Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Historical May 2016 Releases

Listed below is the upcoming release from our talented Love Inspired Historical May author here at Craftie Ladies of Romance. To purchase this wonderful book, just click on the book cover. And to learn more about the author, click on her name.

Special Delivery Baby

by Sherri Shackelford

The second book in the Cowboy Creek continuity series

Instant Daddy
 

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.

With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home.

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown

FEATURED BOOK AND INTERVIEW: Special Delivery Baby by Sherri Shackelford

Instant Daddy 

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone. 

With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home. 

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown

Interview: 

How exciting to have Tomasina Stone, the heroine from Special Delivery Baby, written by  Sherri Shackelford, a May, 2016, release from Love Inspired Romance .

1  Tomasina Stone tell me the most interesting thing about you.

I’m a cattle drive by trade. Born and raised on the trail. My pa recently died, though, and things are changing faster than I can keep up with them.

2.  What do you do for fun?

I enjoy sharpshooting for fun. I’m the best sharpshooter west of the Mississippi.

3.  What do you put off doing because you dread it?

I put off doing anything domestic. I’m not much for dressing up and going to parties. I sure don’t like city folks and all their shenanigans.

4.  What are you afraid of most in life?

I’m most afraid of being useless. I’ve always had a job to do, and I’ve always been good at my job.

5.  What do you want out of life?

More than anything, I want to find a place where I fit in. After driving cattle for most of my life, there aren’t many other things I’m good at doing.

6.  What is the most important thing to you?

My reputation is important to me. I’m good at what I do, and I’m proud of my skills.

7.  If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

I’d be a man.

8.  Do you have a pet? If so, what is it and why that pet?

I had a pet snake once, but he slithered away.

9. Can you tell us a little interesting tidbit about the time period you live in?

It’s just after the Civil War, and folks are getting optimistic again. I like that. I like having some hope in the future!

Instant Daddy 

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone. 

With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home. 

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown

Sherri Shackelford is an award-winning author of inspirational, Christian romance novels for Harlequin/HarperCollins Publishers. 

A wife and mother of three, Sherri’s hobbies include collecting mismatched socks, discovering new ways to avoid cleaning, and standing in the middle of the room while thinking, “Why did I just come in here?” A reformed pessimist and recent hopeful romantic, Sherri has a passion for writing. She doesn't live on the prairie, but she can see the plains from her house. Her books are fun and fast-paced, with plenty of heart and soul.

Give Away!! Win Prizes!!

Let's just give some stuff away! I'm excited to present Book Two of Special Delivery Baby, and to celebrate, I just want to give stuff away. Leave a comment below for a book and $10 Amazon gift

card. 

Instant Daddy


An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.


With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home.


Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown

Craftie Ladies - Love Inspired Historical Cowboy Creek Continuity Series/Giveaway!

April is here, and that means that the new Love Inspired Historical three-book Cowboy Creek continuity series is making its debut. Leave a comment to win a copy of the series!

Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford is the author of the second book in the series. She's here to tell us about how the series came to be and what it's like to work on a continuity. Take it away, Sherri...

The Cowboy Creek series is about three friends who served together in the Civil War. After the war, instead of returning to their hometowns, they start a new town in Kansas--Cowboy Creek. The three men soon realize the town needs more ladies, and they send for mail order brides. The arrival of the first 'bride train' in Cowboy Creek kicks off the series.

Cheryl was asked to launch the series, and once she accepted, Karen Kirst and I were brought on board. For a continuity, the editors cook up a story and write down the particulars in a document referred to as the 'bible'. The editors provide an overview for the story arc, although the authors are given leeway with their individual books. For example, in the original bible for Special Delivery Baby, my character, Tomasina Stone, was supposed to wave to her man as he rode off to do man's work at the end of the story. Which, of course, would never happen! My feisty heroine would be front and center in the action. I decided on a much lighter, happier ending that was more in tune with the character and the tone of my book.

I hope you enjoy the stories of these three heroes who share  friendships forged by the bonds of war.

Thanks, Sherri. We wish you well on the upcoming launch of Special Delivery Baby. And now for the books...

Want Ad Wedding

Book 1 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
April 2016 release

by Cheryl St.John

Second Chance Bride 

When Daniel Gardner convinced the residents of his Kansas boomtown to advertise for mail-order brides, he never expected the woman he once loved to respond. But Leah Swann steps off the bride train…pregnant and widowed and in need of a husband. Drawn to protect his fragile childhood friend, Daniel proposes a marriage of convenience.

Seeing her onetime best friend waiting to meet the bride train is a wonderful shock for Leah. After her first rocky marriage, a practical partnership with Daniel sounds perfect—as long as her heart doesn't get involved. But when she starts to fall for her husband, will her plans of a fresh start be ruined…or is a real marriage to Daniel exactly what she needs? 

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

Special Delivery Baby

Book 2 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
May 2016 release

by Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford

Instant Daddy

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.
With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home.
Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

Bride by Arrangement

Book 3 in the Cowboy Creek continuity series
June 2016 release

by Karen Kirst
 
Mail-Order Matchmaking 
Newly minted Cowboy Creek sheriff Noah Burgess doesn't want a wife—despite his friends insisting that he needs one. So when they send for a big-city single mother to be his mail-order bride, he's fit to be tied. Even if vivacious Grace Longstreet might just be the only person who can see past Noah's scars…and help him heal.

Grace needs a husband to keep her and her twin daughters out of her brother-in-law's grasp. And she'll do anything—including taking on her cousin's identity—to find one. But as the attraction between Grace and the lawman sparks higher, she begins hoping for a real marriage. So she needs to tell the truth…or a mail-order match that's meant to be could crumble.Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown.

A follow-up Cowboy Creek anthology, Cowboy Creek Christmas, will be released in October with two more stories for readers to enjoy, written by Cheryl St.John and Craftie Lady Sherri Shackelford.

Living History

A holocaust survivor recently visited by daughter's school. The woman was eight when her family was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. After the war, newspapers throughout Europe printed the names of survivors looking for their relatives. Though her mother, father and sister perished, the woman's grandmother found her, and they eventually settled in Nebraska.

My grandfather served in World War II. He happened to be staying with us when 'Saving Private Ryan' released. Advertisements were all over the television. One day he simply turned the channel and said, "I don't want to see that." I asked him about his time in the service, and this was the quote he gave me: "Our first day in Europe, they sent us out to patrol a forest. We were all so scared, I'm surprised we didn't shoot each other."That was the all he was willing to say. 

I remember watching Happy Days as a kid and thinking the 1950's were eons in the past. In truth, at the time, the 50's were a mere two decades old. Ya' know, like 1996 was two decades ago. When my son was doing a project on the Civil Rights Movement, he interviewed my father-in-law. My husband's father was born and raised in the South during the grim heyday of Jim Crow laws. 

As someone who writes about the American West, I'm always aware of how little stands between us and history. See that odd little white hill below? That's Old Baldy. Lewis and Clark wrote about Old Baldy. They even captured a prairie dog for President Jefferson near that bald pate. I've walked all over and around that hill. I've probably even walked in their steps. The view sure hasn't changed much.

I'm also aware that history isn't as straightforward as we'd all like to think. Back in the olden days, the 1970's, a time as foreign to my children as the Revolutionary War, we had one TV. And dad controlled that TV. Which meant I watched a whole lot of westerns. You know the ones - where the cowboys are the good guys and the American Indians are often the villains. Sigh. And the American Indians are usually played by other nationalities. Double sigh. 

Joseph Medicine Crow passed away this week. He was 102 year old, and the last living link to the Battle of Little Bighorn, otherwise known as Custer's last stand. He heard testimony from someone who took part in the battle, and chronicled the account for history. Joseph Medicine Crow was the last war chief of the Crow Tribe of Montana. 

From NPR's article by Merrit Kennedy: Medicine Crow earned the title war chief "for his deeds in Europe in World War II, which included stealing enemy horses and showing mercy on a German soldier he could have killed," Montana Public Radio's Eric Whitney reports.

The next time someone asks you, "If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead..." I urge you to chose 'living'. History is all around us. We simply have to ask. 

Available for Pre-order Now:

SPECIAL DELIVERY BABY

Instant Daddy 

An abandoned baby is the last thing town founder Will Canfield expects on his doorstep. He's not the father—and the mother's unknown. But the precious little girl needs a protector. And Will never backs down from a challenge, even if it means caring for a newborn…or dealing with spitfire cattle driver Tomasina Stone.

With her father gone, Tomasina's trail life has ended. Yet becoming a polished city lady feels far out of her reach. All she wants is a place where she'll be appreciated, respected…maybe loved. And the more time she spends helping Will care for the baby, the more she wonders if she's found it. She's never wanted to settle down…but Cowboy Creek—by Will's side—might finally give her heart a lasting home.

Cowboy Creek: Bringing mail-order brides, and new beginnings, to a Kansas boomtown

AMAZON

BARNES & NOBLE