ABOUT THE BOOK:
The Carsons of Mustang Creek: three men who embody the West
and define what it means to be a rancher, a cowboy and a hero in this brand-new
series from the queen of Western romance.
Slater Carson might be a businessman by trade, but he’s a
cowboy at heart—and he knows the value of a hard day’s work under the hot
Wyoming sun. So when he sees troubled teen Ryder heading down a dangerous path,
he offers the boy a job on the ranch he shares with his two younger brothers.
And since Ryder’s temporary guardian is the gorgeous new resort manager, Grace
Emery, Slater figures it can’t hurt to keep a closer eye on her as well…
Grace Emery doesn’t have time for romance. Between settling
in to her new job and caring for her ex-husband’s rebellious son, her
attraction to larger-than-life Slater is a distraction she can’t afford. But
when the past catches up to her in Mustang Creek, she’ll discover just how far
Slater will go to protect what matters most—and that love is always worth
fighting for.
ENJOY AN EXCERPT:
Slater
Carson was bone-tired, as he was after every film wrapped, but it was the best
kind of fatigue—part pride and satisfaction in a job well-done, part relief,
part “bring it,” that anticipatory quiver in the pit of his stomach that would lead
him to the next project, and the one after that.
This latest film had been set in a particularly remote area,
emphasizing how the Homestead Act had impacted the development not only of the
American West, but also the country as a whole. It had been his most ambitious
effort to date. The sheer scope was truly epic, and as he watched the uncut
footage on his computer monitor, he knew.
160 Acres was going to touch a nerve.
Yep, this one would definitely hit home with the viewers,
new and old.
His previous effort, a miniseries on the Lincoln County War
in New Mexico, had won prizes and garnered great reviews, and he’d sold the
rights to one of the media giants for a shitload of money. Like Lincoln County,
160 Acres was good, solid work. The researchers, camera operators and other
professionals he worked with were the top people in the business, as committed
to the film as he was.
And that was saying something.
No doubt about it, the team had done a stellar job the last
time around, but this—well, this was the best yet. A virtual work of art, if he
did say so himself.
“Boss?”
Slater leaned back in his desk chair and clicked the pause
button. “Hey, Nate.” He greeted his friend and personal assistant.
“What do you need?”
Like Slater, Nate Wheaton had just gotten back from the film
site, where he’d taken care of a thousand details, and it was a safe bet that
the man was every bit as tired as he looked. Short, blond, energetic and not
more than twenty years old, Nate was a dynamo; the production had come together
almost seamlessly, in large part because of his talent, persistence and
steel-trap brain.
“Um,” Nate murmured, visibly unplugging, shifting gears. He
was moving into off-duty mode, and God knew he’d earned it.
“There’s someone to see you.” He inclined his head in the
direction of the outer office, rubbed the back of his neck and let out an
exasperated sigh. “The lady insists she needs to talk to you and only you. I
tried to get her to make an appointment, but she says it has to be now.”
Slater suppressed a sigh of his own. “It’s ten o’clock at
night.”
“I’ve actually pointed that out,” Nate said, briefly
consulting his phone. “It’s five after, to be exact.” Like Slater himself, Nate
believed in exactness, which was at once a blessing and a curse. “She claims it
can’t possibly wait until morning, whatever it is. But if I hadn’t been walking
into the kitchen I wouldn’t have heard the knock.”
“How’d she even find me?” The crew had flown in late, driven
out to the vineyard/ranch, and Slater had figured that no one, other than his
family, knew he was in town. Or out of town. Whatever qualified as far as the
ranch was concerned.
Nate looked glumly resigned. “I have no idea. She refused to
say. I’m going to bed. If you need anything else, come and wake me, but bring a
sledgehammer, because I’d probably sleep through anything less.” A pause,
another sigh, deeper and wearier than the last. “That was quite the shoot.”
The understatement of the day.
Slater drew on the last dregs of his energy, shoved a hand
through his hair and said, “Well, point her in this direction, if you don’t
mind, and then get yourself some shut-eye.”
He supposed he sounded normal, but on the inside, he was
drained. He’d given everything he had to 160, and then some, and there was no
hope of charging his batteries. He’d blown through the last of his physical
resources hours ago.
Resentment at the intrusion sent a tremor though his famous
equanimity; he was used to dealing with problems on the job—ranging from pesky
all the way to apocalyptic—but at home, damn it, he expected to be left alone.
He needed rest, downtime, a chance to regroup, and the home place was where he
did those things.
One of his younger brothers ran the Carson ranch, and the
other managed the vineyard and winery. The arrangement worked out pretty well.
Everyone had his own role to play, and the sprawling mansion was big enough,
even for three competitive males to live in relative peace. Especially since
he, Slater, was gone half the time, anyway.
“Will do.” Nate left the study, and a few minutes later the
door opened.
Before Slater could make the mental leap from one moment to
the next, a woman—qu8ite possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever
seen—stormed across the threshold, dragging a teenage boy by the arm.
She was a redhead, with the kind of body that would
resurrect a dead man, never mind a tired one.
And Slater had a fondness for redheads; he’d dated a lot of
them over the years. This one was all sizzle, and her riot of coppery curls,
bouncing around her straight indignant shoulders, seemed to blaze in the dim
light.
It took him a moment, but he finally recovered and clambered
to his feet. “I’m Slater Carson. Can I help you?”
This visitor, whoever she was, had his full attention.
Fascinating.
The redhead poked the kid, who was taller than she was by at
least six inches, and she did it none too gently. The boy flinched; he was
lanky, clad in a Seahawks T-shirt, baggy jeans and half-laced shoes. He looked
bewildered, ready to bolt.
“Start talking, Buster,” the redhead ordered, glowering up
at the kid. “And no excuses.” She shook her head. “I’m being nice here,” she
said when the teenager didn’t speak. “Your father would kick you into the next
county.”
Just his luck, Slater thought, with a strange, nostalgic
detachment. She was married.
While he waited for the next development, he let his eyes trail
over the goddess, over a sundress with thin straps on shapely shoulders, a
mid-thigh skirt and silky pale skin. She was one of the rare Titian-types who
didn’t have freckles, although Slater wouldn’t be opposed to finding out if
there might be a few tucked away out of sight. White sandals with a small heel
finished off the ensemble, and all that glorious hair was loose and flowing
down her back.
The kid, probably around fourteen, cleared his throat. He
stepped forward and laid one of the magnetic panels from the company’s
production truck on the desk.
Slater, caught up in the unfolding drama, hadn’t noticed the
sign until then.
Interesting.
“I’m sorry,” the boy gulped, clearly miserable and, at the
same time, a little defiant. “I took this.” He looked sidelong at the woman
beside him, visibly considered giving her some lip and just as visibly
reconsidered. Smart kid. “I thought it was pretty cool,” he explained, all
knees and elbows and youthful angst. Color climbed his neck and burned in his
face. “I know it was wrong, okay? Stealing is stealing, and my stepmother’s
ready to cuff me and haul me off to jail, so if that’s what you want, too, Mister,
go for it.”
Stepmother?
Slater was still rather dazed, as though he’d stepped off a
wild carnival ride before it was finished with its whole slew of loop-do-loops.
“His father and I are divorced.” She said it curtly,
evidently reading Slater’s expression.
Well, Slater reflected, that was cause for encouragement.
She did look young to be the kid’s mother. And now that he thought about it,
the boy didn’t resemble her in the slightest, with his dark hair and eyes.
Finally catching up, he raised his brows, feeling a flicker
of something he couldn’t quite identify, along with a flash of sympathy for the
boy. He guessed the redhead was in her early thirties. While she seemed to be
in charge of the situation,
Slater suspected she might be in over her head. Clearly, the
kid was a handful.
It was time, Slater decided, still distanced from himself,
to speak up.
“I appreciate your bringing it back,” he managed, holding
the boy’s gaze but well aware of the woman on the periphery of his vision.
“These aren’t cheap.”
Some of the f-you drained out of the kid’s expression.
“Like I said, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it.”
“You made a mistake,” Slater agreed quietly. “We’ve all done
things we shouldn’t have, at some point in our lives. But you did what you
could to make it right.” He paused. “Life’s all about the choices we make, son.
Next time, try to do better.” He felt a grin lurking at one corner of his
mouth. “I would’ve been really ticked off if I had to replace this.”
The boy looked confused. “Why? You’re rich.”
Slater had encountered that reasoning before—over the entire
course of his life, actually. His family was wealthy, and had been for well
over a century. They ran cattle, owned vast stretches of Wyoming grassland and
now, thanks to his mother’s roots in the Napa Valley, there was the winery,
with acres of vineyards to support the enterprise.
“Beside the point,” Slater said. He worked for a living, and
he worked hard, but he felt no particular need to explain that to this kid or
anybody else. “What’s your name?”
“Ryder,” the boy answered, after a moment’s hesitation.
“Where do you go to school, Ryder?”
“The same lame place everyone around here goes in the eighth
grade. Mustang Creek Middle School.”
Slater lifted one hand. “I can do without the attitude,” he
said.
Ryder recovered quickly. “Sorry,” he muttered.
Slater had never been married, but he understood children;
he had a daughter, and he’d grown up with two kid brothers, born a year apart
and still a riot looking for a place to happen, even in their thirties. He’d
broken up more fights than a bouncer at Bad Billie’s Biker Bar and Burger
Palace on a Saturday night.
“I went to the same school,” he said, mostly to keep the
conversation going. He was in no hurry for the redhead to call it a night,
especially since he didn’t know her name yet. “Not a bad deal. Does Mr. Perkins
still teach shop?”
Ryder laughed. “Oh, yeah. We call him the The Relic.”
Slater let the remark pass; it was flippant, but not
mean-spirited. “You couldn’t meet a nicer guy, though. Right?”
The kid’s expression was suitably sheepish. “True,” he
admitted.
The stepmother regarded Slater with some measure of
approval, although she still seemed riled.
Slater looked back for the pure pleasure of it. She’d be a
whole new experience, this one, and he’d never been afraid of a challenge.
She’d said she was divorced, which raised the question: What
damn fool had let her get away?
As if she’d guessed what he was thinking—anybody with her
looks had to be used to male attention—the redhead narrowed her eyes. Still,
Slater thought he saw a glimmer of amusement in them. She’d calmed down
considerably, but she wasn’t missing a trick.
He grinned slightly. “Cuffs?” he inquired mildly,
remembering Ryder’s statement a few minutes earlier.
She didn’t smile, but that spark was still in her eyes.
“That was a reference to my former career,” she replied, all business. “I’m an
ex-cop.” She put out her hand, the motion almost abrupt, and finally introduced
herself. “Grace Emery,” she said. “These days I run the Bliss River Resort and
Spa.”
“Ah,” Slater said, a propos of nothing in particular. An
ex-cop? Hot damn, she could handcuff him anytime. “You must be fairly new
around here.” If she hadn’t been, he would’ve made her acquaintance before now,
or at least heard about her.
Grace nodded. Full of
piss-and-vinegar moments before, she looked tired now, and that did something
to Slater, although he couldn’t have said exactly what that something was.
“It’s a beautiful place,” she said. “Quite a change from Seattle.” She stopped,
looking uncomfortable, maybe thinking she’d said too much.
Slater wanted to ask about the ex-husband, but the time
obviously wasn’t right. He waited, sensing that she might say more, despite the
misgivings she’d just revealed by clamming up.
Sure enough, she went on. “I’m afraid it’s been quite a
change for Ryder, too.” Another pause. “His dad’s military, and he’s overseas.
It’s been hard on him—Ryder, I mean.”
Slater sympathized. The kid’s father was out of the country,
he’d moved from a big city in one state to a small town in another, and on top
of that, he was fourteen, which was rough in and of itself. When Slater was
that age, he’d grown eight inches in a single summer and simultaneously
developed a consuming interest in girls, without having a clue what to say to
them. Oh, yeah.
He remembered awkward.
He realized Grace’s hand was still in his. He let go, albeit
reluctantly.
Then, suddenly, he felt as tongue-tied as he ever had at
fourteen. “My family’s been on this ranch for generations,” he heard himself
say. “So I can’t say I know what it would be like having to start over
someplace new.” Shut up, man. He couldn’t seem to follow his own advice. “I
travel a lot, and I’m always glad to get back to Mustang Creek.”
Grace turned to Ryder, sighed, then looked back at Slater.
“We’ve taken up enough of your time, Mr. Carson.”
Mr. Carson?
“I’ll walk you out,” he said, still flustered and still
trying to shake it off. Ordinarily, he was the proverbial man of few words, but
tonight, in the presence of this woman, he was a babbling idiot. “This place is
like a maze. I took over my father’s office because of the view, but it’s clear
at the back of the house and—“
Had the woman asked for any of this information?
No.
What the hell was the matter with him, anyway?
Grace didn’t comment. The boy was already on the move, and
she simply followed, which shot holes in Slater’s theory about their ability to
find their way to an exit without his guidance. He gave an internal shrug and
walked behind Grace, enjoying the gentle sway of her hips.
For some reason he wasn’t a damn bit tired anymore.
Having been
a police officer, Grace had plenty of experience dealing with men. In law
enforcement, still a male-dominated field even though women were finally making
inroads, overexposure to testosterone was inevitable. She’d come to terms with the
effect her appearance had on the male gender, not out of vanity, but because
she was practical to the bone.
She wouldn’t have
described herself as beautiful; she got an instant update on her imperfections
every time she consulted a mirror. She knew her mouth was a shade too wide. Her
nose tilted up just a little, giving her an air of perkiness that was wholly
unfounded, and she couldn’t have gotten a tan in the middle of a desert. Her
eyes were an almost startling shade of blue—she’d been accused of wearing
colored contacts—and she didn’t even want to discuss the hair. Just call her
Carrot-Top.
It was ridiculously curly unless she wore it long, and the
stuff could go clown-crazy if the humidity was high. Thankfully, Wyoming was
drier than Seattle, so she didn’t have to fight it quite as much now. The color
was impossible to change, although she’d tried highlights and different
treatments, but nature won out every time, so now she let it go its own way.
Slater Carson hadn’t been turned off.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Grace wasn’t sure how she felt about her own reaction. Yes,
she was jaded about men, but something was different this time.
She was—okay, she could admit it—sort of flattered.
Recalling the slow, gliding assessment of those sexy blue
eyes as they moved over her, she got a definite buzz. And Slater Carson wasn’t
hard to look at, either, with all that dark, wavy hair, a day’s beard growing
in and a lean, wiry build that said cowboy. He moved like one, too, with long,
slow strides, and when he smiled at her as he held the back door open to a
starry Wyoming night, there was an easy curve to his mouth, the hint of a grin,
not in the least boyish, but confident, amusing, knowing.
The message had been clear; he wouldn’t mind if they met
again.
Well, Grace thought, Mustang Creek was a small town, where
everybody seemed to know everybody else, so they were bound to run into each
other at some point.
If he expected more than a polite nod and a “howdy,” though,
he’d be disappointed.
Grace distrusted men like Slater—too good-looking, too
privileged, too used to getting whatever and whoever they wanted.
Yep, the illustrious Mr. Carson reminded her a little too
much of her ex-husband, exuding confidence the way he did, certain of his
success, of his place in the world.
No, thanks, Grace had been down that road before, and after
all the excitement and the heady passion and the dazzle, she’d run smack into a
dead end. In some ways, she was still reeling from the impact.
Feeling resolute, she got into her vehicle, which she’d
parked in the well-lit driveway alongside the Carson mansion, and slammed her
door, waiting for Ryder to stop dawdling and plunk himself down in the
passenger seat.
This wasn’t how she’d planned to spend her evening. Her
vision had included downloading a movie, munching popcorn, generally vegging
out on the couch with her bare feet propped up, wearing shorty pajamas and face
cream.
Grace had had a long day at the resort; she’d dealt with a
faulty air-conditioning unit and repairmen who couldn’t seem to agree on what
was wrong, a chronically late employee who was wonderful when he actually got
there, by which time the rest of the staff was thoroughly and justifiably
annoyed, plus guest complaints about the lap pool that ranged from too hot to
too cool. Among other things.
Coming home to find Ryder about to nail a newly acquired and
obviously expensive metal sign to one wall of his bedroom had immediately
thrown her evening plans for a loop. Immediately suspicious, Grace had
questioned the boy.
Never a good liar, he’d confessed.
Grace had figuratively grabbed the kid by one ear and
dragged him to the Carson house.
Now he hauled open the door on his side and got in.
“I’m sorry,” Ryder said. He didn’t really sound sorry, and
he didn’t look at her, but sat staring out the windshield instead. His tone was
stubborn, and the set of his mouth underscored his attitude.
Grace sighed inwardly.
Ryder was a good kid, and Slater Carson had been right
earlier, when he’d said everybody made bad decisions now and then.
“You know better.”
“It just—“
She raised a hand to indicate she wanted him to stop. Now.
“There’s no excuse I care to hear. You stole something and we returned it.”
Grace started the car, flipped on the headlights and turned
around to head back down the driveway.
Ryder was quiet for a few minutes. They reached the county
highway, which was practically deserted at that time of night, and since both
the ranch and the resort were well outside town, they didn’t pass many cars.
Eventually, Ryder said, “He liked you.”
Fourteen and he’d picked up on that, Grace reflected with
rueful amusement, but he still couldn’t pick up his underwear.
He liked you.
There was liking a woman, and there was wanting to go to bed
with her. Grace was not inclined to explain the difference to a
fourteen-year-old.
So she said briskly, “He doesn’t know me.”
“He thought you were pretty.”
There were times when she wished Ryder would talk to her
more, and times, like now, when she wished he wouldn’t. “I think it’s just
possible that he’s prettier than I am.”
That made Ryder crack up. “At least he tried to be subtle.
He didn’t, like, stare at your—“
He stopped abruptly, and Grace figured he’d be blushing
right about now over what he’d almost said, so she cut the kid a break and kept
her gaze on the road. “Mr. Carson was very polite,” she conceded. “How’s the
science project coming along?”
Ryder jumped on the sudden change of subject, even if school
wasn’t one of his favorites. “Okay, actually. Turns out my partner isn’t as
geeky as he looks.” He was quiet for a moment, then he went on. “I was
wondering if he might come over to our place and hang out sometime. That okay?”
Grace felt a rush of relief. She’d been waiting for Ryder to
stop rebelling against the move to Mustang Creek and make some friends, hoping
and praying he would.
She was in over her head with this parenting thing.
And she didn’t seem to be getting any better at it.
A few months back Grace’s former father-in-law had called
her one day, out of the blue. Haltingly, he’d explained that with his wife so
ill, they couldn’t handle their grandson on their own. They hated to ask, but
since Hank was overseas and all, they didn’t have anyone else to turn to.
Hank, Grace’s ex and Ryder’s father, made a career of being
unavailable, in her opinion, but of course she didn’t say that.
She’d had no idea what to say, under the circumstances.
Ryder’s mother was remarried, with a whole new family, and for reasons Grace
still didn’t understand, the woman had never shown much interest in her
firstborn, anyway. When she and Hank were divorced, she’d handed Ryder over
without a quibble, not even asking for visitation rights.
The woman couldn’t be bothered to send her son a birthday
card, never mind calling to see how he was doing or firing off the occasional
text to keep in touch.
The whole scenario made Grace furious on Ryder’s behalf, and
it didn’t help that Hank was so emotionally distant, absolutely caught up in
his military career
In that respect, she and Ryder had been adrift in the same
boat, but Grace had had options at least. She could divorce Hank—which she
had—and move on. His son didn’t have that choice.
So she’d said yes, Ryder could stay with her until Hank’s
current deployment ended, and here they were in Mustang Creek, Wyoming, stuck
with each other, both of them struggling to adjust to major changes.
Grace brought herself back to the present “I think it would
be great if your friend came over sometime. I could order you guys a pizza,
how’s that?”
Ryder nodded. “As long as it isn’t like the ones they have
at the spa, with goat cheese and whatever those green things are. I tried to
like the stuff, Grace, but no way.”
“Artichoke hearts,” she supplied helpfully. “How about plain
old pepperoni?”
Ryder grinned. “That would be great,” he said.
“Okay, you’re on. I just need your word that you’ll stay out
of trouble for five minutes.” She feigned a narrow glare. “I didn’t
like facing Mr. Carson with what you’d done any more than
you did, buddy.”
Ryder’s grin broadened. “Maybe not,” he agreed, “but I think
he sorta enjoyed it.”
MY REVIEW:
Once a Rancher by
Linda Lael Miller
My rating:
4 of 5 stars
Once a Rancher by Linda Lael Miller is a 2016 HQN Books publication.
I love this author, but I am always incessantly behind with her series, so when I saw this one and noticed it was the first one in a new series, I didn’t hesitate.
The ‘Carsons of Mustang Creek’ is centered around the Carson brothers on their Wyoming ranch. The oldest brother, Slater, is a historical documentary filmmaker, with a young daughter, named Daisy. He’s single, not really looking for love, but when he meets Grace, he finds he is missing something in his life, and didn’t know it until now.
Grace is a former cop, now in the hospitality business, and raising her teenage stepson, Ryder, despite being divorced from his father. After the failure of her first marriage, Grace is not looking to make a repeat mistake. But, Slater Carson has her considering a second chance at love.
As with many ‘first in a series’ novels, I had a little trouble getting into the story at first. But, once all the characters were introduced, and the lay of the land was mapped out, the story picked up speed, which is a good thing, except it felt like we went from a slow trot to a full blown gallop, in nothing flat.
I did enjoy this story, though, and should explain that although this is pretty much a standard contemporary western romance, it also has some romantic suspense elements mixed in, as well.
When Grace catches an employee engaging in illegal activities, she must terminate him, but he's not leaving without a little payback, which awakens Slater's protective instincts.
I couldn’t help but laugh as poor Grace was literally swept off her feet, caught up a true whirlwind romance. Slater is a cool guy, not a game player, is honest, straightforward, and stable. He showed Grace how a real man behaves, and proved he is a good father, and will be a positive influence on Ryder, who really needed a steady male presence in his life.
Things do seem to happen very quickly between Slater and Grace, and although Grace fights against the inevitable, she runs out of steam pretty fast. It was so funny watching the Carsons help Slater wear her down, and put her fears to rest, too.
I loved the tight knit family atmosphere in this one and the way they all work together, and support each other. I really liked Slater, who is strong, has a dominant personality, but is not a jerk!! He may move at warp speed, but he treats Grace with respect and understands the challenges she faces and her reluctance to move too quickly, even though he hates cooling his heels or having to step back and let her handle things her way, in her own time.
By contrast, Grace is very special, especially towards Ryder. She doesn’t always like being nudged along by Slater or his family, but she grows to love them and accept them just the way they are, while still maintaining her strong independent personality.
Slater and Grace have a different approach to life’s curveballs, but, they complimented each other nicely.
Ryder’s story is sad, but he has found a nice landing spot, and is better off now than he ever could have thought possible, which really warmed my heart.
I think the Carson family series has gotten off to a pretty good start and Miller’s fans will probably like this one. I’m looking forward to Drake’s story in the upcoming ‘Always a Cowboy.”
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Once-Rancher-Carsons-Mustang-Creek/dp/0373779682
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/once-a-rancher-linda-lael-miller/1122505046
COMING IN AUGUST:
ABOUT THE BOOK:
He's the middle of the three Carson brothers and is as stubborn as they come—and he won't thank a beautiful stranger for getting in his way!
Drake Carson is the quintessential cowboy. In charge of the family ranch, he knows the realities of this life, its pleasures and heartbreaks. Lately, managing the wild stallions on his property is wearing him down. When an interfering so-called expert arrives and starts offering her opinion, Drake is wary, but he can't deny the longing—and the challenge—she stirs in him.
Luce Hale is researching how wild horses interact with ranch animals—and with ranchers. The Carson matriarch invites her to stay with the family, which guarantees frequent encounters with Drake, her ruggedly handsome and decidedly unwelcoming son. Luce and Drake are at odds from the very beginning, especially when it comes to the rogue stallion who's stealing the ranch mares. But when Drake believes Luce is in danger, that changes everything—for both of them.
PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Always-Cowboy-Carsons-Mustang-Creek/dp/0373789696
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/always-a-cowboy-linda-lael-miller/1123253599
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
In January of 2006, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Linda Lael Miller left the Arizona horse property she's called home for the past five years and listened to the call of her heart. Packing up her work-in-progress for HQN Books; her dogs, Sadie and Bernice, and her four horses, the author of more than 70 novels bid farewell to her home in the desert and returned to the place of her birth, Spokane, Washington.
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda grew up in Northport, WA, a community of 500 on the Columbia River, 120 miles north of Spokane. Her childhood remembrances include riding horses and playing cowgirl on her grandparents' nearby farm. Her grandparents' spread was so rustic that in the early days it lacked electricity and running water.
As delightful as this childhood was, Linda longed to see the world. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she left to pursue her dream. Because of the success of her author career, Linda was able to live part-time in London for several years, spend time in Italy and travel to such far-off destinations as Russia, Hong Kong and Israel. Now, Linda says, the wanderlust is (mostly) out of her blood, and she's come full circle, back to the people and the places she knows and loves.
Before Linda begins her writing day, she takes her first cup of coffee while enjoying the scenic view of the wooded draw behind her new home. The first morning there, a snowfall blanketed the pine trees, something she had missed in the desert outside Scottsdale. Still enamored with the people she came to love in Arizona, she says she will still set books in that starkly beautiful area, and, of course, in other stories the action will take place in Washington.
Devoted to helping others pursue their dreams, the author will launch her sixth round of Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women in May of this year. A talented speaker, she donates all her speaking honoraria to her scholarship fund. The stipends are awarded to women who seek to better their lot in life through education.
It's no wonder the protagonists in Miller's novels are women her readers admire for their honor, courage, trustworthiness, valor and determination to succeed, despite overwhelming odds. 'These qualities make them excellent role models for young women,' Miller explains. 'The male leads possess equally noble traits that today's woman would be delighted to find in her life's mate.'
The author traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she made her first sale.
Although Linda has written successfully in other genres, she is best known for stories set in the West'stories like McKETTRICK'S CHOICE (HQN Books March 2006 paperback); THE MAN FROM STONE CREEK (HQN, June 2006 hardcover) and that very first novel, FLETCHER'S WOMAN, which is being reissued in 2006. Her stories, set in yesterday's world, and today's, are historical romances, romantic thrillers, and other contemporary tales. They consistently score on prestigious national bestseller lists.
Linda has come a long way since leaving her sheltered life in Northport at age 18 to experience the world. 'Growing up in that time and place, in a family grounded in Western values, served me well,' she allows. 'And I'm happy to be back home.'
The Pursuit by Janet Evanovich
