TOTAL FOR TOUR – $2222.00 

8 Nights at Bruckwirt Inn w/2 Meals

2 Nights at Vienna Hotel         

Tour Bus/Driver for 8 Days               

(Not Included: Cost of Airline Ticket on Austrian/Lufthansa Airlines Round Trip From NY to Vienna – $1100 Leaving September 8)

Contact Cindy Nord for more info.

          A bolt of raw adrenaline shot through Callie when the sound of her given name spilled from the tall, hard-angled man. Her pulse hammered in her chest. She squared her shoulders, her chin jutting higher as his gaze reconnected with hers.

          “We’ve never met,” she snapped. “I’d have remembered you.”  Obviously, he wasn’t some cowpoke looking to squat on her land. Not this one. A red flag rippled inside her, and she pointed to the campfire in an attempt to hide her unease. “I spotted this a half-mile away. A fire this bright’s a blatant invitation for Apache lookin’ to lift a scalp.” 

          Stupid oaf.

          A smug smile lifted the man’s lips and a slash of white appeared. “I appreciate the warning.”  

          From his chiseled jaw carved straight from granite, to his cool, collected calmness, the man possessed an ease of manner that unnerved Callie, and she didn’t appreciate the feeling one damn bit. A stubborn spirit, her companion and strength these past five years, spiked straight through her. She rubbed her midriff where his thighs had bruised her ribs. And for one disturbing moment, she couldn’t help but admire his impressive strength. Granted, he’d bruised her ego far more than her body, but–

          Callie caught her thoughts and jerked them back into control, exactly where she liked things best. She squared her shoulders, then took a full step backward, the rowel on her boot heel chinking across the tension. “Look, mister, I don’t give a squat if the Apache scalp you this night or the next.  I just don’t want the bloody deed done on my ranch.”  Her fingers curled around the grip of her revolver as her gaze scanned his belongings near the campfire, and then moved on to his horse waiting in the shadows. “I could shoot you myself for trespassing and spare the Apache the trouble of killin’ you. Or,” her gaze drifted back to lock with his, “you can gather your gear, saddle that fine Morgan you’ve got line-tied over there, and get the hell off my land.”

SAVING CALLIE by Cindy Nord   

Last week Suzie Grant tagged me (biggest hugs to her for thinking of me ♥) to participate in THE NEXT BIG THING interview. SQUEEEE. Without any further ado, here’s my answers to some excellent questions. ENJOY…☺

THE NEXT BIG THING  

1.What is the title of your book?  NO GREATER GLORY  

2.What inspired this book? My love of all things Victorian 

3.What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Amid the carnage of war he commandeers more than just her home.  

4.What makes your hero a real hero? Heroism starts with attitude. And Reece has a duty to perform.  He expands upon that duty as he leads his men. Duty to serve others, to do good, to lead by example, whether or not it costs him in the end. Heroes aren’t planned, they’re created from an engrained drive deep inside them that must take charge, that forces them to  respond, to become a ‘John Wayne’ when the next crisis is laid at their feet.  The act of being a hero is simply the  manifestation of an already underlying strength inside Reece. The heroic efforts he now exudes had its foundation laid years before, when tragedy he couldn’t prevent changed his life forever.  When the time comes, heroes act upon ‘duty’ and once again Reece will slide into the role that defines him, unable to do anything less.

5.How long did it take you to write the first draft? 30+ years  

6.Tell us a little about your characters. Who is your favorite and why? EMALINE MCDANIELS displays a defiance born of desperation. The death of her husband years earlier has forced Shapensay Plantation’s responsibilities onto her shoulders. And its management now anchors her life.  Daily routines have become the ‘child’ she never had…and no mother gives up her child without a fight. COLONEL REECE CUTTERIDGE is a Federal cavalry officer with orders to commandeer Emaline’s home for his regiment’s winter bivouac.  Years after the horrific death of his family, he still hides his anguish and loss beneath an icy mantle of command.  He’s unprepared for the widowed plantation owner to upend his heart, his career and possibly even his life — yet that’s exactly what this strong wisp of a woman does.   

7.What is the overall theme of your story? The journey of two shattered souls on the opposite sides of a war who are destined to fall in love. 

8.What is your favorite setting in this particular story? And why? Reece & Emaline’s love story in NO GREATER GLORY is carved across the volatile tapestry of the American Civil War…and while the war outside suspends under the wickedness of winter, inside the Virginia mansion, battle lines are drawn.  

9.How did you come up with your character’s names?   I found the Cutteridge surname from an 1865 plot map discovered at the old Newburgh Public Library.  And I ultimately settled on the first name, Reece, after the hero from The Terminator ‘who came across time’ for his love.  Yep, Colonel Reece Cutteridge: Enigmatic…Masterful…Self-controlled.  And Emaline…sweetly spirited Emaline, is the name of the daughter I never had. 

10.What about your book would pique a reader’s interest?  The year is 1862 and the Army of the Potomac is pushing southward.  Her home just happens to lie in their path.

Here he represents a Colonel.  But in real life he was the Captain of the 14th Indiana Infantry – Company E (a Civil War reenactment group).

He was also in the movies GLORY (the Denzel Washington Oscar winner) AND North & South (the Patrick Swayze epic) mini-series on television. ☺

The world-wide English Audio will be available to iTunes, Amazon Audibals, etc in just two weeks. 

The Southwestern Arizona desert.  March, 1866   A groan fell from Jackson’s lips as he ran his hands through his hair.  When he’d decided against returning to his father’s bank, and instead invested in a place of his own, he never dreamed it would turn out like this.  He leaned back in the chair, the cool leather dousing the fires of his disappointment.  And I thought to stroll in and take charge with my smooth charms and humor.

His dry laugh echoed in the room.

Would it have made a difference if Reece had been honest about his sister?  Probably not.  Hell bent on riding west, Jackson looked forward to putting distance between himself and the bloodstained battlefields back east.  Buying half of Dos Caballos gave him the opportunity to do just that, to build again instead of destroy; a solid replacement for the past four years spent wrestling the gods of war.

His thoughts returned to Colleen Cutteridge. 

Perhaps he’d been a little too harsh with her.  After all, her odd behavior was, if not enchanting, at least understandable.  No one liked being bushwhacked with bad news, although the thought that he was viewed as such unsettled Jackson.  His sigh disturbed the dust motes peppering through the sunlight that fell across the desk.  The air still carried a trace of an old fire mixed around the subtle scent of leather.  His unwilling partner’s sapphire eyes, blazing brighter than any fire ever could, shimmered back into recall. 

“And Reece told me you were such a sweet, young thing,” he whispered to the sunshiny streaks in the room.  He shoved aside his maddening thoughts.  With the restlessness of one accustomed to activity, Jackson pulled his attention back into control. 

Laura Taylor — Multiple RT Award Winner, 2-Time Maggie Award Winner, & RWA RITA Finalist

NO GREATER GLORY has also just been contracted to AUDIO REALMS (World Wide-English distribution) and will be available for downloads via iTunes, iPhone, iPad, Amazon Audibles, etc…before the end of this year.  Another huge milestone in my journey to bring you the love story of Colonel Reece Cutteridge and Emaline McDaniels.