Welcome Special Guest Christie Williams!

What is the most random thing you’ve googled lately?

Hi, I’m Christie Williams, author of the Haven River Brides sweet historical western romance trilogy.

I am NOT an expert on the Old West, and I won’t pretend to be. But I do try really hard to make sure my books are historically accurate, which for me means doing a boatload of research, gathering a ton of information… and then maybe mentioning it in one sentence when I actually write the book.

What did I research for the Haven River Brides trilogy?

Cattle ranching (and cattle rustlers). I originally planned the trilogy for the late 1880s, but I learned that the winter of 1886-1887 was so bad that it caused huge losses of cattle in Wyoming, now called the “Great Die Up.” (If you’re interested in reading more about it, this is a good article.  I didn’t want my characters dealing with that, so I bumped the setting earlier to 1880 instead.

I also researched:

-the Union-Pacific Railroad

-the dates of the first and last snowfalls in Wyoming

-the history of greenhouses

-the history of wrought iron and coal stoves

-locations of coal and copper mines in the area

-how fast and far a horse could travel in a day

Was most of that research visible in my books? Nope.

Was it necessary for me to know as the author? You bet.

 

Now I’ve just released Winning Cora, the first book in a new trilogy, on April 15. It’s set on a pair of homesteads near Haven River Falls, so I was able to use most of that same research for the setting. But small homesteads are not the same as cattle ranches, so I read up on those. (I really enjoyed Twenty Miles from a Match by Sarah E. Olds, if you like first-hand accounts.) I learned about soddies, beekeeping, and the history of canning. I researched droughts and milking cows. I discovered that flocks of chickens have alpha hens.

One of the homesteads raises sheep, so I contacted a local friend who has a flock. I was invited to attend shearing to help with skirting (which is when you pull bits of grass, debris, and other organic matter out of the fleeces after they’ve been shorn so that only good wool is being sent to the mill to be spun). Through her connections to a sheep farmer in Wyoming, I got timelines for lambing, shearing, and releasing the flock out to pasture, and I also learned about the conflicts between cattle ranchers and sheep farmers over open range (preferred for cattle) versus fenced-in land (ideal for sheep).

Whether most of that research shows up on the page or not, I think it makes the books richer and more realistic despite being lighthearted fictional romance. But try them and see what you think for yourself!

Here’s a bit more about the first book.

Winning  Cora

When her parents died, Cora Hewitt promised her ma that she’d look out for her siblings, and she has. She runs the family homestead like a military general, locking away all dreams for her future, at least until her siblings are married and no longer need her. She has no time for love and no wish to expose her fragile heart again after it was broken five years ago.

Neighbor Jack Brooks has been in love with Cora for years, but he didn’t realize it until it was too late: first she was courting another man, then she lost her parents. She may not be seeing anyone now, but that doesn’t mean she’ll stay single forever. And Jack can’t risk missing his chance again.

Winning her heart seems impossible when he gets tongue tied and can’t even write secret admirer letters—and she has emotional walls a mile high. But Jack has determination and a plan.

Thankfully, a picture’s worth a thousand words.

Winning Cora is a sweet and clean, boy next door, brother’s best friend, historical western romance with a strong FMC and a dyslexic MMC set in 1880s Wyoming territory.

PURCHASE LINK

What was the most random thing you’ve googled lately? I’m giving away an ebook of Winning Cora, so please comment!

Thank you so much for having me today, and happy reading!

Christie