Bestselling contemporary romance author Laura Moore's first story filled a coffee-stained notebook before she realized she might actually have written a love story that others would enjoy. Ride A Dark Horse was published a year later.
An accomplished equestrian and lifelong animal lover, Laura Moore lives in Rhode Island with her husband, two children and their black Lab. Their cat, Zevon, keeps them all in line.
An accomplished equestrian and lifelong animal lover, Laura Moore lives in Rhode Island with her husband, two children and their black Lab. Their cat, Zevon, keeps them all in line.
You can find Laura at her web site:
www.lauramoorebooks.com -- she encourages you to sign up for her newsletter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LauraMooreBooks
On Twitter: www.twitter.com/LauraMooreBooks
On Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/lauramoorebooks
Please join me in welcoming Laura Moore!
Hi, everyone! It’s so good to be back here at The Romance
Dish.
Anyone who’s read my books knows that I’m an animal lover. Pretty
much every story of mine has featured either a four-legged or a winged or a
finned creature. To me, the animals in our lives represent an important
connection to the natural world, and how we treat them reveals a great deal
about our characters. In this day and age of always being plugged in or staring
at some electronic device, the simple, basic forms of communication through
speech, body language, and touch are infinitely appealing. Interacting with
animals forces us to slow down. It requires us to be present.
My heroine, Quinn Knowles, in Once Touched, Book three in my Silver Creek series (note that all
the books can be read as stand-alones) understands this implicitly. She was
born and raised on a sprawling cattle and sheep ranch, has been riding since
she was barely more than a toddler, and rescued her first animal--an injured
bunny when she was a little girl. As an adult, her connection with animals has
only deepened.
When Ethan Saunders, a photojournalist who’s been embedded
with an army unit in Afghanistan arrives at Silver Creek Ranch, he’s wounded,
both in body and soul. Burdened by the horror and guilt of his wartime
experience his aim is to hide away from the world. He’s counting on the
Knowleses--old family friends of his parents--to leave him alone.
But he hasn’t counted on Quinn Knowles, who’s no longer the pig-tailed
girl he used to lead around
on her pinto pony. She’s grown into a strong and
determined woman who doesn’t back down even when he shows her his surliest,
bear-like side.
For Quinn, the visible and invisible wounds Ethan carries
can’t be ignored and she can’t resist trying to heal them. She knows that to allow Ethan
to retreat from the world will only cause those wounds to fester. From her
experience working with animals, she recognizes that the best medicine and
therapy for Ethan right now is to be with them.
In writing about Quinn and Ethan, I drew a lot on research
about therapy animals, in particular how much they can help disabled veterans
returning home. I hope that when you read Once
Touched, not only will you fall in love with Quinn and Ethan’s story but
you’ll be equally moved by the healing powers animals hold.
Excerpt from Once Touched:
When
Quinn opened her front door four hours later, she was greeted by a series of
barks and leaps from Sooner, a figure-eight pass between her legs by Pirate,
and eardrum-splitting squawks from Alfie, who was doubtless doing somersaults
from one perch to the next in his oversized cage in the study.
Her
friend Lorelei was the only sentient being under the roof who chose not to
greet her acrobatically. She remained curled up in an armchair, reading. One of
Sooner’s more ambitious leaps and spins must have entered her field of vision,
for she looked up from her book. With a smile of greeting, she removed two
bright orange earplugs. “You’re back.”
“Yeah.
Brilliant idea,” she said with a nod at the foam plugs. Brushing past Sooner’s
wriggling black and white body, she sank onto the drop-cloth-covered sofa with
a groan of relief and patted the cushion next to her, so Sooner would know he
had permission to join her.
Her cat
didn’t need permission. Pirate jumped up and then took a stroll along the back
of the sofa, brushing his body against Quinn’s head. From the study, Alfie
began barking.
She
grinned. “Boy, it’s good to be home. Got any more earplugs?”
Lorelei laughed. “No, but I can’t recommend them enough.
They make all the difference. Francesco got them for me after our first takeout
dinner here. He brought over these great burritos from this new Mexican place
on Route 101, just south of Ukiah. The guac was to die for. He’s such a
sweetie,” she said happily.
Francesco
and Lorelei had been dating for almost a year now, and from what Quinn could
tell, Francesco wasn’t just a sweetie; he also had intelligence and good taste.
He was crazy about Lorelei.
“Yeah,
you could do worse,” she said. “Like fall for the guy I just had to spend
three-plus hours with. Luckily, he slept most of the drive.” The second Ethan
had fallen asleep, his closely cropped head resting against the window and the
tightness in his jaw relaxing somewhat, Quinn had eased up on the gas to smooth
out the ride. Judging from the dark circles beneath his eyes, she had a feeling
he hadn’t slept in a while.
“This is
the guy you were picking up at the airport? The family friend?”
“His
parents are friends. The jury’s out on Ethan.” She blew out a breath. “It’s
possible he’s a prince.”
“From
your tone I’d guess he was more toad than prince.”
“Mm-hmm.
A prehistoric toad. Still . . .” She sighed and stroked Sooner’s head, which
was resting on her thigh. He was gazing at her with fixed devotion—a balm after
the hostility Ethan had displayed. “To be fair, it’s hard to tell what he’s
like. He’s pretty beat up. I imagine he’s none too happy about his limitations.
What I can’t figure out is why he’s chosen to come here. I parked as close to
the cabin he’s staying in as I could, and even then he looked ready to pass out
by the time he reached the cabin door. And he’s big—whip thin but tall. Hard to
lug.” Impossible to lug, she added
silently, since she’d have been terrified of hurting his arm.
Giveaway Alert!
I’m going to be
giving away a copy of Once Touched
(paper or e-book, winner’s choice--U.S. residents only, please). To enter, just
leave an answer to the following question in the comment section. The winner
will be chosen at random by The Romance Dish.
Do you have an animal? What kind and how has
it improved your life?
The youngest of the three
Knowles siblings, Quinn has in her blood the love of the land and its beautiful
creatures. Raising enough money to build an animal sanctuary is a dream Quinn
lives every day—while fending off her family’s well-intentioned matchmaking
schemes. Though harboring secret fears about intimacy, Quinn soon realizes she
cannot fight her growing attraction to a man who has suddenly entered her life.
Scarred by his months in Afghanistan and the violence he witnessed there through his camera lens, photojournalist Ethan Saunders throws himself into hard ranching work as a prescription for healing. But falling for Quinn has given him the one thing he thought he’d lost forever: hope. Ethan discovers that Quinn, like the innocent animals she rescues, is shy, and afraid of entrusting her heart to a man. Passion soon awakens Ethan’s strength, and his tender seduction may be just what Quinn needs to believe in herself—and in his love.
Scarred by his months in Afghanistan and the violence he witnessed there through his camera lens, photojournalist Ethan Saunders throws himself into hard ranching work as a prescription for healing. But falling for Quinn has given him the one thing he thought he’d lost forever: hope. Ethan discovers that Quinn, like the innocent animals she rescues, is shy, and afraid of entrusting her heart to a man. Passion soon awakens Ethan’s strength, and his tender seduction may be just what Quinn needs to believe in herself—and in his love.
Buy Links for Once
Touched:
