WHAT'S NEW?

February 2012: WILDEST DREAMS

Sourcebooks, Inc. Trade-paperback / e-book reissue of my 1994 novel.

"Readers can now replace their tattered copies of this tale, originally published in 1994, with a beautiful new edition. Anyone seeking an emotional, sweeping Western saga need look no further, as Rosanne Bittner provides a couple who suffer strife and loss, but endure it all because they're together. Luke is a sometimes hard to like character, but he and Lettie embody the pioneer spirit necessary to thrive in a harsh land. . . . the major characters have all the depth and nuance readers will crave." -- Heather Nordahl Files, Affaire de Coeur, 2012. (Read the entire review here.)

"A hasty opening drops the reader head-first into a story already in progress, but the plunge is quickly forgotten as Bittner's characters spring to life. It's 1863. Upon learning that he is illegitimate, independent Luke Fontaine strikes out on his own to prove himself. On a west-bound wagon train, he falls in love with Lettie, a rape victim with an illegitimate child. Since her rape, Lettie has felt unworthy of another relationship, but Luke is determined to convince her otherwise with the kind of understanding attitude that makes this epic saga of 25 years so memorable. Luke and Lettie head for Montana to begin a dynasty--which is both Luke's dream and his way of avenging himself on his estranged family. The couple are true pioneers, staking out their claim on the raw, untamed Montana Territory inch-by-inch. Nothing is easy and their happiness is hard won and revered. Their experiences are not out of the ordinary for the time (a son is abducted by Indians, a grizzly attack, a child dies of fever), but are extraordinary for the depth of emotion with which they are portrayed. Bittner is one of those writers whose talent has grown over the years; that talent truly blossoms in Wildest Dreams." -- Publisher's Weekly, 1994.

    Read more Reviews    

       Luke Fontaine and Lettie MacBride meet on a wagon train headed west, both of them running from a past and from places to which they intend to never return. They fall in love, and Lettie follows Luke to Montana, where Luke intends to build a cattle empire of his own. Beset by relentless snows, Indian attacks, run-ins with horse thieves, buffalo hunters, a grizzly bear, prairie fires, vigilantes and the countless other challenges of settling in wild country, the powerful love Luke and Lettie share helps hold them together through a rugged pioneer life and through the loss of a son who is stolen away by Indians, never to return until he is a grown man.

       WILDEST DREAMS is a vivid depiction of what life was like for America's pioneers, all set against the glorious panorama of Montana, "big-sky country," where there was a time when a man could own land that stretched so far that it would take days to ride its perimeter … a land where a man could carve out his dreams and realize them … and where a woman found strength and independence of a kind she'd never know in settled places.

       Luke and Lettie raise a huge family, and WILDEST DREAMS goes into the lives of their children, whose hearts will always lie at "home," on the DOUBLE-L Ranch in Montana. Though people and events come along to try to destroy the love Luke and Lettie have for each other, nothing can come between them. By the end of this book, a sweeping saga of romance, adventure and realistic pioneer life, the courage it took for our American pioneers to settle this land will live on in the minds of the readers for years to come, along with an appreciation for the kind of people who settled America!

    Pre-order, "Like", or Review WILDEST DREAMS    

       I would very much appreciate your taking a look at the Amazon.com page and clicking "like". If you've read a past edition of this book, it would be wonderful if you would leave a nice review. All of these things -- pre-ordering, clicking on Amazon.com's "like", and new reviews -- will not only help the sales of this book, but will also help convince Sourcebooks that the demand is there for my new books!

Coming in July 2012: THUNDER ON THE PLAINS

Sourcebooks, Inc. Trade-paperback / e-book reissue of my 1991 hardcover / 1992 paperback novel.

"To fulfill his dream of building a railroad across America, Bo Landers hires young Colt Travis in 1857 to guide his party along a possible route. Landers's young, innocent, and beautiful daughter Sunny is immediately attracted to the tall, dark, and ruggedly handsome half-breed scout, and he to her. They deny their love for 12 years, knowing their worlds are too different for a relationship between them to succeed. Outside influences work against them, too: war, imprisonment, the deliberate intervention of her relatives, injuries, marriage to others. This is a well-written historical novel, and the macho but tender Colt is a hero to set feminine hearts aflutter. Other characters are also realistic in the action-packed story. . . . Western romance readers will thoroughly enjoy this." Publisher's Weekly, 1992.

       Sunny Landers is utterly devoted to her father's dream -- a transcontinental railroad that would run from Chicago to the Pacific. Journeying west on a wagon train, she discovers for herself the glories of the unsettled country...and the unsettling half-Cherokee, Colt Travis. He was like the land of his birth: handsome yet wild, imposing, and dangerous. Against an endless horizon, Colt opens her heart to a passion she never dreamed possible. But in a country torn apart by war and progress, can they ever find a way to stay together?

    Pre-order, "Like", or Review THUNDER ON THE PLAINS (Casablanca Classics)    

       I would very much appreciate your taking a look at the Amazon.com page and clicking "like". If you've read a past edition of this book, it would be wonderful if you would leave a nice review. All of these things -- pre-ordering, clicking on Amazon.com's "like", and new reviews -- will not only help the sales of this book, but will also help convince Sourcebooks that the demand is there for my new books!

June 2011 HARDCOVER from Severn House Publishers Inc,:
 

Also Available in electronic format for Amazon Kindle.

        GOOD NEWS: I have a limited number of signed books that you can purchase directly from me. There are some some hard-to-find older titles, including my e-book, THE TOUCH OF LOVE! Please email me if you're looking for a specific book, or send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me at P. O. Box 1044, Coloma, MI 49038 for a newsletter that lists books I have available.

       If you live in the Berrien County, MI, area and are looking for my books, try Marie's Hallmark in the Orchards Mall in Benton Harbor. They now have an assortment of titles, including some of the hard-to-find out-of-print books! You can also find several of my books at Lakeside Books in my hometown of Coloma.

"Dear Mrs. Bittner, I discovered your books about six months ago, and have been reading them non-stop. MY DILEMMA NOW, MRS. BITTNER, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO AFTER I FINISH MY LAST BOOK OF YOURS? I LOVE the period you write in (pioneers and indians) and your wonderful style of writing. I have learned more about our heritage and the wonderful Native Americans from your books than what I learned while in school. PLEASE, PLEASE, I truly hope you can give me a name or two to look into for further reading. PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS....I am a fan of yours for life!!!" -- from a recent email