For instance, this is my first book cover. Gorgeous, isn’t it? The blouse even matches the descriptions of Rosa’s hand-embroidery work and drawstring neckline.  The one problem we had was that this series takes place in Caldwell County, Texas – a real location that just happens to look nothing like a desert.

Before:

After:

Those sandy dunes and mountain ranges were replaced with wheat fields and some…well, smaller mountains. This picture could possibly be in central Texas, while the other could not.

My Caught in the Middle cover is absolutely adorable, but this was the second attempt.

Guess what changed?

Before:

After:

It’s not that I dislike straight hair, but Anne has curly hair and it was too late to change that part of the story. Caught in the Middle was the third book of the series, and Anne had already been described as having curly hair in both Sixty Acres and a Bride and Love in the Balance.  And as you should be able to tell from the boots, she wasn’t the type of lady to iron her curls out straight.

It does seem that most of my requested changes have been about the hair. Here’s the cover for my novella An Unforeseen Match:

This is the story about an Grace O’Malley, a schoolteacher who is going blind. One description of her (which is significant to the plot) is that she has very striking coloring – fair skin and black hair.

This was the first attempt:

I understand the name Grace O’Malley sounds like a redhead, but in this case, she wasn’t.

Second attempt:

Well, it’s not red anymore, but it’s still a long way from black. At this point I told them I could rewrite the story to go with a redhead, but having fair skin and brown hair isn’t usually consider dramatic coloring.

Finally,

It is black, for the most part. 🙂  Funny story – while discussing the cover with my editor he told me one of the earliest drafts had her with a newspaper in her hand instead of an parasol. Blind schoolteacher, remember? He was able to catch that one early. You can see that they have a very strong commitment to accuracy and working with their authors.

And now for my last cover which has perfect hair and no odd geographical formations in the background: 

Isn’t it cute? A Most Inconvenient Marriage is now available for Pre-Order! I can’t wait to share it with you. Here’s a short blurb:

With few options of her own, nurse Abigail Stuart agrees to marry her patient, a gravely wounded soldier calling himself Jeremiah Calhoun. They arrange a quick ceremony before he dies, giving Abigail the rights to his Ozark farm and giving Jeremiah the peace of knowing someone will care for his ailing sister after he’s gone–a practical solution for both of them.

After the war, Abigail fulfills her side of the bargain–until the real Jeremiah Calhoun shows up, injured but definitely alive, and wastes no time in challenging Abigail’s story. Abigail is flummoxed. After months of claiming to be his widow, how can she explain that she’s never seen this Jeremiah Calhoun before? How can she convince him that she isn’t trying to steal his farm? And will she find a way to stay, even though this practical arrangement has turned into a most inconvenient marriage?

What do you like to see on book covers? Please share!

The post Before and After: Book Cover Changes appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

That’s why I wrote Sixty Acres and a Bride. In thinking about the story of Ruth, I wanted to imagine how she felt going to Boaz in the dark and putting her reputation at stake.

I set the story in Texas and placed Ruth and Boaz in the more recent past, which made their decisions seem more weighty. Putting the couple into an era that we’re familiar with made it easier to relate to their story.

So you can imagine my excitement when I heard that Kate Breslin had done something similar with the Biblical story of Esther. For Such a Time is set in Nazi-controlled Czechoslovakia. When Stella is unexpectedly snatched from a concentration camp she fears the worst. Why would a SS Kommandant move her to his private residence? There’s no answer that she can live with.

Aric von Schmidt, a decorated soldier, knows how to set his opinions and emotions aside for the glory of the Fatherland. He doesn’t enjoy the brutality that takes place in his camp, but people die. That’s what war is about. He’ll follow orders as long as he and his household are safe.

If you’re familiar with the story of Esther, you’re probably getting twitchy. King Xerxes wasn’t a Nazi. Nazis were the most evil people ever. They tried to commit genocide. They were brutal…  Oh, yeah. Remember why Esther had to hide that she was a Jew? Do some of those details get lost in the glamour of the beauty pageant scene?

But that’s why I love For Such a Time. It takes the remote and puts it into a setting we’re more familiar with. The drama becomes fresh again, shocking us with the relationships Esther had to maintain, and the strength that was required of her.

Which brings me to my favorite part of For Such a Time. It’s a romance. The romance is difficult and complicated, yet Kate wrote it so well that I still understood why Stella and Aric needed each other. Stella’s love isn’t easy, but it’s true. And so is Aric’s fear that he’s being manipulated into ruining his career. The research and details that fill the pages give a strong sense of setting and keep the plot believable, and don’t be thinking you can predict the finale. For Such a Time keeps you reading way past bedtime.

So I highly recommend this book on its own merits. Plot, characters, setting, romance–every standard is met. But besides the enjoyment you’ll get from reading For Such a Time, you might just come away with a fresh understand of a heroine Queen whom you thought you knew inside out.  And that’s the greatest reward of all.

Would you like to win a copy of For Such a Time? Comment below and I’ll randomly choose a winner on April 4th. Anyone can comment, but I’ll only choose from U.S. residents because of shipping fees. Thanks! 

The post For Such a Time – Book Review appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

A couple of months ago I got an email from Amanda Dykes, Joanne Bischof and Karen Barnett asking if I’d like to participate in a project they were putting together, along with Sarah Sundin. As they began to share their vision for the Hope Chronicles I was overwhelmed. It was so ambitious. Could we pull it off?

I’m so glad we tried, or else we would’ve missed the heartfelt interaction we had with you. Your comments on the blogs, on Twitter and Facebook encourage and minister to us. Thank you for taking the time to chat and share. Come back anytime.

And I’m so excited to announce the winner of my prize package

((Drumroll))

And the winner is….

WENDY NEWCOMB!!!

Wendy, I’ve emailed you and need your address so please get back to me.

Other winners from the week are

Please Becky, we’d love to see a picture of you with the journal. I already miss it.

If you missed a day or would like to reread one of the entries, you can visit here:

Regina Jennings  (Heroine: Rosa Garner, Sixty Acres and a Bride)

Joanne Bischof  (Heroine: Lonnie Sawyer, Be Still My Soul)

Amanda Dykes (Heroine: Georgianna Wentworth,Upon the Waters)

Karen Barnett (Heroine: Abby Fischer, Shaken)

Sarah Sundin (Heroine: Mellie Blake, With Every Letter)

Thank you again for participating and God bless you.

-Regina

The post The Hope Chronicles Sweepstakes Winners appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

Welcome to the Hope Chronicles Blog Hop and Kick-off! We’ve been waiting for months to share our journey with you so keep reading for a new letter from sweet, spunky Rosa and also for information on some fabulous (!) prize packages that will be given away this week. So first off, what is The Hope Chronicles?

The Hope Chronicles is a blog hop and journal between 5 historical romance authors. Our desire is to bring you lasting hope through these letters, grounded in the hope of our Lord that does not disappoint, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. We’re so glad to have you join the event. Each day this week, a new Hope Chronicles post will go live, complete with a journal entry and a new giveaway for that blog post.

To read more about the project and enter to win the one-of-a-kind, hand-inscribed Hope Chronicles journal, which bounced from state to state until all five of us had spent some time with it, click here.

To find your way to the other four blog posts and enter each of the five Hope Chronicles prize bundle giveaways, read on! We have a list for you at the bottom of this post.

In these blogs you have a chance to read what was handwritten in the Hope Journal and today we start with Rosa’s entry.

My Hope: Rosa Garner

Never did I think I would write a letter to myself. Lists of items for market or sketches of embroidery designs—these I write. Nothing more. The lady on the train held this book before me. Her face glowed with strength. Her voice carried tones of an angel.

“You write in it,” she said. “A letter to yourself.”

And so I thought her loco.

I must’ve laughed because my mother-in-law frowned. “Rosa,” Louise said, “it’s a journal. With the journey we have ahead, you ought to record your thoughts. Someday you’ll enjoy looking at how far God brought us.”

But I cannot write on a train. The book jumps beneath my pen. Two pages I blot and rip out. Now I am home. At my husband’s home in Texas, rather. His farm that he abandoned for Mexico. His farm he will never see again.

Write my thoughts? They are these—

Why should I walk ground that belonged to him while he is buried beneath my soil?

Why should his people welcome me when mine rejected him?

Was God’s plan for me ruined when Mack died?

This pattern will go on a cloth to cover a table. I will use thread the red of the cardinal for the inner petals, gold for the outer and the green of the parrot for the leaves.

If someday I read this to remember my thoughts then I should record that it is May of 1878. The exact day I do not know, but I will learn it soon enough. I will mark the passing of each sun solemnly. In three months Louise must pay her taxes. How she will do this I do not know, but if she does not she will lose our farm. I will lose Mack’s home.

I hold a chick in my hand. It squirms. Its sharp feet push against my palm struggling for freedom. Is this how it escaped from the egg? I imagine it in darkness, growing bigger every day. The prison growing tighter every day. I do not like small places. My lungs squeeze until I see the sky open above me. But the chick doesn’t know the sky. He doesn’t know what he will find when he cracks the egg.

I tell Louise this. Every day our worries weigh more. I can’t see even a crack of light in the shell. She says that God keeps it dark so we will have faith in Him.

She says, “Es pues la fe la sustancia de las cosas que se esperan, la demostración de las cosas que no se ven.”

She is proud of her Spanish.

I remember Hebrews. I remember that hope in the dark is faith. What I do not know is when the shell breaks will I be free or will I be breakfast?

Louise says I have not hope. Louise sees gold in every stream. Louise sees silver on every fish. I see the truth.

I track our spending at Mr. Bradford’s store and see our savings dry up. I watch our crops and know they will only feed the two of us through the winter.

She is wrong to think we will succeed, but she is also wrong to say I have no hope. If I had no hope would every minute of daylight find me in the fields? Would evenings find me beneath the kerosene lamp stitching my embroidery?

My hope isn’t for show like my white camisa. My hope is like my boots. It is not pretty, but necessary for the job. Louise sings without worry. Not me. I pray while I tend the sheep and while I sow the seeds. I do not know how we will succeed, but I hope and my hope is stronger when it is on its legs working.

Someday I will rest. My feet will stretch out before me. I will hold this book in idle hands and I will laugh at my past worries. I will remember my dark concerns and glory in the future that was finally revealed. I look ahead to that day…but it is not today.

Today I go to shear sheep at the Garners’ house. The work will not wipe away my fears, but it might give us a few more coins for our collection. It might keep my hope alive, pushing against the darkness until I discover that long-sought for crack of light.

Rosa’s Prize Bundle

This prize package includes an autographed copy of Sixty Acres and a Bride, a Mexican Wedding Bowl hand painted by Jose Angel of Zihuatanejo, a doily embroidered by the ladies of Primera Iglesia Bautista Petatlan (First Baptist Church, Petatlan, Guerrero), a stainless-steel mug (not shown) and a package of King Carlos Chocolates.

One lucky winner (from the U.S.) will be randomly chosen from the comments on this page. Entries will be closed on November 12, 2012, at 12:00 noon (Pacific time). To place extra entries please share links on Facebook and/or Tweet with the hashtag #hopechronicles…then comment again to tell us about it.

To enter to win the original journal comment here.

We invite you to join us each weekday this week as we hop through cyberspace and history, gleaning hope from each heroine’s journey.

Monday, November 5^th: Regina Jennings  (Heroine: Rosa Garner, Sixty Acres and a Bride)

Tuesday, November 6^th: Joanne Bischof  (Heroine: Lonnie Sawyer, Be Still My Soul)

Wednesday, November 7^th: Amanda Dykes (Heroine: Georgianna Wentworth, Upon the Waters)

Thursday, November 8^th: Karen Barnett (Heroine: Abby Fischer, Shaken)

Friday, November 9^th: Sarah Sundin (Heroine: Mellie Blake, With Every Letter)

Thank you for sharing this beautiful journey with us!

The post Hope Chronicles: Rosa Garner appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

If you could read the excerpt in this catalog you’d see that two of the characters mentioned don’t appear in the final version of Sixty Acres and a Bride. You won’t find Naomi and Augustus, but you will find Louise and Nicholas. Those names were changed during editing, but the catalog couldn’t wait for the final product before it needed to make the rounds.

Approximately five months from the release the author receives the copy edits. Finally, we’re getting to the nitty-gritty. No more big changes, now we’re looking at grammar, fact checks and word choice. With my publisher the copy edits are mailed, printed out single-sided and double spaced. I’m always surprised how different print looks on paper as compared to the screen. Word duplication will jump out at me. Sentences I’ve read twenty times will suddenly look choppy on the page. Proof-reading a physical copy is a must.

While I’m looking over the editor’s remarks, a similar copy is being mailed to “media influencers”. This is the Advanced Reader’s Copy or the ARC.

It’s a no-frills early edition sent to help reviewers get their reviews published before the release. Here’s something to make a writer wake-up with nightsweats – the copy the reviewers get contains the editor’s remarks. So as the reviewer reads through your story he’s interrupted by boldface comments like – So Rosa’s skirt is blue? I thought you said on the last page it was red? or Did you mean the picture was of Weston’s grandmother? You said his abuela and that means grandmother. 

I’d imagine they’ve had some good laughs.

Immediately following the copy edits are the galleys. This copy is mailed as well, but it is formatted exactly as it will appear in the book. This is the author’s last chance to make any corrections. Changes should be minimal and are written on the page. When the galleys are mailed in, you have signed off that this is precisely what you want to be published.

Naturally, at this time the marketing department is humming with activity. They are buying ads and creating promotional products like postcards, bookmarks and shelf talkers. They are lining up interviews, blog posts, and guest appearances for the author. The marketing department plans far into the future and is prepared before a single book comes off the press.

Editing has to be even further ahead. By December the first draft of my second book Love in the Balance was due. The synopsis on the third book was due a few weeks later and the process begins again.

The first copies of Sixty Acres and a Bride were printed about a month before the release date and they began shipping at the first of the year. By February 1, every store that pre-ordered had the book in stock and the online stores could begin shipping to customers.

The time between signing the contract and holding my book seemed an eternity, but when I consider how many people were involved in its production and how much was accomplished, I’m grateful for the time they took to give Sixty Acres a successful launch.

In which part of the production process would you most like to be involved?

(Part 1, Part 2)

The post From Manuscript to Bookshelf – Part 3 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

Eye Candy – 9 Months from Release Date

After the substantial edits were made and the title chosen, marketing really starts spinning. Have you ever picked up a book and after a few pages you flip to the front cover for a double take? Huh? That’s not how she’s supposed to look. And by the end you’re wondering when did he ride a stallion with his white shirt unbuttoned? I don’t remember that scene.

That’s why it’s important to give marketing time to read the book.  It’s not enough to put a pretty lady and a beautiful gown on the cover (and if it’s Christian romance the lady will actually be wearing the gown). Marketing needs to read the book so they can correctly catch the tone of the story. How can they know which pivotal scene to portray without having read it?

Once Sixty Acres was titled it was time to work on the cover. My publishing house is in Minneapolis, but they decided to go with a designer and modeling agency out of Colorado. My editor looked through portfolios to find “Rosa” and a photographer and designer in Denver collaborated to make the cover. Several choices were sent to the publisher and one was chosen and sent to me for my input (for a more detailed version of the in-house work on another book, check out the link below). Naturally I loved the design. My only concern was that the background was inconsistent with the location, which was especially important since I’d chosen to use real towns in the story. The suggestions were sent in and they made the adjustments.

During this time, I began working with my line editor. Line edits are a closer reading of the story. Instead of big plot movements we look at transitions between scenes, consistency of characters, voice and accuracy of descriptions. This still isn’t a “proof-reading” concerned with spelling and grammar. It’s still a big picture edit.

And in between the edits, I continued to write book 2.

Meanwhile, the cover is made public. Seems early, doesn’t it? But once the cover is approved the sales staff can present it and get feedback on the design. There’s still time to make changes if it doesn’t impress. Then seven months before the release, the book is available for pre-order. That means the descriptions, blurbs and cover art are ready for the market.

The Unexplainable

Even as I’m trying to describe the process, there are still dark secrets that haven’t been revealed to me. For instance, the online description of  Sixty Acres claimed that it was 368 pages. I thought this humorous because I wasn’t finished writing it, yet. We still had edits to work through, big changes. They didn’t know how many pages of acknowledgments I’d have at the end, if any. How could they predict the page count? Turns out, they were exactly right. This is strange magic that I don’t understand. Maybe they misnumbered somewhere in the middle of the book to make it come out even. If you learn the secret, please let me know.

Next week we’ll continue the steps that lead up to a successful release. If you’d like to see more on book cover design, please check out these fascinating links:

The Making of the Cover of The Lady of Bolton Hill (Lifeway Blog)

A Quick Video Showing the Making of the Cover of Blameless

What department would you feel most at home in – editorial or marketing – and why?

(Continue on to Part 3)

The post From Manuscript to Bookshelf – Part 2 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

But what’s involved in getting those books onto your shelf? Why does it take forever to go from a manuscript to a product in your hands?

The Obvious

Someone has to write the book. You knew that. For my first book Sixty Acres and a Bride the process of writing and re-writing took about a year. This got the manuscript into the smoothest form that I and my critique partners could manage. When I mention my first draft, it’s this one, although it actually represents scores of rewrites and drafts.

Sixty Acres was purchased at the end of 2010/beginning of 2011. (The story about getting the contract is here – My Publication Story.) The release date was set for the Spring of 2012 – more than a year away! True, I needed time to work on the second book, but a whole year before I could hold it in my hands? Unmitigated torture.

The Introduction

It was a long time to wait, but the publisher wasn’t idle. They were busy getting the groundwork started for a great release. Before the marketing department could introduce Sixty Acres to the reading public, they had to read it. That first draft was sent around the office so they would know what they had to work with. Their first decision – the name. I’d titled it Forty Acres and a Bride, thinking Weston might agree that his stubborn bride and a mule shared many common characteristics. Marketing wasn’t as amused by the allusion, so we made the farm bigger by twenty acres and had a less offensive title.

The first draft was also read by a team of editors. They put their thoughts together and presented me with a “Substantive Edit” letter. This listed enough problems with the characters and the plot to make me wonder why they bought it in the first place. Imagine winning Miss America and then the pageant coordinator tells you that you need a make-over. That’s what it feels like.

But truly, the story did need work. There’s this mysterious gulf between my best and suitable for publication that only editors can see across. What is it they glimpse on the other side of the crevice that tells them this story will be worth all the work they are going to put into it? I don’t know. Maybe someday I’ll get a guest post on that question.

Getting Started

So rewrites on Sixty Acres were due in April. Plenty of time, but the synopsis for the second book was due by the end of January so I’d have time to write it. In fact, just imagine as I describe this process that between every sentence I’m writing a few more chapters of the second book. Right there. And there were some more.

The synopsis is single spaced and usually between three to five pages. Evidently the editor thinks it’s important to know what I’m going to write before I turn it in completed a year later. I understand that in theory, but I’m not sure exactly what the story will be until I’m about halfway finished with the manuscript. That means I need many words on pages before I turn in my synopsis. It also means that many of the words might not make the final cut, but that’s the consequence of driving without a map. Maybe someday I’ll learn.

That brings us up to 9 months from publication…a veritable literary pregnancy.

That’s all for this week. Next week – the (awesome, gorgeous, breath-taking) cover and more edits.

And a question for you. What would thrill (or did thrill) you the most about having your work published?

Proceed to Part 2

The post From Manuscript to Bookshelf – Part 1 appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire
• Sixty Acres and a Bride by Regina Jennings

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/26/12. Winner will be announced at Regina’s Author Chat Facebook Party on 3/27. Regina will be hosting an evening of chat, fun trivia and more! She’ll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, and some beautiful silver jewerly!

So grab your copy of Sixty Acres and a Bride and join Regina and friends on the evening of March 27th for an evening of fun.

Don’t miss a moment of the fun. RSVP TODAY and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 27th!

The post Sweepstakes appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

“What was she doing here? Returning to Mexico didn’t seem so bad compared to the shame of what she planned. True, if there was anyone who could help her, it was this man. And if there was anyone she’d like to visit with or work beside, it was he. But alas, he didn’t return her regard. He’d purposely avoided her for over a month now. Yet here she was in the middle of the night with instructions to go to his bed and ask for money.” – Sixty Acres and a Bride

While Sixty Acres and a Bride isn’t a straight retelling of the Biblical story of Ruth, it does contain Ruth’s scandalous act to secure her future. How bold, how shocking was Ruth’s behavior—but Boaz responded in love and acceptance to redeem her.

Royal, but in Danger

Ruth wasn’t the only lady in the Bible driven to unorthodox measures. Queen Esther needed a miracle to save her people, too. Even though she was the queen, the punishment for entering the King’s throne room without a summons was death. Esther should have waited for the King to send for her, but instead she plowed through the crowd, pushed through the guards and risked her life to petition her sovereign.

Seeking Healing

And while we’re talking about desperate women, what about the woman who was unclean and forbidden from touching any man because of her medical condition? Did she watch from her window, bemoaning the barrier that kept her from her Messiah? No, she too fought her way through the throng and reached for the hem of her Sovereign’s gown, believing that the forbidden touch would heal her. With trembling fingers she grasped for her only hope and her faith was rewarded. Her Savior was pleased that she dared approach Him.

Our Examples?

What would Ruth, Esther and the woman from Capernaum say about the way we chase after the One who can save us? Would these women tell us that we are too ladylike in our pursuit? Do we wait until we’re desperate before we call to Him? Do we hesitate to speak to our powerful and holy Lord? Are we afraid to claim our position as His Bride?

Unworthy, unclean, sinful – we can’t deny our failings. But once we confess the sin that bars us from fellowship, it’s gone. We’re welcomed to grasp his robe, his cloak, grasp his nail-scarred hand and we’ll find that He has already redeemed our estate. He turns with opened arms even though we were not sure He was expecting us, ready to restore. Ready with sanctuary.

Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened. Ask and it shall be given.

He is pleased by our pursuit.

The post Ladylike Behavior? appeared first on Author Regina Jennings.

Here’s Trina –

It used to be that I asked Regina (Gina, to me) to write things for me, but now that she’s gone and got all busy and important, I’m filling in for her. She asked me to repost my blog from ilovebannerboys and of course I’m happy to SHARE (unlike her…read below). Normally she proofs for me too but I’m thinking she hasn’t this time because this post gives you insight on the mean big sister she was (shhhhhh). Enjoy!

Sixty Acres & a Bride

So many of you know or have heard that my sister is a published author… Yes, I am SO SO PROUD!!! I know, I know it’s not hard to believe that if you’ve been following my blog and see the way I write with such skill. HAHA!!! She was hired by Bethany House Publishing to write 3 books and her first came out in February, Sixty Acres & a Bride.

 

You can buy it at most any Christian bookstore (Mardel, Lifeway, CPO) or Barnes & Noble if they aren’t sold out already. 🙂 Which in that case you can get it online at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.I read it and LOVED it! It only took me 2 days and I am not an avid reader. I was asked if I could “hear” my sister in the book and the answer is “kinda”. The words are so rich, her humor is hilarious and she’s not mushy, but when I read it, it was hard to believe ALL THAT was coming from my sister… the one who sat on me and stuffed my mouth full of tissue to get me to stop crying, the one who charged me $$ to wear her clothes in high school (I still wonder why I wanted to??!!), and the one who I can still call and talk to anytime about anyone (usually dad) or anything! I always said “she’s the smart sister!” but Becky takes offense to that. :)So, since I’m not the smart sister, I like pictures better than words, movies better than books! So with Regina’s help, here are some visuals for when you read this AMAZING BOOK!

Rosa – the main character and a quote from the book (pictured here Jaci Velasquez)

He ought to be getting to the barn, but if he could have come up with a reason to stay in the kitchen, he might’ve. The lady darted around like a dragonfly, never landing anywhere long but catching his eye with her brightly colored clothing, bracketed with patterns that mimicked the latticed wings of the creatures.

The broad neck on her blouse exposed more skin than he was used to seeing before evening – and then only if the ladies were dressed for a social. How did Mexican men get anything done during the day if their womenfolk flitted around the kitchen dressed like that?

She was a pretty girl, no doubt about it.

“Thank you, err…miss.”

“Ma’am.” She lifted her chin and straightened her back.

All right, he stood corrected. She was a pretty woman.

Weston – Hero of the book (pictured here Jim Caviezel)

She heard a horse nicker, then a man’s voice. “If you’re hurt, I’ll help. If not, I’ll pretend I didn’t see anything and go on.”

At his voice, the ewe struggled harder to get to her feet, but Rosa held on tight. “I’m not hurt, but I need to get this animal to the barn.”

Huffing, she tilted her head to get a look at the speaker, Aunt Mary’s warnings about cowboys still ringing in her ears. Besides an uneven haircut, he didn’t look scary. Instead, his looks were very nice. Pleasing even. Aunt Mary’s warning would go unheeded in the face of this handsome cowboy. She couldn’t believe the man before her was deficient in any way, or at least his rugged face convinced her to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The Courthouse at Caldwell County.

“One hundred and sixty-six dollars? How are we supposed to come up with one hundred and sixty-six dollars?” With white knuckles, Louise grasped the brass rail bolted to the countertop in the tax assessor’s office.

Rosa took her mother-in-law’s arm. She had no idea how much that amounted to in pesos, but it was enough to turn Louise’s skin pale. Enough to make Aunt Mary speechless, something that hadn’t happened since she’d met the woman that morning.

The Dance! My favorite scene in the book.

The guitar’s pulsating melody continued to envelop the humid barn floor. Rosa rounded Rico for the final pass of the set and for the first time during the dance faced Weston.

He saw the uncertainty in her eyes, but before he could understand its meaning, she pulled on the mask and resumed her character. She shamelessly met his gaze, allowing her eyes to go soft and then saucy. She pranced around him once, stepping off her territory before sweeping in toward her prey.

Hands above her head, she snapped out the rhythm with gyrating wrists and swaying elbows. His mouth went dry…

The Palmetto (Weston’s estate.)

The buggy slowed at the crest of the ridge. Weston paused at the top, and then with a shake of the reins, he urged the horses onward toward an imposing block of yellow brick.

“That’s it?” Rosa asked.

“Yes, that’s Palmetto.”

His face wore the same look of pride that’d appeared at the courthouse.

“You appreciate beautiful things, don’t you?”

“Especially when they belong to me.”

and… how could I not post at least one more of Weston?!

His breathing changed. Oh, this was worse than Rosa had ever imagined. Weston would wake to find her practically on top of him. Would he remember that he’d pulled her there? He moved away slowly, loosening his embrace, and touched her arm. Deliberately, he explored up her shoulder and to her face.

“Mr. Garner?” She could only muster a whisper.

“Rosa? What are you doing here?”

This fun site pictured Anne Hathaway as Rosa… pretty good match!
http://www.rtbookreviews.com/rt-daily-blog/caught-cover-february-2012 

My sister, Regina Jennings.

Well, hope you enjoyed these pics. Now… GO READ THE BOOK!!!

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