Autumn's On Its Way

<p>In 1849 Rose and James MacKenzie homesteaded their Double MK ranch and were founders of the town of Timberline Arizona. Fifteen years and five children later their eldest Abby goes missing. Before the year ends James dies from grief. Yet Rose is no damsel in distress; the banker is not coming for her ranch--Rose owns the bank--and she dedicates her life to raising the boys managing the ranch and the search for Abby. Rose's twice broken nose and publicly stoic Scot demeanor have earned her a tough reputation and dark legends swirl around the knife she carries at her hip. Yet as years go by the winters grow deeper winds blow colder and hope of finding Abby has become a flickering ember. </p><p></p><p>Cambridge educated Lee's Army veteran KO Campbell suffered serious burn injuries during the Civil War and hopes to speed his recovery by fulfilling a dream of traveling west to complete the botanical journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. His horse slips on an icy mountainside and he literally falls into the Double MK ranch so he decides to linger and seek work there. When he meets Mrs. MacKenzie KO is startled to see a familiar face that he cannot quite place. As they work sometimes side-by-side on the ranch a kindredship develops between Rose and KO and they begin to question it from their different stations. She is the boss he is the ranch hand. She is a wealthy landowner who would never leave her mountains and family. He has a dream which can easily call him away and a secret which can hurt both of them. </p><p></p><p>Set in Arizona's dramatic diverse landscapes of tall Saguaros Ponderosa Pine lush mountain meadows and the secret caves and canyons of the Moggollon Rim Autumn's On Its Way is not a bodice ripper nor a shoot'em up it's the story of a woman's realization of her physical spiritual and emotional capacities and reemergence into life after tragedy. It's a love of life story brim full of legend mystery family relationships adventure near-death escapes and an esteemed cast of supporting real-west characters including Mangus Colorado Cochise Lozen Juh pirates privateers and Italian royalty.</p>