Arizona History

My Visit to Western Author Zane Grey’s Cabin

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Back in August, my husband and I spent a week in Payson, Arizona. The trip was basically a get-out-of-the heat excursion for us as it was sweltering that time of year in the Phoenix area. While there, we decided to do a little sightseeing. Last month, I told you about our visit to the Payson Museum where we learned about the small plane crash in Hell’s Gate with the MGM lion aboard.

 

This month, I’m going to share with you a more writing related post – our stop at the Zane Grey cabin. For those who might not know, (Pearl) Zane Grey wrote more than ninety books, some published posthumously. He began his career as a dentist and, besides his love of hunting and the great outdoors, he was also an avid fisherman.  His wife Dolly managed his career, typed his manuscripts from his handwritten pages, and accepted his wandering ways, which included not only traveling most of the year but his various romantic dalliances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Besides his famous westerns, Zane Grey also wrote hunting books, children’s books, and baseball books. His most famous western, Riders of the Purple Sage, has been made into more different movie versions than any other book ever. Here’s the part I like: most of his western books contain a strong romantic element. Way to go, Zane!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cabin in Payson is actually a replica as the original one sadly burned down in the tragic Dude Fire of June 1990 when six firefighters lost their lives.  And, actually, that was considered the second cabin. The very first one was built in 1918 when Zane Grey came to the rim country and fell in love with the area. Most years, from then until 1929, Zane came to the cabin in the fall for the hunting season. He didn’t return after that because of a license dispute (the season dates had changed), and the cabin was left abandoned until 1963 when the Goettl family purchased and restored it. After Mr. Goettl died, the family turned the cabin into a private museum. After this cabin was destroyed in the 1990 fire, a replica was built in the town of Payson. It was meticulously constructed to duplicate the original in every detail, helped along by photos and consulting advice from Zane Grey’s son.

 

What I found most fascinating about the cabin was it’s design — basically one large room with “nooks” for sleeping, writing (he sat at a chair with a writing desk and composed by hand), eating, and relaxing. I particularly like the player piano in the corner, and some of my P&P fillies pals will understand why ? The kitchen is small and cramped and built off the main cabin so that heat from cooking didn’t make the cabin sweltering in hot weather.

I wish I’d been fortunate enough to see the original cabin, but I have to say, visiting the replica was quite fun and really informative. I felt so inspired afterward, I bought a book about Zane Grey in the giftshop and saved the most recent movie version of Riders of the Purple Sage to my watchlist.

Leo the MGM Lion’s Incredible Story of Survival

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Two weeks ago, my husband and I spent a week in Payson, Arizona. Mostly, we went to rest and recreate and get out of the scorching heat of Phoenix. But we did spend a few afternoons doing a little sightseeing. I’ve lived in Arizona most of my life and visited Payson many times. But I learned some new things on this trip that surprised me, and I think might surprise you, too.

We thought the small and quaint Payson Museum would be just a little stop on our afternoon outing. Instead, we spent almost two hours there, soaking up the local history. On one wall hung a series of pictures that I almost missed and would have if my husband didn’t call me over. After reading this truly amazing story, I can’t believe someone hasn’t made it into a movie!

I tried to take the best pictures I could. I hope you can read the account in full and make out the old black and white pictures. But here’s what happened in a nutshell:

Jackie, a lion cub born in the wild, went on to become the second Leo the Lion, the trademark logo for MGM Films (he was the first lion to roar). He also appeared in numerous films. In 1927, MGM planned a publicity stunt and hired a pilot to fly Leo from California to New York. Leo and his 400 pound cage were loaded into a small plane. Over the Mogollom Rim, in the area outside Payson, Arizona around Hell’s Gate, the pilot experienced trouble and was forced to crash land the plane. By some miracle, both the pilot and Leo survived with only minor injuries.

 

 

Having no choice, the pilot left Leo in his cage with a supply of water and hiked for three days before reaching help. When rescuers at last reached Leo, he was in bad shape but revived with fresh water and a butchered calf that had been dragged to the site. Leo  was eventually retired to live out his life at the Philadelphia Zoo.

 

Now, I’ve been to Hell’s Gate, and there’s a reason for the name. It’s some pretty rugged country, and the steep slopes leading down to the creek are almost straight up and down. I can’t imagine crashing a small plane there among the tall pines and craggily boulders and then having to hike out for three days with no food or fresh water. Not an easy feat. Both the pilot and Leo surely had the will to survive – and an amazing story to tell later!

 

What Fishing Was Like in the Early 1900s

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Good morning, everyone. And I’m sorry to be late with this blog. I admit, my calendar failed me (which is better than saying I forgot).

You may remember from a previous blog post of mine, I’m working on a new historical story. That means, for me, I have to stop every few pages and research something to make sure I got it right. In this book, my heroine is fishing for trout in a creek. Seems simple enough, yes? But no. first research item – were there trout in the area where I’m setting my story during 1915. Turns out there were, so I’m good there. Second item, do I call what she’s using a fishing pole or a fishing rod? Well, who knew there’s a difference?

Turns out, she’d use a fishing pole — which is basically a long stick from which a string is tied and seems to have been around for at least four-thousand years. A fishing rod is more complicated and sophisticated. It has ringed guides along the pole and a reel to store the line. My heroine would definitely not have that. But from my research, reels did first start appearing in the 1600s.  In those day, it was mostly a loop of wire attached to the end of the pole. An improvement, nonetheless, and the string didn’t get so tangled.

I also learned that most fishing poles and fishing rods, at least until the 1900s, were home-made by people. There were even books published about how to make your own fishing poles, such as Iziak Walton’s “The Complete Angler (1676). I wonder if my local library has that. Tackle shops which sold manufactured fishing equipment have only been around for a hundred years or so, which is probably when innovations to fishing rods really took off and we got the modern tools anglers use today.

There are other ways of fishing besides with a pole or rod. Early man used spears, sometimes setting traps or bait and standing in the water waiting until a fish approached. A more primitive version of the pole was to simply toss a line into the water, anchor it with a heavy rock and wait for a fish to take the bait. Large nets were also used, sometimes requiring two or more people.

All this is probably more than you wanted to know about early fishing and more than I needed for my one scene in the book when my heroine is fishing. But I always enjoy learning something new. I didn’t bother researching hooks, figuring that was going a little too deep and readers probably would care. But now I’m thinking, maybe that would be interesting…

Tombstone’s Infamous “The Bird Cage”

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I recently started a historical novella (you’ll probably be hearing more about that sometime in the near future). It’s been a while since I’ve written in a time period not modern day, and I’ve forgotten that there’s a lot of research involved. I can’t get through a single scene, sometimes not a single page, without having to stop and fact-check or look up a name, place, thing.

I decided to put a fictional saloon/restaurant establishment in my story and call it the Yellow Songbird, loosely basing it on a real life place called the Bird Cage Theater in Tombstone, Arizona. Well, of course, this required I get online and Google the theater. I’ve visited Tombstone in the past, but that was over twenty years ago, and my memory isn’t reliable. Needless to say, I learned a lot of interesting tidbits about this colorful landmark, and I thought it would be fun to share my findings with you.

To start with, there are 120 bullet holes in the walls, give or take. Real bullet holes. From when people shot at each other. I don’t want to imagine how many patrons died there or who did the shooting. Then again, maybe I do. Could be good fodder for a future story.

The Bird Cage originally opened in December of 1881 – a combination theater, saloon, gambling hall and brothel. It’s reputed to have hosted the longest poker game ever played (lasting over eight years) where participants had to buy in for $1000 – Diamond Jim Brady, Doc Holliday, Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp were among those who sat at the famous table. Some of eclectic acts to have performed there are Mademoiselle De Granville, the woman with the iron jaw who specialized in picking up heavy objects with her teeth, the Irish comic duo of Burns and Trayers, and opera singer Carrie Delmar. One magician claimed he could catch bullets with his teeth. Perhaps he’s responsible for some of those 120 bullet holes in the walls!

Known as a rough and tumble place, it has a less than pristine history. Wyatt Earp, the deputy marshal during the Bird Cage’s 13 years of operation, was said to have engaged in a torrid affair with one of the establishment’s soiled doves. Supposedly, 26 miners and cowboys died in bar fights and shootouts. A woman even had her heart carved out of her chest — by another woman who was jealous of her. Yikes! For those who believe in spirts, the Bird Cage has a number of confirmed ghosts, and some of them are not very friendly.

When the mines closed, and the economy in Tombstone tanked, people left to find work elsewhere. Like a lot of the town’s businesses, the Bird Cage closed its doors and shuttered its windows. Eventually, the Bird Cage was reopened intermittently to celebrate Helldorado, an annual celebration marking Tombstone’s founding. Then, in 1934, it was leased as a coffee shop. Eventually, the Bird Cage became a museum and very popular local attraction visited by thousands of tourists every year.

I don’t think I’ll make my fictional Yellow Songbird saloon/restaurant quite as colorful as Tombstone’s the Bird Cage. Or as dangerous. But I like the idea of an opera singer, and I suppose there’ll have to be one or two bar fights. Just none that end quite so horrifically ?

The Longest Running US Mail Delivery

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Surprisingly, the American pony express operated only a very short period of time — for eighteen months from April 3, 1860, to October 26, 1861, between Missouri and California. Yet, thanks to the popularity of books, movies and TV shows, most people have heard of it and believe it was in existence for many years.

But what’s really surprising is that another equine mail route has been continuously operating for almost a hundred years, if not longer. The Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum’s earliest photo of these equines delivering mail is from 1938, but the route was already firmly established by then. Who are these equines and where is the mail route, you ask? Let me introduce you to the mules who, five days a week, carry letters and packages, including those from Amazon, down nine miles of steep trails in the Grand Canyon to Phantom Ranch and the community of Havasupai people living at the bottom.

Each mule can carry up to two hundred pounds. It takes three hours for the string of mules to walk down and five hours to walk back up — while being led by a single wrangler. On the return trip, the mules are untethered. Smart and well-trained, they walked single file, nose to tail. There are usually two mule trains each delivery day, allowing the wrangler and mules a chance to rest overnight.

Why mules, you ask? For one, motor vehicles, which would damage the environment and the Grand Canyon’s natural beauty, aren’t allowed. For two, mules are extremely surefooted, strong, and hardy, making them well-suited for this type of hard work. While they can be stubborn, they also learn quickly and rarely forget.

One of the last stops before reaching the canyon bottom is Peach Springs, AZ,  whose claim to fame is the only post office in the country with a walk-in freezer. This is to keep frozen food as cold as possible before the final leg of the journey. You see, not just mail is delivered. The ranch and Havasupai people depend on the mules to also bring needed supplies, such as medicines and tools and equipment and even small appliances.

Like any postal employees, the mule wranglers and packers get an early start.  They begin their day at 2:45 a.m. in order to beat the heat, oppressive for half the year. Inventory is weighed and sorted, the mules are fed and groomed, and then their panniers are packed. As soon as it’s light enough, they start down the trail.

Without these regular deliveries, the Havasupai people would be cut off and unable to get the supplies they need to survive. The Phantom Ranch wouldn’t be able to host tourists. So, these delivery mules aren’t just a cool piece of living history, they’re providing a vital service to a remote community.

Heather Blanton Finds An Angel on the Loose

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In my new book releasing today, Penelope, Book 6 in the Love Train series, my heroine has to pretend to be a nun. This is, of course, a substantial obstacle to the hero who fights falling in love with her. He has to wonder, though, what kind of a nun can’t keep her veil on and doesn’t know her Bible? But when called upon to help an abused Indian girl, Penelope rises to the task with plenty of heart.

The way this story went put me in mind of a young Catholic girl who, while she didn’t don a habit, impacted the West forever with her faith.

In 1850, at about the age of five, Nellie Cashman immigrated to Boston from Ireland with her sister and widowed mother. The three spent almost fifteen years together there, but then relocated west to San Francisco around 1872. Nellie and her mother, both of whom apparently had an adventurous streak, decided to move on to the bustling, untamed mining town of Pioche, NV. They only stayed a few years, but Nellie was deeply involved with

the Catholic church there, helping with fundraisers and bazaars.

When her aging mother decided Pioche was a little too wild for a senior citizen, she and Nellie returned to San Francisco. Nellie, however, didn’t stay. She left her mother with her married sister and headed north alone to British Columbia to another rough-and-rowdy mining town. She opened a boarding house in the Cassiar District and tried her hand at mining.Now, most girls in this situation, hanging around with such an unsavory crowd, might get into mischief, forget their morals. Herein lies the quirky thing about Nellie: she loved to help people, sometimes through hell and high water…and avalanches.

In the winter of 1874-75, Nellie took a trip to Victoria where she helped establish the Sisters of St. Ann Hospital. Over the coming decades, she would continue to be a stalwart supporter of this hospital and several others. She is most famous, though, for what she did upon leaving Victoria.

Traveling back to Cassiar, she heard a blizzard had stranded dozens of the folks from the district. They were trapped, hungry, and experiencing a scurvy epidemic, to boot. Nellie immediately hired men and sleds, acquired medicine and supplies and started out for Cassiar. It took the group 77 days in unimaginable conditions to reach the miners. Nellie then worked tirelessly to nurse the folks back to health.

Her feat was so astounding, so fearless, the story was picked up by the newspapers. With good cause, she came to be known to the miners as their “Angel of the Cassiar.”

Nellie was a legitimate legend.

She was also a restless girl, constantly on the move from one raunchy mining town to the next. After the death of her sister, she continued to feed her wanderlust, but with five nephews and nieces in tow. To keep food on the table, she bought and sold restaurants, and even owned and worked her own claims.

She spent several years in Tombstone, AZ where she rubbed shoulders with larger-than-life figures like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Nellie’s faith, however, was as ingrained on her heart as cactus on the dessert. Even in wild-and-wooly Tombstone, she worked to build the city’s first hospital and Roman Catholic church.

Nellie worked tirelessly to make the world a better place and still managed to raise five upstanding citizens while keep her mines working. When she passed away in 1925, she did so in the Sisters of St. Anne hospital that she had funded for nearly fifty years.

Today Heather is giving away 5 copies of Penelope! For a chance to win one, tell Heather what ways you think we can make an impact in our local communities or neighborhoods.

Buy PENELOPE on Amazon!

The Hermit of the Superstition Mountains

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I have the really good fortune of living not too far from the Superstition Mountains – a range of about 160,000 acres east of Phoenix and north of Mesa and Apache Junction. I mentioned in a previous blog that my next Love Inspired Suspense Mountain Rescue book will be set there. When I first planned this blog, I thought to write about the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s Mine, something which the Superstitions are perhaps most known for. Instead, I decided to tell you a little about another famous legend, that of Elisha Reavis, and one I have much more experience with.

He was known as the hermit of the Supersitions, though, by some newspaper accounts, he was actually quite social and likeable when he came to town to sell his produce. Social, and a little touched in the head as they said in those days. He was born to a well-off family in Illinois and came to Arizona in 1869, abandoning his wife and child. Why exactly no one is sure, but he established a ranch in the heart of the Superstitions at the only location with enough natural water to grow fruits and vegetables. Mind you, he didn’t buy the land, he simply settled there and began to farm it.

Constructing a house and out buildings, digging wells, and bringing in equipment was no small task, considering the remote location of his new home. Not to mention transporting his produce to town for sale. It takes a special person with an incredible amount of determination. There are plenty of wild stories about Elisha, which may or may not be true. He supposedly fought off a band of local Apaches who weren’t happy about him settling on their hunting ground by taking off his clothes and running around naked with a butcher knife. Some thought he had supernatural powers. It’s been said the house contained an impressive library. What is know for sure, he died on the trail, and a small monument now marks the spot.

The legend of Elisha Reavis lives on today in the form of apples. He planted a large orchard that produces an impressive harvest still to this day — depending on weather conditions, of course. I’ve visited Reavis Ranch, as it’s called, many time, riding in on horseback (though you can also hike in if you’re up to it). We used to make several trips each year, always one in the fall to collect bushels of apples. We’d carry out the apples on a packhorse and later turn them into apple sauce, apple pie, and fried apples. One year, we even spent the night in the old abandoned ranch house. I’m glad to have had the chance because, sadly, the house was burned down by vandals some years ago. Only the foundation remains.

There are some incredible views to be had on the Superstition trails to Reavis Ranch that will quite literally take your breath away. Weaver’s Needle is easily recognized by its distinctive shape (check out the first picture at the top of the blog). And if you know where to look, you can also visit ancient Indian ruins and natural springs that create an oasis in the middle of desert mountains. I’ve been to both. But, as often as I’ve ridden the mountains, I’ve never found the Lost Dutchman’s Mine. That’ll be a blog for another day!

Guest Post by Sally Britton!

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Howdy Petticoats and Pistols Readers!

I am absolutely thrilled to have an opportunity to chat with ya’ll – as well as share my first ever Historical Western Romance. You see, I spend most of my time writing sweet love stories set in the English Regency. That’s the Jane-Austen-era for those unfamiliar. But the truth is that my first love in the world of romance is Inspirational Historical Westerns. In fact, it was Karen Witemeyer’s “Archer Brother” series that brought me back to that love only a few years ago.

As a girl from Texas, descended from ranchers and farmers alike, when I started writing I knew that I’d have to tell a story set under a big blue western sky. I grew up on Louis L’Amour, Zane Grey, and Janette Oke. When I began my writing journey, I was fortunate enough to move to Arizona for five lovely years. Years spent reading about the local history, visiting historic Tombstone, and falling in love with the clear night sky.

This is where my novel takes place, near present-day Fort Huachuca, and not far from Tombstone. I found this area gorgeous, as it’s surrounded by tree-covered mountains. When most people think about Arizona, picture a desert with saguaro cacti as the only sign of life.

But Arizona is incredibly diverse in its plant and animal life. Living there made me love it.

Courtesy of the Empire Ranch Foundation

The setting for my book is loosely based on the historic Empire Ranch, which was founded by an Englishman and Canadian in the 1870’s. I was fortunate enough to tour and explore as it’s still a working ranch! And the Englishman involved in getting it started left a wonderful legacy of letters home to England, full of his Arizona adventures. This collection of letters inspired me to do something a little different with my hero.

Courtesy of the Empire Ranch Foundation

Evan Rounsevell is an Englishman who attended the Buffalo Bill shows put on for Queen Victoria’s court, and became so fascinated with the American West that he dreamed of running off to be a cowboy. When the opportunity to make a dash across the Pacific comes, Evan jumps aboard a ship with the goal of walking the path of Wyatt Earp and Wild Bill. Except Arizona isn’t the lawless place it used to be, and Evan runs out of money and into trouble.

Thankfully, he meets my heroine, Daniella Bolton. With great reluctance, she gets him a position on her dad’s ranch, and Evan’s dreams become reality. A reality that is difficult, dirty, and full of its own troubles. But Evan finds himself falling in love with the Arizona sunsets and the woman who took a chance on an English stranger.

In my book, Silver Dollar Duke, the ranch is named after the founder, who is the father of the heroine. It’s the KB Ranch. I really enjoyed bringing the characters and ranch to life.

What do you expect from a book set in this part of the country?

Writing a Historical Western Romance challenged me, since I’m more used to stories involving our fictional friends across the pond, but it was a labor of great love.

I’d love to know what you think of the novel, of Arizona, and of a Regency author trying something new. Please drop some comments! I’d love to chat with you lovely readers.

Thank you for spending time with me today!

P.S. Oh – and I’m putting together a giveaway! The lovely hosts here at Petticoats & Pistols have offered to run it for me. I’ll be giving away TWO signed copies of my book, Silver Dollar Duke, And a grand prize gift box with some Western-themed goodies to ONE lucky winner. Socks. Pens. Candy. Yes. I know I had you at candy. That’s the grand prize. To clarify: Three prizes. One big winner. Two winners of signed paperback copies of my book!

Silver Dollar Duke is available NOW in paperback and will release on March 1st, 2021, as an ebook on Amazon.

The Case of the Bungling Robbers

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Some people just aren’t cut out for a life of crime.

An example of this is the case of two cowboys named Grant Wheeler and Joe George. In 1895, they decided to try their hand at robbing the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The real loot was carried by rail, so why waste time robbing stages?

After carefully working out a plan, George and Wheeler purchased a box of dynamite and boarded the train.  Five miles out of Willcox, Arizona, the desperadoes got the engineer to stop the train with the help of a .45 revolver.  Piece of cake.

One of the outlaws uncoupled the express car from the rest of the train and ordered the engineer to pull forward.  Wheeler and George then broke into the express car.  The safe had eighty-four thousand dollars in cash and their hands were itching to get hold of it.

They must have been ecstatic to discover that the Wells Fargo agent guarding the loot had escaped. In addition to the unguarded safe, they also found bags of silver pesos used as ballast on the floor.  Oh, heavenly days!

Working quickly, they placed sticks of dynamite around the safe and ducked outside to escape the blast.  Unfortunately, the safe remained intact.

They decided to try again with extra dynamite but got the same results.  The stubborn safe refused to give up its treasure.

If at First…

Not willing to give up, the bungling robbers decided to try yet a third time.  This time, they used too much dynamite and blew the entire express car to smithereens.  Pieces of lumber and thousands of silver pesos filled the air. Acting like shrapnel, some of the coins were embedded in telegraph poles.  It’s a miracle the two men survived.

When the smoke cleared, they found that the safe door had been blown off, but only a few dollars had escaped the blast. The real booty was the Mexican pesos, but the silver coins were scattered all over the countryside.

Meanwhile, the train has rolled into town and sounded the alarm. The sheriff tried putting together a posse with no luck. Folks were too busy racing out to the scene of the crime to hunt for silver pesos.

…Try, Try, Again!

After licking their wounds, Wheeler and George decided to give train robbery another shot.  No sense letting their harrowing experience go to waste.

A week later, they showed up to rob the same train and felt confident they knew what they were doing.  This time they would make careful use of the dynamite.

The fourth times a charm—or is it?

Wheeler and George ordered the crew to separate the express car from the engine and passenger cars.

Everything went according to plan.  You can almost imagine the two giving each other a high-five as they entered the express car. They were, however, in for a rude awakening.  For the hapless duo soon discovered that the crew had reversed the order of the rail cars.  Instead of the express car, Wheeler and George were left with the mail car. They had been duped!

Disgusted, they rode off empty-handed—again!

Coming in September

He stopped her wedding once by mistake;

Dare he stop it a second time–for real?

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Arizona’s ‘Capital on Wheels’ ~ by Susan Page Davis

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For my book My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains, my characters needed some transportation in Arizona during the territorial period after the Civil War. There weren’t any trains there yet, so stagecoaches it was.

The first stagecoach appeared in Arizona in 1857, and this mode of transportation had come to stay.

Before the Civil War, the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line had a regular route across Texas and what is now New Mexico and Arizona, to southern California. When the war broke out, however, they abandoned it and used their northern route, through Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

But people still needed to travel in Arizona. When the war ended, the capital was at Prescott, which had remained Union territory. People in more populated southern locations, such as Tucson, needed to go back and forth to the capital. Several independent stage lines sprang up and developed their routes with varying success.

When I went to Prescott to do research for the book, the stagecoach problem was one of my focuses. The place where I found the most help was in the archives at the Sharlot Hall Museum. There I learned about several enterprising men who gave it a good try, and it was tough in those times.

The owners and workers found a great many obstacles to maintaining regular stage service over hundreds of miles of desert, and having to deal with increasingly hostile Indian tribes as well as the inhospitable terrain and climate. Indians stole hundreds of horses from mining operations and stagecoach stations. Some of the station agents had to haul in feed and water for the animals.

My characters attempted to make a stagecoach journey from Tucson to the fledgling mining town of Wickenburg, and from there on up to Prescott. As readers will see, this journey was interrupted several times.

The capital itself was a thorny problem during that period, and it was changed so often it got the nickname “Capital on Wheels.”

After the Confederate Territory of Arizona was formed in 1862, and in February, 1863 officially got Tucson as its capital with Jefferson Davis’s approval, Abraham Lincoln signed the law officially creating the Arizona Territory with Prescott as its capital. The territory was divided into north and south for a while, and for the rest of the Civil War it had two capitals.

Superstition MountainsAfter the war, in 1867, the capital was moved back to Tucson for the reunited Arizona Territory. At that time, Tucson was more developed than any other city in the territory.

However, in 1879, the legislature voted to move the seat of government back to Prescott. That move lasted ten years.

The capital had been located in each location for about the same length of time all told, and some people began to feel it should be moved to a neutral location, somewhere between Tucson and Prescott. By this time, more towns had been founded, and some of them mushroomed. Phoenix was not in existence at the time of my story, but twenty years later it was thriving. In 1889 the capital was moved permanently to Phoenix. Arizona became a state in 1912.

Today we can swiftly drive the length of Arizona in air-conditioned cars in a few hours. We can enjoy the vistas of the beautiful desert without discomfort. But our modern travels are a far cry from what Carmela Wade experienced.

 

About My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: 

A Chance for Escape Takes Two Unlikely Allies on a Romantic Adventure through the Desert

Since she was orphaned at age twelve, Carmela Wade has lived a lie orchestrated by her uncle, pretending to be a survivor of an Indian kidnapping and profiting from telling her made-up story on the speaker circuit. But as she matures into adulthood, Carmela hates the lies and longs to be free. On a stagecoach in Arizona Territory, Carmela and her uncle are fellow passengers with US Marshal Freeland McKay and his handcuffed prisoner.

The stage is attacked. Suddenly a chance to make a new life may be within Carmela’s reach. . .if she can survive the harsh terrain and being handcuffed to an unconscious man.

 

Desert Moon

 

 

Susan will give a copy of My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains to one person who comments on today’s post, and a copy of Desert Moon to another commenter. The winners may choose to receive either print or digital format.

 

 

Susan Page Davis

 

Susan Page Davis is the author of more than seventy published novels. She’s a two-time winner of the Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award and the Will Rogers Medallion, and also a winner of the Carol Award and a finalist in the WILLA Literary Awards. A Maine native, she now lives in Kentucky. Visit her website at SusanPageDavis.com, where you can see all her books, sign up for her occasional newsletter, and read a short story on her romance page.

Buy My Heart Belongs in the Superstition Mountains: http://amzn.to/2kGDjPz