I have a new series releasing April 1. It’s a weird one…because I’m me. In a nutshell, Emerson Pass is a small-town romance series. That part’s not weird for me, as that’s my lane. I have a heart for small towns, having grown up in one. I can’t seem to stop writing about them. However, the weird part about Emerson Pass is this – five of them will be set between 1910-1930 and will be about the Barnes family. The other five will be contemporary, featuring the descendants of the original characters. (That’s the weird part, in case you were wondering). The contemporary volumes will focus on rebuilding part of the community after a forest fire.
During the research for this series, I’ve had the honor to hear real people’s stories of terror and loss. Some, like in Paradise, California, barely escaped as the fire came so fast and furious no one saw it coming. The entire town was burned to the ground, leaving utter and lasting devastation. Others lost homes even though their neighbor’s house was spared. Some lost loved ones. The stories go on and on, as you know.
I’ve been incredibly moved by the resilience of the human spirit to rebuild and restart. I’ve been humbled by the bravery of the men and women who fought to keep people safe, rescue them from danger, and work tirelessly to put the fires out.
On a personal note, I’ve worried about my parents and friends who are so often threatened by fires in southern Oregon where I grew up. Almost every August they wait to hear if they’ll be evacuated as the sky thickens with smoke. One summer during a visit home, fire fighters (and their truck) parked on my parents dirt road to protect the neighborhood. My girls were little then and thought that was the coolest thing ever. My mom, not so much. Regardless, we were thankful to the men and their truck who spent night after night protecting their small part of the world.
Many of the people who lose their lives are elderly, disabled or poor. Quite simply, they can’t get out fast enough. These stories of the loss of human life saddened me and terrified me. As many of you know, my mother is disabled. I can’t help but worry about her and my dad. Which makes all this very personal to me.
Watching news coverage and documentaries about the fire fighters who run into danger to help those who cannot help themselves is one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever seen. That kind of courage is unbelievable to me. I’m pretty sure I could never be that brave.
All this to say, I’ve decided to donate part of the proceeds of this series to firefighters and their families through The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. It may not be much but at least it’s one small thing I can do to give my thanks.
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FEEL GOOD ROMANCE + A REALLY GREAT CAUSE!
Preorder The School Mistress of Emerson Pass by Tess Thompson today.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation!
RESERVE THIS 20TH CENTURY HISTORICAL ROMANCE NOW:
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2uSOrEk
Apple → https://apple.co/2wB0pmq
Kobo → http://bit.ly/32nO4hx
Nook → http://bit.ly/2SBDWyn
#TheSchoolMistress #EmersonPass #HistoricalRomance #ContemporaryRomance
#Charity #GivingBack #Philanthropy #Donate #GreatCauses #
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How easily can an open heart unlock the door to happily-ever-after?
When Miss Quinn Cooper arrives in Emerson Pass, Colorado, her entire life is packed into one small suitcase. Her widowed mother and baby sister are depending upon her for their survival back home in Boston. And the self-appointed mayor of the rugged mountain community is counting on Miss Cooper to prove herself a fitful teacher for the young and old alike.
Lord Alexander Barnes is determined to bring a bit of English civility to the wild terrain of Emerson Pass. Using his own resources, the widower and father of five builds a schoolhouse and recruits a young teacher from the east to provide an education for both the adults and the children in his rapidly growing mining town. But when the lovely, and much younger than anticipated, Miss Cooper arrives in town, Lord Barnes finds himself providing more than just employment when the boarding house proves to be an unsafe accommodation for the school mistress.
As Miss Cooper takes a room in the Barnes’ home, the five Barnes children are delighted. They are sure Miss Cooper is the perfect woman for their lonely father. But when a friend of the Englishman turns up dead, the hope for progress in the untamed town seems immediately lost. Can Miss Cooper and Lord Barnes bring change to the closed-minded locals? And will their endeavor open their hearts to something more?
The first installment of USA Today bestselling author Tess Thompson’s historical romance series brings a touch of whimsy and an extra dash of mystery to Edwardian romance. Readers will fall in love with the courageous Miss Cooper and swoon for the magnanimous English Lord as they struggle to save their exciting new world at the turn of the 20th Century.
xo
Tess
Thank you for the ARC of The School Mistress of Emerson Pass. This is the first book I read that you have written. I enjoyed the way you had the chapters be the characters story. Love the back and forth! I can picture Emerson Pass thru your description, the story of Alexander and Quinn is sweet. The children brings a smile to one’s face, everyone has run into children like that. There is a element of the bad and sad side of life, which gives it a realistic feel. The story is a good building block for the future books in the story. I can’t wait for the next book.
I will post review on Goodread and FB….Between the Chapters