Book Reviews and More: Star Bright - Cedar Sanderson as Lilania Begley

Star Bright

Bluehills Book 3

Cedar Sanderson as

Lilania Begley

Sanderley Studios.

ASIN B0CYKVC38M

Star Bright - Cedar Sanderson as Lilania Begley - Bluehills Book 3

This was the sixth story I have read that was written as Lilania Begley by Cedar Sanderson. The first three were in a classic science fiction style; this is the third in the Bluehills series. The first was mainly action, the second was a wedding, and this was something very different than either of those two. These are not the type of thing I normally read but I love Sanderson’s writing so much I keep giving them a try. And so far they have all been great reads. I pick them up as soon as they release and often read them that same day. This time work was busy and I did not get to it for a couple of days. It is a good read even if it is a genre I normally do not read. I continue to look forward to reading other works published by Cedar Sanderson as Lilania Begley written under this pen name.

The description of this volume states:

“Snow is sweeping across the plains, and Cande finds herself caught in its path. She needs shelter, first of all. Secondly, she needs the sky to clear if she's going to have a once-in-a-lifetime chance at the comet she is tracking. What she finds in the midst of the storm is something she couldn't have anticipated in the form of a man who shares her snowbound cabin.”

We are informed about the author in a different volume that:

“Lilania Begley is the open penname of Cedar Sanderson. The author has a long-held love for all things Western, having grown up in Oregon, Alaska, and finally settling in Texas after a lifetime of moving from coast to coast. As she is also a romantic soul, writing Western Romances came naturally to her pen. Now that she's inspired anew by the wide-open landscapes of North Texas with the horses and longhorns wandering the range, you can expect to see more from Lilania!”

We are also given a little more information about Tako Tuseday:

“For most of 2024 I’m working on a challenge with friend and fellow author CV Walter. Three Tuesdays a month, we will be writing a story. Some weeks, it’s short, short enough to fit on a postcard at a mere fifty words. Other weeks, it’s long enough to be published, as this one was. The goal is to exercise our skills, in writing, in cover design, in self-discipline to get it done on time.

We are egged on in this fun by another friend and author, Dorothy Grant, who suggested that as Tuesday was the best day of the week for us, it should be, waggles eyebrows, Taco Tuesday. I’m not sure whose idea the tentacles were in the first place, but here we are. Writing for the Tentacle Taco Tuesday romance story challenge. Did you know that octopus, in Japanese, is tako? Well, now you do, and I do, as a reader (several of ‘em in fact) informed me when I was talking about what we’re doing.

What am I doing? Well, I’m having fun. I’ve been wanting to revisit the people of Farmhand and Bluehills for almost a decade. Better late than never to write a happy-ever-after, right? I do hope you enjoy this tale of two souls coming together as one. I know I loved writing it. We’ll be back next week, with more tako and tales of passion for you!”

In the first Bluehills story we had a man and a woman, both dealing with their own issues. Both have been wounded, and both are struggling after leaving or in the process of leaving the military. Dev’s father, Gray, hires Irina and brings her back to the farm. Dev is resistant from the beginning. But Irina has skills on the horses, with the cattle, and just in general around the farm. Dev’s leg injury and lack of physio has him limited and not working at a level he wants, nor that the farm needs. Irina is dealing with a different trauma. And slowly we learn more about what brought her to the farm. The first one had a lot of action with brush fires, an arsonist, and assisting the police. The second was the story of the preparation for and their wedding. This one is the story of Irina’s former CO, Glenn, from the military coming for a visit, and he arrives late at night and lets himself into the bunk house. Unfortunately for him Cande a university grad student is staying there. After a close encounter with a gun Glen settles in the last bunk in the main room. They next day they discover they are snowed in.

Dev and Irina bring them supplies and the two find an easy companionship waiting out the story. Resting, playing board games, and reading. They take turns cooking and cleaning up. Cande is trying to capture pictures of a comet to prove her thesis and graduate with her Ph.D. Glenn is just taking a break from his service. And At the Bluehills farm they find something neither of them knew they were looking for.

This is a very moving short story. It is the possible beginning of something. It is the story of a fast friendship and maybe something much deeper. It is a story of friends both old and new. It was a great read.

We are informed that the first Bluehills story was written almost a decade ago we are informed. And this one is one that has sat in the back hopper for a while. I am glad Cedar has released it, and look forward to reading other stories in the Bluehills series.

This is a great short story. I have said it before and say it again, writing short stories is a very different skill and craft than writing novels. From what I have read by Sanderson she is a master of both. I have greatly enjoyed everything from Sanderson’s pen that I have read and look forward to reading more offering by her under the name of Lilania Begley. Another moving short story that I can easily recommend! Pick this or other stories by Sanderson or Sanderson as Begley I am certain you will be entertained.

Books by Cedar Sanderson:

Lab Gremlins

Warp Resonance

The Dwarf's Dryad

One-Eyed Dragon

Memories of the Abyss

Little Red-Hood and the Wolf-man

The Violet Mouse

Stargazer

The Eternity Symbiote

Plant Life

Sugar Skull