Dinca’s review of Gold Rush Groom by Jenna Kernan
Historical Romance published by Harlequin Historical 23 Aug 11

Welcome to the Yukon and a delightful story with a heroine full of determination, ingenuity and just plain common sense, and an uppity New York greenhorn. You can’t help but turn the pages in this book.

Lily Shanahan needs a partner. Not just any partner but one who can get her over the atrocious terrain in the Yukon Territory to Dawson City where she can make her fortune. Her only drawback is no one wants a female partner. They see her as a liability, not an asset. She does what she can to make money while she is waiting for the right partner to come along. With her dog Nala and their sled, she offers her services to people to gather their belongings from the ocean where they are dropped off, since there is no dock.  When she spies the greenhorn with way too many crates, she sends Nala out to retrieve one of his boxes. She offers to retrieve the rest for a fee. When he cannot afford to pay, she makes a deal with him to become partners.  Nala saves his cargo, and Lily takes him back to her tent to dry him off before he loses his toes.

Jack Snow doesn’t want or need a partner and now he has a woman chained to him. He just needs to make his fortune so he can return to New York and restore his family’s position in polite society.  He tries to think of a way to get out of the deal, but in the end they take off together on this wild adventure. Jack learns that the three of them make a good team. The attraction between them is strong and they both know they will not fit into each other’s worlds, so they try to maintain their distance.

The trek from Dyea, Alaska to the gold fields of Dawson City, where they agree to part ways, takes months of travel over frozen terrain. The journey is so real, I could swear my toes felt the cold. Jenna Kernan does a wonderful job of storytelling. No one describes mud like Jenna! I could taste Lily’s biscuits and smell the coffee she sells along the way to the other would-be miners.

When they arrive in Dawson and part ways, Lily gets a singing job and Jack tests out his mining invention. Its weeks before they see each other again. The feelings are still there and so are the reasons not to cultivate those feelings. After he discovers his invention works, Jack looks for investors and, once again, Lily comes to his aid making at least one of his dreams come true.

This is a captivating story. I enjoyed it every step of the way. Jenna touches on the supporting characters just enough and builds up the relationships along the way at an even steady pace, just like their travels through the Yukon. I plan to visit Jenna Kernan’s website to see what else she has coming in the near future.

Grade: A

Summary:

A search for gold…

Jack Snow has learned the hard way that the only person he can rely on is himself. With his family fortune gone, he’ll don his best jacket and reel out the charm to bag himself an heiress bride!

…could lead to something more precious

The last person with whom he expects to travel across the Yukon is an outspoken, impoverished daughter of an Irish immigrant. Their social standing is miles apart. But Lily Shanahan proves resourceful and dauntless in the face of raging rivers and icy mountain passes, and Jack is forced to admit her passion for life is enough to tempt him from his course…

Read an excerpt.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Western Winter Wedding Bells by Cheryl St. John, Jenna Kernan & Charlene Sands
Historical western romance anthology published by Harlequin Historical 01 Oct 10

I love Harlequin Historical for their willingness to publish a variety of settings, but I gotta be honest – I’m mostly in it for the westerns.  And lucky me, they’ve had a tradition the last couple of years of publishing a western anthology just in time for the holidays.  Three Christmas-themed westerns in one book?  Merry Christmas to Wendy!

Christmas in Red Willow by Cheryl St. John

I think I might have mentioned a time or two (or three….) that Cheryl St. John is one of my very favorite authors.  So it was with some disappointment that I was…well…disappointed in this story.  Chloe Hanley’s grandfather was the town preacher, and after he passed, the beautiful church fell into disrepair.  Now the town council wants to tear it down and build a hotel in its place!  However, if she gets the place spruced up in time for Christmas services, they’ll abandon the idea.  For help she turns to carpenter Owen Reardon – the brother of the man leading the charge to tear down the church.

This is a nice, inspirational story with a strong Christmas message that didn’t dissolve into preachiness.  Chloe is a determined young lady and Owen continues the fine tradition of wonderful St. John Beta heroes.  However, I couldn’t get past the lack of backstory.  Red Willow is a close-knit town, with many neighborly, god-fearing residents.  When Chloe puts out the call for help, a lot of people answer.  Which begs the questions – why was the church in such disrepair in the first place?  Why was it allowed to deteriorate?  What led the members of the congregation (still meeting, mind you, even without a preacher!) to move services to the schoolhouse?  Why?  It’s not having those answers that annoyed me and keeps me from getting behind this story wholeheartedly.

Grade: C

The Sheriff’s Housekeeper Bride by Jenna Kernan

Eliza Flannery boards the train without a ticket because she’s wanted for a crime she didn’t commit.  When it’s discovered she has no ticket, she’s on the run again – but this time it’s straight into the arms of Trent Foerster.  Before you can say Big Misunderstanding, he’s thinking she’s the new housekeeper he’s hired and she’s happily going along with the charade if only to save her skin.  However, she’s really in the soup now.  Trent not only as a young daughter he’s raising on his own, he’s also a former Texas Ranger!  Oh, not to mention that Eliza can’t cook with a darn.

These types of plots tend to annoy in full-length novels, but are easier for me to swallow in short stories.  That said, Eliza still gets nailed (and not in a good way) for failing to spill the beans to Trent, even though she has oodles of time to do so.  Naturally he doesn’t take kindly to her deception since he was done wrong by his baby’s mama (well, of course, he was!).  Quibbles aside, though, Eliza’s backstory, coupled with Trent’s daughter (who plucked at my heart-strings, I’ll admit it!) and the sense of doom surrounding the Big Mis kept me eagerly flipping the pages.  I wasn’t wow’ed, but I was hooked.

Grade: B-

Wearing the Rancher’s Ring by Charlene Sands

Sands tends to be hit or miss for me, but this story mostly works.  Cooper Garnett is tracking the man who murdered his family when he’s robbed and shot in the back on widow Rachel Bodine’s land.  She nurses him back to health, and he kick-starts her libido.  But what will happen when she learns the man she’s falling for has vengeance in his heart?

This is the most emotional story in the bunch.  I love that both Cooper and Rachel loved their dead spouses, and I adore the fact that neither wallowed in guilt over their mutual attraction.  The conflict mostly revolves around Cooper’s plans and Rachel’s disapproval of them.  That said, with vengeance such a focal theme in the story, it’s disappointing that it’s largely wrapped up “off page.”  I’ll also admit that it did give me pause that Cooper’s wife and son had only been dead for six months.  However, this a good, solid story with good, solid western themes, which mostly worked for me.

Grade: B-

Anthologies can be tricky business, but this one largely works.  I wasn’t blown away by any of these entries, but they did succeed in giving me that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling dressed up with some western flavor.  If you’re looking for some heartwarming, and quick, holiday stories to squeeze in around the craziness of your reality?  This collection may fit the bill.

Overall Grade: B-

Summary:

Small town Christmas—Three big proposals!

Christmas in Red Willow by Cheryl St. John
Chloe Hanley must save the town church. But only if she can convince reclusive carpenter Owen Reardon to help repair the broken heart of the community and open his own up again— in time for Christmas!

The Sheriff’s Housekeeper Bride by Jenna Kernan
Running from her past and a crime she didn’t commit, Eliza Flannery bumps into her future—all rugged six-foot sheriff of him! Single father Trent Foerster mistakes her for his housekeeper, but there’s no mistaking his desire for a mistletoe kiss from this mysterious miss….

Wearing the Rancher’s Ring by Charlene Sands
Cooper Garnett is shot and left for dead near Double J Ranch when widow Rachel Bodine comes to his aid. Could his unexpected arrival be the best Christmas gift ever— a second-chance family for Rachel and her little son?

Read an excerpt (St. John story only)

Other books in this series:

Liviania’s review of Dream Stalker by Jenna Kernan
Paranormal romance released by Silhouette Nocturne 1 Dec 09

Jenna Kernan gets bonus points for using Lakota mythology. As urban fantasy and paranormal romance have become more popular, authors have diversified their interests from vampires.  But Native American myths remain sadly underused, possibly because many of their legends are lost to us.  Nowadays folklorists work to preserve those myths, but nothing helps more to preserve a culture than getting people interested in it.

That is not to say that Dream Stalker is a cultural artifact.  It’s a likeable story, but predictable.  Kernan’s system of Halflings is intriguing, and I hope to see her do more world-building in this Lakota influenced setting in later books.  Dream Stalker is the story of Michaela Proud, a woman who can see spirits and is on the run from the Ruler of all Ghosts, Nagi.  Her attempts to escape him attract the attention of Sebastian, who can turn into a bear.

Michaela, of course, is not just an ordinary human.  She’s a little passive for my taste, spending most of the novel following Sebastian and letting him protect her.  In the end, I can’t fault her much for that since there wasn’t a better action she could take.  She isn’t weak.  She decides what she wants and pursues it, not allowing other characters to decide what they think is best for her.  But until she began making those decisions, she felt somewhat blank to me.

Sebastian is better realized.  He wants love and acceptance, but has been burned by humans before.  A previous girlfriend took issue with the fact he could turn into a bear, increasing his wariness to become involved with a non-skinwalker.  Of course, as Michaela becomes easier to understand he tends toward silliness as he refuses to trust her.  At the point where she finally convinces him of her love, I’d understand it if she smacked him and informed him that if she didn’t love him she’s have left him five chapters ago.  (At which point every other character in the book would say, “Duh.”)

Nagi is an intense bad guy.  How do you escape someone who can track your soul?  How do you fight a spirit?  Kernan leaves Dream Stalker open ended, with Nagi plotting another way to gain power.  (In fact, it sounded like she might write a story where Nagi gets redeemed by love.  I could be wrong.)  As I said before, if she continues writing in this setting I would be happy to read more, but I’m not sure that I like the brief passage about Nagi that keeps the story from being totally resolved.

The writing and romance in Dream Stalker are slightly above average.  I wouldn’t say there was anything unusual, but the setting was fresh and there weren’t any major flaws.  Dream Stalker was pleasant, if not earth-shattering.  I hope Kernan aims higher next time, because it feels like she could write a memorable paranormal romance as opposed to a serviceable one.

Grade: B+

Summary:
Native American Michaela Proud thinks her escalating nightmares signal madness. But the truth is far worse. For she is being stalked by the god of death. And when she suffers a brutal attack at his hands, she awakens to find a devastatingly handsome stranger kneeling before her. Whose gentle touch eases her pain…and makes her feel safe.
An Inanoka shape-shifter and healer, Sebastian doesn’t want to feel anything for the beautiful woman he’s rescued. But he can’t abandon her once he discovers she has a spirit wound. As he cares for Michaela, he realizes that he can read her thoughts, emotions… and desire. Sebastian realizes that he’s found his true mate. But will she accept him once she learns his darkest secret?
Read an excerpt here.

It is only for Kristie and Wendy I would get up early on a Saturday and drive to the post office. They have up wrap up posts today with contests! LOL hence my drive to the post office…

I would wrap but I am not done, this isn’t shocking I am always late. So expect some posts til Wednesdayish but will try to have the last contest posts up Sunday at least two more bet you can guess one of them (to close wed).

Unless we go ahead and update the template and it crashes (Did I mention I am somewhat cynical?) this western drive could go on for weeks… ::innocent blink::

It’s a Western Wrap Wendy Style

It’s a Western Wrap Kristie Style

Now on for some Harlequin Historical reckon…

Turner’s Woman by Jenna Kernan

I mention this book all the time and it is one that when Wendy finally read it – she didn’t like it near as much – we forgive her, she can’t be perfect.  Why do I love this book so much? I mean it is sick, I have put it in the hands of more people than I can remember and noticed I have a copy to send to Renee! I adore Emma and didn’t hate Jake near as much as Wendy.  And the setting… oh man the setting is just amazing.  It is almost another character in the book.  And the women you meet in the story, pretty much all kick ass.  Loves it.

The rest I couldn’t decide on a book so I picked my fave authors and am giving you a few picks.

The Stranger by Elizabeth Lane or His Borrowed Bride

The book we are giving away is the most recent, His Substitute Bride. I admit I adore Quinn but I loved His Borrowed Bride (the first in the series). And The Stranger a hecka lot more than Gwen did. And good new is Elizabeth Lane has a novella coming out plus another story in the current series in March 2010. THEN another one… you can read deets here.

Carolyn Davidson is one of those authors I want to go back to Harlequin Historical. Her last HQN, Eden, was painful to read. The one before that not that much better, although unlike some I really enjoyed Redemption (her first HQN).

But her HH are (mostly) amazing. She is one of the authors who were on my reread spree at the beginning of 2009.

Maggie’s Beau
Loving Katherine
The Midwife
The Tender Stranger
The Wedding Promise – which ties into the HQN novel Redemption
There are more… The Seduction of Shay Devereaux, Runaway all awesome, hope the line sees her back soon

Kate Bridges

Do not know what to rec here.  LOVE her books and omg her next, ALASKAN RENEGADE  looks amazing.  FAB cover. I WANT.  So many to pick from but will say… something old and something newish *g*

Klondike Doctor (1st in Mountie series set in the Yukon Gold Rush) and The Doctor’s Homecoming (noted on her site that “has been reprinted. It’s part of a larger Close to Home Collection offered by Harlequin. It’s included in the fourth shipment. There are lots of popular authors included!” I did not know that but I recently read it for the first time.)

AND holy hell look what it sez on her site:

Kate’s also working on a novella for a Mail Order Bride anthology (title to be determined) with two of her favorite Western writers–Carolyn Davidson and Jillian Hart. Release date is spring 2010.

EVERYONE ssssssqqqqqqqquuuuuuueeeeeeeeeeeee those are three of my fave authors all together!

Cheryl Reavis the author I shouldn’t even mention since I don’t think she is going to write for HH again. Moved to SSE line, prolly just to break my heart because it is all about me. They maybe hard to find, not sure, but Prisoner, The Forbidden Bride, & Bartered Bride are three of my faves.

I know you were expecting a different Cheryl but I think we have touched on her.

And three authors you read you might have missed these books were first published as HH:
Lawless by Nora Roberts – one of the few of hers I have read
Reckless Love by Elizabeth Lowell – another fave
trilogy I ::heart:::
Apache Summer by Heather Graham
Dark Stranger by Heather Graham
Rides A Hero by Heather Graham

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Sierra Bride by Jenna Kernan
Historical western romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Aug 09

It’s really no secret that most romance readers have a weakness for a hunky hero. I’m a bit of an odd duck in that I tend to always gravitate toward heroines. I’m certainly not one to turn my nose up at a suitably attractive romance hero, but if the heroine has all the charm of a limp dish rag? There’s no plotting imaginative enough, no hero hunky enough, and no dialogue sparkling enough to save the book for me. I need the heroine. Which is why I generally love Jenna Kernan’s stories. She has a knack for writing fantastic heroines.

Sam Pickett is in the process of getting robbed and beaten up in one of Sacramento’s back alleys. Kate Wells is walking home after working another late night at the milliner’s shop. The only thing her late, unlamented husband ever gave her that she found remotely useful is a pearl-handled Derringer. When she passes the alley and notices two men and a woman attacking Sam? She screams for help and proceeds to whip out the pistol, saving Sam from further beating. Then, just as quickly as she rode to his rescue, she vanishes into the night.

Sam is one of the wealthiest men in Sacramento, having made his fortune in mining. Now he wants to bring the railroad through the Cascade Mountains, effectively conquering them once and for all. However he finds himself distracted by the pretty slip of a girl who rescued him. He has to find out who she is, and make her his mistress. Sam has no use for family and even less use for children, but even he’s in for shock when he tracks down Kate. She’s not only a widow (which suits his purposes for her quite amiably), but she’s taking care of a blind sister and elderly aunt. Bother! Not only that? Turns out her late, unlamented husband was a no-good scoundrel con man who found himself shot when he swindled the wrong miner.

What follows is Sam offering Kate the job of mistress, and her flatly refusing. That is, until her aunt’s home is threatened with bank foreclosure. This time though Kate vows that if she’s going to sell herself to a man, she won’t go cheaply.

I’ll be blunt, this is a hard book to get invested in during the early chapters. Kate follows a long tradition of self-sacrificing heroines, but generally speaking I emphasized with her. More often than not, she found herself pushed up against a wall, and pushing back meant taking what very few avenues were open to women in the mid-19th century. Sam was much harder to “like” since for a good portion of the story he’s nothing more than a horny guy pursuing a woman only because 1) she sure is pretty and 2) she doesn’t want a thing to do with him. When these two do finally come to an agreement, of sorts, I still had issues with Sam, who was treading a very similar path to Kate’s odious first husband.

For patient readers, the emotional pay-off comes during the latter half of the story when Kate and Sam begin opening up to each other physically as well as emotionally. They quickly learn that they have a lot in common, and that the attraction between them is more than just skin deep. It helps to sow the seeds for the happily-ever-after, and it also helps the reader buy into the turn-around both of these characters experience.

I’ve admire Kernan’s work for Harlequin Historical for the last several years, because she has a way with characters and setting. This is another enjoyable read, but most definitely a second-half book. Also, while it is firmly connected to Outlaw Bride, it stands alone reasonably well and shouldn’t confuse or confound newcomers to her work. All in all, while I didn’t enjoy it as some of her other work, it’s still not a bad show.

Grade: B-

Summary:
.
Powerful Sam Pickett is used to getting his way. So he is baffled when Kate Wells, a feisty little hellion who steps between him and a bullet in the back, isn’t remotely interested in becoming his latest plaything—despite the fact she’s poor, with an aunt and blind sister to support!
.
Sam’s life is transformed by this compassionate, hardworking woman—who is strangely cynical for one so young. He fully intends to make Kate his bride, but that could prove to be the greatest challenge of his life!
.
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

by Jenna Kernan

Writing romance is such a glamorous business. I thought I’d give my fans a little vignette of how alluring my life can be.

This photo is of me, in one of my glamorous oversized flannel shirts, working on a story. You might notice that I have a bird on my arm. That’s Mango. She used to be Captain Mango, until she laid thirteen eggs and I had to concede that he was, in fact, a she. Now I call her, Mango, Buttercup or ‘Stop Chewing My Keyboard Wire!” depending on the situation.

She is suppose to sit on my chair or my shoulder, but recently has begun climbing down my arm to sit on my arm or, on one memorable occasion, to pop the return key off my keyboard. But usually, she just tries to encourage me to scratch her head, and I try to encourage her to take a nap.

In March, she decided that the area behind my keyboard would make a sung little nesting box. As you can see in the photo, she has made a fine little nest by chewing up my manuscript pages. Everyone’s a critic!

There is no Mr. Buttercup in my home, so she sat on her eggs for some time, in vain. The annoying part for me is that she is so quiet, and I am so distracted when writing, that I forget she is there until I try to use my mouse. She considers this a threat to her brood and so comes shooting out from behind my keyboard like a moray eel, screaming and lunging at my fingers as I scream and throw my weight into my wheeled chair to flee in the opposite direction.

Sometimes her tail crosses over my typing area, at which times I feel it is just to try to pin it to the keyboard with my fingers. She hates this game as much as I hate the ‘defend the mouse’ game she has invented, but turnabout is fair play.

She is currently chewing my stack of important emails into tiny little bits of confetti, including the one from Sybil asking me to write a guest blogger in June. I fear my moray eel is returning.

So when you wonder why it takes so darn long for a writer to finish a book, please recall the gremlin behind the keyboard.

When not defending my keyboard from attack, I’m hard at work on my next Western and awaiting the July RITA contest results. My first Christmas novella in the collection A WESTERN WINTER WONDERLAND is a finalist. Cheryl St John’s story, in the same anthology, is also a finalist. Two RITA finalists in one story, if that is not enough to make you run out and buy it, I don’t know what is! Excerpts and news on Mango can be found here.

Kogg]638[uii

Mango wrote that last line for you.

So, what does your pet do to get your attention?

I you missed Wendy’s review of Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan yesterday… quick go read it.

And then come back and learn about what Jenna is up to now…

Jenna Kernan’s next Harlequin Historical is in such an early stage it doesn’t have a title or a release date yet. But she did share that this info about it

Kate Wells sold herself in marriage once and will be damned if she’ll do it again, but when her family’s home is threatened she is left with a choice between betray the man she’s come to love or enduring the shame of becoming his mistress.

As well as she shared that she is currently working on a…. Nocturne that sound very interesting!

DREAM STALKER
Silhouette Nocturne
Release date TBA

A Native American healer thinks her escalating nightmares signal madness but the truth is far worse. Her dreams are real. She is being stalked by the ruler of the ghosts and the only thing standing between her and destruction is a savagely beautiful shape-shifter who can change from a grizzly to man. But is he willing to defend a wounded human from death, himself?

Just in case you are worried like I was, Jenna has no plans to leave HH, or was just afraid to admit that too me.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Outlaw Bride by Jenna Kernan
Historical western romance released by Harlequin Historical 1 Feb 08

Every romance in my keeper stash has a moment I call the “emotional sucker punch.” That moment in the story where the author takes all the fear, desperation, emotional intensity, wraps it around her characters, and then slams it straight into the readers’ gut. Jenna Kernan seems particularly skilled at this, and her most recent Harlequin Historical western is no exception. This book has everything I look for in a romance.

Bridget Callaghan left her family up in the Cascade Mountains determined to get help. Through sheer stubbornness, and a bit of luck, she makes it to Sacramento, only to find help in short supply. No one is crazy enough to go up into the mountains in the dead of winter – except for maybe Cole Ellis. Unfortunately for Bridget, Cole is sitting in prison waiting for a date with the hangman’s noose because he took it in his head to steal the mayor’s horse.

Cole Ellis is in prison because he wants to die. He has lost everything because of the mountains, and has given up on life. Then in waltzes Bridget, full of fire, desperation and just crazy enough to break him out of prison. No doubt about it, despite his desire to die, he admires her gumption. He makes a promise to try and save her family.

What follows is a fantastic frontier style western where hero and heroine must battle the elements to survive. The Cascade Mountains are like a secondary character to this story, fighting Cole and Bridget at every turn. Along the way secrets are revealed, desires felt, and passion ignited.

To borrow an old expression, Kernan’s heroine has “sand.” There’s a grit and determination to her that is beyond admirable. This is no flighty little miss who cowers in a corner and waits for the man to rescue her. Oh no! She knows she needs Cole Ellis to save her family, and he’s going to help her even if she has the break the law in order to get it.

It’s what these characters have been through, and what they must overcome, to achieve their happily-ever-after that makes this story so remarkable. Certainly it’s a romance. It’s a story of love, devotion and family. But it’s also a story of survival. Of one woman’s grit, stubbornness, and tenacity to fight for everything she holds dear. And that dear readers is what romance is all about. These characters earn their happily ever after, and the author wrings every last drop of emotion out of the reader in order for them to get it. Brava!

Grade: A

Summary:Breaking him out of prison was the easy part . . .

Bridget Callaghan was willing to do anything to save her family, stranded in the Cascade Mountains. The only man who could attempt such a treacherous rescue mission was Cole Ellis, but he was behind bars – and condemned to hang!

Bridget’s boldness in breaking him out of jail was the jolt Cole needed to give his life purpose again. But with a posse at their heels and the mountain looming, she couldn’t help but wonder if putting her trust in this tough, life-hardened man wasn’t the biggest danger of all . . .
Read an excerpt.

Jenna Kernan , has chosen THREE people to receive her February Harlequin Historical, Outlaw Bride, released 1 Feb 08. Read an excerpt.

So congrats to the following winners who left comments in Jenna’s post “Jenna Kernan on romance vs. love… and slaying dragons“:

Please email your mailing address ASAP to redwyne (at) gmail (dot) com and PLEASEPLEASE put “Jenna Kernan Valenduckie Contest” in the subject line.

Jenna Kernan, author of some really wonderful historicals, is our next cupid. She shares with us her meaning of love and why it’s different from ‘romance’ for her. Don’t forget to catch her February Harlequin Historical, Outlaw Bride, released 1 Feb 08.

First, I’d like to thank Sybil for inviting me to comment on what is so romantic about the hero of my February Harlequin Historical release: OUTLAW BRIDE. Sybil’s question got me thinking about the difference between romance and love.

Cole Ellis is not a romantic guy by nature, but he is in love. My heroine is initially attracted to him not because he is romantic, but because he has skills she needs. He has the ability to save her family, stranded in a snowy mountain pass because he’s led a successful winter rescue before. Trouble is, he’s behind bars and condemned to hang. He agrees initially to her crazy scheme just to get rid of her, not expected she’ll succeed in breaking him out. Once she does, it is only the knowledge that there is a child in the trapped party that makes him buy into a mad plan.

But when does his desire to rescue the child become secondary to something stronger?

That happens when he is exhausted, dying and hopeless. What keeps him from quitting? Not his promise, not even the child, it is his love for this woman that makes him fight on. Here is the passage where Cole recognizes he’s in love. He has just fallen through ice. Below, the swift river tries to drag him down. Above, Bridget struggled to save him using a branch.

The pain was going, already replaced by a strange warmth that he knew was a trick of his brain.
The longer they delayed the more impossible the task. He would get himself out or die.
“Hold on,” he cried.
She did, flattening to the ice and spreading her legs wide.
He kicked awkwardly with his frozen legs, heavily laden with the wet boots and snowshoes. At the same time he climbed, hand over hand up the pole. But she could not hold him and as he inched out of the hole, he dragged her closer to it.
He let go with one hand, prepared to sink to his death, rather than take her along with him.
“Don’t you dare, Cole Ellis! Don’t you leave me out here in this frozen hell.”
He paused, stunned by her order. He had been prepared to give up, just like his wife. Instead, he gritted his teeth and clasped the pole.
“Come on, damn you. You’re nearly clear.”
He wasn’t, but he did as she bid, heaving himself up until he could lift one shoe back to the opposite side of the hole and push off. The other snowshoe now cleared the gap and he kicked against the rim, escaping the river. He was inches from her now. She reached a bare hand to him.
“Get back to the bank.”
She crawled away. He tried to follow, but his legs moved clumsily.
“Come on!” she called, motioning him on.
He gained his knees and finally stood to scramble up the bank. But it was no good. His legs were frozen. He could feel nothing below his thighs.

Copyyrighted © 2008 by Jenna Kernan.
Any reproduction is strictly prohibited. Harlequin Historical is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited.
As such all cover art and excerpts are copyrighted © by said publisher, and all rights are reserved by the publisher.

That might not seem all that romantic, but it is the moment Cole recognizes he will do anything for her, including not dying. He’s risks his life to get her family back, not out of obligation but from love.

It doesn’t get any better than having someone in your life that’s got your back, someone who will do whatever is necessary to help you.

It doesn’t have to be a lover. I’m blessed with many people in my life that would face long odds for me. My sisters and brother come to mind. I dedicated OUTLAW BRIDE to them because my feelings about family and love are woven so deeply into the fabric of this story. My Mom has fought many dragons on my behalf and continues to do so. My husband is solidly in my corner and woe to those who hurt me. The man is a born protector. That’s the kind of love that doesn’t include chocolates or flowers. But it is the kind that sustains me in hard times.

Who’s in your corner?

Post a comment and let me know about those special people in your life. I’ll be drawing from the responses and giving away three signed copies of OUTLAW BRIDE from the posts. And, of course, if you’d like to read more visit my website: http://www.jennakernan.com/

Happy Valentines Day, Duckies!

Jenna Kernan

So tell us, readers, what do people in your life do to help “slay your dragons”? Tell us here and you may win a book!

Sybil’s review of A Western Winter Wonderland by Cheryl St.John, Jenna Kernan, Pam Crooks
Western Historical Romance released 01 Oct 07 from Harlequin Historical

First posted 10/19/07

A Western Winter Wonderland is a delightful holiday anthology. Cheryl St.John, Jenna Kernan and Pam Crooks are three of Harlequin Historical’s top authors for the line today. Each of them often take common Harlequin plots and themes and create angst-filled western tales that are wholly their own and highly enjoyable.

CHRISTMAS DAY FAMILY by Cheryl St.John

Marvel Anne Henley’s days are spent running her boarding house and taking in sewing. She knows there could be something better out there but we learn in the first scene she isn’t willing to trade her current life for the title ‘WIFE’ just for the sake of the title, nor is she expecting anything more of her life then being a spinster. And she is fine with it, content even. Marvel wasn’t expecting anything or anyone like Seth Paxton and his children to walk into her life. Nor would she have ever dreamed a younger, handsome, exciting doctor would not only want her to have a happily-ever-after but found her vital to his finding one.

I adore Cheryl St.John’s storytelling. She has a gift for creating wonderful characters with true-to-life charm and can tug on your heartstrings without the need of a large sign that says ‘Pull Here’. Since the setting is a boarding house we meet a few different people but they don’t take away from Marvel and Seth’s screen time. It is always nice to see the man chasing after the woman, when it can be done without demeaning either character. Seth is a man and, although he is only 26, he had to put away childish toys and take on the responsibilities of family and being a doctor. Experiences gained from these jobs give him the tools to understand, appreciate, and cherish Marvel.

Marvel having sacrificed her youth to care for her ailing father, taken on the demands of turning their home into a boarding house and make ends meet, knows all about the ‘workings’ of life and family.  She doesn’t have the understanding of the love and support that comes with being a wife and mother. It is a joy to watch these two discover what can come next in life if you take the chance. This would be an A+ but Cheryl St.John or her editor must have decided to change the hero and his first wife’s name. Where as Seth (who in the summary was Nate-his son’s name) was correct in the book, his first wife was Sarah and later became Laura.

Grade: A-

Read the summary and excerpt

FALLEN ANGEL by Jenna Kernan

Abby March is in the process of trying to keep her small family of two together, fed, clothed, sheltered and still give her young son something of a Christmas. She is bound and determined Daniel will have the Christmas tree he has been begging for and is close to accomplishing it. But her problems only get worse when she is shot by Ford Statler.

Ford is after yet another bounty. He has been chasing death since his wife and child were needlessly taken from him.  He blames himself or not being there to protect the two most important people in his life and vows to never be in that position again.

Jenna Kernan does a great job of taking some very well used themes and creating interesting characters. I loved Abby. She has been knocked down repeatedly and keeps getting back up. Ford is easy to understand but you still want to slap him and tell him to wake up and see what is in front of his face.

It is somewhat unbelievable in places as I am not sure Abby’s reputation could have overcome her staying with him in the hotel, even sick. I don’t know if her job or her small room would have been there after a long absence. And at one point Ford asks Abby if there is anyone he could ‘call’ for her. Of course this is a time for Christmas miracles and it is still a lovely story.

Grade: C

Read the summary and excerpt

ONE MAGIC EVE by Pam Crooks

Sonja Kaplan has a very important and very secret job with the army, one that has sadly left her reputation in tatters. So when Chet Lattimer’s son Beau shows up asking the Bird Lady to doctor the pup he found, she is torn between wanting to help him and wanting to send him away.

Chet is intrigued by Sonja but tries not to pay attention to his thoughts or the gossip about her and those men from the army that keep showing up at her home. Learning from the nasty, mean-spirited gossip (who watches his son during the day) that his son is with Sonja causes more emotion in him then he knows what to do with. He has a job, a ranch, a family to deal with and doesn’t have time for the details of Christmas or love.

Pam Crooks story suffers from the page count being almost a good 20 pages less than the other two stories. We are left wanting to know more about these characters. Chet and Sonja are so richly drawn but there is so much left we want to know.  I was left with such a longing to know what is next.

There is still an ending and a believable HEA but I would have so loved to have those extra pages. I never know if that is a good or bad thing in a novella. Again, we have a great woman in her time, struggling to do the best she can and somehow handle the loneliness that comes with her position in the world and her secrets.

Grade: B

Read the summary and excerpt

Each of the novella’s in A Western Winter Wonderland have three things in common: heroines who are independent, who are trying, with varying degrees of success, to take care of themselves, and who have a secret or two. The stories are quietly passionate and the door does close for the most part, but it leaves no question of a HEA and does completely give a view of the romance. And it looks like there are some pretty great cookies to be had.
This is an enjoyable read and one I would highly recommend if you are looking for a sweet novella filled with the joys of Christmas. In fact each author has more than a few stories I would highly recommend as well, so this is a great chance to try them out and see if they meet your taste too. I can’t speak for the cookies *g*. Do tell me if you try them.

Overall Grade: B

[summary and excerpts are linked below each review above]

Jenna Kernan tells us about a strange occurrence.  Well, more than one if you count the oreos…

I was recharging my battery last weekend. That’s writer’s lingo for ‘goofing off.’ We like to say it is ‘refilling the creative well,’ but I was at The Big E, Eastern States Exposition, so I was actually refilling my stomach with fair fare.

Did you even know they fried Oreos? They do.  Here’s proof :

But I digress.

My very first Christmas novella is out this week in an anthology with Cheryl St.John and Pam Crooks. If you’ve been reading THE GOOD, THE BAD and THE UNREAD, you know about it already. You might even have seen the cover of A WESTERN WINTER WONDERLAND. It is lovely, with violet and gold background and a handsome church in the foreground.

In the center of this massive group state fair is a museum consisting of a cluster of historical buildings set up to resemble a village green.  Storrowton Village Museum includes displays, exhibits and reenactments of daily life. This is my second favorite part of the fair. The first being the maple syrup flavored cotton candy that is available in the Vermont and New Hampshire buildings.

Anyway, I was in the center of the green and I noticed the meeting house, build in 1835. It looked vaguely familiar, so I took a photo, and then realized the historical structure had a shocking resemblance to the church on the cover of A WESTERN WINTER WONDERLAND. There was one very startling difference. The church on the cover has a traditional cross on its spire, but the meeting house is topped with a weathervane sporting a gold chicken.

Not a strange as fried Oreos, perhaps, but still peculiar.

I hope you have a chance to read my first Christmas story, FALLEN ANGEL, and that you write me at my website to let me know what you thought.

Thanks, Jenna!

Read excerpts of all three stories in the AWWW anthology:
Christmas Day Family by Cheryl St.John
Fallen Angel by Jenna Kernan
One Magic Eve by Pam Crooks

Up next for Jenna:
A WESTERN WINTER WONDERLAND, Harlequin Anthology, October 2007
OUTLAW BRIDE, Harlequin Historicals, February 2008

A Western Winter Wonderland by Cheryl St. John, Jenna Kernan, Pam Crooks

I do so adore Jenna Kernan’s Turner’s Woman and Winter Woman. They are her second and first (yeah they are in my fave order not publishing order ) Harlequin Historicals and if you can find them, buy them!

The following is an excerpt from her novella in A Western Winter Wonderland.

And you can find the first chapter up on her site. If you missed it, Cheryl St.John’s excerpt was posted yesterday and Pam Crooks will be up tomorrow.

Enjoy!

FALLEN ANGEL by Jenna Kernan

When Ford Statler is ambushed, he never sees the woman caught in the crossfire until it’s too late. But his bullet brought her down, so it’s his responsibility to nurse her back to health and see that her boy has the best Christmas ever.

“Whoa there.”

She turned in surprise toward the male voice and stared in confusion at the stranger who rested a firm hand upon her shoulder.

Where was she and where was her son?

He pressed but she resisted settling back. She knew him, had seen him somewhere. Then she recalled him wiping her brow with a cool cloth. Was that a dream?

“My son?” she whispered.

“Right as rain and frisky as a pup.”

“Where is he?”

“Fetching his Mama some broth.”

Still she did not believe him. She needed to see her boy with her own eyes, to be certain this was not some cruel trick.

“He’ll be back two shakes of a lamb’s tail, I’d imagine. Anyways, you’re the one we’re all fussin’ about.”

Abby took her gaze from the door, drawn by that velvety voice with its easy reassurance and soothing tenor. It brought her to stillness as she turned to regard the man sitting beside her bed as if she were his concern. But no one cared about what happened to her, not since Henry discovered there would be no reconciliation with her parents, and so no money forthcoming. Henry had wanted her for one reason only and had left without a backward glance. Small consolation that he didn’t get so much as a dime, but then, neither had she. A hard life-lesson that, but she had gotten Danny and he was more valuable to her than any fortune.

Her guardian’s clean-shaven face made it easy to admire his strong jaw, punctuated by an appealing cleft at the center. High, prominent cheekbones and unruly chestnut brown hair, that brushed his collar, added to his good looks. But it was his eyes, which were the gray-green color of dried sage grass that scorched her with their intensity. In them she recognized an air of danger and so she was not fooled by the gentle smile curving his lips. The man exuded a primal aura that frightened her.

She eased her back onto the pile of pillows, simply to be free of the heat of his disturbing touch.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Name’s Ford.”

“Why were you worried about me?”

“You’re the one’s been shot. Don’t you recall?”

Shot? Yes, she remembered now, both the blood and the pain. She shrugged her shoulder and winced.

“That’s right.” Again, he cast her a reassuring smile that never reached his compelling eyes. “I see it’s comin’ back.”

“Who shot me?” But she remembered that too. It swept over her like a northeastern wind, the ambush, wrestling with the large man for the gun as her son called for help.

“You’re the man on the road. You’re the man who…”

The warmth left his smile as he finished her sentence. “Who shot you.”

Harlequin Historical is a registered trademark of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. As such all excerpts are copyrighted © by said publisher, and all rights are reserved by the publisher.

A Western Winter Wonderland by Cheryl St. John, Jenna Kernan, Pam Crooks

Christmas Day Family by Cheryl St. John

Marvel Anne Henley’s life runs as regular as clockwork. Sometimes in the silence of her home she can hear the passing of days and months as years slip past. She doesn’t believe in magic or miracles or happy-ever-afters. She’s content running her boarding house and sewing dresses for the ladies of Patton Bend, Colorado. She agrees to board the new doctor for a few days, but when Nathaniel Hunter shows up with two small children and plans to stay for weeks, her household and her equilibrium are thrown into turmoil.

Nate is intriguing and vibrant and ready for a grand passion. She’s too old for him, but the attraction is tempting…disturbing. He makes her want more, makes her feel young. The little family brings new life and laughter to the old house, but Nate’s nearness taunts her secret out of its hiding place and forces her to face her past. It will take courage to bring her dreams back to life, but there’s no better time for healing than during the season of hope and rebirth. It’s not a miracle, but a simple change of heart that opens the door to their future.

FALLEN ANGEL by Jenna Kernan

When Ford Statler is ambushed, he never sees the woman caught in the crossfire until it’s too late. But his bullet brought her down, so it’s his responsibility to nurse her back to health and see that her boy has the best Christmas ever.

ONE MAGIC EVE by Pam Crooks

Lonely Sonja Kaplan doesn’t want to spend another Christmas alone. While she has her secret government work to fill her days, she longs for a husband to fill her nights.

Chet Lattimer doesn’t know the first thing about being a father when the six-year-old son he didn’t realize he had bursts into his life. Worse, it’s Christmas, and there’s no one to help him celebrate except the mysterious woman the gossips call the Bird Lady.

But a little boy hungry for love helps them all find truth and peace, and together they revel in the magic of Christmas.

I want! I have! And you can too because harlequin is super nifty and lets you order a month ahead. Even better right now you can get free shipping from September 1 until November 30. Of course if you send over $25 you can get free shipping anytime. I will be posting some suggestions over the next couple of days *g*.

But if you want to go ahead and order this now, click this link for free shipping. Woot!

High Plains Bride by Jenna Kernan

Sarah knew exactly what she wanted. Tom West would help rescue her daughter, their daughter, from the hands of the Sioux, or die trying. It was, she swore, the least he could do to atone for fourteen years of deceit!

Tom West blamed himself. He’d had to let Sarah believe him dead—even though she’d been his only love. But this reunion was born of danger, not desire, as this firebrand of a woman was quick to remind him.

Could they bridge the chasm of mistrust yawning between them to save their child—and their love?

Jenna Kernan is the author of one of my all time fave Harlequin Historical novels, Turner’s Woman. It is sadly out of print, although I have emailed to see what the chances are it could be released as an ebook.

When she is on, her books rock but I have to admit I haven’t been able to get through her last book, The Trapper. So I have all crossables crossed this book returns to the style I loved in Turner’s Woman and Winter Woman. You can check out an excerpt here.

This is a May release so you can order it now at eHarlequin or order it now and HAVE it NOW, as in right this second because Harlequin Historical eBooks are now in the house!

New Western! Woot! Just a few weeks away…

OUTLAW BRIDE

by Jenna Kernan

Breaking him out of prison was the easy part . . .

Bridget Callaghan was willing to do anything to save her family, stranded in the Cascade Mountains. The only man who could attempt such a treacherous rescue mission was Cole Ellis, but he was behind bars – and condemned to hang!

Bridget’s boldness in breaking him out of jail was the jolt Cole needed to give his life purpose again. But with a posse at their heels and the mountain looming, she couldn’t help but wonder if putting her trust in this tough, life-hardened man wasn’t the biggest danger of all…

You are all prolly sick of hearing me say how much I enjoy Jenna Kernan’s writing. She is one of my favorite Harlequin Historical authors and Turner’s Woman is still one of my most favorite books.

Winter Woman and High Plains Bride are both grand as well as her two novella’s, the one in A Western Winter Wonderland would make for a great Christmas gift. Or Harlequin Historical starter if you have never tried the series as Cheryl St.John and Pam Crooks are two other great HH authors you shouldn’t miss.

Jenna has some great behind the story info on her website to read and check out her backlist for books you might have missed while waiting for Outlaw Bride to come out.