New Release -- ONE WINTER KNIGHT -- Giveaway!

Hear ye, hear ye! Looking for medieval romance? Tales of knights and their ladies abound in ONE WINTER KNIGHT, a wonderful collection of medieval holiday novellas for your reading pleasure!

You’ll be held spellbound by this boxed set of captivating stories from some of today’s top medieval authors, as well as some rising stars in this up-and-coming genre. Lindsay Townsend, Deborah Macgillivray, Cynthia Breeding, Keena Kincaid, Cheryl Pierson, Beverly Wells, Patti Sherry-Crews, and Linda Carroll-Bradd have woven eight excellent Yuletide tales of love lost and found that are sure to keep you reading far into the night. Laced with holiday traditions and the excitement of a bold, dangerous era, Prairie Rose Publications is proud to offer yet another wonderful boxed set of medieval Christmas tales for your reading pleasure.

This collection of novellas makes a wonderful holiday gift for hours of entertaining reading—for others, or for yourself! These stories are certain to keep you enthralled as you read on to find out how these knights and ladies find their very own “happily-ever-after” endings ONE WINTER KNIGHT…

EIGHT NOVELLAS

LINDSAY TOWNSEND—SIR THOMAS AND THE SNOW TROLL
Sir Thomas no longer knows who he is, or even who his natural father might be. Adrift, Thomas sets out on a winter journey to discover more, finding adventure and passion on the way that he never expected. Fiery Ruth, a young woman who has escaped a terrible servitude to live alone in the northern forest, is proud of her independence from all others...but can Thomas protect her from the dreaded and terrible Snow Troll?

DEBORAH MACGILLIVRAY—ARROW TO THE HEART 
Fletcher St. Giles has always felt alone. But being a bastard rarely troubles his mind…until Lady Geljon Seacrest comes to the mighty fortress of Coinnleir Wood. Though Geljon is betrothed to another, she vexes him at every turn, following him like a shadow. With little to offer a woman of her station, Fletcher keeps his distance. Only, denied love becomes an arrow to the heart. In the season of Yuletide, all things are possible…and even wishes of the heart can be granted.

PATTI SHERRY-CREWS—TO PLAY WITH CATS
Caterina Glanville is sent to live in the household of the earl in order to make a match. Life at the castle is not easy—and is complicated by the arrival of a handsome knight just before Christmas. Sir Hugh De Lacy is determined to make his own fortune. Rebuffed by a lady who can give him both wealth and title, he gets her attention by courting Cat. But Cat is a match that speaks to his heart. Will he choose wealth over love? And when Cat finds she's been used, can she forgive Hugh?

CYNTHIA BREEDING—CAPTURE HER HEART
When Kaitlin Coltan is abducted, she assumes Adair MacDouglas is after a ransom. Instead, her captor tells her he wants something far more important—revenge. Kaitlin’s brother has taken Adair’s sister’s virginity—and returning Kate to her family ruined is the only just reward he can think of. But Adair is increasingly attracted to her and less willing to seek revenge, after all. Now, he must explain that to Kaitlin’s father and brother when they catch up to him—with a sword at his throat.

LINDA CARROLL-BRADD—A PROMISE KEPT
Thordia Ulfsdottir can’t wait for her brother to request payment for the sword he crafted—the money is needed for food. She demands an audience with the earl, but is thwarted by a knight. Rory MacGuignard flirts, thinking she’s come to provide entertainment. Realizing his mistake, Rory arranges a temporary job for this poor, but proud, woman. Time spent in his company softens Thordia’s heart, but political upheaval and family loyalty rip them apart. Can Thordia find a way back to Rory’s side?

BEVERLY WELLS—THE CHALICE
A brave, valiant knight Royce Hayden be—and with a new earldom, he has wealth—but not the woman he loves to share it with. Beautiful fletcher Ahna Murray has loved him from afar, but now she must turn on him to aid her mother. After two long years, they find themselves once again faced with desire, strong and true—and even more barriers between them. Can they trust their hearts? Might the quest for the Chalice finally bring these two lonely, longing lovers together?

CHERYL PIERSON—MY FOREVER LOVE
Her mother’s plans for an arranged marriage send Noelle Breasal running into the woods to fend for herself at a nearby cabin. When a wounded soldier shows up in a snowstorm, she has no choice but to care for him—even when she realizes he may be the man she’s avoiding. Logan O’Malley swears to defend her from an evil rival for her hand, Dalon McTierney, when he finds them at the cottage. An unavoidable fight to the death may see Noelle losing her forever love before she has a chance to claim him!

KEENA KINCAID—BEYOND ALL ELSE
Alais of Roundtree hides amidst the chaos of civil war, stealing her daily bread and barely keeping ahead of pursuers. Grym, Earl of Warfield, finds the captured female thief an amusing break from the hunt for his brother’s murderer—until he realizes she has information he needs. Honor dictates his actions, but his interest in the thief takes a personal turn just as his brother’s killer targets him. Will he listen to Alais’s warnings, or will he hold to honor and lose everything?

Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook.

     

#NewRelease--COWBOY CELEBRATION--4th of July Anthology--Giveaway!

When the Fourth of July rolls around, it’s time for a good, old-fashioned, rip-roaring COWBOY CELEBRATION! And what could be better on this steaming hot holiday than to relax with a book bursting with stories about —AHEM —even hotter cowboys and their feisty ladies? A COWBOY CELEBRATION pops and sizzles with seven colorful, sensuous stories by some of PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS — best authors. As an added bonus, each story mentions a tasty picnic dish (with recipes included!) for your next COWBOY CELEBRATION!

LORRIE FARRELLY—THE LONGEST WAY HOME
Lily Harmon’s heart was captured when she adopted little Maddie Cullinan, an orphan whose father was presumed killed in battle. But former Union Army Major Luke Cullinan is very much alive, and he’s determined to reclaim his cherished daughter in Lorrie Farrelly’s “The Longest Way Home.”

LINDA CARROLL-BRADD—FORGED BY FIRE
Ivey Treadwell, cook at her family’s boarding house, wants to accomplish something big. For now, she satisfies herself with improving on the traditional recipes for the boarders by adding herbs and spices she gathers. An incident with a broken pan causes her to see Berg Spengler, the town’s blacksmith, in a new light.

Stigmatized for his huge size and blamed for his brother’s injury, Berg has discovered being alone is safer for his heart. But when he sees interest spark in Ivey’s eyes, he decides to take a chance and approach her. The pair discovers an attraction that heats up each time they are alone together. Will Ivey convince Berg his wandering days are over and home is here with her in Comfort?

AGNES ALEXANDER—SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE
Dr. Miles Kerry and his nurse, Cora Hilliard, have both given up on finding love again. But when Cora is asked to move out of the boarding house where she and her ten-year-old son Koby live, they have nowhere to go.  Miles insists they move into the spare rooms in his house—an arrangement with no complications.  But when Cora falls ill with a raging fever, she must rely on Miles as she never has before. Will Koby get the father he wants so badly? Will Miles and Cora get their SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE?

BEVERLY WELLS—BRIGHTER TOMORROWS
Five years ago, Callie Lynch fell in love, only to have her dreams shattered when she realized she’d been played the fool and used like a puppet. Bitter and shamed, trusting no man and determined to stand alone, she leaves Virginia to find new roots in Wyoming.

Three years ago, Marshal Chase Matlock lost the love of his life during a bank robbery and was left riddled with guilt for failing to protect her. For three years, he’s tracked the scum of the earth—and this time, by God, he’ll get his man.
Scars from the past run deep, but when these two bruised hearts and lost souls meet and desire runs strong, can they overcome their doubts as well as the madman who holds Callie’s life in his hands?

ANGELA RAINES—NEVER HAD A CHANCE
Thomas Heath’s sister, Clara, abandoned him to the cruelties of the people who were raising them. As a young man, he finally finds her—but she is on her way to getting married.  Tom leaves in search of something to give him the stability he yearns for…but what?

Maria Berñal, pampered and coddled by her wealthy father, is on the verge of becoming a woman as her eighteenth birthday approaches.  When a stranger shows up at their door and is wounded as he tries to protect her, she finds him more than a passing attraction—she’s falling in love.

But Tom is the victim of a deadly trick, and can’t remember who he is or why he’s at the Berñal home. Will he regain his memory in time to prevent a second attack?

JULIA DANIELS—FOR THE LOVE OF GRACE
Poppy Stanton tracks down her mentally handicapped sister, Gracie, who has run off to become a mail-order bride. In the family way, Grace refuses to leave the dusty Wyoming town of Hope Springs, though she is married to an abusive husband.

Bachelor Reed Ridgeley and his mother live nearby, and invite Poppy to stay at their spacious ranch while she sorts out what to do about Gracie. Can Poppy convince her sister to come back home to Chicago with her before Reed can show her what a new future could look like for them in Hope Springs?

MEG MIMS—WINNER TAKES ALL
Cora Peterson is dead set on winning the Fourth of July Barrel Auction with her Mile High Apple Pie. She expects her rival might best her once again, but what she doesn't expect is a bid for love from the handsome newcomer to Cady Corners...

Be sure and leave a comment to be entered in the drawing for a free ecopy of A COWBOY CELEBRATION.

BUY LINKS                   Barnes and Noble    Smashwords

A Gem of a Ghost Town--Castle Dome, Arizona by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Research Trip Find—A Privately Owned Ghost Town

Only a four-hour drive away from where we live in the southern California mountains is Yuma, Arizona. I’m the type who travels with paper maps and the AAA travel guide with all the rated attractions. My husband has all he needs in his smart phone. Because we didn’t leave until after 6PM, he begrudgingly agreed to calling ahead for a motel reservation. When he was a kid, his birth family set out on the road for the entire summer, Suburban hauling a trailer, as soon as school let out, so he’s used to driving until tired and then looking for a place to stay. Me, I like national chains for motels and restaurants.

Our first day was spent at a couple of state museums—the quartermaster depot and the territorial prison. We learned some interesting facts that may come in handy in a book someday. But he wanted someplace different so he started cruising around on his phone. So the next day we took a different route, past the Arizona proving grounds toward Castle Dome, a mining ghost town. Once off the state highway at mile marker 55 for only a couple of miles, the paved road ended and we rolled onto a gravel road. My reaction was concern about our Prius navigating the road unharmed. My adventure-loving spouse told me to go for it. Eight miles later (paralleling a barbed wire fence warning “Danger--unexploded ordnance”--gulp), we reached the ghost town.

 

A couple ready to retire, Allen and Stephanie Armstrong, bought the site where gold mining occurred in the 1860s and set about creating this village of 40+ buildings out in the middle of nowhere. From a note in one of the buildings—“the first description of Castle Dome City was of a brush house, an adobe under construction, 2 tents, and 2 fenced in lots. Over the years, Castle Dome boasted of a school, 5 bars within a mile, [city stretched along a river] two mercantiles, a church or 2, sheriff’s office and jail, assay and mining offices, entertainment spots, blacksmith shop and numerous dwellings.”

 

(general store counter)

 

The Armstrongs fixed up what was there, brought buildings from other mining ghost towns or from federal property to this location and recreated what Castle Dome might have looked like in its heyday when its population exceeded 5,000 and was greater than Yuma. But when the shiny gold played out, the inhabitants drifted away to their next money-making opportunity.  They are to be commended because each and every building held artifacts of the time. A self-guided tour gave us (and the dozen other visitors we saw) a sense of the people who chose to live there. Mr. Armstrong was spotted in the livery stable working on a pump for the sluice box, and he and my husband talked motors for a few minutes.

(general store shelves)

 

I guess if you’re a history lover, then what better way to demonstrate that than by creating a living museum?

Linda Carroll-Bradd writes both contemporary and historical romance. Her latest release is When My Heart Knew, a story in the Cowboy Kisses anthology. Check out her complete backlist of titles at www.lindacarroll-bradd.com.

Travel to Western Frontier? Only The Hardy need Apply

by Linda Carroll-Bradd

 

In the mid-1800s, people needed determination and patience to travel from one side of the country to the other. Stagecoaches ran on a weekly or bi-weekly schedule. A trip from St Louis to San Francisco involved about 25 days of travel. The coaches were drawn by six horses and stops were made every 12 miles for fresh teams. Depending on the terrain, coaches covered between 5 and 12 miles per day—running day and night. Passengers were grateful to get hot coffee, biscuits and jerky at these stops; on rare occasions, hot meals were available.

True, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed in the summer of 1869 but that line served a route of the most-populous cities and only in the northern part of America. How was someone, like my character Vevina Bernhard raised in Ohio, to travel to a small town like Comfort, Texas? Trips on different railroad lines (Ohio to St. Louis on Pennsylvania RR and from St. Louis, a smaller spur line) would have transported her to Dallas where she would have boarded a stagecoach—most likely a Concord coach (built with sturdy braces for a more comfortable ride), that ran a north/south route between the two east/west lines that bisected Texas.

The suggested items to travel with would have filled a large satchel or three. In addition to their clothing, passengers were admonished to pack 6 pair of thick socks, woolen underdrawers, blankets—one in summer and two in winter, 3-4 towels, heavy overcoat, light coat, hat and their choice of pistol or knife for personal protection. Imagine being a lady raised on a dairy farm near a city with creature comforts reading that list.

Once she got inside the stagecoach, she would have had her choice of window or middle position (approximately 15” in width) on either a forward or backward-facing bench seat. As she set out on her journey, she could read the rules about men forgoing swearing and smoking in a lady’s presence, but tobacco chewing was allowed, as long as the chewer spat downwind. I would hope so. Or if the person (presumed to be a male) couldn’t refrain from drinking alcohol, then he must pass the bottle around. Yum. Snoring loudly or using another passenger’s shoulder as a pillow were frowned upon. Improper advances toward a woman could get the male kicked off the stagecoach in the middle of nowhere. Forbidden topics of conversation were stagecoach robberies and Indian uprisings. Sounds like a smart rule. Shooting at wildlife (Texas had a huge population of deer) was prohibited. Passengers were encouraged not to jump from the stage in case of runaway horses so as not to be left victim to the weather, hostile Indians or hungry coyotes. Yikes.

Like I mentioned, Vevina had a purpose and she looked at all these strictures as part of her great adventure. To lessen her impact on her family’s limited resources, she’d answered an advertisement for a mail-order bride from a rancher in central Texas. Although the match wasn’t all she’d hoped for, she made the best of the situation. Five years later, she’s a widow with a young son but her ranch is being haunted by mysterious lights. She’s in town, making a plea to the sheriff about investigating what’s happening and that’s the first time ex-Texas Ranger/bounty hunter Kell Hawksen sees her and their story begins.

Wanderer, Come Home  is part of the Cowboys, Creatures and Calico, Vol 1. Halloween anthology. http://amzn.com/B00NVX5Y2C

One copy of the anthology will be awarded to a person who leaves a comment (be sure to include your email address in the comment). Winner to be contacted Monday, November 17.

Bio:

As a young girl, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about fascinating characters having exciting adventures in places far away and in other time periods. In later years, she read and then started writing romances and achieved her first publication--a confession story. Married with 4 adult children and 2 granddaughters, Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor from her home in the southern California mountains.

Linda’s Links:

Website          Blog      Facebook     Twitter     Goodreads     Amazon page

 

LOOK WHAT'S COMING! by Cheryl Pierson

WHO'S READY FOR HALLOWEEN? Take a look at these two upcoming anthologies from Prairie Rose Publications!

COWBOYS, CREATURES, and CALICO VOLUME 1:

Halloween is here along with some romantic western-y ghost tales to share around a campfire! Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico, Vol. 1 is guaranteed to make you wonder what in the world–or in the “other” world—is going on. But are you sure you really want to know?

The Sheriff of Hel’n Gone by Lorrie Farrelly is a supernatural tale of a western lawman who must live one hellish Halloween night over and over, until a young woman from the future finds her way back to save him.

In Tanya Hanson’s The Bridesmaid, a bridegroom is doomed to marry a woman he becomes terrified of…but finds her bridesmaid is the love he’s been dreaming of. But will his sleeping or waking hours become his true nightmare?

Sarah J. McNeal’s The Beast of Hazard is a story about a predator that stalks the small community where veterinarian Joey Wilding practices. But is the vicious animal-killer on the loose of this world, or another?

Author Shayna Matthews makes a riveting debut with her tale of The Legend of Venture Canyon, about an exotic young woman who dances in the circus…where the show must go on—at all costs—and love survives everything.

Cher’ley Grogg’s story, Wild Injuns, Wicked Trains, and Cerulean Blue is an unforgettable tale of a young woman who comes west to get a sensational newspaper article and pictures, but in doing so, finds out that she will never leave.

Veteran author Linda Carroll-Bradd’s story, Wanderer, Come Home, is a poignant tale of the discovery of true love and trust amidst some strange Samhain happenings on a small farm.


COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO VOLUME 2:

What better way to spend Halloween than with some handsome cowboys and feisty heroines who are determined to fall in love despite their supernatural powers—or lack thereof? Halloween’s a good time to take a chance on love—and to see what these Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico Vol. 2 stories might reveal to the unsuspecting reader—YOU!

Cheryl Pierson’s Spellbound will have you on the edge of your seat as safecracker Brett Diamond and witch Angie Colton take on a border gang leader who is pure evil. Can Angie’s supernatural powers save them? No matter what, Brett and Angie are hopelessly Spellbound.

C. Marie Bowen’s Hunter and Lily Graham is an unforgettable tale of a beautiful school marm’s love for her children that surpasses all. When a Cajun bounty hunter known only as “Hunter” shows up, Lily Graham knows he, and no one else, can help her save a young girl.

Have Wand — Will Travel is Jacquie Rogers’s offering about a handsome young mage, Tremaine Ramsey, who has a wand and knows how to use it…sometimes. Will his magic be strong enough to pull off a daring rescue of his father from the evil Gharth? Or will he need the warrior Nora’s love to help him see his Fate through?

Will Kaye Spencer’s character, Mercy Pontiere, be able to break a centuries-old curse and find true love all at the same time? It all depends on Reid Corvane and what he’ll do For Love of a Brystile Witch.

In Kristy McCaffrey’s story, The Crow and the Coyote, Hannah Dobbin is after an evil Navajo sorcerer who murdered her father, and she’s determined to see him dead. But she’ll need a bounty hunter, The Crow—to help find this vile man. With Hallowtide upon them, more evil is afoot than they can handle; but love will find a way.

A failed bank robber, Tombstone Hawkins, along with a fake gypsy fortune teller, Pansy Gilchrist, set out to make both their deceased fathers proud in one final spectacular heist. Family Tradition is Kathleen Rice Adams’s tale of the discovery of true love amid the commission of a crime—or the failure to commit a crime—while being overseen by the ghosts of the couple’s fathers. How can there be a happy ending? It’s Halloween, and anything can happen!


AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER SOON!