Showing results by author "Jean Hackensmith" in All Categories

In the heart of northwestern Wisconsin, where rolling hills meet the sparkling shores of Lake Superior, the Wachsmann’s dairy farm flourishes—until a mysterious illness strikes their cheese factory workers. Desperate for answers, they turn to apothecary Alexandra Covington, a sharp and determined woman whose investigative skills soon uncover more than just the cause of the illness. As she forges a connection with the youngest Wachsmann, Michael, a tender romance blossoms amid the turmoil. However, life on the farm is threatened on multiple fronts. Sarah Wachsmann, the cherished ...

A neutron star is on a collision course with Earth. The tremendous gravitational pull of this dense, intergalactic object will rip the planet apart. Fortunately, world leaders have come up with a plan to ensure continuation of humanity, and they have fifty years to do it—time that will be used to fast-track antimatter propulsion technology and send a hundred thousand survivors into outer space in search of a new home. Garrett Long and his team of astrophysicists have been tasked with this near insurmountable feat. As Exodus begins, Garrett has only five years to perfect his late ...

On the shores of Superior, Wisconsin, the Wachsmann dairy stands firm—until waves from a changing world threaten to break it. The Bonanza farm’s legacy is carved into new land and new neighbors, whose unfamiliar crops and customs test old loyalties. An unlikely alliance forms as the community confronts what stewardship means when water, soil, and people are at stake. Enter The Shepherd’s Hand, a humane milking machine whose promise of efficiency and care becomes a catalyst for trust—and for conflict. As the town debates progress, Michael and Alex wrestle with a marriage under strain...

Kaitlyn Emberland was brutally raped five years ago. She almost died, and her assailant left behind forty-two scars to remind her of their encounter. She will never trust a man again. She will never love again. The mere thought of a man’s touch makes her skin crawl—and then she meets Marc Campbell. He is different. He’s kind, gentle, understanding, and he loves her. He is willing to do whatever it takes to convince Kaitlyn that she can put the rape behind her and live and love again. But is it even possible? Can such a brutal act of violence and betrayal ever truly be overcome? ...

It’s 1883, and the Wachsmann family is devastated by the tragic loss of their beloved matriarch, Sarah. Just as they are grappling with this heartache, Denise Wachsmann, a simple-minded woman who has faced challenges her entire life, goes missing during a routine trip to town. Her disappearance ignites a frantic search, plunging the family further into turmoil and uncertainty. As the search for Denise continues, Michael Wachsmann finds himself facing a life-altering event that forces him to confront the future he once envisioned. As the heir to the family farm, he knows that one day he ...

The Great Chicago Fire drew the nation's attention on October 8, 1871 when 300 people died. There was another fire on that day, though, in a little town called Peshtigo, Wisconsin. The Peshtigo Fire was the largest wildfire in US history, yet it was also the "forgotten fire." A firestorm packing 100 mile-an-hour winds destroyed the town in one hour, killing 800 people in the city of Peshtigo alone, and burning 1.2 million acres of old growth forest. This is a fictional account of how actual events unfolded that day, seen through the eyes of a family who will experience the horrors of ...

The average U.S. citizen is tired of all the corruption in our nation’s capital. They’re tired of the lies, the kickbacks, and the personal agendas that take precedence over the needs of middle-class America. They’re also tired of cookie-cutter Presidents who have made the term “politician” a four-letter word. Ethan Ward is tired of it, too. Consequently, he sets out to show the American people that there can be honesty in Washington. Ethan is an average guy; married, father of three, and owner of a small construction company located in Gordon, Wisconsin. Like many small ...

Brian Koski and his Belgian Malinois, Sinbad, return in “Blackout,” a riveting, edge-of-your-seat thriller that will keep readers turning pages until the very end. Book Three in The Brian Koski Stalker Series, “Blackout” follows two intensity-driven cases, one of which will end in tragedy. The second case involves a brutal beating and rape so fierce that the victim blacked out during the attack and remained incoherent for three days. She remembers nothing about her attacker—except that he left a note in permanent marker on her naked skin that said he would be back for “round two...

Kit Morgan had everything to live for. Doting parents, wealth beyond imagination, and a carefree lifestyle that other women her age only dreamed of. Her world came crashing down around her, however, when her father died mysteriously when Kit was just a teenager. Her mother followed him to the grave eight years later. Her twenty-first birthday fast approached now, and she would inherit the commanding share of Morgan Shipping and become independently wealthy for life. Enter Alex Bradley. Alex was her father’s business partner and, after Charles’ death, had married his widow. It wasn’t ...

Nathan Branigan, a descendant of Irish immigrants and a gold miner by trade, became part of history as one of 400 men who blasted and chiseled the faces of four American presidents into the hard granite of Mount Rushmore. Kinsley Abrams, a waitress at the onsite restaurant, cares about Nathan more than she's willing to admit, and her heart pounds frantically in her chest every time he climbs the 700 steps to the top of the mountain.

It is the year 1856 when Diego Hernandez saves Samantha Montgomery's life. He is different. A Mexican immigrant, Diego is bound and determined to gain his citizenship and make his fortune in America. Together, he and Samantha will take Thunder Ridge into the next decade, which was riddled with epic natural disasters, including mudslides, stampedes, wild fires, drought, and an atmospheric river storm in 1861 that will flood the valley and kill thousands of people and 200,000 head of cattle.

Caryn’s Deaver’s abusive ex-husband bound her and their children hand and foot, locked them in the bathroom, and set the house on fire. They managed to escape with their lives, and Dan Hamilton was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for the crime. He’s out now and the rules in his sadistic game allow Caryn only twelve “moves” before she will die. Zach Riker, Cheyenne’s Fire Chief, was the first paramedic on the scene eighteen years ago. He saved Caryn’s life. Now she is his life and he, along with his trained protection dog "Mika", will stop at nothing to protect the woman ...

Book 2 in the Brian Koski Stalker Series Carrying a dark secret, Brian Koski is forced to resign his position as captain of the Sixth Precinct in Cheyenne, Wyoming and go into business for himself as a private detective. His partner? A mahogany colored Belgian Malinois named Sinbad. A former NYPD police dog, Sinbad is vicious when need be and reliable to a fault—unless a train goes by or there’s a thunderstorm, then chances are he will turn tail and run. Brian’s first clients are Jeff and Melody Patten. He’s an explosives expert for a local demolitions company, she’s a stay-at-...

In the heart of Wyoming, Private Detective Brian Koski and his tenacious investigations team embark on a harrowing journey to uncover the truth behind a devastating tragedy. Three brothers—convicted of murdering their parents and younger siblings—are languishing in prison, their youth stolen at just 15, 13, and 10 years old. With an airtight case against them, the evidence seems insurmountable, but Brian senses something amiss. These were good boys. Boy Scouts and Honor Roll students. Could they really be capable of such horror? As he delves deeper into their case, Brian is also faced ...

The story of the Wachsmann family continues in “Whispers In The Wilderness”, Book Two in “The Wilderness Saga”. As Wisconsin edges closer to statehood, Caleb and Sarah Wachsmann’s family expands in the heart of the Wisconsin wilderness, yet they are relentlessly pursued by a troubled past. An unyielding foe is intent upon ending Caleb and Sarah’s lives, convinced that they and they alone are responsible for Lucas Roberts’ death. Despite the fact that Caleb nearly lost his life after the encounter with Lucas, the truth holds little weight with this newest adversary. Meanwhile, ...

In the rugged landscape of 1840s Wisconsin, a new state emerges, but the promise of a fresh start is overshadowed by personal tragedy. When the Wachsmann family faces an unimaginable loss, young Seth and his wife, Hannah, are thrust into a battle to sustain the family unity. Amidst the turmoil, Hannah gives birth to a son who is afflicted with a mysterious condition, forcing the couple to confront heart-wrenching choices about their child’s future. Can they defy societal expectations and raise him themselves, or will fear and stigma dictate their decision? In A State In The Wilderness, ...

Jenna Davey had it all. A wonderful husband, two great kids, and a beautiful Victorian-style house in the suburbs. Then came the knock on the door that changed her life. Her husband, Gary, was dead; the victim of a drunk driver. The next few days were a blur, but what would become a horrifying reality sets in all too quickly when, on the night following the funeral, both of her children awaken to find their father standing over their beds. Not possible, right? Gary was dead. Humoring her terrified children—and maybe herself—Jenna speaks to the darkness. “If it is you, Gary, you have ...