The Jewel of His Heart by Maggie Brendan

Jewel of His Heart, The: A Novel (Heart of the West)

Their future is as wide open as the Montana sky Juliana Brady is alone in an 1890s Montana mining town, with few prospects for making a living. But she is determined not to be dependent on the charity of others.

Josh McBride is trying to scrape up a living from his sheep herd while he builds his ranch. But when he discovers some rare stones on his property, he's tempted by the prospect of fast money. When their paths cross, Juliana and Josh must make a choice--the world's riches and promises, or the eternal value of love.

If you enjoy romance and a touch of western/prairie flare this would be a good pick. The Jewel of His Heart is a sweet romance with a strong independent female pitted against a protective strong man with a few fireworks in the mix. Although I could figure out pretty quickly where the story was going, I still stayed glued to my seat well after midnight last night to finish the novel. There is just something wonderful about reading a sweet romance
with a little twist of mystery.

Maggie Brendan under the spotlight and a free book!

I would like to introduce Maggie Brendan the author of No Place for a Lady a wonderful book that I really enjoyed reading just last month. Maggie is offering a copy of her book to one of the reader on Write by Faith so be sure to follow the instructions at the end of this post. I have to confess I love historical novels now more than I ever have in the past so I am excited to see the trend growing strong. Let's get to know Maggie.

Maggie, please tell us a little about yourself.

I love the West and write historical novels and I live in Georgia. My first book in the Heart of the West series is No Place For a Lady. Book two, The Jewel of His Heart, will be out in the fall and I am currently working on Kickin Up the Dust for book three. I knew in the 3rd grade that I wanted to be a writer, but marriage and raising a family came first.

My brother, Jess McCreede (pen name) was a western writer. Sadly now he is deceased but he was a great mentor to me, and encouraged me to finish what I start. I received the Atlanta American Christian Persistence Award in 2004 and felt further encouraged to continue writing. I worked for our pastor’s radio ministry, Right From the Heart and most recently quit my job as an assistant to a real estate broker after I landed my book contract.

I have 2 grown children and 4 grandchildren and I adore them all. I enjoy reading, the outdoors and music of all kinds. I used to paint and scrapbook but have very little time for that now.

Could you give us a small taste of what your new novel is about ?

No Place For a Lady, book 1, is about a gentle southern belle that goes to Colorado to visit her aunt and winds up on a cattle ranch. Despite being raised a proper southern belle she is determined to hold her own in this wild land—even if a certain handsome foreman named Luke doubts her abilities. After tragedy strikes, she works to save her aunt’s ranch from a greedy landowner, ready or not, and must rise to meet the challenge.




Who is the most important influence in your life besides God?
My mother who instilled on me hard work with deep spiritual values and a reliance upon God.

What book are you reading now? Julie Lessman’s A Passion Redeemed. I loved this series.

What books are found lying around your home? In my pile to be read are authors Amanda Cabot, Ann Shorey, Julie Klassen, Bonnie Leon and Kathy Marie Hake.

What is your favorite children’s book? Little Women That is one of my favorites as well.

I love old black and white movies and the old musicals. What is your all time favorite movie? Gone With the Wind. Incidentally, my son-in-law gave me the movie’s original handbill in a beautiful frame with a print of the movie title, and Scarlett and Rhett’s pictures in water color for Christmas.

What would you like your readers to say about your writing? I would like them to sigh and remember the characters long after reading the story. Hopefully, I’ve taken them from their worries of this world to another world for a bit of respite.

What is your favorite verse from the Bible? I have so many but one that is dear to me since I’ve lost so many loved ones is 1 Thess. 4: 16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Read as much as you can. Attend writers conferences and workshops. Find a writer’s critique group. They’re invaluable to what you’ll learn from them and you’ll reap the benefits of being with like minded writers that truly understand who you are.


Thank you so much for visiting with me. I will say I loved No Place for a Lady and you can read my review here.

You can win a copy of No Place For a Lady by leaving a comment and answer the Daily Question. You want to purchase a copy of No Place for a Lady (Heart of the West Series, Book 1)

Daily Question: Tell me the name of one of your favorite books.

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Review of No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and shared great times celebrating the birth of Christ. A wonderful Christmas was had by all in the Moore house hold. I'll post pictures soon. .

Today, I wanted to share a wonderful novel I read over the Christmas holidays called No Place for a Lady by Maggie Brendan. I just closed the book and have to say it is wonderful. I used to not like reading historical novels set in the U.S and always leaned more toward Regency novels but I have to say the Christian market has really turned out some great American historical novels lately.

No Place for a Lady is a wonderful novel set in the Colorado foothills during the year 1892. Crystal Clark has left her home in Georgia after the death of her father to visit her Aunt Kate. Even though Crystal is raised as a southern belle she is determined to hold her own in the rugged high country. Just when she gets a handle on her life, tragedy strikes and she has to find a new strength to carry her on. Luke Webber her Aunts foreman is a constant thorn in her side reminding her of her life prior to the Colorado foothills.

I fell in love with Crystal Clark her grit to succeed. I love novels who portray strong women in difficult situation. Luke Webber is a strong cowboy and just what every romantic longs for. The characters are all so well developed I hope we will catch glimpses of them in future novels.

If you love a romantic tale this is a really great read. I read it very quickly mainly because I totally ignored the house work and anything else I should have done since I couldn't put the book down. It was a great book and anyone who likes westerns and romance mingled together will love this one. I am giving this novel four and 1/2 books.