The Seduction of the Green Valley: Gold, Greed & Grapes

(Paperback)

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This breathtaking and sweeping saga of the Hart family, takes place in the Green Valley, made up of Redlands, Yucaipa and Oak Glen, in Southern California. It is a fictional representation of the history of this real and beautiful place, a thrilling tale of gold, greed and grapes. It tells of the Europeans, Native Americans, Spanish, and Mexican families who lived and loved through great challenges, barely hanging on as custodians of a land, a culture, a belief in Nature's true promise. With characters so life-like and believable, you'll find yourself lost in their struggles and triumphs. The tale takes you on a roller coaster from the present to the past and back again, with mystery and suspense on the one hand, and ancient wisdom revealed on the other. Twenty-eight-year-old Hortencia Victoria Hart, aka Honey, is the great-great-granddaughter of Jonathan Hart. At seven, Jonathan was rescued by a young Indian woman. At ten, he was kidnapped by outlaws, and at twenty returns to the Green Valley and Hartland. It is through Jonathan, that Hartland is built and flourishes as a vineyard and winery in the late 1800s. Meanwhile, in the present day, living in New York with her grandmother Victoria, Honey's life suddenly comes crashing in. Victoria dies, their home is sold, Honey's job is over which leaves only Hartland, in faraway California, calling to her. With seemingly no choice, Honey sets out for a new life in the Green Valley. But all is not as it seems...there are deep mysteries and secrets to uncover from the past in order for Honey to understand why the Green Valley is suffering and what she must do to make it flourish once again. Unknowingly putting herself in great peril, Honey, slowly unravels the tangled web created by the feeble minded, whose selfish ideas, thoughts, desires and actions have led to great misery. In the process however, she discovers there has ever been an unbroken chain of men, women and children, whose great ideas, great thoughts, great desires and great actions have risen as heroes and heroines for the flourishing of all. Through this arduous process, Honey's true purpose is revealed along with the reasons and meaning behind all that has happened in the past.

Author Bio

Gayle Crosby was born and raised in the Green Valley; Redlands, Yucaipa and Oak Glen. Her experiences of this beautiful place are first hand. The historical places she references were her playground, her backyard igniting even at the age of ten, her imagination of how the Yucaipat Indians lived on the very ground where she built forts with her friends, rode on horseback across the fields, and climbed walnut trees. Smiley Library was her childhood delight and today she continues to visit her dear friend and descendant of Albert and Alfred Smiley, Gerow Smiley once a week. Gayle left the Green Valley to work for the Walt Disney Company for ten years in Marketing and the Hotel and Hospitality Industry. She's been a newspaper columnist for sixteen years in Millbrook, New York, Baltimore, Maryland and now in Yucaipa. While this is her first book, the story began as a screenplay which still simmers on the stove. The sweeping Saga of The Green Valley, says Gayle, will require at least eight books to tell. The second one is already well on it's way. Our heritage is rich and diverse and there is much we can learn from our past to aid us in continuing to flourish today and in the future Visit www.GayleCrosby. com for more information on The Green Valley and upcoming books.