julia | On March 4, 2012

***** Before J. Carson Black wrote thrillers, she wrote historical novels under the name, Annie McKnight. *****

English-born Charlotte Tate has longed to be an actress from the time she was a little girl. Instead, she finds herself in the rough boomtown of 1880’s Tombstone Arizona, looking helplessly on as her sister Mary takes her last breath. Mary made foolish choices—with men and their future prospects–and now Charlotte is left alone in a foreign land. Charlotte is made of stern stuff, though; she is determined to make her mark. Headstrong and ambitious, she becomes a theater headliner in Tombstone during the heady days when the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday stride the boardwalks. There’s a price to be paid for fame, and for Charlotte’s unusual brand of defiant audacity. She’s strong enough to withstand any storm, but her contrarian streak leads only to more heartbreak.

Jake Cottrell has a ranch in the Sulfur Springs Valley—a dream realized, and one he’s held for a long time. But he lost his beloved wife to illness, and this colors his view of the world. In Charlotte Tate he sees passion and wildness–and a chance to love again.

Forged by bad experiences, Charlotte is a hard person to love. Only Jake can see her intrinsic worth, only Jake is willing to see beyond her defiant exterior. Against the backdrop of the O.K. Corral Gunfight and the changing face of the American West, Jake and Charlotte must find their way together, or come apart forever.

Amazon