ELSIE by Author KC Hart **Book Birthday** **Prairie Roses Collection 2022**

Today we're celebrating the 9th book in this year's Prairie Roses Collection, Elsie, by Author KC Hart.

When Elsie Kandel's wealthy, doting father dies, leaving her free to make her own choices, along with the finances to see them through, Elsie decides it’s time to prove to herself, and everyone else, that she is more than a porcelain doll in a pretty dress. She will move west to California to live with an estranged aunt and pursue what she has secretly longed to be for as long as she can remember—a midwife.

Dr. Randolph Foster is starting over. After being falsely accused of causing the death of a wealthy man’s child, he loses his medical practice, his reputation, and his fiancé, all in one swoop. Nothing is left for him in Missouri, and when the lucrative offer to accompany two women across the plains to California on a wagon train is made to him, he sees it as an opportunity to begin again.

When the two headstrong travelers are thrown together, each with their plans firmly made, will they bend to a different plan that God has set into motion?

You can find Elsie exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

“There is no doubt in my mind that you are up to the task.” Dr. Foster’s voice did not sound condescending, like he was making fun of her. Elsie strained her eyes to see his face through the shadows of the firelight. Fireflies darted around them, making the night dance in the stillness. “Don’t worry, Miss Elsie. I will be right there beside you until you are confident enough to lead them on your own. You don’t have to be afraid of them.”

“If you promise not to leave me with them, I guess I will try.” Elsie’s heart gave a little tug. Was Dr. Foster actually concerned that she was afraid of the animals? So far, over the past week, he had acted like a general, spouting orders and growling if she didn’t follow them fast enough. Was there an actual human side to the man after all?

“I promise I will stay with you until you can handle the team easily. It is not as hard as you think. The oxen have been trained for years to follow commands and pull the wagons. You are really just there for moral support.” He tossed the last few drops of coffee on the edge of the fire. “I wouldn’t let you do anything that would endanger your life. You are paying me to get you safely to your destination. I wouldn’t be very smart to give you a job that puts you in harm’s way.”

The tender spot in Elsie’s heart turned hard as she listened to the last couple of sentences from the man’s mouth. What was she thinking, anyway? She could care less if the man was concerned about her or not. She was learning to be independent. That was her plan. She would never achieve what she wanted to achieve until she was able to completely stand on her own two feet.

KC lives in Mississippi with her husband of thirty-plus years. She loves to write, read, play piano and guitar, and play with her grandkids.

KC's love of storytelling was nurtured by her large family growing up. She spent a lot of afternoons sitting on the front porch singing while her dad played the guitar. She did a lot of listening and laughing at the tall tales shared by her mother, brothers, or any neighbor who happened to stop by. She is number six of seven kids and admits her older brothers spoiled her rotten.

KC has always had a huge imagination and a love of humor. In her fifties, she finally developed the courage to put these traits in print and fling them to the world.

KC is the author of The Katy Cross Cozy Mystery Series. All the books are clean who-done-its with a Christian worldview and southern, small-town charm.

KC's Website ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

You can find all the books in the Prairie Roses Collection exclusively on

Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you so much for chosing to visit with us today. We're nine books in to the wonderful series, with three more books to go! I look forward to seeing you again tomorrow, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as we wrap up this year's Prairie Roses Collection.

Blessings,

Nancy

PICKING PEARS WITH PIPER by Author Regina Walker **The Orchard Brides** ** Book Birthday**

Welcome back to Romance Sweet Reads. Today we're featuring the next book in The Orchard Brides series of contempoary, sweet/historical romances, Picking Pears With Piper by Author Regina Walker.

Piper, a single mom focused on caring for her mother who has dementia, doesn’t have time to fall in love. She knows it’s for the best for her to focus on her daughter, Cedar, and not get caught up in dating again. Her past choices in men were doozies. From the guys that wouldn’t keep a job, to the men willing to scare, intimidate, or hit her, Piper doesn’t know how to find someone different from those guys.

Corbin is a paramedic in Double Creek. He picked a small town to settle down in because he has visions of a family in his mind. Small town life isn’t what Corbin expected it to be, but when an elderly patient needs Corbin’s help on an old pear farm, he jumps to action.

You can find Picking Pears With Piper exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

Piper combed through her daughter, Cedar’s hair. Spritzing it as she worked, she tried to work the fine strands of honey-blonde hair into a braid.

“Are you excited for Aunt Megan’s wedding today?” Piper bent forward and kissed her daughter’s temple.

“I throw flowers.” Cedar lit up. Her little cheeks grew rounder with the smile spread across her lips.

“Yes, baby. You do.” Piper looked into the mirror in front of them and studied her sweet daughter’s face. She found herself feeling grateful that Megan was having a low-key wedding on the ranch. Farm? Homestead? What were Ben and Megan calling their country life?

Piper shrugged away the thoughts, but then she found herself worrying about when Corbin would arrive, if he would be on time, and if Cedar would mess up her hair in his truck.

“I should have just agreed to meet him there. I have to get Mom ready and I’m not sure what kind of day she’s having,” Piper muttered.

“Nana happy,” Cedar said.

“You’ve been in to see her?” Piper finished the braid in Cedar’s hair, and she wrapped an elastic around the end.

“Yes.” Cedar fidgeted in her seat and lifted her hand to her head.

“Now don’t you rip this down. We want our hair to be pretty for Aunt Megan’s wedding,” Piper said.

“Okay, Mommy,” Cedar agreed.

After smoothing, pinning, and spraying all of Cedar’s flyaway hairs, Piper patted her little arm. “I’m going to go check on Nana and see if she wants me to fix her hair. Why don’t you sit on the bed with your tablet and watch some cartoons?”

Cedar’s eyes widened and she bounced off the chair. Scurrying across the bedroom she shared with her mom, she grabbed her tablet from the desk and then climbed up on the bed.

Piper stood in front of the mirror and smoothed the top layer of lace down on her dress. The dark forest green color was one of her favorites, but she stared at her reflection with doubt. She tugged at the hemline that brushed the tops of her knees and wondered if she should have picked a longer dress.

Regina Walker was born in the beautiful state of Colorado. She moved to Oklahoma in her late teen years, where she has resided ever since. She likes to curl up on the couch and binge-watch crime shows with her hard-working husband. When she's not wrestling with a writing project, she can be found wrangling their children, riding their horses, or tending the garden. Along with finding horses on their small farm, chickens, dogs, and cats can be found at nearly every turn.

Regina crafts compelling characters facing some of life's hardest challenges. Her heart's desire is to always point toward Jesus through the way her characters face challenges, relationships, and adversity.

Regina's Website ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

You can find all ten books in The Orchard Brides series exclusively on

Kindle Unlimited

And, while you're there, don't forget to get our companion cookbook, Treats From the Orchard for just 99 cents with all proceeds going to the SPCA. Also on Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you for stopping by today. Please come back again soon for more talented authors and great books.

Nancy

ARIA by Author Shonda Czeschin Fischer **Book Birthday** **Prairie Roses Collection 2022**

We’ve arrived at the 8^th book in the 2022 Prairie Roses Collection. Today we’ll take a peek at Aria by Author Shonda Czeschin Fischer.

Aria Cane is headed west with her family running from a secret that could destroy them all.

Creed Townsend, the son of a pastor, decides to head west to start a church of his own when the local townsfolk decide he’s too young to take over their congregation after the death of his father.

When Creed sees Aria on their wagon train as they travel the Oregon Trail, her beauty captures his eye. His heart soon follows, but will their love be strong enough to survive Arias’s dreaded secret? Or is her sin too great?

Aria is available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

Aria’s breath hitched, and she leaned back briefly, hiding from his view. Only catching snatches of the conversation, her uncle thanked him, and the young man’s face lit up with pride and emotion that resembled longing for something or someone. Uncle John nodded to Trevor, then leaned his head to the side, eyes roving over the grass and to the back of the wagon.

Mary stood with hands on her hips, eyes all a sparkle watching her friend. Aria pushed her hands down the front of her dress and tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear before flipping the long braid over her shoulder. A giggle from behind her caused her to jump, her hand flying to her chest. “No interest in finding a beau, huh?”

“Shh, they’ll hear you.” Aria waved her hand at Mary. Peeking around the side of the wagon to see if the young man still stood with her uncle, she let out a sigh, he was gone. Uncle John and Trevor were now hitching the mules. Aria pulled Mary back up against the wagon.

“I was only spying to see who he is and what my uncle was talking to him about, if you must know,” Aria said with her hand on her hip and her eyebrow creasing at the bridge of her nose.

Mary wrapped her hands around her middle, and her melodic laughter rang out. “Aria, you don’t fool me one bit, I watched you pressing the wrinkles out of your dress and the way your eyelashes batted when you were watching them. Admit it, you’re smitten.”

Shonda Czeschin Fischer is a wife and mother of 2 who has been married for 21 years to her husband Craig. She has worked alongside her husband Craig in children’s ministry for 17 years. Shonda loves reading, reviewing books, writing and anything that has do with history.

She lives in Missouri where she spends time with her Shih Tzu Daisy, her Siamese cat Nala, and her ginger tabby Bacon. Shonda loves to talk about God and enjoys encouraging and lifting others up.

Shonda's Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

You can find the entire Prairie Roses Collection exclusive on

Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you for stopping by today. Please come back again tomorrow for the 9th book in this wonderful series of inspirational/sweet romances.

Blessings,

Nancy

ROSE by Author Rena Groot **Book Birthday** **Prairie Roses Collection 2022**

We've crossed the halfway mark. Today we're featuring the seventh book in the 2022 Prairie Roses Collection. Author Rena Groot is our guest today with her Prairie Roses story, Rose.

Strong, determined Rose finds more than she bargained for on a wagon train headed out West on the Oregon Trail. Will she be able to leave the comforts of high society behind to survive the rigors of the trail? Will she humbly admit her need for strength, hope and courage from God?

What is God saying to her about Lachlan, her surprise chaperone? Why did God bring Lachlan into her life if their dreams collide? Rose has dreams of being a teacher in town. Lachlan's dream is to be a rancher, far from any town.

Must Rose abandon her dreams to embrace his...or will she let this gentle giant of a man leave to pursue his own dreams?

Find Rose exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

April 1, 1854

Rose plunked herself down on top of her steamer trunk and sobbed. Her heart surely must be broken, it hurt so badly. How was it possible she’d been denied passage on a wagon on the Oregon Trail?

“Naw, there ain’t no room for a single woman on this here wagon train.” Captain Whittaker punctuated his sentence with a chunk of raw tobacco spit towards her feet. The shock of his words and actions left her speechless. She’d even offered to pay double the fare, but he appeared immovable. Being determined to help him understand how badly she needed to get to Oregon didn’t change his mind at all.

Why hadn’t anyone told her that rule—an unaccompanied woman would not be welcome on a wagon train? She sold almost everything she owned, except for the contents of the steamer trunk and the clothes on her back, left her teaching position at an all-girls school, and had given up the last room at the only woman’s boarding house in town. She cried into her silk hanky as the desperation of her situation hit home.

Now what, Lord? Do you not want me in Oregon? Did I misunderstand Your direction? Would the hardships of the trail prove to be too much for me? Maybe the sacrifices would be too great? You know all things, God. Do I lack the strength and courage for the trail? Are you closing the door? God, help!

Rose felt like she was invisible as people bustled about her loading their wagons for the trip. She suddenly smelled a strong whiff of new leather.

Where did that come from?

Through her brimming tears, it surprised her to see a pair of cowboy boots firmly planted on the ground in front of her, close to the hem of her skirt. She looked up to see who they belonged to and was astonished to see a pair of the kindest eyes she had ever seen.

“Howdy, ma’am. I couldn’t help but overhear your talk with the captain—”

Ever since I walked into my first-grade classroom as a little awe-struck girl, I dreamed of being a school teacher. Dreams do come true. I earned a Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta and a Masters of Religious Education from the Southern Baptist Seminary in Cochrane, Alberta. I have had the privilege of being a teacher in Canada and China. I wrote A Life Set Free under a mosquito net in China. That's when my addiction to writing was born.

God has given me the honor of being an ambassador with “The Department of Eternal Affairs” to so many cool places--Haiti, a jungle village in Belize, the Ghetto in NYC, behind the Iron Curtain in Poland and Romania, in Israel, China, Thailand, Mexico, Canada, Africa, Greece, and I am currently leading Bible studies in Pakistan by Whats App. I started a blog to bless, encourage, and sometimes challenge people.

Rena's Website/Blog ~ Amazon Author Page ~ Facebook

You can find the entire Prairie Roses Collection exclusively on

Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you for taking time out of your day to visit and enjoy another sneak peek at this wonderful series. We'll be back again tomorrow with the next book in the collection.

Blessings,

Nancy

GLORY by Author Marisa Masterson **Book Birthday** **Prairie Roses Collection 2022**

Today we celebrate the sixth book in this year's Prairie Roses Collection, Glory, by author Marisa Masterson.

Pikes Peak Or Bust! Glory’s father catches a fever—gold fever.

While it’s late in the season to start out, a wagon train forms to head to Colorado. She has no choice but to go with her father, leaving in late July. The trip will be only 6oo miles. Easily done before snow falls. What could go wrong?

Glory will learn the answer to that on the trail. An answer that leads to a rushed marriage at the wrong time with a man who's simply Heaven sent.

You can purchase Glory exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

He swigged another gulp of amber liquid from the clear bottle before pointing it in her direction. “Been off with a man. And I know which one. I won’t have ya shamin’ me.”

For a large man, her pa could move like a rabbit being chased. He crossed to her with only a few steps. The arm held out in her direction suddenly circled her neck. He held her in a headlock, the bottle with its stinking fumes hung close to her nose. Again, he roared his words. “I swear I’ll squeeze the life outta ya the next time I catch ya sneakin’ off.”

“Then get us married tonight.”

Pa’s arm prevented Glory from turning to look at the speaker who suddenly entered their firelight. She knew without looking, though. Only a few days’ acquaintance and she’d know Lee’s voice above all others.

Arnie loosened his grip on Glory to look at the intruder. “You! Devil! Leadin’ my girl astray!” He gulped a breath and roared, “And I’m not givin’ ya what yer wantin’ to collect.”

Ollie Severson rushed into the light then. He held up his large hands. “She came to the prayer meetin’ along with most of the wagon train. Weren’t no hanky-panky there.”

“He’s sniffin’ out my girl. Brung her the best part of the deer, he did.” Arnie growled the words. His accusations had Glory’s face flushing. From the burn, she knew her cheeks glowed red. As much as she wanted to glance at Lee, shame kept her eyes downward.

“Let ‘em marry.”

Glory didn’t recognize the voice, so she lifted her gaze toward the speaker. The older man resembled Lee. He stood slightly behind the scout, rubbing a hand over his jaw in a thoughtful manner. “Best thing for both of ‘em is to marry. Stop the temptation.”

Her gaze flitted briefly to Lee. His face seemed closed, hiding away every emotion except cold determination. “Marry her to me or vow never to harm her again.”

Marisa Masterson and her husband of thirty years reside in Saginaw, Michigan. They have two grown children, one son-in-law, a grandchild on the way, and one old and lazy dog.

She is a retired high school English teacher and oversaw a high school writing center in partnership with the local university. In addition, she is a National Writing Project fellow and a regular contributor to the Sweet Americana Sweethearts and Sweethearts of the West blogs.

Focusing on her home state of Wisconsin, she writes sweet historical romance. Growing up, she loved hearing stories about her family pioneering in that state. Those stories, in part, are what inspired her to begin writing.

Marisa's Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

You can find the entire Prairies Roses Collection exclusively on

Kindle Unlimited

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As always, thank you for stopping by to enjoy our introduction to this wonderfully uplifting series of western historical romances. Please come back again tomorrow for a sneak peek at the next book in the series.

Blessings,

Nancy

PEARL by Author Zina Abbott **Book Birthday** **Prairie Roses Collection 2022**

Welcome back to Day 5 of featuring the Prairie Roses Collection books. Today’s feature is Pearl by author Zina Abbott.

Man goes to mountaintops to pray. Woman, caring for hearth and home, stays too busy to climb, so God comes to her.

Because Pearl has no acceptable marriage prospects, when her father decides to sell out and join her brothers in Oregon Territory, she must go, too. Her father’s assurance that he plans to travel the safer Applegate Trail to reach the Willamette Valley brings little comfort. Her discontent increases when, not far from South Pass, a middle-aged widower and self-subscribed preacher with four children—whose wife recently drowned during a river crossing—walks down from a nearby mountain and informs Pearl that God decreed she is to marry him.

Pearl has no desire to marry the sanctimonious and overbearing widower. She reads her Holy Bible. She prays. She diligently strives to honor her father and bear her burdens with patience, but enough is enough. If God wants to tell someone whom she should marry, He can tell her. She has no time to climb mountains. Will God answer the prayers she offers as she performs the tasks of everyday life?

Michael Stanwyck has no room in his life for marriage and family. After the death of his father, Michael takes his portion of the inheritance and buys enough dry goods to fill three freight wagons he’ll accompany to the gold fields of California. Along the trail, the freight train he travels with encounters pioneer wagon trains, especially when bad weather and swollen rivers result in “bunching up.” He comes across one dark-haired beauty he cannot forget. Then he finds her on the trail several days past Fort Hall with her prairie schooner and a lame ox. Can he, in good conscience, continue to California and leave Pearl alone to return to Fort Hall where only an uncertain future awaits?

Pearl is available on Kindle Unlimited

“…You haven’t found anyone else recently who appeals to you, have you?”

Pearl’s mind immediately envisioned the bullwhacker she met just before the South Platte crossing. Michael Stanwyck—that was his name. Why him? True, he seemed pleasant and spoke politely—for a bullwhacker. He even insisted, if his men helped Clara and Anna with the oxen, they were to mind their manners. They did. She knew, because when she went along to chaperone, she stayed close enough to protect the girls from any improper language or behavior.

Pearl scrunched her forehead. No, he wasn’t a bullwhacker. There was another name for the leader of a freight train. Wagon master—just like on a wagon train. He said he was a merchant. Not a freighter by trade, but a merchant. A storekeeper—someone who sold goods out of a permanent storefront as opposed to traveling across the country and never settling down. She had always thought she would marry a farmer, but a man who owned a small, successful business sounded appealing. Then again, she and her father were bound for Oregon. The handsome, man with the almost-black hair, who was perhaps, a few years older than her, was on his way to California. Impossible. I’ll never see him again. Allowing a wry smile on her lips, she turned to her father. “No, Pa. I haven’t found any other man who appeals to me.”

Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels. A member of Women Writing the West, Western Writers of America, and American Night Writers Association. She currently lives with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite.” When she is not piecing together novel plots, she pieces together quilt blocks.

Blog ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ BookBub ~ Amazon Author Page

You can find all the book in the Prairie Roses Collection series on

Kindle Unlimited

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Thank you so much for stopping by and following this series. Please come back again tomorrow for the next book in the series.

Blessings,

Nancy