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Lockets & Lace #19
Virginia's Vocation
Will Virginia’s chosen vocation fill the empty spaces in her heart?
It is 1858. With both parents dead, Virginia Atwell lives with her older brother, Jefferson, and his family in Boonville, Missouri. Under a pseudonym, she secretly has been submitting articles to a well-respected investigative journal about controversial topics. To her dismay, she learns her family plans to buy new farmland in the wilds of central Kansas Territory, making it almost impossible for her to continue her clandestine article submissions. More importantly, Virginia is terrified of the prospect of living so close to hostile Indian tribes and dying by their hands because they resent white Americans moving onto their traditional buffalo hunting grounds.
Virginia’s brother, Jefferson, learns of her writings and decides it is time to get her out of Missouri. He yields to her persuasion and escorts her to Ohio so she may attend one of the few colleges in country that accept female students. There, she meets Avery Wilson, an aspiring writer, a teacher of two of her classes, and a fellow boarder at Drusilla Chilton’s boarding house. In spite of his impeccable politeness, Virginia cannot help but believe he disapproves of her.
Virginia’s publisher orders her to his office to discuss a special assignment. She must make a trip to St. Louis, but her landlady insists she cannot travel alone. Avery, curious about Virginia’s secretive meeting, and unable to resist his growing attraction to the irritating, but brilliant student, offers pose as her fiancé in order to escort her. While he is in St. Louis, he hopes to visit the Heartland Monthly offices to increase his chances the publisher will start accepting his submissions.
What happens when the publisher is not the only one shocked and dismayed to learn that the investigative journal’s star writer is a woman? Will Avery keep her secret? What about the assignment to visit the Kaw Reservation? Who will go to investigate and write the article? What will happen when the two return to Ohio?
Virginia’s Vocation is also part of the author’s Atwell Kin series:
Book 0 - Charlie’s Choice (Prequel)
Book 1 - Virginia’s Vocation
Book 2 - Kizzie’s Kisses
Book 3 - Otto’s Offer
Book 4 - Hannah’s Handkerchief – scheduled for release Spring, 2020
Book 5 - Lyman’s Rescue – scheduled for release Spring 2021
Each is a stand-alone sweet romance.
It is 1858. With both parents dead, Virginia Atwell lives with her older brother, Jefferson, and his family in Boonville, Missouri. Under a pseudonym, she secretly has been submitting articles to a well-respected investigative journal about controversial topics. To her dismay, she learns her family plans to buy new farmland in the wilds of central Kansas Territory, making it almost impossible for her to continue her clandestine article submissions. More importantly, Virginia is terrified of the prospect of living so close to hostile Indian tribes and dying by their hands because they resent white Americans moving onto their traditional buffalo hunting grounds.
Virginia’s brother, Jefferson, learns of her writings and decides it is time to get her out of Missouri. He yields to her persuasion and escorts her to Ohio so she may attend one of the few colleges in country that accept female students. There, she meets Avery Wilson, an aspiring writer, a teacher of two of her classes, and a fellow boarder at Drusilla Chilton’s boarding house. In spite of his impeccable politeness, Virginia cannot help but believe he disapproves of her.
Virginia’s publisher orders her to his office to discuss a special assignment. She must make a trip to St. Louis, but her landlady insists she cannot travel alone. Avery, curious about Virginia’s secretive meeting, and unable to resist his growing attraction to the irritating, but brilliant student, offers pose as her fiancé in order to escort her. While he is in St. Louis, he hopes to visit the Heartland Monthly offices to increase his chances the publisher will start accepting his submissions.
What happens when the publisher is not the only one shocked and dismayed to learn that the investigative journal’s star writer is a woman? Will Avery keep her secret? What about the assignment to visit the Kaw Reservation? Who will go to investigate and write the article? What will happen when the two return to Ohio?
Virginia’s Vocation is also part of the author’s Atwell Kin series:
Book 0 - Charlie’s Choice (Prequel)
Book 1 - Virginia’s Vocation
Book 2 - Kizzie’s Kisses
Book 3 - Otto’s Offer
Book 4 - Hannah’s Handkerchief – scheduled for release Spring, 2020
Book 5 - Lyman’s Rescue – scheduled for release Spring 2021
Each is a stand-alone sweet romance.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2019
51 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Zina Abbott
87 books123 followersZina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels. Her novel, Family Secrets, was published by Fire Star Press in October 2014 and her novelette, A Christmas Promise, was published by Prairie Rose Publications in November 2014. The first two novellas in the Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series, Big Meadows Valentine and A Resurrected Heart, are now available.
The author currently lives with her husband in California near the “Gateway to Yosemite.” She enjoys family history and any kind of history. When she is not piecing together novel plots, she pieces together quilt blocks.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 15, 2019
A young woman working towards a career in journalism.
Virginia and her journey to receive a college education and to continue with her writing career. From living with her brothers and helping them build a new home and farm near the Kaw Indian reservation to striking out alone to work her way through college and her part time job of writing articles for a popular monthly news journal. She had strength of character and determination to follow her dreams, willing to do hard work to succeed. This is a lovely story of a young woman trying to grow in a male dominated society and maybe even finding love along the way.
Virginia and her journey to receive a college education and to continue with her writing career. From living with her brothers and helping them build a new home and farm near the Kaw Indian reservation to striking out alone to work her way through college and her part time job of writing articles for a popular monthly news journal. She had strength of character and determination to follow her dreams, willing to do hard work to succeed. This is a lovely story of a young woman trying to grow in a male dominated society and maybe even finding love along the way.
October 4, 2020
The historical details included in this novel really contributed to the story, providing helpful background information and insight into the heroine’s motivations and the obstacles she needed to overcome to achieve her goals.
It was interesting to read how Virginia secretly mapped out her own plan in a unique way to assert her independence. I recommend this sweet and clean historical romance which is part of the Lockets and Lace series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
It was interesting to read how Virginia secretly mapped out her own plan in a unique way to assert her independence. I recommend this sweet and clean historical romance which is part of the Lockets and Lace series.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
January 20, 2023
I Enjoyed the story of a woman writing articles under a pen name. Virginia is needing to stay unknown due to her writing for a magazine about controversial political issues. After moving to attend college her secret has been discovered by her landlady. Her professor Avery Wilson is not to thrilled for Virginia to get “Higher Learning”. After he finds out her secret, he has made a deal to travel with her to do a special article for the magazine. Will they discover more than just the information for the article?
April 18, 2019
Good story
The storyline concentrates on women's rights at a time when they had none. Virginia feared marriage and being controlled. Women were not allowed to travel without an escort, they could not own land unless a guardian controlled it for them. They couldn't make many decisions on their own. Political discussions were for men only. Viet rhinos has many secrets as she tries to work through her fear of being controlled by men.
The storyline concentrates on women's rights at a time when they had none. Virginia feared marriage and being controlled. Women were not allowed to travel without an escort, they could not own land unless a guardian controlled it for them. They couldn't make many decisions on their own. Political discussions were for men only. Viet rhinos has many secrets as she tries to work through her fear of being controlled by men.
November 20, 2019
Avery and Virginia
This is the last of the Lockets and Lace series. Each of the authors did a wonderful job and are to be applauded. This story is about a woman that wanted to live beyond her time. She did not wanted to always belong to a father, brother/ guardian or husband. She wanted to be herself and be solely responsible for herself. She finally meets her match, although it takes a while for them both to realize it. You will enjoy this story a great deal as I did.
This is the last of the Lockets and Lace series. Each of the authors did a wonderful job and are to be applauded. This story is about a woman that wanted to live beyond her time. She did not wanted to always belong to a father, brother/ guardian or husband. She wanted to be herself and be solely responsible for herself. She finally meets her match, although it takes a while for them both to realize it. You will enjoy this story a great deal as I did.
May 2, 2019
Enjoyable, wholesome western romance.
This story is a western--not about cowboys and indians--about women's rights and indians. I look forward to reading more by this author, having enjoyed this story so.
This story is a western--not about cowboys and indians--about women's rights and indians. I look forward to reading more by this author, having enjoyed this story so.
May 14, 2019
Busybody landlady !!!!!
I enjoyed this book until it reached the point of the busybody landlady joining her at the post office. I couldn't finish it. Couldn't get past that interference. Wish it was better written about the busybody lady.
I enjoyed this book until it reached the point of the busybody landlady joining her at the post office. I couldn't finish it. Couldn't get past that interference. Wish it was better written about the busybody lady.
August 23, 2020
Virginia 's Vocation (Lockets and Lace Book 19)
This is the nineteenth book in this series about a young woman with a vocation of being a writer and retrieving her mother's locket she had sold
This is the nineteenth book in this series about a young woman with a vocation of being a writer and retrieving her mother's locket she had sold
August 26, 2020
Brave woman
She knew she was different .She was out spoken from others.Her head strong brother was her guardian . He be live women were to obey the husband and sisters too. Read to find out what Virgania does.
She knew she was different .She was out spoken from others.Her head strong brother was her guardian . He be live women were to obey the husband and sisters too. Read to find out what Virgania does.
October 1, 2020
A good read
Avery -a professor (part time) at Oblien college in ohio
Virginia - Goes to college and is a writer under a pseudonym
I enjoyed reading this interesting story about women's rights and indians that is well written. Their story has a good HEA!
Avery -a professor (part time) at Oblien college in ohio
Virginia - Goes to college and is a writer under a pseudonym
I enjoyed reading this interesting story about women's rights and indians that is well written. Their story has a good HEA!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews