The Rustler (Stone Creek Series) »

In 2006, New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller left the Arizona horse property she's called home for the past five years and listened to the call of her heart. Packing up her dogs, Sadie and Bernice, and her four horses, the author of more than seventy novels bid farewell to her home in the desert and returned to the place of her birth, Spokane, Washington.

The daughter of a town marshal, Linda grew up in Northport, WA, a community of 500 on the Columbia River, 120 miles north of Spokane. Her childhood remembrances include riding horses and playing cowgirl on her grandparents' nearby farm. Her grandparents' spread was so rustic that in the early days it lacked electricity and running water.

As delightful as this childhood was, Linda longed to see the world. After graduating as valedictorian of her high school class, she left to pursue her dream at the age of eighteen. Because of the success of her writing career, Linda was able to live part-time in London for several years, spend time in Italy and travel to such far-off destinations as Russia, Hong Kong and Israel. Now, Linda says, the wanderlust is (mostly) out of her blood, and she's come full circle, back to the people and the places she knows and loves.

Before Linda begins her writing day, she takes her first cup of coffee while enjoying the scenic view of the wooded draw behind her new home. The first morning there, a snowfall blanketed the pine trees, something she had missed in the desert outside Scottsdale. Still enamored with the people she came to love in Arizona, she says she will still set books in that starkly beautiful area, and, of course, Washington.

Devoted tohelpingothers pursue their dreams, the author will launch her seventh round of the Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women in May 2007. A talented speaker, she donates all her speaking honoraria to her scholarship fund. The stipends are awarded to women who seek to better their lot in life through education.

It's no wonder the protagonists in Miller's novels are women her readers admire for their honor, courage, trustworthiness, valor and determination to succeed, despite overwhelming odds. "These qualities make them excellent role models for young women," Miller explains. "The male leads possess equally noble traits that today's woman would be delighted to find in her life's mate."

The author traces the birth of her writing career to the day when a Northport teacher told her that the stories she was writing were good, that she just might have a future in writing. Later, when she decided to write novels, she endured her share of rejection before she made her first sale.

Where does an outlaw go when he's ready to turn straight? For Wyatt Yarbro, reformed rustler and train robber, Stone Creek is his place of redemption. And lovely Sarah Tamlin is the perfect angel to help him clean up his act.…

But Sarah keeps a dark secret behind her prim and proper facade, even as her heart is lost to charming, sexy Wyatt. When a vengeful enemy prepares to unleash havoc on the peaceful town, Wyatt and Sarah will discover that they can't hide from the past. To win the fight, they must believe in something they never trusted before—the hope of tomorrow.

Publishers Weekly

Miller's third Stone Creek novel (after 2008's A Wanted Man) gets as hot as the noontime desert. In early 20th-century Arizona territory, Wyatt Yarbro leaves behind his life as an outlaw as he temporarily replaces his brother as the deputy marshal of Stone Creek and sets out to woo Sarah Tamlin, the intelligent and beautiful daughter of a local banker. The somewhat predictable plot line is enhanced as Sarah's secrets are carefully revealed, and the relationship between Sarah and Wyatt sizzles in a series of very sensual love scenes. Miller's portrayal of Sarah as a strong, independent woman sets this novel apart from customary tales of the damsel in distress and the rescuing hero. Instead, Miller focuses on Sarah and Wyatt's shared and separate vulnerabilities and how they find it easier to face the difficulties of everyday life when they're together. Well-developed, personable characters and a handful of loose ends will leave readers anticipating future installments. (Oct.)

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