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.

Cowboys & Mistletoe – Karen Witemeyer

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(POST  2 of 3  for Tuesday)

I adore Christmas. It is by far my favorite holiday of the year. Time off from work, family reunited, giving and receiving gifts (I love both!), singing carols, eating goodies, and celebrating the gift of our Savior come to earth. I do my best to stretch the festivities into a full month.

This year, I’ve combined several of those passions into a Christmas short story. This one is filled with joy, romance, and plenty of Christmas spirit.

My True Love Gave to Me

The Twelve Days of Christmas get a romantic Texas twist!

Anna King has pledged her heart to Simeon Shepherd, but her father refuses to grant her hand to the young farmer. Simeon determines to be patient and earn David King’s respect over time with hard work and evidence of his ability to provide. However, when a wealthy new suitor arrives in Bethlehem, Texas to woo Anna with her father’s support, patience is no longer an option. Simeon has twelve days before Christmas to best his rival and prove once and for all that he is Anna’s true love.

A fun, quirky read that is short enough to squeeze into even the busiest holiday schedule.

Grab a copy here or buy one for a friend as a digital stocking stuffer.

Giveaway

Today, I’m happy to give away this adorable bookish ornament along with an e-book copy of My True Love Gave to Me. Just play the game below to enter.

Below you will find three statements, two are true, one is not. 

Guess which is the lie in the comments to be entered in the drawings.

Winners and answers will be announced on Sunday 12/03.

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  1. I once unwrapped a toilet seat as a Christmas gift.
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  2. My husband has bought me something cowboy-related every year for Christmas since I published my first western romance in 2010.
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  3. The Christmas gift that made the biggest Witemeyer family splash was when I gave my high school daughter a copy of the MLA Handbook.

Will Rogers Medallion

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Last month, I was honored to be invited to Fort Worth, Texas as a finalist for the Will Rogers Medallion. This contest, named for the famed cowboy, humorist, actor, and author honors western writing in all formats – fiction, non-fiction, short stories, articles, even cookbooks. One of the things that attracted to me about this contest in particular was that it honored the values of this American legend. The contest states:

*All works must represent an accurate reflection of Western Americana, or cowboy and ranch life, historical or contemporary. Historical accuracy is crucial where applicable.

*The work must remain consistent with the values and the language embodied in the works of award namesake, Will Rogers, one of America’s most beloved humorists and writers; in other words, innuendo is fine, but neither graphic sex scenes nor graphic language is in our code.

Will Rogers was born in 1879 in Oklahoma and worked on his parents’ ranch, then took on cowboy work in the Texas panhandle, traveled to Argentina, and eventually became a member of Texas Jack’s Wild West Circus thanks to his amazing roping skills, thereby getting his first gig as an entertainer. He and his roping moved on to the Ziegfeld Follies, which opened the door to movie contracts. He made over 70 films, 50 of which were silent pictures. He made a name for himself as a humorist as well and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns.

Here are a few classic lines from Will that make me grin:

  • If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
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  • The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
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  • There are three kinds of men:
    …The ones that learn by reading.
    …The few who learn by observation.
    …The rest of them have to touch an electric fence.

The award banquet took place at the historical Fort Worth Stockyards, at Cooper’s Barbecue. Yum! To honor Will, they had a trick roper on hand. They also had his great-granddaughter come to speak. She runs the Will Rogers Museum in Oklahoma, and it was lovely to have her there.

They gave a Golden Lariat Award for lifetime achievement to Craig Johnson who is the author of the Longmire series. That was fun to see.

The Western Romance category was the first category on the list, so I didn’t have to wait long for my results. Our fabulous filly sister Shanna Hatfield took the silver medallion for Henley. I was so excited for her. I tried to cheer loud enough for her to hear me in Oregon since she wasn’t able to attend.

I was so blessed to receive the gold medallion for In Honor’s Defense. My editor, Jessica Sharpe, flew down to join me for the day, and we made sure to snap a photo together afterwards with our matching medallions.

 

There was a lot of western writing talent in that banquet hall, and I was incredibly honored to be part of it. I think I’ll enter again next year.

Do you read any other western writing besides romance?
Western magazines, biographies, history, children’s books …

 

Tomorrow’s a Big Day!

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I have two big book events happening tomorrow.

1. My Christmas short story My True Love Gave to Me is releasing. Yippee!

I had so much fun giving the classic Twelve Days of Christmas carol a romantic Texas twist. I thought you might enjoy a sneak peek at how our hero gives these gifts his own cowboy spin.

Her mother must have seen them coming, for she threw open the back door and waved them in. “Come in and warm yourself by the stove,” she urged. As Anna slipped past, her mother touched her arm and stalled her progress. “A gift arrived for you.” Her eyes danced, setting off a similar gyration in Anna’s belly. “Your father’s grumbling about it in the front room.”

If he was grumbling, it had to be from Simeon. Without pausing to remove her coat, Anna abandoned the kitchen and hurried to the front room. She found her father bent at the waist, staring at what looked to be a cactus in a pot on the slender table behind the sofa.

“Daddy?”

He straightened and turned abruptly. “I tell you, Anna. That boy has lost his mind. Who in the world sends a cactus as a courting gift? And there’s a bullet hanging from the center of the thing. What is that supposed to signify? Is it some kind of threat?”

“Of course it’s not a threat.” Though it was rather odd. What are you up to, Simeon? Anna approached the table and found an envelope, thankfully still unopened, with her name written across the front in an unrefined scrawl she recognized instantly.

“Tell me, Herald,” her father said, alerting Anna to her growing audience, “is that not the most ridiculous bouquet you’ve ever seen? If you can even call it a bouquet. Next to your roses, it looks like a bulbous weed.”

“It is rather . . . unconventional.”

Herald’s voice faded from Anna’s awareness as she opened Simeon’s note. There were only two lines, but they made her heart pound.

To Anna, on the first day of Christmas.

From Your True Love

On the first day of Christmas. Why did that phrase sound so familiar? Then it came to her. A children’s counting song. On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me . . .

She turned back to the gift and looked at it with new eyes. Saw the reddish-purple bulb of prickly fruit. Looked closer at the bullet tied on with a string. It wasn’t ammunition for a pistol. The casing was longer. Like that for a rifle.

“Daddy?” she asked without turning.

He broke off his conversation. “Yes?”

She drew her finger along the line of the metal cylinder. “What do you call a bullet that goes into a rifle?”

He scratched at his jaw. “A cartridge. But what does that have to do with—” He broke off when she started laughing.

She spun around to face him, a smile beaming across her face as she held Simeon’s note to her breast. “Oh, Daddy. Don’t you see? It’s a gift of true love.”

He scowled. “Are you feeling all right, Anna?”

“I feel marvelous!” She waltzed up to him and handed over the note for him to inspect.

He read the note, grumbled, then passed it to Herald. She should be angry that he would share her personal correspondence without her permission, but she was too delighted with Simeon’s cleverness to take him to task.

“Why are you so happy?” her father demanded. “This has to be the least romantic gift of all time. It’s a half-dead cactus covered with barbs and a random bullet.”

“No, Daddy,” she said, her heart awash with love. “It’s a cartridge in a prickly pear tree.”

Today is the last day to pre-order. If you do, the story will show up on your Kindle bright and early tomorrow morning. Just like Christmas!

The story is only 99¢ to purchase, though it will be available in KU as well.

Pre-Order Here

Anna King has pledged her heart to Simeon Shepherd, but her father refuses to grant her hand to the young farmer. Simeon determines to be patient and earn David King’s respect over time with hard work and evidence of his ability to provide. However, when a wealthy new suitor arrives in Bethlehem, Texas to woo Anna with her father’s support, patience is no longer an option. Simeon has twelve days before Christmas to best his rival and prove once and for all that he is Anna’s true love.

2. In Her Sights has been selected for a Kindle Daily Deal – also tomorrow.

For one day only, you can purchase Tessa and Jackson’s story for only $1.49. WooHoo!

If you haven’t read the Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series yet, now’s the time to start with Book 1 going on sale tomorrow. Find it here on Amazon.

What is something fun or special coming up on the calendar in your life this week?

A Short Story Experiment

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It’s that time of year. The time when autumn arrives and Christmas reads start appearing in bookstores. I’m one of those readers who saves up my Christmas reads to enjoy in December, but I start buying them as soon as they pop up on my radar.

This year, I decided to try a little Christmas story experiment. Thanks to the fabulous success of our Petticoats & Pistols Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series, I got a taste of indie publishing, and I’m hungry to explore new opportunities in that arena.

In 2021, I published a Christmas novella collection called Under the Texas Mistletoe. When we were preparing this anthology for publication, one retailer reached out to my publisher and requested that I come up with some bonus content to include in a special edition of the book that would only be available on their site. So I did. I wrote a novelette inspired by the classic carol The Twelve Days of Christmas, only I gave it a cowboy twist.

If you happened to purchase the special edition version of Under the Texas Mistletoe through ChristianBook.com, you likely read this story. However, this story was not available from any other retailer, including Amazon. And when the print copies sold out at ChristianBook, I received the rights back to the story. Now that I’ve learned the ropes of indie publishing, I’ve decided it’s time to share this story with all the readers who didn’t get a chance to read it back in 2021.

I’m delighted to introduce you to . . .

The Twelve Days of Christmas get a romantic Texas twist!

Anna King has pledged her heart to Simeon Shepherd, but her father refuses to grant her hand to the young farmer. Simeon determines to be patient and earn David King’s respect over time with hard work and evidence of his ability to provide. However, when a wealthy new suitor arrives in Bethlehem, Texas to woo Anna with her father’s support, patience is no longer an option. Simeon has twelve days before Christmas to best his rival and prove once and for all that he is Anna’s true love.

I love this short story. It’s quirky and fun and cowboy sweet. It truly is short, too. Only about 8,000 words, the perfect size for a quick break during the busy holiday season. It also includes a bonus Christmas devotional.

It’s available for preorder now, for only $0.99 and will release on October 10.

Click here to preorder.

Short stories are a bit of a different animal from novels or even novellas, so I have no idea how this little experiment will work, but I’m excited to give it a try.

How do you feel about short stories?

Me and Buffalo Bill

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Ever since researching Annie Oakley for my Pink Pistol story, I’ve developed a serious fascination not only with Annie herself, but with the charismatic man who made her famous – Buffalo Bill Cody. In fact, In Her Sights opens in 1893 Chicago, the day after the closing of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. This is where the creator of the pink pistol sought out Annie Oakley and set the entire plot in motion for the Pink Pistol Sisterhood Series.

So when several of the fillies decided to meet in Deadwood this summer for Wild Deadwood Reads, I started plotting a route that would take me and my husband on a slight detour to Cody, Wyoming. Buffalo Bill made so much money in Chicago, taking advantage of the draw of the World’s Fair, that he used his profits to help found a town on the east side of Yellowstone, a town named in his honor. Cody was established in 1895.

In 1902, Cody built a hotel downtown – the Irma. It was named after his youngest daughter. He maintained two suites and an office for his personal use at the hotel. When Wes and I arrived in Cody after a long drive from Colorado Springs, the first thing we did after checking into our AirBnB was to walk the few blocks downtown and have dinner at the Irma.

The place was packed! More than a century later, this is still the place to be in Cody. Especially for their prime rib buffet. If you like meat, this is the place to go. I’ve never eaten so much meat in my life! In addition to the prime rib, there was ham, chicken, and crab. People don’t go there for the vegetables.

As you would expect in cowboy country, there were antlers used in all of the decorating. Gaston from Beauty and the Beast would feel right at home. 🙂 Lots of dark wood, too, authentic to the time period in which it was built.

My favorite part of the place, however, was the gorgeous cherry wood bar. This was a gift from Queen Victoria after Buffalo Bill brought his Wild West Show to London! They still use it today, though it doubles as a gun case.

After our meal, we waddled out of the restaurant and found Buffalo Bill himself on a bench outside. He was kind enough to let me grab a photo with him.

The next day, we spent all morning touring the large museum in town. Even the outside was amazing, with all kinds of larger-than-life statues paying tribute to the west Buffalo Bill knew and loved. I almost got run over by a pony express rider, but my heroic husband whisked me out of the way just in time.

We ran into Buffalo Bill again at the entrance to his museum, and the legendary fella was kind enough to allow us to take another photo.

At the Center of the West museum, they had an entire museum dedicated to the history of firearms. I didn’t care for much after about 1900, but my research brain was soaking in as many details as possible on the countless displays of earlier weapons. On the way in, I got to snap a quick photo with Annie Oakley. I knew all of our Pink Pistol readers would enjoy that. 🙂 The museum had one of Annie’s rifles on display next to one of Buffalo Bill’s. I got a little shiver when I saw them.

We spent the majority of our time in the museum dedicated to Buffalo Bill’s life and accomplishments. He really was a remarkable man and passionate about preserving the west. I nearly squealed with delight when I saw a diorama of the city-like area they set up for the Wild West show whenever they stayed somewhere for a significant amount of time. I saw where Annie Oakley’s tent would be and imagined my gunmaker finding here there.

Then I found her myself. Or some of her belongings, anyway. The museum boasted a display cased filled with one of Annie’s trunks, travel dresses, pair of gloves, rifle, and pistol. I felt such a kinship with her as I studied her belongings. What a wonderful treasure!

If the pearl handle on that revolver were just a little pinker, it could’ve been our courtship pistol!

My husband eventually gave up on me and went to visit another of the five museums while I took my time and savored every exhibit in the Buffalo Bill wing. So much to see and read and learn! Needless to say, I enjoyed every minute.

What was the last museum you visited?

 

Rock Ledge Ranch – Living History

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This week, eight of the Fillies are meeting up in Deadwood, SD for a mini retreat and book signing. I’m sure many of us will be posting about our western adventures. My husband Wes and I got an early start and left Texas this past Saturday, planning to stop in Colorado Springs and Cody, WY before meeting up with everyone in Deadwood.

We took a day to visit the Garden of the Gods and a wonderful living history ranch right next door.

My favorite thing about Rock Ledge Ranch was that not only did it have have wonderfully knowledgeable docents and tradesmen throughout the property, but they had young docents-in-training. Seeing these children in costume made it feel like we had truly stepped back in time. And they weren’t just running around in costume. They knew their stuff!

We started with a cabin representing the one the original homesteader had on the property back in 1867. Wes enjoyed meeting Martha the cow before we made it to the cabin where some lovely young girls were playing checkers.

We encountered more children as we made our way through the farm section. Feeding the horses a treat and corralling chickens into the coop.

Next, we headed to Rock Ledge House. This house represents the Victoria era and belonged to a family who ran an orchard. During the lean years, they used the extra space in their house to take in boarders, sometimes 3 or 4 to a room. One upstairs room was for male boarders, the other for female boarders. The children had rooms down the hall.

We came to the smithy next, and the blacksmith working the forge was an excellent craftsman. Not only did he make practical items, but he created the gorgeous rose pictured below.

The final stop on the ranch was a visit to Orchard House. This was representative of the Edwardian era, built in 1907. During the time the family lived in the house, there were only female servants, and we had the chance to interact with all of them, from housekeeper, to cook, to a pair of maids.

I had such a lovely afternoon stepping back in time.

Have you ever visited a living history museum or an historical home where a costumed docent showed you around and filled your mind with fabulous historical tidbits?

Karen’s Favorite Things

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The interior of my home will never grace a magazine page or a blog post about design style. My aesthetic is far too eclectic and practical. My home is furnished with hand-me-down family items mixed with a few new purchases made over the last thirty years. However, some of my favorite things are the little cowboy touches sprinkled throughout my home. My home is more traditional American than rustic western overall, but I’ve collected quite a few decor items over the years that add a fun touch of cowboy chic that leaves me smiling. Especially since my husband is the one who has given me the vast majority of these.

Let’s take a tour, so I can show them off.

We start in the entryway, just inside the front door. To your right you’ll find a cowboy and cowgirl kneeling in prayer at the base of a cross. To your left is a wall hanging featuring a gun belt, three Texas stars, a cowboy kerchief, and a pair of girl’s bonnets. The bonnets were made for my daughter’s Little House themed birthday party when she was about 8 or 9. I have a couple in my bedroom as well. Couldn’t let them go to waste!

Next, we move to the kitchen and my prized salt and pepper shakers. I use these almost every day. My husband and I bought them in a gift shop when we were traveling to some western-ish place that I have since forgotten.

Moving to the living room we find my favorite piece of cowboy art. A gift from my husband several years ago.

As we move down the hall, you’ll see a stash of my books on a shelf along with a pair of miniature boots that a reader gave to me. They add the perfect touch!

Coming into my bedroom, you’ll see some western flavor on my dresser, also gifts from my Texas hero. Love the pen holder and little keepsake box. (Apparently I didn’t notice that the lid was backwards when I snapped the photo. Ha!)

And we can’t forget the bathroom. Every western writer need to be able to brush her teeth in the proper frame of mind.

I have a few items in my day-job office as well. I have a small collection of decorative pencil sharpeners that have I picked up at various gift shops over the years, and the pencil holder on the right is one of the first western decor items my husband ever purchased for me. It’s my favorite!

~GIVEAWAY~

Leave a comment about your favorite decor item (western or otherwise) for a chance to a win this pair of western hooks.

 

A Four-Filly Giveaway!

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Just popping in for a quick minute today to share a giant giveaway with you. There are over 40 inspirational romances up for grabs in this massive giveaway, including books by four of our P&P Fillies – Shanna Hatfield, Kit Morgan, Kari Trumbo, and me! You’ll also recognize several P&P guest authors like Misty Beller, Janalyn Voigt, Heather Blanton, and Kimberley Woodhouse.

All that is required to enter is to follow the authors you choose on Amazon or Bookbub. Super easy. Click the button below for a chance to win!

Making Series Connections

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One of my favorite things about working on collections or multi-author series is having the chance to tap into the creative mind of other writers. Until the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series, the most experience I had with connecting to stories written by other authors was through the novella collections I had written.

Some of my most connected collections include the following:

A Match Made in Texas – Each of the four stories were set at least partially in the fictional town of Dry Gulch, Texas. Not only that, but all four stories were connected through the actions of a secretive matchmaker who wasn’t revealed until the final story. We had to coordinate town details, character names and descriptions, and time period details to make sure our stories lined up properly.

The Christmas Heirloom – In this collection, a family heirloom was passed down through the generations. While we didn’t have to coordinate setting details, we did have to keep track of family trees and generation gaps. We actually purchased a piece of costume jewelry to serve as our model Luckenbooth brooch, so we would all be able to describe it in detail. We also had an embroidered bag where each heroine sewed her initials and year of marriage. One of the authors’ mothers actually reproduced the bag for us, and we ended up giving away the brooch and the bag at our launch party.

The Kissing Tree – One of my favorite connections was in this collection. All four stories took place in the same fictional town of Oak Springs, TX and all of them centered around a giant oak tree where couples would carve their initials. Each story took place in a different time period, but the tree was at the heart. My story was second in the series, and the author of the first story finished hers really early, giving me the opportunity to read it ahead of time. My heroine wrote romantic stories for a magazine, so I had fun adding a elements of Regina’s story into mine. I was even able to give her characters cameo appearances in my story. As time progressed, little details were woven in by the other authors. For example, my hero and heroine were building the Kissing Tree Inn together, and my heroine initially painted it a horrible shade of bright pink. When a later character worked on renovating the inn, they found traces of that hideous pink color. Little details carrying through like that make my reader heart happy.

The Oak Tree that Inspired our Kissing Tree

Working on the Pink Pistol Sisterhood series has been so much fun. While each story stands on its own, they are connected by a shared history through the customized pistol that is handed down from heroine to heroine.

When it came time to write my story, I knew that I wanted to create a fun connection with the author who followed me in the series – Shanna Hatfield. Shanna is such a joy to work with and always so positive and encouraging, and when I suggested we create a character to connect our stories, she jumped in with both feet! We worked together to create Laura Marshall. Laura is Tessa’s best friend in my story and cousin to Rena, who is Shanna’s heroine. Laura is a milliner to works alongside Tessa in a dressmaking shop in Caldwell, TX. She also has strong family connections to Oregon (Shanna’s setting) and a special level of compassion for her cousin Rena.

Here is a snippet of one of Laura’s scenes where we incorporated a hint of Rena’s coming storyline:

“So, you don’t think I’m crazy?”

Laura shook her head, and a weight lifted from Tessa’s chest. “Not crazy. Hopeful.” She placed a hand on Tessa’s arm. “I’m rooting for you. You know that.”

Tessa nodded.

“Besides,” Laura said with a mischievous grin, “if you and Jackson end up together, I know just the lady you can send the pistol to next.”

“Oh? Who’s that?”

“My cousin Rena.” Laura’s expression sobered. “She’s had a rough go of it the last couple years. She suffered an injury that left her believing no man will ever want her. It’s so sad. She’s talked about visiting my brother out in Oregon and making a fresh start. The pistol could offer her some measure of protection, and if she gives it a chance, maybe it will lead her to someone who can see past her scars to the wonderful woman inside.”

“You don’t want a turn with the pistol yourself?” Tessa asked.

Laura grinned as she shook her head. “No, thanks. I plan to find my true love the old-fashioned way.”

Tessa squeezed her friend’s hand. “Well, I can’t blame you for sticking with the tried-and-true.”

“I’m not in a hurry. Too many girls think marrying is their only option for having a meaningful life. I have a career I enjoy, good friends, and the love of family. If the time is ever right for something more, God will let me know.”

“You’re a wise woman, Laura Marshall, and far more patient than I am.”

“Yes, well, it’s easier to be patient before one finds her true love than after.” She grinned and started dragging Tessa toward the workroom door. “Now, enough talk. Daylight’s a-wasting, as my granny used to say. Get out there and get your man. I’ll take care of closing up the shop.”

Shanna’s novel – Love on Target just released this week! We had so much fun partnering together on this project. I’m excited to see what adventures Rena encounters and the role Laura plays.

Buy In Her Sights here.

Buy Love on Target here.

Do you enjoy series with woven connections and carry-over details?
Or do you prefer series stories that stand more on their own?

Petticoats & Pistols