The Texicans Series by Parris Afton Bonds

Everything is bigger and better in Texas. Before there was New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, or Utah, there was Texas. Molded by Old Mexico and a new rough and ready breed of hearty settlers from around the world, The Lone Star Republic was the thing of dreams—land, riches, liberty, home. For the Paladín family, it is all of those things and so much more... moreEverything is bigger and better in Texas. Before there was New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California, or Utah, there was Texas. Molded by Old Mexico and a new rough and ready breed of hearty settlers from around the world, The Lone Star Republic was the thing of dreams—land, riches, liberty, home. For the Paladín family, it is all of those things and so much more. English-born Lord Paladín and Irish traveler Niall Gorman are both deeply involved in the Texican campaign for independence, although neither out of purely patriotic fervor. Niall, a master horseman and crack sharpshooter from Kentucky, sees the Mexican province of Tejas merely as a means to an end—revenge. Alex Paladín, on the other hand, is a shrewd second son, despite his proclivity for extravagence. He sees an independent Texas as the salvation of his family estates—to say nothing of himself. Seeking funds, Alex barters his baron’s title for the dowry of young Rafaela Carrera, beautiful daughter of a wealthy Spanish rum trader. Rafaela wants no part of the marriage, but finds herself shipped to the New World anyway, a prisoner of the roguish Paladín. On her journey she meets Fiona Flanigan, an Irish immigrant late of New York City’s crime-infested slums. Lured by the prospects of independence and prosperity, the fiery young lass is dead set to carve out her stake—or die trying. With the first volume of her highly addictive Texicans saga, New York Times bestselling author Parris Afton Bonds brings us the riveting tale of four wayward souls colliding on the eve of Revolution. From the shadow of the Alamo to the bloody fields of San Jacinto, their lives and loves, hopes and allegiances, will be tested in ways none of them could ever imagine. Fast-paced and tightly-plotted, The Brigands is a triumph of historical romantic fiction that will leave you breathless. less

By 1845, Don Alejandro de la Torre y Stuart, Baron of Paladín, a self-confessed scoundrel and reputed despoiler of ladies, has accomplished what he set out to achieve when first coming to Tejas in 1835—validate the land grant bequeathed to his family by His Spanish Majesty in 1763.That land grant has become legally Paladin’s both through his participation in the Texas Revolution and by his marriage to the Irish termagant Fiona Flanagan... moreBy 1845, Don Alejandro de la Torre y Stuart, Baron of Paladín, a self-confessed scoundrel and reputed despoiler of ladies, has accomplished what he set out to achieve when first coming to Tejas in 1835—validate the land grant bequeathed to his family by His Spanish Majesty in 1763.That land grant has become legally Paladin’s both through his participation in the Texas Revolution and by his marriage to the Irish termagant Fiona Flanagan. Their wedding unites her stormy nature with his equally tempestuous passion.Lord Paladín—Alex, as he prefers to be known once a Texican—and Fiona might disagree over the rearing of their three children, on political issues, or even on the very existence of God Almighty, but they both agree on their love for each other and for the land they had both risked their lives to acquire. However, his intent to expand the Barony Ranch property into a virtual empire is proving difficult to accomplish, even for a man of his resourceful qualities, as Alex’s grown stepson, the covetous and formidable Liam, has other plans.With the second entry in her riveting Texicans saga, New York Times bestselling author Parris Afton Bonds takes her craft to the next level with a tale of intrigue and loyalty stretched to the breaking point. Politics, plunder, passion, profit, and power collide in a new and bountiful land through the eyes of the Paladín family, a captivating, richly-painted cast of characters playing out their lives against the backdrop of history. Their loves, their desires, their perils and rewards―all rendered in service to create a new state in America’s southwest, take on an urgency and realism unlike any before. With The Barons, Bonds has become a grandmaster of the historical epic on the same level as John Jakes or Herman Wouk. less

Arch foes and forces of nature align to challenge the indomitable Paladíns.When seventeen-year-old Drake “The Rake” Paladín shows up at the Barony with seven-year-old Angel, a marker for her mother's bet, the Paladín family is outraged. The young girl believes that she now belongs to Drake, and he will marry her when she comes of age. Refusing to give details of who her relatives may be, the Paladíns are forced to ask a Texas Ranger for help in hopes of finding the girl's true home... moreArch foes and forces of nature align to challenge the indomitable Paladíns.When seventeen-year-old Drake “The Rake” Paladín shows up at the Barony with seven-year-old Angel, a marker for her mother's bet, the Paladín family is outraged. The young girl believes that she now belongs to Drake, and he will marry her when she comes of age. Refusing to give details of who her relatives may be, the Paladíns are forced to ask a Texas Ranger for help in hopes of finding the girl's true home. When her family is finally located years later, she turns out to be the daughter of Alex Paladín's lifelong nemesis, Rod Obregon. The stakes only grow higher when Angel herself refuses to return home.Meanwhile, Obregon's own detective has been searching for the missing child as well, It is only a matter of time before he figures out who “The Rake” really is and brings Obregon to their gates for vengeance, having already lost his sister to the Paladíns years before.Just when the tempestuous Angel grows into the only woman who can lasso the rambling man Drake has become, Mother Nature claims an even greater vengeance... one that could destroy them all.With the third volume in her critically-acclaimed Texicans saga, New York Times bestseller Parris Afton Bonds weaves a spellbinding tale of love, hate, revenge, and reconciliation set against the milieu of the turn of the twentieth century. From the streets of Dallas to the oil fields of Louisiana and the blood-soaked jungles of Cuba, the Paladíns find themselves caught in the great struggle between the traditions of the past and the technologies that will shape the future. Can bonds of blood withstand such tides of change? What about the feuds of ages long past? With true-to-life characters, high drama, and painstaking authenticity, The Bravados is a masterpiece of epic romance. less