The Owen Family Saga Series

Book 3: The Owen Family Saga. Winner of the 2013 USA Best Books Award for Western Fiction. Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss. Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers. When Marsha Ward presents the reader with a new book about the Owen family, you can bet it will rivet your interest all the way to the end. You can’t help but become totally immersed in the character’s lives. Spinster’s Folly features oldest daughter Marie, afraid that at eighteen she’s already on the shelf, and only too eager to be wed. Her trouble, and trouble it is, comes in selecting the right man. Charming and earthy, Spinster’s Folly is a grand addition to the Owen’s saga. ~C.K. Crigger, author of the China Bohannon historical mystery series If you want accurate time and place, wonderful lexicon of the time, and a touching, compelling read, don't miss Marsha Ward's Spinster's Folly. ~L. J. Martin, author of Nemesis and other western novels The harrowing experiences in early-day Colorado of 18-year-old spinster, Marie Owen, the result of her simple wish for a husband, held me spellbound from start to finish. I couldn't put the book down. An incredible story, Spinster's Folly is one of the best women's novels of the west I've had the pleasure to read. Ever! ~Irene Bennett Brown, award-winning author of Before the Lark; the Women of Paragon Springs Series and Celia Landrey Mysteries. Frustrated by her pending arranged marriage to a callous farm boy and confused by feelings for a cowboy in her father’s employ, Marie Owen falls into the arms of a smooth-talking city man whose intentions are anything but honorable. Too late, she realizes her folly and hope fades as the abusive kidnapper she thought she loved drags her far away from home and family. But the cowboy, Bill Henry, follows her cold trail, fighting weariness and weather in a determined effort to save Marie and her reputation. In Spinster’s Folly, author Marsha Ward spins a suspenseful, fast-paced tale of undeclared love, cowardly deception, and gallant heroism. ~Rod Miller, Spur Award-winning author With a great sense of time and place, crackerjack dialogue and rich characters, Marsha Ward delivers Spinster's Folly, a romance, Western and historical novel rolled into one—and one fun read. ~Johnny D. Boggs, six-time Spur Award-winning author of Camp Ford and Legacy of a Lawman

Book 4: The Owen Family Saga. Thinking he's been treated unjustly by his father, James Owen leaves the family homestead to make a new life for himself. The turbulent world of post-Civil War Colorado Territory is fraught with danger and prejudice that increase his bitter loneliness as personal setbacks threaten to break him. Then James's journey brings him into contact with another wayfarer, beautiful young Amparo Garcés, who has come from Santa Fe to Colorado to marry a stranger. Through a twist of fate, their futures are changed forever when their lives are merged in a marriage of convenience. James and Amparo undertake a hazardous horseback trek over Raton Pass to Santa Fe, battling their personal demons, a challenging language barrier, and winter's raging storms. "Ride to Raton is a pure western, complete with bad guys and broken hearts and even a dog. The sequel to The Man from Shenandoah features James Owen, the younger brother. Marsha Ward writes a fantastic romance against a vivid southwestern backdrop. James begins this book as a hurt young man, but by the end of the book, I really could see him grow up and become a man. Made tougher by circumstances he has no control over, James realizes that the love he thought he had lost was nothing compared to what Amparo shows him. Amparo is a young Hispanic lady, forced to leave her home in Santa Fe to marry a stranger in Colorado. She bravely faces her uncertain future, relying on her faith to get her through. She is sweet, loving and she provides a great contrast to James's rough exterior. With an ending that surprised even me, Ride to Raton is not your usual romance. However, I do recommend it for western lovers--even the cover is wonderful! Marsha Ward once again shows us her gift for old fashioned storytelling!" ~Jen Hill, Roundtable Reviews

Book 5: The Owen Family Saga. Jessie Bingham put heartbreak away to tend to her sister's needs, but when she settled for second best in love, she didn't foresee that James Owen would come back into her life. The aftermath of the Civil War creates cruel circumstances for the Bingham family. A brutal attack on Jessie's sister, Hannah Fletcher, drives the extended family to flee to the West. They are soon joined by Heppie Bingham's beau George and his brother, Ned, who bring news that the Binghams are being pursued by cronies of Hannah's attacker. Even after they fight off that onslaught, poverty, bad weather, and Hannah's frightful secret plague their journey. Nursing her battered heart when she hears James Owen took a wife, Jessie accepts Ned's offer of marriage, but puts off the wedding until they reach Albuquerque. Then a stop on the trail holds surprises that launch Jessie into a bewildering tangle of values, emotions, and high adventure. Includes rape scene and Mormon beliefs. Marsha Ward has the uncanny ability to transport readers back in time. You feel the characters' sorrows, hate the villains, cheer the heroes, and sit on the edge of your seat as one adventure after another unfolds. What a satisfying story this is, with real, believable trials and heart-warming conclusions. I recommend it to everyone, from history buffs to adventure lovers to romance readers. ~Shirley Bahlmann, author of the "Odds" pioneer series Marshaling adept storytelling with an intimate understanding of her subject matter, Marsha Ward delivers loyal fans an exciting continuation of her Owen Family series, while new readers will rate Trail of Storms a satisfying stand-alone read that will send them back for more. Prepare to be transported to another time . . . another place. Ward's grasp of western dialect and culture is like a set of old leather reins in her skilled hands, driving her story's authenticity. The book opens with Jesse Bingham and her sisters on a tense Virginia day, under the brutal occupation of Yankee forces. High drama begins on page three and you're already invested up to your elbows. ~L.C. Lewis, author of the "Free Man and Dreamers" series OMG I really really liked this book. I liked the first two books in the series too, but this book seemed to flow beautifully and connect with me. I was right there, submerged in 1867 and could even smell the hay in the barn!!! This book starts with a BANG...(I was shocked and extremely impressed!) not to mention throughly entertained ALL the way through. It was intense, touching and heartwarming. So, Great Job Marsha Ward! And to everyone who hasn't read this book: GO GET IT! ~K. Darrach, Reader Review

Book 2: The Owen Family Saga. Young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fiancée while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous thug Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless waterless desert, and his own brother—all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates. "I finished The Man from Shenandoah at half-past midnight because I couldn’t put it down." - Utah Reader "This is a book to prize, and not only for its gritty realism, exciting action, and compelling characters. The story further engages us by examining the ties that hold family and community together. Not many Westerns do that. Heartily recommended!" - Western Writer's Newsletter ++New Cover++

How did the Owen Family Saga begin? With a love story, of course, the most romantic love story of all: when Rod and Julia met. God must have conspired with the angels to put Roderick Owen of Shenandoah County, Virginia, and Julia Helm, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the same place on one magical day in Spring, 1840. All nature paused, as though holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen. In this short novella, acclaimed author Marsha Ward tells the story of the Owen Family origins, describing in her delicate language the tender feelings of two people who need to find each other in a very small window of time.