Hello, I hope this finds you all well. As this goes to print, I will be in Deadwood, SD at the Wild Deadwood Reads event. This is the sixth year (should have been seven, but COVID.). I’ve been to each one. Organized by Ginger Ring and Linda Rae Sande, this is one of the best events I have attended. I get excited each year as the day approaches. I get to hug authors and readers I don’t get see for a year and meet new ones. It’s like a family reunion.
Besides being a great event, one of the reasons I brought up Deadwood is because of my “Darlings of Deadwood” series which came about after the first year. It’s a rather funny story. The first two years, we did an 1880s train ride through the hills of Deadwood. We got on the bus in Keystone, SD and were driving down the street when I saw a sign on a balcony that read, Balcony Girl. Boom. An idea for a woman who comes to Deadwood with her sister in 1879, the year a fire wiped out the town, nearly knocked me from my seat. She’s a seamstress, her sister a teacher coming to Deadwood as the new schoolteacher.
I won’t go into more detail, but “The School Marm,” ended up being a short story in the following year’s Wild Deadwood Reads anthology, “Wild Deadwood Tales,” but I had to tell her sister’s story next. The book, “The Balcony Girl,” is the first book in the series. They can be read as standalones, but best in order. After “The Balcony Girl,” came the full book, “The School Marm.” Then “The Proprietress,” “The Banker’s Wife,” and “The Unconventional Blacksmith.” There will be two more books about a traveling librarian and a traveling photographer. There is also a novella, “Saving Ellis.”
Each book features a strong woman trying to survive in a man’s world in the wild west. Oh, by the way, The sign actually read, “The Balcony Grill.” Because I can’t read properly, I now have this award-winning series.
One of the best things I like about writing these books in Deadwood is the research. Like most authors say, we can get lost in the internet rabbit hole when researching. There is so much history out there. Each time I go, I learn something new. Hubs and I also love Custer State Park. So much wildlife.
I also write contemporary and other stories. All my books have mysteries in them. I can’t seem to write anything without a mystery. It’s also my favorite genre to read, especially romantic mysteries. I have won quite a few awards for my books, including first runner RONE award for “The Balcony Girl.”
I live in northwestern Wisconsin with my husband of fifty years. Yes, I said fifty years. We’re not sure where the time went, but we’re still hanging in there. We have two children and five grandchildren, whom I adore. I always believe grandchildren are our reward for raising our own kids.
Where are you from? What is your favorite genre?
I would love to give away one of my books from the ‘Darlings of Deadwood.’ All you need to do is comment on the blog. I’ll leave the choice of the book to you. Here’s the question to win: If you could travel back to any time period, what would it be? What do you think it would be like?
I’m from Maryland by way of Delaware.
Romance is my genre of choice.
I love the Regency era, mayhap go to a ball, but I’d just want to visit. I love my modern conveniences.
The Old West would be fun for a day, too. Hard work.
Montana and I just enjoy a good story regardless of the genre. Be careful if you play poker there; one would not want 2 pairs and a queen.
I guess I would return to early 1900s.
Snickering at Balcony Grill, only because I have made similar calls on distant(?) signage…lol.
That’s a hard question for me. There are things I like and dislike in every time period. However, if I were just going back in time for a visit, I would choose Israel in the time of Christ. However, if I had to live there permanently, I think I would be in the late 1880s or early 1890s.
(I’m not entering the contest.)
Eastern Nebraska. Favorite is YA.
Minnesota – I love historical westerns set in the 1800’s. Cowboys, stagecoaches, cattle drives, sheriffs, Texas Rangers, horses, etc. On my way to Deadwood now. Have fun! Congrats on 50 years.
Indiana here and second chance western romance – and 1875 to 1900 are my golden years to read about – though I also enjoy contemporary as well!
Congratulations. Oh but this sounds like a wonderful series. I would love to start with book 1 and go from there. I am originally from a farm in the Mojave Desert and cowboys and cowgirls are in my blood still today. This September we will be married 40 years. I enjoy reading clean/Christian westerns that have a little romance and a lot of figuring out how God fits into their lives and seeing the changes. quilting dash lady at comcast dot net
What a wonderful series. I am married 53 years this May.
I would love to visit Deadwood. The west has an allure. The time period which interests me greatly and I would love to live in is the 1920’s. before the depression and after the first world war when life was entertaining and light.
My favorite time period is the American west in the 1870s- 1880s. I live in that time period with the books I read.
Hey Tina! I’d travel back in time to meet my grandparents and great grandparents. And to spend quality time with all the aunts and uncles that I was too young to appreciate back in the day. What a dream come true that would be.
I would have loved to go with Lewis and Clarke to discover the West. It would have had its difficulties but i would have taken paper and pencil and drawn the things i saw.
I read where the worst thing they endured were the mosquitoes!
Hi! I’m from Wyoming & love to read anything clean & uplifting… I’m not picky as to genre!
If I could travel back on time, I’d probably choose the regency era. I love the descriptions of the ball gowns! However, the Wild West has its own appeal, so…
How fun that we are in Deadwood together! You stopped at our table last night, and I missed introducing myself. Tomorrow, for sure!!
Thank you for blogging with us and telling us more about your series!
Deadwood would be an experience and this historic town appeals to me. I would enjoy a road trip there. I live in NM now. If I could change eras I would travel back in time to Britain in the 1900’s. The lifestyle and era would be fascinating. My favorite genre are historicals.
I would love to visit the Regency Era in England–Jane Austen’s world!
I would go to the Old West. I know it would have been difficult but the joy of discovering a new place would have been great. I would have taken notes and have chronicled life around me.
All of these books sound wonderful and I would love to be in Deadwood right now. some of my favorite authors are there!
Hi, your book series sounds so good, I live in west Texas. I like to read different genres, I like Historical Fiction, psychological thrillers, Comtemporary , romance , suspense and mystery. I would go back to the pre civil war, I think I would be helping the slaved people gain their freedom. Have a great weekend. Thank you so much for sharing about your awesome book series. And yes, I love researching alot of things in the internet we can find lots of information .
If I could pick, I’d love to go back in time to The Waltons era. I know times were hard but I like the small town feel of that era and the way that people helped their neighbors “just because”. I’d love to see some of that spirit come back to our world. Thanks for the chance to win a book. Enjoy your time in Deadwood!
I would go back to the old west around 1800 or so. It is my favorite books to read.
Probably the 1950’s so I could hang out with my mom when she was a young girl. I think that would be fun.
Welcome. I enjoy romantic suspense. If I could go back in time, I would like to go back to the early 1900’s. My Grandmother died before I was born. I would love to be able to know her and learn so much from her. I have been told throughout my life how much I am like her. She lived in the mountains in West Virginia. They did not have electricity until the 1950’s. While in West Virginia, they always used an outhouse. Her life was very hard. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
Good morning from Minnesota. Deadwood is a place I have always wanted to go but haven’t been yet. I hope you have an amazing time. The series sounds very good and something I would really enjoy. So of course I would like to start of book 1. I really enjoy the Renaissance Festival so maybe going back to that would be interesting.
You have such a interesting blog. I love the Deadwood area as well as other little towns/cities in and around Deadwood. Traveling out west is my 2nd love. My first is the Smoky Mountains in and around Knoxville, Gatlinburg and Townsend. We used to live in Knoxville with a leisure home in Townsend to which we moved permanently after leaving our jobs in Knoxville. Being difficult to get a decent job around Townsend was the reason we had to leave the area or I would still be there and loving it. Back to Deadwood, we have visited this area about 3-4 times and can always enjoy all the beauty and history it offers.
Next, my favorite genre is clean reads first of all, then romantic mysteries such as you describe. It is so thrilling to read a fiction about an area you spend lots of time visiting and reenacting and visualizing all the action in the book. The Darlings of Deadwood series sounds so enticing I could just dive in it for the weekend. Many thanks for your beautiful blog and your great pictorial of things.
1700s, interesting
Hi Tina! I thought I’d see who the guest was here on Petticoats and Pistols and lo and behold it is you! Love your book covers and the series title ~ Darlings of Deadwood. Please don’t enter me in the contest. I just wanted to stop in and say Hi.
I am late for the giveaway, but wanted to comment on your sweatshirts. I need to get a couple of them although ours would say 1972. You are so right about the time. It doesn’t seem possible that it has been that long. Our oldest turns 50 this November and the youngest of our three turns 41 the same month. It certainly doesn’t seem possible does it. In a way that is a good thing. Good years seem to fly by, so it sounds like we both have had many good years.