Hey, readers! I’m excited to welcome back friend and fellow author Jan Sikes today. She has a brand-new release, the second book of her White Rune Series. I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while and have already picked up my copy.
Please welcome Jan to tell you all about it.
Thank you, Joan, for inviting me to your blog site today to talk about my new book, JAGGED FEATHERS! I appreciate your generosity.
Since you are a fellow Texan, I wanted to share this historic piece of the story with you and your followers. I don’t know if any of you are familiar with The Longhorn Ballroom and Motel in Dallas, Texas, but a part of my story takes place there.
(Photo courtesy of Jay Lafrance)
First a little history. The Longhorn Ballroom was built in the 1950s by an eccentric Dallas millionaire specifically for Bob Wills. It was said he wanted a stage large enough for Wills to ride his horse onto. It is unclear when the motel section was built, but altogether it is a large complex. It sold to Dewey Groom in the 1960s and ironically, my late husband and Groom were great friends. I have a photo of Rick presenting a pair of longhorns to Groom.
The property changed hands many times and currently belongs to Dallas Developer, Jay LaFrance. I saw an episode of “Queen of the South” that was set at the Longhorn motel and it gave me the idea to include it in my story as well.
Excerpt
The exit sign came up, and her gut clenched. She (Nakina) was getting close. A mixture of anger, danger, and fear for what lay ahead snaked itself around her, almost cutting off her breath.
A glance in her rearview mirror assured her that Vann was with Bridger directly behind her, in a dark-colored van with tinted windows. The rest of the team were invisible but already assembled and in their places, waiting.
The sign for the motel loomed ahead long before she reached it. She didn’t realize this was part of a complex. A statue of a giant longhorn steer faced the street and advertised the Longhorn Ballroom and Motel.
When she turned in the entrance, her heart raced. This was it. This had to be successful. There was no other outcome she would consider.
A blue feather floated down and landed on her windshield.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Grandmother, stay with me. Help me.”
In an instant, her insides stopped shaking, replaced by steely determination.
As instructed, she parked in front of room 110, left the engine running, and car door open.
After a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, strode to the door, and knocked loudly.
No one answered. She knocked again, reaching out with her senses to feel any vibrations on the other side of the door. They had to be there. The rune tingled against her breast.
She knocked a third time, apprehension crawling up her spine.
Finally, the door cracked open.
A man with a long scar running from his temple down his cheek growled. “You alone, puta?”
She nodded.
He opened the door wider, and she leaned forward attempting to peer inside.
“Get in here.”
She took a step backward, shook her head, and her voice dripped ice. “No. Bring my sister out, and I’ll give you what you want, but I’m not coming inside.”
The man poked his head out farther and scanned the area. “No one followed you? Where’s the gringo?” He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her inside.
Holding onto the door frame, she attached a death grip. “He’s not here. I did as I was told. Bring my sister out and let go of me.”
“Shit! You are some kind of loco, puta. You think I’m just going to hand your sister over without getting what I want?” He released her arm.
“No.” She reached into the side pocket of the duffel bag slung over her shoulder. “Here’s the key. Give me my sister, and you’ll get the rest.”
The man jerked the key from her hand, and the skull on the end of the keychain glittered in bright Texas sunlight.
“You better not be bullshitting. You will regret it.”
The door closed, and scuffling sounds came from inside.
When he reappeared, a wide-eyed Adele stood beside him, tape over her mouth and her hands tied behind her back.
Were you familiar with The Longhorn Ballroom and Motel? Have you ever been there? I attended several events there in the last five years, but I don’t know if it is still operating as I haven’t seen anything about it in a long time.
BOOK TRAILER LINK
https://youtu.be/CwGRyRVMyLE
Blurb
Vann Noble did his duty. He served his country and returned a shell of a man, wounded inside and out. With a missing limb and battling PTSD, he seeks healing in an isolated cabin outside a small Texas town with a stray dog that sees beyond his master’s scars. If only the white rune’s magic can bring a happily ever after to a man as broken as Vann.
On the run from hired killers and struggling to make sense of her unexplained deadly mission, Nakina Bird seeks refuge in Vann’s cabin. She has secrets. Secrets that can get them all killed.
A ticking clock and long odds of living or dying, create jarring risks.
Will these two not only survive, but find an unexpected love along the way? Or, will evil forces win and destroy them both?
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK
https://linktr.ee/Rijanjks
WEBSITE: http://www.jansikes.com
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LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansikes/
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Sikes/e/B00CS9K8DK
Joan Hall 
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