by Crystal Caudill | Jun 4, 2023 | Book and Writing Events, Writer's Life
*Cue announcer voice* I’m interrupting our normal posting schedule with this special announcement:
Counterfeit Love has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Carol Awards!!!!!
The Carol Award is a major publishing award given by American Christian Fiction Writers for outstanding work in Christian fiction. To be listed among the same amazing authors I admire is a truly humbling and exciting moment. Check out the other authors who also are semi-finalists in my category:
Debut Author
Sara Brunsvold – The Extraordinary Deaths of Mrs. Kip
Crystal Caudill – Counterfeit Love
Dawn Ford – The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes
Elizabeth Jacobson – Not by Sight: a novel of the patriarchs
Anna Rose Johnson – The Star That Always Stays
Kathy Maresca – Porch Music
Linda W. Rooks – Pieces of Dark, Pieces of Light
Have you read any of them?
It is an honor to have made it this far, and I hope you’ll join me at the ACFW Conference in St. Louis from August 24 to August 26 for a lot of bookish fun, including a massive book signing in conjunction with StoryFest. Just check out this lineup!
Here is the complete and final booksigning schedule:
| Friday |
9-10am |
Robin Caroll |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Colleen Coble |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Pam Hillman |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Dineen Miller |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Kimberley Woodhouse |
| Friday |
9-10am |
Cara Putman |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Diane Tatum |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Ruth Wu-Wong |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Mary Connealy |
| Friday |
10:30-11:30 am |
Pepper Basham |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Sara Davison |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Allie Pleiter |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Tracy Higley |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Cynthia Ruchti |
| Friday |
2:30-3:30 pm |
Kathleen Y’Barbo |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Denise Hunter |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
DiAnn Mills |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Sara Brunsvold |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Judy Kelly |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Melanie Stevenson |
| Friday |
4-5 pm |
Dana Lynn |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Janyre Tromp |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Sarah Hamaker |
| Saturday |
9:30-10:30 am |
Sandra Merville Hart |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Carrie Turansky |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Lynette Eason |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Kelly Irvin |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Brandy Heineman |
| Saturday |
11:00-noon |
Sarah Kohnle |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Crystal Caudill |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Jerusha Agen |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Deb Raney |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Ashley Clark |
| Saturday |
2-3 pm |
Amanda Cox |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Carmen Peone |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Lenora Worth |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Candice Sue Patterson |
| Saturday |
3:30-4:30 pm |
Dawn Ford |
The finalists will be announced on that first night, and then the winner will be announced at the fancy gala on the last night. . . and you could be there with me. You can check out more information about StoryFest here, and if you do register, be sure to put Crystal Caudill as your “referred by” person. I won’t lie. It gives me a shot at getting a free hotel night off my conference stay. 🙂
Here’s a bit about Counterfeit Love if you haven’t read it yet:
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
And here’s a snippet from one of my favorite moments:
The window above him slid open, and a pair of boy’s boots thudded to the ground inches from where he crouched. If shoes fell, a body was bound to follow. Broderick crept behind an unkempt bush and waited.
Black-stockinged feet and legs protruded from the sill’s edge, followed by blue skirts. Delicate hands adjusted the material before the familiar slender body swung from the ledge’s safety to straining twigs.
Of all the dangerous stunts! It was one thing for him to climb up, another for her to attempt climbing down. The little imp would get herself killed.
Broderick moved from the bush’s safety and resisted the urge to call out. Startling her could end in disaster, but words of rebuke played through his mind as displaced snow plopped around him. She couldn’t possibly see her next step beneath those skirts. Making it to the ground without mishap would be—
A branch snapped.
Theresa screamed. Blue and white material waved in surrender to the inevitable as she fell. Broderick lunged for her. The tree limbs cracked like a grand finale of fireworks, stopping moments before she crashed into his arms. His legs buckled, and they dropped to the ground with Theresa landing on his chest.
He lay still, his lungs begging for air but refusing to accept it. Given the force of their impact, a human-shaped crater would exist once he moved—if he ever moved again.
Theresa rolled to her knees beside him and stared in dazed silence.
Pain seared his arms as he pushed to a sitting position. “Are you hurt?”
Confusion creased her face as she blinked at him. She might be sorting through a touch of shock, but no discomfort contorted her features, which was more than he could say for himself. He rotated his shoulders and then flexed his arms. In a few years he might laugh about catching an angel, but right now he felt like he’d caught an anvil.
You can buy it now on sale from Amazon, Baker Book House, and Christianbook.
Have you read Counterfeit Love? What was your favorite part? If not, does it sound like something you’d like to check out?
by Crystal Caudill | Apr 11, 2023 | We Three Kings, Writer's Life
I’m excited to reveal to you today the cover of We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Novella Collection. You’ll find the blurb and fun cover process below, but I wanted to let you know that Baker Book House has it (and all my books) for 20% off right now, so it’s a great time to order/preorder books.
Creating a Cover
The process of creating a cover rarely involves me beyond the initial form I fill out to my publisher of critical information about the story that might work its way onto the cover. Generally, other than seeing the final product and saying I like it, that’s about as involved with the process as I get. However, with the We Three Kings Romance Christmas Collection, the experience was very different.
The Draft
Cara Putman and Angela Ruth Strong are my co-authors in this collection, and all three of us were sent the cover asking for input on how it might be tweaked. Really the only element from our story on the cover other than the snow indicating winter/Christmas was the ornament of the three kings. The ornament is one that my characters buy at the end of the story, and it reappears in various forms in the other two stories. You can see the original cover they sent us below:
It wasn’t a bad cover, we just were afraid it wasn’t compelling enough for readers to pick up. Especially when compared with the previous novella collections in the series: Joy to the World and O’ Little Town.
These covers were stunning, in my opinion, and I felt like our cover didn’t match the “feel” of these other two. After tossing some ideas around with Cara and Angela, I decided I wanted to play in Canva, an image creation program. I’m a pretty tactile person, and this was how I process anything that requires a visual image. After talking with a friend who is a cover designer, one of the things I realized that was missing was that “aisle” or framing feeling. The columns in Joy to the World draw your eyes to the house and up to the title. In O Little Town, you have the lamp posts creating that same sort of effect.
Playing Around
Using Cara and Angela’s suggestions, I brought in more trees to create the framing feeling. But in our conversation, we also brought up the fact that each of our stories has to do with some form of light. My story is “Star of Wonder,” Cara’s is “Beauty Bright,” and Angela’s is “Perfect Light.” And considering our stories connect to the three Weise (wise) men, the cover would probably benefit from having a star. I’m getting pretty savvy at using Canva with layering, and so after lots of playing with removing backgrounds and editing various features, this is the mock-up I came up with:
Making the layers match in coloring is something I’m still learning, and since this was just me playing around, I didn’t bother with even trying. I sent the mock-up to Angela and Cara but did not intend to send it to Kregel. I responded with some verbal tweaking ideas that we’d discussed, but I didn’t mention I’d created a mock-up or anything. Design is not something I have a lot of confidence in, and besides, it was more or less just playing for my own sake so I could communicate some suggestions without overstepping.
However, Angela added my mock-up to her email when she sent in her recommendations. I am so thankful for her boldness in doing that. It gave a much-needed encouragement boost, and Kregel’s response was equally encouraging. And I think you might understand why when you look at the two options they sent to us afterward:
Option 1:
While that was better than the first one, we unanimously agreed that the second option was the favorite. And now, I get to reveal the FINAL cover of We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection.
Cover Reveal – the FINAL Cover
Didn’t they do a phenomenal job? AND LOOK!!! They took my playing-around mock-up and turned it into something beautiful!!!! I’ve always loved my covers from Kregel, but this one will always have a special place in my heart (and on my Christmas tree). God is so good to bless me with that sort of encouragement, and I am so grateful that He used Angela to place it into Kregel’s hands. Now we just have to wait for it to release in September. Want to know more about each of our stories? Here is the blurb and preorder links!
We Three Kings: A Romance Christmas Collection
In this Christmas collection, Weise men still seek Jesus–and love
Best-selling romance authors Caudill, Putman, and Strong follow three generations of the Weise family in this third collection of Christmas novellas from Kregel that will prove just as popular as the previous award-winning volumes.
“Star of Wonder” by Crystal Caudill
The Christmas-themed maiden voyage of his family’s grand steamer ship was supposed to be Aldrich Weise’s chance both to instill investor confidence and to romance Celestia Isaacs. Instead, he must foil a criminal and leave his lady love behind forever.
“Beauty Bright” by Cara Putman
Lieutenant Charles Weise served as a Monuments Man after World War II and now works to restore stolen art to rightful owners. Captain Lillian Thorsen pairs up with him not only to return treasures but also to fix the war-torn lives around them.
“Perfect Light” by Angela Ruth Strong
Essential oils mogul Brendon Wise is drawn to Lacey Foster, the event planner for his huge Christmas lights festival. But when he inadvertently makes a spectacle of her on television, Lacey wants nothing to do with him. Will a chance to give gifts to those in need at Christmas be the key to discovering common ground–and maybe love?
Preorder Links: Amazon | Baker Book House | Barnes and Noble | Books-A-Million
What do you think of the cover and the process?
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 4, 2022 | Counterfeit Hope, Counterfeit Love, Crystal's Books, Writer's Life
There is a lot to be thankful for this month, and one of those things is the fact that Counterfeit Truth, my Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age novella prequel is out in the world. If you like historical romance with a good dose of danger, swoony Secret Service heroes in pursuit of counterfeiters, and feisty independent women who get in the way, you’ll want to check out this series. And you can stick your toes in the water with this novella.
While you can buy it on Amazon, you can get it FREE when you sign up for my newsletter. Just sign up on the sidebar or bit.ly/CaudillNews. This is a great way to try my writing without having to spend a penny. My newsletters go out only once a month, and I pray over every subscriber on that list while striving to make them beneficial to you. I hope to see you there and have the opportunity to get to know you better.
Hidden Hearts of the Gilded Age Series:
Counterfeit Truth – Novella Prequel
Read for Free by subscribing HERE. Already a subscriber? Click HERE.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub | Goodreads
She wants to prove the Secret Service is corrupt. He just wants to keep her safe.
Felicity Richmond is determined to prove her place at her male-dominated family newspaper. If Father wants a story on the Secret Service’s corruption, then that’s what she’ll get him—at any cost. But Gregory Thompson is willing to kill rather than be exposed. When her plan to catch him goes horribly wrong, her rescue comes in the form of Secret Service operative Hayden Orton. The one man she longs for but can never have.
Hayden Orton nearly had former operative Thompson in his grasp . . . until Felicity interfered. Now it’s his responsibility to keep her out of the way until Thompson is arrested. Disguising her protection as a chance at an exclusive story, he invites her to join him on an investigation of the Philadelphia Mint robbery.
But Felicity isn’t content to just observe. As they work together—and at odds—to discover the culprit, Felicity stirs up trouble and emotions that leave Hayden wondering if finding the truth might cost him more than he’s ready for.
Counterfeit Love – Book 1 – Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Can this undercover agent save the woman he loves–or is her heart as counterfeit as the money he’s been sent to track down?
After all that Grandfather has sacrificed to raise her, Theresa Plane owes it to him to save the family name–and that means clearing their debt with creditors before she marries Edward Greystone. But when one of the creditors’ threats leads her to stumble across a midnight meeting, she discovers that the money he owes isn’t all Grandfather was hiding. And the secrets he kept have now trapped Theresa in a life-threatening fight for her home–and the truth.
After months of undercover work, Secret Service operative Broderick Cosgrove is finally about to uncover the identity of the leader of a notorious counterfeiting ring. That moment of triumph turns to horror, however, when he finds undeniable proof that his former fiancée is connected. Can he really believe the woman he loved is a willing participant? Protecting Theresa and proving her innocence may destroy his career–but that’s better than failing her twice in one lifetime.
They must form a partnership, tentative though it is. But there’s no question they’re both still keeping secrets–and that lack of trust, along with the dangerous criminals out for their blood, threatens their hearts, their faith, and their very survival.
Combining rich history, danger, suspense, and romance, Crystal Caudill’s debut novel launches this new historical series with a bang. Fans of Elizabeth Camden, Michelle Griep, and Joanna Davidson Politano will be thrilled to find another author to follow!
Counterfeit Hope – Book 2 – Releases 2/14/2023, Preorder Available Now
*To purchase a signed copy or request a signed bookplate, use the contact form to email me.
Add to “Want to Read List”: BookBub |
Goodreads
Trapped by their pasts, is there hope for a future?
When Secret Service operative Andrew Darlington is brought in to support a US Marshal case involving counterfeiters in rural Indiana, he thinks it’s simply the next rung on his climb to the top of his career. But liars can only climb so high–and Andrew is keeping a dangerous secret he doesn’t ever want to get out. When he clashes with the criminal family that took over the town of Landkreis and killed the Marshal he was sent to assist, his past life is in danger of being exposed.
Widow “Lightning Lu” Thorne has only one goal: escape the clutches of the Thorne family with her son. Her decision to be an informant and testify against the Thornes looked like the perfect answer. Until the Marshal ended up dead. Now the tether keeping her tied to her felonious family is tightening, and a forced marriage to someone else in the Thornes’ clutches threatens to kill any hope of escape.
Andrew and Lu find themselves on the same team–unwillingly. They each believe the other to be the enemy to their future plans. And even if they could learn to work together, the secrets they hold could shatter all hopes and dreams. Despite the encouragement of the local preacher, they’re not even sure God can be trusted–much less other humans. Can either of them escape their past–and the family that is willing to kill their own when they smell betrayal?
On the heels of her smashing debut, this second entry in Crystal Caudill’s historical series maintains the excitement that readers of Michelle Griep, Liz Tolsma, and Elizabeth Camden will love.
We Three Kings Christmas Novella Collection – Tentatively Called “Star of Wonder” – Coming Fall 2023
(Unofficial blurb) Josiah Isaacs’s younger sister, Celestia, knows what she wants for Christmas, a proposal from her friend and fellow astronomy club member, Aldrich Weise. With an entire Christmas-themed voyage from New York to Germany, she has no doubt she can convince him.
News from Germany destroyed Aldrich’s plans for a future with Celestia. Now the two-week voyage he’d long looked forward to sharing with her would be a painful reminder of all he’d soon lose. How was he to protect his heart while still working closely with her brother to discover the counterfeiter lurking aboard his ship?
When exposing the counterfeiter takes a dangerous turn, more than hearts are at risk. Can Aldrich and Celestia survive and hold fast to hope for a Christmas miracle of a future together?
Counterfeit Faith – Book 2 – Coming Early 2024
(Unofficial Blurb)
She’s lost her faith in man. He’s lost his faith in God. Can working together restore their faith?
As matron of Final Chance House of Refuge, Gwendolyn Ellison has dedicated her life to serving the children society has deemed criminal delinquents. When she suspects someone within is using the children for criminal purposes, only one man on the board believes her and is willing to investigate. On the same day he’s murdered, a gallant hero rescues Gwendolyn from being abducted at knifepoint, but not before those involved threaten her family if she continues to investigate. She won’t leave the children defenseless, but who can she trust to help?
Widower and Secret Service operative Josiah Isaacs can’t turn his back on a woman in trouble, but neither can he commit to one when his heart remains faithful to his deceased wife. When a green goods game is tied to the house of refuge where Miss Ellison works and his nieces and nephew are housed, he reluctantly agrees to partner with her to expose the criminals before more children are hurt despite his immediate attraction to her.
As they work together and their relationship grows, Josiah wonders if marrying again might be in his future. However, with the ghost of his wife between them, Gwendolyn isn’t convinced. When evil prevails, her faith in God challenges his doubts. But can he really trust the God who didn’t save his wife to save the children and Gwendolyn?
by Crystal Caudill | Mar 16, 2022 | Writer's Life
OOPS!!! I cannot believe I MISSED MY OWN RELEASE DAY!! *Insert Face Palm* In case you missed it, Counterfeit Love is officially out in the world. As I’m putting with every post related to Counterfeit Love, the information to join the month-long giveaway is down at the bottom. If you haven’t entered yet, I encourage you to do so soon.
Here are the Purchase Links: Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Book Depository | Bookshop.org | Indiebound| Christianbook
Here are the direct links to leave a review: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookbub | Books-A-Million | Christianbook | Goodreads
What’s it like to be a debut author?
This is a question I’ve been getting a lot, and so I thought I’d give as best an answer as I can. Being a debut author is akin to being the navigator on a cross-country road trip but forgetting the map. You’ve done all the planning and preparation. You have a good idea of where you’re going, the general route to get there, but when it comes down to the specifics you’re completely lost without the map and having a slight panic attack. I know that doesn’t quite work as an illustration in today’s GPS world, but I grew up being the navigator for my family’s cross-country trips back when all you had were the Rand McNally and AAA Trip maps.
Writing and editing the first book was the easy part, however, as I entered this season of debut release the entire world changed. With a three-book contract, I’ve managed to have my hands in all three books at once. I’ve been working on marketing and getting the word out about book one. I’ve filled out countless interview questions, scheduled both social media and blog posts, recorded podcast interviews, created images, figured out giveaways, ran a launch team, tried to figure out the ins and outs of social media (pro-tip: you won’t so don’t stress), and spent most of yesterday and today trying to comment on every single post I see related to Counterfeit Love or myself. During this season, I’ve also completed developmental (big picture) edits for book 2, Counterfeit Hope, and am trying to get nearly 2000 words a day done on book 3. This week, I’m miserably failing on the latter.
This isn’t said for pity, or anything, just giving an honest glimpse of what life looks like. Practically, it looks like laundry piling up, dinners being ordered in or made by others, and my kids seeing me during the time frames I take them to school, pick them up, and run errands, but that’s pretty much it. It means trying to be present with my family on the weekends when I *try* not to work, but struggling with the mental weight of knowing I’m falling behind.
However, despite all the challenges, this has been an amazing blessing. God is reteaching me my dependency must be on Him alone and that my worth comes in who He says I am, not in what I do or what reviews say. I’ve read three great reviews of Counterfeit Love but realized my heart is not ready for the impact they can have. So I’m going to wait until after I have book three written.
Before I sign off, some of you have wanted to know how I’m going to celebrate. Despite wanting to find a non-food-related activity, I have eaten half of a strawberry-rhubarb pie (soon-to-be a whole), bought myself carnations (my favorite flower), and I plan on hopefully going out to see a movie with my family sometime over the next couple of weekends. 🙂 Well, I’m hosting a party in the Blue Ridge Readers Connection group on Facebook, so I better get back to that. Then book three is calling for words in between posts and comments.
The life of a debut author is tiring, but it is a gift from God that I wouldn’t change. Thank you for all the support, messages, and well-wishes. I’ve tried to respond to every single one I receive, so if you didn’t get a response, know it’s just because either Facebook didn’t notify me or I just haven’t seen it yet. Thank you, and God bless! Crystal
Enter the Rafflecopter below to be entered to win one of three prizes: (Grand prize) – A signed copy of Counterfeit Love with a book sleeve made by my Momma, a toe bag with story-related prizes inside, (2nd prize) – A signed copy of Counterfeit Love with a book sleeve made by my Momma, socks, and a bookmark, (3rd prize) A signed copy of Counterfeit Love with a book sleeve made by my Momma and a bookish zipper bag. Entries run from March 1st to March 31st, 11:59pm EST. *Open to those legally able to enter, U.S. residents only for the physical prizes, international winners will be given a prize of equal value to whichever level they win.*
a Rafflecopter giveaway
by Crystal Caudill | Dec 29, 2020 | Writer's Life
2020 – A Year in Review
It is always good for me to review my year, and oops! It looks like I didn’t do many author interviews or giveaways this year. Is this something you would like to see more of? Let me know in the comments. Otherwise, check out the three categories below: Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and 2020 New Releases.
Happy New Year everyone!
Book Reviews – By Title (Omitting The and A)
It’s always exciting to see how many books I reviewed this year, though there are far more that I have read and just not written a review on, but I’m hoping to add those to my emergency stockpile for you to enjoy later. 😉 For now, you can revisit all the books I reviewed this year and see which ones you missed that interest you.
Banking on Love by Crystal Caudill (Info on Short Story for Newsletter Subscribers)
The Bounty Hunter’s Bargain by Lucette Nel
The Bride Bargain by Kelly Eileen Hake
The Christmas Husband by Lucette Nel
Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White
“Far as the Curse is Found” by Amanda Barratt
The Gentleman Spy by Erica Vetsch
A Gilded Lady by Elizabeth Camden
“Heaven and Nature Sing” by Carolyn Miller
The House at the End of the Moor by Michelle Griep
An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen
Last Chance Wife by Janette Foreman
Letters for Phoebe by Sally Briton
The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch
Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson
No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turnasky
The Rebel Bride by Shannon McNear
A Return of Devotion by Kristi Ann Hunter
The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden
Three Little Things by Patti Stockdale
Veiled in Smoke by Jocelyn Green
Waltz in the Wilderness by Kathleen Denly
“Wonders of His Love” by Erica Vetsch
Author Interviews – By Author Last Name
Kathleen Denly
Patti Stockdale
2020 ACFW New Releases
With the closures of so many libraries and bookstores, it has become harder and harder to just browse new titles. Hopefully, this review of 2020 Releases will give you that opportunity to find new reads for 2021.
January 2020 New Releases
Feburary and March New Releases
April 2020 New Releases
May 2020 New Releases
June 2020 New Releases
July 2020 New Releases
August 2020 New Releases
September 2020 New Releases
October 2020 New Releases
November 2020 New Releases
Decemeber 2020 New Releases
by Crystal Caudill | Nov 24, 2020 | Writer's Life
It’s hard to believe, but last month I turned in my first manuscript to my publisher for editing. As always, God’s timing is perfect. I turned in my manuscript on a Wednesday and that Friday, my mother-in-law ended up in the hospital. It’s been a few whirlwind weeks of tests without answers and lots of appointments. She is doing okay, but every day is different. Most days she can care for herself, but then there are days that she needs help with even walking.
Before all this happened it was my goal to have a short story written and edited for my newsletter subscribers and the draft of my second book 3/4 of the way done before edits on my first book came back. I’m happy to announce that I have met at least ONE of those goals (though I am a good way closer to my second book goal than before all this happened). I even created a cover, which is substantially better than the cover I designed for the deleted chapter. Without further ado, here is the cover and blurb for my short story:
Banking on Love
She expected to save her brother, not rob a bank.
November 1884
When Eunice Reed discovers her younger brother has been arrested for public intoxication, she travels from Cincinnati to Chicago to save him from himself. But public intoxication is the least of their problems. Irvin is tangled up with a dangerous bank robber. Will the love and ingenuity of a sister be enough to save Irvin from making the biggest mistake of his life?
This short story is exclusively for my newsletter subscribers. Not one yet? You can sign up here. My newsletter crew members are the first to know about titles, book covers, launch team member callouts, contests, and they get a monthly chance at winning a $15 Amazon gift card.
So was this post a shameless plug for my newsletter? Yep, but I put a lot of work into this 7500-word baby, and it’s one I hope you’ll enjoy.
