Montana

How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Montana!

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When Jane Porter, my publisher at Tule Publishing asked me to switch settings and write sweet, small-town romance in Marietta, Montana, I have to confess, I was more than a little apprehensive. Right off, leaving safe, familiar River’s Edge, where “everybody knew my name…” was a little sad, although I’m not sure I’m done with RE forever. Also, it was daunting to come to a setting that was already created, and by amazing writers who are way more experienced in the ways of the West and cowboys than me. Frankly, I’d never been to the West before and I knew nothing about cowboys. Oh, I’d spent lots of time in California and I’d been Oregon, but those were family and vineyard vacations. I was intrigued with the whole idea of moving to Montana, though, and joining authors I love in Marietta.

The first order of business was to read—I was already a Marietta fan, so I knew some about that little fictional town in Crawford County, Montana. With the help of my amazing editor, Sinclair Jayne, and all the great online information available at Tule, I began to know the town even better. But it occurred to me that if I was going to write more than one book in Montana, maybe I’d better go see it for myself.

I called my friend and fellow Tule author, Carol Light, and said, “Hey, wanna go to Montana?” Carol was an immediate, “You bet, when do we leave?” We picked Big Sky country because it was not too far from Bozeman (neither is Marietta), and the VRBOs there were out-of-season, so fairly reasonable. To be honest, Big Sky, the town, is a winter playground for snow skiers and snow boarders, but all around the area are ranches and not far away is Virginia City and Ennis and other towns that reeked of cowboys and Western life.

In late July, I left my local airport at 8:30 a.m.; Carol left her local airport 10:15 a.m. and we met up in the Denver Airport. Then we flew together to Bozeman–one of the cutest airports I’ve ever seen! There are bears and moose everywhere and some crazy huge bird hanging from the ceiling! The whole airport was mountain stone and cedar beams–really pretty and lodge-y (If that’s not a word, it should be). We also saw the coolest ad for a fishing outfitters that felt like the universe was telling me that moving from River’s Edge to Montana is a capital idea! Take a look!

There are 64 mountain ranges in Montana and our condo was nestled right in the middle of the Madison Range at an altitude of 7000 feet. Lone Mountain was visible from Big Sky as well as several other mountain ranges, including the Gallatin Range and the Absaroka Range, which are part of Marietta lore.

We spent two days of our week at Yellowstone National Park, which is just overwhelming and spectacular! Carol used the term “moonscape of boiling mud and geysers” to describe the Fountain Paint Pot thermal field and Old Faithful. I can’t think of a better way to say it. It was awe-inspiring and this little Midwestern gal couldn’t stop saying, “Wow!” What a spectacular experience that national park was!

When we drove west to Virginia City the first thing I noticed was that the landscape was so very different from Big Sky. In Big Sky, it’s all huge mountains and pines. As we headed west, the terrain changed to rolling hills and pastures and wheat and hayfields. Junipers dotted the landscape and there were lots of ranches and fences and sagebrush. I absorbed it all–even-saw a ranch that reminded me of what I imagined Del Foster’s ranch to be–and oh, the cows and horses! Virginia City and Ennis were real Old West towns and just steeped in history!

I think the most important thing that we discovered there is how big the world is–Big Sky indeed! The mountains overwhelmed us every time we went outside even though we were only halfway up. We loved tramping to Ousel Falls, so I would have a picture in my head (and on my phone) of what I imagined Juniper Falls to look like. I absorbed Montana and imagined the little town of Marietta in each place we visited. We saw enough cattle ranches and guest dude ranches that I can add some authenticity to my Juniper Falls Ranch stories. The Big Sky area wasn’t as cowboy-centric as I imagined it would be, but the vibe was definitely Western.

All in all, this move to Marietta is going to be a fun journey. I can’t wait to share my cowboy/Western romances with you! Hope y’all will come along with me to Marietta and Juniper Falls Ranch!

All My Best,

Question: Have you ever had to change course and do something entirely different? How’d it go?

Guest Author Sinclair Jayne – Rogue Cowboy

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Petticoats and Pistols is proud to host guest author Sinclair Jayne:

Hello – Sinclair Jayne here. One of my favorite places to set a romance is in Marietta, Montana, which is a Tule Publishing and Tule author created town loosely based on Livingston, Montana. I’ve traveled to Montana many times, but never yet to Paradise Valley, where Marietta is, surrounded by two intensely gorgeous mountain ranges—Gallatin and Absaroka.

It’s a given that a Montana romance not only stars the hero and the heroine, but also the setting—the connection to the rugged and beautiful land, the traditions, the tight, smalltown community where people are fiercely independent, yet may need their neighbors, especially in a ranching community. And of course, there’s the spectacular scenery, along with the geology, geography, wildlife and of course weather.

Any time there is an opportunity to participate in a multi-author series at Marietta, Montana’s Copper Mountain Rodeo, my hand shoots up. “Me, me, me.” I live in a rural town in Oregon, and the annual rodeo and the fair are a must and a way for the community to reconnect to the ranching and agrarian roots. For my new book Rogue Cowboy, I wanted to dig into rodeo culture and embrace the healing power of family, small town, ties to the land and of course second chances.

Rogue Cowboy is a reunion romance along with a secret marriage of convenience. The love story features Riley Telford, a local horse trainer cowgirl and former Special Forces soldier, Cole Jameson, who grew up ranch in Texas, but has come to Montana to reclaim his secret bride. No one in his tightknit ranching family has ever divorced so he’s determined to win Riley’s heart so their marriage can be ‘real.’

Western Cowboy romances are my absolute favorite to write. Readers and writers love them for a reason. Cowboys are iconic. The cowboy code. The western hero might be morally grey, but they have their own code of honor and way of being in the world that feels both classic, but so necessary in our complicated present. There is no dialing in a cowboy hero. Readers have high expectations, and I lean into the challenge of meeting them. A Cowboy doesn’t need to swagger (but yum if he does). He does require confidence, goals, a can-do attitude and yes, even if he’s a bad boy, he needs to be kind in some way, take care of the heroine, even when she’s convinced he’s the last thing she needs. Cowboys commit.

Rogue Cowboy: Excerpt (after five-year separation)

 

Riley headed to the barn, needing time to rope her carefree, cowgirl persona snugly around her.

She drew in a deep breath and her heart leapt to her throat. What a gorgeous smell, teasingly familiar. It took her back to the before. She closed her eyes remembering. Bergamot, hint of cedar, sun-warmed leather and something exotic like sandalwood—not that she’d smelled actual sandalwood.

But it smelled heady. Taunted familiarity and safety. Miles out of reach.

Cole. If only. She inhaled again. Pretended she could go back in time to when she’d desperately crushed on him and wanted to show off. Before when life was simple, and the future was a sparkly gold and pink road she could run down, her head full of dreams.

How had she been so stupid and young?

She opened her eyes and through a crack in the door dandelion seeds floated in the shaft of light.

Make a wish.

From behind, a strong arm slipped around her shoulders and a hand anchored lightly on her hip, trapping her between a hard body and the cool metal of Cinnamon’s stall.

“Hello, Riley.”

 

Want to learn more? Here’s my website & newsletter sign up: https://sinclairjayne.com

About Jayne:

Sinclair has loved reading romance novels since she discovered Barbara Cartland historical romances when she was in sixth grade. By seventh grade, she was haunting the library shelves looking to fall in love over and over again with the heroes born from the imaginations of her favorite authors. After teaching writing classes and workshops to adults and teens for many years in Seattle and Portland, she returned to her first love of reading romances and became an editor for Tule Publishing last year. In addition, she’s published over 30 romances of her own.

Sinclair lives in Oregon’s wine country where she and her family own a small vineyard of Pinot Noir and where she dreams of being able to write at a desk like Jane Austen instead of in parking lots waiting for her kids to finish one of their 12,000 extracurricular activities.

 

 

Now it’s your turn – do you think a strong sense of setting enhances a story? Do you have a favorite setting? Share your thoughts in the comments and you’ll be entered in the drawing for the special prize package pictured below.

There’s a New Kid in Town!

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Hi. I’m Nan Reinhardt and I’m the new kid in town here at Petticoats and Pistols. It’s a scary thing being the new kid, don’t you think? My earliest memory of awkward new kid-ness is starting first grade, where I was older than most of my classmates and thus, taller and bigger. It made me incredibly self-conscious. I confess, that even over 60 years later, I’m still self-conscious about being the new kid, especially among a group of great writers like this one. However, I know I shall find inspiration and fun here, and I hope to contribute whatever writerly wisdom and reader pleasure I can.

Perhaps the best way to begin this venture with Petticoats and Pistols is to tell you a little about me as an author. I’m a writer of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. I’ve written fourteen books that take place in my little town on the Ohio River called River’s Edge, but recently, Tule asked me if I’d like to move West. Since what had drawn me to submit to Tule in the first place was Jane Porter and the Marietta, Montana, stories, I was intrigued at the idea. So I agreed, and in my first Western Romance, Forever Cowboy, River’s Edge goes west and my heroine falls in love with Montana and a very special Montana cowboy. I won’t tell you the whole the story, but suffice to say, it has the obligatory happily-ever-after and Forever Cowboy is the beginning of my new series for Tule, Juniper Falls Ranch.

I confess I wasn’t sure that I could write cowboys and western romance. After all, I’d never been out West—California and Oregon, but never to Montana or to a ranch. I fixed that just a couple months ago when a friend and I took a trip to Big Sky and Yellowstone, but that’s another post. Changing from writing my familiar small river town to a ranch in Montana was a very scary proposition, but I figured out that if I simply write the stories that are in my heart, it won’t matter whether they happen in a small Indiana town or on a ranch in Big Sky country.

A little bit more about me. I’m not only a USA Today bestselling author, I’m also a wife, a mom, a mother-in-law, and a grandmother to a fun 13-year-old young man and two sweet dogs. I’ve been an antiques dealer, a bank teller, a stay-at-home mom, a secretary, and for the last 30 years, I’ve earned my living as a freelance copy editor and proofreader.

But writing is my first and most enduring passion. I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t writing—I wrote my first romance novel at the age of ten, and I’m still writing romance, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled woman in her prime. I live in the Midwest with my husband of 52 years, where we divide our time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake. I blog weekly on my own website, sharing writer news as well as personal thoughts and experiences and sometimes, even snippets from my upcoming or new releases.

So here I am. I’m smiling, I’m grateful, and I’m thrilled to be a part of Petticoats and Pistols. As the newest P&P “filly,” I look forward to posting for y’all on the first Tuesday of every month. I love comments and conversations, so let’s talk, okay?

How about we do a little getting-to-know-you giveaway? I have a box of goodies for one lucky commenter (including a signed print ARC of Forever Cowboy, some fun swag I picked up in Montana, and other goodies). Just tell me in the comments why you love Western Romance.

ABOUT NAN:

Nan Reinhardt is a USA Today bestselling author of sweet, small-town romantic fiction for Tule Publishing. Her day job is working as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, however, writing is Nan’s first and most enduring passion. She can’t remember a time in her life when she wasn’t writing—she wrote her first romance novel at the age of ten and is still writing, but now from the viewpoint of a wiser, slightly rumpled, woman in her prime. Nan lives in the Midwest with her husband of 52 years, where they split their time between a house in the city and a cottage on a lake.

Links:

http://nanreinhardt.com/

https://www.facebook.com/authornanreinhardt

https://www.instagram.com/nanreinhardt/

https://www.threads.net/@nanreinhardt

https://bsky.app/profile/nanreinhardt.bsky.social

  

 

FOREVER COWBOY

It was supposed to be just a vacation fling…

43-year-old Beth Dykeman’s life is spiraling—her 20-year marriage is over as is her career in Nashville’s Chamber of Commerce. Now back home in River’s Edge, Indiana, she’s grieving the end of her dream to have a family. Hoping to restart her life, she books a relaxing long weekend at a spa in beautiful Montana. But Beth arrives only to discover she accidentally booked a stay at a working dude ranch in the middle of Marietta’s 87th Copper Mountain Rodeo celebration weekend.

When he’s not competing, 36-year-old bronc rider Del Foster works at the Aspen Springs Ranch. He’s ready to hang up his spurs. This rodeo will be his last competition before he finally settles down and buys his own small spread to train cutting horses.

Their instant chemistry shocks them both, and on her last night, Beth indulges the attraction, knowing she’ll never see Del again. But fate has a way of changing plans and challenging assumptions. Can Beth and Del both have what they never knew they always wanted?

Forever Cowboy releases September 25, but is available for pre-order HERE 

 

Recent Interview for She Belongs In My World & Giveaway

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Howdy!

Hope y’all are doin’ well on this lazy Thursday, the last one in the month of June this year.  Cathy has kindly given her blog spot to me today and I only hope I can fill her shoes.

The big news in my part of the world is that I have a new release this month, SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD, an American Historical Romance/Native American.

Only a few days ago I was interviewed about the book by Written Word and I thought I’d post it here.

Interview Written Word with Karen Kay, author of the book, SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD.

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?

This is the fifth book in The Medicine Man Series, and two of the characters from book four in the series needed to have their story told.  

Often these characters come alive once they have been created and this was the case with these two characters.  

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be? 

It would be the country song by the late, great Jim Reeves, Welcome To My World.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write? 

Definitely Romance, whether historical or contemporary, paranormal or western, I love them all.  However, another genre is becoming a favorite and these are the true stories I read from James Willard Schultz about the Blackfeet Indians of long ago. 

What books are on your TBR pile right now? 

Many true adventure stories of Pitamakan and Thomas Fox;  true stories of Rising Wolf and Red Crow and his sister, Mink Woman and many other  true stories of the long ago.  For my other love, romance, I love the stories of Linda Broday, Pam Crooks, Shanna Hatfield and Cassie Edwards, Madeline Baker and many others. 

What scene in your book was your favorite to write? 

This would be a tossup, I think, between one scene where the hero first sees the heroine for the first time after a long four years apart; or it could be the scouts revenge scene where the villain is not killed, but is brought to his knees in order to pay for his injustice to the heroine; but perhaps the other favorite scene in the book is the snow scene where the hero and heroine have a snowball fight and where they learn more about themselves as individuals and as a couple.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? 

Perhaps.  I write to music.  I don’t edit to music, but I love having music that inspires me playing in the background when I’m newly writing a scene.  Also, with the acquisition of four new pets, I generally have quite a crew of the four leggeds around me nowadays when I write.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by? 

Help others as much as one can.  Be a willing ear to listen to another’s woes.  And be as kind as one can be.  There’s not enough kindness in the world today, I think.  There should be more. 

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be? 

I would like to take the reader on the journey along with the heroine and hero.  I’d like the reader to be able to experience the story as if she or he were there.  I’d like my readers to be able to forget their cares, if only for a little while. And if I can accomplish this, perhaps then all my study and research and doing my best to pour emotion into my stories will be worth the effort.

Well, that’s all.  Hope you enjoyed the interview.

Questions?  Comments?  I’d love to hear them.  Come on in and leave a post.  I’ll be giving away two e-books today to one lucky blogger, SHE BRINGS BEAUTY TO ME and SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD.

 

 

To Tame a Wild Horse — New Novella — Plus Giveaway

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Howdy!  Welcome to another terrific Tuesday!  Hope y’all are doing well!

Have just released a new Young Adult, Novella #2 in the Untamed Frontier Series.  The title of the book is To Tame a Wild Horse.  It’s written under one of my pen names, Genny Cothern.

First let me tell you a little about the series and then the story of book #2.  The series is about two teenagers from completely different cultures, Good Eagle and Miss Starling.  When they first meet, he is eighteen and she is sixteen and they spark off of one another from the start.  But gradually, they become friends, though it’s a long, hard road.

 

Book #2 takes place about a year later and together they herd the horses for the Fort (where Starling’s uncle is the Factor), they hunt for the fort and they roam the prairies when they can.  They’ve become good friends.  And so, with this in mind, this is the back blurb for the book:

 

TO TAME A WILD HORSE

Montana, 1848

 

Can Friends Ever Fall In Love?

I have only been at Fort Lewis for a year, but my friendship with Good Eagle has blossomed and has brought me a kind of happiness like nothing I have ever known.  Daily I ride over the prairies and mountains with Good Eagle, and, I’ve now learned to herd horses, to hunt wild game and to aim at a target and bring it down.  But, when a grizzly threatens both Good Eagle and me, and, when Good Eagle commands me to hide from it while he faces the grizzly alone, I refuse.  Desert my best friend?  Never.

But, after we rescue some stolen horses, I begin to believe my friendship with Good Eagle might have been love from the very start.

This is not good.  Not only has Good Eagle given my Uncle Jed a promise to treat me like an almost-sister, we share nothing in common except our friendship.  Nothing.  And, when I slyly bring up the subject of love, Good Eagle reminds me of his vow to my uncle.

And yet, when we track and bring down the wild, black stallion we are seeking, Good Eagle gives me an unexpected gift.

Is falling in love really impossible, or are we merely too young to know our own hearts?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F89HQKVZ?tag=pettpist-20

This fictional story is inspired by the true adventures of Thomas Fox and Pitamakan, as written by James Willard Schultz from Thomas Fox’s handwritten legacy — and from Thomas relating the adventures of he and Pitamakan, while sitting around an evening’s cozy fire.

Pitamakan went on to become a great chief, but a quick search doesn’t pull up many results about him because Pitamakan means Running Eagle in Blackfeet and there was another Running Eagle, a girl warrior, and most accounts I’ve been able to find about Pitamakan are about the girl warrior, who, by the way had many adventures, as well, as told by her lifetime friend, Ap’ah, who was born on the same day as she.

 

Must admit I love telling these stories about friendship and honor, and about two people from completely opposing cultures who somehow manage to become friends.  And, I love learning about a history I had no knowledge of prior to doing this research.

Now, I’ll be giving away this new story to four (4) bloggers today.  So come on in and leave a comment.  And, May your week be filled with happiness and love!

 

 

It’s Raining eBooks!

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Howdy!  Welcome to a terribly terrific Tuesday!

Okay, so it’s not exactly raining books, but do you remember old pop song, “It’s Raining Men”?  I loved that song and it popped into my head while I was writing this blog.

What I mean by it’s raining books is that I intend to give an ebook to each person who leaves a comment on the blog.  Let me explain:  I plan on having two new books coming out soon (the Good Lord willing).  One is a Historical Romance/Native American, book #5 in The Medicine Man Series.  And the other is a Young Adult story, Novella #2 in The Untaimed West series.  So, to celebrate these two books that I hope will be soon released, I’m giving away either book #1 in the Young Adult series, THE ADVENTURES OF GOOD EAGLE AND MISS STARLING, or book #4 in The Medicine Man series, SHE BRINGS BEAUTY TO ME to each person who leaves a comment…reader’s choice.  This offer expires, by the way, at 11:59 PM on April 8th, 2025.  Also, if you could please let me know on your post which book you would like, I would appreciate it.

So, I should probably tell you a little about each one of these stories, and to do that, I’ll leave a synopsis of each story.

THE ADVENTURES OF GOOD EAGLE AND MISS STARLING

Montana, 1847 

When my life is turned upside down, I have no one to turn to except Uncle Jed, a fur-trader who lives deep in Indian Country; a man I have never met.  I was expecting to be greeted by my Uncle Jed at a place called Fort Union, a fur-trading fort some two thousand miles above St. Louis.  But, when I finally arrive at the fort, I am met, instead, by an eighteen-year-old Indian, Good Eagle, who swears my uncle has sent him to meet me.  Would you trust this boy, a youth only two years older than my sixteen years?  I certainly didn’t and I told him so.  However, although I was polite, he took offense.

As the steamboat continues its way to my uncle’s fur-trading post, Fort Lewis, the Indian boy, Good Eagle, has declared that my heart has panther’s claws around it.  Yet, though he seems to dislike me as much as I do him, because of the promise he gave to my uncle, he has no option but to guard me.

But, when my life is threatened and Good Eagle saves me, I experience a change of heart about this young man; I decide I will “bury the hatchet” and become friends with him.  Imagine my surprise when he refuses my offer of friendship.

Can I ever change Good Eagle’s mind about becoming my friend?  Or will his first impression of me remain to forever haunt us?

 

SHE BRINGS BEAUTY TO ME

 

A woman deserted.  A troubled warrior.  A passion denied.

1855

When eighteen-year-old Czanna Fehér is forced to flee her home in Hungary, she journeys with her younger siblings and her father’s manservant to Montana in search of her cousin. Mourning for her recently deceased parents, she sings a prayer to the grand, Montana mountains.  From the first moment Stands Strong hears Czanna singing, he is transfixed.  When he meets her, he is captivated as much by her dark beauty as he is by her voice.

But, after the family’s hired guide steals their money and runs, her father’s servant leaves Czanna to go and serve justice to the man, leaving Czanna desolate and in charge.  Being of the gentry class in Hungary, Czanna knows she and her siblings cannot survive in this land without help.  When Stands Strong comes to her aid, she realizes she must trust this man.

Lakota born, though raised by the Blackfeet, Stands Strong descends from a long line of medicine men, but this legacy seems to have skipped over him.  Accepting this, he has become an expert scout.  But, when Czanna attempts to hire Stands Strong as their guide, offering him the “evil gold rock” as payment, he suggests marriage to him instead.  Czanna refuses him, even though the flame of love is burning heatedly in her heart.

Can two people from incompatible cultures ever come together?  Or are their star-guided paths meant only to briefly cross?

Warning:  A sensuous romance that might cause a desire to go West in search of love and adventure.

I’ll leave you today with a little bit about the new book which is currently in editing, entitled, SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD.

 

Coming soon: SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD

Beauty, treachery, and an untamed wild love

Liliann Varga had been too young the first time she met and fell head-over-heels in love with the Blackfeet Medicine Man, First Rider, the man who saved her father’s life. Besides, he was newly married to a woman of his own tribe. But years later, when Liliann’s husband has committed a terrible aggression against her, it’s First Rider who once again is called upon to put his healing skills to use.

First Rider has come to heal Liliann, not to seduce her. But his reaction to the grown up Liliann, the little girl who used to be his shadow, is entirely masculine and sensual. Though he’d vowed to bring his first wife back after her capture by an enemy tribe, he’d failed and she had died, causing First Rider to nearly lose his mind. Could Liliann be his second chance at love?

Enacting a “scout’s revenge” against Liliann’s cruel husband would leave the man alive but broken, and it would also set Liliann free. But, just as their love deepens, a report emerges: First Rider’s wife is still alive.

To discover the truth or lies of the report, they both embark on a dangerous journey through the Backbone-of-the-world Mountains. But, with little more than a bow and a gun, can they survive the beautiful but treacherous snows to find a world where they both belong?

****

Well, that’s all for today.  Hope you enjoyed the blog today and I hope, too, that you’ll leave a commit.

 

 

 

Guest Author MK McClintock & A Giveaway!

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How Writing Historical Western Romance Transports Me to a Simpler Time

As the sun dips behind the rugged peaks of the Rocky Mountains, my mind wanders, as it often does, back in time, envisioning a world where adventurers, seekers, and settlers roamed the vast landscapes and frontier towns bustled with life.

(And yes, I’m ignoring the realities of poor hygiene and a dearth of men who look like my characters, but I write fiction, so go with it.)

Growing up, tales of the Wild West—of fearless outlaws, resilient pioneers, and rugged cowboys—always captivated me. (Again, I’m okay with the fiction versions.) These stories painted a picture of an untamed world where every sunset brought new adventures and every thunderstorm whispered secrets of the land. The captivation was fueled by summer vacations in Colorado, where horse rides on mountain trails awaited, and sitting by campfires was the way to unwind after a busy day. The thrills continued when, from an early age, my family made the Rocky Mountains our home and still do today.

In my writing, I strive to capture the essence of the American West—the raw beauty of the untamed wilderness, the code of honor that defined interactions, and the unshakeable spirit of those who braved the unknown. Each character is a testament to the resilience and courage of the people who shaped the history of the American frontier, accepting the bad with the good. If authors play up the fiction quite a bit with romance, adventure, and mystery, all the better!

Every day, I feel the crisp mountain air on my skin and hear the whisper of the wind through the pines, allowing me to transport myself to a time long before the mountains became overcrowded with modern-day developments, hikers on cell phones, and so much traffic heading to some mountains that you wonder if you’ll ever reach the peaks.

With each word, we can be drawn deeper into an era where time moved a little slower and the vast expanse of the frontier held endless possibilities. The rugged beauty of Montana serves as the ideal backdrop for many of my tales of love, courage, and adventure, allowing me to escape into a world where the untamed spirit of the frontier still triggers dreams of what was and could have been had we had allowed it to remain wild.

As a fellow Western romance enthusiast, likely seeking a respite from modern life, I invite you to join me on a journey through pages where love knows no bounds and the spirit of the frontier beckons us to explore its untold wonders.

Thankfully, books allow us to escape to these times and places whenever we want.

I’m happy to give away either a paperback set of the three Crooked Creek books or an e-book set (1 winner, US only, reader’s choice on format). What do you do to escape life when it starts to wear on you? What brings solace and peace?

Everyday heroes who find the courage to believe in extraordinary love.

Two years after the devastations of war left their mark on a country torn apart, Wesley Davenport, a former soldier haunted by his experiences on the battlefield crosses paths with Leah Tennyson, a teacher who helps him heal his emotional wounds—and discovers unexpected love in the most unlikely place.

The Trail to Crooked Creek, a novella, is a tale of resilience, compassion, and the triumph of the human spirit set in the breathtaking and sometimes unforgiving landscape of post-Civil War Montana Territory.

 

BUY LINK

A New Book Soon to be Released — and a Give-away

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Welcome to another sensational Tuesday!

What am I giving away this month?  I’ll be doing a drawing for the mass market paperback (this is the original edition of this book) of RED HAWK’S WOMAN.

This is book #3 in THE LOST CLAN series.  Though all the books are related, they are all different stories and are all a stand alone book.  Originally published by Berkley in the early 2000’s, it is a solid historical book with a strong mystery connected to it, as well as a paranormal element.

But, please allow me to give you a synopsis of the book

RED HAWK’S WOMAN

Their passion is thunder and lightning.  Their fate could be a flood of sorrow.

THE LOST CLAN, BOOK 3

Red Hawk’s most precious childhood memory is of a single morning with a girl whose beauty seemed lit from within with magic.  Now, years later, she could very well hold the key to a centuries-old curse – but when his visions lead him to her again, no recognition lights her eyes.

At age twenty-five, Effie Rutledge has missed her chance for marriage, but the daughter of a renowned archaeologist would rather get her hands dirty on a dig than cleaning up after some man.

She is determined to finish her father’s quest to recover four precious artifacts that could free a lost clan from a half life in the mists, but with her expedition reported as jinxed, there are no guides to be had.  Except one tall, enigmatic native who draws her as naturally as water flows to the sea.

Even when memories reconnect, they struggle to trust each other.  Worse, their once-in-a-lifetime passion risks the Thunder god’s wrath – and the future of the entire Lost Clan.

Warning:  Within the pages of this book is an all-consuming passion, so deep, so sensuous, it might cause you to want to spend the night in a loved one’s arms.

To enter into the drawing for this book, just leave a comment.

And then, on another note, I thought I’d let you know that my latest effort, entitled, SHE BELONGS IN MY WORLD, is in editing right now and I hope to have the book published and out for sale in early April.

And so I thought I’d give you an inside glance at the cover for the book.  This is book #5 in The Medicine Man series.  As you can see, this is a winter scene and the hero of the book is wearing a capote, an item of clothing worn by many of the Northwestern tribes in the winter.

But, what is a capote?  The capote in these days of the past was a blanket made into a coat.  Usually it was white and might have strips on it or other decorations.  These commonly had a hood, were very warm and were preferred by the men of the tribes because of it’s white color, which blended in with the countryside and made it a little easier when they were hunting.

Nowadays, capotes are still in style in the northern regions of this country, but they are also a little fancier.  But, they are still made in the style of the original, which was a blanket made into a coat.  I’ll post some pictures here so you can see them as they were worn in the late 1800’s.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the time because it shows the style of the capote, the hair style worn at this time by many of the northern tribes and also shows the style of the white man’s clothing.  These two young men were obviously friends.  Note the beautifully beaded gun case our Blackfeet (Pikuni band) young man carries.  The coat the young Blackfeet man is wearing is a capote.

To the right here are a couple of Blackfeet (Pikuni band) men wearing capotes.  Notice also the style of the two women’s clothing in the photo.  All are wearing moccasins.
This is another Blackfeet young man, although he is of the blood band of the tribe, which resides in Canada.  He is holding some kind of weapon, perhaps a tomahawk or something similar to it.
This picture was posed in front of a tepee or lodge (as they were often called).  And note the hairstyle and moccasins.  The Blackfeet wore three braids.  One on each side of the face and one in back.
And this last picture is a painting by Karl Bodmer (the artist who accompanied Prince Maximillian in 1832 to Fort McKensie)  It is of special interest to me because the blanket he is wearing is one which could have been made into a capote.
Notice the difference in hairstyle between the 1830’s northern style and the later style abive (1850-1890).
Well, so much for men’s fashion in coats and the blankets they wore during the winter while hunting or attending to other chores.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little excursion into the past.
If you’d like to enter the drawing, just leave a comment
Have a beautiful and a blessed day as well as for rest of the week.

New 25th Anniversary Book Just Released — Plus a Giveaway

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Howdy!  Howdy!  And Welcome to another terrfic Tuesday!

News!  News!

I’ve just re-released another 25th Anniversary book, LONE ARROW’S PRIDE.  The book has been re-edited and proofed and has a gorgeous new cover.  And, I’ll be giving away two copies of this book free.  However, the book is currently on sale for $.99 and is also on KU.

 

This book has an interesting history.  And I’d love to share it with you.  This is really the only hidden treasure book I’ve written, while also being a solid Historical Romance/Native American.

The story begins when I was writing for AVON/HarperCollins Books.  I had submitted a story idea, which my editor rejected for some various reasons.

So I had to come up with a new story idea and I remember sitting now in my livingroom brainstorming with my husband and my brother-in-law…who used to mine for gold out in the desert.  Well, they have some great stories of goldmining in the Superstition Mountains.  And so, all those years ago, I was told the following story.  Hope you’ll enjoy!

The cover off to the left is the cover made by Samhain Publishing.

What I am about to tell you, by the way, is a true tale, or perhaps we should call it a legend as told to me by my husband and brother-in-law.

In Arizona, there is a mountain range called the Superstitious Mountains, just outside of Phoenix. Some of you might be familiar with the legend of the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine. Some may not. Bear with me.

There are many, many miners who go into the Superstitious Mountains today, hunting for the Lost Dutchman gold mine. Many years ago stones were found, upon which was written some hieroglyphics, thought to be part of a map. Many of these stones were discovered all over the Superstitious Mountains and all of them were thought to be part of a map that would lead others to the Lost Dutchman’s gold mine. Today, those stones are on display in a bank where all can see them and try to discern where the gold mine is.

What is not generally known is that many hundreds of years previous, there were Jesuit priests in these mountains. They befriended the Indians and managed to get the Indians to bring them gold from these mountains, whereupon the Jesuit priests made artifacts out of the gold. Many, many artifacts.

To the left is the original cover of LONE ARROW’S PRIDE.

These priests were recalled to Spain. Most of them refused to go and so Spain sent an army into the Southwest to drive the priests home. The priests got word of the oncoming army and, deciding not to let the army get their gold, nor take the gold back to Spain where it would most likely be claimed by the king, they hid their treasure. It is the Jesuit priests who etched the map on the stones in hieroglyphics and left these stones in fairly inconspicuous places, thinking to come back and collect the gold at a later date.

Recently miners have found, after using the stones on display, and digging about twenty-two feet deep in these mountains, two crosses with more hieroglyphics on them.

To date, neither the Lost Dutchman’s mine, nor the stash of gold from the Jesuit priests has been found. Added to this is the fact that the Indians believed that the Thunder God lived in the Superstitious Mountains and in fact, up until the late nineteenth century, no one was able to go into the mountains and mine the gold without great risk to their lives. Any white person found in the mountains was at once killed.

Another interesting fact is that earlier on, two brothers got word of the mines in those mountains and were mining one that they had found. They made two successful trips into the mountains and obtained a great deal of gold. On the third trip they were discovered by the Indians. And so the brothers loaded up all of their gold and put it into bags, which they tied onto their mules.

Of course, these two brothers were found and killed by the Indians, but the mules were let go, still carrying the bags of gold. The last bag of gold to be found was in the 1920s or 30s (I forget which), and contained gold to the amount of approximately $12,000 at that time—today the find would have been close to half a million dollars.

So the question is: Has anyone ever found the Lost Dutchman’s Mine? Not to my knowledge.

Has anyone discovered the gold that was hidden by the Jesuit priests? Not that we know of. But I would have to ask you this question. If you were there and you found it, would you tell anyone?

**********

So, I took these stories and brought some of what I learned into the Bighorn Mountains in Montana where the legend lives on (but in a different location).  Now this is Crow country.

To the left here i a photo of Hail Stone, a young Crow Indian who, by the way, married a white woman.

I’ll close up the blog today with the synopsis of the story.

LONE ARROW’S PRIDE

Buried Treasure Shines Brightest in the Dark

Ten years after she survived a cholera epidemic that wiped out her entire wagon train, Carolyn White is on a quest to shake off the bad luck that follows her everywhere and which now threatens her adopted family. The unending string of mishaps can have only one source: the gold piece that she, in childish innocence and wonder, once took from a stolen cache.

She tells herself her journey to Crow Country is merely to put the piece back in the cave where she found it. Yet, in her heart she knows it’s the memory of Lone Arrow, the boy who sheltered her there. The boy whose face—now that of a man’s—inhabits her dreams.

Lone Arrow’s anger knows no bounds. Anger with the white woman he suspects isn’t being truthful to him. Anger with himself that he cannot ignore the beauty who captured his heart even as a boy. Though trust is in short supply, he can’t deny his burning need for her. Whatever else she may be, she is his destiny.

This is the 25th Year Anniversary Edition of this book.

Warning: Sensuous Romance which contains a passion that could lead to soul-stirring love.

If you’d like to enter the drawing for a free copy of the ebook, LONE ARROW’S PRIDE, just leave a comment and you’re autormatically entered into the drawing.  And, remember, the book is free on KindleUnlimited and is on sale now for $.99.

Here is the Amazon link for the book:

https://tinyurl.com/LONEARROWSPRIDE

 

The Adventures of Laughter, the Tame Wolf, Plus an e-book Giveaway

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Howdy! Howdy!

Here’s hoping your holiday was bright and cheerful and that Santa brought you everything you wanted.

Well, I am currently at work on the story of First Rider and Liliann and am about (a little short) of 2/3’s done with the book.

However, in the meantime, I have two sales occurring, both books priced at $.99 cents.  The first one is SHE STEALS MY BREATH:  https://tinyurl.com/SHE-STEALS-MY-BREATH

The other book on sale is: PROUD WOLF’S WOMAN  https://tinyurl.com/ProudWolfsWoman
This book, Proud Wolf’s Woman, does not go on sale very often.  Also, because I’m an Indie and the book is on other platforms, it can’t be in Kindle Unlimited — and so this is a good sale, I think.
Here are their covers:  She Steals My Breath
And Proud Wolf’s Woman
I’d also like to say that my heart goes out to all those who have been adversely affected in California by the fires and also in North Carolina.
If you have been adversely affected by the fires or the hurricane, please leave me a message here on the blog and I will give you a free book of mine — of your choice.
Well, onward we go with the story of Laughter the Tame Wolf.  This story comes from the book WHY GONE THOSE TIMES, Blackfeet Tales by James Willard Schultz as told to him by Red Eagle, who was an old man then in February 1878.
When Red Eagle was a young man, his close friend was Nitaina, known as Lone Chief.  Well, one day, when they were out on the hunt they came upon a flooded lake.  Sometimes the ice from the mountains breaks loose in the early spring and floods the rivers and lakes.
The two of them saw a couple of wolves on an island who were pacing back and forth and the two men knew they had some pups nearby.  Determined to find the pups and kill them, the two waded out to the island only to see one, lone wolf pup scared and shaking who was still alive.  His brothers and sisters had not survived the flood.  And so Nitaina decided to take the pup and make a pet of it.  Red Eagle made no objections, and so the wolf pup came hom with them.
Before the pup was a year old he had come to love the man who had saved him and he would often put his paws on Nitaina’s shoulders and grin at him, thus his name, Laughter.  Laughter was afraid of the camp dogs and left them alone.  But one dog had the nerve to fight with Laughter and result was that the other dog lost the fight.  From then on the dogs left Laughter alone.
Laughter didn’t bark.  Nor did he howl in camp.  But, he would listen to the howling of the wolfs each night and often bothered Nataina to take him to his own kind.  But Nataina would tell him to lie down and pup would obey.
Well, unlike dogs, Laughter was a very good hunter and the first time he made a kill for meat, he was so excited he kept jumping up on Natiana and grinning.  Lone Chief one day joined a war party, but was denied going with the others because they knew the wolf would follow.  But, what none of the knew was that, unlike a dog who announces your position with barking — saying here we are, here we are, we’ve come to steal your horses — Laughter proved to be as excellent in the war trail as a trained warrior.  He didn’t howl.  Instead, he alerted the entire war party when danger was near.
Well, as was bound to happen, after they had gone on many adventures together, Laughter began to absent himself from time to time, each time staying away longer and longer until, at last, he came to the camp no more.  Natiaina and Red Eagle saw the wolf one last time when they were out hunting on the plains.  In the distance were two wolves watching Red Ealge and Natiaina.  As they neared the two wolves, one trotted down to meet them.  It was Laughter.  Oh, how wonderful was the reunion and Natiaina got back on his horse and ordered Laughter to follow.  But, Laughter would not follow.  They saw in the distance that Laughter was dancing around his wife, trying to get her to come with him with Natiaina, but his wife would not go.  At last, howling his misery, Laughter stayed with his wife.
Though he loved Natiaina, he loved his wife more.  Schultz ends the story, saying, “The call of kind to kind is stronger than any other love.”
I hope you have enjoyed the blog today.  Please come on in and leave a comment.  I’ll be giving away one of these e-books to some lucky blogger!
Petticoats & Pistols