Left as a widow and single mother after the Civil War claimed her husband, Hazel Walker has decided it is time for a change. She will leave her home in Philadelphia to join her sister in Oregon and offer her young daughter a fresh start. The problem, however, lies in her limited means to journey to the wild American West, and she has but one option: to marry a man who can take her there.
When a newspaper advertisement introduces her to widower and father-of-two Elijah Crawford, Hazel prepares to leave behind all she has ever known and set about traversing the country with the help of the stranger she will soon call husband and the quirky members of the wagon train.
Will Hazel succeed in finding the new beginning she seeks for herself and her daughter, or will the untamed wilderness along the Oregon Trail claim her last bit of hope? Can she learn to accept the developing affection she feels for the kind and capable Elijah, or is her heartache for William fated to plague her forever?
Zoe started writing as a young teenager and has kept that passion alive throughout her life. At any one time, she can be found relaxing and devouring a good western or paranormal romance, or gathering information for one of her own future books.
She loves living in the high mountain deserts of the western United States. Her perfect summer days would be spent up at the family cabin writing, painting, hiking, and spending time with family.
Zoe also publishes romances under the pen names Melynda Olsen and Sage Williams. View all by Zoe Matthews
