Independence Trail by Betty Woods

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1873 – Texas

To escape an arranged marriage to benefit her father’s business, Heidi Schultz runs to the ranch owned by her sister, Lily, and brother-in-law, Toby. No one will ever run or ruin her life again. She’ll find a job in nearby San Antonio and fulfill her dream of living on her own. She’ll never surrender her independence to anyone, especially not to a man. But when her father finds her, Heidi agrees to Toby’s idea to postpone her plans for a new life and stay at the ranch a while longer just to be safe.

Jethro Bannister likes his life as foreman for Toby Grimes. Memories of the way his Georgia family turned on him don’t plague him while living on a secluded Texas ranch. With God’s help, he’s made peace with his painful past. Until Heidi interrupts his carefully arranged, placid world of quiet. The too talkative woman could worry the horns off an entire herd of longhorns. Plus her family problems remind him too much of what he left behind.

Watching Lily and Toby love and depend on each other chisels away at the wall of independence Heidi has built to protect herself from being betrayed again. Despite their misgivings, Heidi and Jethro form a tenuous friendship based on their common wish to be left alone. They understand each other better than anyone else around them does. Confiding in one another deepens their friendship more than either intends. Will Heidi and Jethro’s past wounds bond them together in an unexpected love or push them apart?

My True Love Gave to Me by Karen Witemeyer

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1886 – Texas

The Twelve Days of Christmas get a romantic Texas twist!

Anna King has pledged her heart to Simeon Shepherd, but her father refuses to grant her hand to the young farmer. Simeon determines to be patient and earn David King’s respect over time with hard work and evidence of his ability to provide. However, when a wealthy new suitor arrives in Bethlehem, Texas to woo Anna with her father’s support, patience is no longer an option. Simeon has twelve days before Christmas to best his rival and prove once and for all that he is Anna’s true love.

A fun, quirky read that is short enough to squeeze into even the busiest holiday schedule.

Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot

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1883 – Texas

Doctor-in-training Louisa Vaughn has no intention of remaining in Sweetwater Crossing. She’s just there for a few days to help a friend. But she can’t abandon the injured man she finds at the side of the road. Until his broken leg heals, she’ll serve as the town’s doctor and midwife. She may not be fully qualified yet, but surely she’s better than nothing.

Josh Porter’s plans to win his grandfather’s challenge and fulfill his father’s final wish to gain full control of the family business hit a roadblock when he breaks his leg. But his enforced stay in Sweetwater Crossing gives him new ideas about the expansion of the company into new territory–ideas Louisa could help turn into reality.

If only the town were more accepting of Louisa’s talents! Someone is determined to convince her to abandon her dream of healing others. Can Josh help her uncover the person behind the threats before it’s too late? And is there any future for them together when neither of them plans to stay?

The Girl from the Papers by Jennifer L. Wright

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1930s – Texas

Inspired by one of America’s most notorious couples, Bonnie and Clyde, Jennifer L. Wright delivers a riveting tale set during the public enemy era of the Great Depression.

Beatrice Carraway has dreams. Although she’s aged out of the childhood pageant circuit, she’s intent on carrying her talents all the way to the big screen—if only she can escape the poverty of West Dallas first. But as the Great Depression drags the working class further and further under, Beatrice struggles just to keep herself, her mother, and her younger sister afloat. After a string of failed auditions, she feels defeated.

And then in walks Jack Turner. Though Beatrice is determined to pull herself up by her bootstraps, Jack has decided on a different path out of the gutters. It isn’t long before Beatrice is swept into an exciting and glamorous life of crime beside the man she loves. Keeping one step ahead of the law, she sees her dreams of fame come true when her name and picture are plastered in newspapers across the country. Yet as their infamy grows, the distance between them widens. While Jack begins seeking bigger payouts and publicity, Beatrice starts to long for a safe, quiet life and something deeper to fill the emptiness in her soul. But when the danger of Jack’s schemes ratchets up, Beatrice fears her dreams—and her future—will end up going down in a hail of bullets.

The Outlaw Next Door by Vickie McDonough

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1887 -Texas

A reformed outlaw has finally met the woman of his dreams. Regina Ross is the perfect woman: pretty, sweet, and kind-hearted. She’s far too good for the likes of Dane McDermott, but Dane can’t help being attracted to her. In spite of his past, he begins to hope for a future with Regina, but when his former gang shows up and kidnaps her, will it ruin his chance for love with the preacher’s daughter?

Search Light by Annette O’Hare

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1942 – Texas

When no one else believes her, will a WWII pilot save her from the enemy?

WAAC Corporal, Pauline Lopez, is on sentry duty atop the Bolivar Point Lighthouse. Her job: to search for German U-boats, or submarines in the Gulf of Mexico responsible for sinking supply ships intended for U.S. Forces. When Pauline calls in enemy activity, the report is deemed a false alarm, and her reputation in the Women’s Army Auxilliary Corps is soiled.

After meeting Pauline at a USO function, Army Air Corps pilot Captain Frank Chessher doesn’t believe she deliberately called in a false report. He launches an investigation to clear her name, but he can’t stop the rumors, and he can’t force his fellow corpsmen to trust Pauline’s reports.

The next time Pauline sees something that she knows is an authentic enemy attack, armed Nazi sailors are heading for Fort Travis where German POWs are being held. She calls Harbor Defense, but they refuse to help. No one is coming to rescue her.

Will Frank hear her Mayday call? Can he make it in time to save her from the enemy, or will she become a casualty of war?

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

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1892 – Texas

Once upon a time in Texas . . .

Beauty has been nothing but a curse to Penelope Snow. When she becomes a personal maid for a famous actress whose troupe is leaving Chicago to tour the West, she hides her figure beneath shapeless dresses and keeps her head down. But she still manages to attract the wrong attention, leaving her prospects in tatters–and her jealous mistress plotting her demise.

After his brother lost his life over a woman, Texas Ranger Titus Kingsley has learned to expect the worst from women and is rarely disappointed. So when a young lady found in suspicious circumstances takes up residence with the seven old drovers living at his grandfather’s ranch, Titus is determined to keep a close eye on her.

With a promotion hanging in the balance, Titus is assigned to investigate a robbery case tied to Penelope’s acting troupe, and all evidence points to Penelope’s guilt. But Titus might just be convinced that the fairest woman of all has a heart as pure as her last name . . . if only he can prove it.

Silver Prairies by Pegg Thomas

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1867 – Texas

For Benjamin Warley, the end of the Civil War meant very little. He had nothing left in South Carolina. The life he should have inherited had been stripped from him. Meeting Joseph McCoy sends Ben into Texas to organize cattle herds to drive north to the railroad in Abilene, Kansas. A far cry from managing his father’s plantation, at least nobody knows him in Texas. He can put down roots and start a family on the southern plains, perhaps with the fetching red-haired woman at the diner.

Kenna McCrea raised her brood of brothers and sisters since she was twelve years old after the death of their mother. But her brothers are grown men, and she can’t keep everyone under the roof of their diner once rumors of the massive cattle drives reach San Antonio. But at least her father refused the offer to join a cattle drive and run its chuckwagon.

Then McCoy demands Ben send one more herd north. Wranglers are scarce, many having stayed in Kansas. Ben needs to hire both of Miss McCrea’s brothers again, even knowing how much it will distress her. Then a trio rides in who served in the cavalry with Ben. Three men who know his secret.

Tomorrow’s Lasting Joy by Naomi Rawlings

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1886 – Texas

His pa named him Cain because his birth was a curse… but what happens when he’s the only one who can save the town?

Anna Mae Harding never thought getting married would be so hard. It’s not that she hasn’t had any offers. On the contrary, it seems like someone is always asking her to be his wife. The trouble is, she up and fell in love with the wrong man years ago, and no matter how much she tries to forget him, no one else she’s met has measured up.

Texas Ranger Cain Whitelaw is happy to leave the town where he grew up behind him forever. Being around his childhood friends stirs up too many old feelings—feelings that are best left buried beneath the cracked desert dirt. The hardest part is seeing Anna Mae Harding. Each time he looks at her, he gets a hankering to sweep her off her feet and carry her to the church for a surprise wedding. But he had too rough of a childhood—and has seen too many things as a Ranger—to ever become a family man. That’s why he’s better off shaking the dust of Twin Rivers from his worn boots and never returning.

When one of Cain’s enemies sets his sights on Twin Rivers and threatens both Anna Mae and his friends, Cain finds himself not only returning home, but facing a choice between his duty to the Rangers and the closest thing he has to a family. And he’s not quite sure who will survive the outcome…

In Her Sights by Karen Witemeyer

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1893 – Texas

He’s sworn off love, but she has his heart in her sights and doesn’t intend to miss.

Stained by his wastrel father’s legacy, Jackson Spivey lives on the fringes of society. Townsfolk tolerate him since he keeps the local hotel supplied with fresh game, but mothers coach their daughters to avoid him. After tasting consistent rejection, Jackson spurns all attempts at courtship. The only things he can count on are his guns and his God.

Tessa James has been secretly in love with Jackson for ages, but trying to gain his favor only pushes him further away. When she learns Annie Oakley is traveling through Texas, Tessa seeks lessons from the famed markswoman. If Jackson’s life revolves around guns, taking up shooting might help her engage his interest. Too bad she can’t hit the broad side of a barn.

When Annie loans Tessa a custom pistol, however, things begin to change. The lore behind the mysterious weapon fosters hope that Tessa might finally hit the target of Jackson’s heart. But when danger threatens, she might be forced to use the pistol for something other than finding love.

After the Shadows by Amanda Cabot

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1882 – Texas

A brighter future awaits–if she can escape the shadows of the past

Emily Leland sheds no tears when her abusive husband is killed in a bar fight, but what awaits her back home in Sweetwater Crossing is far from the welcome and comfort she expected. First she discovers her father has died under mysterious circumstances. Then the house where the new schoolteacher and his son are supposed to board burns, leaving them homeless. When Emily proposes turning the family home into a boardinghouse, her sister is so incensed that she leaves town.

Alone and broke, her family name sullied by controversy, Emily is determined to solve the mystery of her father’s death–and to aid Craig Ferguson, despite her fears of men. The widowed schoolmaster proves to be a devoted father, an innovative teacher, and an unexpected ally. Together they must work to unmask a killer and escape the shadows of their own pasts in order to forge a brighter future.

A Troll Falls by Marji Laine

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1948 Texas

Murder. Even the word sounds ugly. Almost as ugly as the corpse on the shore.

Opal Stedman enjoys caring for old Mrs. Farnesworth. But keeping her sister Ruby out of trouble, well that is another issue entirely. Especially now that Ruby has stepped into high society with her new beau. A dubious man. Maybe even duplicitous. 

Even the handsome security guard warns her sister about him.

When a body is dragged onto the shore of the lake that borders their home, rumors and worries over the new man become assurances. But why has he involved her household in these gruesome shenanigans? 

And why are Opal’s loved ones suddenly having “accidents”?

Loosely based on the little-known fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red” this mystery twists its way all along the banks of White Rock Lake during its heyday.

Simple Interest by Susan Page Davis

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Late 1800s – Texas

While making his monthly bank deposit, Texas Ranger O’Neal Brewster is forced to watch robbers escape with the prim and pretty bank teller as their hostage. Augusta Ferris quickly makes the outlaws regret kidnapping her, but she’s determined to get back her stolen ring and the bank’s money–whether the Rangers help her or not.

Redemption’s Trail by Betty Woods

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1871 – Texas

Newly widowed with her second child due in a few months, Lily Johnson has nowhere to go until Toby Grimes, her late husband’s boss, asks her to stay on as housekeeper at his ranch. Remaining in the house Mr. Grimes built for her and her husband is an answered prayer. But malicious gossips see her godsend job as a ruse for a sinful dalliance since her employer is a nice-looking, single man.

God and a lot of others turned their backs on Toby during the war, so he returns the favor by keeping to himself. Yet the need to care for and protect Lily overwhelms him. The way she tugs at his heart scares him more than going into a losing battle.

Unwilling to allow anyone to destroy a fine woman’s reputation, he proposes a marriage of convenience. After much prayer, Lily accepts. Her first marriage was a love match made in heaven. The second leads down a trail only God knows. The peace she has concerning a marriage to a troubled man she doesn’t love begins a walk of faith to a destination neither she, nor Toby, can guess.

Tomorrow’s Steadfast Prayer by Naomi Rawlings

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1885 – Texas

The one thing she can’t do is fall in love… at least not if she wants to save her sister.

Alejandra Loyola knows she’s going to die. If having information about her uncle and cousin’s illegal cattle rustling operation isn’t enough to get her killed, then snitching on them to the law will surely mean her death—and she’s snitched more than once. The only question is, will she be able to see her younger sister provided for before she dies?

When successful Austin lawyer Harrison Rutherford is called back to his home town of Twin Rivers, Texas, after his father falls ill, he finds himself inundated with the burdens of running a large shipping business. The one surprise waiting for him is Alejandra Loyola. The maid who works for him is quiet and sweet. Now if only she trusted him enough to tell him what leaves shadows under her eyes and a haunted look on her face…

But the longer Harrison stays in Twin Rivers, the more something seems amiss. Rustlers have been wreaking havoc on local ranchers for over a year, and Harrison is starting to wonder if the secrets Alejandra is carrying have more to do with his father and the rustlers than he wants to admit.

As the rustling ring become more dangerous, will Alejandra trust Harrison enough to tell him what she knows? Or will the rustlers prove powerful enough to destroy not just the ranches surrounding Twin Rivers, but any hope for a future between them?

 

Love in the Bargain by Lucette Nel

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1889 – Texas

Driven to rekindle her relationship with her ailing grandfather, Amelia Scott returns to her childhood home. However, her unyielding grandfather is determined to control her future and poses an ultimatum. Marry and inherit the iconic Scott Hotel or return to New York penniless. Amelia is determined to stay, and formulates a plan to ensure proprietorship of her last connection to family. But love is not a part of the deal. She can’t risk another man having control of her.

Ex-convict, now town carpenter, Micah Kelly struggles to raise his deceased sister’s children. When Amelia proposes marriage without love as the answer to both of their problems, he knows better than to say yes. While partnering with his childhood friend may yield an answer to his monetary challenges, he cannot agree to a marriage in name only. His heart is already involved, and that always leads to trouble.

Circumstances put them together, and while they struggle within their new marriage, outside forces are determined to snatch the Scott Hotel from them. Even if it means killing them.

A Texas Christmas Carol by Karen Witemeyer

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1895 – Texas

After the Panic of 1873 ruined his father and impoverished his family, Evan Beazer set a single life goal for himself–security. He would never allow joviality and dreams to send him to the poorhouse. Now a successful businessman, Evan runs a dozen inns throughout Texas from the privacy of his home, keeping locals away with the perpetual scowl and gruff manner that have become his natural disposition.

Felicity Wiggins is in charge of distributing church Christmas baskets to the less fortunate, and she is determined help as many families as possible. In an attempt to gather more donations than past years, she must convince the wealthiest man in town to participate and sets forth on a campaign to pester him into cooperation.

As Felicity tries to bring Evan out of seclusion–and he does everything in his power to avoid her–can she convince him that true riches lie not in bank accounts but in bringing joy to others?

Harrison’s Resolve by Naomi Rawlings

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1869 – Texas

He might only be ten, but when he uncovers a plot that will hurt his friends and their families, he knows the right thing to do… until he realizes his father is the one behind the plot.

Moving is stupid, or at least that what ten-year-old Harrison Rutherford thinks when his father forces him to leave their comfortable home in Laredo and move to the desert town of Twin Rivers, Texas. But the people he meets in Twin Rivers aren’t all that stupid, especially not the group of boys who befriend him or the pact he makes that will follow him into adulthood.

But when Harrison discovers his father’s true motives for moving to Twin Rivers—and the suffering it will bring friends—he finds himself faced with a choice that will shape his life for the next decade…

From moving to Twin Rivers as a boy to becoming the most prominent lawyer in Austin, follow Harrison Rutherford on his quest to free himself of his father’s demands and meet the unexpected woman who can change his life for the better—if he chooses to let her.

The Sister’s Search by Susan Page Davis

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1865 – Texas

A young woman searches for her missing brother and finds much more awaits her—if she can escape war-torn Texas.

Molly Weaver and her widowed mother embark on an arduous journey at the end of the Civil War. They hope to join Molly’s brother Andrew on his ranch in Texas. When they arrive, Andrew is missing and squatters threaten the ranch. Can they trust Joe, the stranger who claims to be Andrew’s friend? Joe’s offer to help may be a godsend—or a snare. And who is the man claiming to be Molly’s father? If he’s telling the truth, Molly’s past is a sham, and she must learn where she really belongs.

Legacy of Love by Renae Brumbaugh Green

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1896 – Texas

She’s struggled her entire life to overcome her parentage.

Skye Stratton is nearly perfect. Or at least, she tries to be. She carries the Stratton name, but everyone knows her true half-breed heritage. When she completes her education and is hired as a teacher at the local school, she hopes to finally find acceptance in the town. But when most of her class elects to stay home rather than be taught by an Indian, she knows things will never change.

Alan McNaughten went to Washington, D.C. to make a difference. Instead, he finds himself entrenched in political lies, manipulation, and deceit. When he finds a way to return home to Texas as an Indian Agent, he leaps at the chance. Even if he must hurt an innocent woman to secure his position.

But when the lovely Miss Stratton agrees to teach for the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation, Alan knows he’s gone too far. He’ll do anything to protect her from further heartache and harm. But what will happen when she learns the truth about her position…and the truth about him?

In Honor’s Defense by Karen Witemeyer

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1895 – Texas

He’s Faced Countless Perils on the Battlefield, but Nothing so Dangerous as Falling in Love.

Luke Davenport has been fighting all his life–for respect, for country, and for those unable to fight for themselves. But now that his Horsemen brothers are domesticated, he’s left alone to battle the wildness within. When an opportunity arises to take a job on his own, tracking down a group of rustlers, he jumps at the chance.

Damaris Baxter has mastered the art of invisibility. Plain and quiet, she hides in books and needlework, content to be overlooked. Until her brother dies suddenly, leaving her custody of her nephew. She moves to Texas to care for Nathaniel, determined to create the family for herself that she never thought she’d have and to give him the family he desperately needs.

When Nate finds himself knee-deep in trouble, Luke’s attempt to protect him leaves Damaris feeling indebted to the Horseman. But suspicions grow regarding the mysterious death of Damaris’s brother. And the more questions they ask, the more danger appears, threatening the family Luke may be unable to live without.

Callie Mae and the Cowboy of the Eastern Woods

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Late 1800s? – Texas

Faced with danger she’d never imagined, Callie Mae must make an impossible choice.

Callie and her baby, Sarah, are living in the home of her dead husband as servants. Her brother-in-law, Floyd, has stolen what is rightfully hers, and now she’s found a terrible secret.
After a daring flight by night with her child, Callie finds herself lost and homeless. Can a handsome cowboy help her?

A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma

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1835/Present Day – Texas

Can Promises Made in Times of Struggle Endure 200 Years?

Young, spirited Josie Wilkins life is about to take a turn when faced with political turmoil and secret love in San Antonio of 1836. John Gilbert has won her heart, despite being a Protestant preacher who is forbidden to practice his faith in Texas. If he discovers the secrets of her painful past, he will never have anything to do with her. But then comes the Battle of the Alamo. Will either of them survive an epic battle for liberty to create a legacy of love?

Nearly 200 years later, Kayleigh Hewland takes breaks from her demanding job as a refugee coordinator working with Mexican migrants to attend flea markets where she has found a uniquely engraved ring that helps her discover who killed her parents. Enlisting the help of appraiser Brandon Mullins, they piece together a love story long forgotten. But will dangers linked to the ring end her own hopes for leaving a legacy built on hope, faith, and love?

Cowboy Cousins Collection

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1890s

Saddle Up … for the fastest reading ride of your life as three cowboys become cattlemen. Raised in the same small town in the Texas Hill Country because their mothers are sisters, three cousins, cowboys all, find God, the loves of their lives, and much, much more.

This novella collection includes:

Lucy and the Lawman by Molly Noble Bull: While on a business trip to Colorado in 1890, Sheriff Caleb Caldwell stops to inform Miss Lucy Gordan and her widowed mother of property they inherited in Texas, land coveted by a rich and powerful man—willing to do anything to get his hands on what is rightfully theirs, and Caleb feels obligated to protect them. However, he cannot reveal his attraction for Lucy. To do so would mean disaster for all of them.

The Meddlesome Maverick by Kathleen L. Maher: A new job as a bronco buster on a Lincoln, Nebraska ranch offers Boyd Hastings a fresh start. Cured of romance after a kiss-and-tell flirt falsely accused him, he must flee his hometown and cousins who have been like brothers. Banjo picking for a music show would lure him to the big city, but an opinionated tomboy with a heart of gold makes grand plans for him. Can he trust a meddlesome maverick to steer him true, or will she lead him into a briar patch of trouble?

A Panhandle Sunrise by Kathi Macias: Thirty-one year old Jake Matthews, newly appointed foreman of the Double Bar-J Ranch, is deeply attracted to the ranch owner’s daughter, Anabelle, but he can’t work up the nerve to approach her father, Jasper Floyd, and ask for permission to court her. But when tall, handsome, longtime Jasper-family friend, Clint Jordan, gets hired on, it seems Clint doesn’t have the same insecurities and begins pursuing Anabelle immediately. Jake now accepts that his dreams of a life with Anabelle are hopeless—until a near life-and-death situation changes everything.

The Spark of Love by Amanda Cabot

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1857 – Texas

When a spurned suitor threatens her, heiress Alexandra Tarkington flees New York for Mesquite Springs in the Texas Hill Country, where her father is building a hotel. But the happy reunion she envisions is not to be as her father insists she return to New York. Instead, Alexandra carves out a niche for herself in town, teaching schoolchildren to paint and enjoying the company of Gabe Seymour, a delightful man she met on the stagecoach.

But all is not as it seems. Two men, each with his own agenda, have followed her to Mesquite Springs. And Gabe is an investigator, searching for proof that her father is a swindler. When a series of apparent accidents threaten her life, Alexandra and Gabe will have to work together to discover the truth. And perhaps along the way they will discover that the sparks of attraction they’ve felt from the beginning are more than sparks–they’re love.

 

Love’s Twisting Trail by Betty Woods

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1869 – Texas

Stampedes, wild animals, and renegade Comanches make a cattle drive dangerous for any man. The risks multiply when Charlotte Grimes goes up the trail disguised as Charlie, a fourteen year-old boy. She promised her dying father she’d save their ranch after her brother, Tobias, mismanages their money. To keep her vow, she rides the trail with the brother she can’t trust.

David Shepherd needs one more successful drive to finish buying the ranch he’s prayed for. He partners with Tobias to travel safely through Indian Territory. David detests the hateful way Tobias treats his younger brother, Charlie. He could easily love the boy like the brother he’s always wanted. But what does he do when he discovers Charlie’s secret? What kind of woman would do what she’s done?

The trail takes an unexpected twist when Charlotte falls in love with David. She’s afraid to tell him of her deception. Such a God-fearing, honest gentleman is bound to despise the kind of woman who dares to wear a man’s trousers and venture on a cattle drive. Since her father left her half the ranch, she intends to continue working the land like any other man after she returns to Texas. David would never accept her as she is.

Choosing between keeping her promise to her father or being with the man she loves may put Charlotte’s heart in more danger than any of the hazards on the trail can.

Tomorrow’s Constant Hope by Naomi Rawlings

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1885 – Texas

The last thing a woman on the run needs is to find herself married to the richest rancher in Texas…

Keely O’Brien has spent the past five months on the run, but no matter what she does, she can’t seem to evade the ring of dangerous criminals that killed her brother in Chicago. When she spots an ad for a wife from the owner of a small ranch on a remote stretch of Texan desert, she knows she’s found the perfect hiding spot. The Wolf Point Ring might be searching far and wide for her, but they wouldn’t think to look in tiny, sun-scorched town of Twin Rivers, Texas. Now if she can just keep her new husband from finding out why she really married him…

Agamemnon “Wes” Westin’s feet might be firmly planted in West Texas soil, but his heart is running… Running from the loss of his first wife and stillborn daughter, and running from the fear of suffering loss again. Unfortunately, he has little choice about needing to marry, but he does have a choice about who he marries. If he has to share his roof with someone, he wants a woman who works hard and doesn’t complain. That’s why he decides to run an ad for a bride, claiming that he owns a small ranch, rather than the sprawling cattle empire he inherited from his father. After all, what woman is going to be upset when she finds out her husband is one of the richest men in Texas?

When Wes discovers Keely is hiding from criminals who want her dead, he can’t help but protect her—even if she’s irate with him for lying about the size of his ranch. When danger arrives in Twin Rivers, both Wes and Keely find themselves facing their deepest fears. Will they let their pain and past losses ruin their dreams? Or will Wes and Keely find a way to forge a new life together?

A Heart’s Forever Home by Lena Nelson Dooley

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1896 – Texas

A single lawyer whose clients think he needs a wife. A woman who needs a forever home…or a forever family…or a forever love.

Although Traesa Killdare is a grown woman now, the discovery that her adoption wasn’t finalized sends her reeling. Especially when her beloved grandmother dies and the only siblings she’s ever known exile her from the family property without a penny to her name.

Wilson Pollard works hard for the best interest of his law clients, even those who think a marriage would make him more “suitable” in his career. And when the beloved granddaughter of a recently deceased client comes to him for help, he knows he must do whatever necessary to make her situation better.

As each of their circumstances worsen, a marriage of convenience seems the only answer for both. Traesa can’t help but fall for her new husband—the man who’s given her both his home and his name. But what will it take for Wilson to realize he loves her? Will a not-so-natural disaster open his eyes and heart?

The Brides of Bridge Ranch by Susanne Dietz

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1858 – Texas

Two generations find love in historic Texas…

For a Song
Two songbirds, red and yellow–it was a straightforward mail-order present for an upstanding widowed rancher’s little girl. But when a sister act of saloon singers (a redhead and a blond) arrives on the stagecoach expecting Jackson Bridge to give them a job, his daughter changes her tune and starts singing not for a pet, but for a pretty ginger-haired mother.

First Things First
Texas rancher’s daughter Georgie Bridge mourned when her first love, Ward Harper, left town to study the law, but now he’s back—as opposing counsel in a case against her father.

Under the Texas Mistletoe by Karen Witemeyer

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1890s – Texas

Witemeyer presents the new story “A Texas Christmas Carol,” in which a town’s wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and by the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors.

It also includes, for the first time in print, “An Archer Family Christmas.” When the Archer clan gathers for the Christmas holiday, an unexpected request for help leaves Cassandra Archer directly in the path of a dangerous outlaw. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Jim Archer races to the rescue, only to find that Cassie’s life is not the only one in peril. It will take a Christmas miracle–and the entire Archer clan–to keep a second Archer Christmas from ending in disaster.

In previously published “Gift of the Heart,” a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start. But with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?

Sprinkled throughout the collection, you’ll find a hope-filled Christmas devotion, Witemeyer holiday recipes, and fun facts about nineteenth-century Christmas celebrations!

Land That I Love by Gail Kittlston

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1936 – Texas

A Giant Murder by Marji Laine

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1926 – Texas

Would you like a shot of… death with that, sir?

Josephine Jacobs was just doing her job, serving at an exclusive party, so why is she now being accused of shooting TG Taggert?

At a party full of suspects in the murder of Taggert, Josie served the food giant everything but an eternally “parting shot.” Who really killed TG Taggert? His wife? His son, Jack? What about Harper Davis? Rumor has it, she was having an affair with him—motive for her or Taggert’s wife! The list of those who seemed to hate him keeps growing, including a chemist and a chef!

With her long-time friend, Officer Porter O’Brien, Josie sets out to clear her name and find out who really killed “the giant”.

The Heart’s Charge by Karen Witemeyer

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1894 – Texas

Members of Hanger’s Horsemen, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County, Texas, to deliver a steed, never expecting they’d deliver a baby as well. Left with an infant to care for, they head to a nearby foundling home, where Mark encounters the woman he’d nearly married a decade ago.

After failing at love, Katherine Palmer dedicated her life to caring for children, teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House. From mixed ancestry, illegitimate, and female, Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society’s mold. Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children. The taciturn Jonah intrigues her with his courage and kindness, but there are secrets behind his eyes–ghosts from wars past and others still being waged.

However, when a handful of urchin children from the area go missing, a pair of Horsemen are exactly what the women need. Working together to find the children, will these two couples find love as well?

Lassoed by the Lawman by Renae Brumbaugh Green

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1882 – Texas

Juliana Duke has always dreamed of owning a dress shop.

But as the only child of Oscar and Maria Duke and heiress of the vast Duke Ranch, her job is to marry a rancher and produce a male heir. When Lt. Cody Steves rides onto the scene, her resolve to place duty over daydreams is shaken. Now that her heart’s been lassoed by the handsome lawman, will she be able to love another?

Cody Steves wants marriage and family, but he loves being a Texas Ranger. At any time, he could ride into a job and not come out alive. How could any decent man marry, knowing he could leave a widow and orphans behind? But the beautiful Juliana Duke captures him in a way no other has. When this job is over, can he ride away with his heart intact?

When he learns of a secret plot to take over the Duke Ranch, Cody must risk everything to save Juliana. Little does he know, the outcome will be nothing like he’s planned or imagined.

A Sojourner Christmas by Linda Brooks Davis

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1923 – Texas

She relinquished her childhood home. Abandoned her former life. And set off for a faraway valley that’s touted as magical. As an aspiring newspaper reporter, Blossom Evans expects to find plenty of material with which to carve out a career. But alarming tales about the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas abound. Barely tamed, rugged brush land. Mexican bandits. Wildcats, rattlesnakes, and tarantulas as big around as dinner plates. Where will she find the courage to face—and overcome—such foes, even for her dream career?The first hint of an answer lies in the sleepy little West Texas town of Winters. An unexpected conflict is brewing, one that could launch a reporter’s career—or crush it before it begins. How will Blossom be lured into the fray? And where will she find the temerity to confront this particular brand of evil? It’s Christmas Eve 1923, and Blossom Evans is about to discover what’s she made of.