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, Sports

They say love is messy. Turns out friendship is too, especially when you’re stranded in a cabin with your best friend and hearts are on thin ice.

Teddy
I’ve heard that men and women can’t be friends without it becoming something more. Harlow and I put that theory in the penalty box, thank you very much.

She laughs at my jokes, secretly admires my hockey butt, trusts me with her biggest fear (it’s safe with me). In turn, she knows everything about me. Well, almost.

There’s been a recent development. I’m gone for her. Down bad. Solid Crush. She lives rent free in my mind. I’ve caught feelings. This wouldn’t be a problem except, you know, the whole shattering our friendship thing.

Harlow
You know those days you want to erase? It went like this: my boyfriend broke up with me (it was overdue), and then I broke up with my job while at a work conference (it was mind-numbing).

In an ironic twist, I won the raffle for a romantic getaway trip for two. Who else to bring other than my best friend who’ll gladly commiserate with me? He has a hockey event nearby, so it works out perfectly.

Until we’re stranded in the cozy cabin together. There’s a blaze of attraction. A friendship-changing kiss.
What now? Do we hit the reset button? Salvage what we had? Pretend it never happened? These are things I’d talk to my bestie about, but I can’t because I’m head over heels for him.

Love at First Skate is part of the Love on Thin Ice sweet small town hockey romcom series. It’s a best friends to lovers, forced proximity, no third act breakup romantic comedy with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

Grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the loveseat, I wrap it around her and then roll her up, moving away from the food and avoiding table legs, and hollering, “Blanket burrito.”

It’s something that I used to spontaneously do because it’s hilarious, makes Harlow laugh, and is a good excuse for us to be close. Wrapped in the blanket, I have full access to her neck which is ticklish. With her arms tucked in, she can only wiggle and giggle.

I love it. She does too even though it’s the best kind of agony.

Her lowered brow Grumpy Cat seriousness disappears and her expression contorts all giggly and adorable.

“You are the only human on the planet who could get away with this,” she says through laughter.

“I know.”

She adds, “I hate laughing.”

“You don’t. It’s good for you. I consider myself your laughter doctor. This is your daily dose of laughs for medicinal purposes. Take one and call me in the morning.”

This changes the shape of her laughter slightly because the comment genuinely tickles Harlow’s funny bone, as they say.

Snuggled close to me, I peek at her. Our gazes drift together and something twists in my chest. She presses her lips together, probably holding back more laughter. The moment lengthens and then snaps as we burst into another fit of hilarity as I roll us on the floor like a giant, runaway burrito.

“There better be dessert,” she says at last.

“Churro everything,” I say, my voice a bit deeper than usual as I inhale her cinnamon spice scent at close range.

A daring and dangerous thought enters my mind. This could be the norm—closing the distance, cuddling, kissing . . .

But I know better. It would ruin our just friendship. Right then, I do everything in my power to talk myself out of making a play for Harlow.

Author Bio:

Ellie Hall is a USA Today bestselling author. If only that meant she could wear a tiara and get away with it. ;) She loves puppies, books, and the ocean. Writing sweet romance with lots of firsts and fizzy feels gives her joy. Oh, and chocolate chip cookies are her fave. Ellie believes in dreaming big, working hard, and lazy Sunday afternoons spent with her family and dog in gratitude for God’s grace.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter

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Book Review for First Night by Sasha Saidman, Eleonora D'Amico (illustrator)

 First Night by Sasha Saidman, Eleonora D'Amico (illustrator)

Published:  April 2, 2024 by Blue Balloon Books

24 pages, Hardcover

Taken from Amazon:  The first night that one line transformed into two, my heart skipped a beat, then began beating for you.

Our children may grow out of the laps that they sit on and the arms that hold them, but they will never grow out of the place they have in our hearts. From the first night they lay on our chest, to the many other firsts of life, to long after they’ve grown up and left the nest, our hearts are always their homes, and they are forever our babies.

First Night depicts this cherished connection between mom and baby from one heart to the other. With soft, warm illustrations and a narrative capturing the beginning of pregnancy, the baby being born, the child growing up, and everything in between, this touching tale will deeply resonate with any mother and will remind every child that they are completely and unconditionally loved—as they were from their very first heartbeat.

My Thoughts:  The illustrations in this book are soft and sweet.  I can feel the mom’s love as I look at each page.  I love the comfort and quietness of the pictures.   This would be a calming book to read at bedtime or a quiet time with your child. 

The story is not for every family.   This story of a baby can lead to questions that the child may not be able to understand.    But the overall theme is how much this mother loves her baby from the very first minute they know about the baby. 

Thank you to Balloon Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Add to your MUST-READ list on Goodreads

Purchase your own copy on Amazon

Book Blitz for Rabbit Moon by Jan D. Payne with a GIVEAWAY

 

Rabbit Moon
Jan D. Payne
Publication date: September 17th 2024
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

They say you can’t go back home, but Marin Sinclair, end-of-life doula, doesn’t expect her life to be in danger when she answers a mysterious plea for help from a long-ago friend and returns to Dinetah, the Navajo Nation. Her past there holds memories she is reluctant to confront, but what about her life then would make someone want to kill her?

Navajo Nation Police Sergeant Justin Blue Eyes shares a connection with Marin from the past, and he has a few questions of his own when Marin disappears―such as why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agents investigating the abandoned uranium mines on the reservation and how Marin is connected.

Marin needs to survive to find any answers, and to do so she is forced to run, going off the grid on her own in the Lukachukai mountains with unknown killers close behind.

Goodreads / Amazon

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EXCERPT:

The Bilagaana woman’s eyes were wide and staring, and even if she wasn’t a ghost-witch Haastiin Sani thought maybe she was crazy. Only someone crazy would have been out here alone in the dark and the rain. Crazy people must be treated with care, and the same for ghost-witches. It didn’t help to make them angry.

He looked at the woman, considering.

She was trembling now, as if cold, but witches and crazy people both were known to be clever. The sooner he saw her off the better, and he jerked his chin toward the direction of his camp and motioned the woman to follow. He would show her every hospitality and then gently nudge her on her way.

She looked somewhat better when he gave her a cup of hot coffee and offered the frybread his daughter had left for him, inviting her with a nod to take it, and tears came into her eyes as her lips and chin began to tremble.

Very much like a normal person, but it could be a ruse to cause him to relax his vigilance so she could blow corpse dust over him. He busied himself with the fire and wished fervently to be rid of this evil.

Marin knew she made this man very uncomfortable, and she thought she even knew why, considering where and how he had found her, but she didn’t know how to relieve his fears without making things worse.

“Thank you,” Marin murmured to the old man. “Ahéhee’,” she repeated.

She studied the man on the other side of the fire. His face was seamed and wrinkled, his frame was tall and spare beneath the loose shirt of red cotton tied with a woven sash. His gray hair was worn long, and there was a turquoise bead woven into a strand of hair near one temple.

A hogan was built higher up the slope, a blanket hanging across the eastern door, and an empty sheep pen was tucked into a rocky cliff a short way from it. A handsome bay horse wearing a rope halter stood nearby, sheltering under overhanging boards propped between a few corral poles and the cliff.

She looked around for the sheep she knew must be somewhere close by, and the dogs, but they weren’t in sight. She didn’t see any sort of vehicle either, or any other person besides the old man, watching her surreptitiously.

The old man cleared his throat suddenly, and she flinched, startled, but instead of speaking, the old man rose to his feet and walked toward the corral.

She stood as well, thinking he meant for her to follow, but he gave no sign, and she paused.

Passing Marin without word or look, he ducked under the hogan’s blanket door, emerging a moment later with an ancient-looking saddle, a bridle, and a thick saddle blanket woven in red and black yarns.

Silently, he began to saddle the horse, smoothing the blanket across the horse’s back and throwing the saddle over, pulling the cinch tight. He put the bridle on last, settling the bit into the horse’s mouth before reaching to adjust the braided ear straps. Without looking at her, he walked back, thrust the reins towards Marin, and spoke for the first time.

“You go now,” he said, and pursed his lips, pushing his chin toward the east.

Marin opened her mouth to object to taking his horse and slowly closed it again. The old man was giving her a way to get down the mountain, and she had no wish to bring trouble to him if Tolliver managed to follow her here.

She took the reins.

Haastiin Sanii grunted and stepped away toward the fire, and Marin tied her jacket to the saddle, surprised when he returned and pushed the remainder of the frybread into her hands.

“Over there,” he said, pointing again with his chin, “is a good way down.”

She waited for any more words the man might offer, for he seemed to be listening and thinking carefully, but he said nothing. He slapped the horse on the rump and stepped away.

“You go now,” he repeated.

Marin mounted, then turned in the saddle. “I’ll leave the horse at a trading post below,” she said.

Haastiin Sanii shrugged, relieved, as he watched her ride away. She was someone in a lot of trouble or someone bringing a lot of trouble, but he had done the best he could.

He looked down at his sash and fingered the gun he had found beside the spring, then looked down the trail at the woman on his grandson’s horse. He wondered if she knew a flashflood was coming and if she knew enough to stay out of the canyon.

He shrugged again, figured a ghost-witch would know and a crazy person wouldn’t care.

Author Bio:

Drawing from her years in the Southwest and the Navajo Nation, Jan Payne writes on themes of courage, regret, hope, and restoration in a world of created kinships. Through her characters’ lives and shared dangers—Marin Sinclair, end-of-life doula; Sergeant Justin Blue Eyes of the Navajo Nation Police; Cullen MacPherson, agent for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Garret Washburn, teenaged ward of Marin’s, and Lewis George, Raven spirit-guide-cum-trickster—she takes readers on a journey through the complex interactions of cultural backgrounds and personal histories, highlighting the way kinships forged in crisis have the power to reshape our lives.

Jan Payne lived on the Dineh (Navajo) reservation in Sanostee, on the New Mexico side of the Lukachukai mountain range, where she spent summers climbing mesas, taking camping trips on horseback, exploring ghost towns in the mountains of Colorado, or working with her dad breaking and training horses in Sanostee. Her two most memorable summer jobs were at a Durango, Colorado dude ranch working with pack mule trains and a brief stint as a camp cook at a uranium mining site.

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