Victoria Washington-sophisticated and elegant, owner of Victoria's House of Fashion, designer of haute couture gowns for the wealthy and elite of Denver, a brilliant and successful business woman in her own right. Tory, as she is known to her friends, is also a supporter of Palmer House-a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution. Deceived, kidnapped, and beaten into submission, the girls of Palmer House had been held captive in Corinth, the little mountain village above Denver, forced into an occupation not of their own choosing, until freed by the combined efforts of U.S. Marshals and Pinkerton detectives. Through no fault of her own, Tory was one of those girls-also rescued from a life of shame and degradation.
And Tory's past hides more than one dark secret: She was born in the deep South to Adeline Washington-a negress, the daughter and granddaughter of slaves, and the "kept" woman of a wealthy, married white man. Tory's mixed blood, her illegitimate birth, and the shame of her exploitation follow her down the mountain and haunt her, even to the cusp of her success.
What will happen when those who hate Tory expose her secrets? Will her business and reputation survive the scandals? Or are the rumors a cover for a more sinister plot? Is Tory's life also in danger? And, if so, why?
Girls from the Mountain
Book 1: Tabitha
Book 2: Tory
Book 3: Sarah Redeemed
A Prairie Heritage:
Book 1: A Rose Blooms Twice
Book 2: Wild Heart on the Prairie
Book 3: Joy on This Mountain
Book 4: The Captive Within
Book 5: Stolen
Book 6: Lost Are Found
Book 7: All God's Promises
Book 8: The Heart of Joy: A Short Story
Book 9: Rose of RiverBend
"Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more."
-Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington
"Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations."
-Ed Dunne, Los Angeles
"Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!"
-Rebecca H., New Jersey
"You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted."
-LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL
Author Biography:
Vikki Kestell's passion for people and their stories is evident in her readers' affection for her characters and unusual plotlines. Two often-repeated sentiments are, "I feel like I know these people" and "I'm right there, in the book, experiencing what the characters experience." Vikki holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies. She left a career of twenty-plus years in government, academia, and corporate life to pursue writing full time. "Writing is the best job ever," she admits, "and the most demanding."
Also an accomplished speaker and teacher, Vikki and her husband Conrad Smith make their home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
To keep abreast of new book releases, visit her website at http: //www.vikkikestell.com/ or connect with her on Facebook at http: //www.facebook.com/TheWritingOfVikkiKestell.
