Book review: The Devil and Miss Julia Jackson by Cheryl Pierson

Blurb:

A woman with no home…
Beautiful Southern belle Julia Jackson has just been informed she and her niece must find a new home immediately—or else. With no family to turn to in Georgia, Julia takes a mighty gamble and answers an advertisement for a nursemaid in wild Indian Territory—for the child of a man she knows nothing about. Together, she and five-year-old Lauralee waste no time as they flee to the safety of the new position Julia has accepted. She can only hope this move will be the start of a bright future for them away from Lauralee’s dangerous much older half-brother.

A rancher with no heart…
The death of Devlin Campbell’s young daughter has ripped the light from his life. Though the birth of his son, little Jamie, should have been a source of happiness, the subsequent loss of his wife forces Dev to ignore his emotions and trudge through life’s joyless responsibilities. But all that changes with the arrival of Miss Julia Jackson from Atlanta! Not at all what Dev is expecting in response to his ad, his resentment boils over at her failure to mention her tag-along niece—a painful reminder of the loss of his own little girl just two years earlier. Yet, how can he deny the sunshine Julie brings into his drab existence with her very presence?

Can love find a way?
In the depths of Dev’s boundless sorrow and his accompanying anger, is there room in his life for anyone else as Christmas approaches? Can Julie convince him that love is the cure for a broken heart, and hope is the only recipe for a new beginning between THE DEVIL AND MISS JULIA JACKSON…

My review:
The Devil and Miss Julia Jackson is a sweet, adorable story of a rough and tumble rancher who finds his hea with a prim and proper southern belle. Devlin is struggling with moving on from the loss of his first wife and daughter, just keeping it barely together for his toddler son, when Miss Jackson and her (surprise!) niece arrive in answer to his search for a caretaker for his son. And thus begins a tale of falling in love, choosing and giving forgiveness, learning to trust, and finding the happily ever after that was meant to be. And let's just say, it wasn't uneventful despite the snow quickly piling up! Several twists and turns keep you on your toes as Devlin and Julie grow closer to each other and build a family.

This is a sweet and adorable little tale that provides a feel good easy read many readers seek out at Christmas time! Don't miss it!

New Release — Sir Conrad and the Christmas Treasure by Lindsay Townsend

Maggie’s younger brother, Michael, is kidnapped by outlaws, and it’s up to her to rescue him. Appealing to Sir Conrad, the grim steward of the northern English high lands, is the very last thing she wants to do. With the very real possibility that the outlaws know of Michael’s talent—the ability to open any lock, to reveal any treasure—Maggie races against time to find him before his usefulness to the outlaws is ended.

Sir Conrad desires Maggie from the minute he sees her—she makes him feel alive again—and that has not happened since the death of his wife. Though he hasn’t known Maggie before, a strange feeling of familiarity nags, and he agrees to aid the beautiful peasant girl in this quest of finding her brother. 

Joining forces, Maggie and Sir Conrad form a tenuous bond. When an assassin attacks Maggie, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit, and Conrad realizes that even Maggie doesn’t know the power she holds. But Conrad not only must keep Maggie safe, he must thwart the dangerous devices of his spiteful older brother, Richard, who has lately returned from crusade. 

As love blossoms, Maggie and Conrad must protect one another. Evil is all around them, and doubt is a cruel enemy. Will their faith in each other keep them united? In the world of dangerous courtly intrigue, who is saving whom? Love is all that matters…but can that be enough?

EXCERPT

     Sir Conrad, the steward of the forest high lands, glowered at the latest miscreant to be dragged before him in the great hall of the northern sheriff’s castle. A castle that has never felt like my own, for all I am reluctant steward here.  
     Despite his instructions, Sir David, his under-reeve, would bring the wretches up in chains, even the women. Conrad gripped his sword hilt to stop himself from punching David, and rose from his chair to approach the small, slight figure before him.
     “What, where, and who?” he snapped at his shorter, stockier, second-in-command. The woman—girl, really—did not flinch, which surprised him. 
     Conrad knew he was harsh, unsmiling in his manner. Since Joan had died three winters ago, leaving him a widower and bereft at the age of twenty-four, he had been unable to be anything but cold to anyone. He had no interest in brief affairs. I witnessed too much heartbreak from my father and brother and their parade of mistresses to do the same. Although this girl—
     Now he was looking at her properly, he recognized two things at once. The first was that he wanted her, wanted her badly, with a raw force he had not experienced since he was a squire. Is it the chains? I would chain her to my bed, if I could. She was delicate, with a fragile profile, sweetly upcurving lips, masses of glossy blonde hair and eyes as blue and big as a summer sky. She seemed both graceful and slender, and at the same time, determined—standing straight, poised as a dancer, facing life head on. 
     That was the second thing he realized. The girl was brave. Dressed in her mud-coloured gown, her dirt-spattered, travel-stained tunic and threadbare cloak, in rough leather boots that were splitting at the seams and looked too small for her, she watched him with the poise of a cat, all barely-hidden fire. 

     If she smiles at me I will be lost, and yes, I would certainly like to chain her to my bed. But why did she seem familiar? 

      

New Release — A Christmas Visitor by Sarah J. McNeal

Matilda Barton’s broken heart may never heal. The love of her life, Sterling Thoroughgood, has been gone three years with no word. Is he dead or alive? Why should it matter to her? She’s spent the past three years trying to save her father, her ranch, and her dignity—but her heart has taken the worst battering of all. Now that her father has died, the livestock has been sold off, and the ranch is in disrepair, her life is empty. When Sterling Thoroughgood rides up to her house on Christmas Eve, is it any wonder she greets him with a shotgun instead of a kiss?

Sterling Throughgood has worked hard to build a ranch in Hazard, Wyoming. Admittedly, it took longer than he thought, but he had to have a good start for Matilda, the woman he’s always loved. Arriving at her house on Christmas Eve, he discovers a lot has changed in three years. Her father, his mentor, has passed away—and Matilda has become bitter because of what she felt were empty promises Sterling made in the past. But Sterling is not a quitter, and he will pit his determination against Matilda’s iron-clad will any day of the week—even on Christmas Eve.

He hopes that the puzzle box he made for her with his special gift inside will prove to her his ever-constant love, but is it too late for that? Can Matilda understand his three-year absence amidst all the loss she’s gone through? Is their love lost forever, or does the peculiar puzzle box hold the key to happiness for both of them? Can Sterling be more than just A CHRISTMAS VISITOR…

EXCERPT

     “Don’t you even think about stepping up on this porch, Sterling Alexander Thoroughgood, or I’ll shoot a hole in you big enough for a team of horses to jump through.” The woman wearing a faded blue calico dress aimed the shotgun straight at his heart…and sometimes his liver, since she wasn’t holding the shotgun all that steady.

     Sterling raised his hands in the air. His bare hands were practically numb from the cold. He glanced up at the slate gray sky. Snow’s comin’. Then, he grinned at the woman holding the shotgun. “Merry Christmas to you, too, Matilda.”

New Release — The Homecoming by Kit Prate

Rory Saunders has experienced a crushing divorce. After sixteen years of marriage, her life is in disarray.

She knows she is running away when she leaves the city behind her; running to what she hopes will be a new beginning. Moving to a new house, a place in the country, she seeks to recapture the happiness of her childhood, and perhaps some of her childhood dreams.

The last thing she wants or expects is another broken heart. She is through with that part of her life; through with secrets, disappointment, and painful deception.

Then Devlin Culhane strolls into her life. He reminds her of the handsome loners who decorate the covers of the western romances she reads for pleasure; tall, tanned and blond, ever the hero.

But even a hero can have secrets…

EXCERPT

     Rory Saunders had made up her mind. She was going to do it. It didn’t matter if it was slightly less than a month until Christmas, or that everywhere she went some pillow-stuffed Santa was ho-ho-hoing on every street corner or at the entrance to every store. And if she heard even so much as one more pop version of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing… What was it about the idiot merchants out there that made them start the Christmas push just a week after Halloween? Or pop “artists” who thought they could improve traditional Christmas carols by performing them like they were punk rock compositions? It was depressing.

     It was also her first Christmas alone since the divorce.

     Rory Saunders was going to kill herself.

New Release — Christmas Wishes by Diana Tobin (Men Of Maine Series Book 6)

Quiltmaker Claire Stone and her young daughter, Grace, are newcomers to the small town of Webster, Maine. Erasing the past is something Claire is determined to do, for divorcing her cruel ex-husband was the only solution to save herself and her daughter—and she’s never regretted it. But when she meets handsome Marc Baxter, the attraction is instant, and she begins to realize what she’s missed in life—someone to care for her…someone to care for.

Marc Baxter has come home to his roots, recovering from a nasty divorce and the discovery that his ex-wife had some shocking secrets of her own. Christmas is on the way, and he’s looking forward to opening a clinic with his niece and getting back to practicing medicine again.

When Grace is injured in an accident, Marc’s tender treatment leaves her with a severe case of hero worship—and wishing for a loving father. Claire is grateful to Marc, but her feelings go much deeper than that. Despite her fears of emotional ties, Marc is prepared to do whatever it takes to win Claire over.

But Claire’s controlling ex-husband was a doctor. Can she take a chance on another “professional” man who’s used to making the decisions in life? Marc says he loves her, but can he respect her and treat her as a life partner? Is there any hope for a Yuletide miracle that will see all their CHRISTMAS WISHES come true?

EXCERPT

     Claire sipped her pumpkin spiced coffee and licked a drop of whipped cream from her upper lip. She should be home, starting the mayor’s quilt, but couldn’t face an empty house. Instead, she came to Moose-ley Coffee and treated herself to an afternoon snack. Even though she sat alone at one of the small tables she didn’t feel alone with the few others in the cafe. The atmosphere was welcoming and friendly.

     Grace would enjoy a hot chocolate. Maybe she’d remain in the coffee shop until school let out, order a snack for her daughter, and they could go home together.

     “Mind if I join you for a moment?”

     She looked up to find a stranger beside her table, his hand on the chair opposite hers. His dark brown hair looked wind- tossed with a lock hanging down his brow. His blue eyes pierced her with an intensity filled with sadness. Scruff covered his square jaw and outlined his full lips.

     

First Ladies of the Pikes Peak Region - Helen (Hunt) Jackson #history #writing

View of Pikes Peak covered in clouds
photo (c) by rhe author

The next lady in the series is one many people know: Helen (Hunt) Jackson. Since there is a great deal of information on this lady, this post will cover an 'interview' and information about the writing of the book "Ramona" near the end of her life.

For information on the early ladies in the series:
Elizabeth McAllister
Cara Bell
Grace Greenwood
Lucy Maggard

Helen (Hunt) Jackson from Wikipedia

First an 'interview':

As you were traveling to the west you made some unique observations. Would you share some of those thoughts?

Prairie, unfenced, undivided, unmeasured, unmarked, save by the different tints of different growths of grass or grain; great droves of cattle grazing here and there; acres of willow saplings, pale yellowish green; and solitary trees, which look like hermits in a wilderness. These, and now and then a shapeless village, which looks even lonelier than the empty loneliness by which it is surrounded, - these are all for hours and hours. We think, “now we are getting out into the great spaces.” “This is what the word ‘West’ has sounded like.”

You seem to like the lower elevations as opposed to the high peaks. Why do you think that?

I think that true delight, true realization, of the gracious, tender, unutterable beauty of the earth and all created things are to be found in outlooks from lower points—vistas which shut more than they show, sweet and unexpected revealings in level places and valley, secrets of near woods, and glories of every-day paths.

You are quoted as saying there are nine places of worship in Colorado Springs. What are the?

There are nine “places of divine worship” in Colorado Springs, -- the Presbyterian, the Cumberland Presbyterian, the Methodist, the South Methodist, the Episcopal, the Congregationalist, the Baptist, the Unitarian, and Cheyenne Canyon.

Helen Hunt Falls -North Cheyenne Canyon
Photo (c) by author 

What do you do when the snow covers the ground?

... winter..... memory and fancy will have their way; and, as we sit cowering over fires, and the snow piles up outside our window sills, we shall gaze dreamily into the glowing coals, and, living the summer over again, shall recall it in a minuteness of joy, for summer days were too short and summer light too strong. Then, when joy becomes reverie, and reverie takes shape, a truer record can be written....

Ruth Odell wrote one of the early biographies of Helen. It was published in 1939. Her book talks about the writing of "Ramona" and the end of Helen's life. I share some of that with you here:

According to Odell, Helen wrote Ramona in New York between Dec, 1883 and April 1884.

1883-1884

Berkeley Hotel, New York

Wrote first words of Ramona on Dec. 1, 1883

Pg 210-211 of the book says:

"The novel which Helen hoped so ardently would “tell” in a manner in which A Century of Dishonor had not was written with lightening speed. She was frightened at the intensity of her own interest, which drove her to compose at the rate of from two to three thousand words in a day. It was as if she were haunted and obsessed. So loath was she to stop writing that her concentration resulted in two serious attacks of illness. …..From time to time she drove herself to write a short story, an article....but with the feeling always that she was suffering an actual deprivation in having to turn away from the thing she wished to be doing.....By late February she had finished twenty chapters."

Below is a timeline of the release of the book.

April 12 of 1884  the 'Critic' announced that Mrs. Helen Jackson would soon publish the first long novel under her own name.

May 1, 1884 'The Christian Union' noted that it would begin in a fortnight a serial presentation of the novel Ramona.

On a side note, "Ramona" has had at least 300 printings since that date.

Time line of Helen's last months

June 28, 1884 Helen broke her hip. The fall of 1884 she went to CA .

By Feb 1885 she became seriously ill of what she believed to be “malarial poisoning”.

From Page 212 of the Odell book:

When she could no longer postpone it, the doctor sent a telegram to her husband, who arrived Aug 2. Ten days later the end came. Subsequent dispatches gave the cause of her death as cancer. Fortunately she had not known.

Evergreen Cemetery Colorado Springs
Photo (c) by the author

Helen made her home in Colorado Springs from 1873 to her death in 1885. She supported the growth of the new town, wrote glowing articles and even supported reading and libraries. Her final resting place is in Evergreen Cemetery next to her second husband William S. Jackson.

Doris Gardner-McCraw -

Author, Speaker, Historian-specializing in
Colorado and Women's History

Angela Raines - author: Where Love & History Meet

For a list of Angela Raines Books: Here 

Photo and Poem: Click Here 

Angela Raines FaceBook: Click Here

Book review: Her Christmas Wish by Tracy Garrett

Blurb:

A Christmas story.

Even a woman capable of living on her own…

Kathryn McConnell is a widow celebrating a milestone birthday alone. Though she feels a woman should be able to mourn the passing of her thirtieth birthday any way she wants, she won’t turn away a cowboy in need of lodging—until she learns it’s the man she’d expected to marry thirteen years earlier.

…never forgets her first love.
Will O’Brien had challenged his father’s prejudice against the woman he loved only to discover he was unable to stand against his family’s wealth and connections. Without a way to support his bride, Will struck out for the west, determined to earn a living for them both. When he returned after two years with no word from Katie, he found she’d married another and moved away. Heartbroken, he returns to his work, but never stops hoping to find her.

When chance lands Will at the remote stagecoach station run by the widowed Kathryn, he grabs at the opportunity he’s been handed, hoping to win back the only woman he has ever loved.

My review:

Her Christmas Wish is the sweet 2nd chance love story for Will and his Katie.

Life throws challenge and heartbreak Katie's way over and over again until she finally finds herself digging deep in her inner strength to make it on her own. Then when she allows a past memory of a lost love to slip in, to her shock, wishes seem to come true.

Will has his own set of challenges and pain he's struggled with for years, and when he finds his Katie, he doesn't back down from claiming his woman and showing her he still loves her - and always did.

I loved watching these two work through things and find their way to their Christmas happily ever after, where wishes are granted, just not always on our time table. This is a sweet, easy read with lots of warm feel goods mixed in.

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