Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Lassoing A Groom ~ A New Historical Western Romance Anthology

 By Kristy McCaffrey

I’m pleased to announce the release of Lassoing A Groom, a new collection of historical western romance short stories. I’m very excited to be included in this anthology, alongside some of the best western romance writers today. These sweet stories will make you laugh and sigh, and keep you reading for that happily-ever-after.

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I’m giving away an e-copy! To be eligible, leave a comment below (be sure to include your email). If you’re reading this via email, click here to go directly to my blog. I’ll pick a winner by the end of the week.



How is a woman supposed to catch a husband? In the wild, wild west, she's got to find a way to Lasso a Groom! Some of them are lawmen...some are outlaws. Ranchers and homesteaders are fair game, as well--none of 'em are safe from love's lariat, or the women who finally manage to rope 'em in!

DON'T GO SNARING MY HEART by Jacquie Rogers
Can rancher Dex Madsen get past loner Betsy Lynch's goats and killer chicken to help save her mining claim and win her heart?

RACE TO MARRY by Kirsten Lynn
He's in town to tame a man-killer. She's accused of being one. When she proposes marriage the race is on.

WANTED: THE SHERIFF by Tracy Garrett
He's a confirmed bachelor...but she'll capture his heart.

CANYON CROSSING by Kristy McCaffrey
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon. When U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty rescues her from a cliff side, her most guarded secret might save them.

THE PERFECT HOMESTEAD BRIDE by Linda Hubalek
Will a dangerous man from Gussie Hamner's past sabotage the future she's building with Noah Wilerson?

THE WORST OUTLAW IN THE WEST by Kathleen Rice Adams
An inept bank robber and a bossy spinster team up to rob an empty vault. What could go wrong?


More on my story:
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon with a guide and a mule. When circumstances have her hanging from a cliff side, her rescue at the hands of U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty is fortuitous in more ways than one. He’s chasing the notorious Red Bandit, and it soon becomes clear that Annabel’s brother is mixed up with the criminal as well. While the marshal believes she may be in on a double-cross, she has a more pressing secret to hide. She can talk to deceased spirits, and she wonders whether to tell Angus about the old Apache ever near to him.

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Here’s an excerpt from “Canyon Crossing”:

Grand Canyon
August 1898

She dreamt she died in Grand Canyon.
Annabel’s eyes flew open and she gasped for breath. Lying on a narrow precipice, hundreds of feet from certain death, the Grand Canyon beckoned to her, ready to cradle her in its otherworldly embrace. Did she still dream?
Carefully, she pushed herself upright, hardly daring to breathe. Perched on the edge of a cliff, she was inches from a dramatic fall. A side glance to the east told her the sun was rising. What had happened? She and her guide, Frank Smith, had made camp, eaten a meal of beans, biscuits, and coffee, and then gone to sleep. Where was he? Where was the mule, Speck, who carried their gear? Had they fallen to their deaths?
Annabel sought to calm her panic. She was only twenty years old, she couldn’t die now. A slight movement caused her to slip; she frantically grabbed a scraggly bush, fear filling her with desperation. Finally, she stopped, barely daring to breathe lest it dislodge her further. Her mind raced for a solution.
Maybe Frank was nearby.
“Help.” Her voice was weak.
“Help!” Better, stronger, but not enough. “Help me! Help! Help!”
“Are you hurt?” a man yelled from above.
Annabel’s gaze flew upward, not recognizing the voice. Still, elation filled her. “No. I-I don’t believe so.”
“If I throw a rope, can you grab it?”
“Yes, yes. I’ll try.” She attempted to quiet her shaking.
A knotted cord slapped the ground beside her. Slowly, she reached out with her right hand and grasped it. Letting go of the bush, she clung to the lifeline with both hands. In small increments she moved upward, all the while straining not to slip off. Just as her aching palms screamed for release, she neared an unseen ledge that harbored the man and the life-saving tether. As she struggled to climb over the edge, a large shadow reached for her and strong arms yanked her to the safety of flat ground. A man hovered above, breathing heavily.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Annabel said. Drained of strength, she lay on the ground, facing the sky. “How did you find me?” She winced as the rising sun glowed behind him, casting the man into an enigmatic dark silhouette. Shading her eyes, a flash caught her eye. He wore a badge, a silver star.
“I heard your cries for help,” he replied.
“Are you a lawman?”
“U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty, miss.” He tipped his hat. “How is it that you’re down here?”
Annabel scooted to a sitting position away from the precipitous drop-off and scanned the surroundings. The trail from the Grand View Hotel was narrow, but she and Frank had made camp here anyway. There’d really been no choice. But now, there was no sign of it at all. Frank, Speck, and all the gear had vanished. Had she fallen asleep and rolled out of the encampment? It was certainly possible. She could’ve perished in her sleep and not even known it. Her heart pounded from the near-miss with death.
“I was with a guide and a mule,” she said. “But I don’t know where they are.” The entire incident seemed incomprehensible to her.
“What’s your name?” the marshal asked.
“Annabel C-C-Cross.” She paused, attempting to quiet her unsteady nerves. It’ll be alright, Annabel. Just calm yourself.
“You’ve no idea how you came to be down there?” The man nodded just beyond the cliff from which he’d recently rescued her.
“I must’ve fallen in my sleep.”
“Why did the guide leave you behind, then?” The marshal’s voice—recovered from his exertions—spoke in careful measures.
“Maybe he didn’t,” she insisted. “Maybe he fell, too.”
“With all of your gear, and the mule?” He sounded skeptical. “There’s no sign of anything resembling a camp here.”
Annabel didn’t know what to think. The truth was, she hardly knew Frank Smith, but when she’d employed him at the Grand View Hotel on the South Rim three days ago the older man had appeared quite amiable and helpful. Granted, he wasn’t a guide, but rather a prospector, and a little off the mark in intelligence, but he knew of her brother and said he’d take her to him. It was exactly what she needed.

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Lassoing A Groom is now available!!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Costa Rica: Golfo Dulce And Osa Peninsula

By Kristy McCaffrey

I just returned from the mystical rainforest of southern Costa Rica. Instead of boring you with insights from my trip, such as: bring a headband because in 95% humidity you will have no hairstyle...ever, or bring U.S. Dollars (in small bills) because for some reason the local population want nothing to do with their own currency (colones), or pack light but bring as much underwear as you can because even after a sink rinsing, they still won't smell fresh (did I mention that you sweat constantly?).

Instead, I'll let my photos transport you to the magic of one of the most bio-diverse places on earth.
Our room at Playa Nicuesa Lodge, located on the
Golfo Dulce.
The rainforest of Costa Rica.
Spotted Dolphin
Sea snake--a rare sight and very poisonous.
Sign on beach at Playa Nicuesa.
And here's the reason for the sign. The locals call
him Fernando.
Gecko.
Bat in an abandoned barn.
A local frog hanging out near our room.
Pit viper--very poisonous.
Our mode of transportation.
Near the Drake Bay airport (and I use the term 'airport'
loosely), we found several of the mysterious stone
spheres known to exist in Costa Rica. Usually made of a type
of basalt, limestone, or sandstone, they can weigh up to
15 tons and are thought to be anywhere between 1000 to
2000 years old. Their purpose isn't known. An interesting side
note: similar spheres have been found in Mexico, Peru,
Bosnia, New Zealand, and one on Easter Island.
Brahman cattle.
Mica snake ~ non-poisonous.
Our accommodation at Copa de Arbol
in Drake Bay.
The lodge staff would greet us at the end of the day
with a fresh coconut. Very refreshing!
Brown boobys wait on a log for dolphins to herd fish
to the surface.
A scarlet macaw, so beautiful and so noisy. Our guide used
my phone camera to photograph this one high in the rainforest
canopy by placing it up to his high-powered scope.
Spider monkey in Corcovado National Park.
Spider monkey.
Howler monkey showing his testes and urinating.
We got the hint--he's in charge.
Howler monkey. Only the alpha males howl, a very eerie sound
that echoes throughout the rainforest.
Coati, similar to a raccoon.
Sleeping tapir, a large herbivorous mammal.
Toucan.
Capuchin, or white-faced, monkey.
Capuchin monkey.
Capuchin monkey.
Iguana.
Vulture.
Squirrel monkeys.
Squirrel monkey.
Coffee beans. The harvest is in the fall.
Leafcutter ant. They're everywhere and haul leaves back to the
nest to feed a fungus, which they dine upon. 
On our last night in San Jose, we found this nest just outside
our lodging door. Two baby birds had just hatched, with
a third on the way.
After long days in the jungle, a mango margarita hit
the spot...

...along with a traditional Costa
Rican meal, the casado.
When in Rome...sturdy rubber hiking
boots make trekking through
the rainforest much more enjoyable.
Pura Vida!