The Brass Ring

The Hidden Falls #2

by Amanda Harte

It ought to be the beginning of happily-ever-after: After spending a year in Switzerland, Jane Moreland is back home in Hidden Falls, reunited with Matt Wagner, the man she's loved since she was a schoolgirl. Surely nothing will block their path to happiness, for Matt is no longer the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. He's Hidden Falls' newest attorney, a man whose idealism has turned him into an advocate for the mill workers. Unfortunately, that pits him against his childhood adversary, Jane's brother.

Matt has loved Jane since the day he saw her riding a merry-go-round, her arm stretched out to catch the brass ring. If the world were perfect, he'd marry her, and they'd live happily ever after. But the world, as Jane and Matt discover, is not perfect, and marriage would mean unthinkable sacrifices for both of them. Jane is better off marrying the railroad tycoon's son and leaving Matt to devote his life to the mill workers.

That's the right solution. Or is it? Join Jane and Matt as they travel a road filled with twists and turns in their search for the elusive brass ring of love.

270 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

"Isn't it wonderful when dreams come true? I've been very fortunate, because many of my dreams have done just that.

Two of my earliest dreams wound up being inter-related. The first was to become a published author, and the second was to live in Europe. As it turned out, living in France as a college student and then in Germany while my husband was stationed there with the Army provided me with the background for my first historical romance. How's that for what people in the business world would call synergy? I prefer to call it serendipity -- or perhaps Fate.

Fate, chance, luck -- call it what you may -- has played an important role in my life. How else would you explain the fact that one Ides of March when I was still reeling from a major personal disappointment, I wandered into one of the high school classrooms after school and met a man who could make me laugh, the same man who's been my husband for over thirty years? Is it any wonder I believe in happy endings?

No doubt about it, I've been lucky. I had parents who nurtured my love of reading, a sister who shared my dreams and always believed I could make them come true, a husband who's also my best friend and who hasn't lost his sense of humor, even when dinner is late because I have "just one more scene" to write, and loyal readers whose letters make all the hard work of writing books seem worthwhile.

Don't let me mislead you. There have been obstacles along the way, and not all my dreams have come true … yet. But I believe that the power of dreams is that they help us through the tough times and give us a reason to celebrate when they come true.

So, my friends, dream on!" - Amanda Harte