From Amazon
Miss Olivia Darling seizes her first and last opportunity for adventure when she uses her inheritance from her late aunt to buy a boarding house. Her courage starts to falter, however, when all the customers steer straight for the rival McCafferys' hotel. When a tall, handsome stranger darkens her door, Olivia is instantly attracted to him. But Jack McLaughlin is determined to keep himself removed from Olivia and life in Springwater. Haunted by a dark past, Jack once failed those who loved him most. Now as he finds himself falling for Olivia, Jack must face the consequences of his past, or risk the dreams of his future.
Miller's warm characters and sleek, unaffected writing style neatly disguise what is not always the most profound plot. While Jack enjoys a complex internal debate, Olivia's progression from grumpy activist to drama club president feels hollow. But profundity is not the point here: the dialogue is realistic, the romance is solid, the sensuality is restrained, and the final result is sure to keep more than a few readers up past their bedtime. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien
Review
"Springwater Seasons: Miranda" - A sensual marriage of convenience tale guaranteed to warm your heart all the way down to your toes . . . The mounting sexual tension combined with the Americana aura takes MIRANDA to a new level of romance; just what readers expect from Linda Lael Miller.
"Springwater Seasons: Rachel" - A delightful and delicious mini-series. These short, charming, sweet and heartwarming books will delight western and Americana fans alike . . . The first volume of SPRINGWATER SEASONS will charm you, enchant you, delight you and quite simply hook you on the rest of the series. Linda Lael Miller does what she always does, creates luminous characters who touch our hearts in very special ways.
"Springwater" - Linda Lael Miller captures not only the ambiance of a small western town, but the need for love, companionship and kindness that is within all of us. SPRINGWATER is what Americana romance is all about. -- Romantic Times
"Springwater Seasons: Miranda" - A gentle love story about individual growth and adjustments to loss. If you're looking for a simple love story to relax with, this is the one." -- Old Book Barn Gazette
Book Description
Come home to the heart of a frontier town....
Linda Lael Miller created magic in five novels set in Springwater, Montana -- and in the delightful characters whose lives and hearts entwine in each of her enchanting tales. Now, come back to Springwater for an unforgettable holiday -- and join in the tears and the smiles when a prodigal son returns to find love at long last.
When Jack McLaughlin drifted into Springwater, he carried little more with him than his bitter memories of the Civil War and the shattering secret of a promise betrayed in the heat of battle. Wounded soul-deep, and fearing the wrath of his own parents, Jack has hidden his identity and come to Springwater to see his mother and father from afar, even if he can't bear to face them. Taking odd jobs and keeping a low profile, Jack finds a safe haven at the town's new rooming house.
Olivia Darling had never done anything impulsive -- until she left the east and opened a boarding house in Springwater. But still an outsider at heart, and struggling to make a success of her business, Olivia finds herself turning to the other newcomer in town, the rough-hewn and embittered man she's taken in. As the Christmas season brings them together, Olivia finds in Jack's arms a passionate sweetness she never knew existed. And with the stunning revelation of Jack's true identity, all of Springwater witnesses a heartwarming reunion that will change their lives forever.
From the Back Cover
Olivia Darling had never done anything impulsive until she left the east and opened a boarding house in Springwater. But still an outsider at heart, and struggling to make a success of her business, Olivia finds herself turning to the other newcomer in town, the rough-hewn and embittered man she's taken in. As the Christmas season brings them together, Olivia finds in Jack's arms a passionate sweetness she never knew existed. And with the stunning revelation of Jack's true identy, all of Springwater witnesses a heartwarming reunion that will change their lives forever.
About the Author
People who knew Miller then marvel at today's Linda Lael Miller. She's the internationally known, New York Times bestselling author of 50 novels and the owner of considerable real estate holdings. That same woman who had never explored the world outside her Seattle-area home now hops on a plane at a moment's notice. Miller's recent destinations have included London, Hong Kong, Seoul, Venice, Paris, Costa Rica and Toronto. Besides her success as an author, she's in demand as a public speaker, because she has the ability to inspire others to do what she did to build a new life for themselves.
Life began rather simply for Miller in a wilderness area nine miles south of the Canadian border on the Columbia River. Riding horses, picking wild asparagus by the railroad tracks and devouring what books she could find in the tiny town are her childhood remembrances. Her brawny cousins hovered around the highly imaginative youth, presumably to protect her. In the strange workings of a child's mind, this daughter of a U.S. marshal interpreted her cousins' overly protective attitude to mean she wasn't capable of accomplishing anything on her own. Then, when Miller was 10, a teacher told the avid writer that her stories were good, that she just might have a future in writing.
Miller credits that teacher with steering her toward a career that has earned the savvy strawberry blond author coveted rungs on the prestigious New York Times bestseller list. Miller has competed with the likes of Tom Clancy, Mary Higgins Clark and John Grisham to achieve this pinnacle of publishing success, not once but repeatedly. Every bookseller in the country knows Miller by name. With more than 15 million books in print in numerous languages, she's as likely to be read abroad as in the U.S. She is best known for stories set in the American West, stories like her 1999 "Springwater" series, published by Pocket Books. A SPRINGWATER CHRISTMAS, the sixth in the series, will be released in October. Miller's current work in progress is another series of western historicals, the "Primrose" books, which will be released in 2000.
Miller's historical and contemporary novels, from romances to time travels to vampire stories, la Anne Rice, have earned her legions of fans and positions on every bestseller list. Her heroines are women whom her readers admire for their honor, courage, trustworthiness, valor and determination to succeed despite overwhelming odds. "These timelessly admirable qualities make them excellent role models for young women," Miller explains. "My heroes possess equally admirable traits that today's woman would be delighted to find in her life's mate."
Miller's lucrative publishing career didn't materialize overnight. The determined author served her time in the trenches, honing her craft and enduring rejection before she sold her first novel to Pocket Books in the early '80s. Since then, Miller has learned that being an author is half talent and perseverance, half business savvy. "It's a very tough business," Miller said, comparing book publishing to any other pursuit where the winds of change can wipe out careers overnight. "The one thing an author can count on is change, and she'd better be ready for it."
The dedicated author follows a strict regimen to meet demanding deadlines and to satisfy her personal insistence on quality writing. Working from her Scottsdale, Arizona office, she produces 10 to 15 pages daily, five days a week. She writes into her characters the grit that has carried the tenacious author through personal and professional crises that enable the public to identify with her.
A talented speaker, Miller provides tips for "Slaying Dragons in Everyday Life," a strategy she says can be applied to any endeavor as long as the person possesses the requisite determination. A Dale Carnegie graduate and subsequent graduate assistant, she delights her audiences with her quick wit and professional delivery. Her advice pertains to both genders, but many see the Baby Boomer/divorced mother/successful author as a role model for women at a time when few exist. And Miller is backing her motivational advice with her wallet, creating and personally funding the Linda Lael Miller Scholarships for Women.
Miller has come a long way since graduating as valedictorian in her high school class of 13 and "marrying too young." On her own, raising a child after a difficult marriage, she budgeted her meager financial resources and threw herself into the pursuit of her publishing dream. "I not only survived; I thrived," Miller remarked. "Yes, I'm intelligent. Yes, I'm talented, but look how many intelligent, talented failures there are in the world. Whatever your dream is, if you believe in yourself, you can achieve it. What it takes to succeed is the drive to make it work."
