Sliding from his chair, he gently grasped her hands in his own, kissing each of them in turn and then drew her up, into his embrace. He dropped a kiss onto the top of her head and then, when she raised it, onto her lips.
“I think we have many adventures in front of us, you and I,” he whispered to her, “and I am thrilled to know I will have you by my side for each of them.”
~~~
And they lived happily ever after!
The End
PLEASE POST A REVIEW
https://www.Amazon.com/review/create-review?&asin=B084T7R3GW
~~~
Why, you ask, are authors always asking for reviews? Well, mainly because it helps people find our books. You don’t have to say much. “I liked it because . . .” or even just “I liked it!”
Of course I hope you liked it! But do feel free to share with me what I could have done better (you’ll find all sorts of links below), or if you’d like to see someone else get her (or his!) own story.
And, thank you for reading!
ABOUT THIS SERIES
The Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies series presents Mail Order Brides with a twist—a secret baby, whose existence was not mentioned in any correspondence.
My volumes are scattered through this multi-author project, each volume standing alone. Here’s where you can find the rest of the series:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084WYL1QX
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
A few decades ago I “retired” from the corporate world and announced I was going to write a romance novel. I then spent the summer at the beach and the next year on the road visiting friends and relatives in some forty states and multiple Canadian provinces and Mexican estados. I chalk this—and the many intervening years before I finally actually published a book—all up to research. And I still love to travel!
In the meantime I’ve honed my editorial skills, gotten a history degree and learned a fair amount about antiques, running a business, and restoration of orphan buildings, the last several in conjunction with my charming spouse. And for us the adventure continues, although I seem to be writing a bit more (check out the Acknowledgements for my upcoming schedule!).
As my own inbox is filled with far too many newsletters, I’ve chosen not to write one and instead focus on social media to share my stories. Naturally I’d be tickled red, white, and blue were you to follow—or contact—me on any of the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElissaStratiAuthor
Twitter: Betababe [@AvenueAntiques]
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elissa-Strati/e/B077GLWD94
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17307510.Elissa_Strati
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elissa-strati
Sweet Promise Press: https://sweetpromisepress.com/authors/strati
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/elissastrati
(Nota Bene: The cover of this book was a runner up in the March AllAuthor cover contest!)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(Or, More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About My Upcoming Books)
No man is an island. This makes my sixth published work of fiction and the list of folks who’ve helped me along the way continues to grow. I might never even have started this journey without the encouragement and support of author Melissa Storm whose original First Street Church novels set in Sweet Grove, Texas, became the inspiration for an entire Kindle World into which I wrote my first three novels. When Amazon dropped the worlds, the intrepid Melissa formed her own publishing house, Sweet Promise Press, which subsequently reissued an expanded version of Love’s Odds. (My next two novels in the series. Love’s Sweet Memories and Love’s Laird, await my rewriting efforts.)
It was among the First Street group of fellow authors that I met Jane Lebak and delved into the world of Gothic Romance—okay, maybe a little bit of Horror. But it shouldn’t keep you up at night! Yes, this would be Hunger. I hadn’t realized collaboration could be such fun!
Then I joined Cheryl Wright’s Christmas Rescue series (set in the late 1800s in the west) and things got serious with Rescuing Christmas. This was actually my second foray into historicals, and I have two more planned for this series, one in July (why, yes, a Christmas in July tale, Rescuing Barnabas, a sequel to Rescuing Christmas) and the other in December (Rescuing Abigail, another sequel—each is a standalone, however they happen after Charles Barnett’s story). Margaret Tanner and Angela Lain joined Cheryl in mentoring me through the joys of pre-ordering, keeping me on track in numerous ways, and answering my myriad questions.
Cheryl also introduced me to Virginia McKevitt of Black Widow Books who does all of Cheryl’s covers, and has now done a number of mine. Virginia has an uncanny knack for finding exactly the right model to represent the heroine in each book. That sassy grin on Megan’s face expresses her indomitable spirit to a tee.
I was penning Rescuing Barnabas when I discovered Marie Higgins’ Yours Truly: The Lovelorn series, which is a wonderful take on Dear Abby, set in 1880, west of the Mississippi. Firmly back in historical westerns territory! And publishing was taking place before July. I sent Barnabas back to the barn to groom his gelding, and started getting to know Charlie Sue a little better. If you’ve read Rescuing Christmas, you met her as a youngster at the barn raising. I had no idea when she sat next to Charles that she’d want her own novel, Overwhelmed in Oklahoma. I’m also doing a second story in this series, Kissless in Kansas, which again ties loosely into the Barnett Family Saga but both are set about 15 years later. So, my series crosses series!
Scribbling furiously on Overwhelmed, I was surprised, thrilled, and honored when Cheryl invited me to join her in a third series, Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies. Still an historical western set in the late 19th century, this is a Mail Order Brides series, an entirely new genre for me.
At this point Megan’s story is unconnected with any of my other tales, past or planned. But who knows what the future may hold. Do let me know if you think someone else deserves his or her own forum. (And I already have two more books coming out in this series. This will be a busy year!)
~~~
These incredibly talented people mentioned above, and many others, have provided an amazing amount of backing, ideas, and assistance for a still neophyte writer, helping out with all manner of tricks of the trade. This amazing camaraderie, I have come to find, is not unusual—authors seem to just be warm, creative, and generous folks. Each of you has my undying gratitude.
Additionally, my friends and family, especially my husband, have continued to abet my desire to pour my thoughts out on paper and its modern substitutes. They have to put up with my everyday whims and requests, so deserve special recognition for their patience and love.
At the top of that group of special people, I would like to give an extra level of thanks to my beta readers who took the time to point out the gaps and oversights in my manuscript: Peter Crist, Maura’s spouse and a childhood friend of my husband, caught a number of details, but complained of the short shrift given to the gun battle—I had to remind him this is intended to be a romance rather than a John Wayne vehicle (although if you agree with him, do let me know!); Deborah Collins, whom I met courtesy of our mothers, both World War II WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots)—pilots flying for the United States Army Air Corps—when they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, focused on entirely different aspects which also helped tighten the manuscript; and another WASP-related acquaintance, Roy E. McAfee also took the time to point out areas of concern.
I have two Nancys to thank, Nancy White and Nancy Leslie, both wonderful friends, both conversant with the piano, and both exquisitely eagle-eyed, who’ve helped with several of my novels now. Each brings her own perception to my ideas and lets me know when I got it wrong.
My brother, Marc Bellassai, an early music and art professor as well as performing artist, picked up on another area which needed attention; and my husband wanted to be sure Toby wasn’t forgotten. A
ll their input was invaluable!
But most of all, you, the reader, make it worthwhile to share my thoughts and dreams as expressed by the characters who whisper in my ear. Thank you.
Elissa Strati
May 2020
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Glass Bottles? Used since the early 1800s for babies. Rubber? The Aztecs had it. But safety pins? They date back to the Middle Bronze Age, in the second millennium B.C.E.
And did you know that George Pullman’s use of exclusively black porters and maids on his sleeper cars starting in 1865, followed by formation of the first black union in 1925, is considered a major contributor toward creation of the black middle class?
Most of the places are real and portrayed as accurately as possible, as is Sheriff Johnny Behan, Tombstone’s first sheriff, although he is used fictitiously. Many of the locations, including buildings, still exist, although some have changed names and usage.
Doing research to avoid anachronisms is actually one of my favorite parts of writing. Thanks to the internet and access to millions of resources at the flick of a finger, it is possible to verify data rapidly and with a degree of accuracy, although there are times when an old-fashioned paper dictionary is what is truly wanted. Did you ever stand at an unabridged Webster’s on a stand and just browse the words on a page? Amazing!
Megan’s final destination, Benson, Arizona, was a brand new town at the time she arrived. Things were happening so rapidly in this region that I had to choose my dates extremely carefully. Cochise County was created from the southeastern corner of Pima County; the railroad came through and the town of Benson was established. The boom in Tombstone was at its height and the town incorporated and became the center of the new county government, with a number of stagecoach companies vying for custom on the lucrative Benson-Tombstone run. The railroad was also driving south to get in on the action coming from all the mines ripping gold, silver, and copper from the ground.
However the Tombstone spur did not get completed for nearly ten years due to a series of catastrophes, including a major fire (the scourge of most urban areas, exacerbated by tinder-dry conditions and . . . tinder . . . as building materials!) and massive flooding of the mines. But that was in the future for Megan and Ted, and they had no DeLorean.
I do not know the actual arrival times for westbound trains coming into Benson, although the daily service scheduled between Benson and Tucson was not at especially convenient times, so I took artistic license here and there to keep the story moving. The characters were already coping with enough.
I love learning and hope that you have enjoyed this trip into yesteryear. And please share with me if I’ve let inaccuracies creep in! Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the story my characters are telling me I forget to go back to be sure they got the details right.
Mail Order Megan (Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies Book 11) Page 9
