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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