The Pit and the Penance

by Velda Brotherton

A ghost from her past threatens small town reporter Jessie West and those closest to her as she works to uncover a sinister secret found in the burned-out shed of Grace County’s newest resident. Things become even stranger when two bodies turn up that could be connected to the case, but the link is anything but solid. Then a guest at the local bed and breakfast disappears, and the Sheriff himself is behaving strangely. As if Jessie and her lover, Deputy Sheriff Dallas Starr, didn’t have enough to deal with, federal agents and the mob have chosen this particular moment to descend upon idyllic Cedarton, Arkansas and start raising hell.

It’s up to Jessie and Dal to put the clues together and navigate the treacherous, muddy waters of loyalty, secrecy, and long-buried secrets—before the ones who would rather those skeletons never get unearthed stop them for good. (376 pages)

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Publisher: Lagan
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About the Author

Velda Brotherton has a long career in historical writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of history and the west is responsible for the publication of 25 books and novels since 1994.

But she’s not about ready to stop there. When the mid-list crisis hit big city publishers, she turned first to writing regional nonfiction, then began to look at the growing popularity of small presses as a source for the books that continue to flow from her busy mind. Those voices simply won’t shut up, and so she finds them a home.

First she obtained a conversion of rights for her out-of-print historical romances and published all six to Kindle. Within a matter of months, she placed a western historical romance, Stone Heart’s Woman, with The Wild Rose Press, an award winning publisher of both print and E books; then a mainstream paranormal, Wolf Song, was accepted by SynergE Books.

Not satisfied that her career might level off, she produced an audio book of Montana Promises along with Jeff Justus. The Montana series is also available as a boxed set. A novella, The Legend of the Rose, based on the true story of Cimarron Rose, is available on Kindle. Stone Heart’s woman is also available in audio.

While Wild Rose Press continues to publish her western romances, including Wilda’s Outlaw: The Victorians, and the second in the series, Rowena’s Hellion, in a change of pace, the press published her Vintage love story, Once There Were Sad Songs. The most thrilling experience in her writing career came when Oghma Creative Media contracted her book, Beyond the Moon, a story she has treasured since its first writing in 1985, and signed her to a four-book contract. One is to reprint the Ozark cookbook containing recipes from her mother’s collection and stories of growing up in Arkansas during the depression,

The most fun she’s had came when owner/designer of Oghma Creative Media, Casey Cowan, suggested a new brand. Sexy Dark and Gritty so well fits her writing style that it was quickly adopted.

This busy writer who has co-chaired a large weekly critique group since 1988, also gives two yearly all-day workshops and mentors promising young writers, plus teaches at conferences in a four-state area. She isn’t sure what will come next. With all those voices in her head, she’s bound to let some of them out to play before long.

Website: veldabrotherton.com