Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for $2.99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of $2.99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 Petticoats & Pistols » Personal Glimpses http://petticoatsandpistols.com Romancing The West Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Real Life That Inspires http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/#comments Tue, 15 May 2012 07:00:30 +0000 Linda Broday http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32509 It seems the most frequently asked question of a writer is where our stories come from. My first two published books - KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS and THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING - came from real life experiences. I didn't know at the time why certain things happened and why I had to live through them. I didn't know that I was a writer-in-training and storing up all these life events for future stories.

The Story Behind Knight on the Texas Plains

When I was a child growing up, our family lived next door to a Latino couple. They had a daughter who was a few years older and we became playmates. I was around eight or nine years old. One day an ugly truth came to light and it affected me in a huge way. We learned that the neighbor's girl wasn't really theirs. The man had won her in a poker game and brought her to the U.S. illegally. He was really mean. He didn't work and stayed drunk all the time. He made life miserable for his wife and my friend. I began to wonder what her real father must've been like to have wagered his daughter in a poker game. Did she mean so little to him that he could give up his own flesh and blood so easily? I never got an answer to that. But it stayed with me, refusing to go away. That was long before I even knew I'd be a writer one day. I had a burning desire though to give Juanita the happiness that she was denied in life. I just didn't know how I'd do that. And then I became interested in writing fiction. I joined writing groups and learned how to put a story together and how to perfect my craft. A few years later, Knight on the Texas Plains was born. I knew I wanted to write a story about a child that was won in a poker game. I named her Marley Rose. Duel McClain is a down and out cowboy who'd just buried his wife and son. He's wandering from town from town, not caring about anything other than dying. So he sits in on a poker game and comes away with an innocent little girl to take care of. On his way back to where his parents lives, a woman stumbles into his camp. She's hungry and desperate. He strikes a deal with her-ride along and take care of Marley Rose just until he gets the child to his family and he'll take her anywhere she wants to go with no questions asked. Jessie Foltry agrees, only she doesn't count on the fact that Marley Rose and Duel would wiggle into her heart. All she's wanted for as long as she could remember is to be a mother. Holding the sweet baby in her arms forges an unbreakable bond. And the nights under the stars with Duel make her dream of things a woman like her can never have. Trusting Duel was the easy part…living without her knight on the Texas plains would be next to impossible. This book came out with Dorchester Publishing in 2002. It has recently been re-released as a Kindle e-book for .99. I'm so glad that readers who didn't get a chance to read it now have the opportunity.

The Story Behind The Cowboy Who Came Calling

During the writing of "Knight on the Texas Plains," I knew I had to write a story about Duel's brother, Luke. It seemed as natural as breathing. At the time I had just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and began losing my vision. One day I could see fairly well and the next I could see little more than shadows. It was one of the scariest times in my life. I didn't know how I could deal with being blind. I was a writer and I had many more books to write. In Luke's story he meets a woman named Glory Day. Glory is her family's sole support. Her father is in prison and her mother has sunk into a deep depression and she's developed an addiction for laudanum. Glory's vision begins to swiftly fade and she doesn't know how she'll provide for her mother and younger sisters if she can no longer see. But Luke isn't going to let her find out. He means to do whatever he has to do to help make Glory's life easier whether she gets as mad as a hornet or not. He'll risk life and limb for the woman he loved. And he does. Today, I'm happy to say that my vision has returned. Unlike Glory I never had to find out what permanent blindness was like. At least not yet. But it sure let me immerse myself fully in Glory's character. The Cowboy Who Came Calling was a 2003 release by Dorchester Publishing. It has recently come out again as a Kindle e-book and sells for the low price of .99. Have you ever dealt with something in your life and then found out much later the reason why such a thing happened? Or feel free to just talk about anything. I'm giving away a Kindle version of KNIGHT ON THE TEXAS PLAINS to two people who comment.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/15/what-inspires/feed/ 20 Winner of Charlene Sands’ Inspiration Blog is Estella http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 02:56:36 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32482                   Thanks everyone for posting a comment on Thursday!!  Estella wins a copy of A Cowboy Worth Claiming. Just email me at charlenesands@hotmail.com with your address and I'll sent the signed book out to you!]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/11/winner-of-charlene-sands-inspiration-blog-is-estella/feed/ 2 INSPIRATION http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 06:00:34 +0000 Charlene Sands http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=32401

 

WHAT INSPIRES CAN ALSO THRILL YOU!

 

As a multi-published author, the second question I’m often asked is “What inspires you?”  Can you guess what the first question I’m asked is? You’ve probably heard this before.  “Where do you get your ideas?” The idea question and the inspiration question are one in the same, for me.   What inspires me, also gives me my ideas.  And when I get an idea for a story, I’m thrilled.   

 

 

BOOKS AND MUSIC - A GIVEN

 

  

I have learned to fill my world with inspiration.  One of the greatest inspirations for me is simply reading a good book.  I won’t lie.  My favorite author in the universe is Susan Elizabeth Phillips.  I love her zany, but well-thought out characters, I love her voice, her sense of humor and the way her subplots are often as engaging as the main story.  I look forward to each of her new releases and she’s one author whose books I re-read for inspiration. 

I love country music, a given for an author who writes primarily cowboys and country life.  When I listen to the lyrics in a country tune, I live the love story in my mind.  I’m a fan of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Ronnie Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill and so many more.  Their songs not only make me tap my toes and clap my hands, but they move me in other ways as well.  

 

 

MY OFFICE OF DREAMS

Another source of inspiration for me is my workspace.  I’d waited for years to have an office to call my own.  I spend the greatest part of my day in there.   Every time I look at the walls, I see my friends, my family and my sweet husband’s love come through. 

 

One of my few indulgences was a gift I gave myself.  When I had achieved a writing goal I’d been seeking for a long time, I rewarded myself with this piece of metal art that is one of a kind.  As you can see, the horses that stampede over my computer every day, tell me to sit down and write.  They are the true focal point in the room.

 

The Wall of Frames, as my husband jokingly calls it, is an ongoing gift from him. Every time I get a new cover, he frames it and positions it on the wall.  Little did I know, when I was first published in 1998, that I would run out of wall space for all of my cover art!  When I look up there, I see achievement, but I am also reminded of hard work and perseverance.  But mostly, I’m reminded that I have a wonderful, supportive husband who believes in me and that inspires me.

 

Oh, and Tim McGraw comes to visit every now and then.  Yes, it’s a life-sized poster of Tim given to me by a dear friend who knew how much I loved going to Tim concerts.

 

The cowboy shelf and mirror, the trinkets, the racing horses, red roses in a leather boot- one rose for each book I have written -- the western candles and lamps, are gifts given to me by my sweet, supportive friends and family, our own Tanya Hanson included!  When I step foot in my office THAT is what inspires me. It’s not the objects themselves, but the love behind them that makes me smile every day as I sit down at the computer.  And it reminds me, when I’m on a deadline, or struggling with a plot, or having a difficult time focusing on my story, that I have the support and faith of my friends and family. I have love in my life and as romantic a notion as it seems, that shared love is the impetus and motivation that inspires me, more than anything else.

  

What gives you inspiration during your day, whether at work or at play?   One commenter will win a copy of  Charlene’s book. 

 

Amazon --

 

Eharlequin

 

Barnes and Noble

Cowboy Chance Worth gets more than he bargains for when he saves damsel in distress Lizzie Mitchell. He has come to Red Ridge, Arizona, to rescue her family's failing ranch and find Lizzie a suitable husband. Too bad it wouldn't be honorable to keep the little spitfire for himself!

 

Lizzie may be innocent, but she's not naive. Fully determined to find her own way in life, she doesn't welcome Chance's intrusion. But when he plans to leave she realizes she may not be ready to see the back of him just yet!

 

]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/05/10/inspiration-2/feed/ 25 Old but New–Pueblo Storytellers http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:00 +0000 Elizabeth Lane http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31834 In the late 1950’s, Helen Cordero was 45 years old, and the mother of six children.  She and her cousin’s wife, Juanita, had been doing bead and leather work to sell to the tourists who came to Cochiti Pueblo, south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Both women were skilled artisans, but the leather and beads were so costly that there was little profit to be gained from selling their handiwork. “Why don’t you make pottery?” their grandmother suggested.  “You don’t have to buy anything.  Mother Earth gives it all to you.” Juanita was already an accomplished potter.  But Helen had to learn, and it was a struggle.  After six months of practice, her pots still didn’t look right.  That was when Juanita suggested she try making figures. “It was like a flower blooming,” Helen was to say later.  Small frogs, birds, animals and eventually little people came to life.  The first time she showed them at a festival a collector bought them all and ordered more, including a 250-piece Nativity set. In 1964, Helen was asked to make a larger figure with children.  Some potters were making mother and child figures, but Helen wanted something different.  She thought of her grandfather, one of the great Pueblo storytellers and preservers of tradition.  She remembered his voice and made her first storyteller figure a portrait of him, with his five grandchildren.  One of those grandchildren is Helen. Helen Cordero, honored as a Santa Fe Living Treasure, passed away in 1994.  Today more than three hundred potters in thirteen pueblos have created storytellers—men, women, animals, birds and mythical figures.   I saw my first storyteller at Acoma Pueblo in the early 1990’s.  I loved it so much that I bought it from the potter, a wonderful artist named Peggy Garcia.  My little storyteller is a woman with five children, beautifully fashioned and painted.  I gave it to my mother, whose 45 years of teaching elementary school made her a true storyteller.  Now that she’s gone I have it back.  It sits on my shelf, carefully anchored, as I write this.  I wish I had a photo to show you.  Here’s a similar example of Peggy’s work. (For the information about Helen Cordero, I credit an article by Pamela Michaelis.) Who are the storytellers in your family?  Maybe you’re one of them.]]> http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/16/old-but-new-pueblo-storytellers/feed/ 14 I NEED TO WRITE THAT DOWN http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/11/i-need-to-write-that-down/ http://petticoatsandpistols.com/2012/04/11/i-need-to-write-that-down/#comments Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:00:36 +0000 Cheryl Pierson http://petticoatsandpistols.com/?p=31678 people who are there for classes are senior citizens, who, for the most part, have been urged by family members to come. As they introduce themselves, it goes something like this:  “I’m Jane Doe, and I’m here because my children keep telling me I need to write this all down—but I don’t know where to begin.” My first assurance to them all is that they don’t need to write like Laura Ingalls Wilder—their families will be thrilled with anything they put down on paper.  It’s amazing to me how many people don’t feel they have anything of interest to tell their descendants! I want to tell you about my parents, because they were the epitome of opposites when it came to this. My mother told stories from the time I can remember about her family, about her friends, the small town she grew up in. These were details of an ordinary life that gave me insight into the way times were during the Dustbowl days in Oklahoma. It told me about her life in particular and life in general, and it also brought people I never knew to reality for me through her memories. Mom had a dear friend, just her age, named Mary. They were both the eldest of their respective families, each with many younger siblings that they were responsible for. Mom mentioned how she and Mary both longed for an d cherished the few times when they could be alone to talk “girl talk” without each having two or three little ones they had to look after. One of their favorite places to go was the cemetery. They’d both been born in Albany, so they knew the stories of everyone buried there in the small cemetery: The Taylor family, whose six children went berry picking, only to take shelter under an oak tree when a storm blew up suddenly. Lightning struck the tree and killed all by tow of them. The oldest boy crawled to a nearby farmhouse for help, but died later. Out of the six, only one survived. There were no markers on their graves, but Mom showed me where each was buried. Another grave she showed me was that of a young child who, at eighteen months, crawled under the porch and drank tree poison his father had believed was well-hidden. Mom told me how his lips were stained purple She and Mary had gone to the funeral and it was imprinted in her mind forever. Christmases were sparse in that time. It was a good Christmas if they each received and apple, and orange, and some hard candy in their stockings, and maybe a doll, in addition, in the better-then-most years. I wrote a story called SILVER MAGIC for an Adams Media Christmas anthology about something she told me. They'd brought home a Christmas tree that particular year, and one of her younger brothers had suggested maybe then could have some tinsel...My grandfather went into the shed and hand-cut tinsel and a star from the foil covering of an old battery. What a thrill that was for them! Yet, who would ever dream that was something that could be done, now, in our world of buy-it-already made? From Mom I learned about our family ancestors—where they’d come from and who they were. As a child, I thought of them as a story she told, but as I grew older, they became real people to me. I learned about her, too—how, as a teen, she’d pool her hard-earned money with her younger sister, Joyce, to buy the newest Hit Parade Magazine with all the lyrics to the latest songs. They had sung together from the time they knew how, adding more harmonies as more sisters came along. My dad never talked about his adolescence much. Even though he and Mom grew up together in the same small community, he never had much to add to the conversations. What I know of his family, I learned mostly from my aunt, his younger sister. Why write it all down now? Because most people never believe they’ll run out of time. “Someday” never comes. My mom had such fascinating stories, filled with tenderness, charged with emotion—stories that made it seem as if I was there along with her as she spoke. She was a painter, an artist, and she could paint pictures with her words, as well. Mom always had good intentions, but like so many, never found the time before it was too late, and Altzheimer’s took away that ability. I will write it all down…all that I can remember of it. But I can’t help thinking how I wish she had written her story, with all the vivid details and description she used in telling about it. There is so much I won’t know. So much will be lost, simply because this was her life. The memories are hers: the hard times, as well as the good—the days in an everyday life…and, the nights, when entertainment was nothing more than the beautiful harmonies of the four little girls, floating in the summer stillness for miles as they sang on the front porch…in a much simpler, slower time. If you are interested in getting started on writing your life story, or know someone who is, I will be glad to e-mail you some questions that I use in my classes to help you get started. Just contact me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com
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