"Special Gift" - An Angel Called Gallagher by MK McClintock - Excerpt & Interview

What could possibly go wrong at Christmas?


An Angel Called Gallagher


On a ranch known as Hawk’s Peak, a family celebrates love, joy, and peace at last . . . or so the Gallaghers thought.


Briarwood, Montana Territory—December 1883


Brenna is convinced she hears a woman singing to her son. Eliza and Ethan are unnerved by a sleepwalker, and Isabelle swears Hawk’s Peak is haunted.


Then an unlikely visitor stumbles into their lives.


Enjoy a heartwarming holiday adventure filled with tenderness, hope, and the promise of a better tomorrow for more than one deserving soul. Join us for a Gallagher Christmas at Hawk’s Peak and fall in love with the family all over again.


Kindle ~ Amazon Print ~ B&N ~ BAM! ~ Bookshop ~ Large Print



"I just love when a book literally covers everything. Love, despair, holidays, generosity, family, beautiful scenery, all rolled into one perfect book! MK McClintock has created this in An Angel Called Gallagher. Her wordsmithing is beyond reproach. I very highly recommend this beautiful book at all readers!" - Meri Overstreet, Amazon Review

Enjoy an excerpt from

An Angel Called Gallagher


Briarwood, Montana Territory—December 1883


White clouds of warm breath snaked through the cold air. She held her hands in front of her mouth in an effort to bring heat to her stiff fingers. Fresh snow had covered the land while she tried to sleep, and she didn’t want to sleep too long for fear that the small fire would dwindle. Two thin pieces of wood leaned against the inside of the small black pail. She tucked her feet under her legs and pressed them into her chest. The wool blanket was thin and only warm enough for a cool day, not bitter winter nights. When the sun dipped behind the mountains and the moon rose, the cold seeped past the blanket and into her bones.


Sleep came and went like fleeting dreams until the stars faded, and the small window by the door promised to reveal a rising sun over the mountain peaks. It would be a good day to gather more wood and branches from the forest floor. She looked to the two pegs above the narrow stone fireplace where her father’s rifle used to hang. The emptiness in her stomach might be worse if her father hadn’t left behind a cut of deer. She finished the last of the meat the night before, and the gnawing in her gut told her she’d have to find a meal soon.


Her eyes closed when the soft rays of sun touched her skin. As though drawn toward the promise of warmth, she stepped off the bed with the blanket wrapped around her small shoulders and opened the front door.


Catherine Rose Carr had been raised properly and prided herself on her ability to do her numbers, read a full book without too much difficulty, and to follow the moral rules her mother said every young man and woman must abide by to get to Heaven. She wasn’t certain if she was going to Heaven, or if her mother and father were even there waiting for her, but Catie was sure her behavior the past two weeks excluded her from ever finding out.


Excerpt Copyright (c) MK McClintock. Learn more at the author's website.



"I had not expected to spend Christmas in Montana in the 1880’s, but found myself there as soon as I started reading An Angel Called Gallagher. And what a grand time I had! MK’s words allowed me to immerse myself into this time and place so easily. I spent a wonderful afternoon seeing more of how the Gallaghers interact with each other; how they respond to difficult situations, and how they welcomed Catie into their home and hearts. I love the Montana Gallagher series, but this one is special. An Angel Called Gallagher is truly a gift for the soul. You will not be disappointed." —Goodreads Review

In the author's words . . .

Q&A with MK McClintnock


What makes An Angel Called Gallagher special or unique to you? Can you give us a little story behind the story?


Every book is special and unique to me, and when I am writing, it is my favorite. I love getting to know new characters: what makes them who they are, and I really love this family! The Gallaghers have a lot to offer those who happen into their lives. An Angel Called Gallagher introduces Catie, a young girl who needed a loving and caring family more than anything else in the world. The family welcomes here into their home and hearts, but not all is what it seems, and they have a rocky path to traverse. Catie is a remarkable girl who proves that a person can be strong, no matter one's age. I love this family more and more with every story, and I can't wait for you to meet Catie and spend Christmas with us all at the ranch. I hope you'll let me know what you think after you've read the book.


What do you hope readers will take away from this story?


This is a fun holiday book with neat twists and surprises, but at the core it is about home, love, hope, new beginnings, and second chances. There is a lot of love going on, from romantic to familial. I hope readers are uplifted by the struggles the characters overcome, and realizing that even when things are dark there is always something good waiting to happen.


Do you share any personality traits with any of the characters?


A lot of them, actually. In order to help better relate to, or understand, the heroines, I put a little of myself in each of them. Sometimes it's a personality quirk, and other times I give them one of my own dreams or hopes. Stubbornness and brashness come to mind, which aren't great traits, so I have to soften them up a bit.


Do you believe in the concept of a muse? What is yours like?

I think of my characters as my muses. Sometimes one character will carry me through multiple books, like Brenna or Ethan in the Gallagher series. I look to them as my guides for the whole series, and if something doesn't feel right, I put the question to one of them, or imagine the scene from their perspective. It's the same for every series I've written so far. I believe I would get bored with only one muse.


What advice would you give to your younger self?


Ignore the naysayers and don't let anyone or anything stop you from going after your dreams. You'll have to work hard, but every minute of hard work will be worth the time and energy spent. Once you get to where you want to be, find the next thing you want to achieve and make it happen.

The Author


MK McClintock is a multiple award-winning author of an ever-growing number of novels and short works of fiction. Her stories of adventure, romance, and mystery sweep across the American West to the Victorian British Isles, with places and times between and beyond. When she's not writing or running her businesses, she experiments with new recipes, plays in the garden, explores mountain trails, and takes a lot of pictures. MK enjoys a quiet life in the northern Rocky Mountains. Learn more about www.mkmcclintock.com.


Connect & Follow

Newsletter | BookBub | Amazon | Goodreads

Instagram.com/mkmcclintock

Pinterest.com/mkmcclintock

Facebook.com/mkmcclintockbooks

Genre: Historical Western Holiday/Christmas

Type: Novel

Series: Montana Gallaghers, book 4

Content Note: 2 Hearts

View our rating system


One lucky person can win a $5 Amazon Gift Card and an e-book set of the Montana Gallagher collection (currently 6 books)


Enter via the form below. Earn a bonus entry: comment on this post and tell us your favorite thing about winter. Closes to entries on December 16, 2020. Winner will be randomly selected and notified on December 17. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Open internationally. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is sponsored by the author.

Thank you for visiting and reading!


Feel inspired? Want others to experience the book magic? We hope you'll support this author by sharing with your friends. Have you read the book? Let us know your thoughts!


Join us in the pages of a good book and open your gateway to other worlds.

Browse Great Books

COMMENTS: You may comment as a site member or as a guest without a sign-in. Spam comments will be removed and the user who posted the spam will be blocked. Anyone who leaves a comment is expected to be kind and courteous towards others so that this remains a happy place. 

Book Review Disclaimer: When a book is provided by an author or publisher, the book is a complimentary copy and there is no expectation for a positive review, or a review of any kind. Since we only post reviews for books we enjoy, you can be sure you are getting the reviewer's unbiased opinion. We provide the book source for disclosure purposes only. No payment is received in exchange for any review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive an affiliate commission for qualified purchases. This does not cost you, the consumer, anything, and helps us keep this blog operational. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”