Timeless Western Collection: Book 4
Publication Date: June 20, 2023
A Wyoming Summer is the fourth book in the Timeless Western Collection, a bestselling anthology series from Mirror Press. The book features three novellas from acclaimed historical romance authors whose stories ask if true love can survive the changing seasons?
“Ellen Found,” by Carla Kelly
Set in location of Old Faithful Inn, 1903-4. Working in a discouraging café, Ellen escapes an awful situation in rough and tumble Butte, Montana, and goes to work as second in command to a wary cook in the shell that will become Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone Park. She meets Charles Penrose, head carpenter on the massive project of Old Faithful Inn, which is being finished in a harsh Wyoming winter. Will it really open June 1, 1904? Can Ellen start to trust the other workers? What will she learn about the other employees? And Charles. He’s a widower with a young daughter there, too. Like Ellen, he wants more.
“The Widow of Daybreak,” by Christine Sterling
Doris Whistler is learning how to survive in a town taken over by outlaws. When the leader of an infamous gang murders her husband, her choices are to tuck tail and run, or stand her ground and make Daybreak as promising as its name. It proves to be a difficult task with the good citizens in fear of the corrupt mayor and godlessness that abounds. What she doesn’t expect is the support of a traveling lawman who believes in her and the tiny town she loves so much.
“May I Kiss the Bride,” by Heather B. Moore
Viola Delany is not happy about being sent to the middle-of-nowhere, small town Wyoming. Yes, it will be good to let the gossips find something else to talk about other than her failed engagement. And yes, it will be nice to spend the summer with her Aunt Beth. But as Viola sits on the train heading for Wyoming, wondering how she’ll ever occupy her time in such a small town, none other than a real-life cowboy sits across the way. She can’t help but take peeks at him, noting that the condition of his unpolished black boots and scuffed rawhide jacket seem to be authentic . . . All right, so he might be tall, dark-haired, and handsome if a woman doesn’t mind green eyes and a dangerous-looking scar, but this man certainly has nothing to do with her. Besides she’ll never see him again. What are the chances he’s traveling to the same middle-of-nowhere small town?
Set in frontier Wyoming in the early 1900s, A Wyoming Summer is a charming collection of Western romances that is simultaneously heartwarming and breathtaking. Carla Kelly, author of “Ellen Found,” Christine Sterling, author of “The Widow of Daybreak,” and Heather B. Moore, author of “May I Kiss the Bride,” demonstrate their capable writing skills quite effectively in penning these three delightful stories.
In “Ellen Found,” by Kelly, the Yellowstone Park Company is seeking staff to work onsite during the construction of the Old Faithful Inn. Ellen Found, a waitress in a backwater and dingy café, decides to take a chance on bettering herself by answering a help wanted ad and gets the job. Though she feels her efforts are small to make the atmosphere and meals better for the workers at the rustic construction site, they make a tremendous impact.
Lead carpenter Charles Penrose notices Ellen’s efforts and positive results, not only on the men working for him but also on him and his daughter, Gwen. With work continuing through the winter to meet an opening deadline, the Old Faithful Inn takes shape beautifully in its breathtaking setting, while those who have worked together so well through the winter realize the Inn may not be the only thing that has come alive.
In Sterling’s “The Widow of Daybreak,” outlaws abound in the rugged Wyoming town, but widowed Doris Whistler is not one to be defeated. When Rufus Grumblatt, notorious ruffian and outlaw, murders her husband, Doris is determined to stick it out but writes her brother, Titus asking for help.
Titus dispatches Buck Montgomery to his sister’s aid. But when Buck encounters the lovely widow and her adorable daughters, sparks can’t help but fly, and he vows to protect them from Rufus, who is now determined to marry Doris himself.
Buck declares nothing will stop him from protecting the woman he loves, but a bullet could decide otherwise.
Viola Delany finds herself exiled to her aunt’s bakery in Mayfair, Wyoming, until the scandal of her fiancé’s indiscretions can abate in San Francisco. However, in Moore’s “May I Kiss the Bride,” a chance encounter with a rugged but very handsome sheriff, Reynolds (Rey) Christensen, on the train to Mayfair may derail her plans from the start.
Recuperating from a bullet wound, Rey finds himself in the care of the captivating Viola, struggling to become her own woman and overcome her parents’ control.
With Viola’s attracting the notice of the local Mayfair cowboys, Rey must work to secure her attention even though he’s already the one who sends Viola’s heart fluttering. With Rey’s understanding and encouragement, Viola breaks free to pursue her dreams, but will Rey be part of them?
In these three charming novellas, the authors gently but with firm control of the story, bringing the reader face to face with the harsh realities of life on the Wyoming frontier, each tempered with a strong sense of love and caring. With their own unique story to tell, all three authors weave spellbinding tales filled with danger and uncertainty. But ultimately, it’s the powerful force of love that commands the greatest story.
A Wyoming Summer is packed with three tender but powerfully compelling stories of danger, devotion, and unwavering belief in the formidable power of love.
Carla Kelly started writing Regencies because of her interest in the Napoleonic Wars. She like writing about warfare at sea and ordinary people of the British Isles, rather than lords and ladies. In her spare time, she likes to read British crime fiction and history, particularly the U.S. Indian Wars. She is a former park ranger, and double Rita Award and Spur Award winner. She currently lives in Utah, has five interesting children and four grands. Carla’s favorite authors include Robert Crais and Richard Woodman.
Christine Sterling is a USA Today best-selling author who writes small-town inspirational romances with a touch of humor. Most of her stories take place in the plains of Nebraska or Colorado, but she will write wherever there are cowboys needing to find love. Her favorite stories involve tight-knit families, and you will often find that her characters cross over in many of her stories.
She lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, four dogs, and one spoiled cat, aka The Floof. She can often be found in her garden with a notebook and a cup of tea.
Heather B. Moore is a USA Today best-selling and award-winning author of more than seventy publications, including The Paper Daughters of Chinatown. She has lived on both the East and West Coasts of the United States, as well as Hawaii, and attended school abroad at the Cairo American Collage in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. She loves to learn about history and is passionate about historical research.
