Winner of the 2024 Will Rogers Bronze Medallion Award Is another clash of North and South is inevitable? Samuel Hickman had always dreamed of fighting for his country, but the realities of war had left him emotionally scarred and reclusive. Despite his best efforts to avoid people and their entanglements, fate had other plans for him. With nothing left for her in the South, Susannah Piper sets her sights on Oregon, determined to leave behind the pain and prejudices of the past. But when she stumbles upon Hick's camp one dark night, she finds herself drawn to the brooding soldier. Susannah's arrival throws Hick's carefully crafted plans into disarray. He may be heading to Wyoming, but she refuses to be left behind. The clash of their opposing backgrounds and beliefs may spark a different kind of war between them. Don't miss this heart-wrenching journey through a divided America. Adventurous, poignant, and rich in historical detail, Cobalt Skies takes you across the Midwest with a cast of tough but lovable characters. Divided loyalties are tested during a tumultuous time of reconstruction and healing, but Hick and Cooter offer a perfect balance of wit and chivalry. If you enjoy a well-written tale of sacrifice, tenderness, and overcoming the odds, Cobalt Skies is for you. ~ Candice Sue Patterson ~ author of Saving Mrs. Roosevelt and The Keys to Gramercy Park Pegg Thomas's novel Colbalt Skies is the first Christian western romance that grabbed my attention. The characters were courageous as they faced the rugged West during the after-years of the Civil War and the effects it had on their lives. With each turn of the page, the love that grew between Sam and Susannah warmed my heart and took my mind off the cold realities of the times we are living in. I read the book on a cold, rainy day, and it was a perfect pleasure to read. ~ Rita Gerlach ~ author of Wait Until Morning and The Holly and the Ivy Cobalt Skies brings together two lost souls seeking someplace where they can find peace, far from the memories of the war that tore apart the United States—and their hearts. You'll not want to miss Union veteran Sam "Hick" Hickman, Georgia native Mrs. Susannah Piper, and the odd collection of strays they attract along the journey. This engaging story will keep you turning pages long after bedtime so you can find out whether these polar opposites really will attract! ~ Jennifer Uhlarik ~ author of Sand Creek Serenade and Love's Fortress Cobalt Skies is the second book in A More Perfect Union. As with the others, the hero is an ex-Civil War cavalryman whose life was torn apart during the war. My purpose in writing this series was to explore how different soldiers were impacted in different ways by the war, then to work out what they might have done to rebuild their lives. The seed of the idea came from my own great-great-grandfather, John Lewis, who fought in the Michigan 7th Cavalry at the end of the war and then transferred out to the prairie forts in the Plains Indian Wars. He makes a cameo appearance in the first book of the series, Emerald Fields. Pegg Thomas lives on a homestead farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. She is published in six Barbour historical romance collections and has indie-published six historical romance novels. Pegg won the 2019 FHL Readers' Choice Award for novellas, was a double-finalist for the 2019 ACFW Carol Award for novellas, and a finalist for the 2019 ACFW Editor of the Year. She was a finalist in the 2021 FHL Readers' Choice Award for novellas. Pegg won the 2022 Selah Award for historical romance and placed 2nd with her second entry. Pegg spent 3 ½ years as the managing editor of Smitten Historical Romance. When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.