Unconquerable Callie by DeAnn Smallwood - Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. DeAnn will be awarding a $25 Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five things you’d probably never guess about me
,br> I’m shy. You’d never know it because I force myself to be outgoing. Most everyone thinks I’m totally at ease in a crowd, outgoing, joking and talking. But deep inside, it’s taking a lot of effort.

I’m a junk eater. I love, love, love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I’m a jelly maker, so I have a variety of home-canned jams and jellies. Just think, there’s only 4 Weight Watcher’s points in a PBJ. Yum! Now they are healthy, but I have to have my candy, too. And cookies, don’t let me go there.

I’m a runner. I really like running. I try to run at least three miles a day. Not much compared to others, but for me it’s okay. Now, if you saw me running, you might say I jog, that’s the nicest way to describe it. Other not so nice people say it’s a fast walk. But I call it running. I don’t like to walk. Running is a high for me.

I’m very patriotic. I watch NFL all season and stand with my hand across my heart during the National Anthem. This is in my home, in front of my chair, no matter who’s there. I can easily tear up when the flag goes by. And patriotic songs…love ‘em.

I’m always afraid my last book written might just indeed be my last book. What if I wake up some morning, and my imagination and ability to write has disappeared overnight? I don’t think there’s a chance of this happening. I have lots of books just waiting to be written. Writing is my passion and having my books published and read is a dream come true.

Callie Collins, a proud woman in the late 1800’s is a liar and a darned good one, a master of the dubious art. She is also a dreamer. Her greatest hope is to reach a new life in South Pass City Wyoming, where she can open a bakery and live an independent life. To be successful, she will need her greatest gifts of deception to date. As a woman alone, she has to prove to Seth McCalister, the wagon master, that she has the wherewithal (a wagon and a set of oxen), the stamina to survive months of drought, dust, hardships and even risk of death, and a mythical fiancé who waits at the end of the line.

McCallister is uneasy, but also mystified by the audacity and determination of the young woman. He allows her to join the train west. What he doesn’t realize is there is no fiancé. To make matters worse, Callie is in love with Seth McCallister, too. For the first time, the lies that have brought her so far in life threaten to keep her from her one, true love. McCallister is a man of strong character and Callie feels certain that once he realizes her deception, he’ll turn away, ashamed of his love and trust in her.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Callie was a liar. A darned good one. She didn’t set out to be one; it just happened and necessity demanded she perfect this dubious art.

She was twenty-two when she told her first lie. After that, it was like a pebble rolling downhill, starting slow, then gaining momentum.

The problem lay in remembering the embellishments. Just last week she’d named her imaginary fiancé Frank and, two days later, referred to him as Tom.

It wasn’t her fault she was reduced to lying. It wasn’t her fault she’d been born the weaker sex. Weaker, bah.

Wasn’t she a crack shot? If women were allowed to compete, she would out shoot any man around.

Wasn’t she an expert horsewoman? Granted, she had only ridden at Miss Whitman’s Riding Stable For Young Ladies, but how much harder could it be to ride on the open plains? A horse was a horse.

About the Author:I live in Colorado with my husband and my two Yorkie kid dogs: Stormy, four pounds, and Eli, six pounds. I’m a native of Colorado, but I’ve lived several years in Wyoming and Montana. I draw from these beautiful states for most of my books. My historical romances are: Montana Star, Sapphire Blue, Unconquerable Callie, and Wyoming Heather. Tears In The Wind is a contemporary romance. I have just contracted for another historical romance, One Shingle To Hang. It will be published fall of 2014. Then I changed genres from my beloved romances and wrote, under the pen name of D. M. Woods, my first suspense/thriller: Death Crosses The Finish Line. The second book in this ‘death’ series, Death Is A Habit, came out January 8th, this year. I am currently working on the third book in the ‘death’ series, Death Walks C Dock. I am also working on another historical romance, Montana Man. Truly, I mean it when I say my greatest pleasure next to writing is having my books read and enjoyed. There are many more stories just waiting to be written.
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