Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Thursday's special is...The Heart Never Lies

The Heart Never Lies by Cindy K Green

When ranch hand Beau Tucker announces his intent to leave the Double C for California, Kit McCauley tells herself, ‘Good riddance.’ Unfortunately her heart isn’t quite in agreement with her head. Perhaps she’ll just have one more talk with the handsome cowboy before he disappears out of her life forever.

Temperatures rise as their inte
rlude is interrupted by an injured horse thief who shoots at Beau and kidnaps Kit. Will Beau be in time to save her or did the ruffian’s bullet ring true, bringing his young life to an end and forever keeping their revelations unsaid?


Cindy K Green was born in California but now resides in North Carolina with her husband and two young sons. Growing up, she loved reading and writing, but her heart always lay in teaching. After graduating from college with a degree in history, Cindy taught Jr. High for four years in just about every subject. After the birth of her second child, she was able to stay home and focus on her writing as well as homeschool her children. In her spare time, she loves reading, photography, scrapbooking, Period Dramas, and spending time with family. Cindy writes Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Young Adult, Fantasy and Historical.

Buy The Heart Never Lies here or visit Cindy at her website or blog

Excerpt:

“Get off me, Beau Tucker.” She attempted a glare, but her lips trembled and a tear trailed across her cheek. Her compelling eyes, brimming with hurt, almost made him forget about his doubts in her—about everything other than kissing her senseless.

“Why should I answer any of your questions?” She struggled against him, but he held her in place. She huffed but rested back against the hay. “What’s the real reason you’re leavin’?”

“So, you do care that I’m going?” He couldn’t help the self-satisfied grin he sent her way.

“Don’t get all swollen-headed. I…I don’t give a straw where you go or what you do.”

“You don’t, do you?” He slid his left hand from her shoulder, across her collar bone, and up the column of her slender neck. Her pulse raced hard beneath his fingers.

“No, I don’t.” Her voice faltered. “Now let me up,” she whispered as her eyes clouded with moisture.

Tears—real, wet and huge tears—tumbled onto her collar. She truly cared he was leaving. It made him dare to hope. He inhaled her light rose scent and pulled her closer. Vulnerability peered up at him in those innocent eyes of hers, filled with such distress. Desire spliced through him, and he lowered his mouth and kissed her sweet, pink lips. Blood pounded in his veins as his heart hammered at the contact. She slid her petite hands slowly up to his chest as their kiss deepened and intensified. In that moment, there were no thoughts of leaving, no thoughts of his rejection—there was only Kit and how well she fit in his arms.

When they came apart, she looked at him as if he were the most important thing in the whole wide world to her. She smiled with a soft expression in her eyes, alight with the love he’d always hoped to see there. How she confounded him. Like hot, then cold water in his face. He pulled slightly away from her, needing to leave before indulging his desire further. She didn’t really want this. She didn’t want him. Her flirtatious actions with Matt Reynolds at the barn raising last week proved it.

“Beau…” She removed his hat, tossed it, and pulled roughly on his shirt, bringing him closer again. The passion swirling in her warm brown eyes communicated her message in unison with her words as she whispered. “Beau don’t go. Make love to me.”

After you've had a cold shower, answer the following question for a chance to win a copy of THE HEART NEVER LIES:

What really goes on behind the scenes at a barn raising?

And don't forget to drop into the comments and chat to Cindy!

60 comments:

Shona Snowden said...

Welcome Cindy!

I've never been to a barn raising or a barn dance or indeed spent much time in the country. There must be stories... C'mon country dwellers and tell me some!

Kiersten White said...

I'm 100% positive barn raisings are against my religion after reading this...whew!

Cindy K. Green said...

Hey Shona and Kiersten! Thought I'd check in. Well, I am a city girl born and raised but I moved to NC four years ago and I am officially countrified now. ;) Okay it only takes me 15 minutes to get to Raleigh but it feels like I'm living in the forest complete with deer, squirrels and a motley crew of birds.

M. Andrew Sprong said...

A barn raising is where the community gets together to build a barn for a farmer. After the walls are are up and most of the rough work is in there is usually some sort of get together. In communities like the Amish, young people who have not decided to become "churched" sometimes go off and have liaisons while their parents are distracted. In other communities, a barn raising is often an excuse to have the liaisons and sometimes it's just a dance without any barn building at all.

laughingwolf said...

welcome cindy... hot excerpt, shona :O lol

what really goes on at barn raisings:

all the lumber, nails, paint, hammers, saws and etc. hold their own shindig, replete with great grub, shine and toe tappin' tunes... once the bipeds have gone for the night, of course ;)

Mona Risk said...

What a lovely excerpt.Hot and full of emotion. Being a city girl over and over, I have never entered a barn and refuse to guess. LOL

Cindy K. Green said...

Hey Andrew and Laughingwolf-Yes the barn raising during the time of western expansion was a social event for the community. Who knew what would go on. ;)

Cindy K. Green said...

Hey Mona! LOL!

You know,my sister is a veterinarian. When she was in vet school she took me over to the 'barn.' Oh,my the smelliest thing ever! That wouldn't be too romantic to put in a book though would it?

Kat Hall said...

I am a country girl. Yes, you put up a barn for a neighbor, plenty of food, toe tapping music for dancing, the whole family is there - that is on the inside of the building. On the outside - well, there are those who sneak outside to have some stolen kisses, get their faces slapped, feet stomped on and go chasing after the love of their dreams as she takes off in a huff.

Kimber Chin said...

I REALLY enjoyed The Heart Never Lies!

Cindy, I went the opposite way. I'm a country gal now living in the big smoke. 'Course country gals are always country gals at heart (though I love living in the city)

Cindy K. Green said...

Howdy Kat, :) Good to have a country girl show up. Thanks for coming. Nice to see a friendly face.

Cindy K. Green said...

Hey Kimber! So glad my story 'ticked your fancy.' ;)
Well, I don't think I could live secluded in the country. I do love that I am so close to everything yet have my space out here.

Chris Eldin said...

Shona!! LOL @ the question after such a sweet and steamy scene!!!

Ahh...daydreaming of being senseless...
;-)


Great excerpt!!

Chris Eldin said...

And I *love* country music! We'll get some country fans over here...
:-)

Kat Hall said...

Cindy,

I have the book so don't enter my name. I was in the city but I am now back in the country where it is so much more relaxed and a different type of rush/ratrace - farming, sports, knowing everyone around and saying hi to people where ever you go. If you need help, all you do is ask. I still have the farmland that both my mother and father grew up on - just about a 100 years now.

christine M said...

Wow! I'll never look at barn raisings the same way again. Sounds like a great book!

Cindy K. Green said...

Hi Chris! I love some Country music too. My Dad is a total fan.

P.L. Parker said...

Barn dances? Okay, country gal here - been there, seen it happen.

Patsy
P. L. Parker

Cindy K. Green said...

Hi Kat,
It is different out in the country. I've noticed it with our neighbors. So helpful and they all know each other. Very different than what I'm used to.

Cindy K. Green said...

Thanks, Christine. Thanks for coming.

Cindy K. Green said...

LOL Patsy! I think there is a story there. ;)

Christine Clemetson said...

Hi Cindy,
That was a great excerpt! Barn raisings sounds like fun! :))) Love it!

Hywela Lyn said...

Hi Cindy

This looks like my type of book! I love Westerns. I was born and lived most of my life until a few years ago in Wild West rural Wales. (I now live in a small village in slightly tamer England.) Being a horse lover, I absolutely love barns and stables. Cindy I reckon the scent of a horse barn should be bottled and sold!LOL

Unfortunately I've never been to a real Western barn raising but I imagine after the party and the shindig when folks got sleepy some of them would slink off and ...well after reading your excerpt it doesn't take a lot to let one's imagination fill in the rest:) (Fans herself and goes off to find a handy bale of straw.)

Cindy K. Green said...

Christine C--Hi! It is a fun story. Sensual in places, fun and adventurous too.

Cindy K. Green said...

Hello Lyn! Glad you could make it. :) Whenever you describe your Wales, I'm always so drawn in. I will have to visit sometime. Thanks for dropping over today.

Anonymous said...

Barn raisings led to shot-gun weddings. ;) Texans like myself know these things.

Great excerpt, Cindy.

Cindy K. Green said...

LOL Skhye! (still laughing) You are so right. Hee!

Anonymous said...

Wah now Ah'm jest a-sniggerin' at y'all's comments. Don't inyone hyah knows whot goes on in a barn raisin'????

Lit me tell ya...ya roast marshmellers! Yep, thot's whot ye do all rite...

Some folks air jest plum clueless, Ah reckon...

(hee hee)...Hi, Cindy! Love the roast!!!

Maggie Toussaint said...

Hi Cindy,
I enjoyed your excerpt. I always thought a barn raising was a community event, showing support for each other by lending a hand - for free. I know there's usually a heap of cookin' going on to feed all these hungry workers. Building a barn is building a community.
Maggie
www.maggietoussaint.com

Cindy K. Green said...

LOL Lula! I reckon so! Miss Mae--our Southern Genteel author has a arrived.

Beth Caudill said...

About the only thing I know about Barn Raisings is from watching Seven Brides from Seven Brothers. And well that barn didn't stay up. :)

Raised in cities...kinda hard to know anything about barn other than you keep animals there.

Great excerpt.

Cindy K. Green said...

Hi Maggie-Yes, a barn raising was a community event. Helping out and getting together. Great setting for a scene in a book.

Cindy K. Green said...

Hey Beth! I was actually thinking about 7 Brides this morning. How funny is that. :) No the barn didn't stay up but they sure had a lot of fun.

Cindy K. Green said...

The Historical Western is a genre I only started reading a couple years ago. My first 'author' friend wrote them so I read hers and just fell in love with the genre. I already loved history as I am a trained historian but my research stayed mainly with Revolutionary America or what would be considered Victorian period America. The western is fun to write. Lots of adventure and your can allow your characters let loose and not always be so prim and proper.

Kara Lynn Russell said...

I am a country girl who moved back to her hometown after years of living in a small city. (Not much bigger than a small town really.) In the time I was gone the Mennonite Community really grew. The congregations near here are very progressive and it's not unusual to have to wait behind a horse and buggy to use the ATM or to see a woman in an old fashioned bonnet and dress pull a hot pink cell phone out of her purse. I like the mix of old and new. And yes, the Mennonites do still have barn raisings and such. Not so much with the "English" farmers.

Cindy K. Green said...

Hello Kara, my friend. :) That's right you live near the Mennonites. Did I tell you my brother went to live with a group of them in TN. He is loving living the old fashioned life. They are strict in their adherence to modern conveniences. Not sure how long he plans to stay there but he is learning a lot and sending us lots of yummy things to eat.

Catherine Bybee said...

I've never been to a barn raising... but my guess is what goes on behind the scenes is more like, Woman cooking and men sweating. LOL. The book sounds awesome, Cindy. Best of luck and sell thousands.

Anonymous said...

Great Excerpt, Cindy. Also born and raised in the country! Barn raising harvest time, plantin' time, well, really any ole' time was time for fun!
And the food. The bottle of cider that went around always spelled some (Here's a term know to country folk) sparkin'. Everybody, and I do mean everybody for miles around came bringin' food and liquor and fiddles, and the youngen' would always disappear.... Spring planting meant winter babies! Barn raising and nine months later some more youngens'

Diane Craver said...

I enjoyed your excerpt about Beau and Kit.

I've never been to a barn raising but I went to a house raising when I was a little girl. It was neat because it was for celebrating the new bride and groom and their house. The neighbors went when the young couple wouldn't expect it and made all kinds of racket in their yard with banging pans, beeping horns, and etc. Then we went on a hay ride (I grew up in a farming community.) After that we went back to the couple's house and had something to eat.

Charles Gramlich said...

I think we've just seen what goes on at a Barn Raising. Behind the scenes as it were. Or in front of the scenes as we have it here.

Yippi ki aye

Anonymous said...

Great excerpt, Cindy. Hot! as someone in the celebrity mags would say! lol

Anonymous said...

Hi Cindy. I'm back! Had to take a moment to think about the question. I've never been to a barn raising, but having read about so many of them in the Western novels I love--obviously there is always a love story behind the scenes at every barn raising. As darkness falls, appetites rise, and not just for the plentiful food inside!

Cindy K. Green said...

Hi Catherine! Thanks! Yay you are probably right LOL!

Cindy K. Green said...

Great description of a barn raising,Allison. How great to know that it still goes on to this day.

Cindy K. Green said...

LOL Charles. We sure have.

Cindy K. Green said...

Well, hey, Sandra Kay! You know my middle name is Kay. So glad you enjoyed my excerpt and I loved your barn raising description. :)

Cindy K. Green said...

Research for the Historical--
Research is so important when writing historical and I love it. It is my training after all.
In this story, one of the things I researched was pistols. My hero brandishes two different brands of guns--one his and one another's. So, I not only needed to understand each pistol but what the differences were between the two. During the Civil War here in the States, the varieties of pistols, revolvers, etc.. used especially in the Union troops were the Colt Army Model 1860 and the Remington 1958 Army Revolver. So those were the two I used.

DanielleThorne said...

Nice excerpt, Cindy. Good luck with your book.

Anonymous said...

Geeze, we never knew a barn raising could be so much fun! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful excerpt.

Clover Autrey said...

Oh, dude. I thought they really were going to roast you. Great excerpt!

Shona Snowden said...

Made it! It's morning down under.

I'm a Scottish small town girl, so there were farms around. It wasn't really the life for me. The straw was prickly and the animals were scary!

I've lived in cities since I was 17. I'd love to live in a small town again, but I could skip the farm. Here in Oz you can add SNAKES to the list of perils.

I'm sure some snakes go to barn dances...

Cindy K. Green said...

Hi Danielle, Angelica, Clover and Shona! Thanks for coming to see me on Roast day. :) It's been a full busy day and I had a blast!
Thanks!

Unknown said...

Cindy--barn raisings. I've only read and heard about them, but I think I'd know one if I saw it. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't really want to know what goes on behind those partially raised walls and roof. Or maybe we would??? Umm, there could be a story here. Let's see, now. John Boy told his ma he was.....Celia

Sharon Donovan said...

Hey Cindy! City girl here, but I am no stranger to horseback riding through the rolling hills of Pittsburgh. Hmm. Does anyone remember the old soap opera Dallas? Lots more went on in the barn than kickin' up the ol' heels in those hay loft. LOL!

Mary Ricksen said...

You got cooked if the amount of comments make any difference.
They still do barn raising, didn't think there were enough good people left to do that.
But crazy or not I love the smell of a barn.

Shona Snowden said...

Just look at the time... Cindy, did you already go to bed?

I'm closing up the Roast now. Cindy, if you're around, or the next time you log on, please choose a lucky winner! Lucky winner, please email Cindy to arrange to receive your prize.

Thanks Cindy, and everybody else, I never knew barn raising would be so much fun!

Cindy K. Green said...

Thanks to everyone who came out yesterday for my roast! It was a lot of fun. I knew I would have a difficult time selecting a winner from all the comments. So I just did a random drawing and the winner is: Danielle Thorne! Congrats! Just send me an email at cindy@cindykgreen.com and I will email you a copy of The Heart Never Lies.

laughingwolf said...

grats danielle... and thx cindy :)

Sandy said...

Well, I haven't been to a barn raising, but I've heard about them. The women did a lot of cooking for those hungry men and they ate in shifts. Lots of water was handed out to all of the men. Everyone worked, except for the youngsters. Smile.

I remember climbing the hedge trees when I was a kid. I actually hated the country because of all the dust (we lived on a dirt road). I remember the tree branches outside my bedroom sometimes scratched the house, and I would see shadows on the wall, and I would think the boogie man was coming after me. lol

I was always afraid to walk down that road after dark. I would hear sounds, and I would constantly look over my shoulder, and as soon as I got close to our house I ran for it. Grin.

Oh, something else just came to mind. We had coyote hunts, where the dogs were brought in, hunters with guns and a helicopter. Coyotes were so prevalent back then and they got into the chicken houses, packs brought down cows, and attacked dogs. Really scary. The women cooked again for everyone. lol

DanielleThorne said...

Wow--I'm back a-visiting and saw I won the book drawing. Better late than never I hope!