With the release of the thrid book, SOONER SUNSET  to the Heartsong Bookclub, the Oklahoma Sooner Series comes to  a close and as this year comes to a close, II wanted to take a moment to reflect on how the series came about.

I loved writing this series. Guthrie, OK is just down the highway from where I live and it was so much fun doing research there. The historic downtown area is a National Historic Landmark and it is like walking back in time to stroll up and down its streets. The idea for the series was born doing just that. 

It didn’t take long to come up with all kinds of ideas on what might have happened in this town that grew almost overnight into the Territorial Capitol and then the first state Capitol.

Settlers came from all over to  turn this town into one that equaled those back East in what it offered its’ citizens. There were restaurants, and all kinds of businesses from the very beginning. There were theatres and opera houses, hotels and boarding houses and streets of lovely homes–and many of these still exsist, preserved to bring the past to life.

First up was I’D SOONER HAVE LOVE,  a story of two of the first settlers in the area and how they fell in love with each other and their new city.

Unable to give her husband children, Faith Anderson watched his love change to dissappointment before he died in a riding accident. She’s determined never to marry again, and instead plans to build a new life in Gurthrie, Oklahoma along with thousands of other settlers who have rushed to the area.

But that was before she met Gabe Logan, a man whose simple presence maker her heart race and whose kindness to others beginst to warm her heart–in spite of her best efforts to remain cold. Gabe himself has secrets in his past that he’s convinced will keep any self-repectin woman from wanting to marry him. But that doesn’t stop his traitorous heart from falling for Faith.

If the past were different, Gabe and Faith would sooner have love. Will they let their freat of disappointment and rejection keep them from accepting the love God has placed in their paths?

That story led me to want to tell Faith’s brother’s story  in SOONER SUNRISE  about two lonely hearts who long for each other.

Once Ben Thompson finds out that the Sam Carter he saved from a burning tent is really a lovely young woman named Samantha, a tiny spark of love is ignited between them. But Sam is determined to keep it from growing into a flame. She has a past she’s running from and she’s determined never to trust her heart to a man. Not even one as dependable as Ben.

Ben is just as determined to convince Sam that God Brought them together for a reason. Just as she’s beginning to believe that might be true, her past catches up with her and she’s ready to run again. Can Ben convince Same that he and his family will not hold her accountable for the rumors sperading against her? She’d bring more hurt to them by laving than any rumor ever could. Will she run or stay and fight for the love they both long for?

But Guthrie wasn’t the only place settled during the land rush. Oklahoma City grew at a rapid pace and two decades later, in SOONER SUNSET,  this famiily finds the town it helped to settle is in a battle to keep the capitol right where it is.  Charity Logan likes her life just as it is. She has the best of both worlds, living and working in Guthrie during the week and spending her weekends in Oklahoma City with her parents most weekends. She’s always prided herself on hr ability to make decisions–but that was before the governor’s campaign to move Oklahoma’s capitol from hher hometown to the city. And it was before she met Luke Johnson, a reporter she’s falling in love with but can’t fine it in herself to trust.

From the moment Luke meets Charity, he is drawn toher inner and outer beauty. Cpmsi,ed bu jos career as a reporter working for one of Oklahoma’s influential nespapers, he’s never before been interested in courting a woman–until Charity. But no matter what he does to prove his love, Luke knows something is holding Charity back.

How will Charity find the courage to trust in the mindst of an uncertain world? And thous sunset appearst to be falling on the first Sooner capital, will Luke and Charity find a hope to unite them as they face a new day?

Because these books go first to the bookclub and then out to other retailers, at this time these stories are available at: Barbour Books

My First Booksigning Tour by Rose Allen McCauley

As I began this piece about our Georgia trip (Oct. 28-Nov.6, 2011), I was reminded of how well our trip turned out, in spite of the many changes along the way. I know that was because God had His Hand over our trip guiding our way much better than our TomTom did! (Althought it did get us where we wanted to go most of the time AFTER we read the directions!)
Besides doing booksignings for Christmas Belles of Georgia, another reason for our trip was to visit the town where the book is set—Monticello, GA, and meet with and give books to the people there who helped me online and by phone interviews with info for the story. My first change occurred about a month before we left when I received an email from Rod Perry, the man in Monticello who had helped me most of all. We had already made reservations at his Warren Bed and Breakfast where my heroine had stayed, but he informed me that they’d had to sell their own home, and would be moving into the B and B soon. He also informed me that Big Chics, the restaurant where my hero and heroine ate a couple meals had been sold to another owner.
So, we made arrangements to stay in another town, but still went to visit Monticello, and I am so glad we did. We did get to meet with Rod in the midst of his moving, and did get to take a picture with him and of the outside of the lovely Band B.

And he informed us that the original owner had taken Big Chics back so we met with the owner and his mom and even sampled some fried okra from their menu. So, we did get to experience the charm of the town and people of Monticello.

 

 

 

Another stop was in Buford, GA at the Lifeway where Nora St.Laurent works and also got to visit and eat with Ane Mulligan who lives close by.

 

 

 

 

And since my hubby wore a maroon shirt like the workers there, he got requests for help by several customers!

 

 

I also did a signing at the Lifeway in Macon. But Chester wore a different shirt that day!
In Warner-Robins, I met April Gardner at church and lunch, then she spent the afternoon with me at the Warner-Robins signing. We had plenty of time to chat and share. She had been a cyber-friend up to that time, but is now a close friend and Christian sister!
My next to last signing was at the Family Christian Store in Savannah, GA where I sold out all of my books they had in stock—all 4 of them!
At the other stores I sold about 2/3 of the copies they had and signed a few more, so hopefully there were more books sold in GA then there would have been if we hadn’t gone. And since the stores only wanted books signed on the weekends, my husband and I were forced to visit Savannah and Tybee Island from Monday through Friday! I even got an idea for a book I would like to write set in the beautiful, historical town of Savannah!
I thank God for His changes for this trip and in my life. To Him be the glory!