Trials, Romance, and Faith on the Oregon Trail

antique photo of wagon train
A western silhouette of a couple dancing together

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…

two gold rings on paper

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.

old schoolhouse painting

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.  

Wildflowers along a trail
Wildflowers along a trail, at Tom McCall Nature Preserve, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon.

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:

  • Interview with Kathy L. Wheeler aka Kae Elle Wheeler

    Interview with Kathy L. Wheeler aka Kae Elle Wheeler

    It is my pleasure and honor to feature Kathy l. Wheeler aka Kae Elle Wheeler on my blog. I first met Kathy when I moved to Oklahoma from Louisiana. I missed having a local writer’s group and joined the Oklahoma Romance Writer’s Association (OKRWA) despite the distance. We writers understand the need to be around like-minded people. My first…

    Read More

  • Getting Back on Track with a Retreat

    Getting Back on Track with a Retreat

    It’s been much too long since I’ve posted on my blog or the newsletter, but I’m going to play catch-up today. No excuses, just life getting in the way. I organized a small writer’s retreat at my cousin’s lake house in May. It was a wonderfully relaxing and productive time. The six of us did…

    Read More

  • Margie Lawson Immersion

    Margie Lawson Immersion

    September was a busy, busy, busy month. The highlight was a five day Immersion with Margie Lawson. We met at the top of her mountain in Colorado. Donna, Julie, Mary, Peggy, Vanessa, and I showed up with laptops and binders expecting to work, how much work Donna and Vanessa knew because they had attended Immersion before. The rest…

    Read More