Excerpt: 'Do Not Forsake Me' by Rosanne Bittner

Rosanne Bittner joins us to share an excerpt from her new historical romance, Do Not Forsake Me, book two in her Outlaw Hearts series.

About the book (courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca):

Fate brought them together. His past may tear them apart.

Miranda Hayes' life was changed the day she faced down infamous gunslinger Jake Harkner…and walked away with his heart. Their fates have been intertwined ever since. Hunted by the law, fleeing across a savage land, their desperate love flourished despite countless sorrows. Now, twenty-six years later, their family has finally found some measure of peace…balanced on the knife's edge of danger.

Jake has spent his years as a U.S. Marshal atoning for sins, bringing law to the land he once terrorized. But no matter how hard he fights the demons of his brutal past, the old darkness still threatens to consume him. Only Miranda keeps the shadows at bay. But when outlaws looking for revenge strike a fatal blow, Jake risks losing the one woman who saw past his hard exterior and to the man inside.

He always knew there'd be the devil to pay. He just never realized he might not be the one to bear the ultimate price.

Rosanne sets the scene for us …

Rosanne:

Dear Readers,

Today I will share one of the more touching excerpts from Do Not Forsake Me, one that shows you the real Jake Harkner and how much his family loves him. In this excerpt, Jake's grown son, Lloyd, who is immensely devoted to his father and rides with him as a Deputy U.S. Marshal, is talking to a reporter about Jake, and his words beautifully describe the kind of man the seemingly ruthless Jake Harkner really is.

EXCERPT

(Reporter) "Does Jake ever pray?"

Lloyd took a cigarette from his shirt pocket. "I honestly don't know, Jeff. He wears his mother's crucifix, and I think he believes, but I don't know if he prays."

"I talked to him just a little bit about faith that day I sat on the church steps with him and he wouldn't go inside. He got real quiet a couple of times when he could hear the hymn singing. I'd love to know what was going through his head."

Lloyd smiled. "Can you picture Jake Harkner standing at the pearly gates? God would ask him, 'Jake Harkner, how many men have you killed?' 'Lord, I've lost count.' 'And how many whores have you slept with?' 'Lord, I've lost count on that, too.' 'Well, then, how about cussing?' 'Cussing? Hell, I cuss all the damn time, Lord.' 'And has your heart ever been filled with hate and anger?' 'Lord, my heart is full of hate and anger about twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.'"

Both men couldn't help laughing at the vision, but then Lloyd sobered. "Then God would ask if he's been a good husband and father. 'I tried to be the best at both, Lord,' he'd have to say. And God would ask if he ever loved anybody, and he'd have to answer that he loved my mother and me and my sister with every fiber of his being — and that he loved his mother and little brother. 'But you killed your own father,' God might say. And my pa would have to answer that all he did was get rid of Satan himself, because that was who his father was. And I think God would tell my pa that he did a good job of loving his family, and he'd see that my pa has a good heart, and he'd let him through those gates, even though he never stepped foot into a church."

Jeff shook his head. "Maybe I should let you write this book, Lloyd. You have a way with words."

Lloyd shrugged. "When we were growing up my mother sometimes read poetry to us. I like learning how to express feelings with the right words … pretty words, Pa calls them. He has his own way of expressing himself, as you well know."

They both laughed again. "And it's far from pretty most of the time," Jeff answered. "He's a man who says exactly what he's thinking."

"Maybe so. But he's real good at changing the subject when you start hitting the raw spots."

Find out more about Rosanne and her books at www.rosannebittner.com.