Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for The Unexpected Champion by Mary Connealy with JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Unexpected Champion
Author: Mary Connealy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: March 5, 2019
Genre: Historical Romance / Western
They’re as Different as Could Be. But They’ll Need to Trust Each Other to Survive the Wilderness . . . and the Dangers Chasing Them.
City dweller John McCall never expected to be out in the High Sierras of 1868 on a wild-goose chase to find the Chiltons’ supposedly lost grandson. But now that he’s out here, things have gotten even more complicated, mostly due to wildcat Penny Scott. She’s not like any woman he’s ever met–comfortable in the woods, with a horse, and with a gun.
When Penny and John are taken against their will by a shadowy figure looking for evidence they don’t have, both realize they’ve stumbled into something dangerous. With their friends and family desperately searching for them, Penny and John must make a daring escape.
When they emerge back into the real world, they discover their kidnapper just won’t stop. This city man and country woman must bring a powerful, ruthless man to justice, all while fighting a very inconvenient attraction to each other.
Excerpt:
Minutes
passed, not enough of them, and a shout sounded from the wagon. They’d been
discovered missing.
Every
survival instinct John owned came roaring to life. Miss Scott kept up the same
pace, though he noticed she had her gun out again. He wanted to take over
leading and run like mad. But she didn’t even speed up. If anything, she was
more silent . . . except what was more silent than silent?
John
didn’t think there were footprints visible on this grassy trail. At least not
to his eye, and he’d had a little experience with tracking in the war.
Not
a lot, but enough . . . he hoped.
He
noticed that dusk was settling in. Good. Better to hide in the dark.
They
moved on. John wasn’t even sure which direction they were headed. On and on
they went, dodging limbs, fighting for silence.
The
trail twisted and curved. It went up, then around, then back down again. John
had no idea where they were. He thought they’d come north from Dismal, but he
wasn’t at all sure.
A
gun fired behind them. John kept moving.
“Found
our trail,” Miss Scott hissed, sounding furious.
The
gunshot was an alert. The men had split up, and now one man was telling them
all to come running.
“Gunshot’s
a ways off. We’ve gained some space.” She was breathing hard, yet her pace
didn’t slacken. John didn’t know how long he could keep running—he’d never
tested himself. But a gunman on your trail would push you past all your limits.
A
very female squeak from ahead was his only warning. Miss Scott vanished. John
had no chance to stop. He went over the gully edge, tumbling, sliding, trying
to protect his head from further injury. For a second he fell clean, no contact
with the earth at all, and then he hit an outcropping.
He
caught sight of Miss Scott below, saw her skidding along, then suddenly she was
on her feet and running, almost straight down . . . well no, but a
real sharp descent. Still, better than what they’d been falling down. John
gathered himself for the instant he reached the slightly less steep section.
Sure enough, he hit it and went head over heels. His head was already wounded,
and he felt every bump. Then he struck a large root jutting out of the slope.
It stopped him with the force of hitting a brick wall. For a second.
But
that second let him get his balance and he lost hold of the root, this time
with his feet under him. Going at full speed was stupid and reckless, but he
saw no way to stop and honestly no point. They had to be making a racket, and
those men would be coming soon.
But
maybe the men behind them wouldn’t risk jumping over a cliff.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has more than half a million books in print. She is the author of the popular series Wild at Heart, Kincaid Brides, Trouble in Texas, Lassoed in Texas, Sophie’s Daughters, and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.
Photo courtesy of Ginger Murray Photography
CONNECT WITH MARY: website, facebook, twitter, instagram
You can also find Mary at these sites: Seekerville and Petticoats & Pistols
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will win
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will win
- a complete set of all three High Sierra Sweethearts books (print, US only)
- $20 Barnes & Noble gift card
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
8 comments
I liked the excerpt, sounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt!
ReplyDelete1800s Western Romances are some of my favorites.
ReplyDeleteLove Mary Connealy's writing & this excerpt makes me really want to read The Unexpected Champion!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteLooks like an fun book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
Thank you for being part of the blog tour for "The Unexpected Champion" by Mary Connealy.
ReplyDeleteHave this book on my TBR list and can't wait for the opportunity to read it. Always enjoy this author's books.
2clowns at arkansas dot net
I enjoy Mary Connealy's books! Thank you for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. Leave a word, leave a line, I would love to hear what you have to say.