Kristy McCaffrey's Blog: Author Kristy McCaffrey - Posts Tagged "the-coyote-and-the-crow"
New Releases ~ Two Short Novellas
By Kristy McCaffrey
My series on Women's Sexuality will continue on Thursday with Part III: What Do Women Want? but I wanted to pop in to share two short novellas that released today.
The Crow and the Coyote and Lily and Mesquite Joe are available in digital for only 99 cents.
The setting for The Crow and the Coyote, a paranormal western romance just in time for Halloween, is Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de shay). This national monument is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Rock art and other excavations have revealed human habitation for at least 4,500 years, encompassing not just the Navajo but the ancient Anasazi as well. In the 18th century, the canyon became a major stronghold of the Navajo—the high walls offering protection and the streams helping to grow corn crops and peach trees.
It was here that Kit Carson, under orders from James Carleton—governor and commander of New Mexico Territory—sought to purge the Navajo and relocate them to the Bosque Redondo in New Mexico. The Long Walk, an arduous journey which encompassed well over 50 separate treks led by the U.S. Army, occurred from 1863 to 1866. The accounts of death by starvation, sickness, or violence left an indelible trauma on the people. Although they were allowed to return to Canyon de Chelly in 1868, they would never forget this painful period of their history.
Hannah Dobbin is after an evil Navajo sorcerer who murdered her father, and she's determined to see him dead. But she'll need a bounty hunter—The Crow—to help find this vile man. With Hallowtide upon them, more evil is afoot than they can handle; but love will find a way.
(This story was previously published in the anthology: Cowboys, Creatures and Calico Vol. 2)
Excerpt:
Hannah awoke before dawn from her pallet by the tiny fire she and Sani had allowed themselves. For the first time since her pa died some three weeks ago, her dreams had been calm. She turned on her side and watched the man called Crow, slumbering several feet away beside a horse he'd retrieved the previous night. The presence of both had kept the spooks at bay, and a feeling of safety washed over her.
She wondered if trusting the man was wise, but Sani grudgingly accepted him. Truthfully, they could use his help. None of the Navajo men would accompany them—they insisted on distancing themselves from the actions of two women not in their right minds. Hannah knew the beliefs of the Navajo—that stirring up spirits would not end well—but she had no choice, not if she wanted to help her pa. She knew, however, that if she and Sani weren't careful they could both end up dead.
Mr. Crow consumed a large space in this world with his obvious physical presence, and a look in his dark eyes that was both remote and calculating. She sensed he walked a fine line between justice and violence. It didn't frighten her, but she did wonder if she could trust him.
He awoke, stood, and immediately checked his horse. Then, he looked directly at her.
"Mornin'," he said.
* * * *
Also available today ~ Lily and Mesquite Joe.
Lily Kingston has long loved Mesquite Joe Riordan, but when he doesn’t step forward to protest her betrothal to another man—arranged by her papa—her heart breaks. When Joe is blamed for the murder of a ranch hand and disappears, Lily knows exactly where to find him. Facing the truth of his past will test her resolve, but only her stubbornness can win his heart.
(This story was previously published in the anthology Cowboy Cravings.)
Excerpt:
The following day and night she stayed close, waiting for the fever and delirium to break. That evening he awoke.
Relief blanketed her, along with anticipation. She scooted close to him.
“Joe?”
He opened his eyes, trying to focus on her but his confusion was clear.
“Lily? You’re…still here?”
“I came to help you.”
The flash of anger he directed at her took her by surprise. Her fingers halted mid-air; she’d been reaching for his arm as she spoke, wanting to touch him just as she had all these past hours. Slowly, she lowered her hand to her lap, and swallowed against the flush of humiliation that heated her cheeks. Deep down, she’d been certain he’d be happy to see her. Now, she wondered if she should’ve come. But if she hadn’t, he’d likely be in worse shape, his wound festering and no one to care for him.
“What happened?” he asked, his deep voice worn-down and hoarse. “I don’t remember…”
“You were shot,” she replied, trying not to feel angry herself.
* * * *
Coming October 22 ~ A BRAND NEW short novella featuring another bounty hunting Boggs brother. Stay tuned!!
To catch all the latest news from Kristy, sign up for her newsletter
BUY LINKS
The Crow and the Coyote
Amazon
Nook
iBooks
Kobo
Smashwords
Lily and Mesquite Joe
Amazon
Nook
iBooks
Kobo
Smashwords
My series on Women's Sexuality will continue on Thursday with Part III: What Do Women Want? but I wanted to pop in to share two short novellas that released today.
The Crow and the Coyote and Lily and Mesquite Joe are available in digital for only 99 cents.
The setting for The Crow and the Coyote, a paranormal western romance just in time for Halloween, is Canyon de Chelly (pronounced de shay). This national monument is located in northeastern Arizona within the boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Rock art and other excavations have revealed human habitation for at least 4,500 years, encompassing not just the Navajo but the ancient Anasazi as well. In the 18th century, the canyon became a major stronghold of the Navajo—the high walls offering protection and the streams helping to grow corn crops and peach trees.
It was here that Kit Carson, under orders from James Carleton—governor and commander of New Mexico Territory—sought to purge the Navajo and relocate them to the Bosque Redondo in New Mexico. The Long Walk, an arduous journey which encompassed well over 50 separate treks led by the U.S. Army, occurred from 1863 to 1866. The accounts of death by starvation, sickness, or violence left an indelible trauma on the people. Although they were allowed to return to Canyon de Chelly in 1868, they would never forget this painful period of their history.
Hannah Dobbin is after an evil Navajo sorcerer who murdered her father, and she's determined to see him dead. But she'll need a bounty hunter—The Crow—to help find this vile man. With Hallowtide upon them, more evil is afoot than they can handle; but love will find a way.
(This story was previously published in the anthology: Cowboys, Creatures and Calico Vol. 2)
Excerpt:
Hannah awoke before dawn from her pallet by the tiny fire she and Sani had allowed themselves. For the first time since her pa died some three weeks ago, her dreams had been calm. She turned on her side and watched the man called Crow, slumbering several feet away beside a horse he'd retrieved the previous night. The presence of both had kept the spooks at bay, and a feeling of safety washed over her.
She wondered if trusting the man was wise, but Sani grudgingly accepted him. Truthfully, they could use his help. None of the Navajo men would accompany them—they insisted on distancing themselves from the actions of two women not in their right minds. Hannah knew the beliefs of the Navajo—that stirring up spirits would not end well—but she had no choice, not if she wanted to help her pa. She knew, however, that if she and Sani weren't careful they could both end up dead.
Mr. Crow consumed a large space in this world with his obvious physical presence, and a look in his dark eyes that was both remote and calculating. She sensed he walked a fine line between justice and violence. It didn't frighten her, but she did wonder if she could trust him.
He awoke, stood, and immediately checked his horse. Then, he looked directly at her.
"Mornin'," he said.
* * * *
Also available today ~ Lily and Mesquite Joe.
Lily Kingston has long loved Mesquite Joe Riordan, but when he doesn’t step forward to protest her betrothal to another man—arranged by her papa—her heart breaks. When Joe is blamed for the murder of a ranch hand and disappears, Lily knows exactly where to find him. Facing the truth of his past will test her resolve, but only her stubbornness can win his heart.
(This story was previously published in the anthology Cowboy Cravings.)
Excerpt:
The following day and night she stayed close, waiting for the fever and delirium to break. That evening he awoke.
Relief blanketed her, along with anticipation. She scooted close to him.
“Joe?”
He opened his eyes, trying to focus on her but his confusion was clear.
“Lily? You’re…still here?”
“I came to help you.”
The flash of anger he directed at her took her by surprise. Her fingers halted mid-air; she’d been reaching for his arm as she spoke, wanting to touch him just as she had all these past hours. Slowly, she lowered her hand to her lap, and swallowed against the flush of humiliation that heated her cheeks. Deep down, she’d been certain he’d be happy to see her. Now, she wondered if she should’ve come. But if she hadn’t, he’d likely be in worse shape, his wound festering and no one to care for him.
“What happened?” he asked, his deep voice worn-down and hoarse. “I don’t remember…”
“You were shot,” she replied, trying not to feel angry herself.
* * * *
Coming October 22 ~ A BRAND NEW short novella featuring another bounty hunting Boggs brother. Stay tuned!!
To catch all the latest news from Kristy, sign up for her newsletter
BUY LINKS
The Crow and the Coyote
Amazon
Nook
iBooks
Kobo
Smashwords
Lily and Mesquite Joe
Amazon
Nook
iBooks
Kobo
Smashwords
New Year, New Books: Kristy McCaffrey’s Writing Schedule for 2018
By Kristy McCaffrey
I must admit up front that I don’t usually share my writing goals/schedule for the year. It’s not that I don’t have them, it’s just that in the past I’ve often failed to meet these objectives, and I naturally like to keep my disappointment in myself to myself. But it occurred to me that maybe some of you might like to know what my plans are for the year, so I will swallow my trepidation and lay it all out. I can’t guarantee that each endeavor will reach fruition, but I will certainly try. My New Year’s resolution is to have a more structured writing schedule; fingers crossed that this will lead to the completion of more projects.
My biggest obstacle is/has been the wrestling matches I often have with the creative process. And fear. Most of you have never seen a first draft. Neither had I until I wrote my first one years ago. They can be terrifying things to behold, filled with bad prose, plot holes, and idiotic characters who say idiotic things. Editing fixes all of this, but each project must enter this realm, and there is still a part of me that will sometimes avoid a story (aka procrastinate) because a niggling voice will whisper, “You’re never going to get this to work.” That’s my other resolution this year: to forge ahead despite the fear.
So, here’s my 2018 schedule. I have an ambitious goal, which is to launch a new series in a new genre. The Pathway Series—contemporary adventure romances—will encompass full-length novels (and eventually tie-in novellas). I’m releasing Book 1 on February 26 (My husband’s birthday!! Happy birthday, honey!!). DEEP BLUE features Dr. Grace Mann as she attempts to freedive with great white sharks in Baja Mexico. Underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway is along to film a documentary about her. Despite my usual writerly insecurities, I had such fun developing this. If you like sexy, suspenseful stories that touch on relevant issues (the conservation of sharks), then I think you’ll enjoy this one. There will also be a tie-in novella, DEEP BLUE: AUSTRALIA (an additional adventure starring Grace and Alec), available exclusively at no cost to my newsletter subscribers.
The second Pathway novel, COLD HORIZON, should be out in the summer of 2018. It will follow Ty Galloway (Alec’s brother) as he attempts to summit the second highest mountain in the world—K2. On his team is Lindsey Coulson, a climber who is reentering the world of high-altitude climbing after a tragic accident. Because I had initially planned COLD HORIZON as Book 1, it’s already 2/3rds complete. But once I started mapping the series (there will be many books), I decided to write Alec and Grace’s story first. If all goes well, I’m shooting for a July release for CH.
I’ll be working on the third Pathway novel later in the year, ANCIENT WINDS. I really hope I can publish it by the end of 2018, but I’ll have to see how the writing progresses. This one will feature Brynn Galloway (Alec and Ty’s sister), an anthropologist who travels to Bolivia to locate a mysterious artifact. She’ll need the help of mercenary and all-around rogue Tristan Magee. (I’ve long wanted to write an Indiana Jones-themed novel, and this will finally be my chance.) I only have a bare outline for this story, so I’m not sure how long it will take to flesh out the details. I like to think I can fast track my writing, but that’s never been the case for me. It always seems that if I apply too much pressure to my creative well, it dries up quickly, flowing like molasses rather than a raging river. I may have to disappear come September to work on this one.
I didn’t want to completely abandon my western readers, so I’ve got a few small projects in the works. I’m in the process of sketching out a long novella in my Wings series featuring all the couples (except Molly Rose and Jake). I’d started working on this last year and couldn’t get it going, but I have plans to work more diligently on it in 2018. It’s tentatively titled THE SONGBIRD. Anticipated release date unknown at this point.
I’ve also wanted to write the third short novella in my Crow series. If you’ve read the first two (The Crow and the Coyote and The Crow and the Bear), then you might remember bounty hunter Kit Boggs, brother to Jack and Callum. The working title is A Whisper of Crows. If I can get it to my publisher by April, then you should have that one by Halloween.
And finally, I’ll be working once again on a contemporary cowboy anthology. This one will be Christmas-themed (so will be released some time in the fall) and will include the group of ladies I worked with in 2017 on A COWBOY TO KEEP, which featured my story Blue Sage. I’m currently throwing around ideas in my head for this long novella. More to come, so stay tuned.
There you have it—my schedule for 2018. It’s ambitious since I’ve never been a fast writer, but I’m ever hopeful that inspiration will visit me daily. Nah, I’m just kidding. Writing is a lot of work and the most important avenue to success has always been one thing—to consistently write every day.
I want to give a shout-out to my readers—you guys are so awesome, and I appreciate all your encouragement and support.
To stay updated on the completion of my 2018 projects, check my website, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or better yet, sign up for my newsletter. I only send news when I have news.
Now, it’s time to shoo self-doubt out the door and get to work. And I wish the same for each and every one of you.
Kristy
xoxo
Connect with Kristy
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Blog ~ Pathways
Newsletter
I must admit up front that I don’t usually share my writing goals/schedule for the year. It’s not that I don’t have them, it’s just that in the past I’ve often failed to meet these objectives, and I naturally like to keep my disappointment in myself to myself. But it occurred to me that maybe some of you might like to know what my plans are for the year, so I will swallow my trepidation and lay it all out. I can’t guarantee that each endeavor will reach fruition, but I will certainly try. My New Year’s resolution is to have a more structured writing schedule; fingers crossed that this will lead to the completion of more projects.
My biggest obstacle is/has been the wrestling matches I often have with the creative process. And fear. Most of you have never seen a first draft. Neither had I until I wrote my first one years ago. They can be terrifying things to behold, filled with bad prose, plot holes, and idiotic characters who say idiotic things. Editing fixes all of this, but each project must enter this realm, and there is still a part of me that will sometimes avoid a story (aka procrastinate) because a niggling voice will whisper, “You’re never going to get this to work.” That’s my other resolution this year: to forge ahead despite the fear.
So, here’s my 2018 schedule. I have an ambitious goal, which is to launch a new series in a new genre. The Pathway Series—contemporary adventure romances—will encompass full-length novels (and eventually tie-in novellas). I’m releasing Book 1 on February 26 (My husband’s birthday!! Happy birthday, honey!!). DEEP BLUE features Dr. Grace Mann as she attempts to freedive with great white sharks in Baja Mexico. Underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway is along to film a documentary about her. Despite my usual writerly insecurities, I had such fun developing this. If you like sexy, suspenseful stories that touch on relevant issues (the conservation of sharks), then I think you’ll enjoy this one. There will also be a tie-in novella, DEEP BLUE: AUSTRALIA (an additional adventure starring Grace and Alec), available exclusively at no cost to my newsletter subscribers.
The second Pathway novel, COLD HORIZON, should be out in the summer of 2018. It will follow Ty Galloway (Alec’s brother) as he attempts to summit the second highest mountain in the world—K2. On his team is Lindsey Coulson, a climber who is reentering the world of high-altitude climbing after a tragic accident. Because I had initially planned COLD HORIZON as Book 1, it’s already 2/3rds complete. But once I started mapping the series (there will be many books), I decided to write Alec and Grace’s story first. If all goes well, I’m shooting for a July release for CH.
I’ll be working on the third Pathway novel later in the year, ANCIENT WINDS. I really hope I can publish it by the end of 2018, but I’ll have to see how the writing progresses. This one will feature Brynn Galloway (Alec and Ty’s sister), an anthropologist who travels to Bolivia to locate a mysterious artifact. She’ll need the help of mercenary and all-around rogue Tristan Magee. (I’ve long wanted to write an Indiana Jones-themed novel, and this will finally be my chance.) I only have a bare outline for this story, so I’m not sure how long it will take to flesh out the details. I like to think I can fast track my writing, but that’s never been the case for me. It always seems that if I apply too much pressure to my creative well, it dries up quickly, flowing like molasses rather than a raging river. I may have to disappear come September to work on this one.
I didn’t want to completely abandon my western readers, so I’ve got a few small projects in the works. I’m in the process of sketching out a long novella in my Wings series featuring all the couples (except Molly Rose and Jake). I’d started working on this last year and couldn’t get it going, but I have plans to work more diligently on it in 2018. It’s tentatively titled THE SONGBIRD. Anticipated release date unknown at this point.
I’ve also wanted to write the third short novella in my Crow series. If you’ve read the first two (The Crow and the Coyote and The Crow and the Bear), then you might remember bounty hunter Kit Boggs, brother to Jack and Callum. The working title is A Whisper of Crows. If I can get it to my publisher by April, then you should have that one by Halloween.
And finally, I’ll be working once again on a contemporary cowboy anthology. This one will be Christmas-themed (so will be released some time in the fall) and will include the group of ladies I worked with in 2017 on A COWBOY TO KEEP, which featured my story Blue Sage. I’m currently throwing around ideas in my head for this long novella. More to come, so stay tuned.
There you have it—my schedule for 2018. It’s ambitious since I’ve never been a fast writer, but I’m ever hopeful that inspiration will visit me daily. Nah, I’m just kidding. Writing is a lot of work and the most important avenue to success has always been one thing—to consistently write every day.
I want to give a shout-out to my readers—you guys are so awesome, and I appreciate all your encouragement and support.
To stay updated on the completion of my 2018 projects, check my website, follow me on Twitter or Facebook, or better yet, sign up for my newsletter. I only send news when I have news.
Now, it’s time to shoo self-doubt out the door and get to work. And I wish the same for each and every one of you.
Kristy
xoxo
Connect with Kristy
Website
Blog ~ Pathways
Newsletter
Author Kristy McCaffrey
Kristy McCaffrey writes western historical and contemporary romances. She and her husband live in Arizona with their two dogs. Visit her online at kristymccaffrey.com.
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