Book picks similar to
Sagebrush by William Wayne Dicksion
western
westerns
fiction
historical
Of Love and Demons
Win Blevins - 1998
Asie Taylor is a half-blood Indian raised by Mormons, a gifted musician and a sharp-tongued philosopher. Sun Moon is a Tibetan nun, kidnapped and sold into prostitution in California. Each is on the run--Asie toward his heritage and the secret of his name, Sun Moon from her captors, in particular the fanatical "Destroying Angel" of Mormondon, Porter Rockwell. The fate of these two innocents takes its strangest turn when they are thrown together with a man innocent of nothing, the scar-faced Nile explorer Sir Richard Burton who in 1862 is making his leisurely way across the American West. The journey of this remarkable trio, their footsteps dogged by the relentless Rockwell, ranges from Brigham Young's Salt Lake City through the mining camps of the Comstock Lode in Nevada (where a reporter named Sam Clemens befriends them) is a dazzling tour-de-force adventure. “Win Blevins has done it again with Of Love and Demons. A wonderfully wild one which you don’t want to miss.” – Tony Hillerman “Win Blevins displays an antic imagination, not only in mingling actual and invented characters, but in melding gritty action-adventure and metaphysical musings.” Dale Wasserman, Author of Man of La Mancha “Win Blevins’ Of Love and Demons is a risqué And veritable romp through the history of the West. Highly enjoyable reading.” Clyde M. Hall, Shoshone-Bannock lecturer of Western and Native American History. From Kirkus Reviews A colorful novel set among the Mormons in 1862, featuring such real folks as Sam Clemens, Sir Richard Burton, Brigham Young, and Porter Rockwell, by the author of Stone Song (1995), an imaginary life of Crazy Horse. Half-Indian Asie Taylor, a musical prodigy who has been accepted into the Church of the Latter-day Saints, drowns when his delivery wagon is overturned in a flash flood, has an out-of-body experience, returns to life, and is amazed to see hovering over him the scarred but beautiful face of Sun Moon, a Tibetan Buddhist nun who was kidnapped in Asia and shipped to America to be sold into prostitution. There, she ended up in Idaho, where Tarim, the local tavernkeeper/whoremaster who bought her, expected to resell her for a hefty sum. When Porter Rockwell, a Mormon known as the Destroying Angel (he seeks out and kills enemies of the church) wins Sun Moon, he attempts to satisfy his lust, is frustrated by his inability to do so, and disfigures her face. Having learned some English while storekeeping, Sun Moon flees Tarim and falls in with Asie, who decides to go in search of his origins and of the meaning of his Shoshone name, Rock Child. Meantime, Rockwell is in pursuit of Sun Moon, determined to kill her--and anyone who gets in his way. Tibetan-speaking British explorer/translator Sir Richard Burton, an opium addict of none-too-sound mind, who's in Salt Lake City to persuade Brigham Young to form a separate Western Confederacy, saves Asie and Sun Moon from Rockwell and joins their quest. For a while, Brigham Young gives them sanctuary from Rockwell, though Rockwell later follows the trio to San Francisco. The climax would satisfy the Buddha himself as his teachings resoundingly bring the murderous Rockwell to heel. Historical detail serves a charming treasure. From Library Journal Blevins, whose Stone Song (Tor, 1995) fictionalized the life of the legendary Crazy Horse, has stated his aim is to write "mythic novels of the American West.
Follow the Stone
John Locke - 2011
International best-selling author John Locke (Saving Rachel, Wish List, Now & Then, Lethal People, Lethal Experiment) tackles a new genre, with hilarious results.Follow the Stone (An Irreverent Western Adventure) is a good-hearted, rollicking story about a former gunslinger and his crablike scout, who journey West with a mail order bride, a witch, and a wagon full of prostitutes!
The Chef's Mail Order Bride
Cindy Caldwell - 2015
She'd been raised to bake in her parents' bakery, and after their deaths, she had planned to carry on the family tradition. Devastated to find out she was losing her family's business, she needed something to do to support herself. When she received a letter from her twin sister's husband in Arizona Territory, suggesting she come out to be the bride of his best friend who was opening a restaurant, it seemed like the perfect solution to her problems. Tripp had gone to the best culinary school in the country, and he knew exactly how to create the perfect meal. He spent hours and hours coming up with just the right menu for his restaurant, only to be told he couldn't get a loan for it unless he married. When his best friend came up with the solution of sending for his baker sister-in-law, it only made sense. Her ideas of the perfect menu were different than his, though. Would the two be able to stay together long enough to convince the bank he was a good risk? Would Sadie be able to convince Tripp that the two of them belonged together after all?
Swim
Jennifer Weiner - 2006
When she’s not working, she’s swimming—lap after lap at the local indoor pool, in a desperate attempt to wash away the sting of professional failure and heartbreak that she can’t seem to shake. It takes an unexpected client to show her that appearances can be deceiving, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply dive back in.
Georgiana Darcy's Diary: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Continued
Anna Elliott - 2011
Darcy's younger sister searches for her own happily-ever-after.The year is 1814, and it's springtime at Pemberley. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have married. But now a new romance is in the air, along with high fashion, elegant manners, scandal, deception, and the wonderful hope of a true and lasting love.Shy Georgiana Darcy has been content to remain unmarried, living with her brother and his new bride. But Elizabeth and Darcy's fairy-tale love reminds Georgiana daily that she has found no true love of her own. And perhaps never will, for she is convinced the one man she secretly cares for will never love her in return. Georgiana's domineering aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, has determined that Georgiana shall marry, and has a list of eligible bachelors in mind. But which of the suitors are sincere, and which are merely interested in Georgiana's fortune? Georgiana must learn to trust her heart and rely on her courage, for she also faces the return of the man who could ruin her reputation and spoil a happy ending, just when it finally lies within her grasp.
Stealing Jake
Pam Hillman - 2011
After all, she used to be known as Light-fingered Livy. But that was before she put her past behind her and moved to the growing town of Chestnut, Illinois, where she’s helping to run an orphanage. Now she’ll do almost anything to protect the street kids like herself. Sheriff’s deputy Jake Russell had no idea what he was in for when he ran into Livy—literally—while chasing down a pickpocket. With a rash of robberies and a growing number of street kids in town—as well as a loan on the family farm that needs to be paid off—Jake doesn’t have time to pursue a girl. Still, he can't seem to get Livy out of his mind. He wants to get to know her better . . . but Livy isn’t willing to trust any man, especially not a lawman.
The First Mrs. Rothschild
Sara Aharoni - 2015
But when Meir’s talents as a novice banker catch the attention of a German prince, Meir is suddenly afforded entrée into the European world of finance and nobility, and the Rothschilds’ lives are changed forever. As proud as Gutle is of her husband’s success, she is also cautious—very much aware of the fact that her husband’s rise is tied to his patrons’ willingness to “see past” his Jewishness. As their family grows, and a dream of fortune comes true, so does their belief that money will ultimately bring the power needed to establish Jewish civil rights.Told through Gutle’s intimate journals, revealed across decades—from the French Revolution through personal tragedies and triumphs—The First Mrs. Rothschild paints a rich and intimate tapestry of family drama, world-changing history, and one woman’s steadfast strength.
Belle Cora
Phillip Margulies - 2014
In it, the heroine tells the story of her moral fall and material rise over the course of the century, carrying her from the farms, mills, drawing rooms (and bedrooms) of New York to the California gold rush.
Celtic Cross
Tammy Doherty - 2003
Matt Donovan does not hesitate to help, despite her unknown past. What happened to this woman? Who is she? Will the man who shot her come riding down the trail after her, shattering peaceful Glenpark, Colorado?When Cristeen wakes, she can remember nothing of her past. Only one thought haunts her day and night: trust no one. Matt fears Cristeen s fierce independence will lead only to tragedy. Can he help Cristeen see the need to trust the Lord before it is too late? Can Cristeen overcome her belief that loving can only bring heartache?Then a madman bent on revenge tracks her down. Matt cannot rescue Cristeen this time. Only the Lord can save her now?if she has enough faith to trust. Can she overcome the past and learn to trust?
Last Stand
Duane Boehm - 2014
He is a man running from his conscience and keeping on the move seems to be the only thing preventing it from destroying him. Rumors of his whereabouts occasionally reach Last Stand, but no one from there had seen or heard from him since the war, leaving both the girl he left behind and his best friend with a chapter of their lives unresolved. Things change in Last Stand when a stranger is found shot and near death. The realization that the man is Gideon sets in motion old grudges, love, and a chance for redemption.
Restless Hearts
Mona Ingram - 2014
Denied her dream of attending medical school, Sarah Howard is desperate to leave Boston far behind. Determined to prove that she can make it on her own, she poses as a married woman and boards a schooner bound for San Francisco. Stuck working in his family’s merchant bank, Jamie Thompson eagerly accepts the challenge of setting up a branch in San Francisco. He’s been restless for some time now, and barely escaped the clutches of the woman determined to marry him. The attraction between Sarah and Jamie is instant and powerful, yet each has something to prove, if only to themselves. Will their single-minded determination derail a blossoming romance?
Say You Love Me
Patricia Hagan - 1995
But, she needed to know the truth about her mother. Was she still alive, a captive of the Comanche?Luke Howling Wolf can't lose his beloved adopted mother, Sunstar, his Comanche tribe's white medicine woman. Somehow, he must keep Sunstar's identity secret, especially from the interloper claiming to be her daughter, no matter how the young white-woman's determination and innocence challenges his heart.Publisher's Note: Contains graphic sexual situations and violence in keeping with the era.
Honeysuckle Season
Mary Ellen Taylor - 2020
Though her new life as a wedding photographer provides a semblance of purpose, it’s also a distraction from her profound pain.When asked to photograph a wedding at the historic Woodmont estate, Libby meets the owner, Elaine Grant. Hoping to open Woodmont to the public, Elaine has employed young widower Colton Reese to help restore the grounds and asks Libby to photograph the process. Libby is immediately drawn to the old greenhouse shrouded in honeysuckle vines.As Libby forms relationships and explores the overgrown—yet hauntingly beautiful—Woodmont estate, she finds the emotional courage to sort through her father’s office. There she discovers a letter that changes everything she knows about her parents, herself, and the estate. Beneath the vines of the old greenhouse lie generations of secrets, and it’s up to Libby to tend to the fruits born of long-buried seeds.
Country Heaven
Ava Miles - 2014
He’s a bad boy who indulges himself in all things, women included. But while she couldn’t care less about country music or arrogant men, Rye makes her an offer she can’t refuse when he asks her to be his private chef on his multi-city concert tour. The job is the answer to all her prayers: it will clear out her debt and finance the fresh start she desperately needs.Rye is certain his sassy new cook is the last woman who’d ever tempt him, but spending time with the wholesome girl next door will do wonders for his damaged public image, whether she likes being forced into the spotlight or not. Her food also happens to be the best he’s ever eaten, both comforting and seductive. But spending time with Tory on the road shows him a new side to her—one that’s as impossible to resist as her food. And when an emergency in his family whisks him home, he does the one thing he’s never risked: he lets a woman into his heart…Soon the emotions Rye faked for the tabloids become all too real, but will the country heaven he’s found in Tory’s arms survive in the real world?
Our Little Secrets
Merry Farmer - 2012
So when the beautiful and wily Charlotte steps off the train looking for a new life he jumps at the business opportunity she presents. Engaged forty-five minutes after meeting, married the next day, Michael thinks he’s found everything a respectable man should have. Except that Michael is as far from respectable as they come. They agreed not to ask questions about each other’s pasts, but when the past seeps into their present Michael suspects his passionate new wife is not who she says she is. Too bad he’s already fallen in love with her.Charlotte Baldwin has a secret. She fled Philadelphia to escape the sins of her past but someone is following her. What better way to hide than by marrying Michael West, Cold Springs, Montana’s enigmatic shopkeeper? A new name, a new life, and a passionate husband is exactly what she needs to leave her sins behind. But when it comes to keeping secrets Charlotte may have met her match in Michael. When a connection neither of them expects catches up with them, the shocking revelation means Charlotte may have run right into the arms of her enemy.No sin stays a secret forever…