The Mercenary & the Lady by Lisa Prysock

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1832 – Iowa

Coralee Rainier is left alone to run the trading post her father owned in the Wild West of Indian Territory after illness stole the lives of her parents. Accustomed to life on the prairie, she isn’t running away because of her losses. But the last thing she wants is some foreigner following her around, keeping an eye on her every move, even if he is handsome in a rugged kind of way.

Teague Brantwell and his men are soldiers of fortune, citizens of other nations. Mercenaries hired to fight, serve, defend, and protect. But when President Andrew Jackson’s niece pesters her uncle to send someone to look after Coralee, the daughter of longtime friends of the family, Teague expects to find a weak and helpless female in the small town called Ford’s Promise. However, Miss Rainier can wield a shotgun as well as any of his men and makes it clear from the start that he’s in the way. Nonetheless, Teague has orders, directly from the president. He and his men aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

When a series of mysterious and disturbing events begin happening around Coralee, Teague’s men, and Ford’s Promise Trading Post, they’ll have to work together to find out who wants all of them dead. Can love bloom amid such danger?

The Lawyer and the Laundress by Christine Hill Suntz

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1837 – Canada

Lawyer James Kinney isn’t looking for love, and laundress Sara O’Connor doesn’t want to be found. When their paths cross in a British colony on the brink of rebellion, a marriage of convenience may be their best hope of survival.

Widower James Kinney knows his precocious daughter, Evie, needs more than his lessons on law and logic, but Toronto offers few options. Classes with the neighbor children seem ideal until James discovers Evie is secretly spending her time with Sara O’Connor, a kind and mysteriously educated servant. For propriety’s sake, James forbids their friendship. But then Evie falls victim to the illness ravaging the city, and James must call upon Sara’s medical knowledge and her special bond with Evie to save his daughter’s life.

When Sara’s presence in his household threatens scandal, however, James offers an unexpected solution: become his wife, in name only, and help him raise Evie to be a proper young lady.

If Sara can ignore the sparks she feels when they’re together, his logical proposal could keep her secret secure forever. But soon, the forces of rebellion unravel their tidy arrangement. When James is accused of treason, Sara must find the courage to face a past that could save her husband’s life.

A Troubling Suggestion by Betty Woods

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1833 – Tennessee

Clarisse Matthews still grieves the tragic loss of her fiancé and doubts she’ll ever love anyone again. Particularly if she has to divulge the secret abolitionist ideas she keeps hidden deep inside that only her beloved knew.

After the lady Luke Williams loved spurned him and married another man, he will never risk giving his heart to another woman. Especially not to Clarisse who had to have known about her best friend’s ruse and helped the woman to conceal it from Luke. He doesn’t need a lady by his side to manage his family’s plantation or forge a path to become an attorney.

But when Luke’s cousin is deceived by a rogue, who only Luke and Clarisse know the whole truth about, they form a reluctant alliance to protect his cousin. Their feigned attraction grows into genuine love. But will the differences between them become a wall too tall to climb or can they find a way to go around?

Braving All for Love by Lyn Cote

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1836 – Texas

Mariana, the lady of Rancho Sandoval, is determined to prove to a woman can run a ranch as well as any man. But when renegade Comanches kidnap her, the top hand at the nearby Quinn ranch, Scully Falconer rescues her and is directed to protect her. Though Mariana protests, the reserved Scully sticks to her side like a burr.

Then relatives Mariana never knew burst into her life and begin making demands. And when Mexican General Santa Anna crosses the Rio Grande, marching toward a rendezvous with destiny at the Alamo – – Mariana and Scully, are swept up together in the tide of history.

The proud Mexican lady, the American cowboy must pull together and dig deep within to meet challenge after challenge or they may not survive.

Rocky Mountain Journey by Misty M. Beller

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1839 – Wyoming

Faith Collins embarks on a perilous journey through the untamed wilderness of the Rocky Mountains in search of the Peigan Blackfoot woman who once saved her father’s life. Masquerading as a man, she follows a group of trappers who may be able to lead her to the place the woman is hiding, but keeping Faith’s identity a secret proves more difficult than she imagined.

Grant Allen is searching for his younger brother who was separated from him when their parents died many years ago. After receiving word that his brother went west to the Rockies, he joins a band of trappers, hoping they can lead him to his brother’s location. Soon Grant realizes there’s a woman hiding among the men, and he’s determined to find out her identity, what she’s hiding, and how he can keep her safe in this country of wild animals and even wilder men.

Treasure and Trouble by Betty Woods

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1832 – Tennessee

Eugenia Hampton wants to be loved for who she is, not what she has. Her parents intend to see her married and cared for, but she’s determined not to be a mere parlor decoration to show off some man’s achievements. She wants a love match or no match.

Paul Stuart is tired of clashing with people over his abolitionist views. Especially with his father who is the overseer for Eugenia’s father. He’s saving money to move from Tennessee and buy a farm in Illinois where he can live in peace with people who accept him and his ideas.

Paul rescues Eugenia after her horse throws her. They form a secret, forbidden friendship based on their common family problems. Neither of them expects their relationship to grow into love. When Eugenia’s father selects a non-Christian man for her husband, she must choose between her known and comfortable life of luxury or a lifetime of love with Paul where little else will be certain.

Rocky Mountain Promise by Misty Beller

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1838 – Wyoming

Lorelei Collins possesses a soft heart for any animal in need, so when she finds a buffalo calf bawling beside its lifeless mother, she can’t help but bring it home to raise on the ranch she and her sisters are building in the Rocky Mountain wilderness. Little does she realize that its white coloring is rare and considered sacred by Native Americans, which makes it highly valuable to them and European trappers alike. Men soon begin to visit their ranch to regard the marvel, with some trying to woo Lorelei into marriage and others trying to steal the calf outright.

When the men’s advances become more sinister, Lorelei approaches Tanner Mason, the quiet and mysterious owner of the new trading post, with an idea: she and the calf will move to his post, along with her family’s trusted Blackfoot friend. This will solve both their problems by bringing customers to his trade room and protecting her family from the trouble brought on by so many strangers. Yet as the danger travels with her, Lorelei and Tanner are faced with a threat greater than anything they’re prepared for–one that will test the limits of their abilities and the love growing between them.

Loving the Trailblazer’s Grace by Misty M. Beller

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1833 – Montana

Will this epic journey be their second chance or the final heartbreak?

Heidi Wallace came west with secrets. When she accompanied her cartologist cousin to map terrain in the Montana Territory, she never imagined he would die from a snakebite. As she and her maid bury the body in this wild country, the last person she expects to come to their aid is the man she’s no longer sure she wants to find. But now that Ben Lane is standing before her…her heart demands answers.

Ben never thought he’d see Heidi again…let alone find her burying a body beneath a pile of rocks in the fierce Rocky Mountain plains. A man she claims was her husband. The last time Ben saw her, tears cascaded down her pretty cheeks as he walked away forever. He’d planned to marry her. Planned to spend his life making her happy. But to protect her life, he had to leave her behind. Now she’s alone again…and once more in danger.

Heidi must finish her contract to map the Marias River. When Ben insists she’ll need more than a maid to keep herself alive, he determines to travel with them into the treacherous northern country. As Ben and Heidi uncover each other’s secrets, the threat of the mountain wilderness may not be half as dangerous as the love that once flamed between them.

Brilliant by Lisa Richardson

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1838 – Turkey

A recent graduate of England’s most exclusive—and unusual—boarding school, Lady Portia Blythe has been accepted into the Praetorienne—though not without reservations from those who head the queen’s all-female secret guard. Determined to prove herself as part of Queen Victoria’s protection detail on a diplomatic mission to Constantinople, Portia stumbles into a secret arms auction. She discovers Jack Harding working a case, and he joins her in uncovering the purveyors of this devastating weaponry as well as a sinister plot to assassinate the queen and start a war.

With trouble at every turn, Portia draws on her training, marvelous gadgets, and her courage. Though troubled by self-doubt, she protects the royal entourage, leads their flight across Europe, and thwarts assignation attempts. She must trust in allies—former and new—and her prayers for God’s help to escape the threats, prevent full-blown war, and safely escort the queen home for her coronation.

Rocky Mountain Rendezvous by Misty Beller

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1837 – Wyoming

Juniper Collins and her sisters are shocked by their father’s deathbed request for them to return a special set of beads to a Piegan Blackfoot woman he credits with saving his life during his travels West. Together, the sisters set out for the trapper rendezvous to find the woman, but their mission turns more daunting when they come upon the mass of men and lodges spread out in the Green River Valley.

Riley Turner came West to find peace and quiet and live off the land, but when four unprotected women arrive at the rendezvous, he feels compelled to help them and is more fascinated by Juniper than any other woman he’s known.

As their search brings only empty leads and dead ends, the sisters must decide whether to return East or stay in the mountains to continue looking–and that’s if the mystery woman is even still alive. Is the risk to honor their father’s last request worth the danger they find at every turn?

The Outcast’s Bride by Janis Jakes

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1830s – Arkansas

Will he choose between the woman he loves or the way of life he’s always treasured?

After a heartbreaking loss, Susannah signs a marital contract with a mail order bride agency in hopes of starting a new life. Instead, she finds herself betrothed to an unstable man who has fabricated his life story.

Kwi is a Comanche outcast assumed dead by his tribe. He seeks refuge at a ranch operated by his half-brother, Luke Lancaster and wife, Billie. Kwi carries a natural ability to heal hurting animals. When Susannah escapes her betrothed and seeks work at the ranch, he recognizes the wounds of a broken woman.

Together, their hearts mend from past regrets and form a bond beyond the pain. Still, Kwi remains determined to return to his tribe and make amends for the wrong he’s done. When Susannah’s betrothed makes a surprise appearance to claim her as his own, Kwi must choose between the woman he now loves or the way of life he’s always treasured.

The Heir’s Predicament by Lorri Dudley

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1831 – Antigua

He controls the answers to her past and future, but she threatens his inheritance and his heart.

Maggie Prescott may not know her real name, the circumstances of her birth, or her father’s identity, but based on a song her shipwrecked birthmother taught her before she died, Maggie’s certain the answers lie on the island of Antigua. Unbeknownst to her beloved adopted family, she sends her maid to finishing school in her stead and convinces her uncle, Captain Anthony Middleton, to sail her to the Leeward Islands. Time is of the essence to discover her heritage before the next family gathering exposes her duplicity.

Lord Samuel Fredrick Harcourt Granville was groomed to inherit the Cardon title and lands, but the possession of his father’s temper has put Samuel’s future in jeopardy. After discovering his fiancée cavorting with his so-called friend, the ensuing altercation lands Samuel in court before of the House of Lords. As an example, for all aristocratic sons to quell their hedonistic living, the House of Lords banishes Samuel to the island of Antigua until he can prove he’s worthy of his privileged birth.

On the island, Samuel works to rein in his temper and revive a dying sugar plantation. Still, his return to England and all his efforts are threatened when a mysterious woman breaks into his island home, claiming to be the true heiress of the sugar plantation. Guilt, resentment, and fresh yearnings sizzle under the island sun as Maggie’s search uncovers a much greater treasure than either of them expected.

Loving the Father’s Mercy by Misty Beller

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1832 – Idaho

This epic journey will test his ability to protect his children—and they’re all he has left.

Missionary Elise Lane returns with her team to the Rocky Mountain native tribe they serve to discover the entire village—including the children she’s come to love—has been massacred. A fierce brave standing at the edge of the devastation has taken the only surviving child.

Goes Ahead returns home with his son to find his worst fears have come true—his entire village has been slaughtered, including his wife. Only their infant daughter has survived. But there’s no time for grief or vengeance. He must get his children across the mountains to the protection of his family.

The last thing he wants is help from the white people who’ve brought this disaster on his village, but his babe is not yet four moons old. Her hungry cries prove he can’t make this journey without the white woman already nursing a babe of her own. But she refuses to come without the rest of her group, including the opinionated missionary who thinks she knows best for his children. As winter closes in and the mountains prove treacherous beyond anything Goes Ahead can control, only a strength and love greater than his own can save his children—and the woman he’s come to love.

Ingenious by Lisa Karon Richardson

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1837 – England

Lady Portia Blithe’s life really started when she was offered admission to Saint Scholastica’s, England’s most exclusive boarding school. Graduates of Saint Scholastica are always selected to serve as ladies-in-waiting to the queen. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world the school teaches more than deportment. Alongside dancing and conversational French, students are trained to guard the queen’s life. They are the Praetorienne.

On the cusp of graduation, Portia and her classmates are introduced to Princess Victoria, the next in line for the British throne. Everyone knows the elderly king will not live much longer, and for the first time in three centuries, England will have a female monarch. It’s a heady opportunity for princess and Praetorienne alike. But when it appears there is a plot afoot to kidnap the princess, Portia has to make certain that Victoria lives long enough to claim her throne.

Loving the Guide’s Strength by Misty Beller

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1831 – Montana

This epic journey is her last hope to find her lost brother—the only family she has left.

When Lola Carson’s father died, his last words spoke of a half-brother she’d never known about. And now, to claim her own inheritance and come to terms with her father’s secret life, she must find this mysterious man—whose last known whereabouts are somewhere west of the wild Rocky Mountains. After hiring family friends to accompany her on the trek, she sets out for a wilderness few white women have ever seen. She doesn’t expect the majestic peaks to captivate her so, nor the half-dead brave they find on one of the slopes.

White Owl left his village and his broken heart behind when he set out for a fresh start. His newfound faith is the one anchor in his life. He’s desperate to learn more about the God he’s committed to follow and become an interpreter for the missionaries who led him to faith. But he barely starts his journey when a hunting accident nearly kills him. The woman who discovers him in the midst of his fevered delirium seems to be a gift from above.

But the more White Owl learns about Lola’s companions and her dangerous quest, the more he realizes his own calling is clear—to take her safely to her brother. The question is, will he have to sacrifice more than his heart to accomplish that goal?

A Rose in Winter by Janis Jakes

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1830s – Arkansas

Lucy and Elton are neighbors—but not very neighborly…

He’s jealous of his wife’s friendship with Lucy, and she thinks he’s an overbearing ruffian, but when her friend suddenly dies, Lucy agrees to marry Elton—but only for the sake of the children. Lucy is still grieving her own loss and is steadfast in her faith, while Elton is an unbeliever, bitter over his wife’s death and the murder of his parents by natives.

When Elton is elected by Mossy Ridge residents to oversee the native relocation program, he finds himself protecting those he once despised. With Lucy’s help, he uncovers a secret plot to incite violence against the natives, and takes a journey toward forgiveness that leads him to the Lord.

Just when Lucy dares to love again, Elton makes a confession that breaks her heart. Will love cause him to stay? Or, cause him to go?

Sharktooth Island Collection

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1830/1893/1937/Present – Georgia

Out of the Storm by Susan Page Davis

Laura Bryant sails with her father and his three-man crew on his small coastal trading schooner. After a short stay in Jamaica, where she meets Alex Dryden, an officer on another ship, the Bryants set out for their home in New England.

In a storm, they are blown off course east of Savannah, Georgia, to a foreboding island. Captain Bryant tells his daughter he’s heard tales of that isle. It’s impossible to land on, though it looks green and inviting from a distance. It has no harbor but is surrounded by dangerous rocks and cliffs.

Pirates outrun the storm and decide to bury a cache of treasure on this island and return for it later. On board is Alex, whom the cutthroats captured in Jamaica and forced to work for them. Alex risks his own life to escape the pirates and tries to help Laura and Captain Bryant outwit them. Beneath the deadly struggle, romance blossoms for Laura.

A Passage of Chance by Linda Fulkerson

Orphaned at a young age, Melody Lampert longs to escape the loveless home of the grandmother who begrudgingly raised her. Stripped of her inheritance due to her grandmother’s resentments, Melody discovers her name remains on the deed of one property—an obscure island off the Georgia coast that she shares with her cousin. But when he learns the island may contain a hidden pirate treasure, he’s determined to cheat her out of her share.

Ship’s mechanic Padric Murphy made a vow to his dying father—break the curse that has plagued their family for generations. To do so, he must return what was taken from Sharktooth Island decades earlier—a pair of rare gold pieces. His opportunity to right the wrong arrives when his new employer sets sail to explore the island.

After a series of unexplainable mishaps occur, endangering Padric and his boss’s beautiful cousin Melody, he fears his chance of breaking the curse may be ruined. But is the island’s greed thwarting his plans? Or the greed of someone else?

Island Mayhem by Elena Hill

Louise Krause stopped piloting to pursue nursing, but when money got too tight she was forced to give up her dreams and start ferrying around a playboy who managed to excel during the Great Depression. When a routine aerial tour turns south, Louise is unable to save the plane.

After crash landing, the cocky pilot is stranded. She longs to escape the uninhabited island, but her makeshift raft sinks, and she and her companions are in even worse trouble. Can Louise learn to trust the others in order to survive, or will the island’s curse and potential sabotage lead to her demise?

After the Storm by Deborah Sprinkle

Mercedes Baxter inherited two passions from her father—a love for Sharktooth Island, a spit of land in the middle of the ocean left to her in his will, and a dedication to the study of the flora and fauna on and around its rocky landscape.

For the last five years, since graduating from college, Mercy led a peaceful, simple life on the island with only her cat, Hawkeye, for company. Through grant money she obtained from a conservancy in Savannah, she could live on her island while studying and writing about the plants and animals there. Life was perfect.

But when a hurricane hits the island, Mercy’s life changes for good. Her high school sweetheart, Liam Stewart, shows up to help her with repairs, and ignites the flame that has never quite died away. And if that’s not enough, while assessing the damage to the island, they make a discovery that puts both their lives in danger.

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?

The Marquis’s Pursuit by Lorri Dudley

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1830 – Caribbean

She’s desperate to keep her secret hidden, but he’s a determined Marquis.

As the son of a duke, Maxwell Oliver Weld, Marquis of Daventry, is allowed entry into the finest of London’s ballrooms, access to political figures, and advice from the best physicians. Yet, his wealth and contacts won’t heal his friend, Charlie, who’s dying from consumption. Hopeful for a miracle, Max persuades Charlie to sail across the Atlantic to stay in the Artesian Hotel on the island of Nevis and bathe in its famous healing springs. Max’s optimism is washed in doubt as the truth unravels about the hotel, its hot springs, and the beautiful caretaker.

The blaze of Evelyn Mairi Sheraton’s fiery side has long since been snuffed out. Hunted by a vengeful man from her past, only fortitude and the island’s sanctuary have kept Evelyn alive. She will do whatever it takes to keep her precious secret safe, even work for the demeaning Artesian Hotel owner, Edward Rousseau. However, when a jaunty marquis and his ailing friend arrive, sparks ignite, but Evelyn fears the revealing of her secrets will burn her to ash.

The elusive Evelyn may tend to Charlie’s well-being, but she stirs Max’s protective nature. He’d like nothing more than to remove her from the wretched employment of Edward Rousseau, yet that might endanger Charlie’s health even more. Refusing to give up on a miracle, Max waters her guarded heart, certain beauty will rise out of ashes. But when her secrets come to life, will love be worth the price?

Loving the Scout’s Valor by Misty Beller

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1831 – Idaho

This epic journey is her best chance to find the family she and her daughter long for.

Watkuese is desperate to return across the Rocky Mountains before winter sets in. Time is running out for her to get her adopted daughter back to the familiar surroundings of the Shoshone village before the grief of her parents’ death causes irreparable damage.

Hugh Charpentier has spent his life watching over his siblings, which meant also ensuring his brother’s widow and babe are settled well into their new life. Now he’s asked to help shepherd a woman and child he barely knows across the mountains. As hard as it is to keep up with a six-year-old in the treacherous Rockies, it’s not nearly as dangerous as risking his heart to a woman and child who may not ever be his.