A woman alone in the woods, and an instant connection with a lumberjack. Will this mail-order marriage protect their secrets and solve their problems, or will the railroad lay track through their relationship?
Living off the land in the remote backwoods, Lorena Lombardi has a shadow hovering over her home and land—the railroad—threatening to blaze a trail through her peaceful life. But she’s not alone. If a man can send for a bride, why can’t she send for a husband?
A city man ready to make his way to the west to plant his roots, a woman requiring a strong helping hand, and an arrangement of marriage perfectly timed.
Danger lurks in the shadows of the small South Dakota town of Sioux Falls, as Bethany awaits the arrival of her husband-to-be. Time is running out and she’ll lose everything if Thomas doesn’t come through—will he be everything he claimed to be, or will misunderstanding sabotage the match before the flame is even lit?
A widowed seamstress with two young children, a carpenter who believes marriage is the answer for his future, and a mail-order marriage that will either solve their problems or set the house ablaze!
Will Catherine and Chase work together to build a handmade partnership that’s tailored to both their needs, or will the weight of their situation bring the roof down?
Emily Winters is desperate to save her late father’s struggling lumber mill. With the local banker threatening foreclosure, she has one last, hopeful option—sending for a mail-order husband. Enter Thaddeus Morgan, a skilled lumberjack from Maine, seeking a fresh start. But he arrives with a surprise—his meddling mother in tow.
As Emily and Thad navigate an unexpected marriage, sabotage threatens the mill, and a sinister plot emerges. Their growing partnership may be the key to saving everything. But can trust and love truly take root when danger lurks at every turn?
Juliette has a penchant for spending her money at the risk of her security and future. When she uses the last of it on a big financial gamble, she feels trapped into taking on a handy husband as a last straw.
When opportunity presents itself, will Roman see that a marriage to Juliette could pave the way for compromise and create a win-win situation? Or will his unbendable ways break him in the end?
Swindled by false love, Kate lost everything. Now that she’s built herself back up, she’s decided to reclaim the land that is rightfully hers by placing an unusual advertisement seeking a handy husband.
Handy in an immoral way, Ren steals Kate’s advertisement and then her heart. An honest thief, ready to go straight, he enters a marriage arrangement for love but quickly realizes that Kate has something else in mind. Can Ren pull off one last heist for her?
The mail-order bride and mail-order husband theme has remained popular with readers for years. What first drew you to writing stories set in this world?
What first drew me to the mail-order husband world was actually a multiple-author project called Mail-Order Papas. The premise was essentially, "Surprise—you’re a papa!" and I had so much fun exploring that idea. It combined humor, heart, and unexpected responsibility, all things I enjoy writing about.
As I continued with the series, I realized what I loved most was taking the traditional mail-order bride trope and turning it on its head. Instead of a woman traveling west in search of a husband, my stories often feature women who, out of necessity, are the ones choosing a husband. That shift creates an interesting dynamic and allows the heroines to have a little more agency in shaping their futures.
Of course, getting to choose handsome men for the book covers is a lot of fun too!
This collection features several different couples and family journeys. Do you begin with the historical setting first, or do the characters usually come to you before the plot?
For me, the plot idea usually comes first. I start with the central premise or challenge that the characters will face, because that becomes the foundation for everything else in the story.
Once I have the basic plot in mind, I turn my attention to the characters. I decide what the animal companion will be as well. Whether it's a beloved pet or a memorable wild animal, I include animals in my stories because they add levity, warmth, and usually a little chaos. They often become reader favorites and help bring out different sides of the characters.
The setting typically comes last in my process. By that point, I have a good sense of who the characters are and what the story needs, which makes it easier to choose a location that complements and enhances the journey.
Many of your stories focus on hope, family, and new beginnings. Why do you think readers continue to connect so strongly with those themes?
I think those themes are timeless because they're things we all want in our own lives. No matter the era, people understand the desire to belong, to be loved, and to believe that tomorrow can be better than today. Hope, family, and new beginnings remind us that even after setbacks or heartbreak, there's still the possibility of happiness waiting around the corner.
Historical romance requires a balance between historical authenticity and emotional storytelling. How do you approach that balance when writing?
I think of it as telling the same human story without modernity. People still fell in love, worried, hoped, and struggled—they just did it differently. I love discovering how everyday tasks were handled in the past and am constantly surprised by what I learn during the research process.
The idea of building a life with a stranger creates both romance and tension. What do you find most interesting about exploring relationships that begin under unusual circumstances?
The circumstances may bring them together, but it's their choices, actions, and growing understanding of one another that ultimately create the partnership and romance.
Writing a series collection means creating multiple characters and storylines that feel distinct while fitting together. Was that one of the challenges of putting this set together?
Each book is a standalone story with its own characters and happily-ever-after, so this doesn’t really apply.
What ties them together is the central mail-order husband theme. That's actually one of the things I enjoy most about writing them—I get to explore the same trope from different angles while creating entirely new characters, settings, and challenges for each couple.
Readers often love wholesome historical romance because it offers comfort and optimism. Do you consciously write with that feeling in mind?
Life can be complicated, and readers often pick up a book looking for a place to escape, recharge, and spend time with characters they can root for.
I think wholesome historical romance offers a unique blend because it reminds us that people have always faced hardships, uncertainty, and change. Love, kindness, perseverance, and community still prevail and those themes are timeless.
Even characters who aren't immediately easy to love can find a place in readers’ hearts. In A Carpenter for Catherine, Chase is a good example. While it was hard to comprehend in his era, he clearly struggled with anxiety. Some readers weren’t sure about him at first, but despite his struggles, he overcomes the challenges he faces and grows into a dependable, loyal companion for Catherine and her children. I love writing characters who feel authentic and imperfect because they remind us that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s moving forward despite it.
Every writer has a different creative process. What does a typical writing day look like for you when you're working on a new book?
My writing day usually begins with a Zoom co-working session with a group of fellow authors. We’ve been meeting every weekday morning for nearly five years (almost my entire self-publishing career) and it's become an invaluable part of my routine.
We start by sharing our goals for the morning, whether that’s drafting a chapter, editing a scene, or tackling a business task. Then we settle in for a focused two-hour writing sprint. When we regroup afterward, we celebrate our accomplishments, which adds a wonderful sense of accountability and encouragement.
Depending on our schedules, we may jump into a second two-hour sprint together, or we may continue working independently for the rest of the day. Writing can be a solitary profession, so having a supportive community of authors to share the journey with has been one of the greatest gifts of my career.
Looking back on your writing journey, what has surprised you most about becoming a published author?
What has surprised me most about becoming a published author is how similar it is to quilting. From the outside, people see the finished book on the shelf, much like they see a finished quilt hanging at a show. What they don't always see are the countless hours of planning, revising, problem-solving, and stitching all the pieces together behind the scenes.
I've also been amazed by the readers. Every time someone tells me they laughed at a scene, stayed up too late to finish a book, or connected with a character, I'm reminded that stories have a way of bringing people together. That’s a privilege I never expected when I first sat down to write, and it's one of the things I treasure most about this career.
If readers could take away one message from the Mail-Order Men collection, what would you hope it would be?
If readers take away one message from this collection, I hope it’s that love can find us in the most unexpected times and places.
Historical romance has a very loyal readership. What have you learned from your readers over the years that has influenced your storytelling?
Readers want to feel transported to another time and place, so I try to treat the setting as a character in its own right. Often the location setting influences the story, creates obstacles, and helps shape the emotional journey.
In my upcoming fall release, Garrette’s Winter Watch, that “character” is the wild river beside which Garrette lives. The river is beautiful, unpredictable, and at times dangerous, and its presence affects nearly every aspect of the story. Exploring how a setting can have its own arc and impact on the characters has been one of the most rewarding parts of writing historical romance.
With six books gathered into one collection, which aspect of the series are you most excited for new readers to discover?
I’m most excited for readers to discover the blend of heart, humor, and resilience woven throughout the stories. I personally love books that make me laugh out loud, and I try to bring that same sense of fun to my writing. If a reader smiles, chuckles, or even snorts coffee through their nose at least once while reading one of my stories, I consider that a success.
Beyond the humor, I hope readers connect with the the characters. While these are works of fiction, many of the heroes and heroines face challenges that require courage, determination, and a willingness to take a chance on a new future. I’d like readers to finish a story feeling entertained, hopeful, and perhaps a little more empowered.
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