Corralling Kenzie, book four of Winters Sisters series, was my first win in the Chanticleers International book awards. Corralling Kenzie won Paranormal in 2016. I wrote the first draft of this book during NANO. I've yet to repeat that feat.
Excerpt:
Kenzie was closing the distance to the horse when something
shot past her face. A blur of motion off to her left and something huge knocked
her to the ground. A massive body crushed her into the mud and knocked the air
out of her lungs. Her instincts kicked in and she thrashed her arms and kicked
her legs. Nearly breathless, she refused to give in and continued squirming and
trying to get away.
“Stop struggling,” growled the strange man. “Kenzie. Stop.
I’m trying to keep you from getting shot or worse—killed,” he hissed.
She froze at the use of her name. Who was this man and how
did she know him? She got a glimpse of light brown hair. She’d never seen him
before in her life, and yet something tugged at her deepest memories.
The stranger jumped up, yanking Kenzie with him.
“This way,” he commanded.
“I’m not going anywhere with you!”
Another bullet whizzed past her shoulder.
“We don’t have time for this. You need to do what I say, if
you want to live to see tomorrow.”
“How do I know this person is shooting at me? I have no idea
who you are and for all I know, they’re really trying to shoot you.”
He started to run and dragged her along with him. “Answer me
this. Do you really think I would try and rescue you, if I was the one being
shot at? Sane people would put as much distance between themselves and the
shooter, the hell with any bystanders.”
He picked Kenzie up, threw her over his shoulder, and took
off at an inhuman pace. He dropped down a shallow ridge and laid her down
beside him. She attempted to get up and he yanked her back down.
“What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
the man snarled.
“Listen, buster, for all I know, you’re trying to kill me,
too.”
“Jesus, you are as stubborn as you always were. I’m not the
one trying to hurt you.”
She rubbed at her sore arm.
“Sorry about your arm. You were being bullheaded. Don’t you
know who I am?”
She squinted and studied him. The planes of his face, the
shape of his grey eyes, they reminded her of—Father.
No, that’s impossible. It can’t be, can it? “Marcus?”
“Yes,” he replied. His features remained stoic.
“It can’t be. Where were you all these years? Why haven’t
you contacted me? Why didn’t you come home? Mom and Dad said you were dead!”
I'm excited to be working on book five in this series and plan to release it later this year.
I'm currently in edits for book one in my new romantic suspense three book series: Salvaging Truth, Hunters & Seekers series.
Until next month...
Joanne
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