Emma Peterson

Left the sole survivor of a killing spree, Emma Peterson sets off for a new life far from her family’s Missouri farm. But her dangerous journey westward brings her directly into the path of three dangerous predators. When she discovers the last of the murderers on a wagon train bound for California, she concocts an elaborate plan for revenge. But will her vengeful scheme cost the young girl the ultimate price?

Emma’s peaceful life on the frontier is shattered when Missouri Marauders ride onto her family farm, leaving her the sole survivor of their killing spree. But escaping three murderers is only the beginning of her troubles. Seeking safety, she boards a wagon train where the challenge of crossing the wilderness tempers her desire for revenge. But when she stumbles upon the last of the killers, her temper flares. Will the deadly trap she sets for him cost Emma her own life in the bargain?

Emma has finally found her promised land, but her newfound happiness ends with the arrival of a single letter. Her beloved new husband, Stephen, has been called to return to England to gather more pioneers. Before him lay thousands of miles of mountains, plains, and ocean. Before her lay the impossible challenges of frontier Utah and the raising of Stephen’s three motherless children.

Searching for a better life for her family, Emma leaves Utah Territory for southern California. But her arrival in San Bernardino sparks its own brand of intrigue, the kind that could cost the young widow her children and her freedom. A handsome young Southerner, Jeff Townes, quickly sweeps Emma into a world of deceit and espionage. His plans to lead southern California out the Union at the cusp of the American Civil War leads to sedition and murder. Facing charges of treason, Emma must make an impossible choice—lose her family or secretly betray the man she loves.