Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts

Saturday, May 31, 2025

Seven Brides for Seven Texans by Gabrielle Meyer, Erica Vetsch, Amanda Barratt, Lorna Steilstad, Keli Gwyn, and Vickie McDonough

 

What a great collection. You have to become attached to each of them. Their unique love stories by different authors are yet seamless. I think of the seven brothers Bowie was my favorite- I have a soft heart for him- but each one is special as are their love journeys, struggles and successes. Good faith reinforcement throughout. A book to savor!

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#SevenBridesForSevenTexans #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #WildHeartBooks #ChristianHistoricalRomance #GabrielleMeyer #EricaVetsch #AmandaBarratt #LornaSeilstad #KeliGwyn #VickieMcDonough #SusanPageDavis


About the Book

Book: Seven Brides for Seven Texans

Authors: Gabrielle Meyer, Erica Vetsch, Amanda Barratt, Lorna Steilstad, Keli Gwyn, and Vickie McDonough

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: April 29, 2025

Seven brothers, seven heiresses, and one meddling grandfather—can mismatched matchmaking pave the way for true love?

Abraham Kennebrae, a powerful Minnesota tycoon, hatches a bold matchmaking scheme to secure his grandsons’ futures by pairing them with the wealthiest heiresses in town. But the brothers have no intention of complying, and their prospective brides harbor plans of their own. Jonathan battles to protect his fortune from slipping through his fingers, while Melissa guards the secret that could shatter her world—and her heart. Noah seeks refuge on Sutton Island, where fate throws him into the path of his destined bride, Anastasia. Meanwhile, Eli resigns himself to an engagement with Clarice Zahn, though his heart stirs at the sight of her younger sister, Josie.

With emotions running high and loyalties tested, Abraham’s carefully crafted plan spirals into chaos. Can love triumph when hearts rebel against expectations, or will the grandfather’s meddling prove too great a challenge for even the most determined romantics?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Authors

Gabrielle Meyer, a Minnesota native, draws inspiration for her historical fiction from the rich stories and landscapes of her home state, where she lives on the banks of the upper Mississippi River with her husband and four children. A former employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, Gabrielle loves weaving real people, places, and events into her captivating tales.

Best-selling, award-winning author Erica Vetsch weaves her love for Jesus, history, romance, and sports into her stories, including The Debutante’s Code, the first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series. When she’s not crafting fiction or planning her next trip to a history museum.

Bestselling author Amanda Barratt brings to life overlooked moments in history through her award-winning novels, including The Warsaw SistersWithin These Walls of Sorrow, and The White Rose Resists. Based in Michigan, she’s often immersed in research, tackling her ever-growing TBR stack, or savoring a slice of lemon cake.

Carol Award finalist Lorna Seilstad explores life’s complexities with humor in her nine novels, including the Lake Manawa Summers and Gregory Sisters series, as well as several novella collections. When she’s not writing, she teaches women’s Bible classes, runs a toy store, plans weddings, or spends time with her Pyredoodle, Honey Bea.

Keli Gwyn crafts inspirational historical romances that she loves to read. A California native, she now lives in the greater Sacramento area with her husband and their sweet orange tabby, enjoying life close to family.

Vickie McDonough, a CBA, EPCA, and Amazon best-selling author of 54 books and novellas, brings the Old West to life in her award-winning romances featuring ranchers, cowboys, and lawmen. Though married to a computer geek who fears horses, she lives out her ranching dreams through her stories—and when she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, gardening, making cards, and traveling.

More from Erica

Hi, I’m Erica Vetsch, and I loved collaborating on the stories for the 7 Brides for 7 Texans collection. It was fun writing stories that were so intertwined, and working closely with the other authors in the collection to bring the whole concept together.

Initially, I was approached by a publisher, asking if I would be interested in heading up a novella collection loosely based on the idea of 7 Brides for 7 Brothers, the classic musical. The parameters were that the stories must be no longer than 25K words, be historical in setting, and that I could choose the overall concept, as well as my team of authors.

I, of course, jumped at the chance. Before I contacted anyone, I worked up a rough idea of the premise of the stories. A wealthy Texas rancher with seven strapping sons is tired of waiting for them to get married and provide him with grandchildren, so he issues an ultimatum. Get married by the end of the calendar year, or you’re disinherited.

I named all the sons after famous Texans, and gave them a birth order, then I began contacting writing friends to see if they were interested in joining the project. Everyone I asked said yes! 😊

Then the real fun began. We formed a private Facebook group, and as the characters were chosen by the various authors, the order of the stories in the collection formed, and as ideas for storylines poured in, I began creating what we came to call The Master Document.

In the MD we tracked main characters’ names and appearances, secondary characters, a map of the fictional town of Hartsville, TX, and more. It eventually ran to more than 20 pages of information. We named the town newspaper, the general store, and kept track of the layout of the Harts’ massive ranch house. Keeping these details all in one place made it easy for the authors to flesh out their story world in a way that was consistent with everyone else’s stories.

Because the stories are so closely tied and on such a tight timeline, each of the authors’ characters would appear in another author’s novella. We needed to respect each other’s visions for the characters and treat them with respect, while also having the freedom to write our own stories.

Early on, as the project coordinator, it was established that if a dispute arose between two authors on how something should go, it would be myself who would cast the final vote. However, that contingency never came into play, as all the authors worked so well together.

One of the most challenging aspects of the project was, that as the project lead, and the one writing the final story in the collection, I needed to know the most about all the stories. Just before the deadline to turn our stories into the publisher, each author sent their story along to me to read for continuity. I spent a long weekend at author Gabrielle Meyer’s house, and we read every novella aloud, making notes for consistency and continuity throughout. These notes were turned in to the project editor, and she used them in her editing process to make sure seven separate stories felt cohesive.

It truly was a fun—and to me—unique, project, and when the publisher asked if I would like to head up a follow up collection, I was eager to say yes, and thus 7 Brides for 7 Texas Rangers was born.

Both of these intertwined collections went out of print, but they are now being released once more, this time through Wild Heart Books. I’m thrilled that we can tell our stories to new readers and prolong the lives of these characters.

Blog Stops

Giveaway


To celebrate their tour, the Wild Heart Books Authors are giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54225


My reviews

Sunday, May 1, 2022

A Promise Engraved by Liz Tolsma

 



A story of people who were at the Alamo and before that, blends with a present-day couple, tied together through a piece of jewelry. Very interesting. Brings to life what it might have been like back then, some of the difficulties they had to live through. Santa Anna had invited people to come to Texas, then Mexico, for free land. Later he turned on them and became a dictator and people rebelled. Immigration back then and present day are touched upon, the humanity of it. Excellent read.
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#APromiseEngraved #NetGalley #BooksYouFeelGoodAbout

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Saturday, March 12, 2022

The Spark of Love by Amanda Cabot

 




1857
Alexandra had been raised by her Aunt, only seeing her father 2 weeks at a time when he visited. A would be suitor scares her, obviously after her inheritance money. She runs away, deliberately misleading everyone, and goes to where her father is in Texas. Gabe is a detective, hired to find her father, for personal reasons. Excellent story of people in Mesquite Springs Texas who befriend them both. This is the third in the series. It's not necessary to read then others first, but it adds to the feeling of warmth for this town and the people in it. Alexandra was right and is in more danger than she realizes, more than Gabe realizes. Excellent read of strength, tenacity, love and Christian faith. 
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheSparkofLove #NetGalley

My reviews

Saturday, October 31, 2020

The Chisholm Trail Bride by Kathleen Y'Barbo

 



1880 Texas Christian Historical 
Satisfying Western story about Eliza who grew up in a wealthy Ranch, going on a cattle drive with her father, brothers and two of her friends. The boys get into a fight that changes all their lives. Interesting tale of Texas prestigious families and their lives. A wild and spoiled girl who grows up, learning lessons as she goes. Mix in a murder mystery, kidnapping and betrayal. Great read!
I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheChisholmTrailBride #NetGalley

My Reviews

Monday, March 16, 2020

Redeeming Light by Annette Ohare


Christian Historical Texas 1900
Our lives can be such a muddle, taking us on paths we never dreamed of, connecting us with people in all kinds of various ways. We go through our lives, just living, pleased or irritated with people and situations around us. We also have unique ways that drive us. Then things happen. Sarah recently lost her father, who was a rancher with an esteemed breed of cattle. But they only seemed important to her. The rest of her family had other plans. She sticks to her guns and makes plans with her Uncle to continue ranching, bringing her stock to his ranch, even acting as trail boss herself in moving some stock to sale. She meets Frederick, a lawyer in her Uncle's firm. Her Uncle trust him, but Sarah isn't so sure. Well illustrated Christian lessons and growth, including how good Christians influence others' lives around them. Examples of prayers answered when disaster strikes. Perspectives, and people, change depending on the circumstances they are in. What is important becomes more clear. Excellent read!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#RedeemingLight #NetGalley

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Tuesday, October 8, 2019

No Other Will Do by Karen Witemeyer


1894 Texas Christian Historical. When Mal was 13 he happened into a barn on a farm owned by a family of women who were strong and full of common sense and wisdom. His angel Emma found him freezing in the barn and they nursed him back to health. Years have gone by and he has been working for the railroad, but now these women need his help. They are being threatened. Always a fixer, Emma and a friend formed a women’s colony, where women could be treated fairly in business and life. But someone wanted to take it away from them. A dangerous mystery that could involve someone from their close knit town working against them. Hearts laid bare, they try to figure it out, with lessons of life and Christian faith strengthening their way. They fight the good fight and come through better for it, with a stronger relationship and self worth.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#NoOtherWillDo #KarenWitemeyer #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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Sunday, June 23, 2019

Thimbles and Threads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42515469-thimbles-and-threads?from_search=truehttps://www.amazon.com/Thimbles-Threads-Stories-Quilted-Broken-ebook/dp/B07Q4S6CWF/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Thimbles+and+Threads&qid=1561329996&s=gateway&sr=8-3https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thimbles-and-threads-mary-davis/1129798591?ean=9781643520513#/https://www.christianbook.com/thimbles-threads-stories-quilted-broken-lives/mary-davis/9781643520513/pd/520512?event=ESRCGhttps://www.powells.com/book/-9781643520513

4 Love Stories Are Quilted into Broken Lives
by Mary Davis; Grace Hitchcock; Suzanne Norquist; Liz Tolsma

 “I don’t deserve forgiveness.” “None of us do. But the Lord freely gives His forgiveness to us.”

No surprise, there's an enchanting sewing and quilts theme throughout the book, Christian Historical Romance.  With these authors you can't go wrong. Lovely stories with depth of character and interesting variety. Texas 1884, Charleston, South Carolina Summer 1886, Rockledge, Colorado 1884,  Regent, Colorado 1885. Strong talented women, special men. Some broken lives ready for mending. Good read!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
#ThimblesAndThreads #NetGalley #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

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