Book #2 in the
Wyoming Sunrise Series
Releases this month!
To celebrate I'm giving away a signed copy of
to One Lucky Commentor
Laws of Attraction is, to me, the heart of this series, the inspiration for it.
I read a book about the First Woman Justice of the Peace in America. She was in Wyoming. So I thought, maybe my book could be about the SECOND Justice of the Peace.
Have you ever noticed that no one argues over the second anything?
Oldest?
Most expensive?
Prettiest?
Fastest?
Tallest?
Sure, claim 1st place and people want to fight.
No the Grand Canyon isn't the most beautiful view in America.
But if you say your view is SECOND, everyone smug-ly thinks, dang right you're second, cuz MY choice is first, you go ahead and be second.
So I'm sure somewhere there is a second female Justice of the Peace, but no one is in here demanding I admit that. So far!
Phew.
Nell is a seamstress...in a frontier town full of men. The few women who live in or near Pine Valley, Wyoming make their own dresses. Nell LOVES making pretty dresses. She likes lace and ruffles and ribbons. Early on after she moved to town, she made the dire mistake of agreeing to make a cowboy a pair of chaps, even though she has no idea how. But he brought in an old pair and a piece of tanned cowhide, and she figured it out and now, everyone wants a pair of chaps.
They don't care what she charges or how long they have to wait.
Nell is making a fortune and she's not happy.
Until she finds a hapless homesteader widower, with three poorly dressed, half-grown daughters.
They all need dresses. He has no money. Nell wheedles him into letting her hire them and earn their dresses. She'll teach them how to sew. She'll teach them how to make chaps.
It's all going to be such fun. And then the murderous stagecoach robbers, the Deadeye Gang strike again. Nell, the widow of a lawman back in Missouri, knows a whole lot about investigating a crime just from listening to her lunkhead of a dead lawman husband.
When she gets involved in investigating the crimes, and then the local Justice of the Peace resigns, the sheriff pitches her name to take over.
And then people start trying to kill her.
Judge Nell needs to discover and expose the robbers. Brand needs to figure out how to be the fathers to girls.
They all need to stay alive long enough to fall in love.
Let's talk about bragging rights for your town or church or school or whatever.
I happen to live in the SECOND oldest settlement in Nebraska. Well, nearby, not IN.
Every town has a claim to fame. What's yours?
And have you ever worked this type of bragging rights into your story?
Laws of Attraction coming in June, leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a signed copy.
AND
On Sale Now in all ebook formats:
The Element of Love
$2.99
Oh, Mare, this looks good.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm more proud of my state than my town. New Hampshire has the first-in-the-nation primary (for how long who knows), two astronauts, Alan Shepard and the doomed Christa McAuliffe, authors from Dan Brown to the late Tomie DePaola, a lakes region, mountain region and a precious 18 miles of coastline. J.D. Salinger lived in our northern town of Cornish. Don't ask the natives how to get to his house. They REALLY don't like that.
I'll be debuting my first New Hampshire book this fall, a Christian Christmas Contemporary Romance. Say that three times fast. It's also my first book with Elk Lake Publishing. "A Hilltop Christmas," coming in mid-to late fall.
I am loving the way you put your heroines into non-traditional professions for their time. That's kind of what the West was all about. If there wasn't a competent man around, a woman did it. Period.
I also love that you're adding a suspense thread. Was that a gradual move, or were you struck by lightning?
Best,
Kathy Bailey
Your Kaybee
It's raining in New Hampshire today
Kaybee! You're writing contemporary now? Good for you for mixing it up.
DeleteAs for the suspense thread, nope, having bad guys is almost a requirement for any good book, right? LOL
DeleteI am really looking forward to your new book, Kathy.
DeleteCongratulations to Jan on her semi-final in the Carol Awards. I know she won't put anything up here herself.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you today, Kathy, and yes, big congrats to Jan!
DeleteThank you, both!
DeleteAnd big congrats to Jaime, too. We're both semi-finalists in the same category!
YAY Jan. Jaime Jo Wright, a sister Seeker, is a finalist, too!!!!!
DeleteThis book looks like so much fun, Mary! And what a great question to get the conversation going today. I live in the beautiful Black Hills, so we have everything from Mt. Rushmore to the Badlands that bring people in from all over the world. But we almost always sit at the top of the list for "Most Unpredictable Weather" and I find that kind of fun. Congratulations on another book, Mary!
ReplyDeleteGlynis, I'm going to be in Deadwood next week at the Wild Deadwood Reads booksigning. Jan is coming, too. Come and see us!
DeleteYes! And it's free!
DeleteWinnie is also going to be there, plus a BUNCH of other authors.
It's at the Lodge at Deadwood from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday June 17th!
Jan, are you nervous? For some reason the whole thing makes me nervous!!! I think I've been kinda a recluse since Covid. And enjoying it.
DeleteI've never gone before. It wild be so fun to see you all there!
DeleteI live in Butte, MT. It's claim to fame was "The Richest Hill on Earth" because of the gold and silver mines. Now not so much, but the sign is still there.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's so cool, except I suppose you don't get any of that gold and silver, huh? Bummer
DeleteA new book from Mary! YAY!!!!
ReplyDeleteGlynis and I share the same bragging rights - but "most unpredictable weather" has to be the one we're least known for. My husband and I have lived in a LOT of places, and invariably you'll hear someone say, "That's (fill in the location) for you. If you don't like the weather, just wait a few hours."
Yes, everywhere we've lived.
But in the Black Hills, it's true. Between the prairies, the mountains, our particular location combined with prevailing northwest winds (there is only flatland between us and the North Pole,) temperature inversions... the weather is interesting every day.
And yes, I did work that into my current WIP - a western romance that takes place in the Black Hills in 1886. In the opening scene, the weather is warm and windy. That night they get a few inches of snow that melts by noon and the next day it's hot and sunny. Typical Black Hills weather for April. :-)
Very typical. Nicely done!
DeleteWe talked to a guy from California who said, "I can be sitting in sunny weather, then drive an hour into the mountains and get snowed on." Our response...we can do that in Nebraska without moving an inch.
ReplyDeleteLOL!!!
DeleteEvery town, every organization, is the somethingest something. I find that kinda fun. Looking for a claim to fame. A nearby town is the Swedish Capitol of Nebraska. Last I heard, four towns make that claim, but no war has broken out. Sweden has wisely chosen not to get involved. I went to the annual Polish Festival in Loup City Nebraska. the Polish Capitol of Nebraska. Lots of qualifiers usually. My own town, Second Oldest Settlement. I know there's a second oldest city. I suppose settlement and city are different right? I was once in Pittsburg and one spot's claim? Third most beautiful sight in America. THIRD? C'mon Pittsburg get in there and fight for second. In fairness, looking down on three rivers converging is a very beautiful sight.
ReplyDeleteMary, everything you write has a giggle tucked away or marching through it. Love your "second" everything. Now here in my state of North Carolina I suppose there is some type of first or second or maybe last something. I dunno. North Carolina's been around a long time. My son-in-law has traced my family (at least the Houston line) back to when a William Houston was sent over to the colony of NC by the King of England as holder of the "seal." Ya know you couldn't do anything in the colonies unless you were given (or bought) a seal. Then the revolutionary war came along and William lost all his lands when the patriots won because he had connections with the tories even though he sided with the patriots. Anyway, maybe that helps me and mine ranks as a second or third something. I'm currently reading Laws of Attraction and loving it.
ReplyDeleteHi Vera. Wow, deep roots. I've got parts of my family that go back a long way, and parts that are classic Potato Famine Irish. So we're a nice mix. I love the seal. Poor guy, started out important and powerful, picked the wrong side and lost everything and yet, here you are. So his family survived it all.
DeleteLOL, Mary! You have a way with words! I love your description of your newest book in the way only Mary Connealy can recant. Congratulations on another book!
ReplyDeleteWhat to say about Boulder, CO? Let's see, back in the 60's tourists came from all over to visit Pearl Street to see our huge assortment of hippies ... back then, too, one of our more famous hippies, Mo Siegel, spent his days picking wildflowers and brewing concoctions and eventually founded Celestial Seasonings. Umm, astronaut, Scott Carpenter hailed from Boulder. I'm sure there's more, but I can't think of anything else.
Audra
Audra
Celestial Seasonings??? I drink that tea. Wow, that's hitting the big time.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this one, Mary! You always make me laugh and smile and plain just have a great time reading your books. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteGena, coming June 20th!
DeleteThank you for the chance
ReplyDeleteYou're in the drawing Jco
DeleteMary, this series looks great. I look forward to reading it. As a fellow Nebraskan, I agree that so many towns have their claim to fame for many different things. I live in Kearney which is known as the Sandhill Crane Capital of the World. It is the place to come every spring to see the sandhill cranes, a truly awesome sight. I grew up in Hastings, whose claim to fame is the town where Kool-aid was invented. (Kool-aid is the official state soft drink.)
ReplyDeleteAh, Kool-aid. Nebraska also has Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing and Runzas.
DeleteI can't wait to read this one! I read the first one and absolutely loved it!
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to wait much longer!!!
DeleteI live in the town where Mark Twain's mother was born. At least that is a connection to a writer.
ReplyDeletesmincer10 at gmail dot com
Susanne, my hometown one had as a bank teller, Jesse James' mother.
DeleteI love your books and look forward to reading this series!
ReplyDeleteIt's coming soon!!!
DeleteThank you for doing a giveaway and sale! I love your books.
ReplyDeleteAw, Lupe, thank you!
DeleteLove your books, Mary! I’m a librarian, and Christian fiction is what my patrons love the most, and they always seek out your books when they visit my library. I live in a small town called Bay Springs, and it’s named after an underground spring located in the center of town. Many, many years ago some residents built a beautiful gazebo around it, and the water is now cycled through a large stone fountain in the center of the gazebo. It’s the clearest and best tasting water I’ve ever had in all my 53 years.
ReplyDeleteStephanie, I love that. The One-Room Country School my children attended, also attended by my husband, his father, his grandfather and great-grandfather...has an artesian well, the only source of water the little school ever had, no well, the water was piped into batheroom (when those got added) and sinks.
DeleteThis story sounds great, but in all honesty, I rarely read your blurbs these days. All I need to see is your name on the cover and I know I'm buying a copy!
ReplyDeleteKathleen, you sweet thing. Words to warm an author's heart!
DeleteI'll brag on my county instead of a town. Fleming County is the Covered Bridge Capital of Kentucky and we have many visitors come to our area because of this title. We once had four covered bridges but one was destroyed by arson. One of the three remaining bridges is The Goddard White Bridge, and it's a beautiful setting for wedding pictures, graduation shots, and family photos. Mary, I look forward to this newest book! Congratulations!!
ReplyDeleteI don't live that far from Winterset, Iowa, the setting for the Bridges of Madison County. But I've never gone there. yes, Iowa is the next state over, but it's a BIG state. I went and looked up the Goddard White Bridge. What a cool old thing!!!
DeleteI really enjoy reading your books. Recently finished Forged in Love. I'm sure this new one is just as good as all your others. (I've lost count of how many of your books I have read!
ReplyDeleteCynthia McPherson wrote the above comment signed "Anonymous." I don't know why it was anonymous!
DeleteHi Cynthia. I noticed a whole lot of Anonymouses...must be a Blogger glitch!
Deleteoh thanks for the chance. I really cant wait to read this series. Or state of Illinois is famous for Abraham Lincoln. We have visited where he is buried and where he lived. Our two kiddos loved it. We are famous for Chicago, where the great fire took place. and so many other little things. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
ReplyDeleteI think the only thing my town Sherwood, AR. is famous for is possibly having the smallest museum ever. 🤷♀️ timmersharon at gmail dot net
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDelete