Writing by the Seat of my Pants - It's All About The Spark

 

 

 

 

Creating engaging characters takes time, inspiration and a hell of a lot of work. My first published novel Wolf's Castle is filled with drama and romance with a mix of Gothic elements on the side. Enjoy meeting my characters below and if you haven't read Wolf's Castle, give it a chance. 

 

Lord Galen Maclean — The Beast of Lomarcan Castle

Title: Lord of Lomarcan Castle
Vibe: Brooding Highlander with a soft center (when coaxed out)

Personality Snapshot

Galen is the classic tortured hero — fierce, stubborn, and sworn to guard his isolation at all costs. He’s known as the “beast” of the castle because of his temper and fearsome reputation, but deep down he’s loyal and passionate.

Hobbies (when he’s not glaring at intruders)

• Whiskey at dawn — nothing says “ruler of the Highlands” like a man deep in his cups before he breaks his fast.

• Sculpting stone gargoyles for the castle ramparts — artistic outlet meets intimidation factor.

• Midnight walks through foggy moors — he claims it’s “for the fresh air,” but really it’s just dramatic.

Favorite Food

• Smoky Highland stew with roasted root vegetables and thick, buttered bread (a meal worthy of fueling epic brooding).

• He secretly adores haggis — don’t tell anyone, especially the sheep.

Ideal Mate

Galen’s ideal match is someone who is:

• Bold enough to lock eyes with him

• Unafraid of castle corridors at night

• Quick with a laugh and a sharp retort
  In short: someone who can turn his growls into grins.

 

Vivian Stuart — The Uninvited Light

Title: Wandering Woman with Courage to Spare
Vibe: Intrepid, compassionate, and unshakably curious

Personality Snapshot

Vivian is the spirited heroine who stumbles into Galen’s gloomy world — and refuses to be cowed by his cold exterior. She’s brave, warm-hearted, and fiercely determined to be heard.

Hobbies That Fit Her Spirit

• Directing fanciful plays — she knows it will anger the beast, but the isle inhabitants deserve to have a bit of dramatic fun.

• Journaling by candlelight — vivid descriptions, elegant sketches, and many unsent letters to Galen’s softer side.

• Meddling in castle affairs — if she's stuck on the isle, she might as well make herself useful.

Favorite Food

• Honey-herb scones with clotted cream — a touch sweet, a touch wild, perfectly balanced (like her personality).

• She loves fresh berries with cream picked straight from the hedgerows at her home, alas, no berries at Wolf's Castle.

Ideal Mate

Vivian dreams of someone:

• Strong but emotionally honest

• Loyal even when the path is hard

• Capable of protecting her world without trying to control it
  She’s not looking for perfection — just a heart that’s brave enough to love hers.

Why These Two Spark

Galen and Vivian are a classic tale of fire meeting flame — a gruff guardian meeting a bright spirit who refuses to be confined by his past. Their dynamic isn’t just about passion; it’s about growth, courage, and finding unexpected companionship in a haunted castle’s shadowed halls.

 

 

 

 

 

Starting Over: How I Reclaimed My Stories—and Myself

 

A few months ago, I did something that felt equal parts thrilling and terrifying—I got the rights back to all of my previously published romance novels, due to my publisher closing after more than a decade. Years of work, passion, and heartache were finally mine again. No contracts. No gatekeepers. Just me, my stories, and a blank page.

I thought it would feel like freedom. And it did… until the reality hit.

No cover designer. No editor. No marketing team. It was just me, staring at a to-do list that felt a mile long. But despite feeling overwhelmed, I knew I had been given a gift—a chance to reintroduce my work on my terms.

Rediscovering My Words

The first step was reading through every book. Some made me laugh, some made me cringe, and others made me fall in love all over again. I tweaked dialogue, cleaned up pacing, and in some cases, rewrote whole chapters.

It was like revisiting an old version of myself—an author who was still finding her rhythm, her voice. And while I wanted to honor that writer, I also wanted to elevate the work for my readers, old and new.

Learning to Design (and Learning to Breathe)

Next came the covers. I studied genre trends, color palettes, typography—I even got picky about font pairings and image resolution (who am I?!).  I already used and LOVED Canva, so it was an easy decision to use Canva to create my covers. (Not my first book, Wolf's Castle--too sentimental I guess)

There were moments I wanted to cry. But when I saw my redesigned covers—the ones that actually matched the mood and heart of each story—it felt like magic. Like I was finally giving my books the visual identity they deserved.

Becoming My Own Publisher

Once the edits were done and the covers were polished, it was time to figure out Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing. Metadata, keywords, categories… ISBNs! I took notes, watched YouTube videos, read posts from other authors who'd met the same fate, and asked a million questions.

Uploading that first book was nerve-wracking. I checked it a dozen times before hitting “publish.” And when it went live? I danced around my kitchen like I’d just won a literary award.

What I’ve Learned

I’m still learning. I’m still tweaking blurbs, trying new marketing strategies, and figuring out what works. But here’s what I know now: reclaiming my books was never just about the business side of publishing—it was about reclaiming me.

Every revised chapter, every redesigned cover, every upload to KDP has been a reminder that I’m capable of more than I thought. That this journey is mine to shape.

So if you’re an author staring down a similar path, let me tell you this: starting over isn’t easy. But it’s powerful. And it’s worth it.

Because you’re not starting from scratch—you’re starting from experience.

Madelyn Hill
Romance Author | Self-Published | Reformed Font Snob 💕

 

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Weekend Reads - Rebirth of Ruby's Ranch by Rhonda Frankhouser

Will Emma relinquish her destiny to stay with her dedicated cowboy or be drawn into a new world by her mystical visitor?

 

 

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About the Book

After centuries of mystery and torment, Emma is chosen to fulfill the family legacy. When she’s called home to Ruby’s Ranch to care for her ailing mother, she’s torn between an undeniable romantic connection and a spiritual journey that requires heartbreaking sacrifice.

Matthew is a combo of charisma, confidence and honeyed heat. No longer the shy, gawky kid who sneaked hopeful glances, he’s a full-grown, passionate man determined to win Emma’s affections. When destiny deals her an unthinkable ultimatum, Matthew stands between her and the spiritual forces threatening to whisk her away.

Shona’s otherworldly presence vibrates with comfort and light when Emma finds him chanting over her mother’s sick bed. His healing energy instantly draws her in, encouraging her to accept her fate and leave her family and friends behind.

 

About Rhonda

 

Award-winning author, Rhonda Frankhouser, pens stories with beloved

ghosts, twisted mysteries, and timeless love. Her favorite genres are Western and Contemporary Romance, with the occasional mainstream tear-jerker to keep things interesting. Rhonda's Ruby's Ranch Series, earned a starred review in Publisher's Weekly; a Win in the 2020 Uncaged Raven award as well as finalist honors in the Raven Awards; a second runner up in the prestigious InD'Tale Magazine RONE awards and a Book and Benches, Reviewers Top Pic ~ Books of Distinction award. Her follow up Shadowing Souls Series and Let Yourself Believe Series, have captured the attention of both romance and mainstream readers alike. After a lifetime in Central California, Rhonda and her own knight in shining armor, moved to beautiful Northeast Georgia to embark on a brand new journey.

 

Connect with Rhonda 

 

Subscribe to Website for chance to win one of the books. www.rhondafrankhouser.com.Follow on Facebook -

https://www.facebook.com/rj.frankhouser?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Follow on IG - 

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Follow on Amazon - 

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Goodreads- 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16085293.Rhonda_Frankhouser?ref=nav_profile_l

Bookbub - 

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rhonda-frankhouser

 

Other Books by Rhonda

Book 1 - Return to Ruby's Ranch - Amazon Buy Link

 

 

Book 2 - Escape from Ruby's Ranch - Amazon Buy Link

 

 

Book 3 - Legacy of Ruby's Ranch - Amazon Buy Link

 

 

 

Book 4 - Christmas at Ruby's Ranch - Amazon Buy Link

 

Weekend Reads: The Price of Glory by Caroline Warfield

Cuddle up with a Victorian Romance this weekend.

 

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One man’s pursuit of knowledge that could bring him fame and respect, only to find it upended by a woman determined to serve the people of Egypt.

 

About the Book:

Richard Mallet comes to Egypt with dreams of academic glory. He will be the one to unravel the secrets of the ancient Kushite language. Armed with license to dig, he sets out for Meroë, where the Blue Nile meets the White. He has no room in his life for dalliance or entanglements, and he certainly doesn’t expect to face insurrection and unrest. 

Analiese Cloutier seeks no glory—only the eradication of disease among the Egyptian women and children of Khartoum. She has no interest whatsoever in romantic nonsense and will not allow notions about a lady's proper role to interfere with her work. She doesn't expect to have that work manipulated for political purposes. 

Neither expects to be enchanted by the amorous power of moonlight in the ruins of Karnak, or to be forced to marry before they can escape revolution. Will their flight north take them safely to Cairo? If it does, can they build something real out of their shattered dreams?

 

About Caroline:
Traveler, adventurer, writer of historical romance. Enamored of owls, books, history, and beautiful gardens (but not the actual act of gardening), award winning author of historical romance usually set in the Regency and Victorian eras, Caroline Warfield reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the world. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart, because love is worth the risk.

 

Connect with Caroline:

Web http://www.carolinewarfield.com/ 

FB https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7 

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/ 

Good Reads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8523742.Caroline_Warfield 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycyfKdNnZlueqo8MlgWyWQ 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/caroline-warfield 

Newsletter: https://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter/ 

Email: warfieldcaro@gmail.com 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaroWarfield 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carowarfield/

 

Other Books by Caroline: 

 

Weekend Reads: An Accidental Love Affair by: Davida Ann Samenski

Enjoy a Contemporary Romance this weekend!

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Feel free to fall over me any time you like.

The Blurb:

Hollywood ‘It Boy’ Reece Collins, runs into aspiring author Nicole Delancey in the airport—literally and sparks fly, especially when every tabloid in the world picks up the story. 

Heading to London to compile research for her novel, Nicole is bowled over by Reece as they both run to catch their flight. Joining him in first class, they discover an attraction that will carry them through months of romance and heartbreak, especially when his brother steals her manuscript in a bid to further Reece’s career. 

Reece is used to being in the camera’s spotlight, but tries to keep his personal life private, which becomes hard for him to do when he falls for Nicole. Will he be able to protect her from the bright lights of his fame or will he step out of the light and be the man they both wish he could be?

 

Excerpt

 

The Author:

Davida Ann Samenski learned about romance at the tender age of four while watching Gone With The Wind for the very first time. 

An avid romance reader and writer, she loves writing about imperfect women and the equally imperfect men who love them—helping them along their way to the Happily Ever Afters. 

Wife to one, mother to many (including the four-legged variety) and grandma to five (for now), she spends her days taking care of her mother and babysitting the hunyocks, and her nights writing, and binge watching her favorite shows on Netflix. She's on a Lucifer kick right now. Who knew the devil could be so sexy? 

She is a member in good standing with both Romance Writers of America and the Heart of Carolina chapter of RWA. 

Connect:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidaAnnSamenski

 

Another Read by Davida: 

 

Weekend Reads: A Sapphire Promise by Sally Brandle

Enjoy a historical romance this weekend!

 

1938 Batavia, Java.

Threats of war brings them together. The Japanese invasion tears them apart. 

A true story of trust, hope, and enduring love.

 

Amazon Buy Link

 

About the Book

Loyalty to family. Trusting instincts. The ugly truth of survival. These virtues are deeply embedded in a mature Dutch teenager, Annika Wolters. Her attributes prove useful as she navigates typical coming-of-age insecurities and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant in 1939 Batavia, Java. 

Nothing prepares her for the distress of Hitler’s attacks on European countries followed by Japan’s bombing of Pearl Harbor, toppling her idyllic life in the Dutch East Indies colonial society and separating her from the man she loves. Uplifting events from a true story showcase how determination, nursing basics, and language skills keep a young woman and her mother alive in the worst Japanese internment camp in the Pacific. If you admire clever women and unfailing love in a tropical wartime setting, you will be captivated by Sapphire Promise.  

 

About Sally

Multi-award winning author Sally Brandle weaves slow-burning romance into edgy suspense, motivating readers to trust their instincts. Growing up as a tomboy alongside brothers prepared her to work in a male-centric industry, raise sons, and create action packed stories featuring strong women. She thrives on creating unintentional heroines who conquer their vulnerabilities and partner with heroes to outwit cunning villains. Penning Iris’s story presented a challenge to stay true to her life while portraying the colonial aspect of A Sapphire Promise in a sensitive manner. Research and consultations with a variety of experts is her way of checking facts. Her rescued Tuxedo cat, Shepherd dog, and Blue Heeler are her companions during long spells of writing or bouts of tormenting weeds in her garden. Afternoons she often spends riding on the wind with her thirty-one years young Quarter Horse.

 

Connect with Sally

Website (Offers for free Book Club Zoom appearances and study guides) : http://www.sallybrandle.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallybrandle
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallybrandle/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle2018/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116238.Sally_Brandle
Blog link: https://smpauthors.wordpress.com/author/sallygfrog/
 

Other Books by Sally

(click on image to visit Amazon page)  

Weekend Reads: Storm Watch: Book Three in the Unfinished Business Series by Carole Ann Moleti

Cuddle up with a paranormal romance this weekend!

The Category Five Hurricane bearing down on Cape Cod appears to be headed directly for Mike and Liz–or has it been spawned from inside them?

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About the Book

Mike and Liz thought they'd gotten control of the specters haunting the Barrett Inn. But things get very complicated when they're the ghosts from your past life. The Category Five Hurricane bearing down on Cape Cod appears to be headed directly for them--or has it been spawned from inside them?

About Carole

Carole Ann Moleti lives and works as a nurse-midwife in New
York City, thus explaining her fascination with all things paranormal, urban fantasy, and space opera. Her nonfiction focuses on health care, politics, and women's issues. But her first love is writing science fiction and fantasy because walking through walls is less painful than running into them. Carole's work has appeared in a variety of literary and speculative fiction venues Short stories set in the world of her novels are featured in several of the Ten Tales anthologies. The Unfinished Series Haunted, Beltane, Seers, and Bites. 

Excerpts of Carole's memoirs, Someday I'm Going to Write a Book: Diary of an Urban Missionary and Karma, Kickbacks and Kids range from the sweet and inspirational in This Path and A Quilt of Holidays to the edgy and irreverent in Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Woman and On Being a Parent.

Connect With Carole

http://Twitter.com/Cmoleti 

https://www.facebook.com/CaroleAnnMoletiAuthor/

http://caroleannmoleti.com

Other Books By Carole

Weekend Reads: A Widow's Guide to Scandal by Hallie Alexander

 Cuddle up with a historical romance this weekend.

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About the Book

Henrietta Smith was fifteen when she stole a kiss from Marcus Hardwicke. Over a decade later, she’s still waiting to be kissed back … 

Henrietta learned the hard way that when you get what you pay for you might end up with a British soldier quartering in your home threatening your friends, an enormous dog tracking mud through your house and stealing the chickens, and Marcus Hardwicke disrupting your uncomplicated life by trying to improve it. And to think she just wanted her roof fixed. 

Marcus, wickedly handsome carpenter and rebel rogue, fell off Henrietta’s leaking roof. He can’t leave until his broken ankle heals, giving him plenty of time to consider his past mistakes, including Henrietta's indelible kiss from a lifetime ago. But Henrietta could lose more than her home if she doesn’t encrypt British secrets, and the latest puts Marcus in the crosshairs.

About Hallie

Hallie Alexander's debut, A Widow's Guide to Scandal, was published in 2020 by Soul Mate Publishing. It was a finalist in the 2019 Cleveland Rocks Romance Contest. Hallie writes steamy, American historical romances with noble heroes and strong heroines determined not to fall in love, until they do. Expect lush history and lots of smooching. And, if there is an element of humor and hijinks, or a fraying in the fabric of the patriarchy? Even better. Hallie is a Northerner living in the South with her husband, three children, and Doodles of Mayhem™, Bruno and Willow.

Connect With Hallie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHallie 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorHallie 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorhallie/ 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/halliealexanderauthor/ 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/hallie-alexander

Weekend Reads: A Rebel and Her Rogue by Susan Varno

 Cuddle up with a Regency Romance this weekend~

Falling in love is the most dangerous adventure.

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Book Blurb

Sherwood Forest, 1815 

Cassiopeia Valient storms, “Sir, is this any way to conduct a kidnapping?” 

When Blake Forester rescues her from her crashed carriage, Cassie mistakes him for “The Gentleman Bandit” she hired to kidnap her and split the ransom.

Blake is her intended victim. He should be outraged! Instead, he’s intrigued. Since he returned from the War, he suffers terrifying memories. So many died. Why did he survive? This diabolical damsel may be the distraction he needs to get back to living again.

After Blake reveals who he really is, Cassie’s life shatters. She vows to cease her wild, reckless behavior. This time her actions went beyond dangerous. If she has to bite back words and squeeze out smiles, she will act like a proper lady.

Thwarting her resolve, this lord dares her to join him in glorious adventures. She can’t avoid the rascal. He’s lending her father money to repair their flood-damaged estate. Demanding his cut of the cancelled ransom, the real Gentleman Bandit threatens blackmail and kidnapping. Blake and Cassie chase the culprit only to discover the most dangerous adventure is falling in love.

 

About Susan

Like many readers and writers, I watch stories inside my head. When I read a Regency romance, (like the one I’ve written) I imagine myself dancing at a London ball or racing through Sherwood Forest. When I write, I imagine an intriguing scene, always one with action and attraction. I watch how my hero and heroine act. That’s how I discover who they are and what they care about. Before I’ll write their story, they must surprise, titillate and even upset me. I love researching their time and place in history almost as much as I love inviting these “strangers” inside my head.

For twenty-five years, I wrote columns and reviews for Video Views Magazine. I’ve seen almost every new movie release, especially the romances and anything with an historical setting. Though I was born and raised in Chicago and its suburbs, I married a country boy from rural Ohio. Richard insisted we retire to the hinterlands of the Arkansas Ozarks. Our post office was so remote, you couldn’t find it on most maps. While we lived there, I interviewed more than a hundred people for articles in magazines and newspapers. My focus was Ozark people, culture and history.

My husband died three years ago. I miss my hero every day. We have two grown sons and one grandson. I now live in a Chicago suburb. I volunteer in the local schools and help at my church. Last year, I discovered cruising. I’ve visited the western Caribbean and the western Mediterranean. When we can go out again, England here I come. 

Connect with Susan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.varno

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Susan-Varno/e/B08CCF8NC3

Weekend Reads: Christmas Hope by Caroline Warfield

Cuddle up with a historical romance this weekend~

On the “11th Day of the 11th Month” the Great War ended, but his struggle to find the love that gave him hope continues.

 

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About the Book
After two years at the mercy of the Canadian Expeditionary force and the German war machine, Harry ran out of metaphors for death, synonyms for brown, and images of darkness. When he encounters color among the floating islands of Amiens and life in the form a widow and her little son, hope ensnares him. Through three more long years of war and its aftermath, the hope she brings keeps Harry alive.

Rosemarie Legrand’s husband left her a tiny son, no money, and a savaged reputation when he died. She struggles to simply feed the boy and has little to offer a lonely soldier, but Harry’s devotion lifts her up. The war demands all her strength and resilience but the hope of peace and the promise of Harry’s love keep her going.

When it is over will their love be enough?



About Caroline

Award winning author Caroline Warfield has been many things: Army brat, traveler, librarian, poet, raiser of children, bird watcher, Internet and Web services manager, conference speaker, indexer, tech writer, genealogist—even a nun. She reckons she is on at least her third act, happily working in an office surrounded by windows where she lets her characters lead her to adventures in England and the far-flung corners of the British Empire. She nudges them to explore the riskiest territory of all, the human heart. 



Connect With Caroline
https://www.carolinewarfield.com/

https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7

https://www.facebook.com/groups/WarfieldFellowTravelers/tea

https://www.carolinewarfield.com/newsletter/ https://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/

Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/caroline-warfield https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCycyfKdNnZlueqo8MlgWyWQ https://www.pinterest.com/warfieldcaro/  

Other Books By Caroline Warfield

                                  

Weekend Reads: Posey - Brides of New Hope Book 2 by Jo-Ann Roberts

 Cuddle up with a sweet historical romance this weekend~

Can a U.S. marshal's steadfast love along with his dream for a home and a family be enough to heal a schoolteacher's wounded heart?

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About the Book!

Posey Campbell couldn’t understand why her love life, or lack thereof, was of such interest to her family and friends. Having endured one ill-fated relationship, she resigned herself to living out her days as New Hope’s spinster schoolteacher…until an unkempt U.S. marshal with inviting grey eyes and a kiss-me-smile came to town turning her well-ordered life off-kilter.

Glad for a temporary assignment keeping him in one place, Grayson Barrett never expected to find love, let alone a wife, a set of orphans, and a life he’d feared had passed him by.

When a secret from Posey’s past comes to light will Gray’s steadfast love be enough to convince her he is the right man? Or will an old nemesis put an end to their love before it begins? 

About Jo-Ann

Born and raised in western Massachusetts, Jo-Ann Roberts was fascinated by America’s Old West and always felt she was
destined to travel on a wagon train following the Oregon Trail. With her love of history and reading, she began reading historical romance during high school and college. Victoria Holt, Jude Deveraux, and Roseanne Bittner were among her favorites. Influenced by her father, she fell in love with John Wayne, James Garner, and her all-time favorite, James Stewart and grew up watching Wagon Train, Bonanza and Rawhide.

A firm believer in HEA with a healthy dose of realism, Jo-Ann strives to give her readers a sweet historical romance while imparting carefully researched historical facts, personalities, and experiences relative to the time period. Her romances take her readers back to a simpler time to escape the stress of modern life by living in a small town where families and friends help one another find love and happiness.

When she isn’t creating believable plots and relatable heroes and heroines, Jo-Ann enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandson. She also enjoys baking, quilting, and eating way too much chocolate.

After 38 years in public education in Connecticut and Maryland, she now calls North Carolina home. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Heart of Carolina RWA.

Connect with Jo-Ann

Jo-AnnRobertsAuthor.com

jrobertsauthor@yahoo.com

https://www.instagram.com/jrobertsauthor/

https://www.pinterest.com/joannrobertsauthor/boards/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3217996424947329

Book 1 in the Brides of New Hope Series