Waiting for Hope

It's 1905 and the new century overflows with opportunities for the smart, the strong, the confident, and the determined. All words that describe Hope Birdwell to a T. Her first twenty years had their share of trouble and torment, but she's certain the next twenty hold only promise. Hope leaves a sordid past behind and heads for Wyoming to take up homesteading. Never mind that she's alone in the world and has never known a real home in her whole life. Her name is Hope, after all, so what could possibly go wrong? Well, maybe the long reach of perverted violence from a brute she would rather forget could get in the way of her dreams. Maybe the warmly distracting appeal of friends and community could compromise her independence. Maybe the loving attention of a handsome young man with the unnerving ability to change her opinions about true freedom could cause her to falter. Maybe. Hope Birdwell knows she is poised at the edge of a bright future, if only she can protect herself and the people she's grown to love from the dark and deadly menace of her past. Maybe that means she'll have to risk everything she's dreamed about and planned for and maybe she won't succeed. Maybe she's gone too long without the truth. Maybe. Hope Birdwell will discover some surprising truths in the wilds of Wyoming. That there's danger in deception, freedom in sacrifice, and a cost to love. Hard and painful lessons, every one of them, for a modern, single-minded girl. But she's not one to give up on her dreams no matter what-and her name is Hope, after all.

Karen J. Hasley grew up from working-class roots in the mid-section of America. Her graduate thesis on 17th-century female poets introduced her to the rich treasures waiting to be discovered about women’s lives in the past and in 2006 Karen Hasley’s first novel, Lily’s Sister, hit the stands. The rest is - quite literally - history. Do you recognize these women from America’s past? Jane Addams. Ida B. Wells-Barnett. Dr. Alice Hamilton. Dr. Kate Waller Barrett. Donaldina Cameron. Karen’s unique storytelling voice intertwines the lives of these real-life women with fictional heroines so closely and so convincingly that you may need to check your history books to figure out which is which. Her research was reviewed as ＂flawless＂(ABJ, 1/10/10) and one reviewer said that ＂Hasley’s impeccable writing＂ offers a ＂satisfying read from beginning to end.＂ The Laramie Series Lily’s Sister Waiting for Hope Where Home Is Circled Heart Gold Mountain Smiling at Heaven (2014) The stand-alone novel The Dangerous Thaw of Etta Capstone was a quarter finalist for Amazon’s 2013 Breakthrough Novel of the Year. A Publisher’s Weekly review stated that the book ＂isn’t written as [romance] genre readers might expect,＂ but is ＂subtle＂ and ＂effective nonetheless.＂ Karen added a trio of light-hearted Victorian romances to her available novels. ＂The Penwarrens＂ series made up of Claire, After All - Listening to Abby - Jubilee Rose is the author’s affectionate, admiring homage to Georgette Heyer. ＂No one could ever match Heyer’s sparkling dialogue and wit or the sheer pleasure of her plots and characters. I’ve read and reread her for 50 years,＂ Karen says. ＂The Penwarrens is a small token of my appreciation for the pleasure Ms. Heyer’s books continue to offer readers of all generations.＂