Held five years in captivity by the Comanche, Katherine Bellamy and the child she brings home are shunned by polite Texas society. Her brother Ford wasn’t a man to settle down-he’d gone away, seeking a life of adventure, trying to forget the girl who waits at home.When Kate sets out to find Ford and bring him home, she encounters Slade, a mercenary soldier and Texas Ranger who rides the plains, … plains, seeking revenge for the deaths of his wife and infant son. Sparks fly whenever the two are together, but Katherine fears that Slade will discover her greatest secret.As their attraction becomes impossible to deny, Kate wonders-can they build some semblance of a normal life together? Will either of them want to try? Praise for Winds Across Texas:”Action packed and poignant. ..builds tension from the very beginning and will keep you turning pages until the very end. Ms. Tanner’s straightforward style never allows for a dull moment.”-Linda Sandifer, author of Embrace The Wind”Susan Tanner captures the fierce independence and adventurous spirit that marked the developing West. A heart-touching read.” -Elizabeth Leigh, author of Prairie Ecstasy
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A step back in time, showing the good and yet the bad of the times.
Katherine had been a captive of the Comanche an although she was not the wife of the warrior Wolf Killer, her friend ** was. Since ** had been ill since the birth of her daughter, Katherine became a second mother to the girl. Then the Soldiers came and her life changes dramatically.
She’s been home a while now, and her brother has taken off to parts unknown. Then Slade a Texas Ranger shows up with information, and not what anyone wants to hear, her brother, thinking he’s wanted for murder has taken up with outlaws selling weapons to the Comanche. Hinting that he want’s a family member to help with his search, he leaves without a doubt knowing Katherine will follow.
There are many trials and tribulations on the road, and Katherine makes some difficult choices, more than once.
Slade has his own demons and finding Katherine’s brother really doesn’t have much to do with them.
Fast-paced, intriguing, action packed, romantic and so much more will have you turning the pages to see what happens next.
Susan Tanner has an epic voice that serves this historical romance well. The characters get their hooks into right away, and the story takes off and doesn’t slow until the end. Highly recommended.
I put my life on hold while I read this book, because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Katherine and Slade’s captivating story grabbed my emotions at the very beginning and didn’t let go until the last page, when I could finally breathe again.
I never expected to get so involved with the characters, but the author brings each one to life with her poignant descriptions of their challenges, joys and sorrows on the dangerous Texas frontier. And the settings are so real: the small town of New Braunfels, the Comanche camp, the Staked Plains and the Army forts, each location pulling the reader into the harsh existence of that time. I could almost feel the dust, hunger, bitter cold and utter desolation of Katherine’s exhausting ride in search of her wayward brother, Ford.
I won’t go into more details, because nothing should spoil this gripping plot with its many dramatic twists and turns. But the best part of this story is the growing love between Katherine (the outcast “white squaw”) and Slade (the bitter, lonely Ranger). Will they come through it all to find their Happily Ever After? Hold your breath, jump in and read this engrossing story to find out. Highly recommended!
The brave heroine of this story is Katherine Bellamy, who was held captive by the Comanche for several years before getting away and returning to her Texas hometown. She and the child she brings home with her are shunned by the townsfolk but she’s determined to return to being close to her family. She leaves the child with her aunt and heads out to locate her brother who has gone missing, encountering a Texas Ranger named Slade along the way. Sparks fly between them, and I got completely wrapped up in this story that is romance, adventure, and 1850s history wrapped up one. Loved it!
Katherine Bellamy, the youthful heroine of Winds Across Texas (Secret Staircase Books, 2019) by Susan Yawn Tanner, was kidnapped by Comanche in Texas, lived with them for a time, even living there willingly eventually, and became protective of an infant girl. When soldiers massacre the Comanche, Katherine saves the child by claiming the baby is her own. Katherine is returned to her maiden aunt on a ranch near a small town, where people turn against her because they believe her to be the mother of the child. Despite the hostility, Katherine protects the child, holds her head up high, but she also hardens her own heart.
Slade, a Ranger on a mission that endangers Katherine’s brother, Ford, crosses paths with her, and they angrily confront each other on her aunt’s ranch over accusations about her brother.
Slade, who is a man with secrets of his own, soon heads out on his mission to capture Ford and his renegade companions. But Katherine sets out on her own to save her brother from Slade, entrusting Shea to the care of her aunt. Peril and conflicts await them both.
Hence, as both the love story and the dangers slowly build, readers can appreciate that Winds of Texas is a classic western action/adventure romance, and that’s stated as a compliment. All the elements are present—the conflict, the heroine and hero, the dangers and adventures, the wild west setting, and side characters and side stories that round out the plot. Susan Tanner does a wonderful job in spinning the tale, and her language is rich with telling images and vivid descriptions. Tanner also captures the emotions of her characters in authentic, moving phrases and scenes. This is a jewel of a story, with the developing romance well done amidst the dangers confronting Katherine, Slade, and her brother. The child, Shea, will steal readers’ hearts in a hurry. Tanner even gives Katherine’s horse a distinct personality that adds to the story.
Winds Across Texas was initially published in 1994 by Leisure Paperbacks, but has been re-issued by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group (March 15, 2019). It is available in e-book and in paperback.