Jill Kemerer

Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of heartwarming, emotional, small-town romance novels often featuring cowboys. Her essentials include coffee, caramels, a stack of books and long walks outdoors in Ohio where she resides with her husband.

Cowboys & Mistletoe – Jill Kemerer

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Whee! Christmas is almost here, and I’m loving all these Cowboys & Mistletoe posts! I, too, have a Christmas book out now. THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS TREASURES is the fourth book in my Wyoming Legacies series with Love Inspired. Think a cowboy with a painful past, a single-mom heroine trying to raise toddler identical twin girls, and a small-town in Wyoming full of the Christmas feels!

Book cover: Snowy background with red barn, cowboy, twin toddlers in matching red coats and pompom stocking hats. Text "The Cowboy's Christmas Treasures by Jill Kemerer"

Making peace with his past…
To be a part of their future

After his father’s heart attack, ranch hand Dean McCaffrey has no choice but to temporarily take over the family business—while hiding a shameful secret. But he doesn’t expect to fall for pretty widow Brooke Dewitt and her twin toddlers while remodeling their house. Brooke is counting on Dean to make her home wheelchair-accessible by Christmas. And soon she’s dreaming of a life with the handsome cowboy. But with both their futures uncertain, can they overcome their fears…and place their trust in love?

Purchase THE COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS TREASURES here!

 

 

Provide your best caption for the picture below – humorous, thoughtful or poignant – to be entered in the drawing.

All entries will be eligible for our oh-so-beautiful Grand Prize, too!

Winners announced Sunday, December 15!

(USA winners only, please.)

 

Yay! No More Political Ads!

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Light blue background with fireworks and party poppers. Text "No More Political Ads. Petticoats & Pistols"

It’s election day in the USA, and I, for one, am glad. Why? Well, let me start by saying that I consider it pretty amazing I can vote, and I do love my country. However, they aren’t the reasons I’m glad the election will be over. Nope, I’m thrilled because, as of tonight, I won’t have to sit through another political ad for a long, long time.

The ads started earlier than usual this year and ramped up each week. It hasn’t been uncommon to see the same advertisement repeated five, ten (one hundred?) times in an hour. Okay, maybe one hundred is stretching it a bit, but the commercials wear on you like water dripping on dry clay. Plus, there are only two or three ads for each candidate, so you can recite each one by heart after a few hours of watching television.

It’s been a lot. Too much.

If you haven’t gotten the message–I AM SO GLAD  I DON’T HAVE TO SEE POLITICAL ADS ANYMORE! No more commercials. No more stacks of political mailers to toss in the trash every day. I can resume throwing out the regular mailers–the roofing ones and credit-card offers! Yippee!

So, I’m sighing in relief. I’m wrapping up in my favorite cozy throw. And I’m basking in normal commercials. I’m even excited for the Christmas ones! We’ll see what company makes me cry first this year. A few years ago, a Dick’s Sporting Goods Christmas commercial had me sobbing. They really know how to tug on the heartstrings. This particular one, The Hoop, featured a dad and his little girl playing basketball, and it shows her growing up. With my own kids getting older, boy, it got to me. Here’s THE HOOP (linked) if you’d like to watch, and I’m embedding it below.

 


So, yes, lots to look forward to starting tomorrow. I can enjoy my morning coffee and watch Good Morning Football  in peace. Last Friday I purchased three bags of Halloween candy at half-off (Twix, Reese’s, and KitKats–yummy!)–I might have one of each to celebrate. I have a new jigsaw puzzle waiting for me. Four novels are stacked haphazardly on the end table. Have I started recording Hallmark Movies? You betcha!

I am ready to relax and enjoy the rest of the year! Who’s with me?

*Please NO political comments–we’re all getting through the day as best we can!! Any political comments will be removed.*

Do you, like me, get sappy at the Christmas commercials?

Have the best day!

 

Favorite Things: Halloween Candy

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Orange, maize, brown background. Image of cup full of lollipops. Text "Favorite Things: Halloween Candy. Petticoats & Pistols"

For the past month, I’ve been at war with myself. Every time I walk into the grocery store, I’m weaving through towers of displays with every kind of Halloween candy imaginable. I push the cart around bags of Reese’s, only to be confronted with “fun-size” peanut M&Ms. *gulp*

I’m not buying it. Come on, Jill, stay strong!

Beads of sweat line my forehead. The cart slows. Maybe I slow. Who knows? But a sharp right turn leads me down the first row of delicious candy. Then the next one. And the next.

I’m pretty sure I clipped a digital coupon for 30% off. And, wait, is that a buy one get one free deal?

Before I know it, five bags of candy are in my cart.

I have no regrets.

Jill Kemerer at fall festival pretending to stir a steaming cauldron
I’m getting into the spooky season spirit at a local fall festival!

Candy, candy, candy! I love it all! (Well, not candy corn, although I will eat it occasionally.)

All this candy brings me back to my days trick-or-treating. We lived out in the country in mid-Michigan. My mom would usually drive my sister and I to trick or treat. We always stopped at Grandma and Grandpa B.’s house first. Good call on my mom’s part. Grandma would take a bag of mini Milky Ways and start dumping them into our bags. I loved her!

Then we’d head to various aunts and uncles and stop at Grandma and Grandpa D.’s house. Grandma usually made up little treat bags. She was a fabulous cook, so when I saw a popcorn ball, I got excited. Occasionally she’d throw in an apple or shelled peanuts, too. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t into the healthy stuff. The apple and peanuts were probably the last thing I ate!

Another highlight was stopping at our babysitter’s house. Margaret would line a cookie sheet with full-size candy bars, and we could choose any one we wanted. Exciting times!

After we’d made all the stops, we’d head home and dump out our bags. Then came the negotiations. My sister and I had fun trading for favorite candy. My mom and dad always got my Mounds and Almond Joy bars. Coconut wasn’t my thing back then. I don’t mind it now.

I still love Tootsie Rolls. I’m sure it’s from my Halloween days. Oh, and Smarties–the little sugar candies. And Laffy Taffy, and M&Ms, and Twix, and Reese’s, and Snickers, and…

Oh, boy.

I have a problem.

What can I say? I love Halloween candy!

What’s your favorite candy? Were you allowed to trick or treat when you were young?

Have the best day!

A Knitter’s Boon: Wyoming Wool

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Gray wall, skeins of gray-toned yarn, with basket on top of cream yarn. Text, "A Knitter's Boon: Wyoming Wool, Petticoats & Pistols"

Confession time. I’m not a knitter.

I would like to be one. I’ve tried knitting. My grandmother taught me the basics when I was eight or nine years old. Much like my messy handwriting, my knitting only produced oblong shapes, instead of tidy, neat rows.

Crocheting, on the other hand? Love it!

Yeah, I produce oblong shapes sometimes when I crochet, but I just unravel the rows and start over. I find crocheting to be relaxing.

One of my favorite parts of a crochet project is picking out the yarn. There’s something so satisfying about standing in front of an aisle of yarn. All those colors! All those textures! I want them all. I could spend a LOT of money on yarn.

An article in the Cowboy State Daily recently caught my eye, “How Two Wyoming Women Turned a Hobby into Largest Wool Mill in the West.” Everything about that headline made me throw out a YEEHAW!

Wyoming wool? Yes, please!

Here’s what I learned from the article.

Two enterprising women–avid knitters–from Buffalo, Wyoming, wanted to open a craft store that sold yarn made from Wyoming wool. Apparently, Basque sheep abound in their area. But when they purchased a large bale of wool from a local rancher, they couldn’t find anyone to process it. They found a mill in Canada to process their 400-pound bale and ended up with about 200 pounds of white yarn that they then dyed and sold at farmers markets and similar outlets. Crafters loved the yarn, and Karen Hostetler and her friend set out to expand their business.

It wasn’t easy. They had to research and apply for grants. They even toured mills overseas to learn the ins and outs of production. In time, they purchased a no-longer-in-use T-shirt factory, sourced the equipment, and hired people. The business has only grown from there.

These two ladies buy their wool from six Wyoming ranchers, and they’ve set up a custom dye shop. One nice thing about Wyoming wool? It’s soft, not scratchy.

Mountain Meadow Wool has expanded since those early days. They’re producing 60,000 pounds of wool annually and introducing 30-40 new colors this year for the three types of yarn they produce–a fingering weight yarn, a chunky worsted, and a three-ply. They also sell wool products online.

For “100% American Made & Wyoming Grown” yarn, head to Mountain Meadow Wool!

Do you like to knit or crochet? What’s your favorite hobby?

Enjoy your day!

Summer Wrap-Up

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Photo of orange-yellow sunflower. Text, "Summer Wrap-Up: Petticoats & Pistols"

The day after Labor Day (in the USA) signifies the unofficial start of fall. Summer went by WAY too fast! I thought we could do a summer wrap-up and discuss the highs of summer 2024. Who’s with me?

I’ll start things off!

In June, I participated in a fun book event in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a group of writers, including one of the fillies–Karen Witemeyer! We spent the day hanging out with readers at Baker Book House. What a fun event! The next day, we stopped at Captain Sundae’s in Holland for a delicious treat. That’s me and “cappy” below.

 

Photograph of Jill Kemerer standing next to wooden statue of sea captain

June was a super busy month for me on the writing front. Thankfully, I met my deadlines. Phew! I also had a book release–Training the K-9 Companion–so that was fun! Honestly, June was SO busy on the writing front, I did nothing else. Some months are like that…

In July, my husband and I celebrated our anniversary (a few weeks late) by heading to Asheville, NC, to tour the Biltmore. What a property! We spent two days walking around the grounds, learning about the Vanderbilts, and generally having a fantastic time.

 

Photograph of Biltmore house and lawn in front

After Biltmore, we drove to Myrtle Beach, SC. On the way we stopped at the famous Buc-ees gas station/supercenter. It was crowded. I could not believe how many people were in there! Were there a few times I almost walked out? Yes. I don’t handle crowded stores well.  I did purchase a ginormous cinnamon roll, and the hubs opted for beef jerky. We were glad we experienced Buc-ees. But we’re not sure we could handle it again!

Onward…to the beach. The overcast weather didn’t deter us. There’s something very relaxing about hearing the ocean waves. We made simple meals in our condo and strolled to a nearby ice cream shop one night. I’m thankful for the downtime.

 

Photo of a cloudy day on Myrtle Beach

July, too, was a very busy writing month. But I met my deadlines, so phew!

August rolled around, and I thought, How is it August already? I managed to visit the BABY ELEPHANT (How cute is that??!!) at the Toledo Zoo. Little Kirk is adorable! See picture below:

Picture of mama elephant and baby elephant at Toledo Zoo

August was a busy writing month for me (see a pattern here?), and I had to force myself to sit and write every day. I really wanted to be outside. Doing anything. Anything except writing–and I love to write. I fantasized about sitting on my deck, strolling through the park, buying stacks of books, sipping coffee for hours at a coffee shop. I like the simple things. But the books don’t write themselves, so I persisted.

Other than that, we spent quality time with our extended families, I read several books, watched the birds at the birdfeeders, put together a jigsaw puzzled, finished a Christmas craft, and spent as much time on my back deck as I could fit in. And I wrote…but you already knew that!

Okay, your turn! I’d love to hear YOUR summer wrap-up in the comments!

Here’s to a fabulous fall!

 

 

A Bear Situation

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Illustrated bear walking through grasses. Peach-tan background. Text "A Bear Situation. Petticoats & Pistols blog. Jill Kemerer."

So…we recently had a bear situation.

My husband and I  went to Asheville, North Carolina, to tour the Biltmore Estate. What a stunning property and house! I don’t know if house is the right word. Mansion doesn’t even do it justice. Castle, perhaps? It’s breathtaking. We rented an Airbnb for a few days and, on the way to the estate, took a wrong turn (okay, more than one!). Things got a little heated.

While I was fiddling with my phone’s Maps app and yelling at the GPS voice telling me to “proceed to the route,” my husband said, “Are you seeing this?”

I looked up, and there was a black bear crossing the road in front of us! Of course, by the time I pulled up my camera app, the bear had disappeared into shrubbery along the side of the road. We’d been noticing people jogging and walking their dogs in the park along the river where the bear had gone. Yikes. I hope they were safe.

Naturally, my hubby and I started discussing what would we do if a black bear appeared in front of us at a park. I told him I’d probably just die. I don’t see myself fighting off a bear. But you never know. Stranger things have happened.

Photo of author Jill Kemerer inside Biltmore House
Here I am in the Biltmore House!

Fast forward to last week when I saw this headline, “Punching an Attacking Grizzly in the Face Might Work, but not Recommended” by Mark Heinz via CowboyStateDaily.com. Apparently, a man in Canada was riding a mountain bike when he came across a mama grizzly with two bear cubs. The bear came at him, knocking him down, and he kept his bike between them to protect himself. She kept coming at him. Out of options, he punched her in the snout, got on his bike and escaped. From the above article:

“Grizzlies almost never attack people with the intent of trying to kill and eat them. But when that happens, all bets are off,” Neal said.

“In the case of a predacious attack, then the victim must fight back with everything that he has, and the nose and eyes should be his top targets,” Neal said.

 

I didn’t realize punching a bear in the nose could be used as a last line of defense. It got me to thinking about the black bear in Asheville.

What would I do if I came across a black bear?

The National Park Service website (NPS.gov) recommends the following if you’re in a bear situation.

“If you are attacked by a black bear, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Try to escape to a secure place such as a car or building. If escape is not possible, try to fight back using any object available. Concentrate your kicks and blows on the bear’s face and muzzle.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

And for grizzlies?

“If you are attacked by a brown/grizzly bear, leave your pack on and PLAY DEAD. Lay on your stomach with your hands clasped behind your neck. Spread your legs to make it harder for the bear to turn you over. Remain still until the bear leaves the area. Fighting back usually increases the intensity of such attacks. However, if the attack persists, fight back vigorously. Use whatever you have at hand to hit the bear in the face.” (Staying Safe Around Bears)

To summarize–if you come across a black bear, ESCAPE! If escape is impossible, punch its face. But if you come across a grizzly or brown bear, PLAY DEAD! If playing dead is impossible, punch its face.

Have you ever had a bear situation? If yes, what did you do? If not, what do you think you’d do?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Two of my books are discounted this month for Kindle Deals! The Prodigal’s Holiday Hope is on sale for $1.99, and A Cowboy to Rely On will be on sale for $3.99. Both books are part of my Wyoming Ranchers series through Love Inspired. I hope you’ll give them a try!

 

New Release! Training the K-9 Companion {Giveaway!}

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Meadow background, book cover Training the K-9 Companion by Jill Kemerer, text "New Release & Giveaway, Petticoats & Pistols"

The third book in my Wyoming Legacies series is in stores now! TRAINING THE K-9 COMPANION follows Cade Moulten, a rancher opening a high-end horse-boarding operation, and Mackenzie Howard, the new veterinarian in town, as they train little Tulip to be a therapy dog for his grandmother. This Love Inspired book takes place during the summer in fictional Jewel River, Wyoming.

I enjoyed learning how rural vets utilize mobile trailers to treat cattle and horses on ranches. I also love writing books with dogs in them. Talk about a win-win! Mackenzie’s trying to convince local ranchers to trust her with their cattle, but she’s terrified she’ll make a mistake and lose an animal. And Cade needs high-paying clients to offset the reduced rates he plans on charging the locals to board horses at his new stables. On top of that, Cade’s mother insists on training a therapy dog to comfort his beloved grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s. Poor Cade never knows what to expect when he visits Nana.

Dementia and Alzheimer’s are terrible diseases. My father suffered from Parkinson’s and dementia, and I spent a lot of time at the nursing home with him before he passed away. I’m blessed with a supportive family who loves Jesus, and this story reflects it.

Don’t worry–the book isn’t all gloom and sadness! Cade’s mom is an unrelenting matchmaker. Add the warm, rowdy members of the Jewel River Legacy Club, and you won’t want to put the book down.

 

Book cover Training the K-9 Companion by Jill Kemerer. Mountain background, Pomeranian in meadow with daisies

Man’s best friend…
Could be the key to a second chance.

When rancher Cade Moulten decides to get a therapy dog for his ailing grandmother, he doesn’t expect a fluffy Pomeranian—or a pretty veterinarian trainer. But Cade will do anything to prove he’s a changed man, even train the small K-9 alongside Mackenzie Howard. Soon the weekly sessions with Mackenzie have Cade wishing for more. But will he risk revealing his shameful past for a chance at acceptance?

 

Purchase Training the K-9 Companion

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Read an excerpt!

As usual, the restlessness snuck up on him, and, too late, Cade Moulten realized his mistake. Offering to help his mother train a therapy dog was just another attempt to atone for his past.

He couldn’t back out now. He wouldn’t if he could. Cade had other reasons—good ones—for being here.

“It’s not much to look at, is it?” His mother, Christy Moulten, sat in the passenger seat of his truck and stared at the small industrial building with faded gray aluminum siding. Next to it, a matching structure roughly three times its size shared the parking lot. The early June sunshine began to fade as the day wound down.

Cade cut the engine, and his mom bent to pick up her purse. A few months shy of turning sixty-four, his mother hadn’t slowed a bit. Her stylish blond bob, subtle makeup and smile lines gave her the appearance of someone who enjoyed life, but she also had a stubborn streak wider than a country mile.

At thirty-five, he’d mellowed to the point of not minding driving her around town whenever her driver’s license was suspended—and that was often—nor did he mind living with her in the big house on the ranch. Kept her out of trouble.

Maybe they kept each other out of trouble.

He pocketed his keys. “What’s it supposed to look like? It’s a vet clinic, not a spa, Ma.”

Cade had personally taken a loss on this property by selling it to the new veterinarian and her father for pennies on the dollar. Anything to convince a vet to take a chance on moving to Jewel River. When Dr. Bill Banks, the only veterinarian within two hours of here, retired last fall, it had affected every rancher and pet owner in this swath of Wyoming.

Jewel River needed a veterinarian ASAP.

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Want to read more? Purchase Training the K-9 Companion!

You can find Training the K-9 Companion in Walmart and all stores that carry Love Inspired books!

To celebrate, I’m giving away one copy of  Training the K-9 Companion (US winner will receive a signed paperback, International winner will receive an ebook, void where prohibited by law.). Simply leave a comment below, and I’ll select a winner via random number generator. Giveaway ends on July 3, 2024 at noon EST, and winner will be announced in the comments of this post and in a separate post!

Do you love books with dogs and cowboys? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you for celebrating my new release with me!

Gardening, Canning, and Country Pursuits

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Dirt soil, gardening tools, text, "Gardening, Canning, and Country Pursuits. Petticoats & Pistols"

It’s that time of year–time to watch things grow! Winters linger where I live. I wait until the end of May or early June to plant flowers, and I’ve been planting herbs in pots on our deck for several years, too.

 

Pink and white petunias in planter outside
Our petunias and one little basil plant popping up in the pot next to it!

 

We used to have a garden. I’m lazy about keeping up with it after the first month, so we decided to let it go. Since we’re blessed with numerous local farmstands and U-pick farms nearby, I don’t miss my garden much. When I do, I browse online sites like Fine Gardening and soak in the pretty flowers of A Wyoming Garden to get my fix!

Next week I plan on spending a few hours in the strawberry patch a few miles away. My goal? Bring home a flat of bright red berries. I make lower-sugar freezer jam each year with pectin specifically made for low or no-sugar recipes. You can find the Sure-Jell brand at Walmart or other grocery stores. I also make blueberry jam. It’s delicious!

Last year I bought a few dozen ears of corn. Blanching them didn’t take long. Quart-sized freezer bags stack nicely in our chest freezer. I wished I’d frozen more. This year I will.

Canning or freezing produce doesn’t require a huge time commitment if I focus on one thing at a time. And it certainly makes my family happy in November when we’re still enjoying peak flavor from the food I’ve preserved.

Other country pursuits I enjoy (even though I’m in the suburbs!) during the summer:

  • Filling a glass pitcher with water and letting tea bags steep in it all day on my deck for sun tea
  • The farmers market! Local honey has so much flavor.
  • Sitting out back, watching the birds fly from tree to tree and the clouds drift through the sky
  • Baking summer treats, like peach cobbler or blueberry breakfast cake (recipe is linked)
  • Walking around ponds at rural parks
  • Reading a book on our back deck

I could go on and on. Each season brings its own joys!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on gardening, canning, and other country pursuits. What do you enjoy about the summer?

 

The Delights of Cottagecore

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Light gray background with sprays of purple flowers. Text "The Delights of Cottagecore. Petticoats & Pistols"

As usual, I’m late to the party when it comes to trends. Are you familiar with the term Cottagecore?

According to “What is Cottagecore? A Simple Guide” by Kristin Hohenadel via The Spruce, “Cottagecore is a social media hashtag and internet-based lifestyle trend inspired by a quaint vision of country life. Based on an idealized back-to-nature concept of simpler times, its romanticized aesthetics center on natural materials, wholesome pastimes, handmade crafts, homemade baked goods, gardening, and other hallmarks of bucolic domesticity.”

I stumbled across it last year while scrolling through Instagram Reels. Every so often, I’d see a video of a cute country kitchen. There would be a lit candle on a butcher block counter. Cozy instrumental music would be playing. A loaf of homemade bread might be on the counter along with a bouquet of wildflowers.

Watching a Cottagecore video provided the same relaxation as sipping a hot cup of tea. I was hooked.

 

Photo by Forté Foundry on Unsplash

I need more beauty in my life. And if they center on homemaking, all the better. I’ve always enjoyed simple pleasures like baking, crafts, lighting candles, and reading.

The Delights of Cottagecore (in no particular order)

  • Vintage linens and curtains
  • A kitchen that reminds you of visiting your grandma
  • Candles with flames dancing
  • Mellow, happy instrumental music
  • A teapot steaming on a stove
  • Fresh bread on the counter
  • A jar of homemade jam next to it
  • Birds singing outside
  • Handpicked flowers in a rustic vase or mason jar
  • A wooden table that looks like it’s been used for generations
  • Crafts! Sewing, knitting, flower arranging, baking…
  • Cozy, cozy, cozy

I could go on and on. I’m enamored. I hope you are, too!

Photo by Vicky Sim on Unsplash

Below is a link to a video with a Cottagecore playlist if you’d like to get in the mood.

A Cottagecore Playlist to Feel Like You’re in Nature

Have you heard of Cottagecore? What about it appeals to you the most?

Enjoy your day!