A pampered socialite from Washington D.C. embarks on a journey to the Wild West where her life is turned upside down. Gone are the parties, pretty dresses, and frivolous days spent with friends. Gone is the assumption she will marry a wealthy man who will sustain her
privileged lifestyle.
Josephine heads west to visit her father who supervises the day-to-day work of the most ambitious project of post-Civil War America: the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, linking the nation from East to West. Life with the railroad is far from the proper life Josephine is used to, and she faces deadly gunfights, harsh weather, Indian encounters, rough workers, less than ideal living conditions, and vigilante uprisings.
Torn between two worlds, Josephine stubbornly tries to hold onto what was, including a suitable parent-approved beau. Everything changes when she meets a charming Irish railroad worker who challenges her in ways she’s never been challenged. As she allows
herself to become more, she discovers a life that is more fulfilling and extraordinary than any life she’d previously imagined.
Join Josephine Cain on her amazing journey of body, mind, and spirit, as she evolves from a spoiled Eastern girl into a gutsy, independent woman of the West.
NOTE: If you liked the mini-series “Hell on Wheels” you will enjoy Josephine’s story. Especially if you were a fan of the dashing Cullen Bohannan!
A pampered socialite from Washington D.C. embarks on a journey to the Wild West where her life is turned upside down. Gone are the parties, pretty dresses, and frivolous days spent with friends. Gone is the assumption she will marry a wealthy man who will sustain her
privileged lifestyle.
Josephine heads west to visit her father who supervises the day-to-day work of the most ambitious project of post-Civil War America: the building of the Transcontinental Railroad, linking the nation from East to West. Life with the railroad is far from the proper life Josephine is used to, and she faces deadly gunfights, harsh weather, Indian encounters, rough workers, less than ideal living conditions, and vigilante uprisings.
Torn between two worlds, Josephine stubbornly tries to hold onto what was, including a suitable parent-approved beau. Everything changes when she meets a charming Irish railroad worker who challenges her in ways she’s never been challenged. As she allows
herself to become more, she discovers a life that is more fulfilling and extraordinary than any life she’d previously imagined.
Join Josephine Cain on her amazing journey of body, mind, and spirit, as she evolves from a spoiled Eastern girl into a gutsy, independent woman of the West.
NOTE: If you liked the mini-series “Hell on Wheels” you will enjoy Josephine’s story. Especially if you were a fan of the dashing Cullen Bohannan!
This is an anthology of three novellas. Mine is “Endless Melody.”
Not even the Civil War can smother the spirit of Christmas, especially in the town of Decatur, Illinois, in 1862, where the ladies of the Basket Brigade board trains to minister to Union soldiers, offering fried chicken, pickled peaches,pound cake, and other dainties to men who haven’t eaten a home-cooked meal since enlisting. Join Sarah, Lucy, and Zona, three compassionate members of the brigade, as they care for wounded heroes–and find love along the way.
A STITCH IN TIME by Stephanie Grace Whitson: Wealthy Lucy Maddow isn’t as vulnerable as other women whose men are off at war, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to heartbreak and loneliness. Opening her grand home to the local sewing society brings not only friendship and a growing self-confidence, but also a life-changing surprise.
A PINCH OF LOVE by Judith Miller: Shy and compassionate Sarah McHenry is eager to assist the other women with the war effort–unless it means stepping onto trains that carry wounded Civil War soldiers. When forced to set aside her fears, Sarah gains an unexpected confidence and the possibility of a soldier’s love.
ENDLESS MELODY by Nancy Moser: At age thirty-five, Zona Evans is a spinster music teacher. To bring comfort to the soldiers on the train she arranges for carolers to entertain the men. She has no idea that her life is on a path that will intersect with a long-lost love.
This is an anthology of three novellas. Mine is “Endless Melody.”
Not even the Civil War can smother the spirit of Christmas, especially in the town of Decatur, Illinois, in 1862, where the ladies of the Basket Brigade board trains to minister to Union soldiers, offering fried chicken, pickled peaches,pound cake, and other dainties to men who haven’t eaten a home-cooked meal since enlisting. Join Sarah, Lucy, and Zona, three compassionate members of the brigade, as they care for wounded heroes–and find love along the way.
A STITCH IN TIME by Stephanie Grace Whitson: Wealthy Lucy Maddow isn’t as vulnerable as other women whose men are off at war, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to heartbreak and loneliness. Opening her grand home to the local sewing society brings not only friendship and a growing self-confidence, but also a life-changing surprise.
A PINCH OF LOVE by Judith Miller: Shy and compassionate Sarah McHenry is eager to assist the other women with the war effort–unless it means stepping onto trains that carry wounded Civil War soldiers. When forced to set aside her fears, Sarah gains an unexpected confidence and the possibility of a soldier’s love.
ENDLESS MELODY by Nancy Moser: At age thirty-five, Zona Evans is a spinster music teacher. To bring comfort to the soldiers on the train she arranges for carolers to entertain the men. She has no idea that her life is on a path that will intersect with a long-lost love.
It only takes a moment . . .
For the first time in her life, the widow Esther Horton is fully alone. Her only daughter has married and is moving away.
Is it a time for sorrow—or a chance for a fresh beginning?
Esther isn’t used to this kind of freedom and it takes her a while to learn how to enjoy it. She happily runs her pie shop in Chancebury, England, and enjoys the attention of the local blacksmith. The future looks promising.
But then she witnesses a carriage accident and helps the driver . . .
When she saw his face everything changed.
It only takes a moment . . .
For the first time in her life, the widow Esther Horton is fully alone. Her only daughter has married and is moving away.
Is it a time for sorrow—or a chance for a fresh beginning?
Esther isn’t used to this kind of freedom and it takes her a while to learn how to enjoy it. She happily runs her pie shop in Chancebury, England, and enjoys the attention of the local blacksmith. The future looks promising.
But then she witnesses a carriage accident and helps the driver . . .
When she saw his face everything changed.
Wealth. Security. Or love?
The prize possession of New York ingénue Ada Wallace is the bridal quilt she’s been working on for years. If only she’d find a rich man worthy of marrying.
When Ada finds herself responsible for the injury of a poor man and a boy, she takes them into her home out of guilt. But the man is someone from her past—a wealthy man who gave up everything to help the poor.
Their Christmas presence changes Ada’s view of the world, her faith, and her future.
What is she willing to sacrifice for true love?
Wealth. Security. Or love?
The prize possession of New York ingénue Ada Wallace is the bridal quilt she’s been working on for years. If only she’d find a rich man worthy of marrying.
When Ada finds herself responsible for the injury of a poor man and a boy, she takes them into her home out of guilt. But the man is someone from her past—a wealthy man who gave up everything to help the poor.
Their Christmas presence changes Ada’s view of the world, her faith, and her future.
What is she willing to sacrifice for true love?
This is a book written by my mother.
Mom and Dad celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. Dad died later that year, but his “Dearest Marguerite” just passed away in 2020 at age 99. She saved his letters and compiled some of them in this poignant historical book.
November 1, 1943. The South Pacific. Lyle Young wrote to his dearest Marguerite:
“We did not choose this war. We accept it and put every effort into it because without it we would lose the life that every man wants. The men know what they are fighting for They are fighting and toiling for the purposes they know are right. The purposes vary with each man, but they basically all add up to the right to live, worship, and work in peace. Each man has constant dreams of home, his loved ones, the neat little house, the neighbors and his church. He now realizes that those are the most important things in life and without them there is nothing. Through sweat and blood the vision of an honest world grows brighter.”
Letters were their only contact for the thirty months Lyle served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Decades later, as Marguerite reread the letters, they rekindled vivid memories and made her realize what she held in her hands was history a personal history shared by many who lived through that difficult time. Dearest Marguerite is a poignant account of the sacrifice and patriotism experienced by countless soldiers and their families.
This is a book written by my mother.
Mom and Dad celebrated 70 years of marriage in 2012. Dad died later that year, but his “Dearest Marguerite” just passed away in 2020 at age 99. She saved his letters and compiled some of them in this poignant historical book.
November 1, 1943. The South Pacific. Lyle Young wrote to his dearest Marguerite:
“We did not choose this war. We accept it and put every effort into it because without it we would lose the life that every man wants. The men know what they are fighting for They are fighting and toiling for the purposes they know are right. The purposes vary with each man, but they basically all add up to the right to live, worship, and work in peace. Each man has constant dreams of home, his loved ones, the neat little house, the neighbors and his church. He now realizes that those are the most important things in life and without them there is nothing. Through sweat and blood the vision of an honest world grows brighter.”
Letters were their only contact for the thirty months Lyle served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Decades later, as Marguerite reread the letters, they rekindled vivid memories and made her realize what she held in her hands was history a personal history shared by many who lived through that difficult time. Dearest Marguerite is a poignant account of the sacrifice and patriotism experienced by countless soldiers and their families.