Katherine Lowry Logan |
Katherine is also a long distance runner and lives in Lexington, Kentucky.
BACK COVER BLURB:
Can a 21st century paramedic find her heart's desire on the other side of
time?
From the white-plank fenced pastures of Lexington, Kentucky, to the beautiful
Bay of San Francisco, The Ruby Brooch, a saga steeped in family
tradition and mystery, follows a young woman's journey as she searches for the
truth on the other side of the heather-scented mist.
As the lone survivor of a car crash that killed her parents, paramedic Kit
MacKlenna makes a startling discovery that further alters her life. A faded
letter and a well-worn journal reveal that she was abandoned as a baby and the
only clues to her identity are a blood-splattered shawl, a locket that bears a
portrait of a nineteenth-century man, and a Celtic brooch with mystical powers.
After studying the journal, she decides to continue her father's twenty-year search for her identity and solve her birth parents' murders. For safety reasons, she adopts the persona of the Widow MacKlenna. Although a perfect cover for her eccentric behavior, she will be forced to lie and MacKlennas don't lie, or so she thought. Finally, dressed and packed, she utters the incantation inscribed on the ancient stone and is swept back to Independence, Missouri, in the year 1852.
Upon arriving in the past, she meets Cullen Montgomery, an egotistical Scotsman with a penchant for seducing widows. The San Francisco-bound lawyer happens to resemble the ghost who has haunted Kit since childhood. She quickly finds the Bach-humming, Shakespeare-quoting man to be over-bearing and his intolerance for liars threatens her quest.
If she can survive his accusations and resist his tempting embrace for seventy-three days, she might be able to find the answers she seeks, and return home to a new life without changing history or leaving her heart on the other side of time.
Independence, Missouri,
April 4, 1852
Henry Peters slumped in
a leather-reading chair and propped his legs, covered in faded cavalry pants,
on a crate marked textiles and bound for Santa Fe. “What you learning ‘bout in
that gazette?”
Cullen chuckled at what little real news the paper printed. Since he no
longer lived in Edinburgh or Cambridge, he needed to lower his expectations
when it came to the local press. Every word of the Independence Reporter had been read and reread, and although he
couldn’t find mention of a scientific discovery or notice of a public
discussion with a famous poet, he knew Grace McCoy had gotten hitched last
Saturday. Reading the paper’s recitation was unnecessary. He’d
escorted the bride’s widowed aunt to the nuptials and knew firsthand that the
bride had swooned walking down the aisle. Virgin brides and widows. The former didn’t interest him, the latter
lavishly entertained him.
He gave the last page a
final perusal. “There's no mention of our wagon train pulling out in the
morning.”
The old soldier took a
pinch of tobacco between his thumb and forefinger and loaded the bowl of his
presidential-face pipe. “We ain’t got no more room anyways. No sense
advertising.”
The day had turned unusually warm, and
Cullen had dressed for cooler weather. Sweat trickled down his back, prompting
him to roll his red-flannel shirtsleeves to his elbows. “Mary Spencer’s not
going now. We can take on one more family.”
Henry dropped his feet,
and his boot heels scraped the heart-of-pine floor. “Dang. Why’d you bring up
that gal’s name?”
“It’s not your fault
she disappeared.” Although Cullen hadn’t said anything to his friend, he
believed the portrait artist he’d seen making a nuisance of himself at the
dress shop had sweet-talked the porcelain-skinned, green-eyed woman into
eloping.
“Maybe, maybe not.” The
joints in Henry’s bowed legs popped and cracked as he stood and stepped to the
window.
Cullen pulled out his
watch to check the time. Before slipping the timepiece back into his vest
pocket, out of habit he rubbed his thumb across the Celtic knot on the front of
the case. The gesture always evoked memories of his grandfather, an old Scot
with a gentle side that countered his temper. Folks said Cullen walked in his
grandsire’s shoes. He discounted the notion he could be hotheaded, with one
exception. He had no tolerance for liars. When he unveiled a lie, he unleashed
the full measure of his displeasure. “We can’t worry about yesterday, and
today’s got enough trouble of its own.”
“Rumor has it John
Barrett needs money. Heard you offered him a loan.” Henry wagged his
pipe-holding hand. “Also heard he got his bristles up, saying he wouldn’t be
beholdin’ to nobody. Got too much pride if’n you ask me. You get down to cases
with that boy and straighten his thinking out.”
God knew Cullen had
tried. “If I can’t find a compromise, our wagon train could fall apart before
we get out of town.”
“You’re as wise as a
tree full of owls, son. You’ll figure it out.”
The newspaper had
served its purpose so he tossed the gossip sheet into the trash. Then he stood
and stretched his legs before starting for the door.
Henry rapped his
knuckles on the windowsill. “Where’re you goin’?”
A queue tied with a
thong at Cullen’s nape reminded him that his shaggy hair hadn’t seen even the
blunt end of a pair of shears in months. “To the barber. Afterwards, I’ll
figure out how to get your wagon train to Oregon. There’s a law office with my
name on the door waiting at the end of the trail. I don’t have time for more
delays.”
Henry’s bushy brows
merged above his nose. “There’s more than work awaitin’ you.”
“To quote an old
soldier: Maybe. Maybe not.” With the picture of a San Francisco, dark-haired
lass tucked into his pocket alongside his watch, and the keening sound of his
favorite bagpipe tune playing in his mind, Cullen left the office to solve
today’s problem before it became tomorrow’s trouble.
~~~~
6 comments:
Nice excerpt! Wish this was a book giveaway and I was the winner.
Thanks for posting!
Kathryn:
Thanks so much for sharing an excerpt of your book. And good luck on your sales.
I liked your excerpt. You brought your characters to life. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for sharing Kathryn! Also a very well done cover!
Thank you all for you comments and good wishes! They are GREATLY appreciated. Kathy
Thanks for the great advice and for visiting our blog.
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