Hello, dear readers!
I’m beyond excited to visit with my Petticoats and Pistols family! Today, I want to share a little about my latest book, The Railroad Tycoon Rescue, a story filled with romance, secrets, and a touch of suspense.
One of the things I absolutely love about writing historical romance is the research that goes into each book. For this story, I spent time studying medicinal plants their healing properties, their dangers, and the fascinating ways they were used in the past. That research led me to incorporate one particularly potent plant into my novel in a rather…unexpected way. But I won’t spoil it for you! You’ll have to read it to find out how it changes everything for my heroine, Etta.
I have a deep admiration for strong, independent women, especially those who faced hardships in the Old West. Etta is a perfect example of such a woman. Living in the South after the war, she’s been doing everything she can to survive on her own. But survival isn’t always enough when someone else wants what you have.
Etta’s knowledge of plants becomes her shield and her weapon when she’s faced with an unwelcome suitor who refuses to take no for an answer. With a little creativity (and some well-timed botanical assistance), she manages to make him leave earlier than planned. But escaping one problem only leads her to another…
On the other side of the country, Cornelius-Cory, as he’s known, has all the wealth he could ever need. What he doesn’t have is a wife. And according to his grandfather’s will, if he doesn’t marry before his 23rd birthday, he stands to lose his inheritance. Tired of being pursued for his money, Cory takes matters into his own hands and applies for a mail-order bride, keeping his fortune a secret.
When fate and a tragic train derailment throw Etta and Cory together, neither of them is fully prepared for the secrets that threaten to pull them apart. With unexpected visitors, accusations, and the past closing in, will they find the happy ending they so desperately seek?
If you love stories of resilience, faith and romance wrapped in the charm of historical settings, The Railroad Tycoon Rescue is a book you won’t want to miss!
I pray you enjoy it.
A Giveaway!!!
Tired of only being wanted for his money, and with an urgent need to marry to keep his inheritance, Cory applies for a mail-order bride through his cousin’s agency. He tells himself he’ll let her know before their wedding that he’s actually wealthy. After all, he doesn’t want to start their marriage with a lie.
After her parents’ death, Etta has sold nearly everything she owns just to survive. Now, the man who owns the mortgage has made it clear, marry him, or else. Desperate, she fills out a mail-order bride application, and sneaks away under false pretenses. She plans to tell her intended about her situation before they marry. But fate has other plans when the train she’s traveling on derails, leaving her injured and vulnerable.
With danger lurking, secrets unraveling, time is running out, will Cory and Etta overcome their past to build a future together?
I’d love to hear from you! What do you love about historical romance? One winner will be picked from the comments left below. The winner will receive an eBook of The Railroad Tycoon Rescue.
About the Author:
Paulette D. Marshall
Residing in Northern California with her husband, where she weaves stories of love and faith, and adventure, capturing the charm of small-town life and the excitement of historical settings. She has a passion for blending romance with a touch of mystery, all while celebrating strong heroines who defy expectations.
When she’s not writing, Paulette enjoys gardening, crafting, drawing cooking, and spending time with her beloved Shih Tzu pups. She finds joy watching the changing seasons, observing wildlife, and harvesting homegrown produce. An avid reader herself, she delights in both creating new worlds and escaping into the pages of a good book.
Despite facing health challenges, Paulette’s passion for writing and historical research has only deepened, enriching her novels with heart, faith, and resilience. She is blessed with four children, two wonderful sons-in-law, and five precious grandchildren.
As the sun dips behind the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, my mind wanders, as it often does, back in time, envisioning a world where adventurers, seekers, and settlers roamed the vast landscapes and frontier towns bustled with life.
“Miss?” He leaned over, touching her shoulder. “Miss?”
These books were usually around a hundred pages long and had bright, colorful covers. The ones set in the West quickly became some of the most popular, but mysteries, military feats, explorers and adventurers, and romances had their niche. As you might guess, not all these writers were men. It’s estimated that from twenty-five to thirty percent were women. You might recognize some of the names among the dime novelists: Horatio Alger, Upton Sinclair, Jack London, Bret Harte, Zane Grey, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Max Brand, and Louisa May Alcott. Some used their real names, and some used pen names when writing dime novels. Often, this was how they got their start. Prentiss Ingraham, who made Buffalo Bill even more famous, completed more than 6oo novels.
The invention of the first practical typewriter in 1868 made it easier to write these short novels. An author could make up to $1,000 per book, which was a lot of money in the 1800s. One thousand dollars in 1870 would equal almost $25,000 today, and most writers could write a book a month. These books normally had a single plot and targeted the “common” class.
That’s what happened to my hero in The Writer’s Rescue. A debilitating accident on the ranch leads Wade Easton to become a wealthy Western dime novelist, but also a recluse. When he loses yet another housekeeper, he has no other option but to accept a woman he feels is too young for the job. However, she starts changing him without even trying. Can his own story perhaps be written with a different ending than he thought?
One of my favorite childhood memories was heading over to my Aunt Donna’s house to spend the night. Often, we’d watch a favorite movie–the Apple Dumplin’ Gang was one of our top choices. It’s a movie hubby and I have shared with our kiddos to much laughter and shouts of “Mr. Donovan, I gotta go!”.
The next female heroine of the West that inspired Lorraine is Martha “Calamity” Jane (1856–1903). Since first reading about her, I have felt a deep sense of sadness on her behalf—mainly because she had to survive from such a young age and died alone. Still, her life told through the lens of a dime novel was impressive. Calamity Jane was bold, strong, intimidating, and ruthless. Orphaned at a young age, she had to rely on her skills to survive. Jane worked in men’s clothes when necessary and was even a scout for George Armstrong Custer.
In a small way Miss Pearl Hart (1871 – 1955) inspired Lorraine Durand’s character because of this simple quote from the Cosmopolitan when they said Hart was “just the opposite of what would be expected of a woman stage robber,” though, “when angry or determined, hard lines show about her eyes and mouth.” Lorraine is attractive and of a modest stature. She is generally quiet and melancholic, and unlike Calamity Jane, does not come across as intimidating.
Finally, Etta Place was a beautiful, young outlaw who ran with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’s gang, known as the Wild Bunch. She had a romantic relationship with Sundance (and possibly Butch). Her origins and death remain shrouded in mystery, making her a figure ultimately lost to history. Some reports claim she sought the Sundance Kid’s death certificate in Chile years after he escaped, later residing in San Francisco. Others believe she married boxing promoter Tex Rickard. Another theory suggests she returned to teaching after Butch and Sundance left the US.
A holdup gone wrong, a reluctant outlaw, and the captive she’s sworn to guard.
KyLee Woodley is a cheery romantic who loves to write about bygone days and heartwarming romance with a pinch of adventure. She teaches at Baylor University’s lab school in Texas where she lives with her husband of 18 years and their three teenage children. She is a writer for
“No.”
Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.
Thank you all for hosting me today. This week my book, Cold Case Discovery released. This is the 6th book in my Harlequin Intrigue Hudson Siblings Solutions series. As you can tell by the title, and all the titles in this series, all 7 books involve a group of siblings who work cold cases together. There is also one cold case that is in the background of the first five books, and takes center stage here in book six—the mysterious disappearance of the Hudson siblings parents some fifteen years ago.
