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Texas is a series of novels written by Fern Michaels. It might come as a surprise to some people that Fern Michaels is a pseudonym. The author’s real name is Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Mary was just a housewife before taking up the pen and deciding to write novels.
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Order of Texas Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Rich | 1985 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Texas Heat | 1986 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Texas Fury | 1989 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Texas Sunrise | 1993 | Description / Buy |
She had no intention of becoming an author during those early years. However, when her husband told her to go out and get a job, she had no other choice but to figure out whether or not she had any skills and how they could be applied in an employment setting.
It soon became abundantly clear to Mary that she could write; and she did just that. Mary has since written several dozen novels as Fern Michaels, and many of them have made it to the New York Times Bestseller list.
The Texas series is merely a small portion of all that she has produced over the years, though it is definitely one of her most popular. The Texas series chronicles the rise of the Coleman family and their Austin Empire.
It all begins with Seth Coleman in the years before World War I. He creates a legacy that his descendants eventually carry forward, garnering great wealth and renown over the following decades.
However, the chapters in the lives of the Coleman family that Fern Michaels explores in the Texas series reveal that they are anything but happy. The Coleman clan is often plagued with infighting. The fact that the men are so harsh and tend to love the boys while only barely tolerating the girls does not help matters.
Things kick off in Texas Rich, the first book in the series when a young timid girl called Billie marries into the family. She soon learns that her husband only took her as his bride because she looked like she could give birth to a son that would inherit the empire in the future.
Billie finds life under the Coleman household unbearable as every man and woman belittles and pushes her around. It takes all she has to finally rise up and fight for herself. However, even then, her strong will isn’t enough to banish all the madness in the Coleman clan.
The books have a decent following, primarily because they feature so many diverse characters, most of whom are barely tolerable. Fern uses each book to look at different generations of the Coleman family and how they have changed over the years.
The Colemans do not actually disappear once the Texas series ends. Rather, Fern Michaels explores their descendants in a different series down the line.
Best Texas Series Books
The Texas series books have a few critics who do not like how submissive the women tend to be; however, Fern’s fans appreciate the nuanced characters she can sometimes create, with some of the best books in the Texas Series including the following:
Texas Heat: Maggie is the daughter of Moss and Billie Coleman. She is part and parcel of the family that built the Austin Empire. Her decision to invite everyone for a barbecue in an attempt to re-forge old bonds backfires when old temptations arise.
Maggie isn’t in the best place either, having taken steps to divorce Cranston Tanner even as she attempts to care for her resentful son. Maggie knows that her love for a certain man could cost her everything.
This book endeavors to emphasize the fact that the Colemans are a terrible family. And Maggie is no better, coming off as a spoiled brat who gets a lot of the things she wants. There is a lot of infighting among the Colemans in this book, a lot of cousins turning against one another.
Texas Fury: Billie Coleman Kingsley has lived a wild and adventurous life, but now she is dying. With the Coleman family having been so drastically divided, it will fall upon Billie’s shoulders to offer some courage and hope even as her strength fails.
This book basically brings the entire Coleman saga to an end. Billie, Matriarch of the Coleman family, is dying, and Fern uses that as an excuse to close all the loose threads surrounding this family.
Other Book Series you May Like
The “Perfect Destinies” books by Sheryl Woods were initially referred to as the Million Dollar Destinies series. They follow couples who, on the surface, appear to be polar opposites. However, events occur that inexplicably drive them together, and they quickly realize that they might be one another’s soul mates. The books are connected, though each book follows a different pair of protagonists.
The “Carsons of Mustang Creek” series by Linda Lael Miller. This series of novels by Linda Lael Miller follows three Carson men, ranchers and cowboys that will risk everything for their families and lovers. The books are categorized under the western romance genre.
What Is The Next Book in The Texas Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Texas Series. The newest book is Texas Sunrise and was released on January, 1st 1993.