AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDE - Dacey - Bride of North Carolina

Next in our American Mail-Order Bride series, is Dacey - Bride of North Carolina by Shanna Hatfield.

Here is how Dacey's story came to be:

When I received an invitation to participate in the American Mail-Order Bride project, I thought it sounded like great fun.

Typically, my sweet romances take place in the Pacific Northwest where I live. This gave me an opportunity to write about a different area.

I chose North Carolina for two reasons:

 My grandfather’s family lived in North Carolina before they moved to Oklahoma’s Panhandle. Often, I’ve wondered what type of shock my great-grandmother’s system must have gone through going from the lush beauty of North Carolina to an area where you can literally see nothing but dusty fields for miles and miles and miles.

 I’ve been fascinated with the Biltmore Estate for years. It is on my bucket list of places to see someday. Although the Biltmore was still in the construction stage during the time of Dacey’s story, I loved the idea of having her story take place in Asheville, where the Biltmore resides.

        Since I couldn’t completely abandon my northwest roots, Dacey travels from her home in Pendleton to Massachusetts at the urging of her friend, Josephine. She moves in with four other girls and works at the sewing factory only a few days before the tragic fire leaves her unemployed and desperate.

        That desperation drove her (as it did so many brides) to respond to an advertisement for a mail-order bride.

Upon her arrival in Asheville, Dacey soon discovers Braxton Douglas (the man she’s traveled all that way to marry) knows nothing about the ad or her plans to wed. His scheming mother pretended to be him in an effort to see her only child married.

The Douglas family lives on a large, successful plantation. I had the best time integrating Dacey with her tomboy ways and western twang into their world of wealth and prestige.

I hope you enjoy Dacey and all the books in this series. If you’ve always wanted to take an adventure around the country, here’s an opportunity to do it from the comfort of your own home.

Blurb:

On the run from her past, Dacey Butler has nothing to lose when she agrees to travel to North Carolina to marry a stranger. Unaware his conniving mother arranged for a mail-order bride, Braxton Douglas has no idea what to do with the intriguing woman who arrives on his doorstep.

Excerpt: 

“You… you’re Braxton Douglas?” Dacey’s face drained of all color and her legs ceased to hold her. She sank onto the step, clutching the rail in her hand to keep from tumbling down the stairs they’d just climbed. The hat slipped from her fingers, but she didn’t notice.

“Yes, ma’am. I am.” Braxton tossed her valise up to the top of the steps then took her hands in his, pulling her to her feet. “Welcome to my home, to Bramble Hall.”

“Braxton Douglas,” Dacey muttered, overcome with dizziness, fear, and surprise. The strong, charming man before her was nothing like the bookish little fellow she’d envisioned marrying.

All too aware of her attraction to this handsome stranger, she clung to Braxton’s hands as the world spun around her.

Before blackness swamped her, she turned her face toward his and whispered the reason for her arrival. “I’m here to marry you.”

* * * *

GIVE AWAY! Shanna Hatfield is giving away a FREE copy of Dacey - Bride of North Carolina. To enter, please leave a comment below telling us why you are looking forward to reading Dacey's story and your email so we may contact you in the event that you win. Good Luck!

Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with relatable characters.

When this hopeless romantic isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Sweet Romance Reads, Pioneer Hearts, and Romance Writers of America

You may Pre-Order Dacey - Bride of North Carolina on Amazon

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