About the Book

Book: When You Are Near

Author: Tracie Peterson

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: March 5, 2018

After her father’s death, Lizzy Brookstone, a trick rider in the all-female Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza, wants nothing more than to quit her role as the star of the show and live a quiet life on her family’s ranch. But returning home would bring Wesley DeShazer, the ranch’s foreman and the man who broke her heart, back into her life. In addition, the Brookstones’ new manager fears that Lizzy’s departure could doom the already cash-strapped show.

Hope grows in Lizzy during a stopover at Fleming Farm. Ella Fleming not only has a natural talent for trick riding and could easily replace Lizzy, but she’s eager to join the show to flee a forced betrothal. However, while there, one of the show’s wranglers is killed in a manner Lizzy finds suspicious. And during her escape from the farm, Ella stumbles across a secret that could affect all of their lives, as well as the future of the Brookstone Extravaganza.

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Book Review:

Horses, an all-female wild west show, and God’s redeeming grace…what’s not to love!! As soon as I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I’ll have to read every book in this series since When You Are Near was so wonderful. Plus, I’ll admit, I’ve been obsessed with horses for as long as I can remember. Win-win.

Tracie Peterson has a way of layering characters so you feel connected to more than just the main people. Being able to do this really helps when you’re building a series. While When You Are Near is Lizzy and Wes’s story, you become wrapped up in the fate of all the characters, and their troubles build the suspense from one novel to the next.

Lizzy has a typical response when she loses her father. Choosing to believe in God when things are going our way is easy. It’s when we feel the entire world crumbling around us that our faith is tested. God’s ways are not our ways. A lesson Lizzy struggles to learn. She considers love a weakness when it can be our greatest strength.

I’m a sucker for a redemption story.

The historical detail was marvelous. The characters were easy to identify with, not only in their troubles but also in their strength. When You Are Near is a wonderful representation of the timelessness of God, grief, and love.

I could go on and on about what I loved, but I’d rather you read it for yourself and discover the magic!

About the Author

       Tracie Peterson (www.traciepeterson.com) is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

Guest Post from Tracie

Introducing…When You Are Near!

I’m excited about the new Brookstone Brides series and had so much fun researching for the various characters and locations. This is a story about a fictional Wild West show with all female performers. Prior to the rodeos we see today, the Wild West shows traveled throughout America and Europe to entertain people and give city dwellers a taste of what the American frontier was like. At least their version.

Buffalo Bill Cody was famous for his shows, which brought Native Americans and their culture into the world of people who might otherwise never have even seen an “Indian.” Pawnee Bill was another entertainer who sought to keep these shows alive.

For the fictional show in my novels, I wanted to focus on three female characters who became a part of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza for varying reasons. Lizzy Brookstone is the heroine in book one, When You Are Near, and as the daughter of one of the show’s owners, she has enjoyed a starring role as a trick rider.

For research I went to Pueblo, Colorado to the ranch of Karen Vold, a famous trick rider and rodeo star. Linda Scholtz, a famed trick rider, was teaching a clinic there along with Karen at the Red Top Ranch Trickriding School.

These are two remarkable Christian trick riders who have long worked to keep the sport alive. I spent three days getting to know them and what they do and learned so much. And just to prove that we weren’t all work and no play, I thought I’d share my attempt at trick riding. What I won’t do for research!

The series will have three books, as usual, and each book will focus on a different lady and her skills. Mary is a trick shooter like Annie Oakley, and Ella is a Roman rider who stands on the backs of two horses for her part in the act. It was so interesting learning about each of these types of performers, and I hope you’ll get a chance to read all three and enjoy the stories of the Brookstone Wild West Extravaganza.