Author Spotlight: Jan Sikes

I have always been an avid reader. I can still remember the excitement I felt when I first learned to decipher words. I published my first book in 2013 and have now published twenty-one titles.

I never had any aspiration to become an author, but I wound up in mid-life with a true story that had to be told. I thought someone else would write it, then realized if they did, I’d have to tell them the entire story. So I got proactive by taking multiple creative writing classes and started writing. It took four books to complete the project, and I thought I would be done, but by then I had several ideas for fiction books and haven’t found a place to stop. It’s hard to say what is my preferred genre to write in. I’ve dabbled in multiple genres over the years but have most recently settled into writing historical fiction with romantic subplots.

A Bold Bargain Blurb

A Young Man With the Heart of a Wolf

Eighteen-year-old Jack Barlow Blaine is driven by unwavering compassion for all, and a thirst for knowledge. Born into poverty and haunted by a violent past, he’s determined to escape his history by helping others—whether human or animal, no matter the cost.

But when Jack discovers an elderly woman in crisis, he faces a choice that challenges everything he thinks he knows about living and dying. The bargain she offers promises a better future, if the price isn’t higher than he’s capable of paying.

As Jack grapples with his decision, he must summon the courage to honor their bargain if he accepts her offer.
How far is he willing to go to keep his word?

The greatest acts of kindness are the ones that demand the most from us—and every decision can unlock destiny’s doors.

Jack shifted into high gear and flew down the narrow county road toward Dadeville. As he neared the city limits, he spied a woman with snow-white hair wandering close to the road, stumbling over tree roots, tapping the ground with her cane, and calling out. Her glasses fell down onto her nose and her hair had escaped from a bun at the nape of her neck, giving her a wild look.

He slowed to a stop. “Are you in trouble? Can I help you, ma’am?”

The woman lifted her head and squinted. “Who’s there?”

“Jack Blaine, ma’am. I’m with the Missouri Conservationists. Do you need some help?”

Her voice trembled. “My little Mitzi wandered off, and now I can’t find her.” She pushed up her glasses.

Jack killed the engine and got off the motorcycle. “Is Mitzi your granddaughter?”

“Oh, heavens no. She’s my little dog, and she’s everything to me. I don’t know what I’ll do if anything’s happened to her.” She choked back a sob.