#NewRelease - RACHEL from Caroline Clemmons

Today I'm joined by historical western romance writer Caroline Clemmons, who is here to talk about RACHEL, the newest installment in her Bride Brigade series. I'm intrigued to learn what terrible secret forces Rachel to flee her home in Virginia for the wilds of Texas. Please welcome Caroline Clemmons!

Thank you, Jana, for hosting me as your guest.

I’m excited to announce the fifth book in my Bride Brigade series, RACHEL. This series has been a lot of fun to write. Tarnation, Texas is a small town with no young single women and many suitable bachelors who wish to wed. A young widow travels East to recruit seven young women candidates for marriage who will live in her home until they choose the man for them. So far, Josephine, Angeline, Cassandra, and Ophelia have wed. Now it’s Rachel’s turn to find her true love.

Here’s the blurb for RACHEL:

A shameful past…

Rachel Ross’s secret haunts her. She joins other women leaving Virginia for Texas, object matrimony. Vowing never to trust again, she is rebuilding her life. She likes the dusty little town of Tarnation and is attracted to Zane Evans. Her past has made her extremely cautious, but she allows him to court her.

Zane Evans is a former Pinkerton agent who wants to forget all he saw in that profession and in the war and create a good life in Tarnation, Texas. He has carefully planned his future. When he meets Rachel, he is instantly attracted but is puzzled by her reluctance to reveal anything personal.

One event reveals her past in a spectacular way. Will Zane forgive her silence?

Here’s an excerpt from RACHEL:

Mama glanced from Hannah to Rachel. “I’ve fixed you a place in my sewing room. Your clothes and things are already there.”

Not even allowed to return to her former room? Scooping up her valise, she turned and fled to the sewing room. “Fine. At least I’ll have privacy.”

Patrick followed and caught up with her before she closed the door. “Dahlia and I’ve been scouring our brains since I learned of our parents’ plan. I may have a solution.” He handed her a folded newspaper page with one advertisement circled. “What do you think?”

Rachel read the item:
“Young women of good character desiring to go west for the purpose of marriage may apply for an interview between ten and four o’clock in the afternoon from April 5th to 10th at the Grand Hotel, Richmond, care of Mrs. Lydia Harrison.”

“Good character? This Mrs. Lydia Harrison might not agree I qualify.” She reread the item as she mulled over the implications. Texas was hundreds and hundreds of miles from Richmond.
“Regardless, I’ll go see Mrs. Harrison at ten tomorrow.” She hugged Patrick. “I knew I could count on you, dear brother.”

“You’ll have to thank Dahlia for that advertisement. It wasn’t in the parts of the paper I read.”

All her plans for the future had changed. Instead of welcome from her family, she was ostracized by all but her brother. In her head, she saw the wisdom of her father’s edict. In her heart, she was far too crushed for reason. She wouldn’t remain a second longer than necessary to find a solution.

Patrick leaned a shoulder against the door jamb. “I’ll take off work again to go with you and be certain this woman isn’t a con artist soliciting young women for objectionable purposes.”

Rachel was able to force a smile though her heart had frozen solid. “No, Patrick, thank you for coming for me and for being the same fine man I remember, but I should do this alone. The ad says ‘for the purpose of marriage’ and I’ll be sure of the details before I commit—if she even chooses me.”

“At least let me give you a few dollars to pay cab fare there and back and enough to buy lunch if you’re out then.” He opened his wallet and removed several bills, which he pressed into her hand.

She gazed at the amount. “Ten dollars? Patrick, this is too much.”

He backed away as he held his hands palm facing her. “You don’t know what expenses you’ll have. I’ll worry enough without thinking you have no resources.”

She dropped the cash into her purse. “Thank you. You’re the dearest brother who ever lived.”

His cheeky grin cheered her. “I must modestly agree with you.”

RACHEL is coming soon. Check Caroline's Amazon page for more details.

About the Author

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling and award winning author of historical and contemporary western romances. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. When she’s not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys family, reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, and getting together with friends. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, WattPad, Shelfari, and Pinterest.

Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books.

Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here to 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?

She loves to hear from her readers at caroline@carolineclemmons.comcaroline@carolineclemmons.com