When I was about seven, I had my first, no, my second crush. Maybe my third, if we include Davy Jones from the Monkees, and I’d rather we just didn’t go there, thank you, ma’am.

Anywayz, there was this TV show; not the best ever, but intriguing nonetheless to a chubby, introverted kid who spent most of her time pretending to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and who’d just realized that, well, boys could be kinda nice to look at, especially on the pages of Tiger Beat magazine.

So this show, “The Cowboys,” had on it the most beautiful “man” I’d ever seen, and he had the oddest name ever: A. That’s it; just A. But how he stole my heart, this A Martinez, with his intense, dark Spanish eyes and rough-yet-kindly loner ways!

I kind of forgot about A until last night when I was trawling for Wild West images and stumbled across his pic, shocked by a couple conclusions.  First, I seem always to be drawn to Cowboy heroes whose heritage is mixed. 

 

But I also dig loners, card sharps and brothel owners — bad men who have good in ‘em, but aren’t fully redeemed by novel’s end.  And, oh, OK, like lots of you, I’d do just about anything for a British Peer of the Realm on the Range.  A Lorraine Heath Peer of the Realm . . .

Some Western lovers have lamented to me that there don’t seem to be any Westerns being written anymore.  And I wonder why they think that, when we’ve got you pretty little Fillies here in Wildflower Junction writing, and other faves like Linda Lael Miller, Beverly Jenkins, Kathleen Eagle, Georgina Gentry, Leigh Greenwood  and others, and now, so many Inspirational authors who find the taming of America rich landscape for their tales.

When readers start to worry about the Western being on its way out, I remind them of the great “The Historical is Dead!” debacle.  Still, it’s true that not as many Westerns are being published.  Maybe we need to find kinds of Westerns that appeal to that attractive “younger” demographic we want to lure to romance reading.

 

In case it’s slipped your minds, Michelle Buonfiglio is going to blog with us tomorrow.

Michelle is a talented and smart lady. She just loves romance of all kinds, but she especially loves talking about cowboys. She’ll have her cowboy hat and her jeans on I’ll bet your bottom dollar. 

Miss Michelle does a column for Lifetime TV called mylifetime.com. She knows a thing or two about books and what makes readers curl up their toes and sigh real big.

So join Michelle tomorrow and talk about books. She’ll want to know what strikes your fancy. 

Is it possible that early rules for courtly love written down in the 12th century formed the basic characteristics for relationships that we have today?

Some experts certainly believe so.

There is evidence that the “Treatise on Love” written by Andreas Capellanus defined for the first time the intricate relationships between men and women. Capellanus’ work lays down the building blocks of romantic behavior in a sense.

Bet you didn’t know that the ideas and beliefs about love and romance we have today originated in Medieval courts of French, German and English knights and ladies, kings and queens.

Though some principles have changed somewhat over time, for the most part the fabric of courtly love has remained the same. The hearts of the characters in our romance books revolve around these rules. We see them used over and over in novels, movies, TV shows and even in music.

(But not only do our characters use the Rules of Courtly Love. We all use them in one way or another in our personal relationships whether we know it or not.)

The ideas that resonate are that good character is an essential quality of lovers. Heroes and heroines must be worthy of each other and their love must show it. They have an intense desire to impress and please each other. Sound familiar? We read stories about characters who practice this behavior. And we show these things in our personal relationships. They are timeless themes. True love cannot be bought. It comes from the heart out of grace and a selfless desire to please our mates. We ask nothing except that we are loved in return.

Capellanus believed, and I agree, that love taken by force isn’t love at all. He also felt that fidelity was the key to happiness and fulfillment. Men and women, and certainly characters in romance novels, are totally miserable as they work toward the relationships they want. They can’t sleep, eat, or keep their minds off their love interest. It consumes them.

Here are 10 of Capellanus’ 31 Rules of Love:

* He who does not feel jealousy is not capable of loving.

* No one can love two people at the same time.

* Whatever a lover takes against his lover’s will has no savor.

* It is unseemly to love anyone whom you would be ashamed to marry.

* A true lover does not desire the passionate embraces of anyone else but his beloved.

* Love easily obtained is of little value; difficulty in obtaining it makes it precious.

* On suddenly catching sight of his beloved, the heart of the lover begins to palpitate.

* A man tormented by the thought of love eats and sleeps very little.

* Love can deny nothing to love.

* A true lover is continually and without interruption obsessed by the image of his beloved.

* * * * * *

So, I’m just curious. Did men and women know these things long before Andreas Capellanus came along? I’m sure they must’ve. Afterall, Adam loved Eve with all his heart, even though she ate that durn apple. Maybe they just didn’t know how to put these thoughts into words. Maybe it took one man sitting down and really thinking about love and how it felt to express what others had in their hearts. When did the world not have any romance in it?

Do you find it strange that the rules written down centuries ago by some old geezer have such bearing on love and romance today? Or are we following the natural course of life as it was meant and shouldn’t examine it too closely? Or do you think romance in movies and novels is portrayed accurately?

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One of the great pleasures of being a Filly is my ongoing search for western tidbits I can share with you. As I mentioned before, I have an immense western library and every other weekend now, I dive into it to find those wonderful little known facts of pioneer life that hopefully will make the west come alive for you.As frequent readers know, I’m incurably fascinated with the westward trek and those brave people who faced danger, starvation, incredible hardship and disease to find that pot at the end of the rainbow.  

The first cook stoves were in the form of a box stove, a plain box with cookiing holes and a fire box.  There were later improvements, but some emigrants found it difficult to use with buffalo chips as fuel.

One pioneer woman noted that she had expectd to see the trail covered with a variety of goods, “but we saw but little that was of any good excepting stoves and there were plenty of them.”

Many pioneer families were lured by advertising into buying them, then dumped them along the way and returned to the open fire.  They preferred open fires, discovering that they could excavate a narrow trench in the ground, a foot deep and three feet long, in which they built a fire. The cooking vessels were set over this.

But starting a fire?  Not so easy.    Because of shipping and manufacturing problems, a plentiful supply of matches was not available. Borrowing fire from a neighbor was common practice. If there were no matches and no fire to borrow, then one method involved rubbing a cotton rag in powder and shoot out of a musket, or put it in the pan of a flintlock gun and explode the powder in the pan. Still another method was to use a burning glass, a small round piece of glass. The heat from the sun would shine through the glass, eventually starting a fire.

The first friction matches, according to “Wagon Wheel Kitchen” by Jacqueline Williams, were jokingly called Lucifers and had to be drawn through folded sandpaper before they would ignite. Unfortunately they were not trouble-free and so were slow to be taken up by the emigrants. They had a tendency to explode when jostled, gave off a disagreeable odor (the composition was phosphorous, chalk, glue, and sulpher) and would not strike when damp.

The earliest matches were hand-cut and hand-dipped and match manufacturing did not become big business until after the Civil War.   Safety matches, (matches that ignite only on the box they come in and are made without phosphorous), did not begin appearing until the 1860’s.

Once the fire was started, the serious work began. Cooking was time consuming and lasted far into the night. Women often baked bread, sometimes without eggs or milk, til midnight or later and rose before dawn to start breakfast.  They baked over buffalo dung with the wind blowing smoke in their faces.

 Ingenuity ruled.  In their own quiet way, women ruled.   There would have been no westward trek without them.

Some a few interesting details about cooking.

Pioneer discovered that a day of wagon motion would turn milk to butter. They would pour some milk in large jars and the jostling of the wagons bouncing along a road pockmarked with ruts and grooves transformed the while liquid into butter the size of a hickory nut.

Canned goods, including deviled ham, first came on the market in 1825. By 1853 a Missouri grocery advertised canned oysters, lobsters and sardines. But the cans were heavy and there was usually only room on a wagon for a few tins. Canned peaches was a coveted delicacy.

Okay, off to get my pre-prepared, pop-in-the-microwave breakfast. I think I’ll enjoy it now after writing this blog.

I just read that one of our BFF’s here in Wildflower Junction is a finalist in the Golden Gateway contest!  YEE HAW!  So congratulations!  We’re tossing our hats in the air to celebrate with Anita Mae!  Her entry is titled Charley’s Saint.

Fingers crossed for you, Anita Mae!

Hello all you little darlings,

As you know, here at Wildflower Junction we like to change things up a bit occasionally. This coming Wednesday we’re going to host Michelle Buonfiglio instead of our regular Filly.

Pam gave up her spot for this wonderful guest. And all us Fillies have to say it’s a real treat to have Michelle come visit. Michelle does a column for Lifetime TV called mylifetime.com. She’s an absolutely delightful woman!

 Michelle is just tickled pink to come chat with everyone. She loves talking about romance in all shapes and sizes and like us, she adores her cowboys. What’s not to like?

We’re cut from the same piece of cloth I’m afraid. 

I’m sure you’ll enjoy her. Just head on over on Wednesday and show Michelle the kind of hospitality we’re becoming famous for.

Joggin’ your memories that our summer contest is set to end tomorrow. Yep, that’s right. In case you’ve forgotten what the Fillies are emptying out of their pantry, here’s a list:

Grand Prize

$25.00 Amazon Online Gift Card

Autographed books from all the Fillies

Beautiful Blue Bandana

Gunfighter Ballads CD

Red Hat Pin

Canadian Lucky Penny Keychain

Bonanza Episodes DVD

Clint Eastwood Unforgiven DVD

Roy Rogers DVD Movie Pack

Cowboy Postcards

Second Prize

2 Autographed Books from the Fillies

Tom Selleck Crossfire Trail DVD

Third Prize

2 Autographed books from the Fillies

Fury Classic Episodes DVD

So, if you haven’t entered yet, now’s the time. Click on the contest link on the left side of the screen and get your name in the pot pronto!

Hello Again Friends!

In my last post, we talked about my love for cowboys…today lets talk about a cowboy’s sweetheart.

Not all heroines in westerns are cowgirls; some are not even ‘ladies’ by the standards of their era. (Though most are saints by today’s standards LOL!) However all are feisty, determined women. Whether true cowgirls or not these ladies are a class of their own for it takes a special woman to tame the wilder side of those rough and rowdy ‘boys.

That said I’d like to introduce you to my cowboys’ sweethearts.

Lexie Morgan is by-far-no-means a cowgirl. In her own words she can “ski; water and slopes, and surf; waves and the ‘Net, skate; blades and rollers, and play all sorts of athletic games,” but she can’t ride. In fact, she is so NOT a cowgirl that she thinks rodeo cowboys have “rocks for brains and a death wish for a soul.” So, how does she end up falling in love with an All Around Cowboy and champion bull rider? Find out in Tempered Joy!

The daughter of a wealthy rancher, Amber Harris enjoys riding and performing at the annual charity rodeo which has hosted by her family’s ranch for generations. However, she’s much more than a cowgirl. Liked by most and envied by many, she treats everyone with respect and never holds herself above those whom society would deem beneath her. Loving and pure she’s generous to a fault and she’s the perfect woman to win the heart of Stanley Morrison, a newcomer with big dreams and no money. But is he strong enough to overcome his own fears and her father’s objections as well as scale the walls of social standing she’s ignored all of her life? You can read all about this tumultuous romance in Tempered Fire.

Not even in her wildest dreams is Katrina Simmons a cowgirl. In fact, all of her dreams have been shattered from the abuse she’s suffered at the hands of one she’s vowed to love till death do us part. Though raised on a ranch, her hero isn’t a true cowboy either. He’s a doctor who has given up on love, sold his ranch to his best friend, and moved from Bandera, TX to Lafayette, Louisiana. Tempered Dreams, book 2 in my series of contemporary romances might not be classified as a ‘western’ due to the circumstances and setting but it is an important story in the lives of these characters whose love crosses the lines of age and strengthens the bonds of friendship. 

Tamera Collins on the other hand, is more than a mere cowgirl, she’s a large animal veterinarian who specializes in treating horses. Tamera travels to Bandera, Texas after the death of her parents and fiancé’s betrayal to honor a commitment and work at the Rockin’ H for the summer. The last thing she expects is to fall in love with an arrogant jerk cowboy even if he is as handsome as the devil and the grandson and sole heir to the magnificent ranch! But when the two make peace with their pasts and open up to the feelings blossoming between them, they discover a secret to true love. A truth that will bind them together for life…. only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life. Follow these two who clash from the moment they meet into wedded bliss in Tempered Hearts!

The Tempered series is available in Ebook and Print.

Well friends, hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my cowboys’ sweethearts. Tell me about your sweetheart!

Everyone who comments is eligible to receive Thib’s Teaser a .pdf file that contains blurbs and excerpts from all of my books, a short story, and discount coupons worth over $20 toward the purchase of one or more of my titles! Simply email me at pthib-7@centurytel.net with “Cowboy’s Sweetheart” in the subject line and I’ll send it right to you.

Pamela S Thibodeaux

“Inspirational with an Edge!”

 Order all of Pam’s books from amazon!

Straight into Wildflower Junction rides Mr. Lee Aaron Wilson, a western author who sprung from a long line of storytellers. His roots go plumb back to the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock. His great-great-grandmother was a princess in the Iroquois Nation. Now don’t that beat all. And not only that, some of his kinfolk were Indian fighters, outlaws, and lawmen. So I reckon Lee Wilson knows a thing or two about the West and the people who lived here.

His third book, “Billy Killdeere,” was nominated for a Spur award at Western Writers of America. Shoot, I could look at the cowboy on this cover all the blessed day long and not get tired of it!

Now, Lee Wilson is going to tell us a tad about his book and himself. Hope you enjoy the interview. Leave a comment if you want.

Billy Killdeere is Western romantic historical fiction, ain’t that right?

Billy was raised in an outlaw clan. At twenty-one he quit riding with the clan and began running the family ranch with his lady, Jenny Baxter.

Is Billy Killdeere an outlaw, a lover, or both?

He was raised an outlaw and becomes the best gunman in his gang, but he also respects women and treats them like ladies. Part of the story has him helping a young woman in a whorehouse where the gang hides out. There’s gunplay and then later when he’s on the run, he’s remembered as the man who rescued a woman from prostitution. Billy is considered a friend and hero to the “soiled doves” with whom he comes in contact. “Good” women enjoy his pleasant demeanor and charming smile, and he takes lovers until he meets Jenny. He can’t marry Jenny, but no other woman fills the ache in his heart.

What is it about Killdeere’s story that gets your imagination all fired up?

Billy is a young man with the deck stacked against him, but he drives forward, determined to stop “hurting people what never hurt him.” He fights no matter the odds.  When Jenny is abducted, he is forced to ride on a dangerous and lucrative job.  Despite lawmen, gang members and citizens who believe he’s turned, he saves Jenny. Billy just isn’t a quitter. He embodies a theme that seems to creep into most of my stories. “You ain’t beat, no matter how many times you git knocked down, until you don’t git up again.”

Do you have the know-how on any certain subject that deepens your writing and makes your language more authentic?

In more ways than one. I’m a psychologist with over 20 years experience working with criminals. I grew up on the stories of older male relatives from the West and later minored in American History, which makes it easier to anchor a story in time and place. Finally, I have read just about everything written by Zane Grey, Max Brand, Luke Short, Louis L’Amour, and others like them.

How do you develop and research a story?

Ideas hit me from the slightest comment all the way down to a hard news item. I let the idea grow and decide what place and time would best demonstrate the concept. Then I check my sources to assure that my tale is authentic to a given time or place. If certain weapons lend credibility or excitement to a story, I use them, checking my files to make sure my memory is accurate. Sources include books from my personal library, articles I’ve collected, and novels I know to be historically accurate.

Who are your favorite Western authors?

Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Max Brand, Luke Short, Jack Shaeffer, Earnest Haycox, to begin with. My current heroes are Elmer Kelton, Matt Braun . . . I guess I’ll stop here. The list could get long.

Do you have a hankering for other characters and gunslingers? 

Will you be writing about any of them in the future?

Both real and fictional characters appeal to me. Matt Dillon played by James Arness comes to mind. The Sackett boys in the novels by L’Amour, and the way the actors Tom Selleck and Sam Elliott played them come to mind. I loved Have Gun, Will Travel, but I like my own characters better. Billy Killdeere and his cousins Ty and Davy are as real to me as family members. Charles Ritter from my upcoming novel, Prairie Rose, will show up in other stories, as well Cal Massey, a bad guy who has had enough and rides away.

To me, the James boys and Billy the Kid were just criminals, although folk tales have grown up around them. The Earps and the Clantons were outlaws, warring factions. I follow them to study the writers’ ideas, just as I do fictional heroes.

How can we contact you and follow your upcoming work?

Visit me at www.leebaldwinonline.com

and www.trebleheartbooks.com

Email me at leelawman@aol.com.