Trials, Romance, and Faith on the Oregon Trail


Journey of Honor
Journey Series Book 1
Dance under the stars and moon. Ford rivers. Climb mountains. Trade with Native Americans. Heal the sick. Bury the dead. Live with indescribable fatigue, fall in love, celebrate at the end of the trail…

Wedding at Journey’s End
Journey Series Book 1.5
Following several months of clearing land, building homes, and fencing forces Rebecca Pierce and Zachary Miller to postpone their wedding. February, and the promise of spring, becomes the perfect timing for the wedding the new community has been anticipating.

Journey of Hope
Journey Series Book 2
James and Elizabeth Miller and their daughters Katie, Hazel, Helen, and Ruth finish their trek tired, dirty, and grief stricken.

Journey of Healing
Journey Series Book 3
Aaron Smith was twelve years old when he crossed the country with his parents. He learned to have hope and honor despite the tragedies and uncertainties in the early years of his life. Now, he had to learn how to be a man.
Why Open Rood?
Open Rood sounds strange, but several years ago my husband and I thought it would be interesting to name any business we started The Open Rood. Why? Because my husband is named Frank Cross; Frank=Open (honest) Cross=Rood (an ancient name for cross). It’s merely a play on words.
From the Blog:
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Family Legacy
Sam unlocked the door and held the screen to prevent the tell-tale squeakfrom waking his wife. He dropped into the paint-chipped porch glider to pull on hisboots before going for a walk. Any other day the chill in the air, the sounds ofbirds, and the sweet scent of honeysuckle and roses would have energized him.The…
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Christmas
When I was 11 years old my mother dressed my brother and me up to go to town for the annualparade complete with the appearance of Santa, shopping, and cheeseburgers with fountain cokesat City Café. I wore a red and green plaid taffeta dress with a red bow on the left hip. Plus,several itchy petticoats….
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50-Year Class Reunion
In the blink of an eye or a single heartbeat fifty years can fall away and bring memories back to life. We, the Lovington class of 1969, met in our hometown for a reunion. The first event was a meet and greet hosted by Becky Salsman Roell. Some faces were immediately recognized, but many had to be identified…