You’re standing in the checkout line, and the books catch your eye.  One book in particular.  You pick it up, turn it over, and open to the first page.  You must have it.  Into your cart it goes.

What was it that caught your eye?  Something about that cover made you reach for the book.  Maybe something about the back cover lured you in.  Maybe you didn’t even look at the price

I’ll bet you can remember more than one time that you’ve picked up a book for the cover alone.  I know I have.  On the other hand, I’ve passed by some terrific stories because the covers turned me off.  I can think of one in particular.  I got the book in my stack of entries to judge for the RITA awards.  I even put it off until the last, only to discover it was an incredible story that hooked me from the get go and never let up.  I liked the author’s voice and style so much that I hunted her backlist and read as many as I could get my hands on.  So what was it I didn’t like about that cover you ask?  It was a cartoon cover.  I have never purchased a book with a cartoon cover—well except the others by that same author.

I think most of us here have auto buy authors – an author you buy simply because you know they’re going to deliver a story you will enjoy, no matter the subject or the cover.  For me there are several of those: Sharon Sala, Anne Frasier, Janet Evanovich, Robyn Carr just to name a few.

I’ve purchased books based on reviews – sort of like movie reviews that tempt me.  Not because the review was glowing, but because the synopsis told me the book was about a subject or character I knew I would like.  I’ve bought books because someone recommended them to me.  I have purchased a book because of an ad.  That could have been because of the cover or the blurb.  I’ve never bought one because of a quote on the front or because I saw a book trailer. 

If I had to say where most of my book buying was done over the past couple of years or more, I’d have to confess it wasn’t done in stores, but online.  Convenience is the reason – and because the chain stores carry less and less of the mid-list books.  At least one huge chain store near me no longer carries Harlequin or Silhouette lines.

Online book shopping is different.  You pretty much need to know what you’re looking for, or at least I do.  amazon has that clever suggestion feature that shows what they think you’d like based on your previous purchases.  And you can subscribe to any number of newsletters by your favorite authors and be prepared for new releases.

But something about looking at those covers…

Something about picking up that book, seeing it in person…up close and personal, covers are enticing.  For me — If it has a western or an Americana look, I’m a sucker.  There was a day when some readers would buy any book with Fabio on the cover.  I’m probably in the minority of romance readers who aren’t impressed by cover models.  In fact, if I recognize the guy on the front, it’s a complete turnoff for me.  He has become a model in my eyes, not the fantasy hero I’m going to meet for the first time.   I guess that’s it – a recognizable face spoils the fantasy.

So, do you read outside the romance genre?

What are your criteria for spending your cash on a new author’s book?

Have you ever bought a book because you’d met the author and liked him or her?

What are the top three elements that entice you to buy a book?

With Mothers’ Day coming up, I wanted to share something special with you.  It’s a journal entry written by my great-grandmother, Isabella Eleanor Pratt Robison, in 1892, describing a typical day in her life.

Isabella was born in 1854, into a prominent Salt Lake City family.  At the age of 17 she married Franklin Alonso Robison and, over the course of their forty-year-marriage, bore him twelve children.  Most of her life was spent in the southern Utah town of Fillmore, Utah’s original capitol.  In 1912, she suffered a stroke and passed away at the age of 57.

Here is a glimpse into her life.

“15 March 1892

Yesterday morning I arose from my bed with a determination to seek to cultivate patience, not to get nervous and cross at the little delays and accidents so incidental in large families of small children.  I breathed a prayer to that effect and I tried to keep it in mind through the day.

I put the boiler on to heat the wash water, got breakfast, sent three of the little ones to school.  Carrie, age 6, said she was sick.  I told her to be good and go to school and perhaps she would feel better in a little while.

I began to wash.  Alfred wanted some sacks mended to carry grain into the field to sow.  I left the clothes soaking, mended the sacks; put up victuals to last him a week.  Wash half an hour.  Alfred wants one more sack; empty and weigh my dried fruit, put it in anything that is clean and comes handy…go back to the clothes, find they have not diminished in numbers during my absence.  Rub, rub, rub.

Then come the children from school.  Carrie is as pale as a ghost, give her some physic and warm tea, put her to bed and ask God to bless and heal her.  Rub, rub, rub.  Carrie comes out and wants a piece of toast, make her some.  She is better and says she is well.  Wash again a little while.

A visitor comes.  While resting and conversing hear a racket as though the dishes were falling from the cupboard, discover that Ruth has tipped from the top shelf of the cupboard a pan of milk.  Think I will punish her as soon as company withdraws.  Am glad company is present so that my nervous anger will abate before being left alone with the children.  Company goes.  Think what is the use to scold over spilt milk?  Think I will have a little lunch before resuming laundry work.  Milk all over pantry floor…Milk on every shelf, in every dish, in the butter, meat, sugar, and fruit, milk everywhere and yet not a drop for my lunch, nor can I have a lunch till Herma cleans up the milk.

Child comes in with an egg, it drops, little ones run through it.

Three hours later.  All in all, I have many things to be thankful for.

Isabella E. Pratt Robison”

(This is me now)  I only wish I had a fraction of her patience and faith.  Thanks for letting me share this with you.  Does it bring back any of your family stories?

It goes without saying that love has been around since the beginning of time, so it’s not surprising that experts have nailed down some similarities between lovers.  Here’s a few fun ones as compiled by Laura Schaefer, a writer for Match.com:

**1. Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don’t.

**2. When it comes to doing the deed early in the relationship, 78 percent of women would decline having sex if they had not shaved their legs or underarms.

**3.  Feminist women are more likely than other females to be in a romantic relationship.

(Now, this one surprised me.  Aren’t the feminists known for declaring they don’t need a man in their lives?)

**4.  When describing how they fell in love, lovers overwhelmingly believe the process is out of their control.

**5.  Couples’ personalities merge over time to make partners more and more similar.

**6. People are more likely to tilt their heads to the right when kissing instead of the left (a whopping 65 percent go to the right!).

**7. According to mathematical theory, we should date a dozen people before choosing a long-term partner to provide the best chance that you’ll make a love match.

**8. A man’s beard grows fastest when he anticipates sex.

(How could they possibly determine that?)

**9. The single biggest predictor of love is proximity. Familiarity breeds comfort and closeness–and romance.

(Well, duh.  Those of us who write romances have always known that.  Throw the hero and heroine together from the get-go, and there’s a guaranteed happy ending.)

**10.  Rosy cheeks are crucial when looking for a lover.  British scientists have discovered that primates prefer mates with red faces.  A rosy glow in humans indicates good health.

(Hmm.  Maybe that’s why we women use blusher, eh?)

A recent study on more than 10,000 dating individuals done at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that it doesn’t take us much time to know when the right person appeals to us.  In fact, it’s almost instantaneous.

Within moments of meeting, men and women rely on visual cues such as age, height and attractiveness to determine their mates.  Oddly enough, deeper rooted factors such as religion, education and income tend to play far smaller roles.

Hmm.  Interesting.

I remember the exact moment when I met my husband.  It’s a vivid memory.  I was a junior in high school and working at a Shopko type of store as a cashier.  He came in with his best friend, who was my best friend’s boyfriend.  Doug stood over by the magazine rack with an Old Home Chocolate pie in his hand.  He had no idea I was even there, but I knew who he was.  He came through my check stand with his friend and barely glanced at me.  But I schmoozed my girlfriend to set us up on a double-date.

I even remember where we went.  And when.  March 10^th, 1972.  We went bowling. 

Soon after, our best friends broke up, but Doug and I stayed together.  Even though I saw him first and initiated the first date, he fell for me faster.  I dated a few guys after we met, but Doug never dated another girl since meeting me. 

I absolutely love girl-meets-boy stories.  Tell me yours.  How did you meet your mate?  Was it love at first sight?  Or did it take you longer to decide?

It’s so great to be back on our regular blogging schedules here on P&P. I’ve really missed everyone! I hope you enjoyed the guests and maybe won some fabulous prizes.

Today, I’m going to talk about the importance of aprons. I’m not so old that I can’t remember when every wife, mother, and grandmother wore them. They were quite handy to have around. The main principle was to protect the dress underneath, especially when cooking. Aprons were a lot easier to wash then a dress. Back before automatic washers and dryers there was usually only one wash day set aside per week. Unlike today when we can pop something in the washer and turn the dial, washing clothes was a major chore.

But let’s look at some of the other uses that aprons filled.

They were handy for removing hot pans from the oven. Not exactly a good replacement for pot holders, aprons were readily at their fingertips and did the job.

Aprons were used for gathering eggs from the chicken coop. Or for carrying fussy chicks. And sometimes for taking half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. They could also shoo an angry rooster or a lazy dog off the porch in case of need.

When company came, those aprons made ideal hiding places for shy children. And those big old aprons were excellent for drying tears or cleaning dirty ears.

When the weather turned cold, aprons could be wrapped around grandma’s arms and used as a makeshift shawl. Or she could wipe sweat from a brow and carry kindling and wood chips into the kitchen for the stove.

While working in the garden, aprons were really useful to have. A woman could load her apron full of ripe vegetables. And she could use her apron to hold the hulls of peas she shelled. In the fall, aprons could carry apples that had fallen from the trees. Those nifty garments could polish those apples to a shine too.

Unexpected company coming to call? No problem. It was surprising how much furniture that apron could dust in a short time. Better and faster than a feather duster and she didn’t have to go looking for it!

Aprons were amazingly used in place of cell phones. When dinner was ready, grandma walked out onto the porch and waved her apron to call men in from the fields. It was a sign dinner was ready and they’d better get their rears to the house.

The big roomy pockets of aprons would hold plenty of clothes pins when grandma was hanging out wash on the line. Those pockets held a variety of other things the wearer wanted close at hand.

In the West, aprons were made from the all-important flour sack and they covered as much of the dress as possible. Cotton material was also used if it was available. The full aprons had a loop or opening that went over the head and held the bib in place. All aprons had fabric ties that went around the waist and tied in back. There were also half aprons that went only from the waist to the knees. Back in Victorian times and earlier, aprons were decorative and worn as actual clothing. In the 50’s and 60’s before they went out of style completely, aprons became merely a fashion statement when entertaining and were very frilly.

Whatever the use, aprons were around for a long time. It’s sad that no one wears them anymore. I have fond memories of my grandmother in her worn apron shelling peas on her front porch. And of my mother, standing at the stove preparing a meal. I loved those old aprons.

Do you have any memories of aprons that were worn by your grandmother, mother….or grandpa? I’d like to hear from you.

It has everything to do with my parents.  They brainwashed me–and I’ve loved every minute of it.  

Thanks to them I grew up on musicals. I’m talking about the love at first sight, happy ending, burst into song at the drop of a hat kind. (Oh how my sons roll their eyes at that!)  

Between Rogers and Hammerstein and Walt Disney I was happy as a bee in a field of Texas blue-bonnets. The music, the lyrics, the dancing—and the touch of humor in just the right places– swept me away to a magical realm and kept me enthralled. It didn’t hurt that the heroes were easy on the eyes and the heroines beautiful too. And they always fell in love and lived happily ever after.  

The first musical I remember seeing was Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke lit up the screen. I know every song by heart. Then there was The Sound of Music. I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to go to Austria after seeing that! The scenery was stunning.  

Oklahoma!, The Music Man, West Side Story, South Pacific, Camelot and a host of others—the music was so ingrained in me that I couldn’t believe it when I’d meet someone who’d never seen a musical—it was that incomprehensible to me. (Don’t ask me how I ever ended up marrying a “sports jock.” At least he tolerates my singing around the house!)  

Watching Disney movies with my sons as they grew up kept the musical bug alive in me (not that it needed any help!) Being boys, they didn’t much care for the “princess” movies like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, or The Little Mermaid, but there was Pete’s Dragon, Beauty and the Beast, and their favorite–The Prince of Egypt.  

I enjoyed Carousel originally as a child, but when I grew up the way the story treated the aspect of battering upset me and I’ve never watched it again. Too bad—because the music was lovely. It was also the first sad ending to a musical I’d ever seen.  

More recent “musicals” I’ve enjoyed are The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, and my personal favorite Beauty and the Beast (on stage.) Eventually I hope to see Wicked. And I would absolutely love it if Beauty and the Beast would be made into a movie with real actors. I do so like the extra songs added on the Broadway version.  

Since this is Petticoats and Pistols—I tried to remember

My favorite would have to be Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. My–could Howard Keel sing! And he was easy on the eyes too—not to mention being a bit of a rascal! Jane Powell as the feisty girl who “tamed” him was just beautiful. I smile every time I hear the song “Bless Your Beautiful Hide.” It took place in the Oregon wilderness and I was captivated by the gorgeous scenery. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned much of it had been filmed onstage.  

Another good one was The Unsinkable Molly Brown with Debbie Reynolds and Harve Presnell which takes place in Colorado territory.  I think Oklahoma! with Shirley Jones and Gordon McCrea could be classified in this category.  

Paint Your Wagon – now that was a bit of a shock to see Clint Eastwood  singing, but I did enjoy the show and the music.  

With all of this ingrained in me from an early age, it’s no wonder that I grew up believing in happy endings and the kind of love that lasts a lifetime. Perhaps I’m looking through rose-colored lenses, but it is a lovely view from here. 

I wonder if my debut book could ever be turned into a musical? Hey—it’s an interesting thought!  

Are there any musical lovers out there? And if so, which is your favorite? To encourage lurkers to join in, if you post and your name is drawn, I’ll send an autographed copy of my debut book The Angel and the Outlaw along with a watercolor note card of the lighthouse that figures prominently in the story.  

I’d love to hear of a musical I haven’t seen yet!  

Thank you, Petticoats and Pistols for inviting me to blog today. It’s been fun. Here’s to a successful round-up Ladies!

Kathryn Albright had been writing for several years when she sold her first novel, The Angel and the Outlaw, to Harlequin Historicals. Her second novel, another western, The Rebel and the Lady, will be released September 2008. Stop by her website to see an excerpt!

She will draw a name for an autographed copy of The Angel and the Outlaw and a fancy notecard from the comments on her blog!

What I Have in Common with the Nineteenth-Century Woman

I can’t believe it.  I’m part of the Petticoats and Pistols Spring Author Round-Up.  How cool is that?  I’m thrilled to be here and, best of all, I get to give stuff away.  Stuff that celebrates the Wild West.  A slice of American History near and dear to my heart.  But before I can give stuff away, I need to blog about something of interest.  Something that will entertain, educate or inspire.  If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll touch a bit on all three. 

In publishing-land there’s a saying: Write what you know.  This is advantageous for several reasons, but most importantly, in my opinion, because it infuses your story with a certain honesty that’s compelling to readers.  I wasn’t familiar with this saying when I attempted my first manuscript.  Good thing.  Otherwise, I probably would’ve second-guessed my desire to write a historical western romance instead of diving right in.  I would have grappled with my lack of qualifications. I didn’t (and still don’t) have a degree in American history.  I didn’t experience that era first hand.  I didn’t know anything about the American West other than what I’d learned from movies, novels, and the 1960s TV series like Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and The Wild Wild West (starring Secret Service agent James T. West. Be still my heart!) Yet I was passionate and driven and, as it turned out, intuitive.  

The heroine of my first western (Lasso the Moon) is a bit of an odd duck. A young woman who burns to write music and to share her compositions with the world. She’s also driven to make her papa—the man she idolized—proud.  I understood this creative soul well, because my background is in entertainment. I performed live on stage as a singer and actress for thirty years. (Yes, I started young!) And I, too, was driven to impress my dad. Write what you know.           

The heroine of my second western (Romancing the West) learned early on that the greatest form of escapism is though reading novels.  As an adult, she works in a library and, in her private time, writes her own adventures.  Like Emily, I spent most of my childhood with my nose in a book, head in the clouds. After retiring from the stage, I hired on at my local library and, in my private time, I write books.  I understand how Emily ticks.  Her interests, her insecurities, her dreams. Write what you know.   

My upcoming release—The Fall of Rome—features a heroine who made her fame and fortune as a gambler. No, I don’t gamble. But I worked in Atlantic City for several years where I was surrounded by cardsharps and games of chance.  In addition, although she’s a sensitive soul, Kat developed a thick skin to survive in her chosen profession. I can relate to that.  Write what you know. 

Although my experiences are rooted in present day, while my heroines’ are firmly planted in the 1870s, we share common ground.  Emotional aspects transcend time.  The professional angle required major research and made me appreciate the advantages to be a ‘career’ woman now as opposed to then.  It also provided a wealth of inspiration.   

So…. I wrote what I knew and researched what I didn’t. What a fantastic ride! 

As you see, there were women who bucked convention and enjoyed careers in the 19^th century, although their path was rarely easy.  I admire their courage and determination and strive to achieve my own dreams with equal gusto.   

Now for some related trivia and websites of interest. 

• “Only a few of the many women composers in America had their music published and heard during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Fewer still, enjoyed the popularity that most male composers enjoyed, even though much of their music was superior to much of what some of the more celebrated men wrote.”  ~ Quoted from ‘Parlor Songs’ 

http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2002-9/thismonth/feature.asp 

• “May Agnes Fleming enjoyed a successful and lucrative career as a writer of dime novels.  She developed a solid reputation and solid readership writing for Saturday Night, a weekly story paper which ran from 1867 to 1901. The publishers paid her $50 per segment for a total of $850 for each story. ~ Quoted from ‘American Women’s Dime Novel Project’

http://chnm.gmu.edu/dimenovels/ 

• A Deadwood legend, ‘Poker Alice’ made her living as a gambler, bootlegger, and madam. Nicknamed for her game of choice, she is estimated to have won over $225,000 during her 60- year career as a professional poker player in the latter half of the 1800s. ~ Information noted at ‘Outlaw Women’ and ‘Poker Player’.

http://www.outlawwomen.com/PokerAlice.htm 

http://www.pokerplayernewspaper.com/viewarticle.php?id=1337&sort=topic

What about you? What do you ‘know’ about the Wild West?  Do any of your interests date back to the 19^th century?  What profession, if any, would you dare to pursue?  Chime in and become eligible to win one of three prizes. #1 – A signed copy of Lasso the Moon.  #2 – A signed copy of Romancing the West.  #3 - A Wild West messenger bag.  Winners to be chosen late this evening. Talk to me!                        

When I was a little, I had a horse named Sun Dancer.  He lived in my basement, in the corner, and his springs squeaked when I rode him.  He ate things like Cheerios and potato chips, and on him, I galloped the rolling hills of Montana, chasing down them varmints who stole my pappy’s land.   

Yeah, I wanted to be a cowgirl.   But it ain’t easy to emulate Annie Oakley when you live in the suburbs.  So I read a lot of Louis L’amour and dreamed of the day when I’d move west and start my dude ranch.   But my vision of ranching was Bonanza, and little Joe, and cute cowboys in Stetsons, and horses.  It was Oklahoma and square dancing and rodeo.  Boiled down, I thought ranching was a country music song.   

I got news for you.  It ain’t.  I know because I spent a week playing cowgirl on a real ranch, helping the owners dig a water line, and riding fence.  It’s hot, smelly work, with cows that don’t like being told what to do, and horses that’d just rather go home.  And not only that, but the ranch, well, it was on the backside of nowhere, over the river and through and through and through the woods until we came to a place not on any map.  I got a big red star in the middle of Montana when I Mapquested it.   

And being there, I learned something.  Sometimes the dream is better than reality.  Sometimes the smell of the pumpkin-nutmeg latte is better than the taste, the look of the leather pants on the mannequin better than in the two-way mirror.  Which, frankly, is why I like to read books, why I like to write.  My imagination is richer.  It contains a soundtrack, and lots of handsome, tan cowboys. Besides, no one really wants to hear about the hours spent watering the bulls.  We want to cut to the fun parts, like when the bull chased me into the truck.  Or when the stars came out over the Montana night and seemed close enough to pluck from the sky.   

I had dinner recently with a friend who says, “I never read fiction because it isn’t true.”  Yeah, well, that’s why it’s called, uh, you know, FICTION.  But he says he doesn’t like to spend time focusing on things that don’t let him engage in the world.   (He reads a lot of theology and political books – way too much brain food for me).  

Here’s me saying that sometimes I don’t WANT to engage in the world.  Like when the washing machine seal breaks and floods my basement.  Or when the dog eats all the chocolate cake and his face blows up like a balloon. Or when my husband gets food poisoning and is sick in bed for two days.   I need to close my door to the world and escape into Montana, or Alaska, or even the Lifetime movie channel.  Because, hello, no one is sick in my imaginary world.  It’s cleaner.  And less smelly.   

In short, give me my fiction, some chocolate and close the door behind you when you leave.   

So, here’s to handsome cowboys and Bonanza and the FAKE world of ranching.   Now, I wonder what it’s like to be a fire fighter…. 

Susan May Warren let her imagination run wild in her new suspense/romance series set in modern day Montana. Book 1, Reclaiming Nick, won the 2007 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.  Book 2, Taming Rafe, is the story of broken bull-rider and the woman who helps him find his footing again.  Taming Rafe is also nominated for a 2007 Rita away. 

Read an excerpt at http://whosrafe.susanmaywarren.com, and check out all of Susan’s books at: www.susanmaywarren.com

In honor of the Petticoats and Pistols’ Spring Round-Up, I’m having a fun, “Petticoat” contest. Leave a comment on this post telling me who your favorite western hero is (books or movies!) and why and I’ll randomly choose one lucky person to win a $50 gift certificate to Victoria’s Secret, the place for fancy petticoats!

What a nice surprise, to get an invitation from Cheryl St.John to blog here! Cheryl and I met a looooong time ago at a writer’s conference, and one of the best parts of being a writer has always been the friendships we make in this biz! It’s a real pleasure to be here among so many other Western titles and authors, because Western romances have always been my favorites!

In the early ‘90’s when Cheryl and I met, I was writing for the Zebra Heartfire line. Spicy-hot stories about feisty young heroines who won the day–and their heroes–their way! Lots of action/adventure, and lots of sex.

Well, my stories and my covers have changed! The books in this Angels of Mercy series were first labeled “inspirational,” and they’re all faith-and-family stories…like, the Waltons are visiting LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE!

But the star of GABRIEL’S LADY comes closest to being like my first adventurous heroines, in that she can outride and outshoot any man in Abilene! Solace Monroe was riding before she could walk, always with a Border collie tagging along (gee, where did I get the idea for putting a litter of Border collie pups in this series?! Say hi to Ramona!) She was born during a blizzard in the first book of my Angels of Mercy series, A PATCHWORK FAMILY and now that she’s eighteen she has a matched team of bays, Lincoln and Lee, and she’s trained them to performance perfection. Her new dog Rex is a real ham…but bless his heart, he can sit so still–trusts Solace SO much–that she can shoot an apple off his head!

Solace is so busy training horses, dreaming of riding in a Wild West show, she has little time for guys…until Gabe Getty comes back into her picture in a big way. Gabe, too, first appeared in A PATCHWORK FAMILY as a kid gone mute from watching Indians massacre his family and burn his home. Those same puppies brought him out of his silence, and he grew up with the kids Mercy and Judd Monroe took in during the first book.

As GABRIEL’S LADY opens, Gabe–who is 9 or 10 years older than Solace–is marrying the gorgeous socialite Letitia Bancroft, and is junior partner in Mr. Bancroft’s law firm. He thinks of Solace as his best friend’s kid sister, and poor 12-year-old Solace feels like a sparrow among swans at the wedding. Her unruly waves, broad shoulders and tanned, fit body just don’t fit 1886 society’s expectations for a lady.

But six years later, the tables have turned: Gabe is widowed, deeply torn because his pretty wife was addicted to laudanum and took their unborn child to the grave with her. Letitia’s diary revealed some shocking secrets and Gabe finds himself jobless, homeless and hopeless…

Until he sees Solace straddling those two matched bays, barefoot, with her hair blowing in the breeze as she urges them into a full gallop. And Rex hops on with her! Is it any wonder Gabe’s heart beats faster? MY heart certainly did when I wrote these scenes!

The tension cranks up when Solace joins Apache Pete’s Wild West Extravaganza–disguises herself as a young man–and is then framed for murdering the show’s lady sharpshooter, Crack-Shot Cora. Good thing Gabe’s a lawyer–but then, he can’t defend her case because he’s become a judge in the court where she’s to be tried! Things get complicated! And leave it to little redheaded curly-top Bernadette to save the day for Aunt Solace–at least in the courtroom.

Of course, it all works out for Solace and Gabe in the end–and I throw in a few surprises along the way. I got a few thrown at me, too, when a little boy named Charlie showed up OUT OF THE BLUE…and wow, did I love that kid from the moment he asks Gabe, “You from the orphanage, mister? Come to fetch me back ‘cause I runned away again?”

My goal is always to make my readers laugh–and cry–and come back for more! I love pulling your strings! My Angels of Mercy series (named for Mercy Monroe, heroine of A PATCHWORK FAMILY) has been a joy to write because I get to see all the kids who show up in the first book grow up and have stories of their own, while the West and our nation changes so much, as well! And lots of readers write me, saying, “Write them faster! We can’t wait to see what happens to Billy–or Solace–or–”

The challenge of writing a series? Making sure that readers who pick up, say, GABRIEL’S LADY, will love and understand the characters for who they are in this book–enough to go back and start from the series beginning. It’s a fine line, deciding how much back story from the Monroe-Malloy family to include: I know my longtime readers want to catch up to what those characters are doing…how they’ve changed as they’ve matured. Mercy, the mom of the series, begins as a Kansas settler in her 20’s, and by the series end she’ll be celebrating her 60th birthday! It’s a rare treat for a writer to live with a character this long, but Mercy’s a very special mom, and I’ve loved every one of her angels more than I ever dreamed possible when I conceived this series years ago.

So what do you think about series? Do you enjoy seeing characters grow and change through the course of several books? Or, when you see a book is in a series, do you put it back because you’d rather not hunt down the earlier books? I’ve got a signed copy of GABRIEL’S LADY or a signed copy of A PATCHWORK FAMILY for the two of you who give me the best insights about this!

Thanks so much, Fillies, for inviting me to your corral! I’ve enjoyed reading your entries–and I’ve enjoyed lots of your books for years!

“If he’d just pay me what he’s paying them to stop me from robbing him, I’d stop robbing him!”

That’s Paul Newman’s clever rationalization in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid!  Those two lovable bankrobbers had some classic lines and put smiles on our faces.

“Think ya used enough dynamite there, Butch?” 

And who could forget this exchange?

Butch Cassidy: Then you jump first.
Sundance Kid: No, I said.
Butch Cassidy: What’s the matter with you?
Sundance Kid: I can’t swim.
Butch Cassidy: Are you crazy? The fall will probably kill you. 

Now for a few more notable quotes from our favorite westerns!
 
 
 
“When you have to shoot, shoot, don’t talk.” — The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly “

The public doesn’t give a damn about integrity. A town that won’t defend itself deserves no help.” — High Noon

 “Are you gonna pull those pistols or whistle Dixie?” — The Outlaw Josey Wales

“There’s always a man faster on the draw than you are, and the more you use a gun, the sooner you’re gonna run into that man.” –
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

“People scare better when they’re dying.” (Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West)

“If God didn’t want them sheared, he wouldn’t have made them sheep.” (Eli Wallach, The Magnificent Seven) 

“I come close to killing you a couple of times when we were younger. It saddens me I didn’t.” (John Wayne, McLintock)  “Since you haven’t learned to respect your elders, maybe you’ll learn to respect your betters!” (John Wayne, Big Jake)
 
“Men are gonna get killed here today, Sue, and I’m gonna kill ‘em. ” (Kevin Costner, Open Range)
 

See if you can guess who said this:

1.”A cows nothing but a lot of trouble tied up in a leather bag.”

A.  Gene Autry
B.  Clint Eastwood
C.  John Wayne
D.  Steve McQueen

 What movie did this quote come from?

2.”Man’s got a right to protect his property and his life, and we ain’t lettin’ no rancher or his lawman take either. A.  Open Range
B.  High Noon
C.  Stagecoach
D.  Quigley, Down Under

A.  Maureen O’Hara
B.  Raquel Welch
C.  Sharon Stone
D.  Dale Evans

I’ll come back later in the day with those answers!  Make your guess and check back, unless you’re sure
you know!  And tell me, do you have a favorite quote from television or movie stars?  A book?  Who is your favorite notable quotable cowboy?

Western Weddings on Sale now in Bookstores and online.

www.charlenesands.com
 
 

My sister, who is a lovely person–and a surgeon by the way–has Boer Meat Goats. She thinks goat meat is the wave of the future. Have I mentioned she’s lovely? She brought goat to Easter last year. It tasted…um…lovely. Me, I’m more traditional. Our family favorite is bald eagle and I don’t see any reason to deviate from tradition.

Okay, now it’s your turn  

Ever had an encounter with a goat?

Now don’t say no…think a minute.

It is my hypothesis that everyone on the planet has a goat story.

Let’s hear yours.

Or, if you’ve got nuthin’ tell me that and do it quick. The science fair is the middle of May.