I'm excited to announce that Echoes of Dust, the fourth and final novel in my Dreams and Secrets series, is now available!

Banished to the Colorado frontier under the pretense of missionary work by the Catholic Church, Graham Cavendish expects little more than a quiet exile—and perhaps an untimely death. Instead, he finds himself caught between religious prejudice, deadly violence, and a love that forces him to question the life that was chosen for him and whether he has the courage to pursue the life he truly wants.

If you've read the series. You may wonder what happened to some of the characters. Angie who Vance, the sheriff, told to leave town for helping a criminal in book 2, went back to Kansas City. Fanny Bloom, the government agent from book 3, left to do another job with Harley. My favorites were Virgil and Phoebe in Echoes of Danger, who returned to New York, to start a business and a family. And then there is Darius and Dinah, who moved to San Francisco in book 4, so Darius can help clean up the criminal element there. Then there are the Indians, Little Dove and Grey Wolf, Climbing Bear. Proud Elk, and the chief, Flying Hawk. These familiar faces will return in future novels, along with a few new characters I think you'll enjoy just as much. Although Dreams and Secrets has come to an end, Golden City and its characters have not.

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Now I can focus on The Banker Prince, Book Five of the Barriers of Stone series. Once it's complete, I'll move directly into The Attorney Prince, bringing that series to its conclusion.

But this world also doesn’t end there. I'm already working on one story that has quietly been asking for my attention.

The Nature of a Man. This is Book 1 of the Men of Stone series. Set in the Gilded Age, Philadelphia alongside the world of Barriers of Stone, following a young woman whose inheritance has made her the target of manipulative relatives determined to destroy her reputation and seize her fortune. Standing between her and their carefully woven web of deception is her estate manager, Finn, an immigrant from Denmark, a man whose quiet strength and unwavering character may prove to be the greatest obstacle her high-society relatives have ever faced.

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Out of curiosity, I recently put one of my older novels, Ogre Lake, out for additional reviews. It wrote it years ago, and my writing style has developed quite a bit since then. Back then, every idea that came to mind while I was writing found its way into the story. As a result, my novels had plots, subplots, and even subplots of the subplots! And way too many characters.

Over the years, I've learned that not every good idea or great character belongs in the same book. Sometimes a story is stronger when it stays focused on its central character and plot.

It was fascinating to see how new readers responded to Ogre Lake. Some absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down, while others weren't quite sure what on earth I was doing! That's one of the joys of writing. Every reader brings different tastes, experiences, and expectations to a story, and no two reading journeys are exactly alike. Yet every single one of them, good or bad, means a lot to me.

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A Little Something New

Over the past few weeks, I've been quietly giving my website a new look and a new purpose.

Rather than simply being a place to find my books, I'm transforming it into The Library of Helen G. Huntley—a place where readers can explore not only my novels, but also videos, blog articles, reader keepsakes, free short stories, and the many worlds that continue to grow beyond the pages of my books.

There's still much more I'd like to add, but I'd love for you to stop by and take a look. If you have a chance to visit, I'd be delighted to hear what you think.

My hope is that it becomes more than a website. . .possibly a destination and a place to be . . .long.

Question from the Librarian

• Which of my characters has been your favorite so far?
• Which series would you like me to revisit next?
• If you could spend one day in one of my fictional towns or worlds, where would you go?

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Your Echoes of Dust Keepsake

As a small thank-you for being part of my newsletter, I've created a printable keepsake featuring one of my favorite quotes from Echoes of Dust.

Simply right-click the image below and save it, or print it directly from the newsletter.

If you'd like a high-resolution version for framing or higher-quality printing, you can download it from the Western Series page on my website.

Here is the link: https://authorhelenhuntley.com/wp-content/uploads/Dreams-Secrets-Keepsake-01.pdf​

I hope you enjoy it! If you have a spare minute, I'd love to hear what you think. If readers enjoy these, I'll continue creating more keepsakes for future books. Or for whatever book you love and would like to have one — just let me know.

Until next time -

Helen