I like men who swagger. When a man with an attitude enters a room, everyone knows it. Men of lesser confidence back down, and women look twice. I haven’t done an all-out outlaw for a hero yet, but I’m planning on it for the third book in the “Women of Swan’s Nest” series,” which is launching now with The Maverick Preacher.

            I thought I’d pass along some of my research. Well, it’s not exactly research in the academic sense. It’s daydreaming about the story and getting a feel for the characters, particularly the hero. While pondering this man–he doesn’t have a name yet–I’ve found myself looking at rebels in fiction and real life.

            No. 1 on my list is Johnny Cash. The man in black had a bad-to-the-bone swagger, and Walk the Line is one of my favorite movies. Later in life, he made a u-turn. The story of Nickajack Cave is legendary. It’s the place where he decided to give up some bad habits and become a new man. He did . . . but he didn’t stop swaggering.

            No. 2 is Rhett Butler. I haven’t seen Gone With the Wind in years, but I can still recall the scene where he and Scarlett are fleeing Atlanta and he kisses her. Talk about swaggering! It’s got to be one of the most romantic scenes ever. Even in the end, after he loses his little girl and is mellowed by grief, Rhett still has an inner strength. 

            The No. 3 slot goes to Bruce Springsteen for his music. His “Born to Run” CD is one of my favorites. The title track is a legend, and so is “Thunder Road.” Bruce grabs life by the shoulders and shakes it. I love that! It’s the same energy that settled the American West, the same boldness that gave us heroes and outlaws and Wild West legends.

            My No. 4 rebel is Joshua Blue, the hero in The Maverick Preacher. I had a blast writing this book. The title came to me in a blink. In the next blink, I saw Josh as plain as day in my mind. He’s a different kind of rebel. Unlike a man who’s always had a wayward streak, Josh was perfect to a fault. After getting knocked off his high horse, he becomes a man who’s not afraid to defy convention.

            The No. 5 rebel on my list has four legs, a tail that never stops wagging and an addiction to chewing socks. His name is Hartley and part Jack Russell Terrier. We adopted him from a pet rescue program and have been smiling ever since. He’s crazy. Telling him “no” is like issuing a dare. Swagger? This dog has plenty of it! He’s adorable and we love him for it.
            Who are your favorite rebels in fiction and real life?

Everyone who comments will be eligible for a drawing for a signed copy of The Maverick Preacher. I’m feeling a little rebellious myself right now. I’ll be giving a way three copies just for the fun of it!

To learn more about Victoria, visit her website: 

www.victoriabylin.com

Thanks so much for a fun day and for sharing in my New Cover excitement!

And the winners are…comment #5, and comment #67 (last but not least!)

Jo Jones and AmyL

CONGRATULATIONS!

Email your home address and Bride book of your choice  to staceykayne@gmail.com

Stacey’s BRIDE Series ~ Collect them all!

Tomorrow’s almost here and ah can hardly wait.

The talented and lovely Miss Victoria Bylin will join us to discuss the whys and wherefores of favorite rebels. Ah do love a man who’s full of devilish ways! A cowboy with a rebellious streak gets me all hot and bothered. One of these days I’m gonna catch me one and then I’ll be wearin’ a real big smile.

Be thinkin’ of rebels you know and get your name in the hat for one of three autographed copies of THE MAVERICK PREACHER. Sure looks like a humdinger of a book, yes siree.

Saddle up your pony or your mule and head over to the Junction.

We’ll have a good time!

The cover for my June anthology has finally arrived!

The cover arrived in my in-box the same day as Pam’s Wedding Post, how’s that for timing?! I was already having wedding nostalgia, and this cover put me into total wedding cover bliss.  I adore it!

Aside from loving the cover art, I was excited to get my first glimpse of the other two stories in the book. Other than the theme of cowboys and spring courtship, the three stories are not related. Here’s a sneak peek of the story blurbs from the back cover:

Rocky Mountain Courtship by Jillian Hart

Joseph Brooks suspects his mother of bringing a pretty young lady to town–as a mail-order-bride. But Clara Woodrow is not that lady! Enchanted by her and determined to have no other Joseph must use the magical last few days of spring to make Clara admit the desire they share for one another…

Courting Miss Perfect by Judith Stacy

Fleeing a humiliating incident in Virginia, the last thing Brynn O’Keefe needs is an interfering Pinkerton detective suspecting her of some ridiculous crime! Concerned for her reputation, Brynn is horrified when handsome Travis Hollister tells the locals she is his sweetheart–and even more astonished when she begins to like the very idea of it!

Courted by the Cowboy by Stacey Kayne

Constance Pauley becomes enamored with the man who once saved her life–then finds out the very same dashing Kyle Darby had inadvertently caused her injuries all those years ago! Now she can’t forgive the way he has stolen her heart, and how easily she wants to become his bride…

This is my first time contributing to an anthology. When my editor invited me to include a novella in the spring anthology, I was hesitant–I have a hard time keeping my books under 300 pages! The thought of packing a story into a hundred pages had me sweating bullets. My agent talked me into it, making it a personal challenge. I had already started Kyle Darby’s story, the hero’s cousin from THE GUNSLINGER’S UNTAMED BRIDE. Those who read GUNSLINGER might recall Juniper and Jake harassing Kyle about the wildflower he brought home from Montana, and Kyle’s agitated reaction.

Courted by the Cowboy takes us back to the day he meets this so called Montana Wildflower…in the following chapters that past comes to call, thanks to Kyle’s meddling yet well-intentioned family. While coping with their good intentions, he’s also got dastardly villains running amuck–I do love my villains! 

So, what are some of your favorite anthologies? I read a bunch before embarking on this challenge, and a few of my faves are A Western Winter Wonderland, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,  Give Me A Cowboy,and Western Weddings (yes, I’m partial to westerns!).

Have you missed one of the first two books in my Bride series?  Mention it in your post and be entered to win a book of your choice: GUNSLINGER or BRIDE. Two winners will be randomly drawn.

Stacey’s BRIDE Series ~ Collect them all!                     

Next month, prepare to go WILD…

Definition: noun

1) a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability  2) an illustrious warrior  3) a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities  4) one that shows great courage  5) the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work  6) the central figure in an event, period, or movement  7) an object of extreme admiration and devotion: idol

In a nationwide survey a few years back, Jesus Christ was the person most often listed as a hero, followed by Martin Luther King, Colin Powell, John F. Kennedy and Mother Theresa. Over half surveyed mentioned a public figure, others their fathers, mothers or other relatives and friends.

The major reasons for naming someone a hero were: Not giving up until a goal is accomplished; Doing what’s right regardless of personal consequences; Doing more than is expected; Staying level-headed in a crisis; Overcoming adversity; Changing society for the better; Willingness to risk personal safety to help others; Commanding the support and respect of others; Not expecting personal recognition.

The views of our nation have changed since September 11th.  More and more, firefighters, policemen and military men are referred to as heroes. We will all agree there were heroes aboard Flight 93 that day, men and women who foiled an additional terrorist plan.

The qualities of a hero include willingness to sacrifice, determination, loyalty, courage, dedication, intrepidity, valor, selflessness, conviction, focus, gallantry, perseverance, fortitude, bravery and integrity.

A hero isn’t always a man who sets out on a grand quest. Sometimes he’s the ordinary fellow who works an extra job to pay for his son’s college or his daughter’s wedding. Sometimes he’s a man who never raised his fists or fired a gun, but who sets a silent example of faith and a standard of honesty by the way he lives his life.

When we think of the heroes portrayed in our genre, we immediately think of John Wayne and Henry Ford, Wyatt Earp and Marshal Dillon. But there are unlikely heroes, too, such as Froto and Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Clint Eastwood’s William Munny in Unforgiven. Remember Sally Field’s character in Norma Rae?  How about Erin Brockovich?  Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird tops every list of favorite movie heroes.

In talking about the heroes of our books, what qualities do some of our favorite authors think a hero needs?

Catherine Anderson says: “…one absolutely necessary quality a hero must always have is not good looks, suavity or physical strength, but incredible wonderful irresistible heart—an intangible s something that enables him not only to love deeply, but to live for love, sacrifice everything for love, and even die for love if necessary.”

Dorothy Garlock insists,” My heroes have high moral ethics and are always faithful.”

Pamela Morsi says the most important thing is “the hero’s willingness to make a commitment. All other obstacle can be overcome, but only a man who can marry and live happily ever after can be a hero in romantic fiction.”

Alexis Harrington said, “A hero doesn’t need to be perfect—I’d rather have a man with human frailties ad self-doubts. But despite his imperfections, he must have a nobility pf spirit that gives him the ability to recognize his own flaws, to see the good in others, and ultimately, to do the right thing, regardless of the cost to himself.”

Lorraine Heath mentions, “A hero should always be willing to sacrifice what he values most in order to ensure the heroine finds happiness.”

Joan Johnston likes her heroes to be “physically strong and emotionally vulnerable.”

Cheryl Reavis states, “My hero must always take care of his children. I can’t abide a man who shirks his responsibility for his child—I don’t care what the reason; and a man willing to take responsibility for a child that is not his is really a hero to me.”

The stuff heroes are made of is powerfully attractive to the woman who eventually wins his heart. Who is the perfect hero in my book? Well, the one who has all the qualities mentioned above—and looks like Hugh Jackman to boot.

Some of my favorite heroes are Rye Dalton in LaVyrle Spencer’s Twice Loved, Reed Tyler in Pam Morsi’s Courting Miss Hattie, Luke Turner in Lisa Gregory’s The Rainbow Season, Laghlan Mackenzie in the late Arnette Lamb’s Highland Rogue, Dylan Harper in Alexis Harrington’s Harper’s Bride, Charlie Cochranin Kate Hathaway’s Bad For Each Other, and Theresa Weir’s Nash Audabon in Long Night Moon – and the list just goes on an on.

Did I mention any of your favorite heroes or authors? Who are the heroes who stand out in your mind—either in real life or your favorite books?

Hello Darlings,

One of our favorite guests has found her way back this weekend. That’s right.

Miss Victoria Bylin comes calling again on the Fillies. Woo-Hoo! We always love when old friends follow the trail to Wildflower Junction and plunk down their traveling bags for a brief stay.

Miss Vicki will tell us about her favorite rebels and give you a chance to share your own. So get your thinkin’ caps on and get ready to spit ‘em out. The pretty lady will give you a chance to win one of three autographed copies of THE MAVERICK PREACHER, her latest release.

Hightail it over to the Junction on Saturday and help us make Miss Vicki feel right at home.

You might even kick off your shoes and stay awhile. We’d be proud if you do.

A couple of weeks ago, I announced my daughter, Kristi, got engaged over the holidays.  We talked about engagement etiquette in times past and how it compared to young couples today.

Kristi & Sam

My 1892 reference, “A Practical Guide to Deportment, Easy Manners, and Social Etiquette,” goes on to give explicit directions about how one should conduct their wedding in the 19^th century.  Let’s take another peek into the past and compare it to the times we live in, shall we?

The bridesmaids should be younger than the bride.

Well, right out of the gate, Kristi is going to break that rule.  Two of her bridesmaids will be older than she is.  Not only that, they’re married.  Not only THAT–one of them is pregnant. 

Oh, my.  Such a thing would NEVER happen in 1892.  The scandal would be mortifying.  One never even *said* the word ‘pregnant’ let alone portrayed themselves in public and/or in a solemn ceremony as such.

Their dresses should be conformed to hers; they should not be more expensive, though they are permitted more ornament.  Some light, graceful material is usually selected, and flowers are the principal decoration.

More rule-breaking.  Kristi is letting her bridesmaids wear whatever dress they want, so long as they are black and below the knee.  So in a deviation from a tradition of which most of us are familiar with, the bridesmaids will not match one another.

The bride’s dress is marked by its simplicity.  Few jewels or ornaments should be worn, and these should be the gift either of the bridegroom or the parents.  A veil and garland are the distinguishing features of the bride’s costume.

Well, Kristi is all about simplicity.  She bought her dress new online for the bargain price of $100.  Save for a few pleats on the bodice, some little rhinestones on the spaghetti straps, and a teensy train, her dress will be devoid of ornamentation.   The dress hugs her willowy figure, and she fell in love with it on the spot.  She’s happy.  Mama’s happy.

She’ll be wearing a strand of my pearls.  Not sure about the earrings yet, but it doesn’t sound like Sam will be adding to her jewelry collection. 

He’s giving her an iPod for a wedding gift. 

Say what?

The bridesmaids assist is dressing the bride, receiving the company, etc.

Evidently, the modern tradition of hiding the bride away until she walks down the aisle wasn’t practiced, eh?

During the ceremony, they stand at the bride’s left, the first bridesmaid holding the bride’s bouquet and gloves.

No mention of the term ‘Maid of Honor’ or ‘Matron of Honor’ – but otherwise, this seems to be pretty standard stuff.  Except for the gloves.

When the ceremony takes place in church, the bride enters at the left, with her father, mother, and bridesmaids.  The groom enters at the right, followed by his attendants.  The parents stand behind, the attendants at either side.

Makes you wonder when the practice of the bride making her grand entrance from the back of the church came into place, doesn’t it?  Today, she comes in on her father’s arm, after her mother is already escorted in, usually after grandparents.   Different, yes, but these are clearly remnants of old traditions.

In leaving the church, bride and groom walk arm-in-arm.  Usually a two hours’ reception follows at home, their intimate friends being present, and partaking of the wedding breakfast.

Another big difference.  Kristi and Sam will head straight over to a ballroom, where a buffet supper will be held for 200 guests.  Afterwards, there will be a dance and DJ until midnight. 

When the cake has been cut, and the health of bride and groom has been duly drunk, the bride, attended by her friends, withdraws, and when ready for her departure, the newly-wedded pair start on their wedding journey, generally about 2 or 3 o’clock, the rest of the company shortly after taking their leave.

Kristi and Sam will likely spend their wedding night at her house, then come over to ours the next day for a post-wedding lunch.  They’ll open their gifts after that, privately.  A ‘wedding journey’ is uncertain at this point, since they’ll be preparing for a major move to Virginia in the fall.

Back in my day, friends and/or family opened the wedding gifts for the bride and groom, then displayed them on tables in the back of the hall.  That’s a part of my wedding that I’ll always miss–someone opening MY gifts and depriving me of the pleasure of seeing them first.  (Can you imagine me pouting, 33 years later?  LOL.)

Last time, I loved hearing about how so many of you became engaged.  Now tell me about your weddings!

What were your colors?  (Mine were mint green and yellow.  My maid of honor wore the yellow, and the others wore the green. My mother and I made all the floor-length dresses–they were southern-belle style will rows and rows of 3 inch ruffles.  Each maid wore a white, wide-brimmed straw hat and carried white lace parasols down the aisle.)

Did your groom get you a gift?  (Mine got me a pair of diamond earrings which I still treasure today.  No electronics for us!)

Was your wedding dress elaborate?  Expensive?   (I bought my dress for $200–a hefty sum back then–all by myself while Doug sat in the car and waited.  The bridal shop was in a tiny town 20 minutes away, and we drove out there on a whim.  As soon as I saw my dress, I knew it was The One.  He never saw me in it until I walked down the aisle.)

No one ever wore strapless dresses like they do now.  Everyone wore long sleeves, often puffy, and high-necked gowns.  What was your dress like? 

You can’t pick up a western romance without it having some reference to the saloon. Saloons played a vital role in the western expansion. They filled a very human need. In addition to fulfilling the main role of quenching a man’s thirst, saloons were a place where cowboys could indulge in “cow talk” and where farmers and ranchers commiserated with each other about the weather/dry spells or floods. It was a place to get information on whatever subject you were needing to know about.

Saloons helped a man forget his loneliness and drown his troubles if only for a few hours. They offered entertainment, comfort, refuge, and refinement. And they were one of few places where a man could escape from his wife.

Saloons were all things to all men. And most times a cowboy didn’t  have to look far to find one.

Silverton, Colorado held the distinction of having the “worst gaming street in Colorado history.” Blair Street boasted 40 saloons and dance halls, 27 gaming saloons, and 18 houses of ill repute. And that was only one street among several in the town. With all the establishments being open 24 hours a day sin ran non-stop.

Saloons reflected the financial health and customers of a town. In wealthier places they were fancy buildings with ornate furnishings. But on the prairie, watering holes were often sod houses or tents. Usually the mining towns where gold or silver was abundant they were opulent and refined.

Either next to or behind the saloons were liveries where the customers could leave their horses while they quenched their thirst. If they didn’t plan to linger in the saloon long, there were hitching rails in front. In the book, “Saloons of the Old West” by Richard Erdoes he said, “The town’s sheriff could read brands just as easily as a modern cop reads license plates, and he would take care of the “parking problem” if he saw a horse tied to the rack overnight.”

Most saloons were built shotgun style–real long but not very wide. That was to accommodate a long bar, many of which were 50 to 60 feet in length. Saloon proprietors often competed to see who could get the longest bar. Erickson’s Saloon in Portland, Oregon was a whopping 684 feet long and probably held the record. Breen’s in San Francisco is made from Brazilian mahogany and measures 72 feet long. It’s supposedly the longest in America today. Denver’s Albany was quite impressive with its 110 ft. counter backed by a flawless mirror of matching length. And it’s a given that saloons almost always had a picture of a naked lady somewhere over the bar.

A little known fact: The typical establishment had towels hanging at certain intervals along the edge of the counter so men could wipe the foam off their beards and mustaches if they needed to.

Some saloons, the fancier ones, had a barber chair tucked into a corner with a live barber on hand to cut hair and give shaves for those who were inclined to spruce up. It saved time I guess. A cowboy could eat, drink, have his hair cut and get a shave all without leaving the saloon. Pretty amazing to have all those services combined.

Oh, and various saloons also maintained letter boxes so their steady customers could receive their mail in there.

There was no legal drinking age, but normally a bartender wouldn’t serve unless a boy’s voice had changed.

A lot of history was made inside saloons. States were named, capitals founded, political candidates announced, elections held, and trials conducted. The saloon was the place to be evidently.

American Indians were barred from saloons by law. Blacks were tolerated. But another group wasn’t welcome—military soldiers. Soldiers were resented because they policed the early West. Cowpunchers also blamed soldiers, rightly or wrongly, for giving the working girls venereal disease. But I seriously doubt that.

Do you think books and movies accurately portray saloons? Do you have a favorite saloon scene you’d like to share? Or do you have a favorite hero/heroine (books or movies) who was a saloon owner?

Congratulations to Abi – winner of Nancy’s authographed CD,  Autumn’s On Its Way !!

Thanks to everyone who stopped in to share our Valentine’s Weekend! 

For more info on Nancy’s music stop by her Katy Creek Website.

I have a rule for myself here on Petticoats and Pistols.  All western all the time.  I’m breaking it this week.  Well, kinda. 

Like every other writer probably, I’ve thought more than once about doing a time travel romance.  I even wrote a proposal twenty years ago with two other authors.  It was going to be a joint project–a collection of novellas–based on the premise that a magical, mysterious, legendary carousel sends the heroines and/or heroes through time to see great loves that are themselves worthy of legends.  My contribution was to be, of course, a western.

Alas, no publisher at the time was interested. And then came along Jude Deveraux’s “Knight in Shining Armor,” and I put away the thought forever. Who could compete with that?

But through the years, the idea still pricked at me, mainly, I think, because I wanted to take a 19^th century cowboy from, say, 1866, and set him firmly in the then 20^st century. I wanted to see his awe, his wonder, his ability to cope in a world he could never contemplate in his wildest dreams.

I watched in wonder myself as we progressed from black and white TV to today’s HD interactive television, from typewriters to wireless computers, from huge radios to the tiny E-Pods, from the first telephones of the mid 1900′s to today’s “do everything” cell phones.

Since technology accelerates with every advance, I’ve wondered for the last forty years what would come next. I’m rarely disappointed.

Except for the flying car. I haven’t been able to understand why no one had developed a flying car. After all, the Jetsons managed to produce one. And who can forget Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For decades, I’ve been lusting for a helicopter bicycle or flying car.

I’ve often thought about looking upward and watching all these people fly by, rather than clogging the roads, and I wonder exactly how traffic would be controlled. There obviously are not lanes in the sky.

I was about to give up, though. I’d been waiting for decades, all to no avail.

The technology of personal flying motor vehicles seem to defy innovation.

And then, by golly, I heard a snippet on a cable news show. The fantasy of spy novels and science fiction films is at last becoming reality with several vehciles which can turn from car to aircraft.

Off to the internet to do some research, and the results are fascinating. People have been actively trying to develop a flying car since the 18^th century when one would-be inventor attempted to develop a gliding horse cart. Obviously it did not succeed. There is no footnote on what happened to the horse or cart. There are nearly 80 patents on file at the United States Patent and Trademark office for various kinds of flying cars. Some have actually flown. Most have not. And all have come up short of reaching the goal of mass-produced flying cars.

Until, maybe, now.

After a century of unfulfilled promises, flying cars my fill the skies in the next few decades. There are still obstacles to overcome, including receiving approval from te FAA, but the cars are close to being produced.

Here’s several of them:

The TerrafuglaTransition is, according to the Times Online, the ultimate off-roader and is coming to an airstrip near you. The Transition is a two-seater plane that at the touch of a button converts into a road-legal car. It is scheduled to hit the showrooms by next year.

“It’s a like a little transformer,” says Carl Dietrich, the Terrafugia boss. “This is the first real integrated design where the wings fold up automatically and all the parts are in one vehicle.” It has one simple folding wing, and that means the Transition takes just 15 seconds to switch between flying and driving.

The company president promises that the plane will be quicker than cars for intercity commuting, fit into a normal garage, and even run on plain old premium unleaded. You drive to a runway and take off.

It has taken orders for 40 vehicles and plans to begin delivery in 2010.

Price tag: $194,000.

And then there’s my favorite, the Skycar, which being developed by Paul Moller. It’s a four-seat vehicle powered by eight rotary engines that are housed inside four metal housings called nacelles, on the side of the vehicle. There are two engines in each nacelle so that if one of the engines in one of the nacelles fails, the other engine can sustain flight.

The plane will be completely controlled by computers using GPS satellites, which the company calls a fly by wire system. In case of an accident, the vehicle will release a parachute and airbags, internally and externally, to cushion the impact of the crash. The big advantage to the Transition, though, is it takes off and lands vertically.

Price tag: $1,000,000 initially but it’s expected to come down to as low as $60,000 once it begins to be mass produced.

And finally there’s the SkyRiderX2R being developed by MACRO in Huntsville.

This aero car will also be able to take off and land vertically. Sky Rider incorporates the interior design of a two-seat sports car with the mobility of a helicopter or airplane. The company said it is also developing 5 and 7 seat models that should fit in most two-car garages. The navigation system here would also be controlled almost entirely by GPS satellites and cellular services. What’s even better, though, its fuel mileage is comparable to that of a medium sized car and can use gasoline, diesel, alcohol, kerosene and propane. You can always stop at a bar if you run out of gas.

No price tag here or availability found.

There are others, but these seem to be ahead of the pack. So now I know that in my lifetime – hopefully – I can look up and see all those flying vehicles I’ve been imagining for four decades. Maybe I’ll even own one.

I wonder what those cowboys would think if they were transported in time and saw flying stagecoaches that land vertically and drive down that fourteen-lane freeway.

For photos and more information on flying cars, go to:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com//flying-car.htm