A South Texas Christmas

Could this photo be the answer to her prayers? Only moments before, Raine Crockett had picked up the latest issue of the San Antonio Express with plans to scan the news before she got down to the business of her Sandbur Ranch. But the paper had slipped from her hand and scattered across the floor, exposing a grainy black-and-white picture. Now, she was still staring at the miracle in her hands, wondering if it might finally lead her to the truth about her mother's past--and the identity of her father.

A White Christmas in South Texas is a short story that takes place in the North Pole, where the temperature is always cold, and South Texas, where the winters are very mild, and snow is rare. It is almost Christmas, and Santa has gone missing from the North Pole. The elves, with the help of Santa’s reindeer, find him far from home in South Texas, but they have a dilemma. In an unexpected turn of events, Santa remembers who he is in time to deliver gifts to all the boys and girls, and the people in South Texas get a big surprise.

The Golden Crescent of South Texas, a fifteen-county region along and inland from the middle Gulf Coast, is often called "the Crossroads" because of its natural diversity. Located in the heart of the Gulf Coast Prairie and Marshes, the area also encompasses the trailing edges of the South Texas Plains, Post Oak Savannah, and Blackland Prairie. This confluence of ecological zones makes it a wonderful place for birding and for observing the changing face of nature, especially during seasonal transitions. In this book, Ro Wauer describes a typical year in the natural life of South Texas. Using selected entries from his weekly column in the Victoria Advocate newspaper, he discusses numerous topics for each month, from the first appearance of butterflies in January, to alligators making a comeback in July, to the Christmas bird count in December. His observations are filled with intriguing natural history lore, from what sounds mockingbirds will imitate (almost any noise in their neighborhood) to how armadillos swim (by inflating themselves to increase their buoyancy).

She'd come for the mustangs, Dallas Donovan told herself. Just a quick visit to Boone Barnett's Nevada ranch. Then her truck's engine seized and she stayed the night in the rugged, off-the-charts sexy Boone's home. Had pizza with his daughter, waited for the mechanic--and woke up to a snowfall keeping her in the reclusive rancher's grasp for another few days. Boone didn't believe in Christmas or miracles or a woman who understood his love for this wild untamed land. Yet now Dallas brought decorations and laughter and joy to his home. But what would happen when the snow melted and Christmas was over...'

Environmental sustainability issues in a fragile, semi-arid region and its coastal area, which experience climate changes from extreme drought conditions to the effects of hurricanes over a period of weeks to years, provide specific challenges for the ecosystems and the populations existing within the region. The research presented focuses on the problems and some solutions specific to the South Texas-Mexico border region, on both sides of the Rio Grande, focusing on water and air pollution.

West Texas horse trainer Kitty Cartwright didn't expect a romantic proposal...especially from the New Mexico rancher who was her business rival. She didn't expect a proposal at all But Kitty was having Liam Donovan's baby. And now the daddy-to-be was insisting they make it legal. No child of Liam's was going to be born without him around. The surprise was how quickly Kitty said "I do"--for the sake of the baby, of course. But with passion reigniting, this marriage of convenience was starting to feel an awful lot like the real thing. Was Liam ready to risk his heart? Because Kitty wasn't settling for anything less.