Where Does My Female Character Fit In the Family? by Zina Abbott

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the challenges of staying on track while working on the computer is avoiding the time-wasters. Some I have struggled with through the years have been emails, Pinterest, and Facebook. My latest (thanks, but no thanks, A.I. and targeted marketing) are the articles that pop up when I click on a browser. I try to ignore them. However when one catches my interest, I decide it is time for a "break," and I read.

That was how I came across the article titled

Eldest Daughter Syndrome: What It Is And 12 Signs ToLook For, According To Experts

This caught my interest for two reasons. 

First, I am an oldest child and an eldest daughter. Did I recognize myself in some of the common traits listed? Oh, yeah.

Second, the heroine in my current work in progress, Sue, is an eldest daughter. As I reread some of the interactions between her and her mother in the first chapter, I realized had it down pat how to depict an oldest daughter. Here are a few excerpts:

"...I suspect he is looking for a milkmaid as much as a wife. It’s one thing to milk one cow for a family’s personal use. But, a whole barn full of cows that need milking twice a day?” Puffing a breath through almost closed lips, she raised her gaze to the ceiling.

            “You’ve never complained, so I had no idea you felt that way about milking the cow...." 

and (speaking of when her stepsister, Lucy, lived with the family):

"...Before she took over all the teaching duties, we mothers were taking turns having the local children at our houses. After she took over, I noticed you gradually became less of a student and more of an assistant teacher.”

and again:

"...But, at least I had my own room. I was the oldest, and I knew you counted on my help. That helped me feel special.”

            “You have always been special, Susan. I hope you never felt like I ignored you or took you for granted..."

"That never meant we forgot you, Susan. You were our constant in the storms of life. When more was required to take care of this family than what your Papa Jack and I could do alone, we knew we could always count on you to pitch in.”  

            “Thank you for saying so, Mama.” Lips parted, Susan jerked her gaze to the side as she allowed her mother’s words to sink in. Our constant in the storms of life. As much as she loved copying her mother’s ways and following in her footsteps, she never realized that was how her mother and Papa Jack saw her...."

What characteristics can often be seen in an eldest daughter?

 - She is given more responsibilities than younger siblings.

 - She learns to anticipate what her parents will expect, and she organizes things in advance in order not to disappoint them. "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

 - She is expected to set a good example for both behavior and accomplishments.

Older sister cares for brother while mother away

 -  She is expected to do more household chores and sibling childcare than expected of younger siblings. She tends to be assigned the more difficult or unpleasant tasks compared to her siblings.

  -  She is expected to help manage the emotional well-being of younger siblings, to be responsible to "keep the peace," regardless of whether or not the younger siblings are willing to cooperate.

 - Because parents tend to have higher expectations of their eldest daughter, she can often experience anxiety, guilt, or frustration when she does not or cannot meet those expectations. 

Children whose birth order falls elsewhere have other challenges and characteristics. 

A middle child or children do not feel under as much pressure as the eldest daughter. However, they often feel overlooked, which can lead to acts of rebellion.

Youngest children are not under the same pressure to help take care of younger siblings. They tend to be more outgoing, playful, creative, and independent. By the time they come along, parents are not as rigid--they have learned what works and what doesn't. Parents are older and often have less energy, so younger siblings get away with things more easily.

 

Sue, book 55 in the Prairie Roses Collection, is currently on pre-order. It is scheduled for release on May 16, 2025.

For the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE.

 

When I reread this article, I found it interesting to realize my heroine in my last year's Prairie Roses Collection romance was also an oldest daughter. The way I wrote her character, she also exhibited eldest daughter traits, but several were different than those of her stepsister, Sue.  Right now, Lucy is on a Kindle Countdown sale. In addition to being available on Kindle Unlimited, it is for sale for only 99c through May 14, 2025.

For the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE.

 

 

 

 

WWI and the 78th Singing Division

 

While I was researching historical details for my book releasing May 22, one of the things I was digging around for was an American Expeditionary Forces military division that set for France in May or June 1918 during World War I.

In my story, Sarah, the hero, Brett Rawlings, and his twin brother, Ben, have run off at the tender age of 16 to join the war.

When I was looking for a division to attach the twins to when they traveled to France, I was searching for troop ships that left toward the end of May and arrived in June. The 78th Division matched the dates well, and the fact that they were based from Camp Dix in New Jersey also fit with the story because the boys are trying to set sail from New York City.

The 78th Division was known as the Lightning Division, and also the Singing Division. I found some reports that said the name came from the French for their lightning-fast action in battle, and other reports hinted about the famous brew created in the woods near the camp. If you know why and when they were named the lightning division, I’d love to learn more.

As for them being known as the singing division, from some of the reports I read, many of the members of the division had been in theater or performance-based careers before they were drafted. Some of the songs they sang included “The Shell Hole Rag,” and “Land of Romance.”

The Newark Evening News in New Jersey printed a special supplement about the division on May 29, 1919. I found a digital copy of the newspaper online, which was so helpful in my research.

I also found a book that had been written by the division’s secretary-treasurer and published in 1921. Not only was the book filled with incredible photos of the war, but it also offered a timeline of where the division was at from the time they were organized at Camp Dix in August 1917 to the day they were demobilized in June 1919.

Some of the historical details I included with the division really happened, like a visit from King George V of England in August 1918. They were also visited by General John J. Pershing twice. The first time was in September 1918, and the second was when he came to review them in 1919.

When the war ended and the 78th Division was transferred to a series of small villages, there really was an Amusement Division that did all they could to bolster the spirits of the troops and keep them busy. There were almost nightly performances by theater troupes and musicians.

Margaret Wilson, President Wilson’s daughter, did visit the camp with a group of entertainers in March 1919.

The YMCA, Red Cross, and Knights of Columbus did provide needed and appreciated services during the months as the troops waited for their turn to sail back home.

One report I happened upon, written in 1968, was a son’s journey to follow his father’s footsteps through the war by visiting France. His father had been a sergeant with the 78th Division, and he recalled listening to stories told around the kitchen table by his father and his Army buddies from World War I. There was so much detail and so many stories included in this report, it really helped me visualize Brett’s life and the things he was seeing and experiencing in France.

She desires his heart.

He longs for her love.

Can they find common ground when he returns forever altered by the war.

 In a world turned upside down by World War I, all Sarah Richards desires is to love Brett Rawlings and build a future together. After graduating high school a year early, she’s ready to dive into her dreams of college and a home filled with laughter and love. But one impulsive decision threatens all her aspirations—as well as her relationship with Brett.

 As the war rages on and men head off to fight, sixteen-year-old Brett reluctantly follows his twin brother, Ben, sneaking off to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. As the months pass, Ben thrives amidst the chaos of battle, while Brett finds himself haunted by the girl he left behind and the uncertainty of his own heart. When Ben reveals a life-altering secret, the bond between the brothers is shattered, forcing Brett to grapple with betrayal as he faces the brutal realities of war.

 Brett returns home a changed man, burdened with memories too heavy to bear, yet yearning to mend the fractures of the past. Will Sarah still be waiting for him, or have time and truth forged an unbridgeable chasm between them?

 Find out in this heartfelt historical romance that weaves a tale of hope, grace, forgiveness, and sweet, enduring love.

Releasing May 22, you can pre-order your copy today on Amazon.

 

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes.


When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West.

TRAVELING FROM CALIFORNIA TO OREGON: 1800s Style by Marisa Masterson

 As I researched for my latest release, Freddy's Sudden Farm, I ran across an interesting historical figure. Henry Corbett impressed me enough to share about him.

Corbett came to Portland in 1850. There, he co-published a young newspaper--The Oregonian. Most importantly, he established a stagecoach service between California and Oregon, not a simple task. 

Mountains partially blocked the route. Facts about this stagecoach company provided the historical details I needed to move my heroine, Ann Marie, from California to Oregon.

From Freddy's Sudden Farm:

Mr. Peacock had assured her there would be room on top of the stage for the large crate. “Not many passengers this time of year. No one wants to risk the mountains.”

She understood their hesitation, having grown up near the mountains. While her hometown of Lodi lay on flat land, the mountains loomed in the distance. She knew winter could come suddenly in them. It came with a brutal ferocity that could freeze a man if it took him by surprise.

Frederick wanted a wife. Ann Marie would risk her safety and even her precious Singer sewing machine to reach him. He needed her.

Hoofbeats drew her attention toward the south. Glancing up, she saw a team of mules approaching. They pulled the tall, closed stagecoach. The vehicle rocked as it hit a rut in the track left by a recent chilly rain. 

The Concord coach, with leather straps suspending the body of the vehicle, was known for that rocking motion. Ann Marie automatically put a hand over her stomach as she watched it. She knew the next few days would challenge her resolve.  

Corbett's stage could not completely avoid the mountains. At times sleighs had to be used to complete the journey.

After three days, the coach stopped near Mount Shasta. Viewing it left Ann Marie breathless. She was glad they did not need to travel up the side of the towering peak. Seeing it, she knew they would soon be in Oregon.

First, they had to pass through part of the Cascade Mountains. These separated California and Oregon. Snow might already cover them.

The Cascades* 

The coach skirted Mount Shasta. It continued to pass foothills and follow rivers. At one point, she and the clergyman named Reverend Howard left the coach and traveled in a large sleigh. Another sleigh came behind them with the stage’s cargo. The snow and cold forced her to dig into her trunk for another sweater and her heaviest cloak. She had gladly accepted the blanket, ignoring the old mule odor wafting from it.

As the sleigh traveled lower and lower down the side of one peak, she held her breath. Ducking her head, she heard Reverend Howard mutter a prayer. At the end, she added, “Amen.” 

Hearing her, the older man’s lips stretched into a tight smile. “We will be out of these mountains soon.” 

Photo from Wikipedia

Corbett's success brought attention to him. He was made a United States senator in 1867. A very successful frontiersman.

Stagecoaches continued to travel between California and Oregon for twenty-one years. The railroad finally linked the two states in 1887. Amazing that it took so long for it to happen!

*Cascades photo borrowed from https://www.reddit.com/r/EarthPorn/comments/s5ld2t/exploring_the_rugged_and_picturesque_north/.

Releasing Soon!

Freddy Albert dreams of escaping from his parents' farm. An advertisement by a woman in Northern California for a husband to help run her livery promises him a fresh start. As he prepares to leave home, everything changes.

Now he faces a difficult decision. Realizing he has no choice, he takes on the responsibility of running the farm and providing for his family. Unhappy, he writes to Lottie James, asking her to sell her livery. He proposes she move to Oregon and marry him.

In California, Ann Marie LeFevre cannot understand her friend's stubbornness. Despite her mail-order groom’s invitation, Lottie refuses to leave California. When her friend tosses Fred’s letters at her and tells her to marry him, Ann Marie eagerly accepts her offer. Fred will be glad for a substitute bride. She is sure of it.

However, she discovers that the young man, Freddy, who wrote those letters is very different from the mature man she expected. Sheer optimism will not make the two of them as compatible as she had hoped. And Freddy is far from willing to accept a substitute bride, especially one who is older than him and not a bit pretty.

Will Freddy’s sudden farm keep him from finding love or will he and Ann Marie discover a way to blend their hearts and lives? 

Freddy's Sudden Farm Links

US--https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT1L62ZN

UK--https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DT1L62ZN

Canada--https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DT1L62ZN

Australia--https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0DT1L62ZN

Look what our authors published in April!

Our authors have been busy writing your next favorite story.

Look what we published in April!

 

Mrs. Pettigrew's Easter Match (Holiday Matchmakers Book 4)

By Kit Morgan

A lowly maid.
A writer that was so much more.
And one magical ball…

     Abigail O’Connell had an interesting life. She might be a lowly maid, but she worked in the Pettigrew mansion. A place where anything could happen and often did! So was it any surprise that when Mrs. Pettigrew’s butler Mr. Tugs hired her a new assistant, it was a man? And not just any man, but a novelist. Oh, and his father was a baron. Did she forget to mention that? Unfortunately for the entire household, that got mentioned to Rebecca Harrington, and she was now trying sink her hooks into the poor man. Abigail might get to work with the handsome Ewart Bailey, but what hope did she have of attracting someone so far above her station?
     Ewart Bailey wanted to see America before his parents tried to marry him off to a woman of their choosing. He came from a world full of high society expectations, and by golly, they were going to see that he followed them! But just once he’d like to know what it was like not to, and so off he went. If his parents knew he got a job in America, they would faint! But working for Mrs. Pettigrew was not only an adventure, but was full of surprises, not to mention a few annoyances. Namely, one Rebecca Harrington. But the surprises outweighed Rebecca’s antics, and Ewart found he was losing his heart to someone his parents would never approve of. Now he might have to choose between the object of his affection, and his entire future as the next Baron of Bailey Hall. Enjoy this sweet, clean, western historical full of fun, laughter and romance!

Release date: April 7, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F46Q5ZNB  

 

Mail-Order Apothecary: Healing Husbands

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

     Living on a Montana cattle ranch is not the adventure Fenella Douglas Macauley imagined it would be. First, Tavish, the man who swept her off her feet in a whirlwind romance, died in a stampede before their six month anniversary. Now the headaches that started shortly after her arrival have become worse. Stuck living with a disapproving Teva, Tavish’s twin, who oversees the ranch operations, Fenella sinks into melancholy. After being laid flat for days in a row, she puts an ad in a matrimonial newspaper seeking a mail-order husband with the skills to heal her.
     Barth Atherton needs to make a change…and fast. His boss at the apothecary shop made a mistake that almost caused a death, and he’s blaming it on Barth. An ad in a matrimonial newspaper catches his eye and he answers it. As he leaves town, he submits a sworn affidavit to the sheriff about the circumstance. When he arrives at the Macauley Ranch, he falls into a mystery. His new wife is ill, and he has to figure out the cause before the beautiful lady who captured his heart wastes away. Are his skills strong enough?

Release date: April 24, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGMGZ33X   

 

Mail-Order Tess (A Mail-Order Mystery) Book 2

By Kit Morgan

One unsuspecting mail-order bride.
A secretive government spy.
And four meddling matchmakers!

Tess Pendergrass arrives in Independence, Oregon, expecting to marry a stranger and start a quiet new life. Instead, she’s left without a groom, caught up in a mystery—and squarely in the sights of the town’s most determined matchmakers.

Wade Atwood came to town under orders to stay hidden—but protecting Tess throws all his plans off course. Especially when danger starts creeping closer... and so do his feelings for her.

With outlaws on the loose, secrets at stake, and romance brewing faster than Mercy Vander’s lemonade, will love find its place in the middle of the madness? Find out in this sweet western romance with a mystery to solve!

Release date: April 24, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F6FBJG85

 

Winna: Prairie Roses Collection - Book 51

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

     Since age seventeen, Winna Tiernay Sheehan held her marriage vows sacred and did her best to support her husband, Foley—even when in his “bad tempers,” he hurt her. But the night he goes after their oldest child freezes her willingness to make excuses for her husband’s problem with alcohol. Instead, she flees with her two children to Foley’s cousin, Kai, for protection.
     Kai Sheehan has loved Winna since they attended the same one-room schoolhouse. He detests the way Foley spends more time and attention on his attire than he does on his family. Finally, his heart can take no more, and he makes plans to travel to Council Bluffs and join a westward wagon train. He deserves happiness and that can’t be found anywhere near Winna. Until she arrives on his doorstep with her children in tow, asking for help, stating “I think I killed him.” A bruise blooms on her cheek and her son cradles an injured arm. The next day, they learn Foley died in a barroom shootout.
     Kai agrees to a marriage of convenience to transport the three to central California where another Sheehan family farms. Is Kai strong enough to let them go at journey’s end? When faced with a crucial choice toward the end of the trail, can Winna believe that Kai is as trustworthy as he seems and follow his lead in a different direction?

Release date: April 30, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/Winna-Prairie-Roses-Collection-Book-ebook/dp/B0F318LWD6

 

 Not all of our authors make their books available on pre-order. For those who do, those advance sales go a long way to help their book ratings.
Below are some future books.

May Releases

Mail-Order Mishap Collection

By Kimberly Grist

      Embark on a journey with three brave mail-order brides as they venture west, driven by hope and the promise of a brighter future. Will their quest lead them to love and happiness beneath the Texas sky?
      One of the most delightful aspects of writing is how secondary characters can unexpectedly come to life, eager to tell their own stories. This is evident in a captivating collection of previously published tales about courageous mail-order brides who embark on transformative journeys, driven by the promise of love and a brighter future. Their grooms are men from the fictional town of Tylerville, Texas—a place where faith, family, and caring for one's neighbor are as natural as breathing.
      Book One - Audie’s Audacious Bride- When disappointed hopes collide – Will a wilting mail-order bride muster enough resolve to soften a hardened rancher’s heart?
      Book Two - Bethel: Runaway Brides of The West - A semi-retired bootlegger, Bethel is shaking off the dust of her well-worn boots, not looking back, and hoping for a transformation. All she needs is a new dress, a new town, a husband, and a fresh start.
      Book Three- Abilene: Rescue Me Mail Order Brides- A bootlegger’s daughter and a hard-hearted sheriff go together like moonshine and bad decisions. Will Abilene find a way to penetrate the barriers of the sheriff’s heart?

Release date: May 1, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Mishap-Collection-Kimberly-Grist-ebook/dp/B0F2SCV9Y7

 

The Senator's Rescue: Rich Man Takes a Bride

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

     Pressured by his influential US senator father, Lockewood Wynn Sedgewick III needs a wife fast to secure his election to the council for the First Wyoming Territory legislature. Locke has always worked best on his own and resents that the image of a married man is more acceptable to voters. He is dedicated to attracting business to the territory and, in the final six weeks of the campaign, will acquiesce to this demand to reach his goal. So, all the bride has to do is look the role and keep her mouth shut.
     Marching for women’s suffrage, Vedia Elbe Jerrold is arrested…again. This time, her father, owner of Jerrold Shipping, has had enough, because her behavior ruined a prestigious contract. Father hires a matchmaker to arrange for a husband to calm his headstrong daughter. Infuriated at her father’s betrayal, she chooses the bachelor who lives the farthest away, hoping the rumors her group has heard about Wyoming Territory leaning toward women’s suffrage. This arrangement might be her best chance at gaining the vote for women…even if she has to relinquish her independence.
     Does a marriage under these fraught circumstances have an inkling of a chance?

Release date: May 9, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/Senators-Rescue-Rich-Takes-Bride-ebook/dp/B0F1L191ZM

 

Sue: Prairie Roses Collection - Book 55

By Zina Abbott

     Susan Hancock, often called Sue, now she lives in Carson City, Nevada, with her stepsister, Lucy, and stepbrother-in-law. She prepares to follow Lucy’s example by furthering her education so she can teach school. Although her studies are challenging, sometimes the greatest pressure others place upon her is to set furthering her education aside in order to choose one of the men—young or old—who seek to claim her as a wife. Like Lucy, she prefers to get her education first and experience being a teacher for at least one year before she settles down. Besides, in spite of the many men flocking to the Carson River Valley, none yet have captured her interest enough to tempt her to give up her goal.
     Thomas Wilcox, a former Union soldier from Kansas, survived the American Civil War—the final five months spent in a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp. Although difficult to stay in touch while moving from one battlefield to the next, he knows both his father and brother—also Union soldiers—are dead. His mother, after the sacking of Lawrence, took his cousin to her father and safety in California. He alone remains in the East. Suffering from the effects of malnutrition and the nightmares he cannot escape, he has lost the desire to farm the land his mother saved for him. He decides, whether or not he regains an enthusiasm for living and a sense of purpose, he prefers to rejoin the family he still has.

Release date: May 16, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXH2SNFH

Sarah: Sweet Historical Romance (Pendleton Promises Book 3)

By Shanna Hatfield

She desires his heart.

He longs for her love.

Can they find common ground when he returns forever altered by the war.

     In a world turned upside down by World War I, all Sarah Richards desires is to love Brett Rawlings and build a future together. After graduating high school a year early, she’s ready to dive into her dreams of college and a home filled with laughter and love. But one impulsive decision threatens all her aspirations—as well as her relationship with Brett.

      As the war rages on and men head off to fight, sixteen-year-old Brett reluctantly follows his twin brother, Ben, sneaking off to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. As the months pass, Ben thrives amidst the chaos of battle, while Brett finds himself haunted by the girl he left behind and the uncertainty of his own heart. When Ben reveals a life-altering secret, the bond between the brothers is shattered, forcing Brett to grapple with betrayal as he faces the brutal realities of war.

     Brett returns home a changed man, burdened with memories too heavy to bear, yet yearning to mend the fractures of the past. Will Sarah still be waiting for him, or have time and truth forged an unbridgeable chasm between them?

     Find out in this heartfelt historical romance that weaves a tale of hope, grace, forgiveness, and sweet, enduring love.

Release date: May 22, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6NKVSBK

Freddy's Sudden Farm (Rejected Mail-Order Grooms Book 8)

By Marisa Masterson

      Freddy Albert dreams of escaping from his parents' farm. An advertisement by a woman in Northern California for a husband to help run her livery promises him a fresh start. As he prepares to leave home, everything changes.

     Now Freddy faces a hard decision. He realizes he has no choice but to take on the responsibility of running the farm and providing for his family. Unhappily, he writes to Lottie James, asking her to sell her livery. He proposes she move to Oregon and marry him.
     In California, Ann Marie LeFevre cannot believe her friend's stubbornness. Despite her mail-order groom’s invitation, Lottie refuses to leave California. When her friend tosses Fred’s letters to her and tells her to marry him, Ann Marie quickly accepts the offer. He will be glad for a substitute bride. She is sure of it.
     However, she discovers that the young man—Freddy--who wrote those letters is very different from the man she expected. Sheer optimism will not make the two of them compatible as she had hoped. And Freddy is far from willing to accept a substitute bride, especially one who is older than him and not a bit pretty.
      Will Freddy’s sudden farm keep him from finding love or will he and Ann Marie discover a way to blend their hearts and lives?

Release date: May 29, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT1L62ZN  

 

Ash: (Gun For Hire Sweet Western Romance Series Book #6)

By by Jo-Ann Roberts

An outlaw looking for a fresh start.
A schoolteacher who might hold the key to the entire town’s salvation.
     Ash “Shotgun” McCrae can never make up for all the wrong he’s done. After leaving a notorious outlaw gang, he thought he’d discovered the peaceful existence he’d been looking for when he found work laying tracks for the railroad in Rivers Bend. Yet, when trouble shows up in town, he fears he may never free himself from the burden of his past.
     Schoolteacher Kate Cummings stands as the one bright light in contrast to the curious looks and behind-the-glove whispers blowing through the town. The arrival of Padraic “Patch” Rooney and his gang challenges the small-town serenity she holds dear. Still, her steadfast trust in Ash awakens the strength of courage within them all, giving rise to the collective defiance against the approaching danger.
     In a deadly game of dangerous outlaws and secret schemes, Kate and Ash must decide whether they are willing to risk everything for their love, including their lives.

Release date: May 30, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXMWC1PS

June Releases

 

Hal's Lucky Escape: Rejected Mail-Order Grooms (Book 9)

By Zina Abbott

       Hal Culpepper had been anxious to leave the U.S. Army after his enlistment ended. However, when things do not work out for him joining the family business at home, he decides to return to Fort Keogh in Montana Territory and try to reenlist. A chance meeting with his former corporal convinces him to hire on as a guard for the Cheyenne and Black Hills Stage and Express Company. Between surviving an attack by road agents and almost being bamboozled by a mail-order bride, he figures he made a lucky escape. The question he then faces is, what does his future hold? When another former soldier he served with encourages him to seek a job in Helena, he decides to go.
       Widow Marta Schmidt was ordered by her brother, who inherited the family farm once their mother died, to leave the house. With no marriage prospects and her twelve-year-old daughter, Sophia, to support, she flees to Helena, Montana Territory. There, she joins her cousin, who owns a restaurant. She hopes he might hire her as a cook. After all, she gave him her best German cuisine recipes to help him get started. Is there a future for her and Sophia in a remote German community in the frontier West?

Release date: June 5, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT7RYH2C

 

Ike's Isolation: Mountain Men-Longing Hearts in the Wilderness

By Marisa Masterson

     Escape to the mountains with Ike Walton, the banker's son. No one knows why he left his father's business and disappeared into the wilderness. But Emmaline Bradley, still waiting for her runaway fiancé, is determined to find out.
     She sets off on horseback with supplies in hand, determined to confront Ike and demand answers. But Ike has a secret that he's been keeping from everyone, including Emmaline. And as he decides to return to Pine Creek, he knows his past will soon catch up with him.
     Will Emmaline's unexpected arrival reignite their love, or will it only complicate things further? Uncover a tale of love, lies, and redemption in the mountains of Pine Creek.
     Pre-order your copy now. The price changes at publication.

Release date: June 10, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DT7TFKV6

 

Holly’s Christmas Escape: Mountain Man’s Substitute Bride

By P. Creeden

Christmastime 1885, Colorado Territory. Tristan Walker mail-order bride was supposed to help him run his remote trading post. Instead, he gets her friend Melody Sullivan, a schoolteacher escaping false accusations that cost her position and reputation in Baltimore. Practical Tristan can't imagine what he'll do with a woman whose hands are made for books and learning, not cooking and hunting. But as Christmas nears, Melody's determination to adapt and her gift for teaching brings unexpected joy to his isolated world—especially to the half-Native children in the area who have no school to attend. When the opportunity for Melody to clear her name arrives, Tristan fears the mountain life that once seemed so lonely might be emptier still without her.

Release date: June 18, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F36H5DFB

 

Mail-Order Physician: Hopeful Husbands

By P. Creeden

     30 Mail-Order Husbands books from 17 of the best-selling authors in the industry!
Even independent women need a helping hand now and then. More than muscles and rugged good looks, our brides need handy husbands, and only the Honorable, Healing, and Hopeful need apply... but is that truly what they'll get?

     Individual description coming soon.

Release date: June 26. 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F6LNVVZZ