LISTEN TO MY STORY

 By Caroline Clemmons

Medina River in the Texas Hill Country

 My latest series is the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. I’ve enjoyed writing this series, which now includes six books. If you haven’t yet read them (hand to my breaking heart, I’m crushed), this is a great time to listen to the audiobook. The narration will leave your hands and eyes free to do mundane tasks like folding laundry or unloading the dishwasher or struggle through traffic. Of course, you could always choose my way to listen and just curl up in your favorite chair. <G> My dogs prefer that method because it leaves my lap available. Baxter the labradoodle doesn't realize he's too large to be a lapdog. Murphy the Maltese fits nicely and leaves space for Baxter.

I’m tremendously excited that this series and my other books are available as audiobooks from Amazon and Audible. This may not seem like a big deal to you, dear reader, but—trust me—it is for any author. So, if you’ve read the series, hearing them narrated will be a pleasant experience in which you’ll catch things you overlooked or forgot from the ebook or print.

The first of this series, GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, is on sale now for 99¢ as an e-book. So, I suggest you start your audiobook quest with JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE.

Sheriff Jesse Cameron came from Scotland several years ago, directly to Texas. After wandering through several towns, he found the place for him. That one is Harrigan Springs, county seat of Harrigan County (a fictitious county squeezed in between real Bandera and Medina Counties, with the Medina River flowing along the town’s edge). Before he became sheriff, there were rough characters causing trouble in town. Now that he’s cleaned the troublemakers away, it’s a pleasant and mostly peaceful place to live. He's a popular man. 

Jesse’s home is only a short walk from his office at the jail. His chief deputy, Zan Crain, has a home on the street behind him. Each man wants a wife to offer comfort and companionship and start a family. Together they send letters to a matchmaker and hope their wives will be friends. They certainly are.

The story of how their wives arrived in Harrigan Springs and how their arrival affected the men’s lives is this book. It’s a sweet romance with danger and adventure and children. Jesse is one of my favorite heroes. I’m sure you’ll see why when you listen to his story.

 https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Jesse-Mail-Order-Bride/dp/B0CY4HR8PY/

 

Thanks for stopping by.

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR YOU

 By Caroline  Clemmons

Happy Birthday To Me!

Yes, once again it’s the annual celebration of my 39^th birthday. So, I have a present for YOU.

I decided to give away 5 Amazon gift cards of $5.00 each to readers who enter the contest. All you have to do to enter is answer one question that can be found in the FREE reader sample of my sweet historical western romance, GENTREY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. 

https://www.amazon.com/Gentry-Texas-Country-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

The question is:

What is the name of the heroine’s selfish sister?

 Email the answer to caroline @ carolineclemmons dot com.  Contest ends at midnight September 15, 2024 central standard time.

Here’s the blurb for the book:

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

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 a fourth 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?

Adelheid "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 Bavaria to Texas to marry a man who once lived in her town. When she arrives, she learns her prospective groom is dead, but left her a fourth of his share of a ranch. She has serious doubts, but agrees to wed Gentry to protect her reputation. Sure enough, from the next day, one event after the other happens. Is this the life she wants?

Thanks for stopping by!

HOW IT ALL BEGAN...

 By Caroline Clemmons

 

Ever since my family had a German couple as landlords when I was a little girl in Bakersfield, California, I have been fascinated by the German language—and the country. Our landlords spoke German when nosy little girls were near. I suspect they hoped it would discourage me, but it only caused me to eavesdrop whenever I could. That wasn’t often. Of course, my mother would not have permitted it if she had known.

My fascination didn’t wane after my family moved back to Texas, but I couldn't do much to feed my obsession except read the encyclopedias. I took German 101 at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. The professor was an  exchange professor from Germany. His stories of his homeland increased my desire to visit there. Finally, after many years, my husband began traveling to Germany occasionally. I was able to tag along several times.

In the meantime, both our daughters had taken German classes. On one trip they accompanied us. Our oldest had her heart set on a genuine cuckoo clock. In my favorite city of Munich, she had practiced how to ask for one in a shop. The first place we tried didn’t have them, but the clerk gave us directions in German to a clock shop not far away. I could tell she spoke English and was humoring our daughter. With only our smattering of German, we were elated when we understood the directions and found the right shop. Sadly, now we couldn’t do it—use it or lose it! We lost it.

When I thought of starting a fresh historical western romance mail order bride series, I wanted the first brides to be German. The area I love most is Bavaria. So, Adelheid “Heidi” Roth became the first mail order bride for the new sweet series, the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides. Her groom is Gentry McRae. (You may notice that is not the name of the groom to whom she commits herself in the excerpt below.)

Heidi

Heidi is a beautiful blond of 25 and is 5’ 10” tall. Without consciously intending it, Heidi’s family takes advantage of her. Well, maybe her sister intends to do so. Although Heidi has a quick temper, she usually keeps it in check rather than create strife in her family. Her spoiled younger sister, Willhamina, makes no attempt to hide her feeling of superiority because she is married and Heidi is not. 

Heidi's Bavarian Hometown

Several times recently, the local matchmaker has invited Heidi to visit her regarding Johann Meyer, a former resident who is now living in America. His mother also calls on Heidi. However, Heidi wants to find a husband on her own. One day, insults go too far and Heidi’s control snaps. She throws her pride and her apron aside and goes to the matchmaker.

Here the excerpt of the result:

Although she hated to leave her parents, she was tired of her family members criticizing her. If she needed to support herself, she could cook and sew and clean and do accounts. Her heart pounded so loud she thought Mrs. Heinz must hear it.

Heidi took a deep breath. “I believe Johann and I can make a good marriage.”

The matchmaker leaned back and clasped her hands to her chest. “Wonderful, my dear! You are a beautiful woman and a good daughter. I know how hard you work to help your mother, and even find time to help Mr. Schneider with his bookkeeping.”

“Thank you,” was all Heidi could say.

“I am so pleased you will have your own home—and it sounds like a very nice one. I have your funds and your travel arrangements. Mrs. Meyer was so sure you would accept that she has given me your tickets and the cash you’ll need for incidentals.”

Heidi cleared her throat to remove the lump that had lodged there. “You mean… you mean I am supposed to leave immediately?”

Mrs. Heinz held up a hand in a motion to halt. “You must get to your ship by the end of the month. To do so, you must leave in fourteen days. Please write Johann a letter today while you are here. I will mail it immediately so he will have it before you arrive.” She handed Heidi several sheets of paper and set the inkwell and pen near her.

Gentry, groom by default

Heidi travels for weeks to reach Harrigan Springs, Texas. When she arrives, huge surprises await her. If you haven’t read GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, I hope you’ll do so and then follow the series. You don't need to read the books in order, but you'll enjoy them more if you do. Each book is available in e-book and print. They are all enrolled in Kindle Unlimited. Here’s the Amazon link for GENTRY.

https://www.amazon.com/Gentry-Mail-Order-Bride-Country-

ebook/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

 

Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and keep reading! 

WHAT ARE YOUR HERO'S QUALITIES?

When you pick up a romance, what do you expect from the hero? Let’s talk about the main components of a hero, shall we?

First, let’s get his appearance out of the way. Do you require a thick head of hair and perfect physique before a man can be a hero in your eyes?  Does he have to be a certain height, have a particular color of eyes, and wear his hair a certain way? If he’s bald are all bets off? What if he’s a geek who wears glasses and isn’t that fit? What each of us means by “perfect” hero physically probably differs from one reader to the next. Not that I’m turned off by a handsome man, mind you, but I don’t care as much about his physical aspects as about his character.

I’m reminded about once when my daughter and I were headed into a store. This handsome young man in a Stetson held the door open for us. When we thanked him, he smiled politely (as opposed to leering), gave a slight bow, and said in the most adorable Southern drawl, “It was my pleasure.” What a great hero he would have made for a romance novel—if the rest of his actions matched his first impression.

Here are some qualities that are necessary for a hero, at least IMO. These qualities might not exist at the first of the book, but they’d better be there by the end or I want my money back.

[1] He has to be trustworthy. In our part of the country, you hear “His word is his bond.” That means if he says it, he’ll do it and you don’t need a contract to hold him to his word. No man with that reputation would risk losing it.

[2]  Loyalty. If he’s you’re friend, you don’t have to worry about him stabbing you in the back, figuratively or literally. He will defend you to others and, as the saying goes, have your back. Another saying from the Southwest along this line is “ride for the brand,” and it doesn’t just mean cowboys who work on a ranch.  If he takes a man’s money for a job, he won’t cheat his employer.

[3] Not afraid of commitment. Not just in romance, but I’m reminded of a man with whom I once worked. He was in his thirties but still lived in the rented apartment he moved into for grad school, rented his office, leased a car, had the same girlfriend for five years—yet wondered why no one took him seriously as an adult. His lifestyle was still grad student. Talk about arrested development. 

[4] Takes a stand. This may be a part of commitment, but I list it separately. It means he won’t be a “yes” man to anyone. He is not afraid to state his opinion about a course of action, and not afraid to follow up on that opinion.

Gentry McRae in the GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRID, fulfills each of the qualities listed above. You can get his story at is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6YN6QHK in ebook, print and in KU. 

Here's the blurb:

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 a fourth 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 a couple of years."

Although Gentry protests, he admits 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 is dead, but left her a fourth of his share of a ranch. She has serious doubts, but agrees to wed Gentry to protect her reputation. Sure enough, from the next day, one event after the other happens to complicate life.

I’m sure you can think of more qualities you look for in your heroes. Tell me what they are, and which you think are most important.  

A DESPERATE WOMAN

By Caroline Clemmons

Over the past couple of decades, I've written quite a few books about mail order brides, and read many more written by other authors. I can't help it, I love reading about women who take the chance and become a mail order bride. I've wondered if I would have been desperate enough to become one. 

Chris Enss has written an eye-opening book titled HEARTS WEST. In it she relates true stories of women who risked becoming a mail order bride to a stranger. Some ended up happily married. Others had difficult things happen, which included ending up in a brothel. 

I've heard non-readers or those who don't read romance make snarky remarks about the number of mail order bride books. There really were, and still are, mail order brides. The Civil War (stupid name for a war) caused the death of more men than both World War I and World War II combined. Many homes in the east were destroyed. Many young men came home to discover they had no home and no family left. Women raised to be genteel ladies suddenly had to fend for themselves or depend on relatives. 

So, what would you do? Would you risk becoming a mail order bride? Obviously, we can't answer that question since we aren't faced with the same circumstances. We can speculate, though, and consider the alternatives. 

Would you live with a relative as the "poor relation" who was likely no more than an unpaid servant? Would you become a "companion" to an older woman, again a servant but with a nicer name. Or, determined to have your own family, would you risk becoming a mail order bride? I think I might be adventurous enough to find a matchmaker. 

That's what Heidi Roth did in GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. The first two times, she was rejected for being too tall and too outspoken. Some men want a woman who is biddable and willing to go along with whatever he says, to think what he tells her to think. Heidi did not fit that description. She was a lovely, intelligent woman who often expressed her honest opinion. The matchmaker in her small town in Bavaria arranged for her to come to Texas to marry a man who'd been born in their town, but who had left for America when  he was a teen.

Heidi's hometown in Bavaria

After three months of  travel on small ships and then on stagecoaches, she must have wondered if her journey would ever end. Finally, she reached the stagecoach station where she was to meet her groom. When the man who met her gave a different name than she expected, she was suspicious. With good reason, because she learned her groom had died four days earlier. What will she do? What would you do?

If you haven't read this book, here's the link:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6YN6QHK 

It's available in e-book, print, and is available is free in Kindle Unlimited.

Stay Safe and keep reading!

GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE IS RELEASED!

By Caroline Clemmons

GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE released today! This sweet, historical western romance is the first in my new Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides Series. I’m super excited about this series—maybe you can tell. This is the first new series of my very own that I’ve started in a while.

 

Naming the bachelors who appear in the series and their mail order brides has been fun. Right now, I’m writing book two, JESSE AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE … but I’m getting ahead of myself. See, I told you I’m excited.

Gentry is a great guy who has worked hard for ten years as the junior partner in a successful ranch. His partner is just over a decade older than Gentry. The partner has decided to marry, and his grandmother is sending him a bride from the old country, Bavaria. When the partner dies only a few days before the mail order bride arrives, Gentry learns his late partner has willed his bride to Gentry.

“Now wait just a doggone minute!” Gentry protests.

 

Here’s the 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 a fourth of the ranch to his mail-order bride—and wills the bride to Gentry. Although Gentry protests, he admits 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 is dead, but left her his share of a ranch. She has serious doubts, but agrees to wed 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.

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

 

The link at Amazon is https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B6YN6QHK GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE is available in e-book, print, and is enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.

 

Heidi Roth

Here’s an excerpt:

         Heidi covered the cooling strudel with a towel, then cleaned and put away the pan. “The pastry is dessert for evening when Papa is home, so do not cut it now.”

Apple Strudel

Willhamina nudged their cousin and worked her mouth into the pout her sister thought appealing. Heidi thought she looked like a fish. “Poor Heidi. Too bad you will never have your own home. You will always have to cook in Mama’s kitchen.”

Greta pretended sympathy. “Oh, dear Heidi, if only you could find a giant man. Then you could have your own home and giant children.”

Both women giggled as if they were school girls instead of adults.

The two average-height women had taunted her all her life because she was taller than others her age. They acted as if they were perfect.

Being ten inches over five feet meant Heidi towered over most people. She was tired of her sister, her sister’s friends, and several cousins making hateful remarks about her height and lack of a husband or children. Did they think being tall meant she had no feelings?

Their insults hurt as well as angered Heidi. Usually she remained quiet when they spoke their hurtful words, but she snapped, “At least I do my part and cook instead of sitting around gossiping. And I assure you that if I had children, they would certainly be better behaved than your ill-mannered demons.”

The other two women gasped. Willhamina sailed out of the kitchen in a huff and Greta followed.

Good, Heidi did not need them around. Now that both Willhamina and Greta were married with children, their sarcastic ridicule approached malicious. Willhamina’s husband, Hans, made so little at the lumber mill that they lived here with Heidi’s parents. Only so her sister could have the life she deemed necessary. By no measure did that mean her sister did her share of the work.

Heidi gazed out the kitchen window. Apple trees bloomed and blue squill flowers carpeted the neighbor’s meadow beyond the orchard. A pretty view she enjoyed all year. But, would this be the scene she watched for the rest of her life?

Heidi knew she had to do something to change her situation.

Blue Squill flowers

Stay safe and keep reading!  

SHARING NEW SERIES!

 By Caroline Clemmons

I have exciting news to share with you!

GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE, book one in my new series, Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides, releases August 12. I am thrilled about this book, but today I want to tell you about the series that has me so excited!

The Texas Hill Country Brides Series is set in fictional Harrigan Springs, Texas, the county seat of fictional Harrigan County, the next county over from the very real Bandera. Bandera, Texas, bills itself as "The Cowboy Capital of the World." I'm aware there are other cities that lay claim to the title as well, but I'm fond of Bandera and the surrounding area.

Opening in 1875, GENTRY sets the stage for the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides Series.

• Gentry is a rancher presented with a series of life-altering events.
• Sheriff Jesse Cameron is a recent immigrant from Scotland and a strong believer in the law.
• Banker Keith Martin is a very nice man with a terrible secret in his past.
• Preacher Isaac Wood, from Boston, is a good man but the tiniest bit goody-goody.
• Mercantile owner Sidney Garton expects his wife to run the home as well as work in the store.
• Blacksmith Levi Iverson is from Sweden and proud to be in America.
• Lawyer Edmund Ferguson takes himself too seriously.

Spring brings bluebonnets

The covers are from Charlene Raddon's Silver Sage Cover Designs.

In my head, I can see/hear one of those old-time television announcers, as in the introduction of the Lone Ranger or Gunsmoke or Bonanza, calling you to this stirring series. (Yes, I do have an overactive imagination.<g> )

Join me on August 12 for the exciting release of GENTRY AND THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE. By the way, it's on preorder now at https://www.amazon.com/Gentry-Texas-Country-Order-Brides-ebook/dp/B0B6YN6QHK

The bull in GENTRY had wider horns.

Stay safe and keep reading!