Welcome Guest Author Lacy Williams!

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When you put a puppy on the cover…

Lacy Williams here today. Thanks for having me!

I’ve always been an animal lover.

Some of my earliest memories involve a family collie named Lassie — yes, really. When I was around six, we adopted two gray kittens, a brother and sister, and later a calico cat joined our family too. Animals were just part of the fabric of home growing up.

As an adult, that love only deepened. My husband and I have had dogs over the years, and I’ll just say it plainly: I am a dog person to my core. There is something about a dog’s loyalty, their uncomplicated joy, the way they look at you like you hung the moon — my heart is completely lost to them. Always has been.

So maybe it shouldn’t surprise anyone that animals have a way of wandering into my books.

My very first published novel featured a dog named Wrong Tree. (Yes, that’s really his name. No, I don’t regret it.) Since then, the critters have kept coming. In the Wagon Train Matches series alone, we’ve had a horse in book two, a kitten in book three, a calf in book seven — and now, in Long Trail Home, a puppy.

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes secret about that puppy: he was on the cover before I knew what role he’d play in the story.

When my cover artist was designing the final book in the series, I made a special request. I wanted a puppy on that cover. It felt right — something warm and soft for the conclusion of a long, hard journey. But when I sat down to actually write Long Trail Home, I genuinely didn’t know how the puppy was going to work his way into the plot.

Then Coop showed me.

If you’ve followed this series, you know that Cooper is a man who pays attention. He watches. He notices things other people miss. And what he noticed about Belle was how her eyes would follow that little pup whenever it was nearby — that soft, longing look she’d try to hide, like she didn’t dare want something so small and sweet in the middle of everything else.

Coop saw it. And he decided to do something about it.

Because that’s who he is. He wants to give Belle the desires of her heart — not the grand gestures, but the quiet ones. The ones that say I see you. The puppy becomes a gift, and like all the best gifts, it carries more weight than the thing itself. It’s Coop saying: I know what matters to you. You matter to me.

I won’t pretend I didn’t tear up a little writing that scene.

Here’s a little more about the book:

Long Trail Home

All roads lead home in the dramatic conclusion to one family’s journey of love, sacrifice, and survival.

Since the moment he saw her, Coop Spencer has been single-minded in his quest to protect Belle. She’s running from something—someone—and he’s never met anyone so scared. When the wagon master forces an ultimatum: a marriage or Belle is expelled from the wagon train, Coop makes the only choice he can. He’ll do everything in his power to prove he’s the kind of man she can trust. But overcoming the mistakes of his past may prove too much…

Belle knows that the danger she escaped is still out there, still hunting her. Experience has taught her that she can’t rely on anyone, not even the man who promised their marriage was in name only.

As they traverse the Oregon Trail together, Belle is taken in by Coop’s big family, and the more time she spends with her temporary husband and his siblings, the more she starts to long for something she’d forgotten ages ago: home.

When danger closes in, one of them must sacrifice everything for love…

  • Forced marriage of convenience
  • Redemption
  • Family saga
  • Heroine with a dark past/sworn off men

PURCHASE LINK

Now it’s your turn. Are you a pet person? Do you have a dog who thinks they run the household (they do), a cat who tolerates your presence (barely), a horse, a rabbit, a goat named something ridiculous?

Leave a comment and tell me about your special animal — and here’s the fun part: if that pet were a character in a historical romance novel, what would they be known for? The brave trail dog who always sensed danger first? The ornery mule who secretly loved his owner? The barn cat who played matchmaker?

Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a paperback copy of LONG TRAIL HOME and a $20 Amazon gift card.

The Woman on the Ledge ~ by Pam Crooks

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When we think of heroes of the Old West, we often picture someone on horseback, wearing a badge, or standing tall with a rifle in hand.

But sometimes a hero wears a long skirt, climbs through a window in the middle of a hurricane, and reaches into raging floodwater to save strangers.

The Great Storm of 1900

For those who have never been to Galveston, Texas, (I haven’t!) it’s located on a long, skinny-looking island on the southernmost edge of Texas with Galveston Bay on one side and the Gulf of America on the other. It’s pretty and scenic, and lots of cruise ships sail from there.  But the island is notoriously only a few feet above sea level, which makes it very prone to disasters.

Especially more so in 1900.

The Hurricane

On September 8, 1900, a devastating hurricane struck Galveston. Known today as the Great Storm of 1900, it remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in American history. Thousands perished as wind and water swept across the island, destroying homes, businesses, churches, and families in a matter of hours. The Galveston Historical Foundation notes that at least 6,000 people died, many by drowning or beneath collapsing debris. But because records were incomplete and entire families vanished, other sources estimate the death toll was even higher at 8,000 or even 12,000.  Yikes!

At the time, Galveston was a thriving island city—wealthy, busy, and important as a port. When the hurricane came ashore, storm tides of roughly 8 to 15 feet swept across the island. NOAA describes winds over 130 mph and a 15-foot storm surge.  Another yikes!

But as often happens, in the aftermath of unspeakable tragedy, stories of courage rise up like cream from fresh milk.

The Schoolteacher

One story remains today, 126 years later. Some say the story is legend. Others claim it’s real. But for the story to linger so long, with so many details to make it believable, I’d like to think this heroine deserves her place in the history books.

The story goes that a young schoolteacher took shelter inside the Hutchings, Sealy & Company Bank building on the Strand. The building was built in the 1890s and was one of the structures that survived the 1900 storm. It’s still in existence today.

As the storm surge rose—some accounts say as high as seventeen feet—the schoolteacher found herself above a city enveloped in darkness. I’d love to know how she got there, or if she was alone, but from the third floor, she climbed through a window and balanced on a narrow ledge. (You can see the ledges in the picture.) Then, instead of staying safely inside, she reached down toward the raging waters and pulled people from the water, one by one, and dragged them into the building.

Can you imagine the terror she might have felt? The roar of wind, the crash of debris, the screams of those being swept past? The darkness. The rain. The knowledge that one wrong move could send her into the flood, too?

Or maybe she didn’t feel any terror at all. Maybe she was so driven to help that her heroics took over and banished all fear from her head.

Some stories say she cared for survivors for several days afterward before dying of fever. Others say her name was lost to history, though later tellings call her Sara. Or Sarah. Because her identity is uncertain, we may never know whether her story is true.

I find that part frustrating. Of all the people she helped, and for several days after, no one thought to ask her name? Maybe at the time, names weren’t important, but “Sarah” does seem consistent, even though her last name has been lost forever.  And how sad that her family might never have known how heroic she was. Or how many lives she’d saved. Maybe her family all perished, and that makes the whole thing even more sad.

But I guess, writing about her in this blog, and reading it, is another way we can honor her, right?

Have you heard about Sarah, the schoolteacher, and her legend?

What kind of hero would you be? Quiet and unassuming? Or would you be okay doing interviews in front of TV cameras and on social media?  🙂 

If you had been in that bank building during the storm, do you think you would have had the courage to reach out and help?

Have you or someone close to you ever done anything heroic?

Have you ever been in a hurricane?

Lacy Williams Will Arrive Friday!

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The Fillies are excited to have Publisher’s Weekly Bestselling author Lacy Williams back on Friday, May 15, 2026!

Are you an animal person? Have you named them funny or odd names? Miss Lacy is going to talk about her pets and wants you to chime in so be thinking about that.

She also has the conclusion out for her Wagon Train series – Long Trail Home.

One commenter on her Friday post will win a print copy plus a $20 Amazon gift card! Yee-Haw!

Don’t mess around and miss this or you’ll kick yourself. We’ll save you a seat.

Karen Kay’s Winner!

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Howdy!

A big Thank You to everyone who came to the blog yesterday and who left a post.

The winner of the e book, SHE STEALS MY BREATH (with the new cover) is:

ELISSA

Yay!  Yay! I sure enjoyed y’all’s posts.  Have a beautiful rest of the week!

THE WINNER on gift box with multicoloured hearts. Illustration concept

The Little Mermaid in 1886 Galveston

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Over the last several years, I’ve had a grand time retelling classic Disney fairy tales in western settings. Next month I’ll be releasing my latest in the Once Upon a Time in Texas series – Part of Your World.

The Little Mermaid holds a special place in my heart. It first came to theaters when my husband and I were dating, and when we were apart the summer before our wedding, my husband wrote me a letter with all the lyrics to Kiss the Girl. Now, this was pre-Internet, so he couldn’t just Google the lyrics. He had to find a cassette recording then rewind it over and over to get the words down. Yes, we’re that old. Ha!

My heroine, Muriel Quinn is a long-distance swimmer who idolizes Agnes Beckwith. Agnes grew up the daughter of a swimming instructor and performer. She was performing in swimming shows across England from age four onward. As a teenager, she turned her attention to distance swimming. In 1875, at age 14, she made history by swimming five miles in the Thames from London Bridge to Greenwich. In 1878, she swam twenty miles. By 1885, she was appearing in the Royal Aquarium of Westminster billed as The Greatest Lady Swimmer of the World.

Agnes Beckwith, Age 14

I styled Muriel’s bathing costume after those that Agnes wore, since she couldn’t possibly swim long distances in the typical bathing costumes of the day.

1880s Swim Suits

Muriel swims along the coast of Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico. And as you might expect, her swimming skills come in handy when our hero, Zane Erickson, has a boating accident and finds himself in need of rescue.

Muriel and Zane come from vastly different worlds. She is the daughter of a man who works at the docks. He is the only son of a socially elite family and is training to be an architect under the great Nicholas Clayton, one of the most successful American architects of the Gilded Age, especially in the south.

Zane has no interest in the marriage his mother wishes to arrange—until the mysterious young woman who saved his life reappears as a potential match. However, their reunion is no coincidence. Caught in a dangerous web of blackmail and deceit, Zane and Muriel must risk everything to protect their growing love—and the lives of those they hold dear.

Preorder Part of Your World Here

This is my first official beach read! Not a common occurrence when one writes historical western fiction.

Are you a beach person?
Do you like frolicking in the waves or do you prefer staying on shore?

Fun Historical Facts and Giveaway

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Howdy!  And welcome to another awesome Tuesday!

Recently, I decided to redo the cover for Book #1 in the Medicine Man Series.  I’d asked my cover artist if she might consider doing a cover with the image of the hairstyles of the American Iindians on the Plains in the 1830’s.  Book #1 is set in the 1830’s (SHE STEALS MY BREATH) and so I thought I’d ask because my cover artist is really an artist and she often draws things on my covers by hand (with online tools).

So let me first take you back to the 1830’s in an area of the country known as INDIAN TERRITORY.  George Catlin, as well as Karl Bodmer (accompanying  Prince Maxmilian onto the Plains) made trips into the interior of the north country, and they left a record of their travels.  What I had always noticed about these paintings was that the men often changed their hair styles, while the women generally wore their hair in braids.  This doesn’t necessarily hold true for the more southern tribes, but when I look at the northern tribes, these men pretty much wore their hair in a similar manner

Here are two men from the Nez Perce tribe who lived on the western side of the Blackbone-of-the-world Mountains (the Rockies).  Catlin met these two men when he was on a steamboat.  Interestingly, both men were on a mission for their tribe to see out the “Black Robe” and ask him about his religion and invite him to come to their tribe.

To the right here is an Assiniboine Indian (the Assiniboine were located farther east and a little more north of Crow Indians in what we now know as Montana.

In the center here is a Lakota man and below that is a Cheyenne chief.  The same hairstyle held true for most of the Northern tribes during this period: The Blackfeet, the Crow and the Cree.

And so, because my cover artist is a real artist and sometimes paints different images into a particular image she is working with, I asked her if she might be able to do a cover showing this particular men’s hairstyle.

Cat022

Below is the result:

This is the cover that my cover artist created for me and I absolutely love it.

Many things I love about this cover, but outside of the image of the hero and the heroine, I love the sky and the mountains.  Montana is often called The Big Sky Country and so I love that this image also highlights the sky.

This first book is currently on sale for $.99 and my newest book (Just released) in the Medicine Man series is sale for $3.59 at Amazon.

Note the difference in hair style between the 1830’s and the 1879’s.  My newest book is set in the 1870’s and at this time we have a completely different hairstyle that the men are wearing…again, almost tribe to tribe a very similar hair style.  Some differences, but many things that are similar about them.   This fellow in the middle here is Blackfeet.  Note the braids and the hair is now almost straight up and parted on the side.

The Picture below is of a Crow man:  Note how similar the style is at this time period.

The same styles were seen in the Flathead and the Nez Perce tribes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And so I now would like  you to see how my cover artist showed this particular hair style on my newest cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think both of these covers (that are new to me) are so very well done and show the different hair styles at this time in history.

What do you think?  Hope found this little bit of history interesting.

Both of these books are on sale:

SHE STEALS MY BREATH:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TNDS67H?tag=pettpist-20 — This book is on sale for $.99.

IF SHE WERE MINE:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GWY3P5KS?tag=pettpist-20 — This book is on sale at a 40% discount at $3.59.

Please come on in and leave a post.  I’ll be giving away a free copy of the book, SHE STEALS MY BREATH.

 

 

 

Winnie’s Winners!

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Hello! Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week to join in the conversation about parlor games of yesterday and today. I loved all the personal memories you shared and they brought back so many memories of my own.

I threw the names of all the commenters in a hat and pulled out the following:

Sarah Gunter
Kim Hansen

Congratulations! You have won your choice of a signed copy of any of my 2-in-1 books. To find a list, please visit my BOOKS PAGE and go all the way down to the bottom section. Once you’ve decided which book you want, contact me at winnie @ winniegriggs.com (no spaces) with the title and your mailing info and I’ll get it on out to you.

Evenings Before Electricity – How Families Passed the Time

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. I hope everyone had as lovely a Mother’s Day weekend as I had.

My family has always been big on board games – really any kind of family game, including more than a few versions of card games and dominoes. But over the past several years, life has gotten in the way, and we haven’t been able to play together as a group.

That changed a couple of weeks ago when we decided to revive our monthly game night, and it was sooooo much fun. Eight of us gathered around the dining room table, and there were plenty of challenges, strategy, a fair bit of shifting alliances, and most of all, laughter.

Of course, families have been finding ways to gather and pass the time together for generations. Back in the late nineteenth century, before the internet, before television, before electricity, before all the distractions we take for granted today, those evenings looked a little different.

As daylight faded and the lamps were lit, families drew together, filling the evening with shared tasks, conversation, and quiet entertainment.

For most families, evenings began to settle in right after supper. Once the day’s work was done and the dishes cleared, the household would gather in whatever room offered the best light and warmth – often the kitchen or main living area. Illumination came from candles, oil lamps, or maybe a fireplace, which meant light was limited and precious.

But that didn’t mean evenings were dull – far from it.

Conversation was a central part of daily life. Families talked. They shared news, discussed the events of the day, and caught up on what neighbors might be doing. In small towns, where everyone’s lives were more closely intertwined, this kind of exchange helped keep the community connected.

There were also quiet tasks that filled the hours. Mending clothes, shelling peas, whittling, or other small handwork often took place in the evenings. These weren’t seen as chores so much as part of the natural rhythm of the day, something to be done while visiting and passing the time together.

And of course, there was entertainment.

Games have been around for centuries, and many of them would feel familiar even today. Card games, checkers, dominoes, and simple parlor games were popular ways to pass the time. Storytelling was another favorite – sometimes recounting family history, sometimes sharing humorous tales, and sometimes retelling stories that had been handed down through generations.

Reading aloud was also common, especially in households where books or newspapers were available. One person might read while the others listened, turning it into a shared experience rather than a solitary one.

Music often found its place in the evening as well. A fiddle, a harmonica, or a piano if one was available could turn an ordinary night into something special. Even singing together – be it hymns, folk songs, or favorite tunes – was a way of winding down the day.

 

What stands out to me is how intentional these evenings must have been. With limited light and no outside distractions, people turned naturally toward one another. Time wasn’t something to fill so much as something to share.

It makes our modern “game night” feel a little less like a novelty and a little more like a return to something that’s always been important – simply spending time together.

What about you – do you have a regular game night or another simple tradition that helps you slow down and connect with family or friends? Share here for a chance to be entered in the drawing for an autographed copy of one of my books.

Lynne Lanning Has Winners!

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Thank you for coming to visit, Miss Lynne! We always enjoy your posts and giveaways.

Now for the Drawing………….

Three commenters will receive both Violet and Jasmine!

And the Winners are………..

SHARON J.

GINNI SELBY

MARYELLEN COX

Yippee! You ladies will enjoy these. Now watch for Miss Lynne’s email.

Chuck Wagon Cook vs. Wagon Train Cook: Two Kitchens on Wheels

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Hello, Lynne Lanning here.

When we picture the American West of the late 1800s, two iconic images come to mind — the dusty cattle drive and the hopeful wagon train. Both depended on a cook to keep body and soul together across hundreds of miles of unforgiving terrain. But while these two cooks shared a canvas kitchen and an iron skillet, their worlds were surprisingly different.

The Chuck Wagon Cook: King of the Cattle Drive

On a cattle drive, the cook was royalty. Second in authority only to the trail boss, and he demanded respect. Feeding ten to twenty cowboys three times every day, for months on end, he was scheduler, medic, barber, and camp manager all rolled into one weathered, flour-dusted package.

His chuck wagon was his kingdom. The chuck box held everything from sourdough starter to liniment. Nobody touched it without permission. He rode ahead of the herd each day to select a campsite, set up, and have a hot meal waiting when the cowboys arrived, dusty, tired, and hungry enough to eat the wagon wheels.

His menu was simple but essential: beans, biscuits, salt pork, dried fruit, and coffee so strong it could lasso a steer on its own. Cowboys who complained about the food quickly learned that a hungry trail was far worse than a humble one. The cook’s word around camp was law, and even the trail boss thought twice before crossing him.

His sourdough starter was often his most prized possession, kept warm against his body on cold nights to keep it alive. Losing it wasn’t just an inconvenience. It was a tragedy.

Speaking of tragedy… A cattle drive was full of dangers, ranging from harsh and sudden weather conditions, wild animals, rustlers, and of course, the dreaded stampede! Join a cattle drive adventure with my book – The Miracle of Peace – Dangers ahead!

Mail Order Stonemason –  is a perfect picture of the range wars and how the homesteaders braced themselves against an intentional stampede, meant to wipe out their houses and even their lives!

But let me get back to the cooks! The cantankerous cook in Caleb’s Brides –  was seriously injured, but that didn’t stop him from being cantankerous! This is a fun, lighthearted read!

The Wagon Train Cook: Servant of the Family

The wagon train cook operated in an entirely different world. Instead of cowboys, he… or very often, she, cooked for families. Westward pioneers brought their own supplies, recipes, and opinions, making the cook’s job considerably more complicated.

Not all wagon trains hired a cook. Sometimes, families prepared their own meals, around individual fires at the end of each day. When a cook was employed, the role carried far less authority than its cattle drive counterpart.

The wagon train cook had to stretch supplies over journeys that could last four to six months, using whatever game, water, or trading posts the trail provided. Cooking was done over open fires or small camp stoves, often in wind, rain, or suffocating dust. With the needs of an entire community to consider, flexibility and patience were as important as any recipe.

The menu looked similar: beans, cornmeal, dried meat, biscuits; but the spirit was different. This was for comfort, with a taste of home dragged across the prairie in a wooden wagon.

Join the 4 to 6 month trek across the country, as A Journey for Keelie gives descriptive details of the blessings and dangers along the way –  (This is one of my all-time best sellers!)

Back to the cooks!

What They Shared

Although different, both cooks kept people fed, healthy, and hopeful in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. Both worked before sunrise and long after sunset, improvising, knowing that a hot meal at the end of a brutal day was worth more than almost anything else on the trail. They knew food wasn’t just fuel, it was what held people together when everything else threatened to tear them apart.

The Bottom Line

The chuck wagon cook was an authority figure, ruling with an iron skillet and an iron will. The wagon train cook was a nurturer, feeding families and the fragile hope of building a better life.

Two cooks. Two kitchens on wheels. One unforgettable era in American history.

It’s an honor to share a glimpse of my passion for the Old West! For this special occasion of being here with you, all 4 ebooks mentioned above are on SALE for 99c each this weekend.

Today, there will be three winners to celebrate my sweet, new book releasing May 15th – Garden Belles – Quince (on pre-order!) Winners will receive ecopies of my 2 published books in the Garden Belles series – Violet and Jasmine. What a sweet series it is! Prepare to fall in love!

Tell me about your experiences of cooking or eating outside. Campfire? Backyard grilling? What is your favorite campfire food?

If you were going to work as a cook on the trail, which would you choose: cattle drive or wagon train? Why?