LSBBT Book Tour: Gone To Dallas: The Shopkeeper 1856-1861 by Laurie Moore-Moore

      

GONE TO DALLAS:
THE STOREKEEPER
1836 - 1861

by

LAURIE MOORE - MOORE

Genre: Historical Fiction / Texas Pioneers / Civil War

Publisher: Goat Mountain Press

Date of Publication: October 4, 2021

Number of Pages: 348 pages 

Scroll down for Giveaway!

Sara’s husband was a disappointment in life, but she had to admit he was a handsome corpse.

Climb aboard an 1856 Dallas-bound wagon train and join a plucky female protagonist for the journey of a lifetime in Laurie Moore-Moore’s richly entertaining new book, Gone to Dallas, The Storekeeper 1856-1861. Far from your average historical novel or western, Gone to Dallas is a compelling tale of migration, betrayal, death and dreams—peppered with real people, places, and events. With a cast of interesting characters and more bumps and hazards than a wagon trail, Gone to Dallas tells the unforgettable story of a formidable frontier woman in the context of true Texas history. 

It had seemed so romantic when Morgan Darnell courted Sara in Tennessee, finally convincing her they should marry and join an 1856 “Gone to Texas” wagon train traveling along the “Trail of Tears,” through Indian territory, and across the Red River into Texas. 

In a twist of fate, Sara arrives in Dallas a 19-year-old widow, armed with plenty of pluck, and determined to open a general store in the tiny settlement of log cabins on the Trinity River. Standing in her way as a young woman alone are a host of challenges. Can Sara (with the help of her friends) pull herself up by the bootstraps and overcome uncertainty, vandalism, threats, and even being shot?

Follow Sara as she strives to create her store while living Dallas’ true history — from the beginnings of La Réunion (the European colony across the Trinity) to a mud and muck circus, a grand ball and the mighty fire that burns Dallas to the ground. Dallas is a challenging place, especially with the Civil War looming.  

Even with the friendship of a retired Texas Ranger and Dallas’ most important citizen — another woman — is Sara strong enough to meet the challenge? The risks are high. Failure means being destitute in Dallas!

In Gone to Dallas, The Storekeeper 1856-1861, author Laurie Moore-Moore spins a page-turner of a tale salted with historically accurate Texas events and populated with real characters. It’s Portis’ True Grit meets Texas history.

READER PRAISE FOR GONE TO DALLAS:

"Creative and captivating…five stars!"

"An unforgettable journey…superb writing.”

“I was hooked at the very first sentence.”

“Lovely work of historical fiction…can’t wait for the sequel."

“Brilliant!”

My Review

Reviewer’s Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Plot in Brief: Sara and her new husband are determined to make a life in Dallas. The trip from Tennessee is arduous and Sara learns some unpleasant thing about her husband. Reaching Dallas, without him, she fights to establish a future for herself in the rough and tumble town.

The Characters: Sara is a young innocent new wife. Her eyes are opened along the trail to Texas as trials and tribulations reveal the true nature of her travel companions. Sara, despite her youth, fights for her rights and fulfills her dream of opening a store. Along the way she makes friends and a few enemies. The book is peppered with actual historical people who helped built Dallas and added their names to the who’s who in Texas history.

The History: I found this book fascinating for its rich historical details. From the wagon trail across the south to the brash new town of Dallas, the author entertains us with well-known historical characters and events as well as more obscure facts about the town and the fledgling state of Texas. Laurie Moore clearly knows her early Texas history and bring to life a long-gone era.

The Writing: Well written and edited. The book has a steady flow. There is a simple sweetness to the story. Sara wears an air of innocence in her attitudes and response to life.

Overall: I enjoyed Sara’s story and her place in Texas history. I would recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, western fiction and readers interested in Texas History.

 

My Rating: I give this book  4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐stars

CLICK TO PURCHASE!

│ Amazon│ Barnes and Noble │Smashwords│Kobo│

From the author: “My husband, Roger, and I have been blessed with many adventures in life—from trekking across India’s Thar desert on a camel (and sleeping in the sand on our camel blankets) to repeating marriage vows in a remote Maasi village in Kenya (my dowery was one cow and one goat). My favorite adventure? As a fifth generation Texan, it is discovering more and more Texas history and writing about it!  

We live in Dallas, Texas but sneak away when possible, to a mountain-top cabin overlooking a lake in former Indian Territory (the Oklahoma Ozark Mountains) The cabin is unique—there is a nine foot chainsaw bear in our entry hall. The house was built around it. Never thought I’d own a piece of chainsaw art, much less a nine-foot bear. Life is full of surprises. . . just like a good historical novel.”  

Laurie Moore-Moore is a retired entrepreneur who has built and sold multiple businesses and served on the Board of Directors of an international corporation.

◆  WEBSITE  ◆  BLOG ◆

◆ FACEBOOK  ◆ AMAZON  ◆  GOODREADS  ◆

GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

 Three autographed copies of
 Gone to Dallas
(US only, ends midnight, CDT, 11/5/21)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

FOR DIRECT LINKS TO EACH POST ON THIS TOUR, UPDATED DAILY, 

or visit the blogs directly:

10/26/21	Scrapbook Page	Hall Ways Blog
10/26/21	Review	Sydney Young, Stories
10/27/21	Review	Book Fidelity
10/27/21	BONUS Promo	LSBBT Blog
10/28/21	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
10/28/21	Review	Jennie Reads
10/29/21	Review	Missus Gonzo
10/30/21	Review	Julia Picks 1
10/31/21	Author Interview	The Page Unbound
11/1/21	Character Spotlight	Book Bustle
11/1/21	Review	Reading by Moonlight
11/2/21	Review	StoreyBook Reviews
11/3/21	Review	Forgotten Winds
11/3/21	Guest Post	All the Ups and Downs
11/4/21	Review	The Book's Delight
11/4/21	Review	It's Not All Gravy

blog tour services provided by