Sarah (Christmas Quilt Brides) by Nancy Fraser is a Wintertime Reading Event pick #historicalwesternromance #sweetromance #ku #giveaway
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    • Jan 25
    • 5 min read

Sarah (Christmas Quilt Brides) by Nancy Fraser is a Wintertime Reading Event pick #historicalwesternromance #sweetromance #ku #giveaway



Title: Sarah (Christmas Quilt Brides)

 

Author: Nancy Fraser

 

Genre: Sweet Historical Western

 

Book Blurb:

 

Returning home a failure shouldn't be an option. However, sometimes, it's a necessity.Sarah Billings left her stifling hometown of Castle Rock, Oregon not long after her best friend married the town's handsome new doctor. Sarah's dream was always to become a famous artist. Instead, she found herself working menial jobs just to survive. When her mother's illness brings her home, she has to face the fact some dreams just aren't meant to be.Tate Tucker is the new marshal in Castle Rock, and he's determined to rid the town of its crooked mayor and earn his way to a bigger and better posting. What he doesn't count on is the feisty young girl who insists she doesn't belong in Castle Rock.


Tasked with judging this year's annual quilting competition, Tate's determined to do whatever it takes to cozy up to the locals in order to expose the town's corruption. He just needs to get his mind on the job, and off the blonde spitfire who keeps invading his dreams.

 

Excerpt:

 

Sarah Billings let herself into the small room she rented from Miss Jewel, dead tired after a long day on her feet. If she’d washed one dish, she’d washed a thousand today. Not that she was fortunate enough to be paid by the dish.


She sidestepped a box of art supplies she’d not touched in weeks. So much for her big dreams. San Francisco hadn’t turned out the way she’d planned. When she left her hometown of Castle Rock, she’d envisioned becoming a famous artist with showings at all the major galleries in and around the big city. Unfortunately, she was one of a dozen aspiring artists and, the longer it took her to be recognized, the slimmer her chances were for becoming someone of importance.


So, she’d done the only thing she could do... she’d taken any and every odd job she could find.


After changing out of her worn clothes and apron with its huge pockets, Sarah dressed in a simple shirtwaist and re-pinned her long, blonde tresses into a less harried style. Supper at the boarding house was served promptly at five-thirty. If you were late, you risked not being fed.


Truth be told, missing one of Miss Jewel’s meals wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. The dear woman tried, she really did but, with only four different meals in her repertoire, things got tiresome really fast.


Sarah inhaled deeply. The memory of today’s special at the upscale restaurant where she worked taunted her empty stomach. As badly as she’d wanted a plate of the fancy beef dish they’d featured, she didn’t relish having even the employee’s special pricing deducted from her meager pay packet. Instead, she’d settle for Miss Jewel’s regular Wednesday night salt pork, beans, and cornbread.


“Good evening, Miss Billings,” Lucille Jewel said when Sarah made her way into the dining room promptly at five-twenty-eight.


“Good evening, Miss Jewel,” Sarah returned. “Something smells delicious.”


“I had to change up the evening’s meal a skosh,” Lucille admitted. “Mister Clary was out of salt pork, so he gave me a frying chicken for the same price. We’re having stew. I made dinner rolls instead of cornbread.”


Sarah smiled at the woman who’d become like an aunt to her over the past eighteen months. “I’m sure both the stew and the rolls will be delicious.”


Lucille snorted a very unladylike laugh. “Admit it. You’re happy it’s not pork and beans.”


“Maybe. A little.”


Two more boarders joined them at the table. Delia Huckabee, a clerk from the bank, and Twyla Monroe, a seamstress for the local dressmaker, took their usual seats.


“Where’s Miss Thompkins?” Lucille asked.


“Mabel?” Delia responded. “I saw her walking with the new fellow from the mercantile. Maybe they’re eating at the café tonight?”


“She should have let me know she wouldn’t be here,” Lucille said. “It’s one of the rules of the house.”


“Knowing Mabel, she didn’t give the rules a second thought,” Twyla commented. “Not if there’s a possibility she’s being courted.”


Delia’s girlish giggle ended in a hiccup, before she pointed out, “More for us, if she doesn’t show on time.”


“Miss Huckabee,” Lucille said. “You received a letter today, as did you Miss Billings. I’ve laid the envelopes on the cabinet in the parlor.”


Sarah had the sudden urge to jump up and make a dash for her letter, yet house rules kept her rooted to the spot. Once you were seated, you stayed until it was time to clear the dishes.


“Miss Monroe,” Lucille began. “If you’d give the blessing please, we can get started.”


“Yes, Ma’am,” the young woman replied. “Lord, You give good things to eat, like spuds and carrots, peas and meat. May all the things we say and do show our love and thanks to You. Amen.”


The others echoed the ‘Amen’ and then raised their heads.


“Did everyone have a good day at work today?” Lucille asked before passing the huge serving bowl to her right.


“As good as can be expected,” Delia offered. “Mister Willoughby came in again today and insisted on waiting for my assistance when there were two other tellers with no customers.”


“I think he’s sweet on you,” Twyla suggested.


“He’s old enough to be my... much older brother,” Delia pointed out. “Plus, he has hair growing out of his ears.” A shudder shook her thin frame. “No thank you.”


“My day wasn’t much better,” Twyla remarked. “Some of the women we get in the dress shop are downright rude, just because they have money to spend all willy-nilly.”


“What about you, Sarah?” Delia asked. “How’s the restaurant business?”


“For every woman who spends frivolously at the dressmakers, I’d bet their husbands stuff themselves, and their mistresses, on fancy French food. Today alone, I saw two of the city’s richest men dining with women other than their wives.”


“It’s scandalous, to be sure,” Lucille whispered. “But accepted, it would seem, among the upper crust.”


“I suppose there’s something to be said for being a kept woman,” Twyla remarked. “Or, so I’ve heard.”


“You may not be getting rich as a seamstress, Miss Monroe,” Lucille reminded her. “But at least your virtue is intact.”

 

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):

 

 

 

 


What makes your featured book a must-read?

 

Who doesn’t love a warm and fuzzy holiday read? When you mix in the old west, likeable characters, and a feisty heroine it makes for a great read. I’ve always loved to explore the difficulties women encountered in the 1800’s, especially those who wanted independence and a career. Sarah is my kind of heroine, and I hope she’ll be yours as well.

 

Giveaway – 

 

Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card:

 

 

Open Internationally.

 

Runs January 23 – January 29, 2024.

 

Winner will be drawn on January 30, 2024.

 


Author Biography:

 

NANCY FRASER is a bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.


When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.


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