Please help us welcome Gayle M. Irwin to the blog this week. Gayle is here to share Rescue Road, a clean contemporary romance. Rescue Road is the first book in Gayle’s Pet Rescue Romance series. Welcome, Gayle! We are all so excited to hear about Rescue Road.
Guest Post by Gayle M. Irwin:
Rescue Road is a clean, contemporary romance with a bit of intrigue mingled with romance and dog rescue. The theme of the story is second chances, for both human and animal. My primary characters, Rhiann and Levi, experienced rejection in love; therefore, even though they’re attracted to one another, both resist involvement. Rhiann and Levi have more trouble than simply resisting each other romantically – they also claim to own the same ranch, which logically dampens the spark of attraction. Throw in a charming villain and you have a slight mystery overlaid with drama and action. Rhiann rescues and rehomes dogs, giving them a second chance at life and love, and readers will meet some of those furry friends in the story. The book is set in southwestern Montana, adding majesty to the story. This is the first in a series I’m calling Pet Rescue Romance; each novel weaves pet rescue into the human romance story.
About Rescue Road:
Freelance writer Rhiann Kelly shelved romance for years. Her dream of starting an animal sanctuary takes deep roots after finding the perfect location in southwestern Montana and purchasing the property for back taxes. Emergency medical technician Levi Butler knows his elderly friend left the ranch to him in his will. Levi anxiously awaits the probate to be complete so he can plan his retirement and begin his dream of raising and selling horses. When Rhiann and Levi find each other at the ranch simultaneously, sparks fly – and not the romantic kind. Yet their mutual attraction deepens, especially after Levi finds Rhiann injured in an accident. Meantime, land developer Dallas Patterson sets his sights on charming Rhiann to obtain the land. Can Rhiann and Levi work together to detour Patterson and find a solution in which neither needs to give up their dream, or will the fence line of their hearts – and the property – separate them forever? Can their broken paths weave their hearts together as they travel the rescue road?
- Amazon Buy Link: https://amzn.to/34SqHMy
Rescue Road is on sale on Kindle this month for just .99 cents! Also available in paperback for $11.99. A portion of sales is donated to pet rescue organizations.
Excerpt from Rescue Road:
Rhiann stood on the porch of the mid-century ranch house. Cup of coffee in hand, she watched the blazing orange sunrise. Streamers of light cascaded on the mountains west of the property, casting a rosy glow on the rocks and patches of snow upon the higher elevation. October’s morning danced with the browning grasses of the nearby pastures as touches of frost shimmered upon tan sprigs surrounding the house. Overhead, a flock of Canada geese in traditional V formation honked as they winged their way south.
Rhiann observed them and whispered, “We have something in common. We’re starting over.”
******************************************************************************
As he drove closer to the ranch house, Levi noticed a small, red dual-cab pickup parked near the building. His eyes squinted. He remembered seeing a similar vehicle at the Twin Bridges Campground yesterday. He parked next to the truck.
“Who in the world could that be?” he murmured as he exited his pickup.
He looked at the license plate. He didn’t remember George knowing anyone from Washington state. He saw a heart-shaped sticker on the side. Levi scowled. He meandered to the driver’s side and saw the “Rescue Road” emblem.
“Can’t be,” he muttered.
He looked up when he heard the front door of the house slam. He stared.
“What are you doing here?” he and Rhiann asked simultaneously.
*****************************************************************************
Rhiann couldn’t believe her eyes. Left hand on her hip and straw broom in her right, she glared at the man she had met yesterday.
“Well?” she questioned, looking Levi in the eye. “Answer my question. What are you doing on my ranch?”
“Your what? YOUR ranch? This is my land,” he snapped.
“Uh, unless your last name is Kelly or McCallister, I don’t think so.”
Levi stalked toward the front porch. Rhiann took a step back. She looked into his smoldering gray eyes as he said, “George Nelson left this place to me. Just who are you to come claim it as yours?”
Before she could respond, he rushed on, “Are you related to George? I didn’t think he had any kids or grandkids. Are you a niece or something?”
Rhiann shook her head. “I didn’t know Mr. Nelson. I’m the granddaughter of Mary Martha McAllister. She was born here, in that log cabin over there.”
She pointed to the two-room dwelling to her right.
“That’s my house,” Levi said.
She detected the curt tone, and she responded in kind.
“I don’t know why you keep saying you own this property. That cabin, this place, has been mine for nearly four months and was in my family for two generations. I’m just now getting here after settling the back taxes.”
Levi’s face blanched. “Back taxes? What are you talking about?”
At that moment, his cell phone rang. She watched him pull the device from a back pocket of his jeans. He turned away from her.
“Mr. Williamson, Yes, this is Levi Butler. You have news for me?” He paused in his conversation. “I see.”
Rhiann continued observing him. He gradually turned toward her. His eyes darkened, and his teeth clenched. Rhiann took a step back, holding the broom in both hands. I’ll swing this thing at his head if he takes one more step.
“Yes, yes, I’ve met her. In fact, I’m looking at her right now.”
His icy statement sent chills up Rhiann’s spine.
*****************************************************************************
Levi gripped the cell phone tighter. His mind tried to process the words spoken by George’s attorney. A few moments later, he said, “I see. Not the news I expected to hear but thanks for letting me know.”
He clicked off and stared at Rhiann. He noticed she held the broom as if to fend off an attacker. He wanted to punch something but knew he couldn’t. He took a deep breath and clenched a fist. He exhaled a ragged breath. A moment of silence ticked by. Levi inhaled again, trying to steady himself. As he released the air and unclenched his fist, he spoke in a terse, but controlled tone.
“Someone who knows nothing about this place, it’s history, or the man who lived here … I guess it’s yours after all.”
Levi stalked to his pickup and jumped into the driver’s seat. He backed the Chevy toward the Y junction and stomped the accelerator. He heard a large spray of gravel as the truck tires dug in, and he drove from the house.
Bio – Gayle Mansfield Irwin
Gayle M. Irwin is an award-winning author and freelance writer, being recognized by Wyoming Writers, Inc., and the Wyoming Press Association for several of her works. She is a contributor to seven Chicken Soup for the Soul books and the author of many inspirational pet books and stories for both children and adults. She subtly weaves important life lessons within the lines and pages of her stories, including courage, kindness, perseverance, friendship, appreciation of nature, and the importance of pet rescue and adoption. Her first novel, a clean, contemporary pet rescue romance titled Rescue Road, releases November 2019. A pet rescue and adoption advocate, she volunteers for various dog rescue and humane society organizations and donates a percentage of all book sales to such groups. Gayle resides in Wyoming with her husband and their adopted animals. Learn more about the author, her writing endeavors, and her pets, and receive free stories and resources by visiting her website: www.gaylemirwin.com.
You can also find and follow me on these sites:
- Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/GayleMIrwin
- Pinterest (under Waggin’ Tales): www.pinterest.com/gaylemirwin
- Twitter: wyoauthor1
- Amazon Author Central Page: amazon.com/author/gayleirwin
[…] Romance – Yellowstone Country series. That journey began in October 2019 with the release of Rescue Road. Characters from that original book appear toward the end of In the Shadow of Mount Moran, helping […]