American Royalty Series by Rebecca Bernadette Mance

In May 2012 promotion The Letter was ranked #39 in all books on Amazon and #6 in Romance. Thank you so much!   The Letter is a story of obsession in Victorian San Francisco...William, a banking tycoon, rules his over his kingdom taking whatever he wants. He wants Victoria Riley and he will have her at any price..... *** William paused, his glass mid-air, his eyes probing hers intently... moreIn May 2012 promotion The Letter was ranked #39 in all books on Amazon and #6 in Romance. Thank you so much!   The Letter is a story of obsession in Victorian San Francisco...William, a banking tycoon, rules his over his kingdom taking whatever he wants. He wants Victoria Riley and he will have her at any price..... *** William paused, his glass mid-air, his eyes probing hers intently."What is there to talk about? I understand exactly what you want from me, I think it was clear from your father's letter." He took a slow drink from his wine glass while watching her over the rim. "His letter in fact explained everything quite clearly and with a great deal of vigor." "I wonder . . ." he started, then paused, looking at his index finger caressing the stem of his wine glass making subtle patterns over the crystal. Her heart lurched in reaction and a shiver passed through her. "Has it occurred to you, Victoria, that I might want something from you?" he asked his voice velvety and his eyes crashed hot back into hers. The wind left Victoria's lungs. Had she heard him correctly? "From me? What could I possibly have that you would want?" She stopped when his eyes burned her with their heat. Her lips parted and the question fell from her lips in a quivering whisper, "What do you want from me?" There was an endless, tense pause while he held her prisoner with his magnetic silver gaze. "I want you," he answered in a low husky voice reaching across the table to caress her cheek with a warm succulent touch. Victoria was too profoundly affected by William's words to react to his licentious contact. "I want you to be mine," he whispered, emphasizing his lecherous intent. Recoiling from him, Victoria struggled to push her chair back. "I am leaving," she managed to choke out while she battled the train of her dress under the chair leg. "I can't believe what you just said to me. Never, ever, have I been so shocked or embarrassed in my life. Even the rowdy, rough men who came to the store and made crude comments have never embarrassed me so much." And they had never made her feel like this...all fluttering hot and quivering with need. less

He is the Iron Horse King. Jacob Ramsey is arrogant, determined and brash. His task is of epic proportions…Lincoln wants the transcontinental railroad to help win the Civil War…but everyone wants and needs this railroad to get across the country. Ramsey must build the transcontinental railroad to connect the East to the West and he can only accomplish this feat through sheer will, bold actions and hard work. Ramsey makes a devil’s deal with the government... moreHe is the Iron Horse King. Jacob Ramsey is arrogant, determined and brash. His task is of epic proportions…Lincoln wants the transcontinental railroad to help win the Civil War…but everyone wants and needs this railroad to get across the country. Ramsey must build the transcontinental railroad to connect the East to the West and he can only accomplish this feat through sheer will, bold actions and hard work. Ramsey makes a devil’s deal with the government. If he and his partners can not lay the tracks within a certain amount of time, they will lose everything, including all of their personal money. But if they win the race…Jacob Ramsey will become a very wealthy man. Ramsey might have started out selling oranges and newspapers on a street corner in Troy at the age of nine, but he plans to rule the world. It is an impossible task for a man who has no experience or education for this seemingly unattainable endeavor. With his hearty laugh and will of iron, Jacob takes on one of the greatest construction projects in U.S. History. He has no intention of losing this race despite the impossible odds. When a young woman tries to force her way on this his train, Ramsey sends her packing. He has no time for a nagging difficult woman who wants to ride out to the railhead to find her brother who has most likely abandoned track-laying to chase gold. Mary Rose is a suffragette who wants to build her own dress designing business and live in Paris. She is not in the least bit impressed by the bull of a man they call the Iron Horse King. As far as she is concerned Ramsey is an overbearing bafoon. She prefers educated docile men … her intellectual equals. Of course, Mary Rose has no use for men anyway because she has bigger plans for herself. Besides, she has been following the women’s movement in Paris, and men are not part of that plan. Ramsey is the epitome of what Mary Rose hates about men. However, she needs a ride on his train to the railhead to find her brother who left to help in the grand construction. Unfortunately, nothing can persuade the Iron-headed-bully to take her onto his train. So Mary Rose decides to dress as a young man and embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Ramsey reluctantly agrees to allow the “boy” named “Martin” to come along and help with laying the track. Time spent working at the railhead was just the thing for the lad to build muscle and character…too bad Martin cannot even lift a spike-hammer! Worse, he is a sissy…drinks tea and reads girl books! This epic journey of love and adventure is a romantic interpretation based on the facts surrounding the building of the transcontinental railroad in the U.S. This book is inspired by Charles Crocker, the real Iron Horse King and his amazing story. American Royalty is a special kind of self-made royalty, earned by hard work and determination and he was just that kind of royalty. Only in America could a young man who sold newspapers at the age of 12 to support his family, with no formal education, rise up and become an Iron Horse King and change the entire face of the United States. This is the second book in the American Royalty series dedicated to the royalty through capitalism that made America great. less

She took his hand with shaking numb fingers. He took her to the corner and leaned down low to her. "Come home with me miss, I promise I'll not hurt yur. Yer never have to do anything like this again or come over here or anywhere else and play nice with the grown up men at the races. Do yer understand me?" Jolene chewed her lip, scanning the men peering through the bathroom door at her like she was a full fried chicken box from at the Super Fried Kentucky Chicken... moreShe took his hand with shaking numb fingers. He took her to the corner and leaned down low to her. "Come home with me miss, I promise I'll not hurt yur. Yer never have to do anything like this again or come over here or anywhere else and play nice with the grown up men at the races. Do yer understand me?" Jolene chewed her lip, scanning the men peering through the bathroom door at her like she was a full fried chicken box from at the Super Fried Kentucky Chicken. And she didn't think it was because they wanted to eat something for real...unless eating another person was possible. Or unless she was fried up. And right now she felt like mashed potatoes and gravy on heels. If she stayed here, at best, she would most likely get pawed again like she did by Chad. At worst, something like what happened with Chad would happen again and eventually there would be nobody there to stop him. She could easily be trapped where nobody could hear her screams. Some man might force her to do that stuff that Aunt Paula did with the men. For certain Jolene didn't want to do that with anyone. She read her mamma's romances and knew there was a knight in shining armor for her out there somewhere. She wanted someone really nice like her daddy. Unfortunately,at this moment she had to rely on help from the horrible Irishman who stole her family property. "How do I know you won't do the same thing once I come away with you?" PatrickMcCabe laughed softly. "Now that is a smart girl to be thinking o'such things. But I've not a taste for little girls with red hair and fairy-dust-freckles, at least not baby girls at any rate. I only like very grown up women. Not to mention you're a very scrawny girl at that." He paused and smiled kindly."I swear on the Rosary you dropped on the floor that I'll not do anything to yer." Jolene looked in horror in the direction of the stall.Yes, she had taken her Rosary out when she walked into the bathroom. It had been her mother's Rosary. It gave her comfort. It helped her cope with the loss of her parents and the demons of her dreams that brought back thenight her parents were killed. It also gave her comfort at night and made her less afraid of Travis. The crystal beads winked under the florescent light. Patrick walked over, reached down and picked the Rosary up along with her small handbag and gave it to her. She opened her shaking palm and closed her fingers tight around the beads. His eyes were smiling into hers. "And yer deny being Irish." less