MK McCLINTOCK
Adventure. Mystery. Romance.
BIO
MK McClintock is an award-winning author who has written several novels and short stories, including the popular "Montana Gallagher" series, the "Crooked Creek" series set in post-Civil War Montana, and the highly-acclaimed "British Agent" novels. She spins tales of romance, adventure, and mystery set in the 1800s. MK enjoys a quiet life in the Rocky Mountains.
MK also writes contemporary romance and romantic thrillers as McKenna Grey.
Genres: historical romantic westerns, historical romantic mysteries, western short stories
Contact & Connect
Facebook.com/mkmcclintockbooks
Twitter.com/mkmcclintock
Pinterest.com/mkmcclintock
Journey to Hawk’s Peak
One woman's desperation to escape would become the greatest journey of her life.
Briarwood, Montana Territory—1884
Briarwood, Montana Territory—1884
Amanda Warren arrived in Briarwood, Montana, with one satchel and a dream. After death destroyed her happiness, she fled, unwilling to believe that was the end, yet her weary spirit thought only of survival.
Then she met the Gallaghers.
They took a chance and gave her a home and a family, but is she strong enough to make a new start?
Ben Stuart has seen more of life than he wants to remember, but with the Gallaghers he had found a place where he could forget times gone by and live the life he always wanted. When Amanda arrived at Hawk's Peak, Ben saw a woman hiding from secrets and running from her past. How will he convince her that the journey is over? Join us on a journey to Hawk's Peak for a romantic adventure you'll never forget.
The Montana Gallagher Series (historical western romance adventures):
Gallagher's Pride
Gallagher's Hope
Gallagher's Choice
An Angel Called Gallagher
Journey to Hawk's Peak
Buy Links
Praise for the Montana Gallaghers
"The Montana Gallagher Collection is adventurous and romantic with scenes that transport you into the wild west." —InD'Tale Magazine, Crowned Heart for Excellence
"Any reader who loves westerns, romances, historical fiction or just a great read would love this book, and I am pleased to be able to very highly recommend it. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it certainly won't be the last. Do yourself a favor and give it a chance!"
—Readers' Favorite on Gallagher’s Pride
"You will love where she takes you and will fall in love with all her characters."
—M.L. Sullivan on An Angel Called Gallagher
"This series is spell-binding. Once you start it you cannot put it down."
—Amazon Reviewer
A note from the author . . .
Dearest Reader,
Little did I know that my first published book, Gallagher's Pride, would lead to a fifth Montana Gallagher book and yet here we are. Amanda Warren entered the Gallaghers' lives in book three, and I immediately knew she would need a story of her own. Her past held many unanswered questions, and I wanted to learn more about her and how she came to be in Briarwood. Ben Stuart, the ranch foreman at Hawk's Peak, has a bit of his own mysterious past, and the more time I spent with him and Amanda, the clearer their stories became. I hope you enjoy their tender, romantic adventure.
Happy Reading!
-MK
EXCERPTS
Please use only one. The first excerpt is 545 words. The second excerpt is 201 words.
I’ve provided a continued reading link below each excerpt.
Excerpt from Journey to Hawk’s Peak
From Chapter One
Hawk’s Peak, Montana Territory
May 1884
A hawk and its mate soared high above their heads. White clouds tipped with gray created a continuous patchwork in the vast, blue sky, casting shadows over the snow-capped mountains. A cool, spring breeze caressed Amanda’s face and whipped her unbound hair over her shoulders. She’d left the house wearing only a shawl, preferring to relish in the warmer air after the long, harsh season.
The winter of ’84 had been one of the coldest in Amanda’s memory. Although it had been her first in Montana, she was no stranger to the hardships of the western frontier. No matter how settled the land became or how many people from the East ventured in search of the same dreams which brought her parents west, she loved the wildness the land fought to retain.
“I’ll never tire of this sight.” Not a soul within one hundred miles could miss the grand mountain ranges that crisscrossed the land and protected their valley.
“I won’t either.” Brenna wore a heavier wool shawl, the edges gathered over her growing belly. Amanda smiled at her friend—one of many she’d made since arriving at Hawk’s Peak—and imagined Brenna as a new mother once again.
Brenna and Ethan Gallagher already had one son, Jacob, named after Ethan’s father and born in Scotland, Brenna’s homeland. The courage to leave behind everything and everyone she knew at Cameron Manor to journey across an ocean and vast continent impressed Amanda. She’d embarked on her own journey when she left home, but it compared nothing to what Brenna must have experienced.
Brenna stopped at a point in the meadow and bent over to pick a few sprigs of wild lupine and add them to the basket she carried over one arm. Calves frolicked in the nearby pastures, another sign that spring had come regardless of winter’s efforts to linger. In her lyrical voice with her refined Scottish accent, Brenna said, “When I first stepped foot off the stage, the sheer enormity of what I’d done paled in comparison to the beauty of these mountains. I abhorred the circumstances that forced me to flee, and yet without those trials, I wouldn’t be here now. I wouldn’t have Ethan or Jacob.” She patted her belly and smiled. “Or this one.”
“I envy you, Brenna.” Amanda continued walking, but it was Brenna who stopped, surprised by the quietly spoken words.
“What a dear thing for you to say, but there are many who could say the same of you.”
Amanda was quick to assure Brenna. “Please, don’t think me ungrateful for what I have. I’ve been blessed many times over in my life. I envy the way you approach life, every day with such hope.”
“It got me into trouble often as a child,” Brenna said with a smile. “Give yourself time. I often feel as though you’ve always been a part of our lives, but it wasn’t so long ago when you arrived.”
Amanda stared across the quiet meadow, fixated on the swaying grass. “Before you met Ethan, did you ever . . .”
“Did I ever what?” Brenna asked. “You may ask me anything, and I’ll answer if I can.”
“Did you ever wonder if you were strong enough to live the life you always wanted?”
End of Excerpt
Excerpt from Journey to Hawk’s Peak
From Chapter Ten
“Would you rather continue to hide and live in fear of the unknown? You can resolve this by sharing your story with the Gallaghers. They have connections and influence that can help.”
Ben’s words ignited a spark within Amanda. “I wonder if I’m strong enough for a fight, if it comes to that. I was here for only the end of the troubles this family faced because of Nathan Hunter.” Amanda recalled those last days of Hunter with clarity. The destruction and fear he caused to his own flesh and blood had been abominable, and yet his grandchildren—Brenna and Ramsey—were stronger for it. “I don’t know how Brenna and Isabelle and Eliza got through it all.”
“You have the strength, and deep down, you know you’re capable of facing whatever might come your way.” He stepped closer, his voice soft yet unyielding. “You’re forgetting something very important about what Brenna and the others went through.”
Amanda’s eyes met his. She felt his strength and more palpably, his love.
“They weren’t alone, Amanda. Not for one minute, no matter if they were apart from the people they loved for a brief time. They were never alone. And neither are you.”
End of Excerpt
Thank you, Kathleen, for the lovely visit to your blog. I hope you and your readers have a wonderful holiday!
ReplyDeleteYou are very welcome! You have a great holiday also!
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