Women of Paragon Springs Series by Irene Bennett Brown, Shana Chandler

Meg Brannon's wagon has just been hijacked by three bedraggled strangers on their way to Dodge City. On the run from an abu sive husband. Meg agrees to share her wagon with Grandma Spicy, Lucy Ann and Laddie as they search for their uncle. When they arrive in Dodge City, they learn that the uncle has died, leav ing only a small tract of land to Laddie. Meg trades for another parcel and they build themselves a home, soon to be joined by other women and children in need of a safe place... moreMeg Brannon's wagon has just been hijacked by three bedraggled strangers on their way to Dodge City. On the run from an abu sive husband. Meg agrees to share her wagon with Grandma Spicy, Lucy Ann and Laddie as they search for their uncle. When they arrive in Dodge City, they learn that the uncle has died, leav ing only a small tract of land to Laddie. Meg trades for another parcel and they build themselves a home, soon to be joined by other women and children in need of a safe place. Harassed by a cattle rancher who wants her land, and in constant fear of the bounty hunter her husband has hired to find her, Meg struggles to maintain her farm. The group starts a road ranch for travelers and sets up a newspaper and post office. Through heartbreak and joy the homestead thrives, leaving Meg to realize that she must find a way to free herself from the past. less

Book Two in the Women of Paragon Springs SeriesMeg Brown knows that her new life at her road ranch, Paragon Springs, can't truly begin until she severs all ties with the abusive husband she'd fled years before. Although fearful, she returns to St. Louis determined to find him and obtain a divorce. But Ted Malloy refuses, hoping that Meg's return will win him his dying father's favor - and fortune... moreBook Two in the Women of Paragon Springs SeriesMeg Brown knows that her new life at her road ranch, Paragon Springs, can't truly begin until she severs all ties with the abusive husband she'd fled years before. Although fearful, she returns to St. Louis determined to find him and obtain a divorce. But Ted Malloy refuses, hoping that Meg's return will win him his dying father's favor - and fortune. It's going to be a long fight, and Meg can't afford to stay away from Kansas and a simmering range war. Reluctantly, she places her destiny in the hands of her likable lawyer, Hamilton Gibbs. Back in Kansas, Meg continues to battle rancher Jack Ambler. And by the time Hamilton Gibbs wins Meg's divorce in St. Louis, he has also won her heart. Before long, they're building a family in Paragon Springs. Then Meg brings the range hostilities to a breaking point by selling the farmers barbed wire to protect their crops from Ambler's cattle. On a wire-cutting spree, Jack Ambler goes too far. . . .Irene Bennett Brown has known she wanted to write since the age of thirteen when she read Little Women. After listening to the many stories of her older family members about the early times in Kansas, she determined to tell the story of the role women and children played in developing the West. She has written several young adult books, including Before the Lark, winner of the Spur Award and nominee for the Mark Twain Award. Her first adult novel, The Plainswoman, was widely acclaimed and nominated for the Spur Award. Brown lives in Oregon with her husband, Bob. less

Hard, high plains life has turned refined southern lady, Aurelia Syming¬ton, into a work-toughened, capable woman determined to give her best to those she loves. Aurelia is chosen president of the town company when the residents decide they must make the community of Paragon Springs into a real town or move on elsewhere. Step by step, Aurelia lays out the town, promotes it, and attracts businesses and families... moreHard, high plains life has turned refined southern lady, Aurelia Syming¬ton, into a work-toughened, capable woman determined to give her best to those she loves. Aurelia is chosen president of the town company when the residents decide they must make the community of Paragon Springs into a real town or move on elsewhere. Step by step, Aurelia lays out the town, promotes it, and attracts businesses and families. Then Boot Harris, for his own profit and through fraud and violence, threatens the future of Paragon Springs. A western Kansas town can't survive unless it is the county seat and has a railroad and Aurelia goes after these improvements, but with the depression of the 1890s, two-thirds of the population leave for the Cherokee Run. Is a death-knell ringing for Paragon Springs? less

Lucy Walsh always felt beholden to her husband Admire even though her heart was in Paragon Springs. Admire had married her when no one else would, and raised Lucy's half-Sioux daughter as his own. But when Admire is killed, Lucy and her daughter Rachel return to Paragon Springs to build a future. There she meets and partners up with Tom Reilly to build an aeroplane plant that will bring good things to the future of Paragon Springs... moreLucy Walsh always felt beholden to her husband Admire even though her heart was in Paragon Springs. Admire had married her when no one else would, and raised Lucy's half-Sioux daughter as his own. But when Admire is killed, Lucy and her daughter Rachel return to Paragon Springs to build a future. There she meets and partners up with Tom Reilly to build an aeroplane plant that will bring good things to the future of Paragon Springs. But can they build on a partnership that extends beyond the business and secures love in their own lives and futures? less