A story of love, betrayal, death, and determination Salted with true Texas history Sara’s husband was a disappointment in life, but she had to admit he was a handsome corpse Step into a different time and place. GONE TO DALLAS, the Storekeeper, 1856-1861 is a riveting trip back in time to the Texas frontier. Spinning historical fact and fiction, mixing real people and fictional characters in one absorbing story, this historical adventure and coming-of-age tale will have you rooting for the plucky, young heroine. When newlyweds Sara and Morgan Darnell set out from Tennessee to Texas to create a new life, nineteen-year-old Sara never imagines what she’ll learn about her new husband, or what lies ahead for her. Morgan’s shocking and sudden death changes the course of her future. Sara finds herself left to navigate life alone in the tiny, log-cabin village of Dallas—a man’s world! Forced to rely on determination, hard work, and a few good friends, she struggles to make her dream of a opening general store a reality. Despite her own uncertainty, vandalism, threats, and being gun shot, can Sara—a woman alone—overcome the challenges to build a new life? The stakes are high. Failure means being destitute in Dallas! Read GONE TO DALLAS , and discover the mystique and the spirit of adventure, hardship, and joys of life in frontier Texas before the Civil War. The story and characters will entertain you and linger in your memory. Perfect for fans of Portis’ True Grit and history buffs alike. HISTORIANS: "Compelling. . .a fascinating narrative. . . A recommended read."—Douglass W. McDonald, Former CEO of The Alamo "I found Gone to Dallas riveting. . . I loved reading this book."—Dr. Gail Thomas, Co-Founder, The Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture "Sara was fascinating, a strong and enterprising young woman." Teresa Burleson, Director, Stockyards Museum, Fort Worth; Western Music Association Female Poet of the Year, 2017, 2019 "Meticulously research. . . truly a pleasure to read." — Melissa Prycer, Historian "A plot full of twists and turns. . . a real page turner.—Dr. Sharon Skrobareck, Member of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas; Alamo Advisory Committee "I was fascinated by this story. The right balance of compelling storytelling and historical details. . . a brilliant book! Sam Tucker, Area Director of Sales and Marketing. The historic Adolphus Hotel AUTHORS "An unforgettable journey. . . Superb writing." --BJ Mayo, author of Alfie Carter and The Sparrows of Montenegro "Thoroughly researched and carefully constructed. . . an absorbing picture of Dallas life and history in the 1850s."—Judy Alter, author of Jesse, Libby, and 130 other books Laurie and her husband, Roger, have been blessed with many adventures in life—from trekking across India's Thar desert on camels (and sleeping in the sand on their camel blankets) to repeating marriage vows in a remote Massi village in Kenya (her dowry was one cow and one goat). Her favorite adventure? As a fifth generation Texan, it is discovering more Texas history and writing about it! After 40 years as an entrepreneur in Dallas, Laurie (and Roger) have moved to an Ozark mountain-top cabin overlooking a lake in former Indian Territory. The cabin is unique—there's a nine foot chainsaw bear in the entry hall. The house was actually built around it. Laurie says she never thought she'd own a piece of chainsaw art, much less a nine foot bear (see photo). But, life is full of surprises. . . .just like a good historical novel. Podcast: "Texas Brave and Strong" Find it on Spotify, Apple, Google and other Podcast sites.