PREORDER KEITH AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE

 

 By Caroline Clemmons

Yay! Time to preorder KEITH AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE! Yes, I finally finished book 5 of the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides Series, which will be released on March 8^th. Here’s the preorder link at Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW7B2GZS

Once it's released, it will be in e-book and in print. As usual, it will be enrolled in KU. And, here is the cover, designed by Charlene Raddon at Silver Sage Covers.

Let me share the blurb with you:

Elliana Barrington has to escape from Evansville before a deranged cousin learns the terms of their grandmother’s will. So, Elliana is sent to marry a man in Texas, who hopefully can protect her. She knows her greedy cousin expected to inherit everything. Although he received a generous inheritance, the desperate cousin has debts he can’t pay, debts owed to dangerous men. He plans to force Elliana’s to sign over her money to him. She is kind and generous and willing to share her legacy. But her grandmother’s unbreakable will is specific—if Elliana attempts to give her cousin any funds, everything they each inherited will be forfeited to charity.

 

After escaping a difficult situation, Keith Martin created a new life as the banker of Harrigan Springs, Texas. He’s won the respect of the community and has made many good friends. After buying a house, he sends for a mail order bride. What a surprised to receive a letter from a young woman’s attorney, complete with a contract. Although not sure he’s doing the right thing, Keith agrees to marry the woman and fulfill the contract’s conditions. He expects a shy, overprotected bride—but he’s in for a surprise!

 Fate has troubles in store for Elliana and Keith, threats that involve everyone in their household. They strive to protect themselves and the three orphans they’ve adopted. But, how can they reason with her crazed cousin? Can this couple overcome their complex circumstances to build a happy lifetime together?

 

I couldn’t find exactly the model for Elliana Barrington, but this is very close.

 

Elliana Barrington

Here’s an excerpt

She sat erect and sent him an unyielding glare. “What an unkind thing to say. What have I said or done to give you that impression?”

Uh-oh, he had better tiptoe around that subject. “Nothing at all. I just meant that most people, even kind and generous ones, want to control their funds.”

“Well, you’ll find that I am not ‘most people.’ I am just what I say and what you see.”

He held his hands out at his sides then dropped them back to the arms of his chair. “I apologize for offending you. I assure you it was not my intention.”

Her lovely brow remained furrowed and her vivid blue eyes narrowed. “I should hope not. Were you not told I’m quiet, kind, and generous?”

“As a matter of fact, you were described as so perfect that the description would only fit a saint. I see now that you possess many of those qualities. I suppose I’ll see more of them as we become better acquainted.”

“Now you’re making fun of me, but it’s all right. I’m not a bad sport unless you try to bully me.”

“I wasn’t making fun, and I don’t like bullies, either. An uncle and a couple of my cousins are terrible bullies and mean as anyone can be. The only reason they’re not in jail is that they’ve paid off some of the police and haven’t been caught by others. My father is almost as bad and does as my uncle tells him. I’m relieved I’ll never see them again.”

“Don’t you intend to visit your parents?”

“Never!” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “Elliana, in my family, I’m the white sheep. The rest are not people you’d ever want to meet. Imagine an entire family of people like Trey. They don’t even know where I am. It’s important to keep it that way.”

“Oh, that is severe… and sad.” She stared at her hands a minute then looked up at him. “I guess we’ll have to start our own family and include friends here.”

“That’s my plan. We can’t choose our family members related by blood, but we can choose good friends to become our family.”

She let out a sigh. “I’m glad we can agree.”

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and keep reading!

 

NEW PREORDER! GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE

By Caroline Clemmons

GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE is the first book of the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Bride Series. Months ago I conceived the idea for a new mail order bride series. When I saw a cover offered by Charlene Raddon of Silver Sage Book Covers, the man on the cover looked perfect for a character I had in mind. I bought the cover on the spot and have saved it all this time. Now Charlene has created more covers for the series. This series is exciting to me, and I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I’m enjoying planning and writing the books.

The Texas Hill Country is an area my family and I have enjoyed visiting over the years. We even spent several days at a dude ranch near Bandera--not far from where GENTRY is set. Our daughters and I loved being "dudes"—Hero not so much, but he was a good sport the entire visit. We’ve also enjoyed Lost Maples State Historic Area, Bastrop, Frederickburg, Luchenbach, and other Hill Country towns.

Gentry McRae is a rancher whose land is near the Medina River and fictional Harrigan Springs. He was lucky enough to become the partner of a man whose life he saved. Together, they’ve built a fine ranch. His partner, who is a decade older than Gentry, agrees to let his mother and grandmother send him a bride from Germany, where he was born.

The mail order bride is named Adelheid “Heidi” Roth. Although she is from her prospective groom’s birthplace, she was a baby when he left at age fifteen. His mother and grandmother attend the same church as her family, so she knows them. But not well, because her family is not in the same social circles as the wealthy groom-to-be.

 

PREORDER NOW AT  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

Sometimes the perfect match is the one you didn't expect.

Here is the book’s description:

Nothing much riles Gentry McRae. He works hard on the ranch he co-owns with his best friend, and is content with his life. He’s proud of all they’ve accomplished in the ten years since the war. That is, until his partner dies and leaves his half of the ranch to his mail-order bride—and wills the bride to Gentry! “Now just a doggone minute, I don’t plan to marry for years!” But, a single woman can’t reside on a ranch where four men live without ruining her reputation. What’s a good man to do, except marry the woman when she arrives?

Heidi Roth has been spurned for being too plainspoken and too tall. In addition, her sister constantly makes fun of her for those reasons. That’s why—with many doubts—she’s willing to travel for months from Germany to Texas to marry a man who once lived in her town. When she arrives, she learns her prospective groom died four days earlier, but willed her his share of a ranch. She has serious doubts, but agrees to wed the partner, Gentry, to protect her reputation. Sure enough, from the next day, one event after the other happens to complicate her life—yet she is happy. Until she sees the will and learns they are not equal partners as Gentry had led her to believe.

The arrival of three orphans are a welcome addition to the household. The grassfire that threatens the ranchers and the lives of those who live there creates terror in Heidi's heart. Will Gentry return so she can tell him she's sorry for her sharp words? If he does, will he accept her apology and return to the married life she enjoyed?

 

Heidi Roth

Enjoy an excerpt:

The comments from her sister and cousin fueled her actions. She strode from the house toward the matchmaker’s home. Though she did not want to risk the matchmaker again, she longed to get away from the people who belittled her. Something must change.

Being ten inches over five feet meant she towered over most people. Did they think being tall meant she had no feelings? Like most women, she wanted her own husband and children. She was tired of her sister and cousins making snide remarks about her height and lack of a husband or children.

Each of the matches Mrs. Heinz suggested was a man with whom Heidi had known in school. Each disliked that he was several inches shorter than she. She had no control over her height. Each wanted a younger wife, not someone nearly twenty-five. Neither liked a woman who spoke her mind, but she would not pretend to be what she was not.

Their town was simply too small to have many bachelors. Mrs. Heinz relied on word of mouth for her matchmaking business. Heidi wanted to run into the forest and never return. Instead, she held her head high and walked the half-mile to the home of Mrs. Heinz.

Stay safe and keep reading!