The Legend of Montezuma’s Gold

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Aztec were a powerful Mesoamerican civilization with a complex system of politics, trade, and administration that lived in central Mexico from about 1300 to 1521. They founded the city-state of Tenochtitlan in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. Today it’s the location of modern-day Mexico City.

They reached their pinnacle in 1519 when Hernán Cortés and his Spanish conquistadors arrived. He managed to take Tenochtitlan in 1521 with European diseases having already decimated the population, and from there the Spanish proceeded to move north into the Americas.

The Aztec emperor at the time was Moctezuma II (or Montezuma II). His treasure possibly consisted of gold bars, jewelry, coins, and elaborate headdresses. Legend states the treasure was moved to the north as Montezuma’s relationship with Cortés began to sour and was buried in northern Mexico or the southwestern area of the United States. A popular consensus is that it’s located in New Mexico or Arizona, specifically the Casa Grande region between Phoenix and Tucson, although some treasure hunters think it may be as far north as Utah.

No treasure has been found beyond a gold bar discovered in 1981 in Mexico City. It’s believed to have been looted by the Spanish during their conquest of Tenochtitlan.

* * * *

In my upcoming book, THE FALCON, Mateo and Josie are caught up in the search for an Aztec treasure that might be related to Montezuma's Lost Gold.

The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12
Coming September 22, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Nook and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Amazon, Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

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The Aztec

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Aztec of Mexico are sometimes grouped with the Mayan and the Inca, but they were separate groups. The Mayan were the oldest, with a history beginning around 2000 BC.  The Aztec lived in the 13^th and 14^th centuries in central Mexico, while the Inca also shared this timeframe but were in South America. All three fell to Spanish conquistadors in the 1500’s.

The Aztec founded a settlement called Tenochtitlan in 1325, and initially it was controlled by the Tepanec people. In 1428, the Aztec formed an alliance with two other cities and formed the Aztec Triple Alliance and were able to gain control of their region.

A ceramic sculpture representing Mictlantecuhtli,
the God of Death of the Aztecs.

The Aztec practiced bloodletting (offering one’s own blood) and human sacrifice as part of their religious practices. It’s believed the violence of the Spanish conquest against the Aztec was due in part to the Conquistadors disgust over these rituals.

The Spanish arrived in 1519, led by Hernán Cortés, and he allied with city-states opposed to the Aztec. That same year, Tenochtitlan fell and the Spanish founded Mexico City on the Aztec city’s ruins.

At its height, Aztec culture had rich and complex philosophical, mythological, and religious traditions, along with impressive artistic and architectural accomplishments.

Montezuma, the ninth Aztec Emperor of Mexico.

The legend of Emperor Montezuma’s gold claims that around 1520 the Aztec moved a vast fortune of 3,000 pounds of gold bars and other artifacts into the American Southwest to keep it out of the hands of the Spanish Conquistadors. Modern-day treasure hunters continue to search for it in Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico.

In my upcoming book, THE FALCON, Mateo and Josie are caught up in the search for an Aztec treasure in the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains in Northern Mexico.

The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12
Coming September 22, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Nook and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Amazon, Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

Connect with Kristy

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Update on The Falcon

By Kristy McCaffrey

THE FALCON, Book Twelve in my Wings of the West series, has a new release date of 9/22/26.

One goal I had was to tie it back to THE WREN (Book One), to create a satisfying bookend to the entire series, since THE FALCON will be the last book. THE FALCON features Josie, the daughter of Molly Hart Ryan from THE WREN, and the two women are very much alike.

It’s taken me longer than I’d planned to find the threads that connect the two stories, but I've finally got a handle on the recursiveness I've been searching for, and now I just need to write it. (Hint: it involves the backstories of both Molly and her husband, Matt.)

If you preordered at Apple Books or Nook, then you're fine. No need to do anything. Your e-book will be delivered to your e-reader on the new date.

If you preordered from Amazon, unfortunately your order has been cancelled. Amazon only allows a change of one month. No worries, though. You were never charged. When the book releases in September, it will of course be available on Amazon, and you'll be able to purchase it then. (Which I hope you will!!)

On release day, the book will also be available at Kobo and Google Play Books, as well as Everand and Kobo Plus.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. I think it will be worth the wait!

 The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12
Coming September 22, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Nook and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Amazon, Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

Connect with Kristy

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The Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain Range

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Sierra Madre Oriental is a 620-mile mountain range located in northeastern Mexico. It’s part of the American Cordillera, a continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western backbone of North America, Central America, South America, and Antarctica.

The Sierra Madre Oriental runs from the Rio Grande on the border of Texas down to northern Puebla. The climate is dry and semi-arid in the north with more moisture in the south, although there can be intense thunderstorms in the north, including severe hail and tornadoes.

Cerro El Potosí is the highest point, sitting at 12,208 feet.

Black bears, cougars, and bobcats can be found here, along with several species of deer and javelinas. The high cliffs offer nesting grounds for golden eagles and peregrine falcons.

Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain Range

* * * * *

In my upcoming book, The Falcon, the setting is the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains.

The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12

Coming July 3, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Amazon, Nook, and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

Connect with Kristy

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The Otomi People

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Otomi people are believed to have inhabited central Mexico starting in the 5^th millennium B.C. and may have been the first to colonize the area, predating the Aztecs and the Toltecs. They were skilled farmers, domesticating maize, beans and other crops, and they developed complex societies.

They lived in prosperity but were poorly treated by their neighbors, making it difficult to disseminate their contributions to great cities such as the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan (near Mexico City). When the city was destroyed by fire in the 6th century AD, Otomi life began to change. 

With the disappearance of Teotihuacan and the people who built it, large numbers of Nahuatl-speaking people started to enter the region of the Otomi, among these the Nahua, ancestors of the Toltecs and through them, the Aztecs. Otomi independence came to an end, but they were absorbed rather than wiped out and became subjects of the mighty Aztec empire.

Pyramid of the Sun and
the road of death in
Teotihuacan, Mexico

Otomi life changed again when the Spaniards arrived. The Otomi initially treated the Spaniards as their saviors and sought alliances to help defeat the Aztecs, helping the Spaniards as they moved against other indigenous peoples. However, the Otomi soon found they had replaced one overlord with another. The Spaniards started to apply force against them and by the beginning of the 18th century had begun to subjugate and virtually enslave all indigenous people. Many of the Otomi community fled this system of servitude, and relocated to more desolate, desert areas.

Today the Otomi people primarily reside in the central Mexican plateau, with significant populations surrounding Mexico City.

* * * * *

In my upcoming book, The Falcon, the hero and heroine come in contact with an isolated Otomi settlement in the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains.

The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12

Coming July 3, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Amazon, Nook, and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

Connect with Kristy

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Criollo Horses

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Criollo is a native of the Pampas, a low grassland area in South America. The breed is famous for its hardiness and endurance capabilities. They have a strong body with a broad chest, and are intelligent, willing, and sensible creatures.

The history of the Criollo dates to 1535 when a shipment of 100 purebred Andalusian stallions were brought from Spain to South America. In 1540, the Spaniards were forced to abandon Buenos Aires and released anywhere from 12 to 45 horses. By 1580 that feral horse population had increased to 12,000, producing an extremely hardy horse able to survive extreme heat and cold, consuming low amounts of water, and living off the dry grasses of the area.

During the 19^th century, many of the breed were crossed with imported European Thoroughbred, coach, and draft horse stallions, resulting in a larger animal with a longer stride. This nearly ruined the characteristics of the native Spanish horse. In the 1900’s, a concerted effort was made by Argentine breeders to restore the animal closer to its Chilean origins.

Today Criollos are used mainly as cow horses, but they are also excellent rodeo and endurance horses. 

In my upcoming book, two Criollo mares are brought as a gift to repay an old debt.

The Falcon by Kristy McCaffrey
Wings of the West: Book 12

Coming July 3, 2026

Mexico

December 1899 

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction. 

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead. 

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from THE WREN.

* * * * *

Available for pre-order from Amazon, Nook, and Apple Books.

(It will also be available at Kobo, Google Play Books, and in paperback on release day.)

Connect with Kristy

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Origin of the Typewriter

By Kristy McCaffrey

Henry Mill, an English inventor, patented the first typewriter in 1714, although he described it as a “Machine for Transcribing Letters.” At the start of the 19^th century, an Italian inventor named Pellegrino Turri also created a mechanical typing machine, along with carbon paper to provide the ink. These early machines were largely developed to enable the blind to write.

The first commercially successful typewriter didn’t come along until 1874, when E. Remington and Sons began producing models with the popular QWERTY keyboard layout, based on a prototype created by American inventors Christopher Latham Sholes, Carlos Glidden, and Samuel W. Soule.

The success of this last invention was twofold. First, the text could be seen as it was typed. Earlier writing machines had the paper hidden inside, making it difficult to follow the output. The second important feature was the keys could be used at speed without jamming. The QWERTY keyboard design was to avoid keys clashing together when typing combinations of letters frequently found together in common English words.

* * * * *

Don't miss THE NIGHTHAWK!

Arizona Territory
September 1899

Sophie Ryan’s dream of working for a newspaper has come true. Accompanied by her cousin, Lucas Blackmore, a newly appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal, she arrives in Jerome, one of the richest mining towns in America. And one of the most remote. Although she’s been hired to report for the Jerome Mining News on education and cultural issues, she soon finds herself immersed in something more serious when she finds an enigmatic injured man in the Black Hills claiming to be an ornithologist.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Benton McKay is undercover tracking the notorious train robbing Weaver gang, and the trail ends in Jerome. When he’s injured in the Black Hills and found by a determined and beautiful young woman, he must gain her trust to keep his identity a secret. But keeping her out of trouble proves a challenge, especially with her cousin assigned to assist him. As they track down the band of outlaws, another agenda emerges—the renegades are searching for lost gold believed to have been left behind by the Spanish Conquistadors. And Sophie Ryan is determined to report on it.

The Nighthawk is a fast-paced romantic adventure filled with humor, treasure hunting, a tenacious heroine, and a hero harboring a secret. It has light steam, a happily-for-now ending, and can be read as a standalone.

Sophie is the daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE.

Available in digital and paperback. Find more info here.

Read an excerpt

Sophie pulled free. “What are you doing here?” she whispered.

“I could ask you the same, but I don’t have time.”

McKay went to the barn door as Bromley’s light disappeared around the house. He stepped into the storm, searching the ground for Xander’s path. It became futile quickly, the ground a muddy slop. And he couldn’t keep lurking around the Bromley house. The man might see him.

When he stopped abruptly, Sophie slammed into his backside. He grabbed her shoulders before she fell, her duster slick with rain. “We need to go,” he said.

Grabbing her hand, he dragged her behind him, not stopping until they got to her horse.

“Were you following me?” she demanded.

He ignored her, grabbing her waist and hoisting her onto Roger. He took the horse’s reins from her.

“I can ride on my own,” Sophie said loudly above the din of rain.

McKay walked Roger to his own horse. Once mounted, he continued to hold Roger’s reins, not wanting to lose Sophie in the storm. It was slow going, but he finally got them to the livery where they left the animals for the night. Then McKay took her hand again and led her to his hotel.

“Where are we going?” Her voice was exasperated.

“We need privacy,” he said, taking a back way, entering the Connor Hotel through a rear entrance.

When the way was clear of employees, they went through the kitchen and took the stairs. He unlocked his door but when he stepped inside, Sophie refused.

“I’m not going into your room,” she whispered. She was dripping water all over the carpeted floor.

“Now’s not the time to play hard to get, Sophie.”

He pulled her inside and shut the door.

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Female U.S. Deputy Marshals of the Old West

By Kristy McCaffrey

The first female U.S. deputy marshal was Phoebe Couzins (born in 1842). Phoebe learned public service at a young age from her parents. After the Civil War, Phoebe and her mother joined the St. Louis Woman Suffrage Association, an organization promoting the rights of women to vote and hold political office. This led to Phoebe pursuing a law degree from the Washington University Law School in St. Louis. Upon graduating in 1871, Phoebe became the first female law graduate of the school. After passing the bar exam, she devoted herself to the women’s suffrage movement. She traveled the country giving speeches about women’s rights.

Phoebe Couzins

In 1884, Phoebe’s father was appointed U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Missouri, and he made her one of his deputies. When her father died in 1887, she was appointed as interim U.S. marshal by President Cleveland, making her the first woman to serve in that position, but it only lasted two months before she was replaced. Phoebe passed away in 1913 and was buried with her U.S. marshal badge.

F.M. Miller was appointed a U.S. deputy marshal out of the federal court at Paris, Texas, in 1891. At that time, she was the only female deputy to work in Indian Territory, part of what was known as the Twin Territories which also included Oklahoma Territory.

Ada Curnutt moved to Oklahoma Territory with her sister and brother-in-law shortly after the area opened to settlers. The young woman found work as the Clerk of the District Court in Norman, OK, and then as a deputy marshal under U.S. Marshal William Grimes. Her most famous arrest occurred in March 1893 when she brought in two fugitives wanted for forgery. She was twenty-four years old.

Two additional women served as deputy marshals in Oklahoma Territory between 1897 and 1902. S.M. Burche and Mamie Fossett worked mostly in the office, but they also served writs and warrants, as well as making arrests. They were described in the press as an adventurous class of female, young, well-educated, fearless, and independent.

* * * *

A side character in THE SWAN, Dolores Walker (Anna's cousin), is an undercover U.S. Deputy Marshal.

I've also slightly changed the blurb now that the manuscript is in editing. I've included it below.

 

Pre-Order THE SWAN

Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Google Play

(it will also be available at Kobo and in paperback on release day)

Twin Territories
November 1899 

Dr. Anna Ryan has been spurned by the Dallas medical community for the simple reason of being a woman. Wanting more than a rural practice alongside her mother, also a doctor, Anna accepts an invitation from a mentor to join a private hospital for disabled children in Oklahoma City. But when she falls in with a band of women attempting to protect the rights of Chickasaw orphans, she’ll need more than her medical training to survive.

Malcolm Hardy has skirted the line between lawlessness and justice since escaping the mean streak of his father and his no-good half-siblings a decade ago. In Oklahoma Territory he created enough distance from his family name to find a quiet purpose to his days. But then Anna Ryan walks back into his life, and his hard-won peace is in jeopardy.

The last time Malcolm saw Anna, she had been a determined girl he couldn’t help but admire. Now she was a compelling woman searching for answers that could lead straight to him. But one thing was clear—Anna’s life path was on a trajectory for the remarkable while Malcolm’s was not. Surrendering to temptation would only end in heartbreak.

Anna is the eldest daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE.

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order
Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk
Book Eleven: The Swan (Coming Soon) 

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Medicine in the 1800’s

By Kristy McCaffrey 

Doctors who practiced in the 19^th century were generally followers of Benjamin Rush. He was a well-known physician in the 18^th century who graduated from what would later become Princeton University at age 14. A brilliant and devoted practitioner who cared deeply for his patients, he nevertheless championed the principle of extreme purging and bloodletting. He believed all diseases were due to a morbid excitement induced by capillary tension, and the counteraction of treatment and outcome became termed as “allopathic” (cure by opposites). A smaller group of doctors were known as homeopaths and eclectics, but they were far fewer in number.

Benjamin Rush

 

In the 19th century physicians were generally held in low esteem, but between 1890 and 1910 there were impressive scientific advances. They included practical methods to measure blood pressure and temperature, standardized eye tests, electrocardiograms and x-rays, chemical and bacteriological tests, diphtheria antitoxin, vaccines for rabies and typhoid, the Wasserman test (a test for syphilis antibodies), and the drug Salvarsan (also known as compound 606) for the treatment of syphilis. These developments greatly advanced the practice of medicine along with the standing of physicians, which reached its peak in the 1920s.

The American Medical Association (AMA) was established in Philadelphia in 1847 in response to widespread medical quackery, the unregulation of medical schools, and the unreliability of medical journals. The AMA reached its power between the periods of 1890 to 1920. It had a Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry, which regulated the pharmaceutical industry. It had a section for New and Official Remedies. The AMA also changed the focus of advertising. Earlier, companies advertised directly to the public. The AMA was able to stamp that out, allowing only advertising directly to physicians. The Council on Medical Education had the force of law, and the state licensing boards followed what the AMA wanted. The result was steadily rising standards.

Pre-Order THE SWAN

Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Google Play

(it will also be available at Kobo and in paperback on release day)

Oklahoma Territory
November 1899 

Dr. Anna Ryan has been spurned by the Dallas medical community for the simple reason of being a woman. Wanting more than a rural practice alongside her mother, also a doctor, Anna accepts an invitation from a mentor to join a private hospital for disabled children in Oklahoma City. But when she falls in with a band of women attempting to liberate a town of innocents, she’ll need more than her medical training to survive.

Malcolm Hardy has skirted the line between lawlessness and justice since escaping the mean streak of his father and his no-good half-siblings a decade ago. In Oklahoma Territory he created enough distance from his family name to find a quiet purpose to his days. But then Anna Ryan walks back into his life, and his hard-won peace is in jeopardy.

The last time Malcolm saw Anna, she had been a determined girl he couldn’t help but admire. Now she was a compelling woman who needed his help to find The Swan, a mysterious figure with a questionable reputation. But one thing was clear—Anna’s life path was on a trajectory for the remarkable while Malcolm’s was not. Surrendering to temptation would only end in heartbreak.

Anna is the eldest daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE. 

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order
Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk
Book Eleven: The Swan (Coming Soon)

 

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Pre-Order The Nighthawk!

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

The newest Wings of the West novel is almost here!

Arizona Territory
September 1899

Sophie Ryan’s dream of working for a newspaper has come true. Accompanied by her cousin, Lucas Blackmore, a newly appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal, she arrives in Jerome, one of the richest mining towns in America. And one of the most remote. Although she’s been hired to report for the Jerome Mining News on education and cultural issues, she soon finds herself immersed in something more serious when she finds an enigmatic injured man in the Black Hills claiming to be an ornithologist.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Benton McKay is undercover tracking the notorious train robbing Weaver gang, and the trail ends in Jerome. When he’s injured in the Black Hills and found by a determined and beautiful young woman, he must gain her trust to keep his identity a secret. But keeping her out of trouble proves a challenge, especially with her cousin assigned to assist him. As they track down the band of outlaws, another agenda emerges—the renegades are searching for lost gold believed to have been left behind by the Spanish Conquistadors. And Sophie Ryan is determined to report on it.

Come along with Sophie and McKay as they find adventure, mystery, and love.

Sophie is the daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE.

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order

Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk

[Benton is undercover, alias Ben Lewis, and has been shot in the wilderness near Jerome, Arizona Territory. Sophie found him and nursed him back to health in secret. She's currently in possession of a map that leads to Spanish gold, and Benton wants it.]

“Your wound,” Sophie said. “You’ve reopened it.”

McKay followed her gaze. “It looks that way.”

“Let me have a look.”

“I’m fine.”

“I didn’t stitch you back together to have you undo it all.”

She reached for the collar of his shirt, but he caught her wrists before she could touch him. His hands were warm and larger than she’d realized, his gaze hard and filled with wanting. For her.

It had always been there, some part of her having sensed it, but now she knew for certain.

“You probably shouldn’t keep touching me,” he said.

“You’re touching me.”

She was close enough to see the slight flare of his nostrils and the rapid pace of his breath. He gave a slight nod and released her. She leaned away, putting distance between them.

“Will you at least rebandage it?” she said.

“I’ll look at it.”

“Then it’s time I left.” She picked up her notebook that he’d placed on the bed beside him.

“Will you promise me something?” he asked.

She waited for him to continue.

“That you won’t follow that map by yourself.”

“Are you offering to accompany me?”

“Sophie, this is dangerous. You should give that evidence to me and let me handle it.”

The rush of euphoria from a moment ago slid away. Was Ben Lewis playing on her obvious weakness for him to manipulate her? Her cheeks heated with embarrassment, and she hid the response by standing and reaching for her satchel.

“After I went to all the effort to get it?” she said, placing the notebook in her bag, the blanket dropping from her shoulders and falling to the floor. “If it’s all the same to you, I’ll hang on to it.”

She put on her coat, still soaked, but she didn’t care, and grabbed her drenched hat. “I’ll be seeing you, Ben.”

The Nighthawk is coming on July 17, 2024

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