Tracie Peterson – Novel PASTimes

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My name is Cassandra Barton, but people just call me Cassie. I live in San Marcial, New Mexico which is on the Rio Grande River. It’s a hub for the Santa Fe Railroad beings it’s about half way between Topeka and Los Angeles. I work as a seamstress with the bulk of my work coming in from the railroad men. I like this kind of work because I am my own boss and can do as much or as little work as I need to do. This turns out to be a very good thing because right off the bat, I break my wrist in a little accident and can’t sew for six weeks.

Brandon Dubarko makes sure I don’t suffer too much. He was a good friend and co-worker of my father’s. He works for the Santa Fe Railroad (just like my father). Brandon is soft-spoken and a deep thinker. He’s got a world of sorrows to deal with, but he never talks about it. I’m not at all sure what’s weighing him down. I know he really misses my father…and so do I.

My father died earlier this year when his train derailed. Brandon thinks there was foul play and that someone actually caused the derailment, but I’m not sure that’s the case. Trains have accidents all the time and it doesn’t take much to derail a train. But, if someone did cause the derailment, then they murdered my father and his fireman.

My father and I were really close, especially after Mother died and my sister Melissa moved to Denver. My deepest desire is that Melissa and I can be close again. After she moved off and married, we aren’t nearly as close as we used to be. Of course, now she’s a mother and that is bound to take up a lot of her time.

My future, once my wrist mends, is questionable. A part of me wants to stick around San Marcial, but another part thinks about going to Denver to be closer to Melissa. Of course, at my age (32) I would like to think there was still a chance for romance, but I’m not sure that’s true. It would be a dream come true however, if someone decided I was worth loving. There was one man…a long time ago. We were in love and planned to marry, but then my mother died and I needed to care for Melissa. I don’t know but that it might have been my only chance for love.

I’ve always felt I had to be strong for my family, but now that Mother and Father are dead and Melissa’s married, it’s just me and I’m not real sure what I’m going to do. I know that God has a plan for me, however. I’ve put my trust in Him since I was little, and I’m not about to stop now. My relationship with the Lord is the thing I value most in life. He will always see me through.

Award-winning novelist, Tracie Peterson, has been praised for
her captivating historical fiction novels. While each novel weaves
a different tale, Peterson packs her signature elements of history,
action, and romance into each work while also offering
underlying life lessons. In her newest novel, Under the Starry Skies,
Peterson crafts a story about facing your past and learning to
forgive others and yourself.

Welcome to Novel PASTimes! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Tell us something about where you live.

I live in the high desert area of the San Mateo Mountains south of Albuquerque, when I’m not sharing a home with my great aunt in California. That’s where I really want to be more than any other place. I grew up in California before my father forced us to move to New Mexico.

Is there anything special about your name? Why do you think you were given that name?

My author tells me that my name was given as a reward to one of her faithful readers whose name is Isabella Garcia Bailey.

Do you have an occupation? What do you like or dislike about your work?

Oh, dear no. I am the daughter of wealthy landowners. My family can be traced back to the old families of Spain, so I do not hold an occupation, but rather have learned to manage a rancho.

Who are the special people in your life?

Until recently my Aunt Josephina (my father’s sister) was the focus of my life, along with Diego Morales whom I plan to marry. However, that irritating Aaron Bailey won’t seem to let well enough alone. My mother and father are of course dear to me, but they do not understand my desires for life.

What is your heart’s deepest desire?

To live in California on the family’s rancho and throw wonderful parties as we did in the old days. I want to step back in time to have what we once had.

What are you most afraid of?

That my heart’s desire will never be available to me.

Do you have a cherished possession?

I once had a horse I cherished. However, I’ve learned over the years that things are temporal and the land is what remains.

What do you expect the future will hold for you?

I hope to be married to Diego Morales and have a family together in California. But again, that pesky Aaron Bailey doesn’t think Diego is an honest man. He thinks it’s his place to guard and protect me from Diego. Foolish man.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?

That I’m quite opinionated and headstrong. I’m a woman of means and intelligence and I know that I can figure out all the answers if I’m given a chance. This makes some people believe me to be uncaring or harsh, but that isn’t the truth. I care very much about seeing the world set in a way that will make sense to me and bring happiness to those around me.

Is there anything else you’d like people to know about you?

Well, I don’t know that I want people to know that I’m also a very broken woman—girl really. There has been a lot of pain in my life, and now as I learn the secrets that have taken me beyond the desert sands, I realize that more heart break is headed my way. Aaron says that only God will get me through. My mother says the same. I wish I knew for sure that was true. I suppose in time I will.

Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!

Twenty-five-year-old Isabella Garcia has spent the last seven years
living in opulence at her aunt’s California home. The last thing she
wants to do is celebrate Christmas with her parents in the small
silver-mining town of Silver Veil. Not only will she have to leave
her handsome beau, Diego Morales, but she has to travel with her
old rival, Aaron Bailey—a Santa Fe Railroad businessman who
considers her both childish and selfish.

When Isabella finally arrives in Silver Veil, she is surprised by how
much the town has grown in her absence. But she is also shocked to
see how much her father’s health has declined. When Diego shows
up unexpectedly with news of her aunt’s death, Isabella is faced
with some-life changing decisions. But trouble is brewing.
Isabella must determine who she can truly rely on as well as
reconcile who she’s become with who she’s meant to be—even if it
costs her everything.

Tracie Peterson is the award-winning author of over 100 novels, both historical and contemporary. Her avid research resonates in her many bestselling series. Tracie and her family make their home in
Montana. Visit traciepeterson.com to learn more.

Tag: Tracie Peterson

Meet Cassie Barton from Tracie Peterson’s Under the Starry Skies

Meet Isabella Garcia from Tracie Peterson’s Beyond the Desert Sands