Book review: Den of Thieves by Patti Sherry-Crews

Blurb:

When his identical twin brother is arrested, the Pinkerton Detective Agency enlists Wynne Palmatier to go undercover and impersonate his outlaw brother, Ennis. His mission is to infiltrate his brother’s gang. Ennis tells Wynne everything he needs to know. Except for one thing: there are two women with the outlaws, and one of them is his wife.

 Lucy House is still paying for the day she strayed away from decency. Now the handsome outlaw she ran away with has lost his appeal and she longs to get away from this life. As the danger mounts, can Wynne and Lucy escape this den of thieves?

My Review:

So...... I thought I knew what this book was about. I've seen the research Patti Sherry-Crews had been sharing on the PRP blog, I've read the blurb, I had gotten little teases/hints in some side conversations.... and yet.... I wasn't truly prepared for the mind games and twists and surprises that weaved the story together!

If you're into the sort of thing where you thrive on not knowing anything about a story... just dive right on into the story and stop reading here.  Otherwise here's just a little more for you - besides the encouragement to just keep turning the pages, be prepared, there's some drama and twists and curious moments ahead!

Wynne is not the usual kind of hero I'm drawn to... he's quieter, a little hesitant, a bit more unsure of himself.  Then again, going undercover as your estranged brother into a outlaw gang where you're on your own, totally out of your element, and dependent upon your outlaw brother telling the truth about everything... and then you encounter some pretty major surprises, one has every right to feel off-kilter.  And while overall his personality is on the quieter, gentler side, there's moments where he digs deep and finds an inner strength that I think surprised even him at first.  I enjoyed watching his character growth and how he built his confidence in himself.  I think he was the perfect kind of man Lucy was needing in her life.

Lucy.... oh my, that girl!  She was an unexpected sweet surprise!  Her mix of soft and strong drew me to her, even as my heart was breaking for her and cheering her on at the same time.  She made some choices that set her on a very tough path, and despite the heavy struggles, she found ways to thrive and survive.   When it all was said and done, she definitely needed a man like Wynne in her life to fully bloom.

I was delightfully surprised at how empathetic I felt and attached I became to some side characters... I don't want to spoil anything, just know you may also find yourself rootin' for some of them as well!  Maybe it's because I like a bit of a bad boy.... ;)

Anyways, this was another awesome story by Patti Sherry-Crews that I enjoyed opening the cover and falling into.

*leaves the room whistling an old Alan Jackson song...
still you wonder...
who's cheatin' who
and who's bein' true
and who don't even care anymore
makes you wonder
who's doin' right
with someone tonight...
who's horse is stabled next door.

;)

Purchase Links:

     

New Release — Den of Thieves by Patti Sherry-Crews

When his identical twin brother is arrested, the Pinkerton Detective Agency enlists Wynne Palmatier to go undercover and impersonate his outlaw brother, Ennis. His mission is to infiltrate his brother’s gang. Ennis tells Wynne everything he needs to know. Except for one thing: there are two women with the outlaws, and one of them is his wife.

 Lucy House is still paying for the day she strayed away from decency. Now the handsome outlaw she ran away with has lost his appeal and she longs to get away from this life. As the danger mounts, can Wynne and Lucy escape this den of thieves?

EXCERPT

Texas, 1883

     She experienced the view as an ache. So impossibly blue and bright. She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the blue sky to savor the sweet scent of the flowers without the distraction of the sky, which even now flashed on the backs of her eyelids. The rain lilies perfuming the air, flowering after a heavy rain, would only last a day or two. How fortunate they were to catch them in bloom. The delicate white petals, so easy to miss. She took this as a good omen. With her eyes still closed, she listened to the sound of the buckboard wheels bumping up and down in the ruts of the dirt road and felt the gentle touch of Billy’s coat sleeve brushing against her as his arms moved with the reins.

     He nudged her. “What are you thinking about? You’ve got a smile lighting up your face like rays of sunshine on a summer morning.”

     Her eyes snapped open at the sound of his voice, a deep melody that reverberated in her heart. She turned in his direction to see his dark eyes sparkling with delight.

     “Why, I’m…” She let out a nervous giggle and tugged at her bonnet strings before fixing him with a bold look. “I’m thinking how this time next week I’ll be living a different life. The life of a married lady.”

     

Book reviews: Medieval Christmas tales!

This book review is a little different, as I'm highlighting just a few stories from two of PRP's medieval Christmas anthologies.

First up is One Winter Knight.

Blurb:

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…

My reviews:

My Forever Love by Cheryl Pierson
Logan and Noelle's story warmed me up on a cold winter's night! They were selected for each other in an arranged marriage that both initially faught against. But then after meeting, Logan fell in love with her, while Noelle wasn't aware of everything going on around her. Sweetness and excitement carry through to their happily ever after.

To Play with Cats by Patti Sherry-Crews
Giggle and swoons!! I was needing something different to knock me out of a book funk and PSC's To Play with Cats story did the trick perfectly!

First, we have a sweet and adorable heroine who reminds me alot of me... Especially in her mobility skills. Lol

Then we have the big, strong, manly hero who needed some time to get his head straightened out (what good hero doesn't have some flaw... Lol), but who still could make me swoon.

Wrap them up snug in a castle with a little bit of drama and excitement and you have a sweet Christmas happily-ever-after for a knight and his lady love.

Then there's One Yuletide Knight.

Blurb:

Find a comfortable easy chair in front of the fire and grab your copy of ONE YULETIDE KNIGHT from the authors at Prairie Rose Publications! Travel back to medieval times to celebrate Yuletide with these dashing knights and their spirited ladies in a wonderfully romantic boxed set of stories you won’t want to put down! Lose yourself in this collection of eight exciting stories of medieval days penned especially for this most joyful time of year.

With exciting tales by talented authors such as Deborah Macgillivray, Lindsay Townsend, Keena Kincaid, Cynthia Breeding, Angela Raines, Patti Sherry-Crews, Beverly Wells, and Dawn Thompson, you’ll find it hard to put this collection down until you’ve read to the very end!

Don’t miss these adventures of holiday romance spiced with medieval danger in ONE YULETIDE KNIGHT!

My reviews:

A Marriage Made in Hell by Deborah Macgillivray

Omgoodness!! This novella just BLEW ME AWAY! After I got into the swing of how Deborah uses her words to build the atmosphere of her story, I was totally immersed into Grantham and Lesslyn's story and didn't want to leave. Add in the fact that it was a short story, but yet I was able to connect to the characters, that just made this story all the better!

What started seemingly as a innocent "swap places" decision turned into something meant-to-be but figuring out the who and what to get to their HEA was quite the trip!

Grantham swept me away with just how manly he was and how he claimed and settled into his new role. Lesslyn was endearing in how she approached her new life and sweetly fell for her man. They were the perfect compliment for the other.

This was the first book I've read from Deborah Macgillivray, and it won't be my last! I definitely need more of her stories in my life! 

The Protector by Patti Sherry-Crews

A surprising amount of intrigue and twists are packed into this cute story where everyone has secrets and their own agendas. Tempers flare and stubbornness digs in amidst a swiftly growing admiration that turns into a sweet love.

Juliana finds herself frustrated with having to deal with Sir William, especially when he verbally manhandles her into something she thinks is ridiculous. Will is just following orders trying to protect her, but he can't seem to keep his attention off more fun things to do with her - even when she's stashed away safe.... maybe....

I loved watching their banter and how they connect even though they're often at odds with each other. This is a fun story if you enjoy a heroine who's determined and spunky and gives just as good as she gets.

Purchase Links:

     

PRP ECLIPSE DAY PARTY AND HOOPLA GRAND FINALE!

THE GRAND FINALE IS HERE! FINAL DAY OF PRP ECLIPSE DAY PARTY AND HOOPLA!

All good things must come to an end, but in this case, the end is only the beginning. Today is ECLIPSE DAY—y’all be sure to get your special glasses! And speaking of beginnings, hopefully by now you have all snapped up every one of these wonderful bargains and have them to look forward to reading as things start to cool off some and summer draws to a close.

A VERY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO LIVIA AND JAMES REASONER TODAY!

And, this is also a chance for us to give you all a very heartfelt THANK YOU for all the support you’ve give PRP and IMPRINTS over the last four years!

What are we featuring today? LET’S FIND OUT…

How about SOUTH OF RISING SUN by J.D. McCall, since the “sun” is a big theme for us right now! At just .99 right now, you can’t pass this one up!

U. S. Marshal, Alistair Taggart, has spent almost seven years protecting the citizens of Bleeding Kansas from the lawlessness surrounding its push to achieve statehood. Now, Kansas has entered the Union as a free state, but the violence threatens to continue when the Civil War erupts only three months later.

During one of Taggart's regular visits to the former Kansas territorial capital of Lecompton, local rancher, James Harper, enlists the marshal's help to catch the cattle rustlers intent on stealing his livelihood. But Kansas is just beginning its reign as the wildest state in the Union, and Taggart must also deal with Jayhawkers, highwaymen, unpredictable weather and those hell-bent on revenge. Taggart finds his job further complicated by a runaway slave and animals gone delinquent, along with his own concerns that age may finally be catching up with him.

Solving the case will prove harder than Taggart ever imagined, and its resolution will cost him dearly. Sometimes, justice only comes with a price.


If you’re in the mood for something a little “weird”, try MILE MARKER 59 by B.J. Betts! It’s FREE right now, and talk about one of those books that will keep you guessing—this one certainly WILL!

In one fateful moment, Marissa Daniels loses everything—her fiancé, her best friends, and her sanity. Everyone in the small town of Cutter’s Bend, Iowa, knows about the many car accidents that happen at MILE MARKER 59…and about the sightings of a huge wolf at that very spot. But what is known as local legend is very real to Marissa—she knows what she saw at the moment her fiancé lost control of the car—the moment everything changed in her life.

Strange dreams lead her to only one conclusion: she must discover what really happened that night. With the help of the local sheriff, Michael Morris, and the victim of yet another near-tragic wreck at MILE MARKER 59, secrets are uncovered—and spells are finally broken.

Can Marissa face a supernatural danger more powerful than anything she ever could imagine? Asking Michael to help her unravel the mystery of the Sioux curse that exists in that spot could lead to his death—and hers.

The occurrences at MILE MARKER 59 are what holds this little town’s secrets in silence—and what could rip Marissa’s life apart…


Do you love zombie stories? If so, here's a thriller by Jackson Lowry. PUNISHED BOOK 1: UNDEAD is the first of a trilogy—and it will scare you silly. Where else can you get this kind of excitement for only .99?

The day the Yankees came and took everything from wealthy landowner Vincent Bayonne was a day he’d never forget—how could he live with the uncertainty of not knowing what happened to his wife and children? Forced to watch as his plantation was burned to the ground by one of the slaves, Bayonne has sunk to the bottom of the barrel. A drunkard who has only his consuming hatred to sustain him, he makes his way from Louisiana to San Francisco, barely managing to survive on the Barbary Coast.

Just when he thinks he has nothing to live for, he discovers that William Sherman, the former slave who torched his home, is alive and well—and Sherman bears a hatred for his former master to match Bayonne’s. When Sherman bests Bayonne in a fight, the once-wealthy Southerner wakes up in a coffin, prepared for a fate he could never have imagined.

Hatred fuels Bayonne’s survival, but Sherman has cursed his nemesis with powerful voodoo magic that dooms him to an eternity of only half-living in the twilight existence of a zombie. Can an old Chinaman provide the answers Bayonne needs to survive in the world of the UNDEAD?


How about some lighter fare? Have you ever read any of Sarah McNeal’s Wilding family books? FLY AWAY HEART is one that will captivate you from the very first page. Right now, this story is one of the very best bargains around—it’s FREE! Don’t pass it up!


The Great Depression…Rum Runners and Old Fears…Love Against the Odds

Lilith Wilding can’t remember a time when she didn’t love the English born Robin Pierpont, but she knows he loves another so

she hides her feelings beneath a hard veneer of self-protection.

Robin Pierpont dreams of flying airplanes and winning the heart of the one he loves, but when he gets involved in illegal rum running to help a friend, those dreams seem to turn into just a fantasy. When he is called upon to face his worst fear to save Lilith’s life, his fate may be sealed in death.





How about some western historical romance to tickle your fancy? Patti Sherry-Crews has penned a wonderful story that you will long remember. MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN is only .99 right now, and a better bargain you’ll not find anywhere! Snap it up while you can!

Pampered Margarita McIntosh is not used to being forced to do things she doesn’t want to do—but when her father, Jock, sends her away for her own safety, she has no choice. The long journey from Flagstaff to Durango tests her personal strength of will as never before, and the secret she carries in her saddlebag could be the death of her.

A rough Irish gunman, known to her only as “Rafferty”, is entrusted with getting her to her destination “safe and intact”—something he fully intends to do to claim the reward he’s been promised by Jock McIntosh. With a price on his head, the promised money is Rafferty’s ticket to a new life, and he’s not going to jeopardize that for anything—not even love.

But there are steamy nights and dangers all along the arduous trail for MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN, with deadly secrets between them that passion cannot erase. With her father’s enemies after her and the secret she conceals, will Rafferty’s protection be enough to save their lives? And will the heat of their passionate love be enough to seal their future together—if they do survive?



Here's another one you’ll want for only .99, as well! DOUBLE CROSSING, by Meg Mims, is a sweet romance that keeps you guessing. WINNER of the 2012 BEST FIRST NOVEL Spur Award from Western Writers of America AND a 2012 FINALIST for the USA BOOK NEWS Awards – for Fiction: Western!

August, 1869: Lily Granville is stunned by her father’s murder. Only one other person knows about a valuable California gold mine deed — both are now missing. Lily heads west on the newly opened transcontinental railroad, determined to track the killer. She soon realizes she is no longer the hunter but the prey. As things progress from bad to worse, Lily is uncertain who to trust–the China-bound missionary who wants to marry her, or the wandering Texan who offers to protect her … for a price. Will Lily survive the journey and unexpected betrayal?
We draw to a close with our featured books today with two anthologies—a couple of wonderful collections that are sure to give you a taste of some authors who may be new to you and some that are old favorites.

A COWBOY CELEBRATION is filled with some excellent western historical romance short stories that take place during the Fourth of July AND contains some scrumptious recipes mentioned in the stories! Right now it can be yours for only .99! Take a look!

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 six 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 !

Winner Takes All by Meg Mims—Cora Peterson's plan to beat her rival at a picnic auction brings about a surprising end and an unexpected love...

For the Love of Grace by Julia Daniels—Poppy travels west to find her sister—but her own happily-ever-after awaits, as well.

Brighter Tomorrows by Beverly Wells—Callie trusts no man. Chase Matlock is fearful to love again. He gets his man, she gets her adventure, and together they find it all.

Second Chance at Love by Agnes Alexander—A temporary living arrangement might lead to something else when love enters the mix.

Never Had a Chance by Angela Raines—How can a deadly trick bring two people the love they didn't know they needed?

Forged by Fire by Linda Carroll-Bradd—Can a wounded soul find solace in the attentions from a cook who nurtures through her culinary creations?


Winding down our featured books on the blog today is another great anthology chock full of rousing tales of the old west, SUNDOWN WESTERN TALES! It can be yours for only .99, so be sure and grab it while you can!

Do you love stories about the untamed days of the Old West? Well, pardner, this is one collection of short tales you will not want to pass up! From old standards like Max Brand and Zane Grey to new authors and those in between, you’re sure to find these stories to your liking. Settle back in your easy chair and get ready for ten fantastic tales of action and adventure that will pull you right in and have you reaching for your own pistol as you read!

In Zane Grey’s story, “The Horses of Bostil’s Ford”, a man’s horse means everything…

Richard Prosch’s “Storm Damage” is the tale of a man finally getting the woman he always wanted.

There’s nothing better than a dog in Big Jim Williams’s “Riding Fence”—where a loyal canine friend saves a ranch hand’s life in a blizzard.

They say there’s a fortune to be made in picking up “Buffalo Bones”. Charlie Steel’s character, Smiley, will keep you guessing.

The young son of a gallows-builder places a bet with a school chum that a hard-to-hang prisoner will meet his fate, at last, in Kyle Rudek’s “The Man Who Wouldn’t Hang”.

In “Love’s Lonesome Serenade—The River Romance”, Lane Pierce pens a tale of escape and unexpected romance between a young gunman and a soiled dove.

W.M. Shockley’s “Mordecai” is a man determined to hold on to what’s his to the very end—even if he’s not sure he wants it.

A young man is killed, and a beautiful horse is accidentally shot, changing the course of several lives in Robert Steele’s “The Good Shooting”.

The Hicks brothers stir up trouble with the wrong drifter in Gordon L. Rottman’s story, “Missing But Not Missed”.

“The Cure of Silver Canyon” is a wonderful Max Brand western short that blends plenty of drama, action, and emotion into an exciting read.

Don’t miss this new western anthology from SUNDOWN PRESS!

Appropriately for ECLIPSE DAY, we'll end our featured books blog with Celia Yeary's WISH FOR THE MOON. What a wonderful story this is!

At the dawn of the Twentieth Century, sixteen-year-old Annie McGinnis wishes for a chance to see more of the world, since all she’s ever known is the family farm in North Texas. A mysterious visitor arrives who will change not only her life, but her family’s as well. To save Max Landry from a bogus charge, she follows him and the Texas Rangers back to the coal-mining town one county over where a murder occurred. The short journey sets Annie on a path of discovery—new horizons, an inner strength, and quite possibly…love.

Thanks so much for being with us over the last four days! Happy Eclipse Day, and thanks for stopping by!


We have a whole slew of books available for FREE or .99 through MONDAY, AUGUST 21, and we’ll feature some here on the blog every day—but just remember, THEY'RE ALL ON SALE OR FREE THROUGH TODAY! JUST TAKE A LOOK BELOW!

                                     

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.

     

The Bride is in the Mail — and a BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

Sisters from 1882 edition of Matrimonial News

Lonesome miner wants wife to share stake and prospects. Please respond to Louis Dreibelbis in Grass Valley, California.

Miss Eleanor Barry, a schoolteacher, did. At 22, she was approaching spinsterhood and longed for a husband and family. After a brief correspondence, she accepted Mr. Dreibelbis’s long-distance proposal and traveled to California to live in wedded bliss.

When the happy couple signed the marriage certificate after saying their vows, Eleanor noticed a scar on her new husband’s hand. At that moment she was struck by an unfortunate realization: Her groom was the bandit who had robbed the stagecoach upon which she arrived.

“He was not as well-fixed as I expected to find him,” she wrote to friends.

Despite the less-than-happy ending of poor Eleanor’s adventure, many mail-order brides in the 1800s did find enduring matches. In fact, between 1870 and 1900, 2,600 couples entered lifelong marriages thanks to the Matrimonial News, a weekly journal containing personal ads from men and women seeking mates. For $1.50 a word, lonely hearts could describe themselves and what they sought in a companion.

For example:

A gentleman of 25 years old, 5 feet 3 inches, doing a good business in the city, desires the acquaintance of a young intelligent and refined lady possessed of some means, of a loving disposition from 18 to 23, and one who could make home a paradise.

Well, he’s got a job...at least until he marries a beautiful girl with money.

I am fat, fair, and 48, 5 feet high. Am a No. 1 lady, well fixed with no encumbrance: am in business in the city, but want a partner who lives in the West. Want an energetic man that has some means, not under 40 years of age and weight not less that 180. Of good habits. A Christian gentleman preferred.

There is something to be said for a woman who knows what she wants.

A young man, about twenty-four years of age, elegant in appearance and pleasing address, wishes to form the acquaintance of a charming young lady, from sixteen to twenty-two years of age; skin like alabaster, teeth as pearls, hair black as the raven, eyes large and lustrous, of the same dark hue, whose magic glance at once thrills and electrifies the soul. Such a one will meet an ardent lover and, in all probability, an affectionate husband.

Is he going to marry her or paint her?


What would convince a man to advertise for a wife? What would convince a woman to travel to parts unknown to marry a stranger? Those are the questions Prairie Rose Publications authors answered in a passel of stories released today, just in time for our third-birthday celebration. Each story is only 99 cents or free if you’re a Kindle Unlimited subscriber!

Kissing Until Christmas, by Livia J. Washburn
Shawn Killian and his young son Wes came to Briar Hill, Texas, looking to escape their past. The last thing Shawn wanted to complicate his life was a mail-order bride. But because of some mysterious mix-up, that's what he found himself having to deal with when Abby Demarest showed up. Shawn knows the smart thing to do would be to send her back where she came from, but that would have been easier to do if she wasn’t so smart, pretty, and determined. What Shawn doesn’t know is that Abby has some secrets of her own that threaten the life he has planned for him and Wes, and it may be that love is the only thing that will save all of them!

Store-Bought Ornaments, by Patti Sherry-Crews
When Caleb sees Ella step off the train, it is love at first sight. Only, Caleb is not the groom Ella has traveled halfway across the country to marry. Caleb is a quiet man who always tries to do the right thing, so when he and his brother’s wife give into temptation, he leaves the family ranch for good. Only a cryptic letter from Ella asking him to come home to Montana for Christmas can bring him back.

Seeing signs the woman he loves is being mistreated and the broken beauty of her STORE-BOUGHT ORNAMENTS triggers a series of dark memories to surface, steeling him for action. Can Caleb stand up to the brother who has bullied him his whole life in order to save Ella?

Her Holiday Husband, by Tanya Hanson
Now a respectable rancher, the outlaw formerly known as Black Ankles doubts any decent woman would wed him…hence,  a mail-order bride set up by his well-meaning brother arrives, believing her wedding will soon take place.  Indeed, Ronnie Heisler’s whole family expects him to speak vows with an unknown woman come Christmas Eve.

Set up by her meddling sister, Phoebe Pierce has fallen in love with the tintype of her intended’s twin brother. But has she too many secrets of her own to keep HER HOLIDAY HUSBAND?

Holiday Hoax, by Meg Mims
Widow Vera Sanders agrees to “switch” grooms with younger and prettier Adele MacIntyre, another mail-order bride heading to Holliday, Nebraska. They’re both in for rude surprises, however, after trying to pull a HOLIDAY HOAX on two very different grooms before Christmas. Will they ruin their chances for happiness, or end up in love?

I Heard the Brides on Christmas Day, by Jacquie Rogers
The Murdock brothers have a fine ranch in Owyhee County, Idaho. The only things missing are wives and kids, so Hec orders a couple of brides for Christmas. The catch is, woman-shy Zeke doesn’t know about it. Dinah and Stella have a plan: If the grooms don’t work out, they’ll start a restaurant. Farm chores are hard enough, but a peckish chicken and a raging blizzard don’t help matters. Can Hec and Zeke capture their hearts?

A Marriage of Convenience, by Cheryl Pierson
Beautiful heiress Melanie duBois is running for her life—halfway across the continent. Marriage to a man she’s never met is preferable to what her stepfather has planned for her.  Thank goodness for the mail-order bride offer she received from a handsome officer of the law—even if he is in wild Indian Territory.

Lawman Rocky Taylor is expecting a “surprise” to arrive on the stagecoach, never dreaming it will be a young woman. She’s here as his mail-order bride, she says. Trouble is, he never sent for her, and he’s sworn off women after a disastrous first marriage.

With her stepfather’s man hot on her trail, Melanie vows she’ll not return to West Virginia to a monstrous fate. Can A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE keep her safe and open the door to love?

Help us celebrate PRP’s third birthday by answering this question in the comments, and you could win your choice of two of the stories above: How did you meet your mate?

THE WINNER OF THE QUICK READS IS...

  The winner of Saturday's prize is...

Patricia Sims!

Patricia, you've won your choice of TWO quick reads from among the four released Saturday: Second Chance at Love, Brighter Tomorrows, Never Had a Chance, and Hearts in Harmony. Please contact Kathleen, and we'll send them right away!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to visit yesterday during our third birthday celebration. Come back and see us every day through Friday, August 19, and you could be the next winner!

 

NEW QUICK READS — AND A GIVEAWAY!

Novellas and shorter works allow readers to sample an author’s storytelling style without the commitment required by a novel. They provide a nice escape into a love story when readers have a short break during the day, as a reward for accomplishing a task, while waiting in a doctor’s office, or as a quick pick-me-up when someone wants a happily-ever-after she can consume in one sitting.

Each year, Prairie Rose Publications publishes many, many quick reads. Most have appeared in an anthology along the way, but some are brand new. Some authors enjoy writing short tales when a story demands to be written but the characters are impatient to reach the love they never thought would be theirs.

Readers may not realize how challenging short-form fiction is to write. Reaching “the end” without a story seeming contrived, incomplete, or rushed requires a special skillset, so quick reads test an author’s mettle. Whether or not readers realize it, when they pick up a quick read they’re seeing some of an author’s best work. If we leave readers wanting more, wishing they could’ve spent more time with the hero and heroine, then we’ve done our job well. Often those characters show up again in a subsequent story, giving readers a chance to drop in on couples’ lives months or years later.

As a special treat to celebrate our third birthday, PRP released a passel of sigh-worthy quick reads about hunky heroes and strong women who find their forever love in fewer than 100 pages.

Second Chance at Love by Agnes Alexander

Dr. Miles Kerry and his nurse, Cora Hilliard, have 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.  Then Cora falls ill with a raging fever, and 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?
 

Brighter Tomorrows by Beverly Wells

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?

Never had a Chance by Angela Raines

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 just as she’s about to be married. Without a family to anchor him in a turbulent world, Tom goes 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 falls in love.

When Tom falls victim to a deadly trick, he 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 and claim the woman he loves?

Hearts in Harmony by Patti Sherry-Crews

It seems like Harmony and Alice have been best friends forever. They are of a same mind, and he can talk to her about anything—anything except the fact that he's fallen in love with the young woman she's become. He's so in love, he's speechless in her presence.

But his sister, Melody, has a plan. Harmony sends Alice an anonymous declaration of his love, promising to reveal himself at the Valentine's Day dance. What could go wrong?


Each of these tales by talented authors takes readers on a journey with a hero and heroine who find the other half of their heart but must fight to claim the love of a lifetime.


Prairie Rose Kaye Spencer created the video at the top of the page. She does a good job with videos, doesn't she? Thanks, Kaye!

As a gift to readers during our third-birthday celebration, PRP will bestow a copy of two of these stories on one of today’s commenters. The winner gets to pick which two. To enter the drawing, just answer this question: Do you believe in love at first sight?

#NewRelease -- Margarita and the Hired Gun by Patti Sherry-Crews -- #Giveaway

Pampered Margarita McIntosh is not used to being forced to do things she doesn’t want to do—but when her father, Jock, sends her away for her own safety, she has no choice. The long journey from Flagstaff to Durango tests her personal strength of will as never before, and the secret she carries in her saddlebag could be the death of her.

A rough Irish gunman, known to her only as “Rafferty”, is entrusted with getting her to her destination “safe and intact”—something he fully intends to do to claim the reward he’s been promised by Jock McIntosh. With a price on his head, the promised money is Rafferty’s ticket to a new life, and he’s not going to jeopardize that for anything—not even love.

But there are steamy nights and dangers all along the arduous trail for MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN, with deadly secrets between them that passion cannot erase. With her father’s enemies after her and the secret she conceals, will Rafferty’s protection be enough to save their lives? And will the heat of their passionate love be enough to seal their future together—if they do survive?

EXCERPT

     It was the pounding in his head waking him. Not daring to open his eyes yet, he pressed the heel of his hand to the spot between his eyes where the pain was most intense. He was perspiring a cold sweat, emitting the odor of alcohol.

     Sometimes, the pillar of ice in his chest began to melt, and the jagged edges it left hurt. At those times, he’d go on a bender and lose the memories tormenting him somewhere between a whore’s legs, holing up in a saloon for days.

     Now sober, the pain was coming back—and not only the pain in his head.

For a confusing moment, the pounding in his head was making an awful racket. Then, he sourced the noise to the door. Someone was rapping away. Without having to look, he reached for his gun, which was always kept within reach. He opened his eyes—or rather, he cracked open one eye tentatively to gauge the damage. The whore next to him wasn’t even stirring. He leveled the barrel of the gun toward the center of the door.

     “Rafferty?” someone called from out in the hall.

     “I hear ya. For the love of God, stop making such a racket. Christ,” he called back.

     “Rafferty. It’s Homer Jenkins. I have a job for you, if you want it.”

     He set the gun back in its holster on the bedside table. “Give me a moment, here,” he said, swinging his legs out of bed, testing his stability, which wasn’t as good as he hoped. Homer Jenkins. Jock MacIntosh’s man. He didn’t like MacIntosh, but he paid better than most. He had to pay better, because his jobs were dirtier. That Scots devil was a cold-hearted, conniving sonofabitch.

Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a free ecopy of MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN.

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#NewRelease -- A MAIL-ORDER CHRISTMAS BRIDE -- #Giveaway!

What could be better this holiday season than a warm fire, a cozy chair and a heartwarming collection of mail-order bride Christmas stories? A MAIL-ORDER CHRISTMAS BRIDE includes eight wonderful reads by some of your favorite authors.

 Livia J Washburn kicks off the anthology with her story, KISSING UNTIL CHRISTMAS, about a mail-order bride who isn’t exactly what she seems—but her unwilling groom hides a dangerous secret of his own.

It’s A LONG WAY FROM ST. LOUIS in Kathleen Rice Adams' story, but can a handsome Irish alley-brawler and a former debutante rekindle their romance from a decade earlier, now that circumstances have changed?

 Ella’s cryptic letter brings her husband’s brother, Caleb, home for Christmas in STORE-BOUGHT ORNAMENTS by Patti Sherry-Crews. Can they finally claim the love they’ve been denied for so long?

 Secrets and surprises are in store when families meddle with a beautiful single mother and an outlaw-turned-respectable in Tanya Hanson’s story. Phoebe Pierce may have too many secrets of her own to keep HER HOLIDAY HUSBAND…

An earthquake lands a young woman backward in time in her great-great aunt’s southwestern home. Jesse J Elliot’s story of a TIMELESS love that will prevail, no matter what century, is one you won’t forget!

In this tale by Meg Mims, will it be true love or a HOLIDAY HOAX for these mail-order brides who are traveling together? When they “switch” grooms in Holliday, Nebraska, will things work out for the best, or will they end up ruining their futures?

 Hec Murdock orders up two brides for himself and his brother, Zeke. But somehow, he neglects to let Zeke know what he’s done. I HEARD THE BRIDES ON CHRISTMAS DAY is classic Jacquie Rogers-style fun with a humorous, heartwarming ending!

 Can a jaded lawman from Indian Territory and a debutante on the run manage to find their own “happily-ever-after” in A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE? Cheryl Pierson’s tale pits a young woman against a monster, with only one man to protect her—a U.S. Deputy Marshal—who stands to lose his heart—or his life. 

 Prairie Rose Publications is proud to bring you another wonderful collection of Christmas tales for your reading pleasure!   A MAIL-ORDER CHRISTMAS BRIDE is sure to bring you hours of enjoyment.

Be sure and comment below.  We are giving away a free ebook of A MAIL-ORDER CHRISTMAS BRIDE to one lucky person.

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