Quinn (40 page)
Dear Reader,
When my husband I were first married, one of our favorite things to do was to go away for a romantic weekend together at a historic inn. We loved to stay at old inns (the Sagamore on Lake George in the Adirondacks), or windswept inns on the Pacific Ocean (the Coronado in San Diego), or majestic inns made of stone in the middle of a seemingly endless meadow (the Ahwahnee in Yosemite Valley). Now that we’ve got two very active kids, we have slightly different requirements for our getaways, which are more boisterous and slightly less romantic… although I have to say our kids put up with “Mommy and Daddy are kissing again” pretty darn well! Fortunately, my husband and kids know that my favorite thing
is afternoon tea, and my husband and son don’t at all seem to mind being the only males in frilly rooms full of girls and women in pretty dresses.
As I sat down to write the story of Rebecca and Sean in WITH THIS KISS, I immediately knew I wanted it to take place in the inn on Emerald Lake. With those pictures in my head of all the inns I’ve stayed at over the years, I knew not only what this inn looked like, but also the many love stories that had been born—and renewed—there over the years. What’s more, I knew the inn needed to be a large part of the story, and that the history in those walls around my hero and heroine would be an integral part of the magic of their romance. Because when deeply hidden secrets threaten to keep Rebecca and Sean apart despite the fireworks that neither of them can deny, the truth of what happened in the inn so many years ago is finally revealed.
I so enjoyed creating my fantasy inn on Emerald Lake, and I hope that as you’re reading WITH THIS KISS, even if you aren’t able to get away for a romantic weekend right this second, for a few hours you’ll feel as if you’ve spent some time relaxing… and falling in love.
Happy reading,
Dear Reader,
Who hasn’t wished for a fresh start at some point in their lives? I know I have. The urge became particularly keen when I was starting high school in Connecticut. Not that it was a terrible place to grow up, but an awkward phase combined with a pack of mean girls eager to point out every quirk and flaw had left their scars. Left me wishing I could go somewhere new, where I could meet all new people. People who wouldn’t remember the braces (complete with headgear!), the unibrow, the glasses (lavender plastic frames!), and the time my mom tried to perm my bangs with disastrous results.
In RUN FROM FEAR, Talia Vega is looking for a similar fresh start. Granted, the monsters from her past are a bit more formidable than a pack of snotty twelve-year-olds, and the scars she bears are physical as well as emotional. But like so many of us, all she really wants is a fresh start, a new life, away from the shadows of her past.
But just as I was forced to sit in class with peers who remembered when I had a mouth full of metal and no idea how to wield a pair of tweezers, Talia Vega can’t outrun the people unwilling to let her forget everything she’s tried to leave behind. Lucky for her, Jack Brooks, the one man who has seen her at her absolute lowest point, will do anything to protect her from monsters past and present.
And even though I got my own fresh start of sorts
when I moved across the country for college, I sure wish someone had been around to protect me from my mother and her Ogilvie home perm kit. I don’t care what the commercial says—you CAN get it wrong!
LSO BY
R. C. R
YAN
Montana Legacy
Montana Destiny
Montana Glory
“The child adds a lovely emotional element to the story, the secondary romance is enjoyable, and all loose ends are nicely tied up.”
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RT Book Reviews
“[The Montana trilogy] is a good series of hunky cowboys and nail-biting mystery. Zane and Riley have great chemistry and are a read that you can’t put down.”
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Parkersburg News and Sentinel
(WV)
“These not-to-be-missed books are guaranteed to warm your heart!”
“Ms. Ryan did an amazing job keeping the story line at a perfect pace… A stand-alone novel, but I would definitely recommend you grab the other two… because I promise you will love them, too!… I, for one, definitely want to visit my friends at the McCord ranch again!”
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TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“Wonderful romantic suspense tale starring a courageous heroine who is a lioness protecting her cub and a reluctant knight in shining armor… a terrific taut thriller.”
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GenreGoRoundReviews.blogspot.com
“I love romantic westerns, and this book fit the bill to a T. The characters were very well developed… The chemistry between Zane and Riley was electric. If you enjoy a great romance with a bit of suspense and mystery, then you are going to love this book… I do want to go back and read the first two, because this story was just that good!”
“The story line was magnificent, the characters were intriguing, and the climax kept me flipping the pages… I [loved] the flow of the story and plan to read more work by this author. Romance junkies will love this one.”
“Tender and sweet… Ms. Ryan did a great job of unfolding Riley’s story line at just the right pace… This book was definitely a balm for my ‘cowboy itch’… I actually went out and bought the first two books in the series because I wanted more of these delightful characters.”
“Wonderful, exciting… an explosive conclusion to the McCord family trilogy… I would highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy love, ranch life, mystery, and sweet romance.
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MyBookAddictionandMore.wordpress.com
“A sweet story with a breathtaking setting!… The author made you feel like you were actually witnessing life on a working ranch… The characters were charming, and I enjoyed the quirky locals… The sexual tension between Riley and Zane was intense. Major chemistry alert!… Check this one out if you have a thing for sexy cowboys or want a romance story that will leave you smiling.”
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TheFictionEnthusiast.blogspot.com
“5 Stars! Watching this wild rebel and independent woman attempt to coexist was so much fun… The author, R. C. Ryan, delivers an ongoing, tantalizing mystery suspense with heartwarming romance. Sinfully yummy!”
“Ryan’s amazing genius at creating characters with heartfelt emotions, wit, and passion is awe inspiring. I can’t wait until
Montana Glory
comes out… so that I can revisit the McCord family!”
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TheRomanceReadersConnection.com
“The series continues to intrigue, and each page brings you closer to finding the treasure. Another terrific story from R. C. Ryan.”
“Sure to entertain. Enjoy.”
“[A] wonderful series… The characters are extremely well developed… I couldn’t put this book down. I can’t wait until Zane’s story comes out.”
Cosmopolitan
“Red Hot Read”
“A captivating start to a new series.”
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BookPage
“Heart-melting sensuality… this engaging story skillfully refreshes a classic trilogy pattern and sets the stage for the stories to come.”
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Library Journal
“Fabulous… a well-written story with fully developed characters that I easily came to care for.”
“Delightful… Jesse and Amy are a breath of fresh air, and R. C. Ryan beautifully translates the intense feelings they stir in one another. I look forward to the next in the series.”
“Enjoyable… solid secondary protagonists and a wonderful lead pair.”
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Midwest Book Review
“A fresh, entertaining tale that will keep you wanting to read more… We only get tantalizing hints of Wyatt and Zane, but I can’t wait to read their stories.”