GENTRY by Author Caroline Clemmons

Today it is my pleasure to welcome friend and author, Caroline Clemmons, to the blog. We'll be getting a wonderful sneak peek at her new release, GENTRY, part of the Texas Hill Country Mail Order Brides series.

Nothing much riles Gentry McRae. He works hard on the ranch he co-owns with his immigrant best friend, and is content with his life. He’s proud of all they’ve accomplished in the ten years since the war. That is, until his partner dies and leaves a fourth of the ranch to his mail-order bride—and wills the bride to Gentry. “Now just a doggone minute, I don’t plan to marry for years!” But, a single woman can’t reside on a ranch where four men live without ruining her reputation. What’s a good man to do, except marry the woman when she arrives?

Heidi Roth has been spurned for being too plainspoken and too tall. In addition, her sister constantly makes fun of her for those reasons. That’s why—with many doubts—she’s willing to travel for months from Germany to Texas to marry a man who once lived in her town. When she arrives, she learns her prospective groom is dead, but left her his share of a ranch. She has serious doubts, but agrees to wed Gentry to protect her reputation. Sure enough, from the next day, one event after the other happens to complicate her life.

Available exclusively on Kindle Unlimited

“If there’s anything you need from town before Saturday, tell me now.”

She shook her head. “I just want to be where my surroundings are not moving.”

He clicked the reins and they turned onto a road that ran beside a river. “I can understand that. Although I don’t remember when exactly you started your trip, I know you traveled a long time to get here. How long since you left home?”

“Over three months, but it seems much longer. Usually, I am not one to complain or get bored, but I found traveling so long very tiresome. Perhaps it is different if one is on a luxury ocean vessel, but I was on a smaller, very plain ship crossing the Atlantic. In New York, I changed to one even smaller to take me here. Being confined soon bored me, but I never tired of watching the sea.”

He chuckled. “I hope you saw your fill because there are only creeks and this river.”

She thought she should reassure him she was content with this setting. “The river is pretty. I do prefer being on land to sailing on a ship in all kinds of weather.”

He looked at her and raised his eyebrows. “Did you come through storms?”

“Mostly we had good weather. Several rains kept us in our staterooms. One terrible storm blew us off course and delayed the trip. That one terrified me and the other passengers. I was certain we would sink.” The memory sent shivers down her spine. She rubbed her arms, hoping to push away the fear she had felt.

“I’m glad you survived and arrived here in Harrigan’s Springs.”

His comment surprised her. Even if he was not sincere, hearing him speak the nice words boosted her spirits. “That is a kind thing to say. Thank you.”

They rode in silence for quite a while. He appeared concentrating on the road ahead, but surely he had driven this so many times he could do it easily. Besides, the horses probably knew the way.

“You didn’t tell me how Johann died.”

“He tried to rope a longhorn bull, but it gored him then stomped on him before we could rescue Joe.” He scrubbed a hand across his face as if wiping away something. “I’ll never forget that scene. I see it again and again in nightmares.”

“What is a longhorn bull?”

“I’m surprised you didn’t see some from the stagecoach. In a few minutes you’ll see some longhorns grazing. You’ll know them when you see them. The one that gored Joe had six foot horns.”

She gasped, imagining what horns that long could do to a person. She couldn’t picture such an animal. She wished her Texas books had illustrations.

Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To compensate for this illogical error, she writes about handsome heroes, feisty women, and scheming villains in a tiny office surrounded by research books and mementos. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd indoors on their two cats and two dogs as well as providing nourishment outdoors for squirrels, birds, and other critters.

The over sixty books she has created have made her a Top 100 Amazon historical author, a bestselling author, and won awards. She writes sweet to sensual romances, both historical and contemporary as well as time travel and mystery. In addition to her series she has written single titles and contributed to multi-author series and box sets. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, reading her friends’ books, dining in restaurants, browsing antique malls, delving into genealogy, checking Facebook, and taking the occasional nap.

Join her and other readers at Caroline’s Cuties, a Facebook readers group for special excerpts, exchanging ideas, contests, giveaways, recipes, and talking to like-minded people about books and other fun things.

Caroline's Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~ Pinterest

Amazon Author Page ~ BookBub

To stay up-to-date with her releases and contests, subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here and receive a #FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you?

~ ~ ~

It's been my pleasure hosting Caroline today. Please come back again on Monday for another wonderful author and a great book!

Nancy