Author Life Is More than Writing…

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Did you really write all these books?

How long have you been writing?

How long does it take you to write a book?  

Where do you get your ideas?

Those questions and others came up from readers at the author event I participated in yesterday. Harvest Fest is always a treat with several thousand people wandering through six “art fields” along the Nickel Plate Trail, perusing artisans’, artists’, and creators’ booths, including a local authors’ booth, where I sat. There were even strolling musicians and food trucks and beer! It was quite an event and I really had fun!

So, to answer … Yes, I really did write all these books. I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil; I wrote my first book at age 10, but I’ve been published since 2012. It takes me about four to six months to write a book. My ideas come from the people in my head who are in a long line waiting for their story to be told. Ordinarily, a long line of people talking in my head would be a confession that would get one rushed into therapy, but writers get a pass.

However, a couple of years ago when I was at an author event, I was asked, Do you like doing this? Do you like writing? I had to pause for just a second, and frankly, the question’s been in my head ever since. Simmering in the back of my mind.  First of all, it didn’t happen while I was sitting at my table, it was from a person sitting at her own table, where I’d stopped by on my way back from the restroom to look at her books and say hello, mostly because she looked so … young and sad and out of place and maybe even a little bored.

She was in her late twenties and wore a black T-shirt. Her table was sparse, a couple of titles arranged in two rows, some bookmarks, a stack of business cards, and an 8-x-10 photo of herself with her name written across it like an autograph in a plain black frame. Truthfully, I can’t remember what the books were. But it doesn’t matter because it was clear, she would rather have been anywhere else.

The question that started as Do you like doing this? eventually in our short exchange, became Do you like writing? which is an entirely different question.

Do I like doing author events? Well, it’s a fun way to meet readers, to get your face connected to your stories, to network with other authors and writers groups, and to talk story. You do have to prepare–to have all the “stuff” you need together, to wear comfortable clothes, and to be “on,” which is, I admit, hard for most writers. Writing is a solitary profession, and we’re in our own heads way more that the average person, so stepping out of it is a little bit harrowing, but always fun in the end.

But the second question was the one that surprised me was, Do you like writing? The first response that rose to my lips was Would I be here if I didn’t? But the look on her face–sad, confused, and maybe a little overwhelmed, stopped me from being flip. I told her and I meant it with all my heart, It’s who I am. There’s no me without writing. I wish that thought was original to me; it’s not. I was quoting a fellow author, Anne Stuart. But when I first heard (read) Anne say it, I felt seen as writer for first time in my life. So I use it … often.

That morose young woman just stared at me like I’d suddenly grown an extra pair of ears, and she merely said, Oh, okay. There was so much more I wanted to say, to ask her, like why are you doing this if it’s not what you love? What are you avoiding? What is your true passion? But someone else came along and picked up one of her books, and I had to get back to my table to meet and greet, so I simply said, Good luck today, and I moved on.

But she’s stayed in my head, although I don’t even recall her name or what table she was at. I didn’t even pick up her card or a bookmark, which is sad too. If I was left only with the impression of someone who was unhappy at an event that was all about the happy, how did she affect others? I wonder if she sold any books. If she engaged any readers. If that event was her last. In a way, I hope so, because she was clearly not enjoying herself and that’s kinda tragic.

I confess author events are work, and writing is hard work too. I’ve been known to spend an hour working over one sentence in a sixty-thousand word manuscript. And toiling over characterization, fixing plot holes, moving the story forward can be exhausting, but the people in my head insist I write, and writing is so very much my happy place. There’s no me without it. I hope that girl found her happy place–whatever it might be.

Readers, do you have questions for this author who’s only recently come into cowboy romance? Ask me anything …I’d love to talk to you!

~*~*~*~

Here’s a treat for you! My book, Meant to Be, is just 99 cents on all ebook platforms right now. It is sweet, small-town romance–no cowboys, but lots of emotion and family and romance. I hope you’ll check it out here.

Can a near-tragedy help two best friends realize they’re meant to be so much more?

Best friends since grade school, high-powered Chicago attorney, Sean Flaherty, and small-town mayor Megan Mackenzie have always shared a special bond. When Sean is shot by a client’s angry ex, Megan rushes to his side, terrified she’s about to lose her long-time confidant.

Upon his return to River’s Edge to recuperate, Sean discovers that his feelings for his pal have taken an undeniable turn for the romantic. While Megan struggles with an unfamiliar longing for Sean, she worries that he may be mistaking a safe place to land for love.

Can Sean help her realize that they are truly meant to be so much more than friends?

Box Socials: Good Food for a Good Cause

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. I recently completed a short Christmas novella titled The Wrong Christmas Match. One of the pivotal scenes in the story involves a box social, so naturally I had to do a little research to make sure I got the details right.

I was already familiar with the fun story possibilities of these gatherings – the mystery, the bidding, and the chance that a gentleman might find himself sharing supper with the woman he hoped had prepared it – or that a woman might share hers with the gentleman she hoped would win it.

What I hadn’t realized was just how much those suppers could accomplish for an entire community.

For anyone unfamiliar with the custom, the basic idea was simple. Women and girls prepared meals for two and packed them in decorated boxes or baskets. The containers were presented anonymously and auctioned to the men. The winning bidder received not only the food inside but also the company of the woman who had prepared it for the duration of the meal.

The secrecy naturally added fun and suspense to the bidding. So did the possibility that a young woman might find some discreet way to let a favored gentleman know which box was hers.

But despite all that romantic potential, courtship wasn’t the official purpose of the evening. The money was.

Box socials were an ingenious way for small communities to raise funds. They didn’t require expensive supplies or professional organizers. Each woman contributed what she could make in her own kitchen, an auctioneer supplied a bit of showmanship, and neighbors supplied their coins – and perhaps a healthy dose of friendly competition.

The resulting funds could then be put toward whatever the community needed most.
Newspaper accounts and community histories from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries offer some fascinating real-life examples.

One box supper held in the Taney City schoolhouse in Missouri benefited the local Sunday school. A newspaper account described the event as well attended.

In December 1897, the Daily Oklahoman announced a box supper at a new schoolhouse in Council Grove, Oklahoma Territory. The proceeds were earmarked for reading-circle books and a school library. The newspaper made the auction arrangements quite clear: the boxes would be sold to the highest bidder.

Books appear to have been a popular goal. One account from Texas recalled a box-supper fundraiser held for the library at a one-teacher school. Cowboys from a nearby ranch joined local farmers and ranchers for a Saturday-night dance and the auctioning of decorated supper boxes. The highest bidder received the meal and the company of the woman who made it – or, as the account rather amusingly put it, she “got to, or had to,” eat with him.

Not every school needed books. Some needed equipment that would otherwise have been difficult to afford.

Students at a public school in Geary, Oklahoma Territory, held a box supper to help purchase an organ. The local newspaper reported that the event was well attended and that the boxes brought anywhere from thirty cents to $2.50. It also credited the auctioneer with doing his part to keep the bidding lively.

Another Oklahoma box supper raised money for a community Christmas tree planned for the following week.

That example especially caught my attention. It shows how easily the box-supper idea could be adapted to the particular needs of a town and the season. The money might purchase books, support a Sunday school, provide music for school programs, or help make a community Christmas celebration possible.

And, of course, the evening offered benefits that couldn’t be measured in dollars and cents.

Families who lived miles apart had a reason to put aside their chores and gather in one place. Neighbors shared news, children enjoyed the excitement, and young people had an acceptable opportunity to spend time together. Everyone could contribute to a worthwhile cause while enjoying food, laughter, and a bit of suspense as each box went on the auction block.

I love the practicality of it. These communities took things they already had – cooking skills, simple ingredients, creativity, generosity, and neighborly spirit – and transformed them into something they needed. And if a romance happened to begin over a plate of fried chicken and biscuits, so much the better.

Reading these real-life accounts gave me the little details I needed to make the scene in my story feel authentic. They also helped me envision how the residents of Tucker’s Gap might use a box social to meet a need in their own community. In The Wrong Christmas Match, the proceeds are used to provide Christmas provisions for families in need. And, of course, the event creates some interesting possibilities for my characters.

The Wrong Christmas Match is a short novella that will be published as part of a collection featuring twenty-two historical Christmas romances. The collection, A Vintage Christmas To Remember, is up for preorder now and releases October 13. Here are more details:

A Vintage Christmas To Remember

Twenty-two authors. Twenty-two unforgettable love stories. One unforgettable season.

From snow-dusted frontier towns to snowbound Victorian manors to the shadow of war, this sweeping collection brings together twenty-three historical romances all wrapped in the hope of the season. Outlaws find redemption, strangers become sweethearts, secrets come to light, and second chances arrive right on time for Christmas.

Whether you love a marriage of convenience, a rugged cowboy, a mystery with a little danger, or a quiet miracle by the fire—there’s a story here for you!

     PREORDER  LINK

 

 

Fun Bonus!

We created a fun flip-book-style magazine that tells you a little about each participating author and their story in the collection. You can find it HERE and best of all it’s totally FREE!

Now I’d love to hear from you. If your community held an old-fashioned box social today, what foods would you pack in your box? Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing for a signed copy of one of my books.

Lauralyn Keller Has a Winner!

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What a fun visit! Thank you, Miss Lauralyn, for coming with such an inspiring post.

The Drawing is knocking on my door……….

One commenter will receive a copy of The Teacher’s Mending Heart!

And the Winner is……………

KARIN

Yee-Haw! Congratulations, Karin. Now watch for Miss Lauralyn’s email.

 

Lauralyn Keller Is Inspired By the Spirit of the West!

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When Petticoats & Pistols invited me to guest post, I laughed a little. My novel doesn’t take place beneath the big skies of Texas or Wyoming—it unfolds among the ridges and hollers of Appalachian Tennessee. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized Appalachian and Western communities have more in common than we often think.

What is it we love about Western novels? The rural setting. Frontier life. Strong family and community ties. Traditional values. Characters overcoming hardships. And yeah, the cowboys are pretty cool.

The Appalachians may not be the American West, but both places share a common spirit—a spirit of independence, resilience, and community. Maybe that’s what we love about Western stories in the first place. It’s not necessarily the landscape. It’s the people.

That’s what my books are about. My other series is Western. This series is Appalachian. The locations are different, but the spirit is the same.

In my upcoming novel, The Teacher’s Mending Heart, both main characters face struggles that require grit and determination to see them through. Bethany Astor, a nurse who served overseas during World War I, moves to the Tennessee town of Laurel Ridge at the request of the Red Cross to serve a community torn apart by the war and other tragedies. While she wants to heal others, her own heart is in need of healing. Her fiancé was killed in the war and she closed herself to love. She just didn’t count on Dylan Harper, the town schoolteacher haunted by a terrible accident that took a student’s life and left him with a limp. He’s a bit of a golden retriever in contrast to Bethany’s level-headed calm. Her skill as a masseuse pulls them closer together and allow them to form a friendship.

Resilience is the characteristic that both characters demonstrate most. Both have something to lose if they give in to their feelings. For Bethany, it’s saying goodbye to her fiancé and the life she dreamt they’d have. Dylan has to let go of his feelings of unworthiness and open his heart.

They can’t do it alone, and that’s where the community comes in. The town is fighting for its survival, just as Bethany and Dylan are fighting their own battles. Friends offer support and love, sometimes tough love. The town council, of which Dylan is a part, works tirelessly to save Laurel Ridge. While shops are closing and people are moving away, the council knows Laurel Ridge can be saved. They do all they can to make sure their beloved town survives, all while loving their neighbors and relying on God’s help to get them through.

Maybe that’s why I don’t think you need a cowboy—or even a pistol—to write a story with the spirit of the West. When I first laughed at the invitation from Petticoats & Pistols, I was thinking about geography. Tennessee isn’t Montana. Appalachia isn’t the frontier West. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized the heart of these stories isn’t about where they happen. It’s about the people who refuse to give up, the communities that rally around them, and the hope they find in one another. And that’s something we can all relate to—Western or otherwise.

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Giveaway

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1963212819?tag=pettpist-20

I’ll be giving away an e-book copy of The Teacher’s Mending Heart to someone who comments on this post. Sound off below, and let me know your thoughts—what is it you love about the spirit of the West? Do you think that spirit applies to other stories?

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Thanks for reading! God bless.

Lauralyn

Karen’s Winner

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Thanks for playing my puzzles yesterday. I hope you had as much fun as I did.

I drew a winner at random, and a big YeeHaw goes to:

Laura

Congratulations, Laura!

I sent you an email this morning with instructions for claiming your Beauty & the Beast playing cards. I hope you have many fun game nights with them. 🙂

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

The Cowboys Who Rode to Remember by Pam Crooks

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September 11, 2001, was a horrible day for America.

I remember vividly. I was taking my youngest daughter to school, and the report about two planes ramming into the World Trade Center came over the car’s radio.

“Terrorists,” I muttered under my breath.

The word came out of its own accord. It hadn’t been determined who flew into the Towers yet, but that instinct rose up fast. Who else would do such a terrible thing?

I returned home, turned on the television, and those horrible videos of smoke and debris, people running with terror on their faces, skyscrapers falling behind him, the unutterable destruction….they rose up and planted themselves in our memories.

Another daughter called me, horrified, and we cried on the phone together. Never before had our nation been attacked like this. It was incredibly frightening. New York was so far away, but would our Mideastern city be targeted next?

In the days, months, and years that followed, patriotism soared, but Americans grieved, too. Deeply. Some prayed. Some served. Some donated money, food, time, or blood.

And some saddled horses.

While sitting in his office, Tim Myers, an Oklahoma cowboy, stared at a picture of Pawnee Bill, a Wild West showman. An unusual inspiration took hold of him and wouldn’t let go. He needed to fulfill a journey–and he needed to do it on horseback.

Tim and three cowboy friends set off on their journey on April 19, 2002, the anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Building bombing in Oklahoma City. They hoped to arrive at Ground Zero on the first anniversary of the attacks with a powerful mission to see the places ravaged by terrorism and to honor those who had been lost.

Ride 4 America had launched.

The 1,400 mile journey was not easy. Or fast. The cowboys wakened at 6 a.m., saddled their horses at 7 a.m., and were on the road by 8 a.m.  Riding 4 mph for seven hours, they covered 15-20 miles each day.

Grueling, to say the least.

They rode through rain–days and days of rain–long roads, unfamiliar country, all with the deep exhaustion that comes from riding so many miles in the saddle. They missed their homes, their jobs, their families.

The money they had hoped to raise didn’t come through, either. They needed $5,000 a month to be able to keep riding. The horses ate 100 lbs of feed every day. The scholarship fund they hoped to build for the children whose parents were killed in the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks wasn’t as generous as they’d wanted.

But they were undeterred. They kept going, day after day. Each of them represented a terrorist attack: the Oklahoma City bombing, Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania, Flight 77 that hit the Pentagon, and flights 11 and 175 that destroyed the Twin Towers.

A riderless horse led the cowboys and represented our nation’s great loss of life. The saddle was decorated with a flag, a firefighter’s hard hat, police and firefighters’ badges, and a pair of firefighter boots in the stirrups.

Boy, if that wouldn’t make you weep, what would?

At last, they reached the Washington, D.C., area and held a simple ceremony near the Pentagon before they continued their way to New York City in time for the one-year anniversary at Ground Zero.

It’s been 25 years now. I’d like to think our country is stronger for its loss, and with only hours left before the 25th anniversary, may we always remember the lives taken. May we forever honor the brave. May we never take our freedoms for granted.

God bless America.

 

Do you remember where you were on September 11, 2001?

Is your community helping you remember that fateful day with ceremonies or other activities?

If you’re feeling patriotic and want some feel-good sweet romance that is all about love and country, check out our PETTICOATS & PATRIOTS SERIES!

 

She’s lived with his name for three years. He’s never known hers. Until they meet.

Jackie Sinclair is good at what she does–flying airplanes during the Korean War. But when she makes a mistake that will haunt her forever, she’s determined to build a new life of peace and freedom in Nebraska. Except she comes face-to-face with Beckett J. Archer, the soldier she had failed so terribly, and her hopes for a new future threaten to fall apart.

 

Beck has returned to heal at the one place that means more to him than anything else–his father’s ranch. The memories of war have left their mark, but the brave and beautiful woman who lands in his life–literally–stirs up feelings he never expects, especially when an old family legacy threatens to drive them apart.

 

As trouble closes in from every side, Beck and Jackie are drawn together by danger, duty, and a growing love neither of them can deny.

Available on AMAZON and KU

 

We Have a Winner for Karen Kay’s Free Give-away

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Howdy!

Yes, indeed.  A drawing was done and the winner of the free book, OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE, is :

 

ALICE

 

Congratulations Alice!  Many thank you’s go out to all of you who came to the blog yesterday and who left a comment.  I loved them all!

Lauralyn Keller Coming to Visit!

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Historical romance author Lauralyn Keller has rounded the bend and will be here Friday, September 11, 2026!

I wonder how you really define the Spirit of the West. Hmmm. Miss Lauralyn will talk about this Friday. What is the Spirit of the West you?

She’s bringing an ebook copy of her new book The Teacher’s Mending Heart. Yippee!

Your job is to hitch up the wagon and get over here to help us welcome her.

Only those who comment on her Friday post will get to enter the giveaway!!

Goodies, Games, & a Giveaway!

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Today, we’re celebrating all things To Love a Beast.

~ Goodies ~

My western retelling of Beauty & the Beast has been honored with several awards this season, including winning the Golden Scroll award for 2026 Western Novel of the Year and the Will Rogers Medallion for Best Western Romance. These goodies are fun for me, but I have one that I hope will be fun for you.

To Love a Beast is now on sale for only $2.49! Click on the image to purchase on Amazon.

~ Games ~

How about a few puzzles to enhance the festive spirit?

Let’s start with a jigsaw puzzle.

 

If you enjoy word searches, click the image to play (the puzzle will open in a new window).

 

~ Giveaway ~

Leave a comment with your finish time for one or both of the games, and you will be entered to win these super fun, stained glass inspired Beauty & the Beast playing cards.

 

New Young Adult Novella, OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE and Giveaway

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Howdy!

Welcome to a new and beautiful Tuesday!  I hope you and yours are doing wonderfully on this bright day in September (it’s supposed to be sunny here where I live).

My goodness, but there is lots going on these last few months with three new books (two of them novellas) and four of my backlist books being reissued by my new Publisher, OHB.

This newly released book is book #3 in The Untamed Frontier Series and is entitled, OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE.  It is a Young Adult Book.  Also, on the 15th of September, the last book in The Lost Clan Series, book #4 in the series, THE LAST WARRIOR releases.

And so, let me begin with the newest release, OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE and tell you a little about the book.  Now, I write these Young Adult books under the pen name of Genny Cothern.  Below and off to the left is the new cover for the book.

There’s a lot I like about this new cover for the book.  First, I think it is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever had.  Second, I love that the Montana landscape, as well as the Blackfeet encampment are so beautifully depicted.  The cliffs, the mountains in the background are what you might see if you were to go to Montana today.  And then there’s the way he’s dressed…his clothing looks quite authentic.

So let me post a blurb of the book and then an excerpt:

Our Enemy Brings Change

A spellbinding and sweet Native American historical romance for Young Adults featuring two people who are friends, but who must not fall in love with each other.

What Will Happen When We Give Our Enemy His Life?

When Starling Nelson begs Good Eagle—her best friend and partner— to spare the life of an enemy, little does she know how this one single action might affect her life. For a year now, Starling has realized her friendship with Good Eagle has blossomed into love. But, because Good Eagle’s heart belongs to another, she has learned to ignore the rapid beating of her own heart whenever Good Eagle is near.

Good Eagle finishes the fight the young Nez Perce warrior started and grants the warrior his life, but only because his partner, Starling, insists upon it. But when the Nez Perce warrior offers a piece of advice to Good Eagle, it has the effect of changing not only Good Eagle’s mind-set about love, it might very well change his life forever.

But, there are doubts about a happy ever after for Good Eagle and Starling, because, though Good Eagle’s past love is no longer alive, in spirit she still haunts him.

Can Good Eagle and Starling win against the supernatural? Or will this one chance at love fail, separating them forever?

Perfect for Readers who love

** A haunted hero and a beautiful “off limits” friend

** Sweet Native American Historical Romance

** Adventure and sweet love in the Old West

** Friends who believe love might destroy their honor

And now for an excerpt of the book:

OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE

By

Karen Kay writing as Genny Cothern

CHAPTER ONE

Indian Territory

The Moon of Flowers, Summer

1849

“Saa, no, please do not kill him!” cried out my partner, Kills-the-bear-woman, I’nit kiááyo aakíí, or for short, Kiayo’aki, Bear Woman. She reached out toward me where I was sitting on my horse and placed her hand upon my shooting arm, but I didn’t look at her or at her hand. I dared not take my attention off of my enemy.

At a distance only a horse trot away, the man had, just a moment before, stepped out from a forest of pines. He hadn’t yet seen us. But, I knew at once he was an enemy warrior, but from what tribe was he? I did not recognize the manner in which he wore his hair, nor the pattern of the bead work upon his clothing and leggings.

I prepared myself for battle, and, as I did so, I felt the blood rush through my body, giving me strength.

“Do you know what tribe he is?” Kiayo’aki asked me.

“No.” Quickly I made the sign for the word, but I did not look at her. I had eyes only for my enemy.

In less time than it takes to observe it, I saw the sun was still rising up toward its zenith, and thoughts flashed through my mind in rapid succession. Kiayo’aki and I had left Fort Benton in the darkness of the early hours, I being her partner, but I was also responsible for her safety, she being my almost-sister and younger than I. On the previous evening, we had decided to journey to the Upper Two Medicine Lake this day in search of a better hunting ground.

Niitá’p, the game close to the fort was gone for now, hunted out. And, this being so, we had decided to travel farther away, toward one of my tribe’s favorite camping spots, the Two Medicine. We had last night decided we would even journey into the Backbone-of-the-world Mountains (the Rockies). But, only if we had to.

Luckily, it was unnecessary. Our decision to come closer to the Two Medicine area had been a good one, and we had been in the act following the trail of several buffalo when out from the forest, stepped this man, who was only now discovering the two of us. I watched as he quickly drew his bow and an arrow from his quiver and placed the arrow in a position to shoot. I raised my gun and sighted him.

“Almost-brother, I beg you, do not kill him.”

“Are you mad?” I practically shouted the words at her in reaction. “If I do not kill him, he will surely murder us both. While I do not care if he kills me, I care about what he might do to you!”

“Please! Do not kill him!” she begged me again. “Have mercy! Why, he looks to be the same age as we are. Truly, he is too young to die.”

She was right of course. But, her words faded into nothing when the chance to give the youth quarter faded. The young man was afoot, while both Kiayo’aki and I were mounted upon our ponies. Because the youth was clearly at a disadvantage—and perhaps it was because of this—the young man shot off a deadly arrow directly at me.

The shot missed me, and, seeing this, my enemy began to sing the strange melody of a song, perhaps his death song, as he quickly drew out another arrow in preparation.

However, my response to the coming fight was not my concern over the fight ahead of me, but rather, it was one of worry for my partner, and I shouted at Kiayo’aki, “You are to go back to camp at once and tell your uncle what has happened here.”

She didn’t answer.

“Did you hear me?”

“I heard you,” she answered back, her voice loud to my ears. “But I will not go there. It would take me too long to get there even at a run. And, by the time I would be able to return here, either you or the young enemy would be dead. No, I think I will stay here with you.”

I didn’t respond to her nor to the enemy…at least not right away. I pushed my rifle into position to get the best shot at the young man, and slowly I walked my pony forward. The youth, however, didn’t wait. Quickly, he set another arrow into position and was about to shoot when I pulled the trigger of my musket, my aim being to wound the young warrior in his shooting arm. In this way, I would not kill the youth, but he would also not be able to take another shot at me or my partner.

(Original Caption) Glacier National Park, MO: “On the Shore of Two Medicine Lake.” Blackfoot Indians

Looking forward, I could see the ball sail straight into my enemy’s right arm, and, at the same time, I beheld the enemy youth fall down to his knees.

While observing all this, I listened as my partner muttered, “Thank you, Good Eagle, for not killing him.”

I didn’t answer her.

I watched as the enemy’s arm fell useless at his side and his bow, along with its arrow, dropped to the ground. But, this youth was not a coward, and, with his other arm, he pulled his knife out from the belt around his waist. Then, though he was still on bended knees, he waited for what he probably thought would be the death blow from me.

Immediately, because a musket can only fire one shot, I grabbed hold of my own bow from its case upon my back and, just as swiftly, fitted an arrowto it. I didn’t let the arrow fly. It was there, instead, as a threat as I continued to slowly walk my pony toward this foe.

“Please, do not kill him!” Kiayo’aki cried out again.

“He started it!” I shouted back at her. Still, I knew I would not kill this warrior if I could avoid it. And, this was because I respected my partner’s wishes probably more than my own life. “Besides,” I added, “he has drawn his knife and intends to kill me.”

“But we are two and he is only one. Perhaps we have only frightened him, and this has caused him to draw his knife.”

I didn’t answer. My attention was on the coming fight.

Still, by my actions, I hoped to give the youth the impression that I would show him mercy. Niitá’p, though my actions were not swift as I jumped down from my seat upon my pony, the youth suddenly fell forward and lay there upon the ground as though he were dead.

Meanwhile, I stepped toward the young man, pointing my arrow straight at this enemy while I paced toward him. Coming down onto my knees beside the man, I turned him over and examined first the enemy’s chest to ensure he was still alive and breathing, and then I looked at his wound.

Kiayo’aki had followed me and was the first to speak, and she said, “He is still alive. But, he is hurt. I believe he has only fainted. And, I think his arm is broken. Come, help me to wash his wound and dress it and then assist me to take him back to camp. Please have pity upon him and let him live, I beg you.”

“As you ask, so will I do and he shall live,” said I.

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Well I hope you enjoyed the excerpt.

Here is the link to the book on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HG88KVRV?tag=pettpist-20

And now for even more news:

The last book in The Lost Clan Series will be releasing soon, next Tuesday.  Below is the cover of this fourth and last book in this series, THE LAST WARRIOR.  This book is on a Presale and you can pick up your copy of it here:  https://www.amazon.com/Last-Warrior-Lost-Clan-Book-ebook/dp/B0H7TD5VR7/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&sr=1-1&tag=pettpist-20

Also, I am looking for reviewers.  if you would like to review either of these books, please let me know in the comments.

Well that’s all for today.  Hope you have a beautiful and wonderful day today and for the rest of the week, also.  Don’t forget to leave a comment.  I’ll be giving away a free e-book of OUR ENEMY BRINGS CHANGE to one of the bloggers here today.

Petticoats & Pistols