Thank you all who came to my blog today. I really appreciated it. I wish I could give you all a book.
But, since I can’t, I’ll just post the two winners.
And they are:
PATTI WHITAKER
JACKIE WISHERD
Congratulations, ladies. I’ll email you tomorrow so watch for it.
“On an unforgiving 1880s frontier, where secrets cut as sharp as winter winds, love must decide whether to freeze—or fight its way through the storm.”
When I began to write SUMMER’S HEART, I had no plans to include a woman who was off her rocker. It wasn’t until I decided Summer and Dan were too comfortable in their relationship. So, like authors do, I had to shake the couple up. Enter Elsie Finch with wild claims that Dan fathered her child.
Boy, did the fireworks light things up! Doubts and questions rose. I won’t give the story away but it took a while for Summer and Dan to kiss and make up. Here’s something fun for you.
Insanity treatments in the 19th century left a lot to be desired. Our own Mary Connealy has blogged about this several times so you might find more there. Here is the link to one: https://petticoatsandpistols.com/2022/04/21/insane-asylums-in-history/
In the east, they had plenty of asylums where they locked people with mental illness away. But husbands with wives they didn’t want soon saw how easy it was to label their excess baggage as insane and lock them up with no questions asked.
A few of the crazy reasons they gave was:
I kid you not. Reading novels had to be one of the lamest excuses!
Anyway, that was mostly back east. In the old West, mental asylums were not prevalent. Mostly, families tried to deal with their crazy relatives themselves. Another alternative was putting them in prisons but those conditions were horrible.
In Texas, the first institution was the Texas State Lunatic Asylum. Doctors there tried a softer approach—until it became overcrowded. A second one, the North Texas Lunatic Asylum was built in Terrell but it was pretty bad. Lobotomies, cold water immersion, beatings, and things like that. Few doctors knew how to treat them.
In my new story, I never go into what kind of asylum the one in Austin was. It wasn’t discussed and I had to get the characters onto the rescue of her little brother which proved quite challenging. I’m sure it was about the same as the others. Horrible places.
Not only did Elsie Finch provide a lot of comic relief, which the story needed to offset the darkness, it also taught Summer to trust Dan with all her heart and see that he truly loved only her.
In this snowbound 1882 Texas romance filled with frontier mystery, unexpected betrayal, and heart-pounding suspense, nurse Summer McIntyre’s world is upended when a stranger arrives through the blizzard carrying a newborn and claiming the sheriff, the man she’s set to marry is the father. As the storm seals the town under ice, Summer discovers her missing little brother is alive—and in the hands of a dangerous madwoman in the frozen hills. With rescue impossible and trust between her and Sheriff Dan Bodine shattered, Summer must uncover the truth before the storm takes everyone she loves.
Let’s chat. Do you like reading books in the season in which they’re written? A snowy blizzard in this one might be best in winter. But then reading it in summer when it’s hot might be a refreshing break from the heat. Or maybe it doesn’t matter. I’m giving away a copy (winner’s choice of ebook or print) to two commenters so be sure to leave a comment.
Classic Shirley Temple Mocktail
My drink is so simple and easy to make and is really versatile. It’s a great way to celebrate the New Year without the alcohol and kids can drink it too as well as pregnant women. It’s delicious.
Recipe
1 cup of Ginger Ale or any lemon-lime soda diet or regular
1 teaspoon Grenadine (can use pomegranate juice instead)
1 squeeze of a fresh lime
Maraschino cherries to garnish. And you also can put an orange slice on the rim.
Directions
Pour the Ginger Ale and Grenadine into a glass. Squeeze in some lime, stir and add the cherries. Also lots of ice.
This would be a good drink for New Year’s celebrations. Or just anytime you want something different. You can also rim the glass with sanding sugar that you find in Walmart.
Most grocery stores shelve Grenadine by the Club soda and Ginger Ale. That way you wouldn’t have to go to a liquor store which I hate. But I think the pomegranate juice would be a great substitute. Any health food store should carry it because it is very healthy.
Anyway, I hope you try this and find it delightful!
No place was lonelier for settlers than the frontier. Having left family and friends back East, a lot felt cutoff from the world. The wind howled, temperatures were freezing, and they were hard put just to stay alive. The days were long and filled with hard work. There was little enjoyment to be had.
Christmas was the worst time for depression to set in. In addition to missing their loved ones, there were few trees over a lot of the high plains so they had to make do with whatever they could find. Some mothers, desperate for Christmas cheer, collected a tumbleweed (which were very plentiful throughout the central plains) and decorated it in bright colors. Candles were not allowed near due to the combustible nature of the dry bush.
Others chopped down other trees like scrub oak, juniper, or blackjack and used those. These settlers were very resourceful. To make it appear it had snowed on it, they wrapped the limbs and twigs with cotton. Other decorations were popcorn and cranberries they strung on twine and strings of paper hearts.
The children could also use the foil that separated layers of cigars and make icicles to hang on the tree. That is if their fathers smoked cigars and they could persuade him to save them. I’m sure there were many other things they made decorations out of. Possibilities were endless, including bird nests, colorful ribbon and empty spools of thread strung together. The first ornaments were hand-blown and didn’t come along until the late 1800s and early 1900. And electric lights appeared after the turn of the century.
School age children usually had a Christmas program of some kind, and they got a chance to sing or perform in a play. Those were fun occasions for kids and parents alike.
Food was an important part of the Christmas celebration and sugar was saved for months so there would be enough for the cakes and pies. Oranges were a real treat and kids only got one at the holiday. Fathers usually went hunting for a turkey, a duck, or whatever game they ran across.
Gifts were handmade unless the family was very wealthy. Fathers carved toys, mothers made dolls and knitted scarves, hats, and gloves. Everything was simple with the emphasis on the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Personally, I wish we could go back to these days without all the commercialization.
Tell me about a Christmas of yours that stands out and what made it really special.
Mine was the year my dad suffered third degree burns over much of his body in an explosion at his job on a construction site. I think I was probably seven or eight. He was in the hospital for months and we didn’t know when he’d get out. Back then, kids weren’t allowed beyond the waiting room so Jan and I couldn’t see him. My mom usually sat with him at night and our older sister came and stayed with us while she was gone, so our door would be locked. I was so afraid that Santa couldn’t get in and we wouldn’t get any presents. My older sister assured me he could come through the keyhole and not to worry. The next morning, sure enough, we had a few gifts even though we had no tree. And Mama had brought Daddy home from the hospital. That was the best Christmas I can remember because we were all together again and everything seemed right in my sheltered little world.
Also, I have a new book up for preorder! SUMMER’S HEART #2 The McIntyres. Release date 1/12/2026. AMAZON
In a storm of secrets, even love can freeze—or fight its way through the cold.
A mysterious woman, a newborn baby, and a claim that shatters Summer McIntyre’s secure world. As a deadly Texas blizzard seals the town in ice, Summer reels from betrayal—only to learn her long-lost little brother is alive and trapped with a madwoman in the treacherous hills. Every trail is buried under snow, every rescue impossible, and Summer must face the storm inside her heart as well as the one raging outside. Can love survive when trust is broken and time is running out?
Wishing you all a joyous Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever you say!
Linda
Huge thanks to all of you who commented on my post about the Montana Vigilantes. Such a mystery.
Winners of LOVE COMES TO CHRISTMAS are:
BRIDGETTE SHIPPY
RUTH KIZZAH
Congratulations, Ladies! I’ll contact you so watch your email.
Seems like each state has a storied law enforcement agency. Here we have the Texas Rangers and in Arizona it’s the Arizona Rangers. In early Montana Territory it was a group called the Vigilantes. I recently ran across an interesting story about the Montana Vigilantes that was formed December 23, 1863.
But before you judge, here’s a glimpse of what decent people faced in 1863. Because there was no one to enforce the law, outlaws, robbers and murderers flocked to Montana Territory in droves. What courts that existed had very limited power, especially in remote mining camps. Mostly justice (if any could be had) came about through what was called miners’ courts and was weak and ineffective, unable to enforce the rulings. Basically, there was little law to be had in these rich gold fields. Gold being the accepted form of currency at the time. But transporting it was a huge risk and over time a million dollars in gold was stolen. Gangs, the most brutal of which was the Plummer Gang, was run by the Bannock, Montana sheriff, Henry Plummer. They preyed on all who traveled the roads and over a hundred travelers were murdered in the fall of 1863 alone. Something had to be done.
A group of men from Montana’s major cities held a clandestine meeting in John Lott’s store in Virginia City and formed this secret organization. In two years’ time, their members numbered over two thousand men. The Vigilantes’ main goal was to make the territory safe for families and rid it of crime. To that end, they dispensed harsh justice to undesirables. The organization spread across Montana and into parts of Idaho.
In the first two months of 1864, they hung 24 men. That was the beginning. It seemed quite a deterrent to criminals. There was no safe haven other than the Black Hills of South Dakota where most went.
THE WARNING
Seems the Vigilantes would paint the numbers 3-7-77 on homes, fences, tents and other things as a threat. If the person didn’t leave, they dealt with them violently and swiftly. No one ever got a second threat.
The meaning of the numbers is a mystery. Some say they represented the exact time period that the Vigilantes gave their targets to get out of town – 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 77 seconds. Another interpretation is that the numbers were a grave’s dimensions: 3 feet, by 7 feet, by 77 inches.
Still another school of thought is that it was a code used by the Freemasons.
Whatever the numbers represented, they struck terror in a man’s heart, and he quickly heeded the warning or risked death. These numbers became a potent symbol of law and order. The Montana Highway Patrol still uses the numbers today. The patch on each lawman’s shoulder sports 3-7-77. The department also paints it on the side panel of each patrol car.
To the lawmen of today it represents “Serve and Protect.”
While there’s no justification at all for vigilantes now in the 21st century, neither could a man stand by and let lawless gangs take over without doing something. There has to be law and order so people can thrive. These men simply wanted a safe place for their wives and children and keep rustlers from stealing their cattle.
Montana became the 41st state to be admitted to the union on November 8, 1889. The Montana Vigilantes disbanded around 1870 when the Stockman’s Association was formed.
Do you like a good mystery? While the true meaning of the numbers 3-7-77 has gotten lost, what is your best guess? Is it referencing a grave dimensions, referring to the time they allowed to leave the territory, or something else? I’m going to give two commenters an ebook copy of Love Comes to Christmas so join the chat.
Someone wants Gillian Everly to believe her beloved Christmas shop, the dream she built from nothing, is haunted. Strange events unsettle her, but she refuses to believe in ghosts. With her Christmas Eve piano performance approaching, she can’t afford distractions.
Enter Brett Love, a rugged local rancher who’s as intrigued by Gillian as he is determined to protect her. When he lends her one of his dogs for safety, it seems like the perfect fix, until the nightmare turns real.
A violent confrontation leaves Gillian’s hand maimed, her music performance in jeopardy, and Brett questioning the solitary life he’s always known. This Christmas, it will take more than faith to keep their dreams, and hearts, alive.
Thanks to everyone who came to read my post and leave a comment. I loved each one.
The winner of my $15 Amazon Gift Card is…………
S. DAISY
Congratulations, Daisy! I’ll contact you tomorrow.
Although I wasn’t born here, I consider Wichita Falls, Texas to be my hometown. You see, I called it home for thirty-eight years—married, had three children, buried two husbands, and became a writer. So, I have a long history with the town that gave me so much. Let me tell you a little about it.
This northern Texas town sits fifteen miles from the Oklahoma line on the Wichita River. It was platted in July 1976 on land where a group of settlers already had homes. One family made a living hauling buffalo hides and had a long history in the area.
COMANCHERIA
We get our name from the Wichita Indians living in the area that also had some waterfalls. However, the natural waterfalls later washed away in a flood and artificial ones were built many years later in 1987. The Spanish called these lands Comancheria because they were controlled by the Comanche Indians. We have a very long history with the Comanches.
A VISONARY
One man had a vision of prosperity here—Joseph Kemp. You might say he was our founding father. Kemp, a businessman who always looked for opportunity, arrived with his family in 1883 after the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad arrived the year previous. Kemp wasted no time in opening the J.A. Kemp Wholesale Grocery and got a contract to furnish supplies to the Indian Reservation at Fort Sill in Indian Territory as well as to ranchers and settlers. He did over $1 million dollars worth of business annually and cemented Wichita Falls as a trade center.
Frank Kell, Kemp’s brother-in-law, arrived around 1885. Together, the two men became pioneers in retail food and processing, flour milling, railroads, cattle, banking, and oil. The town owes it’s success to these giants who were progressive thinkers.
BANK ROBBERY
On the afternoon of February 25, 1896, two outlaws robbed the City National Bank and killed the clerk. They made off with $410 and hid in a thicket outside of town. The Texas Rangers tracked them down and brought them back to town the next day. However, the angry townsfolk dragged them from the jail and hung them from a lamp post in front of the bank. The pair was buried in the local cemetery in the same grave, instead of separately.
(As a side note, Jesse James’ sister, Susan Parmer, is also buried in the same cemetery. I’ve visited both of these gravesites.)
TORNADOS
The town experienced two violent tornados—the first in 1964 that killed 7 people and left over a hundred wounded; the second was a massive one in 1979 in which 42 people died and 1,800 wounded.
The historic second one, April 1979, left 20,000 people homeless. We still call it Terrible Tuesday. I lived through this with my husband and three children and became one of the 20,000. While the tornado was horrific and wiped out every single thing we had, the aftermath was far worse. We were lucky to have survived with only scrapes and bruises, but the destruction and trauma left behind was indescribable. We had no place to live for a long time and simply shifted around between with various family for short periods until they got tired of us. My two oldest slept in all their clothes, down to their shoes, for about the first year. Their school was destroyed so they doubled up in others and only went half days. I would get calls almost every day telling me to come get them because they wouldn’t stop crying. The counselors who provided therapy were little help. We all suffered from PTSD although we didn’t know what to call it. My youngest was just a baby so has no memory, thank goodness. We were so lucky. It’s a memory that haunts me to this day. The sound, the horrible stench, the raw fear as the roof came down, burying us, is something I’ll live with for the rest of my life.
Wichita Falls is home to the large Sheppard Air Force Base, Midwestern State University, and over 100,000 people. Our governor, Gregg Abbott, was born here as well as Phil McGraw and Larry McMurtry plus rodeo & TV stars, race car drivers, and so many others.
I became a New York Times bestselling author here and will always remember the many kindnesses and generosity shown during my years as one of its citizens.
What are some of the things your town is known for? I’ll give away a $15 Amazon gift card to one commenter.
Thanks to everyone who came yesterday to read my funny things children say. I appreciate it
The ebook winner of Winning Maura’s Heart is………….
RHONDA PIERCE
Yippee! I’ll email you Rhonda so be watching.
Children crack me up and they greatly enrich my stories when I write about them. I also love writing about love and marriage and have strong personal opinions about the subject—but not as much as children do. My goodness, they’re opinionated. Many years ago (way more than I want to share) Art Linkletter had a segment on his TV show called Children Say the Darndest Things. People before the age of 30 won’t know what I’m talking about. However Jay Leno used to talk to children on the Tonight Show about various subjects and they’re always so funny. I can’t think of anything more fun than talking to kids. Some are pretty wise for their age and they’re always downright hilarious.
The other day someone asked my five year old great grandson how old my daughter (his grandma) was. He slapped his hands to his head and said, “I don’t know but she’s really, really, really old.”
Here are a few random ones from the Linkletter show.
How do you decide who to marry?
One girl said, “No person really decides before they grow up. God decides it all way before and you get to find out later who you’re stuck with.”
A boy said, “You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports and she should keep the chips and dip coming.”
What is the right age to get married?
“Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.”
What do most people do on a date?
“Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.” (A wise girl if I say so myself!)
“On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.”
When is it okay to kiss someone?
“When they’re rich.” (I like the way this girl thinks. Wish I’d have listened to her advice.)
Is it better to be single or married?
“It’s better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.”
How would you make a marriage work?
“Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.”
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One thing for sure, children sure have a unique view of the world. I love writing about them and usually put at least one in every story. They can add so much more depth and emotion.
I put an orphanage in my Hangman’s Daughters series and there were so many funny things the kids said. Here’s a scene from Winning Maura’s Heart between a six year old boy and a mysterious stranger gives only the name Calhoun.
Henry’s grin revealed a big gap in his mouth where he’d lost two front teeth. His eyes usually had a mischievous twinkle.
“Well, Henry, I’m right proud to know you.” Calhoun held the chair while he sat down. “This is a pretty nice place from what I can see. Are you happy to be living here?”
“Yep.”
“Miss Maura will be back in just a minute. I’m going to shave these whiskers off. Do you shave, Henry?”
“Yep.”
“You don’t say?” Calhoun felt the boy’s jaw. “That’s real smooth. You do a good job.”
“Yep. If I had spec’ables I could see better.” Henry propped an elbow on the table. “Miss Em wears spec’ables but Miss Mo don’t.”
“Miss Mo? Oh, you mean Miss Maura.”
“Yep, I guess.” Henry nervously glanced toward the door.
“Are you hiding from someone?” Calhoun asked.
He nodded. “Rosemary.” He released a troubled sigh. “She wants to get married but I’m tired of playing with dolls. I like playing with boys too, running and playing leapfrog. But she says I gotta choose.”
A tear-jerking Shakespearean tale if Calhoun ever heard one. He struggled to contain laughter. The boy was so serious as though this was the worst problem he’d ever have in his life. Little did Henry know he was only beginning to learn about the complexities of relationships. Calhoun released a long sigh. “There’s nothing worse than woman-trouble.”
“Nope. Sure ain’t. I’m just gonna tell her the weddin’ is off. I ain’t marrying her.”
“That’s it. Put your foot down, Henry. A woman will respect you for it.”
Here’s a link to the book if you want it. CLICK HERE
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Do you like hanging out and talking to kids? Or maybe you know something funny a child has said. Leave a comment to enter a giveaway for the ebook copy of Winning Maura’s Heart.
