Western Christmas Proposals: An Anthology

By Carla Kelly, Kelly Boyce and Carol Arens

A RING, A KISS AND A CHRISTMAS WISH 

THREE DELICIOUS SEASONAL STORIES 

CHRISTMAS DANCE WITH THE RANCHER by Carla Kelly 

Stranded, Katie becomes chore girl on Ned Avery's ranch. He shows her unexpected kindnessand in exchange, she teaches him how to dance! 

CHRISTMAS IN SALVATION FALLS by Kelly Boyce 

Willa Stanford moved to Salvation Falls to start afresh, but then the pastin the shape of her former sweetheartarrives at her door. 

THE SHERIFF'S CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL by Carol Arens 

When widower Roy Garner falls for lovely Belle Key, he's hoping for a very happy Christmas. Until he discovers Belle's dark secret

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Historical
• Release date: Oct 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781488004384

Carla Kelly

Carla has always said that she only writes the books that she wants to read, which has made this whole writing business extra fun. She wrote her first book at age six. It was called The Old Mill, and she wrote it on her mother's Olivetti-Underwood typewriter. It had a cover (she spent more time on the cover than the narrative), and consisted of two sentences. But Carla said it had a plot. Carla was always writing something. She admits to going through that awkward, poetry-writing phase. Luckily, it passed. In high school (A.C. Jones High School, Beeville, Texas), she got involved in journalism, which was a great thing, since JHS had an exemplary journalism teacher, Jean Dugat (Miss D), the meanest teacher alive. To show how mean, she insisted that her students learn A LOT. She was the only teacher Carla ever knew who never needed a substitute when she was gone. "We wouldn't have dared not complete what she had assigned us," Carla said. Miss D was a wicked hard taskmaster, but it occurred to Carla that if she did what Miss D said, and paid attention, she'd be a writer someday. Brigham Young University was a great place to go to college. Papers were a breeze (refer to Miss D in the above paragraph), and Carla graduated with a degree in Latin American history. She was married by her senior year, and eventually Martin and Carla had five interesting children. Martin, retired now, was a university professor, teaching theatre courses, English courses and speech, plus directing plays. Carla says she began writing in earnest (i.e. selling stuff) when she lived in Ogden, Utah. She started out with short stories about the Indian Wars, reflecting academic interest, plus several years as a National Park Service ranger at Fort Laramie NHS. Great job. Carla said they paid her every two weeks for what she would have done for free… The result of those short stories were two Spur Awards from Western Writers of America and eventually the anthology Here's to the Ladies: Stories of the Frontier Army, which remains her personal favorite book of those she has written. In 1983 or 1984, Carla wrote her first novel, Daughter of Fortune (she called it Saintmaker), inspired by an incident in New Mexico history. After that, her then-agent suggested she might want to try her hand at Regency romance, which turned out to be a nice fit. Carla had written mainly for Signet and now Harlequin, with occasional academic works and state and Park Service–funded history projects thrown in to keep life interesting. She has two RITA® Awards for regencies, plus a Lifetime Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. She doesn't belong to any writing groups because they take up too much time, and she's too cheap to pay dues. Carla likes to write, but she does other stuff, too. More years in the Park Service meant a greater understanding of the American fur trade and Indians on the Northern Plains. She likes to read, focusing on police procedurals for her escape reading (John Harvey is her favorite such author) and whatever academic history interests her. She is currently researching coal mine history in Utah, because the Kellys moved to Wellington, Utah, in 2009, after Martin retired. Wellington is in Carbon County, well-known for coal mines. She has plans for a history of one 1900 mine disaster, and probably a novel on the same subject (she's a great one for using research many times—re: the Channel Fleet). Also in the works is a biography of Guy V. Henry, a well-known cavalry officer of the Indian Wars, Carla's primary history field. She's been known to present academic papers here and there, and never misses the Indian Wars Symposia at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. There will always be time for fiction, though. Carla recently sold a novel that reflects her years in southeast Wyoming and her Mormon background to a Utah publishing company. She anticipates more books in this vein, partly because she has always been a bit squeamish about bodice ripping, and she's always up for new ventures. Other than reading, Carla's only bona fide hobby is crocheting baby afghans. She does it while she watches television or rides shotgun in cars, and she's well on her way to making a gazillion. Years ago, one of Carla's friends and fellow authors made the perceptive observation that Carla is only writing herself in her books: someone practical, down-to-earth, not Too Stupid To Live, who solves her own problems. And she writes about stalwart, caring men and women because she personally knows a lot of stalwart, caring people. She was also told by a friend, a certified graphologist (handwriting analyst), that her handwriting indicates she hasn't a creative bone in her whole body. Sigh. So it goes.  

Reviews for Western Christmas Proposals

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

CHRISTMAS DANCE WITH THE RANCHER by Carla KellyStranded, Katie becomes chore girl on Ned Avery's ranch. He shows her unexpected kindness and in exchange, she teaches him how to dance!Good story. Katie had come to Wyoming from Massachusetts to marry a man she knew from her job at the mill. But when she arrived he was nowhere to be found, until word came that he might have been killed in a bar fight. About that time Ned arrived in Cheyenne, looking for a "chore girl" to help him take care of his bed-ridden father. Katie is a bit wary of going with a stranger, but he seems honest, so she accepts his offer.I liked Katie. She's a practical woman who looks at her options and moves on. She ran away from an abusive stepfather when she was twelve and made her own way in life from there. He made her cautious, so all she really asks for from Ned is a room of her own in his house. When she arrives, she steps right in to her position. I loved the way that she handled Ned's father, quickly overcoming his grumpiness and finding a way to fix it. She did the same for Ned's younger brother Pete, helping Ned to see that there was an alternative. But mostly I loved how everything she did seemed to revolve around making Ned's life better, including teaching him to dance so that he could go wife hunting.I liked Ned too, though there were times that his occasionally negative attitude bugged me. He spent some time thinking about how difficult it was to have everyone depending on him and how hard ranching is. His need for a chore girl came about because he couldn't depend on his brother to watch out for their dad. He did redeem himself with how nice he was to Katie. He was sensitive to her fears and tried to make her feel comfortable. It was sweet to see the relationship develop. By the time Ned got to "wife hunting" at the dance, he realized that he'd rather be with Katie. She had formed a few dreams of her own. But when word came that her fiancé wasn't dead after all, she felt she had to go to him, even though her feelings had changed. I loved the scene at the hotel, as Katie had to decide between the two lives. Ned also knew what he wanted, but had to find the courage to go after it. I really liked their conversation about life in Wyoming. It was real and it was honest. The final scene at the Christmas party was great, though I wouldn't have minded an epilogue.CHRISTMAS IN SALVATION FALLS by Kelly BoyceSeries: Salvation Falls (Book 2.5)Willa Stanford moved to Salvation Falls to start afresh, but then the past - in the shape of her former sweetheart - arrives at her door.Once upon a time, Willa and Morgan had been in love. But she was the daughter of the town's richest man, and Morgan was only an employee. He knew that if he wanted to give Willa the kind of life she was used to he would have to strike out on his own. Unfortunately, he waited until three days before their wedding to make that decision, promising that he would send for her as soon as he could. But things didn't go as he planned, and too ashamed to tell her, he quit writing to her. Willa held out for a year, but when her father threatened to throw her out with nothing if she didn't marry the man he chose, she gave in. Unfortunately for her, that marriage was a disaster and when her husband was killed she was left with almost nothing. Remembering Morgan's stories of Salvation Falls, she made her way there and created a new life for herself running a successful boardinghouse.Morgan's shame at failing in his plans caused him to go back on his promise to Willa. When he found out about her marriage he gave up his law practice and became a drifter. But he never forgot her and was haunted by all the things he did wrong. When his uncle Bertram wrote and asked him to join his law practice in Salvation Falls, Morgan decided he was tired of drifting. He did not expect to find Willa living there.Their reunion was not a happy one. Each was stunned to see the other. Willa's first reaction was joy, but her heart was afraid to trust him again. Morgan was sure that he had blown his chances long ago and that there was no way he could win her again, until he got the slightest hint that maybe she wasn't as indifferent to him as he'd thought. The rekindling of their relationship was not an easy one, as both of them were different from their past selves. Willa had to overcome her fear of being hurt again, and trust that she had the inner strength to stand up for herself. After Morgan puts his foot in his mouth during a hasty proposal, he needs to find a way to show her that he really has changed. It takes the efforts of the whole town to make these two finally find their way together. THE SHERIFF'S CHRISTMAS PROPOSAL by Carol ArensWhen widower Roy Garner falls for lovely Belle Key, he's hoping for a very happy Christmas. Until he discovers Belle's dark secret...Good story. Roy is on his way to a new town and a new job accompanied by his four children. A former US Marshal, he had lost his wife a year earlier while he was away on a case. Haunted by the guilt of not being there when she died, he is determined to be a better father.Belle and her grandmother are on the same train. What Roy doesn't know is that they are following him. They believe that he has stolen Grannie Em's wedding ring. They plan to get it back and then let everyone know that he is a thief. Grannie Em believes that the ring is enchanted, and that if she doesn't have it back by Christmas Day she will die. Belle doesn't believe in the curse, but she isn't taking any chances. Belle and Roy are drawn to each other from the moment they meet. Roy feels a little guilty at the beginning, feeling that he's being disloyal to his late wife, but he's ready to move on. Belle is much more conflicted. She doesn't understand how she can be falling for a man who is a thief. I loved seeing them grow closer, Roy falling so quickly for her. I ached for Belle and how much she wanted Roy and the children to be part of her life, but afraid of what his reaction would be if he knew the truth. Her confession was the right thing to do and his response was understandable. I loved Roy's big moment at the end.Grannie Em was quite a character. Her belief in the power of the ring was unshakeable. She was also determined to get Roy and Belle together. Her attitude toward Roy's "theft" was definitely unique. I also loved the children and how quickly they took to Belle and Grannie Em. I did think that the reason the town hired Roy was rather silly, but he did fulfill their needs.