CATHERINE MATTHEWS
Stories about strong women finding the courage to face the storm and live their dreams—usually in the company of a faithful hound.
Releasing the Reins
Available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook at your favorite bookseller.
“exposes the destructive force of family secrets . . . up-all-night page-turner.” – Carla Damron, award-winning author of The Orchid Tattoo
“a tribute to female resistance and independence “ -Marina DelVecchio, author of Unsexed
“fast-paced with an edge of danger. A definite page turner.” – James D. Shipman, bestselling author of Irena’s War
“Fierce, vivid, and utterly captivating,” – S.G. Prince, author of To Poison A King
“Evocative. Suspenseful. Lush” -Heather E. F. Carter, award-winning author of The Black Unicorn
I am a Pacific Northwest author. Through my novels, I tell stories of strong women finding the courage to face the storm and live their dreams—usually in the company of a faithful hound. My debut novel, Releasing the Reins, was a 2022 PNWA Literary Contest Finalist. I am currently writing the second book in the Tundra Secrets Series, Termination Dust.
Since 2016, I’ve been writing a blog examining life through the follies of my youth, and my adventures in parenting, teaching, and leading schools. I am a board member and the Vice President of Technology for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Every day, I am up before dawn to start my day with my favorite thing—writing in the company of my two faithful hounds. You can connect with me on Facebook, Threads or Instagram.
Bunny O’Kelly can’t go home, but can she survive the secrets hiding in the tundra?
In the dawning of summer, the rugged landscape of rural Alaska sets the stage for a tale of determination and dark secrets. Headstrong Bunny O’Kelly arrives on the sprawling expanses of Buck Miller’s horse ranch, with the fiery ambition to make a name for herself. Against the backdrop of wild horses and unchecked wilderness, she embarks on a grueling journey to prove her worth, not just as a ranch hand, but as a woman in a world that doesn’t want her.
But when Bunny stumbles upon the shattered remnants of Katie Miller’s life, the ranch transforms into a web of lies. Katie’s fatal accident, long unexamined, whispers of hidden truths and cloaked motives. As Bunny delves deeper, she uncovers a sinister layer to the tragedy and finds herself caught in a dangerous game where her quest for justice could unravel the very fabric of her newfound haven…yet silence could enshrine a killer’s freedom.