Shirley Kennedy

Pampered, fun-loving Laurie Sinclair hates everything about the rough, ugly mining town of Lucky Creek, California. She only left Philadelphia because her wealthy father opened the Monarch Gold Mine-and because Brandon, the man she'd hoped to marry, sent her away. But when Brandon changes his mind, she's ready to pack her bags-until her father is suddenly killed in a mine explosion, and her brother is badly injured . . . As troubles mount for the Sinclairs, including a ruinous unexpected debt, they save themselves by selling half their mine ownership to Darcy McKenna, a friend of Laurie's late father. Brusque and brooding, Darcy is the opposite of exuberant Laurie. Yet as Laurie stays on to help him in the office, Darcy soon finds himself smiling and happier, while Laurie finds her interests are changing. She might even be falling for Darcy. But her heart won't truly be tested until Brandon shows up-and throws her life into chaos . . . Praise for Shirley Kennedy and her novels "The historical details are vivid and realistic and should appeal to fans of the historical romance genre. The characters are interesting, the story is engaging, and the romance is slow-building and sweet. River Queen Rose is a great start in what looks to be a promising historical series by Kennedy." -RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars "Shirley Kennedy spins a tale sure to pull at the heartstrings of her readers." -RT Book Reviews on Three Wishes for Miss Winthrop, 4 stars

""Before the war, Belle Ainsworth led a life of pleasure and privilege in the deep South. Five years after losing her fianc at the Battle of Gettysburg, she is still alone, with no prospects for marriage among the remaining men of her acquaintance. But out west, there are possibilities. And when Belle answers an ad for a mail-order bride and boards a train to San Francisco to meet wealthy restaurateur Robert Romano, it's with the hope of at last making her dreams of family come true. When the train is robbed, Yancy McLeish, a disillusioned Union Army hero, rescues Belle from her attackers-and lays claim to her heart. But Belle has pledged her troth to Romano and intends to honor that commitment. It's a decision she soon regrets, for her groom-to-be is nothing like his letters. As she plots a course to escape Romano, Belle prays that road can lead her back to the safety of Yancy's arms, where she believes she was always destined to be... ""

After the death of her abusive husband, Sarah Gregg is free to join her family along with thousands of others in the nation's westward march for gold. But in the middle of the hard journey, Sarah's younger sister, Florrie, disappears. Devastated by the family's failed attempts to find her missing sister, Sarah now wants only to settle into a quiet, uneventful life when she reaches California . . .But Jack McCoy, a drifter and one-time gambler riding along their wagon train, sees so much more for Sarah. In the roaring mining town of Gold Creek his attentive persistence points Sarah toward new vistas. Then unexpected news of Florrie arrives-and it's worse than anyone expected. But driven by a new hopefulness, Sarah seeks help from Jack, despite his troubled past. The two have traveled a rough road together, and only their hearts can tell them where they are headed . . .

Love can lead you out of the wilderness... 1851, Overland Trail to California. As a baby, Callie was left on the doorstep of an isolated farmhouse in Tennessee. The Whitaker family took her in, but have always considered her more a servant than a daughter. Scorned by her two stepsisters, Callie is forced to work long hours and denied an education. But a new world opens to her when the Whitakers join a wagon train to California-guided by rugged Indian, Luke McGraw... A loner, haunted by a painful past, Luke plans to return to the wilderness once his work is done. But he can't help noticing how poorly Callie is treated-or how unaware she is of her beauty and intelligence. As the two become closer over the long trek west, Callie's confidence grows. And when disaster strikes, Callie emerges as the strong one-and the woman Luke may find the courage to love at last...

JILLIAN DAHL of Denver has a life that's as good as it gets. She's beautiful, has a successful career, a luxurious lifestyle and a rich fianc . But her world starts to crumble when her younger sister, Karlin, a world-class skier, is diagnosed with osteogenic sarcoma, a fast, deadly kind of bone cancer. On the day Karlin learns she must lose her leg, Lucky, her beloved black Labrador retriever, runs away in a blizzard from Jillian's back yard. Jillian's frantic search to find him takes her to California where she meets charismatic animal activist, Travis Kerrigan. Fate takes Lucky ever closer to the Linderman Research Laboratories where "trash dogs" will be used in a horrible experiment. Can Travis help? Will Jillian find him in time? Looking for Lucky is aimed at animal lovers everywhere. In part, it's about a group of animal activists, but there's much more to the book. It's the stories of two alcoholics with different endings, one good, one shockingly sad. Of a recently widowed woman who thinks her life is over. Of a teenage valley girl who made a bad decision. Of wine tasting in Sonoma County-skiing at Winter Park, Colorado- the giant Sequoias in the Sierra Nevada Mountains- beautiful San Francisco-a casino in Lake Tahoe. The journey of a lost dog affects many lives, including Jillian's, whose life is changed forever in her desperate search to find him.