Monday, January 16, 2012

Judith Miller


Bridal Veil Island
(with Tracie Peterson)


To Have and to Hold
Book 1
When Audrey Cunningham's father proposes that they move to Bridal Veil Island, where he grew up, she agrees, thinking this will help keep him sober and close to God. But they arrive to find wealthy investors buying up land to build a grand resort on the secluded island--and they want the Cunninghams' acreage.
Contractor Marshall Graham can't imagine why the former drinking buddy of his deceased father would beckon him to Bridal Veil Island. And when Boyd Cunningham asks him to watch over Audrey, Marshall is even more confused. He has no desire to be saddled with caring for this fiery young woman who is openly hostile toward him. But when Audrey seems to be falling for another man--one who has two little girls Audrey adores--Marshall realizes she holds more of his heart than he realized. Which man will Audrey choose? And can she hold on to her ancestral property in the face of overwhelming odds?

To Love and Cherish
Book 2

Letters strengthen their love, but Melinda remains frustrated at being apart from Evan, the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Then she learns of a devastating hurricane in Bridal Veil and knows she must give up her position as a lady's maid in Cleveland and make her way back to Evan, who works as the assistant gamekeeper on Bridal Veil.

The destruction on Bridal Veil is extensive, meaning every available person is needed to help with cleanup and repairs. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but Evan seems even busier than before, meaning she still never gets to see him. Has she given her heart to the wrong man?

Broadmoor Legacy Series
(with Tracie Peterson)


A Daughter's Inheritance
Book 1
Cousins Amanda, Sophie, and Fanny Broadmoor are as close as sisters, but when their grandfather dies, the terms of his will just might destroy their bond. Seventeen-year-old Fanny has never put much stock in the conventions of society. In fact, she has given her heart to Michael, the family boat-keeper. But when she receives a surprising inheritance, she discovers just how oppressive society can be... and that she may be trusting the wrong people.

Dare she follow her heart and risk going against her family? What if she loses everything she's ever known? It all comes down to one choice: What does Fanny Broadmoor want her legacy to be?

An Unexpected Love
Book 2
The family money has brought her everything she desires, but she is about to risk it all...  

Sophie Broadmoor adores fancy balls, beautiful gowns, and expensive jewelry. Indeed, she enjoys everything the Broadmoor wealth provides and has earned a reputation as the wildest of the Broadmoor cousins. 

During a trip to England, she falls head over heels for Wesley Hedrick, a wealthy widower who promises her the world. But Wesley's promises never seem to come true, and soon Sophie finds herself in a very compromising situation.   

Why does it have to be Paul Medford, the young minister working with her father, who shows up during her worst moment? Paul is full of promises, too--and it's clear that he has feelings for Sophie. But after all she's been through, dare she trust him?

A Surrendered Heart
Book 3

At twenty-one, Amanda Broadmoor had the right to make her own way in life, but her father and mother hardly saw it that way. Women working in the medical field were still frowned upon, and Amanda had been reared to marry and produce heirs, not tend the sick. And especially not those suffering from cholera. "And Mama can be such an alarmist," Amanda whispered.

At the first report of cholera in Rochester, Amanda's mother had suggested the entire family take refuge at their summer estate on Broadmoor Island in the St. Lawrence River. However, that idea had been immediately vetoed by her father. Father had said his work would not permit him to leave Rochester, and for once, Amanda had agreed with one of his decisions. After devoting so much of her time and energy to medical training at Dr. Carstead's side, she couldn't possibly desert her work--not now, not when she was needed most.


Bells of Lowell Series
 (with Tracie Peterson)


Daughter of the Loom
Book 1
The mill town of Lowell, Massachusetts, comes to life with intrigue and drama from the creative writing team of Judith Miller and Tracie Peterson. Young women at the end of the 19th century seek employment from driven men intent on transforming America's textile industry. Daughters of the Loom features Lilly Armbruster, who is forced to work in the mills as her only means for survival. But Lilly's resentment runs deep against the "lords of the loom"--the men she believes have stolen her father's farm and caused his premature death. Her animosity happens to include Matthew Cheever, her childhood friend and one-time betrothed. Though separated by their opposing views about the future of the mill and the community that surrounds it, the emotions of their hearts still bind them. Will their dreams for the future allow their fragile love to survive?


A Fragile Design
Book 2

Fleeing the life of the Shakers, Arabella Newberry finds work in the industrial mills of Lowell, Massachusetts. But the taste of freedom she experiences only increases her longing for true equality for all the mill girls. When her ideas put her at odds with the dashing Taylor Manning, she wonders if she has made a huge mistake.

Strife between the Irish laborers and the Industrialists continues to rise, and when several girls go missing, Lowell no longer seems a safe haven. As rumors and conflict invade the industry of the mill, will Arabella's determination to prove her independence endanger more than just her heart?


These Tangled Threads
Book 3

Raised in an atmosphere of equality, Daughtie Winfield is outspoken in her support for the rights of others from the mill girls threatening a strike over pitiful working conditions to the immigrants living on the other side of town. So she is unprepared for the hostility--even from some who claim to hold similar beliefs--aroused by her growing friendship with Liam Donohue, an Irish artisan.

Behind the scenes, a disgruntled former employee conspires with a one-time mill partner in a devilish plan that imperils not only the operation of the mills but those dearest to Daughtie. As dissention and upheaval threaten the future of the textile industry, Daughtie longs for peace--in her working world, and deep within her heart


Lights of Lowell
(with Tracie Peterson)


A Tapestry of Hope
Book 1

As the only daughter of a wealthy cotton grower, Jasmine Wainwright has lived a sheltered existence, naive about the realities of Southern plantation life beyond her family's home and gardens. But when two brothers from New England visit The Willows, Jasmine's world--and her understanding of the genteel life she's always embraced--is thrown into disarray. A visit to her grandmother in the bustling textile town of Lowell, Massachusetts, further opens her eyes.

Bradley Houston sees a connection with Jasmine's family as the perfect means to solidify his new position with the Boston Associates, the powerful men who run the mills. Ambitious and driven, he will stop at nothing to ensure that he achieves his goals.

Faced with the prospect of marriage to a man she doesn't love, Jasmine must weigh her obligations to her family against the desires of her heart.


A Love Woven True
Book 2

With memories of her loveless, arranged marriage behind her, Jasmine Houston, widowed with a young son, longs to establish her life in the bustling textile town of Lowell, Massachusetts. But news of her mother's failing health lures Jasmine back to her family's plantation in the South.

Her journey makes an unexpected turn when a deathbed promise prompts Jasmine to secure the freedom of a slave family with the help of her brother-in-law, Nolan. With a joyous return to her horse farm in Lowell--and a deepening knowledge of the love in her heart--Jasmine's future appears bright.

But as her family splinters over the slavery issue, Jasmine's unfaltering commitment to her abolitionist beliefs will be tested as she faces the prospect of losing that which is dearest to her.

The Pattern of Her Heart
Book 3

Marriage to Nolan Houston has brought deep contentment to Jasmine, and life at their horse farm on the outskirts of Lowell, Massachusetts, is both challenging and satisfying. The harmony they love is disrupted, however, when news of tragedy forces Jasmine and Nolan to uproot their family and travel south to manage the plantation of her childhood.

The reception they receive upon their arrival is anything but welcoming. Jasmine, however, is determined to uphold her anti-slavery beliefs and free the slaves laboring at The Willows. But when an explosive act destroys their plans, the lives of those they've promised to protect hang in the balance.



Postcards from Pullman



In the Company of Secrets
Book 1

Olivia Mott didn't intend to lie. Somehow, it just happened. And wasn't it all Lady Charlotte's fault anyway?

Now Olivia's position as assistant chef at Pullman's elegant Hotel Florence is dependant upon her keeping her secrets. And sometimes lies have a way of leading to other lies. Should Olivia admit her real past and accept the consequences or keep quiet in order to preserve her comfortable new circumstances?

Deception seems to be part of everyday life in the company town of Pullman, Illinois, where the grand Pullman Palace Car is manufactured. Samuel Howard, Olivia's friend and the town manager, seems to think everything is fine, but Olivia observes something quite different. Could it be that Olivia is not the only one harboring secrets?

Whisper Along the Rails
Book 2

Olivia Mott finds herself juggling two jobs: her assistant chef position at Hotel Florence and her undercover work for the Pullman Rail Car Company. Olivia thinks the suggestions she relays to Pullman's town manager are being used to improve conditions for workers and save the company money, but is something much more sinister happening behind the scenes?

Several months have passed since Lady Charlotte fled to Chicago, leaving her infant son in Olivia’s care. Now Charlotte’s money has run out. A kindly woman offers her a place to live and secures her a position at Marshall Field's store, but Charlotte's heart can't forget the past. Dare she return to Pullman to find out what happened to her baby?

An Uncertain Dream
Book 3

When Pullman Car Works employees walk out in protest of their wages and high rent, Olivia Mott is torn between her loyalty to the company and her love for Fred DeVault. Amidst the turmoil in Pullman, Fred is asked to act as a local delegate to the national convention of the American Railway Union, but when the delegates vote for a boycott of the famous Pullman sleeping cars, Olivia wonders if Fred will ever be able to show his face again in the company town. What will become of their growing affection for each other?

Traveling to England to reunite with her parents, Lady Charlotte Spencer is faced with tragedy. Armed with her fledgling faith, Charlotte decides to return to Chicago with her son to restart her life. But when Matthew Clayborn, a reporter for the Chicago Herald, wants to spend time with her, she worries about his motivations. Is he interested in her or only the information she can provide?



Daughters of Amana



Somewhere to Belong
Book 1

Johanna Ilg has lived her entire life in Main Amana, one of the seven villages inhabited by devout Christians who believe in cooperative living, a simple lifestyle, and faithful service to God. Although she's always longed to see the outside world, Johanna believes her future is rooted in the community. But when she learns a troubling secret, the world she thought she knew is shattered and she is forced to make difficult choices about a new life and the man she left behind.

Berta Schumacher has lived a privileged life in Chicago, and when her parents decide they want a simpler life in Amana, Iowa, she resists. Under the strictures of the Amana villages, Berta's rebellion reaches new heights. Will her heart ever be content among the plain people of Amana?

More Than Words
Book 2
Gretchen Kohler is an Amana storekeeper's daughter with a secret passion for writing. But artistic pursuits are frowned upon in her conservative Amana village, so she confines her poems and stories to her journals, letting only close friends read them. When a young reporter comes into her store, she believes she's found a kindred spirit. She shares a few of her stories with him--only to have her trust betrayed in the worst of ways, resulting in trouble for her entire community. The scandal is made even worse by the fact that gypsies have camped nearby and seem to be preying upon the Amanans' compassionate, pacifist nature. Will Gretchen lose her job, her reputation, and the love of her childhood beau all because of one bad decision?


A Bond Never Broken
Book 3
For many years, Ilsa Redlich has helped her parents run a hotel in South Amana, but as the United States enters the Great War, she can feel her world changing. The residents of the towns surrounding the Amana Colonies used to be accepting of their quiet, peaceful neighbors, but with anti-German sentiment running high, the Amana villages are now plagued by vandalism, threats, and insults. Things get even worse when Ilsa finds out her family won't be allowed to speak German in public—and that Garon, the childhood friend she's long been smitten with, has decided to join the army.

Jutta Schmidt is shocked when several members of the Council of National Defense show up on her family's doorstep. Sure, the Schmidts once lived in the Amana Colonies, but that was years ago. She's even more surprised when the council demands that she travel to Amana and report back on any un-American activities. Not daring to disobey the government agents, Jutta takes a job at the South Amana hotel, befriends the daughter of the owners, and begins to eavesdrop every chance she gets.

When Jutta hears Ilsa making anti-war remarks and observes Garon assisting a suspicious outsider, she is torn at the prospect of betraying her new friends. But what choice does she have? And when Garon is accused of something far worse than Jutta could imagine, can the Amana community come to his aid in time?

Freedom's Path


First DawnBook 1
Lured by the promise of "real" freedom and a new town to call their own, sharecroppers Ezekial Harban and his three daughters leave behind remnants of slavery in the war-torn south and set off for Nicodemus, Kansas. When they arrive, they are shocked to see that little of what they were promised actually exists. Many head back home, but Ezekial and his daughters are determined to build a new life in the stark territory.

Dr. Boyle, a newly arrived doctor in neighboring Hill City, is called to deliver a baby in Nicodemus. He and his family are moved by the plight of the settlers there and vow to help. But the white pioneers of Hill City face problems, too. When the lives of these two families intersect, neither town will ever be the same.

Morning SkyBook 2
Nothing will ever be the same after boisterous Aunt Lilly Verdue arrives in the new settlement of Nicodemus, Kansas, in the early summer of 1880. Her brother-in-law is not at all happy to see her, and her unwillingness to admit the reason behind her hasty exit from New Orleans only fuels the fire. She's not content to peacefully join the little farming community. No, Lilly manages to shake things up even further when she decides Moses Wyman is engaged to the wrong sister!







Daylight Comes
Book 3

Truth Wyman is happy living in the little prairie town of Nicodemus, Kansas. But when her husband becomes a state official, she is forced to move to Topeka. Her twin sister, Grace, accompanies her to the capital, but her matchmaking scheme on Grace's behalf may have unforeseen consequences, possibly jeopardizing their hometown's hopes for a rail line. In nearby Hill City, Kansas, Macia Boyle returns from her European holiday to an uncertain future, but then Garrett Johnson captures her attention. With the threat of competition, Jeb Malone's love for Macia is rekindled. Soon Macia must make a choice: Will she return to Jeb's arms or seek a new life with Garrett?


NOVELS

The Carousel Painter

Without the means to support herself after her father dies, Carrington Brouwer receives the opportunity to use her artistic talent at her friend's father's carousel factory. But the men at the factory are not happy that a woman has been given the very desirable job of painting the elaborately carved horses. When mishaps occur at the factory and jewelry disappears from the home of the factory owner, accusations swirl. Is the handsome young factory manager truly Carrie's ally or will he side with those who believe she should be fired?








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