I’m thrilled to have Amazon best-selling author Caroline Clemmons on my blog today. Caroline is the author of over a dozen historical western romances, mysteries and contemporary romances.

Welcome, Caroline. First, can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

I want to thank readers who’ve made me an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances whose books have garnered numerous awards. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, I’ve taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Writer’s groups are important support for any writer, and I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors, Yellow Rose Romance Writers, and Hearts Through History Romance Writers. My Hero and I live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with our menagerie of rescued pets. When I’m not indulging my passion for writing, I enjoy reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, and getting together with friends. Find me on my blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

Thanks for taking the time to visit with me today, Caroline. The blog is yours.

PASS THE POISON, PLEASE!
By Caroline Clemmons

Thanks to Margery for inviting me to her blog.

My latest trilogy, Men of Stone Mountain, is about the three Stone brothers: Micah, Zach, and Joel. Aren’t brothers enough of a link for a trilogy? Yes, but there’s another link to these three books. Each involves poison in some way and is a mystery as well as a historical romance. No, I’m not bloodthirsty and I don’t intend to use my knowledge to wipe out any real people. In this trilogy, however, I wipe out a several people. Ah, the joys of being a writer! We are allowed to vent our frustrations by killing people on paper. And it’s legal. ☺ I love my job!

Studying herbal medicine is sort of a mini-hobby. I’ve taken the excellent herbal class Beth Trissel occasionally offers (and will offer again in October), as well as perusing my books on folk medicine and forensics. Pioneers relied heavily on their ability to recognize healing plants as well as those that discouraged pests and vermin. No Walgreens or WalMart around in those days. Early settlers also learned that what can heal, if administered improperly, can harm.

Don’t you suspect a lot of so-called natural deaths were helped along before modern medicine and forensics discouraged using potions and tinctures to kill? Maybe I’m suspicious by nature, but I believe a lot of troublesome people died prematurely, helped along by a supposedly loving family member. Cue eerie music.

“My father in law Uriah? Why, he had a heart attack and up and died.”

“My first two wives? Each took sick and died on me.”

If you lived in the middle of nowhere, who was around to prove otherwise? Forensics had not advanced to today’s level. Even if a lawman or physician suspected murder, he had to prove it. A few poisons left tattletale signs, others left none. And that’s not even counting falls and other so-called accidents. You think life is dangerous now?

Often pioneers learned more about the local plants from friendly Native Americans. As people moved West and the topography and climate changed, they found many plants with which they were unfamiliar. They required help to discover which helped and which harmed. Have you wondered who first tasted this or that to see if it would make good food or medicine? I admit I often wonder these trivial things. And, for instance, who figured out that boiling pokeweed greens three times and pouring off the water would render them edible?.

I’ve heard that women are more likely to use poison than men. Perhaps that’s due to lack of physical strength. In this trilogy, both sexes are involved in using poison—some for evil, some for self defense. And I wanted each to be a natural poison easily found in the wild.

Here are the three books:

BRAZOS BRIDE’s heroine, Hope Montoya, is a smart woman and figures out that someone is poisoning her. Who and why are more difficult problems. Until she knows, she can trust no one who has access to her food or medicine. She vows to fight for her life, but she’s so weakened by the poison that she can’t fight alone. Enter our hero, Micah Stone. Do you hear the “1812 Overture?” (You know, I’ve heard a highbrow is someone who can hear that music without thinking of the Lone Ranger. But I digress.) Micah, who is in love with Hope, agrees to a paper marriage to protect her, but it breaks his heart.

In HIGH STAKES BRIDE, Alice Price is on the run from her stepbrothers who plan to hand her over to a man she considers the meanest man in Texas. Enter Zach Stone to lend a hand. In their trek, they rescue a young boy and his dog. Zach knows Alice hasn’t told him everything, but he is falling in love with her. In the end, quick thinking Alice has to save herself with Zach fast on her heels to the rescue.

In BLUEBONNET BRIDE, Rosalyn must escape an unjust death sentence for poisoning her husband with dried oleander from her garden. She and her daughter flee to the ends of the earth, or so it seems to Rosalyn, and meets Sheriff Joel Stone. Her formerly quiet daughter insists on chatting away to Joel, who courts Rosalyn. The sheriff? What is Rosalyn to do? She succumbs to his charms and they marry, but then events force her to confess to him. Only Joel’s planning can save her, but his entire family helps. Those Stones stick together. I love that fact about them.

I’m giving away a MEN OF STONE MOUNTAIN box set to one person who leaves a comment today.

In the event you wish to buy any of these books, each is available in print or ebook at Amazon, iTunes, Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Smashwords.

I’m happy to share that I have combined the three into a boxed set at a reduced price available only as an edownload at Amazon.

I love this series! Thanks for visiting, Caroline. Please come back again soon.