One of my favorite books as child was The Island of Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. A Newberry Award winner published in 1960, it’s the story of Karana, a Chumash Indian girl who is left alone on San Nicholas Island off the coast of California. When a Russian ship arrives for the purpose of hunting sea otters, a fight breaks out between the Russian fishermen and the native island dwellers. Karana is the lone survivor on both sides.
San Nicholas is one of the eight channel island off the coast of California. Some of the islands are desolate and deserted, home to only birds and seals. A few of them are used by the military, and others form the Channel Islands National Park. Only Catalina Island, located 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles is populated.
These islands strike me as a perfect setting for a historical romance, in part because of Margaret Holden Eaton and her autobiography, Diary of a Sea Captain’s Wife. A Canadian woman, she relocated to Santa Barbara around the turn of the century. There she met a sea captain and married him in 1903. They moved to Santa Cruz Island, the biggest of the eight islands, where they ran a small hunting and fishing business. The island was inhabited with wild boars, otters and all sorts of sea life. The Eatons and Santa Cruz Island somehow caught the eye of 1920s Hollywood. A few movies were filmed there, and Margaret’s book shows pictures of actors John Barrymore and William Boyd in his pre Hopalong Cassidy days.
What an interesting setting these islands would be for a book . . . It’s one of the places I can feel in my bones. I’ve never been to either Santa Cruz Island or San Nicholas Island, but I once had the pleasure of camping on Anacapa Island. Standing on what’s literally a slab of eroding land twelve miles off the coast, seeing the city lights so far away and hearing only the lap of waves–not noisy cars–is an experience I treasure to this day.
Then there’s Catalina Island . . . Catalina is a populated tourist spot and has a history all its own. My own best memory is taking a 
boat to the island for a family weekend. Halfway there we were suddenly surrounded by an acre of dolphins. At least a hundred of them were jumping in perfect arcs right in front of us. I’ll never forget that scene . . . I wish I had a picture of it, but we weren’t quick enough (or skilled enough) with the camera to get a shot that did the moment justice. I’m planning to use this scene in the book I’m working on right now, a contemporary romance for Bethany House.
California’s in my blood. How about you? Where are you from and what are you favorite bits of local history? I’d love to hear about your home towns and places that are special to you!
I just drew my winner for KANE’S CHANCE, and I drew….
KATHLEEN!!!
Kathleen, congratulations on winning a digital copy of KANE’S CHANCE! It’s your lucky day!!! Please e-mail me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com and I’ll see that you get your prize!
Thanks to everyone for coming by and celebrating my new release with me today!
Cheryl
I started to write a short story several months back that turned into a novella. I wrote the novella and realized I wasn’t done with the story…so I wrote two more. These were my “Kane” trilogy—Kane’s Redemption, Kane’s Promise and Kane’s Destiny. These stories really wouldn’t be classified as a “romance” story. There’s no sex, not really even any spoken words of love between Jacobi Kane and his love interest, Laura, who later becomes his wife.
I did this on purpose, since the stories are told from the point of view of a young boy. That stuff would be too mushy for him to think about for too long. No, these stories are more action oriented, and being told from the first person viewpoint, it’s necessary to keep a high level of feeling to the forefront.
Will Green is the young boy who tells the stories. In KANE’S REDEMPTION, we meet him at the age of 9, almost 10. His parents and older sister have just been murdered by the Apache, and he has been kidnapped as they torch his home. But a few days later, just as he’s given up hope, a mysterious man walks right into the Apache camp and rescues him. Jacobi Kane has a mysterious past that he isn’t too keen on discussing with Will, though Will senses a kind of kinship between the two of them as they travel toward Fort Worth and safety. Kane harbors a terrible secret that might force Will’s hero worship of him to turn quickly to hatred…or of understanding, that Kane is a man who does what he must. But will that realization be enough, and is Will mature enough to come to grips with what Kane had to do?
In KANE’S PROMISE, Will continues to learn more about Jacobi Kane’s past when a group of law officers seek Kane’s help in capturing some of the same Apache Indian band that killed Will’s family. Kane resists going because he is now re-married, with a new baby on the way and tells the lawmen he’s turned in his badge for good—years ago. But a promise he made in the past keeps him hungry for vengeance, and his new wife urges him to go and see an end to it all. Of course, Will is not going to be left behind. Jacobi might need him!
KANE’S DESTINY wraps up the trilogy with a surprise visit from a man Will had never expected to see—his ship building magnate grandfather, from Boston, Robert Green. His grandfather first tries to intimidate him into returning to Boston with him, then falls back on honesty only when he must to convince Will to come back. Will vehemently refuses, but when he hears two of his grandfather’s men planning to murder his grandfather, he knows he has to go at least part of the way—to the first stop, back where it all started—the little burned out cabin where his family was murdered over two years past. Jacobi is out there, trailing them for protection, unseen and silent, but then Will learns a secret that makes his blood run cold. A man that Jacobi thought of as a friend is also caught up in the plot—but Jacobi doesn’t know the tide has turned. He’s in as much danger as Will and his grandfather are.
This is just a short bit about each story, but the big news is, now you can get all three stories under one cover, KANE’S CHANCE! With a little bit of editing and changing here and there for “flow”, these stories are all combined into one novel now. This book is loved by young and old alike, a great YA novel for boys (and girls!), but also something adults enjoy as well. I loved every minute of writing these adventures of Will Green and Jacobi Kane, and I have a feeling I’m not done yet.
Karen M. Nutt did all my wonderful covers, and she came through again for KANE’S CHANCE. I’m giving away one digital copy of KANE’S CHANCE today to a commenter, so please comment and remember to leave your contact info!
Here’s an excerpt from KANE’S CHANCE. Thirteen-year-old Will and his grandfather are having a meeting of the minds as they travel up to Indian Territory from Fort Worth. Surrounded by men who want to kill both of them, they find themselves at odds in this conversation where Will tells his grandfather some things about himself that his grandfather didn’t know.
I had learned a lot from Jacobi. And by the way my grandfather looked away and fell silent, I knew there was a mighty big hole in the story somewhere.
“What is it you’re not tellin’ me, old man?” My voice was strong but quiet. I wasn’t sure if this was some kind of family secret or somethin’ he didn’t want Jack Wheeler, riding a few paces behind us, to hear.
He gave me a sharp look. “You may call me Grandfather, William. There’s no need for disrespect.”
“No need to tell half the story, either.”
At first, he looked at me from under his eyebrows like he’d like to take a strap to me. But I looked right back at him. Finally, he nodded and glanced away.
“I’ve been so desperate to find you because…you’re my only living heir. I built a ship building dynasty for my family, Will, and there’s no one left but you.” He cursed as the wagon hit a hole and jolted him sharply.
“My sister married a man, Josiah Compton, whose wife had died. He brought two sons to the marriage, but he and Margaret never had any children together. The boys are men, now, of course. George, the eldest, is a pastor. But Ben, the younger of them, is quite a wastrel. He has squandered his inheritance and is looking for more. If you weren’t…alive….well—everything would fall to the two of them. And though George is not the type to seek gain, Ben is quite a different story.
“Ben knows I won’t be around much longer. But you will always be a threat, Will. I’m afraid this is going to end badly for one of you.”
I thought about what he’d told me. It seemed like maybe he needed me to say somethin’. It bolstered my confidence to know that somewhere out there, Jacobi was ridin’ along easy, keepin’ a eye out on us. Especially, now that I’d learned this part of the story.
I looked at him straight in the face. “I’ll tell you one thing. It ain’t gonna be me that ends up dead.”
“I didn’t say that—”
“It’s what you meant though, ain’t it? When there’s a pile of money to be had, somebody’s always worried it’ll get taken away from ‘em. Even if he knows I don’t want it, he’ll be worried about it. I’ve killed before. I’ll do it again, if need be.”
His expression turned to one of shock. I went on with what I was saying. “Ain’t nobody gonna take my life over somethin’ I don’t even want.”
He studied me openly, as if he were trying to decide what he should say. I saved him the trouble.
“I know you’re wonderin’ about it, so I’ll tell you.” And I did just that, from start to finish, from the day Papa and I had been out working together and seen the Apaches ride up all the way through when Jacobi had rescued me and we’d ridden out of the Apache camp together.
“We rode as long as we could, until I fell off the horse. Then Jacobi picked me up and we rode some more. When Red Eagle caught up to us, Jacobi and him fought.” My throat dried up just thinkin’ about how I’d felt to see Red Eagle and Jacobi locked close together, fighting with everything they had, and knowin’ one of ‘em was gonna end up dead.
“I killed Red Eagle. Shot him dead.”
Grandfather was quiet.
“I ain’t sorry for it, either. It felt good. Every time I think about what he did to Papa and Mama, I know it was the right thing. But mainly it was right because he was so dang pure evil.”
FOR KANE’S CHANCE and all my other work, check BARNES & NOBLE and AMAZON. Here’s the AMAZON link to my author page.
Off to the left here is my mother-in-law, Joyce. who taught me patience and themeaning of family. She has departed from us now, but her influence lives on and on. I must admit that I miss her very much.
Off to the right is Grandfather George, who is 93. This was taken at a recent booksigning. Grandfather George walks everyday, and I do believe he’s as limber as a person in their 60?s — maybe even younger.
On that note, here are some wise, wise sayings from our Amerian Indian elders:
“The Creative principle of the universe and its organization and intelligence is not an external principle but an internal one.” This is from the Koyukon, Alaskan.
“The air is precious to the red man. For all things share the same breath — the beast, the trees, the man, they all share the same breath… What is man without the beast? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts soon happens to man. All things are connected…” Chief Seattle
Here’s one of my favorites: (I’ve been known to paraphrase this.) “You can’t take care of yourself if you’re taking from others. It will come back on you. The more bad you give out, the more you get. If you give good, you get good because it’s all a circle.” Tadodaho Chief, Leon Shenandoah
I love the principle of this quote. Even if we don’t see it, those who deal in suppressing and making nothing of those around them eventually do come acropper. We may not see it, but it is there just as surely as the day is long.
Here’s another piece of wisdom that we don’t often think about in our society nowadays. But this is very wise, I think: “Sex is good. It has such a strong pull that it can cloud your vision. It’s one of the stronger powers that were put here on Mother Earth. But if all you think about is sex, then you’re not going to be doing your ceremony. Give that sex power only the attention it deserves and no more. That way you won’t miss out on all the rest of the things the Creator has for you. Train your mind. You can do it if you don’t let your body lead you.” Tadodaho Chief, Leon Shenandoah. This picture off to the left, by the way is of one of the most ingenius men in history, Chief Joseph.
Here’s yet another piece of wisdom from Chief Leon Shenandoah: “The way you live tells everybody what kind of person you are. Your actions speak for you. You can talk all you want, but everybody around already knows who you are. Treat others kindly and you’ll never have to say a word. Somebody is always watching. They’ll want to be like you and you’ll never have to open your mouth. Through you the world will be more peaceful.”
And here’s another gem from Tadodaho Chief, Leon Shenandoah: “”It’s even in our Instructions that a man can’t be a chief if he has killed. People don’t understand what they’re doing when they take life. The person who does it is in for trouble, even if they’re never caught. The Creator know. Our Instructions say that the one who does it gets all the dead person’s karma. They have theirs and the other person’s, too. The one who dies is relieved of their karma and goes straight to the Creator’s place clean.”
Before I leave Tadodaho Chief Leon Shenandoah, let me share this with you: ” One of the Instructions the Peacemaker gave us was for our leaders. They were to work for the welfare of the people. It was not meant for you to build yourself up above the people. It was for everyone to be equal. Our leaders don’t get paid. Even I have to make my own living. So the way I see it with the United States, it seems to me the leaders are making a living off of the people, their own people. That’s not going to work and it’s not working.”
Interesting, huh? What do you think would happen to our country if we demanded that our leaders not get paid. In the beginning, they didn’t get paid, at least not very much. They each had their own income and careers. Interestingly enough our Constitution states that Congress has to meet at least twice a year. Somehow I wish it were still that way.
Oops, how did these get in there in a blog about our Native Elders? This of course is Michael Greyeyes, a Motion Picture Star, and a very handsome fellow, indeed.
To the left here is a picture taken recently of my husband and myself at our anniversary.
Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed the post today. Please come on in and let’s talk about elders and how wise they are to teach us of their experience.
And please if you’ve enjoyed the post today, please pick up your copy of SOARING EAGLE’S EMBRACE today — a story that also honors our elders. You can order it here: www.novels-by-KarenKay.com.
The History of Bolo Ties
I was writing a ranch wedding scene in the 3rd. book in the Big D Dad – The Daltons series the other day and decided to do a little research on the history of bolo ties. I found some interesting material on the Internet. The matter of where and when they first appeared seems to be a subject of debate, though all agree the ties in one form or another have been around for quite a while.
It appears that part of the confusion about the ties’ origins stems from the different varieties that have been popular through the years. A few things most agree on are that the ties are worn beneath the shirt collar outside the shirt. The bolo slide may be made of stone, metal, or plastic and can be in different shapes. A thin strip of leather or other fabric which is frequently braided has tips on both ends to allow it be strung through the slide.
Some people have dated the bolo ties back to the 1860’s. Others date its beginning to the 1900’s. 
One report is that the tie was created by Silversmith Victor Cedarstaff. It is said he slipped his hatband around his neck to keep from losing it while riding his horse on a windy day. Someone commented that he was wearing a nice tie which inspired him to create the bolo tie.
Bolo ties are especially popular in western states. Arizona named the bolo tie the official state neckwear in 1971. In 2007, both New Mexico and Texas named it their official state tie. (Who knew states had official ties?)
One of the most interesting bits of pop culture concerning the bolo was that John Travolta wore one in Urban Cowboy. I do think I remember that.
On another note I want to remind you that Trumped Up Charges, book 1 in the Big D Dads – The Daltons series will be available on June 1.
WHEN A MOTHER’ LOVE MEETS A FATHER’S INSTINCT
Ex Marine Adam Dalton once dreamed of a life with Hadley O’Sullivan, but war and a near-fatal injury cost him dearly. Now he returns to Dallas to discover the unthinkable—Hadley is the prime suspect in the disappearance of their twin baby girls…the daughters he never knew he had.
Beyond Hadley’s terror of having her children kidnapped is the shock of seeing Adam. Yes, she had kept him from his daughters, but now, when he insists they work together as a united front, she knows she is still in love with him. Despite their past, finding their children is their only hope of finally becoming a family—if time doesn’t run out first.
You can read an excerpt at http://www.amazon.com/Trumped-Up-Charges-Harlequin-Intrigue/dp/0373696930/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369021974&sr=1-1&keywords=trumped+up+charges+by+joanna+wayne
What a smart lady that Miralee Ferrell is! She sure knows a passel about the old west. The Fillies really enjoyed her visit.
The Winners of BLOWING ON DANDELIONS are ……………
ELLIE
HILLTOP FARMWIFE
Woo-Hoo! I’m tickled pink for you two ladies. I know you’ll enjoy this book. Someone will contact you for your mailing particulars so keep an eye out for an email.
The American frontier, or the Old West, as it came to be known, drew adventurers from all over the world. They came hoping to find a new life, whether that meant staking out a homestead, mining for gold, finding a husband, or starting a business. Whether it was families, single men or women, miners, gamblers, or cowboys, the same thing pulled them—the chance at a fresh start. Beyond that, they all had one need in common—a place to live when they arrived.
For some, like the cowboys, it was simple. They slept on a bedroll under the stars, their horse picketed close by.
Others slept in a bunkhouse, often with thin bat-and-board siding that allowed the wind to whistle through the cracks or the knot holes, but always with a cozy wood stove nearby.
Saloons often offered accommodations as well, as they were sometimes attached to or housed within a hotel. Even the independent saloons often provided rooms to travelers who wanted drinks, a meal and a bed. Many saloons provided a free lunch with the purchase of a drink, with the hope the traveler would decide to imbibe a bit longer and possibly spend the night. The Crystal Palace, built in 1879 in Tombstone, AZ, (and featured in my novel, Love Finds You in Tombstone, AZ) is one that provided more than drinks.
Of course, no decent lady or family would consider such accommodations, as their reputation would most certainly be ruined. Only ladies of ill repute frequented saloons, so the more genteel women chose a hotel, or a boardinghouse for something a bit longer.
My novel, Blowing on Dandelions, is centered around the life of a boardinghouse. There was more than one type and they catered to all kinds. A boardinghouse/combo hotel in Last Chance, CA, featured in my book, Love Finds You in Last Chance, CA, only took men, and they all slept in a common room on the second. The average boardinghouse was different than a single family home, often having a large number of bedrooms, a common washroom, a good-sized dining room and a cozy parlor made available to the boarders.
Of course, a bathroom as we understand it didn’t exist in the 1800’s. Most boardinghouses provided a wash bowl, towels, and a pitcher of fresh water per room, along with a chamber pot. In very rare cases you might find some type of rustic indoor plumbing, but typically a bath was drawn by heating and carrying buckets of water to a wooden or tin tub in a wash room.
Breakfast was almost always included, and oftentimes supper, with some hostesses occasionally offering laundry service as well. Boarders could share a room, and often did, but the more wealthy patrons could choose to room alone. The least expensive rooms tended to be in the top floor, including smaller attic rooms, as heat rises and made sleeping uncomfortable. For the poor, cheap lodging houses provided basic accommodations for low prices. In San Francisco over a century ago, the majority of people frequenting a hotel were either working class or poor, and a passable room might cost 35 cents a night ($8 in today’s currency).
Life at a nicer boardinghouse could be quite like home, especially to a lonely widow or single woman struggling to make it on her own. In fact, many boardinghouses in the Old West were owned and operated by women, as it was a respectable way to make a living while keeping your children close by. Warm fires in the parlor and kitchen, reading in the parlor or playing games in the evening, along with story-telling and sharing the happenings of the day, were all common entertainment for the residents.
I’ve always had a fascination for the Old West and the historical research for my novels has become one of my favorite parts of writing. Life was varied in the 1800’s, and often extremely challenging. The more glimpses I get of the strong men and women who made up the West, the more I’m compelled to share their stories.
If you’d like to contact me or see pictures of the settings for several of my historical novels, I’d love to have you stop by my website or my blog. Both can be found at www.miraleeferrell.com
Do Dandelion Wishes Actually Come True? Then she crosses paths with Micah Jacobs, a widower who could reignite her heart, but she fears a relationship with him might send things over the edge. She must find the strength, wisdom, hope, and faith to remake her life, for everything is about to change.
Great news – Miralee is doing a giveaway today! Two commenters will each receive a copy of her book BLOWING ON DANDELIONS. So leave a comment and let her know what you think of her post and get your name in the hat. (Sorry, but Miralee has requested this drawing be open to US residents only)
What the mail order bride ad says: Traditionally built
What the ad means: Better reinforce the floors
I’ve always loved mail order bride stories. So imagine my delight when I was invited to write one for a collection with Mary Connealy, Robin Lee Hatcher and Debra Clapton. The result is A Bride for All Seasons, our June release.
The brides in our book all found their matches through the Hitching Post Mail Order Bride Catalogue, a marriage broker for the discerning, lonely or desperate .
Thanks to the editorial talents of the Hitching Post owner, the most undesirable man or woman could, with a stroke of the pen, become a highly desirable candidate—at least on paper.
Our four trusting heroines don’t have the foggiest idea what they’re getting into. But then neither did the thousands of women who traveled west during the 1800s to marry men known only through letter correspondence.
What the mail order bride ad says: Loving spirit
What the ad means: Keep her away from the cowhands
The original mail order bride business grew out of necessity. The lack of marriageable women in the west was partly responsible, but so was the Civil War. Not only did the war create thousands of widows but also a shortage of men, especially in the south.
As a result, “Heart and Hand” catalogues popped up around the country. According to an article in the Toledo Blade, lonely men even wrote to the Sears catalogue company asking for brides (the latest such letter received was from a lonely Marine during the Vietnam War).
Ads averaged five to fifteen cents and letters were exchanged along with photographs. It cost as much as five dollars to send a letter by Pony Express and it took ten days for delivery. Often the wax seals melted in the desert heat, causing the letter to be thrown away before reaching its destination.
Not all marriage brokers were legitimate and many a disappointed client ended up with an empty bank account rather than a contracted mate.
What the mail order bride ad says: Maternal
What the ad means: Has six children and one on the way
For some mail-order couples, it was love (or lust) at first sight. In 1886, one man and his mail order bride were so enamored with one another they scandalized fellow passengers on the Union Pacific Railroad during their honeymoon.
Not every bride was so lucky. In her book Hearts West, Christ Enss tells the story of mail order bride Eleanor Berry. En route to her wedding her stage was held up at gunpoint by four masked men. Shortly after saying “I do,” and while signing the marriage license, she suddenly realized that her husband was one of the outlaws who had robbed her. The marriage is said to have lasted an hour.
No one seems to know how many mail order brides traveled west during the 1800s, but the most successful matchmaker of all appears to be Fred Harvey who, by the turn of the century, had married off 5000 Harvey girls.
What the mail order bride ad says: It’s easy to order a book
What the ad means: Just click on the A Bride for All Seasons cover
Any of you have a mail order bride in your family history? Under what circumstances might you have been a mail order bride?
www.margaretbrownley.com
Miss Miralee Ferrell has saddled up and will ride into the Junction on Saturday, May 18th.
I believe this will mark her first time to visit. The Fillies are delighted that the dear lady is paying us a call.
Miss Miralee will talk a little about where people lived when they packed bag and baggage and came west in the early days. Seems this talented author knows a thing or two about boardinghouses and such things. I know she’ll be very interesting.
She has a new book called BLOWING ON DANDELIONS that she’ll tell us about and we won’t even have to twist her arm either.
Plus, she’s packed a book or two in her saddlebags to give away.
Don’t lollygag around when Saturday comes now, you hear.
The Mystery of the Gunfight at Hide Park – and how it inspired a book.
I’ve got a novella releasing in June. A Bride for All Seasons which includes fellow P & P Filly Margaret Brownley as well as Debra Clopton and Robin Lee Hatcher. It’s a fun mail-order bride collection with a twist. Each of the heroines answers an ad for a mail order bride…the twist is the owner of the Hitching Post Mail Order Bride Catalogue feels free to rewrite the letters if he thinks he can move a romance along.
Hitch means well. He just thinks some of his prospective brides and grooms don’t know how to properly court each other.
So how was my little light hearted romance….about a groom who thinks he’s dying and a bride who’s not going to let that happen….like an old west gunfight?
That’s all part of the inspiration for the backstory of my hero. And because my novella, Winter Wedding Bells, is so short (as novellas always are) I didn’t get to do more than just barely mention it.
A little bit about The Gunfight at Hide Park.
A fight broke out between two lawmen that ended in a shooting and left one of those men dead. The other, named McCluskie, ran, but came back to town when he heard the law was calling the shooting self-defense.
Once McCluskie was back in town friends of the man hunted him down. One of those men shot McCluskie in cold blood while the men with him opened fire, not hitting anyone. It was assumed they were shooting to scare others back.
Gunfight at Hide Park
Then James Riley bought into the fight. These men had killed his friend and the quiet young man opened fire. He killed four men and wounded four others, most of the men had emptied their guns already so they couldn’t fight back.
When the smoke cleared four men were either dead or wounded so badly they’d die of their wounds, besides McCluskie who lay dead.
James Riley was gone.
This is the Mystery of Hide Park. James Riley. Who was he? Had he been a killer before? Where did he go? Much like my hero in A Bride for All Seasons, James Riley was a kid who’d just witnessed his friend’s murder. He fought back…and was never seen again.
I liked the idea of someone vanishing like that, then wandering around with this past all carefully concealed.
My hero in Winter Wedding Bells has a past. He lost his mother to outlaws who preyed on pioneers along the Oregon Trail. When the boy was old enough he took it upon himself to guard that trail. He found he was wickedly fast and deadly accurate with a gun. He kept his identity secret, he became known as the OT Rider.
Until someone tracked him down.
His father, who had no idea his son was the notorious OT Rider told his son that once a man has a reputation, he could never live a peaceful life again.
Others would come, looking to put a notch in their gun by shooting the OT Rider, so my hero, at his father’s urging, ran. He went back east, changed his name, never carried a gun again. Back east he got married, had two sons and made a very good living as a businessman. And he never told anyone who he’d been. And then his wife dies and all he wants is to go home to the wild west he loved.
Then he finds out he’s dying. He needs to make sure his children are cared for and he writes a letter to a mail order bride catalogue. He gets many responses, a wealthy rancher is a good catch after all. Until he writes a second letter to all the women telling them they’ll be widows within the year.
No one writes back.
So Hitch alters his letter and our heroine Megan says yes.
A Bride for All Seasons
Available for pre-order now on Amazon. Click Here
It all started with an ad in a mail-order bride catalogue . . .
Four Hitching Post Mail-Order Bride Catalogue prospects in the year 1870, all eager for second chances . . . and hungry for happiness. Year in, year out, they’ll learn that love often comes in unexpected packages.
“And then Came Spring” by Margaret Brownley
Mary-Jo has traveled halfway across the country to meet her match, arriving just in time for his funeral. Returning home seems like her only option until her would-be brother-in-law proposes a more daring idea.
“An Ever After Summer” by Debra Clopton
Ellie had no idea she’s not what Matthew ordered. And what’s wrong with being a “Bible thumper” anyway? She’s determined to show him she’s tougher than she looks—and just the girl he needs.
“Autumn’s Angel” by Robin Lee Hatcher
Luvena would be perfect for Clay if she didn’t come with kids. But kids are a deal breaker, especially in a rough-and-trouble mining town. e trouble is, there’s no money to send them back . . .
“Winter Wedding Bells” by Mary Connealy
David’s convinced he’s not long for the world. He needs someone to mother his boys when he’s gone—nothing more. Can plucky Irish Megan convince him to work at living instead of dying?
