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Precocious, spirited, bored, and outspoken, sixteen year old Elucia (Lucy) Grey Alexis Howard, is both out-of-place in and a prisoner of her wealthy life amongst the highest of New York's social elite and her father's ambitious pursuit of greater prosperity.
Sent out west to Lincoln County, NM, to marry her pre-contracted fiancé, John H. Tunstall, Lucy is inconsolable at the prospect of a loveless marriage when she meets and falls in love with pistoleer, Billy Bonney, a young, vivacious firebrand hired by John to work his land and provide protection from the dangers posed by John's nefarious competitor, J.J. Dolan and the entire Santa Fe Ring.
When John pays the ultimate price and is murdered, refusing to succumb to the opposition and intimidation of his rivals, Lucy's own life is then in jeopardy. As a result of John's death, Billy and the other men working in John's employment are deputized to combat the tyranny of Dolan and the Ring. Fearing for Lucy, the newly deputized Lincoln County Regulator's take her into their protective guard and into the hellfire of what becomes known as the Lincoln County war, the catalyst that inspires Lucy to wage her own personal war for freedom from her oppressive life and a desperate attempt to stay close to the man she loves, the boy about to become known to history as the incendiary notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid.

For the aspiring writer: Authonomy.com is a site run by publisher HarperCollins where writers, up-and-comers, and authors can post their unpublished works to receive and give constructive criticism. It's fantastic for those reasons only. There is also the possibility of rising through the ranks and winning publication by HC; the more people who become familiar with your work and help promote it can help you move up the chain. The drawback to this is that it often seems like a popularity contest, but it is still an invaluable tool for improving your work and should primarily be considered as such.

**Please note: You should not rely solely on this website if you're serious about becoming a published author. If you do that, you'll become frustrated and discouraged. You need to do the work and submit to publishers on your own. You can refer to my blog My Writing Experience for some helpful information in submitting to the right publisher and some helpful hints about writing.