Guest Blogger

Cobalt Skies by Guest Author Pegg Thomas

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I’ve very happy to be here on Petticoats & Pistols talking about my new release, Cobalt Skies, the second book in my post-Civil War series, A More Perfect Union.

This series began with the question of what happened to the Civil War soldiers, especially those who were devastatingly impacted by the war. The books are not sequential and can be read in any order. The heroes are ex-cavalrymen meeting heroines who have been changed by the war as well. All must find new paths for their lives, new careers, but also new hope for a future.

All three books deal with different aspects of the fallout from the war. In Emerald Fields, Russ is physically changed by the war. In Cobalt Skies, Hick is left emotionally damaged. In Silver Prairies, Ben is financially devasted. These types of traumatic changes make for some wonderful story conflict and drama. Of course, pairing each hero with a heroine he may or may not wish to be paired with just doubles the fun! Here’s a snippet from Cobalt Skies:

 

“I believe I am fit to ride this morning. I feel remarkably better than yesterday.”

Hick rose and grabbed another stick to feed the fire. “I’m not, ma’am. Another day will do me good.”

“It is imperative that I make it to St. Joseph. The wagon trains leave in the spring to make it through the mountains before the heavy snows.” There was a tinge of desperation in her voice. “Asel and I arrived too late last year. I can’t miss them again.”

“One more day won’t stop you from getting on a wagon train.” If a wagon master would sign her on, which he doubted, but it was no concern of his. “Me and Trooper are going to rest here one more day. What you and your mule do, that’s up to you.”

She shifted without rising, but he could almost feel her annoyance from across the open space between them. Funny how women could do that. Ma had always been able to—

“Then I suppose Peaches and I will stay one more day.” She rose and folded her blankets. “Do you have more bacon? I could cook that with biscuits.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Hick pulled the small slab of bacon from his saddlebag and handed it to her. “I’ll see to your mule.”

“Her name is Peaches.”

“So you said.” But he wasn’t going to call the animal by that fool name. What if someone heard him? Then he snorted to himself. Who’d hear out here? But Peaches? They’d been good on the pancakes, but it was no fitting name for a mule. A mule that took a snap at him as he untied her tether.

After breakfast, the bacon having been cooked to perfection instead of scorched and the biscuits as tender as any he’d ever bitten into, Hick shouldered his saddle.

“I’ll take Trooper out and see if I can’t hunt something up for supper.”

Mrs. Piper’s hands landed on her hips. That was never a good sign on any woman.

“If we are here to rest for another day”—she fairly glared at him—“why would you ride off to hunt?”

“Because, ma’am, you would do well with some broth to build your blood back up.” He turned his back on her and strode to Trooper. The old bay lifted his muzzle, spring grass dangling from his lips as if to say he hadn’t finished his breakfast yet. “Don’t you start.” Hick slung the blanket and saddle onto Trooper’s back, then reached under and drew up the girth. “Bad enough the lady is complaining about my actions.”

He mounted and rode away without looking back. Maybe he should have grabbed his saddlebag and bedroll and just kept going. He didn’t need anyone telling him what to do and when to do it.

He’d had his fill of that during the war.

***

Here’s a bit of fun-for-me trivia: the horse on the cover is my old horse, Trooper, who passed away in 2017 at the age of 25. I still miss that ol’ boy. He was my buddy.

I’d love to do a giveaway of Cobalt Skies to one person who answers this question on this blog:

Have you ever owned/ridden/known a favorite horse, and if so, what was its name?

In the contiguous 48 states, the winner has their choice of ebook or paperback. All others, ebook only (and as long as your country allows me to send an ebook).

To follow me and learn more about my books and spinning wheels, you can subscribe to my monthly newsletter. (I promise never to sell/trade/or otherwise disperse your contact information.)

Pegg Thomas – Spinner of Yarns

 

The “P” Word by Guest Author Robin Lee Hatcher

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I’m sorry. I know you would just as soon never hear the “p” word again. You know which word that is. Right? Okay, I’ll just whisper it: Pandemic.

When I started to work in 2021 on All She Ever Dreamed, Book #2 in the Boulder Creek Romance series, a pandemic was the last thing I wanted to think about. After all, that was our reality. Been there, done that, so over it!

When the novel opens in 1898, we meet Jeremiah. He has wandered around the country for nine years, ever since the death of his wife, Marta, and their newborn son. I didn’t think a whole lot about what caused Marta’s death. After all, for much of the world’s history, 50% of women died in childbirth. Her death could have been for any number of reasons.

Jeremiah left Idaho fourteen years earlier when he and Marta eloped as teenagers. They knew five years of happiness, despite being poor. Still, he blames himself for her death, and he’s been on the run from those feelings ever since. In the book’s opening scene, he realizes it is time to go home to Boulder Creek and the family farm that was left to him by his father.

Of course, there are other complications awaiting him when he arrives, including his unwanted attraction to Sarah, the granddaughter of the sheriff. Creating and writing those complications consumed my thoughts as I wrote the novel. The back story of what specifically killed Marta wasn’t my first priority.

But eventually I had to know more about her death. So I did a bit of research.

And serendipity struck!

In my writing, I had already established that Marta died nine years before the book opens. Meaning in 1889. And guess what happened in 1889. The start of the Russian Influenza pandemic (1889-1890). The outbreak began in May in what is now modern day Uzbekistan. The first pandemic to spread worldwide and not just through a region, the Russian Influenza reached US soil before the end of that year.

A man with influenza, taken in hand by a doctor, surrounded by dancing politicians. Wood engraving by Pépin (E. Guillaumin), 1889.

By the time it ran its course in 1890, 6.7% of the world population had died from it. Putting that number in perspective, less than 1% of the today’s population of 8 billion have died from COVID (per statistics I found online).

As difficult as the last few years have been, the lockdowns and isolation, the quarantines and fears of today showed me ever more clearly how the pandemic of 1889 would continue to impact Jeremiah nine years later.

Like it or not, authors often write what they know.

WHAT HISTORICAL EVENT(S) HAVE YOU READ ABOUT IN A NOVEL THAT FELT VERY CURRENT TO SOMETHING HAPPENING TODAY?

I’m giving away a Kindle copy of the two books in the Boulder Creek Romance series, Even Forever and All She Ever Dreamed, to one winner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robin Lee Hatcher is the author of over 85 novels and novellas with over five million copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love. Her numerous awards include the RITA® Award, the Carol Award, the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. Robin is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America®. When not writing, she enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, Bible art journaling, reading books that make her cry, watching romantic movies, and decorative planning. Robin makes her home on the outskirts of Boise, sharing it with a demanding Papillon dog and a persnickety tuxedo cat.

 

Do You Want to be a Cowgirl? by Guest Author Macie St. James

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Starting and running a ranch is a lot of work. First, you’ll need the money to buy the land, equipment, and livestock necessary to turn a piece of property into a business. But you’ll also need to find at least 100 acres located in an ideal setting for raising cattle. Then comes the know-how necessary to start and run a successful ranch.

Still want to be a cowboy? You don’t even have to do all that. There are ranches across the U.S. that welcome visitors. Most offer a glimpse of the true ranching experience, and some even provide spa services and yoga sessions. Known as dude ranches, these properties have found a way to make money without relying solely on cattle sales.

The first dude ranch is thought to date all the way back to the 1880s. At the time, the word “dude” referred to the city types who were the target market for these vacation destinations. The first dude ranch was the Custer Trail Ranch, located in the Dakota Badlands.

It was the Custer Trail Ranch that later served as the inspiration for ranches across the country. As harsh winters hit ranches hard in the late 1880s, some cowboys chose to invest in what was then called “guest business.” Teddy Roosevelt has been credited with spreading the word about dude ranches, since he visited Custer Trail Ranch and enjoyed hunting and fishing there so much, he purchased a ranch nearby.

Throughout the decades to follow, ranchers would begin welcoming guests in response to cattle industry challenges. Railroad expansion further paved the way for ranches to host guests on their property. Passengers could travel across the country to stay at dude ranches across the west. By then, the first guest ranch, Custer Trail Ranch, had grown to become the largest dude ranch in the country, with room to accommodate 125 guests at one time. At first, dude ranches didn’t even charge to stay on their property, but that gradually changed.

Dude ranches became somewhat official in 1926, when a group of ranch owners partnered with the Northern Pacific Railway to form the Dude Ranchers’ Association. The goal of the DRA was to find new ways to market and improve the experience for guests. The DRA is still in existence today, with a membership of more than 90 dude ranches located across the U.S. and Canada.

Although dude ranches no longer appeal solely to city dwellers, the goal remains the same. Owners strive to give guests time outdoors, enjoying nature. Activities can include horseback riding, roping lessons, cattle drives, swimming, hunting, and campouts. To keep guests entertained in the winter months, ranches may also include some indoor activities like crafts and cooking classes.

If you’re thinking about enjoying the ranching experience yourself, start with a search of DRA member organizations. Some are only open seasonally, and some are large enough to handle large groups. It could make a great place for a family reunion or business retreat. Just be sure to pack your comfortable shoes and play clothes because, chances are, you’re going to get a little dirty.

Have you ever been to a dude ranch?

What’s your favorite kind of vacation?

Go behind the scenes at a dude ranch in The Maverick Cowboy, the first book in my all-new Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series. I’m giving away one free copy to three lucky commenters today!

USA Today Bestselling author Macie St. James has written most of her life. After earning a degree in mass communications, she worked in public relations and technology for the government. She spent a full decade as a content writer before realizing her dream of being a full-time novelist. She lives in Nashville with her husband and dog, a spaniel mix.

Visit Macie’s webpage at MacieStJames.com. Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free e-book of The Coolheaded Cowboy, the prequel to the Cupid Ridge Dude Ranch series.

Additional Links:

Amazon

Facebook Page

Instagram

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Goodreads

Bookbub

Photos from Pexels:DudeRanch1  (Photo by Mathias Reding)
DudeRanch2 (Photo by Ave Calvar Martinez)
DudeRanch3 (Photo by Mathias Reding)

An Actress’s Life in the 1800s ~ by Charlene Raddon

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Ada Isaacs Menken

In the 18th and early 19th centuries, an actress was considered little more than a prostitute. In the mid-19th century, attitudes began to change. It became popular among the wealthy to entertain leading actors and actresses.

The life of actors and actresses was difficult, requiring great physical stamina. In addition to a grueling performance schedule, actors had to withstand stagecoach, early riverboat travel, and makeshift lodgings. Actors often rehearsed three plays a day and then prepared for the night’s performance. By the Civil War, the season was varied and demanding. A season could consist of 40 to 130 plays, changing nightly. Utility actors in a company might be expected to know over 100 parts. The famous actress Charlotte Cushman could offer 200 different lead roles. Actors often had only two days or overnight to learn a new script.

In the antebellum period, beginning actors’ salaries ranged from $3 to $6 per week; utility players’ salaries from $7 to $15 per week; “walking” ladies and gentlemen, $15 to $30; and lead actors earned anywhere from $35 to $100 per week. Traveling stars could command $150 to $500 per 7- to 10-day engagement, plus one or more benefits. Except for the lowest ranks of actors, salaries were good at this time, especially for women, though they were paid less than men in comparable roles and must furnish their own costumes.

Cora Urquhart Brown-Potter

Many 19th-century actors and actresses came from theatrical backgrounds and started as child actors. “Child stars are an American tradition…but no period surpasses the mid-1800s for the sheer number of children appearing in live theatrical events or the degree of seriousness with which they were taken.

“Because the theatre has been remarkably free-thinking, women in the profession have always been relatively equal to their male colleagues. Bad managers have absconded with their salaries equally; audiences booed them equally; they starved equally between engagements; and their contributions to the traditions of the theatre have been equally forgotten.”(Turner) Women’s roles became somewhat ambiguous. Tradition required women to be delicate, fragile, and dependent. But, to withstand the rigors of the acting profession, they needed to be resilient, independent, strong-willed, and determined.

Eleanora Duse

One more almost pleasant expectation was the dealing with fashions of the day. Clara Morris recounted that long trains on dresses were particularly vexing. She tells a story of Fanny Davenport moving continually on a crowded stage during a comedy scene and ending up with her trailing skirts tangled around a chair so that when she exited the stage, the chair went with her.

Neither Bernhardt or Duse had a promising start. Duse was born to a family of street musicians, making her professional debut at age four when she was pushed onto a stage to play Cosette in an early Les Misérables. Bernhardt, the daughter of a high-class courtesan, used her mother’s connections to get a spot with the famed Comédie-Française, only to suffer such terrible stage fright that she was let go.

Lillie Langtry

Bernhardt excelled in the dramatic poses and exaggerated gestures early 19th-century actors used to convey character’s emotions so that even audience members in the cheap seats could follow what was going on. Her mastery of the technique won her devoted fans. Oscar Wilde wrote Salome for her, and Mark Twain raved, “There are five kinds of actresses: bad actresses, fair actresses, good actresses, great actresses—and then there is Sarah Bernhardt.”

Bernhardt traveled with a menagerie of exotic animals, marketed merchandise bearing her likeness from souvenir cards to bottled drinks, gave provocative interviews about her sex life, had herself photographed sleeping in a coffin, and, during her first U.S. tour in 1880, demanded $1,000 a performance (about $25,000 today).

Sarah Bernhardt

Less flashy, Duse’s name might have been less familiar to modern audiences, but some considered her acting style more influential. Fourteen years younger than Bernhardt and more of an introvert by nature, Duse adopted a form of acting that sought to disappear within the characters she played. Thus, her gestures tended to be smaller and more naturalistic than most. Instead, she relied on the expressiveness of her face, which the newly introduced gas lighting helped illuminate.

But despite their acclaim, both women faced obstacles in pursuing their careers. Bernhardt, whose mother was Jewish, experienced anti-Semitism. Duse suffered from depression and bad choices in men, several of whom spent her money and left her in debt.

Men saw actresses either as mystical goddesses or trollops to socialize with in a more dignified way than visiting the local whorehouse.

Maude Adams

From 1870-1880 the number of women listing “actress” as their profession rose from 780 to 4,652 (596%). By 1910, 15,432. This influx of women saw 25 new women to every new man, indicating economic opportunity, social and sexual independence. Women obtained wealth, mobility, and social power through the theater.

Stars could command a salary of up to $150 a week, while most chorus or ballet girls made between ten and twenty-five. Few were paid for rehearsal time, and players had long layoffs since the theater season lasted for thirty to forty weeks a year. Costumes cost between three hundred and four hundred dollars a season.

For all the apparent drawbacks of life on stage, there was also glamour, excitement, and public admiration. The theater lured women and gave those usually stuck in unrewarding jobs money, fame, and an opportunity to become a star.

 

Do you like reading about women trying to become actresses in the old west?

Would you have liked to be an actress in the old west?

 

I will do a giveaway of one ebook of my latest western, LULA MAE, one of my fantasy, A KISS AND A DARE, and also, a $5 Amazon card. Each of three winners will get one of these.

AMAZON

AMAZON

 

Charlene likes to say she began her fiction career in the third grade when she told the class, during Show and Tell, that a black widow spider came down from the garage roof and bit her (non-existent) little sister to death.

After two years of college as a fine arts major, and a divorce, she moved to Utah, planning to wow the world with her watercolor landscapes—until her sister introduced her to romance novels. She never picked up a paint brush again.

Originally published by Kensington in the ‘90s, Charlene is an Indie author now. She writes Victorian/western historical romance, except for one unpublished contemporary fantasy. It’s a frog princess story about a man napping beside a pond, who awakens when a frog jumps on his chest. The frog kisses him and voila!—he has a naked medieval princess sprawled over him. Charlene has a vivid imagination and a romantic soul.

Please excuse her now. She just heard a husky whisper from one of the dusty, shadowed corners of her office. Someone lurks there, someone long, lanky and lascivious, beckoning to her. She has no intention of playing coy.

Visit Charlene’s webpage, http://charleneraddon.com and sign up for her newsletter.

Her book cover site is http://silversagebookcovers.com.

Additional Links:

https://twitter.com/craddon
http://www.facebook.com/charlene.b.raddon
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1232154.Charlene_Raddon

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlene-raddon

https://www.pinterest.com/charraddon5080/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlene-raddon-00854629/

https://www.instagram.com/charrad75/

http://www.amazon.com/Charlene-Raddon/e/B000APG1P8?tag=pettpist-20

https://www.facebook.com/CharleneRaddonwesternbooks

https://linktr.ee/craddon

Lake Tahoe ~ by Janice Cole Hopkins

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Two of my recent novels are set near Lake Tahoe. This is a fascinating lake that sits on the Nevada-California border and is known for its great scenic beauty, photo opportunities, and panoramic views. It’s also famous for crystal, clear water that reflects the blue sky. More than 75% of its watershed is in National Forests. Today, as you can imagine, Lake Tahoe is a major, year-round tourist destination.

The lake itself was formed more than two million years ago, during the Ice Age. It is the largest freshwater lake in the U.S. Sierra Nevada Range and the largest alpine lake in North America. At 1,645 feet deep, it is the second deepest one in the United States, with only Crater Lake being deeper. It is 6,225 feet above sea level and has more water volume than any other, except for the Great Lakes.

I had always wanted to go to a writers’ retreat, and when the chance came to go to Lake Tahoe with writers like MaryLu Tyndall and Tamara Leigh for a reasonable price, I jumped at it. At that time (2015), I had only published one book, but I knew there would be many more to come, and I welcomed this amazing opportunity.

Besides the fact that I was up for 25 hours straight on the trip out and the start of the retreat, it turned out to be a wonderful experience on many different levels. The gourmet-type food prepared for us as part of the retreat was wonderful, the friendships formed, heart-warming, and the place, picture-perfect. We not only had writing time but also sessions with suggestions and instruction. The advice that has stuck with me the longest and proved to be true came from MaryLu. She told me not to expect to make a lot of money on any one book, but to publish a lot of books and the royalties would add up. Since all my profits go to a scholarship fund for missionary children, this was important to me. I want to fund as many students’ tuitions as possible. Since that time, I have published 52 books.

This year, I had the opportunity to use this gorgeous setting in two of my most recent books, Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie and A Christmas Snow for Sadie. In the first novel, Sophie Zimmermann and her father leave Illinois to make the long, hard journey west on the California Trail to Genoa, near Lake Tahoe in Utah Territory. Sophie meets two special men who want to court her, but she has a hard time deciding which is best. Can Sophie’s unusual recipe for Sauerkraut Cake show her what to do? (And yes, the recipe is included in the book.)

Amazon link for Sauerkraut Cake by Sophie

A Christmas Snow for Sadie is set on the California side of Lake Tahoe. Sadie Alexander’s employer dies, and she knows she’ll need to leave the household at once. Mrs. Ludlow’s son has already made improper advances, and it will be hard to avoid him now. Desperate, she seizes the opportunity to travel to California to become a mail-order bride. However, when she finally arrives, Mr. Laird is away on business, and his older friend comes to meet her.

Sawyer Laid couldn’t believe that he’d finally gotten a response to his advertisement for a bride after all this time, and it couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. He still has construction contracts to fulfill in Placerville, a rough, gold-mining town that’s no place for a lady. Well, she’d just have to wait for a spell, so he hoped she’d be the understanding sort.

Amazon link for A CHRISTMAS SNOW FOR SADIE

 

As with all my books, you can find these on Kindle, KU, print and Audible.

I will give a Kindle copy of one of these books (your choice) drawn from the comments, telling which of these two books you would choose, and why.

 

A Western Holiday Feast and a Bit of Friendly Competition ~ by Nancy Fraser

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Any western historical romance storyteller worth her salt (pun intended) knows that a wholesome and entertaining story will contain a number of things to which their reader can relate. Most often in my own books, it’s food. I grew up in a family where holidays and other celebrations, e.g., birthdays, all revolved around togetherness, and togetherness meant food.

I can recite verbatim what filled my Tennessee-born mother’s dinner table on Christmas, from my childhood years back in the stone age, up until my two sons’ last holiday with their grandmother. I’m thankful every day for the time they had with her, and for the fact that they’ve both developed her cooking talents and, in some cases, tastes.

Given mine (and my family’s) love of food, I knew I wanted to write about researching food in the time period and western location of my upcoming holiday book. The story takes place in 1895, in what was then the real town of Castlerock, Oregon. So, being a stickler for research I went looking for what might have been included on the average family’s holiday table. Lo and behold, my search took me back to the book archives at my own alma mater, Michigan State University, and to the Boston Cooking School Cook Book, written by none other than Fannie Farmer. Even though the book wasn’t published until 1896, it covered recipes from pre-Civil War through that year. I imagine all the foods listed in their holiday meal would have been readily available in a western town for the time period.

The recommended menu for an 1895 Christmas Dinner includes: Consommé, bread sticks, celery, olives, and salted pecans for starters. Followed by roast goose, potato stuffing, applesauce, Duchess potatoes, cream of lima beans, chicken croquettes with green peas, and dressed lettuce with cheese straws. Desserts included plum pudding with brandy sauce, frozen pudding, assorted cakes, bonbons, crackers, cheese and Café Noir.

Satisfied with my chosen Christmas meal, I moved on to the next phase of my research. An integral part of this upcoming book is quilting. Just so you know, my sewing talent lends more to button replacement and very limited hemming. Thankfully, I have friends who quilt.

Kindle Unlimited

In Audrey (Christmas Quilt Brides) my hero, who also happens to be the new doctor in town, is asked to judge the holiday quilt competition. One of my first questions was:  What should he be looking in an award-winning quilt? Most of what I could find related to modern day machine quilting, rather than the hand quilting that would have taken place in the 1890s. Time to ‘phone a friend,’ a lady of a certain age who began quilting before the fancy machines took over. I believe we settled on a fair judge’s sheet for my heroine’s first attempt at joining the quilting circle.A Christmas Baby for Beatrice: Mail-Order Brides' First Christmas - Book 17

I’ll give away an autographed copy of my previous year’s western holiday romance, “A Christmas Baby for Beatrice” along with some swag to winners in the U.S. or Canada. International winners will get an ebook copy.

In line with my research, I thought I’d put two questions to your readers. They’re welcome to answer one, or both, or neither as it suits them.

Question #1 pertains to food: What’s the most sought-after staple on your holiday table? For my family, it’s Heart Attack Potatoes for the adults and Banana Pudding for the grandchildren.

Question #2 pertains to quilting: Have you ever made a quilt by hand? And, if so, what did you find to be the most challenging part?

Thank you so much for hosting my visit today. I look forward to returning throughout the day to interact with readers. And, hopefully, visiting again sometime in the future. May you all have a blessed and joyous holiday, no matter which you celebrate!

Nancy

NANCY FRASER is a bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

Nancy was named Canadian writer of the year for 2021 by N.N. Lights’ Book Heaven, and her western historical romance, An Honorable Man for Katarina, won the National Excellent in Story Telling (NEST) award for sweet romance. She was also named a “bright new voice in sweet/inspirational romance” by Independently Reviewed.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Website: https://tinyurl.com/3acnynze

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B09FTH655Z?tag=pettpist-20

Bookbub: http://bookbub.com/profile/nancy-fraser

 

Guest Blogger Jo-Ann Roberts – Quilts and Christmas

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Happy Thanksgiving, y’all!

Earlier this year, the lovely Zina Abbott asked if I would be interested in being part of a historical MAPs that would feature quilts and Christmas. Gosh! As an avid quilter what could be better? Maybe a rugged cowboy? I answered with a very enthusiastic “Yes!”

While history books, almanacs, and memoirs chronicled the West as a man’s world full of adventure and clashes with nature and man, it should be noted women also played a vital role in the migration and taming of the frontier.

Prior to leaving for the journey, female friends in the East came together to stitch a quilt for the departing woman. These “quiltings” became farewell gatherings, united in purpose as well as in friendship. Thus the “friendship quilts”, squares inscribed with names, dates, and heartfelt sentiments became popular.

As preparations continued, the women gathered all the quilts, blankets and tied comforters they could make or acquire. While special quilts were packed in a trunk, or used to wrap fragile keepsakes, everyday quilts were left out for bedding or padding on the wagon seat. When the winds rose up and blew across the dusty plains, quilts were used to cover the cracks that let the dust inside the wagon.

Since most of the women walked alongside the wagon, little quilting was done on the trail. More often the women knitted or mended clothing during the short breaks or occasional layovers. Besides, the poor light of a campfire would not have been conducive to stitching blocks together.

Quilts often reflected the adventures the of the family. “Road to California”, “Crossing the Plains” and “Log Cabin” (my personal favorite!) often indicated memories of home and hearth, the trail looming up before them, or the movement of the wind across the plains.

As the journey continued, quilts were needed for far more serious purposes than simple comfort and dust control. They were hung on the exposed side of the wagons for protection against Indian attacks. Loss of life from sickness and injury was inevitable, and wood for building a coffin was scarce along the trail as well as time-consuming. Wrapping a beloved mother, child or husband in a quilt for burial gave the family comfort knowing that something symbolizing family love enfolded their dear one in that lonely grave along the trail.

Once a pioneer family reached their destination, quilts and blankets were needed to keep the elements out of their windows and doors of log cabins or dugouts. Quilts also gave emotional sustenance as well. Putting a favorite quilt on the bed gave a woman a sense of connection with her former way of life, and something of beauty in her desolate home.

A Swedish woman settled in Kansas in the early 1850s, and recalled an invitation to a sewing circle. Being new to the country and the territory, she took this as an offer of friendship. Pioneer quilting had become an opportunity to express creativity and cultivate friendships in the new land.

Here’s the buy link for Noelle:    Noelle – Christmas Quilt Brides

 

 

On to the fun stuff….

Today is release day for Noelle – Christmas Quilt Brides, Book 8. If you’d like to read an excerpt, PLEASE CLICK HERE

 ***** Giveaway *****

Jo-Ann will be giving away two ebook copies of Noelle. For a chance to win one, leave a comment about the type of crafting you enjoy most ( quilting, knitting, sewing, cake decorating, wreathing-making, etc.). If you’re not a crafter, what crafty skill to admire most in others?

Many thanks to the P&P authors for extending an invitation to their blog. I love sharing my love of the West and sweet historical romance!

 

Guest Blogger Regina Jennings – The Coney Island of the Tri-State District

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The Coney Island of the Tri-State District

By Regina Jennings

Whether you get a big bonus at work or flat out win the lottery, what do you start planning immediately? For most people, they make plans for a vacation to one of those fancy theme parks.

The citizens of Joplin, Missouri, were no different.

The little mining town of Joplin had, after a fashion, won the lottery. Situated on the nation’s richest lead and zinc fields, what had been only a small camp site and scattered farms after the Civil War was producing seventy-five percent of America’s zinc by 1895. For every railroad car of ore shipped out of Jasper County, bags of money were rolling back in. But instead of visiting a theme park, Joplin decide to build their own.

Schifferdecker Park Promenade

 

In the 1890s, successful brewer Charles Schifferdecker purchased a dairy farm on the outskirts of Joplin. Seeing an opportunity with his new land acquisition, he leased ten acres to some businessmen for the formation of an amusement park. Eventually Schifferdecker transferred more land to the partnership until Schifferdecker Park had expanded to 160 acres and became the premier attraction in the area.

Over 12,000 people attended the Park’s grand opening on June 10, 1909, making it the largest gathering ever in the Tri-State District. On that day, visitors could tour the extensive gardens, slide or dive into the pool, boat across the lagoon, roller skate at the rink, play tennis, attend concerts and animal exhibitions, and enjoy Schifferdecker’s brew at the biergarten in a replica German village.

And just twenty years after the invention of the roller coaster, upstart Joplin had three of them. In my book Engaging Deception, Olive and Maxfield have a thrilling encounter on the Dazy Dazer.

I thought it better to put them on the Dazy Dazer than the Figure 8, which was demolished in 1916 for being “a menace to safety.” Roller coasters, animal shows and roller skating, but what Schifferdecker Park became famous for was its amazing light display.

Schifferdecker Park became known as the Electric Park because of the 40,000 incandescent bulbs installed on its structures. At a time when electricity was used sparingly and cautiously, Joplin had a Tower of Light that was 125 feet high and covered in 10,000 light bulbs. It was a marvelous feat of engineering and a source of pride for everyone in the region.

Tower of Lights

While Schifferdecker and Joplin had the riches to build the magnificent Electric Park, it did not have the population to sustain it. With the vast grounds, attractions and electricity usage, the Park was horribly expensive to maintain. Schifferdecker’s Electric Park was closed in 1913 and Schifferdecker donated 40 acres of the property to the City of Joplin with the understanding that it would always be used as a public park. Although the Tower of Lights is long gone, people still gather on Schifferdecker’s land for fun and relaxation.

Speaking of fun and relaxation, you could use a break! Take a literary trip to turn-of-the-century Joplin with Engaging Deception. It releases December 13 and is available for pre-order now. Not only that, but the first two books in the series (Courting Misfortune and Proposing Mischief) are on ebook sale for the month of November. Only 99 cents and $2.99 for them!

****Giveaway****

To win a paperback copy of Engaging Deception, leave a comment below letting me know which theme park is your favorite! The fillies will pick a winner and you’ll get a copy in the mail after the release date. (US residents only, please.)

Connect with Regina at:

http://www.reginajennings.com

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Guest Blogger Jodie Wolfe – A Ranch of Guinea Pigs

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Howdy! Thank you for having me here for a visit today. I first wanted to say happy Veteran’s Day and thank you to all of those who’ve served in the military or are currently serving. We appreciate you.

So, you may be wondering how a ranch of guinea pigs can possibly tie into a western theme. 🙂 And is there such a thing as a ranch of guinea pigs? When I set out to work on book three of my current series I’m writing, I ended up researching guinea pigs. My heroine’s name is Gertrude Miller. Many years ago, when my boys were still living at home, I had a picture frame sitting on a table and had yet to put a photo in it. Instead, it had a photo of a woman that the frame came with when we bought it at the store. We jokingly named her Aunt Gertrude. Eventually I spun a story about her living on a ranch in Texas and how she was raising guinea pigs. Many, many guinea pigs.

When my sons found out the name of my next heroine, they teased me about having a guinea pig featured as part of her story. They sent me photos of cowboys riding guinea pigs, while also corralling guinea pigs into fenced areas. They found videos of people who have hundreds of guinea pigs they are raising. I’ve since learned that in Peru, guinea pigs are often eaten, but we won’t go there.

I thought it would be fun to add a guinea pig to Gertrude’s story since she lives in Kansas in the 1870s in honor of my sons. The question I had to answer, was it feasible? Research showed these little critters first came from South America. They ran wild and were eventually domesticated. They were introduced to Europe and North America in the 16th Century. They became pets of the wealthy and elite. It’s believed that even Queen Elizabeth I had one as a pet. There’s a painting in the National Portrait Gallery in London of Elizabeth as a young girl holding a guinea pig.

Several sites I checked into mentioned that they were shipped to America in 1627 to Jamestown, Virginia. Others stated they were first introduced as part of the exotic pet trade during this time period. I had enough information to realize that while unusual, it definitely was possible and believable to have a guinea pig or two be featured in Gertrude’s story.

I also decided to make mention of Queen Elizabeth I having one as a pet. I always love when I can introduce fun historical facts in a story I’m writing. I enjoy discovering fun things like this when I read historical romance books. I decided to go one step more and have Gertrude make an off-handed comment about wouldn’t it be nice to have a ranch of guinea pigs. It was a humorous way to honor my sons and our family joke.

In honor of Veteran’s Day and being exactly one year since the release of Protecting Annie, I’ll be giving away a print copy of it (US only), or ebook for international readers.

Leave a comment by answering this question: What amusing stories and history do you like to see included in historical romances?

Protecting Annie

After twenty years living along the trail as a deputy U.S. Marshal, Joshua Walker takes a job as sheriff in Burrton Springs, Kansas so he can be closer to his sister. Only problem is, she no longer requires his protecting.

After the death of her father, Annie McPherson needs a change. She accepts a position as schoolmarm hoping her past won’t catch up with her. Life is good, except for the pesky lawman who creates confrontations at every turn and continually questions her ability to adjust to life in the west.

When the irritating schoolteacher’s past and present collide, dragging Josh into the turmoil, he has to decide who he’s willing to defend.

 

Jodie Wolfe

Jodie Wolfe Stories

Where Hope and Quirky Meet

http://www.jodiewolfe.com

 

Guest Blogger – Kathleen Denly – Cakes and Kisses

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Have you ever been let down or even betrayed by someone you trusted? How did you respond and did it differ from how Scripture instructs us to respond? This is the major theme of my interquel novella Cakes and Kisses. So when I discovered the following event described in the June 9, 1854 edition of the Daily Alta California I knew it was perfect for my story.

“View of San Francisco taken from Telegraph Hill 1850”

“Another Squatter Disturbance — At a squatter disturbance, which occurred yesterday morning on Front street below Mission, a woman who lived in a house which a party were endeavoring to take down, became so incensed that she laid her baby down, picked up a shovel, and attacked Capt. Folsom. After she was disarmed of this weapon she went into the house and brought out a revolver, with which she endeavored to shoot the same party. The police interfered and prevented the woman from doing harm.” [spelling, punctuation, and capitalization have been maintained from the original article]

During my research I have encountered many similar “squatter riots” or “disturbances,” as the newspapers referred to them, but this one caught my attention because of the lone woman and child facing a group of men determined to see her homeless. Not only did it closely parallel the essence of the situation my heroine found herself in, it brought to mind the numerous accounts I have read of women being abandoned in San Francisco by husbands who headed for the gold fields—sometimes never to be heard from again. While some of these women were widowed by the harsh mining conditions, others were permanently abandoned by husbands who found themselves weary of being married. These women faced the daunting challenge of learning to survive in a burgeoning town fraught with criminal activity, an insufficient police force, and a frequently corrupt justice system.

Daily Alta California, November 22, 1851 — …the present police force is not sufficiently large to guard effectually against the commission of crime…

Daily Alta California, February 24, 1854 — …we think the force is scarcely sufficient, that our growing city demands a larger one…

Domingo Ghirardelli in San Francisco circ 1862

All of this dark history fit well with my theme.

However, not all of San Francisco’s history is dark and gloomy. One of my favorite parts of the city’s history involves the world famous Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. No doubt you’ve seen Ghirardelli chocolates in your local store and may even have received a Ghirardelli chocolate or two in your Christmas stocking. What you may not know is that the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company has been around since the nineteenth century and was founded in San Francisco, California, by Domingo Ghirardelli.

“Hydraulic mining for gold in California”

Born in 1817 Rapallo, Italy, as Domenico Ghirardelli, he apprenticed with a local candy maker at a young age. He later sailed to Uruguay with his wife to work in a chocolate and coffee business and changed his Italian first name to the Spanish equivalent, Domingo. In 1847 Ghirardelli was operating a store in Peru when his neighbor, James Lick, moved to San Francisco, bringing with him 600 pounds of Ghirardelli’s chocolate.

Like many men, Ghirardelli left his family behind to join the rush of 1849 and seek gold among California’s hills. Not long after arriving, he gave up prospecting and opened a tent-based general store in Stockton, California where he offered supplies as well as confections to minors. In 1850 he opened a second store in San Francisco but in 1851 both stores burned to the ground.

Ghirardelli also had a store in Hornitos, California from 1856-1859. The historical marker at this location was my first discovery of Ghirardelli’s connection to California.

Demonstrating incredible resilience, Ghirardelli used what he had left to open the Cairo Coffee House in San Francisco. Unfortunately his coffee house proved unsuccessful. So he acquired a partner and opened a new store named “Ghirardelli and Girard,” again in San Francisco. This store did well enough that by 1851 Ghirardelli was able to send for his family to join him in California. In 1852, the company changed its name “D. Ghirardelli & Co. “ and was incorporated. It has been in continuous operation ever since—eventually becoming the modern-day Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

“Wife of Domenico Ghirardelli, founder of the Ghirardelli Chocolate empire.”

I’ve been fascinated by this sweet part of San Francisco’s history for more than two decades, so incorporating Ghirardelli’s chocolate and his San Francisco store into my novella, Cakes and Kisses, was a piece of cake. (I couldn’t resist.)

Cakes and Kisses (~49,000 words) releases December 1, 2022 and will be available for FREE to my newsletter subscribers for thirty days. After which, it will be available for purchase through Amazon. Click here to subscribe!

 

***Giveaway***

To win an ebook copy of my debut novel, Waltz in the Wilderness, (which introduces the heroine of Cakes and Kisses), leave a comment below letting me know which type of chocolate you prefer.

NOTE: All newspaper quotes used in this post are in the public domain and were found at: California Digital Newspaper Collection, Center for Bibliographic Studies and Research, University of California, Riverside, <http://cdnc.ucr.edu>.

 

Connect with Kathleen here:

http://www.KathleenDenly.com