Yesterday was release day for Dianna's Dilemma. I started on July 29^th by sharing about the story and history behind the story. Yesterday I shared about the writing process and the blurb for the book. Tomorrow, I'll share an excerpt.

You can check out the print and ebooks here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3SCZFTZ

If you enjoy the story, I hope you'll check out the other books in the series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09K7FP3SJ

For this book, I knew I needed to come up with a hero who had a secret he wanted to keep, one big enough to send him into hiding or a new life where he could begin over. Some might thing a person who would flee a bad situation must be weak or cowardly. As any abused person will tell you, that is not true. It’s usually easier, and sometimes safer, for somebody in a dangerous or abusive situation to stay where they are. And even if the problem isn’t abuse, a raw deal must be huge to make a person leave. And in the case of my hero, not only to leave, but to disappear off the face of the earth, reappearing hundreds of miles away in 1879 Colorado, under a new name. With few official records and no picture identification, creating a new life could be a lot simpler than today.

Or maybe not.

Choosing a new name was tricky. Responding to that name and not the other was critical. And what about his occupation? As a medical doctor, a rare occupation of the times, Samson (his new moniker) couldn’t just appear out of nowhere and set up shop as the new doc. Folks would ask questions. Other doctors might ask questions about mutual acquaintances.

So our hero changes his name to Samson Macon. A powerful first name, a nondescript surname. Not common to the area. A simple shrug and a grunt could explain where he came from. What could he do? Although he wanted a job as a driver on the stage route, the line hired him on as to maintain and repair their harnesses, saddles, and traces because he could sew a good seam. By keeping himself to himself, he settled into La Junta, Colorado, about as far as he could get and still stay within the state lines.

Why would he want to be close but not too close? He’d left his family in Denver. Buried deep in a grave as cold as his heart. And it was his fault they were there.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

So when a nosey journalist comes poking around, he stays as far from her as he can. But she is beautiful. Reminds him of his wife in so many ways. But very different. She works her way into his small circle, and he finds himself looking for ways to spend time with her. When she injures her arm, he offers to help her finish writing her interviews for her assignment. After all, the sooner she finishes, the sooner she can leave.

Because he absolutely, definitely, has no intention of falling in love with her.

So why doesn’t his heart get that message?

The heroine, Dianna Dewalt, is a journalist for a weekly newspaper in Colorado Springs. So far she’s written lots of obituaries, wedding and engagement announcement, and frilly pieces for the gardening section. But she wants to write a real story, one that will make her name in the industry. She’s done her homework, paid for information, and now feels she has the story she needs to break into the boy’s league. But when the newspaper editor calls her into his office, it isn’t to discuss her big story. It’s to send her to a small town in the middle of nowhere. To cover the town’s inauguration. She finally gets him to agree to make a series out of it, and she heads out.

Dianna has a nose for mystery. She loves ferreting out secrets. So it’s only natural that she looks for ways to help a young woman achieve her dream of singing on the stage by matchmaking a local rancher’s wife who used to do that very thing. The fact the young woman’s parents aren’t thrilled is beside the fact.

Then she meets the local saddlemaker – and wants to know more about him. He’s not really up for sharing, however. But when Dianna is almost trampled by a herd of antelope, and he stitches up her split scalp, she suspects there’s more to him than meets the eye. No matter how much he denies it or tries to change the subject.

Well, if he won’t talk, maybe somebody else will. She sends a telegram to her newspaper asking them to check up on this man. And his story.

What comes back is a story about a man charged with killing a doctor—but no body has been found. Could this man in La Junta be this missing medico?

Dianna and Samson butt heads on some things, but when the future of the town is threatened, they are thick as thieves. They join forces to investigate the mysteries of missing cattle and dead cowboys, of broken traces and open threats. Then, when Dianna gets too close to the action—well, you’ll need to read the book to find out about that.

Leave a comment, and I'll take all the entries left on all four blog posts and toss them in a hat (or another appropriate container), and draw for winner's choice of a print copy (US only) or an ebook. Cleverly disguise your email address so I can contact you. For example Donna AT livebytheword DOT com

Stay tuned for the next blog post about Dianna's Dilemma on August 5th. And if you haven't already, please subscribe to follow my blog and get an email each time a new post releases: www.donnaschlachter.com/blog

About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 50 times in books; is a member of several writers groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; ghostwrites; edits; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both.

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