I want to say a public thanks to our own Linda Broday. This weekend, she and the Red River Romance writers invited me to speak at their group, then bought me lunch and came out in force for my booksigning for THE LONER.

What made this trip so much fun–in addition to the company–was that it allowed me the opportunity to go home again to Wichita Falls, Texas, the town where I grew up. It had been quite a while since I’d been back. I have no family there anymore and except for ocassional road trips for the BEST CATFISH IN THE WORLD at Bill’s just across the Red River, I rarely make the trip.

( I know it doesn’t look like much, but my oh my, the food is yummo.)

I arrived in town early, so I spent awhile driving around the old neighborhood and old haunts. They’re building on to Fain Elementary. The pool has a new clubhouse and it can’t possibly be as much fun without the high dive. Kemp Library is still a lovely old building, but it isn’t the library anymore–which is why I ended up arriving late for my speech. How dare they move the library!!! I LOVED that library. It’s where I found the synonym book that helped me win the contest in fourth grade not to mention where I learned to love to read and look where that took me! And what’s with the overpass on Kell? And finally, hey, you on Alamo Drive. Paint my Mom and Dad’s house!!! It looks terrible.

It was truly a lovely trip down memory lane.

I consider myself lucky to have grown up in a relatively small town in Texas. It was a safe, friendly place where you were free enough to get into enough trouble to make life interesting, but not too much trouble to make life…troublesome. Those years provided the foundation not only for who I am today, but also for the stories I’ve written since leaving. I loved living there, but like so many others, I couldn’t wait to leave. I went away to college and never moved back.

But you know what? I can still go home. Thanks, Linda, for reminding me of that.

How about the rest of you P&P readers? Do you go home again?

Well, dear friends, the Fillies are going to treat themselves to a weekend off.  It’s Mother’s Day, you know.  And the Fillies are mothers who want to spend time with family. 

We have a real special message for all the mothers out there who mean so much to us.  So stop on back Sunday and we’ll let you know how we feel!

Good Morning!

What a thing to wake up to — the World According to Native America.  Well, I’m not really going to try to describe all of Native American beliefs since this is supposed to be a short post.  However, there are a few things that we might discuss.

Beliefs.  I think these are important to all people.  And I’d love to share with you some Native American beliefs and then I’d love for you to share some of yours with me.  All peoples of the world share certain things in common.  We all want the best for ourselves and our children and families and most people of the world share beliefs about the Creation of the World.  There is probably no culture on earth that does not believe in some aspect of a greater force that created the world and us, and even those in science nowadays rave on and on about their lack of “belief,” which is, if you really look at it, just another opinion about the way life was created.  So even they have a theory.

Now, mind you, I haven’t studied all of the Native American tribes and so I can’t tell you one for one the beliefs, but I can tell you this.  One for one, each tribe that I have studied (the Blackfeet, the Lakota Sioux, the Cheyenne, the Crow, the Iroquois) all believe in a Creator of the Universe.  There are other beings who have super powers, it’s true, but there is only one Creator, who does not take the part of any one tribe, since He loves all his creatures.  Thus, in order to get a “foot up” on one’s opponents, one looked to other things in the environment to help him do well in battle, or marry the right girl or win that foot race.  These environment beings were anything, any creature on the face of the earth who would be willing to give its power to the person so asking.  Many Native Americans called these creatures their spirit helpers.  It could be an animal, a tree, a rock, lightning, a storm, the wind.  Any force of nature that was willing to hear the pleas of the person so asking, would do.

Native America was filled with wonders and mysteries.  To the Native American of the past, there was no need to look for anything outside one’s “backyard,” since one’s backyard contained so many things of beauty and mystery.  Also, men often ranged hundreds, even thousands of miles from home.  Sometimes in search of game, but sometimes in search of other peoples.  A young boy, and in the Iroquois tribe, the women, too, would often fast and go up into a high place in order to ask the spirits or animals or other helpers to take pity on them and help them along on their path in life.  They would fast and would try to communicate with the forces of nature.  It was commonplace in those long ago days that some people could talk directly to animals and could understand them completely.  These dreams would then forge the path for the person who had the dream. 

Many Native Americans never asked God for anything in their lives.  They often believed that God (or the Creator) had made the world perfect.  There was something to fight every disease, nourish every body, build every house.  There was no reason to ask for anything else.  If one wanted to appeal for help, again, one went into the moutains and asked one’s spirit helper for aid.  And most often, that aid was given at once. 

Well that’s all for today!  I’d love to hear what you think of some of these beliefs.  No one expects one to adhere to another’s beliefs, I think the only important thing is to oneself have something that one does believe in.  There are so many different ways to look at the world, and so many different ways to think about things, that it is my opinion that the only wise thing to do is to grant to others the right to think for themselves and to believe as they see fit.  There have been more wars and more murder and killings over “beliefs” than I like to think about, so to my mind it is a good arena to stay out of.  I do believe that our Founding Fathers were right when they placed into our Bill of Rights that Congress shall make no laws respecting religion, etc.  What a great idea and at the time it was written, it was a completely new idea for that time and place.  I still think it is wise.

Therefore, I’d love to hear what you think about this, and your own beliefs.  So come on in and let’s chat.  Now mind you, I don’t have regular computer access right now and so I can only check email once a day at the library.  So bear with me — and ifyou haven’t already gotten your copy of THE LAST WARRIOR, please rush on out and get it.  Till next time.

I hope everyone enjoyed blogging today with Beth Ciotta. She and all of the Fillies thank you for your comments and patronage. Beth wishes she had a prize to give each person. But, she doesn’t so I’ll get right to it.

Nicole Price — signed copy of “Lasso the Moon”

Vickie Couturier — signed copy of “Romancing the West”

Jennifer Y — Wild West Messenger Bag

Ladies, please contact me at author@wf.net with your mailing addresses and I’ll pass the info on to Beth. Congratulations on being the lucky winners!! WaHoo!

This wonderful blog by Charlotte with the following blatant commercial advertisement.  (Be sure that once you’ve seen this ad, you continue on to Charlotte’s blog.)

ON SALE TODAY!!!!

4 1/2 Star Top Pick and a K.I.S.S. by Romantic Times magazine

Barnes and Noble “Long List”  choice

Rhapsody Book Club choice

Get your copy today!!!

 Read an excerpt at www.geralyndawson.com

Now, back to your scheduled blog….

Answers:

1.  C  (John Wayne in “The Cowboys”)
2.  A  (Robert Duvall in “Open Range”)
3.  B  (Raquel Welch in “Hannie Caulder”)

 Think about it.  When was the last time you saw  a romance hero with a beard?  Even in western historicals, set mostly in the late 1800’s when facial hair was in fashion, our heroes tend to be clean shaven.   Hmmm.  It’s got me wondering.

In America, prior to the mid-nineteenth century, beards and moustaches were rare.  Except for frontier types, certain religious groups and a few nonconformists, men shaved away their whiskers to look presentable.  Then, around the time of the Civil War, the fashion changed.  Men all over the country took to a garden variety of moustaches, long sideburns and full beards.  What did the women think of that?  I’m guessing nobody asked them.  

In the late 1800’s heyday of the Old West, the rage was moustaches.  Big ones.  Look at old photos of, say, Wyatt Earp and his cohorts.  They all sported drooping, handlebar moustaches.  Even so, books set in this period, including mine, tend to feature clean shaven heroes.

Facial hair went out of fashion at the beginning of World War I.  Soldiers needed clean shaven faces so their gas masks would seal tightly.  Also, excessive hair on face or head posed a risk for head lice and worse.  Recruits were shaved and shorn, and the style clicked.  With the invention of the safety razor about this time, clean cut remained the style for decades.  Beards didn’t show up again until the 1960’s and 70’s when beatniks and hippies brought them back.  These days a well trimmed beard or moustache is perfectly acceptable.  But when was the last time you saw one on a romance cover?

Long hair—now that’s another thing.  Long haired heroes have their own brand of sizzle.  Remember Fabio with his leonine mane and million dollar face?  But aside from mountain men and Native Americans you don’t see many photos of long-haired men in the Old West—chin length for want of cutting maybe, but not really long.  Wild Bill Hickock and Buffalo Bill were notable exceptions, but for most western men, I’m guessing long hair would have been hot and hard to keep clean, as well as unfashionable.

Which brings us to the other kind of hair.  Body hair was never a fashion issue.  But women tend to love it or hate it.  And I have yet to see a really hairy romance hero (except for Sam here, who inspired this blog). 

So what about future heroes?  Speaking for myself, after wiping the drool off my TV screen at the end of “Dancing With the Stars,”  I’m ready for (ta daaa) the Hairless Hero! 

What do you think?  Do you like hairy heroes?  Would you buy a book with a bearded hero on the cover?  How about the man in your own life?

Good Morning!

Wireless Com in the 1700-1800’s?  Am I crazy?   Now, while it’s true that I’m under a terrific deadline right now (75 more pages or thereabouts to write in a week), but hopefully I’m not crazy yet.  The above statement is true, however, if a little bit overstated.  Long ago, American Indians had a very efficient and wireless manner in which to communicate.  Would you like to have a look at how it was done?  Hopefully by the time you read this post, you’ll be able to “talk” in the same way.

Long ago the American Indian needed a way in which to communicate at long distances.  Alerts needed to be sent, messages about where was the game, enemies seen, etc.  These all needed to be communicated in an efficient manner.   How was it done?  Let’s have a look.  The most common methods in use were with blanket signals, smoke and mirrors.  There was also an entire system in use called marking a trail so that others who knew the signals could follow your trail.  You could also tell where the game was, or where the enemy was, how many there were, where they were located, as well as where you had gone and when and many, many other thing.  In the woods this was done by marking trees.  On the prairie it was done with piling up stones into certain images.

A blanket rolled up tightly or clothing rolled up was used when people were within sight of you.  If you stand with the arms outstretched so as to form the letter “T”, that is a danger signal.  If the person so signaling runs back and forth, it is the sign that the danger is approaching and if in addition to this the blanket is thrown horizontally, it means a rescue must be done.  If game has been sighted, the scout runs back and forth — and means it’s a small herd.  If the scout runs around in a circle, thowing his blanket in the air, it means it is a large herd.  If a scout were to run to and fro with the blanket trailing behind him, it meant bad news coming.  If the blanket were held over the head, it meant something important was coming from a distance.

Anyone who’s watched old Westerns knows about smoke signals.  These carried over very long distances and the codes varied depending on the tribe.  (You wouldn’t want your enemy knowing your own special code.)  These were often used by war parties, announcing their news, giving their news — how many scalps or horses taken, etc.  A drum was another devise used within the community.  And when the white man came, the mirror became a tool for long distance communication.  One long flash is the signal for attention, and as soon as you receive an answer back, you then transmit your message.  One short flash means that game is in sight.  Two short flashese means the enemy is in sight.  Two short flashes followed by one long one is a call for rescue.  Two short flashes and one long followed by two more short flashes means the danger is over.  Four short flashes means a metting with a stranger or new from a distance.

But what about meeting another tribe.   Don’t you love this picture?  There were so many different languages in use in America, how did the tribes communicate with each other?   This is where we come into one of my favorite subjects.  In fact, in my very first book, LAKOTA SURRENDER, both heroine and hero communicate with the language of gestures.  Okay, so how was it done?  First a few rules:  Adjectives follow nouns, conjunctions and prepositions are omitted, and verbs are used in the present tense only.  Intricate communicates were carried on in this fashion, but here’s a few to get you started.

Attention or Question:  Hold right hand, palm outward, fingers and thumb separated, well out in front of boddy at height of shoulder.  Some tribes rotated the hand.  This is used to begin conversations.

I understand:  Throw right forearm out in front of body with fingers closed, except index finger, which is curved and drawn back.  This indicates that you grasp and draw something toward you, and is used occasionally while another is talking.  If you don’t understand, use the Question sign.

I:  Touch breast with index finger of right hand.

You:  Point to whomever you are talking to.

Glad:  (Sunshine in heart).  Place compressed right hand, fingers slightly curved, over region of heart; bring left hand, palm downward, in sweeping curve to left of body, at the same time turning it palm upward, as if turning up or unfolding something.  The expression of the face should correspond.

Love:  Corss both arms over bosom.

Good:  (Level with heart.)  Hold extended right hand, back up, close to region of heart; move briskly forward and to right.

Bad:  (Throw away.)  Hold one of both hands, closed, in front of body, backs upward; open with a snap at the same time moving them outward and downward.

Sad:  Place the closed fist against the heart.  Appropriate facial expression.

Surprised:  Cover mouth with palm of right hand, open eyes widely, and move head slightly backward.

Angry:  (Mind twisted.)  Place closed right fist against forehead and twist from right to left.

House: Interlock fingers of both hands, holding them at right angles.

Sleep:  Incline head to right and rest cheek on right palm.  For going into camp, or to indicate the length of a journey, make sign for Sleep and hold up as many fingers as nights were spent on the way.

Woman:  (Long hair.)  Bring both palms down sides of head, shoulders, and bosom, with sweeping gesture.

Man:  Hold right hand closed except for the index finger.  Hold index finger up about stomach level with an upward sweep.  (I’ll let you determine what this one means.)  : )

Beautiful:  Hold palms up like mirror in front of face; make sign for Good.

Liar:  (Forked tongue.)  Bring separated first and second fingers of right hand close to lips.

It is finished:  Bring closed hands in front of body, thumbs up, second joints touching; then separate.  This sign ends a speech or conversation.

 Okay, are you ready?  Make the sign for “I love you.”  Got it?  Okay.  Now make the sign for “I am sleepy.”  And how about “You are beautiful.”  Or how about “I love my man.”  or “I love my woman.”  Can you make the sign for “I’m sleepy?”  Or how about “It’s in the house.”  Alright, here’s an easy one.  Make the sign for good, and at the same time say either “Waste’” (Lakota for good) or Soka-pii (Blackfeet for good).  Or how about “You have surprised me.”

Like I said, long intricate conversations could be carried on in this manner and often the hand signals would be so fast and so appreviated, that only he or she fully trained in the use of them could follow.

Again this is a favorite subject of mine.  Now let me take a moment to remind you again that my latest book, THE LAST WARRIOR, is one the shelves.  Please, if you don’t already have a copy, go out and pick up a copy of the book today.  So come on into the forum section (just click on comments) and let me know what you think of the Native American Wireless Communication.   See you again in a couple of weeks!

NOTE: I used Charles A. Eastman’s book INDIAN SCOUT CRAFT AND LORE for this information.

Holy sheep shanks.  How the heck do I follow a cowboy contest like that?  No matter what I blog about today, it’s bound to be a letdown.  Guess I’ll have to try my best.

Today I’m going to blog about the wild, wild west and the weather.

For those of you who live in the Southwest, can you imagine what it was like to live in the BAC ages?  (That’s before air conditioning.)

I’m thinking about the weather because it’s springtime in Texas, so a girl’s thoughts naturally turn to…tornados.  (That’s not what you expected me to say, is it?)

We had tornados in town a couple days ago.  The sirens went off.  The dh took me and the dog to the bathroom beneath the stairs.  The hail pounded.  No freight train this time.  Thank goodness.   

I’ve lived through two tornados in my life.  The first one was the big Wichita Falls tornado in 1979 that killed over 50 people.  Half a block down from my house, everything was leveled.  I’d lived there all my life and not a single landmark remained–I honestly didn’t know where I was when I drove down the street.  The second tornado hit downtown Ft. Worth a few years ago.  Technology was more advanced.  The TV announcer said what time the tornado was hitting each part of the city. 

I grabbed my kids–I had little ones then–and went to an interior closet.  We were prepared–until lightning struck the house and the fire alarm went off.  On the radio, the guy was saying the tornado was headed right for me.  Above me, I could hear crackling and I smelled smoke.  My decision was…do I stay in the closet and burn up or head outside and blow away?

Not the easiest decision I’d ever made.  We went to the coat closet beside the front door.  The tornado took off roofs at the end of my block, but missed us.  The fire was contained in the attic.   Exciting times.

I can’t help but wonder how people in Tornado Alley dealt with storms back before doplar radar and weather radio.  It scares me to death when I know what’s going on.  Imagine what it must have been like to see or hear a tornado come roaring down the prairie.  It gives me the shivers just to think about.  (Speaking of shivers….)

I’ve used tornados in books a number of times.  The H&H in my third book, TEMPTING MORALITY, had to deal with a tornado.  My May title, THE LONER, has a nifty tornado scene.  Like they say…write what you know.

 A good blogger would include the photo of a real wicked tornado right here to illustrate the point.  But since I’m following that cowboy contest…

There are torndos…but then there’s Mother Nature….

Oh, I forgot to mention in my blog today to keep a look out for our brand spanking new contest.

It’ll be here soon and you won’t want to miss it!