Saturday Snippet: We Have Nothing to Discuss

 

The following snippet is taken from 

Diantha

Widows of Wildcat Ridge Book 14

 

          Inhaling a deep breath, Diantha decided she needed to take a stronger stance. It was one thing to be occasionally bullied by her late husband, but this man had no claim on her. She refused to answer to him. “Why, Mr. Crane, I don’t intend to tell you anything. It is really none of your business how I manage the financial affairs of my hotel. I suggest you focus your attention on your own hotel.”

          “It is my business, Mrs. Ames. The settlement draft with your name on it was cashed at the bank in Curdy’s Crossing. I want to know why you would deposit your money using a bank six miles away when you have a perfectly sound bank not even a block from your hotel.”

          “Once again, it is not your concern, Mr. Crane.”

          Mortimer pounded his fist on the registration counter. “It’s because of that scurrilous gossip started by that incompetent, simple-minded, trouble-making liar of a teller, Birdie Templeton, who used to work for me until she ran out on me. Am I right?”

          You mean that sweet, honest, well-intentioned woman you terrorized by almost kidnapping her in order to force her into prostitution before the man who is now her husband rescued her? Diantha folded her hands in front of her. “I assure you, Mr. Crane. I do not make my business decisions based on gossip. We have nothing to discuss. I am asking you to leave.”

 To read the book description for Diantha and find the purchase link, 

 PLEASE CLICK HERE.

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OSKAR AWARD: Best 2019 Novel Written by Zina Abbott

I am now on the final day of my "Oskar Awards" for my 2019 books. Today, I am featuring five of my six books published last year.  I chose them, not based on my favorites, because I greatly enjoyed writing them all. I selected these mainly based on the reception to them I received from my readers. These are the top five books I wrote in 2019:

Diantha:
          A widow, Diantha runs her late husband's hotel she inherited and the post office until Hank Cauley shows up bearing the news that he has been awarded the postmaster's position in place of Diantha's late husband. In a secondary romance, Buck returns to Wildcat Ridge to see if there can be a serious relationship between him and Hilaina. If so, can he find enough paying work to someday ask her to marry him?

Virginia's Vocation:
          Unwilling to settle for the expected role of women, Virginia uses her talent for writing articles published in a political magazine of the day. When her older brother and guardian decides to move west to Kansas Territory, she chooses to attend Oberlin College. There she meets Avery, one of her instructors and an aspiring writer who is envious of the success of Virginia pseudonym.

Escape from Gold Mountain:
          Based on real events and people, this tale of the stagecoach abduction of a Chinese woman held for ransom for eight days was taken from newspaper accounts and local histories. Woven with fictional characters and events, it is an alternative history bordering on the truth. 

Two Sisters and the Christmas Groom:
          Annie comes to Jubilee Springs to work as a maid for her former employer's daughter. Kate writes to a miner in Jubilee Springs in her attempt to escape the dead-end poverty of lower east Manhattan. Michael has been selected to live in company housing provided by Prosperity Mine as soon as he marries. As he gets to know both sisters, which will he choose?

Nathan's Nurse:
          Nothing at home for her after the death of her father, Dahlia agrees to write to men for the intent of finding a husband. Nathan offers a company house provided by his employer, Prosperity Mine, as soon as the two are married. Just before Dahlia arrives, he is injured in a mining accident and ends up in a coma. Between his injuries and a questionable marriage by proxy, the future does not look promising for this couple. 


And my choice for my best novel for 2019 is:

Escape from Gold Mountain

Escape from Gold Mountain was not historical fiction as much as it was fictionalized history. I spent more time doing research for this book than any other to date. I read several fiction books set in the same era which were written by Chinese-American authors to get a feel for the Cantonese Chinese culture. This book was almost a three year project. It is my longest novel to date. 

In my opinion, it is my best work, not just for 2019, but to date. 

For the full book description and purchase link,

please CLICKHERE.

If you missed the Oskar Award for Zina Abbott's best 2019 hero post, CLICK HERE. 

If you missed the Oskar Award for Zina Abbott's best 2019 heroine post, CLICK HERE. 

If you missed the Oskar Award for Zina Abbott's best 2019 secondary male character post, CLICK HERE. 

If you missed the Oskar Award for Zina Abbott's best 2019 secondary female character post, CLICK HERE. 

If you missed the Oskar Award for Zina Abbott's best 2019 antagonist/villian post, CLICK HERE.