{"id":7377,"date":"2011-04-12T01:49:07","date_gmt":"2011-04-12T06:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=7377"},"modified":"2011-04-13T21:59:32","modified_gmt":"2011-04-14T02:59:32","slug":"a-cowboys-touch-by-denise-hunter-first","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=7377","title":{"rendered":"A Cowboy’s Touch by Denise Hunter – FIRST"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n
Denise Hunter <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/strong><\/p>\n

A Cowboy’s Touch <\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2011)<\/p>\n

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings, Senior Media Specialist, The B&B Media Group for sending me a review copy.***<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she’s been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!<\/p>\n

Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

Wade’s ranch home needs a woman’s touch. Abigail’s life needs a cowboy’s touch.<\/p>\n

Four years ago, rodeo celebrity Wade Ryan gave up his identity to protect his daughter. Now, settled on a ranch in Big Sky Country, he lives in obscurity, his heart guarded by a high, thick fence.<\/p>\n

Abigail Jones isn\u2019t sure how she went from big-city columnist to small-town nanny, but her new charge is growing on her, to say nothing of her ruggedly handsome boss. Love blossoms between Abigail and Wade–despite her better judgment. Will the secrets she brought with her to Moose Creek, Montana separate her from the cowboy who finally captured her heart?<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

Product Details:<\/p>\n

List Price: $14.99<\/p>\n

Paperback: 320 pages<\/p>\n

Publisher: Thomas Nelson (March 29, 2011)<\/p>\n

Language: English<\/p>\n

ISBN-10: 1595548017<\/p>\n

ISBN-13: 978-1595548016<\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Abigail Jones knew the truth. She frowned at the blinking curser on her monitor and tapped her fingers on the keyboard-what next?<\/p>\n

Beyond the screen’s glow, darkness washed the cubicles. Her computer hummed, and outside the office windows a screech of tires broke the relative stillness ofthe Chicago night.<\/p>\n

She shuffled her note cards. The story had been long in coming, but it was finished now, all except the telling. She knew where she wanted to take it next.<\/p>\n

Her fingers stirred into motion, dancing across the keys. This was her favorite part, exposingtruth to the world. Well, okay, not the world exactly, not with Viewpoint’s paltry circulation. But now, during the writing, it felt like the world.<\/p>\n

Four paragraphs later, the office had shrunk away, and all that existed were the words on the monitor and her memory playing in full color on the screen of her mind.<\/p>\n

Something dropped onto her desk with a sudden thud. Abigail\u2019s hand flew to her heart, and her chair darted from her desk. She looked up at her boss\u2019s frowning face, then shared a frown of her own. \u201cYou scared me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd you\u2019re scaring me. It\u2019s after midnight, Abigail\u2014what are you doing here?\u201d Marilyn Jones\u2019s hand settled on her hip.<\/p>\n

The blast of adrenaline settled into Abigail\u2019s bloodstream, though her heart was still in overdrive. \u201cBeing an ambitious staffer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou mean an obsessive workaholic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomething wrong with that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong is my twenty-eight-year-old daughter is working all hours on a Saturday night instead of dating an eligible bachelor like all the other single women her age.\u201d Her mom tossed her head, but her short brown hair hardly budged. \u201cYou could\u2019ve at least gone out with your sister and me. We had a good time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m down to the wire.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been here every night for two weeks.\u201d Her mother rolled up a chair and sank into it. \u201cYour father always thought you\u2019d be a schoolteacher, did I ever tell you that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout a million times.\u201d Abigail settled into the chair, rubbed the ache in her temple. Her heart was still recovering, but she wanted to return to her column. She was just getting to the good part.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou had a doctor\u2019s appointment yesterday,\u201d Mom said. Abigail sighed hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever happened to doctor-patient confidentiality?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoes out the window when the doctor is your sister. Come on, Abigail, this is your health. Reagan prescribed rest\u2014R-E-S-T\u2014and yet here you are.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple more days and the story will be put to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then there\u2019ll be another story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what I do, Mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve had a headache for weeks, and the fact that you made an appointment with your sister is proof you\u2019re not feeling well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail pulled her hand from her temple. \u201cI\u2019m fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what your father said the week before he collapsed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compassion and frustration warred inside Abigail. \u201cHe was sixty-two.\u201d And his pork habit hadn\u2019t helped matters. Thin didn\u2019t necessarily mean healthy. She skimmed her own long legs, encased in her favorite jeans . . . exhibit A.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been thinking you should go visit your great-aunt.\u201d Abigail already had a story in the works, but maybe her mom had a lead on something else. \u201cNew York sounds interesting. What\u2019s the assignment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRest and relaxation. And I\u2019m not talking about your Aunt Eloise\u2014as if you\u2019d get any rest there\u2014I\u2019m talking about your Aunt Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail\u2019s spirits dropped to the basement. \u201cAunt Lucy lives in Montana.\u201d Where cattle outnumbered people. She felt for the familiar ring on her right hand and began twisting.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe seems a bit . . . confused lately.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail recalled the birthday gifts her great-aunt had sent over the years, and her lips twitched. \u201cAunt Lucy has always been confused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone needs to check on her. Her latest letter was full of comments about some girls who live with her, when I know perfectly well she lives alone. I think it may be time for assisted living or a retirement community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail\u2019s eyes flashed to the screen. A series of nonsensical letters showed where she\u2019d stopped in alarm at her mother\u2019s appearance. She hit the delete button. \u201cLet\u2019s invite her to Chicago for a few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe needs to be observed in her own surroundings. Besides, that woman hasn\u2019t set foot on a plane since Uncle Murray passed, and I sure wouldn\u2019t trust her to travel across the country alone. You know what happened when she came out for your father\u2019s funeral.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDad always said she had a bad sense of direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNevertheless, I don\u2019t have time to hunt her down in Canada again. Now, come on, Abigail, it makes perfect sense for you to go. You need a break, and Aunt Lucy was your father\u2019s favorite relative. It\u2019s our job to look after her now, and if she\u2019s incapable of making coherent decisions, we need to help her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abigail\u2019s conscience tweaked her. She had a soft spot for Aunt Lucy, and her mom knew it. Still, that identity theft story called her name, and she had a reliable source who might or might not be willing to talk in a couple weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cReagan should do it. I\u2019ll need the full month for my column, and we can\u2019t afford to scrap it. Distribution is down enough as it is. Just last month you were concerned\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Her mother stood abruptly, the chair reeling backward into the aisle. She walked as far as the next cubicle, then turned. \u201cHypertension is nothing to mess with, Abigail. You\u2019re so . . . rest- less. You need a break\u2014a chance to find some peace in your life.\u201d She cleared her throat, then her face took on that I\u2019ve-made-up- my-mind look. \u201cWhether you go to your aunt\u2019s or not, I\u2019m insisting you take a leave of absence.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was no point arguing once her mother took that tone. She could always do research online\u2014and she wouldn\u2019t mind visiting a part of the country she\u2019d never seen. \u201cFine. I\u2019ll finish this story, then go out to Montana for a week or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFinish the story, yes. But your leave of absence will last three months.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThree months!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may take that long to make a decision about Aunt Lucy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about my apartment?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReagan will look after it. You\u2019re hardly there anyway. You need a break, and Moose Creek is the perfect place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moose Creek. \u201cI\u2019ll say. Sounds like nothing more than a traffic signal with a gas pump on the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be silly. Moose Creek has no traffic signal. Abigail, you have become wholly obsessed with\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I\u2019m a hard worker . . .\u201d She lifted her shoulders.<\/p>\n

Her mom\u2019s lips compressed into a hard line. \u201cWholly obsessed with your job. Look, you know I admire hard work, but it feels like you\u2019re always chasing something and never quite catching it. I want you to find some contentment, for your health if nothing else. There\u2019s more to life than investigative reporting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the Truthseeker, Mom. That\u2019s who I am.\u201d Her fist found home over her heart.<\/p>\n

Her mother shouldered her purse, then zipped her light sweater, her movements irritatingly slow. She tugged down the ribbed hem and smoothed the material of her pants. \u201cThree months, Abigail. Not a day less.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

MY REVIEW: (Repeat of Earlier\u00a0 Review for BookSneeze – 3-18-11)
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Already a fan of Denise Hunter\u2019s novels, I was happy to receive a review copy of A Cowboy\u2019s Touch<\/strong><\/em>. As expected, it was a thoroughly enjoyable story that I didn\u2019t want to put down until I came to its end.<\/p>\n

The realistically portrayed characters, well described setting, and a believable plot kept it interesting. Wade was the perfect cowboy, a strong and rugged man with a sensitive and tender heart. His daughter Maddy was a charming but vulnerable little girl who added a special depth to the story. And workaholic Abigail\u2019s heart was to do the right thing but her health issues and work related stress keep her emotionally conflicted.<\/p>\n

Although both Abigail and Wade have excellent reasons to avoid a romantic relationship, they find themselves strongly attracted to each other. Maddy\u2019s growing attachment to Abigail further complicates matters. When Abigail comes across information about Wade that could save her mother\u2019s magazine, her decisions could cost her everything.<\/p>\n

With a heavy emphasis on the importance of forgiveness, A Cowboy\u2019s Touch<\/strong><\/em> has a strong spiritual message for its readers. I would definitely recommend A Cowboy\u2019s Touch<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,60,41,44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7377","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-contemporary-fiction","category-romance","category-western"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7377"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7403,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7377\/revisions\/7403"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7377"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7377"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}