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Black Hills Gold #2
A Song of Walking Rain
Twenty years have passed since Emily Ives escaped her husband and fled west on the California Trail with her infant son, James. Settled in a cottage by the sea with her new husband, Caleb, she begins a peaceful life far from the Black Hills and the devastating events that took place there.
Fearing for her son, she keeps his father's identity a secret, certain he will never discover the truth...
Frank Merritt has spent his life rushing from one escapade to the next, but when he finds himself on the wrong side of the brothers who run Deadwood, he seeks help from the one person he trusts- his cousin Jimmy.
Eager to save him, Jimmy heads to Dakota Territory, unaware of the dark legacy he carries or the danger that awaits him in the ruthless gold rush town.
Because others have been awaiting his return, and will twist the secret of his identity to their advantage, even if it means hurting the people he loves.
Will Jimmy discover the truth before the deadly forces of his past rise against him? Or do secrets carry a reckoning even he can't escape?
Fearing for her son, she keeps his father's identity a secret, certain he will never discover the truth...
Frank Merritt has spent his life rushing from one escapade to the next, but when he finds himself on the wrong side of the brothers who run Deadwood, he seeks help from the one person he trusts- his cousin Jimmy.
Eager to save him, Jimmy heads to Dakota Territory, unaware of the dark legacy he carries or the danger that awaits him in the ruthless gold rush town.
Because others have been awaiting his return, and will twist the secret of his identity to their advantage, even if it means hurting the people he loves.
Will Jimmy discover the truth before the deadly forces of his past rise against him? Or do secrets carry a reckoning even he can't escape?
348 pages, Paperback
Published July 20, 2026
About the author
Laura Kemp
5 books403 followersLaura is a teacher who loves to write about her home state of Michigan. She has a B.A. in Creative Writing from Western Michigan University where she studied under Stuart Dybek, and has had her short fiction and poetry published in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Word Riot, Tonopalah Review, SaLit and SLAB: Sound and Literary Art Book. “The Pursuit of Happiness,” – a short story she wrote while at WMU, was chosen as a finalist in the Trial Balloon Fiction Contest.
When not writing, Laura enjoys musical theatre, hiking, swimming, reading and performing with her Celtic band- Si Bhaeg Si Mohr. She also enjoys spending time with her husband and children as well as her dog, two hamsters, two gerbils, ten chickens, two horses and eight (and counting) cats.
Laura loves to connect with readers on her blog: laurakemp.author@blogspot.com (Sea Legs on Land), as well as on Facebook, Twitter (@LKempWrites) and Instagram. (lkempwrites)
'Evening in the Yellow Wood' recently received a Bronze Medal in the Readers' Favorite annual book contest, and will be featured in the 2019 Miami Book Fair.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a remarkable story! I was utterly flabbergasted by “A Song of Walking Rain!” The tale left me speechless on multiple occasions, yet it also stirred feelings of irritation when characters revealed their true nature as they journeyed through the Black Hills of South Dakota. I particularly enjoyed the vivid and descriptive scene settings; I even pictured my ancestors walking through the town of “Deadwood” in South Dakota, a name that perfectly captures the town’s characters! (Deadwood, indeed, is a real city to this day.)
Laura Kemp is a gifted storyteller; I will always be an avid reader of her stories. The novel is the second book in her “Black Hills Gold Series,” a sequel to “I Paint the Sky.” I strongly suggest reading any of Laura Kemp's novels; you will certainly become her next fan, I assure you!
~I was honored to receive an advanced copy and pleased to provide this review.~
Laura Kemp is a gifted storyteller; I will always be an avid reader of her stories. The novel is the second book in her “Black Hills Gold Series,” a sequel to “I Paint the Sky.” I strongly suggest reading any of Laura Kemp's novels; you will certainly become her next fan, I assure you!
~I was honored to receive an advanced copy and pleased to provide this review.~
July 22, 2026
What an exciting series so far! Author Laura Kemp has done it again. I Paint the Sky, the first book in her Black Hills Gold series, was a sweeping tale that I couldn’t put down and could not get out of my mind. Emily’s escape from the deceitful, cruel husband who fooled everyone was harrowing. Young, naïve, expecting their child and her family lost in a fire, she had one to turn to and nowhere to go. Staying barely two steps ahead of him, hoping Marvin Kent is dead, she is able to join up with a small wagon train headed to California and gives birth on the trail. Along the way she meets Caleb and love blooms. He has also just experienced recent heartbreak but there is an attraction between them. Their journey is not easy, however. Marvin is indeed alive and hunting her, tragedy strikes the train, people are not who they seem to be, hidden connections to the past and nefarious motives are revealed. But Emily and Caleb persevere and the story ends with them making it to the Pacific coast and starting a life together alongside Caleb’s sister Ruth and her husband Gris; little Jimmy is a toddler and another baby is on the way. We leave them in peace thinking they are headed to their happy ever after.
A Song of Walking Rain, book two in the series, briefly picks up almost right where I Paint the Sky ended. Life is good for Caleb and Emily. Jimmy is a happy little guy and Caleb is the only father he has ever known. While shopping in town a blind woman unexpectedly makes a dour, frightening prediction about Jimmy’s future, sending a chill down Emily’s spine, but Caleb and the others wave it away and life goes on, and life truly is good. Fast forward about twenty years: life is still good, normal, routine. Until grown-up Jimmy’s cousin Frank is in trouble and Jimmy embarks on a journey that will change his life – and the lives of everyone around him – forever.
If I Paint the Sky was fast-paced, thrilling and suspenseful A Song of Walking Rain is doubly so. It is complex, unpredictable and often heartbreaking. Even happy moments are bittersweet. Old connections, crimes, intentions come to light and Jimmy learns things about himself he never suspected, secrets he was never told. Hindsight is always 20/20 but it’s too late for that. What kind of a man is he now, and what kind of man will he become?
To say more would spoil this remarkable story; it’s one you definitely need to read for yourself. I was fully immersed, at times joyful and hopeful and then rapidly becoming fearful and suspicious, not knowing what would happen next.
I received an advance copy of A Song of Walking Rain from the author as part of her review team. I had not read any of her work previously so read I Paint the Sky first, and the two stories together are astounding. Love, romance, family, greed, deception, secrets and old scores to settle – author Kemp, with her accurate historical portrayals, nuanced, well-drawn characters with depth and vivid descriptions of beautiful and dangerous surroundings, skillfully weaves everything together into an unforgettable tale, one that will stay with you and leave you wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and sincerely hope there will be a third book in this series because I need more! I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
A Song of Walking Rain, book two in the series, briefly picks up almost right where I Paint the Sky ended. Life is good for Caleb and Emily. Jimmy is a happy little guy and Caleb is the only father he has ever known. While shopping in town a blind woman unexpectedly makes a dour, frightening prediction about Jimmy’s future, sending a chill down Emily’s spine, but Caleb and the others wave it away and life goes on, and life truly is good. Fast forward about twenty years: life is still good, normal, routine. Until grown-up Jimmy’s cousin Frank is in trouble and Jimmy embarks on a journey that will change his life – and the lives of everyone around him – forever.
If I Paint the Sky was fast-paced, thrilling and suspenseful A Song of Walking Rain is doubly so. It is complex, unpredictable and often heartbreaking. Even happy moments are bittersweet. Old connections, crimes, intentions come to light and Jimmy learns things about himself he never suspected, secrets he was never told. Hindsight is always 20/20 but it’s too late for that. What kind of a man is he now, and what kind of man will he become?
To say more would spoil this remarkable story; it’s one you definitely need to read for yourself. I was fully immersed, at times joyful and hopeful and then rapidly becoming fearful and suspicious, not knowing what would happen next.
I received an advance copy of A Song of Walking Rain from the author as part of her review team. I had not read any of her work previously so read I Paint the Sky first, and the two stories together are astounding. Love, romance, family, greed, deception, secrets and old scores to settle – author Kemp, with her accurate historical portrayals, nuanced, well-drawn characters with depth and vivid descriptions of beautiful and dangerous surroundings, skillfully weaves everything together into an unforgettable tale, one that will stay with you and leave you wanting more. I thoroughly enjoyed both books and sincerely hope there will be a third book in this series because I need more! I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.
July 21, 2026
I wish that I could give this book more than five stars, because it will take your heart right out of your chest and then stomp on it. You will gather more from this story by reading the first book in the series. It starts out almost where the first one ends, then it jumps ahead with the characters a few years older. This story is centered around Frank and Jimmy, where one is wild as a buck and the other one is tame. Jimmy thinks he has his life all planned out, but when Frank asks for his help, his whole world is turned upside down. How does a stubborn mule and a wolf play into this story, you will have to read it to find out. Can the past ever be put behind you, when you think it's dead and buried? This story kept me turning the pages late at night and even had me reading as soon as I woke up. But that ending is going to haunt me until the next book, at least I hope there will be another one. It can't possibly end that way! I want to thank the author for the chance to read this one. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but was not required to leave a positive review. All opinions are what I thought of the book. Which brings me to why I only gave it four stars. The language and some of the content is not what I normally read, but the storyline will keep me coming back.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This second book in Kemp’s Black Hills Gold series is a tense historical thriller, packed with complex characters, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. While fans of I Paint the Sky will enjoy meeting that book’s characters again, a reader new to the series could start with book 2 without feeling lost.
This book demonstrates well how even happy, functional families can produce dark, dramatic stories if their children aren’t allowed to know their own history. Jimmy Merritt is drawn from California to the Black Hills when his cousin Frank runs into trouble in Deadwood. The trouble is more complicated than either of them realize, reaching back generations to stolen gold and bloody family history. I especially appreciated the well-developed characters: the heroes are not squeaky clean, the villains had believable motivations, and the women make full use of their limited choices to reach for the lives they want.
A satisfying continuation of the series, but far from a conclusion—the ending is a bit of cliffhanger pointing to further adventures in the Black Hills.
I received an advance-reader ebook from the author.
This book demonstrates well how even happy, functional families can produce dark, dramatic stories if their children aren’t allowed to know their own history. Jimmy Merritt is drawn from California to the Black Hills when his cousin Frank runs into trouble in Deadwood. The trouble is more complicated than either of them realize, reaching back generations to stolen gold and bloody family history. I especially appreciated the well-developed characters: the heroes are not squeaky clean, the villains had believable motivations, and the women make full use of their limited choices to reach for the lives they want.
A satisfying continuation of the series, but far from a conclusion—the ending is a bit of cliffhanger pointing to further adventures in the Black Hills.
I received an advance-reader ebook from the author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thrilling sequel to I Paint the Sky!
Black Hills Gold Series #2 takes place 20 years after I Paint the Sky. I highly recommend that you take the time to reread I Paint the Sky before reading A Song of Walking Rain to get the ultimate enjoyment from the sequel. This novel focuses on the now grown up children of the original characters. The thing I truly love about Laura Kemp's writing is that her characters are so real with all of their strengths and weaknesses. Family and true friends are loyal and support each other. Historical contexts are researched and accurate. I find myself looking up more information about the historical figures after the fact. How I feel about various characters is ever evolving as they themselves figure out who they are and who they want to be. Put A Song of Walking Rain on your list of must reads!
Black Hills Gold Series #2 takes place 20 years after I Paint the Sky. I highly recommend that you take the time to reread I Paint the Sky before reading A Song of Walking Rain to get the ultimate enjoyment from the sequel. This novel focuses on the now grown up children of the original characters. The thing I truly love about Laura Kemp's writing is that her characters are so real with all of their strengths and weaknesses. Family and true friends are loyal and support each other. Historical contexts are researched and accurate. I find myself looking up more information about the historical figures after the fact. How I feel about various characters is ever evolving as they themselves figure out who they are and who they want to be. Put A Song of Walking Rain on your list of must reads!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Laura Kemp does it again! From start to finish, I did not want this one to end.
This is the second book in The Black Hills Gold Series. It can be read as a standalone, but if you want the full experience, definitely read book 1, I Paint the Sky.
Sometimes the things of our past reach through generations. In an effort to protect their children, some family secrets were left unspoken. Jimmy and Frank are finding out the hard way that some of those secrets have affected them more than they could realize.
This brilliantly written historical fiction brings our young men to the town of Deadwood, where there is nothing short of everything a good western town holds, gambling, women, guns and gold.
Laura has some amazing character development and I found myself entranced in this story and unable to put it down at times. The detail of the story makes you feel like you are right in the trenches with the characters. I came to fall in love with each and everyone of them and she takes care to detail each one with such depth and realism.
If you want a fantastic fast paced romance, thriller, cowboys and Indians story, this is it! You will not be disappointed!
*I had the honor of receiving an ARC of this book. I plan on purchasing this one to add to my Laura Kemp library.
This is the second book in The Black Hills Gold Series. It can be read as a standalone, but if you want the full experience, definitely read book 1, I Paint the Sky.
Sometimes the things of our past reach through generations. In an effort to protect their children, some family secrets were left unspoken. Jimmy and Frank are finding out the hard way that some of those secrets have affected them more than they could realize.
This brilliantly written historical fiction brings our young men to the town of Deadwood, where there is nothing short of everything a good western town holds, gambling, women, guns and gold.
Laura has some amazing character development and I found myself entranced in this story and unable to put it down at times. The detail of the story makes you feel like you are right in the trenches with the characters. I came to fall in love with each and everyone of them and she takes care to detail each one with such depth and realism.
If you want a fantastic fast paced romance, thriller, cowboys and Indians story, this is it! You will not be disappointed!
*I had the honor of receiving an ARC of this book. I plan on purchasing this one to add to my Laura Kemp library.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received an Advanced Reader’s copy from the author after begging her to continue the story from I Paint the Sky. I am hoping for another book after this!
A Song of Walking Rain picks up the story 20 years later. This action packed book holds your attention from page one. It was so nice to catch up with the characters introduced in book one. You will fall in love with Jimmy and Frank and pray for their safety. If you haven’t read I Paint the Sky, you should read it first, or reread it to refresh your memory because the back story only makes the new book that much better.
Laura Kemp writes meaningful books that are engaging and easy to read.
A Song of Walking Rain picks up the story 20 years later. This action packed book holds your attention from page one. It was so nice to catch up with the characters introduced in book one. You will fall in love with Jimmy and Frank and pray for their safety. If you haven’t read I Paint the Sky, you should read it first, or reread it to refresh your memory because the back story only makes the new book that much better.
Laura Kemp writes meaningful books that are engaging and easy to read.
July 22, 2026
A Song of Walking Rain by Laura Kemp is the second book in the Black Hills Gold series. You can read this novel as a standalone but I recommend going back and reading I Paint the Sky to better understand the characters and their history. This story centers around Jimmy and his cousin Frank. Frank is in Deadwood, South Dakota and has gotten into more trouble than he can handle. Jimmy has no idea what he's going to find when he gets there. Revenge, stolen gold and family dynamics that I never saw coming. There will be another book in this series and I can't wait to read it! I received an advanced copy of this book from the author and I highly recommend this amazing story!
July 27, 2026
What I love most about A Song of Walking Rain is the way that Laura Kemp starts the book with familiar characters and then transitions the reader smoothly to the next generation. While the original cast is still very much a part of this story, there are compelling new characters as well as the grown children we were introduced to in I Paint the Sky. How this generation carries the weight of the one that came before it was well written and realistically portrayed. I enjoyed the blend of exciting new settings with the places that were thought to have been left in the past. The only negative I ha e is the wait for book three. I was not ready for the end of A Song of Walking Rain.
September 2, 2026
A thrilling continuation of the story of life and family in the Black Hills from I Paint The Sky. Once again, the writing is spot on and characters live beyond the pages of the book. There's family drama, romance and a lot of adventure in this one. There's a search for a beloved character and the tension rises as the posse of bad guys wreak havoc and Ill will the closer they get to finding him. The dramatic showdown and what follows were a surprising twist I didn't see coming and the conclusion of sorts left me anxious for another book in the series.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy for my honest review.
Thank you to the author for a gifted copy for my honest review.
September 20, 2026
What an ending!! I just finished reading A Song of Walking Rain, the second installment in The Black Hills Gold Series, and while I’m glad to be reading this in its proper order, I believe the expert storytelling by author, Laura Kemp reveals the perfect balance of backstory without giving away too much, just in case fans read the books out of sequence. With the backdrop of the Wild West during the era of the gold rush, this book is PACKED with action, suspense, steamy romance, and even spiritual fantasy. I can see this as Taylor Sheridan’s next western TV project.
A Song of Walking Rain is a page-turner in the best possible way. And that ending!!!
A Song of Walking Rain is a page-turner in the best possible way. And that ending!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Upon hearing that his cousin, Frank, has gotten himself into a little trouble, Jimmy heads to Deadwood in the Dakota Territory to help him out. Little does Jimmy know that trouble is about to find him, too, based on secrets from his past that he isn’t even aware of himself. Yet.
A wonderful story filled with secrets, deception, danger, family dynamics, friendship, love, and more! I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment to the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
A wonderful story filled with secrets, deception, danger, family dynamics, friendship, love, and more! I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment to the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.25⭐️
This book came at the perfect time! I just returned from a road trip to South Dakota including the Black Hills and Deadwood. This is not my typical genre but I love to support local Michigan authors. I had not read the first book and had no problem following along in this 2nd book of the series but I will for sure go back and read the first. The writing was outstanding and so descriptive, I was sucked right into this world. There was romance and mystery and family drama, who could resist all that!?
This book came at the perfect time! I just returned from a road trip to South Dakota including the Black Hills and Deadwood. This is not my typical genre but I love to support local Michigan authors. I had not read the first book and had no problem following along in this 2nd book of the series but I will for sure go back and read the first. The writing was outstanding and so descriptive, I was sucked right into this world. There was romance and mystery and family drama, who could resist all that!?
July 21, 2026
Laura Kemp has done it again — A Song of Walking Rain is a sweeping tale of family, forbidden love, and the weight of the past, where the sins of one generation echo through the next and love may be the only thing strong enough to call a lost soul home. Rich with heartbreak, secrets, and the kind of slow-burning tension that keeps you up past midnight, Kemp proves once more that she's a master storyteller of the American West.
October 14, 2026
I’m drawn to stories of brotherhood. Though A Song of Walking Rain centers on two cousins, their bond feels fraternal—one layer in a richly woven love story. Laura Kemp blends passion, adoration, devotion, and duty in a raw Western filled with gunslingers, whiskey, gold, and frontier conflict. Keep a firm grip on the reins and your boots in the stirrups as this mystical adventure carries you from California to the Dakotas; you’ll be glad you took the ride.
July 24, 2026
Laura hits it out of the park again!! With great characters and character development she draws you in. And the story itself keeps you there. My only complaint is that she left me wanting more at the end! Great job Laura!
August 2, 2026
This is Book 2 in the series. And let me say: there better be a book 3!! lol. So many questions after reading it! This is a great book! A lot of action. A lot of story telling. Highly recommend!! I want there to be a Book 3 in my hands, right now!! lol
August 16, 2026
WHAT?!? How long do we have to wait Laura??? I loved this follow up to I Paint the Sky. The characters were great and the story kept me interested until the end. It was a page turner. I can’t wait for the next installment and I hope it isn’t too long! 🙂
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a page turner. The story really keeps your interest and intrigue about what will happen next. I love that it flawlessly picked up where I Paint The Sky left off.
August 11, 2026
This book was incredible! Laura Kemp does a fantastic job writing and you can really visualize the setting and characters. It's so hard to put down, I didn't see the twists coming!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was lucky enough to receive an early e-copy and it did not disappoint! This story picks up right where I Paint the Sky ends and doesn’t miss a beat! Loved the multidimensional character arcs and the introductions to some new ones too! If you love historical fiction with a splash of mystery and romance, Laura Kemp has you covered!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is book 2, so be sure to read I Paint the Sky first. Then check back in with Emily and Caleb, Ruthie , and Jake and Clem about 20 years later in A Song of Walking Rain. This book focuses on their grown children. Most importantly, what kind of man has Jimmy grown up to be? And has his father truly been forgotten?
This book has all the action, suspense, and adventure of the first one, with some new characters you'll meet and come to love (well, not all of them, but I'll leave it there.).
Conclusion: great series, and I hope there are more to come!
This book has all the action, suspense, and adventure of the first one, with some new characters you'll meet and come to love (well, not all of them, but I'll leave it there.).
Conclusion: great series, and I hope there are more to come!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews