Betting It All
Historical romance novella
About 30k
Decadent Publishing
Blurb
Norah Hawkins wants a new life as far from her old one as possible, but
where can she ever find that chance? When a letter arrives promising her the
deed to property in San Francisco, Norah packs her bags and flees the broken
shards of her troubled past.
With its anything-goes atmosphere, 1906 San Francisco suits Irishman Gerard
MacKenzie just fine. He loves tending bar in Norah’s saloon, and verbally
sparring with the shrewd businesswoman for more privileges and work. Her
beauty, wit and sass make his blood boil with need.
But disaster looms over their promising new lives when
a terrible earthquake buries their dreams and threatens to shatter their
future. Norah and Mac must rebuild their lives from the ruins and they’ll need
each other more than ever, but can their ties to each other save them or tear
them apart?
Available from
Reviews
I don’t want to give too much in the
way that I liked how Ms. Masters plotted her story but I will say that it
flowed and I got caught up in everything that Mac and Norah were doing to build
something great and also watching them go from friends/boss/employee to lovers.
The tent camp scenes were heartbreaking knowing that the camps were real.
Those scenes added an authencity to the story and made it much more
layered.
Decadent
Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=823&osCsid=hdmana51khc0lq5rr15a5sl3i5
Barnes
and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116477095?ean=2940148442585
Coffee
Time Romance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/decadent-publishing-c-93/betting-it-all-p-10696
Reviews
Sweet, romantic and exciting, I read this book in one sitting as I
couldn't put it down. I loved Norah's determination to go it alone, but when
she gives in to the strength and safety she could have in Gerard's arms, the
love they share is even more captivating.
I don’t want to give too much in the
way that I liked how Ms. Masters plotted her story but I will say that it
flowed and I got caught up in everything that Mac and Norah were doing to build
something great and also watching them go from friends/boss/employee to lovers.
The tent camp scenes were heartbreaking knowing that the camps were real.
Those scenes added an authencity to the story and made it much more
layered.
The end scenes were some of the best
in the book. Secrets from Norah’s past are revealed and they are sweet to
say the least. I will have to say that while I loved the book, I want
more of Mac’s and Norah’s story. I know that authors don’t like to hear
that too much, but I would. Did they make it in the aftermath? Did
true love prevail? In mind they did but I completely fell in love with
this book and its characters. And you will too.
Excerpt
Guilt
filled her as she sealed the envelope. Her first letter should have been to her
mother. Estelle probably forgot I left. More likely, she bought a bottle and
forgot everything, period.
Downstairs
in the hotel lobby, Mac stepped around the corner into her path. “A letter to
your beau?”
She
bristled. “No.”
Leering,
he nodded. “Ah. You left him behind.”
“Certainly
not.” My, but he cleaned up nicely. The electric wall sconce gave his black
hair a sheen like raven’s feathers in the sun. His smooth-shaved skin
accentuated the whites of his eyes, rimmed with thick dark lashes. Curled in a
teasing smile, his lips appeared soft, not weather-worn like some men.
He
cocked a brow. “He’s joining you later?”
“I
don’t see how it’s any of your concern.” Unless he still hoped for employment.
His long, smooth fingers might be handy for more than cards. Still, if she
wanted music, she could buy a player piano and not have to pay it a weekly
salary. Though it wouldn’t be nearly as nice to look at as Mac.
He
shrugged. “It isn’t. Unless you run into debt playing poker. I want to be
assured someone will back you up.”
“You
needn’t worry. I never get in over my head.” In anything.
He
tipped his cap. “Smart woman.”
Not
enough to fool him. Last night, Norah had imitated her drunken mother to
perfection, another skill that came in handy. Believing her vulnerable, the men
made themselves moreso. Not Mac. He’d grown more careful, as if he guessed at
her intent.
“What
are you doing here?” She wondered what sort of a racket he ran. Everyone had
one. Uppity ladies in their lace-edged gowns and mansions excelled at scamming
men into marriage, but only succeeded in trapping themselves in the bargain.
She preferred a prison with bars.
“Renting
a room,” he said, “the same as you.”
Coincidence?
Or had he followed her? “I’m curious. Do you possess other skills?”
Smiling,
he tugged at his jacket lapels. “I’m a man of many talents. Why do you ask?”
Lo, his
ego reared again. “Have you no real trade to ply?”
“Playing
the piano is a ‘real’ trade, Miss Hawkins. However, I can work at almost
anything, from carpenter to barkeep.”
Like
Dan. All her stinging retorts vanished. “Oh.”
He
grimaced. “You disapprove?”
“Not at
all. Those are honorable trades.” Why should she feel relieved?
“As
honorable as your own?”
What
was he hinting at? Did he know about Estelle? Her face flushed hot. Pointedly,
she said, “Yes, as honorable as owning a saloon.”
“Saloon,”
he repeated, as if unsure. “I thought it was a gentleman’s club.”
Did he
mean to imply she’d employ herself in some other occupation, such as her
mother’s? In defiance, she curbed her tongue, unwilling to satisfy him with an
answer.
Excerpt
2
Lord, she must have left her common sense in New
Jersey. A man like Mac would prove to be nothing but trouble. Mischief twinkled
in his eyes. Back in her hotel room to repack her scant belongings, Norah felt
it in her bones. Deeper than your bones, a small voice told her. She felt it in
a way unfamiliar to her. It rattled her nerves. It turned her thoughts to him
at the most inconvenient times, wondering what sort of man Gerard McKenzie
truly was beneath his sharp tongue and wily ways. It robbed her of common sense
and self-control, inventing ways to stay near him. When he’d practically
insisted she hire him, the thrill running through her both startled and
intrigued her. No man had so much as laid a finger on her, not with her
permission anyway. Yet she found herself imagining what Mac’s touch might feel
like.
In the hallway, he whistled Melody of Love. She
imagined him singing the lyrics:
Hold me in your
arms, dear
Dream with me
Cradled by your
kisses, tenderly
While a choir of
angels from above
Sings our melody of
love.
What must it be like, to know such a deep love? To
trust a man with her heart?
A small laugh burst forth. If she’d learned anything
in her twenty-five years, it was that men couldn’t be trusted. Especially not
with a woman’s heart. The only time she’d given in to curiosity and let her
heart rule over her head left her burning with shame. The thrill of Floyd
Enders’s attentions turned to surprise when his fluttering kiss grew forceful,
his groping desperate as he pinned her to the ground. Another attempt to prove
her cut from the same cloth as Estelle, another whore to be used at his whim
and tossed aside.
A bitter chuckle escaped. She’d done the tossing
instead, and her kick to his hard groin left him writhing in agony. Too bad it
wasn’t the lasting kind of pain, like he’d inflicted on her, claiming she’d
begged for it. His lie followed her for years on the whispering lips of other
boys who wanted what Floyd supposedly had.
Would Mac treat her so poorly? Of course not. She’d
provide him with wages. If she wasn’t careful, he’d woo more from her, and soon
she’d have less than nothing. No money, no saloon and worst, a ruined
reputation. No man would rob her of that.
She lifted her bag, then thought better of it. Let
Mac learn right away to take orders from her. After setting it on the bed, she
put on her hat and opened the door.
Mac leaned his shoulder against the wall, one leg
crossed over the other, aimlessly twirling his tweed cap in his hands. Glancing
up, he straightened and scrunched the cap.
At least he pretended seriousness. “Please get my
bags.”
He flashed a smile and winked. “Yes ma’am.”
A more fragile female might be devastated by his
charms. Oh, she hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be a terrible mistake.
Hoisting one bag under his arm, he grabbed the
handle of the remaining one. “All set.”
“Excellent.” She led the way downstairs, stopping at
the front desk to check out and settle her account. Outside, she found Mac
wearing his cap and a smile.
The bustle of the busy street made her hurry in
excitement. “I wish I had time to explore the city.”
“It’s something, isn’t it? Makes me feel more
alive.”
Slowing her pace, she glanced over. “Yes. Exactly.”
She couldn’t hide her surprise at sharing that feeling. “Once I make my
success, I’ll indulge my curiosity. Until then, I have too much work ahead.”
She hurried on.
He fell into easy step with her. “There’s always
time for work. My mama always said it’s more important to take time to
celebrate.”
“Celebrate what?”
“Life.” He said it as if she should have known the
answer.
Funny, she’d never shared that inclination. Life
presented too many challenges, too many obstacles she had to scrabble over. “
