Author Kristy McCaffrey's Blog ~ Pathways: american historical romance book

Showing posts with label american historical romance book. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

The Canary is now available!

Paleontologist Jack Brenner enters a fake marriage with Sarah Ryan to protect her in the Arizona wilderness ...

Read now in eBook or paperback at Amazon, Apple Books, Nook, Kobo, and Google Play Books.

Read Chapter One and find buy links here.

*****

Arizona Territory
1899

Sarah Ryan grew up in Texas digging up animal bones and potsherds, but she always dreamed of searching for the extraordinary dinosaur fossils in the American West. When a wealthy benefactress gives her the opportunity to join the team of esteemed paleontologist Dr. Allan Brenner, she eagerly accepts. But when she arrives in the wild and wooly town of Holbrook, Arizona Territory, ready to start digging, she’s faced with the very real obstacle of being a female in a world dominated by men.

Dr. Jack Brenner is looking for his father who disappeared into the Painted Desert two months ago. Mounting an expedition to find him, Jack is suddenly saddled with Sarah Ryan, a young paleontology student hired as an intern to his father. When Jack’s guide refuses to let Sarah accompany them into the wilderness without a chaperone—and a colleague threatens her—he finds himself in a pretend marriage to protect the determined woman whose passion for paleontology was something he once possessed. But he has bigger problems than his beautiful new wife—his father is pursuing a controversial theory about the origin of birds, and it’s attracted the attention of men who would rather destroy evidence than excavate it.

Sarah is the daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE.

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order

Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk (Coming Soon)

*****

Read an excerpt

(Jack and Sarah are searching for Jack's father, Dr. Allan Brenner. Isaac Dearborn was Allan's assistant for many years.)

“Allan thinks the birds can be traced back to the theropods,” Isaac said.

Sarah’s mind raced with the possibilities, and Jack’s silence signaled the same.

Finally, she spoke. “Because of Archaeopteryx?”

“Yes,” Isaac said, his face its usual somber self.

She knew that fossils of Archaeopteryx, found over thirty years ago in Germany, were of a primitive bird-like dinosaur with evidence of feathers.

“But not everyone believes that birds were dinosaurs,” she said. “Some say Archaeopteryx is a missing link between the two but that doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Jack said, “Dinosauria is divided into two clades: Ornithischia and Saurischia. And everyone has always believed the birds to have evolved from the first, not the theropods of the second. But if it’s true ….”

“Archaeopteryx was a theropod that lived during the Jurassic,” Isaac said, “so Allan kept thinking … what came before? Could he prove a connection to something in the Triassic?”

“Has my father spoken about this?” Jack asked.

“Not publicly, no. He wanted to find proof. But I’m guessing he has in private, which is how Dr. Pierce no doubt heard about it.”

Sarah was a bit stunned, and for the first time since arriving she wondered if she was in the wrong place. She had admired Dr. Allan Brenner and the work he’d done in the quarries in Wyoming and the fossils he’d excavated from this area, but was she now to be associated with a man who might be committing career suicide?

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

The Starling is out!!

By Kristy McCaffrey

I'm pleased to share that The Starling is out. Don't miss this new, full-length novel in my Wings of the West series.

Colorado 1899

Kate Ryan has always had a streak of justice in her. When she decides to apply to the Pinkerton Detective Agency, nothing will stand in her way. Initially hired in a clerical position, she quickly works her way up to field agent with the help of her mentor, Louise Foster. When Louise is injured, Kate gets her first assignment and the opportunity of a lifetime.

Henry Maguire has been undercover in the household of wealthy entrepreneur Arthur Wingate. Employed as a ghostwriter to pen the man’s memoir, Henry is also searching for clues to a lucrative counterfeiting scheme. When Henry’s “wife” shows up, he’s taken aback by the attractive woman who isn’t Louise. Now he must work with a female agent he doesn’t know and doesn’t necessarily trust. And because he has another reason for coming into Wingate’s world, Kate Ryan is unavoidably in his way.

Kate Ryan is the daughter of Matt and Molly from THE WREN, and THE STARLING is the first of five novels featuring the second generation of Ryans in the Wings of the West series.

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order
Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling

Click here to order a digital copy (available for Kindle, Nook, Apple Books, Kobo, and Google Play). Or grab a paperback copy.

Excerpt

Kate used the glass of sherry as a shield. It was obvious undercover agent Henry Maguire was stunned to see her and less than happy with her presence. Luckily, she had known who to look for from a photograph Mr. Jones had given her, although it hardly did justice to the man before her.

Henry Maguire had presence. There was simply no other word for it.

His intense blue eyes accented the hard line of his jaw like the frozen slopes of Colorado where her cousin Molly Rose had lived. Kate couldn’t help but notice his clean-shaven face and the citrusy smell coming from him. It was pleasant in a way that unsettled her, and she was entirely uncertain why.

But she had been warned … Henry was expecting Louise Foster, and he would have no idea who Kate was. It was unfortunate that Mrs. Wingate had caught Kate right at the door and had started speaking with her, because it had made contacting her “husband” fraught with danger.

But it was over. Henry had accepted the charade, and they were now working together. He had said he wanted to speak privately, but as yet he hadn’t, so Kate could only conclude it wasn’t safe to do so while at the party. She vowed she wouldn’t break protocol. She wouldn’t say anything to Henry that his loving wife, who had been separated from him for nearly two months, wouldn’t say.

“When did you arrive?” Henry asked.

“Earlier this evening.”

“How did you get here?”

“A man named Francis O’Malley brought me. I hired him.” The Pinkertons had hired him, but she couldn’t say that aloud. “I believe he’s a blacksmith in town, and he runs a livery too. He offered to stay, but I assured him that you would be here and see me home.” Her lips stretched into a smile, but she couldn’t hold Henry’s gaze as he watched her rather intently, so she took in the room.

It was quite festive. The Wingate wealth was on grand display with sparkling crystal chandeliers hanging from tin ceilings, a tiled floor covered in ornate rugs, and stuffed chairs likely imported from Europe.

As she brought her attention back to her “husband” she caught him still staring at her, those ice-blue eyes holding her briefly spellbound. He must have been watching her the entire time she had scanned the room. She shifted, feeling a bit uncomfortable, wanting to clear the air more than anything.

Had she done something wrong? Was she dressed inappropriately?

But a second glance around the room revealed that while her gown might not be quite as fancy as the many ladies in attendance, it was good enough. It had been Louise’s dress, after all, and Kate had to believe her mentor had been very prepared to enter this operation as Henry’s wife.

That was it. Henry was upset about Louise.

She turned to him. “I’m sure you’re worried about my dear sister, Louise.”

He regarded her with interest. “I am,” he replied in a measured tone. “Is she well?”

“Unfortunately, no. She’s indisposed at the moment, but she should be better soon.”

Henry accepted the news with a nod, his gaze conveying a glimmer of concern. Suddenly, Kate felt terrible. It had been clear from Louise that she valued Henry’s expertise, as well as his friendship, but Kate hadn’t thought any further than that.

The additional assignment that Louise had given Kate—privately and outside the dictates of the job—now seemed to take a different tone. Louise had asked Kate to keep an eye on Henry because eight years ago his father had died in an accident in Trinidad, apparently falling to his death down a mine shaft. Kate had inferred that Louise considered Henry compromised, and that it could place him at odds with the job the Pinkertons had been sent to do.

But now the worry in Henry’s eyes, however brief, said something else. Did he and Louise have a relationship that extended beyond business associates? Is that what his irritation was about? Did Henry love her? And why did that thought cause another ripple of unease in Kate?

Ignoring it, she added, “She’ll be all right. You’ve no need to worry. The bullet missed all vital organs.”

His eyes flicked back to her, reflecting shock.

Oh, no. He did love her.

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Pre-Order The Starling

A brand new Wings of the West novel is coming August 2nd!!

Pinkerton Henry Maguire is about to gain an unwanted “wife” in the form of new agent Kate Ryan.

Kate is the daughter of Matt and Molly from THE WREN, and THE STARLING is the first of five novels featuring the second generation of Ryans in the Wings of the West series.

* * *
Colorado
1899
Kate Ryan has always had a streak of justice in her. When she decides to apply to the Pinkerton Detective Agency, nothing will stand in her way. Initially hired in a clerical position, she quickly works her way up to field agent with the help of her mentor, Louise Foster. When Louise is injured, Kate gets her first assignment and the opportunity of a lifetime.
Henry Maguire has been undercover in the household of wealthy entrepreneur Arthur Wingate. Employed as a ghostwriter to pen the man’s memoir, Henry is also searching for clues to a lucrative counterfeiting scheme. When Henry’s “wife” shows up, he’s taken aback by the attractive woman who isn’t Louise. Now he must work with a female agent he doesn’t know and doesn’t necessarily trust. And because he has another reason for coming into Wingate’s world, Kate Ryan is unavoidably in his way.
* * *
Excerpt from The Starling
Kate slid a sidelong glance at him. “Did you learn anything this evening?”
Only that you’re an enigma, and I can’t fathom my reaction to you.
“I did.” Henry hoped he wasn’t slurring his words.
When he didn’t elaborate, Kate said, “Well?” Her tone was tinged with annoyance.
“You sound upset,” he said.
“When I told you to watch the brandy, I didn’t tell you to go and drink the brandy.”
“I’m not happy about this either,” he muttered under his breath. He never let his guard down while working. Until now. Until Kate Ryan.
It was easier to blame her than the fact that he was unsettled about spending time with Wingate more than he had anticipated.
Her eyes lingered on him, and he held her gaze, drinking in the fierce intelligence reflected at him. He’d never had much use for meek women. Kate Ryan’s ambition, dedication, and obvious independence matched his own.
But she was so young. What could she possibly bring to the table? Except that she was beautiful and confident and capable. In that moment, he knew she would go far in the Pinkertons.
The hunger for her ignited in a flash, far more intense than earlier. He turned away before she sensed it, before he did something stupid like try to kiss her. Not that she’d given any indication of reciprocating the attraction.
He clamped down on his very male reaction, knowing it would ruin whatever working relationship the two of them might have. He needed to concentrate on that, because if she was as intelligent as he suspected, he would have a hard time keeping her away from his true mission of ferreting out what had happened to his father.
* * *
Pre-Order your digital copy now.
Print will be available in August.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Amazon DE (English Version)

Amazon IT (English Version)

Apple Books

Nook

(Google Play and Kobo links are coming)

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

The Songbird Is Now Available

By Kristy McCaffrey

It's release day!! I had such fun revisiting Matt and Molly from THE WREN along with writing my first western in a good long while. I hope you'll join me in seeing what they've been up to.

This novella finds Matt and Molly 15 years after THE WREN, and Molly's past with the Comanche is about to catch up with her. This story includes other couples from the Wings of the West series, and you'll meet the daughters of the second generation. (Soon to star in their own novels.)

"It was so great to come back ... to read more of this series … can't wait for more." ~ Goodreads Reviewer

“Love, adventure, mystery and thriller all rolled into one.” ~ Goodreads Reviewer

"The themes of past trauma, hope, redemption, and teamwork were prevalent throughout ... I highly recommend this!" ~ Amazon Reviewer

Excerpt

Matt entered the restaurant and hung his hat on a peg, Nathan and Bill Harner behind him. When he spotted Molly sitting with Emma, he made his way to the table and leaned down to kiss Molly’s cheek.

“I want you to meet someone.” Stepping aside, he said, “This is Bill Harner.”

Surprise crossed Molly’s face. “You were at the corral today with the horse with the colorful noseband.”

Bill nodded. “That was me. It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.”

“Bill was a Texas Ranger,” Matt said, taking a chair beside his wife. “We ran into him this morning and invited him to supper. I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, not at all.”

Once the men were seated, a waitress took everyone’s orders.

“Were you all in the same company together?” Emma asked Bill, indicating her husband, Nathan, and Matt.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Matt almost smiled at Harner’s formality, since he wasn’t much older than either Molly or Emma. “You were the youngster the year Nathan and I left,” he said.

“It’s really nice to see you again, sir,” Bill said. “I’d heard that you’d been rescued after Cerillo captured you. I guess I wasn’t surprised you didn’t return to duty after that.”

“It was Nathan who got me out,” Matt said, trying to gloss over that memory.

“I’m glad you survived, sir.”

“You can call me Matt.” He’d said as much earlier, but it had apparently not taken.

The waitress brought drinks for everyone. Bill nodded and smiled and took a large gulp of water.

Matt glanced at his wife, taking in her peaked appearance. It was subtle, but he knew Molly better than anyone. Leaning close, he said in a low voice, “Are you all right?” He worried she might be coming down with something. She hadn’t been sleeping well since they’d arrived in Denton two days ago, and even before that she’d been plagued with bad dreams of her Comanche family for the last few months.

Just as he didn’t much care to discuss his capture and incarceration of several months by Augusto Cerillo, a Mexican outlaw, Molly generally didn’t speak of the trauma of her childhood, which had included the murder of her folks. He still had the occasional bad dream. Is that what Molly was dealing with? Was she having flashbacks to what had happened to her when she was young? Did it have anything to do with their own children? Eli was fourteen now, Katie twelve, and Josie was eleven. Molly had been nine when she’d been taken, so their children were a bit older, but still, it was hard to fathom how she had coped.

But she surprised him with a broad smile that instantly transformed her into the beauty he’d been blessed to share his life with these past fifteen years. There was no doubt he would be lost without her.

“I’m fine,” she replied, and clasped his hand in a reassuring squeeze. She turned her attention to Bill. “Mister Harner, how did you come by that noseband on the horse you were showing?”

“My wife made it.”

“Who was that boy with you?”

Bill seemed a bit taken back. “Well, that was my son.”

“Is he ….” Molly’s voice trailed off.

“Is he what?” Matt asked, his brows furrowing. Molly’s behavior was confusing him.

She appeared a bit chagrined and took a sip of her lemonade before saying, “When I was a child, I lived with the Comanche for many years. Your son … he has the look of them. Is your wife also of the People?”

Bill had gone silent, his face pinched and shuttered. Matt didn’t know what to say. Molly rarely confronted others in such a way.

Her eyes widened, and she quickly added, “My apologies. It’s just … when I saw your horse, it took me back to that time.”

Bill cleared his throat. “Mrs. Ryan, I had no idea you were taken as a child. That must’ve been a trying experience.”

“Yes.”