Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Holden by Delores Fossen ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

When a baby goes missing, a Texas marshal and a woman from his past discover there's a whole lot more behind this kidnapping

Holden Ryland certainly didn't become a marshal just to end up busting his ex, Nicky Hart, for taking files from Conceptions Fertility Clinic. But only Nicky knows just what was really stolen: a newborn being held for ransom. A newborn who is kin to both her and Holden. The missing boy is only the start of a mystery that snakes through Texas, winding its way through their families. Bad blood may linger between them, but Holden can protect his nephew back at the Silver Creek Ranch. If they can lay their past to rest to rescue this child, is it possible for them to have a future together?



Oh, he was not going to like this. “I hacked into the clinic’s computer and copied some files,” she added. “Hacked into the senator’s computer, too, and then I put a listening device in Conceptions Clinic.”
Now, Holden’s cursing got a whole lot worse. For good reason. Because she’d just rattled off enough crimes to put her in jail. But she’d had an even bet­ter reason to do this.
To save Annie’s son.
“That’s what the thug was talking about,” Holden snarled. “Where are the files and what’s in them?”
Nicky decided to skip the where part and move to the what. Just in case the thug had managed to turn the tables on her and bug her car.
“The ones I copied from Conceptions were marked ‘the Genesis Project,’” she explained. “No names were connected with them, just case numbers, and when I looked at one, I figured out from the dates that the case number was Annie and Emmett’s.”
She’d tell him about the other info in them later. For now, Nicky focused on taking the road to the B and B.
“I don’t know who did it, but someone stole Annie and Emmett’s embryo and implanted it into a sur­rogate. And last week, the surrogate gave birth to a boy.” Nicky turned off her car’s headlights as she approached the B and B, and she pulled off the road, parking behind some trees.
Holden shook his head, stayed quiet a moment. “Could be it was a mix-up. Or maybe the embryo was donated to another couple who used a surrogate?”
Mercy, she wanted to latch onto that and believe it. “Then, why did that man just threaten me?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you stole more than one set of files or pissed off more than just these people. Or it could have something to do with why the FBI wants to arrest you.”
Even if it was true, it was still too big of a risk to let them move the baby. Of course, Holden might not believe there was a baby. He soon would, though.
“Who’s inside that place?” he asked.
“Probably more men like the one who came to my house tonight.” Hired guns to protect very pre­cious cargo until they could get her father to pay up. “Look, I don’t have time to explain all of this, but if they move the baby, we might never find him.”
She didn’t voice her greatest fear, that the goons inside might try to harm him so there’d be no proof of what they’d done.
“What if there really is a baby inside?” he went on. “How would we even know if it’s Emmett and Annie’s?”
She motioned toward her hair. “According to what I heard from the eavesdropping device, he’s a gin­ger.” Not exactly rare but at least it was something like Annie and me. Besides, she thought she might recognize her own sister’s child.



When Delores Fossen was a child, she used to sneak around and collect fingerprints, hair strands and fibers left by family members and guests. At age eight, she solved a crime. Well, sort of. When someone nibbled off the ear of her chocolate Easter bunny, she searched for clues and soon discovered that her sister had chocolate bunny breath. With that "case closed," Delores believed she’d discovered her calling--she wanted to be a Texas Ranger or FBI agent. But after realizing that she just wouldn't be very good at chasing down bad guys, she opted for a slightly different career path--she creates fictional cowboys and cowboy cops for Harlequin Intrigue and HQN Books. Writing is something she enjoys immensely, and it has earned her the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice and Booksellers Best Awards, and she was a finalist for the prestigious Rita.


Married to an Air Force colonel and the mother of four children, Delores has lived in England and all over the U.S. She’s had a variety of careers and jobs: an Air Force captain, a special ed teacher and a rehab counselor. None was as fun or challenging as the time she’s spent as a stay-at-home mom. She still collects fingerprints, hair strands and fibers every time she dusts or vacuums, which isn’t very often.



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6 comments:

  1. Love the sexy cowboy with two babies

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  2. The man looks like he is so gorgeous and so appealing with the kids.

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  3. Love the cover with the Texas Marshall & two little kids. He looks like a natural to be a father.

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  4. Great cover. I love how he's holding the girl in his arms and the boy has more freedom and is sitting on the floor but still has dad's protective hand around him.

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  5. I like the cover, the guy is handsome & the babies are cute.

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  6. The cover is eye-catching and appealing!

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