by Tracie Peterson
Cheyenne, Wyoming, has intrigued me for some time. It’s a quirky town with an attitude of western frontier meets the crossroads of America. In the late 1860s, it was also the location for the Transcontinental Railroad and the Union Pacific’s divisional headquarters. As I looked into the history of Cheyenne, it seemed to beg a story. In fact, it begged a great many stories.
The building of the Transcontinental Railroad was one of the most important events in the history of the United States. You must remember that until this railroad was complete, it took months and months to get from one end of America to the other. There was no easy way to go from the east coast to the west and yet the post-Civil War era urged expansion and frontier settlement. A railroad across America was the perfect solution. As the railroad built west, small towns sprung up along the rails. These end-of-the-tracks towns often remained water and fuel stops, but many faded from existence over the years. Not so with Cheyenne.
In my series, I see Cheyenne as a secondary character. Each of the three books in the Heart of Cheyenne series stand alone, but also tie characters together from each of the books. Friendships are formed and the life and times of these brave souls who dared to go west to this wildly dangerous town will hopefully make for fun reading.
A Love Discovered is a marriage of convenience story. Marybeth Kruger is left to care for her 2-year-old sister Carrie, after their father dies. People in town believe she should give Carrie up to be adopted by a childless couple in the church, but Marybeth is the only mother Carrie has ever known since her mother died in childbirth.
Edward Vogel has been encouraged to come west to Cheyenne where they need good lawmen. But the invitation clearly shows they want family men in hopes of civilizing Cheyenne. Edward’s wife and newborn son died, and he has no family, until he comes up with a plan to help Marybeth and himself in a marriage of convenience. They’ve long been good friends so why not marry in a platonic union and see their needs met?
Life in Cheyenne is definitely not what either of them thought it would be, nor did they intend to fall in love with one another. Friendship was supposed to be enough, but as time goes by and various things come to threaten their very lives, it’s clear that God has other plans for this couple.
I hope you’ll enjoy the stories created for the Heart of Cheyenne series and in particular A Love Discovered. Researching for the books is always one of my greatest pleasures and I hope you enjoy the various bits of history I used. As always, I want my books to entertain, educate and encourage through fast-paced storytelling, detailed research, and sharing my strong faith in Jesus Christ. Writing for me has always been a ministry and I love hearing how God has used the books in the lives of my readers. Feel free to drop me a line at my website, www.traciepeterson.com.
About the Author
Often called the “Queen of Historical Christian fiction,” Tracie Peterson is an ECPA, CBA and USA Today bestselling author of over 130 books, most of those historical novels. Tracie, a Kansas native, now makes her home in the mountains of Montana with her husband of over 40 years.
About the Book
Edward Vogel is prepared to leave the haunting memories of his wife and son's deaths behind him. The only problem is the corrupt new railroad town of Cheyenne wants family men. With no means of support, Marybeth Kruger is in danger of having her two-year-old sister taken from her. So when Edward Vogel, the widower husband of her late best friend, offers her a marriage of convenience to escape both their troubles, she has no choice but to accept.
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