Forbidden Fires

by Madeline Baker

Beautiful and hot-headed, Caitlyn had vowed to hate all Indians until the day she died. After all, weren't they the ones responsible for the senseless massacre of her beloved brothers? But when she gazed into the defiant eyes of the half-breed her father was planning to hang, she knew she couldn't let an innocent man die.

She wanted to scorn Stalking Wolf as the other townsfolk did, but his proud bearing won her respect and his hard body drew her like a moth to the flame. In his bronzed arms, she would forget her vow of hatred, forget propriety, forget everything but his searing kisses and the burning ecstasy of ... FORBIDDEN FIRES.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, Westerns, Native American

445 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Madeline Ruth was born on 1963 in California, where she raised. She married her high school sweetheart and they have three sons, all handsome enough to be cover models. Growing up, her favorite pastimes were going to the movies and going horseback riding on Saturday mornings at Griffith Park. Madeline has always been "horse happy." A horse was the one thing she asked for on every birthday and every Christmas. Many years later, that dream came true when she bought an Appaloosa mare named Candy—because she was so sweet. Madeline loves animals. Over the years, she's had numerous dogs, cats, fish, mice, hamsters, turtles and birds, and her horse, of course. The most exotic pet was a crocodile that belonged to one of her sons. Currently, she has a terribly spoiled Pomeranian named Teddi, six goldfish, a catfish, and a betta. When she's not writing, Madeline enjoys going to movies and the theater. Her favorite plays are The Phantom of the Opera, The Scarlet Pimpernel and her all-time fave, Beauty and the Beast. She also loves reading, going to lunch with her best friend, collecting Star Wars, The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast memorabilia, and playing with the most beautiful, adorable, brilliant grandkids in the world.

Madeline started writing when her children were still at home, and she wrote for several years, finding time to write after her children were in bed and her husband was at work. In true cliché fashion, she wrote the books and put them under the bed, never telling anyone what she was doing, until one day she let a friend read one. Encouraged by her friend's comments, and armed with a copy of Writer's Market supplied by said friend, Madeline began sending out query letters. After six years and 31 rejections, Leisure Books bought Reckless Heart, and she's been writing ever since. After writing several Westerns, Madeline decided to try her hand at something else and wrote her first vampire romance. It was a short story titled "Masquerade" for an anthology. She loved writing that so much that she wrote her first full-length vampire romance, Embrace the Night, and thus Amanda Ashley was born. One of her dreams had been to write for Harlequin, and she accomplished that in 2003 with the publication of her Silhouette Romance novel, Dude Ranch Bride. Madeline loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her online at DarkWritr@aol.com or by mail at PO Box 1703, Whittier, CA 90609-1703.

Reviews

[Amarilli 73 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 - Premetto che questo romanzo ha risentito dell'ordine di lettura in cui è capitato: vero che amo molto i romance a tema #western, ma l'ho iniziato subito dopo un libro che mi aveva travolto.
Di conseguenza, pur non essendo malvagia, questa storia mie è parsa piuttosto di circostanza.

Lupo in Agguato è un mezzosangue, irlandese da parte di padre (non uno stinco di santo) e con sangue nativo da parte della madre. Dopo essere estato accolto, comunque, in una tribù Cherokee, ne viene bandito a causa di una contesa amorosa (per la bella Vento d'Estate).
Catapultato nel mondo "bianco", viene quasi impiccato, poi assoldato come lavorante in una fattoria, quindi coinvolto nelle vicende economico-familiari dei proprietari e nella dura vita dell'allevamento di mustang da addestrare e rivendere.
In un mondo lacerato da rivalità di ogni genere, tra pregiudizi sia bianchi che pellerossa, e imboscate sempre incombenti, l'amore con Caitlyn nasce in modo ruvido e sopravvive con fatica.

La trama è piena di azione e ci propone tutte le atmosfere del genere, dalla vita in fattoria ai villaggi polverosi del west, sino alle fughe nella prateria e agli accampamenti indiani.
Però l'intero libro si regge, praticamente, sulla stupidità della protagonista (mi si passi il termine): ogni singolo accadimento è dovuto al fatto che la nostra disobbedisce al padre e si caccia nei guai, vuol fare di testa sua e si caccia nei guai, vuol dimostrare cosa vale e finisce per cacciarsi nei guai, è circondata da pericoli e pensa di andare a farsi un bagno, è in mezzo a nemici di cui non conosce lingua e tradizioni e pensa di fare l'altezzosa...
Alla prima ingenuità la perdoni, all'ennesima cominci a chiederti perché ancora l'eroe rischi la vita per salvarla.

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Julie
Book provided by the publisher
Originally posted at Romancing the Book

This book is an absolute classic! Native American interracial/ cultural historical romance that dares touch upon openly voiced and acted upon bigotry and prejudice. Before the days of political correctness, historical romance novelist dared to cross the lines and face up to the facts as they were in this period of time. The message is the same then as it is now. When you open your mind and your heart you can look past the color of someone’s skin and see the person inside, and isn’t that all that really matters?

For Caitlyn it is hard to forgive “Indians” because they were responsible for the death of her brothers. However, she is not about to allow a man to be hanged for a crime he didn’t commit just because of his heritage.

Stalking Wolf has had to leave the Cherokee tribe he was raised in because of the machinations of a woman. Because he is part Irish, he deals with the moniker of being a “half-breed”. He vows never to trust a woman again. But, then he finds himself being held for a crime he didn’t commit and is healing on the ranch where Caitlyn and her father live. Almost from the the time Caitlyn lays eyes on Stalking Wolf she is physically attracted to him, but she continually reminds herself that he is an Indian and she hates all Indians.

Caitlyn will learn the most valuable of lessons in learning not to judge all people by their looks or heritage. Stalking Wolf was an easy character to like and I could imagine how gorgeous he was. Caitlyn’s character was a little bit more complicated. Naturally, she worried about the reactions of others and what people would think of her. I think that was just a human flaw and even today people can be that way. It takes her awhile to come around, but she eventually matures and lets herself falls in love with Stalking Wolf. I thought the author did a good job of showing the real fears many would have if they found themselves attracted to and falling in love with someone who is considered her enemy.

This was western/ Indian Historical Romance at it’s peak and I for one wish we could see these books come back in style. These books have really stood the test of time and since Ellora’s Cave has re-released these in digital format I hope they will find a new audience.

Madeline Baker has written a slew of Native American Historical Romances and for a time it was like a niche for her. I think she is in her best element when writing these historical novels. Many of you may know her as a very popular paranormal romance novelist who writes under a different name and also made a niche for herself in that genre as well. So, you know this is a good writer.

Try these titles out through online bookstores – especially if you like western romances. These stories are just as good now as they were then and I think you will enjoy them.

[Shirlene]

The council's decision was banishment. Stalking Wolf said goodbye to his sister and stepmother. Summer Wind was waiting as he walked away. She tried to apologize for playing Hump Back Bear and himself against each other and causing his death. His father rode up and gave him his horse, Black Wind, and a knife. He told him he loved him and watched as he rode away and never looked back.
Stalking Wolf's mother had been Cherokee and died when he was young. He had been raised by a housekeeper until she quit. Other children hadn't been allowed to play with him because he was a half-breed. After the housekeeper quit, Killian Gallegher stopped drinking, sold their house and moved to New Orleans. He killed a man so they headed to California. They met up with a man who sold Indian women and he became smitten with Tall Grass Woman. They snuck off with her in the middle of the night and returned her to her people. They were happy to have her back and she soon married Killian. Yellow Flower came along the following summer. Stalking Wolf was accepted into the tribe as a warrior. He was 26 when he fell in love with Summer Wind.
He had been traveling for weeks when he heard a noise. He checked on his horse and found another one mounting her. Stalking Wolf caught the horse and went back to sleep. He woke up being beaten by men who worked for Brenden Carmichael, owner of the Circle C ranch. The men were threatening to hang Stalking Wolf when his daughter spoke up for him. She told them that she didn't think he had taken the horse and they shouldn't hurt him if they weren't sure. Her father was surprised that she was taking up for him because her brothers had both been killed by Indians. Brenden had noticed his thoroughbred and decided to take both Black Wind and the Indian back to his ranch. He also didn't want to look bad in his daughter's eyes.
Raiford (Rafe) Gallegher had at least one broken rib. He swore that Abner Wylie would pay. Caitlyn was surprised to find out that Rafe was half Irish. She cleaned him up and put him in their spare room. Rafe felt the attraction but vowed he would never trust a woman again. Caitlyn had finally found a man she was drawn to, and he was an Indian.
Rafe's wounds healed and Brenden wanted his horse. Brendon told Rafe that he could stay and get paid to work if he would allow him to purchase Black Wind's colt. Rafe agreed and started working. One of the first things he did was to help gather a herd of wild mustangs. Rafe knew that Caitlyn was following them and kept quiet. He had to rescue her the next day or she would have been trampled. He took her home. Brenden was angry but hoped that she would find someone to love so he could hand her care over to someone younger.
The 4th of July dance came and Caitlyn refused Abner's invitation to be his date. She went wit her father. The dancing began in the evening and she was surprised to find that Rafe knew how to dance. Abner got angry with Caitlyn turned down an invitation to dance with him. He proceeded to get drunk and by the time the night was over began to insult her. He made a comment about her not being the lady he thought she was because she chose to dance with a half-breed. Rafe knocked Abner out and he quit the next morning. Rafe didn't kiss Caitlyn after the dance but he did after breakfast.
Caitlyn went to the creek one morning and saw that Rafe was there. They talked and she was on her way back to the house when she saw the fire. Her barn was burning and she arrived to find her father and their foreman had been killed by renegade Indians. Caitlyn was heartbroken and alone. She sent Rafe and his horse away from the ranch. Abner came by the funeral home as she was making arrangements and offered to marry her. He didn't think she had a choice now but she had already turned him down three times.
Caitlyn was worried within a few days. Things weren't going well and 2 men had already quit. Rafe was planning on leaving town but never managed to get away. He heard Abner bragging in the bar that he was going to marry Caitlyn and become the owner of the ranch. Rafe went to see Caitlyn and told her what Abner was saying then he offered to marry her himself. She didn't know what to say until Abner arrived. She told Abner that she was marrying Rafe.
They married a few days later but on their wedding night, she couldn't get past the fact that he was an Indian and Indian's had murdered her family. Rafe was angry and left to go into town and found a poker game. Caitlyn thought he was sleeping with someone else.
Paulie came and interrupted them one night when they were kissing to tell them that her horse had been attacked by a mountain lion. They stayed up for hours working with him and didn't get back to where they left off. Rafe was again disappointed.
They went to town the next Saturday and she talked with her best friend. She got advice to let go of her pride and apologize to him. Abner approached her and tried to kiss her. She kicked him in the groin and ran away. She told him that if he ever tried that again, Rafe would kill him. Abner vowed to make her pay for choose Rafe.
They arrived home and she Caitlyn couldn't bring herself to apologize. She did ask him if he was seeing another woman and he told her that the only woman he wanted was her. She told him that he didn't have to wait any longer to make her his wife and the spend the next three days making up for their lost honeymoon.
The months after that fell into a pleasant routine. The seasons passed and the bard was rebuilt. It was obvious that Black Wind was pregnant and she had her foal. Caitlyn knew that she was in love with Rafe but was still waiting to hear the words from him. It still hurt when she made comments about savages and that she wished all Indians were dead. She tried to apologize and he let it pass after a bit. There were times that he felt that the ranch wasn't truly his home but Caitlyn's and he was the caretaker. She vowed to be more careful with her words but he knew how she felt inside and it was difficult to accept at times.
They prepared to take their cattle to Ft. Laramie to the Army. Rafe tried to get her to stay at home but she refused. They were attacked by Indians and he was stabbed while protecting her from being raped. He developed a fever and it took days to recover from his injury. As soon has he could ride, they headed toward Ft. Laramie. They found three of the ranch hands and covered them with rocks and sticks. They found out that another of the men had died but two were in the infirmary. Rafe went to see them the next day to talk to them. He suspected that it wasn't Indians who had stolen their cattle. The men told him that one of the ones who had died told them that he had seen Abner Wylie with the Indians. Rafe found out that Summer Wind was being used as a prostitute for the soldiers at the fort and took her. Rafe, Caitlyn and Summer Wind headed back home. They were met by Cheyenne's on the way and Summer Wind told her cousin that Stalking Wolf was her husband and Caitlyn was their slave. Rafe went hunting and Summer Wind gambled Caitlyn away. Rafe returned and tried to by her back but the warrior refused to sell her. He was attempting to rape her but his jealous, pregnant wife fought him off. Summer Wind tried to get Stalking Wolf to take her as his wife and when he refused her, she told her cousin that he had been banished for killing a Lakota man. Rafe was sent through a line of Indians beating him with sticks, rocks and whatever they could find. Rafe survived without breaking anything but he was in pain. He had to find a way to get Caitlyn back before she was used by the Indian who now owned her. He wished that he had never rescued Summer Wind but she did feel bad about what she had put Rafe through.
Summer Wind came to find him and brought him some salve and food. Rafe asked her to bring Caitlyn to him and she told him that she wasn't sure if she would or not. He told her she owed him. One morning soon after Rafe left, Caitlyn found herself leaving the tent early. She went for a walk along the river and headed in the direction that Rafe had taken. The pregnant wife hid Caitlyn's tracks heading out of the village. Summer Wind found her and took her to Rafe. It took them 3 weeks to get to their ranch. He explained what had happened to the two hands that had remained at the ranch and told them about Wylie's involvement. He got to thinking that he never really saw the men up close and that all of them might have been white because their ponies were shod. The men had been sloppily scalped too.
Rafe found Wylie in town and pretty much called him out and told him that he knew it was him. Wylie had made $7,000 off the sale of the cattle and had more than enough to pay off the loan at the bank for ownership of the Circle C ranch. He was anxious to make that happen. Rafe went home to make love to his wife and felt sorry that Wylie was mad enough at him to cause so much hurt to her. Rafe blamed himself and thought that she might have been better off marrying Wylie but he was unwilling to give her up. He told Caitlyn what he suspected about Wylie's part in what had happened.
Things on the ranch were going smoothly. Rafe rounded up what was left of the cattle and sold it. He made enough money to pay the interest on the loan and bank postponed the due date for the balance until the next year. Rafe and Caitlyn were excited because she knew she was pregnant. Red's wounds had healed. Caitlyn met a traveling salesman and purchased a horse for $20. The salesman was actually glad to get rid of the thoroughbred because he couldn't tame it. Rafe told Caitlyn that the horse had ben abused but he broke the horse with patience. Both the new horse and Black Wind were pregnant. The future was looking good.
Abner was watching Caitlyn trying to catch her alone. Rafe and the guys left one day to check things on the property. Abner took advantage and caught Caitlyn alone by the creek. Paulie had gone around a bend and was fishing. Caitlyn told Abner to leave and he told her he had the money to pay off the loan on the ranch. He told her that they could be married and run the ranch together. She told him that she was already married. Abner told her that nobody would blame her if she divorced Rafe to marry him. She told him that she didn't need his money either. He decided that if he couldn't have her then no one would. Paulie came back and Abner shot him. He tied up Caitlyn and took her away. He was going to sell her to a Comanchero to work in a Mexican brothel.
Rafe came him to find her gone and started tracking her. Abner and another man had taken her to a hotel and when left alone with the other guy, he tried to attack her. Caitlyn grabbed his gun and shot the man. She was taken to jail and Abner took off. Rafe found her there and she told him what happened.
Rafe took off to find Abner and tracked him to where he met with the Comanchero. Abner killed the guy and Rafe captured him. He knocked Wylie unconscious and took the money from his saddlebags. Caitlyn was freed after she explained what had happened and Wylie was put in jail for his part in the events.
Years later, Caitlyn was pregnant again and her and Rafe already had 4 boys. One was a set of twins and the ranch had become profitable in a large part due to the horses they were raising.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watch for my review of this book on Romancing the Book blog in the near future

[AIDA A LORENZANA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time I have read this book. Years ago and just finished it today, In some parts I thought I had read the story but didn't quite remember. I did at the end. I love Native romances This author writes amazing books , this book is filled with so much action pack characters it was hard to put the book down. One thing I loved was where they spent most there time out on the road and all the action going on. This is a must read. Thank you for taking me away to the Native world of romance and happiness.

[Ada Geringer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Fires

Another great story, you just get better with each one. I just love them all and they just get better. The love in them, is so tender it makes my heart swirl, I don't know why I love these stories so much but I do know that I think the Indians where not treated right, they were near first. Thank you again. Ada G.

[terrell prowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great reading will read again make u feel !like u r right there as this happening just make u keep reading till the book is finished and the end result was just the most there was nothing wrong

This book holds your
Attention the whole book i would have loved being back there. True love is something for real

[Malika-Liki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Stoking Wolf but Caitlyn got sometimes on my nerves.
enjoyable story but not so heart gripping as other stories of Madeline Baker

[kattie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Fires

I loved this story. I look forward to reading more of her books. I recommend everyone to read this book. Kattie

[Cynthia Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A+

Another captivating story filled with adventure, intrigue, and love. When you want the best in Native Indian historical s, Madeline delivers every time.

[Lois Mezo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half breed and love

A good story about a half and his life and a ranch owner.A evil man.Twist and turns in the story.Well written .Couldn't put it down.What will happen next?

[Ashley]

DNF 24%. I found the characters to be blah and it’s a premise I’ve read before.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romantic

A very hard book to put down. I have always loved reading Indian romances. Madeline Baker is one of the best writers of these books.

[constance thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forbidden Fires

Very good book. Love reading Madeline Bakers books. Her books are so well written you don't want to put them down.I enjoyed it reading this book.

[Katie Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book

Couldn't put this book down. So very well written. I love these kind of books and this Author knows what she's doing. Can't wait to read more of what you have to offer. I only wish there was a series of books, like this, that I could find. Would happily read them all.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read books by Madeline Baker before, and, for the most part, liked them well enough. However, Forbidden Fires was one of those books I just couldn't seem to find much at all to like. Some of her books take a bit of a stretch of the imagination to believe. This one requires so much of a stretch it could span the Grand Canyon. Often enough with the Romance genre as a whole, the "hero" will start out being rather unlikable and then come around. In this case, the hero was fine from the start. It was the heroine I had trouble with liking - and she never warmed up into someone I could respect.

The heroine is too focused on what other people will think of her (especially since she only sees those who live in town once every-other month or so). She was selfish, unthinking, and egocentric - often only thinking of how things affected her instead of thinking of what others were going through (when some of the things the others were enduring were much more severe than anything she’d ever lived through). She says she always tried to do what was expected of her, what was proper, yet she wore pants and rode a horse astride??? She snuck off to go chasing wild horses and insisted on going on a cattle drive. How is that "proper" for a woman of good name and family in the American West in the 19th century? Many women DID dress that way and attend to "manly" pursuits, but it was certainly never considered proper.
The heroine was also a bigot. She despised ALL Native Americans regardless of which tribe they belonged to, or what they may or may not have done in the past (including half-breeds who might have just as easily not had anything to do with that half of their ancestry after conception).
She also irritated me when she would bemoan her misery at events in her life when the majority of time they were her own fault (the best example of which would be the wedding night).
She was little better than the other women from Rafe's past who wanted to bed him but still were ashamed of his Indian blood.
Caitlyn’s thinking is illogical, immature, and nonsensical. She is whiny (even if only her thoughts), petulant, rebellious (never considering how her behavior puts others at risk when they have to protect her after she does as she pleases). She is more believable as a 12 year old girl than an adult woman.
Rafe, the hero, was a more likable character, but even he had some faults (without going into detail, the whole experience in the Indian village had me mumbling about his stupidity and lack of consideration for his wife).
I also had difficulty believing they would try to go on a cattle drive with over 800 head of cattle with only 6 hands (most of which were inexperienced). At least one of the men WAS experienced with cattle drives, and surely would have told them they needed more than just 6 men. They had relied on this man's advice in other aspects of driving cattle, so I had difficulty believing he wouldn't have advised against their traveling with so little hired help. And, given Rafe's background, he would have certainly known he needed more protection…especially since he knew they would be traveling through lands where Indian encounters would be likely and how dangerous they could be (having first hand knowledge of the feelings of many of the tribes towards the white settlers at the time).

Other than characters I could not at all relate to, I also found an utter lack of historical accuracy many times. For instance, the author makes a comment about the lack of availability of young, marriageable men. Really? In the western territories during the 19th Century the men vastly outnumbered the women, yet Caitlyn apparently happens to live in the one place where there are few men available??? That’s a bit far-fetched! There were other examples like how fast they were able to travel across a certain amount of miles on horseback (for Caitlyn & two others, they apparently traveled 30 miles in under six hours with at least half of that being after dark; yet Rafe, traveling the same distance and the same route - in daylight and good weather - takes from dawn til dusk!). I could go on and on because there were so many times I stopped and shook my head while reading wondering how in the world the author thought the reader was ever supposed to believe any of it.

Needless to say, I would not recommend the book. Even though Goodreads says 2 stars means "it was ok" and 1 star is supposed to mean "did not like it" - I tend to leave the 1 star ratings for the books that are so bad I can't even finish them. So, even though I did not like this book, I gave it 2 stars - I was able to finish it - eventually (no problems at all tearing myself away from this one).

[Greeneyes Belle28 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really Good

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[steve siegel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

I liked the different turns this story two me on .I am beginning to really like reading your books. I will keep readind them.GB

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

enjoyed this book

[Toni Pulley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I absolutely loved this story. Every book I read of Madeline Baker's has been wonderful. I can't wait to read more from her.