Courting Trouble ... available now!

Tired of Waiting for a Match-Made-in-Heaven, She'll Settle for One Made in Texas

Whether it's riding bikes, catching snakes, or sliding down banisters, Essie Spreckelmeyer just can't quite make herself into the ideal woman her hometown--and her mother--expect her to be. It's going to take an extraordinary man to appreciate her joy and spontaneity--or so says her doting oil-man father.

Unfortunately such a man doesn't appear to reside in Corsicana, Texas.

It's 1894, the year of Essie's thirtieth birthday, and she decides the Lord has more important things to do than provide her a husband. If she wants one, she needs to catch him herself. So, she writes down the names of all the eligible bachelors in her small Texas town, makes a list of their attributes and drawbacks, closes her eyes, twirls her finger, and ... picks one.

But convincing the lucky "husband-to-be" is going to a bit more of a problem.

Join Deeanne Gist for another unforgettable tale and find out whether Essie's plan to catch a husband succeeds or if she's just Courting Trouble.

“Readers will hold their breath as passions are flared, limits are crossed and secrets are revealed. Aside from a great storyline, highlighted with humor, readers will appreciate the insights that are revealed as we follow Essie on her journey toward love and acceptance."

-- Romantic Times gives 4 STARS****

"From the very first pages the reader will find this one hard to set down. Essie is — in a word – spectacular! ... I was most impressed with this newer author’s previous novels A BRIDE MOST BEGRUDGING and THE MEASURE OF A LADY. But with this latest book positively sparkling with vitality and uplifting entertainment, I can emphatically state Gist has won me over completely."

-- Marilyn Rondeau, Reviewers International Organization, 5 STARS*****

“[Gist] created a dynamic, quirky, unique characterization in Essie ... This story gave me a powerful emotional experience ... It is the best of her three books.”