Sara's husband was a disappointment in life, but she had to admit he was a handsome corpse.  Climb aboard an 1856 Dallas-bound wagon train and join a plucky female protagonist for the journey of a lifetime in Laurie Moore-Moore's richly entertaining new book, Gone to Dallas, The Storekeeper 1856-1861. Far from your average historical novel or western, Gone to Dallas is a compelling tale of migration, betrayal, death and dreams-peppered with real people, places, and events. With a cast of interesting characters and more bumps and hazards than a wagon trail, Gone to Dallas tells the unforgettable story of a formidable frontier woman in the context of true Texas history. It had seemed so romantic - and now so long ago - when Morgan Darnell courted Sara in Tennessee, finally convincing her they should marry and join an 1856 "Gone to Texas" wagon train traveling along the "Trail of Tears," through Indian territory, and across the Red River into Texas. In a twist of fate, Sara arrives in Dallas a 19-year-old widow, armed with plenty of pluck, and determined to open a general store in the tiny settlement of log cabins on the Trinity River. Standing in her way as a young woman alone are a host of challenges. Can Sara (with the help of her friends) pull herself up by the bootstraps and overcome uncertainty, vandalism, threats, and even being shot? Follow Sara as she strives to create her store (Sara's Mercantile Emporium) while living Dallas' true history - from the beginnings of La Réunion (the European colony across the Trinity) to a mud and muck circus, a grand ball and the mighty fire that burns Dallas to the ground. Dallas is a challenging place, especially with the Civil War looming. Even with the friendship of a former Texas Ranger and Dallas' most important citizen - another woman - is Sara strong enough to meet the challenge? The risks are high. Failure means being destitute in Dallas! In Gone to Dallas, The Storekeeper 1856-1861, author Laurie Moore-Moore spins a page-turner of a Texas tale salted with historically accurate events and populated with real characters. It's Portis' True Grit meets Texas history.

The Civil War hardly scratched the Confederate state of Texas. Thousands of Texans died on battlefields hundreds of miles to the east, of course, but the war did not destroy Texas's farms or plantations or her few miles of railroads. Although unchallenged from without, Confederate Texans faced challenges from within—from fellow Texans who opposed their cause. Dissension sprang from a multitude of seeds. It emerged from prewar political and ethnic differences; it surfaced after wartime hardships and potential danger wore down the resistance of less-than-enthusiastic rebels; it flourished, as some reaped huge profits from the bizarre war economy of Texas. Texas Divided is neither the history of the Civil War in Texas, nor of secession or Reconstruction. Rather, it is the history of men dealing with the sometimes fragmented southern society in which they lived—some fighting to change it, others to preserve it—and an examination of the lines that divided Texas and Texans during the sectional conflict of the nineteenth century.

Grayson's Story: An NICU Pandemic Blessing is the heart-warming journey of baby Grayson and his mother as they spend a fortnight in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic, only a few weeks after his birth. Based on real events, this beautifully illustrated inspirational story is for parents and babies who have been or are going through unexpected life-threatening medical experiences at the early stage of baby's life. Capturing the unconditional love and bond of Grayson and his mother, it highlights key elements of the recovery process and shows the importance of remaining optimistic, having faith, and being in good spirits in spite of all the emotions and uncertainty. Written with a flowing rhyme, this book will be fun to read with little ones to let them know how much they are cherished. It will also encourage parents in their time of doubt, giving them some assurance that they are not alone.

BY THE SPRING OF 1846...the tinderbox of the Mexican-American War needs only a first spark to explode. Two powerful enemies plot Mexico's defeat for diabolically opposing reasons. President Polk enlists secret agent Jack Dancer for a suicide mission to single-handedly expose the Southern slavocracy's plot to steal victory from the American Army and claim new territory for slavery...as America's Manifest Destiny hangs in the balance. On a collision course with her own destiny the headstrong war correspondent Samantha Swift races to the Rio Grande to report exclusively on the looming battles from behind Mexican lines. Failure risks forfeiting her vast...and stolen...newspaper fortune. But as their lives collide from New York and Charleston to New Orleans and Matamoros Swift and Dancer are thrust into a struggle against all odds to unscramble a grisly murder...outwit a mysterious organization out to kill them...and decipher the key to a lost treasure...before war destroys everything. Discover an era torn apart by greed and power but united by the tenacity of Swift and Dancer.