Make a Statement #romance #romancebooks #melissakeir

 

Make a Statement

In my story Claiming a Cowboy’s Heart, the main heroine has a strange past-time. She dresses up roadkill. Yes, you heard me right. And now I’m sure you are asking… “What were you thinking?”

Roadkill is a fact of life. When I’m taking long drives and bored, I play a game called “Name that Roadkill”. It helps to pass the time. But when I drive the same stretch of road, day in and day out, I become frustrated by the number of dead animals. Why don’t people drive better? Why are so many animals ending up belly side up? At one time, I thought to decorate the roadkill so that it was more noticeable, thinking that if people say the amount of animals killed, they would be more careful.

But someone beat me to it. In Toronto in 2015, a raccoon wasn’t just a piece of meat, it became a shrine to dead animals everywhere. The citizens created a memorial to the dead animal found on the sidewalk. At first, someone sent a message to the city government about the animal to which they responded that they’d send someone out. A little later, since no one had picked up the raccoon…flowers and candles began to appear. It was late that evening before anyone came out but by then the shrine was in full swing.

When it came time for me to write my cowboy story, I decided to weave this type of incident into my story. For my heroine, Michelle Alt, the dead animals serve as a reminder to people to not text and drive…to be careful. As it so happens, Michelle’s daughter is in a wheelchair for life because of a distracted driver. Both, mother and daughter’s, lives are changed with one simple act and Michelle decides to make a statement.

Claiming the Cowboy's Heart

Cowboys of Whisper, Colorado

Here’s a short excerpt:

With her floral shoulder bag hanging from her arm, Michelle Alt approached the dead raccoon. The smell overwhelmed her. Pinching her nose, she took deep breaths through her mouth. The full moon illuminated the intersection across from her school. People should learn to drive slower on this street. This time a raccoon, someday a child.

She squatted and dumped the contents of her purse on the asphalt. Removing the cheap dollar-store clothespin from her purse, she dealt with the smell and closed off her nose. The spring had just enough strength to press her nostrils together without hurting. With her hands free, she selected a yellow pair of sunglasses from inside her bag and slipped them on the raccoon’s face. A smile flitted across her lips.

Did I get your attention?? You can check out the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Claiming-Cowboys-Heart-Whisper-Colorado/dp/1543074154

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npRax3BIqfM

While Claiming the Cowboy's Heart is a part of the Cowboy's of Whisper, Colorado series... it can be read as a standalone. It's a novella, so perfect for a quick read and will leave you ready for more sexy Cowboys! Until next time.

Keep Reading,

Melissa Keir

www.melissakeir.com