Five Roads From Beltane

by Susan Horsnell, Margaret Tanner, D'Ann Lindun, RaeAnne Hadley & Allison Merritt

An Interactive Western

Release Date: October 7

Outlaws hold up the bank in Beltane at the busiest time of the week.

Dire consequences follow, not only for the outlaws, but also their hostages.

One beginning, five different endings.

Which path will you choose?

Amazon Universal

Chapter One

Beltane

March 1895

Clint approached the alley leading to the rear entrance of the First National bank of

Beltane. Scanning the area, he noted his men were positioned and ready as planned. They had

meticulously gone over and over how the robbery was to play out. They dared not leave

anything to chance.

Pete was slumped against the wall of the hotel across the street with his hat pulled low

over his face. His long legs were splayed out, his arms crossed over his chest.

Billy is seated outside the Barber shop next door to the bank ‘reading’ the paper.

The horses are tethered out front and Clay is rummaging in a saddlebag for a non-

existent something. They have used ponies which won’t be recognized by any townsfolk. It’s

a pity the alleyway at the back of the bank wasn’t large enough to conceal their getaway

horses.

A quick glance around, before he disappears into the alley, reveals the street is quiet.

Most people are at home partaking of lunch. When he reached the rear door, he finds it

unlocked. Sliding the kerchief up over his nose he drew his colt from the holster. Slipping

inside the bank, he crept down the hall leading through to the main banking chamber at the

front.

He approached a partially opened office door. Jonas McCallum, Owner, the bronze

nameplate announces. He shoved the door open with force and it crashed on the wall. Jonas

glanced up and leapt from his chair. “What are you doing?”

“Move over here before you get shot.” Clint pointed the gun toward the owner and

indicated for him to move. When the man hesitated, he grabbed him by the neck and

positioned his rotund body so he can wrap one arm around his neck and lodge his gun firmly

in his back, before dragging him toward the front foyer of the bank. Clint opened a door

leading into the teller area and stepped through with his hostage. The tellers turned and

glanced at the stranger, fear and astonishment clearly etched on each face when they see their

boss with a gun at his back.

Their attention is diverted when the front doors crash open and Clint’s three partners

charge inside. Billy turned the lock on the doors while Pete and Clay move to cover the now

terrified customers.

“This is a bank hold-up. Do as we say and no-one will get hurt.” Clint waved his gun at a few customers. "Get down on the floor. Don't speak and don't move."

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Western Romance has always been my first love but I also write hot contemporary romance under my pen name A.L. Simpson.

In my Westerns I love to write about knock ‘em down - drag ‘em out fights, outlaws, bank robbery, stage hold-ups and romance.

In my Contemporary’s I write f/m, m/m and m/m/f. I usually draw on experiences for these and they usually cause more than a few tears for the readers.

When I am not writing I enjoy walking our dogs – 2 elderly Jack Russell Terriers - with my husband and travelling both overseas and in Australia.

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Margaret Tanner is an award winning, Australian author, who writes Historical Romance and Western Romance. She loves delving into the pages of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and prides herself on being historically correct. No book is too old or tattered for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty. Many of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia.

She has found from writing Western Historicals, that frontier Australia and frontier America, had many similarities, isolated communities, a large single male population and a lack of marriageable women.

Margaret is married and has three grown up sons, and two gorgeous little granddaughters. Outside of her family and friends, writing is her passion.

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Falling in love with romance novels the summer before sixth grade, D’Ann Lindun never thought about writing one until many years later when she took a how-to class at her local college. She was hooked! She began writing and never looked back. Romance appeals to her because there's just something so satisfying about writing a book guaranteed to have a happy ending. D’Ann’s particular favorites usually feature cowboys and the women who love them. This is probably because she draws inspiration from the area where she lives, Western Colorado, her husband of twenty-nine years and their daughter. Composites of their small farm, herd of horses, five Australian shepherds, a Queensland heeler, two ducks and cats of every shape and color often show up in her stories!

D’Ann loves to hear from readers! Please contact her at dldauthor@frontier.net

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I'm an accidental author as I began writing my first story, Mechanics of Murder, after I had been fired for taking maternity leave. I took a 3rd shift job and trying to keep myself awake, I used my imagination and started creating a story of a female mechanic, which I was, finding a dead body underneath the truck she was working on. My father absolutely loved the story and encouraged me to complete it and get it published. I was almost finished with the first draft when my father had a stroke. Encouraging him to get better, I rushed the book to Lulu Publishing without it being edited. My father was able to hold my first novel but was never able to read it, he passed away 2 days later. But it began a passion for me that has not dwindled!

I have continued writing and my list has now grown. With Love; Now & Forever and Shadows, both paranormal romances though with different personalities and twists. The sequel to Mechanics of Murder, A Wrench in the Plan, was completed in January of 2011 and was released in the spring of 2012.I know my Dad would be proud. My contemporary romance, Love's Everlasting Song, is a sweet tale where hopes,dreams and occasionally fairy tales do come true.

I usually have 5-7 novels in the works and plan on writing for many more years! My stories are not sexually graphic because I believe each readers experience and imagination are usually more erotic and more sensual than what I will put into words and I ALWAYS have to have a happy ending! Life is meant to be fun, enjoy the journey!!!

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A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.