Kansas Bleeds

Melody Groves

A Colton Brothers Saga Book 4 · Speaking Volumes

About this ebook

Luke Colton believes the South and slavery are right. How else will cotton get to market, tobacco harvested without slaves to do the work? Southern economy is based on such a workforce and besides, what would slaves do if they were free?

Luke’s three brothers, parents, and his wife think slavery and states’ rights are wrong. They side with the Union. Here in Kansas, Luke chooses to ride with the leader of Quantrill’s Raiders, a ruthless group of border ruffians. He hides his decision from his family.

James Colton, Luke’s older brother, a victim of Apache capture and torture, visits from New Mexico and displays what slavery looks like, explains what it costs. Unconvinced, Luke continues to ride with Quantrill by burning houses, raiding, looting, and assaulting men, until he realizes his family is right. But how to get out of the Confederate guerrilla’s clutches?

Upon learning of Quantrill’s plans to burn Lawrence, Kansas, Luke’s hometown, the Colton brothers rush to save everyone. But, no one listens . . .

About the author

New Mexico native Melody Groves lives the life of a full-time freelance writer. She travels the world, meets amazing people, and writes about it all. Born and raised in Las Cruces, southern New Mexico, she spent a few years “growing up” on Guam and in the Philippines.

Winner of numerous writing awards, she is author of the award-winning Colton Brothers Saga series set in 1860s southern New Mexico/Arizona: Border Ambush, Sonoran Rage, Arizona War, Kansas Bleeds and Black Range Revenge with Trail to Tin Town in the pipeline.In addition to that series, she penned She Was Sheriff, set in 1872 northern California, sequel to Lady of the Law also in the pipeline.

Non-fiction books include: the 2011 New Mexico Book Award winner, Hoist a Cold One! Historic Bars of the Southwest. Fascinated by rodeo, she wrote Ropes, Reins, and Rawhide: All About Rodeo. Her book Butterfield’s Byways: The First StagecoachLine and Overland Mail Route Across America was a finalist in the 2015 Zia Award and NM/AZ Book Awards.

Melody writes for True West, Enchantment Magazine, New Mexico Magazine, Wild West among others. In 2018, she won the prestigious National Press Women’s Award for her article in True West Magazine.

When not writing, she plays rhythm guitar with the Jammy Time Band.