Heartbreak Trail

by Shirley Kennedy

Overview

1850. Lucy, a pampered New Englander, is dragged by her husband and cold-hearted brother-in-law on a wagon train bound for California. The first casualty of the arduous trek is her husband. Lucy longs to return home, but that would mean abandoning her little stepson. How fortunate then that rugged Clint Palance, a former trapper and Indian scout, is watching over them both! As the journey progresses, Lucy faces deprivation, heartache, hardship, and more death. Then, with California just around the bend, Lucy must part from Clint. Will she find him again? Or must she return to a dull life in Boston, forsaking forever the beautiful West she has grown to love?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603818315
Publisher:	Camel Press
Publication date:	12/01/2010
Pages:	306
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

Born and raised in Fresno, California, she has lived in Colorado, Texas, California, Bogota (Colombia) and Calgary (Alberta, Canada), where she earned a BS in Computer Sciences. Before returning to her first love, writing, she worked as a computer programmer/systems analyst for several years. Shirley currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada where she belongs to The Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Las Vegas Writers Group.

Read an Excerpt

At the guides' wagon, she spied Clint sitting on the wagon seat, cleaning his rifle. Up to now, her concern over gossip would've prevented her from stopping to chat. Not today, though. She walked to his wagon, heart stirring at the sight of his lean, buckskin-clad form, so tough and sinewy, so very powerful. She felt a tug deep inside when she remembered how he'd scooped her up like a feather in his strong arms and saved her from the Indians.

"Hello," she said.

Surprised, he looked up, then smiled. "Lucy. To what do I owe the honor?" He made a show of glancing around the campground where more than one pair of eyes were trained their way. "Do you want to ruin your reputation? Don't you know it's not proper for a woman to visit a man not her husband?"

"Blast the gossip." She perched herself on the tongue of the wagon. "I don't give a fig what people say."

"Why, Mrs. Schneider!" He cast a mocking look of surprise. "Have we thrown caution to the winds?" He gestured toward Abner's wagon with a taut jerk of his head. "What about him?"

"I don't care. But if you're afraid, I shall leave immediately."

"Afraid of Abner Schneider?" He laid his rifle down, threw back his head, and let out a great peal of laughter. When he finished, he gave her a thoughtful gaze. "So you're all right?"

"Yes, and I came to thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving my life today. That's the second time."

"Second?" He raised a puzzled eyebrow. "What was the first?"

"When I got lost in the woods and you saved me from the snake."

"You weren't lost. You'd have found your own way out."

"You said I would have ended up in Texas."

He didn't smile as she'd expected but instead regarded her with eyes that brimmed with admiration. "Either way, you were worth saving."

Editorial Reviews

"Shirley Kennedy writes a captivating story of perseverance and dedication. The love that Lucy has in her heart and perseverance will have you wishing that Lucy was your friend. This book is absolutely fantastic and is worth the read. When I read this book I had no idea how much I would fall in love with it. The detail is amazing. I applaud Shirley for writing such a vivid and moving portrayal of what the early settlers must have experienced, so good in fact, that you will feel like you are amongst them. Please pick up this book and read it. You will fall in love with reading 'Heartbreak Trail' just like I did. Marvelous job Shirley." -- Lady Victoria Kelly's Historical Romance Book Reviews

From the Publisher