Get Lost in a new mail-order brides series from USA Today Best-Selling Author Kirsten Osbourne

Triplet brothers and mail-order brides, oh my! You've met two of the handsome brothers, now meet the third, in The Rancher's Mail-Order Bride by USA Today best-selling author Kirsten Osbourne.

Through no fault of her own, Gwen Blue found herself embroiled in a scandal that would set Beckham, Massachusetts on its ear, and get her locked in her room for two months. When she found herself betrothed to a man she found loathsome, she wanted nothing more than to disappear. When her sisters liberated her from her room and proposed a journey to Texas to visit an old school friend, she didn't have to be asked twice.

Walton Dalton always had a plan for his life. He'd spent years learning everything he needed to know about ranching, and he had a large parcel of land adjacent to his two brothers' land. Between the three of them, they were going to build a Texas ranching empire. For his empire, he needed a bride. 

Without his brothers’ knowledge, Walt sends off for three mail order brides from a matchmaker in Beckham. He knows from the moment he sees ‘Gorgeous Gwen’ that she's meant to be his. Will she agree to the marriage? If she does, will she be able to get over her self-centered attitude and be a good wife?

Excerpt

    At that moment two men, who were obviously twin brothers, stepped between them. 

    "Are you ladies the Blue sisters?" one of them asked.  He had brown eyes and black hair.  His shoulders were the broadest she'd ever seen.  She wouldn't mind stepping out with him at all.

    Gwen nodded slowly.  "Who are you?"  She'd never seen these men in her life.  Why were they looking for them?  Were they there to drive them to their new home, wherever it may be?  She still didn't know why they were in Texas.

    The man who'd asked the question grinned.  "I'm Walton Dalton, and I pick you."  He grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms before she had a chance to reply.  His mouth covered hers and he kissed her, right there in the middle of the train station.

    Gwen stomped on his foot, enjoying the kiss, but she knew it wasn't proper to kiss a man she'd just met. "Unhand me!" She wiped her hand across her mouth, trying to stop the tingling that had started as soon as his lips had met hers.

    Walt smiled down at Gwen. "I'll unhand you for now. Preacher's standing by."  He kept his arm firmly around his little fiancé's shoulders. "Which sister are you?"

    "I'm Gwendolyn. Why do you persist in touching me?  I don't know you!" She struggled against him, but realized it was futile.  He was much stronger than she would ever be.

    Bonnie smiled at Walt. "I'm Bonnie. I'm the oldest sister.  I believe I'm the one you're supposed to marry."

    Walt looked back and forth between the sisters. "I don't care who's oldest. I'm marrying this one."  He nodded at Nate. "That's my brother Nate. Bart should be here by now, but I'm sure he'll be along." 

    He'd better be along.  He'd promised Walt he'd be there by three.  It was quarter after.

    Bonnie glared at Walt and turned to Nate, who was openly staring at Libby. "Libby's the youngest," she announced, seeming to think that would matter to the brothers.

    Nate looked back and forth between Walt and Bonnie.  "I thought we were here to see a man about some cattle."

    Walt grinned at his brother. "Surprise!  Since Bart isn't here, you get next pick. Which one do you want for your bride?" He didn't expect a lot of problems from Nate.  Bart was the one who would protest the loudest.

    Nate blinked. "You sent off for brides for us?  The cattle salesman was a lie?"

    Walt shrugged. "I didn't think you'd come if I told you why we were really here."  He kissed the top of Gwen's head as if they'd been in love for years. "Pick one." 

    He wasn't letting this little beauty go.  He'd expected all three sisters to be homely.  Gwen had been a fabulous surprise.

    Nate pointed at Libby. "I guess I'll take the youngest." He leaned close to Walt and whispered, "I'll take care of you later."

    Gwen gasped in shock. "You can't just pick me and say you'll marry me.  No!  What on earth is happening here?  Bonnie?  What have you done?"  As grateful as Gwen was to her sister for rescuing her, she was furious about this arrangement.  She had no desire to marry a stranger or anyone else for that matter.

    Bonnie blinked as if fighting tears.  "Libby knew why we were here.  We just didn't want you to be stubborn.  We rescued you after all."

    "Rescued me?  You kept me from marrying a crazy old man, yes, but he was at least someone I knew!  Now you expect me to marry a total stranger?  He has a stupid name!  I can't marry a man named Walton Dalton!  Who would name their child that?  What if he thinks we should name our child Dalton Dalton or something?"

Meet Kirsten

Kirsten Osbourne is a wife, mother, and compulsive reader who lives in Arlington, Texas with her family.  She spends most of her time pecking away at her keyboard writing.  She loves to laugh and tries to incorporate laughter into every story.

Contact Kirsten at 

kirstenosbourne@yahoo.com

www.facebook.com/kirsten.os
twitter.com/AuthorKOsbourne

E.E. What’s the first book you remember reading?  

Kirsten: The Monster at the End of this Book. I've had it memorized since I was four.  I sometimes read it for children holding an imaginary book and letting them turn imaginary pages.  It's fun!

E.E.: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

Kirsten: Fairy Tale without question.  Action makes me really nervous whether in books or movies.  If an action scene needs to be written, I can't do it.  My husband does it, and then I take his words and put them into my voice.  

E.E.: What’s your favorite movie of all time?  

Kirsten: That's hard.  I'd say it's a cross between Princess Bride and Notting Hill.  I prefer to only watch romances, and romantic comedies are the best.  

E.E.: What is your biggest vice?  

Kirsten: Chocolate. What else could it be?

E.E.: Be honest, when reading...do you put yourself in the heroine’s role?

Kirsten: Oh absolutely!  I think that's why I hate stupid heroines so much.  If they're too stupid to live, then it's hard to think of yourself as them.  It's really hard when you want to smack them through the pages of the book.

E.E.: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?  

Kirsten: Historical Romantic Comedy.  If you can make me laugh while sharing a love story and add in some humor?  I'll be your fan for life!

E.E.: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would you go and why?  

Kirsten: I would go to the time of knights, but I would need to take my indoor plumbing with me.  We all think about how glamorous it would be to live in the past, but that's one modern convenience I won't do without.

E.E.: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?  

Kirsten: Travel. I've been to many places we never would have been able to go if I didn't write.  I've visited the Giant Rodent in Florida three times in the past year. I've been to NYC (a dream trip for me) and many other places. Europe is on my horizon.

E.E.: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
Kirsten: I prefer to write in my pajamas and a tiara.  There are a lot of days when I never bother to dress at all.  Why would I?  Bras completely stifle creativity.

The Dalton Brothers series also includes The Cowboy's Mail-Order Bride by Kit Morgan, and The Drifter's Mail Order Bride by Cassie Hayes.

  

The Rancher's Mail-Order Bride is available on Amazon, and is one of three connected sweet romances in The Dalton Brides series, which includes books by two other bestselling authors Kirsten Osbourne and Kit Morgan. Here's the order:

* The Escape (A Prologue) by Kirsten Osbourne, Cassie Hayes and Kit Morgan (also included at the beginning of each book) 

* The Rancher’s Mail-Order Bride by Kirsten Osbourne 

* The Cowboy’s Mail-Order Bride by Kit Morgan

* The Drifter's Mail-Order Bride by Cassie Hayes

Kirsten is known for her mail-order brides stories, and today she's giving away her Brides of Beckham series...four books! Just leave a comment and enter the raffle.

If you were a mail-order bride, which husband would you pick? Rancher, cowboy or drifter?

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E.E. Burke's Best of the West with Author Kit Morgan

Handsome triplets and mail-order brides? Oh my! Meet the second Dalton brother in The Cowboy's Mail-Order Bride by Kit Morgan.

Available on Amazon

Libby Blue lived in the shadow of her sister’s accomplishments. Bonnie, the oldest, excelled at all things domestic, and could take care of a household like nobody’s business. Gwen, the middle sister, excelled at … well, Gwen was beautiful, so she didn’t have to excel at much else to get what she wanted. Libby tried as hard as she could to live up to both, but always seemed to fall short. But when Gwen is caught up in a major scandal, their father decides to marry Libby and her sisters off to the most un-eligible bachelors in Beckham to save the family’s reputation. Bonnie quickly devises a plan to escape their father’s wrath and sets it in motion. Libby might yet have a chance to prove herself! As a Mail-Order Bride!

Walton Dalton had a dream to build an empire. Or in this case, a ranch where he and his two brothers could work hard and love hard. Determined to see his dream come true, he sends for his brothers and they soon join him in Texas to claim the land and begin building. That took care of the ‘work’ part. But Walton fails to tell his brothers that he already sent for mail-order brides in order to take care of the ‘loving’ part.  Will Nate Dalton become Libby’s road to happiness? Or a slow path to misery because she still can’t measure up?

Excerpt

     Nate took care of the horses, fed the chickens, and was heading back to the house when he stopped dead in his tracks. What would happen now? She couldn’t cook, was frightened, and, as far as he knew, didn’t like this whole arrangement. He stood, fists on hips and stared at the soft lantern light coming from the windows. Maybe she was upset because she was so ill-prepared to be a wife. How would he feel if he was in her shoes? But then, what woman becomes a wife and doesn’t learn how to cook? What else would she be inept at? What if she couldn’t so much as mend a shirt, or wash it for that matter? He couldn’t exactly send her back. But then, what if that’s exactly what she wanted him to do?

      Nate rubbed his chin with his hand. How to handle her… that was the question. Should he be patient, or tell her to get with it? Maybe a little of both? Yet, what right did he have to be so hard on her their first day as husband and wife? She did just travel over a thousand miles to get there and must be plumb tuckered out. If he was any kind of a gentleman, he’d get a tub ready for her, let her have her privacy, then after she felt better, he could see where she really stood. Yes, that’s what he’d do. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found her passed out from exhaustion.

      Sure enough, when he entered the house, she was curled up at one end of the settee, eyes closed, breathing steady and even. He studied her in the lantern light. How was he going to turn this delicate flower into someone capable of defending herself and their land if need be? This was still rough country, and he and his brothers could be gone long hours during the day. She’d be alone all that time, as would her sisters. They might have to do whatever was necessary to defend themselves. Could she shoot a gun? Could she, would she, shoot a man if she had to? 
     He crossed to the stove and pushed the thought aside. He’d worry about teaching her how to shoot later. Right now he figured he’d help make things more comfortable for her. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. He got a fire in the cook stove going, fetched the tub he used for bathing and set it up in the bedroom. He then went out to the pump, got a couple buckets of water, and poured them into the tub. He then filled the buckets again, and put them on the stove to heat.

     While he waited he sat at the kitchen table and stared at the back of the settee. He tried to imagine the two of them sitting there in the evenings after supper in front of the fire. He’d read a book, she’d knit or something. After awhile, they’d maybe get sleepy, then again, maybe not. Nate swallowed hard and stood. He took a few steps in her direction, and gazed at the back of her head resting on the one pillow he had for the living area. Her dark hair was coming loose from its pins, and a long tendril escaped, spilling over the arm of the settee. He went to her, reached down, and touched the silken lock. His body reacted, and he let go, sucking in a breath as he did. Libby didn’t stir, and he sighed in relief.

      Once again, he had to concede to her beauty. But how was she going to survive while he was gone all day? He didn’t talk much during the ride home, but he listened. Her sister Bonnie asked him if the land around Bart’s home would support a vegetable garden come spring. He told her yes, and knew she wanted to have one so there’d be enough food to get them through next winter. She knew how to cook and preserve food, a good thing in these parts. Bart was one lucky son of a …

      Libby moaned in her sleep. Nate froze. He sucked in another breath, and slowly backed away. He should wake her now, get her something to eat, then leave her to bathe.

     He went back to the kitchen. He had some cold bacon from his breakfast left, and a few biscuits. They would have to do for supper. He cut a biscuit in half, slapped a couple pieces of bacon on it, then went to wake his sleeping wife.

     He gave her shoulder a shake, and almost jumped when she popped up with a yelp. “Whoa, there,” he said in a soft voice. “I didn’t mean to scare ya.”

      She stared at him, her mouth half-open. “Wha… what?” She glanced around the cabin. “What happened?”

      “You dozed off. Here, I rustled us up something to eat,” he said and handed her the biscuit.

      She looked at it, then at him. “What is it?”

      “Just eat, you’ll need something in your belly or you’ll be worthless in the morning.”

      “Worthless?” she whispered. “I see.” She took the biscuit from him, studied it, and took a small bite.

      “I done fixed you a bath. You can get cleaned up before you turn in. I don’t imagine you’d want to sleep in a clean bed unless you’re the same.”

      She raised her eyes to his. “Understood,” she said through gritted teeth.

      Good grief! What was ailing her now? “I’ll be out in the barn.” He went to the stove, checked the water, then using a couple of dishrags, plucked the buckets off and added them to the tub in the bedroom. Maybe after she got cleaned up she wouldn’t be so… well, whatever it was she was being! All he knew was he didn’t care for it. If she was going to be the kind of woman that was hard to please, then this arrangement wasn’t going to be to his liking. At least not until she learned what was what. “I’m going to the barn. I’ll be back in an hour.” He didn’t mean to slam the door on his way out, but he did. Some wedding night this was turning out to be.

Meet Kit

Kit Morgan has been writing for fun all her life. After her raising her kids, she decided to get a little more serious. Besides, what other job allows you the fun of traveling to far away places, spending time with interesting characters, experience different time periods, and all without leaving your home? Currently Kit resides in the Pacific Northwest where she was born and raised.

E.E.: What turns you off like nothing else?

Kit: Folks pretending to be something they are not. Phony people.

E.E.: Fairy Tale or Action Adventure?

Kit: BOTH! Gads, I write fractured fairy-tale-action-adventure! Oh, and romance.

E.E.: What sound or noise do you love?

Kit: There is a bird here in Oregon that makes a simple, long whistle sound. We love the little guy because when he shows up in the spring, it means the rain will lessen. The weather change is upon us!

E.E.: What’s your favorite kind of story to get lost in?

Kit: The same kind I write. A fun romance with action adventure, a great hero, and a heroine whose heart is in need of rescuing. Doesn't necessarily mean she needs rescuing in general…

E.E.: Do you write while listening to music? If so what kind?

Kit: Depends on what I'm working on, but a good portion of my books have been written to music. My alter ego, (Geralyn Beauchamp) writes everything to music!  What music depends on what kind of scene I'm writing. Action scene, action music and so on.

E.E.: If you couldn’t be a writer anymore, what profession would you take up?

Kit: I am a certified Life and Relationship Coach aside from being a writer. I'd just do that.

E.E.: What’s the first thing you do when you finish writing a book?

Kit: Go to the movies!

E.E.: Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?

Kit: Mrs. Irene Dunnigan, because that hatchet/ladle wielding woman scares me just like she does every body else!

E.E.: Which already filmed movie represents your writing style?

Kit: The Princess Bride, because I'm goofy like that.

E.E.: Is writing or story-telling easier for you?

Kit: To me they are synonymous.  I talk and write much the same way when telling a story.

Find Kit here:

Website: www.authorkitmorgan.com

Twitter: @AuthorKitMorgan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kit-Morgan/278159182224204?ref=hl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6977795.Kit_Morgan

Blog: www.authorkitmorgan.blogspot.com

His Mail-Order Valentine (Holiday Mail Order Brides, Book Ten)

Other books in the series:

The Christmas Mail Order Bride

The New Year's Bride

His Forever Valentine

Her Irish Surrender

The Springtime Mail Order Bride

Love in Independence

Love at Harvest Moon

The Thanksgiving Mail Order Bride

The Holiday Mail Order Bride

Kit is giving away a print copy of The Cowboy's Mail-Order Bride to one lucky commenter.
Just comment and enter the raffle.

If you were a 19th century woman, would you consider being a mail-order bride? Why or why not?

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