My heroes are all wounded.  Not just emotionally, but physically, as well.  Being a hero in a Cheryl Pierson story is like being an expendable member of the landing party on Star Trek.  If you had on a red shirt when you beamed down to the planet’s surface, you could pretty well figure you weren’t going to be returning to the Enterprise in one piece, or alive.

In my debut TWRP historical western release, Fire Eyes, U.S. Marshal Kaed Turner is tortured and shot at the hands of the villain, Andrew Fallon, and his gang of cutthroats.  A band of Choctaw Indians deposit Kaed on Jessica Monroe’s doorstep with instructions to take care of him.  “Do not allow him to die,” the chief tells her.

Can she save him? Or will he meet the same fate that befell her husband, Billy?  Although Kaed’s injuries are severe, he recovers under a combination of Jessica’s expert care and his own resolve and inner strength.

The injuries he sustained give him the time he needs to get to know Jessica quickly.  Their relationship becomes more intimate in a shorter time span due to the circumstances.  Under normal conditions of courtship, the level their relationship skyrockets to in just a few days would take weeks, or months.

Wounding the hero is a way to also show the evil deeds of the villain.  We can develop a kinship with the hero as he faces what seem to be insurmountable odds against the villain.  How will he overcome those odds?  Even if he weren’t injured, it would be hard enough—but now, we feel each setback more keenly than ever.  He’s vulnerable in a way he has no control over.  How will he deal with it, in the face of this imminent danger?

Enter the heroine.  She’ll do what she can to help, but will it be enough to make a difference?  This is her chance to show what she’s made of, and further the relationship between them.  (If he dies, of course, that can’t happen.)

From this point on, as the hero begins to recover, he also regains his confidence as well as his strength.

It’s almost like “The Six Million Dollar Man”: We can build him stronger…faster…better…

He will recover, but now he has something to lose—the newfound love between him and the heroine.  Now, he’s deadlier than ever, and it’s all about protecting the woman he loves.

Or, his injuries may give him a view of life that he hadn’t hoped for before.  Maybe the heroine’s care and the ensuing love between them make the hero realize qualities in himself he hadn’t known were there. 

In my holiday short story, A Night For Miracles, wounded gunman Nick Dalton arrives on widow Angela Bentley’s doorstep in a snowstorm.  Angela is tempted at first to turn him away, until she realizes he’s traveling with three half-frozen youngsters, and he’s bleeding.

As she settles the children into the warmth of her home and begins to treat Nick’s injury, she realizes it’s Christmas Eve—“A Night For Miracles,” Nick says wryly.  “I’m ready for mine.”

In this excerpt, the undercurrents between them are strong, but Nick realizes Angela’s fears.  She’s almost as afraid of taking in a gunman with a reputation as she is of being alone again.

FROM “A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES”

Angela placed the whiskey-damp cloth against the jagged wound. The man flinched, but held himself hard against the pain. Finally, he opened his eyes. She looked into his sun-bronzed face, his deep blue gaze burning with a startling, compelling intensity as he watched her. He moistened his lips, reminding Angela that she should give him a drink. She laid the cloth in a bowl and turned to pour the water into the cup she’d brought.

He spoke first. “What…what’s your name?” His voice was raspy with pain, but held an underlying tone of gentleness. As if he were apologizing for putting her to this trouble, she thought. The sound of it comforted her. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t want to think about it. He’d be leaving soon.

“Angela.” She lifted his head and gently pressed the metal cup to his lips. “Angela Bentley.”

He took two deep swallows of the water. “Angel,” he said, as she drew the cup away and set it on the nightstand. “It fits.”

She looked down, unsure of the compliment and suddenly nervous. She walked to the low oak chest to retrieve the bandaging and dishpan. “And you are…”

“Nick Dalton, ma’am.” His eyes slid shut as she whirled to face him. A cynical smile touched his lips. “I see…you’ve heard of me.”

A killer. A gunfighter. A ruthless mercenary. What was he doing with these children? She’d heard of him, all right, bits and pieces, whispers at the back fence. Gossip, mainly. And the stories consisted of such variation there was no telling what was true and what wasn’t.

She’d heard. She just hadn’t expected him to be so handsome. Hadn’t expected to see kindness in his eyes. Hadn’t expected to have him show up on her doorstep carrying a piece of lead in him, and with three children in tow. She forced herself to respond through stiff lips. “Heard of you? Who hasn’t?”

He met her challenging stare. “I mean you no harm.”

She remained silent, and he closed his eyes once more. His hands rested on the edge of the sheet, and Angela noticed the traces of blood on his left thumb and index finger. He’d tried to stem the blood flow from his right side as he rode. “I’m only human, it seems, after all,” he muttered huskily. “Not a legend tonight. Just a man.”

He was too badly injured to be a threat, and somehow, looking into his face, she found herself trusting him despite his fearsome reputation. She kept her expression blank and approached the bed with the dishpan and the bandaging tucked beneath her arm. She fought off the wave of compassion that threatened to engulf her. It was too dangerous. When she spoke, her tone was curt. “A soldier of fortune, from what I hear.”

He gave a faint smile. “Things aren’t always what they seem, Miss Bentley.”

To order A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES, FIRE EYES, or SWEET DANGER go here:

http://thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=534

Haystack Drop Candies
By Winnie Griggs

This is a holiday favorite at my house.  It’s super easy and, as you can see from the notes on ingrediants that can be swapped out or added in, it is very versatile. 

INGREDIANTS

• 1 cup caramel chips (can substitute butterscotch chips)
• 2 cups shoestring potatoes (can substitute chow mein noodles)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup salted peanuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Melt chips and peanut butter in microwave or double boiler.  Stir until well blended
• Gently stir in shoestring potatoes and nuts
• Drop by spoonfuls unto waxed paper 
• Cool until set

Other add-ins you can try

• Rice Krispie cereal
• Miniature marshmallows
• M&Ms
• Coconut

Andes Mint Cookies
By Cheryl Pierson

INGREDIANTS

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs water
• 3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 oz. Andes mints
• Pecan halves

 
DIRECTIONS

• In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter or margarine.
• Add eggs and water. Beat well.
• Mix flour, soda and salt well.
• Add gradually to egg mixture. Chill dough overnight (it is important that the dough be well chilled). 
• Wrap each mint completely in cookie dough.
• Place 2″ apart on lightly greased cookie sheets and put a nut half on top of each cookie.
• Bake 7-9 minutes until golden brown in a 375 degree oven.

OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING

By Cheryl St. John

1/2 cup rice

1 quart milk

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar

Combine rice, milk and salt. Cook in a double-boiler until rice is tender.

Beat egg yolks until light and lemon colored. Add these, 1/2 c sugar, margarine and vanilla to the rice. Stir vigorously as you add the egg mixture. Cook slowly until pudding becomes the consistency of custard.

Pour into casserole and top with meringue made of the 4 egg whites beaten stiffly and 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Brown in oven 10 to 12 minutes.

 ORGANIC RAW CHOCOLATE CREAM COOKIES SUPREME

 By Karen Kay

 1)  Fill a quart jar with almonds half full.  Fill another quart jar with pecans half full.   Fill jar with water and salt and let soak overnight.  (The purpose of this is to deactivate the anti-nutrients — phytates — in the nuts.  Phytates impair digestion and prevent the body from assimilating important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, etc.)

2)  Pour off water and salt and dehydrate the nuts in the lowest setting on your oven — or dehydrate them in a dehydrator if you have one.

Recipe:

 5 tblsp. soaked and dried raw organic almonds

5 tblsp. soaked and dried raw organic pecans

2 tblsp. raw organic cacao

2 tblsp. raw organic coconut flour

4 tblsp. raw organic butter or if raw butter not available, regular butter

1/4 teasp. pure organic stevia

1-2 tblsp. vegetable glycerin — or substitute 1-2 tblsp. maple syrup

1 cup raw organic cream or if raw cream not available, one can substitute regular cream — hopefully non-homogenized

1 teasp. vanilla

Put almonds and pecans in a food processor and grind until nuts are the consistency of a coarse flour.  Add raw cacao, coconut flour, butter, stevia and vegetable glycerin (or maple syrup) and blend until a dough forms.

Drop by spoonfuls onto the dehydrator or cookie sheet and press to form a flat cookies.  Dehydrate for 3-4 hours or put in oven at lowest possible heat and heat for 2-3 hours.  Whip raw cream with a couple of pinches of stevia and organic vanilla.

Place a spoonful of cream onto the cookie and place another cookie on top — making a cookie sandwich.  Makes about 16 cookies.

GRANNIE’S TEXAS GERMAN

CHOCOLATE CAKE

By Phyliss Miranda

Grannie was a cake baker for one of the first cafeterias in downtown Amarillo, Texas, during the 50’s and this is her original recipe she made every Thursday for the lunch crowd.

Recipe

2 c.      Sugar

1 c.      Shortening

4          Eggs, separated

2 ½ c.  Flour

½ tsp. Salt

1 tsp.   Soda

1 c.      Buttermilk

4 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Dissolve chocolate in ½ cup hot water. Set aside. Cream sugar and 4 egg yokes (beaten).  Add 2 ½ cups flour and ½ t salt, alternating with buttermilk in which soda has been dissolved.  Add melted chocolate. Beat 4 egg whites till stiff, but not dry, and fold mixture into egg whites.

Bake 350 degrees for approximately ½ hour.  Makes 3 round pans.

German Chocolate Cake Icing

1 c.      Sugar

1 c.      Canned milk

½ c.     Chopped pecans

1 c.      Coconut

½ stick Butter

3          Egg yolks

Pinch of salt

Vanilla to taste

Combine ingredients.  Cook over very low heat until mixture spreads smoothly.  Ice cake.

Home on the Range Christmas Cookies

By Victoria Bylin

3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. oatmeal (regular not instant or steel cut)
1 c. Rice Krispies
1/2 can shredded coconut (3 oz or so)
1 small bag chocolate chips
1/2  large box raisins
1/4  lb. walnuts
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar and vanilla. Add beaten eggs. Cream well. Add dry ingredients (sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Mix well. Add coconut, chocolate chips and nuts.  Flatten into small cookies with wet hands.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Makes approx. 8 dozen cookies.

Grandma Rosa’s Caramel Cookies

By Tracy Garrett

Since my Grandma Rosa played an important part in my first western historical, I thought I’d share one of her recipes with you. Every Christmas you would find some of these in Grandma’s freezer.

4 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup shortening
6 cups flour
4 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
8 tablespoons water
1/4 tsp salt 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, slightly beaten, and  molasses and mix well. Add dry. Mix well. The dough will be very stiff. Form dough into two 2-inch rolls. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill overnight in the refrigerator. Slice thin and bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Grandma’s recipe calls for a “very slow” oven, which is 275-325 degrees. If your oven runs hot, go for a lower setting.

Christmas has always been a miraculous time for me. It still is. When I was younger, it was because of the presents, and the anticipation that came with the season. My parents were not wealthy, but we had the necessities and a few of the luxuries. My mom was a great manager. She could make the smallest thing seem of the greatest value. She could transform our house into a marvelous Christmas haven with her decorations, wonderful cooking and a few well-wrapped packages. When I became an adult, the torch was passed, but the anticipation merely shifted. The excitement I felt was not for myself, but for my children–the joy I could bring to them.

Once I had written A Night for Miracles, I began to think about my heroine, Angela Bentley, and how I might have reacted had I been in her place. I would like to think that I would have done what she did–transformed her small cabin into a memorable Christmas castle that none of the children would ever forget, simply through a good meal, a warm fire, and a gift. But it was all of these things that made Angela’s “gift” — the gift of her heart — special. She put herself out on a limb, having been emotionally wounded before.

I thought about the old legend–that Christmas Eve is a “night for miracles” to happen. Angela was not a rich person by any means, but she gave what she had, freely. She took in the stranger and the three children from the cold, gave them warm beds and fed them. But then she went even further. She gave her heart to them, although it was a huge risk. She comes through with physical gifts, but the true giving was in her spirit. And that leads to a miracle.

A Night For Miracles is one of those short stories that I didn’t want to end. I love a happy ending, and this is one of the happiest of all, for everyone in the story.

Blurb for A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES by CHERYL PIERSON

Legend says that miracles happen on Christmas Eve. Can a chance encounter between a gunfighter and a lonely widow herald a new beginning for them both? On this special night, they take a gamble that anything is possible–if they only believe! Available now with THE WILD ROSE PRESS!

EXCERPT FROM A NIGHT FOR MIRACLES:

Angela placed the whiskey-damp cloth against the jagged wound. The man flinched, but held himself hard against the pain. Finally, he opened his eyes. She looked into his sun-bronzed face, his deep blue gaze burning with a startling, compelling intensity as he watched her. He moistened his lips, reminding Angela that she should give him a drink. She laid the cloth in a bowl and turned to pour the water into the cup she’d brought.

He spoke first. “What…what’s your name?” His voice was raspy with pain, but held an underlying tone of gentleness. As if he were apologizing for putting her to this trouble, she thought. The sound of it comforted her. She didn’t know why, and she didn’t want to think about it. He’d be leaving soon.

“Angela.” She lifted his head and gently pressed the metal cup to his lips. “Angela Bentley.”

He took two deep swallows of the water. “Angel,” he said, as she drew the cup away and set it on the nightstand. “It fits.”

She looked down, unsure of the compliment and suddenly nervous. She walked to the low oak chest to retrieve the bandaging and dishpan. “And you are…”

“Nick Dalton, ma’am.” His eyes slid shut as she whirled to face him. A cynical smile touched his lips. “I see…you’ve heard of me.”

A killer. A gunfighter. A ruthless mercenary. What was he doing with these children? She’d heard of him, all right, bits and pieces, whispers at the back fence. Gossip, mainly. And the stories consisted of such variation there was no telling what was true and what wasn’t.

She’d heard. She just hadn’t expected him to be so handsome. Hadn’t expected to see kindness in his eyes. Hadn’t expected to have him show up on her doorstep carrying a piece of lead in him, and with three children in tow. She forced herself to respond through stiff lips. “Heard of you? Who hasn’t?”

He met her challenging stare. “I mean you no harm.”

She remained silent, and he closed his eyes once more. His hands rested on the edge of the sheet, and Angela noticed the traces of blood on his left thumb and index finger. He’d tried to stem the blood flow from his right side as he rode. “I’m only human, it seems, after all,” he muttered huskily. “Not a legend tonight. Just a man.”

He was too badly injured to be a threat, and somehow, looking into his face, shefound herself trusting him despite his fearsome reputation. She kept her expression blank and approached the bed with the dishpan and the bandaging tucked beneath her arm. She fought off the wave of compassion that threatened to engulf her. It was too dangerous. When she spoke, her tone was curt. “A soldier of fortune, from what I hear.”

He gave a faint smile. “Things aren’t always what they seem, Miss Bentley.”

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and that it is a time for miracles for each and every one. 

A Night For Miracles is available here:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/sweet-danger-paperback-p-4267.html

As we find ourselves with Christmas less than a week away, I’m sure many of you are as busy with last minute shopping and preparations as I am.  I thought this would be a good time to pause for a few minutes to reflect on the meaning behind all the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

And along those lines, a friend sent the poem below to me and I thought it would be good to share it with all of you.  At the bottom, you’ll find a link that will take you to a video of a cowboy reciting the poem.  And as a bonus, I’ve also included a link to John Denver singing Christmas For Cowboys.

A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PRAYER
By S. Omar Barker (1894-1985)

I ain’t much good at prayin’, and You may not know me, Lord-
I ain’t much seen in churches where they preach Thy Holy Word,
But you may have observed me out here on the lonely plains,
A-lookin’ after cattle, feelin’ thankful when it rains,
Admirin’ Thy great handiwork, the miracle of grass,
Aware of Thy kind spirit in the way it comes to pass
That hired men on horseback and the livestock we tend
Can look up at the stars at night and know we’ve got a friend.

So here’s ol’ Christmas comin’ on, remindin’ us again
Of Him whose coming brought good will into the hearts of men.
A cowboy ain’t no preacher, Lord, but if You’ll hear my prayer,
I’ll ask as good as we have got for all men everywhere.
Don’t let no hearts be bitter, Lord.
Don’t let no child be cold.
Make easy beds for them that’s sick and them that’s weak and old.
Let kindness bless the trail we ride, no matter what we’re after,
And sorter keep us on Your side, in tears as well as laughter.

I’ve seen ol’ cows a-starvin, and it ain’t no happy sight:
Please don’t leave no one hungry, Lord, on thy good Christmas night-
No man, no child, no woman, and no critter on four feet-
I’ll aim to do my best to help You find ‘em chuck to eat.

I’m just a sinful cowpoke, Lord-ain’t got no business prayin’-
But still I hope You’ll ketch a word or two of what I’m sayin’:
We speak of Merry Christmas, Lord-I reckon you’ll agree
There ain’t no Merry Christmas for nobody that ain’t free.
So one thing more I’ll ask You, Lord: Just help us what you can
To save some seeds of freedom for the future sons of man.

* Hear a recitation of this poem

* Hear John Denver sing Christmas For Cowboys

I wish you all a very merry and blessed Christmas, filled with family, love and peace.

Welcome to the Honky Tonk today! We’re havin’ a Christmas party because the construction at the Tonk is finished. Sharlene has put all Christmas songs on the juke box for the day and there’s mistletoe hanging from a red satin ribbon right in the middle of the floor … exactly in the same place that Travis laid that passionate kiss on Cathy in Hell, Yeah!

There’s pecan divinity, fudge, egg nog, chips and picante and so many other finger foods on the bar that if you go home hungry, it’s your fault. If you don’t like egg nog, I’m sure you can rustle up a bottle of beer from behind the bar.

Chigger plugged money into the juke box and let me choose my top three favorite songs by Toby Keith since she played a part in getting Daisy and Jarod together in I Love This Bar. Oh, my! Decisions! Decisions! Okay, number one … “Christmas Rock.” I just love the way Toby sings that song and doesn’t every woman dream of opening up a little black or red velvet box and finding a nice big rock inside?

That brought out some two steppin’ folks. I see Billy Bob, Jim Bob and Joe Bob, the red haired triplets out there with their new wives. Those boys haven’t lost a bit of their charm and they still do a fine job on the dance floor. B-32 gets me “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” by Toby and Chigger is starting a line dance. And my last choice is Toby’s “Please Come Home For Christmas.” Awww, ain’t that cute! There’s Sharlene and Holt dancing a nice sweet slow dance.

Travis and Cathy are coming across the floor and putting their money in the juke box. They’ve played another of my favorites: a duet by two of my very favorite singers, Elvis Presley and Gretchen Wilson singing “Merry Christmas Baby.” I wasn’t even aware they’d blended their voices until Sharlene put it on the juke box but they sound wonderful together. The past and the present all combined into one beautiful song. Much like Travis and Cathy in Hell, Yeah! Cathy had to overcome past mistakes before she could move on with her life and truly have many merry holidays with her sweetheart. Don’t they look cute out there dancing together?

Larissa and Hank just came in the door and put more songs on the juke box. There’s Jo Dee Messina singing “What Child is This?” Larissa just handed off her new baby daughter to Chigger and she’s looking up in Hank’s eyes as they dance together. It’s hard to think that a year ago Larissa was playing “My Give A Damn’s Busted” by Jo Dee to him and telling him not to set foot in the Tonk ever again. Sharlene just told me that Joe Dee is singing “Silver Bells” next. I think I’ll grab a cup of Jezzy’s egg nog and sit over in the corner while that one plays. It’s my very favorite Christmas song.

Sharlene and Holt said that it’s their turn to choose the music and their first choice is “If We Make It Through December.” Alan Jackson is singing but I remember when Merle sang that one years and years ago. They’re dancing slowly to the song and Sharlene whispered to me that she’s also played two others by Alan Jackson: “There’s A New Kid in Town” and “Honky Tonk Christmas.”

What a wonderful day! Everyone is here and all my favorite country music Christmas songs have been played. I’ve visited with all the previous bar owners and the characters that made all four books possible. Now it’s my turn to play a few tunes. I think I’ll choose “O Holy Night” by John Berry; “Christmas in Dixie” by Alabama and “Two Step ‘Round the Christmas Tree,” by Suzy Bogguss.

When they finish it’ll be time to turn out the lights and go home. The party will be over but the Honky Tonk will be open again as soon as the holiday is over. Go ahead and kiss that sexy cowboy under the mistletoe. What goes on in the Honky Tonk, stays in the Honky Tonk!

What’s your favorite Christmas song? What kind of memory does it bring back to you?

THE HONKY TONK SERIES BY CAROLYN BROWN

My Give a Damn’s Busted (Book 3)—In Stores Now!

He’s just doing his job…

If Hank Wells thinks he can dig up dirt on the new owner of the Honky Tonk beer joint for his employer, he’s got no idea what kind of trouble he’s courting…

She’s not going down without a fight…

If any dime store cowboy think’s he’s going to get the best of Larissa Morley—or her Honky Tonk—then he’s got another think coming…

As secrets emerge, and passion vies with ulterior motives, it’s winner takes all at the Honky Tonk…

Honky Tonk Christmas (Book 4)—In Stores Now!

She Means business…

Sharlene Waverly is determined to have the “new and improved” Honky Tonk up and running before the holiday. For that, she’ll need Holt Jackson, the best darn carpenter in the state. But his warm, whisky-colored eyes make her insides melt, and before she knows it, she’s sharing her darkest secrets and talking about the nightmares…

He’s determined to keep things professional…

Holt Jackson needs the job at the Honky Tonk, but is completely unprepared to handle the beautiful new bar owner he’s working for.

Sharlene and Holt try like crazy to deny the sparks flying between them, but their love may just be the best Christmas present either one of them ever got.

About the Author

Carolyn Brown is an award-winning author who has published 36 historical and western romance novels for the library market, many of them bestsellers in that market. Born in Texas and raised in southern Oklahoma, Carolyn and her husband now make their home in the town of Davis, Oklahoma. For more information please visit http://www.carolynlbrown.com/

Two lucky winners will receive a four-book set of The Honky Series (I Love This Bar, Hell Yeah, My Give a Dam’s Busted, and Honky Tonk Christmas).   Good luck to you all!

‘Tis the season to admire Christmas trees! Oh, how I love decorated trees. Never get my fill. I enjoy them so much that each year readers and authors send me photos of their trees and I post them on my blog all through December.

Today I’m sharing photos taken at the General Crook House in Fort Omaha. It’s a lovely historic home, and though the furnishing aren’t original, the home and decor have been restored and furnished with items true to the time period.

The one above on the left is on an upstairs bathroom. Many of the trees included themes from nature.

On the right above is a tree standing in one of the main rooms at the front of the house.

This one below left is in Mrs. Crook’s bedroom. It is decorated with White House ornaments that the historical society collects and adds to each year. Notice the red and white quilt on the bed. Ever notice how small those beds were? Men and women were MUCH smaller a hundred years ago.

If you want to see more trees throughout the month, check them out at The Annual Christmas Tree Tour: http://cherylstjohn.blogspot.com/

You’ll note one decorated with flags.

There were so many trees to admire!

This piano is in the formal dining room.

And now just for fun I’ll add interesting furniture and architecture. Enjoy!

Purples lovers will dig this decor!

There are two chairs and two footstools in the study made with horns!

Animal heads hang on the walls – I didn’t take any pics of those.

General Crook would have loved Cabellas. lol

Hope you’re getting into the Christmas spirit.

Please send me a photograph of your Christmas tree and a paragraph about it or about your family’s  Christmas traditions.

I would love to feature YOUR tree on The Great Christmas Tree Tour.

Well, I’m starting this blog a bit differently today than the one I drafted last week because…since then, I learned Marrying Mattie is a Nominee for Best Book of 2010 at Love Western Romances!  Voting starts today, and to celebrate, I’m going to send a signed copy of Marrying Mattie to one name drawn from today’s commenters.  There’s such hefty competition I’m just honored to be nominated.  What a Thanksgiving it was and what a Christmas season it will be! Hee-yaw. That said….

…Christmas wasn’t Christmas at my childhood home without books under the tree. One year,  Santa also stuffed my stocking with  tomes about Trixie Belden and her pals sleuthing her way through upstate New York. The year of The Wizard of Oz, Mom gave me an old Easter basket so I could pretend to be Dorothy. I live where a cold day is 50 degrees, so following an imaginary yellow brick road through our small suburban back yard kept me busy well past New Year’s. And goodness me, the Bobbsey twins and five little Peppers, the Little House and Secret Garden and the Alps of Heidi.  Nancy Drew…Even the Hardy Boys snuck in there.  Ah, the list goes on and on.

But nothing did it for me like Louisa May Alcott. As I’ve said many times here, in other blogs, and to anybody with ears or eyes, the first time I read Little Women I knew I was somehow, some way, someday going to be a writer. 

I pored over that one, and the follow-ups Little Men and Jo’s Boys, wishing the sun had never set on the March world. But her voice continued, and her words resonated in Eight Cousins and Rose in Bloom, where I anguished over Rose choosing the dorkiest cousin. Oh, the incredible Jack and Jill. I still remember these many decades later the first time I read of their friend Ed’s sudden death. I absolutely couldn’t breathe. Even today, the emotions of that chapter can rack me. What a gift she had, not just for telling a great story but also for touching a reader’s soul. Ed’s death just might be my first taste of grief. 

Not long ago, my hubby and I visited Massachusetts, and highlights were a Sox-Angels game at Fenway and a stay in Concord. My Fenway. There I got to visit Louisa’s last resting place on the slopes of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery along with other great writers at Author’s Ridge. I got to visit Orchard House and see the real “Meg’s” wedding gown laying on a bed as if she’d just taken if off. Saw the real “Amy’s” sketches on the walls as decoration as the Alcotts couldn’t afford wallpaper. The kitchen boasts the indoor well her father Bronson had built for “Abba” that today has compromised the house’s foundation… 

And in the little gift shop of Orchard House, I not only bought yet another volume of Little Women but also the dearest book,   Louisa May Alcott Christmas, Selected Holiday Stories and Poems.  In this book, lovely tales and poems about children from  humbler days charm me even during summertimes with scenes of holiday meals and big surprises, with themes of charity, hope, and of course, family.

 But my favorite is the hymn I’ll leave you with today as we live once again the most glorious season of the year in which our Lord came to live among us.

 O the Beautiful Old Story 

O the beautiful old story!
Of the little child that lay
In a manger on that morning,
When the stars sang in the day;
When the happy shepherds kneeling,
As before a holy shrine,
Bless’d God and the tender mother
For a life that was divine.

O the pleasant, peaceful story!
Of the Youth who grew so fair,
In His father’s humble dwelling
Poverty and toil to share,
Till around Him in the temple,
Marveling, the old men stood,
As through His wise innocency
Shone the meek boy’s angelhood.

O the wonderful, true story!
Of the messenger from God,
Who among the poor and lowly,
Bravely and devoutly trod,
Working miracles of mercy,
Preaching peace, rebuking strife,
Blessing all the little children,
Lifting up the dead to life.

O the sad and solemn story!
Of the cross, the crown, the spear,
Of the pardon, pain, and glory
That have made His Name so dear.
His example let us follow,
Fearless, faithful to the end,
Walking in the sacred footsteps
Of our Brother, Master, Friend. 

Is there any author from the past who has stolen your heart the way Louisa May Alcott has stolen mine?

I am so excited to share with you that I just had three holiday short stories released through Victory Tales Press last week!  As you all know, I normally write historical western romance, and two of these stories are just that. The third is a contemporary story, and I would like to tell you a bit about all of them.

HOMECOMING is a story I had written about a year ago.  I knew it was very odd, and probably had no chance of “making it” in the romance market, especially with the larger houses.  I don’t want to give anything away, so I will just have to be content to say that it has a very odd twist to it, a bit of the paranormal, and is a very different kind of story.  It appears in the Sweet edition of A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION.  Darn it, I wish I could tell you more because this is one of my favorite stories, but I’m afraid I’ll say too much!   I’m in this collection with four other wonderful authors.  Here’s the blurb for HOMECOMING, a story of forgiveness and faith at Christmas:

A holiday skirmish sends Union officer Jack Durham on an unlikely mission for a dying Confederate soldier–his enemy.  While thinking of the losses he’s suffered, can Jack remember what it means to be fully human?  Will the miracle of Christmas be able to heal his heart in the face of what awaits him?

My story in the Sensual edition of A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION is called SCARLET RIBBONS.  For as long as I can remember, the song of the same title has been part of my life.  I grew up in the 60′s/70′s and folk music was a staple in my home.  This poignant song, made popular by Harry Belafonte, tells the story of a man who hears his child praying for Scarlet Ribbons for her hair. It’s late, and the streets are empty, with no place to get the Scarlet Ribbons. During the night, the father anguishes over not being able to get such a simple gift for his daughter.  In the morning, just before dawn, he goes into her bedroom and there on the bed are two beautiful scarlet ribbons for her hair. If you have never heard the song, it’s well worth a listen or ten–I promise it will touch your heart (I can never listen to it without crying like a big third grader.)

My story of SCARLET RIBBONS is about a half-breed gunslinger who comes back to Mexico after many years to several surprises.  There is, again, a hint of the paranormal in this story.  I was so happy to be able to place it with Victory Tales Press, as it is quite different.  But this was a story I had had in mind for a long time.  Here’s the blurb:

Miguel Rivera is known as El Diablo, The Devil.  Men avoid meeting his eyes in fear of his gun.  Persuaded by a street vendor, he makes a foolish holiday purchase–two scarlet ribbons.  Can a meeting with a mysterious priest, and the miracle of the scarlet ribbons set Miguel on a new path and restore the love he lost before? 

My contemporary story, WHITE CHRISTMAS, appears in the Spicy edition of A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION along with three other wonderful authors.  I think my idea for this story stemmed from the many hospital visits I have made with my sister this year, and talking with so many wonderful ER nurses and doctors. What happens with their holidays? And what about first responders–fire fighters and police officers?  In my story, I took a lonely divorced ER nurse who hasn’t had a proper Christmas in many years, and a long-single fire fighter who has lost everything dear to him and threw them together for Christmas.  Here’s the blurb for WHITE CHRISTMAS:

Since her divorce, busy ER nurse, Carlie Thomas, is happy to spend Christmas on duty.  Fire fighter Derek Pierce needs special care after being injured on the job.  But Derek’s wounds are more than skin deep.  Will they spend the holidays haunted by the ghosts of the past, or could this Christmas spark a beautiful friendship–or even something more?

If you love holiday stories, this is a treasure-trove!  There are four books in all in the A CHRISTMAS COLLECTION set: sweet, sensual, stimulating and spicy.  The stories are grouped according to “heat” level so there are no surprises.  These are great for gift-giving for this reason.

To order, or for more information, here’s the link. http://victorytalespress.yolasite.com/online-store.php

I’d love to hear from y’all.  What is your favorite holiday story? Is it one of your own, or someone else’s?  I love holiday stories and I’m always looking for new ones.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!