Let's Get To Know GHOST MOUNTAIN RANCH: DARBY ~ by #RomanceGems Author Jan Scarbrough

Welcome to Feature Friday where we have Jan Scarbrough in the spotlight with her book GHOST MOUNTAIN RANCH: DARBY. Let's talk to Jan about it...

DARBY is the second book in The Ghost Mountain Ranch series. Tell us about this series. What ties the books together?

Several years ago, I decided to give a story to Hank, the head wranglers at the Six Buckles Ranch in Montana. The story didn’t have such a happy ending, but it was a way for me to have Hank leave the Dawson family and go to Ghost Mountain Ranch where I knew he would meet his high school sweetheart Darby York.

The three books that I wrote after HANK tell the story of Darby and her two children Slade (named after her first love) and Kelsey. Darby is estranged from her father but comes home to the ranch at the urging of Hank and Kelsey. There she uncovers clues about her mother’s past. The next two stories in the series are complete romance, but they also reveal the mystery about what happened to Darby’s mother.


What's your inspiration for this series?

My husband and I visited a Montana dude ranch in 2016, so the Ghost Mountain Ranch is sort of a combination among several ranches. When I wanted to add a mystery to my new western series, my editor suggested doing something about the anti-war movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s. I read a few history books on the subject and came up with a complicated back story for Darby, her mother, and Darby’s family.


Tell us more about your heroine, Darby York. What in her past influenced her to be the woman we meet in the story?

Darby was very close to her mother. When her mother commits suicide, Darby feels guilty and thinks she’s somehow responsible. She flees the Montana dude ranch where she grew up and ends up working at a Kentucky horse farm where she meets and marries the wealthy owner. I wanted her life in Kentucky to be happy. She has children and a doting husband who indulges her passion for art. When the story starts, I wanted Darby to resist returning to Montana because of the guilt she’s never resolved.

What about Hank Slade, wrangler at Ghost Mountain Ranch? What's a wrangler? What kind of man is he?

A wrangler is someone who looks after horses or other animals on a ranch. On a dude ranch, a wrangler will get the horses ready and lead trail rides for the guests. Hank Slade is a loner. He’s been a wrangler at the Dawson’s ranch for years. Hank is unlucky in love. He had two loves—Darby and Liz Dawson, the wife of the ranch owner who has recently remarried. Taking the head job at Ghost Mountain Ranch gives Hank a new purpose in life. He doesn’t count on Darby coming back into it.


What inspired you to write about older protagonists?

I understand older protagonists better because I am older myself. I also like to give characters a second or third chance in life. We don’t get our lives right from the beginning. As Hank says, we learn from our mistakes.


Which character in the series is your favorite to write? Why?

I enjoyed writing about Darby and having her come to terms with her past. She runs away from her fears until she must confront the truth and her feelings.


Which character in the series is the hardest to write? Why?

I think Slade was the hardest to write. He’s unsure of himself but becomes a man working at the ranch. I hope I made his growth in self-confidence realistic.

Blurbs ~

HANK:

On Christmas Eve, Hank accepts the job of ranch foreman over the mountains in the Gallatin Canyon, Montana. But something dark is happening at the Ghost Mountain Ranch, where the past is reaching out in dangerous ways to haunt the living.


DARBY:

Thirty years ago, Darby Heston fled her family’s Montana dude ranch. Now she must return to help her father. Would the boyfriend she’d abandoned still be there? Hank Slade has never stopped loving Darby, but is he willing to risk his heart again? Secrets tore them apart once. Given a second chance at love, will more shocking secrets from the past destroy their hopes for the future?


SLADE:

Slade Heston is spending the summer as a hired hand at his grandfather’s dude ranch, trying to figure out life, not fall in love. Laurie Chastain is supposed to write promotions for the ranch, but she has a secret goal. What did a 1970s radical resistance group have to do with her grandfather? Laurie’s only clue leads her to Ghost Mountain Ranch. Will their growing attraction be enough to protect Slade and Laurie from the ghosts of the past?


KELSEY:

Kelsey Heston’s using the skills learned at her family’s Kentucky horse farm to improve tourism at her grandfather’s dude ranch. But what is her old college sweetheart doing here? Max Lee has come to Ghost Mountain Ranch searching for a missing woman. Instead, he finds Kelsey. But old secrets are stirring, secrets someone might be willing to kill to keep. Can they finally lay the old ghosts to rest, or will the echoes of a decades-old murder destroy their second chance at love?

Bio ~

Whether it is the Bluegrass of Kentucky, the mountains of Montana, or Medieval England, Jan Scarbrough brings you home with romances from the heart.

The author of two popular Bluegrass series, Jan writes heartwarming contemporary romances about home and family, single moms, and children, and if the plot allows, about another passion—horses. Living in the horse country of Kentucky makes it easy for Jan to add small town, Southern charm to her books and the excitement of a Bluegrass horse race or a competitive horse show.

Jan leaves her contemporary voice behind with two paranormal gothic romances, Timeless and Tangled Memories, a Romance Writers of America (RWA) Golden Heart finalist. Her historical romance, My Lord Raven, is a medieval story of honor and betrayal.

A member of Novelist, Inc., Jan self-publishes her books with her husband’s help.

YOU CAN BUY THE GHOST MOUNTAIN STORIES HERE:

https://books2read.com/HankGhostMountain

https://books2read.com/Darby

https://books2read.com/SladeGhostMountain

https://books2read.com/Kelsey


YOU CAN FIND JAN HERE:

Website http://janscarbrough.com/

Blog http://janscarbrough.com/blog/

Newsletter http://janscarbrough.com/contact/

Amazon Author URL https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Scarbrough/e/B001K8768A

Bookbub Author URL https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jan-scarbrough

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Romancerider/

Twitter https://twitter.com/romancerider

AllAuthor https://allauthor.com/profile/romancerider/

Thank you, Jan, for joining us today and for sharing your Ghost Mountain Ranch series with us!

~ Get Yourself in a JAM: Jordan and Mary Cover Reveal ~

Please welcome author T.J. Lyons to the blog today! Here's a bit about T.J.'s latest release, JAM: Jordan and Mary!

Blurb ~

Secrets refuse to remain buried.

Bonds of love are tested.

Horses prove they are loyal creatures.


Jordan Jennings is a successful self-made photographer with a dicey past he refuses to face. He’s had no reason to, happy in his life with his mother and twin brother. That is until he meets a woman strong enough to draw him from his repression.

Running from her own past, Mary Evans has lived in hiding for the last 12 years. Horses became her life when she discovered she had a gift for working with them. When she is brought a fiery cremello mare, a mental bond develops between her and the animal like no other. But it isn’t until a sinfully gorgeous photographer enters her barn that her life takes a drastic turn.


Together, Jordan and Mary find a new lease on life. But before their future can begin, they must return to each of their pasts, two parts of their worlds that collide and threatens to tear them apart. Now the question remains, will they survive the torment? And is it even possible to achieve the perfect happily ever after?

Author Bio ~

T.J. Lyons started writing stories in second grade. She has been writing stories ever since. Many stories later, she shares some of her stories with readers to enjoy. She has a love of the outdoors and animals and kids.

When not writing, TJ spends her time teaching special need high school students and with her three animals: Jules the Red Heeler, Thor the grey tuxedo cat, and American Quarter Horse, Blaze. She lives in North Texas.

Here's where you can find T.J.: 

https://tjlyons2002.wordpress.com


FB: https://t.co/RwJlHrqzdC


Twitter: DDubForever2002

Thanks for sharing your cover with us!

~ There's No Place Like HOME IS WHERE THE HUNK IS! ~

Please welcome the lovely and talented Nancy Fraser! Ladies, she's brought with her a hunk. A hunk of major proportions! Right this way --->


Today I'm interviewing Evan Carver from HOME IS WHERE THE HUNK IS!

Q: Evan, I understand you own the Double C Ranch, just outside of Wharton, Montana. How many acres do you have and how did you decide on the name?


Evan: The Double C is named for the joined spreads of the Carver and Cain families. Lifelong friends, my parents and my late-wife’s parents had always dreamed of joining their lucrative ranches into one big conglomerate. After our marriage, and the passing of both sets of parents, it became important to us that we honor their dream. The ranch is a little over 5,000 acres, made up mostly of prime grazing land. We also have a number of streams, brooks and our own natural waterfall. The spread now belongs to me and my sister-in-law, Allison. Although, because of her successful career away from the ranch, the day-to-day decisions are mine.

Q: As a widower with a young son to raise, how do you balance work and family responsibilities?

Evan: (Chuckles) Very carefully. Ranching requires long days and great attention to detail. I’m blessed to have a wonderful network of long-time family friends to rely on. As well, my ranch staff are the best in the business. I do everything in my power to devote as much of my time to my five-year-old son, Cody.


Q: We hear that you’ve been dating? Is there another Mrs. Carver on the horizon?

Evan: Dating yes, ready to re-marry, not so much. Although, if the lovely ladies of Wharton are to be believed, I’ve got one foot on the altar and the other in a slippery pile of cow dung.


Q: You mentioned your sister-in-law earlier. We understand she’s on her way home for a vacation. How eager are you and your son to see her again?


Evan: Cody is over the moon. He loves his Aunt Ali very much. I’ve always considered Allison the little sister I never had. It will be great to have her home for an extended visit.


Q: You also mentioned her successful career. She’s a very in-demand photojournalist, correct?

Evan: Yes, very talented and sought after for many projects. Her constant traveling takes her all over the world. She just returned from six months in South America where she assisted in bringing some much needed relief to the poorer residents of a number of South American states.

Q: You must be very proud of her altruistic work. Does she have another assignment coming up?


Evan: Both Cody and I are very pleased she was able to share her photographs with the world and aide in making changes. As for another assignment, you’d have to ask her. All I can confirm is that she’s welcome to stay here with us for as long as she’d like.

Q: To get back to your status as a very handsome, successful and available man, what is it you’re looking for in a wife … assuming of course that you’re actively looking?


Evan: (Another chuckle) First of all, thank you for the glowing compliments. Of course I’d love to meet someone and fall in love again. A mother for my son, and possibly more children, is every sane man’s dream. If I had to pinpoint one or two attributes that I consider a must, it would be compassion and honesty. Any woman I would date, and consider marrying would have to be willingly open to loving and caring for my son. She’d have a kind heart and be a giving, loving person. She’d also have to be up front and honest. Her integrity must be beyond reproach.

Q: One final question. Where should all of these compassionate, honest women go to apply?


Evan: Applications are not necessary. If, and only if, I’m interested, I’m confidant fate will intervene and I’ll find them on my own.


Hmm...Fate may need to buy me a ticket to the Double C! Thanks for joining us. Now here's a little bit more about HOME IS WHERE THE HUNK IS ~

Blurb ~

When globe-trotting photographer Allison Cain comes home to her family ranch in Montana it’s to get to know her nephew and to make amends with the widowed brother-in-law she’s left alone to raise his young son.



Evan Carver could never deny his late wife’s younger sister anything, despite the fact she’s been conspicuously absent over the past three years since her sister’s death. Now she’s home again on what she’s called an extended vacation. Evan’s first concern is for his son, Cody, and how his aunt’s visit will affect the five year old when she decides to return to her high profile career.



Allison has no intention of going back to work. In addition to getting to know Cody, she needs to confess her biggest secret to Evan. How do you tell the man you’ve always loved that you’re not just his son’s aunt, but also his mother?

Excerpt ~


Slowly she raised her head. Unshed tears filled her eyes, making them glisten like liquid stars. Evan felt a lump form in his own throat. She blinked rapidly in what Evan suspected was a conscious effort to hide her emotions. A knot tightened his gut. He had the sudden urge to take Ali in his arms, as he’d done the day she arrived, and bury her face against his chest, preferably without the argument that followed.

In the very back of his over-used imagination, he could see her coming willingly into his arms. He could feel the heat of her tears against his chest. His reaction surprised and frightened him in equal measure. He didn’t want to feel this way about her, especially when he knew she wouldn’t stay.

“Me, too,” she admitted softly, drawing Evan’s attention from her teary eyes to her soft, pink lips. The tears she’d been fighting back so tenaciously now pearled on her lashes, threatening to spill forth at any second.

Evan moved away from the tree, inching his way around Cody and close to Allison’s side. Cautiously, he lifted his hand and caught the first tear on his thumb, uncertain of exactly what had made her cry, yet knowing he selfishly welcomed the chance to offer her comfort.

“When I left South America, the only thing I could think of was coming here. I wanted desperately to feel the lush grass beneath my bare feet and to smell the fresh, clean air.”

“I don’t care what made you decide to come home. You’re here now and welcome to stay as long as you like.” Drawing her into his arms, he held her close and tilted her chin up with his fingertips until their gazes met.

At the first touch of his lips to hers, Evan tasted the cinnamon and apple of the dessert they’d just consumed. He pressed his lips more firmly to hers. She hesitated only briefly before returning his kiss with one of her own. He barely had time to consider what they’d done when Ali’s trembling voice broke through his consciousness.

“Evan,” she whispered. “Don’t, please.” Pressing her hands to his chest, she pushed lightly. Yet, when he would have backed away, she clenched the front of his shirt tightly in her fists. “We can’t . . .” she warned, still seemingly unwilling to let him go.

“Ali, it was only a kiss.”

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and Evan knew if he didn’t let her go he’d likely do something they’d both regret. Gently, he grasped her hands in his and pulled them from the death grip she’d taken on his shirt. With his thumb he wiped away a final spent tear then released her completely. A moment later he was on his feet and walking back toward the damaged fence. It would take every ounce of strength he possessed, he realized, to keep from turning around and taking her into his arms again.

Author Bio ~

Like most authors, Nancy Fraser began writing at an early age, usually on the walls and with crayons or, heaven forbid, permanent markers. Her love of writing often made her the English teacher’s pet, which, of course, resulted in a whole lot of teasing. Still, it was worth it.


When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five beautiful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people. She invites you to visit her website (www.nancyfraser.ca) and follow her on Twitter (@nfraserauthor). Or, more importantly, just enjoy what she writes.

You can find Nancy at:

Website: www.nancyfraser.ca

Blog: http://nancyfraser.ca/wordpress/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nfraserauthor @nfraserauthor Facebook: http://facebook.com/nancyfraserauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7206382.Nancy_Fraser

You can buy HOME IS WHERE THE HUNK IS at:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Home-Where-Hunk-Nancy-Fraser-ebook/dp/B00OPJECVU/

Giveaway ~

Nancy has been kind enough to offer this giveaway, so be sure to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway