About the Book
Book Title: Gone to Texas
Author: Caryl McAdoo
Genre: Historical Romance
Release date: September 6, 2018
Can beauty truly come from ashes?
Deception drives seventeen souls to hard choices. Either stay on the land they thought they’d bought or heed the lure of free land in the faraway wilderness of a new Republic. Rife with peril and hardship, three families knit together by blood and friendship head out with a widowed man, daughter, and his slave, gambling everything they own on the prospect of land ownership and working it together. Does friendship pave a way to marriage? Can puppy-love survive through a harrowing journey to blossom into a forever lover? With duress at every turn, can the clan stay together all the way to Texas and accomplish their goals?
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My Review
Gone to Texas is Book One in the Thanksgiving Books & Blessings Collection, a part of Cross Timbers Romance Family Saga. The Christian historical novel is written by master wordsmith author Caryl Macadoo. She does not disappoint with this one. It is another God glorifying, inspirational, entertaining book. Even the cover is just beautiful.
Set pre-Civil War, this is the tale of families leaving Tennessee and journeying to Texas. The characters are plentiful and at times hard to remember because of the large number. Once I got to know them, I had everyone straight. They are well described, lovable, flawed, and realistic. The story centers around the O’Neal, Worley, and Van Zandt clan, as they venture together to Texas. After a few pages I was all into this tale. I did not want to put it down until I had finished it.
Have you ever wanted to go on a wagon trip? As we can imagine the wagon expedition is not an easy one. Author Macadoo brings it to life with her vivid descriptions and verbiage. Wildlife, river crossings, ailments, rebelous teenagers and disappointments were all company on this trip. Author Macadoo’s writing took me right into the midst of it all! The trials encountered, both physical and emotional, were easy to understand and emphasize. The triumphs were equally felt and celebrated with these families. These families dealt with things we do today, tragedy, envy, unfaithfulness, wavering faith, jealousy, weariness, compassion, forgiveness, compassion, and redemption. The encouragement and Christian messages are abundant which are things I crave in Christian fiction.
This is a very well organized, well planned, and well researched book. Caryl McAdoo’s novels always teach me something. That is important to me as a reader. The conversation between characters was plentiful and flowed smoothly. Her use of colloquialisms makes her stories a true joy. I loved them! She has a down to earth style of writing that makes reading her books so enjoyable. There will always be some laughter tucked into her story to brighten a reader’s day. She includes scripture and things to deepen readers’ walk with God. It is easy to find things to ponder and think about long after finishing this book.
I would definitely recommend this one. It has great characters in which I immediately became invested. I want more of them! Alisha and Liberty became like old friends. This is a sweet historical romance with adventure that you don’t want to miss. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.
I received this book from CelebrateLit. However, I was under no obligation to post a review. All opinions are my own, honest ones.
About the Author
Top priority is God’s glory, and that’s exactly what Caryl McAdoo prays her stories will bring. To entertain and draw readers into a closer walk with Him is next. A quick check of stars and reviews attest to the success of this award-winning, best-selling author—all by the Father’s faithfulness. Besides writing, she loves singing praises, including the new songs He gives her! Visit her YouTube channel. Ron, her high school sweetheart husband won her heart fifty-two years ago, and they share four children and seventeen grandsugars. Ron and Caryl live on thirty-four acres ‘The Peaceable’ in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas and wait expectantly for God to open the next door.
Guest Post from Caryl
As much as I hated leaving the Buckmeyers, Baylors, and Nightingales and the Red River Valley, I loved starting this fresh Family Saga series with all new characters! GONE TO TEXAS is Book One of the Cross Timber Romances and features three families—the O’Neals, Van Zandts, and Worleys—joined by blood and friendship through Liberty O’Neal. Laud Worley is her little brother and Mallory Van Zandt, her best friend since school days.
Together, they’d traveled south to settle in Tennessee and were about to harvest their first cotton crop that fall in 1840 when they discovered the deed to their land—the land they’d spent all their pooled savings on—was forged and no-good.
The legal owner graciously allows them to stay through harvest, taking his portion of their labor and cottonseed. At the gin, Seve Van Zandt hears rumors of Texas, a new Republic out west, offering free land to pioneers willing to tame its wildlands. This first story—book one—is all about their journey to the new country filled with hope and dreams.
A hired widower who with his daughter and slave helped harvest the clan’s cotton asked to join them on their journey, and so, on that fateful September morn, seventeen souls set out after they hung a hand-painted sign on one of the cabins they left behind. “Gone to Texas”!
Another very special thing about this novel, one hundred twelve thousand words—about three hundred fifty pages, is that it is also book one in a brand new collection! The Thanksgiving Books and Blessings Collection that includes stories from eight other authors besides me: Lena Nelson Dooly, Heather Blanton, Kristin Holt, Kit Morgan, Suzette Williams, Pauline Creeden, George McVey, and Lynette Sowell!
All nine books will have Thanksgiving Dinner with family around the table, giving thanks to God for all his blessings. I’ve noticed many series launched in December, but Thanksgiving is my favorite. I love giving thanks to the Lord!
And as always, I pray my story gives God glory, and that its readers will be drawn closer to Him through it. He blesses and highly favors me daily. I cannot thank or praise Him enough!
Thank you, too, for reading my stories, reviewing my stories, and participating in the most AWESOME CELEBRATE LIT‘s Blog Tour!!
Blog Stops
A Baker’s Perspective, September 11
Captive Dreams Window, September 12
proud to be an autism mom, September 12
Inklings and notions, September 13
Luv’N Lambert Life, September 13
D’S QUILTS & BOOKS, September 14
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 15
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 15
Janices book reviews, September 16
Abba’s prayer warrior princess, September 17
Creating Romance, September 18
Margaret Kazmierczak, September 19
The Mimosa Blossom, September 20
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, September 20
Back Porch Reads, September 21
Bibliophile Reviews, September 22
Texas Book-aholic, September 23
Godly Book Reviews, September 24
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away
GRAND PRIZE: $50 Amazon Gift Card
1st Prize: THREE Choice-of-Caryl’s Titles (print–US only or eBook)
2nd-4th: ebook of JOHN DAVID’S CALLING
5th-7th: print copy VOW UNBROKEN
8th-10th: $5 Amazon gift cards!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops to earn nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d1a6/gone-to-texas-celebration-tour-giveaway
Abba's Prayer Warrior Princess 
Nyla! Thank you so much for partici[ating in my blog tour and your great review! You’re a blessing to me, encouraging and supporting. God surely gave me a gift when He crossed our life paths! HUGS! BLESSINGS!
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