Great Summer Reads: Diantha

My name is Robyn Echols. Zina Abbott is the pen I use for my historical novels. I’m a member of Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America. I currently live with my husband in California’s central valley near the “Gateway to Yosemite.”

I love to read, quilt, work with digital images on my photo editing program, and work on my own family history.

I am a blogger. In addition to my own blog, I blog for several group blogs including the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog, which I started and administer.

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The daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, Diantha Ames was raised and educated to be a lady. Surviving the Civil War as a child, her family, in a desperate, but ultimately unsuccessful bid to save the property of both her father and her uncle, arranges a marriage between her and her first cousin. Although not a love match, she and Eugene were amiable. As information about her husband comes to light after his death in the Gold King Mine disaster that took so many lives in Wildcat Ridge, she is left with her husband’s hotel and postmaster position to fill—and a lot of questions.

With Diantha’s former laundress gone, she hires Hilaina Dowd, whose family hails from the mountains of Appalachia. Hilaina loyally stays with her mother who wishes to live out her life in Wildcat Ridge and be buried next to her husband who died in the mine disaster.

Henry “Hank” Cauley is branded a failure after refusing to be part of his father’s Salt Lake City brick-making business and then losing his stationary and book store business. To bury him far away, his brother and conniving sister-on-law use their political influence with the territorial Congressional representative to award him the postmaster position in Wildcat Ridge. He arrives in town to take over the position starting the first of September only to discover the postmistress, Diantha, knows nothing about the change, and is not relieved she no longer is obligated to fill this position originally awarded to her deceased husband. Finding himself surrounded by those loyal to the soft-spoken, Southern lady, is he destined to also be a failure in Wildcat Ridge?

Buckley “Buck” Kramer, wrangler on the Grassy Fork Ranch in Colorado, has not been totally satisfied with his lot ever since the trip he took to Wildcat Ridge earlier in the summer with his boss and best friend now he sees the happiness of family life the two men enjoy after they brought back wives. When two trail-worn young brothers stumble onto the ranch looking for a meal and permanent jobs, but are told with winter coming on there is only room for one, Buck insists on leaving in order to keep the brothers together. Is Buck really dissatisfied with his job on the ranch, or is this an excuse to return to Wildcat Ridge and the woman he has not been able to get out of his mind?

  

Diantha, Book 14, is a stand-alone novel. However, you might enjoy it best by reading all the books in the series, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. Also, my other book in the series, Nissa, Book 3, was written to be a duet with Diantha—a series within a series. You might also enjoy reading Nissa if you have not already done so.

  
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Snippet:

Upon seeing the child’s features for the first time, Diantha’s throat tightened and threatened to close off her breath. Her chest seized. She forced herself to inhale and willed a smile on her face as she stooped down and handed the boy the treat. “There you go, Eddie.” She studied him up close for a few seconds before she stood once more and looked over at Sarah, who wore a stricken expression. “Eddie. Did I hear his name right?”

          “Yes. He was named after his grandfather.”

          Diantha turned to once again study the boy, oblivious to the crumbs now scattered on his cheeks and dropping on her floor, as he happily munched on his cookie. “Edward is a fine name. We have Edwards in my family, also.”

          Her uncle, Eugene’s father, had been named Edward Eugene. The older brother lost in the War Between the States had been named Edward.

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Great Summer Reads: Monk's Bride

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 cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a tiny office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their three rescued indoor cats as well as providing nourishment outdoors for squirrels, birds, four feral cats, a fox, a raccoon, and two possums. 

The books she creates in her pink cave have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. She writes sweet to sensual romances about the West, both historical and contemporary as well as time travel and mystery. Her series include the Kincaids, McClintocks, Stone Mountain Texas, Bride Brigade, Texas Time Travel, Texas Caprock Tales, Pearson Grove, and Loving A Rancher as well as numerous single titles and contributions to multi-author sets. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, reading her friends’ books, lunching with friends, browsing antique malls, checking Facebook, and taking the occasional nap.

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A destitute widow; a reformed con man; the danger that links them…

Betsie Galloway Hirsch has escaped Memphis with her son. Her gambling husband tricked the wrong people and they’re demanding Betsie pay his debts—or else. She’s come to Kincaid Springs to stay with her mother and seek a safe place for her son. Being so far from her former home, she feels secure. That is, until danger confronts her.

After 34 years alone, Michael “Monk” Magonagle is falling in love with Betsie and is fond of her son. Monk is certain she is not free of the men her late husband cheated. Although he is not a violent man by nature, Monk is willing to fight for Betsie’s safety. He and the men of the Kincaid family prepare to meet the enemy.

How can Betsie and Liam be protected from the approaching danger? Will she and Monk be able to forge a love that endures or will one of them be silenced forever? What toll will the enemy exact? 

  
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Snippet:

They were at the Kincaid front door. She hated their time together was over.

Monk put his hands on her shoulders. “Betsie, may I kiss you goodnight?”

Inside she was yelling yes!, but she pretended to be demure. She certainly didn’t want him to think she was a hoyden. “I think that would be all right.”

He removed his hat and pulled her into an embrace. She’d thought he meant a kiss on the cheek, but that wasn’t the case. His lips sought hers softly at first, then as if he would consume her. Without conscious thought her arms went around him, pulling him closer.

When he broke the kiss, it was as if she’d been deprived of a part of herself. Each of them panted with ragged breaths. He held her a few minutes longer, his forehead against hers.

“I apologize for getting carried away.”

“Please don’t. I was hanging on to you as if I was drowning and you were a life preserver.”

He brushed an errant curl from her face. “Then you’re not sorry?”

“Not a bit. I have to admit I was carried away, too. Perhaps it’s not proper to admit, but I enjoyed your kisses.”

Her admission brought a wide smile to his face. “Goodnight, Betsie. I’ll be by to escort you to Mass in the morning. I hope I may call again soon.”

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Great Summer Reads: Virginia's Vocation

My name is Robyn Echols. Zina Abbott is the pen I use for my historical novels. I’m a member of Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America. I currently live with my husband in California’s central valley near the “Gateway to Yosemite.”

I love to read, quilt, work with digital images on my photo editing program, and work on my own family history.

I am a blogger. In addition to my own blog, I blog for several group blogs including the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog, which I started and administer.

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Will Virginia’s chosen vocation fill the empty spaces in her heart?

It is 1858. With both parents dead, Virginia Atwell lives with her older brother, Jefferson, and his family in Booneville, Missouri. Under the pseudonym, V. A. Wellington, she secretly has been submitting articles to a well-respected investigative journal about controversial topics. To her dismay, she learns her family plans to buy new farmland in the wilds of central Kansas Territory, making it almost impossible for her to continue her clandestine article submissions. More importantly, Virginia is terrified of the prospect of living so close to hostile Indian tribes and dying by their hands because they resent white Americans moving onto their traditional buffalo hunting grounds.

Virginia persuades her brothers to give her a share of their parents’ inheritance so she may attend one of the few colleges in Ohio that accepts female students. There, she finds Avery Wilson, one of her professors and fellow boarder at Bettina Calloway’s boarding house, resentful of female students, conceited and annoying, especially after his criticism and resentment directed towards the author, V. A. Wellington, whose articles are published while his submissions are rejected.

Virginia’s publisher insists V. A. Wellington meet with him in person in St. Louis to discuss a new assignment. When her landlady insists she cannot travel alone, Avery, curious about Virginia’s secretive meeting and unable to resist his growing attraction to the irritating but brilliant student, offers to escort her.

Once the editor discovers his star contributor is a woman, he refuses to send her to write about conditions on the Kaw reservation and the proposed treaty the government intends to impose on the natives. Hoping to favorably impress the editor, Avery offers to pose as Virginia’s fiancé in order to accompany and protect her on her assignment. Her heart goes out to the Kaw, but what can fill the empty spaces of her heart?

Virginia’s Vocation is also part of the author’s Atwell Kin series

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Snippet:

…He then turned to face her while shaking his head in resignation. “All right. Go try on a few pair to see which fit best. Just be aware, we will expect you to put those gloves to good use.”

            Of course. Virginia could not help the disgruntled directions of her thoughts. Anything to further the achievement of your goals for the future. If you knew mine, you would laugh them into the ground.

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