Again, we want to thank you for sticking with us through our recent technical difficulties. We planned to give away 7 gratitude baskets, but we were so moved by all the responses we read, we decided to give away 8 Tea & Cookies baskets! The recipient of these baskets are:
Carolyn Seeliger
Trudy C. Tonya Lucas Barbara Denniston Debbie J. Pruss Ellie Debra Guyette Sherry Masters
Each of you ladies should be hearing from one of our Fillies soon. Hope you enjoy cozying up with some tasty goodies and a great read!
You might have noticed that our Petticoats & Pistols site was experiencing some technical difficulties last week. It was a bumpy ride, and we got bucked off several times, but I’m happy to announce that we are back in the saddle and ready to ride again now that we have a new server big enough to support all of our western love.
Because we hate to disappoint our readers in any way, the Fillies got together and decided to offer gratitude baskets to express how much we appreciate your patience and loyalty. Since we’re all book lovers here, and since fall is fast approaching, we thought it would be fun to offer baskets with a Tea & Cookie theme. What goes better with a good book than a cozy cup of tea and a sweet treat to nibble on?
Thank You Prizes
For a chance to win one of the SEVEN gratitude baskets, leave a comment about something you’re thankful for.
Winners will be drawn at random and announced on Tuesday, September 14. .
My newest release Sadie is officially here and so far, readers are loving the story (which makes my heart so happy!).
If you haven’t read it yet, you can get the digital or paperback versions on Amazon. It’s also available in Kindle Unlimited.
Inspired by the true stories of women who served in France during World War I, Sadie is a sweet romance filled with courage, hope, and lasting love.
She yearns for far-flung adventures. He longs for the home he’s found in her heart. Will a world at war tear them apart, or draw them closer together?
For most of her life, Doctor Sadie Thorsen has imagined seeing the world on grand adventures. When America joins the war raging across the world in 1917, it seems her dreams are about to come true. She travels overseas as a contracted physician, eager to do her part to help the war effort. Endless streams of wounded push her to the limits of endurance, then she receives word Harley John Hobbs, the man she’s loved for years, is missing in action. Unable to bear the thought of life without him in it, she refuses to let go of her hope that he’s alive.
The day Sadie Thorsen shoved Harley John Hobbs down on the playground was the day she marched off with his heart. He spent years doing everything in his power to become successful, determined to have more than himself to offer Sadie if she ever returns to their eastern Oregon town. Conscripted to join the American Expeditionary Forces, Harley John answers the call and heads to France. Wounded and alone, he clings to the promise of seeing Sadie one last time.
I’m also excited Romance at Rinehart’s Crossing will release this month, on September 17! It’s part of the Regional Romance series with books by fellow fillies Kit Morgan and Kari Trumbo!
I have to tell you, I was way behind writing this book. It includes three intertwined stories and I had to hustle by bustle to get it finished in time to send to my editor. I started on a Monday with roughly 41,000 words written. By 10 p.m. that Friday, I had finished the book at 123,689 words! And that Friday was my new personal record for words written in a single day with 19,493 written. Before that, the most I’d written was just a shade over 18,000. Whew! I hope you enjoy the book because despite the haste, I sure had fun writing the stories!
Life on the Oregon Trail will never be the same . . .
Tenner King is determined to make his own way in the world far from the overbearing presence of his father and the ranch where he was raised in Rinehart’s Crossing, Oregon. Reluctantly, he returns home after his father’s death to find the ranch on its way to ruin and his siblings antsy to leave. Prepared to do whatever is necessary to save the ranch, Tenner isn’t about to let a little thing like love get in his way.
? Austen – After spending her entire life ruled by her father, Austen Rose King certainly isn’t going to allow her bossy older brother to take on the job. Desperate to leave the hard work and solitude of the Diamond K Ranch, she decides a husband would be the fastest means of escape. If only she could find a man she could tolerate for more than five minutes.
? Claire – Two thousand miles of travel. Two thousand miles of listening to her parents bicker about the best place in Oregon to settle. Two thousand miles of dusty trails, bumpy wagons, and things that slither and creep into her bedding at night. Claire Clemons would happily set down roots that very minute if someone would let her. What she needs is her own Prince Charming to give her a place to call home. When a broken wagon wheel strands her family miles from civilization, she wonders if handsome Worth King, the freighter who rescues them, might just be the answer to her prayers.
? Kendall – Anxious to escape her mother’s meddling interference, Kendall Arrington leaves her society life behind, intent on experiencing a Wild West adventure. Hired as the school teacher in a growing town on the Oregon Trail, Kendall hopes to bring a degree of civility and a joy of learning to the children of Rinehart’s Crossing. However, the last thing she expects to find is a cowboy with shaggy hair, dusty boots, and incredible blue eyes among her eager students.
Will love find the three King siblings as Romance arrives in Rinehart’s Crossing?
Read all the books in the Regional Romance Series featuring historic locations, exciting drama, and sweet (yet swoony) romance!
Cathy McDavid
I know it’s early to be thinking about Christmas – or is it too early? Maybe not 🙂
I found out last week that a novella I wrote several years ago as part of an anthology titled A Mistletoe Christmas (original cover on the right) is going to be re-released in France this coming holidays. How cool is that? As you can see from the picture, the anthology has been renamed A Family for Christmas. My story, A Merry Little Wedding is also going to be offered individually and retitled An Embrace Under the Snow.
Now, you wouldn’t know by looking at any of the covers that A Merry Little Wedding is a western and set in the fictional town of Mistletoe, Texas. Still, I like the covers. They have the right holiday feel and put me in a cheery mood. Plus, I’ve always liked this story and am thrilled for the chance to reach new readers halfway across the world! What fun. Oui?
Karen Kay
Howdy!
Sale! Sale!
BLUE THUNDER AND THE FLOWER is on sale today and tomorrow for 25% off the regular price, which is $4.99. It should bring the book’s price down to around $3.99. But, you will need a coupon and the coupon is BNP1892.
Here are a few reviews of the book:
From MJ: A captivating read that I didn’t want to end
This book has everything, romance, friendships, family and concluding a mystery that has run throughout the series. This was definitely a hard book for me to put down and I didn’t want it to end.
From D. Clor:
…[F]or those who are prone to cry like me, have your box of Kleenex handy!
From Kathleen L. Jones:
What a final conclusion to the Wild West Series!!
From Dopr8land:
I was so engrossed in the end chapters of the book and could not put it down till I had finally completed it!
From Linda J. Crews:
Caring, loving, happy story. Read.
From Cinderella 7:
It tugs at your heart ?? right from the beginning. The tragedy both faced. You may have to stop often to wipe your eyes, the emotions this story invokes is tremendous!
Pick Up Your Copy Today with a 25% discount (with the above coupon).
We’re celebrating our 14th birthday today. Yee-haw! And the fillies have a FUN acrostic word game for you because, well, we love words!
Even better, you can win if you play. The more you play, the more chances you have to WIN!
14 Winners! $14 Amazon Gift Cards!
Here’s the scoop for our version of an acrostic:
Choose one – or more – of the 14 western-themed words below. (Remember, each acrostic will count as one entry.)
We’ll keep the word game easy, and no acrostic will be rejected, but we’d love it if you can use one letter of each word to describe what you love about western romance. Or Petticoats & Pistols. Or cowboys. Get it?
Easy, right?
Fun? Definitely!
Let’s get creative!
Please make each acrostic a separate comment to make it easier for us to count your entry.
*****Also, this cover is in a contest over at Books and Benches. Please Vote HERE!
Laura Drake
My March Women’s Fiction release is up for Pre-order!
(click the photo to be taken to a retail site)
Jacqueline Oliver is an indie perfumer, trying to bury her ravaged childhood by shoveling ground under her own feet. Then she gets a call she dreads—the hippie grandmother she bitterly resents was apprehended when police busted a charlatan shaman’s sweat lodge. Others scattered, but Nellie was slowed by her walker, and the fact that she was wearing nothing but a few Mardi-Gras beads. Jacqueline is her only kin, so like it or not, she’s responsible.
Despite being late developing next year’s scent, she drops everything to travel to Arizona and pick up her free-range grandma. But the Universe conspires to set them on a Route 66 road trip together. What Jacqueline discovers out there could not only heal the scars of her childhood but open her to a brighter future.
Cathy McDavid
I got the call last week (yes, an actual phone call!) that my book, Her Cowboy Sweetheart, is a finalist in the Georgia Romance Writers Maggie Awards! I’m really thrilled. This is one of my favorite stories, and I couldn’t be happier. JD isn’t your typical romance book hero. He suffers from Meniere’s Disease and had to leave his successful rodeo career behind. While he learns to cope with this life-style changing condition, he takes a job at Powell Ranch where he meets Carly, a single mom who recently ended her marriage from an abusive man. Despite their immediate attraction, neither of them believes they’re marriage material.
This is the book I mentioned in an earlier post where my heroine designs and sells jewelry for horses. Another reason I like this book so much. Thanks for letting me share my exciting news!
This book is part of the Regional Romance Series I write with Kari Trumbo, Peggy L. Henderson, and our own Kit Morgan. You can pre-order the book today for the special price of $2.99!
This sweet romance includes three individual stories, as do all the books. Mine is linked together by the three King siblings and the story takes place in a town right on the Oregon Trail where you can still see the wagon ruts!
I’ll be sharing more about this book next month.
My Amazon bestselling book is now on KINDLE UNLIMITED!
Hannah’s Vow
Hannah
She grew up on the wrong side of the law, daughter of a master thief and student to his trade. But when he dies at the hands of an angry mob, she flees to a monastery to escape the world and her sins.
Quinn
He is betrayed by his brother and sentenced to a life in prison. Only the thirst for revenge keeps him alive. He will do anything to escape . . .
Together . . .
They must run for their lives to survive their pasts. And in the journey, they find truth . . . and an unlikely love in their hearts.
Karen Kay’s New Release, BLUE THUNDER AND THE FLOWER, Pre-Sale — Save 20%
Regular price: $4.99 Pre-Sale price: $3.99
He rescued her from danger. Then she stole his heart.
Working as a trick rider for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Blue Thunder of the Lakota Nation joins forces with two Assiniboine warriors in their mission to stop a hidden enemy who means to destroy the American Indian people. As a child, he’d witnessed the massacre of his friends and family, including the girl, Sweet Flower, whom he’d vowed to marry. The loss has left him with a burning ache and a prejudice against the white man. So how can he fall for a woman like Marci Fox?
Something terrible happened to Marci when she was a child; something that keeps her from remembering her early life. She jumps at the chance to travel from England to New York with her friends working with the Wild West show. But a last minute hitch means the only way to get there is to pretend she’s married to Blue Thunder. Her attraction to him is deep, yet something stands in the way of true happiness—the ghosts from his past and his commitment to a mission that could get him killed.
But soon, Blue Thunder and his friends must discover who the true enemy is and stop his evil plans before he can harm more of their people. Could uncovering the treachery get Blue Thunder killed? And, even if he survives the threat, can Blue Thunder and Marci overcome their past and discover the sweet flower of true love?
Warning: A sensuous romance that might stir one’s heart to look for, discover and ignite a soul-stirring, forever love.
Welcome to Yee-Haw Day, the once-a-month day we’ve reserved to share our news with you – all sorts of fun news!
So check out the post below to get the details on the kinds of things that make us goYee-Haw!!
Laura Drake
Cover reveal! For my Women’s Fiction, due out next March!
I love it.
Karen Witemeyer
I’m thrilled to pieces to announce that my novella, Inn For a Surprise, has won two major awards!
The Holt Medallion & The Faith Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award!
This is a huge honor and such an encouragement. If you haven’t read Barnabas and Phoebe’s story yet, you can grab the e-single for only $1.99 on Amazon.
Falcon Hunt awakens without a past, or at least not one he can recall. He’s got brothers he can’t remember, and he’s interested in the prettiest woman in the area, Cheyenne. Only trouble is, a few flashes of memory make Falcon wonder if he’s already married. He can’t imagine abandoning a wife. But his pa did just that—twice. When Falcon claims his inheritance in the West, Cheyenne is cut out of the ranch she was raised on, leaving her bitter and angry. And then Falcon kisses her, adding confusion and attraction to the mix.
Soon it’s clear someone is gunning for the Hunt brothers. When one of his brothers is shot, Falcon and Cheyenne set out to find who attacked him. They encounter rustled cattle, traitorous cowhands, a missing woman, and outlaws that take all their savvy to overcome. As love grows between these two independent people, Falcon must piece together his past if they’re to have any chance at a future.
With their sharp engineering minds, Laura Stiles and her two sisters have been able to deal with their mother’s unfortunate choice in husband, until they discover his plans to marry each of them off to his lecherous friends.
Now they must run away–far and fast–to find better matches to legally claim their portion of their father’s lumber dynasty and seize control from their stepfather.
When Laura befriends a mission group heading to serve the poor in California during their escape, she quickly volunteers herself and her sisters to join their efforts.
Despite the settlement being in miserable condition, the sisters are excited by the opportunity to put their skills to good use.
Laura also sees potential in Caleb, the local minister, to help with gaining her inheritance. But when secrets buried in Caleb’s past and in the land around them come to light, it’ll take all the smarts the sisters have to keep trouble at bay.
Phyliss Miranda
Two Engagements and One Week to a Wedding!
This has been an exciting month for us. On the right is our oldest granddaughter, Emma, and her fiancé, Devyn. We leave in two days for their destination wedding in Branson, Missouri, which occurs this coming Saturday.
And on the right is our oldest grandson, Alex, and his fiancé, Jamie. He asked her to marry him earlier this month on Surf Beach in California, which just happened to be the same beach his brother-in-law, Zack, asked his younger sister, Abby, to marry him. Alex and Jami live in the Dallas Metroplex, so it was a carefully planned out event.
The middle picture is Emma’s little brother who surprised us by showing up when he got shore leave from is submarine last week. I can’t tell you much about his navel experience except he went into the Navy at a higher rank since he was an Eagle Scout. He and has achieved a high rank due to his training. We’re proud of him.
Needless to say I’m a very proud and happy Granny!
Welcome to Yee-Haw Day, the once-a-month day we’ve reserved to share our news with you – all sorts of fun news!
So check out the post below to get the details on the kinds of things that make us goYee-Haw!!
Laura Drake
I’m thrilled to announce a sale! I’ve sold two Women’s Fiction stories – but don’t worry, they’re still set in the west! The first will come out next March. Title: The Road to Me. Here’s the blurb:
Trouble with the Curve meets Peace, Love and Misunderstanding.
The Universe conspires to force a uptight, workaholic perfumer on a Route 66 road trip with the hippie grandmother that she bitterly resents. What she discovers out there could not only heal the scars of her childhood, but open her to a brighter future.
Karen Witemeyer
I am so excited and honored to announce that At Love’s Command and Inn for a Surprise (novella) are both finalists for the 2021 Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award and the 2021 Holt Medallion.
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Receiving a finalist nomination is a huge honor for any contest, but there is something special about contests that are judged by readers, and both these awards have that distinction.
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I’m tickled pink and waving my cowgirl hat in the air like a crazy woman. Ha!
Karen Kay
The 25th Anniversary edition of Gray Hawk’s Lady has just been released. These anniversary books are a lot of work, mostly because when the mass market book was converted to e-book, I didn’t know the amount of errors that could take place. So these anniversary books have been edited again to correct any errors and re-released.
Different worlds, one heart. Blackfoot Warriors, Book 1
When Lady Genevieve Rohan joins her father in the farthest reaches of the American West, she expects to bring a bit of genteel English charm to his dry, academic existence. Instead, she finds her father desperately ill, and it’s up to her to finish his study of the Indian and publish his work—or face the wrath of his creditors.
Her troubles mount when the men hired to capture a member of the Blackfoot tribe don’t bring her a docile maid to study. They present her with a magnificent warrior—proud, outrageously handsome and simmering with fury at the loss of his freedom.
The white woman is beautiful beyond compare, but Gray Hawk can’t think past his plan to exact revenge against this meddling foreigner. It’s ridiculously easy to escape, then turn the tables and take her captive. When anger turns to passion, then to love, he embarks on a new quest. To claim the stubborn, red-headed vixen as his own.
Yet as their hearts strain toward each other, pride conspires to pull them apart…unless they can each find a way for their hearts to become one.
Warning: Sensuous romance that contains a raging, simmering love, consumed by its fire and destined to explode at any moment.
This book is the 25th Year Edition
Linda Broday
I made the move from Amarillo to Lubbock over Memorial Day and I LOVE my new apartment.
It’s in a 55 and older complex and really nice. I know I’ll write some good stories here.
And my 3rd floor windows offer an inspiring view of the Lubbock sunset!
Phyliss
I’m so excited! My second oldest granddaughter graduated from nursing school at Amarillo College two weeks ago. Abigail was President of her class and has already enrolled in the next level of nursing plus is working full time at NWTH, where everyone from her other Grandmother to me…total of 14 family members now…have worked.
This picture includes our oldest granddaughter, Emma, who is also in the medical field, and is having a big wedding next month. Such exciting news for our family.
Just of interest, Abby’s Hawaiian Lai is a custom in California where she graduated high school. She wanted one and we made sure she had it!
Yes, I’m a proud Granny!
Shanna Hatfield
I’m so thrilled and honored to share that Protecting the Princess is a finalist in the 2021 RONE Awards. Yeehaw! Thank you to all the readers who voted for it in the initial round of voting. I so appreciate you!
Working as a trick rider for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, Blue Thunder of the Lakota Nation joins forces with two Assiniboine warriors in their mission to stop a hidden enemy who means to destroy the American Indian people. As a child, he’d witnessed the massacre of his friends and family, including the girl, Sweet Flower, whom he’d vowed to marry. The loss has left him with a burning ache and a prejudice against the white man. So how can he fall for a woman like Marci Fox?
I’m thrilled to pieces to announce that my novella, Inn For a Surprise, has won two major awards!
Karen Witemeyer
I’m so excited! My second oldest granddaughter graduated from nursing school at Amarillo College two weeks ago. Abigail was President of her class and has already enrolled in the next level of nursing plus is working full time at NWTH, where everyone from her other Grandmother to me…total of 14 family members now…have worked.
