First a bit about Peggy:
I never thought I'd be a writer, much less
publish a book some day. I always wanted to be a veterinarian. I guess life
just had other plans for me. When my husband and I decided to start a family,
vet school pretty much went out the window. I used to work with a vet who had
three children while going through vet school. To this day, she is my
hero.
I live with my husband and two teenage sons in
southern California. I have a Welsh pony and a miniature horse (down-sized from
a barn of six horses). A crazy Labrador retriever who is a food vacuum, three
cats, two parakeets, four bearded dragons (my compromise with my sons when they
wanted a snake), and a small flock of chickens complete our menagerie of
critters. I can’t imagine my life without my animals. My dream is to live in
Montana some day.
Four years ago, I began writing a story that, for
whatever reason, was stuck in my head for almost a year. I have been an avid
romance reader for a long time, and the idea took hold to - why not? - write my
own! What a simple idea, right?
It has been a long and difficult journey from my
first sentence to a completed, and hopefully polished, manuscript. Today, I
have a completed series of 5 books and a novella in what I called The
Yellowstone Romance Series, two books in my new Second
Chances Time Travel Romance Series, and I am currently working on the final
book in a trilogy set in the Grand Tetons.
Delaney Goodman has been running from her painful past all
her life. Dreams of working with horses
have long been replaced with the reality of doing anything to make ends
meet. About to hit rock bottom, she
accepts a stranger’s proposition, even if it sounds too good to be true. She
figures she has nothing, not even her dignity, to lose. She awakens in an unfamiliar setting - and century
- and quickly discovers that she will need more than her charm to complete the
task assigned to her.
On the surface, Tyler Monroe has everything going for him
- good looks, the respect of his friends
and neighbors, and a thriving horse ranch.
However, his past holds deep wounds with thick emotional scars. When a
brazen, beautiful woman arrives in town, Tyler makes an impulsive decision that
will cause him to question everything he knows.
Tyler is unlike any man Laney has ever met. Laney is exactly the kind of woman Tyler
wants to avoid. As the attraction between them grows, questions arise that
stretch the boundaries of trust for both.
The secrets that threaten to tear them apart could be exactly what Tyler
and Laney need to bring them together.
Excerpt:
Laney stood, and glanced in the mirror again. She ran her hand
along the contours of the corset. The stiff contraption gave her an unnatural
hourglass shape.
“There’s no way I’m wearing this thing every day,” she mumbled,
and searched for the hooks or ties that would loosen the corset from around her
ribcage. She turned sideways and peered into the mirror over her shoulder. The
lacings were at the back. She reached her hand over her shoulder, then under,
trying to get to the strings.
“Dammit. How am I supposed to get this thing off me?”
She turned in a circle, trying to see into the mirror while at
the same time reach the lacings with her fingers. Laney growled loudly in
frustration. She was tired, hungry, and she desperately needed to use the
bathroom.
“I bet there isn’t even a bathroom,” she said out loud.
Exasperated, she moved away from the mirror. With a loud sigh,
she let herself fall backwards onto the bed, sending up a small cloud of dust.
Laney stared up at the ceiling. A loud knock sent her bolting upright again.
Her eyes fell to the open door to her room. Tyler filled the frame, and their
eyes met. His gaze traveled up and down her body, then he quickly turned his
back to her.
“Thank God you’re here.” Laney scrambled from the bed and rushed
to him from across the room.
“Eddie will have supper ready in about a half an hour.”
He stepped out into the hall, and Laney grabbed his arm before
he had a chance to walk away.
“Wait. I need your help, Tyler.”
Tyler’s muscles tensed underneath her hand, and he turned his
head slightly to glance back at her.
“Please, I can’t undo this corset. Could you untie the lacing
for me? I really need to change my clothes.” Laney peered up at him, and her
mouth went dry. Tyler’s eyes roamed her face, every muscle along his jaw tense.
For a split second, it seemed as if he was going to pull away from her and keep
walking. She swallowed her apprehension.
You’re in the nineteenth century, Laney. People act differently
here.
Had her behavior earlier when she’d come on to him out in the yard
been a mistake? Had she been wrong in her assumption that she needed to play
the role of a prostitute? The reverend had specifically told her that she was
required to keep Tyler satisfied. Had she misinterpreted what he meant? How was
she supposed to do that and behave like a prim and proper nineteenth century
wife at the same time? Come to think of it, Tyler was probably expecting a
virgin bride.
“I . . . I really feel uncomfortable standing here in just my
underclothes, Tyler. I’d appreciate your help so I can change.” Was that the
right tactic to use? Laney held her breath, waiting for his response.
“Turn around,” Tyler said, his jaw still tense, and his words
clipped. She quickly did as he asked, holding her hands up to her chest for
good measure.
Tyler’s fingers grazed her back when he lifted her hair and laid
the long strands over her shoulder. Her heart hammered in her chest, and a
chill raced down her spine. Why did he affect her like this? There was
something so sensual about his slow and gentle movement, something so
unexpectedly tender that it brought tears to her eyes. She’d asked him to
remove her corset and he quietly complied, without any lewd remark or stare, or
even a hint that he wanted to undress her fully and take advantage of the situation.
Tyler worked the lacings loose as if he had plenty of practice
with this sort of thing, and she breathed freely once the confining contraption
fell away from her sides. She clutched the corset tightly to her chest, even
though she still wore a chemise underneath. A breeze swept through the room
from the open window, and although it wasn’t cold, goose bumps covered her
arms.
Laney stood still. She leaned forward slightly and held her head
down. She ground her teeth in frustration. The skin along either side of her
spine tingled, anticipating, longing for his touch. Now that he’d loosened the
confining corset, she imagined his palms sliding along her shoulder, his lips
pressing against the back of her neck.
“That oughta do it,” he grumbled. “You’d better get dressed
before you catch a chill.”
Laney held her breath. She waited, then slowly turned.
“Thank
you. I really appreciate . . .” Her voice trailed off. Tyler was already
halfway down the hall, and headed for the front door.
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Follow Peggy on twitter: @ynpdreamer
