No Place for a Lady

MAGGIE BRENDAN

a division of Baker Publishing Group
Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2009 by Maggie Brendan Published by Revell a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.revellbooks.com Printed in the United States of America

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Brendan, Maggie, 1949No place for a lady : a novel / Maggie Brendan. p. cm. - (Heart of the West ; bk. 1) ISBN 978-0-8007-3335-3 (pbk.) 1. Title. PS3602.R4485N6 2009 813'.6-dc22 2008032933 Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture is taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture marked NIV is taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION & NIV O. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

In memory of Jerry O'Neal, aka Jess McCreede, better known
as Gary to me-my mentor, dearest brother, and friend. Not a
day goes by that you don't cross my mind.

I'd like to express my deep appreciation to my best friend and
critique partner, Kelly Long. There are no words to articulate
what you mean to me, especially as my friend, and what your
support of my writing, your prayers, and your encouragement
mean. Many thanks to Caroline Friday for her encouragement,
friendship, and humor. You've kept me laughing!

I must acknowledge the ACFW (American Christian Fiction
Writers). In the last four years I've learned so much from them
and the two fantastic conferences that I attended. The talent and
support of the ACFW writer's loop is just incredible, and I'm proud
to be a part of it. I'm grateful to DiAnn Mills for her consideration of me when I missed my first critique appointment at the
Denver conference, and her critique guidance. A warm thanks to
Brandilyn Collins, my conference mentor who prayed over me,
and Colleen Coble, who told me to dream big!

Many thanks to Jennifer Schuchmann, a talented writer in her own right, who convinced me to submit my writing and urged
me to attend writer's workshops. Thank you, Jen.

A special thanks to my agent, Tamela Hancock Murray, who
believed in my book; Revell Books for allowing my story to come to
life; and my insightful editors, Andrea Doering and Jessica Miles.

Lots of hugs to Dottie, Barbara, and Sarah Sue of The Bookmark at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church for their love, prayers, and
encouragement. Also, sincere thanks to Jan Tilton, the Johnson
Ferry Prayer Room, and my friends of the JFBC sanctuary choir.
You're the greatest!

I'm so grateful for my children, Sheri and Jared, who told me
that I can do just about anything that I set my mind to! Their
amazing feedback and belief in me was extremely important. I
love you both. My dear daughter-in-law, Amy, made each writing
week sweeter by bringing little Sarah for visits to keep me in the
"real" world. You're both precious to me.

A heartfelt thanks to my husband, Bruce, who believed that
I could do it and kept the technical side running smoothly for
me. Thank you for telling me again and again what a good writer
I am.

Sylvia, thanks for telling me to reach for the stars and for reminding me that Jess would be proud. And to my dear niece,
Halle, you know what your encouragement means to me. I love
you. Without your dad's support throughout my life, I don't know
where I would be today. My gratitude knows no bounds when it
comes to him, and I miss him deeply.

A special thanks to my O'Neal family, my grandchildren, and
all my incredible extended family. What a blessing all of you are
to me.