Hello, blog friends ~
I'm excited to welcome author Jan Sikes to my blog today. She has a new release, and I've invited her to tell us a bit about this latest masterpiece.
A Noble Bargain hit the bookshelves last week, and it has already garnered much acclaim. Let's hear from the author herself. The floor is all yours, Jan.
I'm excited to welcome author Jan Sikes to my blog today. She has a new release, and I've invited her to tell us a bit about this latest masterpiece.
A Noble Bargain hit the bookshelves last week, and it has already garnered much acclaim. Let's hear from the author herself. The floor is all yours, Jan.
Thank you, Gwen, for hosting me today, as I end my blog tour for A Noble Bargain. I’m deeply grateful for your generosity and support!
I owe a huge thank you to everyone who has followed along on this tour, left comments and shared on social media. We are never on this writing journey alone.
I want to close out the tour with a family reunion of sorts. As I stated earlier in the tour, there are three Blaine siblings—Harlan, Rose and Jack. When everything falls apart, Harlan goes his separate way while Rose and Jack make their way to an aunt in Missouri. I couldn’t stand the thought that they’d never all be together again, so I created this reunion at Layken Martin’s farm in Missouri.
EXCERPT:
Coming up the long driveway, a man wearing a worn hat pulled low ambled along carrying a bedroll and knapsack. There was something oddly familiar in his gait. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Whoever he was looked uncannily like her dead pa.
The dogs sat at the bottom of the steps, their tails wagging, but at least they stopped barking.
As the man drew closer, she sucked in a breath and bounded off the steps, with Sadie and Pearl on her heels. “Harlan!” She ran toward him as tears sprang into her eyes.
He shifted a bedroll to his back. “Rose.”
When she reached him, he embraced her. “Harlan. How did you find us?”
He hugged her tight and cleared his throat, then held her at arm’s length, looking her up and down. “I called Uncle Rube yesterday, sure you’d be there, and he told me where you were. I was worried about you and Jack. Had to come and see what was happening and why you weren’t in St. Louis.”
He looked thinner and older than she remembered. She took in the scruffy beard and dusty clothes. It was obvious he’d been on the road for a while. He looked so much like their father. Yet there was something different about her brother. He’d lost the hard look in his eyes. “Come on up to the house. I’ll tell you everything. Jack’s going to be so happy to see you.” While they walked, she caught him up on things.
When they reached the house, he deposited his bedroll and knapsack on the front porch. Then she led him through the kitchen and out the back door.
“Jack, look who’s here.”
With soap up to his elbows, Jack glanced up, then did a double-take. “Harlan?”
“Hey, little brother. I see you’ve resorted to doing women’s work.” He grinned widely.
“Hot damn!” Jack wiped his hands on his pants and bolted toward his brother, giving him a man hug while Harlan tousled his hair. “How did you find us?”
After Harlan explained, Rose took hold of his arm and pointed toward Seymour and Tab, making introductions all around. Then, she explained about Sara Beth, Layken, and the new baby.
“What a surprise.” Rose couldn’t believe he was there. “I want to hear everything. Where have you been? What have you been doing?”
Jack nodded. “Share, big brother.”
“Got anything to drink? Been walking a long way.”
Rose rushed into the house and poured another glass of tea, then went back out.
Harlan took a big gulp and wiped his mouth. “Been traveling around mostly. The jalopy took out on me the second day and I sold it for a little money in Hot Springs. Hopped a few freights and got rides with some truckers.” He shrugged. “That’s about it. Just been trying to figure out what to do next.”
I want to close out the tour with a family reunion of sorts. As I stated earlier in the tour, there are three Blaine siblings—Harlan, Rose and Jack. When everything falls apart, Harlan goes his separate way while Rose and Jack make their way to an aunt in Missouri. I couldn’t stand the thought that they’d never all be together again, so I created this reunion at Layken Martin’s farm in Missouri.
EXCERPT:
Coming up the long driveway, a man wearing a worn hat pulled low ambled along carrying a bedroll and knapsack. There was something oddly familiar in his gait. For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Whoever he was looked uncannily like her dead pa.
The dogs sat at the bottom of the steps, their tails wagging, but at least they stopped barking.
As the man drew closer, she sucked in a breath and bounded off the steps, with Sadie and Pearl on her heels. “Harlan!” She ran toward him as tears sprang into her eyes.
He shifted a bedroll to his back. “Rose.”
When she reached him, he embraced her. “Harlan. How did you find us?”
He hugged her tight and cleared his throat, then held her at arm’s length, looking her up and down. “I called Uncle Rube yesterday, sure you’d be there, and he told me where you were. I was worried about you and Jack. Had to come and see what was happening and why you weren’t in St. Louis.”
He looked thinner and older than she remembered. She took in the scruffy beard and dusty clothes. It was obvious he’d been on the road for a while. He looked so much like their father. Yet there was something different about her brother. He’d lost the hard look in his eyes. “Come on up to the house. I’ll tell you everything. Jack’s going to be so happy to see you.” While they walked, she caught him up on things.
When they reached the house, he deposited his bedroll and knapsack on the front porch. Then she led him through the kitchen and out the back door.
“Jack, look who’s here.”
With soap up to his elbows, Jack glanced up, then did a double-take. “Harlan?”
“Hey, little brother. I see you’ve resorted to doing women’s work.” He grinned widely.
“Hot damn!” Jack wiped his hands on his pants and bolted toward his brother, giving him a man hug while Harlan tousled his hair. “How did you find us?”
After Harlan explained, Rose took hold of his arm and pointed toward Seymour and Tab, making introductions all around. Then, she explained about Sara Beth, Layken, and the new baby.
“What a surprise.” Rose couldn’t believe he was there. “I want to hear everything. Where have you been? What have you been doing?”
Jack nodded. “Share, big brother.”
“Got anything to drink? Been walking a long way.”
Rose rushed into the house and poured another glass of tea, then went back out.
Harlan took a big gulp and wiped his mouth. “Been traveling around mostly. The jalopy took out on me the second day and I sold it for a little money in Hot Springs. Hopped a few freights and got rides with some truckers.” He shrugged. “That’s about it. Just been trying to figure out what to do next.”
| The siblings, while torn apart by their father’s decisions, reconnected in a solid way and made plans to stay in touch while each going their separate ways out into the world. I loved taking away some of Harlan’s hardness and giving him some dreams of his own. |  |
BLURB:
A true testament of character, resilience, and the magic of never giving up.
The year is 1948 and folks in the sawmill town of Crossett, Arkansas, work hard and play hard. Oliver Quinn does both. Oliver is the son of Irish immigrants who firmly believe in pursuing the American dream. His deepest desire is to play major league baseball. He only needs one chance to prove himself.
Rose Blaine is living in a nightmare where dreams don’t exist. She’s suffered for years at the hands of her violent moonshiner father and his partner. During a brutal attack, she must fight back or die. The aftermath is devastating.
Fueled by desperation, Rose strikes a life-changing bargain with Oliver. If he’ll take her and her brother to St. Louis, Missouri, she’ll introduce Oliver to her uncle, a baseball legend.
While their journey is fraught with unseen perils, they forge an unbreakable bond and make surprising allies.
When destiny throws them a curve ball, they must find the courage to create a hopeful future out of the ashes of shattered dreams with newfound fortitude.
A true testament of character, resilience, and the magic of never giving up.
The year is 1948 and folks in the sawmill town of Crossett, Arkansas, work hard and play hard. Oliver Quinn does both. Oliver is the son of Irish immigrants who firmly believe in pursuing the American dream. His deepest desire is to play major league baseball. He only needs one chance to prove himself.
Rose Blaine is living in a nightmare where dreams don’t exist. She’s suffered for years at the hands of her violent moonshiner father and his partner. During a brutal attack, she must fight back or die. The aftermath is devastating.
Fueled by desperation, Rose strikes a life-changing bargain with Oliver. If he’ll take her and her brother to St. Louis, Missouri, she’ll introduce Oliver to her uncle, a baseball legend.
While their journey is fraught with unseen perils, they forge an unbreakable bond and make surprising allies.
When destiny throws them a curve ball, they must find the courage to create a hopeful future out of the ashes of shattered dreams with newfound fortitude.
I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed this tour and if you’ve chosen to pick up A Noble Bargain, I pray you find it to be a satisfying read.
Again, thank you for following along, and a big thank you goes out to all of my hosts!
Again, thank you for following along, and a big thank you goes out to all of my hosts!
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK: https://books2read.com/u/booMQR
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