Crossing the Wide Forever

By Missouri Vaun

Cody Walsh leaves Arkansas for California. Lured by stories of opportunity, even for women, Cody disguises herself as a man and prepares for the arduous journey west.

Lillie Ellis leaves New York to accept a post as a schoolteacher on the frontier near a small homestead she just inherited from her uncle. Lillie’s ultimate desire is to become a painter, and she hopes the Kansas frontier will offer her the freedom to follow that dream. In the nineteenth century, a young woman has few options in the East that don’t revolve around marriage and motherhood. Lillie is interested in neither.

Cody rescues Lillie after a chance encounter in Independence, Missouri. Their destinies and desires become entwined as they face the perils of the untamed West. Despite their differences, they discover that love’s uncharted frontier is not for the weak in spirit or the faint of heart.

"Crossing the Wide Forever is a near-heroic love story set in an epic time, told with almost lyrical prose. Words on the page will carry the reader, along with the main characters, back into history and into adventure. It’s a tale that’s easy to read, with enchanting main characters, despicable villains, and supportive friendships, producing a fascinating account of passion and adventure." –Lambda Literary Review

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Release Date June 1, 2017

Words 75,000

ISBN-13 978-1-62639-852-8

File Formats epub, pdf

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Sacred Ground

By Missouri Vaun

Amnesia

California

Bisexual

Demon hunter Jordan Price has a sacred calling she can’t escape. But when her target turns out to be an innocent, the truth shakes the foundations of her belief. Betrayed, conflicted, and badly wounded, Jordan retreats to consecrated ground to recover.

Grace Jameson wakes in a shallow grave, terrified and alone. She stumbles toward a light in the thick woods with no memory of how she got there. The light from a cabin window guides her through the darkness until she collapses.

The last thing Jordan needs is a beautiful stranger showing up in the one place she thought was truly safe. She’s certain Grace is not who she claims to be, but as the days pass, an overwhelming attraction builds between them. Doubts are vanquished by desire until Jordan discovers Grace’s demonic secret. Jordan is honor bound to hunt her, but Grace may be the only thing standing between Jordan and certain death.

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Forever's Promise

By Missouri Vaun

Marriage of Convenience/Fake Relationship

Wesley Holden migrated west with her brother, Clyde, to build a life neither of them could hope for back East. To share the homestead claim, Wesley had to disguise herself as a man. As brothers, Wesley and Clyde began to carve a new home out of the Kansas frontier. When Clyde is unexpectedly killed, Wes is left alone with the farm, determined to carry on, but more isolated as the days pass.

Romanced and abandoned, Charlotte Rose embarks on a journey west in search of a better life. But the trip is cut short by disaster. Even worse, Charlotte can’t return home because she discovers after arriving in Kansas that she’s pregnant. Her only hope is to find a frontier husband. Desperate and out of options, Charlotte is resolved to win Wes’s heart.

Allowing Charlotte to get too close is dangerous. If Wes marries, she’ll have to reveal her secret and risk everything for a woman who might never really love her, but resisting Charlotte is easier said than done.

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The Lonely Hearts Rescue

By Missouri Vaun and Others

Homecoming

Veterinarians

Animals

Friends to Lovers Romance

When a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast, the animals at the Lonely Hearts Rescue Shelter need love, and so do the humans who adopt them.

Something About You by Morgan Lee Miller. After rescuing a cat stranded in the hurricane, animal control officer Reese Shepard is adamant about finding shy, timid Apollo the best forever home. When she discovers Apollo giving cheek rubs to Hannah Marsh, Reese’s high school crush, she’s captivated by her all over again.

Force of Nature by Missouri Vaun. Rebekah Hawks has stepped in to help with hurricane disaster relief. Challenges are no match for Rebekah. At least until she agreed to foster an impossible dog. Rebekah has no choice but to seek the aid of handsome local dog trainer Rory Maclaren. But who is training whom?

Test of Faith by Nell Stark. Rescuing a dog is a dream come true for Faith Kincaid—and a chance to prove to herself that she really can, in the words of her therapist, “commit to commitment.” When Faith takes her new best friend, Pinoe, to the vet, she can’t stop staring at Dr. Delphine Wu. Del is completely out of Faith’s league. Or is she?

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Slow Burn

By Missouri Vaun

Firefighters

Friends & Community

Homecoming

Actors/Artists

Small Town Romances

California

First Responders

Firefighter Grayson Reeves barely survived a harrowing California wildfire, and the experience has shaken everything she believes about herself. Returning to her hometown of Sky Valley, NC, to heal and regroup seems like a good idea, but past mistakes and a small town that never forgets are painful reminders of why she left.

Faith Owen didn’t grow up in Sky Valley, but when an opportunity arises to relocate to one of her favorite childhood haunts, she jumps at the chance. A new environment is just what she needs to refocus on her art and regain her confidence after her last ill-fated relationship left her with loads of self-doubt.

When Faith meets Gray, she sees a suffering soul in need of saving. Gray can only see a woman for whom she could never be enough. Despite their misgivings, their mutual attraction ignites passions neither can fight.

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The Mandolin Lunch

By Missouri Vaun

Music

Children’s book illustrator Garet Allen has just escaped her most recent ill-fated relationship and accepts a temporary teaching position at a rural public school. After all, how hard can teaching kids about art really be? Apparently, pretty hard because her first day on the job is a complete disaster, and that has nothing at all to do with the fact that Tess Hill, the captivating and overly conscientious music teacher, shares the same classroom.

Tess, a dedicated teacher and single mother focused on creating a stable life for her daughter, is immediately attracted to the handsome, cavalier Garet for all the wrong reasons. Everything about Garet says short-term, and Tess refuses to consider anything less than forever. She’s not about to give her heart away to someone she can’t count on.

Can Garet and Tess survive three months sharing the same classroom without killing each other…or falling in love?

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The Sea Within

By Missouri Vaun

Dystopian

Scientists have sounded alarms about the demise of Earth’s oceans for decades, and now the extinction event is here. As the world braces for disaster, paleobotanist Dr. Elle Graham finds a possible cure. Unfortunately, it’s been extinct for over one hundred thousand years.

Captain Jackson Drake lives in the past because she can’t stand to face the present after the woman she loved sacrificed herself to save others, a casualty of a world ravaged by superbugs.

The last person Jackson wants to travel back in time with is another woman trying to save the world at the cost of her own life. When things go sideways on primeval Earth, Jackson and Elle must put aside conflicts and work together to save the mission. Faith in each other just might give them the strength to save the world and rescue a broken heart in the process. But can Elle convince Jackson that the future is worth saving?

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Reviews

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- It was written with passion and the adventurous spirit of those who made the journey all those years ago.
- By Netgalley.com
  on Jun 21, 2017 01:06
- I really enjoyed this book. It was written with passion and the adventurous spirit of those who made the journey all those years ago. It is a really enjoyable book and I could not put it down.
  
  There are two main characters. Lillie from New York from a well educated and privileged background inherits her uncle's farm in Kansas and decides to make the journey west to new lands. Cody has a simple life on a farm in Arkansas, after her mother died her father became a violent drunk. So she leaves and asks her aunt to look after her younger sister while she travels west looking for her brother. She also dresses as a man so she can travel easier and find work. They meet in St Louis and decide to marry knowing each was female. Then they continue the arduous journey west to Lillie's farm. That is all you are getting. Want more? Then read it.
  
  What I loved most about this book is the open spaces and freedom that going west gave these settlers. Yes, it must have been very hard. Harder for Lillie than Cody. It took hard work and courage which I think the author portrayed really well. I've read a few lesbian westerns and I would put this right up there with them. I also would not mind a sequel. I think there is more to Lillie and Cody's story to be told.
  
  I think Vaun described the two women well. Lillie being a positive and confident young woman. Cody strong but not having much confidence in herself, probably due to her father's beatings.
  
  This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be looking out for more by her.
  
  Yes I would definitely recommend this book.
  
  Reviewed by Jane Shambler
- I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
- By Netgalley.com
  on Jun 19, 2017 02:06
- Historical fiction and lesbian romance … what a great combination! I loved this book and was caught up in the story immediately. One of my hobbies is genealogy and I have learned that many of my ancestors rode wagon trains in the 1850’s to settle in the Midwest. I experienced an instant melding with the characters.
  
  The two main characters are Lillie and Cody. Lillie is from New York City and longs to be free of the confines of societal rules for women. She inherits a Kansas farm and heads out west against her parents’ wishes. Cody, on the other hand, is from Missouri and is running from an abusive father. They meet up and join a partnership to help achieve their goals and dreams.
  
  Ms. Vaun did a wonderful job of character development. I loved the way she would not only display the dialogue, but also the mental thoughts of the characters. This mental dialogue allowed the reader to also feel the “real” thoughts and emotions of the characters.
  
  The story was well written and quite conceivable. You can tell that Ms. Vaun did her research work on the development of the story. The scenes where smooth and flowed together in such a way that you wanted to continue reading. At the end of each chapter the story pulled me into the next chapter.
  
  The romance between Lillie and Cody was convincing. Instead of the usual attraction followed by jump in the bed romance, this book was quite the opposite. First there is a connection and then attraction. This allure builds through their day to day interactions and eventually a mutual agreement to help each other to meet their goals. Of course, through this partnership, love grows and with it comes the passion.
  
  I highly recommend this historic romance. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.
  
  Reviewed by Patty Anderson
- The romance was so sweet as Cody and Lillie worked together
- By Netgalley.com
  on Jun 11, 2017 10:06
- I have an appreciation for historical reads with interesting and engaging leading ladies. Cody Walsh is unsure of the fortitude she has yet she knows life can and should be better for her and her sister. Lillie Ellis is naïve to some extent but has a willingness to go after what she wants. The description of the landscape, people and hardships was so well articulated that I felt for and cheered for the leading ladies. The romance was so sweet as Cody and Lillie worked together to overcome various challenges. I also learned about geography, travel, and farming during that time period which in my opinion is a good thing when you can be entertained and learn while reading a good story.
  
  Reviewed by Anja Schindler
- Written with passion and the adventurous spirit of those who made the journey all those years ago
- By Netgalley.com
  on Jun 9, 2017 12:06
- I really enjoyed this book. It was written with passion and the adventurous spirit of those who made the journey all those years ago. It is a really enjoyable book and I could not put it down.
  
  There are two main characters. Lillie from New York from a well educated and privileged background inherits her uncle's farm in Kansas and decides to make the journey west to new lands. Cody has a simple life on a farm in Arkansas, after her mother died her father became a violent drunk. So she leaves and asks her aunt to look after her younger sister while she travels west looking for her brother. She also dresses as a man so she can travel easier and find work. They meet in St Louis and decide to marry knowing each was female. Then they continue the arduous journey west to Lillie's farm. That is all you are getting. Want more? Then read it.
  
  What I loved most about this book is the open spaces and freedom that going west gave these settlers. Yes, it must have been very hard. Harder for Lillie than Cody. It took hard work and courage which I think the author portrayed really well. I've read a few lesbian westerns and I would put this right up there with them. I also would not mind a sequel. I think there is more to Lillie and Cody's story to be told.
  
  I think Vaun described the two women well. Lillie being a positive and confident young woman. Cody strong but not having much confidence in herself, probably due to her father's beatings.
  This is my first book by this author but I will definitely be looking out for more by her.
  
  Reviewed by Jane Shambler (
- There is some excitement and danger, but all in all, a happy ending.
- By Netgalley.com
  on Jun 9, 2017 11:06
- This was a good, historic-fiction, by Vaun. I like how Vaun writes, and I easily got sucked into this story...
  
  The story is about two mains, Lillie and Cody. Lillie, is well bread and raised in New York. Her uncle dies and left a homestead in Kansas, in her name. Lillie decides she will travel there, to live by herself. Cody is from Arkansas, dealing with an abusive father. She finally has enough and runs off towards California to be with her brothers. Cody has always been lean and tall, not many outward signs she is a woman. Cody dresses in her cousins clothes and pretends to be a man. Lillie and Cody meet on a steamer, and decide being together, would be safer for both of them. Will Lillie and Cody remain friends, or will the sparks surrounding them turn into something more?
  
  I've read other books and seen movies about what it was like during these times of westward expansion. I'm very happy for the most part, this was a feel good story. There is some excitement and danger, but all in all, a happy ending. It gives me hope during these tough times, some gay women still found happiness.
  
  I thought all the traveling aspects were very well done. The wagon train, the steamers, Vaun obviously did her homework. I felt like I was there in the old west. I also thought Vaun did a nice job of putting together a romance, with everything else going on....
  
  I would recommend this to historic-fiction fans, or fans of the old west. Vaun is a good writer, and I always look forward to her books.
  
  Reviewed by Lex Kent