The Love's Valley

Series · 5 books · 2005-2006

By Carolyn Brown

Books in series

Choices

2005

Douglass Esmeralda Sullivan has just discovered that all men are gutter rats, all except for her six half-Irish, half-Mexican brothers, and sometimes she's not so sure about them. She's sitting in the middle of a dusty road on a hot Texas day, fuming because she's made a horrible mistake concerning Raymond Pierce, a despicable Yankee, one who has led her down the daisy path to destruction. She has no doubts her folks and her brothers would put her in a convent for the rest of her life for her rash misjudgment, but dang it all, it was her choice to show him who was boss. Little did she know that the choice would determine her destiny. Monroe Hamilton is on his way home from a year in Galveston, Texas where he's been assigned to help with the reconstruction of Texas after the Civil War. He's been to the big circus called war and had seen the big elephant called life. His heart is so hardened and scarred, it is impossible for him to foresee a love in his future. He has made up his mind that he will be a bachelor for the rest of his life and that Love's Valley, Pennsylvania will be his love. Then, out of nowhere, he sees an exotic-looking, beautiful woman sitting right in the middle of the road. It's his choice to play a knight in shining armor and rescue the helpless, pretty lady. Little does he know that this choice would determine his destiny. The war might have split the country in two, but it didn't make rascals of all its men. Guided by his conscience, Monroe chooses to escort the lady to the nearest town. Guided by a desire to avoid a life of prayers and meditation, Douglass chooses to lie.

Absolution

2005

The Irish are hardheaded so Elspeth Hamilton doesn't like them. The Mexicans are hotheaded so likewise, she doesn't think much of them either. Since Rebels burned her family home, killing both her parents in the Chambersburg, Pennsylvania fire, it stands to reason she surely doesn't waste affection on Rebels. Colum Sullivan is all three: Irish, Mexican and Rebel. It would take an utter absence of sanity and total absolution of all the past to fall in love with Colum. The English are a stiff-necked lot so Colum doesn't like Ellie. The Yankees are a cold-blooded bunch so likewise he doesn't like her. All he's going to do is rescue her and then light a shuck back to Texas. But an early blizzard in the mountains of Southern Pennsylvania turns his plans around abruptly. Colum admires the lady but that's as far as it's going because it's absolutely the wrong time in the century for the likes of a lady like Ellie Hamilton and a man like Colum Sullivan to get together. Those kinds of miracles only happen once in a lifetime, and his sister Douglass and her new husband Monroe have already captured that miracle.

Chances

2005

Adelida Broussau took a big chance by saying she was Rueben Hamilton’s new bride. But even a rat will stand up and fight when it’s cornered and she was surely feeling the pinch of being pushed in the corner. Her sister, Maria, was dead. Her sorry, Yankee loving brother-in-law, Victor, had issued her an ultimatum to be out of New Orleans by night, or else; then stole the rest of her money so she couldn’t leave. Then there was Rueben, hit on the head for attempting to thwart a bank robbery, his memory gone and leaving town that very day. All she had to do was say she was truly his wife. Everyone in the chaos after the robbery already thought they were newlyweds. So she took a big chance and let them go right on believing she was. Rueben Hamilton went to New Orleans from southern Pennsylvania at the request of the President of the United States to help with the reconstruction of Louisiana after the Civil War. He’d gone into the bank to finish his business before boarding The Queen for the first leg of his journey home. He didn’t remember the bank robbery. All he remembered was awaking with a headache, no memory, and a wife fresh from the Acadian bayou country. None of it made a bit of sense. It was supposed to take a month for them to reach Love’s Valley, an obscure little valley near Shirleysburg, Pennsylvania. That was if everything went according to plan and Rueben’s memory didn’t return; if he didn’t toss Adelida off at the next port of call to fend for herself, or worse, throw her overboard. But fate played her hand and dealt the two of them some unforeseen cards that turned their world upside down. Their hearts didn’t care that there’d been a war and it was the worst possible time for a Yankee soldier and a Louisiana bayou woman to fall in love. But listening to the stirrings of hearts bound for love isn’t an easy thing to do.

Redemption

2006

Geneva Garner's mind was fixed on survival, her unborn child, escaping out of Savannah, and getting away from the men in the white robes with hoods over their heads. Covered in dirt and smoke from the cellar where she took refuge when the Klan burned her plantation home, she fled on the first stagecoach headed north. She vowed never to trust a man again as long as there was breath in her body. They were all scoundrels and the past would haunt her forever. Harry Reed Hamilton was on his way home from Savannah to Love's Valley, Pennsylvania. The Civil War had been over for two years and his term of enlistment was finally over. The only thing marring his happiness was the fact that he was riding with a dirty, heavy woman in the stagecoach. After consoling himself that it was only for a day, he was surprised to find himself and the large woman tossed out on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere after a stage heist. Trapped together by fate, they travel by any means possible heading to Lynchburg, VA, where she hopes to find relatives. A friendship buds amidst the difficulties they face. A love is born from the friendship but neither of them are willing to admit that the past can truly be forgotten and a sweet future can lie ahead.

Promises

2006

Indigo Hamilton was a lovely bride and the day was perfect as she walked down the aisle toward her smiling groom, Thomas Brewster. She was the absolute center of attention and loved being there—until the priest asked if anyone had any objections to the marriage. Then the doors of the church swung open and Indigo's world fell apart. Flannon Sullivan chose to sit at the back of the church. Thank goodness Indigo would be out of Love's Valley and living in Shirleysburg for the next several months. Flannon had promised his sister, Douglass, and his brother, Colum, he'd stay until spring to help with the new horses and the new homes being built in Love's Valley but only because Indigo would be married and gone. When the world came crashing down around Indigo's white wedding dress, he sure enough wished he could break that promise. Indigo hated all things Southern, especially the swaggering, handsome Flannon Sullivan. Flannon could have forgiven Indigo for being a Yankee but he sure hated that well-honed sharp tongue she used too often. Each of them made a silent vow that disastrous day they'd stay out of each other's way all winter. But fate had different plans.

Author

Carolyn Brown

Author · 135 books

Hi! I'm twenty five years old and movie star gorgeous. The camera added thirty plus years and a few wrinkles. Can't trust those cameras or mirrors either. Along with bathroom scales they are notorious liars! Honestly, I am the mother of three fantastic grown children who've made me laugh and given me more story ideas than I could ever write. My husband, Charles, is my strongest supporter and my best friend. He's even willing to eat fast food and help with the laundry while I finish one more chapter! Life is good and I am blessed! Reading has been a passion since I was five years old and figured out those were words on book pages. As soon as my chubby little fingers found they could put words on a Big Chief tablet with a fat pencil, I was on my way. Writing joined reading in my list of passions. I will read anything from the back of the Cheerio's box to Faulkner and love every bit of it. In addition to reading I enjoy cooking, my family and the ocean. I love the Florida beaches. Listening to the ocean waves puts my writing brain into high gear. I love writing romance because it's about emotions and relationships. Human nature hasn't changed a bit since Eve coveted the fruit in the Garden of Eden. Settings change. Plots change. Names change. Times change. But love is love and men and women have been falling in and out of it forever. Romance is about emotions: love, hate, anger, laughter... all of it. If I can make you laugh until your sides ache or grab a tissue then I've touched your emotions and accomplished what every writer sets out to do. I got serious about writing when my third child was born and had her days and nights mixed up. I had to stay up all night anyway and it was very quiet so I invested in a spiral back notebook and sharpened a few pencils. The story that emerged has never sold but it's brought in enough rejection slips to put the Redwood Forest on the endangered list. In 1997 Kensington bought two books for their Precious Gems line. Two years and six books later the line died with only four of those books seeing publication. But by then Avalon had bought a book and another, and another. Ten years later the list has grown to thirty nine. Last year Sourcebooks bought the Lucky Series which is in the bookstores now. They've also bought The Honky Tonk Series which will debut with I LOVE THIS BAR in June and will be followed by HELL, YEAH, MY GIVE A DAMN'S BUSTED, and HONKY TONK CHRISTMAS. Folks ask me where I get my ideas. Three kids, fifteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren. Note: I was a very young grandmother! Life is a zoo around here when they all come home. In one Sunday afternoon there's enough ideas to keep me writing for years and years. Seriously, ideas pop up at the craziest times. When one sinks its roots into my mind, I have no choice but to write the story. And while I'm writing the characters peek over my shoulder and make sure I'm telling it right and not exaggerating too much. Pesky little devils, they are! I have a wonderful agent, Erin Niumata, who continues to work magic and sell my work. I'm very lucky to have her and my editors who continue to believe in me. Happy reading!