Under a Copper Moon

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the New York Post branded Jerome, Arizona the "Wickedest Town in America." From mine explosions, rowdy men, and enterprising prostitutes to Chinese slavery, opium dens, and a lonely sheriff, a young girl fights her way to independence and respect. It's 1894 and a young woman finds herself alone and hopeless after her mother dies, then she discovers adventure in a newspaper ad. After a long train ride across the country, Inez meets her future husband Josiah who paid for her trip to the mining town of Jerome in the Arizona Territory. Before the wedding, she boards with Sam and Lottie, Josiah's friends. Being a true Victorian age woman, Lottie decides to mold Inez into the perfect lady. The cooper mining town of Jerome is booming. Inez has never encountered so many different types of people, some more mysterious than others. Her inquisitiveness may get the best of her. As circumstances twist, turn, and buckle, Inez discovers another side of the town: elegant parlor houses, the mysterious Navajo Onalee, Mr. Zhen and his Chinese laundry girls, the town's handsome sheriff, and a new best friend Pearl who fancies striped stockings and a sip or two of wine. UNDER A COPPER MOON is a story of grit, daring, perseverance, and a splash of Lady Marmalade in the late Victorian era when men were strong and women were supposed to be coy and quiet. But no one could convince Inez of that.

Lilly weaves history with unforgettable characters, and social and moral issues as relevant today as in the Victorian frontier. -- Kudos Entertainment Weekly, November 28, 2007

2008 Historical Finalist medalist -- Next Generation Indie Book Awards -- Historical Finalist, May 2008

Lilly's heroine triumphs in the Victorian Southwest. -- Daily Press, May 11, 2008

One of the most exceptional independently published books of the year. -- Bristol Herald Courier, June 8, 2008