Daughter Of Texas & Deep In The Heart
Back in January 2009 I wrote an entry on Celia Hayes Adelsverein trilogy. At that point in time, I was half-way through the second book. I won't repeat the backstory here - go read the entry.
After writing the entry, I finished the trilogy and wanted more! She obliged by writing two more books about one of the more fascinating characters in the trilogy, Margaret Becker Vining - Daughter of Texas and Deep In The Heart. Margaret ran a boarding house in Austin from a cabin that her father built before there was an Austin. It was improved and added to over the years. Through it came many of the real characters of that time - Sam Houston, Jim Bowie, Jack Hayes and many more. The books stop after the annexation of Texas to the US but before the beginning of the Civil War. The horrors of that war were already covered in the Trilogy.
She's a really good writer. Her characters come alive. The history is very well researched and she makes it live. I highly recommend her work. If you're from Texas or love Texas or just historical fiction, these works are for you ;)
Now that I've finished those two, I'm starting on Adelsverein again.