Sneak Peek at LOVE ON TARGET by Shanna Hatfield

 

Eleven bestselling, award-winning authors have combined their talents and efforts to create a sweet romance series that honors the influence Annie Oakley had over women during her reign as “Little Sure Shot.”

 In the new series, entitled Pink Pistol Sisterhood, a one-of-a-kind pink-handled pistol is gifted to Annie Oakley. The pistol comes with a legend, one promising that whoever possesses it will find true love.

 Annie gives the gun to one of her students and sets the whimsical journey in motion that starts with In Her Sights by Christy Award-winner Karen Witemeyer. The pistol travels from woman to woman beginning in 1893 and wrapping up with a modern-day conclusion in USA Today Bestselling Author Jessie Gussman’s contemporary romance Pistol Perfect.

 The books will release on Amazon every ten days beginning March 30, with the final book releasing July 10. 

In Her Sights

Stained by his wastrel father's legacy, Jackson Spivey lives on the fringes of society. Townsfolk tolerate him since he keeps the local hotel supplied with fresh game, but mothers coach their daughters to avoid him. After tasting consistent rejection, Jackson spurns all attempts at courtship. The only things he can count on are his guns and his God.

 Tessa James has been secretly in love with Jackson for ages, but trying to gain his favor only pushes him further away. When she learns Annie Oakley is traveling through Texas, Tessa seeks lessons from the famed markswoman. If Jackson's life revolves around guns, taking up shooting might help her engage his interest. Too bad she can't hit the broad side of a barn.

 When Annie loans Tessa a custom pistol, however, things begin to change. The lore behind the mysterious weapon fosters hope that Tessa might finally hit the target of Jackson's heart. But when danger threatens, she might be forced to use the pistol for something other than finding love.

Order In Her Sights today!

  

My contribution to the series is Love on Target.

It releases April 10, but you can pre-order the order the book now. 

Love on Target

 Will romance hit its mark when true love is the target?

 Desperate for a fresh start, Rena Burke journeys from Texas to Oregon with only her father’s pistol and a plodding old mule for company. She takes a job working with explosives at a mine, spends her free time emulating her hero Annie Oakley, and secretly longs to be loved.

 Saddle maker Josh Gatlin has one purpose in life and that is his daughter. Gabi is his joy and the sunshine in his days. Then he meets a trouser-wearing woman living life on her own terms. Rena is nothing like his perception of what he wants in a wife and mother for his child, but she might just prove to be everything he needs.

 When tragedy strikes, will the two of them be able to release past wounds and embrace the possibilities tomorrow may bring?

 

Also, readers can download four free magazines that highlight the authors, feature excerpts, and include recipes, games and a map that shows the journey of the pistol.

The first issue of Pink Pistol Magazine is out now!

 

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with heart, 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 loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at shannahatfield.com

Historical Treasure in the Great Smoky Mountains

 

Her husband found the land of promise. He cut logs and stacked them on land he claimed as his. Then he went back across the Appalachian Mountains to get her and the children. They would have a good life in that new territory.

Vintage Cabin--Public Domain.

William Ogle died at home, unable to take his wife Martha to the spot he had decided on. This widow was determined. She took her family, including her brother, and crossed the mountains. When she found the wood cut and stacked earlier by her husband, the family built a cabin. The settlement of White Oak Flats, Tennessee started in that moment.

It did not stay named that, though. The United States Post Office was responsible for changing the name. The government called the place after the store where they sent the mail. Since the store belonged to a man named Gatlin, the town became known as Gatlinburg.

Martha Ogle’s great grandson settled those same mountains. He built a 400 acre farm outside of Gatlinburg in what is now a part of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. In fact, you can still visit Noah Ogle’s farm if you go to the park. My husband and I did that last month.

For February, it was an amazingly warm day. In the upper sixties, we were able to tromp around the preserved farm site without snow stopping us. The saddle bag cabin is open to visitors. Two large rooms sit on each side of a large rock chimney—hence the name for the building.

What surprised me about the cabin was the wood used in constructing it. Looking around me, none of the tree trunks were especially large. But the wood used to make the house had been virgin timber and very, very wide. I could still see the ax marks where someone hand-hewed the fallen trees to make boards. Handmade oak shingles cover the roof like they did a hundred and fifty years before.

 

Ogle Place, Great Smoky Mountain National Park

I half-expected Noah Ogle himself to step out and greet me. Tradition has it that he welcomed all who visited him at the farm which he named Junglebrook because of the large rhododendron plants that surrounded the area.

For an author of historical fiction, this cabin was a treasure. I observed so much about the time-intensive construction. I hope it flavors my future books.

Lost Confederate gold brings danger to a woman who only wants to find a home.

Marietta can't go home. No, she won't give her father a chance to sell her again.
Determined and desperate, she heads west as a mail-order bride. Little does she know that an equally determined man is chasing after her.

"I found the perfect book for a rainy, cold Friday night. Marisa Masterson is a master at her craft, creating wonderful multi-dimensional characters."--Amazon Review

St. Patrick's Day in Civil War Times

Back in the day, Irish regiments still managed to celebrate St. Patricks day despite being in the Civil War. One of the things they did was hold a grand steeple chase. It didn't matter if the sun shone or it rained, the commissioned officers of each brigade raced their horses in a steeple chase. The purse was five hundred dollars, a tidy sum in the early 1860s. They rode a two and a half mile race that contained 4 hurdles that were 4 1/2 feet high. There were also 5 ditch fences along hotel  two artificial rivers that were 15 feet wide and 6 feet deep. 

Someone from the regiment (usually the quartermaster) travelled to Washington to get everything needed for after the race. It was nothing but food and fun on race day, and more than 2 dozen hams were needed along with a pig they would stuff with turkey, duck, chicken and other game, not to mention a side of ox. Then of course there was the champagne, gallons of rum and whiskey that had to be gathered beforehand and a place prepared where hundred of guests could mingle and make merry.

Games were played such as sack races, a greased pig race, jumping matches, climbing greased poles, and of course the horse race itself. They would have prizes for these games, usually small amounts of money, so there was no shortage of participants. There were also foot races and hurdle races, wheelbarrow races and tossing weights. Poems were read and songs were sung. It was a fun time for all and well received considering what was going on in the nation at the time. Any relief from the war was welcome.

Until next time,

Kit

Look What Our Authors Published in February!

Our authors have been busy writing to bring you your next favorite stories. Here is what we published in February!

 

Priscilla's Piggy (Westward Home & Hearts)

By Marisa Masterson

She fell in love with an ideal. Too bad the man that she meets is so different.

Jack Dixon knew his mother was right. It was time he married. He'd go along with whatever she writes in her letter to the matchmaker.

Priscilla Pringle fell in love with the man who wrote such a tender letter. Too bad that when she meets the man in Missouri, he is the complete opposite. She'd leave and return immediately. But what would happen to the orphaned piglet she is bottle feeding?

Will she stay after the piggy is weaned? Is Jack the only one who needs to change to make their marriage work?

Released February 10, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLW7851H

Wiley: Sweet Historical Western Romance (The Snows of Clear Creek) Book 2

By Kit Morgan

A Rich Man.
A Lowly Maid.
And Snow Flakes!

Wiley Snow was known as the Soap Prince of the eastern seaboard. His family might be eccentric, but their money made up for it. They made their fortune off Snow Flakes, an invention of his father’s, and more than a few families wanted their daughter paired with Wiley. So when it came time for his sister Wilhemina’s wedding, they jumped at the chance to attend. But Wiley had other plans, and none of them included marrying a young woman from New York’s high society.

After Enid McCandless lost her parents, she did the only thing she could think of to survive. She became a maid. Her first and only job was with the famous Snow family. She wasn’t sure what they were famous for, other than blowing things up, but took the job anyway. Now after two years of employment, Mr. Snow’s eldest daughter was getting married. But that’s not all. A passel of wedding guests from New York were coming, and Enid wondered if Clear Creek was ready for such a thing. She also wondered why Wiley gave her funny looks now and then. He couldn’t possibly be interested in her, could he? She was a lowly housemaid. He a prince among his peers. And some of the wedding guests wanted to make sure she knew she would never be good enough for the likes of him.

Enjoy this sweet historical western of forbidden love and find out if love conquers all.

Released February 12, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVLF13C1

Elise: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 8

By Zina Abbott

Desperate to reach the United States, Elise Meyer accepts a marriage offer from a New York German-speaking widower in exchange for her first working three years as a nanny for his two children while he finishes his university education. Once she arrives in New York, she discovers the situation is not what she agreed to. She soon realizes the children’s grandfather, a displaced Prussian landowner, does not have honorable intentions. One night, after he attacks her, she grabs a knife and fights back. Worried she might have killed him, she flees.

Kurt Neumann recently finished his eleven-year enlistment and is relieved to see the last of the U.S. Army. While he was in, although he fought when needed, he spent most of his time cooking for the troops. Having saved most of his earnings, he is now in limbo while he decides what to do with his future. He meets a pretty German woman who speaks limited English. The German he learned from his grandmother is limited, but enough he can communicate. Once they realize a detective is after Elise, intent on taking her back to answer for her crime, Kurt must make a decision. Will he avoid complications by walking away, or will he help her escape?

Released February 20, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BK8JXDGS

 

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:

 

Pre-orders for March:

 

A Match for Gabe (The Matchmaker, Agatha Returns, Book 8)

By Kimberly Grist

A harsh, scar-faced, rancher, An impulsive, whimsical teacher go together like dandelions and daydreams. Well, she thinks so anyway… 

Callie Ann Dixon’s impulsive nature has cost her a teaching position. Destitute, she agrees to seek the help of a matchmaker. She believes there’s a happily ever after within reach for everyone, and she’ll work hard to make her dream come true. Casting her past failures aside, she’s thrilled with the idea of moving west and requests a match with someone who embraces adventure and will be enthusiastic about building a romantic relationship.

Gabe Russell, former solider and regimented rancher, isn’t looking for love. Instead, he needs a cook, housekeeper, and babysitter for his four younger siblings. Hence, his request to the matchmaker includes, “My desired match should be a no-nonsense, hard-working woman who knows the importance of following a schedule.

Releases March 1, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNGNL7C5

Mail-Order Marietta (The Confederate Gold Widows)

By Marisa Masterson

Marietta can't go home. No, she won't give her father a chance to sell her again.
Determined and desperate, she heads west as a mail-order bride. Little does she know that an equally determined man is chasing after her.

Releases March 3, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVKPZ631

 

Enchanting the Innkeeper: Sweet Historical Western (Love in Apple Blossom Book 5)

By Kit Morgan

A Pretty Innkeeper
One Nervous Englishman
And a whole host of folks making sure they don't fall in love!

Phileas Darlington (Darling to the locals) has been in the town of Apple Blossom with his brothers for mere weeks, and four of them have already fallen in love! Worse, they're getting married! This catastrophe has led poor Phileas to re-assess his duty as one of six brothers in line to inherit their father's title and estate in England. If his four brothers all stay in Apple Blossom, then he has to be the one to take on the responsibility. Poor Oliver, the youngest, can't do it. He hasn't got a clue. Now all Phileas has to do is help Dora Jones, the owner of Apple Blossom's quaint hotel, do a little remodeling and of course, not fall in love with her. if he can do that then he and Oliver can go home to England and pick up where they left off. Or can he? Find out in this hilarious romp full of pure fun and romance!

Releases March 17, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BWLF88DB

 

Pre-orders for April:

 

Treise: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) book 14

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

Printer’s assistant Treise O’Hara works with her father who runs a small-circulation newspaper but wishes she could be a reporter investigating stories. Father publishes a controversial op-ed about an unscrupulous business owner in Philadelphia. The newspaper office is invaded, and equipment is broken. Father is beaten and carted away. Hiding in a storage cupboard, Treise witnesses the attack and recognizes the thugs and who their boss is. She overhears their intention to bury him so she’s forced to go into hiding and stays in her cousin, Eveleen’s, room where she works as a maid. The women make a plan to answer ads for mail-order brides in the small city. Treise is counting on disappearing behind a new last name.

Sheriff Paxon Waldemarr works hard to keep the lawless element in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, under control. His brother and sis-in-law were killed in a robbery, leaving a five-year-old daughter in Paxon’s care. He runs an ad for a mail-order bride, hoping for someone to care for his niece and maintain a household. His work life is hectic, and he wants calm at home. What he doesn’t expect is a determined suffragette intent on securing the vote for women in the new government. If her actions reflect on his career, how will their marriage survive?

Releases April 3, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLT7PG7K

 

Luella: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 15

By P. Creeden

What has possessed Luella to ever consider being a mail-order bride?

In order to escape the abusive life she has in North Carolina, Luella Carter decides to answer an advertisement for a mail-order bride. The gentleman who placed the ad claims to only want companionship and help around the house, and does not need love, children, or other wifely duties. This seems to suit Luella just fine, but when she arrives, she wonders if this was all a big mistake.

Cyrus Brady is the town's undertaker, and as such, he knows what it means to be an outcast. But his lonely life of solitude is horribly interrupted by his sister who takes it upon herself to advertise for a mail-order bride back east for him. Now a young woman has arrived, ready to become his bride, and Cyrus doesn't know if he's ready to become a husband.

Releases April 10, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BMGV9CYF

 

Abilene: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 17

By Kimberly Grist

A marriage made in Heaven, a hard-hearted Sheriff and a bootlegger's daughter go together like moonshine and bad decisions. Will she find a way to penetrate the barriers of his heart?
Daughter of a bootlegger and hopeless romantic, Abilene is on the run and looking for her happily ever after – including an understanding husband, a house in the country, and tranquility. Sheriff Mark Joseph needs a practical wife who understands that chaos is part of his job and tenderness, love, and affection amount to sentimental hogwash. Will she find a way to penetrate the barriers of his heart?

Releases April 24, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLZ9J2Z4

 

Winning the Widow's Heart (Mended Hearts)

By Jo-Ann Roberts

She was branded as a traitor to the Union.
He was her sworn enemy.
A marriage of convenience would be perilous…wouldn’t it?

In the summer of 1864 in Roswell, Georgia, war widow Sofie Bishop struggles to manage the small family vineyard on her own. The War Between the States took her husband and her way of life. Now, with the taxes due, she’s about to lose her home. Her only option? Finding work at the Ivy Woolen Mill.
Her woes only continue to worsen when the Yankees arrive on Roswell’s doorstep and destroy the mill. Branded as a “traitor” for making fabric for Confederate uniforms, she is arrested and transported north with the women and children who worked in the mill.

Captain Seth Ramsey, a dashing, surprisingly courteous officer and a gentleman, is not what Sofie expects from a Union soldier. Despite her misgivings of falling for the enemy, she finds herself drawn to the handsome officer.

She didn’t think she could lose much more to the Yankees.
But she was wrong.

Releases April 25, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BKH9K4DP

Pre-orders for May:

 

Sabrina: Rescue Me - (Mail Order Brides) Book 19

By Zina Abbott

Responsible for a younger sister, Sabrina thought she was running from a bad situation to something better. However, when she discovered what sort of “wife” her prospective groom had in mind, she knew she had to escape.

Hugh could use a housekeeper and someone to cook for his ranch hands, but he has no desire for wife. He particularly does not like redheaded women. However, when one vocal redhead with her sister in tow bumps into him—literally—it soon becomes apparent the two need rescuing. As long as the feisty redhead’s claim she can cook is true and she stays out of his way, he’ll give her a chance. After all, he cannot pass up thwarting the plans of a man he has grown to detest.

Releases May 8, 2023

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLRGNXL5