Welcome Guest – E. E. Burke

Thank you for having me back as a guest on Petticoats & Pistols!

This December, I have the privilege of being part of an exciting new series inspired by a familiar Christmas carol.

Christmas, 1876: Noelle, Colorado is in danger of becoming a ghost town if the railroad decides to bypass the mountaintop mining community. Determined to prove their town is thriving, twelve men commit to ordering brides before the railroad’s deadline six days into the New Year.

Each of the twelve women has her own reason for signing up to become a mail-order bride. But after they arrive in the uncivilized settlement, they aren’t so sure they’ve made the right decision. Neither are the grooms.

Will the marriages happen in time to save Noelle? The countdown starts on Christmas Day.

Where’s Noelle?

The mining town where the Twelve Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides series is set is a fictional place, but we drew inspiration from the history of Leadville, Colorado. This mountain boomtown located ten thousand feet high in a valley of the Rockies, became famous for its silver mine. But the town actually got its start when gold was discovered there around 1860. The stream gorge, named California Gulch, instantly became the site of a 49er’s style gold rush, with crude dwellings and businesses (supplies, saloons and whorehouses) springing up along the narrow gulch.

Two years later, the gold ran out and miners abandoned the town in droves. It stood deserted for thirteen years until another prospector became curious about the black sand and underlying rock and had a sample assayed, which proved to be carbonate of lead rich with silver.

By 1877, the silver rush was on! The town’s name came from its lead and silver mining. Later, copper and zinc would be shipped out of the mineral-rich valley.

The story of mining communities like Leadville and even our little fictional town of Noelle are strikingly similar. The moment precious ore was discovered, the town would boom, almost overnight. But few of these towns survived past the initial rush. Those that did faced another challenge: connecting their towns to the rest of the world. As the railroads advanced across the country, connecting east to west and establishing a faster, cheaper way to move goods and people, communities vied to attract the railroad, knowing it would make the difference between thriving or becoming a ghost town.

In our series, Noelle faces both of these challenges, and the men living there come up with a clever plan to save their town.

The Twelve Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides, written by twelve bestselling authors, put a new twist on an old song in a heartwarming historical romance series.

The Partridge by Kit Morgan – A clever man’s plan becomes a matchmaking disaster…and the countdown begins to save the town of Noelle.

The Dove by Shanna Hatfield – A bewitching gypsy and a beguiled blacksmith tangle over a hidden treasure…with only eleven days left to save the town.

The Hens by Merry Famer – A wandering woman finds exactly who she was looking for, but not who she was expecting…with only ten days left to save the town.

The Calling Birds by Jacqui Nelson – A wanted woman’s flight leads to a man in pursuit of honesty not stolen gold…with only nine days left to save the town.

The Gold Ring by Caroline Lee – A dangerous masquerade and a twist of fate put Noelle’s future at risk…with only eight days left to save the town

The Goose by Peggy Henderson – A woman on the run, a man who doesn’t want to be caught—it’s one wild goose chase…with only seven days left to save the town.

The Swan by Piper Hugely – A beautiful woman with secrets comes to Noelle to confront a powerful person with the truth…and only six days left to save the town.

The Maid by Rachel Wesson – A convicted murderer, a young maid on the run…with five days left to save the town.

The Dancing Lady by Mimi Milan – A desirous diner owner and a disguised dancer waltz their way to love…and only four days left to save the town.

The Lord by Danica Favorite – An assayer and a ladies maid, each living a lie. Will the truth ruin everything…with only three days left to save the town?

The Piper by Amanda McIntyre – A determined matchmaker, a stubborn mountain man…and only two days left to save the town!

The Drum by E.E. Burke – A bad luck bride, an exploding disaster…can Noelle be saved in just one day?

You can check out this series by joining our awesome Facebook group. You’ll be entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire just for joining!

Do you have a favorite Christmas carol? What is it, and why is it your favorite?

I’ll give away a copy of the first book in this series, The Partridge, to one lucky commenter!

E.E. Burke is a bestselling author of historical and contemporary romances that combine her unique blend of wit and warmth. Her books have been nominated for numerous national and regional awards, including Booksellers’ Best, National Readers’ Choice and Kindle Best Book. She was also a finalist in the RWA’s prestigious Golden Heart® contest. Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a journalist and an advertising executive, before finally getting around to living the dream–writing stories readers can get lost in. Find out more about this author and her books:

Website | Amazon | BookBub

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53 thoughts on “Welcome Guest – E. E. Burke”

  1. Good morning Elisabeth. I’m super excited about this series you all have written. I love books set in Colorado and I’m certainly excited about this one with the history you all derived from Leadville, CO., what an amazing town with rich, no pun intended, History.
    My favorite Christmas carol when I was growing up was Little Drummer Boy, now as I’m older I love Silent Night, it really speaks to my heart. You and your family have an exceptional Merry Christmas and a Happy New year. Love you Dearly. Congrats on such an awesome Christmas series. I can’t wait to visit Noelle, Colorado.

  2. I love the idea for the book. It should be fun to read. I love Christmas Carols and my favorite is It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, of, and O Holy Night.

  3. Good Morning.. And hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful… My favorite all time carol would have to be The Little Drummer Boy…

  4. I love Christmas so I love most Christmas Carols. However, my very favorite is “Mary Did You Know” and my second favorite is “Silent Night” and my third favorite is “O Holy Night”.

    Blessings,
    Cindy W.

  5. Oh Holy Night is my fav now growing up it was Away in a Manager Love love your books Elisabeth and of of course you know it took your books to finally get my daughter Carla to read a historical romance and love it

  6. Good Morning! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I enjoy all the Christmas carols so it’s hard to choose a favorite.

  7. Good Morning, Elisabeth…….Welcome back to the Junction! We’re so happy to have you. Congratulations on the special Christmas series! How exciting. This looks like so much fun. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and are ready for the push to Christmas. This has been an incredible year and I think next year will be even better.

    Sending wishes for much success in every part of your life. Love you!

  8. Walking in a Winter Wonderland is one of my favorites. I think of this song when I am visiting little towns decorated for Christmas. It just makes me happy!

  9. Good Morning, I’m really excited about this series of Christmas stories.thank you for the chance to win.

  10. “Away in a Manger” and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” were my favorite carols as a child and still are today. I also really enjoy “Winter Wonderland” and the cheerfulness it brings, along with “Silver Bells.”

  11. I enjoyed your informative and fascinating article. I have travelled to Leadville, Colo. on vacation as we live in NM. I was entranced with this historic and extremely interesting town. We saw an opera performed, walked through the town and saw the preserved, beautiful synagogue and enjoyed every minute of this mini-road vacation.

  12. What a wonderful series which I look forward to enjoying greatly. How exciting and special. This era, setting and story is unique and interests me very much.

  13. Elisabeth, this series sounds wonderful and I really do look forward to reading it–I love the unique aspect of basing the stories on a Christmas carol. Always so good to have you here with us at P&P!

  14. Mary, Did You Know? OMG, it still gets me when I hear it.

    BTW, I love each cover of these books. They are just beautiful.

  15. Little drummer boy is my favorite, it was one of the first ones I learned for a Christmas program for school. I love the puh rum pum pum part.

  16. I’m super excited about this series! I have many favorite carols, but Oh Little Town of Bethlehem is one I have loved since I was a little girl.

  17. My favorite carol (since I was a child) is 12 Days of Christmas. In high school choir, I learned 12 Days after Christmas ? (YouTube it!) and love that too. Another favorite is Little Drummer Boy.

  18. Hello
    To answer your question. What is my favorite Christmas Carol. That would be the little drummer boy..not the remakes. The original
    I love the drumming part in it and it’s about Jesus. Always brings a tear to my eyes when I hear it. Had the Christmas songs on today as I was out and about. All of that stories sound good and would be a delight to win

  19. Hi Elizabeth, I am so excited about this series. These are all my favorite authors. My favorite Christmas song is Hark the Harold Angels sing by Amy Grant, even though I have many more that I love also. Have Merry Christmas!!! ???

  20. I cannot wait to read this series. The covers of these books are beautiful. My very favorite Christmas song is “The Little Drummer Boy”, especially the version sung by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. I remember watching he Bing Crosby Christmas special every year when I was younger, so I got to see this performed for the first time during one of those specials. It just brings back great childhood memories.

  21. Mine is Mary Did You Know?? I could not imagine what Mary went through from the time the angels visited her until his death.

  22. I am super excited to read this series. I used to teach my elementary school music students a `dance`to the `Twelve Days`so I`ve always had fun with it. However, the first song that popped into my head when asked this question, was `God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen`. I love the minor chords, but the jaunty pace supports the joy of the message. So pleased I was directed to this site via Linda Broday over at `Pioneer Hearts`.

  23. My favorite Christmas Carol is MARY DID YOU KNOW. It is a lovely but mournful song. Like life, it balances all the joy and celebration with a touch of the reality that bad things can happen to good people. It is a promise for a future that will hold great things but be cut short. It is a reminder to enjoy life while you can and to love and hold close those who are dear to you. I guess I need it to balance all the overly sweet and jolly Christmas songs and celebration.
    This sounds like a wonderful series. It combines two favorites of mine: mail order brides and Holiday stories.
    I hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a Merry Christmas.

  24. I adore the song, Mary Did You Know. Especially when Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd sing it. It’s such a beautiful song about our Savior. Another favorite is Silent Night. I love the concept of 12 Days of Christmas Mail Order Brides. The series should be an enjoyable Christmas read! The cover of your book is lovely. I can’t wait to see the covers of the rest of the books! I used to live in Leadville for my 8th grade school year, 1968-1969. It was very cold with lots of snow, especially for a young girl from Florida. I fondly remember trying to learn to ice skate while I lived there. A town of rich history and beautiful mountains. Thank you for the opportunity to win a book.

  25. I’m loving the concept of this series!!! I can’t wait to devour them-all authors are on my TBR list.
    I love Little Drummer Boy. It’s just always been my favorite since I was a little girl-I don’t know why. But I especially love the version by Josh Groban.

  26. I love Little Drummer Boy, it makes me feel good, and the Telve Days of Christmas, because I remember singing it the most as a young child while we were out Chrisymas Eve looking at lights and delivering goodies.

  27. My favorite Christmas song is sung by Tricia Yearwood, It Wasn’t His Child, and I love Mary Did You Know sung by Pentatonix.

  28. Never done this before so hope I’m doing it right. I can’t wait to read this series. My favorite carol is O Holy Night.

  29. I love Silent Night. It’s a peaceful song for me in a not so peaceful calm life. I also love the contemporary Happy Birthday Jesus song that is sung by a children’s choir. It’s a very sweet song.

  30. There are so many but I especially love Silent Night. The words and the music tell the story so beautifully and it truly is a sacred song to me.
    Thank you & Blessings!
    Connie
    cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com

  31. I love “Star of the East, O Bethlehem Star”. You don’t hear it often on the radio and we sing it even less often.

  32. This series looks to be so fun! I can’t wait to read them all!
    My favorite carol is Silent Night – I learned to sign the first verse as a child when learning sign language. As an adult I have learned to sing it in German. I love the story of the song.

  33. Hi Thanks for sharing this book with us. It looks Great. Christmas Books are My Favorite Kind. One of my favorite songs is Christmas Eve Sarajevo by Trans Siberian Orchestra

  34. I could have sworn that I had already commented on this but I guess I was wrong. My favorite Christmas Carol is hard. I can never pick one of anything. My top two contenders are Mary Did You Know and Hallelujah.As a child and for years my favorite was Little Dummer Boy.

    I can’t wait for this series.

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