MARISSA'S CHOICE by Author Barbara Goss **Book Birthday** **NEW SERIES: COURTING CHAOS**

Today Romance Sweet Reads is going to introduce the first book in the brand new sweet historical romance series, Courting Chaos.

 A Bit About the Series

You might think it would be easy to find a man when the odds are forty to one. You might be wrong.

A young woman finds herself in a small western town devoid of single women. As you can imagine she is swarmed with offers but there are three men who are serious contenders. Once she decides to marry she has to decide which one it will be. The challenge for the reader will by to figure out which lucky man will win her hand. Can you do it?

 

About Book #1 in the Series

"Choose your love and love your choice.”

A pretty, single woman in the Old West where there is a shortage of women, would surely cause heads to turn, as well as garner some serious suitors. As soon as Marissa steps off the stage, every man in Hunter’s Grove is mesmerized. Three likely suitors are bold enough to throw their hats in the ring for her attention: Cole, her aunt’s attorney, Alan, her farmer neighbor, and Nash, a neighboring sheep ranch owner. Since her aunt left an unusual stipulation to her will, Marissa finds herself forced to choose one of them to marry. Which one will she choose? She vowed she’d not marry unless she was in love with one of them, otherwise she’d return home to Pennsylvania.

Purchase Marissa’s Choice exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

Enjoy an Excerpt

A knock on the front door startled Marissa from her thoughts, and she welcomed the attorney, Cole Atkins. He carried a case, which she imagined held legal papers.

After exchanging cordial greetings, she led him to the sitting room. “Would you like tea or coffee?” she asked.

“Neither. I’ve had my fill of both today. Let’s get down to business.” He sat in a chair near the settee where she’d taken a seat, and he opened his case, pulled out several papers, and cleared his throat. “Your aunt left the ranch and all her money to you, but there is a rather odd stipulation attached to it.”

Marissa cocked her head at him. “What kind of stipulation?”

“Well, Agnes wants you to have everything but not right away.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, wondering why the attorney looked uncomfortable. She began to worry. “Please, explain it to me.”

“She wants me to hold onto the ranch and her money until you marry,” he said bluntly.

“What? I don’t even know anyone here.”

“Once word gets around, you’ll have men wanting to court you, trust me. This is a valuable piece of property, and you probably have thousands of dollars in cattle grazing in your pasture. You will be a very wealthy young lady. And heaven knows you are the only single woman of marriageable age in town.”

Marissa didn’t know what to say. She was shocked and surprised that her aunt would make such a stipulation to her will. Marissa hadn’t even thought of marriage, and she’d never been courted. She’d spent most of her time nursing her mother, and even if she hadn’t been busy, there were few men in their Pennsylvania town she’d have wanted to marry. So, now she was being forced into marriage?

 

Meet the Author

Barbara Goss lives in Western New York and to date has written 50 Christian and/or Sweet Romance books, mostly westerns. She enjoys crossword puzzles, penny slots, reading, swimming, and her two cats, but not necessarily in that order. She tries to write exciting stories with a bit of God's word spread within, without dominating the story.

Barbara began writing in 1988 and her first book, Forbidden Legacy, won first prize for fiction at a Christian Writers Convention in Titusville, Florida in 1989. This won her a book contract with Publishers: Fleming Revell and later Baker Books. She wrote four books for them under contract. She then took a few years off to work full time as a secretary to the county hospital and the local school system.

Barbara's greatest influence in writing is the 100 books written by Grace Livingston Hill. As a Christian writer, she weaves a bit of godliness into the romance and adventure yet her books are always clean. Barbara is well on her way to catching up to Ms. Livingston.

Barbara's Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub

Thank you for joining us for this launch of the first book in the series. Please come back again soon for more featured authors and more great books!

Nancy

SETH'S SECRETIVE BRIDE by Author Nancy Fraser **Matchmaker's Mix-Up Series**

 

Today it's my turn to share my latest release, Seth's Secretive Bride, Book #11 in the Matchmaker's Mix-Up Series. All the wonderful books in this series are available on Kindle Unlimited.

When Hannah McGibbon is forced out of her family home, she has nowhere to go. In a moment of desperation, she responds to an advertisement for a matchmaking service.

Widower Seth Temple needs a wife. Not for himself, but as a mother for his 7-year-old, emotionally challenged son. At the urging of his housekeeper, he sends in his application to be matched to a like-minded woman.

Unfortunately, what they both want is not what they get. Due to an unforeseeable mix-up with the usually stellar matchmaking service, Hannah is sent to Colorado rather than California. And, Seth is sent a young, red-headed spitfire, rather than the mature woman with a background in education he’d requested.

What will happen when he explains to Hannah that love and romance are low on his priority list and not part of his plan for a wife? And, once the matching service offers to set things right, will Hannah want to leave?

Available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

Also Available in PRINT

The wheels of the coach hit another bump in the road, nearly knocking Hannah from her seat. Thankfully, they were within a half hour of their destination. Soon enough, this travel torture would end.

The driver’s loud call drew the horses up short, and the stage to a halt. Hannah breathed a sigh of relief, and silently issued a prayer of thanks for her safe arrival.

Within moments, the door was wrenched open. The coach’s driver, a sweaty, dust-covered man who looked to be in his late fifties, leaned inside. “Terrance. Who’s getting off?”

“I am, thank you,” she responded, her words forced out through her parched throat.

The man flipped down a rather lopsided stair and offered his hand. “Out you go then.” Once her feet hit the ground, he asked, “Which bag is yours?”

“The two brocade carpetbags, please.”

He uncinched the leather straps and lifted the flap covering the cargo hold. Snatching her bags from the back of the stage, he dumped them unceremoniously on the ground.

“I’m meeting someone,” she said timidly.

The driver shook his head. “Don’t know nothing about that, Miss.” Nodding toward the building to their left, “You can check with the stationmaster.”

“I will, thank you.”

She’d barely stepped up onto the sidewalk, one bag clutched in each fist, when the driver climbed back onto the stage and snapped the reins, setting the horses in motion and leaving her standing there. Alone.

“Excuse me, are you Hannah McGibbon?”

The man’s deep voice sank into her very being, and she whirled around to get her first real look at the man she’d soon marry. Rather than the young, handsome banker she’d been expecting, she came face-to-face with the stern expression of an honest-to-goodness cowboy.

“Yes, I’m Hannah McGibbon. Are you Mr. Preston’s hired man?”

His expression tightened, changing the severe angles of his face, drawing his frown.

“I don’t know who ‘Mr. Preston’ is, but I’m Seth Temple, the man you’ve come to marry.”

Hannah shook her head. “No, you can’t possibly be.” Pulling the letter from her bag, she told him, “I’m supposed to be meeting Mr. Simon Preston, an assistant bank manager.”

The man’s chocolate-brown gaze narrowed. He dug his hand into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a wadded up piece of paper. “According to this telegram, I’m supposed to be claiming a Miss Hannah Elizabeth McGibbon at the waystation. So, if you’re Hannah, then I’ve got the right woman.”

Her breath caught. “But... you... you’re not the right man.”

NANCY FRASER—Jumping Across Romance Genres with Gleeful Abandon—is an Amazon Top 100 and Award-Winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits.

The granddaughter of a Methodist minister from Tennessee, Nancy now lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Follow Nancy of Social Media

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Find all the books in the Matchmaker's Mix-Up series on Kindle Unlimited

Thank you for joining me today. Next week, we'll take a look at the brand new series, Courting Chaos. And, of course, we'll be back with more books in the Matchmaker's Mix-Up series.

Nancy

Matchmaker’s Mix-Up Series to Date (Books 1 – 11)

Book #1 – Conner’s Contrary Bride, By Author Barbara Goss

“They were as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.”

Elsie Crenshaw of Gobbler's Knob, West Virginia, runs from a cruel stepfather to take refuge with a widow who introduces her to a successful matchmaker. Elsie, having no family, feels the need of a protector after what she endured from her stepfather. Elsie gives the matchmaking ad a try.

Dr. Conner Van Beauregard Van Gates the IV, has lost his wife during childbirth. He lost his successful practice in Missouri and moves to Hays City, Kansas. After two years, he finds himself lonely and needing help running his clinic. His faithful housekeeper talks him into trying the matchmaking service.

How could either Elsie or Conner know a naughty cat messed up all the matchmaker’s matches? How could Conner put up with such a contrary bride? How do bank robbers and the evil stepfather bring them to realize opposites can attract?

 

Book #2 - Carter’s Klutzy Bride, By Author Marianne Spitzer

Carter Hanegan, retired bounty hunter and former sheriff, hangs up his guns for a quieter life as a Wyoming rancher. When he sees an ad for Agatha’s Matchmaking Service, he decides sending for a bride will complete his life.

Genevieve Szpica, close to being a spinster at twenty-six, worries about living life alone. Genevieve is a sweet young woman, but a bit clumsy, and her boss’ incessant hurtful remarks about her difficulties have made her the laughingstock of the men in town. Perhaps answering the ad from Agatha’s Matchmaking Service might be the answer to her loneliness.

Ada Louise Hanegan decides after the passing of her husband that life would be better if she lived with her son Carter at his ranch. She arrives with crates and crates of delicate china and precious breakables she claims she can’t live without.

Can love connect a henpecked son and a woman trying to overcome the shadow of town klutz, or will a spiteful, persnickety old woman ruin their chances for a happy future?

 

Book #3 – Brenden’s Bookish Bride, By Author Josephine Blake

Patient and quiet, Margarette Bates is accustomed to hard work. Her only distraction from the grim realities of the New York workhouses are the novels she has grown to love. When a chance comes for her own romantic escape to the wilds of Adoration, Oregon, she takes it without hesitation—only to find that her romantic hero-to-be is actually a perpetually irritated man well into middle age!

Horrified at their matchmaker's inexcusable mix-up, the two quickly strike a bargain—she’ll work as his housekeeper, and leave as soon as she can find another situation. However, love is determined to find Margarette within the city limits of Adoration, and if not with her new employer, might it be in the arms of his handsome son?

Henry Weller always intended to see to his father's happiness before his own, but when Margarette Bates arrives in Adoration...his resolve is put to an unexpected test. As his father's affection for the woman grows into something more serious, Henry must choose between a passion he never thought possible and the love of his own flesh and blood.

Can the bride that he intended for his father truly be meant for him?

 

Book #4 – Harvey’s Bashful Bride, By Author Krystal M. Anderson

In theory, sending for a bride through a Matchmaker was a sound plan. In reality, it couldn't have been more disastrous...

As Cottonwood Creek's newly elected Mayor, Harvey Dennett is in need of a bride. Utilizing Chicago's most successful matchmaker certainly seemed like the answer to all his problems, but when Martha, his wife-to-be, faints the minute she arrives, he wonders whether he made a giant mistake.

Bashful Martha, on the other hand, is happy for her change in circumstance but unaccustomed to the wilds of her new frontier home. When a string of robberies plague the citizens of Cottonwood Creek, Martha enlists the help of two stalwart friends to conquer the threat, endearing her to the people of the town. Will her efforts be enough to win the heart of her husband?

Book #5 – Matthew’s Wild Mountain Bride, By Author Lynn Donovan

D’Nisa McLeish must leave her home in West Virginia or else she’ll be forced to marry a man she cannot cotton to. She seeks Agatha Sinclair’s matchmaking service which has a reputation for excellent matches. D’Nisa is confident she’ll make a terrific wife for a trapper in the western Rockies. But can she manage to wear her first pair of shoes all the way to Colorado?

Matthew Strickland is from New York. Raised in a wealthy family, he enjoys the finer things in life. His father sent him to Cañon City, Colorado to oversee operations in a lucrative freight business. Freight transportation is more profitable than mining for gold or silver. But Matthew misses the civilized life of New York and longs for a refined wife who will take his mind off the wildness of the west.

How can these opposites find an amicable solution? What could possibly draw them together to be happy ever after?

 

Book #6 – Dalton’s Dual Brides, By Author Annee Jones

 A naughty cat…a mixed-up matchmaker…an outlaw’s ghost…and now dueling brides - what’s a cowboy to do?

1870, Wyoming Territory. Dalton Sweetland is one stressed-out cattle rancher. Notorious outlaw Butler Robb was recently caught following a life of crime spent stealing cattle, robbing stagecoaches, and committing murder. Right before being hanged, Robb uttered one final word… “Sweetland.” In the months since a rumor has popped up in a town that the outlaw buried his loot somewhere on Sweetland land. Multiple townsfolk are claiming they’ve seen Robb’s ghost wandering the property, purportedly to recover his lost gold. To make matters worse, Dalton’s ranch hands keep quitting out of fear of being accosted by the apparition, and Dalton himself keeps being accosted by mischievous young ladies wishing to marry him, find the treasure, and get rich quick. After Dalton’s brother suggests hiring a matchmaker to help him find true love, Dalton hopes the end of his problems is finally in sight. Little does he know…

1870, Chicago. Cleo the cat, after enjoying a bit too much catnip, lost her balance while prancing along the high bookshelf where Agatha Sinclair, matchmaker, keeps her files. While skittering down, Cleo’s weight proved too much for the flimsy wood and the structure came toppling over, sending Agatha’s papers flying. Nobody could blame poor Agatha for promptly having an apoplectic fit upon seeing the mess. Now her granddaughter, Maggie, is left with trying to sort out her grandmother’s matches. The files indicate that Dalton Sweetland was matched with a “J. Knight,” but Maggie can’t seem to locate the woman’s address to contact her. Hence, she takes out an ad in the newspaper looking for a marriageable lady named “J. Knight” who wishes to claim her ticket out West to meet her match. Much to Maggie’s distress, not one, but TWO Miss J. Knights come knocking at her door ready to claim the golden ticket.

Was Dalton matched with Jessalynn or Jenna? Maggie doesn’t have time to figure this out, so throwing up her hands, she apologizes for the mishap and agrees to foot the bill for both of them to take the stage to Wyoming.

May the best bride marry the cursed cowboy...

Book #7 – Ezra’s Forgetful Bride, By Author Christine Sterling

A woman needing patience. A man demanding perfection. Can a matchmaker's mix-up be exactly what these two need?

Kathleen O'Byrne hasn't been forgetful all her life. After an accident leaves her with a brain injury, her father hired a successful matchmaker to find Katie a husband. The man she needs to marry would be patient, kind and understanding. Not at all like Ezra Simmons who made her cry within ten minutes of meeting her. 

Ezra Simmons's life depends on accuracy and precision. He can’t have someone who makes mistakes in his small mercantile as it costs him money! When he hires a matchmaker to find him the perfect wife, he imagines someone beautiful and well versed in finances, inventory, and common sense. What he didn’t expect was a beautiful redhead, who would make a mess of Ezra’s orderly world.

How long can Katie pretend there is nothing wrong before Ezra sends her back home? When Ezra finds a letter from Kate’s father and he realizes he wasn’t her intended match, will he be able to let her go? Can a stickler shopkeeper find love with his forgetful bride?

 

Book #8 – Ryan’s Reckless Bride, By Author Laurean Brooks

Struggling rancher Ryan McKay needs a mother for his nineteen-month-old daughter. He requests a sedate, responsible young woman who thinks before she acts, unlike his deceased wife. She must be an exceptional cook and able to perform some

outdoor chores. To prevent temptation, Ryan hopes the woman is as plain as homemade soap, because their marriage will be in name only. When bubbly, petite Annalyn Pierce hops off the stage in her fancy ball dress, Ryan’s jaw drops. She’s way too pretty and her resemblance to his dead wife stuns him.

Annalyn will be thrown out of the house when her aunt dies, so she contacts Agatha Sinclair's Matchmaker's Agency to request a valiant cowboy. Annalyn is thrilled when the agency pairs her with a wealthy Texas rancher who wants to wed an attractive young woman who enjoys travel and adventure.

Ryan and Annalyn decide to wait 8 weeks to tie the knot, to ensure they are compatible. Ryan isn’t the exciting cowboy Annalyn requested, but she is drawn to his kind and patient nature.

After she burns two meals and almost sets the house on fire, Ryan suspects he was sent the wrong bride, but he’s already smitten with the vivacious woman whose bubbly personality makes him laugh again.

Fearing Ryan will discover she can’t cook a lick, Annalyn engages a neighbor to give her secret cooking lessons each day while he checks on the herd. But when Ryan rides in early and discovers the neighbor lady hiding in the barn, Annalyn’s secret is exposed and she loses Ryan’s trust. She sets out to regain it, but makes a reckless decision that endangers his toddler's life.

Will Annalyn's foolhardy act put her on the next stage out, or will Ryan open his heart to her, even though she’s not the sedate. responsible woman he requested? How will God turn a mismatched couple into the perfect match?

 

Book # 9 – William’s Wistful Bride, By Author Cat Cahill

Can two mismatched hearts find love?

All Jenny Andrews has ever wanted is a family of her own. But since she can't have children, that dream has always been only a dream—until she asks Mrs. Sinclair's matchmaking agency to find her a widower in need of a mother for his children.

William Denzinger prefers the horses in his livery stable to children. Growing up on his own, he has little need for family. What he does need is a good woman to cook and to keep the books for his business, and so he requests a bride from a matchmaking agency. But when his new bride arrives, she isn't exactly what he had in mind—particularly when she takes in an orphan boy and requests William put young Charlie to work in his stable.

William finally acquiesces, and in return, Jenny tries to find the reason his books don't add up. Love slowly blossoms between them, and William begins to soften toward Charlie.

But what will he think when Jenny brings home an abandoned baby—and discovers who is behind the missing money in William's ledger books?

 

Book #10 – Christopher’s Quiet Bride, By Author Lynn Donovan

Cora (Corey) Johanson is old enough to marry, but her extreme timidity prevents her from being courted. Her father asks for help from the well-known matchmaker, Agatha Sinclair, and is confident when a choice is made. Corey arrives in Colorado where she is swept off to the altar and married without uttering a word. Can she overcome her fear and learn to trust her new husband?

Christopher Walker has big plans for the 170 acres he bought. All he needs is a sturdy woman by his side. With Mrs. Sinclair’s help, his bride-to-be is on her way. She’s quiet, but that doesn’t bother him none, until he realizes she doesn’t speak at all. Now what? She’s anything but sturdy! How can Chris fulfill his dreams of building a legendary ranch with such a fragile wife?

 

Book #11 – Beau’s Elegant Bride, By Author Marisa Masterson

A cat, an accident, and a pile of mixed-up letters send a bride to a man she otherwise would never have met. Only time will tell if she and this new marriage can survive the match.

Francine 'Francy' Dinsmore loses the security she's always known with the death of her father. Life so far has treated Francy tenderly and expected very little from her.

Beau LeFevre abandons a hopeless future to venture west. The only thing he needs before he leaves is a wife. When the elegant woman arrives from the matchmaker, he marries her wondering all the while what made the matchmaker send this bride to him.

How can he make a marriage work with this spoiled woman? Life on the trail leads him to believe someone made a mistake!

Will this turn out to be a happy accident and a sound pairing with the only woman who can win his heart?

 

There you go ... you’re all caught up! You can find the entire series, all neatly packaged, on Amazon Kindle Unlimited. And, aren't these covers gorgeous? Thanks to Covers and Cupcakes!

 

Please come back again on Sunday to read about the next book in the series, Seth's Secretive Bride, and then again next week to learn about an all-new series of Romance Sweet Reads!

 

Nancy

RYAN'S RECKLESS BRIDE by Author Laurean Brooks

Romance Sweet Reads is pleased to welcome Author Laurean Brooks to the blog. Today we’ll be sharing more information about her book, Ryan's Reckless Bride, Book 8 in the Matchmaker’s Mix-Up multi-author series.

Struggling rancher Ryan McKay needs a mother for his nineteen-month-old daughter. He requests a sedate, responsible young woman not given to risky decisions as was his deceased wife. She must be adept at cooking and able to perform some outdoor chores. To prevent temptation, Ryan hopes the woman is as plain as homemade soap, because their marriage will be in name only. When bubbly, petite Annalyn Pierce hops off the stage in her fancy ball dress, Ryan’s jaw drops. She’s pretty and her resemblance to his dead wife is stunning.

Annalyn is prepared to be thrown out of the house when her aunt dies. She’s contacted Agatha Sinclair's Matchmaker's Agency to find an adventurous cowboy. Annalyn is thrilled when she’s matched with an adventurous Texas rancher who wants an attractive young lady to travel with him. 

Ryan and Annalyn decide to wait 8 weeks to tie the knot, to ensure they are suited. Ryan isn’t the adventurous cowboy Annalyn requested, but she is drawn to his gentle eyes and kindness.

After she burns two meals and almost sets the house on fire, Ryan suspects he has the wrong bride. He’s hesitant to renege on the agreement because he’s smitten with the vivacious beauty whose silly antics have helped his heart heal.

Fearing Ryan will send her away when he discovers she can’t cook a lick, Annalyn engages a neighbor to give her cooking lessons while he checks on the herd during the day. One day, Ryan rides in early and discovers the neighbor lady hiding in the barn. Annalyn’s covert plan is exposed and she’s lost Ryan’s trust. She sets out to regain it, but fails when she makes a reckless decision that endangers his little girl’s life. Heartbroken, Annalyn is sure Ryan will never forgive her.

Will Ryan put Annalyn on the next stage out, or will he open his heart to her, even though she’s not the sedate woman he requested? Will God turn a mismatched couple into the perfect match?

Get Ryan's Reckless Bride on Kindle Unlimited

The middle-aged woman conversing with the town attorney glanced at the pretty blonde. He also cast an appreciative glance her way.

“Catch!” the young blonde yelled, hurling the carpetbag at the attorney. Horror replaced Norton's smile when it struck his portly midsection and almost knocked him off his feet.

Ryan chuckled. The little lady hit her target. Oblivious to the discomfort she’d caused, she bunched up her skirts and hopped off the stage before Ryan could offer his assistance.

Scanning the town, she announced to no one in particular, “We finally made it.”

Her head barely reached Ryan's shoulder and he'd bet his fingertips would meet around her tiny waist. When her baby-blue eyes nailed him, his heart hitched. Eyes identical to his late wife Ellie.

“You must be Mr. McKay.” Her warm smile made Ryan's breath catch.

Ryan took in her corn-silk yellow hair, pert nose, and dimpled chin. All replicas of Ellie's. He froze like a barn owl caught in lantern light. Surely, this could not be his bride. Another woman must be on the stage. He peered inside.

“The stage is empty, sir. I was the last to disembark, the petite woman said. “I'm Annalyn Pierce, and you are..?”

When he remained dumbstruck, she jabbered, “The journey was not as adventurous as I'd expected, except for the changing scenery. But least we weren't attacked by Indians. Although, that might have been a plus if one got hurt, of course. It would have been an exciting tale to relate to my children.”

Children? Wasn’t this beauty too young to be a widow? And Ryan's form had not mentioned children.

“Future children, silly. We aren't even married yet.” She'd read his mind.

Norton still conversed with the older lady who arrived on the stage with this bubbly sprite. And he still rubbed his stomach. She looked too dainty to pack such a wallop.

Laurean Brooks creates unforgettable speak-their-minds characters. Her alpha heroes exhibit a large dose of charm mingled with mischief, which more often than not ignites their ladies' tempers.

Ms. Brooks' savvy heroines proclaim their independence with a "Who needs a man?" attitude, but soon find themselves in ridiculous scrapes of their own makings. Scrapes that will take the aid of their heroes to redeem them.

This author has a gift for incorporating laugh-out-loud humor into her stories. Stories which address serious life issues. Issues like repercussions from past abuse, rejection, loss of a mate, or a shocking secret revealed.

Laurean Brooks takes her readers from joy to tears to laughter, and everything in between, while they follow an obstacle course to forgiveness and emotional healing.

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Thank you for joining us today for another look at this great series. Be sure to scroll back through the previous posts for more books in the series and come back again soon.

Nancy