Wednesday, May 21, 2025

About the Book

Book: Seven Brides for Seven Texans

Authors: Gabrielle Meyer, Erica Vetsch, Amanda Barratt, Lorna Steilstad, Keli Gwyn, and Vickie McDonough

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 29, 2025

Seven brothers, seven heiresses, and one meddling grandfather—can mismatched matchmaking pave the way for true love?

Abraham Kennebrae, a powerful Minnesota tycoon, hatches a bold matchmaking scheme to secure his grandsons’ futures by pairing them with the wealthiest heiresses in town. But the brothers have no intention of complying, and their prospective brides harbor plans of their own. Jonathan battles to protect his fortune from slipping through his fingers, while Melissa guards the secret that could shatter her world—and her heart. Noah seeks refuge on Sutton Island, where fate throws him into the path of his destined bride, Anastasia. Meanwhile, Eli resigns himself to an engagement with Clarice Zahn, though his heart stirs at the sight of her younger sister, Josie.

With emotions running high and loyalties tested, Abraham’s carefully crafted plan spirals into chaos. Can love triumph when hearts rebel against expectations, or will the grandfather’s meddling prove too great a challenge for even the most determined romantics?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Authors

Gabrielle Meyer, a Minnesota native, draws inspiration for her historical fiction from the rich stories and landscapes of her home state, where she lives on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. A former employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, Gabrielle loves weaving real people, places, and events into her captivating tales.

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch weaves her love for Jesus, history, romance, and sports into her stories, including The Debutante’s Code, the first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series. When she’s not crafting fiction or planning her next trip to a history museum.

Bestselling author Amanda Barratt brings to life overlooked moments in history through her award-winning novels, including The Warsaw Sisters, Within These Walls of Sorrow, and The White Rose Resists. Based in Michigan, she’s often immersed in research, tackling her ever-growing TBR stack, or savoring a slice of lemon cake.

Carol Award finalist Lorna Seilstad explores life’s complexities with humor in her nine novels, including the Lake Manawa Summers and Gregory Sisters series, as well as several novella collections. When she’s not writing, she teaches women’s Bible classes, runs a toy store, plans weddings, or spends time with her Pyredoodle, Honey Bea.

Keli Gwyn crafts inspirational historical romances that she loves to read. A California native, she now lives in the greater Sacramento area with her husband and their sweet orange tabby, enjoying life close to family.

Vickie McDonough, a CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas, brings the Old West to life in her award-winning romances featuring ranchers, cowboys, and lawmen. Though married to a computer geek who fears horses, she lives out her ranching dreams through her stories—and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, making cards, and traveling.

More from Erica

Hi, I’m Erica Vetsch, and I loved collaborating on the stories for the 7 Brides for 7 Texans collection. It was fun writing stories that were so intertwined, and working closely with the other authors in the collection to bring the whole concept together.

Initially, I was approached by a publisher, asking if I would be interested in heading up a novella collection loosely based on the idea of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, the classic musical. The parameters were that the stories must be no longer than 25K words, be historical in setting, and that I could choose the overall concept, as well as my team of authors.

I, of course, jumped at the chance. Before I contacted anyone, I worked up a rough idea of the premise of the stories. A wealthy Texas rancher with seven strapping sons is tired of waiting for them to get married and provide him with grandchildren, so he issues an ultimatum. Get married by the end of the calendar year, or you’re disinherited.

I named all the sons after famous Texans, and gave them a birth order, then I began contacting writing friends to see if they were interested in joining the project. Everyone I asked said yes!

Then the real fun began. We formed a private Facebook group, and as the characters were chosen by the various authors, the order of the stories in the collection formed, and as ideas for storylines poured in, I began creating what we came to call The Master Document.

In the MD we tracked main characters’ names and appearances, secondary characters, a map of the fictional town of Hartsville, TX, and more. It eventually ran to more than 20 pages of information. We named the town newspaper, the general store, and kept track of the layout of the Harts’ massive ranch house. Keeping these details all in one place made it easy for the authors to flesh out their story world in a way that was consistent with everyone else’s stories.

Because the stories are so closely tied and on such a tight timeline, each of the authors’ characters would appear in another author’s novella. We needed to respect each other’s visions for the characters and treat them with respect, while also having the freedom to write our own stories.

Early on, as the project coordinator, it was established that if a dispute arose between two authors on how something should go, it would be myself who would cast the final vote. However, that contingency never came into play, as all the authors worked so well together.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was, that as the project lead, and the one writing the final story in the collection, I needed to know the most about all the stories. Just before the deadline to turn our stories into the publisher, each author sent their story along to me to read for continuity. I spent a long weekend at author Gabrielle Meyer’s house, and we read every novella aloud, making notes for consistency and continuity throughout. These notes were turned in to the project editor, and she used them in her editing process to make sure seven separate stories felt cohesive.

It truly was a fun—and to me—unique, project, and when the publisher asked if I would like to head up a follow up collection, I was eager to say yes, and thus 7 Brides for 7 Texas Rangers was born.

Both of these intertwined collections went out of print, but they are now being released once more, this time through Wild Heart Books. I’m thrilled that we can tell our stories to new readers and prolong the lives of these characters.

MY REVIEW

What a wonderful book this has been to read. I loved how each author shined in their writing and gave us a look at life in Texas. It was fun to read how each brother took on the task of finding a wife. There is laughter, faith, adventure and lots of fun in this book of stories from different authors.

Each story features cowboys who work hard and desire to settle down at some point. I liked how each story flowed and had a nod to Texas history. Pay special attention to the brother’s names as they will spark recognition among many. I like books that feature different authors because you get a chance to meet new ones and embrace those you know well. This is definitely a western theme and brings a realistic look at ranching.

I am impressed with how each story comes to life with emotions, faith and hope. It is a great challenge to have several authors join together in a project like this, but I am impressed with how each story brings richness to the previous story and then develops the next character without missing a beat. Great job authors on delivering a fun book that readers will cherish.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 21

Pens Pages & Pulses, May 21

Texas Book-aholic, May 22

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 23

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 24

Simple Harvest Reads, May 24 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

Devoted To Hope, May 25

For Him and My Family, May 25

Stories By Gina, May 26 (Author Interview)

Jeanette’s Thoughts, May 26

She Lives to Read, May 27

lakesidelivingsite, May 27

Labor Not in Vain, May 28

Tell Tale Book Reviews, May 28

Cover Lover Book Review, May 29

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 29

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 30

Holly’s Book Corner, May 30

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 31

Blossoms and Blessings, June 1

Jodie Wolfe, June 1

Pause for Tales, June 2

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 2

Leslie’s Library Escape, June 3

Giveaway

To celebrate their tour, the Wild Heart Books Authors are giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54225

About the Book

Book: Texas Divided

Author: Sherry Shindelar

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: March 25, 2025

He thought he was rescuing her from the Comanche. Now the Civil War soldier must prove he isn’t the villain she thinks he is.

Driven by the looming expectation of becoming a suffocatingly proper lady, Morning Fawn is determined to escape the confines of her uncle’s plantation and return to her adoptive Comanche tribe. But with each failed attempt, her hopes dwindle, and she wonders if she’ll ever find her way back home or if that world is forever lost to her.

Devon Reynolds, disillusioned by the price of affluence and the horrors of war, leaves his privileged life to join the Texas Rangers and later the cavalry. In the military service, he finds purpose . . . until he loses his wife during childbirth while he is away. In an attempt to redeem himself, he takes one last fateful mission to rescue Morning Fawn from the Comanche. But the results force him to question the righteousness of his actions and the cause he serves.

When Devon returns to Texas as a Yankee spy, his path crosses with Morning Fawn once more. Determined to save her from the prison of her uncle’s house and to recover Texas from the Confederacy, Devon is drawn to her fierce spirit and unwavering resolve. But can two wounded souls, each fighting their own battles, find solace and love amidst the chaos of war?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-eight years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

More from Sherry

The Cotton Road

I loved the opportunity to tie the Texas frontier and the Civil War together in Texas Divided, the second book in my Lone Star Redemption series.

I have been an avid student of the Civil War for a couple decades. However, until I started researching for Texas Divided, I had no clue that the Yankees ever invaded Texas. But they did in November 1863. Why? It was because of cotton. By 1863, the Federal blockade of the Confederate coastline was fairly secure, and Texas became the golden gateway for funding the Confederacy.

Cotton from Arkansas, western Louisiana, and east Texas traveled the Cotton Road. This dusty trail ran from the railroad terminus in Alleyton, TX (about seventy miles west of Houston) by way of King’s Ranch near Corpus Christi to Brownsville and across the Rio Grande to Matamoros, Mexico, the largest cotton market in the world during the war. In regards to commercial activity, it rivaled pre-war New Orleans or Baltimore.

A young teamster wrote that from the watchtower at King’s Ranch, the main stop on the way to Matamoros, he could see hundreds of wagons on the road at one time, a long train of dust rising up as they traveled toward Brownsville and the Rio Grande.

At some points the trail was almost a mile wide due to traffic, and more than one hundred miles of it was desert with no water. Puffs of cotton clung to the sagebrush and cacti along the way and lingered for years after the war.

When the cotton reached Matamoros, it was loaded onto steamboats and/or wagons owned by Mexicans and transported to the mouth of the Rio Grande at the Gulf of Mexico. International ships from Britain, France, and other countries hovered there, sometimes hundreds at a time, waiting to fill their hulls with cotton. And the Yankees couldn’t stop them. If a Federal ship fired on a British, French, Mexican, or ship of another nationality, it could have been considered an act of war.

By 1863, cotton, which had sold for .10 cents a pound in 1860, now sold for as much as $1.89 a pound, and one bale averaged 450 – 500 pounds. The money made on the sale of cotton was the financial bloodline of the Confederacy. For example, in just one week in August, twenty thousand pounds of gunpowder arrived in Brownsville, purchased with proceeds from the sale of cotton.

That’s why the Federal Army invaded Brownsville in early November 1863. Their mission was to stop or at least seriously hinder the cotton trade. Doing so could save lives on the battlefield and perhaps bring an earlier end to the war.

The Yankees reached the city without any resistance. However, they found a meager one hundred and fifty bales on the Texas side of the river and could only gaze at the more than ten thousand bales stacked along the Mexican wharves. The Rebs had moved or destroyed everything of value.

The invasion lasted for several months and forced the Confederates to improvise and find new trails for the cotton shipments, hauling the loads via San Antonio to Eagle Pass and Laredo. Unfortunately, the Yankees only netted a hundred or so bales here and there.

Cotton continued to reign until the war efforts in the East bled the Confederacy dry. But for those few months at the end of 1863, hopes were high, especially amongst the two regiments of Texas cavalry fighting for the Union, Texans who abhorred the Confederacy and who had left Texas to avoid being forced into the Reb army. These men returned with the Federal troops in November 1863 to restore Texas to the Union and wreak havoc on the Cotton Road.

Lieutenant Devon Reynolds is one of these Texans, loyal to the Union, and determined to do his part to rescue Texas from the grip of the Confederacy. Except in his case, he trades his Yankee uniform for that of a Confederate and dons an eye patch, operating as a spy and saboteur. But his life becomes complicated and his mission uncertain when he runs into Morning Fawn, the woman he kidnapped from the Comanche eighteen months before. As far as she’s concerned, he ruined her life by sentencing her to her uncle’s plantation. Can he complete the mission and right the wrong? Texas Divided is a story of redemption, faithfulness, and perseverance. The characters come to an end of themselves and discover that God can make a way where there was no way.

MY REVIEW

I absolutely loved Morning Fawn. She is a fierce young woman who has been treated like a prisoner by her uncle. All she wants to do is go back to her people which she is calls home. She is rescued due to her uncle, but why? She seemed so happy where she was. When she is offered land by her uncle if she marries a suitable soldier she decides this is her way to freedom.

Devon has suffered a great loss but takes on another mission thinking he is saving a young woman. To his dismay he finds out that Morning Fawn really needs to be freed from her uncle. It was subtle but I saw the signs that he was interested in her especially after he saw how she has been treated. My stars why was she locked in the attic and given sleeping medicine? Why is it so important to keep Morning Fawn a prisoner? I like how Devon deems himself the rescuer and finds a way to help Morning Fawn.

I liked how the author talked about slavery and showed how they were mistreated. Devon and Morning Fawn both want to help them escape , but at what cost? Tensions run high as a secret mission takes place to unite a sweet couple before one of them is sold. Can Morning Fawn and Devon pull it off?

There is danger in the story when Devon takes on a mission as he continues as a spy. His character grows throughout the book which illustrates trust, humility and protection. Morning Fawn has barriers up but you can tell that she starts to let bitterness go. I loved reading how the author not only brings us historical facts but a story rich in faith.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 20

Fawn Texas Book-aholic, May 21

Blossoms and Blessings, May 22 (Author Interview)

Pause for Tales, May 22

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 23

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 24

Artistic Nobody, May 25 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 26

lakesidelivingsite, May 27

Books You Can Feel Good About, May 28

Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, May 29 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, May 30

Holly’s Book Corner, May 31

Stories By Gina, June 1 (Author Interview)

Book Butterfly in Dreamland, June 1

Bizwings Book Blog, June 2

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Sherry is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54224

Sunday, May 18, 2025

About the Book

Book: When Heaven Thunders (West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm #2)

Author: Kendy Pearson

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release date: October 1, 2024

When the devil wears Blue and Gray,

doing the right thing can be a thorny matter.

His family is missing. Bushwhackers are sleeping in his bed. This war just got a heap more personal for Union Sergeant Fin Dabney.

Fighting guerillas in your own neck of the woods comes at a high price. Neighbors, kin, and even Fin’s best friend are on the wrong end of a rifle. But not all battles are fought amid smoke and blood. When Fin faces a murderer from his past, flesh and spirit collide, but only one can prevail.

Melinda Jane has waited a lifetime for Fin to declare his intentions. But now she has moved on to other interests—with disastrous results. Her choices have cost her Fin’s love and possibly her life.

Why was it he could draw down on the enemy and look death in the eye, but he could not bring himself to deal plainly with Melinda Jane?

He never told her how he feels. Now he may never get the chance.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kendy Pearson is a worship leader, Bluegrass fiddler, and Civil War reenactment enthusiast. As a veteran high school teacher, she loves to discover a pocket of American history missing from the schoolbooks and turn that pocket inside out. Her novels lead fictitious characters through historical events and settings, engaging with period personalities. And she always includes a romantic thread to warm the heart. Every story is a journey through tragedy, secrets, regrets, and God’s undeniable grace.

She has received multiple lit awards and enjoys public speaking and teaching writing workshops. When she’s not clicking away on the computer or scaling mountains of research, she relishes ice cream, snowy days, fireplaces, and maple trees. Kendy is the mother of four grown children and lives with her sweet hubby and two amusing miniature dachshunds.

More from Kendy

Research and writing are so much fun! I always have some kind of theme in mind for every book I write. In keeping with my brand, Heart of History, I am turning two history pockets inside out with this second story of the “West Virginia: Born of Rebellion’s Storm” series. When Heaven Thunders is the eldest Dabney sibling’s story and brings two factors to light that are not commonly known about the Civil War.

First, Fin, the hero, faces various moral dilemmas just trying to carry out orders. He witnesses historically accurate atrocities and unfair tactics perpetrated by both Union and Confederate commanders and soldiers. Fin is in the thick of rooting out bushwhackers and guerillas who bring the battle to not just the soldiers, but to civilian homes and families, including his own.

Fin is a moralist, working desperately to find a way to do the right thing even when all his choices seem so very wrong. Can you imagine meeting your best friend on the battlefield and he’s the enemy? I tried to wrap my mind around the idea of neighbor against neighbor and lawless vigilantes molesting plain folks in the name of a cause. “We are in a war, yes, but it needn’t strip a man of his humanity or God’s favor.” (Col. Joseph Lightburn, Fin’s commander)

Secondly, Melinda Jane, the feisty family friend (who definitely wants to be more than Fin’s friend) represents another little-known pocket from history. I took a bit of my own heritage to heart for her background. For most of my life, I definitely resembled my kin of Irish ancestry. However, like Melinda Jane, I have Native American and African American genes also. We don’t think much about mixed race nowadays—it’s the fabric of our wonderful country! Unfortunately, many folks were not as accepting during the Civil War period. At that time, a variety of ethnicities were actually enslaved, which we seldom see represented in Civil War movies and stories.

My second main character’s “secret” lends to her heart of gold and a compassionate nature that shines through everything she does. “Izzy taught me we’re all born into bondage. It matters not a whit what color a man’s skin is or the color of his horse or house—we’re all in shackles and only Master Jesus holds the key.” (Melinda Jane)

Oh boy, did I enjoy working with Fin and Melinda Jane—and watching sparks fly! I hope they’ll make you smile as well.

Blessings from the Heart of History, my friends!

Kendy

MY REVIEW

A romp into the Western World awaits readers with action, the Civil War and faith. I liked how the author captured the time period with accuracy and emotions. Fin is a wonderful character that at times is sad about the division the war has caused. Family member fighting against each other, friends on opposite sides and loss at every turn.

Melinda Jane is a sweet young woman who has carried a torch for Fin. She is a giving person who illustrates grace. I love how she never gives up on finding happiness. It’s funny how Fin has always thought of Melinda Jane as a sister until recently.

While the characters are good I really liked how the author gives historical facts and shows how this war divided so many. What would it be like to find out a brother was on the opposite side? Could you fight against them? There is plenty of action but I loved how faith was a big part in the story as well.

Get ready for a great story that explores a war that changed history. There is also a good illustration of seeking God and allowing Him to show you His plan for your life.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Blog Stops

Book Looks by Lisa, May 14

Stories By Gina, May 15 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 16

Simple Harvest Reads, May 17 (Author Interview)

Artistic Nobody, May 18 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, May 18

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 19

Devoted Steps, May 20

Guild Master, May 21 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 22

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 23

Fiction Book Lover, May 24 (Author Interview)

Inklings and Notions, May 24

For Him and My Family, May 25

Blossoms and Blessings, May 26 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, May 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kendy is giving away the grand prize of a $40 Amazon gift card and a paperback copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54234

Saturday, May 17, 2025

About the Book

Book: Unshakable (Casts of Silver Book 4. It can be read as a standalone.)

Author: K.J Rowe

Genre: Teen / Y.A

Release date: January 13, 2025

Self-assured. Perceptive. Determined. Character traits Nick Marshall wears with pride, along with a bit of charm.

He knows himself and what his future holds.

At last, living the life he had long dreamed for himself as a Police Officer, Nick struggles to understand why things he witnessed as a first responder early in his career continue to haunt him. Reoccurring dreams grow a nagging anxiety which, combined with the stress of keeping up with his grueling work roster, as well as extracurricular activities, begin to shadow his professionalism.

Frustrated at himself slipping, Nick begins to take steps to ease his workload when his youth minister drops a bombshell on the Leadership Team that leaves them all reeling, but also sparks a question in Nick’s mind: was he really doing what God wanted him to do?

With rumors starting at work amid a sense of impending threat, Nick continues to pursue the life he’s long envisaged for himself, believing the blessings of God are still upon him. However, when he finds himself in mortal danger, Nick is forced to reconsider everything he’d come to believe and the plans he had for himself.

Will Nick win the battle within his mind and decode the will of God for his life? Will he be willing to let go of his own will and take hold of God’s?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

K.J. Rowe began her writing career in 2012 with the drafting of her Young Adult series called “Casts of Silver”, The series, born out of her own unique experiences and understanding how books can literally change people’s lives has been crafted to spotlight particular issues common amongst young people. To impress upon youth the importance of listening to their inner voice, remembering their self worth and to trust in Gods perfect plan for each of our lives is the mission and vision of this series. Karen lives with her husband and 2 children on a farm in North West Victoria, Australia.

More from K.J.

Hey! Thanks for stopping by!

Casts of Silver is my debut five book series. After a nagging conviction to write, I asked the Lord what it was He wanted me to pen down. The very next morning, I awoke with five clear stories in my mind.

Unshakable is book 4, of 5. It’s been an incredible journey for me writing this series with each of stories including a part of my own testimony. The series is centered around five youth group leaders, with the stories looking at very real circumstances that young people face in today’s world without sugar coating consequences of individual actions.

However, God is always at work.

But where is He when problems arise?

Well, He is always closer than you think and He’s always working for your good!

Enjoy.
God Bless!

Now, who doesn’t love a great healthy(ish) treat while reading a fabulous book? I’ve recently come across this delicious cake recipe and thought I would share it with you all.

DATE CAKE

1.5C Boiling Water

70g dates, chopped

1 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

3/4C softened butter

1C Sugar (I used a little less)

2 eggs

2C Plain Flour

1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING

1/2C chocolate chips

1/2C sugar

1/2C chopped nuts of choice (I used Pecans, recipe uses walnuts)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175C, grease 28x18cm lamington pan

Pour boiling water over dates, stir in 1tsp of Bicarbonate Soda. Stand until cool.

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, then remaining bicarbonate of soda, sifted flour and salt. Fold in date mixture.

Pour into pan, sprinkle over the topping ingredients. Bake for 35-45mins.

Goes well cold or warm with cream. Enjoy!

MY REVIEW

What an adventure this book has in store for readers. The action is fast paced and delivers a nice suspenseful book. Nick is a good character who tries to keep God first in everything he does. The challenges he faces puts his faith to the test with temptation. It was interesting that his relationship with someone is not exactly a healthy one. I had to wonder why he would try to justify why he was dating someone who clearly is not a Christian. Since this story is geared towards young adults perhaps the author wants to show how peer pressure is out there.

I liked the book but I did have some questions about some of the references made such as youth groups that don’t seem as grounded as they should be. Nick was all over the place at tines and I really wanted his character to trust God more and not try to please others.

The best part of the story for me was how the question of if Nick was following the path God has laid out for him, or is he trying to convince himself that he is doing the right thing. He does run into danger which makes him redirect his thoughts and reflect on the calling God has for him.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.