Giveaways

Book #2 of the Petticoats and Cowboys series-THIS MONTH–and a giveaway

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Last month,

Petticoat Ranch

and now

Calico Canyon

These are re-releases of out of print books that I love.

I have a chance to get them back in print with Wild Heart Books Publishing and I’m excited about it.

A few things I remember about Calico Canyon

  1. My mother-in-law was one of my favorite people on the planet. For most of her life…the part I was in…I considered her one of my best friends. She passed away fourteen years ago and I still think of her often and wish I could tell her some story that would make her laugh. I dedicated Calico Canyon to her. The mother of seven sons, of which My Cowboy Husband was number 6. She read the book and said, “My children didn’t behave the way these five boys did.” Completely true because NO CHILDREN ever behaved the way these five boys do.
  2. I got word of a contract offer for Calico Canyon the same week my daughter got married. Third daughter, but first to marry. The contract made the wedding FAR LESS PAINFUL to pay for and I really appreciated it.
  3. Calico Canyon got nominated for a Christy Award. Wow, I didn’t see that coming. I’m a firm…THE NOMINATION IS THE AWARD…person. Sure you can always upgrade what you say, WINNER instead of FINALIST. But no one’s taking that finalist award away and I always cherished this. I did NOT win but they announce the winner by reading the first sentence of the book. And the first sentence of Calico Canyon is, “The five horsemen of the Apocalypse rode in. Late as usual.” I always loved that as an opening for a book and I wanted so badly for them to read that out. Nope.
  4. And the wedding scene in Calico Canyon ranks up with, In My Opinion, the funniest thing I’ve ever written.

Calico Canyon, coming April 28. Can anyone remember a favorite first line from a book? I’ve got a few from other books that I love.

Grace McKennon’s Wonderbra saved her life. From Julie Garwood…Grace Under Fire

There’s just no good way to pick up a human head. From Alex Kava…A Necessary Evil

And the classic, Jane Austin…It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

And of course…

“The five horsemen of the Apocalypse rode in. Late as usual.

What about our Petticoat and Pistol readers? Have you got a favorite? Comment on your favorite first lines to get your name in a drawing for an ebook copy of Calico Canyon.

Calico Canyon

A runaway teacher, a bewildered widower, and five rambunctious boys who need a mother whether they want one or not. Perfect for fans of Tracie Peterson and Karen Witemeyer.

Grace Calhoun never imagined teaching school in Texas would lead to marriage—especially not to the infuriating Daniel Reeves.

When Grace flees her adoptive father’s cruelty by hiding in a stranger’s wagon, the town parson insists on an immediate wedding, leaving Grace trapped in marriage to a stubborn widower with five unruly sons—the very boys who made her teaching job impossible.

Daniel Reeves has no intention of risking his heart—or another wife—to childbirth.

Still grieving the loss of his first wife, Daniel wants nothing to do with the prim schoolmarm forced into his family. He’ll build her a house and provide for her needs, but he’ll keep his distance. His sons need a mother, but he refuses to fall in love again.

Snowed in together for a long Texas winter, walls begin to crumble.

As Grace discovers the courage she thought she’d lost, she transforms from a frightened woman on the run to a fierce protector of her new family. The boys who once tormented her become the children of her heart. And the husband who swore to keep his distance? He’s finding it harder each day to resist his spirited wife.

But when Grace’s dangerous past catches up to her, she must choose between running again or standing firm in the faith that brought her to Calico Canyon—even if it costs her everything.

A tender tale of found family, healing love, and the faithfulness of God in the midst of life’s unexpected turns.

 

Congrats to Shanna’s Winner

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Thank you to everyone who shared such nice comments today! You are appreciated!

Today’s winner of Shanna’s Giveaway is Patti Whitaker! Congrats, Patti!

Winnie’s Winners!

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by on Monday to discuss all things spring cleaning – it was fun reading the very varied perspectives on the topic.

I threw all the names in a big cyber-hat and pulled out the following:

Karijean

Julie Bullock

Congratulations ladies! You’ve won a signed copy of your choice of any of my books. (You can find a list of available titles HERE)  Once you’ve made your selection, contact me (email or facebook DM) with the title and your mailing info and I’ll get it on out to you

Heidi Gray McGill Shares Her New Release and a Giveaway

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She can Outride, Outshoot, and Outwork Any Man on the Ranch — So Why Can’t She Just Let Someone Love Her?

A Review-Inspired Look at Keeper of My Heart by Heidi Gray McGill

Some folks ride hard into a story expecting a formula: cowboy meets girl, sparks fly, wedding bells ring at sunset. Keeper of My Heart, Book Six in Heidi Gray McGill’s Discerning God’s Best series, lopes right past that fence and into territory that feels both wilder and truer than most romance novels dare to travel.

Meet Cecelia Shankel. Born in the saddle. Raised on grit. The woman who outrides, outshoots, and outworks every hand on the family’s Missouri spread. As one reader put it, she “harkens back to the very real, but often erased, women who wore trousers and boots as they rode fences, cared for livestock, and put the home in homestead.” Cecelia doesn’t make herself small for anyone. If a man can’t stand on his own two feet, he’s got no business standing next to her.

Then Jimmy Reeves shows up from Philadelphia. He’s book-smart and organized down to the last pocket watch tick, but more comfortable with formulas than feelings. He came west to study medicinal plants, not to be rattled by a sharp-tongued woman who can probably rope a steer better than he can tie his own cravat. What readers found endearing — and what makes this opposites-attract, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story crackle — is that Jimmy isn’t the typical macho hero. He’s anxious, a little naive, wired a little differently than most, and figuring out his calling between the pages of a compounding ledger. Yet, as one reviewer noted, “his anxieties won’t deter him from absorbing everything the West is willing to teach.”

Grumpy Meets Sunshine on the Frontier

Here’s what lights the fuse: Cecelia thinks Jimmy is an arrogant city doctor with soft hands and softer instincts. Jimmy thinks Cecelia is an impulsive wildcard who runs on instinct the way he runs on logic. Their forced proximity — she’s assigned to teach him the land, whether or not she likes it — turns mutual irritation into something neither of them counted on.

Readers cheered the slow burn. Cecelia, the wounded heroine, believes she must always be the best to prove her worth. Jimmy has spent his whole life valued for his mind. And tenderness in boots and a work shirt is not something his medical school prepared him for. Their caretaking moments, particularly when Cecelia nurses him through a smallpox outbreak, strip away every layer of competence both wore like armor, and what’s left underneath is two people who are genuinely scared to need each other.

“For the first time, she wondered if she was lonely or simply stubborn.” (KOMH Chapter 13)

That question cuts to the marrow of what makes this book more than a romance. It’s a story about self-sufficiency as both superpower and prison. The tagline captures it cleanly: “In a world where independence is survival, can two opposites surrender to God’s best plan for their lives?”

Faith That Fits Like a Well-Worn Saddle

What readers praised most consistently, and what sets McGill’s storytelling apart from the crowded frontier romance corral, is that faith runs through this book the way a river runs through dry land. It’s not preachy. It’s not tacked on for decoration. It’s there in the quiet moments, in the prayers that sound less like stained glass and more like real people bargaining with God in the dark.

“You gave him a mind that can heal people. You put him here long enough for us to lean on it. If You send him back, You will have to deal with what that does to my heart because I cannot pretend it will not hurt.” (KOMH Chapter 28)

That is not the prayer of a woman with everything buttoned up. That is a wounded heroine at the end of her rope, talking to God the way you talk to someone you trust even when you’re furious. It is the kind of honesty that readers highlighted, marked, and came back to. One reviewer confessed she “was tempted to highlight the entire book.”

The spiritual throughline challenges what one reader called “the deep-rooted belief in our own self-sufficiency.” Both Cecelia and Jimmy arrive in the story convinced their strength is enough. The smallpox outbreak, the rivals-to-respect tension, the frontier medicine clash between Jimmy’s medical school training and Robin “Singing Bird” Manning’s plant knowledge — every plot element conspires to prove them wrong in the most grace-filled way possible.

And that is exactly where God meets them — not in the moments when they have it together, but in the ones when they finally admit they don’t.

Why Readers Can’t Stop Talking About This One

Book Six earned the loudest ovation in the series. Reviewers who had followed the Discerning God’s Best series from the beginning called it the best yet. New readers who started here found it completely accessible. The details (period-accurate frontier life, class differences, gender roles, Indigenous plant medicine) drew readers so deep into 1870s Missouri they could practically smell the saddle leather and wood smoke.

And unlike so many historical romances where the heroine’s spunk is waiting to be tamed, Cecelia’s strength is never the problem. Jimmy doesn’t come in to fix her. He comes in to be her equal. As a reader summed it up with refreshing directness: “It is nice to hear a male character that isn’t the macho hero we so frequently see in romance novels.”

Grab Your Copy and Join the Giveaway!

Keeper of My Heart is available now on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited.

And here’s the fun part. I’m giving away an eBook copy of Keeper of My Heart! Leave a comment below and answer this question to enter: 

Cecelia is the girl no man can tame, until the right one stops trying to. Have you ever met someone who challenged you in ways you didn’t expect? Did it change you?

Heidi would love to hear your story.

I will draw a winner from all comments and will be in touch directly. So don’t be shy. Pull up a chair, leave your thoughts, and invite your friends to come on over and chat. I will be here to ride the conversation alongside you.

Don’t miss the rest of the Discerning God’s Best series, and keep your eyes on the horizon for what’s coming next. Cecelia’s sister, Serafina, left readers hungry for more, and the trail doesn’t end here.

AUTHOR BIO: Heidi Gray McGill is an award-winning Christian fiction author who proves that a bit of humor and faith can go a long way—even when writing with her nose practically touching the screen. Since launching her writing journey in March 2020, Heidi has penned nine books that artfully blend God’s love and wisdom into historical and contemporary fiction. Her Discerning God’s Best series has snagged five NEST awards, with “Dial E for Endearment” even making a splash as a finalist for the CIA Award (no spies involved, just good storytelling).

Heidi’s characters are like that perfect cup of coffee—warm, relatable, and sometimes just what you need to get through the day. Her stories don’t just entertain; they offer a comforting dose of healing through God’s Word.

Living in a cozy town near Charlotte, NC, Heidi shares her life with her husband of over thirty years, who, rumor has it, is as devoted as her readers. When she’s not cooking up a storm, beating everyone at board games, or getting lost in a good book, she supports fellow authors, passing on the encouragement that has fueled her writing.

Curious? Visit HeidiGrayMcGill.com to connect with Heidi, follow her on social media, and maybe even snag a free prequel to her bestselling series. Because who doesn’t love a good story, especially one that brings a little light into your day?

Christian Fiction. Relatable Characters. Life-changing stories. Fusing Faith and Fiction™.

 

Heather Blanton – the Vaquero Who Shaped the Cowboy & a Giveaway

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Telling the West Right: Honoring the Vaquero Who Shaped the Cowboy

By Heather Blanton

Long before the American cowboy was immortalized in dime novels and Hollywood, his story had already begun—written in the dust and discipline of the Hispanic vaquero. These skilled horsemen, shaped by Spanish tradition and forged in the rugged lands of Mexico and California, laid the groundwork for what would become one of America’s most enduring icons.

Even the word cowboy finds its roots in vaquero, from vaca, meaning cow. But this influence runs far deeper than language. Vaqueros were masters of horsemanship, introducing the techniques of roping, branding, and cattle handling that became essential to ranch life. Their gear—wide-brimmed hats, leather chaps, spurs, and expertly crafted saddles—was born of necessity and refined through experience. Anglo settlers moving west didn’t invent the cowboy’s way of life—they learned it.

And they learned more than skill. The vaquero lived by a code: quiet competence, resilience, respect for the land, and pride in honest work. This wasn’t the reckless gunfighter of legend, but a man whose survival depended on patience, discipline, and grit.

Yet somewhere along the way, that truth was overshadowed. The myth of the American cowboy grew larger than life, often leaving behind the very culture that shaped it. What we celebrate today is only part of the story.

That truth is exactly why I wrote Fernando’s Fortune. I’ve spent my career telling stories of the American West, but the deeper I went, the clearer it became—some of its strongest roots were being left out of the telling. The vaquero wasn’t a side note. He was the beginning.

Don Fernando Diego Garcia de la Vega begins as a man who seems to have everything—a family fortune, a storied California hacienda, and a life marked by charm and privilege. But one reckless, passionate mistake with the governor’s daughter costs him everything. Stripped of his inheritance and cast out from the only home he’s ever known, Fernando is forced into exile in the untamed American West.

He arrives determined to reclaim his fortune within a year, convinced he can conquer the frontier as easily as he once won admiration in Monterey. But the West has no patience for pride. It is a hard land, filled with danger, hardship, and people who cannot be swayed by charm alone—especially a strong-willed frontier woman who refuses to be bought, bullied, or wooed.

 

What follows is not just a fight for survival, but a reckoning. Fernando came chasing wealth. Instead, he is forced to confront who he truly is when everything else is stripped away. In the end, he may gain far more than he ever lost—or risk losing everything that truly matters.

Because the West is more than myth. It is a story shaped by many hands, many cultures, and many truths. And if we’re going to keep telling it, we ought to tell it right.

~~~

Comment, and you are entered to win a paperback of Fernando’s Fortune! Do you think the vaquero is a forgotten hero of the West?

 

He was a prince of California. One scandal made him an outcast.

Don Fernando Diego Garcia de la Vega had it all: a family fortune, a legendary hacienda, and a life of effortless charm. But a single, passionate mistake with the governor’s daughter leaves him stripped of his inheritance and banished from the only home he’s ever known.

Exiled to the untamed American West, Fernando vows to regain his fortune within a year. He expects to conquer the frontier as easily as he once charmed the ladies of Monterey. But the Wild West is a brutal teacher, filled with ruthless scoundrels, unforgiving land, and a feisty frontier woman who refuses to be bought, bullied, or wooed.

He came to find his fortune. He might just lose his heart—or his life—in the process.

 

 

 

 

Fun Town Winner!

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I had a great time reading all the fun town names! I’m pleased to announce that the winner of the Amazon gift card is Rhonda Pierce, who shared the name Toad Suck, Arkansas. Congratulations, Rhonda!

Here’s a list of the fun town names collected from the comments. Thank you for sharing!

The Unsung Heroes of the Frontier–and a Giveaway

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The Unsung Heroes of the Frontier by Jill Dewhurst

Thank you for inviting me to be your guest!  Though now a historical Christian fiction author, my first profession was an RN in cardiac critical care.  Because of my nursing experience, medical subplots tend to find their way into my manuscripts.  Researching physician education in the United States during the westward has been enlightening.  When my husband studied to be a cardiologist, he invested fourteen years of post-secondary training between medical school, internship, residency, and fellowship. 

In 1820, however, only four medical schools had been established in the US:  Harvard, Columbia, Dartmouth, and the University of Pennsylvania. 

All four are located on the northern Atlantic Coast, and most graduates never strayed far from these medical centers.  Those in the frontier who truly had an aptitude for healing and helping the hurting usually had neither the resources for the arduous and expensive journey east nor the connections to be accepted into one of the four prestigious medical schools. 

Photo Credit: By J.R. Penniman – Harvard University, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10300112

In lieu of formal academic training (only two years of classes, by the way!), prospective frontier doctors would apprentice under a practicing physician, both observing and assisting, all while immersing themselves in copious amounts of reading.  By necessity, their scope of practice was much broader than the academically trained doctors in the East, for they were often the only medical practitioners in their region.  These doctors would treat everyday ailments, as well as pulling teeth, delivering babies, setting broken bones, performing surgery, administering various herbal and mineral remedies, and sometimes caring for livestock and other veterinary patients.

These doctors were the unsung heroes of the frontier, for they would be on-call day and night, ready to travel several miles if necessary.  They willingly put themselves at risk during epidemics of cholera and influenza, tending the sick when no cure had yet been found.  By necessity, much of their apothecary treatments were made from herbs, roots, and bark native to their region with the knowledge of the collection and administration gleaned from the experience of the Native Americans in their area.

One example of a plant-based medicine frequently found in historical fiction is willow bark tea, a treatment for fevers and minor pain for over 4,000 years (first recorded use was during the Sumerian civilization, then later in Mesopotamia, China, and Ancient Greece).  In 1853, the isolated active compound was discovered to be acetylsalicylic acid, and the Bayer Company purchased the patent and mass produced it.  When you read of a patient receiving willow bark tea, think Aspirin.

In my Rugged Cross Ranch series, the Harvard-trained doctor in Prairie Hills invites one of the brothers on the ranch with an aptitude for medicine to train under him.  Watching Luke grow from an eager learner of veterinary medicine into a physician and surgeon made my author’s heart swell with pride.  Luke’s compassion does not dim his fortitude to make the right decision even when it is the hard decision.  He is intelligent and well-read with steady hands and neat stitches.  He has great skill in determining a patient’s diagnosis—well, unless that patient is his wife.  Then he is rendered utterly clueless.  (Referencing a humorous moment in Heidi’s Faith)

Meet Luke Hamilton in Julie’s Joy, the first book in my Rugged Cross Ranch series. 

Many of the homeopathic remedies we have today have their roots (pun intended) in generations of well-tried tradition.  The medical side of me is pleased that many of the most common remedies are now being included in well-constructed medical studies.  One of my personal go-to natural medicines is a blend of elderberry, echinacea, zinc, and Vitamin C to boost immunity during cold and flu season.  

Julie’s Joy

WHEN JULIE’S TENACIOUS JOY IS TESTED BY LIFE-SHATTERING TRAGEDY, HER INTENSE SORROW MIGHT LEAD HER TO UNEXPECTED LOVE.

Julie Peterson had been born into a family of faith and privilege, but when her dad decided to move his family West to homestead near his sister’s ranch in northeastern Oklahoma, disaster struck, leaving Julie a nine-year-old orphan.  Rescued and cared for by a migrating Kiowa village until her uncle found her years later, Julie has learned to find joy even when navigating the inherent challenges as a blind woman destined to remain unmarried.

Buck Matthews, the second oldest brother on the ranch, has given up dreams of a family, knowing no woman would accept his heritage.  When Julie arrives on the ranch, their friendship reveals they have a great deal in common.  Would Julie be willing to accept his love?

When tragedy overwhelms Julie, will sorrow extinguish her joy forever or will her faith in her loving Father lead to hope?  Follow God’s sovereign hand through this story of faith, family, and redeeming love and be inspired to trust the One who loves us all unconditionally.

Julie’s Joy on Amazon

What is one of your favorite natural remedies?  Was it recommended by a friend or passed down through your family?  Be sure to chime in!  I’d love to meet you! You’ll be entered in a drawing for an autographed copy of Julie’s Joy and a $10 Amazon gift card to one winner.

About Jill:

Jill Dewhurst’s is a Selah Award Bronze Medalist, Christian Author Award Winner, Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal Winner, and bestselling author of historical Christian fiction, Jill Dewhurst writes novels that seamlessly weave a page-turning story with the truth of God’s unconditional love. With her varied experience as an RN, a musician, and a homeschool mom, Jill creatively weaves a part of herself into each story.  When not writing, she enjoys playing her flute and thanking God for the hubby who lassoed her heart for keeps. Publishing her Rugged Cross Ranch series has been a dream come true.  http://www.jilldewhurst.com 

Fun Town Names and a Give Away

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It seems like every state has a few towns with truly unusual names. I wonder sometimes what it’s like to write ZZyzx, California as a return address on an envelope (and this is from someone who wrote Winnemucca, Nevada for 30 years.)

Idaho, the state where I grew up, has a lot of interesting names–Slickpoo, for instance, named after a man who gave land for a Jesuit mission. Washington state has many fun names that are impossible to pronounce unless you’re from the area.

Below I’ve listed a few of my favorites from around the country:

Why, Arizona  — named after a Y joining State Routes 85 and highway 86. Arizona law requires that a town’s name have three letters, so Y became Why.

Big Sag, Montana  — named for a large sag or dip in the landscape

Atomic City, Idaho — named after its proximity to the National Reactor Testing Station

Skookumchuck, Washington – means water in the Chinook language

Truth or Consequences, New Mexico — named after the Ralph Edwards radio show.

Hygiene, Colorado — named in the 19th Century by the National Cleanliness Society for a sanitarium nearby

Rough and Ready, California – named during the Gold Rush

Boring, Oregon – has a sister city in Scotland named Dull

Chicken, Alaska – named because the miners couldn’t spell ptarmigan.

Now it’s your turn. For a chance for a $10 Amazon gift certificate, add a  fun city name in the comments. The only caveat is that it has to be or have been populated at some point in time. I’m looking forward to reading the additions!

UPDATE: I’m reading the fun town names in the comments and loving them! I’m amazed at how the names evolve and stick. Thank you for making me smile and adding to the list! WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY MARCH 29 along with a compilation of the names. I think we need a summary. 🙂

Petticoat Ranch–where it all began–and a giveaway

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Petticoat Ranch

Kicks off a flurry of renewals. done with the help of Wild Heart Books.

This publisher specializes in historical fiction so there is a LOT to love over there.

I’ve got six books and, I think, eight novellas coming out in the next ? six? months. Re-releases of old favorites. And none I loved more than my very first released book, Petticoat Ranch.

My gosh, when that book came in the mail, a box full of books back then, I hugged them and danced with them and told My Cowboy we were gonna need a bigger bed because I was going to sleep cuddled up to them FOREVER!!

The books never made it as sleep-over friends but otherwise it’s all true.

This month, that beloved book, out of print, is now available again on all the standard outlets.

Seriously getting those books is one of the best experiences of my life. Total Top Ten Experience

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for an ebook copy of Petticoat Ranch. There are paperback copies, too, but I don’t get any of those are part of my contract. So I’m going with an ebook.

Leave a comment if you are SICK of this stupid, cold weather. It’s like spring is TAUNTING ME!!!

I’m looking out the window at a snowstorm right now…the self-pity is embarrassing but I can’t stop it!

Petticoat Ranch

Book #1 of the Petticoats and Cowboys Series

From beloved author Mary Connealy comes a delightful Western adventure brimming with danger, laughter, and unexpected romance—a tale of a resourceful widow, a rugged cowboy, and the ready-made family that will steal his heart. Perfect for fans of Tracie Peterson and Karen Witemeyer.

Sophie Edwards has survived two years in the Texas wilderness with four daughters and her wits. When a stranger falls injured near her hidden cabin during a thunderstorm, she discovers he’s the spitting image of her late husband—because Clay McClellen is her husband’s twin brother, a man who never knew his brother existed.

Clay came to Texas seeking justice for his brother’s murder. What he finds instead is a ready-made family, a rundown ranch, and a fiercely independent woman who doesn’t need rescuing—even when danger comes calling. Sophie may have pulled him from a flooded creek, but Clay is determined to be the protector she deserves, whether she wants one or not.

As vigilantes close in and old enemies resurface, Clay and Sophie must learn to trust each other and God’s plan. But can a mountain man used to solitude embrace life with four talkative daughters? And can Sophie open her guarded heart to love again—especially when the man looks exactly like the husband who broke it?

A heartwarming tale of second chances, faith, and finding love in the untamed West.

 

Petticoats & Pistols