MORNINGS ON MAIN BY JODI THOMAS

Jodi Thomas is one of my favorite western authors. In fact, some of her books are on my keeper shelf. For the last few years, her books have been set in West Texas, which is where she lives. MORNINGS ON MAIN is set in East Texas, in the small town of Laurel Springs. 

Jillian James is a wanderer. Except for two years at university, she has never lived in one place long enough to make friends or belong. Her father, who disappeared when he left her at university, would never reveal anything about her mother or why he moved so often. His motto was “pack nothing from the past, not even memories”. Because she has only a few scribbled notations of his, she chooses the first zip code he mentions to learn if that might be where her life began.

When she looks for a job, Conrad Larady, mayor and newspaper owner, hires Jillian to work at his grandmother’s quilt shop, A Stitch In Time. Jillian warns him that she only plans to be in town for three months. She is to photograph and catalog each of the quilts in the shop before his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s means the stories are lost forever. Jillian enjoys hearing Eugenia relate the stories.

Before long, she and Conrad become friends. Jillian also meets Conrad’s teenage daughter Sunnie, who does not live up to her name. Sunnie loves Eugenia, though, and is very good with and to her. A Stitch In Time is central to the town and through her work there, Jillian meets many of the locals.

Conrad is amazed at how detailed Jillian’s quilt write-ups are and how clear her photographs and he submits several to large newspapers for her. Jillian has no plan to develop attachments, but she is growing closer to both Conrad and Eugenia.

As with each of Jodi Thomas’ books, this one has a sense of community. Like each of the small towns I’ve known, Laurel Springs is filled with quirky characters as well as those who are mainstream or average. I love the warm feeling produced by her small-town novels and this is no exception. Her words weave a wonderful mind picture.

This is the first of her new series. I’m eager to read the coming titles and learn more about the residents of Laurel Springs. This book deserves 5 stars. I was furnished an ARC of this book for an honest review, which this is.

MORNINGS ON MAIN will be released on April 10. You can pre-order the book at https://www.amazon.com/Mornings-Main-Small-Town-Texas-Novel/dp/1335062955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522035092&sr=8-1&keywords=Jodi+Thomas

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Thomas is a fifth-generation Texan who sets many of her stories in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. She is a certified marriage and family counselor, a Texas Tech graduate and writer-in-residence at West Texas A&M University. She lives with her husband in Amarillo, Texas.

Caroline Clemmons writes western contemporary and historical romances. Her latest is a time travel romance, TEXAS LIGHTNING, which begins on a ranch in 1896 and moves to the same ranch today.

TEXAS LIGHTNING USA http://a.co/8DRmNbs

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Texas-Lightning-Time-Travel/dp/1986339459/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1521667698&sr=8-3&keywords=Caroline+Clemmons

Amazon CA https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/138-9010344-2686736?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Caroline+Clemmons 

    

Through a crazy twist of fate, Caroline Clemmons was not born on a Texas ranch. To make up for this tragic error, she writes about handsome cowboys, feisty ranch women, and scheming villains in a small office her family calls her pink cave. She and her Hero live in North Central Texas cowboy country where they ride herd on their rescued cats and dogs. The books she creates there have made her an Amazon bestselling author and won several awards. 

Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest. Click on her Amazon Author Page for a complete list of her books and follow her there.

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Subscribe to Caroline’s newsletter here to receive a FREE novella of HAPPY IS THE BRIDE, a humorous historical wedding disaster that ends happily—but you knew it would, didn’t you? 

INDIGO LAKE BY JODI THOMAS

I have enjoyed every book I’ve read by Jodi Thomas. This is no exception. Seeing well-loved characters pop up with new ones makes this a fascinating read.

Having grown up in West Texas, I believe I know where Ransom Canyon is. Whether I’m right or not, the series is a must-read for anyone who loves western romance and the Southwestern culture. Jodi Thomas brings the land in as a character as well as the people in her stories.

Blade Hamilton has inherited a ranch and comes to investigate the likelihood of being able to sell the place. His land is separated from his nearest neighbor by a dark blue lake, Indigo Lake. When he meets his neighbor, Dakota Davis, he learns the Hamilton and Davis families are enemies.

Dakota’s grandmother, who I instantly loved, makes certain Blade knows he is treading on dangerous ground by setting foot on Davis land. Dakota’s sister, Maria, was blinded in an accident but still cooks as if she were sighted. Maria sells her jams and jellies in town.

Another thread of the story deals with Lauren Brigman and Lucas Reyes and Reid Collins. Reid is the one who claimed to have saved himself and friends when they were fifteen, although Lucas was really the hero. Now, Reid is in trouble.

I really can't reveal more without giving spoilers.  I will say I was happy to see some loose ends pleasantly resolved. Once again, Ms Thomas weaves together a compelling story unable to resist. Don’t miss this book. At the back is a reprint of the novella, WINTER CAMP, as a bonus.

I must give this book 5 stars!  

WILD HORSE CANYON BY JODI THOMAS GETS FIVE STARS!

WILD HORSE SPRINGS is the latest in Jodi Thomas’ Ransom Canyon Series. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, as I have her other series. I feel I know the characters in the town of Crossroads that I’d recognize them if I met them on the street.

Sheriff Dan Brigman was first mentioned in book one in this series. He’s respected, honest, dependable, a good friend, a concerned father, and a man on whom the town can depend.

Dan’s wife abandoned him and their daughter Lauren years ago, although she shows up occasionally. Now, Lauren has graduated from college and moved to Dallas to write a novel. So, Dan is alone at home—when his job lets him go there.

How does the sheriff of a small town date? Many women in town would be happy to catch him. He's aware of the gossip that would ensue if her asked a woman on even one date. The only women he meets are usually speeding or bailing their husband out of jail. He won't even let friends set him up with their unmarried relatives for fear of hurting their feelings when he doesn't ask for a second date.

In WILD HORSE SPRINGS, Dan is driving along and—in the middle of the deserted highway—he finds a single sparkly, blue lady’s boot. He wonders about the kind of woman would own such a boot.

When he finds Brandi Malone, she's as beautiful and wild as he guessed she might be. At least, he thinks she is—but that’s her stage appearance and not the real Brandi. What drives Brandi to move from one small bar to the next when she has a voice good enough for Nashville? Why is a woman this beautiful alone?

The other story in the book deals with Lauren Brigman, who returns home defeated and wishing she’d never left. She hasn’t recovered from losing Lucas Reyes. Will Lauren's homecoming lead to heartbreak or a second chance for her and Lucas?

Obviously, I recommend this book to anyone who loves westerns, contemporary romance, or just well-written books. Let me insert a brief excerpt of the book to illustrate what I mean:

“When he turned onto the county road on the third Friday in November, featherlight snow circled in the cruiser’s headlights as if the beams caught winter’s breath dancing in the dark along the silent stretch of highway. The first freeze of the season was whispering across the flatland, but Dan feared a storm would rage in a few hours.”

Can’t you visualize the scene painted by Ms Thomas’ words? She is a gifted author and I eagerly await her next release.

You can purchase WILD HORSE SPRINGS from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Horse-Springs-Ransom-Canyon-ebook/dp/B01GZVCUBO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1486691739&sr=1-1&keywords=jodi+thomas as well as from numerous other sources. 

REVIEW OF RANSOM CANYON, LATEST RELEASE FROM JODI THOMAS

 

Jodi Thomas is one of my favorite authors. Since discovering her years ago, I believe I’ve read each of her books and novellas. In fact, hers are on my keeper shelf.

My favorite of her early books is TO KISS A TEXAN, part of the McClain series. Even though it was different, WINTER CAMP, the prequel to her current Ransom Canyon series reminds me of that story because of Millie, the Apache captive. If you haven’t read WINTER CAMP, you’ll do yourself a favor to do so. You can find it FREE on Amazon at http://amzn.com/B00U77QXI4 and at other e-vendors.

But that isn’t the review for which I enticed you here today. Although a fictional work, RANSOM CANYON is named after a real location. In fact, the Ransom Canyon I know is a part of Yellowhouse Canyon, which cuts a giant slash through the Llano Estacado. My husband and I grew up in Lubbock, Texas where the canyon was only a mile or less from my home and only a little further from his. Ransom Canyon is further away down Yellowhouse about twelve miles southwest of Lubbock. The name came because captives were ransomed there when the West was wild and white settlers new to the area.   

In RANSOM CANYON, we are drawn into the lives of four families through an inter-twining story about events that unite them. This book has romance, adventure, and humor woven seamlessly into a book I couldn’t stop reading until I reached the end. One of the things I appreciated is the love of the land—the peace, the struggle, the beauty. Sunsets in West Texas are spectacular. Jodi Thomas paints those scenes with words that resonated with me.

Rancher Staten Kirkland is the last descendant of his ranch’s founding father, and a good steward of the land and the people who live there. He’s lost his wife seven years earlier to cancer and his sixteen-year-old son in a car crash two years ago. Since then, he’s a shell who only wakes to life when he’s around Quinn O’Grady. Theirs is a strange relationship to which each clings for a different reason. Quinn was best friends to Staten’s wife, but she has always secretly loved Staten. She always wondered if each time she saw him would be the last.

Lucas Reyes is a young man with goals who is working long hours toward achieving them. His interest in Lauren Bigman, the sheriff’s daughter, leads him on a course he never imagined. Lauren finds this quiet, hard-working young man to be the kind of friend she wants. Lucas, she learns, has the makings of a real hero. Even super-critical Sheriff Dan Bigman recognizes in Lucas a man worth trust.

Yancey Grey is an ex-con running from the past and himself. He counts himself worthless, but he wants more than his past provided. Safety. A family. A community. To stay out of trouble. He figures those things are beyond a common criminal like him.

 Once again Jodi Thomas weaves her characters’ lives together into a story that draws in the reader and keeps him or her enchanted for the entire book. I definitely don’t want to give away anything that would spoil a reader’s enjoyment of this book. Savor each event and hate the wait until the next book, RUSTLER’S MOON, is available. The next release can’t be soon enough to suit me. Without doubt, I give this book 5 stars! If you shop at Amazon, the link for RANSOM CANYON is http://amzn.com/B00SFSL8N2  and it’s available at other e-retailers. 

RANSOM CANYON is also available in paperback and hardcover from brick and mortar stores and online.   

Jodi Thomas, Author

In 2002, Jodi Thomas was honored as a Distinguished Alumni by Texas Tech. A fifth-generation Texan, she is currently Writer in Residence at the campus of West Texas A&M University in Canyon, on the edge of Palo Duro Canyon—an even greater slash in the flat Texas landscape than Yellowhouse Canyon to the south. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she has written over thirty historical and contemporary novels. She and her husband Tom live in Amarillo where they are renovating an historic home and keeping current on their two grown sons.

Here are some of the early reviews for RANSOM CANYON:

“Another winner…Tension rides high, mixed with humor and kisses more passionate than most full-on love scenes. Fans will be delighted.” Publishers Weekly starred review

“Compelling and beautifully written.” Debbie Macomber. New York Times bestselling author

“Terrific reading from page one to the end.” Fresh Fiction

“Jodi Thomas is a masterful storyteller. She grabs your attention on the first page, captures your heart, and then makes you sad when it is time to bid her characters farewell. You can count on her to give you a satisfying and memorable read.” Catherine Anderson, New York Times Bestselling author

A PLACE CALLED HARMONY BY JODI THOMAS AND A REVIEW

A few words from Jodi Thomas . . .

Once in a while in my career of forty books, there comes a story I know I have to write.  It waits like an impatient child in the back of my mind for its time to shine.  A PLACE CALLED HARMONY was one of those stories.  As I moved through the Harmony series, getting to know the people of Harmony, Texas, better with each book I knew that someday I’d tell the beginning of their town.  From the day I started writing the characters came through clear.  I had to find men strong enough to influence the generations of Mathesons, Trumans and McAllens.

Many times during the writing of this story I felt all three men standing behind me telling me their lives.  Patrick McAllen, young and full of dreams, thought of it as an adventure and believed love came easy.  Clint Truman felt old at thirty and didn’t believe in love.  When he heard he had to have a wife to get the job, he went to the prison gate and picked the first woman walking out.  And then there was Captain Gillian Matheson who loved his wife but also loved adventure.

When Truman, Matheson and McAllen’s stories began to dance in my mind, I found myself staying up later every night to write more.  I love the way the three men interacted and the way all three loves stories grew.  I have a feeling that readers will be staying up a little later to read one more chapter.

I felt close to all of them, because my great-grandparents settled this same country over a hundred years ago.  My grandmother was even born in a covered wagon. So follow me through A PLACE CALLED HARMONY you’ll love the story.

Enjoy the adventure,

Jodi Thomas

Jodi Thomas is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of 40 novels and 12 short story collections. A four-time RITA winner, Jodi currently serves as the Writer in Residence at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas.

www.jodithomas.com

www.Twitter.com/jodithomas  

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A PLACE CALLED HARMONY by Jodi Thomas

Review by Caroline Clemmons

Yes, I’m another dedicated fan of Jodi Thomas books. I can honestly say I’ve read every book she’s published and enjoyed each one. I admit I’ve wished she’d write more western historical romances even though I love her Harmony series and the two suspense novels she authored.

With A PLACE CALLED HARMONY, Ms Thomas has fed both my addictions by writing a historical western romance about the founding of the town of Harmony. As I expected, this book kept me enchanted from the first word to the end. Those who’ve read the Harmony books will recognize that series’ leading families of Truman, Matheson, and McAllen.

Harmon Ely wants to found a town at the juncture of two Texas Panhandle waterways where he’s built a trading post.  With his dog Davy as a companion, Harmon is used to his own company. He’s a man of vision who believes he owns the perfect site for a town. Though his trading post has been burned to the ground, he’s been shot and left for dead, and he’s been robbed several times, Harmon is not going to give up.

He has a scheme to attract married people to settle in his new town—all he needs are strong, determined, and resourceful couples. He’ll offer work building the town and a house. In exchange for two year’s work, Harmon will sign over their house and forty acres of land. With ads in newspapers, he carefully reviews responses because he only wants good people who will contribute to his town. He’s building for the future.

Harmon also enlists and old friend to help, Sheriff Lightstone of Huntsville, Texas. Lightstone knows a man who appears determined to kill himself with liquor and fights since the death of his family. The sheriff pulls Clint Truman from a brawl and offers him an opportunity to stay out ofjail. Lightstone even has an idea for Clint’s wife.

The two men take a wagon to Huntsville prison for women and wait as that day’s releases file out. Of the several women inmates regaining freedom that day, only one is not met and has nowhere to go—and she carries a tiny baby. Karissa has been betrayed by everyone she trusted and is consumed by fear. After assurances by Clint, she agrees to wed him if her conditions are met: he will never ask about her past, he will never strike her, and he will never force himself on her. He gives her a few days to recover while he sells his farm, then they set out by train for Dallas to buy a wagon and supplies for their trip to the Panhandle.

Meanwhile near Galveston, Patrick McAllen is escaping an overbearing and abusive father with the aid of his mute brother, Shelby. Going with Patrick is Annie Spencer, who is almost as eager to escape her stepmother. Patrick and Annie are friends but not in love. Their motive in marrying is to flee beyond their parents’ reach and they seek Harmon Ely’s town as a sanctuary. Annie requests only that Patrick never lie to her. He agrees and asks for the same. He hopes one day Shelby will join them.

Captain Gillian Matheson is a career soldier. Although he loves his wife Daisy to distraction, he cannot settle on her family’s farm and tolerate her brothers ordering him about constantly. He hadn’t realized when they wed that she wouldn’t leave her family to follow him from post to post. What he doesn’t know is that Daisy has grown weary of never seeing her beloved husband for longer than enough time to conceive another child. Writing as her husband, Daisy contracted with Harmon Ely to settle in his new town. Then she convinced her brothers to load all her furnishings into wagons and escort her to Harmon’s trading post and leave. All she has to do now is await Gillian’s arrival. The letter she sent her husband should bring him hurrying to meet her. At least, she prays that’s true.

A PLACE CALLED HARMONY is one of my favorites of Ms Thomas’ books. Each of the three couples plus the secondary characters face different problems that present a slice of 1880’s western life. Settling on the frontier was hard work and dangerous, but joy also awaited those with survival skills. By deftly weaving the good with the bad, Ms Thomas creates a portrait of those who founded not just Harmony, but a myriad of towns across the West.   

 If you haven’t already guessed, I give A PLACE CALLED HARMONY five out of five stars. You can buy this book from www.jodithomas.com