Kara O'Neal is no stranger to our blog and it is my pleasure to welcome her back with her latest book, Prickly Poppy.
Take it away, Kara...
When I was little, one of the “big ideas” my mother had, and she had A LOT, was to venture out into the Texas Hill Country to see all the wildflowers. We would travel the backroads and find fields and fields of flowers. It was a riot of colors and varieties.
I fell in love with the land on those trips, and it was my proof that God was real, because only He could make something so beautiful.
So…when I decided to start my new series, I wanted to match each heroine up with a wildflower.
I suppose people might believe that wildflowers are rebellious. And perhaps they are, because they grow where they want and when they want, but, to me, wildflowers are who they are and you’re either gonna like them, or you’re not. They’re not trying to be rebellious, they’re just themselves. And that’s ok. They’re gonna be who they are, whether they’re a dandelion, a bluebonnet, or a yellow rose, they’re not gonna change.
That idea helped me when I was little and made up part of who I am and how I make my decisions.
It’s helped me create some pretty amazing female characters, and Hazel Rutherford is one such lady. She’s the PRICKLY POPPY, and because of that, snags the heart of the devil-may-care saloon owner.
She was a lot of fun to write, and I know you’ll love her as much as I do!
Blurb: Brownwood, Texas, 1883
Two years ago, Hazel Rutherford fled from her lying, greedy fiancé. Now, her young cousin is within his sights, and Hazel must return and rescue her. Which means facing a manipulative villain.
But her uncle won’t let her go alone…
Kit Kirby is the man tasked with escorting her and protecting her while she’s in Brownwood.
Kit Kirby. Saloon owner. Hell raiser. The man that all the ladies—from five to eighty—swoon over. All except Hazel, that is. Since the day she met him, they’ve done nothing but fight.
He calls her prudish. She calls him irresponsible. He calls her prickly. She calls him a conceited hell-trap. There’s no way she’ll make it to Brownwood with her sanity intact.
But when Kit changes the game and kisses her, she’ll be lucky if she gets through the ordeal still the owner of her heart.
Excerpt:With his drink in hand, Kit turned to face her.
Hazel twitched her lips, irritated, embarrassed, and apprehensive with depending on him.
He assessed her with his gaze while the silence stretched.
She refrained from fidgeting and didn’t dare fall into the trap of asking him what he thought of her now. Certainly, he didn’t judge her.
But she really had no idea what he was thinking. He was a ridiculous mystery she didn’t care to solve.
He quirked his lips at her. “I find it hard to believe that any man could pull one over on you, so I don’t think you ever really loved this bastard.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line, remembering things she didn’t want to. He was wrong. She had loved him.
Kit cleared his throat, seeming to accept what was ahead for them. “You don’t want me to take you, and I understand that. But I’m what you’re gonna get. I might be a…” he furrowed his brow as if trying to recall something. “What did you call me that first time we spoke? A conceited hell-trap?”
She flushed but still kept silent. It was true anyway. She had not been wrong.
“Yeah, that was it.” He chuckled then took a sip of his drink, watching her over the rim. He let out a satisfied breath, then glanced at the amber liquid. “Good stuff.”
Annoyance began to simmer inside her, and her cheeks heated with the control it took to bite back the reprimand burning her tongue.
“I can see you’re gettin’ het up again, so let me finish.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m taking you. I’ll protect you once we’re there, and I’ll sure as hell relish the chance to make this ass pay for hurtin’ you like that. No one’s gonna put a hand on you or your cousin. If I have to kill this Anson Welch, I won’t bat an eye. He deserves to be horsewhipped for lying to you and treating you like that. Nothin’s gonna happen to you.”
If he’d told her he was going to be a priest, she would’ve been less stunned. For the first time since knowing him, he actually seemed responsible. He’d spoken with such conviction and determination that she couldn’t doubt a single one of his promises. His words had mollified her somewhat, and she relaxed slightly.
“No one’s gonna hear about your secret from me, either.”
Well…
He had effectively assuaged most of her concerns. They still weren’t going to get along, but they were both adults. Surely, they wouldn’t argue for the entire duration of the trip. Her uncle trusted him. For some reason.
So…she was going to let it go. It remained to be seen if he was the best person to take her, but her uncle was wise and usually a good judge of character.
She twitched her lips, realizing she needed to say something, especially since she’d protested quite vehemently. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, she said with acquiescence in her tone, “Thank you. I appreciate your help and your discretion.”
“You’re welcome.” He rolled his tongue against the inside of his cheek. “You’re probably not gonna like this, but I hope I at least get to knock your former fiancé around some. I can’t imagine anyone runnin’ around on you. You’re a pretty little thing.”
His words stunned her. She didn’t know what to say to his compliment, especially since it was coming from him.
“I still think you’re prickly, though.”
And her surprise shot into irritation. She gritted her teeth.
He took a final swallow of his drink, winked at her, then left.
Prickly Poppy can be found at Amazon for Kindle and in Paperback and other online stores where great books are sold!
Kara O’Neal is an
award-winning author of over thirty historical romances. Humor, family, love,
and romance take center stage in her novels, and her characters have been
touted as “real, complex, and down-to-earth”. Her books are available in print
and ebook.
When not writing,
she’s a teacher, but she’s always a mother to three talented children, and the
wife of a man quite worthy of being called “hero”.
Telling stories is her passion, and she does so with memorable characters and unique plots certain to keep you reading late into the night!
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