Review of 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' by Heather Long

Title: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Series: Always a Marine #10 | The Challenge Series

Author: Heather Long

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Interracial Romance, Military Romance

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Format: Ebook

Length: 90 pages \ 25000 words

Book Description:

Have you ever woken up every day afraid of everything?

For single mom and widow Melody Carter, six months passed since an IED ripped her life apart. Everyone is sympathetic and offers platitudes of comfort and support. Everyone thinks they know why she’s grieving but Melody isn’t mourning her broken heart. She’s ashamed to be grateful her abusive husband won’t hurt her anymore and scared for her child. Born with a mild heart defect, her daughter needs lifesaving surgery and with her funds tight and her emotional scars tighter, she’s running out of options. When she receives an offer for assistance from Mike’s Place, can Melody put her faith in the men her husband called friend?

Have you ever woken up, day after day, to discover your body’s betrayal?

Marine Captain, Joe Anderson Cooper, received the Silver Star for Valor when he led his unit through heavy fire to rescue fellow Marines. Despite numerous injuries, the Captain refused medical aid, insisting that the medics attend others. A broken back and shattered bones put Captain Cooper in a wheelchair and every day is a battle to keep his recovery on track and his sanity intact. When a single mom moves in to the apartment next door to his and he recognizes a kindred—damaged—soul, can he overcome her fear and be the man she’s always needed?

Can these two lonely souls rise to the challenge or will their scars trap them forever?

Excerpt:

Letting herself out of the apartment, she locked up and turned to find her neighbor locking his door. He caught sight of her and smiled. “Good morning.” His deep baritone hummed over her senses. She appreciated the low voiced greeting.

“Good morning.” She wanted to say something more, but her brain locked up around the words. He eased his wheelchair back until nearly off the sidewalk and motioned for her to precede him. Biting her lip, she found another smile for him. “Thank you.” Her heartbeat accelerated and sweat cooled her spine. She didn’t hug the wall, but she couldn’t help widening the distance between them.

The wheels made the faintest squeaking noise after she passed, and she glanced back to see him following her down the path toward the parking lot. Maybe she should have offered to push. He wore an olive green t-shirt and a matching pair of slacks, though they were cut up the side of the large cast encasing his right leg from mid-thigh to his toes.

He—Joe, he said his name was Joe—met her gaze and gave her another easy smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners and the dimple in his cheek deepened. The sidewalk widened and she slowed to let him catch up.

“I’m sorry. I’m not the best company this morning.”

“No worries, ma’am. Little ones take a lot out of a body.” The buttery softness of his voice washed over her like a soothing balm—like the night before when he knocked on her door and introduced himself. He scared the hell out of her, but not in the same breath.

I must be tired. I have no idea what I’m feeling from one moment to the next. As if summoned by her thought, fatigue wavered through her and she stumbled. The diaper bag swung down her arm. She couldn’t catch it and hold the baby at the same time. Joe stopped the bag’s arc, and gave her a chance to catch her balance.

“May I?” He offered, still holding the bag.

May he what…? He wanted to carry the bag for her and she winced. It was heavy and he…

“I have plenty of room and then you don’t have to worry about it taking you off balance again.” The sound logic quashed her natural objections. She shifted Libby carefully and let the strap fall off her arm. Her internal alarms sounded. Giving him the bag didn’t give him some kind of power over her, but her gut tightened at the surrender of her possession.

He settled the bag against his lap and nodded encouragingly. “Just point me to your car…”

“Oh, I don’t drive. Well, I do but I’m not driving here. I’m actually just staying here for a few weeks and I’m waiting for the shuttle.” She tacked the last on with a grimace. “And apparently I’m as muddleheaded for real as I feel. Sorry. Thank you. The shuttle is scheduled to pick us up here in about…” She couldn’t look at her watch.

“Two minutes.” The captain supplied. “I’m waiting for the same shuttle.” His warm brown gaze turned studious. “Are you okay?”

**My thoughts**

I really liked this story. It was a fast read, but it was very sweet. Joe seems like he is already a kind man, but proves this when he goes above and beyond the call of duty to help out his neighbor. Melody has been left on her own with a very sick baby, after suffering at the hands of a disturbed man. She doesn't know how to trust anyone. Joe is determined to to change this and fix her. Or, should I say, help her to fix herself? At the same time, she is able to help him recuperate from his injuries sustained in the line of duty. They are an unlikely pair that works much better than you would imagine!

Even the cover of this book captures Joe's sensitivity. The Melody that you see is the woman that he sees within her, even if she can't recognize that woman herself.

The story gently flowed at the right pace for most of it. I felt like the ending was somewhat rushed and almost a little jarring after the slow and steady pace throughout most of it. Then again, an epilogue six months into the future can show how much people have changed over time. 

Nevertheless, it was a nice read for a quiet evening. It also brings up important points about abuse and includes helpful information for anyone who is the victim of abuse.
 

Also be sure to check out the rest of the Always a Marine series!

Once Her Man, Always Her Man

Retreat Hell! She Just Got Here

Tell It To The Marine

Proud To Serve Her

Her Marine

No Regrets, No Surrender

Merry Christmas Marine,
Semper Fi & Good Night

The Marine Cowboy

The Two and The Proud

A Marine and A Gentleman

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Combat Barbie

About the Author:

Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.

Website | Facebook | Series Facebook | Twitter |

Decadent Publishing

Sign up for Decadent Publishing’s Newsletter | Follow on Twitter | Like us on Facebook |

For more information about Decadent Publishing authors, books, and their submissions guidelines, visit www.decadentpublishing.com.

Decadent Publishing is current accepting submissions in all sub-genres of romance, including their ongoing series.

GIVEAWAY INFO: It is tour wide for 2 Ebook copies of a backlist Always a Marine series by Heather Long (winners' choice). Ends 04/30/2013.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal! 'Bluffing the Devil' by C.L. Foster

BLUFFING the DEVIL

 by CL Foster
Releasing May 2013!

Blurb-
After losing her fiancé to a freak accident, Alexia Riley decides to swear off relationships and focus her energy on conquering the male-dominated sport of professional poker.

When Alexia finds herself being visited in her dreams by a mysterious new man, she begins to wonder if her world is slowly starting to unravel around her.

Tested by a double-dealing nemesis on the tables and tempted by a mysterious "dream man", Alexia soon contemplates making a deal with the Devil to rid herself of these torments. What bargain will she strike with the Dark Prince to get what she wants? As temptation for a mysterious dream man weakens her resolve, a desire to defeat her greatest rival beckons her. Will she sacrifice her soul for victory? Love? Or does she want something else entirely?

The stakes have never been higher for Alexia than they are when she is bluffing the Devil!

Excerpt:

He slithered his way across the casino floor and instantly his predacious gaze locked onto me. In a spontaneous act of avoidance, I burrowed into the crowd a bit deeper and tunneled my way through the unsuspecting human-shields and headed toward the mock-safety of the elevators. Not that I am afraid of him, far from it, I just cannot stand cocky bastards that think they are God's gift to the game. Especially when it's obvious that the only reason he chats me up so often is he is trying to learn my strategy and make a place for himself as poker royalty. Not on my watch, chump. But wait, I am not prey in this situation! I am never going to be someone's doormat or stepping stone ever again! Resolve hit me suddenly and I pivoted on my heel quickly, nearly slamming into his eye-level chest. Man, he was fast! And tall, geez. When did he get so tall? How had I never noticed that before? Ahh yes, always sitting at a poker table and only having to deal with his consuming gazes. This was a new level of freak-out.

"Is there something I can help you with, Rey?" I said as I craned my neck to see the tower of man before me, "Or were you on a mad dash to bilk someone of their life savings or rob some unsuspecting college girl of her panties and possible virtue tonight?"

"You wound me, truffle." He drawled with his gorgeous Latin accented "r".

Seriously? What is up with everyone and their nicknames for me lately?

"I decided at the last moment to switch to this hotel so I could be away from the action over at Caesar's and as I was registering I couldn’t miss your glorious essence calling to me from the crowd."

As if I was "calling" to him? Pssh. As if!

"And I just had to come speak to you and make sure you are doing well. Are you busy? You seemed in a hurry."

Rey could fool most people into thinking he was innocent or sweet or whatever façade he wanted to wear today but I know poker players and I know men and he was not fooling me one bit. He always stayed at Caesar's, which was one of the most important reasons I never did. Had he followed me? There would be no point in that. I have to stop being so paranoid.

"I was in a hurry yes, I.. uh.. have a date." It was sort of the truth. I was planning on going to my room for a nap before the tournament and was also praying that I would have a few moments with my Dream Guy, that always settled my nerves and gave me a little something extra to smile about.

A flash of something crossed Rey's face. Amazingly, I couldn't decipher if it was anger, confusion, or some other emotion. Even though I have been training to read people's faces, actions, words, and other characteristics for years now, he somehow managed to show an emotion I hadn't seen before. Weird. Well-played, sir. Game on.

Stalk CL Foster!  She likes it...

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCLFoster

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1920252.C_L_Foster

http://www.amazon.com/C.L.-Foster/e/B00A5GV1OS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_3

https://twitter.com/CLFoster1

  
Cover by the amazingly talented Regina Wamba of Mae I Designs  ~ 
https://www.facebook.com/MaeIDesignandPhotography

Developing Historical Fiction Characters by Bob O'Connor

Today we have a guest post from Bob O'Connor about his books Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War and The Return of Catesby as part of his tour with Walker Author Tours.

As a historical fiction writer, my basic style is taking real characters, researching their lives, following an actual time line and then writing a story around that.

In my book “The Return of Catesby” the story centers around a real colored blacksmith who was the slave of Colonel Lewis Washington. His plantation was in Charlestown, Virginia (now Charles Town, WV). The book is the sequel to “Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War.”

In this second book, Catesby meets with General Robert E. Lee again. He had shoed Lee’s horse Traveler twice during the war. Catesby is also asked to give a deposition in the trial of the commandant at Andersonville Prison, Henry Wirz, who was tried by the federal government for war crimes in the late summer of 1865. Catesby had been captured in Florida and was a prisoner at Andersonville prison.

Catesby’s varied experiences and dogged determination to become a free black led to his hiring as a teacher at the new school (Storer College) set up for the teaching of newly freed blacks at Harper Ferry, Virginia.

I do extensive research on what really happened and then add the historical fiction part to fill in the blanks and to offer authentic sounding dialogue.

“The Return of Catesby” is available on line at www.boboconnorbooks.com or at amazon.com. The author may be reached at author@boboconnorbooks.com.

'Tin God' by Stacy Green Book Tour Blast!

Tin God

Getting pregnant as a teenager and being coerced into giving her baby up for adoption left a festering scar on Jaymee Ballard’s life. Trapped by poverty and without many allies, Jaymee nearly gives up hope of getting her daughter back after her best friend is murdered. Now, four years later, a wealthy woman with legal connections hires her as a housekeeper, and Jaymee gathers the courage to seek her help. But Jaymee’s last chance ends up in a puddle of blood in one of the historic antebellum mansions in Roselea, Mississippi.

I just murdered your wife…again.

An unsigned letter consisting of six horrifying words turns Nick Samuels stagnant life upside down. Stuck in emotional purgatory since his wife’s unsolved murder four years ago, Nick is about to self-destruct. The arrival of the letter claiming credit for his wife’s murder and boasting of a new kill sends Nick to Roselea, where he and Jaymee’s worlds collide.

Jaymee and Nick realize exposing the truth about her daughter’s adoption is the only way to solve the murders. Up against years of deception, they rush to identify the killer before the evidence–and Jaymee’s daughter–are lost.

But the truth doesn’t always set the guilt-ridden free. Sometimes, it destroys them.

About the author

Born in Indiana and raised in Iowa, Stacy Green earned degrees in journalism and sociology from Drake University. After a successful advertising career, Stacy became a proud stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. Now a full-time author, Stacy juggles her time between her demanding characters and supportive family. She loves reading, cooking, and the occasional gardening excursion. Stacy lives in Marion, Iowa with her husband Rob, their daughter Grace, and the family’s three obnoxious but lovable canine children.

You can find her debut novel, INTO THE DARK as well as TIN GOD in both digital and print.

Website / Amazon Author Page / Facebook / Twitter / Literary Addicts

 

Purchase Tin God on Amazon

Purchase Stacy Green's other books Welcome to Las Vegas and Into the Dark

Follow the Tour

Stacy Green is giving away a swag pack for her tour. Open to US addresses. 2 Winners Fill out the form below to enter.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Love in All the Wrong Places' by Audrey Harte Facebook Event

Annie Chang is in her mid 20s and has lived in Los Angeles all her life. After a series of failed relationships, she's beginning to feel like she will never meet Mr. Right. But seeing one of her longtime BFFs find love on the internet, she decides to give online dating a try. 

After finally finding an amazing guy who sweeps her off her feet, will he prove to be everything she could have wished for and more or is he too good to be true?




Buy it at Amazon~Barnes and Noble




Come play with us Saturday, April 20th from 5-9 PST We're going to have tons of fun playing games and giving out prizes!! Hope you all can make it!



 Hope to see you all there!!

Brought to you by the Release Day Diva

 

'Alice's Sacrifice' by Andrea DiGiglio is FREE on Amazon 4/19-4/21

After the fight of a lifetime, Alice and Cole return home to live a life they were never meant to live. Fallen Angel father's choose to stay, protect and get to know their nephilim children. Now that everyone knows where to find Alice, the real question is who is that information pertinent to? One single traumatic event sets Alice's true destiny into motion. How each of those she cares for reacts to this event; has enormous consequences for her. 

What will Alice have to sacrifice and for whom?


  Free on Amazon from 4/19-4/21!!! Go and grab your copy today!

Cursed with an intense version of empathy Alice runs from a wasted life to start a new one somewhere no one will know her; Hell, Michigan. Alice works at a hole-in-the-wall bar in the middle of nowhere mostly keeping to herself to avoid the overwhelming emotions of those around her. She allows her best friend to convince her into taking a few college classes without realizing it would drastically change her life forever. From her first day of class she was hooked on him; his scent, his eyes, the way he talked to her inside her head. 

Throughout her struggles she learns about true love, true pain and the truth of her own heritage. Alice must quickly find out who she is because after all everyone else is out to find her. With Angels and Bounty Hunter’s in constant pursuit she finds protection within a group of Fallen Angels. These Fallen Angels vow to do anything to protect her; for it is their belief she will save their kind and all of mankind.

Book 1 is only 1.99! See where the story begins!



Stalker links:
http://www.andreadigiglio.com/
http://andrea-digiglio.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrea-DiGiglio/158314532770
https://twitter.com/andreadigiglio

'Eleusis' by Genevieve Fairbrother is #FREE this weekend 4/19 and 4/20

Are you looking for a new intriguing mythological read this weekend? Check out 'Eleusis' by Genevieve Fairbrother, which will be free on 4/19-4/20.

Blurb:

Macy needs a break. Her parents are dead and a moody trespasser has set up camp on the property she has inherited. When the stranger confesses himself to be an ageless sea-god and tells Macy she has been guarding a secret she never knew existed, her once simple life takes a drastic turn. Just when she thinks it can't get any stranger, a back door to the Underworld opens up and it's time to run like hell.

Mythology and contemporary life collide as this fast-paced novel explodes and dark forces tracking Macy surface to capture her. In the transatlantic chase that follows, she learns of her forgotten past and a centuries-old connection to the sea-god who helps her escape. A tragic miscalculation derails Macy and in a moment of self-sacrifice she ends up where it all began, trapped in the Underworld.

Has she learned enough about her past to forge a meaningful future? Utterly alone, she realizes that to gain real freedom, she must reject her assigned place in history and in doing so risk everything. Events challenge her whilst she comes to grips with her legacy and decides what she wants in life. Family betrayal, sinister plot twists, and unlikely friends fill this exhilarating story of one woman's journey to shape her future as she learns her true identity and strives to become a force in her own right.

Eleusis by Genevieve Fairbrother is one-of-a-kind contemporary paranormal adventure novel that narrates a unique perspective on women and relationships using the life of one immortal woman moving through time.

Read an excerpt:

High above them on the wooded hillside, the seeker scrambled to its feet, tense and alert. The wind ruffled its black fur. It stretched stiffly. Something was different. It sniffed the air again to be sure. It had been here so long, its purpose almost forgotten, but the scent, stronger now, stirred the creature, and it quivered with excitement. A low growl rumbled in its chest. Eager to alert the collector, it turned and quietly picked its way along the path through the trees to the opening in the rocks. It paused one last time to taste the air swirling up from the falls, then ducked its shaggy head through the entrance, shifted its shape, and slipped through the opening in the earth. The seeker was positive. The memory, although old, was strong. 

She was back. 

This novel was a 2012 amazon breatkthrough novel award semi-finalist.  

Download it for free on 4/19 & 4/20 from Amazon.

Also available in paperback.

About author Genevieve Fairbrother:

I am an author physician who lives in Atlanta with her husband and two teenagers.

Visit her website: www.genevievefairbrother.com

'The Ace of Diamonds' by Vogue Blurb Blitz Tour

ACE OF DIAMONDS

By

Vogue

BLURB:

Since his release from prison, Brookstone’s most notorious drug lord, Jay Santiago, has been hard at work rebuilding his life and empire. With two businesses under his belt and one in the making, Jay is readily known as one of New York’s elite men.

While the root of his financial status lies in the newly rebuilt Santiago cartel, Jay is determined to expand his wealth. After reconnecting with an old comrade, he believes that he has found the one thing that could increase his fortune and allow him to leave behind the dangers of his criminal enterprise for good.

However, as Jay’s new business venture begins to come to fruition, he quickly learns that the one material object that he loves the most could lead to his biggest downfall yet.

Read an excerpt:

Carmen’s eyes narrowed in anger as she realized Jay’s game. He wanted her hand in his business in exchange for a lawsuit. The thought of it all made her chuckle. Jay was definitely pulling out all of the stops. It made her wonder what it was that he was working on. “Drop the lawsuit? Well, it’s obvious that Rakim’s paternity isn’t as important to you as getting my signature on your new project. That was a little low for even you to stoop.”

Although Carmen made it seem as if she had him figured out, Jay knew that she didn’t. If she had fully read the court papers then she would have known that she wasn’t the only person he was suing. He had named her husband as well. “Don’t get it twisted, Carm. I’m doing the paternity test. I won’t take you to court, though. I’ll still sue your husband. Right now, I want to get back to my proposal. If you really think about it, you’ve always been my Bonnie. Blue Magic was my idea, but without you, it wouldn’t exist. We work well together. Our restaurant is evidence of that. Our kids are, too.”

Carmen shook her head at how Jay continued to look past her anger. He kept trying to coax her as if she hadn’t been handed a lawsuit. A large part of her wanted to slap him for his insensitivity, but she didn’t. She decided to remove herself from the situation. She couldn’t sit there any longer and listen to anything else he had to say. He had turned her entire day upside down and it was getting worse the longer she stayed in his presence.

Buy links: Amazon \ Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, Vogue’s journey through the world of creative writing first began in middle school with poetry and songwriting. While the mix of rhythm and words was the initial passage to self-expression, it was the discovery of prose that opened the door to a world of endless possibilities. An avid reader of Urban Fiction, Vogue felt the need to create literary works that had an equal balance of street lit, drama, romance, and faith-based undertones.

A graduate of Winthrop University (Rock Hill, S.C.), possessing a bachelor’s degree in social work, Vogue, first birthed the idea of The Diamond Collection in the halls of her alma mater. In 2003, she put pen to paper and thus was created, Diamonds In The Rough, part one of The Diamond Collection series.

By 2010, Vogue had written drafts of the entire ten book series and in June of 2010, Diamonds In The Rough, was published for her to share with the rest of the world. Soon followed by Diamonds Are Forever in October of 2010 and The Ace of Diamonds in February of 2013, Vogue joined the league of other writers, determined to make her mark in the literary world.

Still writing, Vogue plans to release the fourth book in the series, Black Diamonds, in late 2013 or early 2014 as well as pen her first Young Adult novel.

Contact Links:

Author Email: blaq_pearls@yahoo.com

Official Author Website: www.simplyvogue.net

Crown Jewelz Publishing Website: www.crownjewelzpub.com

Crown Jewelz Publishing email: crownjewelzpub@gmail.com

Facebook (Author): www.thefacebook.com/SimplyVogue

Facebook (Publisher): www.thefacebook.com/crownjewelzpub

Twitter (Author): @SimplyVogue_B

Twitter (Publisher): @crownjewelzpub

Instagram (Author): MarilynMonRHO_1922

Vogue will be awarding $50 Gift Card to Kay Jewelers to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

'Demon' by Laura DeLuca

Demon

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn.

It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.

Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.

About Author Laura DeLuca

Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the sole author of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player, and Demon.

 

 

Follow Laura DeLuca: Website | Facebook | Twitter |GoodReads

 

Buy on Amazon \ Smashwords \ Barnes & Noble

Reviews
Bookworm Babblings
The Crafty Cauldron
Niki's Book Corner
Central Bargains Writers and Books
Mommy Reads too Much
Taking Time for Mommy

Excerpts
Andi's Young Adult Books
Janictaz 3    

Giveaway Prize:

Fill out the form below to Enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

'Jessie's War' by Meggan Connors Blurb Blitz

Jessie’s War

by Megan Connors

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

She's about to become a pawn in a brutal game between nations...

The American Civil War has raged for more than ten years. The outcast daughter of a famous inventor, Jessica White has struggled to salvage what little remains of her life. Then, one cold winter night, the lover she'd given up for dead returns, claiming the Union Army bought the plans for her father's last invention. But he's not the only one who lays claim to the device, for the Confederacy wants the invention as well. Both sides will kill to have it.

...And only he can save her.

As an agent for the Union Army, Luke Bradshaw is a man who will use whomever and whatever is at his disposal in order to complete his mission. An attack by Confederate soldiers ensures that Jessie will turn to him for help, but Luke can't help but wonder about the secrets she keeps--and if those secrets will ultimately prove fatal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Read an excerpt:

Her cheeks heated and she sniffed. “I wouldn’t try the patience of my very generous benefactor, if I were you. I might also mention a bath could make your presence a little more tolerable. You’re lucky I didn’t sic Muha on you.”

Luke looked at the wolf, who thumped her graying tail in eager canine devotion. “You wouldn’t bite me, would you, old girl?” Scratching her head, he caught Jessie’s eye. “See, she still loves me.”

“Well, that’s one of us.”

“Right.” He dug into the pocket of his vest, removed a small, folded envelope, and extended it to her. “I brought you something.”

The paper trembled, and it took Jessie a moment to realize his hands shook.

She folded her hands in her lap. “I don’t want anything from you, except your promise that tomorrow you’ll leave and you won’t come back.”

“Can’t promise you that, but I can give you this.” He shoved the envelope at her.

“Don’t overstay your welcome, Bradshaw.”

“I always do.”

A nervous laugh escaped before she could stop it, and she took the letter from Luke’s outstretched hand. It was well worn and wrinkled, the edges charred, as if it had been rescued from a fire.

She ran her hands over the paper, and she sensed smoke and the heat of flames.

With shaking hands, she opened the envelope. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to find, but it wasn’t this. It wasn’t a photograph and a flood of memories.

Two young men. Union soldiers. Luke, clean-shaven and an older version of the boy she remembered, smiled broadly at the camera, his free arm around the shoulders of the young man standing next to him.

Gideon. His black hair and eyes, skin and high cheekbones showed the native blood he and Jessie shared. His mouth was set in a somber line, but she recognized the mirth in his eyes. Luke had never failed to amuse her brother.

On the bottom of the photograph, written in Gideon’s strong, precise hand, was, Me and Luke. October 28, 1867.

The day he died.

She put the photograph down beside her and turned to the second piece of paper, and her throat tightened as she began to read.

Jessie,

We leave for South Carolina today. Luke and I are assigned to different airships, but we’re both expected to be there by this afternoon. We don’t expect much resistance. There are rumors the Rebs have developed a weapon against our airships, but I’ve been working on something with Pop’s blue silver alloy. If it works, the Rebs will never be able to take us out of the sky. I only wish Luke were on my ship.

Don’t worry about us. Any day now, and we’ll be back where we belong. Luke sends his love. I’ll take care of him for you—don’t you worry. You take care of yourself and Pop.

--Gideon

The letter they’d received from Gideon’s commanding officer had assured her father that her brother had died quickly when his ship had plummeted to the earth and burst into flames. She had pretended to believe the lies for her father’s sake.

She traced Gideon’s words with the tip of her finger, trying to feel some remnant of her brother’s presence in the strong lines of his penmanship. New pain built in her chest when she realized her efforts were futile—his energy wasn’t there. His letter contained his words, but no trace of him.

“I always meant to come back.” Luke’s voice sounded rough. “I walked all the way back to the crash site, looking for him or something of his. I was given this. I’ve carried it ever since. I always meant to give it to you.”

She set the photograph in her lap. She memorized this last image of her brother, dressed as a solider with his best friend by his side.

Luke put his hand on her shoulder.

She flinched. “Don’t. You should have sent this when you found it.”

He dropped his hand. “I wanted to give you the letter in person.”

“Go away.” The words came out strangled.

“Jessie—”

“I wish you had been the one to die that day.”

This one small memento of her brother ripped her open and tore out her heart all over again. The pain was as raw as the day she’d learned of his death.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve wished the exact same thing.”

Buy links: Amazon \ All Romance \ Barnes & Noble \ MUSA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio and Links:

Meggan Connors is a wife, mother, teacher and award-winning author who writes primarily historical and steampunk romances. As a history buff with a love of all things historical, she enjoys visiting both major and obscure museums, and reading the histories of the Old West and the British Isles. She makes her home in the Wild West with her lawman husband, two children, and a menagerie of pets. When she's not writing, she can usually be found hiking in the mountains, playing in the snow, or with her nose in a book. Favorite vacation destinations include the sun-kissed hills of California, any place with a castle or a ghost (and both is perfect!), and the windswept Oregon coast.

Links:

Website: www.megganconnors.com

Twitter: @megganconnors

Meggan will be awarding a silver pocket watch pendant and a cameo choker, and a signed paperback copy of The Marker, her historical romance to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. (US/CANADA ONLY) Follow the tour for more chances to win!