Behind the Book

To Love a Beast Coming Soon!

by

My next western fairy tale releases in less than a month. WooHoo! I can’t wait to share this one with you. Beauty & the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. How could it not be with a bookish heroine and a wounded hero? Add some forced proximity, a quirky supporting cast, and a vain villain seeking vengeance, and you know we’re going to have loads of fun!

 

 

Allow me to introduce you to our cast of characters.

Everett Griffin – Once known among New York’s elite as the American Adonis, he hides away in the wilds of Texas after being horribly disfigured by an outraged woman. Seeking to avoid public interactions, he embraces his beastly persona, frightening away anyone who steps on his land uninvited. (Everett means “wild boar” and Griffin is a mystical beast with a lion’s body and a bird’s head.

Callista Rosenfeld – Callista helps her father run a struggling book bindery. When her father injures his hand after taking on a large commission that would save their business, Callista takes the job upon herself, determined to complete the project no matter how many obstacles are thrown into her path. Including a beastly employer, his giant, man-eating dog, and a gloomy house that looks to be straight out of a gothic novel. Gargoyles included. (Callista means “most beautiful” and Rosenfeld pays homage to the rose that plays such a vital role in the fairy tale.)

 

Spartacus  – The giant Mastiff who roams Manticore Manor.

 

Mrs. Potter – The motherly housekeeper and collector of teacups. (Obviously a play on Mrs. Potts.)

Mr. Lightfoot – Mr. Griffin’s valet, man of business, and best friend. (“Light”foot pays homage to a certain dancing candelabra.)

Mr. Timens – The stuffy butler, local trivia expert, and a tinkerer of watches and clocks. (After all, “Time” is in his name.)

Yes, Disney’s Beauty & the Beast played a significant inspirational role in this story; however, the plot is completely new. Here’s a sneak peek at how the hero and heroine meet:

 

Courage, Callista. Just because you can’t see any evidence of his presence doesn’t mean that God isn’t with you. We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.

Even as that scriptural assurance moved through her mind, something unseen made its presence known. Something with a deep bass bark that rumbled over her like the thunder of an approaching storm.

Her head spun to the right. Her gaze scoured the shadows for the guard dog whose territory she’d invaded. She saw nothing.

Heart thumping, she rushed ahead, praying the manor would be around the next bend. But before she could reach the bend in question, the barking shifted direction, now coming from in front of her. She stumbled to a halt. Leaves rustled nearby. The low-pitched barks grew closer. Nearly upon her. She’d never be able to outrun the beast.

Callista squeezed her eyes shut, wrapped her arms around her middle, and prayed for a miracle.

Gruff barks echoed with a percussive depth so near, she could feel them like tremors in the earth. Instinct urged her to flee, but reason glued her feet to the ground. He hadn’t attacked yet. She’d not give him reason to think of her as prey. Perhaps if she imitated a tree long enough, he’d grow bored and search for entertainment elsewhere.

However, the barks grew increasingly insistent. Apparently, her tree act wasn’t as convincing as she’d hoped. Or perhaps she was too convincing, for the beast decided to fell her. He rammed his head into her ribcage and threw her backwards. Callista let out a startled yelp as she stumbled and landed on her backside. Eyes wide open now, she stared into the face of the massive beast who stood over her. Even her imagination could not have conjured a dog like this. On all fours, he towered over her, his fur the tawny gold of a lion, contrasting with the dark brown of his face and eyes.

He barked again, and she flinched, bringing up an arm to fend him off.

“Spartacus. Heel!”

The dog’s countenance cleared as he turned toward the voice. A heartbeat later, he loped off the path and into the mesquite.

Callista scrambled to her feet, dusted off her rump, and turned in the direction the dog had gone. “Thank you, sir.” She lifted her voice to be sure the man could hear her. She strained for a glimpse of him but saw nothing. “My name is—”

“I don’t care what your name is. You’re not welcome here.” The harshness of the man’s tone took her aback. “I want you off my property. Now!”

Callista fisted her hands. She had not come all this way to be bullied into leaving before she’d made it to the front door. “I have an appointment with Mr. Lightfoot.”

“Mr. Lightfoot takes his orders from me, and I want you gone. End of discussion.”

End of discussion? Not likely. This boorish excuse of a human being needed a lesson in manners.

Swallowing her mounting frustration, Callista called forth the conciliatory tone she used on the rare occasion she had to deal with a difficult client. “I’m sorry if there has been some miscommunication.” She stepped off the path and began wending her way through the mesquite, hoping to have a civilized discussion face-to-face instead of yelling at one another across the vegetation. “I’ve been hired—”

“Stop right there!”

Did she detect a note of fear beneath the dominating anger? She took another step.

“Come any closer and I’ll sic Spartacus on you.”

She didn’t believe him. He might be rude and overbearing, but he’d called off his dog earlier. Intuition told her he wasn’t the type to harm an innocent woman. Scare her, yes. But not harm her.

Callista dared another step. “Please, sir. If you’ll just listen to what I have to say. . .”

“I’m done listening. Be gone!”

Hurried footsteps echoed from within the brush, and a moment later Callista caught a glimpse of the back of a man clad in a reddish-brown greatcoat darting between the trees, a giant dog at his side.

He had fled from her. Interesting.

With the threat of the Mastiff no longer looming, renewed determination bolstered Callista’s courage. She returned to the path and marched forward with purpose. The master of Manticore Manor would soon learn that she did not surrender so easily.

Preorder To Love a Beast Here.

What do you like best about the Beauty & the Beast tale?

The Romance
The Redemption of the Hero
The Bookish Heroine
The Library
The Supporting Cast
Other?

Aussie Ways Versus American – Margaret Tanner

by

I am Margaret Tanner, an award winning, bestselling, Australian author with nearly two hundred books published on Amazon. I now concentrate on writing sweet Western Historical Romance, although in the past I used to write Contemporary and Australian Historical Romance.

I like to think my stories will tug at your heartstrings and evoke strong emotions.

My heroes hide behind a rough exterior. They are tough men who are prepared to face danger and overwhelming odds for the women they love. My heroines are brave, resourceful women willing to endure hardship and danger in an untamed land, if it means they can win their heart’s desire.

I have had many jobs over the years including being an Army Reservist, an Army Major’s secretary and a Medical Audio typist. My most memorable job, for all the wrong reasons, was as a postal delivery person. Surprisingly, I am scared of dogs, and I have to say I was accosted many times by dogs who were/or were not, intent on doing me harm.

I sadly lost my husband at the end of Covid. I have three grown-up sons, and two lovely granddaughters.

Outside of my family and friends, writing is my passion.

FRONTIER LIFE – AMERICA AND AUSTRALIA

Life on the American and Australian frontiers have a strikingly similar history, so it was fairly easy for me to make the transition from writing Australian to American western historical stories.

For example, take the Australian Act of Selection.

America: The original Homestead Act was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20th, 1862. It gave applicants freehold title to up to 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River. The law required only three steps from the applicant – filing an application, improving the land, then filing for a deed of title.

Anyone who had never taken up arms against the U.S. government, including freed slaves, could file a claim on the provisions that they were over the age of twenty-one and had lived on the land for five years.

The Homestead Act’s lenient terms proved to be ill-fated for many settlers. Claimants didn’t have to own farming implements or even to have had any farming experience. The allocated tracts of land may have been adequate in humid regions but were not large enough to support plains settlers where lack of water reduced yields.

Speculators often gained control of homestead land by hiring phony claimants or buying up abandoned farms.

Homesteaders could often build a log cabin in a matter of days, using only an axe and auger. No nails were required for the task.

The first step in construction was to build a stone or rock foundation, to keep the logs off the ground and prevent rot. Once the foundation was laid, settlers would cut down trees and square off the logs. These logs were then “notched” in the top and bottom of each end then stacked to form walls. The notched logs fitted snugly together at the corners of the cabin and held the walls in place. After the logs were stacked, gaps remained in the walls. Settlers had to jam sticks and wood chips into the gaps, then they filled in the remaining gaps with cement made from earth, sand, and water.

Fireplaces were built of stone and often had stick-and-mud chimneys.

Most cabins had dirt or gravel floors, which had to be raked daily to preserve their evenness.

Rustic log cabins in a fall setting located at Grayson State Park in Virginia.

Australia:  The 1860 Land Act allowed free selection of crown land.  This included land already occupied by the squatters, (wealthy landowners) who had managed to circumvent the law for years and keep land that they did not legally own.

The Act allowed selectors access to the squatters’ land, and they could purchase between 40 and 320 acres of crown land, but after that, the authorities left them to fend for themselves. Not an easy task against the wealthy, often ruthless squatters who were incensed at what they thought was theft of their land.

The Act of Selection was intended to encourage closer settlement, based on intensive agriculture. Selectors often came into conflict with squatters, who already occupied land and were prepared to fight to keep it.

The bitterness ran deep for many years, sometimes erupting into violence.

The first permanent homesteads on the Australian frontier were constructed using posts and split timber slabs. The posts were set into the ground, about three feet apart, according to the desired layout. Slabs of timber were then dropped into the slots. A sapling or similar, straight piece of timber ran across the top of the posts, which allowed them to be tied together so they could support the roof.

Sunset above Craigs Hut, built as the the set for Man from Snowy River movie in the Victorian Alps, Australia

Clay was often plugged in between the joins and splits of the cladding to stop droughts. The internal walls were sometimes plastered with clay and straw, lined with hessian/calico, whitewashed or simply left as split timber.

Roofs were pitched using saplings straight from the bush and often clad with bark. Early settlers learnt from the aborigines that large sheets of bark could be cut and peeled off a variety of trees and used as sheets to clad the roof.

* * * * * *

 

I’m so proud of my Gun For Hire book – Dustin.

Please visit the series page HERE.

 

 

My latest release was on the 2nd of April – Callum’s Bride.

CALLUM’S BRIDE

Blurb:

Sebastian thought he was irredeemable. Will Carly’s love set him free?

Bounty hunter Sebastian Callum is ambushed and seriously wounded by the McSweeney gang.

He finds his way to Carly’s house and she and her young son give him sanctuary. But danger is an ever-present threat. And why does the littler boy think Sebastian is Jesus?

While nursing him back to health, Carly gives Sebastian her heart, even though he thinks he is an unworthy recipient. Will he accept this special gift from her?

If so, how far will a woman from his past go to keep them apart?

Readers can contact me via my FB author group. I would love to see you there. Or private message me on FB.

To find out more about my books please check out my Amazon link.

GIVEAWAY

One reader who leaves a comment, will win a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Have you ever been inside a log cabin?
What do you think would be the biggest challenge of making a home on the frontier?

New Release Coming Soon!

by

Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. As we begin this Holy Week, I want to pause and wish each of you a joyful and blessed Easter season. Whether your days are filled with sunrise services, egg-dyeing with grandchildren, or simply soaking up the signs of spring—new life, green buds, and muddy fields—I hope your heart is filled with peace and renewal.

On the book front I’m thrilled to announce that we are just a couple of weeks away from the April 29th release of An Amish Widow’s Promise, the 2nd book in my Sweetbrier Creek series.

I’ve always been drawn to the kind of heroes who earn their place quietly—not with grand gestures or dramatic declarations, but with a steady presence, practical kindness, and unwavering character. The kind who fixes what’s broken without being asked. Who listen before they speak. Who care for what matters to you—because it matters to you.

When I sat down to write this book, I knew I wanted a hero like that. A man who wouldn’t try to sweep the heroine off her feet, but who might… catch her anyway.

Daniel Beiler doesn’t come in with romantic speeches or daring rescue missions. Instead, he shows up every day—rain or shine—to tend the orchard. He teaches Miriam’s six-year-old son how to draw maps. Fixes a sagging fence without being asked. Brings a pie as a thank-you gift (well, technically it’s from his sister-in-law, but he remembered to deliver it—very important hero points).

But Daniel isn’t perfect. He makes mistakes—sometimes big ones. He assumes instead of asking. He pushes too hard or moves forward without looping Miriam in. But what makes him special isn’t that he gets everything right from the start—it’s that he listens when he gets it wrong. He owns his missteps. And then he does better. That quiet humility? That’s its own kind of strength.

Because what truly sets him apart is this: he sees through to the heart of both Miriam and Jonah.

He sees a little boy who’s lost his daed and is eager for connection. He sees a widow carrying the weight of a farm, a home, and a deadline she didn’t ask for. And even when they clash—over orchard methods, over parenting, over control—he never tries to silence her. He listens. He adapts. He keeps showing up.

And that, to me, is the mark of a true keeper.

So tell me—what makes a hero a keeper for you? Is it strength? Gentleness? Humor? That one scene that makes you melt?  Join the discussion for a chance to win a copy of this book or any other in my backlist you select.

AN AMISH WIDOW’S PROMISE

What if the man who understands your son… doesn’t understand you?

Widow Miriam Lapp has three months to find a husband. Not for love—but for security. For her son. For the orchard that’s been in the family for generations.

She’s not looking for romance or someone with big ideas and opinions. She’s looking for someone safe. Predictable. Willing to follow her lead when it comes to the orchard.

But Daniel Beiler isn’t any of those things.

And worse yet, he stirs up a whole mess of emotions Miriam thought she’d left behind for good.

He’s not one of the men her well-meaning would-be-matchmaker neighbor is lining up for her. But he’s the one Jonah is growing attached to. And maybe—just maybe—the one Miriam is starting to trust… even when she doesn’t want to.

If you love quiet heroes with strong hearts, precocious kids, and a love story that simmers before it sizzles, I think you’ll fall for this one.

To Preorder, you can use this LINK

 

Range Wars–and two giveaways!

by

By Lynne Lanning

Thank you so much for stopping by for a few minutes to share my adventures on this Historical Western journey. And my, what a thrill it is! The West was built by a conglomerate of people ranging not only in age and culture, but also the downtrodden trying to survive and live free, to the thrill-seeking entrepreneurs.

Search the history of Western expanse you’ll learn about railroads, cattle drives, new towns built, and range wars. I mention these four, as it seems most of my stories are written around them. You can’t mention one without the others being involved somehow. It’s like a chain of events.

Did you know . . . For over 300 years, the longhorn cattle roamed free across the plains of Texas? No one claimed or wanted them, they had no use for more than a few at a time, and they were considered more dangerous than a herd of buffalo, scaring everyone. The plains of Texas were full and over-running!

Before the railroads, a few rough and tough entrepreneurs decided to take on herding these dangerous beast to far reaches of the West. They could sell beef to the locals, sustaining a living…BUT the big money was in supplying beef to the East. Enter – the cattle drives, with all the hunky, handsome heroes we call cowboys! (But that’s another story…)

For decades, these entrepreneurs (Cattle Barons) became rich, increasing their herds and sending the cattle East. When the railroads came, it became an even more lucrative business. The cattle grazed on free-range land, which was unused land owned by the government. The Cattle Barons may have owned hundreds, or even thousands of acres, but they were using tens of thousands that they didn’t own. For decades, it wasn’t a problem, until…Enter – the Homesteaders.

Click to BuyThe government wanted to occupy and settle the West, coming up with some great incentives for people through Homesteaders Acts. But guess where these homesteaders were legally moving to? Right in the midst of free-range grazing land!

Arguments and deadly fights ensued for years. The Homesteaders refused to give up their homes, and the Cattle Barons refused to give up the grazing land they had used for generations. Not only did the Cattle Barons eventually have to move their herds and reduce them drastically, but some had to reroute their trails to cattle markets and railheads by miles around mountains, or pay (by the head) to cross someone’s property. Their lives, and livelihoods changed forever.

The Cattle Barons had done the same as they had for generations; the Homesteaders were legally taking advantage making a better life for themselves; yet hundreds of men, women, and even children died because of it. Some men, (like William Bonney aka Billy the Kid), even became outlaws over it.

I put myself in the shoes of both sides and can see how there was a huge problem.

Several of my books are written about, or at least mention, Range Wars. I am excited to announce that Mail-Order Stone Mason is a Finalist in the 2025 Selah Awards Western Category! Love can blossom even in the midst of such dangerous surroundings!

Buy – Mail Order Stonemason 

And…be still my heart…To Trust A Heart is a Finalist in the Historical Romance Category! What an HONOR!

 

Buy – To Trust a Heart

Two lucky winners will receive another great story that incorporates a small Range War, young entrepreneurs, building a railroad and a town – Mail-Order Station Master. My question for you is what information or fact caught your eye in my post about the West? I’d love to hear your opinions about the Range Wars. We have lots to talk about.

Buy – Mail Order Station Master

The Old West is so intriguing, and that’s where I park my wagon and stay for weeks at a time as I write one incredible tale after another! I can vividly see it in my mind as all those brave ancestors made their way to an adventure of a lifetime…and I’m so glad they did!

Find out more about me and my love of Western Adventures:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0B6R33BXX?tag=pettpist-20

 

The HANGMAN – Charlene Raddon – And a giveaway

by

The Hangman

You’ve already heard of the series Gun for Hire. My book is the next due out on April 15.

In the Old West, for some reason, people hated hangmen. They threw garbage and rocks at them, ran them out of town, sometimes on a rail, and in rare cases, even tarred and feathered them.

The hangman didn’t choose the job. He took it because he had no choice.

It started back in Old England, where they would select a convict from a prison and make him the hangman.

His goal was to cause instant death by breaking the top two vertebrae of the victim’s neck. This did not always cause the quick death hoped for, but usually caused severe damage to the brain or left the victim paralyzed. In rare instances, this particular break caused no damage. I am an example of this. Several years ago, I fell on my sidewalk and broke those top two vertebrae. I also split my nose open. Bleeding badly, I got up and walked into the house. My doctor told me I was a miracle.

A few hangmen stand out in history:

William Marwood invented the “long drop” technique intended to break the prisoner’s neck instantly and cause death by asphyxia. Marwood also created a table of height and weight to determine the length of the rope used for hanging.

William Calcraft performed the last public executions in England in 1868. Calcraft’s methods sometimes caused the condemned to take several minutes to die. To speed matters up, he would pull on their legs or climb on their shoulders to break their neck.

By the 20th century, the role had become almost celebrity status with thousands of applicants after the death of William Calcraft.

Albert Pierrepoint, b. 1905, followed in the footsteps of his father and uncle and was England’s most prolific hangman. His autobiography was made into a movie, Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman, starring Timothy Spall. In 1941, Pierrepoint undertook his first execution as lead executioner when he hanged the gangland killer Antonio “Babe” Mancini. He arrived the day before the execution, learned the height and weight of the prisoner, and viewed the condemned man through a “Judas hole” in the door to judge his build, then went to the execution room—typically next door—where he tested the equipment using a sack that weighed about the same as the prisoner; he calculated the length of the drop using the Home Office Table of Drops, making allowances for the man’s physique, if necessary. He left the weighted sack hanging on the rope to ensure it was stretched. He would re-adjust it in the morning if required.

On the day of the execution, Pierrepoint studied an X-ray of a cervical spine with a hangman’s fracture. He secured the man’s arms behind his back with a leather strap and walked him to the execution chamber to a marked spot on the trapdoor. There, Pierrepoint placed a hood over the prisoner’s head and a noose around his neck. He placed the metal eye through which the rope was looped under the left jawbone, which, when the prisoner dropped, forced the head back and broke the spine. A large lever released the trapdoor. All of this took a maximum of 12 seconds.

Kirk
  Kirk-Gun for Hire-Click to Buy

In my book, Kirk, Gun for Hire, Book 3, Kirk’s younger brother is framed and convicted of bank robbery. Unconvinced of the boy’s guilt, the judge gave him a choice of prison or becoming the county hangman. Kirk saw his brother as too young and weak-willed to face prison life, so he asked the judge to let him take the hangman job for his brother. His request was granted.

And so Kirk became the hangman for Owyhee County, Idaho.

In the opening of my story, Kirk hangs a condemned man and is shot by the convict’s partner. The bullet grazes his skull; he falls off the gallows and lands unconscious, nearly at the feet of my heroine, Adina, a typist at the local newspaper. She rushes to help him and, assisted by the town marshal, gets him to the tinker-type wagon he used to get around, change clothes, and sleep in on the road. When Adina witnesses a murder the following day, the marshal takes her to Kirk. Together, they travel around the county conducting hangings and trying to avoid the men who wish them harm. They don’t always succeed; the tale includes plenty of action and romance.

Have you ever seen the movie about Pierrepoint, or have you known someone who broke their neck?

Charlene Raddon fell in love with the wild west as a child, listening to western music with her dad and sitting in his lap while he read Zane Gray books. She never intended to become a writer. Charlene was an artist. She majored in fine art in college.

In 1971, she moved to Utah, excited for the opportunity to paint landscapes. Then her sister introduced her to romance novels. She never picked up a paintbrush again. One morning she awoke to a vivid dream she knew must go into a book, so she took out a typewriter and began writing. She’s been writing ever since.

Instead of painting pictures with a brush, Charlene uses words.

In 2011, Charlene’s artistic nature prompted her to try a different path and she began designing book covers. Today, she has a long list of clients and her own cover site, silversagebookcovers.com where she specializes in historical romance covers, primarily western.

And I think it’s fair to say she’s a cat lover!

 

Do you prefer history told in a frank manner or would you rather the author gloss it over and leave out details? Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing for a chance at one of two free copies of KIRK when it comes out. 

 

Kirk – Gun for Hire Series

A man sacrifices his future for his brother and finds danger lurking in the shadows.

Kirk Reddick, a former preacher, is faced with either letting his brother be forced into the job of a hangman or accepting it himself. He chooses to take on the hated work until he finds the man who framed his brother.

Observing a hanging at Red River Crossing, Adina Kinnaird is touched as she overhears the hangman comfort the condemned man. When Kirk is shot, she helps him escape the gunman and the angry mob.

Traveling from town to town, Kirk and Adina search for the man who framed his brother and find themselves falling for each other, but Kirk doesn’t want her living in the danger he faces every day.

In a showdown with the outlaw, Adina is shot. Kirk’s heart stops. He doesn’t want to go on without her. If she lives, will capturing the gunman be enough to clear his brother’s name and give Kirk and Adina the freedom to live outside the shadow of the hangman’s noose?

Charlene’s Links

https://twitter.com/craddon

http://www.facebook.com/charlene.b.raddon

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1232154.Charlene_Raddon

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/charlene-raddon

https://www.pinterest.com/charraddon5080/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlene-raddon-00854629/

https://www.instagram.com/charrad75/

https://www.facebook.com/CharleneRaddonwesternbooks

https://linktr.ee/craddon

 

In the Market For Love

by

I never intended to write the book.

The one that just released two weeks ago.

In the Market for Love is a story of redemption, hope, second chances, forgiveness, and listening to your heart. It’s just that the hero was originally the evil twin of the hero in my book Capturing Christmas.

Try as I might, I couldn’t think of Ransom Kressley in terms of hero material.

But my readers could.

In fact, over the years, you’ve requested his story more than any other.

After I received another flood of requests after Christmas for Ransom to please get a happily ever after, I surrendered to the inevitable and decided to try seeing him in a new light.

The result is In the Market for Love . It has laughter, love, heartache, and heartwarming moments, and I hope if you give it a chance, it will make you smile (and maybe sigh a little at the sweet ending).  You can even preview the first chapter here.

 

He’s never opened his heart to anyone. She wears her emotions on her sleeve. When romance blooms, will they realize love is what they both need?

Ransom Kressley possesses the gift of gab, striking good looks, and a blistering disdain for his family’s Idaho ranch where he resides with his father and identical twin brother. His genuine passion is football, but a knee injury shattered his dreams of an NFL career. After years of channeling his frustration and anger toward those who care about him most, Ransom resolves to change. He accepts a job in Portland as a promotions manager for an arena football team and eagerly steps into his new life. As he makes a fresh start, his past continues to plague him, interfering with his chance to get to know the woman who lingers in his thoughts.

Despite her sunny smile and tender spirit, Kelly Truman isn’t in the market for love or even a relationship when she agrees to have lunch with her best friend’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. Familiar only with Ransom Kressley’s notorious reputation, Kelly is determined to keep her guard up around him. However, Ransom proves to be nothing like she expected. Soon, she realizes she cherishes time spent with the man, but fears trusting him with her heart.

When their friendship evolves into something more, will Ransom’s charm and silver tongue split them apart or bind them together?

A sweet romance full of warmth and humor, In the Market for Love is a story of hope, forgiveness, and redemption.

In the story, Kelly’s favorite flowers are tulips. 

For a chance to win a mystery prize,

just share your favorite spring flower and why you like it. 

Bonus question: Do you like redemption stories?

Best Research Discovery Ever!

by

Whenever I begin a new writing project, I always spend a week or two brainstorming, plotting, and researching my characters and setting. During this phase, the research I uncover often helps shape not only my characters, but the plot itself.  That’s exactly what happened last week.

Many of you know that I have been retelling classic Disney fairy tales in historical western settings, giving them all a Texas twist. 🙂 I have a Beauty & the Beast retelling coming this June – To Love a Beast. A beauty invades the home of a scarred recluse to save her family’s book binding business, but more than books bind these two when a fearsome hunter attempts to write their ending. You can preorder the e-book here. (Print and audiobook will be available closer to the release date.)

Well, the next fairy tale on my list is The Little Mermaid. This one is extra special to me, because it is the first Disney movie my husband and I watched together when we were dating. Also, my husband courted me with letters while we were apart for the summer, and in one of them, he quoted all the lyrics to Kiss the Girl. This was pre-Internet, when you had to listen to a recording of a song over and over and write down the lyrics by hand. A true gift of love. (Happy sigh.)

In order to have a woman nicknamed “Mermaid,” she had to live near the sea, which left only one Texas setting as a good option – Galveston. During my research, I learned that during the 1880’s Galveston was the largest and wealthiest city in Texas. It possessed one of the busiest ports in the country and was second only to Ellis Island as a part of entry for immigrants. The perfect place for my poor heroine to dream about being part of a different world, one filled with wonderful things to spark her imagination.

The best thing I found during my rsearch, however, was that was was a real “Ursula” in Galveston during this time period.

There was a convent in Galveston that offered boarding school education to wealthy young ladies. And it was known as . . .  St. Ursula’s By the Sea – established and run by an order of Ursuline nuns, an order dedicated to the education of young women.
How perfect!
.
.
Of course, I had to find a way to tie my villainess to this place. I didn’t want to corrupt a nun, but it seems reasonable to assume that the nuns might have brought in teachers to instruct their girls on more specialized subjects – such as music. So, Octavia Underhill is going to teach music at the Ursuline Academy. This will give her access to the socially elite and will place her in a position of power and influence.
.
The academy received an amazing architectural remodel in the years after my story (finished in 1895), turning it into a Victorian Gothic masterpiece. Designed by the local architect that my hero is going to apprentice with. ?
.
.
This new building was one of the few to withstand the 1900 hurricane, and the nuns opened it to the public as a hospital and shelter. Unfortunately, a different hurricane in 1961 damaged the aging structure, and in 1962, they demolished this Victrian beauty.
.
.
Making this discovery, however, felt like such serendipity! It’s moments like this that make me feel like the story was meant to be. ?
.
This story won’t be available until next year, but I thought you might find this bit of history as fascinating as I did.

Where Do You Get Your Story Ideas?

by

One of the questions authors are frequently asked is, “Where do you get your story ideas?” I tell people, from all around. I see something interesting, hear an anecdote, meet a colorful individual, or read about a real-life event in the news or online. “You just have to pay attention,” I’m fond of saying to them.

For example, I went to a journalism event last week and met the most interesting gentleman. About five years ago, he returned to the small town in Colorado where he was raised and purchased the local newspaper which was on the brink of bankruptcy. The first thing he did was to hire his daughter as his head and only reporter. Within six months, he proceeded to turn the newspaper around and get it operating in the black again. I was very impressed and quite entertained by his many charming small town newspaper tales, especially when he talked about the 67 letters he found in an old file and that were written by the original owner from the 1880s. What a treasure! Those are probably a book all by themselves.

Immediately, my writer’s brain started to spin. I told myself, “There’s a story in there somewhere.” Does anyone remember the movie We Bought a Zoo? I think it was a book first. Anyway, We Bought a Zoo is the story of a heartbroken widower and father who buys a small, down on its luck zoo. I loved it the movie, by the way, and began to picturing something similar  — like, I Bought a Newspaper. Of course, in my story, the hero would be young and hire his sister rather than his daughter as head reporter.

No, wait! Better yet, my heroine would buy the newspaper and hire her brother as the reporter. And, of course, she would have to be at odds with the hero. Maybe he’s a developer who has plans of buying the building that houses the newspaper and turning it into a manufacturing plant. Only that would make him a bad guy, and he has to be good, right? I know. He wants to turn it into a state-of-the-art Urgent Care facility to service the town which only has an outdated clinic.

But how to make that a western? I got it! His family is wealthy, having made their money in the cattle business. They have the biggest ranch in the area. And my heroine could dig up some dirt on his family when she finds these old letters in a storage box. The kind of dirt that could ruin them.

Except what if I want to make this into a historical western? That would add all kinds of conflict for my heroine. As a woman business owner back in the old days, especially a newspaper publisher, she’d have a hard time being accepted by both men and woman. Probably no one would want to talk to her, which would make investigating stories and getting witnesses to talk hard.

Hmm…this might be something I need to print out and put in my idea file, which, no joke, is at least an inch thick. Yeah, the story idea needs a little work and polishing, for sure, but it could make for a good book, I think. And I do have the business card of the gentleman I met should I have research questions.

If nothing else, I have a really good answer when people ask me where I get my story ideas.

Whispers of Fortune–writing a book–and a giveaway!

by

I’m doing a lot of thinking about what in the world makes a person write a book.

It really is difficult to explain…even understand.

It’s such a common question “How do you do it?” And, it’s sub-question, “I want to do it.”

The thing is, I’m not sure why I write books, or how, it’s honestly a very strange way to behave. Just sittin’ by yourself makin’ stuff up.

Making up imaginary friends, then causing them trouble…in my case shooting at them, or tossing them over cliffs, or…well, you know. The sort of disasters that just so often never happen to real people. I mean, did Pa Ingalls ever have to shoot anyone? Or was he ever shot at? So even back then it didn’t happen that often.

But I love it. I feel like I’m a friendly person. I can sit and talk and enjoy myself. But for some reason, being by myself just suits me.

I do things like find out a sailor came up the coast of California…a Conquistador so probably not THAT nice of a guy…and he mapped it and wrote about it but he MISSED San Francisco Bay because it was foggy.

And it was over a hundred years before another person, of course, outside of the indigenous people who lived there, found San Francisco Bay…and that was a group who walked overland. I can read that and BAM book.

Mary Connealy

I once picked up a mastodon tooth,in a children’s museum exhibit so it was allowed, and BAM a book. A whole book came to me through that tooth. I suppose that means my brain works funny, so it’s more than just an inclination to sit by myself makin’ stuff up.

But it’s odd behavior and I always enjoyed writing but I never really knew that about myself, that I’d get whole ideas unfolding in my head inspired by strange things. I started writing when I was about 40…maybe 38-ish. My baby went to kindergarten. I just decided to try it and I loved it. It’s been a consuming activity ever since.

What about you? Do you have strange things that just inspire you? Draw you in? Someone said they loved kneading bread. I know people who are such talented embroiderers or some needlework thing. I used to love crocheting and I haven’t picked up a crochet hook in years. I’d kinda like to try it again, but my sitting around time is booked.

Tell me about your special gifts or loves or work that just suits you down to the ground.

Every commenter gets their name in a drawing for a signed copy of Whispers of Fortune.

In bookstores NOW. Whispers of Fortune made the Parables Bestseller List. I’m excited.

Whispers of Fortune

In a land of gold and grit, can two hearts uncover the true treasure?

In 1875 California, Brody MacKenzie arrives at the Two Harts Ranch on a mission to find his runaway brothers, worried they may have fallen into harm. Instead, he discovers them thriving at the ranch’s school and orphanage under the care of Ellie Hart, a woman with a heart as resilient as the land she calls home. His options limited, Brody reluctantly takes on the role of ranch doctor, and he forms an unexpected bond with Ellie, who’s kept a steady eye on Brody’s two rapscallion brothers. When the boys show him a mysterious journal that has been guiding their travels and may hold the key to a lost treasure, Brody and Ellie are captivated by the possibility of a thrilling adventure.

With winter approaching and his brothers threatening to bolt again, Brody and Ellie race against time to decipher cryptic clues and unearth the hidden fortune. But along the way, old adversaries resurface, threatening their newfound affection and the safety of those at the ranch.

 

 

Welcome Guest Author Misty M. Beller and a Give Away!

by

I’m so excited to visit with my Petticoats and Pistols family again!

My latest book, Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret, released this week! In it, our heroine and her uncle are working with a group of surveyors to map out potential routes for the coming railroad.

One of the things I love about writing historical romance is the detail I get to research for each book. So much of my research doesn’t make it into the story, but I still love to learn it!

Surveying back then was no walk in the park. These brave folks had to trek through some seriously rough terrain, lugging around heavy equipment like compasses, levels, and surveyor’s chains (called Gunter’s chain). The chains were a whopping 66 feet long, with 100 links! Surveyors would stretch them out to measure distances, and let me tell you, it was no easy feat.

Gunter’s Chain & Surveyor’s Compass. Courtesy of the New Hampshire Historical Society

One of the surveyor’s secret weapons was triangulation. By measuring angles between distant points and doing some fancy math, they could figure out exactly where landmarks were and create a grid of reference points across the land. This technique was a game-changer, allowing for more accurate maps that covered bigger areas.

In my story, the surveying was done for the railroad. But history tells us that later in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey stepped onto the scene with a larger mission: to create detailed maps of the entire country, including the wild, wild West. Surveyors working for this agency had their work cut out for them. They battled through dense forests, climbed steep mountains, and crossed dangerous rivers, all to gather the data needed for these maps.

So the next time you look at a map of the American West, give a nod to those early surveyors. These hardworking folks played a huge role in shaping the frontier, giving settlers the information they needed to build new lives and communities. Without their dedication and skill, the West might have remained a mystery forever!

To celebrate, I’m excited to give away a signed copy of the previous book in this series, Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife! To be entered for the giveaway, I’d love to hear some of the interesting jobs you’ve seen women perform in historical fiction novels. Leave a comment below to share. 

I pray you enjoy Miles and Clara’s story in Guarding the Mountain Man’s Secret!

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second
chances…and a hidden fortune.
Miles is the youngest of six brothers, and he’s spent most of his life helping guard the family’s
secret: a sapphire mine hidden deep within the Montana mountains. With threats from a past
enemy looming, a survey team’s arrival stirs suspicion—until he meets Clara Pendleton, whose
presence captivates him.

Clara Pendleton joins her uncle on a survey team tasked with mapping the coming railroad's
path, only to find herself entangled with the enigmatic Coulter family. When her uncle’s accident
leads them to find refuge in the Coulter home, Clara is irresistibly drawn to Miles Coulter and his quiet strength. This feels like the haven she craves…until a series of mysterious attacks endanger
everyone on the ranch.

As Christmas approaches, a sleigh ride through a snowy wonderland fans the growing spark
between Clara and Miles into a flame, but a broken runner leads Clara to discover the family's
secret. Now she’s faced with an impossible choice: betray the man she’s coming to love or risk
the lives of his entire family—and her own uncle.

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure,
forced proximity, a Christmas surprise, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Amazon   Barnes and Noble     Google Play   Books 2 Read

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love. Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters. Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country
home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

Author Page   Amazon   Facebook   Instagram   BookBub   Good Reads