Part of Series
Traveling the Overland Trail toward California, a lonely young woman learns that love can lead you out of the wilderness . . . 1851, Overland Trail to California. As a baby, Callie was left on the doorstep of an isolated farmhouse in Tennessee. The Whitaker family took her in, but they’ve always considered her more a servant than a daughter. Scorned by her two stepsisters, Callie is forced to work long hours and denied an education. But a new world opens to her when the Whitakers join a wagon train to California—guided by rugged Luke McGraw . . . A loner, haunted by a painful past, Luke plans to return to the wilderness once his work is done. But he can’t help noticing how poorly Callie is treated—or how unaware she is of her beauty and intelligence. As the two become closer over the long trek west, Callie’s confidence grows. And when disaster strikes, Callie emerges as the strong one—and the woman Luke may find the courage to love at last . . .
Author
First place (GOLD) winner in the Romance category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) awards for THE LAST OF LADY LANSDOWN. I was born and raised in Fresno, California, where I graduated from Fresno High School. I lived in Canada for many years, enjoying skiing and riding horses, and am a graduate of the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a B.S. in Computer Science. I've had many jobs in my lifetime, including working for several years as a computer programmer/analyst. However, my true passion has always been writing, so I quit my day job (something you're never supposed to do) and started writing Regency romances. After publishing several Regencies with Ballantine, Signet, and Camel Press, I switched genres. Now I'm writing western romances for Kensington Lyrical Press, all taking place in the Gold Rush days of the 1850's. I love this period of time. There's so much to write about! With my shelves full of research books, I doubt I'll change genres again. I have two daughters and am forever proud of their accomplishments—and grateful, too, that both are the kind of loving, supportive daughters every mother hopes she'll have. I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, where I belong to the Las Vegas chapter of Romance Writers of America. I love hearing from my readers and can be reached at mailto:shirleyken360@gmail.com
