Bestselling Author

Author: EEBurke (Page 4 of 4)

Weave together passionate romance and rich historical detail, add a dash of suspense, and you have books by bestselling author E.E. Burke.
E.E., also known as Elisabeth, has earned accolades in regional and national contests, including the RWA's prestigious Golden Heart®. Over the years, she’s been a disc jockey, a journalist, and advertising executive, before finally getting around to living the dream--writing stories readers can get lost in.

Travel to a place with few rules and no limits…

Meet dangerous men and daring women caught up in intrigue, mayhem and murder, as the railroads advance across America’s frontier.

[huge_it_video_player id=”5″] Steam! Romance & Rails Series Collection 

“Pure passion and romance that will steal your breath.” New York Times bestselling author Linda Broday

HER BODYGUARD: A woman embroiled in intrigue employs a bodyguard to protect her from a killer, unaware that he’s an outlaw hired by her enemies to put a stop to her plans.

KATE’S OUTLAW: After a railroad heiress is abducted, her Indian captor becomes her protector. On the run from danger, with enemies on both sides, they discover a love as powerful as it is forbidden.

A DANGEROUS PASSION: An inquisitive author sets out to expose a corrupt railroad baron and becomes ensnared in a deadly mystery and a dangerous passion.

FUGITIVE HEARTS: When a newly made widow tries to cover up the truth behind her husband’s violent death, her plan backfires, sending her fleeing from a hardened lawman determined to bring her to justice.

If you’re a fan of passionate romance woven with rich historical detail and a dash of suspense, this series is for you. Grab your set today: 

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jwpnaV

B&N: http://bit.ly/SteamNook

Apple: http://bit.ly/SteamApple

Kobo: http://bit.ly/SteamKobo

Google: http://bit.ly/SteamGoogle

Inspiration for the Steam! Romance and Rails Series

Historical events and bigger-than-life characters, similar to those that inspired the hit television series “Hell On Wheels,” inspired Steam!. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the United States entered a time of explosive growth and expansion that has been unmatched since. The country had just emerged from a devastating war and its people needed to have faith in something. That something turned out to be what railroads represented: opportunity and hope for the future.

The hotly contested  construction race between the Missouri, Fort Scott & Gulf Railroad Company (nicknamed The Border Tier) and the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway (more commonly known as The Katy) encapsulates the spirit of these times and the challenges. This race turned out to be the perfect setting for an action-packed, suspenseful historical romance series.

Her Bodyguard follows the history of the Border Tier and tells the story of an unlikely romance that develops between a wanted man and a wealthy widow caught up in the cutthroat railroad race and a violent settlers’ revolt.

Kate’s Outlaw is inspired by the Cherokee people’s response to the railroad’s encroachment on territory that was promised to them “forever” after they were forced from their Eastern homelands.

The exploits of a indomitable Katy Railroad executive and the legend of a family of serial killers provides fodder for A Dangerous Passion. Ride the rails with the sheriff in Fugitive Hearts from the Katy Railroad’s headquarters in Parsons, Kansas, down through the Indian Territory in search of a fugitive who also happens to be the woman he loves.

The rich history of the railroads has inspired new ideas for more books. You haven’t seen the last of this series.

Steam On!

E.E. Burke

 

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Christmas Together: Two Bestselling Authors Team Up

 

1The holidays bring people together and inspire romance. What better time for two bestselling authors to team up to bring you both!

This month, Amanda McIntyre and I are joining together to offer you a great price on our Christmas romances. For less than the cost of a cup of coffee, you can curl up by a crackling fire with Amanda’s brand new release featuring an immigrant’s first Christmas in America, and my #1 bestselling Christmas collection about a mail-order bride and a matchmaking experiment gone awry.

We’re also offering readers the chance to win some great prizes in our special Christmas Romance Raffle. Our way of saying, “Thank you.”

THE PROMISE by Amanda McIntyre

am-thepromise_400x600Brady McCormick made a promise to his young wife the day she died—to follow through with their plans to take their son to America and begin a new life in the land of opportunity. Now in New York, living in charity with a distant uncle, barely scraping by, Brady is unsure he will be able to uphold that promise, much less that he will ever be able to quell this loneliness eating him inside.

Saran Reichardt knows that she is unlike most women—headstrong, tenacious, she is dedicated to teaching, believing she has no need of a man to care for her, until an accidental encounter with a stormy-eyed Irish immigrant and his young son changes her perception of what need really is.

What inspired Amanda to write this story?

amandaI’ve always had a passion for taking ordinary characters and placing them in extraordinary circumstances. Whether in my historical or my contemporary romance books, I love watching my characters become the heroes and heroines of their own stories.

In THE PROMISE, I stretched back to my own roots of a Scottish-Irish heritage—Black Irish, my mother called it—and thought of what hope and dreams those living outside America might have had. What would it have been like to sail thousands of miles to a strange land, to come into that bay and see Lady Liberty and read the words at her feet written in 1883 by a native New Yorker, Emma Lazarus.

“…Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” 

rouse3Inspired too, by the painting called The Christmas Ship, the story of a young Irish immigrant who’d made a promise to his dying wife to bring their son to America and start a new life began to take shape. Set at Christmas in New York, it follows the struggles of Brady and his son as they adjust to the new land, and the unconventional woman the two meet by fate on the day of their arrival.

AN AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION includes two historical romances and a short story, filled with Christmas spirit and a special kind of magic.

Here’s a video to whet your appetite.

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Along with books at special discounts, we’re also offering you a chance to win a Kindle Fire and a Christmas stocking filled with some surprises. Enter the Rafflecopter below. (To leave a comment, scroll past the social media buttons and click on Comments.)

Our books revolve around three wishes and a promise. What wishes do you have this Christmas? Do you have any promises for the New Year?

From both of us to you and yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas and promise to bring you more romance in the coming year.

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Are you smarter than a turkey?

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Congratulations to Bertha Chambers for winning the Turkey Quiz drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.

Congratulations to “Laurie”, the winner of the Turkey Trot Blog Hop grand prize, $50 Amazon gift card.

 

Answers to the Turkey Trot Quiz below.

Note: there are different answers depending on who you ask, so I don’t stand by any of them. Like I said, not for a grade. 😉

 

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The winners of the other blog contests will be posted on their pages.

Thank you to everyone who participated and answered the quiz. I LOVED your answers. Some of you should consider writing comedy.

 

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Autumn Harvest Author Blog Hop

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Congratulations to winners of the Autumn Harvest Blog Hop for the boxed set HEARTS ABLAZE.  Gregory Teresa: $50 Amazon gift card, Eva M: $25 Amazon gift card, Mary Brannian: $25 Amazon gift card.

The winners of my raffle are posted on the Rafflecopter widget below.

Come back on Tuesday, Nov. 22, when I’ll be participating in a brand new Thanksgiving Contest and Turkey Trot. More chances to win: $50 Amazon gift card grand prize, plus extra goodies from each of the authors participating.

In the meantime…

DON’T FORGET TO GET YOUR COPY OF HEARTS ABLAZE. EIGHT BOOKS FROM EIGHT BESTSELLING AUTHORS, ONLY 99 CENTS!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2fzodcL
Apple: http://apple.co/2eWEnBr
B&N Nook: http://bit.ly/2eWEKvJ
Google: http://bit.ly/2eWxJLI
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2eH7x2t

Kate’s Outlaw is part of the box set Hearts Ablaze.

A half-breed desperado abducts—and then rescues—a railroad heiress. On the run from danger, with enemies on both sides, Jake and Kate seek solace in each other’s arms–and ignite a love as powerful as it is forbidden…

blazinghero

 

Jake Colson has a white father, but he considers himself Cherokee. My interest in writing a book with a Cherokee hero came about while doing genealogy research to track down my husband’s Native American ancestry.

Do you have any interesting facts you can share about your family’s ancestral roots? Any surprises or funny stories?

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Two brides, three wishes…in an unforgettable Christmas collection

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  AN AMERICAN MAIL-ORDER BRIDE CHRISTMAS

Romance and adventure spark the spirit of Christmas for two mail-order brides…americanmail-orderbridechristmas_boxset_cropped

Victoria, Bride of Kansas (#1 Amazon Bestseller)

A lonely society miss travels a thousand miles to marry a suitor whose romantic letters won her heart, only to discover she’s betrothed to a Scrooge.

Santa’s Mail-Order Bride (the top-rated sequel)

A well-intentioned matchmaker has plans for a scheming Santa. Plans that don’t include falling in love.

The Christmas Wish

In this short story, a young orphan who has never known love gets his Christmas wish.

When I set out to write these two stories, I wanted to include themes that for me define the true meaning of Christmas: family ties, hope, faith, the spirit of compassion and generosity, and above all, love…the kind of love that shines through the darkness of our circumstances, even the darkness in our hearts.

Victoria, Bride of Kansas, which became an Amazon bestseller, started as part of an unprecedented project with 45 other authors, the American Mail-Order Brides series. This book, about a lonely socialite who travels over a thousand miles to find true love, was a finalist in the 2016 Booksellers’ Best Awards and a semifinalist in the Kindle Best Book awards.

Santa’s Mail-Order Bride is the top-rated sequel. I couldn’t let nast-1881-santa-portraitVictoria’s meddling sister-in-law remain a spinster! This well-intentioned matchmaker has plans for a scheming Santa that backfire, with unexpected consequences. And yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. I can’t wait for you to meet him.

Where does my inspiration come from?

I’m a visual thinker, so I like to gather images of people that fit a mental picture of what my characters look like.

Victoria’s beau, David O’Brien, looks a bit like a brooding Aiden Turner.david-obrien

 

Maggie’s hero, Gordon Sumner, has Michael Fassbender’s gorgeous blue eyes and ginger hair.

gordonsumner

To see more of my inspiration, visit my Pinterest site: https://www.pinterest.com/authoreeburke/

I do lots of research when I’m preparing to write a historical romance, and if possible, I travel to the locations I write about. There’s something about physically being at a place and seeing it and experiencing it that makes it so much more real to me, which helps with my writing. I visit historical sites and museums. Go into the library or wherever they keep historical pictures and documents.fort-scott

These two books are set in the late 1800s in Fort Scott, Kansas, and feature characters from my first novel, Her Bodyguard (set 20 years earlier). I had so much fun learning about the history of this quaint town and the pioneers who settled here. I hope through these books you’ll come to love Fort Scott as much as I do.

Step into Christmas past with Victoria and Maggie this Christmas, and be sure to let me know what you think of their romantic adventures.

I pray this holiday season brings peace, hope and healing, for our great country, for our communities and for our families.

Blessings,

E.E. Burke

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Autumn brings blazing color and Hearts Ablaze

What’s more fun than a bonfire and s’mores? Having a sizzling story to read while you’re enjoying the westernboxedsetfall foliage. How about eight sizzling tales from the Old West?

I’m delighted to be part of a multi-bestselling author publishing project, HEARTS ABLAZE, a collection of eight Western historical romances set during the autumn months and blazing with passion and adventure.

This limited time boxed set is available for just 99 cents.  

http://bit.ly/BuyHeartsAblaze
When the eight of us first came together to work on this project, we quickly realized we had something very special–a collection that represents the varied and vibrant tapestry of the Old American West.

From the wild Pacific forests to the lonesome prairie, on wagon trains and at frontier outposts, you’ll fall in love with lumberjacks and soldiers, trailblazers and trick riders, courageous warriors and rugged cowboys.

For my part, I’ve revised and expanded my debut novella, which is featured as part of the collection.

Kate’s Outlaw is a suspenseful yarn about a half-breed desperado who abducts—and then rescues—a railroad heiress. On the run from danger, with enemies on both sides, Jake and Kate seek solace in each other’s arms, igniting a love as powerful as it is forbidden.

Read on to learn more about the other books included in this limited time collection:

In Whispered Love, bestselling author Kathleen Ball takes you to the wild Pacific Northwest, a land bristling with handsome, well-muscled lumberjacks. Foreman Samuel Pearse has only one rule; no women allowed. Until he finds one asleep in his bathtub—Pat Clarke, the company cook. With her secret revealed and her virtue at stake, Pat turns to the only man who can help her…the one man who sets fire to her heart.

The Officer and the Bostoner, from USA Today bestselling author Rose Gordon, follows the adventures of a well-to-do lady traveling cross-country to meet her intended. Instead, she finds herself stranded at a military fort and forced into an unwanted marriage. Can a hot-blooded officer spark love in his wife’s cold heart?

heartsablaze_ad1Fools Rush from USA Today bestselling author Ciara Knight. A young woman, desperate for independence from all men, embarks on a crazy cross-country wagon train adventure disguised as a man. Instead of finding her independence, a bounty hunter captures her under the guise of horse thieving, a crime punishable by hanging. Will a man she’s lied to for months save her, or will he surrender her to a monster with a badge?

Ridin’ For A Fall by Kirsten Lynn immerses you in a fiery tale of forever love. When circumstances force best friends and Wild West Show performers, Lena Boden and Kyle Allaway to marry and return to Wyoming, they must stand together against internal doubts and external forces seeking their destruction—or risk a fall that will knock them out of the saddle for good.

In A Warrior’s Heart, bestselling author Amanda McIntyre brings to life the passionate story of a bold Cherokee warrior and the brave white woman he rescues from certain death. Thrown together by circumstances not of their own making, they overcome betrayal and tragedy to find a love strong enough to bring nations together.

The Rancher, by bestselling author Hildie McQueen, transports readers to 1870s Montana Territory and into a sensual encounter between an injured rancher and a woman running for her life. Sometimes love enters at the worst moment…

In The Drifter, bestselling author Elizabeth Rose takes readers on an epic journey across the plains, as drifter Chase Masters shows up wounded at Nessa Pemberton’s stagecoach relay station mistaken as the bandit who killed her husband. Can a single mother learn to love again and put her trust in a man who is nothing but a drifter?hb-party

Let’s party!

On Thursday, Oct. 20, from 6-10 p.m. Eastern, we’re rounding up lovers of Western historical romance for a big celebration on Facebook. Joining me as hosts will be Hildie McQueen, Amanda McIntyre, Kathleen Ball, Rose Gordon, Ciara Knight and Elizabeth Rose. We’ll be turning up the heat (on each other), and providing readers with excerpts, fun facts, Flash giveaways, and a drawing for a $100 Amazon gift card!

Here’s the link to join the party. http://bit.ly/HeartsAblazeParty

 

 

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Meet the Bootlegger’s Bride

NEW! THE BRIDE TRAIN, Book 3

A spinster, a bootlegger…an unexpected chance at love.

Leaving the safety of her old life, Prudence Walker rides the Bride Train west to the end of the line. Her last chance at matrimony. She’s too plain to inspire desire. Nor does she expect to find love. She does have her standards, however.

Arch Childers longs to put down roots, only he’s too busy managing his family’s illegal whiskey business to pursue his dreams. His troublemaking brothers, deciding he needs help, kidnap a spinster lady and present her to him, bound and gagged, as his bride.

Prudence isn’t immune to the charming scoundrel, but a bootlegger is the last man on earth she would marry… That is, until Arch sacrifices his freedom to save her.

Tempting Prudence, Book 3 in The Bride Train series, releases Aug. 11. Preorder your copy today.

Moonshiners and Bootleggers: a colorful history worth retelling

The term moonshine originated in Europe and was used in the England in the 1700s. It originally referred to occupational pursuits that necessitated night work, or work by the light of the moon. Those who made illegal whiskey worked at night so the smoke from their stills couldn’t be seen.

The term Bootlegger is believed to have originated in colonial America in reference to white men who sold alcohol to Native Americans. The practice was frowned on (for many reasons I won’t go into here), but the more determined peddlers wanting to trade spirits for material goods concealed bottles in the top of their boots.

Screen Shot 2016-07-22 at 12.55.26 PMThe terms are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking, the moonshiner manufactured the illegal whiskey and the bootlegger transported and distributed it.

In Colonial America, distilling whiskey for home use wasn’t illegal and the time-honored process was carried out in thousands of homes. But when country exploded into civil conflict, the federal government needed tax money to pay for an expensive war. In 1862, Congress passed a law making distilling liquor without a license a federal offense, thus birthing an illegal distilling industry and furthering the long history of moonshiners and bootleggers.

Drinking was the top recreational activity for men in the Old West. Enterprising businessmen out to make money were eager to obtain a less expensive product and mark it up for a tidy profit. In some cases, before the railroads were built, homemade “fire water” was the only option.

Screen Shot 2016-07-24 at 7.48.36 PMDo you know where the term “fire water” came from? When the Indians purchased liquor, they determined the quality by the “kick” it provided. The stronger, the better. To test, they would toss some of the liquor onto a fire. If it flared up, they would deem it of good quality. Considering what was added to the liquor to provide the kick — things like gunpowder and arsenic — the “fire water” test might not have been the best quality control process.

Some moonshiners would age their liquor in charred oak barrels to give it the appearance and flavor or aged bourbon whiskey. Other purveyors who sold to the public would purchase “white lightning” in its raw form (generally clear and colorless) and use different additives to please purchaser’s tastes.

Additives for color and flavor included chewing tobacco, tea, coffee, prune juice, tea bark, burnt sugar, molasses, sagebrush, red pepper, dried peaches, black bone meal. Chemical ingredients such as tartaric acid, sulfuric acid, ammonia, strychnine, turpentine and creosote would make its way into the mix to add a little “bite.” That could be a deadly bite!

Among pet names for whiskey on the frontier is one of my favorites: “Forty-rod.” Meaning, the drinker could expect to travel around forty rods (220 yards) before the booze kicked in and he collapsed. White Lightning is a ubiquitous name everyone had heard about. Here are some of the less well known but equally colorful names: skull cracker, popskull, stumphole, bush whiskey, ruckus juice, rotgut, catdaddy, mule kick, panther’s breath, alley bourbon, happy Sally, jump steady, see seven stars, old horsey, wild cat.

stillIf the distiller was conscientious, he used clean equipment and made the best product possible. He took pride in his craft and earned respect amongst his colleagues and customers. At the same time, moonshiners were looked down on as lawbreakers and considered outside of “proper” society. Keep in mind, Victorians privately enjoyed the vices that they publicly condemned.

Out in the Old West, illegal stills became the target of  law enforcement officials who sought to shut them down. To avoid detection, stills were often located in remote mountainous areas with thick forests, such as the Missouri Ozarks.

In Tempting Prudence, Arch Childers is a bootlegger from the hills of southwestern Missouri. He stakes a claim on railroad land over the border in Kansas and sells his family’s moonshine to area saloon owners. Arch keeps a low profile around town, but he has a bad reputation due to his profession, as well as his association with his troublemaking brothers.

Prudence is deeply religious and fiery in her opposition to liquor, most especially those who peddle it. When she first meets Arch, she’s sure he’s as bad as the men who abducted her. As it turns out, he isn’t the scoundrel she expects him to be.

Can a “daughter of temperance” find happiness with a bootlegger?

Check out an excerpt from Tempting Prudence, or read more about the first two books in the series.

This month, I’m also holding a Bride Train #giveaway on my Facebook Page. Like my page, and click on Giveaway (tab) to enter the raffle for your chance to win three ebooks from the series, an autographed copy of Valentine’s Rose and $10 Amazon gift card. https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEEBurke/

 

 

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Get Aboard The Bride Train

NEW RELEASE! Patrick’s Charm, Book 2 in The Bride Train series

Patrick's Charm

Available on Amazon

She believes in nothing. He has nothing left to believe in, except his good luck charm.

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 is on the run from danger and 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, and it’s only a matter of time before luck runs out.

Read an excerpt from Patrick’s Charm.

Fun Facts about Patrick’s Charm…

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 1.10.54 PM

The Irish Brigade at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Patrick’s Charm features a disabled veteran and a runaway actress who both desperately need a lucky break. Researching this book, I learned a great deal about the Irish experience in America’s Civil War. While the war was raging in the early 1860s, the Union turned to the immigration docks for new recruits. These young men were signed up “fresh off the boat” and sent into battle, often with little understanding of what they were up against.

This is how Patrick O’Shea starts his new life in America. Although he questions the wisdom of his decision to enlist, he nevertheless serves honorably, as did his countrymen, many of whom fought with the ill-fated Irish Brigade.

Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 8.08.07 PMPatrick’s permanent injuries are a constant reminder of his bad luck. Wounded soldiers were routinely dosed with opium for pain, and many of them, like Patrick, became dependent on the drug. Opium addiction among former troops was so widespread it was given the name Soldier’s Disease. 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.

Patrick meets his match in Charm LaBelle.

CharmCharm is a famous actress traveling incognito. She signed onto the bride train as a means of escaping danger with no intention of getting married. Instead, she takes a job as a saloon singer. Her decision has far-reaching effects. I won’t spoil the story by going into them.

Charm’s character is loosely based on a famous 19th century actress, Lotta Crabtree, who got her start as a child, entertaining miners in San Francisco. Pursuing acting as a profession in America in those days required a great deal of courage and fortitude. Traveling through the wilds was bad enough. Performances were held in mining camps, saloons, and on makeshift stages. Only the famous few appeared in large theaters. Actresses who traveled the West were strong-willed and independent and certainly didn’t fit the mold of Victorian womanhood, which it made it difficult for them to find suitable mates or form relationships with women outside their circle. It wasn’t an easy life.

In her impromptu audition, Charm sings two songs popular during the war and afterwards. One you might classify as a “fight song,” The Irish Volunteer. If you listen to this, you’ll want to jump up and dance like the men did at O’Shea’s saloon. The other, Lorena, is a ballad sure to bring tears to the eyes of former soldiers. 

It was great fun researching acts performed by traveling entertainers, which also included humorous skits created on the fly, and, surprisingly, lots of Shakespeare. Who knew the bard was so popular in the American West?

Both Charm and Patrick have lived with tragedy, bitter disappointment and betrayal. Trust isn’t something that comes easily for either of them. Both are wounded in different ways. They must come together to help each other, and then, through love, find healing.

I hope you enjoy Patrick’s Charm. Check back next month for information about the next book in the series. Until then…

Steam On!

E.E. Burke

~ How about those gorgeous trains on my covers! The images were taken by award-winning photographer Matthew Malkeiwicz. He travels the country capturing relics of the steam era, and his work is simply amazing. You can see more of it on his website, Lost Tracks of Time.

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When a railroad plays matchmaker

Eve Find Your Adam in the Garden of the World!

Single young ladies of good reputation desiring to emigrate west for the purpose of marriage may apply to the Young Ladies Immigration Society for free travel to southeastern Kansas, where hardworking settlers are eager to make your acquaintance and become steadfast husbands. Applicants must be free to wed, of marriageable age, preferably between the years of 18 and 25, without deformities, debts or other encumbrances. Dance hall girls, circus performers and soiled doves need not apply. Must provide references.

Screen Shot 2016-03-02 at 4.20.42 PMWith this advertisement begins a journey for seven women who answer the call to become brides for settlers on the Western frontier. The Bride Train takes them to a land plagued by violence and unrest. A place ruled by passion that only a woman’s touch can tame into love.


The Bride Train

Taming the West one bride at a time.

The mail-order bride phenomenon in 19th century America spawned personal advertisements, matrimonial newspapers and matchmaking services—even railroads wanted a piece of the action.

The Bride Train is inspired by a series of true events that took place in southeastern Kansas shortly after the Civil War, when the government opened up former Cherokee land. The railroads used their political power purchase the large tract before preemption claims were certified, forcing those who had already settled in the territory to broker deals with the new owner.

By 1869, riots broke out in protest of railroad land policies. Angry settlers burned ties and tore up track as fast as the railroad could put it down. Things got so bad that President Grant sent troops into Kansas to quell the violence. A more peaceful solution was proposed: a program sponsoring the immigration of single young ladies into Kansas to become brides and provide a “calming influence” on the unruly men. I couldn’t find any evidence this program got off the ground, but what a great romance series idea!

The Bride Train is first mentioned in my debut romance novEEBurke_HerBodyguard_800el, Her Bodyguard, which is set against the same series of events in a different location. Click here to read a scene about the arrival of the first Bride Train.

That scene inspired me to conceive an entire series about the railroad matchmaking service. The first question that popped into my head was: “What kind of women would answer an advertisement to leave everything behind and go to an unknown and largely uncivilized land to marry virtual strangers? They would have to be desperate, or adventurous in the extreme.

Let me introduce you to the first bride:

Rose Muldoon, 20, is an Irish laundress from Five Points, a crime-ridden slum in New York City. After a terrible tragedy, she finds herself alone, destitute and with few good men to choose from. She decides to seek a hardworking husband out West and start a family to replace the one she’s lost.
ValentinesRose_FacebookAdWhen considering a hero who would be perfect for my Irish Rose, I thought, why not a dissolute English nobleman?

(Don’t you love mismatched couples?)

Constantine Valentine is the second son of an English Baron. His reckless, irresponsible lifestyle results in banishment and unexpected poverty. Never one to quit, Val decides to seek his fortune in America and then return home to repair his tarnished reputation.

The surname Valentine, of Anglo-Saxon origin, comes from a Latin name Valentinus, from the root word valens, which means strong and healthy. The word “valor” comes from this root. But even a strong man is bound to have a weakness. One that only his true love can help him overcome…

Click here to read an excerpt from Valentine’s Rose.

If you’d like to know more about the series and be notified when new books come out, sign up to receive my newsletter. Just for signing up, I’ll send you a FREE book.

All Aboard!

E.E. Burke

~ Train photography by Matthew Malkeiwicz, all rights reserved. Check out more of Matthew’s work on his website: Lost Tracks of Time.

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