Halloween Treat - Hearts Flush by MJ Schiller

M. J. Schiller, a bestselling author of the Rock Romance sub-genre, is one of my favorite authors. She blends emotion, great characters, and a compelling plot into a book you can’t put down.

Now, she’s written and published, HEARTS FLUSH, a book in a different genre—historical western romance—and it’s awesome.

I’m excited to tell you about it so let’s start with a blurb.

HEARTS FLUSH

For him, everything was riding on this hand.

The year is 1858. Banker Alistair Lynn hires four brothers to protect his family as they travel west.

Jessie Weston, the youngest of the four, is different. Thoughtful, Jessie tries to hide his reading from his brothers, who tease him incessantly for it. 

Piper Lynn, the youngest of the Lynn sisters, is also “different.” Forever with her head in a book, she often speaks with a frankness that others find off-putting. 

When their trip leads them through trials and tragedies, Jessie and Piper fall in love. But, as neither of them is experienced with the opposite sex, they often misunderstand each other. Will these difficulties tear them apart or will it be one of the dangers on their journey that ends their budding courtship in a more permanent way?

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JESSIE

If I’d known what I was going to be wagering for, I would have listened to my stupid brothers when they explained poker. Everything important to me was riding on this one game. 

Sweat broke on my brow. Could I remember their card playing advice? I had to, or she’d be leaving with another man, and, in a convoluted way, it would be my fault. 

I glanced up into Piper’s face. The color had gone out of her usually rosy cheeks, her lips quivered slightly, and hers were the eyes of a trapped animal. She was scared to death. And she should be. She lowered her head, looking ashamed and embarrassed. And she should be. 

McDiver ran his gaze over her lustily, and my skin crawled. My opponent rubbed a knuckle along the side of Piper’s finger on the table, and she recoiled. McDiver laughed at her, and my jaw tightened. I would not allow this pig of a man near Piper, even if it cost me my life. 

I studied my cards. A five of hearts, jack of spades, two of clubs, queen of hearts, and an ace of hearts. Could I have a worse hand? They didn’t even come close to matching.

“Well? What’s it gonna be? Ya want ta draw?”

Oh, yes. I can git different cards ta possibly make what I had better. But what to keep? The ace, because it was highest?

I so wished Dawson was around instead of being occupied with a woman. Or, if Amycus weren’t completely drunk, with his head on the bar, he may be able to advise me. 

I glanced up in hopes that Dawson was winding his way down the steps but was disappointed. I picked the four other cards surrounding the ace and was about to lay them on the table when I remembered. 

If I can git them all the same…what did they call it? What does it matter, all with the same symbol on them—that was a good hand. But will it be good enough? 

I kept my three heart cards and removed the other two.

Besides, I’ll have more chances ta match whatever cards the jackass is gonna give me.

I threw my two cards on the table, and he dealt me two more, face down.

Joan Reeves aka SlingWords: The Word Slinging Adventures of Joan Reeves

Source: https://slingwords.blogspot.com/2025/10/halloween-treat-hearts-flush-by-mj-schiller.html