Title: The Courtship of Utopia Miner
Author:
Linda Gilman
Series:
Gold Rush
Genre:
Historical Romance
Release
Date: November 9th 2015
Publisher:
Indie Published
Print
Length: 289 pages
Format:
Paperback and Digital
Print
ISBN: 9781517538941
Digital
ISBN: 1517538947
Synopsis:
Utopia
Miner is tired of hunting gold and caring for her three adopted fathers. Living
in a Rocky Mountain mining camp is holding up her dream of becoming a saloon
girl. If only she could learn the essential skills of singing, dancing and
kissing, she’d be on her way to a glamorous life. When Utopia discovers she’s
the prize in her three fathers’ marrying scheme, she sees benefits in going
along with the courting contest. She now has a kissing teacher. And wow, what a
teacher. One starter kiss from Lance and her body’s sweating in places it never
had before.
Lancelot Jones wants to turn in his
life-risking marshal’s badge for a much safer job as a reporter, but the
newspaper wants articles as proof of his qualifications. When his editor sends
him to a mining camp to get the scoop on a courtship contest, Lance discovers
the privilege of covering the story hinges upon chaperoning the bride-to-be. He
soon finds himself ensconced in Utopia’s innocent charms and demanding saloon
girl lessons. In short order, chaperoning the bride-to-be becomes risky
business.
Excerpt #1
Utopia
turned the morality of keeping all the men's gifts every way she could in her
mind. In the end, her heart could find no sin in it. The sin would be in
discouraging such a lucrative collection of goods. To her reasoning, shirking
gifts would be so, so wrong. If these men were crazy enough to bring her
presents, she'd be the crazy one if she refused them.
Besides,
some of the gifts might be things she needs for her dancehall job.
But
sooner or later, she'd have to find a way to get out of picking a husband.
She'd put off the choosing as long as possible. This wasn’t the right time for
worrying about that.
For
the rest of the day, Utopia made six more trips up the mountain with nary a one
of these suitors giving her things that could be classified good saloon
gifts.
The
liveryman, Enos Christman, gave her a horseshoe. Said he’d be the luckiest man
in the Rockies if she’d marry him. The riverboat gambler, John Powell, did a
few fancy card tricks then gave her the deck as a gift. Cards might be
something to use when she was working in a saloon. But, for now, she wanted
better gifts.
Then
there was Reverend Pardee. That man gave her nothing but an offer to perform
the wedding service for a nominal fee and the wedding would be free if he was
the one she decided to marry.
Something
had to be done to sort the good gift givers from the waste-of-time, gift
givers.
Utopia
spotted Lance seated on a keg in the shade beside the whiskey barn. He was
eating on an apple as she drew near. There was a disheveled look about him. His
tan shirt was all grass stained and tattered. Not that she cared to count but
there were upwards of twenty or more mosquito bites dotting his face. He
started to get to his feet.
"No.
Keep your seat. By the looks of your clothes, you could use the rest."
"I
have been rather busy today.”
"Looks
like you were at it quite hard, whatever it was."
He
tossed his apple core to the weeds. "Is there something I can do for
you?"
"As
a matter of fact there is. I take it you decide whose turn it is to walk me up
that hill."
"Unfortunately,
yes. Is something wrong with how things have been going?"
"Well,
yes. There is." Utopia held up a horseshoe. "My horse is already
shoed with four of these. I don’t need more.” She tossed the shoe on the
ground. "You can save us both a heap of aggravation, if you weed out the
fellas that don’t have decent gifts."
Lance
shot to his feet. "What?"
About
Linda Gilman:
Linda Gilman is known for writing humorous
western romance novels. Her stories are centered on independent, strong-willed
women, and courageous heroes who always protect the innocent without violating
their personal code of conduct. It’s the cowboy west readers are so enamored
with and a twist of zany plot. From first page to last, her books are loaded
with pain-in-your-side laughable moments.
She has a deep love of the American gold rush
era and often uses this as an excuse to do book research and travel to ghost
towns in the western states.
Born into a city girl life, her parents raised
her in St. Louis County. However, Linda has always felt her country girl roots
calling her to move west young woman. She currently lives in rural Missouri
with her hubby and the oldest of her three sons.
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