BOOKS
Beloved Over All
Historical fiction
Beloved Over All – Women Writing the West Winner of the WILLA Award for Best Softcover Fiction (2017)
Winner – Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western Fiction (2017)
Stella Carter and her husband left the racial strife of Kentucky searching for a safe haven in Texas. Benjamin Walters came west seeking to escape the violent secrets of his past in Missouri. Henry Prescott was one step ahead of the law when he left Arkansas for the cattle range of the Southwest.
Unimagined hardships, Indian wars, captivity, and outlaws await these pioneers in the maelstrom of events that engulf the Texas frontier following the Civil War. The lives of buffalo hunters, Indians, soldiers, cowboys and settlers intertwine in the struggle to find their place in this beloved land.
Based on true characters and events, this novel weaves an action-packed saga of the American frontier.
"Beloved Over All deserves a place as one of the best works of fiction of Texas. Sandell’s expert knowledge of the Texas fort system, Indian depredations, freighting, and buffalo hunting is on full display and makes this novel not only entertaining but informative.”
NEW! Beloved Over All now available in German Translation release June 2025, available at Amazon.de
In A Fevered Land
Irene sandell
In A Fevered Land – Selected Book of the Month by Barnes and Noble (2004)
Lon Prather and his cousin Emory Campbell are determined to escape the drought and financial ruin of cotton farming during the Great Depression. They follow promises of money and adventure to the oil field towns of Wink, Kilgore and Odessa. Their quest leads them to the boisterous life of the Texas boomtowns where they find love and hatred, hope and regret, failure and success.
“An absorbing novel where a single event sets off a series of adventures climaxed by a startling twist. Once started, it is hard to put down.”
“A well-crafted novel with rich characters, thorough historical detail, and a fast paced style.”
River of the Arms of God
Historical fiction
River of the Arms of God – Finalist for the WILLA Award from Women Writing the West (2009)
“An artfully rendered story with fully fleshed characters and an engrossing plot, in which the beautiful and harsh Texas landscape plays an important role, honoring the human spirit to endure.” Cynthia Massey, award-winning author
“Texas, two women, a century apart. They are seeking shelter and find instead a tempest. With vivid imagery, finely researched historical detail, wrenching scenes of desperation, and delights of unexpected joy, Irene Sandell weaves their choices, failures, and triumphs into a story that carries us along on the River of the Arms of God. It’s a saga to remember.” Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author
Kate Walters believes she is escaping her controlling father for the life of her dreams when she hastily marries Colby Walters and moves to his ranching empire, Pantera. But she soon finds that the wide open lands of West Texas have a host of their own secrets that hold her captive. Only when she is shown the strength to stand on her own by Sarah Graham, a youn woman who lived along the Butterfield State Route and walked the same ground 100 years before, does Kate find true freedom. The life lessons that both women learn lead them on journeys that reach across the years and span the continent.
Kate Walters believes she is escaping her controlling father for the life of her dreams when she hastily marries Colby Walters and moves to his ranching empire, Pantera. But she soon finds that the wide open lands of West Texas have a host of their own secrets that hold her captive. Only when she is shown the strength to stand on her own by Sarah Graham, a youn woman who lived along the Butterfield State Route and walked the same ground 100 years before, does Kate find true freedom. The life lessons that both women learn lead them on journeys that reach across the years and span the continent.
The House on Swiss Avenue
Historical fiction
The House on Swiss Avenue – Duncanville Public Library – Southwest Author of the Year (2014)
Women Writing the West Finalist for the WILLA Award (2013)
Robyn Merrill hopes that starting a new life in a new place will help to heal her broken heart, but the path she chooses and the people she encounters touch her life in ways she could never have expected. Secluded in her family mansion, Adeline Sinclair has spent a lifetime devoted to memories and to the history of her family only to question her choices in her twilight years. Her historic house on Swiss Avenue brings the two women to together to solve mysteries from the past.
“The House on Swiss Avenue weaves the history of Dallas into the lives of two women as they unlock secrets that alter both of their lives and help them make peace with the past and welcome the future.”