Meet Jan Sikes and discover her new novel, A Beggar’s Bargain!
Thank you, Mr. Geez, for allowing me to steal your blog space today to talk about my new book, A Beggar’s Bargain. I deeply appreciate it.
One of the characters in this story was an old man who had been the groundskeeper for the banker for many years. He also had made a promise to Sara Beth’s mother on her deathbed that he’d always look out for the girl. So, it was no surprise when Seymour King showed up at Layken Martin’s farm. He became an integral part of the story.
Here’s a short scene from that moment:
Layken jumped at a loud knock on the front door. His heart hammering inside his chest, he motioned to Sara Beth. “Stay here.”
Before he could get to the door, another knock came.
“Coming,” he yelled. While he’d never felt threatened in this home, times had changed. For a brief moment, he wished he had his rifle handy. Maybe he should put it over the fireplace where his father always kept it.
He paused at the screen door. “Can I help you?”
An elderly black man stood on the porch, hat in hand. “I’m lookin’ for Miss Sara Beth Williams. Am I at the right place?”
Sara Beth flew into the living room. “Uncle Seymour!”
“Yes, ma’am. I do hope I’m not intruding.”
“Of course not.” She hugged him. “I’m so glad to see you. I’ve missed you somethin’ terrible.”
Uncle Seymour cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. Me too.”
“Come in.” She turned to Layken. “This is my Uncle Seymour. Remember me telling you about him?”
Layken offered a hand. “Of course, I remember. Sorry about the less-than-hospitable welcome. We discovered some food taken while we were in town.”
Seymour gave him a quizzical look. “That’s a shame.” He shook Layken’s hand. “Seymour King’s the name.”
“Come on in. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Sara Beth ushered Uncle Seymour inside. “Did you walk from town?”
“Yessum.”
“We came from that way. Wish we’d seen you. Could’ve given you a ride.”
“I took a shortcut through the woods.”
“You must be thirsty. I have some tea in the icebox.” She hurried to the kitchen.
The genuine affection between the old man and girl was evident. Layken motioned to the couch. “Have a seat.”
“That’s all right. Don’t want to mess anything up.”
“Nonsense. This ain’t Homer Williams’ house, Seymour. Make yourself at home.”
Seymour cleared his throat. “Am hoping this can be more than a visit, sir. The Widow Jones fired me this morning. Got nowhere else to go.”
“Well, you can most certainly stay here.” Layken dropped into a chair and pointed again to the couch. “Please. Have a seat.”
The older man eased down, sitting on the edge, hat in hand. “Thought you might have some work. Did some sharecropping back in Mississippi.”
Layken ran his fingers through his hair. “I could sure use some help, and that’s a fact.” Another pair of hands would ease the workload. “Ever planted peanuts?”
“Peanuts?”
Sara Beth hurried in with glasses of tea. “Layken thinks he can make more money growing peanuts than wheat or corn. And I agree.”
Seymour accepted the glass from her. “I know a thing or two about growing most things.” He took a long drink from the cold glass. “Wouldn’t ask for much. Maybe a bed and meals.”
She raised her eyebrows. “What are you talking about, Uncle Seymour?”
“Widow Jones fired me this morning. Everything I own is outside in that wagon. Lookin’ for a place to stay, at least for a little while, ’til I can figure out what’s next.”
“I’ve already told him I could use his help, Sara Beth.” Layken took a sip of tea. “This house is small, but there’s a room in the barn where my dad’s hired hand stayed. Might need a little sprucing up.”
***
Seymour King turned out to be a major character in the story, and he had secrets. I even wrote one brief chapter in his POV. There were things I wanted the reader to know.
Have you ever had a character surprise you, like Seymour did me? Let’s talk!
A shocking proposal that changes everything.
Desperate to honor his father’s dying wish, Layken Martin vows to do whatever it takes to save the family farm.
Once the Army discharges him following World War II, Layken returns to Missouri to find his legacy in shambles and in jeopardy. A foreclosure notice from the bank doubles the threat. He appeals to the local banker for more time—a chance to rebuild, plant, and harvest crops and time to heal far away from the noise of bombs and gunfire.
Only the banker firmly denies his request. Now what?
Then, the banker makes an alternative proposition—marry his unwanted daughter, Sara Beth, in exchange for a two-year extension. Out of options, money, and time, Layken agrees to the bargain.
Now, he has two years to make a living off the land while he shares his life with a stranger.
If he fails at either, he’ll lose it all.
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK:
https://books2read.com/u/3nqqEo
JAN SIKES’S SOCIAL MEDIA:
UNIVERSAL LINK: https://linktr.ee/Rijanjks
OR INDIVIDUALLY
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSikesBooks
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jan-sikes
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CS9K8DK (Author Page)
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095856.Jan_Sikes
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK:
Sue Coletta’s Latest Offers Compelling Fiction!
Thank you for helping me spread the news of my new eco-thriller, Stephen! Much appreciated. Over on Indie Spot, I shared an excerpt of Shawnee Daniels’ first encounter with an American Buffalo (bison). So, I thought it’d be fun to continue it here. When we left off, two feet separated her from the most Herculean land mammal in North American. Her only escape is to climb a tree, but the tree stands ten feet behind her. Let’s see if she escapes unscathed. 😉 For clarity, Poe is a crow. And he is not a fan of Shawnee.
Slow and steady, I expanded the distance between us. If I tripped, it’d be game over. At that point, I could only play dead, even though the act probably wouldn’t fool him. If I made it to the tree, I could climb. Then I might have a shot of escaping his wrath.
The little voice inside me screamed for me to do something—anything—before the inevitable unfolded.
Move your ass, Daniels!
I whirled around.
Inside the log home stood Poe. The wall of windows shielded him from the danger breathing down my neck. Think he’d call for Shicheii? Hell, no. That punk couldn’t wait to see me gored by two pointed horns.
Time chugged.
One arm flexed forward, the other back, my legs moving but not gaining traction fast enough. The stench of rotten eggs, wet clay, and santal assaulted my sinuses. I couldn’t scream without startling the ginormous beast behind me. I also couldn’t gain enough speed to outrun my pursuer. American Buffalo sprinted at thirty-five to forty miles per hour. They hopped high fences and even swam. The only thing they couldn’t do was climb.
Please let me reach the tree in time.
A hair-raising bellow shot over my shoulder, hot breath parting the back of my hair. Why wasn’t anyone stopping this? Would my family find me sprawled on the ground, impaled through the heart? How’d this happen? I only stepped out for fresh air. Why’d that piss him off?
Cloven hooves clamored behind me, the earth quaking from one ton of fury.
Love you, Shicheii.
An enormous head scooped me off my feet. My legs dangled down his muzzle, my ass cushioned by thick curly fur. In a split-second, he flung me twenty feet in the air, conifer branches and a cloudless sky strobe-lighting as I dropped. When I slammed against solid ground, the force knocked the wind out of me, and I rolled to my back, arms flapped open like Jesus on the cross.
In total surrender, I gulped the air. Braced for another strike. Or stomped to death.
Cloven hooves stampeded away, Mother Earth vibrating beneath me.
Still couldn’t move. Pain spindled up my spine, a deep achiness branched through my limbs. Father Sun’s rays reached for me, spears of sunlight heating me from the inside out, my body temperature rising higher by the second. Trickles of sweat needled my scalp, watery eyes leaking past my temples. Even my hair wilted, long strands plastered across my nose and chin.
Ca-caw, caw, caw, caw, caw!
Now Poe alerted? Friggin’ psycho probably enjoyed the show. If I could find the strength to crawl to my feet, I might be tempted to yank out all his new tail feathers. Sadly, that’d have to wait. My body ached from head to toe. But if I didn’t summon the power to rise soon, I could die out here.
What if the Buffalo left to notify his herd? Or worse, a massive grizzly or Wolf pack found me. No way wouldn’t they partake in a free meal. And yet, there I lay. Easy prey for predators in the thick forest around the log home.
Book description:
Amidst the wild and unforgiving landscapes of Yellowstone Park, join Mayhem, a fearless Apache warrior and champion of the Natural World, and his partner and protégé, Shawnee, as they race against the clock to protect an American Buffalo herd from the ruthless Killzme Corporation.
With a massive bounty on their heads and an army of killers on their trail, Mayhem and Shawnee must use all their cunning and survival skills to outsmart their enemies. They will risk it all to preserve the sacred lineage of the Innocent Ones.
There is no line Shawnee and Mayhem won’t cross.
Even murder.
As the danger intensifies and the clock winds down, will they be able to save the herd? Or will this be the mission that finally breaks them?
Preorder for 99c. Sale ends on release day, April 11, 2024.
Stephen Geez Blog 