The Arizona Saga Series

An Arizona dynasty built on hope and courage reaps the tragic harvest of the Civil War in the second volume of a Spur Award–winning Western romance trilogy. Patrick O’Shea, with the help of the Spanish beauty Socorro and Santiago, the son of a Mexican ranchero and his Apache slave, carved the Rancho del Socorro out of the Arizona wilderness. But when the drums of war rolled west, O’Shea crossed the Great Plains to join the fight against slavery, for he had been a virtual slave, starving in his native Ireland.   With O’Shea gone and Socorro dead from childbirth, Talitha must defend the Rancho del Socorro from vicious raiders and greedy speculators. She longs for the Irishman to return and gaze at her with the same passion she feels for him, but the darkly handsome Marc Revier’s devotion keeps her strong in these difficult times, even if she’s unwilling to admit that the man of her dreams may not be the man she needs.   For O’Shea’s daughter Caterina, true love appears in the form of James, Talitha’s Apache brother. But when he takes up the cause of his people and becomes the mighty warrior Fierro, he must deny his heart’s desire and leave Caterina, never knowing that she carries his child.    A masterful blend of adventure and romance, Harvest of Fury paints an unforgettable portrait of the brave generation who came of age during a tumultuous and exhilarating chapter in the history of the American Southwest.  

Winner of the Spur Award: The first volume in a breathtaking trilogy of historical romance novels inspired by the daring men and women who settled Arizona. Patrick O’Shea’s spirit watches his naked, parched body crawl through rock and thorn before leaving him for dead. All hope is lost until Socorro, a Spanish beauty of noble birth and the sole survivor of an attack on her wedding party as it journeyed to California, finds Shea and slowly, painfully revives him. When he’s able to walk again and they’ve dried enough roots and cactus fruit to travel some distance, the pair heads north.   At a smoldering ranchero, they extract an arrowhead from Santiago, the half-Mexican, half-Apache survivor of a raid by gringo scalp hunters whose gruesome trophies—as long as they’re dark-haired enough to pass for Indian—fetch a high price from the governor of Sonora. Eager for vengeance but needing time to recover from his injuries, Santiago joins Shea and Socorro on their journey to a peaceful, stream-watered valley in the rolling foothills of Arizona, where they take in Tjúni, a Papago woman who managed to escape an Apache raid but lost her entire family.   The four refugees must rely on their courage, loyalty, and resolve to build a new home and fend off bandits. They win the friendship and protection of a great Apache chief, Mangus Coloradas, who allows Shea—after he proves his bravery by enduring a red-hot iron to the cheek—to become the guardian of Talitha, a Mormon captive, and her two-year-old, half-Apache brother, James. Over the years, Talitha grows into a stunning, headstrong beauty whose love for her foster father burns with passionate intensity.   A page-turning saga of destiny and desire set during a fascinating period in American history, The Valiant Women is as vibrant and unforgettable as the sunset over a desert canyon.    

A powerful dynasty founded in Arizona’s frontier past faces a grave threat in the stunning conclusion to a Spur Award–winning historical romance series. Years have passed since Tracy Benoit last set foot on Rancho del Socorro. Now she returns to the magnificent spread in the shadows of Arizona’s Santa Rita Mountains to say goodbye to the ranch’s dying patriarch, Patrick O’Shea. But her visit stirs deeper emotions than Tracy anticipates, because Shea, Patrick’s handsome Vietnam veteran son, has come home as well.   Just when the electricity between Tracy and Shea is about to ignite, Patrick dies. There is no time to mourn, however, as Shea’s half-brother, Judd, has sinister plans to the sell the ranch for a quick profit. But Judd wants to control more than the land; he has a dark desire to possess Tracy as well, and will destroy everything his ancestors worked so hard to build in order to make his wicked fantasies a reality. Can Tracy and Shea stop such a reckless and powerful enemy, or is their love doomed to die along with Patrick’s legacy?   The sensational final chapter in a powerful saga inspired by the turbulent history of the Southwest, A Mating of Hawks is a masterpiece of romantic fiction from a bestselling author with “a clear-voiced style that transcends genre” (TheKansas City Star).