Western Romance
Without Cowboys, Ranches, or Gunslingers
Romance in Blake’s Folly, Nevada
by J.
Arlene Culiner
For me, Western Romance
doesn’t mean cowboys and ranches. My stories are set in Nevada, in a semi-ghost
town called Blake’s Folly, a place where odd characters live, the sort of
people who stick it out despite all odds. In these clapboard, rusty trailer
communities, wooden doors tap in the wind, bare stalks scratch, country music
whines, and eccentrics dish up tall tales, and suspicion.
Why
am I fascinated by such places? Because I love writing about odd characters and
misfits, the sort of people who would never fit into neat houses with tidy
gardens. People are rebels, not by choice, but by character. Sometimes they’re
ornery, nosy, or interfering, but I can guarantee they’re certainly the real
thing.
In Desert
Rose, my heroine Rose
is a delightful character: gutsy, original, open-minded, and funny. As soon as
the very appealing Jonah Livingstone (he’s part Paiute, part Italian) walks into
her shop, he’s entranced too. But even if she’s outgoing and flirtatious, Rose
has quite a few secrets, and she won’t share them with anyone. Of course, Jonah
has secrets of his own, and before a romance can take place, both will have to
confide and trust each other.
Alice,
the heroine of All About Charming Alice,
is a rather prickly character. Reclusive, she loves the Nevada desert, rescues
dogs, and protects snakes. Jace Constant, my hero, is the opposite. He’s an
intellectual writer from Chicago, and he’s not crazy about deserts, dogs, or
snakes. But neither Alice nor Jace expects love when it comes galumphing over
the horizon.
And
here in my stories are all those cranky secondary characters, sharing the
spotlight with heroes and heroines, and sometimes having the last word…
Blurb for All About Charming Alice:
Alice Treemont has given up hope of meeting the right man and falling in love. Living in Blake’s Folly, a semi-ghost town of rusting cars, old trailers, clapboard shacks, and thirsty weeds, she spends her time cooking vegetarian meals, rescuing unwanted dogs, and protecting the most unloved creatures on earth: snakes. What man would share those interests?
Jace Constant is in Nevada, doing research for his new book, but he won’t be staying long. As far as he’s concerned, Blake’s Folly is hell on earth. He’s disgusted by desert dust on his fine Italian shoes, and dog hair on his cashmere sweaters. As for snakes, he doesn’t only despise them—he’s terrified by them. He can hardly wait to get back to Chicago’s elegant women, fine dining, and contemporary art exhibitions.
So how is it possible that each time Alice and Jace meet, the air sizzles? That she’s as fascinated by him as he is by her? That they know their feelings go deeper than raw desire? Still, it looks like this relationship is doomed before it even starts.
In need of juicy gossip, the other 52 residents of Blake's Folly have decided Alice has been alone for long enough. The attraction between her and Jace is obvious, so why worry about essential differences? If you trust in love, solutions do appear. But don’t those solutions call for too many compromises, too much self-sacrifice?
Excerpt
from All About Charming Alice:
Suddenly
Jace rose to his feet and, in that languid way of his, crossed to the doorway
where she stood. Alice was a tallish woman but, still, he towered over her.
Casually, stretching out one arm, he rested his hand on the door frame, just a
hair’s breadth above her head. He was close, so close. His body was supple,
strong and—yes, she had to admit it—warm, fragrant. The heat of him reached her
over the few inches separating them and she ached to curve into it. Aura? This
man was a flesh-and-blood heat wave.
The
strange, tingling excitation was flowing through her again like thick port
wine. She lowered her eyes, refusing to meet his gaze, although she knew he
was, once again, examining her minutely.
“And
I want to take the room.”
“Look,
you don’t need my room,” she said, desperation evident in her tone. “There’s a
perfectly reasonable motel the other side of the Winterback Mine, out in the
direction of Logan. Actually, it’s far better equipped to take in tourists than
anything you’d find here in Blake’s Folly.”
“I
know. Rider Motel. Air conditioning, closed circuit television. Right across
from the Dew Drop Inn.” His smile was wry. “That’s exactly where I’ve been
staying for the last three nights. And over and over again during those three
nights I remembered Blake’s Folly and the ‘room to let’ sign on your wall. And
the more I thought about it, the more appealing it got. There’s nothing worse
than an impersonal motel room when you have to stay in an area for a while.” He
paused, let his eyes wander over the faded wooden framing, over the settee on
the veranda. “Right here, it feels more like home.”
That
wasn’t it, she knew. That wasn’t even part of the truth. He was back because
something hot and wonderful shimmered between them. Did she fascinate him as
much as he did her? Possibly. Although she hadn’t done anything to encourage
him, not even once. It would have been hard to find anyone less friendly than
she’d been.
Still,
there was something about him that touched her, something that had nothing to
do with raw desire. Was it the warmth in his eyes? A quirk to his lips that
promised humor and understanding? Or was it just plain magic, the magic that
happens when the right female meets the right male? Whatever it was, she’d been
unsuccessful in putting him out of her head for days.
She
knew she was softening.
He
must have sensed that too, and he pushed his point further. “Everyone, or
almost everyone, needs the feeling there’s home somewhere. I’m sure you
understand that.”
She
nodded slowly, reluctance fighting with sympathy. “What are you doing in the
area?”
And immediately
felt the flush crossing her cheeks. She didn’t want to be interested in him.
She wanted to blot him out. She’d opened her mouth, intending to refuse him,
but the question had popped out instead. And that had opened the door to
conversation. He’d realized it too, and she could almost feel his body relax
with relief.
“I’m
working on a book on the Old West, so I’ll be poking around the area for a
while.”
Alice
couldn’t help smiling. “Blake’s Folly's a great place for history. Lucy
Warner’s pig gave birth to fifteen piglets once. That was back in thirty-two, I
think.”
His
eyes met hers evenly. “Nineteen thirty-three. The fifth of August. A hot month
for hard work like that.” He gave a short laugh. “Nothing important gets past
us serious researchers.”
Suddenly
there was a loud thump followed by a wild scraping of claws. Seconds later, a
huge black dog thrust itself past Alice and threw itself against Jace, almost
knocking him backward.
“Killer!
Down!”
Killer
wriggled like an eel, danced a doggie jig on the veranda floor and still
managed to stare up at Jace with supplication. He was ecstatic.
Jace
bent down and gingerly patted Killer’s head, then looked back up at Alice with
slight embarrassment.
“Normally
I never pat dogs. I never understood why anyone would want to.” He observed
Killer again. “There’s pure adoration in his eyes. It gets to me, somehow.”
Killer
nestled in closer, wagging his long, seedy-looking tail wildly, and Jace patted
him again, this time with more tenderness.
Alice
felt herself relenting. She loved animals—any animal: dogs, cats, rabbits. And
snakes.
And
this man was touching her too much. Far too much. She had to bring her defenses
back into play. “That isn’t the way a dog normally reacts when he meets a total
stranger.”
Jace
met her semblance of hostility with his limpid green gaze. “I’m not a total
stranger. I fed him my packed lunch the other day, remember?” He looked down at
Killer, grinned ruefully. “I still didn’t know why I stopped for him. Anyway,
we’ve been through all this already. And, as I said, I’m here about the room.”
Blurb for Desert Rose:
Men love Rose Badger, and if the other inhabitants of dead-end Blake’s
Folly, Nevada, don’t approve, she couldn’t care less. With a disastrous
marriage far behind her, settling down is the last thing she intends to
do. Isn’t life for fun? Doesn’t a stable relationship always mean predictability
and boredom? Well… perhaps things might be different with Jonah Livingstone,
but he isn’t available. So, why fret? Rose has another, quite secret life, and
she’ll never give that up for any man.
The last person Jonah Livingstone expected to meet in a semi-ghost town
is Rose Badger. She’s easy-going, delightfully spontaneous, and Jonah is
certain their attraction is mutual. But Rose is always surrounded by a crowd of
admirers and doesn’t seem inclined to choose a favorite. No problem: Jonah is
too independent to settle into a permanent relationship again. He’s leading his
own, very secretive life, and secrets are an excellent protection against love.
Author links:
mewe.com/i/jillculiner
