Ruby Sanders is the coming of age story of a young slave girl and her relationship with two very different men, Jared Anderson, the son of a wealthy planter and Mingo Williams, the son of a planter and his slave mistress The Civil War has ravished the plantations around Atlanta and then news comes from the North that President Lincoln has found a new general who’s willing and able to carry out his scorched earth policy towards the South. Playmates since children, Jared has vowed to free Ruby and her family but he must also save his own. In order to that, he has come up with a daring plan to move everyone, including Ruby, west to the newly opened Colorado Territories. But there’s a problem. Jared and his family are broke. He’s forced to marry the young impetuous daughter of Henry and Helen Wilkes in order to obtain enough money to carry out his plan. When Mingo joins the group will his presence destroy Jared’s plans? Or will Jared and Ruby live happily ever after?

Author Eliza Ankum has done what few writers of Historic Fiction can – brought her star-crossed lovers from her best-selling Civil War romantic epics, Ruby Sanders and Jared Anderson into the 21st Century with a well-crafted Contemporary Women’s fiction novel Ruby and Jared jumps ahead decades to the here and now, when all colors of love are possible. But when your heart is broken, it’s difficult to love. Ruby Sanders Williams is an out of work financial journalist who thinks that by scoring the most coveted story of the century – Jared Anderson’s defection from Crawford & Anderson Mining – she can redeem herself and get her job back after a very public and disastrous breakup with her boyfriend, Derek, who also happens to be her boss. So, Ruby is determined to find out why Jared Anderson, a multi-millionaire, married to one of the most celebrated beauties in the world, walked away from the company built by his great, great, great, great grandfather, Jared Anderson, on land stolen from Ruby’s family. A grieving husband, Jared Anderson is finally on the road to recovery after suffering the bitterest of betrayals by two people he thought he knew and could trust. Living a lonely and guarded life with his son, Lucas, can Jared learn to love and trust again? Will he allow Ruby into his inner circle? And what, after all these years, does he have planned for the man who betrayed him? Will these two star crossed lovers, resurrected from a time so long ago, finally find a true and lasting love and live happily ever after? Ruby and Jared gives us hope that love can survive a multitude of hurts, betrayals, and even death.

The novel is a rough gem. It does have a characteristic skin with iron stains. Like most rough gems, the novel isnt free from inclusions or blemishes. The novel portrays a slice of gem trade replete with black humor and raunchy dialogue, along with a cast of 90s impresarios, bozos, lust-driven wives, gangsters and plain Joe Does. All are swept up in this tornado of a plot.

This book is based on an actual romance told in the future where a widely known archivist hunts for the truth about a famous love affair. Much more than a romance book, this is a magnetic, enticing truth-based tale that will appeal to mature readers as well as younger romantics.

*Over 450 recipes, historical and new, from timeless and treasured favorites. *Cross-referenced index. *Attractive pen & ink sketches by area artists of local landmarks. *Twenty-one sections from appetizers to pies *Local stories and memories recounted such as "Those Were the Days", "Travelin'", "Readin', 'Ritin', 'n 'Rithmetic".

"John Chinoweth, Gent., blacksmith and surveyor, was born at St. Martins in Menage, Cornwall Co., Wales--now England about 1682-3 ... John Chinoweth and Mary Calvert, daughter of Charles Calvert, third Lord Baltimore were married about 1705 ..."--Page 39. John came to America, date unknown, and " ... settled on Gunpowder River, near Joppa, Baltimore County, Maryland, on an estate belonging to the Calverts which was called "Gunpowder Manor."--Page 39. "In Frederick County, Virginia, on April 11, 1746, John Chinoweth, blacksmith, made his will, probated May 6, 1746." ... From this will it is shown that he must have been visiting his sons in Virginia, for there are no land grants, patents, or deeds showing that he ever purchased land there ..."--Page 40. Descendants lived in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, South Dakota, Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Arizona and elsewhere.

Born the only son of wealthy slave holding plantation owner Jared Anderson has loved but one woman, Ruby Sanders, since they children growing up together on the plantation. But Ruby is a slave. And when their love for each other was discovered, Ruby was sent off to another plantation. It is nearing the end of the Civil War and Jared has made the ultimate sacrifice. He has become a deserter from the Confederate Army in order to fulfill a promise he made to Ruby when they were children -- that one day she would be free. To full-fill that promise Jared has moved his entire family, including Ruby, west to the Colorado territories. Along the way, they encountered drought, fire, a raging Mississippi River and two unexpected rivals. Now, those rivals are about to play an integral part in Ruby and Jared’s destiny. We pick up the story as Mennonite outcast Lorelei Hansmueller has followed Jared to Fort Latham, Colorado, after the death of her father, in hopes of making Jared her husband. Is Lorelei too late? On the night of the fire, that destroyed Henry Wilkes’ new home, Ruby and Jared finally gave in to their passion and Ruby is pregnant with Jared’s child. But can Ruby and Jared hold onto their relationship in a time when love, let alone marriage, between the races is strictly forbidden? Or will Lorelei force Jared into another loveless marriage with the threat of revealing his deadly secret?