The Christmas Tree Angel - by Jo-Ann Roberts

Yes, I know what you're thinking...it's only the end of July. There are still five months before the big day. Why is she writing about Christmas trees and angels?

Well, here are three good reasons...

1.  I've been watching the Hallmark Channel's annual Christmas in July extravaganza.

2.  My work in progress is a Christmas-themed romance that features a sleigh ride, snow, and naturally, Christmas.

3.  I've been baking dozens of Italian Christmas cookies for my grandson's wedding on August 3rd.

One scene in the book is centered around a grieving widower who realizes he's neglected his girls. To bring joy back into their home, he surprises them with a tree and a box of decorations. Among the crocheted snowflake ornaments was an angel dressed in an iridescent gown with feather wings.

Which led me down the rabbit hole to research the origin of tree toppers.

We all know that several angels appeared in the biblical story of the first Christmas, and angels appeared in the sky over Bethlehem to announce and celebrate Jesus's birth.

It's that last part of the story--the angels appearing high above the Earth--that offers the clearest explanation for why angels are placed at the top of Christmas trees.

The first time in recorded history that a tree was decorated specifically to celebrate Christmas was in Latvia in 1510, when people placed roses on the branches of a fir tree.  

Tree Topper Angels

People eventually took up the practice of placing angel figures at the top of their Christmas trees to symbolize the significance of the angels who appeared over Bethlehem to announce Jesus's birth. If they didn't use an angel ornament as a tree topper, they usually used a star. According to the biblical story of Christmas, a bright star appeared in the sky to guide people to Jesus's birthplace.

By placing angels at the top of their trees, some Christians were also making a statement of faith intended to scare evil spirits away from their homes.

Streamers and Tinsel: Angel 'Hair'

Once they began decorating Christmas trees, people would sometimes pretend that angels were actually the ones decorating the trees. This was a way of making the Christmas festivities fun for children. People wrapped paper streamers around the trees and told children that the streamers were pieces of angel hair that had been caught in the branches when the angels leaned in too closely while decorating.

(Honestly, this is the first time I've heard this explanation of angel 'hair'.)

Later, after people figured out how to hammer out silver (and then aluminum) to

produce shiny streamers called tinsel, they used it on their trees to represent angel hair. 

The first angel ornaments were handmade ones, such as angel-shaped cookies or angel ornaments fashioned out of natural materials like straw. By the 1800s, glassblowers in Germany were making glass Christmas ornaments, and glass angels began to adorn many Christmas trees throughout the world.

After the Industrial Revolution made it possible to mass-produce Christmas ornaments, many different styles of angel ornaments were sold in large department stores.

Angels remain popular Christmas tree decorations today. High-tech ornaments implanted with microchips (which enable the angels to glow from within, sing, dance, talk, and play trumpets) are now widely available.

            A Sleigh Ride for Claire 

        Coming September 2nd

 

He was the most stubborn and prideful man she’d ever met!

She was a busybody who stuck her nose in his business at every turn!

With Christmas on the horizon, Claire McAllister has far too much to do to entertain dreams of a husband and family. Even if she feels inclined to help Lincoln Wyse outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it's impossible to imagine the handsome widower seeing her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher.

Even though the pretty schoolteacher never turned a favorable eye to him, Linc Wyse’s heart skipped a beat whenever she pinned him with her mesmerizing green eyes. Beautiful or not, Claire McAllister was a meddling spinster who placed judgments on him and his family.

Yet, neither one can imagine how three little, mischievous matchmakers and a magical Christmas Eve sleigh ride will open their eyes to love…or how the Lord will awaken their faith and hope.

     Available for Preorder

     


 

July 17, 1876

 Post (c) Doris McCraw

aka Angela Raines

Photo (C) Doris McCraw

For those who know me and my work, I love research, and those tidbits that pop out in the historic newspapers, etc. On that note, I wanted to share some of the pieces I've found and my thoughts on the content.

This first piece just begs one to wonder what language the woman using. Laramie, in Wyoming, a place where we've historically been told that women were ahead in suffrage, was perhaps not as ahead of its time as was told.

It was interesting they used 'ungentlemanly' language, Was it swearing? Would they have fined a man for the same language? It is something to think about.

The Denver Daily Times
July 17, 1876

This next piece, from the same issue of the Denver Daily Times, caught my eye. I am in the middle of a year-long project of telling the stories of some of the Civil War Veterans and the Wives of Veterans who are buried in the local cemetery. As a result, there are times when reconstruction shows up in the research.

The things newspapers thought were important to print are endlessly fascinating. 

The Denver Daily Times
July 17, 1876

What type of research do you do when preparing for your writing? 

Until Next Time: Stay safe, Stay happy, and Stay healthy. 

Doris

Whitman's Samplers in World War I

 

I love researching history for details to add to my wholesome historical romances. 

One of the little gems I unearthed while I was digging in World War I was that the Whitman's Sampler (yes, the box of delicious assorted chocolates) once offered a Whitman's Sampler specifically for the troops in World War I.

The Whitman's Sampler story began in 1842 when Stephen F. Whitman opened a small confectionery shop in Philadelphia. His goal was to compete with the finer French candy makers of the time. 

His sweet were well received and grew in popularity. In 1912, Whitman's Sampler® is introduced to the public. The box includes a collection of the most popular pieces of candy sold in the confectionary shop. Whitman's becomes the first business in the industry to use cellophane to wrap their products. The cellophane was imported from France until 1924, when Dupont began producing it in the US. For many years, Whitman's is the largest single user of cellophane in America. 

In 1917, as American joined World War I, Whitman's modifies its Library Package (that included a book) and gives it the name Service Chocolates. Each pound box includes the trademark Whitman's Sampler candies as well a small "vest-pocket" size classic book by well-known authors, like Rudyard Kipling.  The books were easy for soldiers to carry in their pockets or packs, and the candy was a welcome treat. People could send the candy overseas to the troops, and soldiers could send them to their sweethearts. 

The lids of the boxes bore the insignia of service (Marines, Army). The assortment of books included was coordinated with a small New Jersey publishing company. 

In 1933, the Whitman's chocolate brand become part of the Russell Stover's family where they continue the tradition of making Whitman's Samplers, making it one of the oldest chocolate companies in America. 

In my book, Molly, which takes place in 1918-19, the hero of the story, Friday Fitzpatrick, receives a box of Whitman's Service Chocolates from his family and shares them with his friends. 

Molly releases today. If you enjoy clean, sweet romances full of history, humor, and hope, I hope you'll read the story!

Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.

She longs to make a difference. He yearns to claim her heart.

After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.

Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.

Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other's company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?

Find out in this sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.

 

After spending her formative years on a farm in Eastern Oregon, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield turns her rural experiences into sweet historical and contemporary romances filled with hope, humor, and hunky heroes.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at: ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Newsletter

Yellow Terror - The Plague of the 19th Century

Yellow Fever Pandemics- The Plague that bankrupted Memphis

Diseases and epidemics of the 19th Century included smallpox, typhus, scarlet fever, cholera, and yellow fever. Yellow fever accounted for the largest number of 19th-century epidemic outbreaks. Yellow fever earned many nicknames, including Yellow Jack, the Yellow Plume of Death, Yellow Terror, and Bronze John, based on its symptoms.


Nashville Tennessean Magazine, Jan. 22, 1956, Newspapers on Microfilm Collection.

During the 1800s, Memphis was a swampy area and held the reputation as one of the filthiest and most foul-smelling cities on earth. Open sewers, thousands of privies that emptied into the Mississippi River, decaying wooden walkways, and no organized service to dispose of garbage for thousands of residents combined to create a terrible aroma and the perfect breeding ground for Yellow Fever.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Memphis,_Tennessee

In 1828, 1855, 1867, and 1873, steamers brought Yellow Fever north from New Orleans to Memphis. In July of 1878, it hit again after a man who escaped a quarantined steamboat visited a restaurant on the shore of the Mississippi. On August 13th, restaurant owner Kate Bionda became the first Memphis resident to die of yellow fever, and the infection spread rapidly. Most of the residents who were able to leave left within a week, and approximately twenty-five thousand people fled to other cities, spreading the diseases as far away as Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky.

https://historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/yellow-fever/yellow-fever.html

In the heat of the summer, those who were left to take care of the sick believed that the disease was spread by bad air. Even though the temperatures were close to one hundred, residents boarded the windows and kept fires burning. When people died, their clothing and beds were dragged into the streets and burned. An average of two hundred people died every day through September, and almost half of the city's doctors perished.

https://haywoodcountyline.com/the-yellow-fever-epidemic-of-1878/

Dr. John Erskin was one of 110 doctors who tended to the sick and dying in 1878 and was one of the thirty-three physicians who died from the disease.

The epidemic ended with the first frost in October, leaving 20,000 people dead in the Southeast. In the aftermath, open sewers and privies were cleaned up, which destroyed mosquito breeding grounds and prevented further epidemics.

https://historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/yellow-fever/yellow-fever.html

Orphans Evacuated

https://historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/yellow-fever/yellow-fever.html

Father Joseph Kelly of St. Peter's Parish was another selfless caregiver who worked among the victims of the epidemics of 1873 and 1878, evacuating orphans. These stories of tragedies and the selfless acts of the caretakers inspired a fictitious orphanage, the Counting Stars Children's Home, located in a rural setting outside of Memphis.

Best Friends Bound by Tragedy

After researching the pandemic of 1878, I was surprised to learn that I had little recollection from my history lessons about this 19th-century pandemic. My imagination turned to the plight of orphans during this time period. I was inspired to begin writing about the lives of women and children affected, and Heaven Inspired Matrimonial Matches was born. Though bound by tragedy, each story is intended to show how beauty can come from ashes. I hope it will leave you with a smile.

Free on Kindle Unlimited 

 


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7JC1LBC




Fans of historical romance set in the late 19th -century will enjoy stories combining, History, Humor, and Romance, emphasizing Faith, Friends, and Good Clean Fun.

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Happy Fourth of July!

Hi, Kit Morgan here, and Happy Fourth of July to One and All! I hope you're celebrating safely, wherever you are, and enjoying time with friends and family. I was thinking of doing a history post about the holiday, or maybe something about fireworks. Then I decided it would be fun to share the typical way my family and I sometimes spend the Fourth of July Holiday.

We're not always together in one spot every year at this time. This year I'm the one that's missing. I'm in Northern California caregiving for someone again, so won't be in Oregon with family. My big brother isn't there either this year. A retired fireman and professional outdoorsman, he spends six weeks every summer now in Alaska as a fishing guide. 

Often everyone comes to my place, which is also the cabin in the woods we all grew up in. I live in a canyon with a mile long driveway and there's a creek running through it. We've got twenty acres and a sweet swimming hole that attracts a lot of family and friends all summer long. One year we have quite a few folks there between friends and family and it was loads of fun. I also couldn't believe some of the desserts that were brought. Yum!

Food, family, fun, and of course fireworks! With hotter summers, these have become more regulated, but that's okay. After going through what was called the Riverside Fire back in 2020 and almost losing the canyon to the fire, we don't mind extra restrictions. We often drive into our little home town seven miles away, and would bring a blanket and lay on it, the fireworks going off right above us. For a little town, it has one of the best fireworks displays around. 

There's always a sense of good old fashioned nostalgia around some holidays and the Fourth of July is one of them. It's easy to picture people back in the late 1800's and early 1900's celebrating our country's independence with all the same ingredients of food, family, fun, and fireworks, and having a grand time. Firework displays have gotten much grander over the years, but they're still fun and a big part of the holiday. So I hope you've got something special planned for the day, even if it's just sipping a glass of lemonade on your porch and reading a good historical romance! Happy Fourth of July to you!

Kit

CHRISTMAS IN JULY: TRULY A TRADITION by Marisa Masterson

I don't put up a tree, but I do enjoy Christmas in July. Authors release new Christmas stories, and the nuances of the holiday I enjoy surround me. 

This year I started to wonder. Is Christmas in July only something from the Southern Hemisphere or is there a tradition of it in the United States? 

https://web.extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/seasons.cfm?Slide=6

I think of countries like Australia and Argentina when Christmas in July is mentioned. While I enjoy summer in Michigan, peope in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing winter. Little wonder they might celebrate Christmas in July. 

However, when I began my research, I discovered something surprising. Christmas in July is a tradition in the United States, one that began at Keystone Camp in the 1930s. Fannie Holt was co-founder of a girls' camp in Brevard, North Carolina.

The whimsical woman, or so Fanny Holt is described in Southern Living, wanted the campers to be able to experience the holiday together. Snow made from cotton, a decorated tree, carolers, and even a visit from Santa Claus were all a part of that first Christmas in July. It became a regular event for the camp. 

(https://www.southernliving.com/holidays-occasions/christmas/how-did-christmas-july-start)

The phrase 'Christmas in July' entered into the American vocabulary after the release of the movie with that title. Now, it is useful to stores, a way to pull in shoppers for early, early Christmas shopping. 

 

For me, Christmas in July is a chance to share my latest Christmas novel with readers: 

A woman desperate to begin again. A man who longs for connection. Only a baby stands in the way of their happily ever after.

For Charlotte Reynolds, life is a constant struggle since the start of the war. The end of the war did not stop her problems. Instead, she loses her home and most of her family is gone. Her sister’s death after birthing her son deepens Charlotte’s longing for family.

Suddenly, she can no longer stay in the home she and her sister rented. With a newborn to care for and the cool weather of winter in the offing, Charlotte seizes on the chance to marry a man in the West. The only catch is she must marry him sight unseen in a proxy ceremony. She will face any obstacle to keep her nephew safe, even marry a Yankee! 

Butch Whaley needs a woman’s chatter to get through the winter. The previous year he nearly went mad spending the season by himself on his ranch. He had always heard women talked a lot, so he decided a wife would bring a guaranteed end his loneliness.

Only, he wants a wife without encumbrances. A woman who has never been married would suit him best. He is working hard to establish his ranch. He did not intend for stepchildren to inherit it. No, it would not be like what happened when Pa left his store to his stepson Richard instead of to Butch.

When he risks being caught in a snowstorm to collect his Christmas bride, he receives a shock. The woman arrives with a baby she says is hers.

Will Butch honor the promise he made when he signed the proxy form or will he lose out on future happiness because of past hurt?

 

Available July 3, 2024.

Enjoy 99 Cent Deals!

Look what our authors published in June!

Our authors have worked hard to bring you your next 

favorite stories. 

Here is what we published in June!

 

Martha's Second Chance (Rejected Mail-Order Brides Book 10)

By Marisa Masterson

Forgiveness comes easier than trust and love in this second chance romance.

     Only one thing mattered more than the apple orchard to Martha, and Emory had been it! Too bad he left her standing alone at the altar the prior year .
     A year was not long enough to fall out of love with him. Martha realizes that when she finds him standing on her porch. Worse yet, he hands her proof that her wandering uncle had deeded his share of the orchard to Emory.
     Is there any such thing as a true second chance? Will working day in and day out allow Martha to learn to trust the man she never stopped loving?

Release Date June 3, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP4H69K1

 

Miss Trinity: Sweet Historical Western Romance (The Brides of Fiddler's Gap Book 7)

By Kit Morgan

An Inventor turned Mail-order Bride
A Professor hoping for love
And one little trip to Clear Creek...

      Trinity Thorndyke had a brain. A good one. So why did men not like her? Just because she accidently blew things up now and then with her experiments, didn’t mean she wasn’t fit for the marriage mart. But no man in Boston was interested, and with her uncle running off to California to get married himself, she’d be alone and in a pickle. Which meant there was only one thing to do. Become a mail-order bride and hope for the best.
      Granville Peters thought he’d be happy with a bride that had all her teeth and could hold a decent conversation. What he got was a beauty with a brain! But was he good enough for her? He insisted they court and wanted to impress her, so Granville gave her what she wanted most. A trip to Clear Creek, Oregon to meet the famous Soap King, Gilbert Snow. Unfortunately, it was obvious she was more interested in meeting Mr. Snow than getting to know him. Was this a mistake? And what if Granville lost his heart, only to have her tell him she wasn’t interested? With her looks and brains, she could do anything in his eyes. Did he even have a chance with her? Find out as residents of two of Kit Morgan’s famous towns come together in this fun western romance!

Release date: June 25, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D865L16T 

 

Bernard's Christmas Mail-Order Bride Historical Western Holiday Romance

By P. Creeden

This Christmas, love arrives unexpectedly—by stagecoach.

Can unexpected Christmas magic spark love’s flame between a man with no bride and the woman who has traveled so far to win his wary affection? This is a clean, wholesome series of standalone novellas written from a Christian worldview. Each story has a happily ever after and features down-to-earth characters with real world problems who overcome them by grace and love. There will be seven brides in this special holiday series ~ read them all!

Release date: June 20, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNPQ7QRW 

 

 Not all of our authors make their books available on pre-order. However, for those who do, those advance sales go a long way toward boosting their sales rankings. 

Here are future releases:

July Pre-orders:

 

Luna: A Sweet Historical Romance (Pendleton Petticoats Book 11)

By Shanna Hatfield

She’s searching for peace and grace

He’s ready to step into his next big adventure

Haunted by memories of the fateful day that changed her life, Luna Campanelli seeks a fresh start in Pendleton, Oregon. Life in the wild western town is nothing like she imagined, although the rugged beauty of the area soothes her troubled spirit. An unlikely friendship with one of the area ranch hands lifts her hopes, until she discovers the cowboy isn’t who he’s led her to believe.

Hunter Douglas didn’t intend to hide his identity from the woman he met on the train, but when she assumed he was his sister’s hired hand, he didn’t correct her. He never anticipated forming such a deep connection to her, especially when thoughts of her continue to infiltrate his carefully made plans. As a recent college graduate with an inheritance he intends to use to start his own ranch in Pendleton, Hunter must decide if he is willing to open his heart and include Luna in his future.

Will they embrace the unexpected love that has blossomed between them, or let fear tear them apart?

Release date: July 2, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D5DL2MMK

 

A Child for Christmas: Confederate Widows, Spinsters, and Proxy Brides

By Marisa Masterson

A woman desperate to begin again. A man who longs for connection. Only a baby stands in the way of their happily ever after.

Charlotte Reynolds lost both her fiancé and her father during the War of Northern Aggression. She and her sister Esther struggled to hang on to the family’s home in Alexandria, Virginia. Unfortunately, Esther sacrificed her virtue to pay the taxes and died as a result.

With no home, her sister's newborn, and the cool weather of winter in the offing, Charlotte seizes on the chance to marry a man in the West. The only catch is she must marry him sight unseen in a proxy ceremony. She will face any obstacle to keep her nephew safe, even marry a Yankee!

Butch Whaley needs a woman’s chatter to get through the winter. The previous year he nearly went mad spending the season by himself on the land he homesteaded, land he had gotten free as a veteran of the recent war. He craved the noise of another person. Everyone knew women talked a lot, so a wife was guaranteed to end his loneliness.

Only, he wants one without encumbrances. A woman who has never been married would suit him best. He is working hard to establish his ranch. He did not intend for stepchildren to inherit it. No, it would not be like what happened when Pa left his store to his stepson Ike instead of to Butch.
When he risks being caught in a snowstorm to collect his Christmas bride, he is in for a shock. The woman arrives with a baby she says is hers.
Will Butch honor the promise he made when he signed the proxy form or will he lose out on future happiness because of past hurt?

Release date: July 3, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1YT8R1N

 

Molly: Sweet Historical Romance (Pendleton Promises Book 2)

by Shanna Hatfield

Inspired by the Hello Girls, America’s first women soldiers who helped win World War I.

She longs to make a difference.

He yearns to claim her heart.

After years of managing the Pendleton telephone office, Molly Thorsen answers the call for women to serve as telephone operators during World War I. Upon her arrival in France, she navigates the challenges of working near the front lines and battles the prejudices and skepticism of the men around her. Determined to prove her worth and skill, Molly faces adversity head-on while unexpectedly falling in love with a charming soldier.

Friday Fitzpatrick may not have been eager to engage in combat, but when he is drafted into the American Expeditionary Forces, he embraces the role of a soldier with unwavering determination. While fighting to survive the harrowing battlefield experiences, he clings to his sanity by dreaming about the captivating Hello Girl who has captured his heart. Though his opportunities to see her are limited, she serves as a beacon of hope in the midst of his darkest days.

Through their shared experiences and the trials they endure, Molly and Friday find comfort and encouragement in each other's company, forging a connection that defies the chaos of a world in conflict. As the war draws to a close and they return home, will civilian life bring them together or pull them apart?

Find out in this sweet and wholesome historical romance filled with hope, faith, courage, and love.

Release date: July 11, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXGXL68H

 

Olivia's Odyssey (Westward Home and Hearts Mail-Orders Book 49)

By Jo-Ann Roberts

Things go from bad to worse after Olivia Talbot is let go from her position at the Butterick Pattern Company in Boston and her beloved Auntie Dee passes away. Left with only her sewing machine and a letter of introduction to Mildred Crenshaw, proprietress of the Westward Hearts and Homes Matrimonial Agency she soon finds herself corresponding with a cattleman from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. 

As a proxy mail-order bride to a cattleman and mother to three children, she expected her life would change.
What she didn't expect upon her arrival was to discover Nate Forester, her intended, had perished in a suspicious fire.

Ty Forester's world is upended after tragedy leaves him caring for his brother's children. A cattleman's life is difficult enough. Yet, all he can do is pray he can raise the children and still run a ranch.

But it gets worse. His late brother’s mail-order bride arrives with a signed affidavit stating she will be sharing custody of the children with him. In disbelief, Ty intends to send Olivia Talbot straight back to wherever she came from.

Too bad the determined, tenacious woman has other plans.

Release date: July 15, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D488ZQPF

 

Edwin's Christmas Mail-Order Bride -Historical Western Holiday Romance

By P. Creeden

This Christmas, love arrives unexpectedly—by stagecoach.

Can unexpected Christmas magic spark love’s flame between a man with no bride and the woman who has traveled so far to win his wary affection? This is a clean, wholesome series of standalone novellas written from a Christian worldview. Each story has a happily ever after and features down-to-earth characters with real world problems who overcome them by grace and love. There will be seven brides in this special holiday series ~ read them all!

Release date: July 18, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNPS9XQW  

 

August Pre-orders:

 

Cowboy Law -A Texas Rangers - Sutton Brother’s Romance Book 2

By P. Creeden

Justice and vengeance intertwine for a Texas Ranger and an alluring beauty whose fates collide on the frontier, leading to trickery and tragedy before any shot at redemption.Their devotion is tested through gripping adventures and perilous twists of fate. More details to come.

Release date: August 15, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CRYMNKBH

 

Caleb’s New Bride (Mountain Men and Mail-Order Brides)

By P. Creeden

What happens when a mail-order bride shows up on the doorstep of a mountain man’s cabin? Who will suffer rejection? Who will gain redemption? These fated, possibly star-crossed lovers will soon find out!

Release date: August 29, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6X81RCX

 

September Pre-orders:

 

A Sleigh Ride For Claire (Sleigh Ride)

By Jo-Ann Roberts

       He was the most stubborn and prideful man she’d ever met!
       She was a busybody who stuck her nose in his business at every turn!
      With Christmas on the horizon, Claire McAllister has far too much to do to entertain dreams of a husband and family. Even if she feels inclined to help Lincoln Wyse outwit his three mischievous young daughters, it's impossible to imagine the handsome widower seeing her as anything but a scolding schoolteacher.
      Even though the pretty schoolteacher never turned a favorable eye to him, Linc Wyse’s heart skipped a beat whenever she pinned him with her mesmerizing green eyes. Beautiful or not, Claire McAllister was a meddling spinster who placed judgments on him and his family.
      Yet, neither one can imagine how a magical Christmas Eve sleigh ride will open their eyes to love…or how the Lord will awaken their faith and hope.

Release Date: September 2, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/Sleigh-Ride-Claire-ebook/dp/B0CXHXVQQF

 

Hotfooting from Hawthorne: Pioneer Brides of Rattlesnake Ridge Book 15

By Marisa Masterson

A woman with trouble hot on her trail and a child at her side. A man who handles his Colt revolver like a shootist.
      Ginny Maxwell has one child left as she waits at a train depot in Hawthorne, Nevada. The others left one by one as the orphan train traveled farther west. She wanted to believe each had found homes where they would be clothed and fed. She could not hope for them to be loved. Growing up as a foundling, she knew adults rarely wasted affection on orphans.
      While she and the unclaimed orphan wait for the eastern bound train that would take them back to Chicago, their lives change with one slash of a shiny knife. A man stabs a lone woman waiting on the platform. At Ginny's gasp, he realizes she and the little boy have seen him.
      A frantic race to escape begins, and desperation sends them into the back of a tarp-covered wagon. Hiding there, she hears the whistle. They missed their train and are stuck with a killer on their trail.

Release date: September 9, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D49LQR1F

 

A Sleigh Ride For Grace (Sleigh Ride)

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

      Grace Darton believes family is more important than anything…even an attentive beau. Three years ago, she broke off a courtship to tend her ailing aunt and assume management of her boardinghouse. Although her life might lack romance, she and her younger sister, Kerrie, strive to provide a family atmosphere for their boarders. But is it really enough?
      Darach MacLean thought he had his future planned—he and his love, Grace, were to marry and move to Golden City for him to attend the Colorado School of Mines. But she stayed behind. As a new graduate, he returns to Spur Springs to either win her back or purge her from his life forever. His sweet Grace has become a successful businesswoman and is being wooed by the mayor. Can Darach find the way back into her heart or has he returned too late?

Release date: September 16, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D34RFGGM

 

A Sleigh Ride For Holly

By P. Creeden

     A nanny whose children have grown finds herself without prospects for another job. At twenty-five years old, spinster is the best description for her now. But will a letter and an invitation for a sleigh ride change her life?
    *More description coming soon*

Release Date: September 23, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D344YDTG

 

Wyatt's New Bride: Mountain Men & Mail-Order Brides

By Zina Abbott

Wyatt Holt gave up searching for gold in favor of becoming a Tuolumne County lumberjack to satisfy the demand for timber supports in the new quartz mines and lumber for the nearby towns. He is tired of living in tents or sharing a barracks-style bedroom in the Summersville boardinghouse. With more men bringing families to the area, he begins his search for a wife. Between being shot during a community meeting gone bad, the bride he sent for rejecting him for another, and uncertain if he will heal from his injuries well enough to resume his former occupation, Wyatt wonders if there is any hope for a loving wife and family in his future.

Release date: September 26, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW19ZPG9

A Sleigh Ride For Georgia (Sleigh Ride)

By Kimberly Grist

      Abandoned as a child, Georgia knows first-hand the results of chasing rainbows, searching for the proverbial pot of gold. That same lure called her father to California, leaving her to grow up in a children’s home. Even though she knows that there is little value in depending on anyone but herself, buried in her heart is the dream of her own happily ever after – a husband and family. Desperate, she accepts the advice of her pastor and applies to a matchmaking agency. If only someone would look past her inadequacies and see her potential, she would devote herself to ensuring his happiness and love him with her whole heart. Unfortunately, she is out of time.
       “Who was it that said desperate times demand desperate measures? The Lord forgive me if I’m wrong, but the next letter I write, I’m omitting the fact that I limp.”

Release Date: September 30, 2024

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D32LX394