Chasing the Texas Wind

by Mary C. Findley

"Wounded war hero" Hamilton Jessup married celebrity singer Maeve Collinswood without realizing her marriage of convenience proposal would plunge him into a personal and patriotic crisis. Texas faced war with Mexico. A mysterious "Endgame Scenario" set Ham to puzzling Texas' future. Maeve drew him into a passionate alliance, a deadly confrontation, and a reliance on God he had never imagined.

ebook

First published August 24, 2010

About the author

I am from upstate NY and my husband is from AZ. We met in college and taught school in AZ, MO and PA. We have three children in their 20s, and currently we live in our tractor trailer and travel around all the 48 states. We homeschooled and taught in church ministries. We have written our books, produced commercial and teaching videos, and maintain a website and blog, now while traveling.

Reviews

[Allison Kohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read many books the last two years, some I enjoyed a little and some I enjoyed a lot. This book is in the later category. It is not only well written and well researched, bu it is exciting, the characters are so real I have to love some and despise some (the meaning of despise is not hate). The thrill of adventure never slakes and the mysteries are gripping. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good read, a little romance, an adventure, or a mystery - not to mention anyone who loves history demonstrated.

[Nora Ballew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The historical fiction genre is not usually my go-to, but I found myself completely drawn into this story or mystery, intrigue, unlikely love, danger and faith and forgiveness. Read it, you won't be sorry!

[Kate Brodsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you read this book squeeze limes into a jug of water and add sugar and ice. Then find a shady tree and read. Start early in the day, because if you are like me, once you start to read, you won't stop until you have turned over all the pages. The dialogue kept me turning the pages for more.

The characters interactions brings the reader into the story. These scenes are lifelike and dramatic and immerse you in the moment. Key moments are portrayed like this and bring the book to life. Moments of real significance and it is like being in the room, sitting there, listening and hearing what is going on.

This realistic dialogue is done so well, you get a real sense of tension, plans and a wealth of valuable information. You forget you are reading about the writer's creation. The characters speak for themselves and assume a life of their own. But then there are beautiful summary moments. that are visually transporting. I particularly likes a section where " a small book of unlined sheets of beautiful drawings and calligraphy....A number of the remarkably thin pages had been torn out..." You get an increased understanding of the multilayer of story.

Without giving anything away here, the world of deeper realities unfold, fragments of universal truth, a hidden meaning in a Celtic knot, sharing the lessons learned and inner layers of this well-written novel spill out onto the pages. The historical, the frailties of the human condition, the sense of the divine, and of the human spirit- make this book not only one of fiction but one of faction where your eyes open wider to things you may have not known before. The ability to do all of this and make such an interesting read- is what great fiction is all about. I highly recommend this book.

[Collette Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a closer view of a much overlooked part of American history, Ms. Findley has woven a story of history, hope, salvation and love with so much suspense and tension that you can’t wait to turn each page to find out what happens next. It begins with a false marriage, a marriage of convenience between two enigmatic people, one a beautiful singer and the other a drunkard. However, both carry deep secrets and neither is who they appear to be. As the two carry about their mysterious work, tensions with Mexico are rising, and it falls our lead characters to find love, find God and triumph over the evil antagonist, Chaco.

Ms. Findley provided a very well-written book with the right amount of history to keep you intrigued. Her characters were well-developed, and I was particularly taken with Ham. As a wounded warrior, he was charming, humble and very loyal and dedicated despite his injuries. I liked that he did not let them wear him down. Maeve was so mysteriously beautiful but wrapped up in activities I could not help but dislike, and I was counting on Ham to rescue her the whole way through. As they both redeemed themselves, I gave a cheer for a happily ever after. With the help of the devout Duvall family, these sins are forgiven, and they manage to triumph over their past to look forward to a wholesome future together. Despite all the difficulties, there is hope. A very nice, fast-paced, informative and touching read that I truly enjoyed.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chasing the Texas Wind is a story set in the mid 1800s during the war between Texas and Mexico when two unlikely people are swept up in a web of spies and gunrunners. Hamilton and Maeve join together in a marriage of convenience with each living independent lives. Hamilton is happy with this arrangement until he begins to suspect Maeve might be in trouble. The first 50 pages seemed a bit disjointed to me as the story was being set up, but once Hamilton takes action, it becomes much more cohesive. There are some grammatical errors and I found it a little hard understand how much time has passed, but the heart of the story is about courage, sacrifice, forgiveness, and my personal favorite theme, second chances.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrown into a marriage of convenience can be a tricky story to weave. This storyline has been done so many times that it's hard to make it unique, but the author did a good job making Ham and Maeve's story different and interesting. I must say I'm not a Historical buff, so parts of the story didn't hold my attention as much as the romance inside the story did. I fell in Love with Ham with ease and many times wanted to smack Maeve into next week.

I'm a contemporary Romance girl so I won't comment on the historical side of things. I did enjoy the chase that every good romance has, I enjoyed the love that the two found, and I always """SPOILER"" love a happy ending. If you are a Historical buff you should thoroughly enjoy this read

[D Mohr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the storyline and the authors style of writing. Ms. Findley was able to surprise me, and was unique in many aspects she brought to her characters. She will surprise you, too, and her book is very much worth your time to purchase and read.