Pam Hillman – Romantic Excerpt – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Debut author, Pam Hillman share an excerpt from her e-book, Stealing Jake. CONTEST RULES: Pam has requested that commenters include their e-mail address to be put in the drawing. IF ten people leave comments on this post, one lucky winner will receive a Kindle version of Stealing Jake. Deadline: Nov 11, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Pam/Livy:

Hello, my name is Livy O’Brien. I haven’t always lived in Chestnut, Illinois, so that’s probably why we’ve never met. I used to live in Chicago, and I’m ashamed to say that I roamed the streets picking pockets and locks with equal abandon. But I didn’t know any better, that is, until Mrs. Brooks came along. Mrs. Brooks saved me from myself and taught me that there is a better way to live.
When Mrs. Brooks decided to move to Chestnut and start an orphanage, I couldn’t imagine not coming along. She’s not getting any younger, you know, and I figured she could use the help. What I didn’t figure on was running into a sheriff’s deputy named Jake Russell.
Miss Shannon Vannatter and Miss Pam Hillman (the lady who wrote my story) asked me if I might be open to Jake Russell coming to call. I’ll have to admit that I enjoy being around Jake more than I should, but, no, I’m not planning to marry or have children. The children at the orphanage are all I need to make me happy.
Miss Shannon and Miss Hillman asked some extremely personal questions about Jake Russell, and I politely declined to answer. Then Miss Hillman followed me around and witnessed the following scene, much to my embarrassment!
Excerpt from Stealing Jake: 
            Jake took a step toward her, all hint of sleep gone. “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”
            “No, nothing’s wrong.” She bit her lip, looked away, then glanced back at him. The best thing would be to spit it out. “I heard over at the mercantile that you’d been shot at last night, and I was … uh … worried.”
            “You were worried?” A slow grin spread across his face. He narrowed the gap between them, a teasing look in his eyes. “About me?”
            “A little.” She sidestepped and waved a hand in dismissal. “You know, as a friend.”
            “A friend?” He lifted a brow.
            “Yes, a friend.”
            He moved closer, so close she could see the gold flecks in his green eyes. The teasing look on his face disappeared as his gaze flickered to her lips. “Livy, I’m not sure I want to be your friend.” His voice sounded low and husky.
            She wanted to turn and run but felt she couldn’t move if her life depended on it. “Well, I—”
            He reached out and pulled her toward him, lowering his face to hers. His lips covered hers, and she drank in the taste of his kiss. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer before slanting his lips against hers, deepening the kiss. As if of their own volition, her arms twined themselves around his neck and pulled him closer. He pulled back and kissed the corner of her mouth, then lifted his head, his hooded gaze moving over her face.
“Just friends?” he whispered, his breathing as ragged as hers.
            Tears sprang to Livy’s eyes, and she put a trembling hand to his lips. “Just friends.”
            Then she disentangled herself, turned and ran from the jail, struggling to keep the gathering tears from falling.
It’s me again. Livy.
Honest, folks, Miss Hillman has this all wrong. I just wanted to make sure Jake was all right. That’s what friends are for, right? Not that we’re good friends, but that doesn’t mean I wanted him hurt.
I plan to stay away from him from now on, but if I do see him, I’ll make sure Miss Hillman and that high-fallutin’ writing machine of hers is nowhere around to document it!
About Pam: Award-winning author Pam Hillman writes inspirational fiction set in the turbulent times of the American West and the Gilded Age. Her debut book, Stealing Jake, won the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Genesis contest and was a finalist in Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart contest. She lives in Mississippi with her husband and family. Learn more at www.pamhillman.com, www.calicotrails.blogspot.com, and www.seekerville.blogspot.com
About the book:  When Livy O’Brien spies a young boy jostling a man walking along the boardwalk, she recognizes the act for what it is. After all, she used to be known as Light-fingered Livy. But that was before she put her past behind her and moved to the growing town of Chestnut, Illinois, where she’s helping to run an orphanage. Now she’ll do almost anything to protect the street kids like herself. 
Sheriff’s deputy Jake Russell had no idea what he was in for when he ran into Livy–literally–while chasing down a pickpocket. With a rash of robberies and a growing number of street kids in town–as well as a loan on the family farm that needs to be paid off–Jake doesn’t have time to pursue a girl. Still, he can’t seem to get Livy out of his mind. He wants to get to know her better . . . but Livy isn’t willing to trust any man, especially not a lawman.Interwoven throughout is a group of street kids arrested in Chicago and sold as child labor. Leading this band of ragamuffins is young Luke, a scared, determined orphan intent on rescuing his little brother at any cost.
Read the first Chapter: http://pamhillman.blogspot.com/2007/11/stealing-jake-prologue.html
Purchase Links:  Amazon and Barnes and Noble
KindlePalooza! Contest Link: http://pamhillman.blogspot.com/2011/07/pams-blog-tour-kindle-contest.html (Deadline to enter December 15, 2011)
Come back next week for Edie Melson.