Thank you, Candy, for inviting me as a guest today to chat about the backstory of my debut novel, The Hitman’s Mistake, originally titled, A Mule, A Mob Hit, and A Mountain of Trouble. The mule reference has relevance.
One of my first memories is sitting atop a palomino mare that a friend of my dad’s owned. Even at three, I’d tugged on those cowboy boots and begun the life-long commitment of a true pony girl. I bought my first horse after I hit fifty, so now I’m reliving the childhood I wished I’d had—riding, hoof picking, massaging, and cool showering a very appreciative copper-colored gentleman on a daily basis.
Writing equines into my clean (no intimate scenes), romantic suspense series, Love Thrives in Emma Springs, came naturally. In Book 2, the heroine is extremely afraid of horses. My doctor hero prescribes the perfect cure. He presents her with a mini horse needing a home. A rescue Quarter Horse (like my own 28-year-old gelding), a zebra, retired police horses, and a pony are featured separately in future releases. If you’d like to see pictures of my horse, Lance, please go to my Pinterest site. I’ve also created a page there with the setting inspirations for The Hitman’s Mistake.
Now for a teaser excerpt. The book opens in Seattle, where Miranda Whitley dreams of owning a little plot of wooded land—right before life throws her on a twisted path to her happy ever after. She’s pruning indoor plants in the lobby of Seattle’s Justice Building after hours.
***
Footsteps? From the stairwell? Miranda released her grip, and the tree limb sprang free. She swung her head and watched the branch skim the fly of the trousers on the man now towering over her right shoulder.
Not Ike. She froze.
“What in the hell? Oh, didn’t see you there—” he sidestepped, and her cup scrunched in protest under his big boot. The lid popped off and the double shot of Kona glugged into a mocha-scented pool.
He jumped to avoid the puddle. “Damn energy conservation put you in the shadows. Sorry, I nailed your coffee.” His swinging backpack missed her nose by inches.
She twisted her body and scooted her butt until her shoulder jammed against a carved pot.
“I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“It’s okay,” she mumbled, keeping her head lowered to avoid further contact with the bag-wielding klutz wearing black trousers. Must’ve been him she’d glimpsed a few minutes ago, while the elevator doors had closed on the floor below Ike’s.
“I’ve never been attacked by a branch. Must say, you deployed it well,” the deep voice announced. He stopped directly in front of her.
His hiking boots made her size-nine high-tops appear dainty.
Not the shoes of a snobby lawyer or a lost, post-trial pimp trying to find his way out of the building. Still, the flailing branch served him right for sneaking up on her. “I didn’t hear you.”
“And I shouldn’t text and walk,” he said in a lighter, almost sexy tone. “I’m Grant.” He dropped his pack and stuck out his hand.
An FBI tag printed ‘GRANT MORLEY’ hung from the bag.
She peered from under her cap’s brim and gulped.
Him.
Agent of Interest. Her heart took off at a gallop.
The Hitman's Mistake
by Sally Brandle
While a witness and FBI agent escape mobsters, they can’t escape falling in love.
Blurb:
She needs his trust. After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the man she’s had one awkward encounter with—buff FBI Agent, Grant Morley. But can she find him in time?
He needs the truth. The last person Grant expects to discover on his annual horseback trip delivering supplies to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?
Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, determined assassins, and Montana scenery, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller.
by Sally Brandle
While a witness and FBI agent escape mobsters, they can’t escape falling in love.
Blurb:
She needs his trust. After Miranda Whitley stops crooked cops from assassinating a prominent Seattle judge, she’s next on the hit list, and her survival depends on the man she’s had one awkward encounter with—buff FBI Agent, Grant Morley. But can she find him in time?
He needs the truth. The last person Grant expects to discover on his annual horseback trip delivering supplies to a Montana mountain hermit is alluring Miranda Whitley, nearly dead from a bullet wound in her side. An accidental witness or the cold-blooded accomplice to would-be assassins?
Miranda must convince Grant of her innocence, evade the killers intent on preventing her testimony, and fight her unwanted attraction for the agent…an attraction which seems to be mutual. Fortunately, love thrives in Emma Springs. If you love sizzling chemistry, determined assassins, and Montana scenery, then you’ll love Sally Brandle’s galloping thriller.
Buy: Amazon US • Amazon UK
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FTC Disclaimer: Link to Amazon US. I am an Amazon Associate. Should you purchase a copy of the book through the link provided, I will receive a small commission. Thanks!
About the Author
Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense stories. Sally left a career as an industrial baking instructor to bring to life stories of women who learn to trust their inner gifts. Her rescue Aussie is her companion during long spells of writing, bouts of tormenting weeds in her garden, or afternoons spent riding on the wind with her twenty-eight year old Quarter Horse. Sign up for her newsletter at www.sallybrandle.com for a free segment of her latest book, The Hitman’s Mistake.
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You can also check out this 5 Star Review from Tome Tender!
Sally Brandle was kind enough to give me a copy of The Hitman's Mistake, and I'm enjoying it! It kept me up a little too late last night! I just didn't want to put it down. :)
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