E.E. Burke's The Bride Train: Board The Bride Train and Meet the Grooms

E.E. Burke

How much do you know about The Bride Train? Yesterday, I shared some interesting facts about three of the brides and the first book in the series. Today, we'll take a look at the the grooms and the second book, plus some cool giveaways.

Not your typical Western hero... 

Constantine Valentine, an English nobleman, is leading man in Valentine's Rose. Val is somewhat lost in America on a fruitless search for riches and purpose, neither of which he finds until he meets his sweet Irish Rose. He's understandably concerned about how his aristocratic family will react to his marriage to a destitute Irish laundress. Not well, he can assure you.

Did you know that during the Victorian era, some of England’s noblest families were sending their sons to America to toughen them up? Often, these were spoiled, second-born sons who wouldn’t inherit land or title and their fathers hoped they might be able to make their fortune in America--or at least make something meaningful out of their dissolute lives. 

Why name a hero Valentine? Well, for one, it's a noble English name of Anglo-Saxon origin, from the Latin name Valentinus, which comes from the root word valens, meaning "strong and healthy." The word valor comes from this root. 

Constantine Valentine in many ways reflects his surname's meaning, but even a strong man is bound to have a weakness. Besides having gambled away his inheritance, Val suffers from what we know today as Attention Deficit Disorder. Being misunderstood and ridiculed for his impetuous nature has had a devastating impact on his life and it takes a special woman with a great capacity for love to help Val overcome his past.

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Opposite Val in just about every way is Patrick O'Shea, the main character in Patrick's Charm. A poor Irish immigrant and disabled war veteran, Patrick hasn't experienced much good luck in his life. Upon landing in America, he was mustered into the Union army. This practice of recruiting immigrants "fresh off the boat" went on for as long as the government needed fresh soldiers to the fight the war. 

Patrick's permanent injuries are a constant reminder of his bad luck. Wounded soldiers were routinely dosed with opium for pain. Many, like Patrick, became dependent on the painkiller. Opium addiction among former troops was so widespread it was given the name, Soldier’s Disease. Today, it’s difficult to imagine the strength it would’ve taken to cope with injury, addiction and the rigors of starting a new life on the frontier. I think you’ll find Patrick a fascinating character.

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Patrick’sCharm, Book 2, The Bride Train series

An actress who believes in nothing, a disabled veteran who has nothing left to believe in…until Luck changes her mind.

Lady Luck hasn’t been kind to Patrick O’Shea. The Irish immigrant has suffered loss, betrayal and bitter disappointment since arriving in America. When a talented performer shows up at his saloon looking for a job, it appears his luck is about to change.

Charm LaBelle would rather take a job singing in a saloon than be forced to marry. The famous actress, on the run from danger, has learned the hard way not to entrust her life--or her heart--to any man; in particular, her charming employer.

Patrick is determined to hold onto his good luck through whatever means necessary, including marriage, but Charm won't give up her freedom or her secrets. It's only a matter of time before their luck runs out...

Archer Childers, both a scoundrel and a sweetheart, takes center stage in Tempting Prudence. When I started researching potential grooms, I came across what I consider a quintessentially American character, but not the sort you often see in a Western Romance. Did I mention, I love atypical heroes? 

Whereas Patrick and Val represent the burgeoning immigrant population, Arch comes from relatively long line of American descendants. His ancestors migrated from the mountainous areas in the Carolinas and Tennessee westward to Missouri in search of cheap land and better opportunities. Along the way, they took with them their knowledge about making whiskey. 

Arch is a bootlegger from southwestern Missouri who stakes a claim on land over the border in Kansas. He sells illegal liquor to area saloon owners (who are more than happy to purchase it). While he has bigger dreams, he takes pride in running his family's business and has earned a certain amount of respect among his colleagues and customers. At the same time, illegal whiskey peddlers were looked down on as lawbreakers and considered outside of “proper society." Victorians privately enjoyed vices they publicly condemned.

It goes without saying that Arch has his work cut out for him when he decides to wed a spinster who opposes, among other things, "strong spirits."

Tomorrow, you'll meet Arch and Prudence and learn more about their story...

Do you have any favorite types of heroes in terms of occupations or pursuits? What makes them so intriguing?

Leave a comment and enter the drawing for a copy of all three eBooks in the series, an autographed copy of the book of your choice, or a $10 Amazon gift card.

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