WRITING WITH A FRIEND

 I hope you are fortunate enough to have friends who make you laugh. They are a wonderful gift. One friend who makes me laugh is Jacquie Rogers. In my opinion, you can’t beat her Hearts of Owyhee series. In fact, each of us is an award winning and bestselling author.

Several years ago, we decided to write related books and combine them in one volume. This duet was titled Mail Order Tangle. We laughed so much, you may have heard us. Then, we decided to do another, Orphan Train Brides. Both duets hold a special place in my heart.

Let me share them with you:

Mail Order Tangle

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Tangle-Caroline-Clemmons-ebook/dp/B00MZ6ZRXC

Mail-Order Promise by Caroline Clemmons

Ellie Dickerson and her sister are in desperate straits when she contracts to become a mail-order bride to a Texas rancher. After her arduous trip from Virginia, she learns her fiancé has died. His handsome brother has sworn to take care of her and she’s instantly attracted to him, but he seems indifferent toward her. What will happen to her and her sister?

Kage Johanssen, co-owner of a ranch in Idaho with his cousin Matt, is forced to take over his family’s Central Texas ranch on the death of his older brother. Kage is in no hurry to get married, and when his brother’s bride shows up, she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife—except she’s stunningly beautiful. Despite his deathbed promise to his brother and his attraction to Ellie, he’s convinced she doesn’t have the grit to be a rancher’s wife.

When a greedy, sadistic villain attempts to take over the ranch and kill Kage, can Ellie save her true love? What will it take to prove that she’s the only woman for Kage?

Mail-Order Ruckus by Jacquie Rogers

Matt Johanssen returned to the ranch he and his cousin Kage started in Owyhee County, Idaho Territory, not knowing he took Laura Dickerson's heart with him. Now that her sister no longer needs her, Laura wants a home of her own and a family to put in it. No other man would fill the bill as well as Matt, but he’s not interested. Not wanting to live as a spinster aunt the rest of her life, Laura signs a contract with a marriage broker, choosing to go to Silver City, near Matt’s ranch, in hopes that he might come around. But he’s not on the roster of eligible grooms! When Matt sees Laura among the brides on display on the balcony of the Idaho Hotel, he feels gutshot. He’s in no position to take a wife, not with a ranch eating up every spare moment and dollar. But if he doesn't step forward, the one woman he wants will be wed at the end of the week—and not to him.

Will Matt walk away from the woman who stole his heart or let go of everything he's worked so hard to build go in exchange for love?

 

Orphan Train Brides

https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Train-Brides-Caroline-Clemmons-ebook/dp/B07TW8JH44

Two award winning and bestselling authors conspired to bring readers these two heartwarming stories, A Family For Merry by Caroline Clemmons and A Family For Polly by Jacquie Rogers in the duet, Orphan Train Brides.

Become a bride or lose her children!

 

Asked to help with recording who took which children from the orphan train, Merry and Polly Bird took advantage of their position. Determined to liberate five quirky, ragtag orphans not likely to be adopted by caring people, they vowed the children would not end up as they had fourteen years ago. Back then, Merry and Polly and the two boys adopted with them from that orphan train worked as slaves. They received little food, substandard living quarters, and insufficient clothing to protect against the cold winters.

Mary and Polly’s children love their new home and family at the sisters’ Mockingbird Boarding House. The rescue idea appears to have been a great success—until the supervisor from the Children’s Protection Society arrives. Single women are not allowed to adopt. Merry and Polly each has five days to find a suitable husband who won’t steal her share of the boarding house.

 

Orphans gathered by 

and on an orphan train

If you haven’t read these stories, I hope you’ll give them a read. Let me know how you like them.

Meanwhile, why not follow me on BookBub here?

ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES #newrelease

Do you have a special friend you met online? Jacquie Rogers and I met online and have since met in person several times. She is a fun person and bright as a new penny. Plus, her husband and mine actually share interests and talk to one another.

Occasionally Jacquie and I have collaborated on projects. We wrote about sisters for Kirsten Osbourne’s American Mail-Order Brides. Jacquie’s was MERCY, BRIDE OF IDAHO, and mine was PATIENCE, BRIDE OF WASHINGTON. We collaborated on a duet featuring sisters, MAIL-ORDER TANGLE, for which I wrote MAIL-ORDER PROMISE and Jacquie wrote MAIL-ORDER RUCKUS. (Trust me, there’s a ruckus wherever Jacquie goes.) We’ve done it again with ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES.

We don’t mean children from the orphan train are brides. Women who were adopted from the orphan train years ago must become brides.

Here’s the blurb:

Become a bride or lose her children!

Merry and Polly Bird jump at the opportunity when they’re asked to help record who takes which children from the orphan train in their town. Determined to liberate five quirky, ragtag orphans not likely to be adopted by caring people, the sisters vow the children will not end up as they had fourteen years ago. Back then, Merry and Polly and the two boys adopted with them from that orphan train worked as slaves and suffered in ragged clothes, horrible living conditions, and with meager and unappetizing food.

Mary and Polly’s children love their new home and family at the sisters’ Mockingbird boarding house. The rescue idea appears to have been a great success—until the supervisor from the Children’s Protection Society arrives. Single women are not allowed to adopt. Merry and Polly each has five days to find a suitable husband who won’t steal her share of the boarding house.

Two award winning and bestselling authors conspired to bring readers these two heartwarming stories, A FAMILY FOR MERRY by Caroline Clemmons and A FAMILY FOR POLLY by Jacquie Rogers in the sweet duet, ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES. In addition to this release about sisters, the authors have in their future projects a duet about the two brothers, Bart and Newton Bird.

The Amazon buy link is: https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Train-Brides-Caroline-Clemmons-ebook/dp/B07TW8JH44/

Here's an excerpt from A FAMILY FOR MERRY. When the sisters and their adoptees meet Blake on the street, Abby invites him to come with them to Bea's sweet shop:

Blake stepped to the counter. “We’ll have sarsaparillas and cupcakes all around.”

Abby clapped her hands. “Did you hear, Tammie? We get sar’prilla and a cupcake.”

Polly protested, “Mr. Woolfe, surely you don’t intend to treat all of us.”

“My pleasure, ladies and gentlemen.” He paid Bea and then gave a slight bow. After he delivered two of the drinks he went back to the counter for more.

Merry sat and pulled Tammie onto her lap. Abigail and Calvin joined her. Polly and her two sat at the next table.

When Bea and Mr. Woolfe had delivered all of the drinks and cupcakes, he sat at the table beside Calvin. “You don’t mind if I sit beside you do you, Calvin? We men have to stick together.”

Calvin sat up a little taller and almost smiled. “Yeah, we men have to stick together ’cause we’re outnumbered.”

Mr. Woolfe saluted Noah with his glass. “Isn’t that right, Noah?”

Noah grinned and raised his drink as Mr. Woolfe had done. Although Noah still hadn’t spoken, seeing him smile was a relief.

The lawyer carried on a conversation with the children but sent her glances that left her puzzled. He was usually gruff yet he was quite kind to the children. 

Merry simply couldn’t figure out Blake Woolfe.

(***The two novellas in ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES are expanded from previous inclusion in the anthology, UNDER A MULBERRY MOON.)

What else is going on? So glad you asked—you have a chance to win prizes! There are parties to celebrate the release of ORPHAN TRAIN BRIDES.

The first is on my Facebook group, Caroline’s Cuties, all day on the July 19^th release day. Prizes will be Amazon gift cards and e-books.

But wait—there’s more!

On Tuesday, July 23, Jacquie and I are each having a party on Facebook. The first hour from 4:00 Pacific, 5:00 Mountain, 6:00 Central, 7:00 Eastern will be at Caroline’s Cuties and the second hour will be from 5:00 Pacific, 6:00 Mountain, 7:00 Central and 8:00 Eastern for one hour at JacquieRogers’ Pickle Barrel Bar and Books.

Come to our parties—you might win.