Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 84

Sunday Story Sample: Pete’s Wife (a novella in the Bride by Arrangement anthology)

This weekend, I thought I’d post a sample from my novella “Pete’s Wife” and talk about the inspiration behind it in tomorrow’s post.

This story takes place in 1876.  Janet Syas Nitsick’s character, Opal Preston, is the heroine in the other novella in this anthology.  You can think of this anthology as the story about two women who meet on a train that goes to Lincoln, Nebraska where they will find love (just in different ways).

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

Below is the beginning of the novella I’m writing.  My character is Ada Wilcox.  (This is in first draft.)

***

With a glance over her shoulder at the door of the train, Ada Wilcox fought the urge to get right back off.  But as much as she wanted to avoid this, she couldn’t.  Her destiny was set and there was no turning back.

The conductor motioned to a seat in the front row.  “Please sit here, Miss.”

Sighing, she thanked the conductor and sat down.  She didn’t know whether to cry or yell about the unfairness of it all.  She glanced out the window and saw her brother give a hesitant wave.  Forcing herself to be polite, she returned the gesture then shifted so that she didn’t have to look out the window again.  She knew it wasn’t nice of her to do, but at the moment, she couldn’t bring herself to do what was right.  She was much too upset.

The conductor leaned forward and smiled.  “If you two need anything, let me know.  Miss Preston, this is Miss Wilcox.  Miss Wilcox,” he told Ada, “this is Miss Preston.  You two won’t believe it, but you’re both headed for Lincoln, Nebraska.  It’s a small world.” He chuckled and headed to the door to assist other passengers.

Miss Preston turned toward Ada.  “So you’re going to Lincoln?  How unusual for us to be traveling to the same place.”

“Yes, it is.” Ada retrieved a handkerchief out of her drawstring purse, tears welling up in her eyes.  She forced a smile at the pretty young lady beside her who wore a lovely green and white shirtwaist and matching skirt.  “I worried about traveling this distance by myself.” But all things considered, that was the least of her worries.

The train jerked forward, and Ada ventured a glance at her brother who at least had the decency to look guilty.

Miss Preston leaned toward her, eyebrows furrowed.  “Are you okay?”

“I,” she sniffed and wiped her eyes again, “I suppose I’ll be.” She’d never seen Miss Preston until today and judging by the quality of her clothing, she was better off than her.  Not that anyone would know it since Ada had on her best dress.  She didn’t know what she could possibly have in common with such a refined lady, but it probably didn’t matter since they’d most likely never see each other again.  “Are you scared?”

“Yes, I’m leaving my beloved Virginia for an unknown place.  It’s disconcerting.”

Ada nodded.  “It is.  I don’t want to leave, but my brother worried about me and,” she grimaced and wiped more tears away, “arranged a marriage to secure my future.  I’m sorry.  I can’t seem to stop.” She sniffed. “I’m Ada, by the way.”

“Opal.”

“So may I ask why you are going to Lincoln?  I-I don’t want to pry, but since we’ll be traveling together, I thought it might be nice to-to talk.” And it would take her mind off her situation, if even for a few hours.  She could use the reprieve.  She hadn’t enjoyed a moment’s peace since her brother gave her the news.

Opal turned toward her.  “Of course, you can and I’ll be happy to talk about it. I’m taking a governess position for two children.”

“Oh?” A governess.  That made sense.  Opal seemed educated.  “How old are they?”

“Abigail’s six and Theodore’s eight.”

“Those are good ages,” Ada said, finally able to take a deep breath to help settle her nerves.

“It is.” Opal paused. “That’s very perceptive of you.”

“Well, I come from a large family.  I have five brothers and two sisters.”

“I have five brothers and two sisters too.” She laughed. “I can’t believe the things we’ve got in common. It’s uncanny.”

Ada gestured to Opal’s dress.  “Even to the point of our choice in colors.”

Opal nodded. “I noticed right away that we were both wearing green.  I’m glad the conductor put us together.”

“I am too.” And she was.  Now she wouldn’t have to spend the whole trip in dread.  “Who are you meeting once we reach Lincoln?”

“My employer, Alexander Boyer.  And you?”

Ada gulped and clasped her hands together so she wouldn’t start crying all over again.  That’s all Opal needed.  A traveling companion who cried more tears than the Mississippi River could contain.  When she could answer calmly, she said, “Pete Kelly.  That’s all my brother told me about him.  Oh, he did say Pete’s well off.” But she doubted Pete Kelly was as well off as Opal.  Then again, to her brother, anyone who didn’t have to worry about eating supper was prosperous.  “So, you’re going to work as a governess?  Are you looking forward to it?”

“Yes, but I’m going to miss my Virginia.  What about you?”

“Not really. I’m just afraid of what kind of man my brother arranged for me.”

“It’s going to be difficult for both of us.”

Opal reached out to squeeze her hand in silent encouragement.  Ada returned the sentiment then turned to the window, hardly noticing the scenery.

***

With each mile that separated Ada from Virginia, she didn’t know if she felt better or worse.  She kept telling herself that her brother wasn’t a bad man.  He’d made the arrangement with Pete Kelly because he needed the money and because it would ensure she’d be provided for for the rest of her life.

But even as she tried to console herself with such logic, knowing her brother had seen fit to sell her to a stranger out in Nebraska—far removed from anyone she’d ever known—hurt.  And just what kind of man needed a wife so badly he’d post an ad offering to buy one?  Surely, a man who had to buy a wife wasn’t the kind of man worth marrying.

What had her brother been thinking?  Even if Pete promised her brother he’d take good care of her, she didn’t know if that was really true.  And her brother should have known better than to take Pete at his word.  For all any of them knew, Pete was lying.  Maybe he had something other than marriage in mind.  What if he had a brothel and was looking for more women?  As much as she struggled not to consider the possibility, it could very well be the case.  Or it could be something as equally horrendous.  She didn’t know what could be as bad as working in a brothel, but she was sure men could think of all kinds of ways to use a woman.

No, she had no reason to be lenient with her brother.  Her brother should have had the decency to make sure Pete was a good man before he made the transaction.  He never should have sold her without knowing what it was exactly that he was forcing her into.

Maybe she could run away.  But how?  And where would she go?  She had no money, no way to get back to Virginia, no one to go to.  She was trapped.  If this Pete Kelly wasn’t the honorable young man her brother believed him to be, her life was good for nothing.

From beside her, someone gently nudged her arm.  She stirred in her seat and saw her traveling companion smiling at her.  “We’re approaching the station,” Opal said.

Ada stared at her for a moment then returned her smile. The only source of solace she had during the long and heartbreaking journey was having Opal to talk to.  Now they would part: Opal to be a governess and Ada to be with someone who would either be good to her or not.  “I will miss you.”

“Me too.  I’m so glad we got to know each other.”

Ada pulled out her damp handkerchief and wiped more tears from her eyes.  With a glance out the window, she saw the Lincoln station as the train slowed.

“Don’t forget to write,” Opal said.

Ada blinked back more tears and nodded.  If Pete Kelly was the kind of man who’d allow her to write, she would.

The train came to a stop, and the conductor called out, “Lincoln!” Then he turned to the two women.  “Stay here and I’ll make sure Mr. Kelly and My Boyer are here to greet you.”

Ada pressed her handkerchief to her mouth, hoping her nerves wouldn’t make her vomit.  This was it.  There was no turning back.

The passengers started departing from the car, and the conductor waved to them.  Opal gave her an encouraging smile, and while it did little to ease the tension, Ada took some comfort in it.  She reluctantly got out of her seat and trudged to the door.  With a deep breath to steady her nerves, she took a shaky step off the train.

She glanced back at Opal who seemed so at ease with being in this new and unfamiliar place as she stepped off the train.  Ada wished she had her ability to display such confidence.

“Are you Miss Ada Wilcox?” a man who appeared to be in his late twenties asked.

Her gaze went from him to the woman and child beside him.  Surely, this couldn’t be Pete Kelly.  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she nodded.  “I am.  You’re not Pete Kelly, are you?”

“No, ma’am,” he replied.  “I’m his brother, Jimmy.  This here is my wife Cheryl and my boy Ron.”

“I’m six,” Ron said, making the others laugh.”

With a chuckle, Jimmy motioned to an older man whose hair was starting to gray.  “And this is Preacher Thompson who’ll marry you and my brother.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Cheryl said with a smile that helped to ease some of Ada’s nerves, though not all of them.

“Is Pete here?” she asked, scanning the busy station.

“No, he’s waiting for you at his house,” Jimmy replied.

One of the baggage handlers came over to her.  “Ma’am, do you have a brass tag for me?”

“Oh, yes.” Ada quickly opened her purse and dug in it, feeling the heat of everyone’s stares on her as she fumbled around for it, and finally retrieved it.  Goodness but her hands wouldn’t stop shaking.  “Here it is, sir.”

The youth nodded and went to get her small wooden trunk.

“Do you have anything else?” Cheryl asked.

Ada shook her head.  “This is it.” All the things she owned were in a trunk so small that it wouldn’t hold much more than Ron if he wanted to hide in it.  This was just another reminder of why her brother said this was her best chance at a better life.  She examined Jimmy as he lifted the trunk for her then turned her attention to Cheryl, the boy, and the preacher.  They seemed like nice enough folk, at least they didn’t seem like the kind who’d haul her off to a brothel.

“What did your brother tell you about Pete?” Jimmy asked as he led the group out of the station.

“Um, not much.” Ada squinted in the sunlight and adjusted her hat to protect her eyes.  “Just that he’d be a good provider.”

“He will be,” Cheryl quickly assured her.  “He’s a hard worker.  He tends to the animals and his gardens with fine dedication.  You’ll never want for food.  And he does good with fixing up the place.  The home is in good condition.  He also has some money set aside.  Jimmy will often take whatever food Pete doesn’t need to eat and sells them.  Pete doesn’t buy anything, really, so you’ll have some money.  This all very important to remember.”

Ada’s eyebrows furrowed.  Wasn’t it strange that Cheryl felt the need to say all of that?  If she guessed right, there was an uncertainty in Cheryl’s expression.  Her steps slowed as they neared a buckboard wagon.  Maybe she shouldn’t do this.  She took in her surroundings, specifically the other people and saw Opal get into the wagon with the man who had employed her.  Should she run over to them and pray upon their kindness to take her with them?  She might not know anything to teach children, but she could cook and sew.  Maybe she could do that?

“It’s hard to explain the situation,” the preacher said.

Ada turned her attention to him.  “I’m here to be Pete Kelly’s wife, right?  He doesn’t have another wife or illegitimate children or engages in immoral pursuits, does he?”

“No,” the preacher said.  “Pete lives by himself on a farm.  He’s tender and kind.  He’s a good man.”

Jimmy placed her trunk in the wagon then came over to them.  “The situation with Pete is a delicate matter.”

Her stomach tensed and her grip tightened on her purse.  “What is his situation?” she forced out.

He glanced at Cheryl and the preacher who nodded.  “Alright, I’ll tell you now.  It’s best to be prepared.” After he took a deep breath, he said, “Pete doesn’t have normal intelligence.”

“What?” Ada asked, not sure she understood him right.

“There’s nothing else wrong with him,” Cheryl quickly added.  “He doesn’t harm anyone or anything.  He’s very gentle.  You needn’t worry about your safety.”

“But…?  I don’t understand,” Ada said, glancing from one person to another.

“He’s a good friend,” Ron finally replied.  “We ride horses together and play horseshoes.”

Jimmy patted his son’s shoulder.  “Think of Pete as a child.  You two will have your own bedrooms.  You’ll be like a mother to him.”

“A mother?” To her own husband?  Ada didn’t like the sound of that at all.

“There are worse husband you could have,” the preacher said.  “Some men get drunk, hit their wives, sleep with other women…  You won’t have to worry about that with Pete.”

“And I’ll come by to check on things, to make sure you get everything you need from town,” Jimmy added.  “I go to the general store once a month to get the things Pete needs.  I’ll do the same for you.”

“It’s just that we need someone to look after him,” Cheryl said, turning to Ada with a hopeful look in her eyes.  “I’m expecting another child and Jimmy acquired more land and cattle for our farm.  It’s just not as easy to check up on Pete as it used to be.”

“And it wouldn’t be right to have you out there by yourself without being his wife,” the preacher added.  “It’s easier this way.”

Ada didn’t know what to say.  It wasn’t as bad as she feared.  She wouldn’t end up in a brothel or in some other precarious situation.  But it wasn’t ideal either.  As a little girl, she had envisioned marrying a young, handsome man who’d be her companion.  Pete Kelly would not be that companion she’d hoped for, someone to share the good and bad moments life would offer.  He’d be someone she’d have to watch after and care for.  But she supposed of all possibilities, this wasn’t so bad.  She could live with this.  At least she’d never have to go to bed hungry or wear mend clothes for the tenth time.  She’d also have a warm place to sleep in the winter.  There was something to be said for not having to sleep on the floor with one’s brothers and sisters to stay warm.

She released her breath.  “Alright.  I’ll marry him.”

Updates on What I’m Working On

It’s taking me longer to get to comments, emails, and messages.

At the moment, I am feeling overwhelmed.  Part of it has to do with summer and my kids being out of school (which means we try to do things as a family and this takes away from my work time but I’ve heard the song “Cat’s in the Cradle” enough to realize that time spent with kids is necessary).

So while I am usually busy, I am feeling especially strained for time.  If it takes me a while to email you or reply to a Facebook message or comment, please understand that I’m not ignoring you.  I try to get through a couple a day to try to clear up my inbox, but it seems as soon as I send an email out, I get five more in.  It’s a very slow process for me right now.  I just ask that everyone be patient with me.

Okay.  All of that aside, I did want to post an update on what I’ve been doing.  :-)

His Abducted Bride and His Reluctant Lady

Both are back in my hands.  Thanks to those who worked on it for me!  I am going through the final read through phase.  I am turning these in to Mark Coker (founder of Smashwords) who will then turn them over to the Apple iBookstore so there will be a sample of each book available for anyone who wants to sample it or pre-order it.  I’m working under a deadline (one I did impose on myself because I like to give myself deadlines so I can stay on task).  I hope to have information up sometime in July about pre-ordering the books on iBookstore if you happen to buy books from there.  I can’t release the books to Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, etc until the official release date set at the iBookstore.  I believe we’re looking at July 30 for His Abducted Bride and August 6 for His Reluctant Lady.

The Stagecoach Bride

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

I’m very happy and excited about this book.  The story has been a lot of fun to write.  I’ve had some questions about how this works.  Stephannie and I are online chatting when we work on this book.  I will take one chapter (which is the heroine’s point of view) and she’ll take another chapter (which is the hero’s point of view).  We alternate chapters so chapter 1 was me, chapter 2 her, chapter 3 me, and so on.  I actually do write out everything in a Word document when it’s my chapter.  I’ll add in all of Lillian’s thoughts and feelings and actions.  Then when she speaks to Mic or another character Stephannie is in charge of (Mic’s family), I’ll have Lillian say something to the character and add what Stephannie says.  Stephannie will usually tell me what one of her characters is doing so I can add the actions, too.  Based off this, I’ll write Lillian’s response (whether it be actions, thoughts, feelings or something she says) and show it to Stephannie who will, in turn, write down what her characters do or say.  So it is a back and forth exchange and the immediate feedback granted on a chatting program makes this happen fast.  Stephannie, I’ve noticed, will be more likely to do the dialogue and go back later to fill in the gaps with thoughts, feelings, actions, etc.  So we have a slightly different way of approaching it, but it’s a way that works out very well.

Bride by Arrangement

I can’t speak for Janet Syas Nitsick since I don’t exactly where she’s at in her novella, but I am now in chapter 3 and am also very excited about this story.  I finally decided to call my story “Pete’s Wife”.  Originally, I thought the heroine (Ada) was going to also think Pete had less-than-average intelligence, but as it turns out, she figured out right away that Pete is actually a smart man but does know there’s something different about him (that different thing being he’s deaf).  I guess that makes sense.  An outsider can often come in and see a situation for what it really is because they haven’t gotten so used to things they overlook the clues.  When I was 3, my parents thought I was mentally retarded because I didn’t respond to people like other kids my age did.  A daycare worker was the one who noticed I didn’t hear.  It turns out I was deaf in one ear but had wax build up in my other ear.  Once the wax in the one ear was removed, I had normal hearing in that one ear.  From there, I had tubes, hearing tests, and speech therapy.  I remember my last speech therapy session when I was in kindergarten because I was going to miss the person who helped me adjust to hearing.  I also remember doing a phonics program in the early 1980s (now you all know how old I am) when I was in the first grade on an Apple computer.  So yeah, I think a new person entering a situation can often see things a lot better than those in it.

The Earl’s Scandalous Wife

I have started it.  Christopher Robinson will be the one who arranges the scandal that gets Perry married (at long lost).  Sorry, guys, but I just couldn’t see how Perry was ever going to get married unless someone with a mischievous streak like Christopher intervened.  :-)   I tried to think up ways Perry could manage it on his own but kept coming up blank.  I don’t know why but Perry is just not very smart when it comes to getting a lady.  All this time, I thought it was the situations that led ladies to other gentlemen, but now I know Perry is one of those people who needs fate to give him a big shove.

***

Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Lassoing Her Groom

These are still on hold.  I can’t figure out where to go next in those and that is usually a sign that I need to wait until the stories are ready to be picked up again.  Apparently, there’s something in the back of my mind working on something.

Garden Variety Giveaway

When you look at your garden, you see a variety of flowers.  In the same way, each romance book comes with a different love story from the sweet fragrance of lilacs to the passionate aroma of roses.  For this giveaway, we are offering a variety of romance novels plus a gift to celebrate the beginning of summer.

What will you win?

Lockets and Lanterns by Janet Syas Nitsick -  historical western romance (heat level: sweet)

At the Water’s Edge and Beneath the Crashing Waves by Melanie Nilles - contemporary romantic fantasies (heat level: sweet)

His Contract Bride, His Yankee Bride, His Jilted Bride, and His Brother’s Bride by Rose Gordon – historical romance (heat level: passionate)

Eye of the Beholder, His Redeeming Bride, and Loving Eliza by Ruth Ann Nordin – historical western romances (heat level: passionate)

PLUS

One of the following:

A.

Wheelbarrow with artificial flowers

OR

B.

Beach bag

OR

C.

Earrings

How many people will win?

Three

How to enter?

Fill out the form below:

[contact-form]

When will winners be announced?

Tuesday, June 25.

Inspiration for the Book: The Stagecoach Bride (According to Lillian Christian: Heroine in the book)

The next giveaway will be posted on Wednesday.  I was originally going to do tomorrow, but I wanted there to be more time between today’s post and the next one, especially since I’m getting to this one so late in the day.  :D

For fun, I thought I’d have Lillian Christian, the heroine, give the background information to the book.

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

Hi, everyone.  While Ruth Ann Nordin’s off doing important things (which is code for laundry and taking care of her kids), she asked if I would come here and talk about the concept for The Stagecoach Bride.  Well, believe it or not, it didn’t begin too long ago.  Last month, Stephannie Beman asked Ruth if she’d like to co-write a book.  They sat down and brainstormed about what romantic genre to do.  It was a toss up between a Regency, a fairytale and a historical western.  Well, the historical western won and here I am telling this story today.

Well, actually it wasn’t as simple as just writing the story.  They had to have a plot first.  With brainstorming, they ended up picking Wyoming as the location for the book.  Why Wyoming?  Because Ruth hadn’t done any books in Wyoming yet and Stephannie lives there so she has firsthand knowledge of what the area looks like.  Stephannie also lives on a ranch so you can attribute all accuracy to gardening and tending to livestock to her.  Ruth is a city girl so all the stupid questions I have to ask in the story like, “What’s a cow?” is Ruth’s influence.  Okay.  I didn’t actually ask, “What’s a cow?” but I do end up asking some pretty lame things that a lot of people probably already know.  I mean, Ruth didn’t even know how what a saddle horn was.  Will her future historical westerns be better since Stephannie is guiding her along and explaining all these things to do?  Probably not because Ruth ends up having me ask the same questions over and over.

Lillian Christian

But anyway, that’s how Stephannie and Ruth chose the location for the book and decided the hero, Mic Lewis, would have his own ranch nestled into the side of a mountain.  I can’t tell you exactly where it is because the bad guy in the story (who happened to be the man I was supposed to marry) will find Mic and his brothers.  I don’t know the details of why Mic and his brothers and sister became outlaws.  Only Mic knows that and he’s not really saying a whole lot to me about it.  I figure he will at some point but so far, all I know is that the bad guy has lied about me stealing money from him.  So now I’m an outlaw, too.  I guess I’m in a pretty good crowd since I’m hanging out with other outlaws.  Not that I asked to be there to begin with, but since Stephannie and Ruth thought it’d be fun to terrify me by having bandits kidnap me, what else could I do?  It was one of me against five of them.  They had guns.  My driver and his assistant had to drop their guns and the lady I was riding with was as helpless as I was.  So there you go.  I ended up in a cabin on a ranch in the middle of nowhere as an outlaw.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to contend with that Wade guy.  Words can’t express how much he annoys me.  Noah might be a little on the naive side (I am too but not like he is), but at least he’s sweet.  If it weren’t for Mic, the whole thing would be unbearable.  Sure, the guy doesn’t answer all of my questions (especially those pertaining to why he and his kin kidnapped me), but at least he’s helping me stay safe from the man I was supposed to marry back East.

What?  You thought Mic had all the secrets?  No, he doesn’t.  I have some of my own, and I don’t think I can trust anyone with the truth, not even him.  Let’s just say there’s a good reason I left Virginia and that being an outlaw isn’t the only reason why I’m hiding.  But I’m sure Stephannie and Ruth will force me to divulge everything before the end of the book.

I’m guessing someone wants to know what I think of Mic.  At first, I was too scared to even think of him as a man.  I mean, he had this bandana masking most of his face when he pulled me out of the stagecoach.  I thought he might try to take liberties with me, which he shouldn’t because I’m a lady, and I believe in acting like a lady.  I mean, there are a bunch of things a lady worries about when she’s kidnapped.  Thankfully, my fears were for nothing.  Well, minus the dove Mic shot for me to eat.  Sorry but I can’t bring myself to eat that.  But it turns out he was nice.  Like I said, I don’t know he kidnapped me, but there has to be a good reason.  And yes, he’s kind of cute.  Well, maybe a lot cute. But I’m not sure if he likes me in that way.  Men aren’t that easy to figure out.  One minute he’s teasing me about my hair and the next he’s talking about me marrying some guy “out there” when I’m no longer an outlaw.  So yeah, definitely confusing.  But then I guess there wouldn’t be a romance if everything came easily.  I guess I’ll have to stick with it and see what happens.

***

Picture of Lillian Christian: © Anna Yakimova | Dreamstime.com

Story Sample Sunday: Becoming an Outlaw is Too Easy (Scene from The Stagecoach Bride)

Today I’m going to do another sample from The Stagecoach Bride.

In this scene, Lillian finds out the man she was supposed to marry has accused her of stealing from him (something that isn’t true) and now she’s an outlaw.  This scene starts out with a fight she’s having with Wade who is Mic’s (the hero’s) brother.  Noah is also Mic’s brother.  Charles was the man she was supposed to marry.  And Robert is just someone you’ll have to find out about when you read the book.  I can’t give away everything.  ;-)

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

“If I’m such a burden, then why are you keeping me here?” Lillian asked Wade.  ”I didn’t ask to be here.  I didn’t ask to be kidnapped from a stagecoach.  You wanted your money so badly you just couldn’t resist taking an innocent woman and forcing her to this place.  If money is all you care about, then go to find something Charles will actually pay for since I’m so useless.”

“She can’t go,” Noah said.  “Caleb said the reward money was too much for anyone to ignore.”

Wade released her and she stepped away from him, glad for the distance between them.  “Reward money?” She glanced at Mic.  “He meant the ransom, doesn’t he?”

Mic glanced away from her, looking uncertain.  “No.  Charles’ answer to our request was to…” He met her eyes and pulled the folded paper she’d asked about that second day.  “His answer was to make you an outlaw.”

Lillian accepted the paper as Mic held it out to her, hesitating to unfold it since she already knew she wasn’t going to like what she’d see.

Mic continued to talk, his voice low, almost soothing. “Charles accused you of stealing from him and offered a reward of $1000 for your capture.” He motioned to the paper.  “If I’d known he’d go that far, I would have thought of another way.”

“What other way was there?” Wade snarled.

“I could have given him what he asked for!”

“No!  It’s not an option.  Do have a death wish, Mic?”

She slowly unfolded the paper, the arguing around her drowned out by the sudden rush of fear crashing into her.  At the very top was “Wanted” and below that was a very accurate drawing of her.  The face wasn’t bad.  She had a common enough face, the kind that could blend into a crowd.  Even her name ‘Lillian Christian’ wasn’t enough to draw attention to her since she’d made it up before she hurried out of Virginia.  But her hat was another matter.  The ‘V’ etched into it next to the rose was a dead giveaway that Robert would recognize.  It’d been the symbol in her family, and now it was the very thing that made her an easy target.

She looked between Mic and Wade who were still arguing.  “Who will see this?”

“Everyone,” Wade snapped.  “They post them at every jail house.  It’s only a matter of time before the area knows, then the territory.  The longer you hide, the farther it spreads.”

Too disturbed by the hat in the picture, she ignored Wade’s tone.  Everyone?  So it was only a matter of time before people back East would see it?  If that was true, then she wasn’t safe anywhere.  People all over would be looking for her.  Who could resist $1000?  It would only be a matter of time before they took her to Charles, jail or, worse, Robert.

And Robert knew she was worth a whole lot more than $1000.  He was probably already looking for her.  With the size of the country, she felt safe.  He could spend his whole life looking for her and never find her as Lillian Christian.  She’d been so careful before she left, making sure she left no traces of her new life.  Except for one thing.  The hat.  How could she have known that something so small could be so important?

“Lillian!  Are you coming?” Mic called.

She looked up from the poster, unaware that the three had already made their way to the cabin.  She glanced back at the poster and folded it.  “Yes, I’m coming.” Later.  There was no sense in making rash decisions.  She’d decide what to do about this later.

Update on the Giveaway (One Just Done and One that Will Be Up Next Week)

Regarding the last giveaway I just did for the Regency books, out of the ten people I emailed, two have not replied and I want to make sure they got my email.  

Krysteen Damon and Barkha Rani, please check your inbox or spam folder.  I sent you an email on Monday announcing that you won the ebook His Reluctant Lady (to be gifted when it is released).  I didn’t get an email back saying my email did not go through, so I know it went through alright.  Could you please get back to me?  I am making a list so I have all the winners in a file for easy reference for when the book comes out.  It’s easier for me if I can have the winners listed and ready to go because I have a ton of different files to keep track of and need to organize the lists I have as soon as possible so I don’t forget.  I’d like to say I have an awesome memory, but between kids, trying to answer emails, getting my books ready for publication, and writing more books, I have a hard time keeping everything straight without those lists.  :-)

Next Giveaway Will Be Announced on Tuesday

Jan and I worked on this during the week, and we have all the books and gifts together.  There will only be three winners on this one since there’s so much involved in them.  We have four authors being featured all together.  There’s me, Jan, Melanie Nilles, and Rose Gordon.  In addition to that, we bought some items from the Cracker Barrel restaurant and another from a local crafts fair from a woman who makes jewelry.  We wanted to do something a little different, and it’s more elaborate than what I usually do.

The details will be posted on Tuesday so be sure to stop here on that for more information.  :-)

I decided to offer Eye of the Beholder, His Redeeming Bride and Loving Eliza for my part.       The more books I get out there, the harder it is to make a decision on what to offer for a giveaway unless there’s a theme to go by.  Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions.  I’ll keep the Native American Series and future Regencies in mind for future giveaways.  For this time around, I thought I’d stick with historical westerns.

***

That’s it for now.  I wanted to post an interview from the characters of The Stagecoach Bride, but I ended up much too busy and am behind on my edits so I just didn’t get around to it.  On a good note, Stephannie and I are currently on Chapter 17 so things are moving along great.  We’re hoping for an August release.  *fingers crossed*

Which of My Books Would You Like to Win?

I’m about to run another giveaway next week and want to know, which of my books would you like to win?  (I will do up to four paperbacks, so which ones do you like best?)

Winners of the Regency Giveaway Announcement

His Reluctant Lady’s Release Date is Going to be Delayed

I need to inform you that His Reluctant Lady’s release date will be pushed back to some time in August (I’m going to try for August 6) because I received an offer to put it in the Apple iBookstore under pre-order status.  This means you can order it ahead of time at the iBookstore, but you won’t get it on your device until it’s officially release.  I’ve never done this before and thought I’d give it a shot.  I’ll be doing the same with His Abducted Bride (it looks like July 23 for that one).  I haven’t done this before, but I figure I’d try it and see how it goes.

What this means for this giveaway:

For those of you winning His Reluctant Lady, I will offer you an option to either wait for it to come out and I’ll gift it to you when it’s out or I will gift you another ebook of your choice ($4.99 or less) by any author or I can gift you another one of my ebooks.  So there are three choices.  I’ll restate this in the email when I sent it out.

The Winners

Okay.  Now for the winners.  I’ll be emailing you guys right after I finish this blog post, so be sure to check your inbox (and spam in case it got sent there).  Three winners got the paperbacks and ebook while seven winners got the ebook.  Winners were selected by using random.org.

Paperbacks (The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife, Her Counterfeit Husband, and A Most Unsuitable Earl) + Ebook (His Reluctant Lady or any other ebook at $4.99 or less):

1. Twyla Alder

2. Lauralynn Elliott

3. Donna Ramsey

His Reluctant Lady ebook (or another ebook at $4.99 or less):

4. Lu Sellers

5. Toni Whittier

6. Diana Culpepper

7. Alvia Thomas

8. Gonzalo Oritz

9. Krysteen Damon

10. Barkha Rani

***

I will be doing another giveaway next week.

A couple months ago, Janet Syas Nitsick and I decided to run a summer giveaway, and we finally have everything we need to do it.  We are hoping to post the giveaway information early next week.  In that one, we’ll have some of our books plus books by Rose Gordon and Melanie Nilles and a couple of fun prizes.  This Wednesday, Jan and I will get together to organize everything.  I’ve been promising Rose and Melanie that I’m going to put their books in a giveaway for months now, so I need to get to it.  :-)

Which of my paperbacks would you like to win?

By the way, I have not decided which of my books I’ll be offering in the next giveaway.  Does anyone have any suggestions?  Which books would you love to win?  Now that I have over 30 books, it’s hard to choose.

Story Sample Sunday: The Stagecoach Bride

Today, I thought I’d share a sample from The Stagecoach Bride that Stephannie Beman and I are working on.  We are almost at 40,000 words now (Chapter Fourteen), and this has been such a fun book to write.  It’s amazing how the story shapes as we’re going along.      What the hero says and thinks in the book comes from her, and what the heroine says and thinks comes from me.  We write this book while chatting, so we get to have our characters respond immediately to what the other says.

I’m going to post the first chapter.  I tried to decide which segment of chapter 1 to post, but I couldn’t decide where to take the sample from so I am going to post the whole thing.  Tomorrow, I announce the winners of the Regency giveaway, so maybe on Tuesday or Wednesday, I bring Lillian (the heroine) and Mic (the hero) in for an interview.  We’ll see how things go.

(This is the first draft.)

The bandit referred to as “first man” (the one who rides with Lillian) is Mic.  He’s also the one who opens the stagecoach door.

Book Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

Chapter One

June 1868

South of Larmie, Wyoming

What was she thinking when she agreed to be a mail-order bride?  Lillian Christian rubbed her head, willing the persistent pounding away, but it was no use.  After days on the a couple different trains, she thought the stagecoach would be a refreshing change.  Instead of being stuck in a small seat in crowded train car, she only had one companion, a young lady sitting next to her.  She met her as they paid the fare for the rest of their trip.

The final stretch of her journey should have gone faster than the rest of it.  She had come all the way from Ohio, after all.  But the stagecoach ride seemed even longer, and the constant swaying from side to side, didn’t help.

“Oh, those mountains are absolutely breathtaking,” the woman beside her gasped in awe.  “Don’t you think they’re absolutely breathtaking?”

Focusing on the window, she saw the mountain range lining their path.  Peering up, she had to admit the sight was impressive.  They seemed to disappear into the sky.  “They are lovely.”

“Where are you going?”

“Medicine Bow.  And you?”

“The same place.” With an excited smile, the pretty young blonde added, “I’m Maggie Jefferson.”

“Lillian Christian.” The stagecoach hit a dip in the road and she bumped into the blonde.  “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for.”

She picked up the drawstring purse that had fallen off her lap.  Her hat almost fell off, so she quickly straightened up and adjusted the pins so the hat would stay firmly on her head.

“That’s a remarkable shade of red,” Maggie said.

Her eyebrows furrowed.  “Pardon?”

“Your hair.  I’ve never seen such a deep shade of red.  In fact, I don’t remember seeing anyone with red hair.”

“It’s not a common color.” And that was why Lillian hated it.  Certain colors didn’t look good on her, and her skin was pale, burning easily in the sun if she wasn’t careful.  She tried to hide it as much as possible under her hats or bonnets.  With an uncertain smile, she smoothed her new green dress and asked, “What are you going to Medicine Bow for?”

“My parents are no longer alive, so I’m going to help my uncle and his kin at their ranch.”

Lillian inspected the faded floral pattern on the blonde’s dress.  “Where did you come from?”

“Minnesota.  I took care of some cattle out there, so I have some experience.”

“Are you looking forward to living here?”

“I think so.  It’s certainly breathtaking.” She touched her arm and nodded toward the mountains.  “Did I mention how breathtaking those are?”

“Yes,” Lillian replied, amused by her enthusiasm.  She wished she could share it, but starting a new life wasn’t going to be easy.  Not that she had anything worth going back to, but that didn’t matter .

“So, what are you going to Medicine Bow for?”

“I came to marry Charles,” she struggled to remember his last name, “Gray.” Right.  It was Gray.

His name was like the color of storm clouds.  She didn’t know why she came up with that analogy, but it was the first thing she thought when she answered his ad.  Her heart went out to him when she read about his deceased wife and three-year-old son who needed a mother.  How could she not come out for a struggling rancher with young son?

“So you’re a mail-order bride?” Maggie asked, her eyes wide.  “You’re brave.  I couldn’t marry a man I’d never met.”

Before Lillian could assure her that bravery had nothing to do with it, a gunshot rang through the air.  The two women shrieked, ducking from the windows as another gunshot echoed.

“What’s going on?” Maggie asked, fear in her voice.

“I-I don’t know.” She didn’t dare look up through the window to see.  “Do Indians live around here?”

“I don’t know.”

The two huddled together as the stagecoach came to an abrupt halt.  Horses neighed, men shouted, gunshots were exchanged.  The whole thing was terrifying, and all Lillian could do was squeeze her eyes shut and hold a shaking Maggie who prayed that they’d somehow survive this attack.

“Throw your guns aside and no one will get hurt!”

Lillian stiffened at the gruff voice that came from behind the stagecoach.  Goodness!  Did he mean her and Maggie?  She dared a tentative peek out the window and saw the man, along with a few others, pull up beside the stagecoach.  They had bandanas over their noses and mouths.  Their hats were lowered over their eyes.  It was impossible to even tell what they looked like, but they had their guns pointed at the driver and the gun man who was supposed to protect them along this untamed wilderness.  Judging by the fact that there were five attackers, she suddenly didn’t feel very protected.  Two men against five?  Those weren’t good odds.

“Throw your guns aside!” the attacker repeated, impatience in his tone.

“Can’t do that, son,” the gunman sitting next to their driver said.  “We have nothing of value.”

“You have something we want,” a second man yelled.

Lillian gulped.  What did he mean by that?  Between her and Maggie, they were just two helpless women.  She shivered and held onto Maggie who was huddled on the floor of the stagecoach.  She closed her eyes, willing the driver and gunman to give the men whatever they wanted so they’d go away.

“It ain’t worth it, Jim,” the driver told the gunman.  “Let them take what they want and go.”

“What’d ya want?” the gunman demanded.

After a tense moment of silence, the first attacker barked, “First, put down your guns!”

Lillian held her breath, both hoping the driver and gunman wouldn’t and that they would.  She didn’t know which was the better option.  But in the end, she heard two heavy thuds on the dirt and knew they had dropped their guns.  She squeezed Maggie.  Now the attackers would come to get whatever they wanted.  She just hoped they would take their things and let them continue safely on their journey.

But she didn’t hear the sound of someone hopping on top of the stagecoach to grab the trunks.  Instead, the door flung open.  She let out a startled cry, her eyes flying open.  A huge man stood before them, the wind blowing his duster.  Her eyes went to the revolver in his hands.  Beside her, Maggie cried and buried her face in Lillian’s shoulder.

He quickly slipped the revolver into the holster at his hip.  “No one will hurt you, ladies.”

Surprised by the tenderness in his tone, her gaze went from his gun to his eyes, the only feature she could see on his face, thanks to the red bandana covering the rest of him.

“I need you to come out of the coach now,” he continued, his voice soothing.

Though she sensed a struggle in his stormy blue eyes, as if he wasn’t happy to be doing this, she gave a slight shake of her head and tightened her hold on Maggie.

“Everything will be alright,” he urged, extending his hand forward.

“Hurry up!” the second man, still on his horse, called out.  “We got to get out of here.”

The first man glared at him.  “They’re scared enough without you adding to it. We have time before Charles Gray comes looking for his missing bride.”

Charles Gray? His missing bride?  Lillian’s lower lip trembled.  They wanted her?  But why?  She couldn’t recall upsetting anyone.

The man on the horse huffed and moved his horse closer to the coach.  “Which one do you think it is?”

“Be careful,” the first man said.  “You’re scaring them.”

The second man rolled his eyes.  “This is taking too long.” He urged the horse toward the back of the coach where Lillian heard him pull at the ties holding the luggage.

She wanted to ask the first man why the second one was going through the luggage when they said they came for Charles Gray’s bride—her.  Oh God, what did they want to do to her?  And why?

The first man sighed and reached for Lillian and Maggie.  “Come on.”

Lillian shook her head, but when he made a move to step into the coach, she forced out, “We’ll do it.  Just give us a moment.  Please.”

He nodded, stepping back.  “What’s your names, Miss?”

Lillian glanced at Maggie and swallowed the lump in her throat.  Still holding to each other, the two women emerged from the stagecoach.  Lillian’s knees felt unbelievable weak and had she not been leaning on Maggie, she would have collapsed on the ground.  She glanced at the driver and gunman who were still as a stone while one of the men pointed a gun at them.  She couldn’t blame the driver or gunman.  They were as helpless as she and Maggie were.

“Hurry up!” another one of their attackers hissed as he scanned their surroundings for any sign of trouble.

A loud thud, followed by another, drew her attention to the luggage.  Another bandit joined the second man and gathered around the luggage and ripped into them.  She wanted to protest, to plea with them to stop because that was all she and Maggie had, but her throat constricted.  She could hardly breathe, let alone talk.

The first man stepped over to her and studied her for a long moment before he tilted hat to the side and brushed a lock of red hair that had fallen from her bun.  “Nice color.  Distinct.”

She jerked away from him, nearly knocking poor Maggie over.  “You have no right to touch me!”

The others stopped looking through the baggage at her outburst.

He grinned.  “Spirited too.  How did a girl like you get mixed up with a man like Charles Gray?  He’d crush you without a thought otherwise.”

“My dealing with Charles Gray is none of your business.” Really!  Who did he think he was?  “What do you want with his bride anyway?”

“That’s where you are wrong, darlin’.  Charles Gray is my business and now so are you.”

“I don’t have anything to do with you.” She glanced around at the other four bandits then back to him.  “I don’t know any of you.”

The second man grunted and threw her undergarments on the ground. He stormed over to her and pried her away from Maggie.  “Now stop it!  We have work to do.”

He tried to force her hands behind her back, but she kicked at his shin, gaining enough advantage where she could gave him a good whack across his head.  He reached for her hands, but she fought against him with everything she had, her arms flailing, hoping she could scratch him or remove his bandana, but she only managed to knock off his hat, revealing dark brown hair pressed down with sweat.  Encouraged, she grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled as hair as she could.  Letting out a loud roar, he shoved her away.

She stumbled away from him and collided into a pair of strong arms.  When she realized it was the first man and he had her restrained against him, she screamed at the top of her lungs, her sole remaining defense.  She struggled to free herself from him, but he tightened his hold to the point where she had no choice but to remain still.

The second man swore and stomped over to her, hands clenched at his sides, his breathing heavy.  “You’re not worth the trouble.  We ought to leave her here to rot!” He motioned to the part of his hair where he was missing some hair.

Surprised, she glanced at her closed fist and saw the big lump of hair in it.  Cringing, she dropped the hair and shook her hands to free herself of the annoying strands.  Like she wanted to hold on it.

“That’s what you get for being rough with her,” the first man growled.  “She was scared.  She didn’t need you doing all that just now.  Tie her up so we can get this over with.”

The second man glared at her and took the rope at his side and wrapped it around her wrists.

She winced at the force he used.

“If you keep it up, I’ll tan your hide,” the first man warned.

The second man’s actions grew gentle, though he muttered something under his breath about obstinate women.

Lillian glanced at Maggie who was being held the bandit who was still scanning the area around them.  No one tied her hands together.  No one mentioned wanting her.  No.  They wanted Charles Gray’s intended.

“What are you going to do with me?” Lillian asked, directing her attention to the man holding her.  At least he seemed nicer than the one knotting the ties around her wrists.

He didn’t answer her.  Instead, he led her to a horse another man was holding for him.  She dug her heels into the ground, but since her boots weren’t suitable for the outdoors, one of her heels broke, causing her to stumble against him.  She managed to regain her balance before he had to embrace her again.  She really didn’t want anyone but her intended to hold her in such a familiar way, even if there was nothing romantic about it.

“Now see here,” the gunman called out, “you can’t do that.  Mr. Gray’s expectin’ her and there will be hell to pay.”

“I expect so,” he said, mirth in tone. “We’re counting on it.”

She glanced from the gunman to her abductor.  “What do you mean by that?”

Ignoring her question once again, the man lifted her as if she were no lighter than a feather and settled her on the saddle.  When he touched her legs, she kicked at him, but he held them down to stop her from hurting him.

“You have no right to touch me so intimately,” she hissed.  Oh of all the liberties this man was taking with her when he had no right!

He placed a steadying hand on her waist.  “Put your right leg over the saddle horn, it’ll keep you from falling off.”

Not seeing any other choice, she obeyed.  He mounted the horse in one fluid movement, evidence that he was accustomed to riding it.  She briefly noticed the way his body conformed to hers.  Her face grew warm and tears stung her eyes.  This was a disgrace.  No man should be handling her like this.  It just wasn’t right.  She was a lady, not a whore.

“No!” Maggie cried, trying to free herself from the man holding her.  “You can’t do this!  You can’t take an innocent woman and…and…”

Lillian understood what she was saying.  Neither one knew what would happen, and quite frankly, they didn’t want to explore the possibilities.

“Did you give them the letter?” her abductor called out as he shifted behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist.

She grimaced, hating the close proximity of this situation but worrying it would only get worse once he had her at his place…wherever that was.

One of the bandits nodded and gave an envelope to the driver who slowly took it.  Looking at her abductor, he yelled out, “Don’t you hurt her!”

Another bandit picked the guns off the ground and pointed them in his direction.  “You make sure Charles gets that.  If you don’t, she will be hurt.”

The man holding her, gestured to the luggage.  “Which is yours?”

“Uh,” she swallowed back her tears, “the brown trunk.”

He gestured to the four bandits.  “Let’s get out of here.”

“Finally,” the second attacker grumbled as he heaved the trunk on a horse.

She blinked back more tears, barely aware that the driver was calling out that the bandits wouldn’t get away with this or that a bandit let go of Maggie so he could hop up on his horse.  The whole thing seemed like a blur.

Suddenly the attackers were hustling around to get on their horses, and before she knew it, they were galloping away from the stagecoach.  The man kept a firm grip on her waist to keep her steady, and she was so scared of riding such a large beast that she held onto the saddle horn with all her strength.  She didn’t have time to look back at the stagecoach or even have time to contemplate her future.  Whatever was going to happen, she just hoped she’d survive it.

Updates on What I’m Working On

I’m happy to say that I am now officially done with the first drafts for His Reluctant Lady and His Abducted Bride!  

Besides the titles being similar, I noticed a couple other similarities in these books.  Both heroes are rather cocky.  I don’t usually deal with the cocky hero, but both of these guys were determined to prove a point–this point being that the heroine loves them and can’t bear to be without them.  LOL  The heroines, however, aren’t the kind that admit any such thing at first, though they both had a different way of responding to their guys.  Sandy was more willing to give in to Gavin while Agatha pretty much ended up in a contest of wills with Christopher through most of the book.  When I started out writing these books around the same time, I didn’t plan the similarities.  They just happened.  I thought that was fun.  I can’t recall a time when two books I wrote at the same time paralleled each other so well in this way.

His Abducted Bride might be the one I get out first.  I was originally going to do His Reluctant Lady first because I was gaining momentum stronger on that one, but since I actually finished His Abducted Bride first, I think I’ll get that one out around July 1.  Plus, since it’s shorter, I will be able to go through the editing process on it faster.  This book will finish the Across the Stars Series.  I don’t plan to do any more books in the series.

His Reluctant Lady won’t be far behind.  I plan to also have it out in July.

We already know this book builds up to Perry’s book:

Perry’s romance is the next Regency I’ll write, and Christopher is going to help set up the scandal that will get Perry married.  I do leave a lead-in for Christopher to do this at the end of His Reluctant Lady.  The Earl’s Scandalous Wife begins right after His Reluctant Lady ends in the Regency timeline.

I plan to start The Earl’s Scandalous Wife either late in July or early August, which makes it a possible late 2013 – early 2014 release.

In addition to The Earl’s Scandalous Wife, His Reluctant Lady has led to two other books I want to write in the future.  You see, there’s a wager that I mentioned in His Reluctant Lady that leads to Christopher managing to secure Agatha’s hand in marriage.  This wager took place between Lord Pennella and Lord Davenport, and they agreed that whoever married Miss Giles first won the other gentleman’s estate and money.  This is the wager that has led to two other story ideas.  One is going to be Lord Pennella’s story, but I haven’t come up with a suitable plot yet.  I have a vague idea for one but nothing definite enough to mention.

However, this is my idea for Lord Davenport’s book, and I already have the cover!  I’ve decided to call it The Earl’s Secret Bargain.

The basic plot will be Lord Davenport arranging a marriage of convenience with Miss Giles (this is after the wager is discovered and she’s been disgraced).  I’m really excited about this one.  I’m not sure about the details of this bargain that the two reach, but I’ll figure it out as I write it.  There are some things I won’t know about a book until the characters tell me, and they won’t tell me until I’m writing their book.

I expect this book to be out next year, but I don’t know when.

***

Okay so those are books that I recently finished and plan to work on.  (And I haven’t forgotten Kent Ashton’s Backstory and Lassoing Her Groom.  Those are still on my “Word In Progress” list.  I just haven’t done anything with them for a few weeks so there’s nothing new to report.)

 Now for the books I’m co-writing.

Historical Western Romance that Stephannie Beman and I are working on.

This one is going fast.  We’re already at Chapter 12.  I love the way everything is coming together.  I’ll have to give a sample scene on Sunday to give you an idea of what this book is about.

The Anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I Are Working On

Jan and I finally have titles and a plot for our novellas.  I still need to tweak on my description though.  (My novella will have a “steamy” heat level and Jan’s will have a “sweet” heat level.)

My novella: “A Wife for Pete”

I went with the deaf hero option.   In my novella, “A Wife for Pete,” the hero’s brother (and everyone else in the area) thinks the hero (Pete Kelly) is deaf.  His brother pays her brother to send her to Nebraska after seeing the ad her brother placed to sell her.  (And yes, the heroine Ada Wilcox, is pissed at her brother for doing this, but it’s not as dubious as it sounds.  Her family is so poor that the only way her brother can think of providing for her is to marry her to a man who can put food on the table.  So in his own way, her brother is doing what he believes is best for her.)  What her brother didn’t know is that the man she’s been arranged to marry is one that everyone believes has less-than-average intelligence.  So when Pete’s brother arranges the marriage, he is looking for someone to take care of Pete (as a mother would care for a child).  So the marriage does begin out as being platonic.  But as the story progresses, Ada starts to wonder if her husband is deaf and that people have mistaken his inability to hear and communicate with them, thinking he has a low IQ when he really doesn’t.

I can speak from experience on a point here.  I’ve had a couple people come up to me and tell me my deaf kid is “retarded”  or “isn’t right in the head” when they assume his inability to talk or understand what they speak means he’s incapable of understanding them.  I explain to them that he’s deaf and is smart enough at this point in his 8-year-old life to know when people don’t know signs.  If people don’t know signs, he won’t even try to sign to them because he’d be wasting his time.  I see the hero in this novella having the same situation.  The hero has been mislabeled for so long that he’s given up on trying to communicate with anyone.  Then Ada comes along and his world finally opens up.  :-)

Janet Syas Nitsick’s novella: “She Came By Train”

She came by train to a desolate land.  With mixed feelings, Opal Preston steps onto the platform to meet her employer, Alexander Boyer.  She accepts his hand and climbs into his wagon to begin her role as the governess to his two children.  As she executes her duties, she wonders how she’ll cope without the finery she left behind.

Soon two men are vying for her affections.  Alex can’t imagine his life without her and looks for a way to convince her to stay in Nebraska.  But a preacher from Virginia is also smitten with her and offers to take her back home.  She came by train, but only her heart can determine if she’ll return the same way.