Karen Witemeyer

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

The Spinsters Are Coming

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It’s always fun to start a new series, and I’m excited to welcome you to my latest – The Secret Society of Spinsters. I’ve always been drawn to the spinster trope and the idea that it’s never too late to fall in love. I also love feisty, independent heroines, and while not all spinsters fit that bill, most have some level of eccentricity that lends itself well to quirkiness, and I do enjoy quirky characters.

The heart of this series are the three friends who make up the core of the spinster society. Each of these ladies is well beyond the typical marriage age for the 1890’s (late 20’s, early 30’s), however, they each have their own reason for spinsterhood. The heroine of Book 2 is a shy, wallflower who gets hives ever time she has to talk to an unattached bachelor. Jane’s the local preacher’s daughter, and while she’s quiet, she’s fiercely loyal and the glue that holds the three friends together. She’s also very bookish. She carries a book wherever she goes. I do love a bookworm heroine. Book 3 features a career-focused heroine. She is the local schoolmarm and one of the most capable, driven women in town. In this time frame, teachers who married gave up their careers in order to tend their own husband and children at home. Martha wants none of that. Her place is in the classroom.

Noreen O’Sullivan is the heroine for Book 1. She’s a feisty reformer and a passionate temperance woman who is determined to shut down the saloon. She’s bold and brassy and not afraid to speak her mind. The men in town consider her a menace and want nothing to do with her. Suits her. She wants nothing to do with them, either. Not after growing up with a drunk for a father who made free with his temper and his fists. The last thing she wants is to sacrifice her freedom by tying herself to a man. However, when she finds an unlikely ally and friend in the local deputy, she dares to reconsider her spinsterhood.

If you enjoy reading print books, I highly recommend ordering from Baker Book House. They are cheaper than Amazon and they carefully wrap their books in brown paper before shipping so the book arrives in pristine condition. Plus – They are currently running an amazing preorder deal. Taming Lady Temperance releases on February 17, but if you order now, you get 40% off the cover price with free shipping, a signed bookplate, a custom Spinster Society sticker, a recipe card, AND an exclusive bonus epilogue not included in the book. (I’m currently writing that epilogue now!)

Preorder a print copy from Baker Book House here.

Preorder the ebook from Amazon here.

What kinds of strong heroines are you drawn to in fiction?

Cowboys & Mistletoe (Week 2) – Karen Witemeyer

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What a fun couple of weeks we are having here at Petticoats & Pistols. Nothing like whipping up a little Christmas story to get in the festive mood! And speaking of Christmas stories, I have a new novella collection out this year that takes inspiration from elements of the nativity while giving them a western flair. I’ve teamed up with the fabulous Tracie Peterson and Misty Beller for this collection. Tracie’s story draws inspirations from the shepherds and an angelic visitor, Misty’s tale borrows the “no room at the inn” motif, and I have fun bringing three wise men from the east who happen to be Harvard professors coming to Baylor University in Texas so one of them can discover if the “star” he’s been following through letters might bring light to his life in person.

A Star in the West from On a Midnight Clear by Karen Witemeyer

A Star in the West 
Friendly correspondence with Stella Barrington evolves into something more when Harvard mathematics professor Frank Stentz arrives in Waco, Texas. As the two experiment with extending their relationship beyond letters, an impossible dilemma arises between love and logic. Will her wise man be able to calculate a way for them to be together?

Buy Link

 

The Great Western Christmas Celebration

It’s time to discuss how our town celebrates as a community.

Is there a parade? A fireworks display? A church cantata? Santa in the Square? We can get as inventive as you like or stick with something heartwarming and traditional. And of course, our only restriction is that we keep it era appropriate so we don’t have an electric lights show in a frontier era town or carriage races during the Y2K period.

Everyone who leaves a response by Saturday 12/13 will get their name entered in the random drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card.

Every entry will also be eligible for our oh-so-beautiful Grand Prize – a gorgeous quilt hand made by our very own Jo-Ann Roberts

 

NOTE: ALL winners will be announced on Sunday 12/14.

Ladies in Caves

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Last week, my husband and I were in Missouri, taking a short vacation before a reader event I participated in over the weekend. My husband enjoys caves and caverns, so we decided to spend one afternoon taking a tour of a caven near where we were staying in Springfield. We decided to visit Fantastic Caverns. We learned some interesting history, especially about a dozen adventuresome women.

The story goes that local farmer John Knox had a dog who went missing in 1862. It turns out his dog followed a critter into a hole that ended up being a cave. A cave so dark that the dog couldn’t find his way back out. Happily, John went search for his dog and found no only his pet, but a large cave. The original opening was very small, but it opened up into a much larger space.

Since this discovery happened during the Civil War, John kept the news of the cave a secret. He didn’t want soldiers digging through his property in search of bat guano that could be made into gunpowder. After the war ended, however, he placed an add in the Springfield newspaper seeking help exploring the cave. Surprisingly, it was a group of twleve young women who answered the add.

These women were part of the Springfield Women’s Athletic Club. The youngest was believed to be only 13 years old. These intrepid explorers made their way into the cave and discovered what they called The Hall of Giants – a pair of giant stalagmites.

The women likely did their exploration in this pitch-black cave with nothing more substantial than focused lanterns made with candles and empty coffee cans.

My favorite part of the tour was when we passed the wall that showed where the twelve young women left their names on the cavern wall.

Deeper in the cave were some other impressive formations.

This cave has some other interesting history as well.

  • It was used as a speakeasy during Prohibition.
  • It was owned by the Klu Klux Klan from 1924-1930 and used for secret meetings.
  • Mushrooms were farmed in the cave during the Great Depression.
  • It hosted concerts in the 1950s and 1960s.

Now it is open to the public as a show cave, and it all started in the with a dog, a farmer, and 12 intrepid young women.

Have you ever toured a cave or cavern?

A Pair of Fun Western Flicks . . . and a Giveaway

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At the end of September, I flew to Phoenix for a writing conference. I had some major bumps along the way, but I made it. (If you are interested in reading about my bumpy travel adventures, you can find the account here.)

I’m one of those introverted flyers. I’ll smile at my seatmates and speak to be polite, but I’d much rather read or watch a movie than carry on a conversation. Knowing I’d have about 2 hours of flight time between Texas and Arizona, I downloaded a couple of movies that had caught my interest on Netflix. Both had a western romance flair, and both were quite enjoyable.

The Wrong Paris

If The Bachelor were to come to rural Texas, this is what it might look like.

Here is the blurb:

The romantic comedy The Wrong Paris follows a down-home Texas girl with big dreams. After getting into art school in Paris, Dawn is overjoyed — but quickly realizes she can’t afford to live there. In comes a popular dating reality series whose upcoming season is set in the City of Lights. If Dawn can get on the show, she’ll get a big fat check to pay for housing overseas. When she miraculously ends up a contestant, however, it turns out her Parisian future is … in Texas. Paris, Texas, to be exact. After the show’s producers bait-and-switch, the ladies are introduced to a fiery-hot cowboy bachelor, Trey. Now Dawn’s sole mission is to get eliminated as fast as possible. Which will be easy, right? It’s not like she’ll fall for a hunky rancher or anything.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie. Spunky heroine? Check. Hunky cowboy hero? Check. Humor? Check. Beautiful western setting? Check. Quirky supporting cast? Check. It is rated PG-13, and there is some language, so beware of that. There are also a couple scenes that are a bit suggestive, but nothing beyond a kiss actually happens on-screen. It was cute and a little corny in places, but it made me smile and left me believing Dawn and Trey would find their happy ending.

On the way home from the conference, I loaded up another western romance with a strong central heroine.

Walk. Ride. Rodeo.

This movie is based on the true story of barrel racer Amberley Snyder and her return to competition after a car accident left her paralyzed from the waist down.

I’m a sucker for an inspiring based-on-a-true-story movie, and this one hit the spot. A courageous young woman who was a nationally ranked barrel racer at the age of 19 loses control of her truck and is thrown from her vehicle, barely surviving with her life. The movie chronicles her recovery and her fight to find a way to not only ride but race again. The romance thread is light in the movie, but it’s there, and Tate is a sweetheart. So patient and supportive.

One amazing note is that the real life Amberley Snyder does the stunt work in the movie!

Actors on left, real Amberley and her mom on right.

This movie is clean and inspirational, and I’m happy to recommend it.

 

Giveaway

Another fun thing that came from attending the conference is that I picked up extra books! I have two novels from the fabulous Linda Ford that I’ll be giving away to one lucky reader today. To enter, leave a comment on today’s post.

What movies have you enjoyed lately that you would recommend?
If you aren’t a movie watcher, how do you pass the time while traveling?

A New Christmas Novella

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As much as I love rugged cowboy heroes, I also have a soft spot in my heart for nerdy Texas heroes. Probably because I’ve been married to one for over 33 years. I’ve slowly transformed my computer nerd husband into a cowboy, though. Over the last few years, he’s started wearing boots and driving a truck, so I’m pretty sure he’s been a cowboy at heart all this time.

My latest release pays homage to all the cowboys out there who disguise themselves as nerdy academics. 🙂

My story – A Star in the West – plays on the three wise men by bringing a trio of Harvard mathematics professors from the East to visit Baylor University in Texas. I love giving my characters names that reflect the theme of the story, and this one was no exception. Our heroine is named Stella Barrington, Stella, of course, meaning “star.” The three wise men from the east traveling from Harvard have names giving a nod to the gifts of the magi. Professors Goldstein (gold) and Muir (myrrh) accompany our hero, Frank Napier Stentz (Frank N. Stentz).

Baylor University in the 1890s

Frank is a genius-level mathematician and Stella is the daughter of a professor who runs her father’s home and sponsors a literary society on the Baylor campus.

Frank and Stella

Stella is a rather plain woman with a large nose and has been passed over by the marriageable men of Waco, Texas. She’s content to run her father’s home, certain that she was not meant to run a home of her own. She has enjoyed friendly correspondence with one of her father’s colleagues back east, never thinking he would actually travel to Texas. When he comes west seeking the possibility of courtship, she is certain he will be disappointed in her. Yet mathematicians see the world in a different way than most. This plays out in one of my favorite scenes in the story . . .

She dropped her chin and tugged her hand free of his hold. “Don’t lie to me, Frank. I know my face is far from beautiful.”

“I speak the truth, Stella.” He crooked a finger under her chin and gently tipped her face up for his inspection. “Your eyes shimmer with intelligence and kindness, your lips are evenly distributed across both cheeks when you smile, and your nose is perfectly centered in the oval of your face. You’ve been blessed with beautiful symmetry.”

She blinked at him, her brow furrowing slightly. “You find my face . . . symmetrical?”

Drat. He knew he’d bungle things. He might find geometric balance beautiful, but Goldstein had warned him that women preferred poetry to science. Too late to change streams now.

“Aristotle said that the chief forms of beauty are order and symmetry and Socrates stated that measure and symmetry are beauty and virtue the world over. It’s why humans are drawn to flowers and butterflies in nature, and columns and archways in architecture.” Maybe he should stop before he made this any worse.

He removed his hand from beneath her chin and dropped his gaze. “I’m making a hash of this, aren’t I?”

She didn’t answer right away, and her silence gnawed at him. He darted a glance in her direction, bracing for the worst, but instead of her features puckering in offense or sharpening in anger, they rounded in what looked to be . . . wonder?

“Mr. Stentz. I think that is finest compliment I’ve ever received.”

On a Midnight Clear is now available!

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | CHRISTIAN BOOK | BAKER BOOK HOUSE

When do you typically start reading Christmas stories?

Fun at the Fandangle

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Do you enjoy historical reenactments? How about musicals? How about both thrown together? If so, you might be Fandangle material.
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Just forty-five miles down the road from where I live in Abilene, TX is the small town of Albany that sprang up near Fort Griffin in 1874. They have a gorgeous courthouse still standing from when it was built in 1883, and the original stone jail that has been turned into an art museum.

 


They have lots a well-preserved history there in historic buildings, but there is another way that they’ve preseved the history of their area. In an annual outdoor theatrical production called the Fort Griffin Fandangle. The cast is comprised completely of Albany citizens, many of whom are from families who have participated for generations. This year was the 87th annual production.
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I’ve lived in Abilene for more than 30 years, and I’ve never made it to the Fort Griffin Fandangle until this year. Shame on me. Since my next book series is set in Albany, I knew I had to rectify this oversight. So I grabbed my daughter, who happened to be in town, and we made a night of it.
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The Fandangle started as a senior play written by Robert E. Nail who was the speech teacher at Albany High School in 1938. The original work known as “Dr. Shackleford’s Paradise” (Albany is in Shackleford County) showcased the history of the region and was so well-received that the local Chamber of Commerce decided it should become a community event. It was presented again two months later as the Fort Griffin Fandangle. It has run every year since.The entire cast is comprised of amateur performers, so the singing wasn’t perfect, but the children were adorable, and all of the sets and costumes were super fun.
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My favorite thing about the show, however, was all the horseback riding. Children riding bareback to represent the Comanche history, cowboys and cowgirls carrying flags and banners, women in fancy dresses riding sidesaddle, a horse-drawn carriage, a covered wagon, a chuck wagon, and even the Butterfield stagecoach. They all rode through the staging area! There were even a group of cowboys who drove a herd of longhorns on stage. One of the steers even sang along!
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And for an extra dose of romance, opening night started with an impromptu marriage proposal! The little lady said yes. ?

Bethany and I had a grand time.
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What special traditions are celebrated by your local community?

To Love a Beast Coming Soon!

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My next western fairy tale releases in less than a month. WooHoo! I can’t wait to share this one with you. Beauty & the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. How could it not be with a bookish heroine and a wounded hero? Add some forced proximity, a quirky supporting cast, and a vain villain seeking vengeance, and you know we’re going to have loads of fun!

 

 

Allow me to introduce you to our cast of characters.

Everett Griffin – Once known among New York’s elite as the American Adonis, he hides away in the wilds of Texas after being horribly disfigured by an outraged woman. Seeking to avoid public interactions, he embraces his beastly persona, frightening away anyone who steps on his land uninvited. (Everett means “wild boar” and Griffin is a mystical beast with a lion’s body and a bird’s head.

Callista Rosenfeld – Callista helps her father run a struggling book bindery. When her father injures his hand after taking on a large commission that would save their business, Callista takes the job upon herself, determined to complete the project no matter how many obstacles are thrown into her path. Including a beastly employer, his giant, man-eating dog, and a gloomy house that looks to be straight out of a gothic novel. Gargoyles included. (Callista means “most beautiful” and Rosenfeld pays homage to the rose that plays such a vital role in the fairy tale.)

 

Spartacus  – The giant Mastiff who roams Manticore Manor.

 

Mrs. Potter – The motherly housekeeper and collector of teacups. (Obviously a play on Mrs. Potts.)

Mr. Lightfoot – Mr. Griffin’s valet, man of business, and best friend. (“Light”foot pays homage to a certain dancing candelabra.)

Mr. Timens – The stuffy butler, local trivia expert, and a tinkerer of watches and clocks. (After all, “Time” is in his name.)

Yes, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast played a significant inspirational role in this story; however, the plot is completely new. Here’s a sneak peek at how the hero and heroine meet:

 

Courage, Callista. Just because you can’t see any evidence of his presence doesn’t mean that God isn’t with you. We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

Even as that scriptural assurance moved through her mind, something unseen made its presence known. Something with a deep bass bark that rumbled over her like the thunder of an approaching storm.

Her head spun to the right. Her gaze scoured the shadows for the guard dog whose territory she’d invaded. She saw nothing.

Heart thumping, she rushed ahead, praying the manor would be around the next bend. But before she could reach the bend in question, the barking shifted direction, now coming from in front of her. She stumbled to a halt. Leaves rustled nearby. The low-pitched barks grew closer. Nearly upon her. She’d never be able to outrun the beast.

Callista squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around her middle, and prayed for a miracle.

Gruff barks echoed with a percussive depth so near, she could feel them like tremors in the earth. Instinct urged her to flee, but reason glued her feet to the ground. He hadn’t attacked yet. She’d not give him reason to think of her as prey. Perhaps if she imitated a tree long enough, he’d grow bored and search for entertainment elsewhere.

However, the barks grew increasingly insistent. Apparently, her tree act wasn’t as convincing as she’d hoped. Or perhaps she was too convincing, for the beast decided to fell her. He rammed his head into her ribcage and threw her backwards. Callista let out a startled yelp as she stumbled and landed on her backside. Eyes wide open now, she stared into the face of the massive beast who stood over her. Even her imagination could not have conjured a dog like this. On all fours, he towered over her, his fur the tawny gold of a lion, contrasting with the dark brown of his face and eyes.

He barked again, and she flinched, bringing up an arm to fend him off.

“Spartacus. Heel!”

The dog’s countenance cleared as he turned toward the voice. A heartbeat later, he loped off the path and into the mesquite.

Callista scrambled to her feet, dusted off her rump, and turned in the direction the dog had gone. “Thank you, sir.” She lifted her voice to be sure the man could hear her. She strained for a glimpse of him but saw nothing. “My name is—”

“I don’t care what your name is. You’re not welcome here.” The harshness of the man’s tone took her aback. “I want you off my property. Now!”

Callista fisted her hands. She had not come all this way to be bullied into leaving before she’d made it to the front door. “I have an appointment with Mr. Lightfoot.”

“Mr. Lightfoot takes his orders from me, and I want you gone. End of discussion.”

End of discussion? Not likely. This boorish excuse of a human being needed a lesson in manners.

Swallowing her mounting frustration, Callista called forth the conciliatory tone she used on the rare occasion she had to deal with a difficult client. “I’m sorry if there has been some miscommunication.” She stepped off the path and began wending her way through the mesquite, hoping to have a civilized discussion face-to-face instead of yelling at one another across the vegetation. “I’ve been hired—”

“Stop right there!”

Did she detect a note of fear beneath the dominating anger? She took another step.

“Come any closer and I’ll sic Spartacus on you.”

She didn’t believe him. He might be rude and overbearing, but he’d called off his dog earlier. Intuition told her he wasn’t the type to harm an innocent woman. Scare her, yes. But not harm her.

Callista dared another step. “Please, sir. If you’ll just listen to what I have to say. . .”

“I’m done listening. Be gone!”

Hurried footsteps echoed from within the brush, and a moment later Callista caught a glimpse of the back of a man clad in a reddish-brown greatcoat darting between the trees, a giant dog at his side.

He had fled from her. Interesting.

With the threat of the Mastiff no longer looming, renewed determination bolstered Callista’s courage. She returned to the path and marched forward with purpose. The master of Manticore Manor would soon learn that she did not surrender so easily.

Preorder To Love a Beast Here.

What do you like best about the Beauty & the Beast tale?

The Romance
The Redemption of the Hero
The Bookish Heroine
The Library
The Supporting Cast
Other?

A Texas Jewel

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My dear mother-in-law passed away at the end of March, and the Witemeyer clan is feeling her loss. She was a feisty woman who was always ready to give an opinion and who loved people, especially family, with a heart as big as Texas.

Even before I started writing books of my own, Hilda and I discovered a shared love of romance novels. We passed books between us, though she read much faster than I did. And when I shyly admitted to her that I had decided to try my hand at writing my own stories, she didn’t bat an eye. She had complete confidence in me from the very start and supported my dream without hesitation.

She had struggled with her health since the end of January and spent most of that time in the hospital or a skilled nursing facility, yet whenever I visited her, she never tried to wheedle me into extending my stay. She’d shoo me away with a smile and tell me to “Go write me another book.”

She read all of my novels and bought extra copies to share with friends and extended family. Her support was such a blessing.

I think one of the reasons she supported my writing with such fervor was because she was a creative person herself. She painted wonderful landscapes and floral still-life art. Some of my favorites are ones that show her love of Texas, her home for the last 54 years of her life.

I adore this Texas landscape with the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush. This hangs in a place of honor in her home. She gifted this next one to my husband and I when we moved into our house. I love the old barn and the country setting.

She loved to examine my book covers and tell me thing about the lighting and design choices that my untrained eye had never considered. She fostered creativity in all of her chidlren and grandchildren, and her home proudly displays various cross stitch, crochet, and drawing projects collected from various generations of Witemeyers.

She will be greatly missed, but her love for art, for books, for family, and for Jesus lives on in all of us who have been touched by her life.

Do you have someone special in your life who has fostered your dreams or goals?

 

Best Research Discovery Ever!

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Whenever I begin a new writing project, I always spend a week or two brainstorming, plotting, and researching my characters and setting. During this phase, the research I uncover often helps shape not only my characters, but the plot itself.  That’s exactly what happened last week.

Many of you know that I have been retelling classic Disney fairy tales in historical western settings, giving them all a Texas twist. 🙂 I have a Beauty & the Beast retelling coming this June – To Love a Beast. A beauty invades the home of a scarred recluse to save her family’s book binding business, but more than books bind these two when a fearsome hunter attempts to write their ending. You can preorder the e-book here. (Print and audiobook will be available closer to the release date.)

Well, the next fairy tale on my list is The Little Mermaid. This one is extra special to me, because it is the first Disney movie my husband and I watched together when we were dating. Also, my husband courted me with letters while we were apart for the summer, and in one of them, he quoted all the lyrics to Kiss the Girl. This was pre-Internet, when you had to listen to a recording of a song over and over and write down the lyrics by hand. A true gift of love. (Happy sigh.)

In order to have a woman nicknamed “Mermaid,” she had to live near the sea, which left only one Texas setting as a good option – Galveston. During my research, I learned that during the 1880’s Galveston was the largest and wealthiest city in Texas. It possessed one of the busiest ports in the country and was second only to Ellis Island as a part of entry for immigrants. The perfect place for my poor heroine to dream about being part of a different world, one filled with wonderful things to spark her imagination.

The best thing I found during my rsearch, however, was that was was a real “Ursula” in Galveston during this time period.

There was a convent in Galveston that offered boarding school education to wealthy young ladies. And it was known as . . .  St. Ursula’s By the Sea – established and run by an order of Ursuline nuns, an order dedicated to the education of young women.
How perfect!
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Of course, I had to find a way to tie my villainess to this place. I didn’t want to corrupt a nun, but it seems reasonable to assume that the nuns might have brought in teachers to instruct their girls on more specialized subjects – such as music. So, Octavia Underhill is going to teach music at the Ursuline Academy. This will give her access to the socially elite and will place her in a position of power and influence.
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The academy received an amazing architectural remodel in the years after my story (finished in 1895), turning it into a Victorian Gothic masterpiece. Designed by the local architect that my hero is going to apprentice with. ?
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This new building was one of the few to withstand the 1900 hurricane, and the nuns opened it to the public as a hospital and shelter. Unfortunately, a different hurricane in 1961 damaged the aging structure, and in 1962, they demolished this Victrian beauty.
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Making this discovery, however, felt like such serendipity! It’s moments like this that make me feel like the story was meant to be. ?
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This story won’t be available until next year, but I thought you might find this bit of history as fascinating as I did.
Petticoats & Pistols