Here, ladies & gentlemen, is a sample from Chapter 2 of my novel. I hope it'll entice and inspire you to buy the trilogy.
The first book of this epic western trilogy, Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1 - Go West, Girl! is now available on Amazon. This is the life story of a devastating & charismatic pants-wearing cowgirl who's the fastest gun in the west and bisexual. A crack shot story that blazes across the wild west!
CHAP 2
(sample. Told from the POV of Kate, the young New York reporter who has hopes of meeting and interviewing her heroine, Jeannie Morgan).
The Aces Saloon proclaimed its name in fancy writing at the top of its false front. The clap board building was painted yellow with brown trimming and was adorned by a balcony on its second floor. It stood tall and wind-whipped on the corner of crossroads. And silent. We mounted the steps onto the board walk and approached the firmly closed semi-glazed double doors. I looked questioningly at Mac.
'No custom?'
He unlocked and opened a door.
‘Closed to business, Miss. Mayor runs a temperance town, damned hypocrite. Has a private stash, himself.’ He adopted a scheming grin. ‘So we use an ol' miner's cabin in the foothills where he and his cohorts won’t find us too easy.’ he regarded me and his smile vanished. ‘Ah...perhaps you don’t approve, Miss?'
I chuckled. ‘Far from it – I like a decent drink myself.'
He smiled and led me inside. I gawped at the dark wood surroundings. Old booze stains marked the floorboards. Dust lent the place a haunted look. A fancy candelabra hung above us. A long, rich wood bar lined one wall, behind it a row of filled bottles. A piano stood at the far side. A carved staircase led to a balcony above. Mac strode to a door beneath the balcony and showed me into a small, dark parlour. He moved to a bookshelf lined against a wall and removed a tooled leather bound book. He placed it on a table in the centre of the room.
‘Our scrapbook. Everything we’ve collected as regards our gal, including the not so good. Should have thrown them out – don’t know why we haven’t.’ He winked at me. ‘Should keep you busy, Miss. If you need anything, you’ll find me back at Flora’s. Happy reading.’
My heart beat faster and my fingers trembled as I turned the pages. The book was stuffed with original photographs, newspaper photos, news clippings and 'wanted' posters. I sat at the table and immersed myself in this tome. Many articles detailed crude intimacies, abject jottings. Unfair, prejudiced. To me, at any rate. I was no doubt biased after my single, brief encounter. She was my heroine, after all.
On the first page was a newspaper clipping:
The Wyoming Tribune
Wyoming, January 1891
'Jeannie Morgan, notorious and iconic female cowboy, outlaw and jailbird, has single handedly fought off a gang of outlaws led by Isaac Sorenson, a psychotic bully, who were terrorizing her home town, Coyote Creek, Wyoming. Sorenson sought revenge against Morgan for his brother's murder when the latter challenged her to a fast draw contest during her outlaw days.
Sorenson's gang looted stores, vandalized properties and interfered with townsfolk. The gang were aware that the people would demand Morgan's release from prison in the hope of her leading them to freedom. Miss Morgan would then be the gang's for the taking. The authorities refused her release. However, her escape was engineered by her brothers and members of her old gang. She was appointed deputy sheriff, an unheard of situation among womankind, and used the force of her powerful persona and phenomenal gun to dispense of the gang. She was wounded at one point. Authorities have agreed to give her amnesty and she has since been assigned the deputy role permanently.'
An hour passed. I turned the final page of the scrapbook. A fine photographic portrait appeared. I was surprised, considering her famed hatred of photographers, and her well known intolerance – a cool, uncompromising expression, starkly contrasted to her equally famous joky, fun-loving persona.
According to notes scribbled at the side of the photograph, she had been been pressed into this by loved ones. I could see the poor photographer trembling as that cobra lidded, luxuriously lashed almond pale blue gaze cut him in two. Her weathered tan emphasised their luminosity. Some of her features were fine, almost effeminate.
The sepia photograph showed smooth, feminine brows arced gently, then sloped. High cheekbones, lightly dimpled cheeks, perfect nose and wide, curved, generous female mouth proclaimed beauty. The lips were sensual but unsmiling above a gently squared chin and hero’s jaw. Her thick hair tumbled over her collar at the back and curled in front of her ears. Her open shirt exposed feminine throat and chest, narrowly plunging to tease, barely revealing womanly cleavage.
It seemed futile to resist studying every facet of Jeannie's physique. She was magnificent and irresistible and she knew it. Coyote Creek knew it too. I imagined the response that her presence provoked. Acknowledgements and calls from everyone, not all necessarily friendly.
Yes, I was jealous. Yes, I wanted her like mad. And yes, I wanted to enter her domain.
FINALLY - MY VIDEO TRAILER!
REVIEWS
Yee-hah! I'm enjoying this soooo much! Not just because of the story but also because of the quality of the writing, and the loving detail put into it. Clearly a lot of research - Kit Mackenzie writes as though she's actually been there. I'm relishing the nuances of her fab writing. I so enjoyed reading the novel in detail, and relishing the nuances of the fab writing. Rereading it and absorbing the world and the atmosphere she's created.
Oh blimey! - just watched the video trailer, and my goodness Kit MacKenzie does know how to captive an audience ... (Never seen anything like it. Terrific!:-)
CAROLINE OF CORNWALL
I'm just reading the preview at the moment, it's great! I just love kit Mackenzie's descriptions of where Jeannie is, so atmospheric 😌 I've got to chapter 12 and loving it!
Anne of West Sussex
I'm already deep in Chapter 1 of your the book and loving it!
Jana USA
Finally a brilliant review from Booksprout!
A unique western read. Five stars.
This is a different take on a western and I really enjoyed it. Jeannie is an independent woman focused on living her life on her terms before it was socially acceptable to do so. It is well written and entertaining!
And here's the Amazon link to Alias Jeannie Delaney - Book 1- Go West, Girl!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/West-Girl-Alias-Jeannie-Delaney-ebook/dp/B0C9YT6DVR/
JC & ME, TAKEN MANY YEARS AGO AT A
LIVING HISTORY EVENT
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