Join the Resistance!
The first book in a new historical romance series, A REBEL IN JERICHO, is a suspenseful Wild West adventure with an abduction, border battles and Mexican saloons! Check out this novel from debut author Mimi Milan where two people learn that love, courage and faith are all they need to face the trials of the West.
To learn more about Mimi Milan check out her website!
Excerpt #2 - A REBEL IN JERICHO by Mimi Milan
Catalina gasped as a hand tightened around her arm and pulled her back. She looked up at the stranger who interrupted her moment of tranquility. His face looked worn and dangerous – or maybe it was just the ugly, jagged scar that ran down his left cheek.
Whatever the reason, his neatly combed blonde hair and fashionably tailored suit did little to ease Catalina.
“It’d be a real pity to lose such a pretty little gal to the great Mississippi. Don’t you think?” There was something sinister in his proud Southern drawl. His hand stayed on her arm, his thumb caressing her soft flesh.
Catalina grimaced as she pulled herself free. “Thank you for your concern, sir.” Her voice offered a token of gratitude, but surely her face belied the aversion she felt for the stranger.
An unpleasant smirk touched the man’s lips – his tongue flicking out to moisten them. The small act left Catalina feeling as though she were improperly dressed. She wrapped her arms around herself.
Distracted by something behind her, the man simply nodded. “My pleasure, Miss.” He briefly touched his hat. Then he turned, a brisk walk in his heel.
“Who was that?”
Startled, Catalina turned back around. Thankful to see it was Matthew, Catalina gave him a genuine smile. “Oh, it’s you.”
Matthew raised a quizzical brow. “Of course, it’s me. Were you expecting someone else?”
“No, no. It’s just...”
Catalina angled over a shoulder, but the stranger was already gone. She shook her head.
“Nothing. I’m just a little spooked about crossing this river.” Catalina dismissed the disturbing stranger as simply one of those eccentric sorts that – having obviously come from money –thought he was entitled to letch over women. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Well, don’t worry. It’ll be over in about fifteen minutes.”
“Really? I would have thought it takes a lot longer to cross such a large river.”
“Not this particular area we’re crossing.” Matthew pointed across the river to the landing dock in the horizon. “The boat will pull in right about there.”
Catalina bit her lip while she digested that bit of information. The dock looked welcoming, and they would be halfway to their destination once they reached it. What would that would mean for Matthew? What would he do once he got to Mexico? Would he stick around? After all, he was from there.
It would be nice to have a familiar face around.
Why would he, though? After the way she had behaved, he would probably just drop her off at her grandfather’s ranch and be on his way. Besides, it wasn’t like she really wanted him around. Right?
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About A REBAL IN JERICHO
After years of preparing for marriage, Catalina Santé is interested in little more than making a good match. And why not? She’s young, beautiful, educated… everything a wealthy man should want. However, a tragic accident will leave her with less than a marriage proposal—she’s fighting for her very life!
Matthew Martin spends most of his time just trying to fit into American society. It’s one of the reasons he became a deputy. Willing to risk it all in order to protect Catalina, he can’t imagine what that entails… until she’s abducted and sold to a Mexican saloon, where a border battle rages between two towns.
Can love and faith survive in such a harsh place? Will Matthew even be able to save Catalina?
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See what other readers are saying about A REBEL IN JERICHO:
“Romance, intrigue and danger! It’s an exciting adventure as the reader joins Catalina on her perilous journey through the underbelly of Mexico’s dark side.” – Patricia Highton
“A delightful blend of drama, romance, and self-discovery.” – Tiffany Matus
Add A REBEL IN JERICHO to your TBR pile on Goodreads!
Writer with a Cause
Do you ever look around and think that a lot of senseless stuff goes on in the world? Let’s take for example, violence. Why does it have to exist? What? People can’t find better things to do with their time? How about poverty? Hunger? Why in the name of all that is holy is it too hot for me to stand outside for ten minutes on a Monday afternoon, then pouring buckets of rain on Tuesday?
It’s the tenth rainy day here in the Queen City (the kind of day that makes you think of Noah’s flood), and I’m trying to think of the best way to answer a question that has been posed to me… Where did the idea “Writer with a Cause” come from, and what does it mean to me?
The truth?
Maybe I did come up with the title, but I certainly didn’t invent the idea.
Long before I ever came to be, there existed a belief that certain injustices needed to be addressed; action required to abolish them. From sit-ins to marches, speeches and protests, voices have spoken against all forms of evil – slavery, child abuse, domestic violence and many more issues that have no place in a society as technologically advanced as ours.
That’s what I thought the day I decided to write A Rebel in Jericho.
I was living in Michoacán, Mexico at the time (fighting for a cause of my own) when I got quite ill with Typhus. I visited the local pharmacy which had a small doctor’s office in the back room. While waiting for my turn to be seen, I saw a newspaper on the table beside me. “Mujeres Sin Rostro” (Women Without Faces) was printed in big, bold letters across the front. I thought the article might have been about a new suspense movie coming out, or something else equally interesting. After all, I was a tourist blinded by all the beauty of a foreign country.
So I flipped open the paper and startedeading the most astounding stories about abducted women who had no control over their lives, and were at the complete mercy of others. As a life-long activist, I wanted to do something. That’s when
Catalina came to mind and the story, A Rebel in Jericho, came to life. reading the most astounding stories about abducted women who had no control over their lives. Some forced into slavery, others choosing it after feeling they had no options, all the women were at the complete mercy of others.
I asked my husband about the article. Was it true? Could this kind of evil exist in such a beautiful place? Of course, my husband said, especially since you wouldn’t expect it.
As a former Guardian ad Litem and activist at heart, it made me angry to think that women (and even little girls) could be abused in such a way. That’s when I began doing research and came to learn that this wasn’t a Mexico problem. This was a world problem. In places big and small – even American cities you would least expect – there are rings of smugglers and pimps trafficking people every day for sex, drugs, sweat shops and even organs. I learned that even my hometown – a city praised for its medical, financial and technology contributions – was a hub for human trafficking.
I wanted to do something. I wanted to make a difference. However, the only thing I knew how to do was write stories.
That’s when Catalina came to life and I wrote the first book in the series, A Rebel in Jericho. I decided that I would pen books that could raise money for causes dear to me. Then I chose to write in the genre of inspirational romance because I believe that 1) people can do with a little hope that they don’t have to face their hardships alone, and 2) love really does conquer all – especially tragedies like modern day slavery.
Stamping out this kind of evil doesn’t occur overnight, though. I know it will take more than one book to raise awareness and really get people to care about this fight. So I created the series, The Jericho Resistance, because that’s what we need. Resistance. We need to resist the habit of looking the other way when injustice makes us uncomfortable. We need to resist the urge to quit the good fight when it seems like our army is too small. That’s what being a writer with a cause means to me… to join in the resistance.
Author Bio:
Mimi Milan spent two decades scribbling away in notebooks before realizing that her life’s calling was to write. So she returned from Mexico and attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Film. She currently resides in the suburbs of Charlotte, making time for God, family and imaginary friends.
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