Celebrating a New Year, New Changes with the Historical Team

Before January comes to its frigid conclusion (snow or ice, anyone??? I’ve got lots!) let me wish all our TWRP authors, readers and staff a very happy new year!

One of the things I’m most excited about as we begin another fantastic year in the garden is that we can now consider stories that don’t necessarily fit the typical romance mold.  Over the years in historical we’ve seen many family sagas, or stories that were more women’s fiction than romance, and with heavy hearts we’ve had to inform those authors that we simply could not accept their submission because it wasn’t technically a romance.

For many of us, myself included, change can be a little unsettling.  But rest assured, you devoted readers and writers of historical, this is a good thing! (Yep, I’m channeling my inner Martha Stewart today!)  Not only have many of our established authors already approached us with story ideas and submissions, but we’ve been absolutely inundated with queries from new authors, too.

So with all this talk of change, are you wondering what your favorite historical editor is hoping to find in her submission inbox this year?  Well we still love romance, of course, but let’s ask the editing team that very question.

Allison Byers, what would you most like to see from our authors—established and new—in 2013?

I love historical fiction, especially those set before 1900. I love a story in which the author has taken pieces from the past and woven them into a story that helps the reader see the past through a character’s hardships and happiness. The novel should be plot-driven and richly constructed. When writing, the author should make sure the plot excites, inflames, and inspires the reader.

But let me caution that the story should pay close attention to historical details. There is a new historical fiction entitled alternative historical fiction which is written with a “What if? premise. For example, what if the South had won the war? I’m not interested in this type of historical fiction.

Nan Swanson is sort of our Queen of Vintage Rose.  She loves this line and handles the majority of the submissions that come in for Vintage.  Nan, what are you hoping to see for Vintage Rose this year?

The Vintage Rose line is looking for stories about the 1900s, set anywhere in the world. So much happened during the twentieth century, and so much of it changed the life of every ordinary person, or, as they said back then, “the man on the street” (pre-women’s lib). What better way to learn history than by immersing yourself in someone else’s story as they experience wars, new inventions, social and economic changes, climate extremes, and the widening of their window on the world? Such broad subjects can have intimate stories behind the scenes… The shipyard worker who helped build the Titanic. The woman who cleaned at an inventor’s house, or the gardener or cook there. The family who endured the Dust Bowl and did not pick up and go to California. The half-American orphan in Korea in the 1950s. The family who left everything to come to America but were late getting to the dock so took the next boat and helped rescue survivors from the torpedoed ship they had meant to be on. Anywhere, doing anything, they each have a story that can be told, Edwardians to doughboys to  flappers to G.I.s to rock’n’rollers to women’s libbers to hippies to all the labels of the last few decades before 2000. And Vintage Rose wants those stories!

Susan Yates, how about you?

In the spirit of New Year’s resolutions, a book review website recently featured a Romance Novel Reader Workout. The plan encouraged readers to read a romance novel (always a good thing!) and do exercises when certain things happened in the novel. For instance, when “A tingle or spark goes up the arm of one or both characters if they touch” do ten jumping jacks, or, when “A character looks in the mirror and describes herself” do ten dumbbell curls. The list is not meant to be taken seriously, of course, but it’s a good illustration of how easy it is for authors—and editors too!—to fall into romance-novel clichés. That’s why as a reader and an editor, I’m always looking to be surprised. I love a romance that takes me in a new direction, or that transcends the genre in some way. Whether it’s an under-represented era or a traditional era presented in a new way, I want a story that immerses me in history and that makes me trust the author knows it cold. I love characters that have dimension and feeling, and a plot that throws them into an impossible situation and makes me care about how they resolve it. I love dialog that goes beyond the superficial, that perfectly illuminates the characters. And most of all, I want stories with depth and emotion that sweep me along with them. And of course, I want stories that avoid anything that might turn a reader on the Romance Novel Workout plan into a body-builder!

Cindy Davis, what kind of stories are you hoping to see? 

I would love to see quirky characters, unique new settings, unusual careers. Stretch your imagination. Stay away from the familiar. Research if you have to but go beyond what you read. Go beyond your emotions. Make the story memorable.

And as for me, Nicole D'Arienzo...

Whether it’s romance or not, I want conflict, conflict and more conflict.  Now mind you I don’t mean misunderstanding—I don’t want to see lame or watery conflicts that can easily be resolved with a little explanation.  Nope.  I want angst and emotion.  I want those characters to feel that there’s simply no way to make this work. 

Many authors worry if their conflict is too deep or too complicated, they won’t be able to resolve it, but you know what?  You don’t have to.  It’s okay for your characters to decide that being apart is far more painful than their differences and they can agree to disagree. (Now obviously I don’t mean that one of them is married and the other chooses to accept it, or that one is a serial killer and the other chalks it up to a minor character flaw.)  

Neither should you short change your readers (or editor!) by resolving things too easily simply because you’re nearing maximum word count. Having your heroine suddenly shrug her shoulders on the last page and say “you were right, I was wrong” does not an emotionally satisfying ending make.  

Take your characters on an emotional journey.  Make me feel their inner struggle, torture them just a little …and you have the kind of story I’d love to find in my inbox!

Happy Writing!

New Historical Series....

Got a hankerin’ for bad boys and badges? So do we! 

Saddle up and send us your bad boys ready to be reformed by love. Or your lawmen who long for the love of a good woman. (We like female outlaws and heroines who uphold the law, too!) Characters should be heroic at heart, and people we wish we knew in real life. Throw in lots of conflict, smoldering sexual tension, an historically accurate western setting, and a happily ever after ending, and you’ve got the kind of story we ‘d love to read!

Outlaw characters must be worthy of being a TWRP hero, no cold-blooded murderers or rapists, please. Lawmen should be devoted to upholding the law even at great personal sacrifice. Setting can be anywhere west of the Mississippi in the 1800s. Length 7,500 to 25k. Heat rating can range from sweet to hot.

Send your queries or questions to queryus@thewildrosepress.com, subject line Lawmen and Outlaws Series.

You Want Fries With That????

I'm beginning to wonder if the notion exists that the epublishing industry and the fast food industry are on the same par. Short on nutrition and service, just get ‘em in, get ‘em served, get ‘em out.

In the past few weeks I’ve (or someone I know) experienced the following: (disclaimer: before you read this and think “gasp! She’s talking about me!” rest assured, I am not. If these were isolated instances, they’d hardly be worth mentioning).

Hurry it up! An established author urging her editor to “hurry up and finish” her edits because a friend had just received a release date and it was five months from now. So since release dates were “getting out there” the author wanted the editor to hurry up. Having experienced this one myself, I can tell you that the first reaction from the editor is to think “well, sweetie, maybe if you’d sent me a cleaner manuscript to work with…” Sure I may love your voice as an author, and your heroes may make my toes curl and the love scenes make my heart pound…but I’m still going to thoroughly edit your manuscript. If you truly want to shorten your turn around time, take a look at the last MS you and your editor worked on. What did the edits focus on? Less ly and ing words? Removing dialogue tags? Over or under punctuation? Before submitting your new MS, go over it one more time with an eye toward strengthening the areas you focused on last time. You and your editor will both be happier with the turn around time.

Response times. When I send an author edits, whether she’s a brand new author I’ve just rejected with a two page list of revisions or an established author whom I’ve sent a handful of edits on a contracted MS, I don’t expect it back in my inbox the same day. Certainly not the same hour! Boomerang resubmissions or jumping on your edits doesn’t show me how efficient you are, it tells me you don’t proof read, that you’re not careful, that you don’t—to borrow a line from Hallmark—care enough to send your very best. And that means I’m going to go over those revisions even more thoroughly since I can’t depend on you to do so. Which means I‘ll need to set aside even more time to work on them... which means you'll be waiting that much longer to get them back from me.

And just between us, sometimes an editor likes to put a little space between time spent working on a story. I don’t want to re-read an entire MS again a week after I just finished editing it. Give me enough time for the story to feel fresh again—chances are if I told you to take two weeks, I penciled time in my schedule to work on it again fourteen days from now; sending it back thirteen days early isn’t going to change that. Make those revisions right away if you need to, but let the MS sit for a few days. Then look it over again before sending it back to your editor. You’ll be surprised at the things you missed—and in the long run, it could make the difference between needing a second (or third) round of edits…or proceeding to final galleys.

Did you get my email? Huh? Did you? Did you? I really love it (she said, tongue firmly planted in cheek) when my busy inbox is made even more full by this type of email. While you, the author, may only be working with one editor at a time, chances are your editor is working with several different authors at once. Most of us sort our emails daily and address them in order of importance. I try to respond to all emails within 48 hours, but like you, I enjoy taking the occasional weekend or holiday off, and –also like you--sometimes unexpected things arise that throw my best laid plans asunder. So if you sent me an email late Friday afternoon, please don’t send me a “did you get my email?” message first thing Monday morning... followed by another one Monday afternoon... and another one later Monday afternoon... Wait at least 48 business hours before checking back. Obviously if you have an editor who consistently ignores your emails, that’s a different issue, but 48 hours is a good rule of thumb for checking back on a non-urgent email.

OMG! My release date is when???? While I am not in charge of assigning release dates, I think ours are more than fair. Sure your friend may have gotten a faster release date, but not every manuscript follows the same pattern. When you entrust your work to TWRP, you’re entrusting our team of professionals from the preliminary reader who read and recommended your story, to the editor who took the time to polish that story and make it sparkle to the cover artists who brought your characters to life right on down to the copy editor who had the last look at your MS and the production folks who put all the pieces together and released it.

And none of that can be accomplished in the time it takes to visit your local drive through.

Holy haunted house!!! I woke this morning and realized we are midway through October! How does that happen? October is my favorite month and, of course, being a Black Rose editor Halloween is, by far, my favorite holiday:)

Note:(The above picture is an actual house which is part of an old insane asylum that we used to haunt when I was a teenager. It has been deserted for many years and holds a gruesome history that has been replayed on Ghost Hunter episodes and historical discussions through time. I remember sitting in the middle of the night staring into the wooded area surrounding this compound shaking with adrenolin coursing through my veins. Ah... the bravery of youth! A Philadelphia radio station has been known to hold a Halloween Haunted house event at this location in the past. I believe more currently that most of these buildings may have been demolished. But I am sure that miserable and mistreated souls still haunt these sad grounds.)

In case you don't know me, I am Callie Lynn Wolfe, Senior Editor of TWRP's Black Rose Line. And, of course, this is our most active time of year, as you can well imagine. We are busy interacting with all our friends from the darker side of the garden.

An oasis of silvery moonlight shining down upon alabaster statuary in an Old
English Rose garden filled with you guessed it--Black Roses. In our midst are the to die for vamps, the hot weres, the fiesty demons and, of course, we are always looking for the elusive gargoyles as well other creatures our authors can scare up from their very vivid imaginations. Our heros and heroines are predators but they do have a soft side. You just have to know to pull it out of them:)

We will be dropping in and out to guide you through ebony paths and silvery forests for the rest of the month. The Black Rose staff is Lill Farrell, Joel Walker, Eilidh Mackenzie, Corinne MacGregor and Amanda Barnett all of which will share their scariest moments with you. I will be stopping in periodically with my special haunted memories as well.




I wish you all a very ghoulish and frightening Halloween and a most Blessed Samhain. Now I must prepare for the annual masquarade and dance of the dead celebrations. Please do join us. We would love to have you--literally!

Dark blessings,

Callie~

FAERY IS MYSTICAL, MAGICAL, OUT OF THIS WORLD & SO MUCH MORE !

Although, a lot of readers and authors think paranormal is filled with Vamps, Weres, and Demons, there are other entities that are served up on the Faery Rose line. Below will give you just a glimpse into what we have for readers and what we want from authors, whether you are pubbed already or looking to break into the literary world of romance.


Fairy Tales are not just for children. Our recently revamped Faery line is a place where you can allow your imagination a free rein to create romance with mystical and mythical characters. Picture if you will, a faery hero who is not the cartoon equivalent but a strong sensual male who knows what he wants and goes after his leading lady. Dragons don't just frolic in the mist but turn into mortal men and women with love and lust on their minds. Elves who are not meek or from Santa Land but have minds and hearts of their own, looking for love with a bit of mischief thrown in. Ghosts who come back to life for the love of their life and wizards, warlocks, and witches who crank up the romance like they spit out a spell. Futuristic worlds, filled with science fiction warriors who can wield a sword as well as a laser and not afraid, be they woman or man, to go after what their heart desires. Time travels moving through centuries with the hero and heroine seeking not the secrets of the ages but love. Sweet, sensual, spicy or hot, authors wishing to query should be acquainted with our guidelines for submissions.


Now, having read the above, the key word is romance. We at Faery want what any other editor out there craves--a tale of romance that will transport us out of our daily grind, make the world's problems go away for a bit, and something that will make us remember the book long after we turn the last page.


My personal favs for Faery subs are time travels that bring the past to the present. I also have a soft spot for Science fiction or futeristics, whichever you prefer. My main goal, however, is to find a manuscript that I would buy myself. That is how I judge a submission and it is what I tell the lovely editors on Faery.


Authors should never be afraid to explore the unusual but make sure you keep on top the main ingredient, romance, in what you submit.


Now, readers, I would love to hear from you!! Tell me what you want!! Tell me what makes you crave in a book, and what you would stand in line
to buy!

Next, and you will be hearing more from Frances Sevilla, a culmination of questions and answers for our writers.

How should you decide which line is right for your manuscript?

Read the line descriptions. Faery Rose for instance... Faeries can be both good and bad. Are we all rainbows, lollipops, and starlight? No. Our time travel can take you to dark places. Some of the witches in our books may practice black magic. Our ghosts can be gruesome. We might be a sweet romance or spicy hot romance, but we are always ROMANCE.

What do we represent?

The promise our line makes to our readers is a HEA [happily ever after] for the hero and heroine. One other thing—perhaps the most important thing—is that this story is about THEIR ROMANCE. They may have to overcome demons, travel to distant planets or through time, but they should do it TOGETHER for most of the story.

So if you think your book fits into the Faery line, read a few of our free reads, and then do your homework. Look at what we don’t want for the line, and then make sure if we request your full manuscript, that you format it to our guidelines. Make the editor’s job as easy as possible to accept your book.

Why did your manuscript get rejected?

First, ask the big question... Is it a rejection letter or a revision letter?

One of the biggest mistakes a new author can make is misunderstanding this concept. Agents and editors may not tell you to change something unless you are contracted with them. Before you’re contracted they may suggest changes they think will move your manuscript closer to a contract.

Let’s say you get a letter you think is a rejection. What should you look for?

Is the letter detailed with a few SPECIFIC suggestions for ways to revise the manuscript? Then do it. You haven’t been rejected. Resubmit it.

Are there pages of suggestions? Someone has taken a great deal of time to review your work. They wouldn’t do that if they weren’t serious about encouraging you. You haven’t been rejected. Do it and resubmit.

Are there major revisions suggested? If so, your decision may be more difficult. Send a letter back advising what you are willing to change and what you are not. The ball is in the agent’s or editor’s court. They may have to reject your manuscript based on your answers.

When is it really a rejection letter?

When the letter states that the manuscript does not comply with our publishing or line guidelines, it probably means you should find a different home for your manuscript.

One of the hardest things for an editor to do is reject an excellent manuscript because it doesn’t meet The Wild Rose Press or Faery Rose guidelines. An excellent story, plot, characterization, and voice won’t work if we don’t publish your specific type of story.


We are looking forward to keeping you entertained, interacting with readers and writers during our part of the paranormal month here at The Wild Rose Press. You will be seeing the editors I am so proud of, Claudia Fallon, Sarah Hansen, Kelly Schaub, and Frances Sevilla, when they post some of the ideas dear to their heart!

Remember if you never open a book either print or ebook, you will never be able to find the treasure inside!

Hugs! Amanda Barnett/Senior Editor/Faery Rose

Nightmare: A Story of Unrequited Love

NIGHTMARE: A Story of Unrequited Love

How many times have you found yourself wondering just what exactly are succubae and incubi? And what the heck do they do, anyway? Well, if you’re like me, quite often, that’s for sure.

So, dear Readers, with a bit of time on my hands (ha!) over here on the Dark Side of the Garden, I’ve taken it upon myself to do some research into the matter. It appears different theories exist regarding the creation of these infamous, highly-sexed creatures of the, uh, bedroom. Yet, according to the esteemed Sanctum #11: Inquisition, which I’m sure you are all familiar with, “the leading theory was that a warlock or warlocks were trying to create more of their kind the old-fashioned way: by breeding them.” The incubi and the succubae of medieval European folklore visited men and women during the dead of the night to engage in sex, ultimately to produce doers of great evil or powerful warlocks. It was believed that “the most famous child of such a union” was Merlin the Magician. Wow!

Now here’s the unrequited love story part. No HEA here…
A few years before he painted The Nightmare (1791), Johan Heinrich Fussli had fallen passionately in love with a woman named Anna Landholdt in Zürich, the niece of his friend, Johann Kaspar Lavater. Fuseli wrote of his fantasies to Lavater:

Last night I had her in bed with me—tossed my bedclothes hugger-mugger—wound my hot and tight-clasped hands about her—fused her body and soul together with my own—poured into her my spirit, breath and strength. Anyone who touches her now commits adultery and incest! She is mine, and I am hers. And have her I will….

Fussli's marriage proposal didn’t meet with Dad’s approval and lovely Anna married a family friend soon after. It’s said that The Nightmare, (see art below) then, can be seen as a personal portrayal of the erotic aspects of love lost.

Well, if Johan is portraying himself crouching on the beautiful Anna’s midsection, no wonder Daddy didn’t approve!

Joelle Walker
Editor, The Black Rose Line

Thank you from the Wild Rose Press - Blog Party Winners

Thank you to everyone for sharing our third birthday. If you are one of the winners from the posts today, please email me at lisadawn@thewildrosepress.com. Today's winners will receive their choice of digital book from the line hosting the hour that their name was drawn from, except those that won on my lunch break post.
Those 4 winners will be mailed their prize. The grand prize winner will be announced in a few minutes.

Here is the list of hourly winners:
English Tea Rose – Silver James
Scarlet Rose – Cyranowriter
Cover Artists – Deborah Rittle
Humming birds – Pam Thibodeau.
Yellow Rose – Ann Campbell
American Rose - Amber Leigh Williams
Cactus Rose – Becky
Vintage Rose - Marye Ulrich
Champagne Rose - Lynda Lukow
Last Rose of Summer – Shannon Donovan
White Rose - Hywela Lyn
Crimson Rose – Mary Rickson
Faery Rose - Catherine Bybee
Black Rose – danie88
Climbing Rose – Future Mrs. Ashley Rose
Sweetheart Rose – Christine

Lunch break prize winners
Susan Shay - book light
Larena - book light
Tarah Scott - book thong
danie88 - book thong

Thank you for a wonderful three years and we'll celebrate again next year.

Cactus Rose has Something for Everyone

From outlaws and cowboys and runaways,

To healers, schoolmarms and gun-toting mother-in-laws,

Add some sweet children, crazy neighbors, and peyote chewing, vision-quest seeking Indians

Cactus Rose has something coming soon just for you. I’ve been very fortunate to read these, and am very excited to tell you a little about each of them

Today 5-01, My Heart Will Find Yours by Linda LaRoque was released. This poignant time travel is the story of Texanna Keith who, at the insistence of her elderly neighbor, Pearlina, takes a mystical turquoise locket and boards a train to “travel back in time” so she can prevent the death of Royce Dyson. Texanna is certain Pearlina is senile, until she finds herself in 1880.

Fated lovers suffer the agony of loss only to be reunited to fulfill a greater plan. TEXANNA KEITH doesn’t believe an antique locket is the key to time travel, but plays along, and to her horror, is zapped back to 1880 Waco, Texas. Her mission is to prevent Royce Dyson’s death in a shootout. Wounded, she loses what she longs for most — a life with Royce. Marshall ROYCE DYSON’S wife disappeared in 1876. Now she’s reappeared, claiming she’s a time traveler from 2005. As he seeks the truth, he’s determined to keep Texanna with him, but it’s not destined to be.

Later this month there will be two McBride stories from Lauri Robinson!

May 13, 2009 Rancher McBride by Lauri Robinson

Blue Spring’s most eligible bachelor is about to go down. Josie Hollister has determined she’s willing to give up her dream of being a rancher and settle for being a rancher’s wife. She throws away her britches for petticoats and corsets, but the act causes Calvin McBride to run for the hills. Calvin McBride wants Josie in his bed every night, but the woman has gone loco. All that lace and those floppy hats will set his Texas longhorns into a stampede! Can his brother convince him it’s not the clothes that makes the woman?

May 20, 2009 Doctor McBride by Lauri Robinson

Another McBride is about to go down. Emma Binns knows what she wants, Doctor Jake McBride, and has decided it’s time for drastic measures to get him to the altar. However, there’s another woman, Abigail Christenson, who’s just as determined to become Mrs. McBride. Jake McBride’s trouble started six years ago—after a night which included too many cups of spiked punch, when he’d kissed the daylights out of Emma Binns. Her father and six brothers witnessed the act, and swore him off Emma—forever. Can Jake take on the brood of men to claim the woman who haunts his dreams? Or will he die trying?

May 29, 2009 Fire Eyes by Cheryl Pierson Isn’t this cover gorgeous? The story is captivating too. Don’t miss this story of an iron-willed widow living alone with her daughter on the frontier. She takes care of all those around her and is called Fire Eyes by the local band of Choctaw Indians. But when the Choctaw’s dump Kaed Turner on her doorstep, is he just one more burden or will he be something much more?

Beaten and wounded by a band of sadistic renegades that rules the borderlands of Indian Territory, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner understands what the inevitable outcome will be for him: death. But Fate and a war party of Choctaw Indians intervene, delivering him instead to a beautiful angel with the skill to heal him. Jessica Monroe has already lost a husband and a brother to the outlaws who tortured Marshal Turner. As the rugged lawman lies bleeding on her bed, she faces a difficult decision. Can she afford to gamble with her heart one last time? For when Kaed recovers, he is sworn to join the other Territorial Peace Officers in their battle to wipe out the renegade gang once and for all. When vengeance is done, will Kaed keep riding? Or will he return to claim his future with the beautiful woman the Choctaw call "Fire Eyes?"

June 5, 2009 Lawmen and Outlaws Anthology Last year Cactus Rose held a contest. Here are the four stories that won. Sheriff McBride is the third McBride Brother this Summer! Jake and Calvin found their brides, now it’s time for brother Adam. Sheriff Quinn Riley is bound by the law…will he lose all for duty? McKenna Smith wants a pardon and revenge, will Audra Tadlock help him achieve his goals, or will she be his undoing? Naomi never expects her life to take the turn it does when bounty hunter and outlaw, Bobby Morgan kidnaps her. Her captor isn’t the man he’s reputed to be, but he’s certainly not a man that would be suitable for Naomi, however her heart says otherwise. All of these are superbly written, wonderful, vibrant stories.

This anthology combines the impressive talents of Loretta C. Rogers, Lauri Robinson, Helen Hardt, and Linda Caroll-Bradd Two lawmen are tested when they lose their hearts-- When runaway Hannah Stewart comes into his life Sheriff Adam McBride is torn between the law and love. Sheriff Quinn Riley must find the swindler who stole from his town and his family--even if it means losing the woman he loves, Ciara Morrissey. And two outlaws looking for redemption have their hearts stolen-- McKenna Smith wants a pardon, and he'll do anything to get it- until he falls in love with the one person who can make it happen- AudraTadlock. Bounty Hunter Bobby Morgan is innocent, but proving it won't be easy especially when he falls for the beautiful preacher's daughter he's kidnapped.

June 5, 2009 Marrying Minda by Tanya Hanson

Mail-order bride Minda Becker arrives in Paradise, Nebraska and eagerly marries the handsome man who meets her stagecoach. His wedding kiss melts her toes. Too bad he's the wrong bridegroom. Having honored his brother's deathbed request to marry Minda, Cowboy Brixton Haynes can't deny he'd like a wedding night with the eastern beauty. But the last thing he needs is to be saddled with a wife and the three children his brother left behind. First chance he gets, he'll be back point-riding along the Goodnight. But leaving Minda proves to be harder than he expected. Marrying Minda is a story I couldn’t put down. This is a touching romance. Minda is such a sweet heroine and Brixton is a great match. The romance between them sizzles.

June 12, 2009 Miner In Petticoats by Paty Jager In another installment in her “Petticoats” series, this one is not to be missed. Paty Jager introduces us to a lonely widow, who only hopes to someday return to her homeland of Ireland, she’s been widowed twice. Once marriage was for love, the second for necessity. She isn’t interested in another husband, but Ethan Halsey makes her rethink that decision…

Shouldering the burdens of his family and the mining community, Ethan Halsey devotes himself to providing for his brothers’s growing families. However, Aileen Miller, a widow, also looking out for her family’s interests, refuses to part with the land he needs. As they battle- one to push his dream to reality and the other to prove no man will hurt her again- their lives become enmeshed and their hearts collide.

July 8, 2009 Roan's Redemption by BK Reeves Trapped in a loveless marriage Roan was tempted by sweet Addie McKenna, the adopted daughter of his old army commander. After his wife’s death, Roan comes to bid goodbye to the old man and finds Addie is alone. This is a sweet tale of true romance. This is BK Reeves’ first story with The Wild Rose Press, and the next stop on the Orphan Train is already in the works.

Oklahoma Territory 1892 Addie McKenna finished digging the grave at sundown. She had to get Mattie in the ground tonight; tomorrow would be another scorcher. The dog barked as Addie climbed from the grave. A stranger driving a buckboard loomed from the shadows. As he came closer, Addie's breath caught. Roan McLeod! She kept her face blank. He was a married man. Roan McLeod looked at Addie McKenna, alone beside the open grave. Four months since he'd seen her. His nights had been haunted by this red-haired girl, haunted by forbidden images of them together as he opened his mouth on Addie's and removed her clothes. Those were shameful thoughts for a man who had buried his wife and daughter only ten days ago. Roan's Redemption is the first romance in a series called "The Orphan Train Legacy."

September 11, 2009 The Golden Lady by Roberta C.M. DeCaprio

She’s in love with her enemy… After her father is killed by hostile Indians, Amanda is all alone. Determined to make it on her own she sticks it out on the home stead. Reverend Joshua Holmes loves her, and offers to maker her his wife, but Amanda falls in love with Proud Eagle, a man who should be her enemy. Loving someone is hard...especially if they're supposed to be your enemy! Willow Creek, Arizona saw its share of Indian attacks. Amanda Gregory witnessed the sorrow first hand with her father's murder. Refusing Reverend Joshua Holmes' proposal, Amanda decides to stay on her farm and run it alone. When she saves Proud Eagle, a wounded Apache warrior, he wins her heart, calling her his golden lady, and Amanda's hatred of Indians begins to change. The night the Chiricahuas attack Amanda's farm, Proud Eagle helps her to escape, taking her back to his tribe to become his wife. But their love is forbidden, and Amanda finds herself fighting the biggest battle of her life . . . the right to love her enemy. Between The Rifle and the Spear Book One

September 16, 2009 Snakes and Jails and Puppy Dog Tails by Mallary Mitchell

Snakes and Jails and Puppy Dog Tails is a sweet story about love, miracles and second chances… Spinster Arabella Trask loves only one man, but he betrayed her. Levi Wallace left her for another and married the woman who carried his child. Now a widower, Levi is injured and desperately needs Arabella's help. Can she risk her heart again? As he lays dying from a snake bite... Levi's one regret is losing Bella. He never had the chance to tell her the child wasn't his. He married to save his brother's sorry hide and give the child a name. He longs to have Bella in his life again--will it take divine intervention to get her back?

October 2, 2009 Samantha's Sacrifice by Sandi Hampton

Samantha is another heroine who gives so much to others. She is strong, loving and will do anything for her family…Blake isn’t a man who wants a family, at least he didn’t think he was. To uphold her family’s honor, Samantha Adams agrees to take her sister’s place and marry wealthy rancher Blake McCarthy. But when he claims no knowledge of the wedding contract, she finds herself in desperate straits to support herself and her adopted daughter. Having lost his wife and son during the war, the last thing Blake wants is another wife. When beautiful Samantha Adams shows up at his ranch on the pretext of honoring a marriage contract, he believes she is only after someone to take care of her and her daughter. And he is determined it’s not going to be him. Neither Samantha nor Blake are prepared for the attraction they feel. They both intend to fight it to the bitter end. But when passion sparks into flame, can Blake’s passionate kisses and sweet caresses make Samantha forget his accusations and mistrust, and can Blake’s desire for Samantha overcome his suspicions?

November 6. 2009 Badland Bride by Lauri Robinson

This is one that made me laugh, cry then laugh some more. Skeeter is adorable. He is just a hero’s hero. His mother is hilarious and Lila is a young woman who learns what ‘family’ really means. This is a wonderful story of time travel, cowboys and a very interesting Indian, named Buffalo Killer—any plans for Buffalo Killer’s story? Ma Quinter is at it again—using the double barrels of her shotgun to force some unsuspecting female to marry one of her boys. This time it's Skeeter and the young, pregnant girl he hauled home. Escaping from her abuser, Lila Scott, crawls through a tunnel, and ends up in 1882. Even though her rescuer is the most wonderful man she's ever met, she must hold true to her mission of returning to the future where she can have her baby with modern medical care. With the help of some rotgut whiskey and a few peyote buttons, Steven Quinter, aka Skeeter, participated in Buffalo Killer's ghost dance. When he wakes up there’s an adorable redhead staring down at him. Not knowing what else to do, he takes the girl home to his mother, but when Ma Quinter realizes the young girl is pregnant, another shotgun wedding takes place.

November 20, 2009 Misty Dreams by Charlotte Parker This is another one with a paranormal twist…Can a man from the past be her future?

Dreamer, Elita La Rue, has always romanticized the stories in her great-great-grandmother’s journal and memorized the photographs of two gunfighters--Wild Bill Hickok and Seth Lucan. If only she could turn back the hands of time to 1876! Playing dress up in her father's theme town, Duke's Wild West, is as good as it gets until a handsome gunfighter appears out of nowhere claiming to be Seth Lucan. Elita is willing to believe his outlandish story in hopes he'll make all her fantasies come true. Seth Lucan is tired. Tired of being mistaken for his outlaw brother, and tired of dodging bullets. When he arrives in Deadwood, his hopes of making enough money to start over are shattered when he discovers the town has not only become a cesspool of thieves and murderers, but the Lucan name and troubles have followed him. Now he’s faced with a new barrage of bullets, a high-strung lady with a wild imagination, and no way out. A strange mist emanating from the old blacksmith’s shop may answer both their prayers. Will love be enough to save them from the consequences?

And just in time for the holidays…Miracles and Angels

December 2, 2009 A Night for Miracles by Cheryl Pierson

Cheryl Pierson, author of Fire Eyes, brings us the heartwarming story of Angela Bentley. When widow Angela Bentley takes in injured ex-gunhawk Nick Dalton and three orphans on Christmas Eve, she is determined only to lend a hand where needed. But when the children drag in a small, scraggly Christmas tree, Angela finds herself wanting to create a memorable holiday for them. Can these visitors become the family she longs for? For those who believe in miracles, anything is possible--even true love, in the most unlikely circumstances.

December 9, 2009 An Ordinary Angel by Kathy Otten

He’s just a wounded outlaw, but could this ordinary man be something extraordinary… A lifetime of polite indifference is all Julianne Spencer sees when she envisions a future with her current suitor, Mr. Terrel Lee Parker. She is looking for someone more passionate, more heroic, who can love her for who she really is, and not the proper young lady she pretends to be. Her future seems hopeless until Christmas Eve, when fate drops a wounded outlaw at her door and she comes to realize true heroes can be found inside even ordinary men.