Henley on Sale Today!

 

For a limited time, my book Henley is on sale for just 99 cents!

Love is a gamble, and heartbreak is a risk she’s willing to take.

Despite her dreams to set down roots, Henley Jones has never had a place to call home. She’s spent her life on riverboats and railroad cars, tagging along with her gambling father. A shoot-out during a card game results in his death, leaving Henley alone and nearly penniless. Out of luck and options, Henley agrees to travel across the country to the newly established town of Holiday, Oregon, to marry a stranger.

A demanding practice in a town clawing its way to respectability keeps Doctor Evan Holt rushing at a hectic pace. He’s far too busy to see to pressing matters like hiring competent help or finding a wife. When one of his patients orders a mail-order bride, Evan can’t decide if the man is crazy or brilliant. From the moment he meets her, Evan battles an unreasonable attraction to the beautiful, charming woman who seems to be hiding something from her past.

In a town flush with possibilities, will taking a chance on love end with heartache or a winning hand? Find out in this sweet western romance full of humor, hope, and love.

~*~

I thought it might be fun to share some quotes from the book.

The West was overflowing with gamblers.

They gambled on their dreams, and hopes, and families.

They gambled on opportunities to create better lives, or become better versions of themselves.

Most importantly, they gambled in the high-stakes game of love,

putting their hearts on the line, with no idea if they’d win or lose.

~*~

The child was as cooperative as a drunken donkey in a dynamite shack.

~*~

I’m starting to think there are rocks and tree stumps

smarter than Evan Holt.

~*~

Love might be the toughest gamble you’ll make, but it’s worth the risk.

Order your copy of Henley today!

It’s available on Amazon in digital and paperback formats, and you can read it in Kindle Unlimited!

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

Have you ever wondered what your city looked like 120-140 years ago?

 

Authors have a lot of information they need to create when developing a new story, often with just their imagination. We name characters and give them physical features and a cultural heritage. Then we invent problems for them to overcome—both to achieve their original goal and to make the relationship they discovered along the way have a happy ending. For many stories, we need to do research to learn about a new profession or hobby so the characters are presented like living breathing people.

To avoid being confined by the physical restraints of a particular town or city, I often make up locations so I can put the mountains or beach where I want it without having a reader point out a possible error, because the place I chose happens to be that person’s hometown. So, what’s an author to do?

One method is embarking on personal research. Traveling to all the places I write about would cost more money than I earn in royalties. For one series, I was already flying from California to Texas to attend a writers’ retreat and do a drive-by visual check on the house we still own there. I tacked on an extra day and walked the streets of a nearby small town, taking notes about creeks, old buildings, a cemetery, businesses, etc. All that information was used in my Dorado, Texas and Sugar and Spice Bakery series.

BUT several years ago, I discovered Sanborn Insurance Maps that are saved in the Library of Congress. These maps came into existence when more and more businesses started insuring their properties. Not as detailed as a surveyor’s plot drawing say of the lot or acreage your house is on, these maps do depict all the physical structures apparent when the surveyor visited the site. Often a city map from the 1890s will have five or six pages. These are great because an author can learn the street names, see where underground pipes exist, and determine where the biggest concentration of businesses was. I’ve discovered water and electrical plants present earlier than I originally imagined.

Here are two maps of a town called Manitou Springs, Colorado. I renamed it Spur Springs and used it as the setting for three stories, the most recent being The Bride Who Tends Sheep. I learned the town was built on both sides of a creek that ran through it. I also am amazed that not all structures are squared off or perpendicular to the road they face. So different from how our neighborhoods look today. Here's a rundown of what the colors mean: pink represents a brick or tile building; yellow is for wood construction; blue for stone, concrete, or cinder block.

To find a map for your city, put Sanborn Insurance Maps into the search bar for your browser. Once on the site, enter the name and state for the desired location and then explore. I’d love to hear what you discover.

BLURB:

Fall 1876, Colorado

Arrosa Cristobal tends a flock of forty sheep on government land near the city of Cherry Creek. She stays as close to town as she can to check in with her laundress mother who she helps support until her death a month earlier. A ransacking of her caravan while she visited town makes Arrosa feel vulnerable. She sets out on the thirty-five mile trip to Spur Springs to join her estranged brother, Jakombe. Maybe they can combine their herds.

Cameron McPherson, a Scottish rancher, is the head of the Spur Springs cattleman group. He’s struggled to keep the members in check from attempting to push out the Cristobal sheep ranch on the outskirts of town. But when he sees a new unfamiliar flock drawing close, he has to confront this interloper and hopefully steer her and her flock away from town before another rancher sees her. But the minute he meets her and hears where she is headed, he hesitates, not wanting to be the one who informs her of Jakome’s death. His protective instincts rise toward this woman who appears to be all alone in the world.

Can these two strong individuals on the opposite sides of grazing rights find common ground?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DW91K8L1

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IT'S BEEN AROUND AWHILE by Marisa Masterson

 Most of us have had it. None of us enjoyed it. I refer to chickenpox.

Believe it or not, I researched the childhood illness for my lastest novel. I had wondered if it was a relatively new problem--like polio. Turns out, chickenpox was even mentioned in historical documents. Of course, people in ancient times did not use that name for it. However, the description of the illness matches the symptoms of the virus.

Sadly, when the chickenpox rash dries on a child, the virus does not disappear. It lays dormant near the spinalcord and waits. This is why adults develop shingles. 

Yes, you read that correctly. If you have had chickenpox, the virus remains with you. That is a strong reason for receiving the shingles vaccine. (Full disclosure--I am NOT vaccinated because of allergy reasons.) 

Thankfully, very few children now suffer this childhood illness. The vaccine has all but eradicated it. 

The HealthSite.com

Maybe, like me, you have wondered how the virus got its common name. I thought people called it that because the blister looks like a chicken pecked the skin. That is not the case. Actually, it is called chickenpox because the blisters are said to resemble chick peas. Strange!

In my newest release, Maude Ropes the Sheriff, the illness and shingles both make an appearance. In truth, they bring our hero and heroine together.

From the book:

A hand lifted. Maude shook her finger. “No, Doctor. He’s quarantined.”

Niall huffed. “A doctor’s the only one who can put someone in quarantine.”

“I did it.”

Etta appeared in the doorway, amazingly free now from her bindings. “He’s got shingles. I don’t think you wanna start a chicken pox epidemic.”

Niall narrowed his gaze, looking closely at the other man’s face. “You feeling poorly, Jeff. Where is your pain?”

The sheriff pointed to his shoulder. Niall twirled a finger, wordlessly asking his patient to turn. “Usually, they are on the face, though I have seen some on the back.” He hummed. “Yes, Etta’s right. You have herpes zoster, also called shingles.”

“I got another patient,” Etta grumbled. “She’s in the second bedroom with shingles on her face.”

“Watch for any in her eyes, then. That’s when they get--.” The doctor looked down, his words lost. “What’re you doing, young man?”

Chester had wrapped the rope twice around the doctor’s legs. “Gettin’ ready to brand you,” he said. He held a potato masher. Jeff guessed it served as his branding iron.

Niall put a hand on the boy’s curls. “Not today. Too many patients to see.”

 

Later in the book, these close quarters allow Jeff and Maude time to straighten out misconceptions:

A noise, low and pain-filled, reached her. A grumble mixed with a moan sounded from the bed. She decided that must be what woke her.

Concerned, she leaned over Chet. He slept, at last peaceful and content. The creek water and willow bark tea had worked their magic. The child no longer burned with fever.

Maude savored the cooler feel of his skin as her fingers brushed his cheek. Her brother sighed and rolled away from her touch. He was on the mend.

Her other patient moaned. She moved around the bed and knelt by the sleeping sheriff. He fidgeted before he sat up. Unseeing eyes opened.

“I’ve been shot in the back!”

Saying that, he flopped back against the bed. A yowl of pain escaped him. Even after making the noise, the man did not appear to be awake.

Maude studied his restless form. He needed to sleep on his stomach. His back was enflamed or some such thing, according to the doctor. Something to do with nerves, or so she recalled.

Jeff Ritter was not overly tall. He stood perhaps three inches above her own height. And, while some might consider him skinny, Maude felt his ropey muscles as she gripped his upper arm.

She had noticed those muscles. Earlier, he had removed his shirt. Its material had irritated the skin around the shingles. Maude had ducked her head to hide her interest in his well-developed chest covered with a spattering of dark hair.

The man was strong, no matter his appearance. And those muscles added to his weight. She struggled to turn him. He would be more comfortable if he laid on his stomach.

Slipping a hand under his shoulder, she tried to use her fist and elbow as a wedge. Something stopped him from rolling. Peeking over his shoulder, she realized an extra pillow, heavily stuffed, lay beside him on the bed. It halted any movement. She had to get rid of it.

With her right hand still jammed under his shoulder, she reached across Jeff. Her left hand brushed the pillow. As she grabbed for it, powerful arms wrapped around her.

Trapped in the embrace, Maude landed on her former fiancé’s bare chest. The dim light from the lamp on the bureau allowed her to see his face. His eyes were open, and he wore a wide grin.

“Why, Miss Maude, you surely do know how to comfort a sick man!” The warmth in his tone teased her.

Click here to read more. 

Sheriff Jeff Ritter watches the woman he fancies marry another man. He realizes there is only one thing to do. The gruff man decides to remedy his broken heart by sending for a bride. In fact, he advertises for a woman who will be like the lady he loved and lost. Little does he know he is in for a surprise!

Maude Connelly has more than she can handle. Her rascally brothers need a man. When she reads an advertisement in the newspaper for a sheriff who wants a wife, she knows the situation will be ideal. Who better to handle the rascals than a lawman?

She has brown hair! It is the first thing Jeff notices when Maude steps off the train. He wanted a blonde. Worse, she is chasing two young boys. He did not want a widow.

The train carries more than his bride to Fox Creek. His childhood enemy arrives as well. The man, Clyde Fergus, proudly waves a deed, declaring the land where the town sits belongs to him. What will the residents do and why do they expect him to have the answer?

Does Clyde really own the land the town stands on? And what about Maude? Jeff initially rejects her. Can he win her after refusing to marry her?

Get your copy today!

Hudson House Holiday Series

 

Way back in January, I’d planned to write four sweet romances in a generational series that begins in 1892 and ends with a modern-day story. It didn’t happen. Then I thought I’d get started writing them when CC and I went out of town for a week for Valentine’s Day. I got so entranced watching snowflakes fall in the woods from our hotel window, I didn’t write a single word. Before I knew it, it was June and I still hadn’t started on the series, although I did have my beautiful covers. Eventually, September was half-way gone and I realized if I didn’t get busy the books were never going to be more than words floating through my thoughts.

So, in five weeks of writing, I cranked out the four books that are the Hudson House series. I hope you’ll enjoy them even half as much as I loved writing them. I hope, too, if you read them, you’ll find that Hudson House isn’t just a setting, but one of the characters in the books. It was inspired by the beautiful Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, and the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Oregon!

Hudson House

Four generations find romance and joy during the holidays at a home filled with wonder and love.

The first book in the series, A Christmas Dream, released last week, and A Christmas Spark debuts tomorrow!

He came to build the house of his dreams, but found a home for his heart.

After an extensive search for the ideal location to build a house he’s spent years designing, Brant Hudson knows he’s found the perfect site the moment he sets foot on the land near Silver Bluff, Oregon. However, frustrating delays leave him laboring alongside the very crew he hired to finish the house in time for Christmas. His work leads the woman who catches his eye to believe he’s a carpenter rather than the owner of the grand manor.

Holland Drake grew up on a farm, but she aspires to secure a position as a housemaid at Hudson House. While delivering lunch to her brother at the worksite, the door opens to a job when Holland encounters a strikingly handsome carpenter whose charm captivates her. Soon, Holland discovers the enchanting man is none other than the owner of the house and her new employer.

As the holiday season arrives amid a flurry of excitement and possibilities, Holland and Brant face choices that could change their lives forever. Will fear hold them back from stepping into the future together, or will their Christmas dreams of love come true?

A Christmas Dream is the first book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Will hope spark a holiday romance?

After losing his brother and part of himself on a French battlefield during the Great War, Kase Hudson seeks refuge from the haunting memories at his childhood home. He finds solace in carving wooden Santa figurines in his workshop in the stables that he sends to gift shops to sell. Kase distances himself from his family’s unwanted sympathy until his sister, Sarah, arrives for the holidays with her vibrant friend. He never expected beautiful Dori to breathe warmth and joy into the house right along with his heart.

With no family of her own, photographer Dori Stanford eagerly accepts Sarah Hudson’s invitation to join her for Christmas at her family’s home in Oregon. The two friends travel from their college in California to Silver Bluff, excited to spend the holidays at Hudson House. Once they arrive, Dori makes it her mission to connect with Sarah’s sullen brother, Kase, and draws him into the wonder of the season.

Will her persistence and encouragement be the spark Kase needs to step out of the past and into his future—possibly one that includes Dori?

A Christmas Spark is the second book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Will a Christmas romance lead two searching hearts to a lifetime love?

Bound to the Hudson House family estate, Vienna Hudson strives to uphold the legacy her grandparents established. When she’s not busy preserving her heritage or managing the family corporation, she steals away for horseback rides across the sprawling grounds—until a chance encounter with a handsome stranger turns her world upside down.

Surveyor Sam Bishop is tasked with plotting a new interstate through the Silver Bluff area. He faces a significant challenge when his calls to an elusive landowner go unanswered, prompting an impromptu visit to Hudson House. Excited to explore the beautiful acreage, nothing could prepare him for Vienna's fiery welcome—armed with a pistol and a courageous spirit.

As holiday bells ring across the estate, Vienna and Sam work together to navigate the complexities of both the road project and the ever-evolving feelings dancing between them. Will the pair find a way to embrace their unexpected connection? Or will the pressures of responsibility and ambition tear them apart before they realize love is the most precious gift of the season?

A Christmas Love is the third book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

A heartfelt holiday tale of a family’s legacy that leads two hearts to love.

Reeling from the recent death of his father, Alex Hudson returns to Silver Bluff to protect his family's legacy. Upon reaching Hudson House, he discovers the once-vibrant estate all but abandoned. On top of that, his conniving aunts seem intent on seizing his inheritance. In search of support, Alex turns to a local attorney. There, he meets a woman who becomes an ally, friend, and the one person who can give him hope and a place to belong.

Nori Laroux enjoys working as a partner at her father's law firm. However, when he entrusts an important client to her care, Nori finds herself grappling with her feelings for Alex Hudson from the moment they meet. Committed to protecting his inheritance, she is determined to help Alex preserve the legacy of Hudson House, even if it means risking her own heart in the process.

When Alex suggests the idea of reopening the historic home for a Christmas celebration, Nori and her family eagerly step in to help deck the halls and fill Hudson House with cheer.

Will the holiday season bring Alex and Nori to the discovery that hope is a special gift and that love is the most treasured of all?

A Christmas Hope is the fourth book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.

Merry Christmas!

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet and wholesome romances filled with hope, humor, quirky small-town characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength. Her historical westerns have been described as historically accurate, blending facts with engaging fiction, while her contemporary works have been called laugh-out-loud funny, swoony, and heartwarming.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website.

A Female Private Detective

 

When I was working on my latest historical romance, Dreams For Courage, I thought it would be such fun if the heroine was a private detective. 

I'll confess, part of my desire to give my character that career is become I love Miss Scarlet and The Duke, a Masterpiece show on PBS . Miss Scarlet is a private detective full of spunk and bravado, and she's smarter than most of the men around her. 

I wanted Rhetta to be like her. 

And she is. Rhetta is clever and witty, determined and brave. 

When I was researching female private detectives in the late 1800s, I happened upon a real life female private detective named Cora Strayer.

Cora was born in 1869 in Elkhart, Indiana, and married young (some sources say at 16, others at 17). She had two children, but they both died, and she ended up divorced from her husband. 

Cora Strayer moved to Chicago where, in 1902, she placed an advertisement for her detective agency headquartered in the Austin neighborhood.

Apparently, her status as not only a female detective, but also a "lady boss" was such an amusing novelty, an article about her was publishing in 1903 in the Tribune. In it, she said, “A woman with her quicker sympathies and intuition has a great advantage in winning confidence … I often have people come to me and tell me a story which I can perceive immediately is but half truth.” She goes on to claim she studied law for several years, although there is no proof of that. 

She is pictured in an ad in 1905 with a George S. Holben listed as a “Supt. of the Criminal Department.” It is reported he was her first employee, and the two of them live together for several years, although they did not wed.  He ends up being shot and killed by a disgruntled former employee in 1910.

Cora then marries Robert Lincoln Fortune who was 24 years old to her 43. He died in 1913 and later that year, she files bankruptcy.

But Cora isn't ready to fade quietly into the twilight.

In 1914, Cora forms the First Volunteer Women's Calvary Regiment to take up arms and join the fight in the Border War with Mexico. She is quoted as saying: "Do you want to wait until all the men are killed to do your duty, sisters? A woman that would stand and let a man do all the fighting and suffering for his country is not a soldier. She belongs in the effete ranks of those who hurry abroad when the trouble starts. Pooh! She is not even worthy of the ballot."

The results of Cora's efforts are a regiment of 200 women, although they of course weren't allowed to fight. It is uncertain what, exactly, Cora planned to do once women joined her efforts. 

In 1931, Cora is still running ads for her agency. 

In 1932, Cora died from a cerebral hemorrhage. 

In her lifetime, she caught countless philandering husbands, brought scheming wives to justice, motivated 200 women to take up arms, was known as a "boss lady" until her death. 

Will two lonely hearts find the courage to love?

A loner for most of his life, Rowan Reed wants nothing more than to be left alone. He buys a run-down farm near Holiday, Oregon, intending to turn it into a successful ranch through hard work and determination. When a nosy, albeit beautiful, woman shows up on his doorstep, the instant attraction he feels to her sets off nearly as many warning bells as her barrage of probing questions.

Private detective Rhetta Wallace always unearths the truth. Involved in a lengthy investigation into a man suspected of killing a politician's son, her pursuit leads her to the town of Holiday. Accompanied by her adopted son, Rhetta finds herself squaring off against the grumpy, growling rancher she believes is the suspect. Whether or not Rowan admits his true identity, Rhetta is sure of two things: his innocence of the crime, and the deep affection he awakens in her heart.

Will their dreams for courage help them release the past and embrace a future together?

♥  ♥  ♥

Get your copy of Dreams For Courage today!

 

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and hopelessly romantic moments with unforgettable characters.

When this award-winning farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Holiday Dreams Series

 

I'm excited to share a brand new series with you that will start releases March 21! 

These are sweet and wholesome historical romances set in my fictional town of Holiday. 

If you haven’t read any of my other Holiday stories, start with Holiday Hope, which is the story of Jace and Cora Lee Coleman and the beginning of Holiday. After that check out Henley, and then you'll be ready for this new series. 

Each book can be read as a standalone, but it's fun to read about the characters you meet in other books too. 

DREAMS OF LOVE

 Release Date: March 21

Will dreams of love lead to an unexpected future?

Weathered from too many years of apprehending outlaws, Marshal Dillon Durant is resigned to a life of solitude. The small community of Holiday, Oregon, offers the opportunity for him to build lasting friendships while discovering a sense of belonging. Then he encounters an exasperatingly beautiful woman attempting to break into the local school, leaving him to contemplate the possibility of a new chapter in his life.

Desperate to escape the arranged marriage her father is attempting to foist upon her, Zara Wynn accepts a job as a schoolteacher in Holiday. Intent on a fresh start, she doesn’t want anyone to discover she’s a runaway bride. But concealing her past proves difficult, especially when the astute and handsome Marshal Durant captures her heart.

When her father and fiancé find her, will Zara be forced to abandon her dreams of love? Or will Dillon make them come true?

Amazon

UBL

 

DREAMS WITH FAITH

 Release Date: March 28

Can faith conquer their fears?

John Ryan is committed to his role as pastor in the quaint town of Holiday, Oregon. He values each member of his congregation, and aims to lead by example. However, his resolve is tested when a free-spirited woman arrives in town. John struggles with his growing attraction to her, determined to keep it from distracting him from his calling.

Following a devastating tragedy that leaves her isolated and shattered, Keeva Holt is eager for a new beginning. In need of consolation and clarity, she decides to seek refuge with her brother in Holiday. As she navigates through her grief and attempts to find direction for her future, Keeva’s vibrant spirit and exuberance challenge those around her, including the reserved Pastor Ryan. While logic tells her that John is beyond her reach, her heart urges her to pursue her dreams and embrace the possibilities of tomorrow.

Will John and Keeva learn to lean into their faith and let go of their fears?

Amazon

UBL

 

 DREAMS FOR COURAGE

 Release Date: April 4

Will two lonely hearts find the courage to love?

A loner for most of his life, Rowan Reed wants nothing more than to be left alone. He buys a run-down farm near Holiday, Oregon, intending to turn it into a successful ranch through hard work and determination. When a nosy, albeit beautiful, woman shows up on his doorstep, the instant attraction he feels to her sets off nearly as many warning bells as her barrage of probing questions.

Private detective Rhetta Wallace always unearths the truth. Involved in a lengthy investigation into a man suspected of killing a politician's son, her pursuit leads her to the town of Holiday. Accompanied by her adopted son, Rhetta finds herself squaring off against the grumpy, growling rancher she believes is the suspect. Whether or not Rowan admits his true identity, Rhetta is sure of two things: his innocence of the crime, and the deep affection he awakens in her heart.

Will their dreams for courage help them release the past and embrace a future together?

Amazon

UBL

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or testing out new recipes (she loves to bake!), Shanna hangs out at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, better known as Captain Cavedweller.

Pendleton Petticoats

 

When I wrote the first book in the Pendleton Petticoats series, I never imagined one story would lead to so many more, a spin-off series, and even a children's book.

But that is exactly what happened after I wrote the book Aundy. 

Aundy ended up being one of my readers' favorite characters. She's a strong, resilient woman and I'd still like to be more like her when I grow up. 

One mail-order bride discovers

The courage to love

Desperate to better a hopeless situation, Aundy Thorsen leaves behind her life in Chicago to fulfill a farmer’s request for a mail-order bride in Pendleton, Oregon.  When a tragic accident leaves her a widow soon after becoming a wife, Aundy takes on the challenge of learning how to manage a farm, wrangle demented chickens, and raise sheep. Her stubborn determination to succeed upsets more than a few men, including her handsome next-door neighbor.

Born and raised on the family ranch, Garrett Nash loves life in the bustling community of Pendleton in 1899. When his neighbor passes away and leaves behind a plucky widow, Garrett steps into the role of Aundy’s protector and guardian. His admiration for her tenacious spirit soon turns to something more. He just needs to convince the strong-willed woman to give love another chance.

 Sprinkled with humor and filled with hope, this sweet romance illustrates that courage sometimes arrives in a petticoat and love has a mind of its own.

For a limited time, you can get the eBook of Aundy FREE !

Be sure you check out the other books in the series, all inspired by Aundy.

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.

Find her online at http://shannahatfield.com

Anchorage--The City of Lights and Flowers

 

For the current story I’m writing, I had to research Anchorage, Alaska. I’d done a bit of research for a story last year just as background for a character as a place he was from. But this time I needed to know more about the actual city. I'm not sure where the city's name originated, but I like the motto "Big Wild Life."

park in Chugach Mountains

As many might know from American History, Alaska was occupied by Russian trappers right before it became part of America. What I didn’t learn in high school was about the 5,000 years of native people occupying the land at the end of Cook Inlet. Descendants of those early people still live in Alaska. Cook Inlet is named for the explorer Captain James Cook who in 1778 stumbled upon that waterway while searching for the Northwest Passage—the fabled shorter route to reach the Pacific from Europe instead of going around Asia or South America. After anchoring his ship HMS Resolution, he named the spot Anchor Point near a place called Ship Creek. (A town of that name already existed in south Alaska so it was later changed to Anchorage.) Information gained from natives clued Cook the area was not the desired route, and he continued his search.

In the early 19th century, Russia established several trading posts along Cook Inlet to handle the gathering and transportation of furs. In 1867, America purchased the land from Russia in a deal that is known as Seward’s Folly, named after the Secretary of State William Seward who brokered the deal that gained the land mass for about two cents an acre. Seward was later redeemed when gold was discovered not far from Anchorage, and a stampede of hopefuls traveled north to seek their fortunes.

1915 Anchorage tent city

Without mining or fishing nearby, the town contained only a few white settlers by 1912. The tent city hugged the edge of Cook Inlet because not far away stood the Chugach Mountains. But the 1914 choice of the town as the spot to center railway construction proved the spark to make it grow. With proponents of Prohibition gaining strength, and with the approval of President Woodrow Wilson, the Army platted a townsite a bit south of the tent city on higher ground. An interesting proviso was that anyone who broke the alcohol laws endangered repossession of their land.

In 1923, the Alaska Railroad was complete and connected to a line already established from Seward in the south. The town’s economy centered around the railroad, and the town boasted a film production studio and a baseball team—both feature in my novella. By 1925, the population was about two thousand people. Winters are long and cold. The spring is the muddy season. Summers are short but I’m making sure my characters enjoy it while it lasts.

BLURB for Ruby, Switchboard Sisterhood, book 17

Actress Ruby Moreau yearns to be in the silent movies, but Hollywood is so far away. On the eve of her wedding, she rebels against her Seattle society parents’ urging her to marry the boring son of Father’s business partner. Seeing an ad for a film shot entirely in Alaska, she boards a ship for Anchorage to seek an audition. Upon arrival, she learns the moving picture studio is not currently filming, but the Spruce Telephone Company is always hiring. She becomes a switchboard operator…telling herself this is just temporary until her parents cool down and let her run her own life.

Stevedore Ivan Dragunov works any job he can find on the docks. But his real passion is playing in the Anchorage Baseball League on the weekends. An encounter with an emotive passenger coming off a ship forces him closer to a woman than he’s been since his fiancée sailed back to Russia. When he keeps running into her around town, he becomes intrigued. But what do an actress who wants to see her name in lights and a man devoted to putting his team on the scoreboard have in common?

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I’ve never been to Alaska but visiting there is on my travel wish list. How about you?

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Cheaper by the Dozen- Old Timey Holiday Kitchen eBooks from 2021 & 2022

 

 

To celebrate

Holidays in July

Several of the authors who wrote for the

Old Timey Holiday Kitchen

series in 2021 and 2022 have put their ebooks on sale for 99ȼ for a short time. These books are available on Kindle Unlimited, but now is the time to purchase the ebooks you missed the first time they were offered – enjoy the recipes that go with the stories!

A few of these books will be on sale through July 20th. Most will be on sale through Saturday, July 22nd.

 

Kris Kringle's Kuchen by Katrina

By Elissa Strati

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0964C3SZH

 

 

Shoofly Pie by Selah

By Kimberly Grist

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09645C3MP

 

 

Lemon Pie by Lucinda

By Marisa Masterson

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0968KLJNV

 

 

Apple Pandowdy by Alice

By Kimberly Grist

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09646YNT2

 

 

Figgy Pudding by Francine

By Zina Abbott

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0968WFFJV

 

 

Walnut Cake by Wylene

By  Janice Cole Hopkins

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0964JF3P9

 

 

Aebleskiver by Annika

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B65F2CJ6

 

 

Bee Sting Cake by Brunhilde

By Zina Abbott

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5NW2C6Q

 

 

Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie

By Janice Cole Hopkins

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B523TRZV

 

 

Forget-Me-Not Cookies by Fern

By Janice Cole Hopkins

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B524H4TK

 

 

Lasagna by Lucia

By Elissa Strati

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5P4P3HF

 

 

Cider Cake by Cecily

By Kandice E. Geddes

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B4F3YPLL

 

 

 

Also, please join the authors who will be writing for 2023 as they introduce their books, which will start releasing in August. Sign into Facebook and sign up here for event reminders:

Or, join the event directly, which will be held on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 on the Sweet Americana Book Club group on Facebook. 

Event starts at 12 noon PDT / 3:00pm EDT:

Sweet Americana Book Club