TWO MEN. ONE BRIDE. 

It’s the perfect match because the two men are Jack Peregrine and his grandpa, Gus. And Grandpa Gus is on a mission to see his grandson wed!

Whenever anyone asks, “Do you have a favorite story that you’ve written?” The answer is always, “Yes, it’s the story I’m currently writing or tweaking.” And right now I’m putting the final polish on The Calling Birds (The Fourth Day in The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides series) – so it’s my favorite!

I’m in love not only with my hero and heroine (and the town of Noelle) but with Grandpa Gus. It was great fun hearing what he wanted to say (and do) and then seeing how his grandson and his new granddaughter would respond.

The excerpt I’m sharing today is from the fourth scene in my story, but it was the first scene I wrote. Grandpa Gus was eager to tell me his plan. I’m very happy he started speaking to me and insisted that he join this story and be a big part of it.

THE CALLING BIRDS – EXCERPT

The 1st day of Christmas

December 25, 1876

“What the blazes happened here?” The door connecting Jack’s carpentry shop to the back of the freight office slammed behind him with a bang that echoed his bellow of disbelief.

Bright rolls of fabric, heaps of ribbon, lace, and partially made dresses lay strewn over every stack in the storage area. The confusion of colors made his head hurt. Heavenly Father, please tell me I’m dreaming.

The early hour shed no light on the situation. The office harbored as many shadows as the pair of windows on the opposite wall. He lifted his lantern higher, rubbed his eyes, and took a second look.

Nope. His luck still hadn’t changed for the better.

Another task had been heaped on his already mountain-high workload—and Grumpy Gus had to be the culprit. Why had his grandfather removed Miss Bell’s belongings from their transport sacks? The cantankerous side of the old man had been appearing more often than his cooperative counterpart.

“Hellfire!” A fist of panic punched his heart. Had Gus wandered off again? If he reached the snowpack beyond the tree line, he might trigger an avalanche and plummet to—

“Is cursing how you say hello?”

The question came from the other side of the hills of rainbow shrouded freight where he now glimpsed the faint glow of another lantern.

“I know yer mother—God rest her sweet-as-sarsaparilla soul—taught you better ’n that.”

His worry turned to relief, then frustration and finally acceptance. “Good morning.” He aimed for a cheerful tone but he doubted if he’d have fooled a stranger, let alone someone who knew him as well as Gus.

“That’s better but not great. I’m adding brushing up on yer manners to my list.”

That Gus had a task list was nothing new. Jack had one as well. Lately, Gus might’ve slowed down, but the drive to work hard ran deep in the Peregrine family.

The smell of brewing coffee wafted from the other side of the stacks where Gus remained hidden from view. As long as the old man was somewhere in the building, it was a better day than most. And today was no different than any other. Put family and their shipping business first. Ignore his compulsion to barricade his life against heartache.

Instead, he must lay his soul bare and do whatever was necessary—including getting married again.

A vision rose in his mind. His tiny bride standing below him with her chin held high, questioning him with eyes that hid as much as they revealed.

Wary but curious. Watchful. Like a colly bird.

No, smaller than a blackbird and full of contrasts. Black hair. Pale skin.

A tiny chickadee perched on the tip of his open palm. One false move and she’d take flight and never be seen again. He’d be left with only memories. Her unwavering regard had entranced him, but her smile had rocked his dreams.

“Bet Madame Bonheur is chomping at the bit to get those brides out of her girls’ rooms.”

Jack nodded. Miss Bell would be much safer and extremely more appreciated in his bed upstairs. He couldn’t shake that thought in particular from his mind. He needed a wife and now that he’d seen his bride he desired her as well.

A future full of misery loomed large. Miss Bell had agreed to be his wife, but now that she’d seen the town and him, could he convince her to actually marry him?

“First thing you gotta do,” Gus said as if sensing his worry, or maybe sharing it, “is impress her with yer manners ’n sugar talk. Women like that stuff.”

THE CALLING BIRDS – releases Dec. 4, 2017

Want to read an excerpt where Jack and Birdie first meet? Click HERE.

Interested in seeing the pictures that inspired my characters and storyline? Click HERE.

Can a dress save the world? To read about the inspiration for Birdie Bell (a dressmaker on the run from a troubled past), click here.

THE CALLING BIRDS – BLURB

Many years have passed since Bernadette Bellamy fled the Cariboo Gold Rush and her reputation as the sister of a French-Canadian gang of thieves. Armed with only an honest talent for sewing and a willingness to lead a solitary life on the run, she stays one step ahead of everyone seeking her brothers’ last—and now lost—heist. Until a craving to settle down makes her reinvent herself as Birdie Bell, a dress shop owner. The arrival of an old foe combined with her desire to hold onto her treasure trove of fabrics has Birdie joining a wagonload of brides bound for a remote town.

After losing his leg and his wife, Jack Peregrine buries his pain under a mountain-high pile of work. He only agrees to sign up for a mail-order bride to save the town of Noelle, keep his freighting business, and care for his absentminded grandfather. But Jack’s request for a sturdy bride who won’t crumble under his burdens brings him a woman as tiny as she is troubled. Can two mismatched people band together to become the perfect match?

THE CALLING BIRDS is the 4th book in The 12 Days of Christmas Mail-Order Brides series.

SERIES BLURB

Twelve men. Twelve brides. Twelve days to save a town.

Christmas, 1876: Noelle, Colorado is in danger of becoming a ghost town if the railroad decides to bypass the mountaintop mining community. Determined to prove their town is thriving, twelve men commit to ordering brides before the railroad’s deadline six days into the New Year.

Each of the twelve women has her own reason for signing up to become a mail-order bride. But after they arrive in the uncivilized settlement, they aren’t so sure they’ve made the right decision. Neither are the grooms. Will the marriages happen in time to save Noelle?

For all twelve authors’ bios, click here.