Before I begin, I want to point out a group on Facebook called Pioneer Hearts.

Click here to join

If you love historical western romances, there are other historical western romance readers and great authors over there.  I do belong to this group, but I don’t get to participate as much as I’d like to.  I have to limit my time on Facebook because I can get stuck over there for hours watching videos and reading jokes.  But there is a lot of activity in the group, and the administrators do a great job of keeping the atmosphere upbeat and positive.

****

Now for my current works in progress….

Wagon Trail Bride is at the 30,000-word Mark!

(This is book 1 in the Pioneer Series.)

This is a huge deal because it means I’m at the halfway point.  Everything is flowing smoothly.  Let’s hope it keeps up.  This puts me on track to hand this in to my publisher in December.

I will say one thing about this book: it has several scenes that’s made me cry.  I’ve had to bring a washcloth to wipe my face while writing it.  But that is what makes the best historical westerns, in my opinion.  I tend to enjoy the tearjerkers more in romance when doing historical westerns.  I prefer humor in Regencies.  I know.  It’s weird.  But it’s how it works for me.  Anyway, the fact that I am crying so much while writing this story means it’s likely to end up being one of my favorites.

Malcolm Just Found Out Who His Bride Is!

(This is book 1 in the Marriage by Arrangement Series.)

Exciting stuff!  Long story short, he lifted her veil, saw it was the wicked lady on the cover above, and scurried out of the room to lament his fate.  This is where it gets really good.  To be fair to Regan (the heroine), she made an effort to let him know it was her, but he was “too busy” to be bothered with trivial stuff like that.  So he had it coming.

I’m almost at 20,000 words, which puts me on track for a January release.

The Convenient Mail Order Bride will be Book 1 of the Colorado Series

I haven’t made much progress on this one since things have been flowing so well in the two books above, but I have decided this is going to be a part of a new series.  I’ll need to contact my cover artist to update the cover to reflect this.  I was going to make this a standalone until I came across a secondary character who is pretty much demanding his own book.

So this will be Book 1 in the Colorado Series.  I’ve been wanting to write a book set in Colorado.  I figured since so many of my series are based off the location the stories take place in, I might as well do it with this one, especially since I haven’t done Colorado books yet.

*****

This brings me to my final part of this post…

I’m brainstorming for titles for the next books in these three series.  Here’s the breakdown.

Pioneer Series

Book 1: Wagon Trail Bride (this is already set)

Richard and Amanda Larson’s Book

Book 2: The Marriage Agreement (this is already set and I have the cover)

Laura and Jesse Palmer’s Story

I introduce Laura and Jesse in Wagon Trail Bride.  Jesse loses his wife to childbirth along the trail, and this causes a lot of tension between him and his mother-in-law.  Laura will step in to be a mother for the baby.  So this is a marriage of convenience story.

I need a title (and cover) for Book 3

I’ll get the cover from Stephannie Beman.  She’s done the other covers in this post.  I love her work. 🙂

This is going to be Joe Otto’s story.  Joe is the man who pines for Amanda in Wagon Trail Bride.  What I got so far from his story is that he’s going to come across a situation where a young woman is going to be in a vulnerable situation, and he’s going to step in and marry her in order to save her.  This will be another marriage of convenience story.

Possible titles from a brainstorm are The Rescued Bride, A Bride in the Bargain, Bride for Sale…  Okay, that’s all I got right now.

 Marriage by Arrangement Series

Book 1: His Wicked Lady (this is already set)

Malcolm (Mr. Jasper) and Regan (Lady Cantrell)’s Story

Book 2: needs a title and cover (working on both)

Remember Dr. Westward from The Earl’s Stolen Bride?  He took care of Chloe’s brother after the other doctor refused to care for him.  He is the one who told her no decent lady would have him.  Well, his older brother (the Marquis of Doddsworth) is going to die, and he inherits the title.  With the title comes the necessity to marry.  He’ll want a lady who doesn’t mind being married to a gentleman known for upsetting the Ton, but (to make it interesting), he’s going to be paired up (by mistake) with a lady who does everything she can to stay out of the spotlight.  She’s a wallflower and well past her ideal marriageable age at 23 or 24.

So here are some possible title ideas: His Wallflower Bride, Her Devilish Marquis, Her Scandalous Marquis…  That’s all I got.

I don’t have any ideas yet for Books 3 and 4.  I’d like to make this series four books since the other Regency series have four books in them.

Colorado Series

(All of these are new characters.)

Book 1: The Convenient Mail Order Bride (this is already set)

Phoebe and Abe’s Story

Book 2: needs a title and cover

I introduced Eric in Book 1 of this series early on, and he’s expecting his mail order bride to come in.  But when she does, she’s going to be the wrong one.  I’m thinking it’s a mistake and neither side is trying to deceive the other.  The plot is not set in stone, though, and might change.

At the moment, though, I’m thinking The Wrong Mail Order Bride… That is all I got.  All day long, I haven’t been able to come up with anything else.  Maybe more ideas will come later.  I probably need to think outside the box.

But….

Book 3: needs a title and cover

I have yet to introduce this hero, but he’s going to be overweight and think himself undesirable to women.  I’m thinking of making the mail order bride who was supposed to marry Eric be the one who is stuck in town (after she finds out Eric married someone else).  She’ll need someone, so the hero in Book 3 marries her, but he doesn’t think she’ll ever be truly happy she had to marry him.

Possible title ideas: The Perfect Mail Order Bride, The Mismatched Couple, The Other Man’s Mail Order Bride, The Convenient Marriage…  I’m stumped again.

***

I’ll have to keep coming up with ideas.  But if anyone has any, I’d love to hear them.