I couldn't pick just one. Everyone was so great to come by today and help me celebrate my re-release of Fire Eyes I just couldn't pick one winner. So I picked TWO!  And they are.... PATRICIA and HILDIE! If you two ladies would e-mail me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com and give me your contact info, I will send you your choice of an e-copy of FIRE EYES or (if you are willing to wait a few days and live in the good ol' U.S. of A. ) a print copy--your choice. Thanks so much to everyone who came by today and commented. I appreciate all the support! Cheryl

We have a winner!  Of course you'll all winners and I want to thank you one and all for coming here today and sharing your stories with me. But we do have a winner for the free book, and that winner is:....drum roll....Sharon. Sharon please email me personally at: karenkay(dot)author(at)earthlink(dot)net -- put a (.) for (dot) and an @ for (at).  Congratualations Sharon!  Please do email me so we can talk about which book you would like to receive.

Hi! Winnie Griggs here. (pssst - look for giveaway info at the bottom of this post) I was thumbing through one of those 'infamous women of the old west' type books the other day and  came across a listing for a woman named Pearl Hart. The heading of First Female Captured Stagecoach Robber caught my eye. And the more I read about this woman, the more fascinated I became with her story. I did some additional research and found a number of different, sometimes contradictory, accounts of her life. I’ll stitch together my favorites here. While there is very little know about her early life, we do know that she was born Pearl Taylor in 1871 and lived the early part of her life in Ontario, Canada. She was one of several children born into an upper middle-class, church going family. At age sixteen she was sent to a boarding school, but she had an adventurous spirit that couldn’t be contained. That, combined with her attractiveness and wit made her quite popular with the men of her acquaintance. While at school Pearl became infatuated with a young man named Hart and eloped at about age 17. Hart has variously been described as a rake, a drunk and a gambler. Far from this being the romantic adventure Pearl had hoped for, it turned out Hart was also abusive. She left him and then returned to him several times and it is reported they had two children together. During their last reconciliation, the couple worked odd jobs the Chicago World’s Fair. There Pearl saw Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show and developed a fascination for the cowboy life that would stay with her her entire life. She also visited the Women’s Pavilion where she heard speeches by prominent women’s activists such as Julia Ward Howe. Finally leaving Hart for good, Pearl placed the children in the care of her mother and took up with a man named Dan Bandman, a gambler and dance-hall musician. The two eventually moved to Colorado. Later, when Dan left to fight in the Spanish-American War, Pearl moved to Globe Arizona, a mining town. There are various reports that she may have worked as a cook, a singer, a laundress and/or opened a tent brothel. It is also said that she developed a fondness for cigar and liquor at this time. Pearl described her life at this time in these words: "I was only twenty-two years old. I was good-looking, desperate, discouraged, and ready for anything that might come. I do not care to dwell on this period of my life. It is sufficient to say that I went from one city to another..." Whatever her employment, Pearl’s finances hit bottom when the mine closed. Trying to find a way to earn money, she took up with a man named Joe Boot and together they tried to work an old mine claim he owned. But by 1899 the pair found themselves short on cash and decided to rob a stage, though it appears neither had done anything like this before. One account claims they took this desperate measure because Pearl had gotten word that her mother was ill and needed money, though there is little to substantiate this claim. Pearl cut her hair and dressed up like a man. Both armed with revolvers, they stopped a stage running between Florence and Globe at the Cane Springs Canyon watering point. They collected $421 from the three passengers on board. Pearl then reportedly took pity on them and gave them back each $1.00 so they could buy a meal at the next stop. But their lack of experience did them in. They did a poor job of covering their tracks and within six days the law had caught up with them. One account states that they were sleeping when the posses caught up with them and that while Joe surrendered quickly but Pearl tried, unsuccessfully, to fight her way out. Joe and Pearl were locked in the local jail. But the notoriety and attention Pearl received as a female bandit, coupled with the lack of proper facilities, caused the sheriff to throw up his hands and send her to the jail in Tucson. Pearl’s notoriety grew, and she did all she could to fuel it. Her story about her reason for the robbery (her ailing mother) gained her sympathy, and her avowal that she "would never consent to be tried under a law she or her sex had no voice in making, or to which a woman had no power under the law to give her consent" gained her a whole new level of attention. Never one to give up on her options, within a matter of days Pearl had charmed some of the men at the Tucson prison and managed to escape. Unfortunately for her, a New Mexico lawman recognized her and sent her back to the Tucson prison.   Joe Boot was eventually sentenced to 30 years in jail and Pearl to five. Pearl was given the dubious honor of being the first woman incarcerated into the Yuma Territorial Prison. But neither Pearl nor Joe served their full terms. Joe, apparently due to a show of good behavior, was given trustee status. He walked off while working outside the gates less than two years into his term and was never heard from again. Pearl, on the other hand, gained her freedom legitimately, well, sort of. The warden of the jail where Pearl was imprisoned like all the attention she was attracting from the public and the media. He provided her with a roomy 8 x10 cell as well as a small yard which gave her a space to entertain reporters, photographers and other guests. Pearl, who was the only female incarcerated in the facility, was not above using her wiles to play guards and trustees off of each other to improve her situation. In December of 1902, Pearl received a pardon from the governor and was released free and clear. The official reason for the pardon remains unclear, but it was given on condition that she leave the Arizona territory. Pearl herself claimed that she had been invited to play the lead in a play her sister had penned based on her life and this had played into her release. However, a later rumor emerged that she had became pregnant. The governor, wanting to spare the Arizona Territory the embarrassment of explaining how this could possibly have happened while she was imprisoned, pardoned her and set her free. While there is no proof that Pearl ever bore a third child, this doesn’t mean the wily woman didn’t use this as a ploy to secure her freedom. There are varying accounts of what happened to Pearl after she was released. Some say she parlayed her notoriety into a show business career, billing herself as “The Arizona Bandit.” One account says she traveled for a while with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. A less colorful theory is that she married a rancher named Calvin Bywater and settled down into a quite but happier life. If that last is true, then perhaps Pearl got her “happily ever after” after all. Folks who knew Mrs. Bywater described her as “soft spoken, kind, and a good citizen in all respects.” Mrs. Calvin Bywater lived well into her 80s. As I said earlier, there are a number of different accounts of Pearl’s life and this is only one of them. Her exploits have been featured in theater, film and pulp fiction. There was even a musical called The Legend Of Pearl Hart. And while we may never know the full true story of her life, there is no doubt that she lived it on her own terms.   And, as promised I'm doing a giveaway today.  In honor of my upcoming June release, A Baby Between Them, I'm giving away an advanced copy to one person who leaves a comment today.  Here's a little about this book: For two months, Nora Murphy has cared for the abandoned infant she found on their Boston-bound ship.  Settled now in Faith Glen, Nora tells herself she’s happy.  She has little Grace, and a good job as housekeeper to Sheriff Cameron Long.  She doesn’t need anything more - not the big family she always wanted, or Cam’s love...  A traumatic childhood closed Cam off  to any dreams of family life.  Yet somehow his lovely housekeeper and her child have opened his heart again.  When the unthinkable occurs, it will take all their faith to reach a new future together. Now avaiable for pre-order HERE

The winner of a copy of

Sophie's Daughters Trilogy

is

Liz Riggs

Liz, I'll contact you to get your mailing address

But if you don't hear from me, don't let me get away with fumbling this.

Contact me at mary@maryconnealy.com and DEMAND YOUR BOOK.

And thank you all for hanging around at

Petticoats & Pistols.

And if you want the book

CLICK HERE TO BUY ON AMAZON

Jackie W, you've won my drawing for WEDDINGS UNDER A WESTERN SKY.  Please send me your mailing address at elizlane123@msn.com  and I'll get a copy to you.  I'll be out of touch for a few days, so don't worry if I don't get right back to you.  Congratulations.  Hope you enjoy the book.

Although I normally blog about writing, marketing or books, today I’ve been wondering about something that I can’t get out of my mind. It crept up on me in its own sneaky fashion, until I finally realized that there’s no escaping it, and no turning back. It’s an obsession that is fast rivaling my daily writing “fix”.  Have you ever gone to Facebook and clicked on one of these pages set up by animal rescue organizations? I did. Now, it has taken hold of me and won’t let go.  All it takes is one look at a face like this one. You'll be hooked, too. The pleas for these animals are desperate. In many states, the organizations work to pull animals from shelters that are known as “kill” shelters. Dogs and cats that come in sick or hurt, or the ones that are aggressive—even if they are just afraid—are the first to be put down. Yes, I realize that not all stray animals can be saved. But did you know that many animals that are brought to the shelters are “owner surrendered” pets? Why would someone do this? For many reasons—I think one of the main ones being that owners believe that taking an animal to the shelter and ‘dropping it off’ will result in the shelter finding it a good home.  The hard truth is that most shelters are running over. Dropping off your animal is probably not going to result in a preferable outcome of adoption. Most likely, the animal is going to be euthanized within the week. One story that really tore at me when it was posted was the picture of a sweet golden retriever mix, that was taken in her cell at the shelter. Her eyes were kind. She didn’t understand what had happened to her world. After living with her master for 12 years, she had been “dropped off” at the shelter when her human had to go into a nursing home. I guess no one in the family was able to take her in to finish out her last years. And I can only imagine what anguish her master must have gone through, knowing that his family had surrendered his loving pet to a shelter. “Please help Sadie,” the post began. “She is alone and scared, and doesn’t understand why she’s at the shelter.” Sadie’s story haunted me all day. But it wasn’t the only one. A few hours later, I saw that Middle Mutts, one of these wonderful organizations, had posted the story of yet another sweet little dog whose family had “surrendered” him as well. Only, they had moved off and left him to fend for himself rather than try to find a home for him. How could a family do this? I pictured them driving away from their home in their mini-van, the dog sitting in the front yard watching them leave, the husband and wife comforting themselves with the hope that “maybe one of the neighbors will take him in…” Nope. Animal control got him first and he went to the shelter, where he awaits certain death if no one adopts him or sponsors him. The picture above is of Zina & Mimi. Mimi is a gorgeous Great Dane/Lab mix around 1.5 years old. She was an owner surrender along with her best friend, Zena, a deaf Boxer. Zena depends on Mimi, and if possible, they'd like to find a home for them together. Please check out a new video of them! http://youtu.be/QyIRUjGmCYI There are too many stories like this to describe in this short post. What I hope to do is to let you know how you can help these animals. First: Click on the pages for these animal rescue organizations on FB and LIKE them—Here are three wonderful, very worthy animal rescue activist groups that are in the business of working tirelessly to get these sweet fur babies pulled and transported (with help from some guardian angels across this great country of ours!) to their new owners. Pet Pardons http://www.facebook.com/#!/petpardons Middle Mutts http://www.facebook.com/#!/middlemutts The Bella Foundation http://www.facebook.com/#!/BellaFoundation Second: When these notices begin to come in on your FB page about the animals that are going to be put to sleep (PTS), the ones who are injured and in need of treatment, the pleas for fostering or transportation funding, RESHARE them on your wall. You never know who might see these pictures and stories and want to adopt that dog/cat, or maybe knows of someone else who will. This doesn’t cost a thing and is a wonderful tool to “get the word out” about these animals, especially if you ask your friends to reshare, too! Third: Most of these animals have a special “CHIP-IN FUND” that has been set up just for their needs. When you donate to it, the money goes to THAT ANIMAL for their shots, medical care (many of them have been abused or neglected terribly) and transportation if necessary. Most people think their contributions won’t matter. I have seen time and again where the contributions inched upward each day and finally reached the amount needed to pay for the “vetting” for these animals. Even $1 is important. It all matters. Some of the animals require surgery or medical treatment for other conditions. These are the ones that desperately need funding to help them get that treatment and get to a new home. If you have a Paypal account, it takes less than a minute to click on the link for the Chip-In and transfer a few bucks over. Fourth: Talk about it. Blog about it. Get the word out. Not all support has to be financial! We all have to do what we are able to do, and some can do more than others, but many of these people in these organizations are volunteers. Is there something you could do at your local shelter? Could you start a group like this on your own? Fostering dogs until a home can be found for them is a wonderful service to provide if you are able to do this. There’s no monetary gain, but the reward you get from these loving animals will more than make up for it. Many have never had a kind word or loving touch. The picture above is of Pet Pardons' co-founder Chris Hoar's dog. Here's what he has to say about his work: "You know sometimes even I find it very hard to look at the pictures people post on my own wall, sometimes it seems like this horrific cruelty will never end, sometimes I want to just give up and go hide in a hole. Then I look at my little rescue Jimmy 2 Shoes, and he reminds me that I can never give up, for any reason, because as hard as this is for me sometimes, it is nothing compared to how hard it is for all of them."  Chris has devoted his life to saving these animals. He's my hero. Have you been inspired yet? I hope so. Many of these stories have wonderfully happy endings thanks to regular people like you and me. Sadie, the 12-year-old golden retriever, was rescued within a couple of days of being posted and reshared again and again. Another remarkable story is that of Vex, a dog who had been hit by a car in Romania and was paralyzed in his back legs. He had been dragging himself around, wearing his hide off for months. But the money was raised to fly him to America to a new loving home. Someone donated the money for him to have a little cart for his back legs so he could get around on his wheels. What a happy ending! Want to be part of something wonderful? Get involved. You’ll be ‘heart happy’ as soon as you do. Our own "happy ending"--my daughter, Jessica, with her dog, Embry. This was taken about 2 years ago after Embry had to be treated for menengitis. She adopted him as a puppy from a shelter. He has brought us all so much love and joy I can't imagine NOT having him around! If you have questions, please e-mail me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com  If we all work together, we can at least make a dent in animal cruelty, abuse and neglect and find loving homes for some wonderful sweet fur babies.

We have a winner.  Actually we have two.  I put all the names on pieces of paper and then drew out 2 names and those people are:  Missy Brown and Patricia B.  Missy and Patricia, please contact me at my email at karenkay.author@earthlink.net, and we'll talk about what books of mine you might have and if you want an ebook or hard copy book. My thanks to all who joined me today at the blog.  May the rest of your evening be filled with all good things.   

Good afternoon or evening & Happy Tuesday! Did you know that most American Indians (before the advent of European civilization pushed in upon them) could tell from a footprint, a piece of clothing, the style of bow and arrow or other facets, what tribe the article came from?  How many of us could tell by simply looking at a person, where that person was from and what he or she did for a living?  We share so many common traits today (one state to the other), that it might be hard to tell, let alone pick up an article and tell at a glance where it was from and what tribe.  Anyhow, I thought that it might be fun to have a look at a few of the Western tribes and how they were not only similar, but how they were different.  Oh, I’ll be giving away a free book today, also. I thought we’d have a look at the different hair styles: This young fellow here to the left is Crow.  Notice the hair straight up on top, the loop necklace, the braids starting high and going straight down.  The hair going up like this was called pompadour style.  Here are some other images of the Crow: Notice the looping necklace, the braids starting high mostly and the pompadour style of hair.  The Crow men were known to be very proud of their very, very long hair and their hair frequently touched the ground as they walked.  The women, due to cutting their hair when a relative died, women often had to augment their hair by adding to it in order to get the length. Then there were the Sioux or the Lakota, Dakota or Nakota (depending on the dialect).  Now the picture to the right is a favorite of mine — it’s Adam Beach, who is not Sioux.  However, his style of hair and dress could be Sioux.  What we generally think of as Western Indian is often the image of the Teton Sioux.  The men wore their hair in many different styles, but often left it loose.  Two braids with a center part was common.  Here are some images of the Sioux:  Notice that the braids start a little lower down on the face and note the part in the middle.   The Sioux men also made a habit of wearing a bone choker and what I’ve always referred to as a breast plate made of bone.  Notice that the young man nearest wears this bone breast plate.  Also note that the image on the far right is that of Sitting Bull. Handsome, handsome people the Sioux, and they still are.  Notice this young man on the left wearing traditional hair-style with a superman T-shirt.  And then there were the Cheyenne.  The young man to the left (nearest) is Cheyenne.  Because the Cheyenne were allied to the Sioux, often their style of dress and hair-style often mimicked the Sioux.  The Cheyenne were fearsome warriors.  Interestingly, they once were farmers, but moved West, or were pushed West and once settled there, they became some of the most famous warriors in all of American history.  Here are some other images of the Cheyenne: Notice that the images of these men look to me to be as if they might be Sioux as well as Cheyenne. And then there were the Blackfeet.  The Blackfeet men sometimes wore their hair in the style of the pompadour, but one would never have confused them with their traditional enemies, the Crow.  Like other tribes, the men wore braids (and the women, too), but the men wore their hair in three braids (one in the back).  Shell earrings (white but often pink) were traditional styles for both men and women.  And often the Blackfeet wore the choker and the looping necklace as well. The picture to my far right is Blackfeet, also.  Notice, too, the manner in which the Blackfeet wore their war bonnets…straight up — a little different than the Sioux. Now, because the book, WHITE EAGLE'S TOUCH has just hit the ebook bookstand, and to celebrate, I thought I'd include an excerpt with this post. WHITE EAGLE'S TOUCH by Karen Kay An Excerpt "Has a right?" Katrina leapt to her feet. Benjamin Lloyd followed her up onto his, the man's slight stature detracting from, rather than adding to the strength of his argument. At five-foot-five, the lawyer's eyes were just level with hers. "Has a right?" Katrina repeated. "Do you think so? What does the law say about my uncle's abandonment of me? About desertion?"  "Katrina, you know that your uncle did not truly desert you."  "Didn't he? I have not seen him for fourteen years. What is that, if not abandonment? Or are you speaking of the succession of nannies and governesses, the multitude of servants he hired?"  She puckered up her face and leaned forward. “This can't be truly legal."  "It most certainly is." Benjamin Lloyd slapped his hand on his desk.  "Benjamin, don't you talk to me this way."  "Then start speaking sense."  Katrina blew out her breath, shaking her head at the same time "I am I . . .Does my uncle hate me so greatly?”  "Hate you? Cease this sort of talk at once. I'm sure that isn't the reason--"  "He must," Katrina insisted, her chin hiking up into the air. "I have always suspected it to be so. Why else would he never visit me, never write to me, never . . . ?"  She stopped, her glance falling away from Benjamin's before she continued, "Do you know that when I was a child, I used to write to him? I used to think of him as something of a knight. Did you know that, Benjamin? I used to dream of him coming to get me here; I used to envision . . ." Katrina glanced away into a corner of the room. It was some moments before she spoke again, saying, "But that was all so long ago, wasn't it?"  "Katrina, I didn't know that--"  "How could you?" She sighed. "He wants me to go there, you say? He is demanding that I travel out West and meet with him, if I desire my inheritance?"  "Yes, he--"  "And he would provide my transportation there?"  "Yes, he--”  "I know of no reputable coaches that travel that far."  "You are right," Benjamin Lloyd was quick to note, "but I have looked into this, and I could make travel arrangements that would be quite comfort able for you. Firstly, I could hire a private coach that would carry you all the way to St. Louis. I would ensure your comfort and your safety, that is, if you decide to make the trip."  "If I decide? I thought I had to--"  "You don't have to go, Katrina."  "But didn't you just say that--"  "You wouldn't have access to your dowry, of course, nor to the whole of your inheritance, until you are twenty-five, the age your father set down in his will as the time to receive the remainder of your legacy.”  "Twenty-five. Six years away . . . You know that I can't wait that long. I barely have enough funds to pay my current bills. What would I do for six years?"  "You would have to be most frugal, my dear."  "Frugal? Penniless is more the correct word."  "Yes, well. . ."  "Benjamin, this carriage that you would hire for me"--Katrina returned her glance toward her solicitor--"would it see me all the way to the Northwest Territory?"  "Well, no, there are no roads that travel that distance, but it would take you to St. Louis, and from there, I could arrange your passage aboard a steamboat to Fort Union in the Northwest Territory. And there you would meet with your uncle."  "I see. Whatever, do you suppose, possessed my father and uncle to become traders?" "Hmmm . . . What did you say, Katrina?"  "Traders," Katrina glanced away. "It's a savage and uncivilized life that they chose for themselves, wasn't it? Trading European goods for the furs of the Indians. Why do you think they chose it?"  "Perhaps for the adventure. Mayhap for the money. They did accumulate quite a fortune for themselves . . . and for you, my dear. Might I re mind you that all the wealth and enjoyment that you have possessed thus far in your life has come down to you from the richness of that trade?"  "Yes," Katrina said on a heavy breath, "all my enjoyment." Then, lowering her voice, she whispered, "And all my sorrow."  "Pardon?"  Katrina didn't answer. Instead, she raised her chin, and asked, "Is that all, then? I have only to go there and meet my uncle and then I might have--"  "And your fiance."  "Excuse me?"  Benjamin Lloyd cleared his throat. "Didn't I mention that to you?"  "No, you did not."  "Oh, yes, well, your uncle here stipulates that he must meet and," Benjamin Lloyd lowered his voice, speaking quickly, ". . . and approve of said fiance before the distribution of--" "Meet? Approve?"  "Yes, well..." Katrina leaned over the desk. "What further madness is this?"  Benjamin Lloyd fingered his collar. He leaned backwards. "I was certain I had told you that. I was . . . why, here it is. This document says"--he shook out a piece of paper--"when the party of the first-- your uncle--shall meet and approve of matrimonial choice of said ward--that is you--any hitherto obligation of said ward will be discharged and the distribution of funds shall commence--"  "He wants to meet my fiance?"  "Yes, I--"  "Why does he want to . . . This makes little, if any sense at all. First, he asks me to place myself in danger to go and meet him, and now he is demanding to approve of my fiance?"  "In danger, my dear? I'm not sure I would use those terms to..."  Katrina no longer listened to the lawyer's ramblings. No, she had already lifted the hem of her pink satinet dress, stepped away from her chair, and begun to pace beside the solicitor's desk.  She stopped suddenly, intercepting the lawyer, as she said, "Well, I am certain of it now. My uncle hates me." "Katrina . . ."  "It's the only possible explanation. Perhaps my uncle hated my father, as well as me, and it is only in this way that the awful man can seek full revenge." Katrina hurriedly dropped the hem of her skirt and turned around, stepping briskly to her solicitor's desk, the bustle under her skirts swaying with her movement.  Benjamin Lloyd, however, watching her, did nothing more than swallow noisily.  "Well, at least I understand my uncle, now," she said. "He hates me, has hated me all my life, and this is his way of getting back at me."  "Katrina, I'm not sure that I--"  "I always wondered why my only living relative never came to see me, why all the nannies and servants . . ."  "Now, Katrina, I don't see that this makes any difference to what is being asked now. The servants and the maids, the--"  "Don't you?" Katrina interrupted, turning away and presenting her back to the spectacled solicitor. Briefly she glanced into a corner of the room. A moment passed. Another. At last, though, she took a deep breath and, pivoting to confront her lawyer, looked directly at him. "You're probably right, Benjamin. None of the past matters anymore."  "Please, my dear, I know that this is all so unexpected. Naturally you are upset and--"  "I will go."  "Now, now. Don't make too hasty a decision. It's best to think it over carefully before . . . You will?"  "Yes, I will. My uncle wants to see me. I will go. He never came here to see me, but I will go to him. Besides, what choice do I have? If I don't do this, I will lose all reputation here, what with no more available funds to draw from." She turned so that the pink bonnet she wore did not obstruct her view of the solicitor. "My uncle has played an excellent game with me, I think. A game of chess, if you will. He has laid siege to my queen for the moment. Do you know that? I thought to marry in order to avoid my uncle and draw upon the rest of my inheritance without ever a word to him. I thought I had placed my uncle's king in checkmate. Now I see that I had a more worthy opponent than I had at first envisioned."  "Katrina, what are you saying? You might be taking this too much to heart. Perhaps, my dear, it would be best not to judge your uncle until--"  "He will not win, though."  "Katrina, I don't think that..."  But Benjamin Lloyd might as well have remained silent. Katrina had already collected her purse and umbrella, marched to the room's door and flung it open before she turned back toward him. Her lips parted for a moment, as though she might say something further, but with a definite shake of her head, she merely stated, "Good day, Benjamin."  And with that said, she delayed no longer. Picking up the front of her dress, she swept through the door, her head held in a stiff, defiant angle.  And there was no one, not a single person at this moment, who would have interfered with her without cost.  At least no one in New York City.  WHITE EAGLE'S TOUCH by Karen Kay On sale at: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/white-eagles-touch-p-6773.html   And so to close, I thought I'd offer you a bit of a challenge.     The photo above isn't as large as I would have liked, but I’m wondering if you can guess which tribe is represented?     Can you guess?  All of the following books of mine were all written about this tribe:  Gray Hawk’s Lady, White Eagle’s Touch, Night Thunder’s Bride, Wolf Shadow’s Promise, Soaring Eagle’s Embrace, The Princess and the Wolf.  I’ll be giving away one of these books to a lucky blogger today — and it doesn’t matter is you get the tribe right or not.    So come on in and make a stab at this — I’ll announce the tribe when I announce the winner  

...Anne Carrole! Please email me at tanhanson AT aol DOT com and I'll get Sanctuary and Right to Bragg (both pdf) off toyou! Thanks to everybody for all the well wishes, both for Soul Food and for bride Kelley!

A big thank you to everyone who stopped by P&P to talk about books, western romance and ereaders.  The winner of Brides of the West is . . .

Rebecca Miller

Congratulations, Rebecca.  Send your mailing address to Victoria.Bylin@gmail.com, and I'll get the book in the mail. I hope you enjoy the stories!