The Bride Brigade Series has been a lot of fun. I love the
part of North Central Texas in which I set this series. Let’s face it, I love
Texas—though summer months sometimes make me forget why. ☺
The premise of this series is that in 1873 wealthy widow
Lydia Harrison tries to save her town of Tarnation, Texas and keep the young
bachelors from moving to more diversified populations. That is, where there are
marriageable women. To accomplish this she goes back to her hometown of
Richmond, Virginia.
If you are a history lover, you know that part of the
country suffered greatly in the Civil War and many men lost their lives.
Others, rather than return to homes that were no longer there, moved west. The result
was that there were far more women than men. Lydia decides to bring a few of
these women to Tarnation where they will be her guests until they decide which
of the local bachelors they want to marry.
She brings back seven young women and then invites
respectable bachelors to receptions and dances at her home. Citizens in town
have dubbed these seven women the Bride Brigade. So far, JOSEPHINE, ANGELINE,
and CASSANDRA have married. Now it’s OPHELIA’S turn.
OPHELIA will be released later this month.
Here’s the blurb for OPHELIA:
Escape…
A painful past…
Hope for the future…
Ophelia Shipp wants safety, a home, husband, and to raise
a family. To achieve her goal, she travels halfway across the country to a tiny
Texas town, Tarnation. What awaits her there must be better than what she left.
She longs for a respectable man who will be a gentle and kind husband.
Elias Kendrick had a difficult childhood but he has
overcome poverty to build his empire in Tarnation. Now that he owns a
successful saloon and the opera house, he is ready to marry and start a family.
He’s vowed his children’s life will be different from his—if only he can find
the right woman.
Two opposites attract—or are they? Ophelia and Elias must
learn to overlook their superficial differences to work out their chance at
lasting love.
Here’s an excerpt from OPHELIA:
Mr. Kendrick
strolled toward her holding a cup and a plate filled with samples of Mrs.
Murphy’s delicacies. “You look as if you could use punch and a snack.”
She fought for
something clever to say, but nothing came. At least she managed a smile. “Thank
you. I am thirsty after introducing myself so many times.”
He sat in the
chair separated from hers by a small table. “Nice shindig, isn’t it?”
She took a sip
of punch before answering. “I love watching and listening. Everyone appears so
happy and excited.”
“What about
you? Are you happy or excited?”
She couldn’t
prevent a grin. “Both. Being in Lydia’s home is so pleasant and the other women
are very nice. This morning I woke up excited about this event.”
“Me, too.” He
chuckled. “What brings you to Tarnation, Miss Shipp?”
“Same as the
others I suppose. No point pretending otherwise, I want a husband and home and
family. This appears to be a nice town even though it’s small. I notice there’s
even an opera house.”
“That there is.
I built the opera house only a year ago. The manager and I try for a variety of
acts so that by the end of the season, everyone has enjoyed at least a couple
of shows.”
She leaned
forward, happy to know he was so fair-minded. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy them all.
I’ve never been to a live performance.” Oops, she hadn’t intended to admit
that.
He leaned back
and his eyes widened. “Never? You mean except at school, of course.”
A blush’s heat
seared her face. How embarrassing to admit she was a country bumpkin who had
done nothing interesting in her life. “My father was very strict. I couldn’t
appear in or attend school plays. Mr. Kozlov has invited me to the opera house
performance in two weeks. I’m looking forward to the event.”
Was that
disappointment she saw on his face? “You’ll enjoy Geraldine Chitwood. We were
exceptionally fortunate to book her. Normally, she only plays larger towns more
easily reached. Being without railway access places us at a disadvantage.”
“Oh, my bones
haven’t forgotten that stage ride.” She leaned toward him. “Tell me about
yourself, Mr. Kendrick. Besides owning the opera house, I mean.”
“I’m
twenty-nine and never married. If you led such a quiet life that you weren’t
allowed to attend plays, then you’ll no doubt look down on me because, as well
as the opera house, I own the local saloon.”
She hoped she
hid her surprise that Lydia included a saloon owner in this group of
“acceptable” men. What should she say?
If you’re a member of my mailing list, you’ll receive a
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Thanks for stopping by.
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