The Iron Hand of Clara Vale
Clara Vale’s fingers trembled as she adjusted the last gear on the contraption, the scent of oil and scorched metal thick in the air. The workshop hummed with the low groan of steam valves, a sound she’d come to know…
Historical Fiction
Stories set in specific historical periods, blending fact and fiction
Read MoreThe Iron Hand of Clara Vale
The Gold of Forgotten Dreams
Maeve O’Rourke stepped off the creaking schooner, her boots sinking into the damp dockside mud as the briny air clung to her skin. The year was 1849, and San Francisco’s bay reeked of salt, sweat, and desperation. She adjusted the…
The Gilded Veil
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the dusty trail as Sarah Hayes tightened her grip on the reins. The air reeked of pine and sweat, a mingling of earthy musk and the acrid tang…
The Silent Code
The air reeked of burnt herbs and gunpowder as Clara pressed her back against the timber wall, fingers tightening around the vial in her pocket. The farmhouse loomed ahead, its windows dark, but she could hear the muffled voices through…
The Ghosts of Gold Ridge
Elara stepped off the wagon in the dust-choked town of Silver Gulch, her boots crunching over gravel like bones. The air smelled of pine resin and gunpowder, a thin veneer of civilization stretched over the raw edge of the Sierra…
The Dust of Yesterday
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the dusty streets of Silver Creek. Clara Voss stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching on gravel as she scanned the town. The air smelled of pine resin…
The Dust and the Diamond
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth of Red Creek Valley. Clara Voss stepped off the wagon, her boots sinking into the dust as the scent of sagebrush and iron filled her…
The Gilded Dust
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth of Mariposa Valley. Elias Voss tightened his grip on the reins, his calloused fingers brushing against the coarse leather as his horse, Bane, snorted at…
The Unseen Front
The air reeked of iron and burning timber as Clara stumbled through the chaos, her boots squelching in the mud. The sky blazed crimson, not from the sun but from the fires devouring the town. She clutched a bundle to…
The Iron Trail
The air reeked of coal smoke and sweat as Clara navigated the crowded docks, her boots clicking against the wooden planks. The harbor bustled with merchants unloading crates of spices and textiles, their shouts blending with the cawing gulls. She…
The Claimant’s Shadow
The air reeked of iron and damp earth as Elara hauled the pickaxe into the quartz vein, her hands raw from the grip. The mine’s mouth yawned behind her, a jagged wound in the hillside, while the sun beat down…
The Fields of War
Clara’s boots sank into the mud as she pulled the wagon behind her, the iron wheels groaning under the weight of sacks filled with turnips. The sky hung low, a bruise of clouds pressing down on the fields, and the…
The Ember in the Ashes
The first bullet struck the oak tree at dawn, splitting its trunk like a knife through wax. Elias Mercer crouched behind the splintered bark, his breath ragged as smoke coiled from the musket in his hands. The air reeked of…
The Dust and the Dawn
Clara’s boots creaked with every step, the leather stiff from weeks on the trail. The air reeked of sweat and smoke, a thin haze clinging to the horizon where the sun hung low. She squinted at the cluster of tents…
The Dust and the Dawn
The sun hung low over the Sierra Nevada, casting long shadows across the cracked earth of Gold Hill. Sarah Mercer adjusted her hat, squinting against the glare as she stepped off the wagon, her boots crunching over gravel. The air…