Look what our authors published in March!

Our authors have been busy writing your next favorite story.

Look what they published in March!

No Finer Dream by Jo-Ann Roberts “Your journey doesn’t have to end in disappointment.”       Lila Hartley had waited for hours on the frozen train platform, a mail-order bride no one came to claim, her trunk beside her like a tombstone. The man who'd promised her marriage, a home, and a future, left her stranded two thousand miles from Boston with nothing but the clothes on her back and a heart full of shattered dreams.       Just when hope was fading, a man cowboy emerged from the white curtain of snow like an apparition, took off his coat, and changed her life.       Clay McCallister viewed every woman who had taken a chance on the frontier as the sister he’d failed…a woman who’d risked everything for the possibility of something better, much like the woman standing on the platform in the bitter cold.       Sometimes warmth doesn’t always come from fire — sometimes it comes from the heart. Release date: March 6, 2026 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FY12R2SX The Bride Who Step Dances: The Bride Who Series Book #12 By Zina Abbott She wants to step dance her way to the West. He wants nothing to do with women and marriage. Sparks fly when he drags her off of a saloon stage.       Stranded in Laramie City, Wyoming Territory, British immigrants Maggie Clarke and her sixteen-year-old brother, Eddie, hope to earn enough to buy train tickets to take them closer to the gold fields in the West. Eddie plays the fiddle while Maggie step dances. The pair searches for a location with a raised wooden platform so they can perform for tips. They find one, but how were they to know that saloons in the Wild West are not like the public houses with lady parlours they were used to in Manchester?       Cecil Bellamy and his newly married brother visit Rupert’s Roundup, the “cowboy saloon,” in Laramie City to hire cowhands for the fall roundup. After, while his brother collects his wife from a women’s social, Cecil avoids being approached by marriage-minded women by waiting inside the same saloon where he found his new employees. Much to his surprise, instead of the usual out-of-tune piano music, a teenage boy playing the fiddle and a young woman stomping her feet take to the stage. All was well and good until a man with a reputation black as all hades when it came to how he treated women decides to climb onto the stage, intent on dancing—and more—with the pretty lady. The next thing Cecil knows, he forgets all about his personal vow to avoid women and enters the fray. Release date: March 20, 2026 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTBTBG54 Springtime Scheming (The Sister's Mail-Order Bride Company Book 4) By Kit Morgan A desperate woman A lonely blacksmith And one cranky mother...       Lizzy Jepsen took a risk becoming a mail-order bride. There were no guarantees with such arrangements—and bringing her young brother along only made the gamble greater. Would Mr. Samuel Newton welcome them both…or send them packing? But that wasn’t Lizzy’s greatest concern.       Samuel Newton is kind, hardworking, and exactly the sort of husband Lizzy hoped for. Unfortunately, he comes with one very determined complication—his mother. Mrs. Newton has already decided what kind of wife her son should marry. And Lizzy Jepsen isn’t it.       Between a watchful future mother-in-law, a town full of curious onlookers, and a brother determined to prove he isn’t a burden, Lizzy begins to wonder if she made a terrible mistake coming west.       But Lizzy didn’t cross half a continent to give up easily. And Mrs. Newton may soon discover that this quiet mail-order bride is far harder to scare away than she expected.       Enjoy this sweet western romance filled with humor, meddling mothers, and a happily-ever-after. Release date: March 25, 2026 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTX37L3J Verna Kate Rocky Mountain Bride By Angela Raines       Set in 1914 against the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park, two people struggle with their feelings for each other as they vie to realize the different dreams each has for the region.       Verna Kate Keys fell in love with the Rocky Mountains at fourteen, when a visit to her aunt in Denver opened her eyes to their wild beauty. Now living in Estes Park, she is determined to help preserve the land she loves. As a guide, she shows visitors the majesty of the peaks, forests, and valleys, hoping to inspire them to protect what others want to exploit.       Harry Clayton Moore has been sent west by his powerful father to secure logging rights in the very region Verna Kate is fighting to save. A Yale-educated forester, Harry, knows the value of conservation, but will family duty and pressure push him toward decisions that could destroy the land and the community around it?      As tensions rise, Verna Kate and Harry must choose between duty, ambition, and love. Release date: March 27, 2026 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GL1BGQTB   Brady's Burden: Mountain Men - Echoes of Thunder By Kimberly Grist        Where storms end, and thunder falls silent, could love find its beginning?        Haunted by battlefield memories and sleepless nights, former Union officer Brady Holt carries scars he can’t name or outrun. Now guardian to children who have already lost too much, he lives in a state of vigilance—cautious, alert, and convinced that peace ended the day his hope did.        He is silence, storms, and sharpened edges. She figures he’s more stubborn than a mule and not nearly as friendly.       A spirited bootlegger’s daughter from the South, schoolteacher Eden Murphy has nowhere left to run. With danger close on her heels, she heads west with only faith, grit, and a fragile hope    for a new beginning.       She is warmth, wit, and wildflowers, with a soft Southern drawl that stirs up memories he’s spent years trying to bury. He’s confident she’s just another burr working its way under his saddle.       He wants solitude. She needs a fresh start. Could this unexpected connection calm the storms within and lead them to redemption? Release date: March 31, 2026 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2NRSBZK

     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.

April Releases:

Bringing in the Sheaves: Sweet Historical Romance

By Marisa Masterson

     Kristin Gundersen's heart is torn in two. On one hand, she knows her father's crop is their only hope for survival. But on the other, she can't bear to see the threshers return, not after one of them hurt her. And when she meets Archie, the struggling pastor of a Swedish-speaking church, she can't deny the strong pull she feels towards him.

       But life is never that simple. As Archie puts all his faith in an excellent harvest to save his struggling church, he becomes entangled with Kristin. And as their relationship deepens, disapproval grows within his congregation. How can he follow his heart's desire when it goes against the beliefs of his church? And can a bountiful harvest truly solve the troubles within his congregation and within himself?

      If you enjoy heart-tugging stories of love and faith, you won't be able to put down this novel.

Release date: April 8, 2026

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4WMQZPC

The Bride Who Shoot Arrows: The Bride Who series Book 16

By Linda Carroll-Bradd

       Mayde Shelley has completed everything her parents asked: finish teachers’ seminary, make applications for a respectable post, and prepare to settle down. But what she really wants is to teach archery and maybe enter competitions— a pursuit no proper lady should love as much as she does. When a plea for help arrives from an uncle in Colorado, Mayde sees her chance for adventure before duty sets in.
       Life on the McPherson Ranch is rougher than she imagined—and so is Garek Rowland, a brooding horse tamer who’s never stayed anywhere long enough to call it home. He’s itchy to ramble and considering where to head…until he finds Mayde practicing her sport beneath the wide western sky. She’s stubborn, spirited, and everything he’s sworn not to want.
       But when drought and wildfire threaten the ranch—and whispers about their friendship spread through Spur Springs—Mayde must choose between her family’s future, her dream of teaching, and a man who won’t stop running. Can love blossom in a heart that refuses to put down roots?
Release date: April 9, 2026

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GKQTR45D

May Releases: 

Ardith Yosemite Bride: National Park Brides, Book 23

By Zina Abbott

      Once school was out for the summer, Ardith Cleary loved nothing better than to ride next to her father on his stagecoach runs to Yosemite National Park. There she met and became friends with several young people who live in the park full-time, including the Leonard sisters. However, as she closes in on adulthood, she realizes another form of transportation is threatening to make her father’s job obsolete. Her dismay over the coming of the Yosemite Valley Railroad conflicts with her growing friendship with one of the assistant rail company engineers.

      After the death of his father, J. B. “Mack” McManus was forced to quit college without earning his degree in engineering. To help support his family and earn money toward the final year he needs to graduate, he accepts a job as a foreman overseeing grading rail bed and constructing the bridges needed to complete the rail line between Merced and El Portal, just outside of Yosemite National Park. The last thing he needs is the distraction provided by a cute and quirky redhead and her interest in how the railroad construction is progressing.

Releases: May 6, 2026

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GPGW3C7G   

Rigby's Roar: Mountain Men-Echoes of Thunder

By Marisa Masterson

      Rigby had a dream job studying plant life in the beautiful Colorado mountains, but when the river turns yellow and the plants start dying, he knows something is wrong. Determined to uncover the truth, he heads to the nearby mine to investigate. But what he finds there is chaos and tension bubbling beneath the surface.
      As a professor from New York, Rigby is already a target for the angry miners, and now he must navigate the dangerous waters of a polluted river and a potential marriage to a stranger. Will he be able to protect his beloved mountains and his own future?
      Join Rigby on this thrilling journey filled with western romance and rugged adventure. Fans of action-packed stories and heartwarming love will not want to miss this captivating tale. And for those who enjoyed "Heart of the West" by Penelope Williamson, this book is a must-read. Don't miss out on the excitement.

Release date: May 12, 2026

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G4XTWLZZ

Old West Dining Out

When we think of the Old West, our minds usually jump to dusty trails, saloon brawls, and heroes riding off into the sunset. But sooner or later, even the toughest cowboy had to eat, and he didn’t always want to cook over a campfire.

The truth is, eating out was a regular part of Western life, and the options might surprise you. From smoky saloons to tented cafés, and even elegant dining rooms with imported oysters, the Western frontier had its own version of food culture, and it’s a lot more colorful than you might expect.

If war and, um, other career choices are among the world’s oldest professions, the saloon business was

definitely right behind them. On the frontier, just about anyone could become a saloonkeeper. Startup costs were low. Heck, all you had to do was pitch yourself a tent, set up a plank of wood as your bar, serve up some truly questionable whiskey and voila! You’re in business. The best part was, no marketing was necessary. The product sold itself.

Saloons sprang up faster than churches, and in many towns would outnumber them. While researching this, someone said saloons were the 19th-century version of fast-food joints: you could never have too many.

Saloons came in three basic flavors:
1. The Premier Saloon
These were the fancy places, with chilled beer, quality whiskey, gambling rooms, live entertainment,

and sometimes even indoor plumbing (a luxury back then). Establishments like the White Elephant and Vaudeville often had a restaurant tucked inside or attached. You might find a menu, a wine list, and actual furniture that hadn’t been nailed together that morning. Ladies—usually of a specific profession—had their own wine rooms with private entrances.
2. The Blue-Collar Saloon
Much simpler, these one-room joints had a bar, a few rickety tables, maybe a piano, and a “free lunch” counter. The catch? You had to buy at least two drinks to get at the food. It was an honor system, but saloonkeepers knew exactly what they were doing. That salty spread of meats, pickles, and pretzels kept customers reaching for another beer. Glassware was optional, clean glassware even more so.
3. The Dive
This was the bottom of the barrel, literally. No fresh air, no light, and no cleaning schedule. The smell of old beer, smoke, and body odor hung in the air. Gambling here wasn’t official, just a few regulars playing cards if someone brought a deck. If you had any sense (or sense of smell), you didn’t linger.

For folks passing through or staying longer, boarding houses were a lifesaver. Usually run by single women or widows, these homes-turned-businesses offered rooms for rent and at least one hearty meal a day, usually breakfast and dinner.
Meals were served family-style at big tables, with everyone passing bowls and plates. There were no menus, but the food was hot, plentiful, and comforting. It was the closest thing to a home-cooked meal many travelers would get.

As towns grew, so did their culinary ambitions. Western restaurants started off modest, often just a tent or lean-to with a stove and a determined cook. But as business boomed, owners built permanent structures and began offering more elaborate menus.

Meals often featured:
• Beef (lots of it)
• Eggs, breads, and potatoes
• Coffee and fruit pies
• Seasonal vegetables, if you were lucky

Some places went above and beyond. By the 1880s, French cuisine was all the rage, and yes, even in the middle of nowhere. Fancy sauces, seafood, milk, cheese, and delicate desserts made their way to menus. And if the budget allowed, you might even find oysters shipped in from the coast.

While most restaurants out West were hit-or-miss in terms of quality, cleanliness, and service, one man saw the mess and decided to turn it into an opportunity. Fred Harvey, whom a lot of us have written about before, was a visionary entrepreneur, opened his first Harvey House in 1878 in Florence, Kansas, right along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad. He set out to bring dignity, speed, and reliability to the railroad dining experience.

And his secret weapon? Women.

Fred’s partner, Tom Gable, had suggested that restaurants might run more smoothly if they weren’t staffed entirely by rowdy men. So Harvey hired women between the ages of 18 and 30 who were bright, well-mannered, respectable young ladies who became known as Harvey Girls. They wore crisp uniforms, followed strict codes of conduct, and were often required to sign year-long contracts that included curfews and chaperoned housing. The impact was immediate.

Harvey Houses became known for:

• Consistent, high-quality meals
• Spotless dining rooms
• Efficient service that could feed a train’s worth of people in 30 minutes flat
• Menus featuring steaks, fresh vegetables, homemade pies, and excellent coffee

Over the years, more than 80 Harvey Houses dotted the Western landscape, bringing a touch of elegance and order to otherwise wild frontiers. The Harvey Girls themselves became legends—many later married local men and settled in the towns they served, helping to civilize the West in more ways than one.

Fun Fact: Harvey Girls were trained to set tables exactly the same way in every location, from Arizona

to Kansas. Napkin folds, silver placement, even the way pies were cut was all standardized long before “chain restaurants” were a thing.

Whether you were swigging whiskey in a smoky dive, passing potatoes around a boarding house table, or sipping coffee at a Harvey House counter, eating out in the Old West had its own unique flavor. Meals weren’t just about sustenance. They were about community, status, survival, and the occasional surprise, like French sauces in Arizona.

So, the next time you’re at a restaurant, caught between ordering the fries or the fancy entrée, just remember, you could be elbow-deep in salted herring, breathing in cigar smoke, and hoping the outhouse out back isn’t already full.

If you were a weary traveler making your way across the west, which place would you hope your train or stagecoach stop had? Harvey House, premier saloon, or a simple café? Me, I’d want to check out a Harvey House! It’s one of those things that if you got to time travel and go back and see what things were really like, I wouldn’t mind doing.

Until Next Time,

Kit Morgan