Saturday, December 16, 2023

A Mirthful Wish is out!!

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

Long before Santa and his magical reindeer, there were tales of a female reindeer who drew the sleigh of the sun goddess at the winter solstice. Unlike male reindeer who shed their antlers in the winter, it is the larger and stronger doe who retains hers to help forage for food for her young. And it's she who leads the herds throughout the winter months.

Santa Claus is a Christianized version of the pagan traditions of winter, which included stories of the ancient Deer Mother. She flew through the winter's darkest night with the life-giving light of the sun in her horns. There are many winter goddesses in the Nordic countries. In one tale, Saule, the Lithuanian and Latvian goddess of the sun, flew across the heavens in a sleigh pulled by a horned reindeer and threw pebbles of ambersymbolizing the suninto chimneys.

In Finnish lore there exists the story of the Vaadin, a female reindeer crafted from bones of stone, a flesh of moss, and skin made of birch bark. She was used by shamans in journeys of knowledge to create magical items.

In my new Christmas romance release, I play with the mythology of the Vaadin. If a couple sees her, they're granted true love.



The Thatcher-Adler feud goes back generations. Despite this, Ellie Thatcher befriended Liam Adler when she was a girl. She even managed to get a job at the Adler Reindeer Farm while in high school, the very farm that had once belonged to her family. Now, with college and a stint working overseas behind her, she’s returning home to Reindeer Pass to open a photography studio. But the feud has been reignited and Ellie and Liam are about to get dragged into the middle of it.

Liam Adler has returned to the Colorado town where he grew up to take over the family business after the sudden death of his father. It wasn’t the life path he’d planned, and now he must convince old Eustace Hapgood to sell his land to the Adlers and not the Thatchers. And his opponent is none other than Ellie Thatcher—no longer the sweet and funny little girl he remembers, but all grown-up and strikingly beautiful. 

Years ago, Eustace told a young Ellie and Liam about the Legend of Reindeer Pass, where a rare Arctic reindeer herd is rumored to have lived since the first Thatcher and Adler men settled in the valley in the 1800’s. When Ellie and Liam appear before the old man, Eustace tells them he will sell to the first to see the Vaadin, the largest of the elusive female reindeer. But there is more to the legend … only the pure of heart are presented with such a gift. And to a special few, true love is granted.

When Christmas comes around, everyone has their own special wish. For some, those wishes are as simple as getting the perfect gift for that special someone. For others, those wishes are much bigger. Especially, when they wish for love.

Everyone deserves the gift of love, but sometimes that's more complicated than it should be.

This year is different.

For those pure of heart, their wishes, even their wishes for true love, just might be granted.

Wishing for Love is a heartwarming series about Christmas wishes of love coming true for those who have the purest of hearts. If you're looking for a feel-good read this holiday season, pick up A MIRTHFUL WISH to meet the authors of this heartwarming holiday romance series and find your next happy ever after.

Don't miss more books in the Wishing for Love series. Check them all out here.


Read a prequel to A MIRTHFUL WISH in the FREE anthology, Stocking Up For Christmas.

Download your copy here.


Excerpt from A Mirthful Wish

Without warning, Ellie kissed him, bold and hungry. Wrapping his arms around her, Liam shifted her out of sight. There was nothing soft and chaste about them finally coming together, the contact escalating quickly to a heat level he was unprepared for.

He’d anticipated this going differently—slower and more private—but nothing with Ellie ever seemed to go to plan.

Ellie broke contact first, her breath fast and hot against his lips. A lingering taste of marinara sauce and sexy Ellie remained.

He didn’t know what to say.

“There was mistletoe,” she whispered, looking as stunned as he felt.

Her eyes flicked upward. A green sprig hung from a hook above their table.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, then left him standing alone in the nook, too shocked to speak, a cold wave engulfing him after the loss of her heat.

Liam scrubbed a hand down his face, waiting for his heartbeat to slow to a reasonable rate.

When Ryan joined him, his brother frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I think I’ve underestimated Ellie Thatcher.”



Monday, November 6, 2023

Don't Miss This Christmas Story Collection


 

By Kristy McCaffrey

I'm excited to be part of a multi-author holiday project this year. While each book will begin releasing in December, we have a special treat for readers - a collection of prequel short stories you can download now for FREE!

In this limited-edition Christmas romance collection love blooms underneath the mistletoe as holiday wishes of the heart come true. Get snowed in with these stories where anything can happen through the magic of Christmas—and love.

This multi-author holiday romance collection features these stories by the following authors:

A Gingerbread Wish by Kari Shuey

I’ll Be Home for Christmas by PG Forte

Christmas Hero by Quinn Marlowe

Home for the Honeymoon by Sharon Wray

A Christmas Cowboy Crush by Megan Ryder

The Best present Ever by Debra Deasey

Magda’s Gift by TK Eldridge

Spelled In Wonder by Jaelle Keyes

Someone Like Him for Christmas by Susanna Eastman

Tinseltown Dreams by Kristen Fray

The Reindeer That Got Away by Kristy McCaffrey

The Buck Eye Cowboy by Jamie K. Schmidt

Holly’s Christmas Miracle by Pandora Snow


It includes my short story THE REINDEER THAT GOT AWAY

The Thatcher-Adler feud goes back several generations and is well known in Reindeer Pass, Colorado. When a teenaged Liam Adler befriends young Ellie Thatcher, he’s amused by her tenacious curiosity to find the white reindeer rumored to be living in the nearby mountains. As they continue to cross paths through the years, Liam’s fondness turns to something more. But there’s still the issue of the family feud …

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY HERE.

The story will continue in A MIRTHFUL WISH, available December 14, 2023!

The Thatcher-Adler feud goes back generations. Despite this, Ellie Thatcher befriended Liam Adler when she was a girl. She even managed to get a job at the Adler Reindeer Farm while in high school, the very farm that had once belonged to her family. Now, with college and a stint working overseas behind her, she’s returning home to Reindeer Pass to open a photography studio. But the feud has been reignited and Ellie and Liam are about to get dragged into the middle of it. 

Liam Adler has returned to the Colorado town where he grew up to take over the family business after the sudden death of his father. It wasn’t the life path he’d planned, and now he must convince old Eustace who lives in the Buckley Cabin to sell his adjacent land to the Adlers and not the Thatchers. And his opponent is none other than Ellie Thatcher—no longer the sweet and funny little girl he remembers, but all grown-up and strikingly beautiful. 

Years ago, Eustace told a young Ellie and Liam about the Legend of Reindeer Pass, where a rare Arctic reindeer herd is rumored to have lived since the first Thatcher and Adler men settled in the valley in the 1800’s. When Ellie and Liam appear before the old man, Eustace tells them he will sell to the first to see the Vaadin, the largest of the elusive female reindeer. But there is more to the legend … only the pure of heart are presented with such a gift. And to a special few, true love is granted. 

When Christmas comes around, everyone has their own special wish. For some, those wishes are as simple as getting the perfect gift for that special someone. For others, those wishes are much bigger. Especially, when they wish for love. 

Everyone deserves the gift of love, but sometimes that's more complicated than it should be.

This year is different.

For those pure of heart, their wishes, even their wishes for true love, just might be granted. 

Wishing for Love is a heartwarming series about Christmas wishes of love coming true for those who have the purest of hearts. If you're looking for a feel-good read this holiday season, pick up A MIRTHFUL WISH to meet the authors of this heartwarming holiday romance series and find your next happy ever after.

Pre-order your copy now!

Read the first three chapters of A MIRTHFUL WISH.


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?

Copyright © 2023 K. McCaffrey LLC

 

 


Tuesday, July 4, 2023

Holbrook, Arizona

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

Holbrook is the perfect place to launch a visit to the Painted Desert, Petrified Forest National Park, the Grand Canyon, and the Navajo Nation in general.

Holbrook, Arizona

Located on the banks of the Little Colorado River, Holbrook was founded in 1881 when the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad was built. The town was named after chief engineer Henry Randolph Holbrook and the railroad sold a million acres to a Boston investment group which established the Aztec Land and Cattle Company—known as the Hashknife Outfit—making Holbrook its headquarters.

Historic Holbrook, Arizona Territory

The constant presence of outlaws along with endless cattle and horse rustling made the area quite lawless. Holbrook was known as “the town too tough for women and churches.” The Pleasant Valley War was a long, bloody skirmish that took place in the 1880’s, with many of the confrontations in and around Holbrook. However, in 1895 the town became the county seat of Navajo County. By 1902 the Hashknife was bankrupt, and the land was sold to the Babbitt brothers.

Petrified Forest

President Theodore Roosevelt named the Petrified Forest a National Monument in 1906. In 1926, the Beale Wagon Road became Route 66, passing through both the Petrified Forest and Holbrook, and tourism began taking over the economy.


In my upcoming book, THE CANARY, Sarah Ryan arrives in Holbrook in 1899 to meet with esteemed paleontologist Dr. Allan Brenner. But instead, she finds herself in the company of his son, Jack.

Excerpt

(Sarah initially confuses Jack with his father, Allan, whom she's never met.)

Sarah hadn’t expected Dr. Brenner to be so young. Or tall, his stance beneath his hat and duster exuding self-assurance. She had never met the esteemed paleontologist in person, but he was … different than she had imagined. Her smile slipped a bit. Could he have possibly written all those papers in the last four or five years he was credited with? He appeared to be around thirty years old, and that would mean he’d been doing extensive field work while earning his doctorate. It stretched credibility.

Dr. Brenner was looking at her as if he didn’t know who she was. Well, obviously he didn’t, since they had never met, but it appeared he hadn’t been expecting her.

“Did you get the letter from Mrs. Parks?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Oh, good. Then you knew I was coming.” He was here, so he was awaiting someone. She relaxed a little. Traveling alone from Boston had a been a bit nerve-wracking, but she had kept reminding herself that she was made of sterner stock than most. She was a Ryan after all. A daughter and niece of the well-known Texas Ryans, Blackmores, and Walkers.

“You’re a woman,” Dr. Brenner stated, his brows furrowed in a way that reminded her of her favorite horse, Chip, when he wanted another carrot, but she wouldn’t give him one.

“Last time I looked,” she replied cheerfully. She’d been given the break of a lifetime when Mrs. Parks had hired her for this dig. She wasn’t going to let anything get her down.

When consternation remained on his quite-handsome face, she added, “Is that a problem?”

“I was told to meet an S. Ryan. I’d assumed you were ….”

When he paused, she waited, but when he didn’t finish the sentence, it became clear what he was going to say. “A man,” she said.

He sighed and looked away. “Yes.”

 


The Canary release July 25, 2023! Pre-order the eBook here.

 

Monday, June 5, 2023

Coelophysis: Dinosaur of the Old West


By Kristy McCaffrey

When you think of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus rex comes to mind but there were many types of theropod that came before it. Coelophysis was a small bipedal carnivore and was one of the earliest dinosaurs to walk the earth. It was also an ancestor of T. rex.

Coelophysis, a small dinosaur from the
Triassic Period (considered to be
the Dawn of the Dinosaurs)

Dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic Era (sometimes called “the Age of Reptiles”), which spanned from 252 million years ago to 66 million years ago. It was comprised of the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods. Early dinosaurs (such as Coelophysis) emerged in the Triassic, but they were quite small. Giants such as T. rex and enormous sauropods such as Brontosaurus and Diplodocus lived during the late Jurassic and Cretaceous.

Coelophysis fossil at the
Museum of Northern Arizona

In 1889, Edward Drinker Cope was the first to identify and name Coelophysis. The first remains were found by David Baldwin, an amateur fossil collector working for Cope, in 1881 in northwestern New Mexico. These first finds were too poorly preserved to give a full picture of the dinosaur, but in 1947 a massive graveyard of fossils was found in New Mexico containing many well-preserved and fully articulated specimens.

It is theorized that Coelophysis may have
run in packs, although no direct
evidence supports this

There is wide consensus today that birds descended from theropods such as Coelophysis. (T. rex has more in common with the modern-day chicken than to a crocodile.) Both birds and theropods shared wishbones, likely incubated their eggs, had hollow bones, and were covered in feathers.

In my upcoming book, THE CANARY, Dr. Jack Brenner and Sarah Ryan are on the hunt in the Arizona desert for Jack’s father, the esteemed paleontologist Dr. Allan Brenner. And Allan is on the hunt for Coelophysis.

Coming July 25, 2023. Pre-order a copy today!!

 

Read an excerpt

Jack and Sarah have entered a marriage of convenience for various reasons, one being her difficult relationship with one of her professors, Dr. Everett Pierce. Isaac is a Comanche friend and paleontology assistant of Jack’s father.

“And why are you here, Dr. Pierce?” Sarah asked, sitting up straight and looking him in the eye. Either she was a very good actress, or her animosity was real. Jack at least had to concede that it was likely the latter. 

“I’ve been contracted to explore the area,” he said.

“By whom?” Isaac cut in.

“Roderick Melton.”

That Pierce was still tied to Melton shouldn’t have surprised Jack, but it did, despite that it was no secret Pierce’s father pulled strings wherever he could for his son. It had been a topic of gossip in paleontological circles that the elder Pierce had been trying to establish business relations with Roderick Melton. And then there’d been the business with Betsy. Unbeknownst to Jack, he’d been in a romantic triangle with her and Pierce, and while he blamed Pierce wholeheartedly for being an unethical ass, Betsy had decisively left Jack despite that he’d protected her from possibly going to jail, which probably wouldn’t have happened considering Roderick’s wealth.

But Pierce had never won Betsy’s hand—she had later married someone else—and it had been the one bright spot in an otherwise painful period of Jack’s life.

He kept his reaction to himself by raising his glass—the whiskey this time and not the beer—and nursing a long drink.

Isaac folded his hands together on the table. “Selling out, are you?”

“Don’t give me the holier than thou speech,” Pierce replied with a smirk. “We’re all in it for the money. Private collectors have as much right to house collections as museums.”

“At least we know now for certain,” Isaac said.

Pierce raised a brow. “What’s that?”

“You have zero ethics.”

Unethical ass echoed in Jack’s head.

“Ethics don’t pay the bills,” Everett said. “And what about Allan Brenner? Who’s paying his bills?”

Jack and Isaac didn’t respond, so Sarah filled the empty space. “Yale University,” she said. “And Helen Parks, I would assume.”

“Yes, of course,” Pierce said conversationally, leaning forward. “And she’s the one who hired you, right Sarah?”

Jack didn’t like the proprietary tone in Pierce’s voice as he said her first name.

“You know,” Pierce continued. “If you’d wanted a dig, you could have come to me. I could’ve introduced you to Melton.”

“Like you did with Jane?” she countered.

Pierce’s eyes narrowed and he swallowed nervously, his Adam’s apple bobbing noticeably. “Jane quit school, a reminder that women really don’t have what it takes to be out here.”

“I’ve heard that could be said of some men, as well.” Sarah offered a polite smile while sipping her drink.

Jack tried not to laugh, but his lips twitched anyway.

Pierce rose to his feet. “I look forward to seeing you in class in the fall, Mrs. Brenner. I’m sure you’ll have much to share with the other students after your summer here.” He adjusted his jacket. “Gentlemen. I expect I’ll see you out there.”

“Not if I can help it,” Jack said plainly.

Pierce snatched the bottle of whiskey, clearly unwilling to leave the remainder with them. “Allan Brenner thinks he’s some sort of god out here. He’s not. 

“I get it now,” Isaac said with a knowing nod. “You’re here to outshine him. How exactly do you propose to do that?”

“He’s pinned so many of his theories on Coelophysis,” Pierce said, “but he’s yet to find a full skeleton. And when I find one, I’ll debunk every hypothesis he’s put forward.”

Learn more about Kristy's books at kristymccaffrey.com

Sunday, May 28, 2023

New Release!! Sapphire Waves is now available!!

 


Sapphire Waves is Book 7 in The Pathway Series, but this novella can be read as a standalone.

A second-chance romance in the gorgeous blue waters of the Bahamas.

Dr. Missy Rembert interned at Shark Lab in the Bimini Islands when she was a graduate student, and although she decided to change her field of study from sharks to cephalopods, one thing marked her time there—a fling with Josh McKittrick. Now she’s back in the Bahamas as part of a team exploring a blue hole, and she’s stunned to come face-to-face with the only man she’s ever regretted losing.

Dr. Josh McKittrick never thought he’d see Missy again. After their brief relationship at Shark Lab went south, he was forced to put her out of his mind and work became his haven. He knew she’d switched her research focus, so he was certain they’d never cross paths. He should’ve known better, because seeing her now is bringing back all the old feelings. Missy was the only woman who had broken his heart, and he’ll be damned if he goes through it a second time.

Don’t miss an exclusive bonus story – Deep Blue Hawai’i – featuring Grace and Alec from the novel DEEP BLUE.

Dr. Grace Mann and her boyfriend, underwater filmmaker Alec Galloway, are in the Aloha State for a Galloway family Christmas. While surfing Pipe is on the agenda for the boys, Grace finds a way to get in the water with tiger sharks, but can Alec convince her to stay on dry land long enough for an important question?

Read Chapter One

eBooks available at

 Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

Apple Books | Nook | Kobo | Google Play Books

Paperbacks are coming.

Find it at Goodreads


Excerpt

Josh reached into his pack and pulled out a packet of gummy bears.

“You still eating those things?” Missy asked.

He nodded, tearing the bag open and popping one into his mouth. It was his stress food, and if ever there was a stressful situation, this was it.

Missy Rembert. He’d come to accept that he’d likely never see her again. And now that he had, he was beginning to wish he hadn’t. He didn’t appreciate the tightness in his chest or the constriction of his throat as he sat beside her, pretending that she hadn’t completely broken his heart almost four years ago.

He was over her. He really was.

 



Kristy writes contemporary adventure romance as well as historical western romance. Her stories are filled with emotion and heart, with some steamy bits included. She lives in the Arizona desert with her husband and their rescue dog, Jeb, an American bulldog, and she currently enjoys doting on her new granddaughter while writing her next book. She's also trying to cut back on her chai tea latte addiction. You can find her at kmccaffrey.com and at kristymccaffreybooks on Instagram.


Tuesday, March 7, 2023

The Pathway Series has new covers!!

 By Kristy McCaffrey

I'm so excited to share BRAND NEW covers for my Pathway series!! They better convey the tone of the books - romance and high adventure - and I couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out.

You can find more info about each story here.





















Saturday, March 4, 2023

The Sparrow is out in Italian

 By Kristy McCaffrey

Il Passero
Ali del West: Libro Tre

Impetuose rapide e antichi spiriti trascinano Nathan Blackmore ed Emma Hart in una selvaggia avventura nel Gran Canyon.

“I lettori ameranno la storia…” ~ RT Book Reviews

1877

In possesso del dono della chiaroveggenza, e tormentata da visioni, Emma Hart arriva nel Grand Canyon—una regione selvaggia, aspra e, fino a poco prima, del tutto inesplorata—in cerca di risposte sulla tragedia del proprio passato, il tradimento del presente e uno sfuggente futuro che echeggia fin dentro l’anima. Accompagnata da Passero, il suo animale guida, si immerge negli abissi del folclore Hopi, costretta ad affrontare un male che ha resistito ai secoli.

Sulle tracce di Emma Hart, il Texas Ranger Nathan Blackmore arriva al fiume Colorado e, sbalordito, la scopre determinata a percorrerne il corso su una barchetta di legno a fondo piatto. Ma in un posto dove le increspature del tempo sono profonde, la scelta sarà inevitabile. Nathan dovrà accettare il regno invisibile, il mondo al di là del mondo, da cui si era allontanato anni prima, o rischiare di perdere la donna che ormai ama più della vita stessa.

Un sensuale western storico ambientato nel Territorio dell’Arizona.

Disponibile in formato eBook e cartaceo.

Ali del West

Lo Scricciolo: Libro Uno
La Colomba: Libro Due
Il Passero: Libro Tre
Il Merlo: Libro Quattro (In arrivo)



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