Mail-order Brides + Cover Reveal!

Though women had been travelling to meet unknown husbands as mail-order brides throughout the early half of the the 1800s, when the Civil War stripped the eastern States of ~664,928 Federal soldiers, and over 483,026 Confederate soldiers, many women were widowed or left without the prospects of marriage. To make matters worse for these woman, the west was opening up to men who wanted land and a new beginning. Or Gold. While a few men went with wives and families, most opted to tame the west as bachelors...until they realized some things remained wild without a woman's touch.

For the next four decades, single men took what avenues were available them to bring future wives and mothers into their homes. Churches, relatives, newspaper ads, and matchmaking organizations lent a hand in arranging these marriages. Many single women, whether maidens, widowed, or runaways, went eagerly wanting a home and to start a family or adventure. Some found what grew to be happy and prosperous unions, while others were painfully disappointed.

With letters often the only way to court, and even the Pony Express's top speeds making lengthy waits between such correspondences, most couples did not know their future spouse very well. That is where my novella, releasing April 26th, differs from most mail-order bride stories. While the groom might not recognize the woman he is about to bind himself to, the bride not only knows her intended, but has planned to make his life as miserable as hers has been. She wants revenge.

Elizabeth Landvick knows of one man to blame for her family’s loss of fortune and her parents’ deaths. Now, she will stop at nothing to take her revenge and recover their wealth. Even travel across the country to marry the man’s son.

With his focus on his sprawling Arizona ranch, Axel Forsberg has little time for wooing a woman, so when his father finds him a bride from the east, he trusts he won’t regret the convenience. Until horses go missing, barns burn to the ground, a range war begins…and he loses his heart. 

I am so excited to share this story with everyone. Please mark your calendars! And pop by my website for updates, or follow me on Amazon and Goodreads. Also, a huge shout out and thank you to my amazing cover artist, Jessica Sprong of Creative Junkie!