TRAVELING WEST ON THE SANTA FE TRAIL

 I'm thrilled to welcome Michelle Shocklee to my blog today! We're the authors, along with seven others, of the stories in The Mail-Order Brides Collection. Michelle has some fascinating facts to share about the type of travel some of these mail-order brides must have endured to reach true love.


To Heal Thy Heart by Michelle Shocklee
1866, New Mexico
When Phoebe Wagner answers a mail-order bride ad that states Confederate widows need not apply, she worries what Dr. Luke Preston will do when he learns her fiancé died wearing gray.

In "To Heal Thy Heart," my novella in The Mail-Order Brides Collection, Phoebe Wagner travels from her home in Kansas City to the rugged New Mexico Territory to meet the stranger she intends to marry. But in 1866, train travel was not yet available in that part of the country, so Phoebe--or any mail-order bride of that day--would have been left with little choice. She must board a dusty, uncomfortable stagecoach for the 700-plus mile journey that would take nearly two weeks, assuming they didn't encounter problems with the coach, the horses, or the weather. Luke, her intended groom, would have paid approximately $250 for her fare, and the route she would have taken is the famous Santa Fe Trail.
From 1821, the Santa Fe Trail served as a trade route between the United States and Mexico. Settlers used it as well, often facing terrifying situations including attacks from various Indian tribes, brutal weather conditions, and swollen rivers. But like Luke and Phoebe, those early settlers were willing to take the risks in order to be part of something new and fresh and exciting.
Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I often heard stories about the Santa Fe Trail. My family took many drives up the trail, now a highway, passing the same tree-covered hills and grassy fields as those brave pioneers. Even as a child my imagination ran wild, and I'd wonder about the people who traveled in wagons whose wheel ruts are still visible in some places. Who were they and what drove them to leave their homes and loved ones to come to a wild, untamed land?
Although Phoebe and Luke's story is fiction, I would not doubt that many mail-order brides took to the Santa Fe Trail in search of true love. Did they find it?



Purchase from your local bookseller or online at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection-Historical-Marriage/dp/1683224442/ref=pd_ybh_a_3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WT6X9D0B6ETRDGH42MHS
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mail-order-brides-collection-megan-besing/1126627885?ean=9781683224440#/
Books-A-Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Mail-Order-Brides-Collection/Megan-Besing/9781683224440?id=6797742722867#ReviewHeader
Christian Book Distributors: https://www.christianbook.com/brides-collection-historical-stories-marriage-precedes/megan-besing/9781683224440/pd/224442?product_redirect=1&Ntt=224442&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Michelle Shocklee is the author of The Planter's Daughter and The Widow of Rose Hill, the first two books in the historical romance series The Women of Rose Hill. She has stories in numerous Chicken Soup for the Soul books and writes an inspirational blog. With both her sons grown, she and her husband of thirty-plus years enjoy poking around historical sites, museums, and antique stores near their home in Tennessee. Connect with her at www.MichelleShocklee.com

With Love, Wherever You Are, by Dandi Daley Mackall

    Helen Eberhart has aspired to be a nurse since she was a girl. When the attack on Pearl Harbor occurs, she decides to enlist as an Army nurse. While she is in training for a wartime assignment--she hopes in Europe, since she hates heat--she meets Frank Daley, a doctor who is undergoing basic training before being sent to a battlefield hospital--he hopes in the Pacific, because he hates being cold.
    After their memorable first encounter, they begin a friendship which quickly blossoms into love. Despite the almost unanimous disapproval of their family and friends, Frank and Helen marry after a whirlwind courtship. First Frank, then Helen, are sent to separate duty stations in the heart of the European conflict.
    Beginning a marriage by correspondence--"With love, wherever you are"--forms the basis of this gripping novel. But the hospital scenes and wartime conditions are fully as much a part of the story as their romance. The realism of the situations they encounter in their separate fields of medicine left me with images I won’t soon forget.
    Based on a true love story, With Love, Wherever You Are, is an outstanding novel. I couldn’t put it down. Readers who enjoy World War II-era fiction will want to put this one at the top of their list. It's not to be missed!

Through Waters Deep, by Sarah Sundin

       Self-effacing Mary Stirling's job in the Boston Navy Yard keeps her out of the spotlight, which is just what she wants. At the launching of a new ship, she encounters naval officer Jim Avery--a childhood friend. The two of them begin to spend time together, although Mary knows Jim's heart belongs to her best friend.
    When signs of sabotage appear on the ship to which Jim is assigned, Mary becomes interested in solving the crimes. She and Jim grow closer as they share suspicions, with Mary ever mindful that Jim is only interested in learning the saboteur's identity.
    Through Waters Deep drew me in on two levels. The novel is set during the months leading up to World War II, and the historical background fascinated me. I hadn't been aware of the deep divisions between Interventionists and Isolationists prior to Pearl Harbor. On a story-telling level, Through Waters Deep explores the lives of two people who are each overcoming childhood guilt as they strive become the person they were meant to be.
    As with her previous books, Sarah Sundin's wartime scenes are breathtaking. I love the authenticity she brings to the story. Oh, and Jim and Mary? You’ll have to read the book to find out what happens. You won't be disappointed.

    My thanks to the author and Revell for my review copy.

IN PERFECT TIME, by Sarah Sundin

    Lt. Kay Jobson is a flight nurse in the Army Air Force. She's beautiful, competent, and a tireless flirt. When C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper crosses her path, she decides to make him another conquest. The only problem is, Roger wants nothing to do with her. His life plan is to be a drummer with a Big Band when WWII is over.
    As the two of them work together during flights between Italy and France, they each struggle to overcome the attraction that draws them to one another. Sarah Sundin is a master at writing believable wartime action scenes, and she outdoes herself with In Perfect Time. If you love heart-gripping historical fiction, don't miss this one!
    This novel is the final book in the Wings of the Nightingale series, although it's not necessary to have read the first two books in order to enjoy In Perfect Time. However, if you haven't already read With Every Letter and On Distant Shores, I highly recommend them as well.

    My thanks to the author and Revell for providing my review copy.

MINDING MOLLY, by Leslie Gould

To say Molly Zook is a controlling woman is an understatement. Her days consist of making lists and plans, not only for herself but for her sister and for Mervin Mosier, a neighbor who helps on their family farm. In the Biblical story of Mary and Martha, Molly identifies with Martha. Somebody's got to do the work, right?
 With her father recently deceased, and her mother ailing, Molly's not far off the mark. If she can't keep their farm profitable, her mother wants her to marry Mervin Mosier to solve their financial problems. Then Molly meets handsome horse trainer Leon Fisher, who has come from Montana to Pennsylvania to work with a horse breeder--and not incidentally to find a bride.
 Molly jumps into full "control" mode to arrange things so that Mervin will fall in love with someone else, and Leon won't want to go home to Montana. But the harder she tries to manipulate the lives around her, the more her plans fail. Readers will find the book hard to put down. Will Molly ever give up control and wait to see what God has planned for her? Or will she control herself into a lonely spinsterhood?
  On a personal note, reading Minding Molly was a bit of a nudge for me, since I, too, have always identified with Martha in the Mary and Martha story in the Bible. Minding Molly is a novel that will keep readers entertained as they follow Molly while she learns that "the course of true love never did run smooth."

 My thanks to the author and Bethany House Publishers for my review copy of Minding Molly.

WITH AUTUMN'S RETURN, by Amanda Cabot

  Elizabeth Harding arrives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a brand-new medical degree in her possession, certain that her practice will be an instant success. Instead, she sits in her office day after day awaiting her first patient. If it weren't for the friendship of Gwen, from whom she rents a room, Elizabeth's days would be bleak indeed. It seems the entire population of Cheyenne is skittish about accepting a woman doctor.

 Jason Nordling, an attorney in the office next to hers, has problems of his own after his defense of a high-profile murderer backfires. When Jason meets Elizabeth, his attitude is the same as that of the other citizens--a woman cannot be a capable doctor. As the days pass, the two of them form a shaky friendship, but previously-held opinions on both of their parts prevent them from becoming more than casual friends.
Cabot has included secondary plots involving characters from the two previous books in this series--Summer of Promise and Waiting for Spring. As each plot twist arises, With Autumn's Return ramps up the suspense. This book kept me guessing until the final pages.
Although With Autumn's Return is the third book in the Westward Winds series, it isn’t necessary to have read the first two novels in order to enjoy this one. I suggest you add With Autumn's Return to your must-read list for 2014. And if you haven't already read the first two books in the series, by all means put them on the list too!

 

My thanks to the author and Revell for providing my review copy.

ON DISTANT SHORES, by Sarah Sundin

Lt. Georgie Taylor has some great things going for her: a loving family back home, a waiting fiancé, and supportive friends among the flight nurses in her group. But Georgie struggles with doubts about her ability to perform in a crisis. Part of her wants to give up the whole nursing thing and return to her family in the states.
 Sgt. John Hutchinson is a pharmacist by trade. He chose to enlist as such rather than accepting the officer's commission to which his college education entitled him. Pharmacists were regarded as "pill pushers" by the brass, and as his enlistment continues the disrespect for his profession turns him bitter.
 When he and Georgie meet in Italy, it's on the basis that both of them are happily engaged to someone back home. However, soon they find themselves attracted to each other, a situation that raises more problems in their lives. Officers (Georgie) are not allowed to fraternize with enlisted men (Hutch), not to mention that each is already committed to another.
 On Distant Shores, the second book in Sundin's Wings of the Nightingale series, continues the heart-pounding suspense of World War II action, coupled with intriguing romantic situations between the nurses and the men in their lives. Sundin is a master at writing both types of fiction.
 On Distant Shores is a novel to be savored slowly, but it’s hard to resist hurrying along to see what happens next. I loved this story, and know you will, too.

 My thanks to the author and Revell for my review copy.

WHISPERS ON THE PRAIRIE, by Vickie McDonough

Sarah Marshall didn't want to leave the bustling city of Chicago to accompany her aunt and uncle over the Santa Fe Trail to the New Mexico Territory. She had close friends in Chicago, and loved the comforts of city life. But her uncle insisted she come along to care for her ailing aunt. Since they'd taken Sarah in when her parents died, he claimed she owed him obedience. Sarah's intention was to travel with them as far as Kansas City, where other family members planned to join them on the trek. Then she'd return to Chicago.
 Ethan Harper's family operates Harpers' Stage Stop, a waypoint on the Santa Fe Trail. Ethan carries a burden of guilt for his part in the death of his older brother's wife, so has made it his mission to find his brother a replacement wife.
 When several unfortunate occurrences strand Sarah and her aunt at Harpers' Stage Stop, Sarah is consumed with plans to find a means to return to Chicago. For his part, Ethan sees Sarah as a good match for his widower brother.
 McDonough has done a wonderful job of handling a cast of varied characters, making each one unique and likeable. While reading this book I felt I knew the Harper family. In Whispers on the Prairie, descriptions of the stage stop, the prairie landscape, and the Trail were perfectly done. The reader feels part of the story every step of the way.
 Whispers on the Prairie is "prairie romance" at its best! I hated to see this story end, but thankfully this is the first book in the Pioneer Promises series, so I look forward to reading more about the Harper family in Books 2 and 3, releasing in 2014.
 My thanks to the author and Whitaker House for providing my review copy.

WAITING FOR SPRING, by Amanda Cabot

As a widow, Charlotte Harding faces a daunting challenge. She's hiding from the tainted legacy of her late husband, and caring for her young son on her own. She believes that by coming to Cheyenne, she's successfully put the past behind her, although she's troubled by the lies she's had to tell to do so.
Barrett Landry is one of Cheyenne's most influential cattle barons. He's on the cusp of running for senator for the soon-to-be state of Wyoming. His political slogan is "Landry Never Lies."  One of the town's most eligible young women is waiting to receive his proposal.
Yet once he meets Charlotte, he finds himself drawn to her ideals, as well as her beauty. She knows their match is impossible--her past would never stand up to political scrutiny. The hurdles the two of them face seem insurmountable.
Throw in a shadowy threat from Charlotte's past, and the challenges of rearing her young son, and the reader wonders how Waiting for Spring will ever reach a satisfying conclusion.
I enjoyed Amanda Cabot's careful crafting of this plot, as well as the authentic details of early Cheyenne. Waiting for Spring is an absorbing tale.
I recommend this book. If you haven’t read Summer of Promise, the first book in the Westward Winds series, you’ll enjoy that one as well, although it's not necessary to read the books in order.
My thanks to the author and Revell for providing my review copy.

COURTING CATE, by Leslie Gould

Cate Miller's younger sister Betsy has attracted the attention of most of the eligible men in Paradise, Pennsylvania. The only attention Cate attracts is teasing and avoidance, due to her sharp tongue and quick temper.
When Betsy settles on one beau and wants to marry him, their father makes a new rule: Cate, the older sister, must marry first. Unfortunately, most of the local bachelors have been scorched by Cate's tongue and want nothing to do with her.
When newcomer Pete Treger arrives in town, he's attracted to Cate's beauty and intelligence and seeks out her company. Things look rosy for Betsy and her beau until Cate begins to suspect Pete is more interested in her father's money than in her.
From this point on, the story gets better and better (not to say it wasn't terrific in the first place). The choices Cate and Betsy make had me chuckling through much of Courting Cate.
I loved Courting Cate and recommend this novel highly.
My thanks to the author and Bethany House for my review copy.

WITH EVERY LETTER, by Sarah Sundin

Lt. Mellie Blake has always felt like an outsider. Raised primarily by her father, with much of her life spent accompanying him on research trips, she feels awkward around other women. Her shyness makes her appear stand-offish.
Lt. Tom MacGilliver has spent his life trying to live down his father’s legacy. Nicknamed "MacGilliver the Killiver" for committing a double murder, Tom's father was executed when Tom was a young boy.
When Tom and Mellie become involved in a letter-writing exchange intended to build troop morale during World War II, their lives intertwine. The anonymity of the program assures their freedom to share their hearts with one another in ways neither has experienced. The fun lies in wondering how or when they will discover the other's identity.
With Every Letter is Sundin's best book yet. Her knowledge of WWII flight nurses, the Army Corps of Engineers, and battles on the Italian front, set this novel apart. As I neared the end of the story, I found myself slowing down to make the book last longer.
With Every Letter is a heart-warming romance wrapped inside a compelling drama. I can't wait for the next two books in the series. I loved With Every Letter and recommend the book highly.
My thanks to Revell for providing my review copy.

JOY TAKES FLIGHT, by Bonnie Leon

Kate believes she's living her dream when she and Dr. Paul Anderson marry. After all of the hurdles their relationship faced, now life promises smooth sailing.
But some promises can be misleading. Kate visualizes her life as an Alaskan bush pilot continuing without a hitch. Unfortunately, Paul has other ideas, especially after they learn they are expecting a child. Demons from his past haunt him, and Kate is unable to break through the barriers he's erected around himself. She wants one thing, Paul wants another. As their life unravels, Kate comes to believe she's lost Paul for good.
Joy Takes Flight is an engrossing story, filled with authentic details of Alaska in the 1930's. Reading Leon’s skilled descriptions of flight in a bush plane will have you clinging to the edge of your seat.
Joy Takes Flight is the thrilling conclusion to Leon’s Alaskan Skies series. If you haven’t read the first two books, hurry out and buy all three! You're in for a treat.
My thanks to Revell for providing my review copy.

SHORT-STRAW BRIDE, by Karen Witemeyer

The four Archer brothers protect their land at all costs. Visitors are discouraged with the business end of a rifle. Yet when Meredith Hayes overhears a plot to burn the brothers' property, an old obligation compels her to brave their locked gate and deliver a warning.
During the events that follow, Meredith is injured and unable to leave Archer land. Travis Archer, the eldest of the brothers, decides that the only way to save Meredith's reputation is for the brothers to draw straws to decide who should marry her. Short straw gets the bride.
Continued threats to the ranch, and to Meredith's family, in addition to her wish to be loved for herself rather than be the bride of a man who got stuck with the short straw, fill Short-Straw Bride with suspenseful action and sweet romance.
Short-Straw Bride is an enjoyable story, perfect for summertime reading.