Sarah Lamb I want to thank each of you for stopping by and then telling me about the different places you volunteer or donate to! I think it’s just incredible how you are all making a difference in your communities and the world at large.
Here are the two winners for an ebook copy of book one, Love’s Second Chance, in my brand new series, Hearts of Deepwater:
Recently, we got to enjoy a trip to the Frontier Culture Museum, in Staunton, Virginia. If you ever get the chance to go, I hope you will. They are expanding right now, so a few parts are under some construction, but there’s so much to see at this living history site, from houses (even as old as the 1600s) brought here, stone by stone, to demonstrations by craftsmen.
Since I was writing a book where the town blacksmith is the hero, I knew that I needed to get just a little more familiar with how a blacksmith did things. I was grateful that so many of my questions were answered, and I wanted to share some of the amazing things I learned.
Walking inside of the blacksmith’s shop, we were greeted with a smoky smell. Soot hung on the walls, right alongside the many tools. One tool might be in multiple sizes and used depending on the thing being made. Hammers came in multiple weights too.
The iron rods, which you can see the blacksmith working one of here, were not made by the blacksmiths but ordered and then shipped to them.
The town blacksmith held an important role in the community. He could do anything, from mending tools to creating horse shoes, hooks, nails, wagon parts, and hinges, just to name a few.
Something I found fascinating, yet I couldn’t get a picture of, was that often the blacksmith was the one who fit the metal band around wagon wheels, to help make them last longer. And, do you know what they called the metal band? A tire! The band was actually smaller than the wheel, but when heated fit it perfectly.
One thing I was curious about was the pretty twisted design I saw being made. The blacksmith told me that was the most simple thing of all to make. You simply heat the iron rod, pinch it with the clamping tool, and twist.
Isn’t that so pretty?
I also asked about nails and how long it took to make them. The blacksmith said that a skilled blacksmith could make one in one minute. Think about how many were needed to build a house or make a porch…! And how long it would take for them to make that many nails!
The blacksmith also said that every blacksmith was different in how they worked. Some stood, others sat on a stool or a bench. It was personal preference but also how they were trained or what they were working on. A blacksmith’s forge this size was typical of a small town, where a single person could work everything on their own. He might or might not have had an apprentice.
At the end of the workday, there were two choices for the coals. Bank them to restart in the morning or extinguish them completely. Some choose to extinguish the coals completely, to prevent a fire risk.
If you’d like to read more about blacksmithing, you’ll learn more interesting facts, all from the eyes of Gail, a woman who is headed to California…at least she was until her guide abandons her, steals her money, her horse, and her supplies, leaving her in the middle of no where. The book is called New Beginnings and releases November 19th.
And…you have a chance to win an ebook copy of Love’s Second Chance, the start of the Hearts of Deepwater series. Two winners will be randomly chosen to get a copy. All you have to do for a chance to win is to answer this question:
Every November, I donate 25% of my proceeds for any of my books bought on Amazon or read in KU (K+) to Toys for Tots. Is there a charity that is near and dear to your heart?
Thank you all so much for stopping by to tell me about your fall traditions. After hearing them all, I realize I need mums, an apple crisp, a hay ride, more candy for my trick or treaters, and so, so many more things so that I can feel all of the fall goodness!
I’ve got a winner, and it’s:
When I was growing up we would have a bonfire and a hayride to celebrate fall.
Patti, please send me an email at: sarahlambwriting@gmail.com and tell me if you’d prefer the ebook or an audiobook of Asher’s Secret!
Picture mounds of couch chest high, thousands and thousands of ears. It’s been a good harvest, but if you don’t get the silk removed and the corn chucked quickly, it will rot.
Corn shucking bees, though sometimes called by other names, were not exclusive to Americans. In fact, the practice started with Native American tribes. Later, their ways were adopted by European settlers as a way to turn tedious but necessary labor into a social event.
In exchange for many hands making light work, there was a community event with stories, songs, and after the job was complete, a large feast.
And…if you were husking corn, and happened to find a red ear, a kiss.
Why a kiss? Originally, the Iroquois tradition that said the discovery of a red ear meant that one had a brave admirer. Settlers changed that tradition to say one finding a red ear (even if some enterprising individuals “found” one) means a kiss was owed.
The “bee” wasn’t named after the insect that flies and makes honey. It evolved from the Middle English word bene, which meant a prayer or favor for someone, and the archaic term biden, which meant an invitation.
But what might you expect at one of these bees?
In the late fall or early winter, the corn shucking bee would usually be inside of a large, cleared barn or a large open area outside. Piles of unhusked corn, often mixed with colorful multi-hued Indian corn (which was where that red ear might come from!) were dumped on the ground. The workers would sit around the piles of corn and used tools like wooden husking pegs to tear off the leaves quickly.
The workers would tell stories, sing, and even have little competitions between themselves to see who could do the most husking, and also make the chore less difficult. After all, there were thousands and thousands of ears of corn needing to be husked. While individual competitions were common, so were team competitions.
During a team competition, the host farmer would divide his pile of corn exactly in half, using a log or a long rail. Those who came to help were split into two teams. They’d race to see who could get their half completed first. For a prize, it was usually that team got to fill their plates at dinner first or kept bragging rights.
Once the work was finished, the event turned into a social celebration called a “frolic,” which was the communal dinner, music, and dancing. Sometimes these events would get quite rowdy. Depending on the group, one could expect the dancing and music to last well until morning, between fights or young couples slipping away together for romantic moments.
Still, these events served a dual purpose at the time. They helped the labor to get done and provided entertainment. As fun as this tradition sounds, you might wonder if it still exists. It does! In many Amish communities, there are still corn husking parties, and there is still the search for the red ear of corn to claim a kiss.
Let’s talk fall traditions, and you also might have a chance to win an ebook.
The plan? Pretend he’s her betrothed and try not to fall in love.
Sheriff Asher Steele doesn’t plan to settle down. Not ever. In fact, he avoids the ladies all together. And he doesn’t plan to explain why that is. No one’s been able to break through the walls of his emotions and that’s just the way he likes it.
But when Isabelle Bowman comes to town with a secret of her own, and a heap of trouble following her, he might be the only one who can help her. What he’s not counting on is falling in love along the way and considering opening the walls of his heart to protect her.
Running from her half-brother, who desires nothing more than to kill Isabelle Bowman and take her inheritance, she’s desperate for a place to hide. Uninterested in marriage, she thinks the sheriff’s idea is preposterous. But she’s left with no option. With no funds, a sheriff who thinks she’s a troublemaker or a liar, and his plan that will never work, she’s sure things are not going to end well.
But could they both be wrong about what the future holds?
Do you also have a fall tradition that you do or grew up doing? Comment below, and you might win a prize. I’m giving away one copy of Asher’s Secret in ebook or audiobook!
Isn’t it amazing how plants, including flowers, have so many purposes? Some we still use, others have gotten lost to history. Still, there’s something that really appeals to me about the idea of how close we once lived to nature, and looked to it to solve problems or help us.
Three that caught my eye, because I have books of the same name, are the iris, the poppy, and sage. In the ninteenth century, you’d likely find each of these in a household garden. They were essential for medicines, manufacturing, and even international trade!
The iris is such a beautiful flower. It comes in so many colors! And while in the nineteenth century it was a beautiful decoration in the floral bouquet for many, it’s actually the underground rhizomes, also known as the orris root, that held the highest value commercially.
When dried, this root could mimic the scent of violets. It was ground up to make Victorian hair powders, to used to scent clothes or keep linens smelling fresh. It also could be distilled into orris oil, which was used in expensive perfumes.
What would you think if I told you that it was also a common ingredient in toothpastes? It was! But iris was also used internally, brewed into teas that could treat a cough or chest congestion.
The poppy was one of the most medically influential plants of the 1800s, and later was used for pain management. In 1804, a German pharmacist learned how to isolate morphine from the opium poppy. In the mid 1800s, that became a really important tool on battlefields to help prevent dysentery, and treat amputation wound pain.
But it wasn’t just the battlefield doctor who would give medicine from the poppy. When the opium from it was dissolved in alcohol, it made laudanum, which was sold over the counter and considered a sort of cure-all. Doctors would prescribe it for everything from a headache to sleeping poorly to “women’s issues.” There were even some meant to treat colic in infants!
Aside from the medicinal purposes, the red poppy petals were sometimes used to make ink and to dye fabric. On YouTube, there are actually some videos of people dying fabric with poppy petals, and that’s honestly pretty neat to see.
But what about sage? You might already use this herb in your baking. In Victorian gardens, sage had a duel role for both cooking and medicine. If someone had a sore throat, a cough, or a fever, the sage was brewed into a tea. For the woman of a “particular age” this tea also helped to manage symptoms of menopause, in particular hot flashes and night sweats.
Something else I didn’t know about sage and learned was that while it was used to flavor foods, it was also used to preserve pork and sausage because sage has antimicrobial properties.
But if you wanted another way to use sage, it was also used as a hair was for dandruff, and also to naturally darken graying hair.
I admit, sage was so interesting to me, that I went online. Sure enough, there is still sage tea and it’s blended into some unique tea blends. I’m thinking I want to look that up and maybe keep some on hand for a sore throat or that day comes that I get a hot flash!
These were just three plants, there are dozens and dozens more that had special abilities! But, why did I share about these three in particular?
Because I have a gift for you. If you’ve never read it, my Garden Belle book Iris is FREE for you. And, if you’ve never read Poppy or Sage, those are on sale for a limited time in the US and UK for just .99.
To get Iris: Just click right here!
To get Poppy: Just click right here!
To get Sage: Just click right here!
And since I’ve been talking about flowers today, and all of the many ways these three were used, what’s a flower or plant that you use in some way, other than to look at?
Welcome to Deepwater. The town where hearts come to hide, heal, and hope.
If you’d told me years ago, when I first wrote Trapped in Deepwater, that the little town in Missouri would grow to six standalone books, and eventually a series, I’d have laughed. I never thought it would happen. But each time I wrote a new book, Maggie at her cafe, Reverend Sullivan, Peter at the post office, and all of the others became real. But I noticed something too. Every single story in Deepwater, someone is in need of hope and healing. And, don’t we all need a little of that?
And then, after I wrote Away in Deepwater last year, for our Christmas Stocking Sweethearts series here at Petticoats and Pistols, I realized that Deepwater was more than a little stopover. It was it’s own town and filled with its own stories and I needed to tell them.
So, this series is different from Red Ridge. It’s a little gentler. There are still surprises and twists, and things that will make you smile, but it’s also the kind where I really hope Reverend Sullivan or Maggie or anyone else who pops up on the page says just the thing that you need to hear.
The first book releases next week, and there will be ten total, though right now I just have three on preorder. The third book is being written right now, and I’m loving how it’s turning out!
To get you started on your visit to Deepwater, if you’ve never been there before, I’d love to give you a free book. It’s the prequel to the series, and the story that readers had been asking me to tell since they first met Maggie. I hope that you’ll enjoy it, and find yourself wanting to spend more time in this little town, like I do!
To get your book, just click right here! There’s no strings attached. Not a one.
And, if you find you’d love to spend more time in that little town and meet the cornerstones of the community, tomorrow, visit the group or click right here, and get all six Deepwater standalone stories for just $4.99.
Now, I’d love to hear from you! We all read so much! What are some of your favorite fictional towns to spend time in? I’m always loving recommendations to add to my own TBR!
Welcome to my kitchen! Some of you might know there are food allergies in our house. Just to name a few are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, and every legume but soy. To further complicate things, as an adult I developed an avocado allergy. So, cooking in our house can get kind of…difficult. However, there’s a recipe that I discovered and I’ve been wanting to try, and I thought I’d share it with you, since it’s a cookie with a pretty unusual ingredient, and only five ingredients total, unless you want to add a topping, then it’s just two more.
Ready?
I’m here to introduce Italian Cinnamon Olive Oil Cookies!
This recipe comes from this website here, and so you can print out the recpie if you are interested in trying this yourself!
As I said, super simple ingredients.
If you want a topping for the cookies, you’ll need:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine all of the dry ingredients, and make a little well in the center.
Add the zest and olive oil, and mix.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then test it. If you can squeeze it together and it doesn’t fall apart, it’s ready. If it does, add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil and mix well.
Roll the dough into a ball, and, if desired, sprinkle your sugar and cinnamon on the top. It’s easiest to blend the two together before sprinkling.
Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms brown.
Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then 10 minutes on a rack and sample.
Don’t forget the last step. If you don’t sample, how will you know if it’s good for whoever you are making it for? Always sample, my friends!
If you have a favorite type of cookie, I’d love to hear it. I really like oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip or plain old sugar! Those are my favorites. What is yours?
Thank you for all stopping by to learn a little about Christmas in July.
Here’s my randomly chosen winner:
I love reading about Christmas. I just finished reading about the Christmas book flood in Iceland. What a charming idea. I shop year-round for my six grandkids’ Christmas gifts. I also start making things in July that I can give for Christmas. I would love to have a copy of the Christmas wedding.
Louise, send me an email, so that I can get that ebook to you! sarahlambwriting@gmail.com
I know it’s August right now, but I just had a book release, The Christmas Wedding, about a week ago, and it made me start wondering: Just why do we have so many Christmas in July things? There are new Christmas books, Christmas in July parties, and some stores even start pulling out the red, white, and green while the red, white, and blue is marked down!
July is not even halfway to Christmas! So, why? Sure, sometimes on a hot summer month you want to think cool, but it was a question that got me digging for an answer. Is it more than just an excuse to celebrate?
Turns out, it is.
In France in 1892, is where it all started, but it was just a brief mention. The opera Werther has the line: “Vous chantez Noël en juillet… c’est s’y prendre à l’avance.” Google Translate told me that means it is getting ready or looking ahead early.
However, as we Americans often do, we took something and changed it. In 1894, there was an English translation of that line by Elizabeth Beall Ginty. Her translation has the character say: “When you sing Christmas in July, you rush the season.”
I’m going to pause right here, and beg to differ…for me personally, I’m not rushing anything, I’m extending it! After all, there’s a LOT to do around Christmas! And, if it’s anything in your house like mine, we all know who makes that happen…
But, back to the origin. There wasn’t anything more I could find until 1933, when an all girls summer camp in Brevard, North Carolina, started what we all know of as Christmas in July. Co-founder Fannie Holt requested the celebration as one of the events for the campers, and it was complete with carolers, a Christmas tree, and even a visit from Santa Claus.
Not too long after, in 1940, the movie Christmas in July was released, and with a wider audience than a single girls’ camp, the phrase spread, and more events followed. During World War II, the United States Postal Service and the military branches worked with advertisers and the greeting card industry to promote early Christmas mailing campaigns to soldiers overseas, so that they’d get those cards in time. Churches and other groups collected and shipped gifts for the soldiers, and, the some soldiers themselves, to keep morale up, had their own Christmas in July celebrations.
The war eventually ended, but the phrase stuck, and so did the idea of doing something Christmassy that month. Retailers also ran with the idea. Historically for them, July is a slower month, since there’s no major holiday between 4th of July and Labor Day. But, it was a good way to get people in their door to boost sales.
Even with the commercial aspect nowadays, I really enjoyed learning about the historical beginning.
Whether you celebrate Christmas in July in a small or big way, or not at all, I hope you found the origins of it interesting! I admit, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say it started in the 1800s, France, when it was just a saying, but who am I to argue with history?
Now…how about a giveaway?
If you’d like your chance to win a prize today, AND, potentially a prize from more than 25 authors, let me share how to do that.
For the chance to win from one of the 25+ authors, just stop by by reader community! August 6-8 we are having a party, with so many games, and prizes every single day!
So, for today’s blog post, just comment below if you have ever done anything for Christmas in July, and one winner will win their choice of any of my Red Ridge Chronicles ebooks. Just tell me which you’d like.
Thanks everyone for stopping by my post today, to learn that little bit of Virginia history! Thank you also for sharing some of the amazing
historical site you’ve visited.
The winner for the $5 Amazon gift card is:
I live in the Southwest and have visited a lot of historical sites that occurred during the settling of the West.
Tombstone, the Oregon Trail and Hoover Dam
Joye, please send me an email at: sarahlambwriting@gmail.com so that I can get that sent to you!