Research

Beaver Dick Leigh, two giveaways, and our guest blogger Charlene Raddon!

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The pack train moved slowly through the remaining snowdrifts of late spring in the Tetons, heading for the mountain valley ahead. The buckskin horses were led by a tall-for-his-time trapper with thick red hair and beard, whom the Shoshone called Ingapumba (redhead), but more often he was known to his neighbors as “Beaver Dick” or “Uncle Dick.”

Trapper, hunting guide, ferryman, Mexican War veteran, and all-around mountain man, Richard ‘Beaver Dick’ Leigh, lived a long life in and around the Teton Mountains. Following behind were his Shoshone wife, Jenny, and his children riding burros. They were leading pack horses loaded with supplies for a long season of camping, hunting, and trapping in the high valley known even then as Jackson’s Hole.

In his 68 years, Beaver Dick Leigh fought in the Mexican War, guided government expeditions through the Yellowstone region, led hunting parties from the East—and enjoyed life among the Shoshone and Bannock tribes. With his red hair, blue eyes, and freckles, he stood out from most of those around him, but despite his rough life, he was an inveterate reader of books, magazines, and newspapers. He kept a diary during his time in the mountains.

Richard Leigh was born in Manchester, Lancashire, England, in 1831, emigrating to America at age 7 with his sister, Martha. Eventually they moved on to Mount Hope, Pa. From there, he left his sister and joined the Hudson Bay Company, which sent him to the Northwest, where his education as a trapper began. He never looked back, nor saw his sister again, but stayed in touch, however, as he later referred to his brother-in-law, Henry Wall.

Beaver Dick joined the U.S. Army toward the end of the Mexican-American War (1846-48), in which he served under Lt. Col. Henry Wilson.

Following his discharge, he travelled to the Salt Lake Valley, where he resumed his trade as an independent trapper. Moving north into what would become Idaho Territory, he chose the Snake River Valley for his homesite. This initially meant long pack trips south for several years to sell his furs in Utah Territory.

On one of these trips to Corrine, in 1862, near the northeast shore of the Great Salt Lake, he camped near a Bannock couple—a man known as Bannock John to the whites, and his wife, Tadpole, a sister of the local Shoshone chief, Taghee. Tadpole was amid a difficult labor and Dick assisted the father in delivering the baby.

The new arrival was named Susan Tadpole. Her parents promised her to Dick to be his wife when she reached maturity, no doubt a kind gesture of gratitude that had little expectation of coming to fruition, since he was 31 at the time.

Before he returned to his base camp at the confluence of the Snake and Teton rivers on the west side of the Tetons, Dick Leigh married a 16-year-old Eastern Shoshone girl from Chief Washakie’s band in 1863. Dick called her Jenny. He often told his friends and wrote in his diary about her many good traits. Five children arrived in the following years. Dick, Jr., 1864, Anne Jane, 1866, John, 1868, William, 1870, and Elizabeth in 1873.

 

Dick’s homestead on the west side of the Tetons continued to expand with additions of milk cows and the buckskin horses he was fond of. When it was time to go on the annual hunting trips over the mountains, Dick took the entire family along. Leigh’s diaries give an in-depth picture of the challenges they faced on the frontier. Whether setting his trap lines, hunting with his son Dick, Jr., leading hunting parties or assisting any of the increasing number of new settlers arriving in the Snake River valley, Beaver Dick Leigh was a busy and well-respected member of the community.

He built a ferry at the Eagle Nest Ford on the Henry’s Fork of the Snake, free for anyone to use. He acted as liaison between the tribes and authorities at the new Fort Hall Reservation, advising them about Indian movements on and off the reservation.

In the winter of 1876, an Indian woman seeking food visited the Leighs. They did not know she had smallpox. All of the Leigh family and another hunter caught the disease. Between Christmas Eve and Dec. 28, all of Beaver Dick’s family died; he and the hunter barely survived.

In 1879, Dick Leigh, age 48, married 16-year-old Susan Tadpole, who had been promised to him at birth. The couple had three children: Emma, 1881; William, 1886; and Rose, 1891.

While camped near Two Ocean Creek on the Continental Divide in the fall of 1891, they were visited by Theodore Roosevelt and his hunting party. Beaver Dick and Teddy conversed for a spell, sharing stories and hunting tales.

Dick continued to guide hunting parties as long as his health permitted. Eventually, he had to turn over this business to his son William. He also kept in touch with the many friends he had made over the years, writing letters to a lengthy list of correspondents.

Beaver Dick Leigh died March 29, 1899, age 68, in the company of family and friends. He is buried beside his family on a high terrace overlooking his ranch near Rexburg, Idaho. His memory and legacy are well preserved in his letters and diaries, as well as the namesake features in the Jackson Hole valley he loved.

Two winners will be chosen for a prize: one for a $5 Amazon gift card and one an ebook from my collection. To enter, all you have to do is tell me something you found interesting about Beaver Dick Leigh’s story. 

When the Past Surprises a Writer: Copying Documents Before Photocopiers by Martha Hutchens

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Being a historical author comes with its pitfalls. One common problem is figuring out how people handled not-so-daily tasks in the era you’re writing about—especially when it leads you down a rabbit hole of research!

You can never predict what tiny bit of historical minutiae will have you stuck for hours—or days. In my recent book, the culprit was figuring out how to make a copy of a marriage certificate. My heroine needed to prove to her lawyer back home that she was married. Being a modern person, I naturally wrote that the lawyer requested a copy of her marriage certificate.

Then, I thought, “Wait a minute. No photocopiers back then.” Wyoming wasn’t a state yet, and its counties were massive—some as large as 10,000 square miles. The idea of running to the county seat to get an official copy didn’t seem practical. After all, traveling by horse would have taken days, especially across such vast, rugged terrain. 

After a bit of thinking, I decided to have the pastor send a letter confirming that he had performed the wedding.

But then something funny happened. I visited The Bird Cage Theatre in Tombstone, Arizona.

 

Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.

The Bird Cage, a notorious brothel, closed its doors in 1892. When new owners opened them again in 1929, they discovered something remarkable: nothing had been touched in the intervening fifty years. Layers of dust covered the furniture, posters, and even the famous painting of Fatima that still hangs there today. The owners saw this not as a mess to clean up but as a time capsule—a treasure trove of the past. It was almost like stepping back in time, into the Old West. 

As I wandered through the back room where many of these items are displayed, I came across something called a Letterpress. This device was used to copy documents by moistening ink, placing new paper next to it, and applying pressure, which just goes to show that human ingenuity has never been restricted by technology. Even before the photocopier, people had created tools to replicate documents, and the Letterpress was one of the earliest methods.

Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.

A little more research turned up other interesting historical copying methods. For instance, George Washington used a copying press to make duplicates of the official letters he sent. This early method involved placing a wet sheet of paper over an inked letter and pressing it, transferring the ink and creating a duplicate. I even found a video of some one demonstrating the technique using the actual device Washington used. Can you imagine touching history in that manner?

Then there were the mimeograph machines, which I remember from my school days. When we used those duplicated worksheets, I had no idea that this device was invented by Thomas Edison in 1876. The mimeograph used stencils to transfer ink onto paper, and while it might seem old-fashioned, it was an essential tool in offices and schools for decades before photocopiers came along.

And, of course, the printing press was used to mass-produce newspapers, pamphlets, and other printed materials across the West. The printing press played a significant role in shaping the way information spread, making it a cornerstone of historical communication.

 

Images of The Bird Cage Theater used with permission.

 

So, it turns out that humanity has been making copies of documents long before the photocopier was invented. While modern technology makes it easier, the solutions of the past were equally creative, even if they were a bit more labor-intensive. The lesson here is simple: when people need something badly enough, they always find a way.

 

Your turn: What’s the most fascinating piece of historical trivia you’ve learned recently? Is there a historical invention that you think is underappreciated, yet made a huge impact on its time? Have you ever come across a historical detail that made you rethink a well-known event or idea? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Three commenters will receive an ecopy of my book, A Steadfast Heart.

The Old West Time-Life Books

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When I was a child of about 12-years-old, my mother subscribed to a then popular historical, science, and cultural book club put out by Time-Life Magazines. There were series such as Voyage Through the Universe and Lost Civilizations. But the one we owned was by far one of the most popular: The Old West.

The books were beautiful constructed and truly collectable. Bound in imitation leather and tooled to resemble saddles or belts, replica authentic artwork adorned the covers. The books – 26 in all – were filled with old photographs, newspaper clippings, letters, drawings, painting, anecdotes, and stories. These truly beautiful books brought history to life for me and helped fueled my love of all things Western.

When my own children were young, my mother gifted me with the books, and I proudly displayed them for years in my living room. When I began writing western historical romances, I used the books for research and “borrowed” many story ideas and plot elements from real life incidents. It’s true what they say about true life being better than fiction. Some of my favorite books were, of course, The Cowboys, The Forty-Niners and The Miners (several of my western historicals take place in mining communities), The Spanish West (because I live in Arizona), The Canadians (my father’s family originally came over from France and settled in northeastern Canada and New England), and The Women – I still marvel at their courage and determination.

My favorite book of all, perhaps, is The Pioneers. From the time I was a very little girl, my mother and grandmother would tell me stories of my maternal family, who came over on the Mayflower. They would often speak about John Bidwell, a relative from New York who, as a young man, was lured by the call of the West in the days when people were crossing the country in droves. According to the stories, John Bidwell did well for himself in California, becoming a prominent and wealthy landowner who eventually served in the California Senate and House of Representative. All this when he arrived with but a few dollars in his pocket. Well, the stories my mother and grandmother told were true. John Bidwell appears in The Pioneers, and quite a few pages are dedicated to him and his contribution.

 

I can’t say I read all the books or even one of them from cover to cover. There was just too much information. But I’ve read something from every one of the books and studied at the pictures. Sadly, some years ago, I lost the books through a series of unforeseen events. These things happen. But I often thought about the books and wished I still had them. Well, thanks to the powers of Ebay and $99, I now do. I was recently able to buy a complete set of the books in pristine condition, and they are once again being proudly displayed on my living room bookcase. And while not the books my late mother gave me, they nonetheless warm my heart when I look at them and run my fingers over the imitation tooled leather covers ?

Ever Wonder What “Dollar Princesses” Were and Why They Were Called That?

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Me and my enquiring mind was at work again this week. I ran across an article the other day that caught my eye that you might find interesting as well. It happened around the turn of the century and centers around British royalty and American wealth.

The cash-strapped English noblemen found it very difficult to keep living in the luxury they’d been accustomed to. They struggled to maintain huge estates in the face of dwindling wealth that had always sustained them. They owned a lot of land and castles but had little capital. What were they to do? They looked across the pond to bright and shiny America and its new money.

It didn’t hurt that these rich Americans had beautiful unmarried daughters. Not at all.

Pixaby – Annie1loves1you

It didn’t take long for deals to be struck – titles in exchange for money. A publication called Titled Americans listed eligible British bachelors who would be interested in marrying their own dollar princesses. Between 1870 and 1914 a whopping 454 American heiresses had married into the aristocracy.

Among the list was Consuelo Vanderbilt whose father was railroad tycoon William Vanderbilt. He provided a dowry of 1.6 million dollars as well as an income of two million in stocks. (Roughly $96,000,000 today) That was a lot of money. Against her wishes, Consuelo married Charles Spencer-Churchill. It was not a happy union. He was in love with another and promptly told her so. Despite that, she had an unhappy marriage, she gained a place in British society as Duchess of Marlborough and became a voice for women’s rights. After living apart for several years, they divorced and she married the love of her life, a French aviator named Jacques Balsan.

Jennie Jerome was another whose father sought a good marriage for. She married Lord Randolph Churchill and became Lady Churchill. They had a rocky marriage to start with but made a go of it and stayed together until he died. One of their sons was Winston Churchill. I never knew he had an American mother! Jennie threw herself into the marriage and played in influential role in her husband’s political career in addition to diving into women’s social issues.

circa 1880: American heiress Jennie Jerome, daughter of Leonard Jerome and later Lady Randolph Churchill, mother of Winston Churchill. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

I’ll mention one other. Nancy Langhorne who married Viscount Waldorf Astor. Nancy became a distinctive presence among British society and after her husband was elevated to the House of Lords, she ran for his seat in the House of Commons and became the first woman to occupy that seat for quite a few years.

This practice was actually reverse marriages of convenience but for the men.

Some marriages worked and some didn’t. Also, some resented the arrangement and never tried to make it work. The Americans and the Brits have always kind of been linked together. History is crammed packed with nuggets like this. I never get bored of diving in and seeing what I can find.

How about you? Do you find history as dull and boring as a piece of limp cheese? Or do the stories come alive in your mind and you want to know more?

Next month, I’ll have the release of my new western romance – Cade’s Quest. I can’t wait. Oh and my sister, Jan Sikes, who is also a writer will share my post on August 19th. We’ll have giveaways! It’ll be fun!

Cade McIntyre sets out to find his lost siblings and bring them home—only to discover danger at every turn…and an unexpected chance at love. But will he find heartache or hope?

This is available for preorder now. CLICK HERE

So, get ready for a party next month. Much love.

Linda Broday

Sunrise Surf

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When I was kicking around ideas for the hero in my new book, Sunrise Surf, releasing July 31, I decided to make him a surfer, mostly because I’d chosen the book title last year and wanted surf to have some significance to the story.

However, I wanted the hero to be a guy with integrity who can carry a lot of responsibility on his shoulders.

Just before I started writing this book, the news featured details about a huge multistate drug bust that has been dubbed the largest fentanyl bust in DEA history. That gave me the idea to have Logan be a state police officer working undercover as the laid-back, no-cares-in-the-world surfer named Bodhi.

The only problem with making him a surfer was that I knew nothing about it, except how much I smile when I hear the song “Wipe Out,” which really doesn’t count for anything.

So, I started doing research about surfing and learned about waves, boards, surfer slang, sharks in Oregon (ack!), and wetsuits.

I’m a very visual learner. I wanted to watch a documentary or movie about surfing. I stumbled across Chasing Mavericks, a 2012 American biographical drama film about the life of American surfer Jay Moriarity.

Not only did I learn about surfing, I learned about someone who impacted the lives around him. Jay was a 15-year-old surfing phenomenon who wanted to ride the Mavericks surf break in California, one of the biggest waves on Earth. He trained with surfing legend Frosty Hesson, and a photo of his wipeout on the Mavericks became the cover of a surfing magazine. Jay went on to become an accomplished surfer, waterman, and adventurer. The day before his twenty-third birthday, he was free-diving in the Maldives and died. No one is sure what happened. In honor of his life, of the inspiration he gave to the people he encountered, a Live Like Jay movement began.

Live Like Jay embodies living a life of passion, positivity, and authenticity.

The thing about this movie that I randomly decided to watch is that I unknowingly watched it on the anniversary of his death date. It gave me goose bumps when I started doing research about Jay Moriarity the next day, which would have been his birthday. Even typing that just gave me goose bumps.

By now, you are wondering what an undercover state police office pretending to be a surfer has to do with anything western.

Well, not a lot, except Logan, the hero, grew up on a ranch in Central Oregon and our surfing cowboy still loves to rope and ride any chance he gets.

I hope you’ll check out Sunrise Surf!

When a police officer posing as a surfer and a doctor wading through the unchartered waters of parenting a teen join forces to dismantle a drug operation, anything is possible.

Oregon State Police Officer Logan Wright swaps his badge for a board, posing undercover as a homeless surfer to infiltrate a deadly drug ring. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Seaside’s rugged coastline, he struggles with his dual life, especially after meeting a beautiful doctor who turns his head and touches his heart. Troubled by the fine line between duty and authenticity, Logan fears sharing the truth of his identity will drive her away.

Laken Hayes is a devoted doctor, fiercely protective of her teenage nephew, and determined to keep her hectic life in balance. But when a free-spirited surfer enters her world, nothing will ever be the same. Unexpectedly drawn to the charismatic man, Laken finds joy in his upbeat outlook on life while inadvertently becoming entangled in the web of Logan’s mission.

As their connection deepens and mysteries unravel, Logan faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: will he continue the deception to protect his cover or reveal his true self to the woman who has captured his heart?

Join Logan and Laken as they navigate a tide of secrets, false identities, and a wave of fast-moving danger in Sunrise Surf, a wholesome small-town romance that proves love may be the ultimate risk worth taking.

I found the idea of Live Like Jay so inspiring. 

What is a slogan, saying, or something that has inspired you? 

Soaps: Scented and Stinky in the 1800s

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I’m thinking we all take it for granted when we meander down the aisle of a store, choosing a hand soap or bar or gel of soap for the shower. We sniff, appreciating this scent, quickly putting that one up, and deciding which one we like the best. 

But it wasn’t always that way! In fact, back in the 1800s, most soaps didn’t smell that great. While people didn’t bathe nearly as often as we do now, they still used this soap to wash hands and faces, giving the appearance of being clean. While soap was available in stores, and there were several popular brands in the 1800s, such as Pears or Ivorine, or even Wrights tar-coal soap, it was still something made at home by the working class. 

The process of making soap, while dangerous and hard work, could be done by using items already on hand,as it’s a chemical reaction that makes the (basically) two very different ingredients create soap. (In fact, you can make soap yourself!) So, for the thrifty-minded individual, that’s just what they did. To make soap, one needed two main ingredients, lye and a fat. Lye could be made by pouring water over ashes from a fireplace and letting it sit a while, something that was easy to do. The fat could be from cooking or left over from butchering an animal. Also something that was in easy supply. 

Soap was made outside, both because of the heat and the smell. It was incredibly dangerous too, as lye, concentrated down in order to make the soap, is corrosive and it all had to boil for a while, and be stirred. Once it was cooled and molded, it was ready to be used for household or human use. 

But what about the individual who longed to smell like something nice? Not bacon? 

Since a good number of the working class individuals bathed with water alone, (be it in a tub of shared water or by sponging off) due to the harshness of lye soap, and not very often, scented soap was a luxury if they had such a thing. It was used sparingly for the face and hands. Scented soap could be made much the same as our every day soap, but with the addition of herbs and flowers. However, the soap still wouldn’t have smelled quite like what we’d imagined scented soap to smell like. For a good quality luxury bar, it would have been bought at a store, likely imported, such as the Yardley brand, which had been creating scented soap since 1770. 

As the 1800s progressed, more companies began to make soap, and it became more affordable. In the US, Ivory soap was developed in 1879, and in 1884, Sunlight soap was created by the man who would later form the company called Unilever. After a time, especially as manufacturing saved time and money for many, and because larger numbers now lived near cities, buying soap became the way to go. With a mid to late push in the 1800s for cleanliness and the understanding of bacteria and microbes on skin surfaces, a lot of advertising focused on being clean for health. 

Next time you wander the aisles, take a moment to appreciate all of the wonderful scents available to us! Maybe you can even find a bar of Yardley, and join me in marveling how inexpensive it is, compared to how much it likely cost back in the 1800s!

Now, how about a giveaway?

In celebration of a book announcement this fall, with a story taking place in the Blue Ridge Mountains, one random commenter will receive a free ebook copy of my other novella, Frances, that takes place in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and is based on a true story in the 1940s.  

Just tell me…When I was a child, I remember my grandparents only used bar soap. I asked once, and was told that’s what their parents used, and theirs. There was a bar in the bath, by the sink, even in the laundry room for stains. I’m not sure if it’s as common now? Growing up, at home, we had liquid hand soap, and liquid bath soap. A bar of Yardley’s scented soap was a thing to tuck into a dresser door with your unmentionables. Perhaps because it was still considered special?

What was it like for you growing up? Were you a bar or liquid family? 

 

Best Research Discovery Ever!

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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!
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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.
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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. ?
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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.
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Making this discovery, however, felt like such serendipity! It’s moments like this that make me feel like the story was meant to be. ?
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This story won’t be available until next year, but I thought you might find this bit of history as fascinating as I did.

Guest Jodie Wolfe and a Give Away!

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The Impact of Journals

Did you ever keep a journal or diary as a kid? Maybe you still keep one as an adult. Perhaps as a child you recorded events like a grade you received on a test, interactions with siblings, or the weather. Perhaps you wrote about a secret crush you had on someone.

As a writer, I love coming across actual journals of people who lived in the area I plan to write about, especially if it happens to be during the era I’ll be dropping my book into. When I first planned on writing stories about mail-order brides, I enjoyed reading through Hearts West: True Stories Of Mail-Order Brides On The Frontier by Chris Enss. Whenever you can get actual accounts to draw from, it helps a writer to create a deeper, and hopefully more accurate book.

When I set about starting a new series set in my neck of the woods, my first time departing from books set in the west, I spent a lot of time researching. I asked questions in FB groups to find out as much as possible about the local history. In the process, I came across a woman who used to work at the historical society where my new series takes place. Through conversations and questions, we developed a friendship founded on the love of history. As we came to know each other more, she helped to discover obscure information about the names of local businesses, names of people living in the area, and who owned properties nearby. I would have relied on searching through newspapers from the town, but unfortunately a fire destroyed the records for the years in which I was searching.

I had planned on setting the first book in the early 1870s. Even though I live in an area steeped in Civil War history, I never desired to write a book set during that time until…. My local historian shared two journals written in 1864 by two local farmers. Each one chronicled daily what the weather was, what was happening around town, as well as their activities. Each of these two farmers only wrote a short paragraph each day, but these journals are full of history with names, businesses, etc. They shared about Rebel sightings, how much they were paid to provide meals/housing when Rebel soldiers passed through the area, as well as what they saw when a local town was burned. Here’s a sample of the entries:

January, Saturday 16

Beautiful day I paid my Breakfast 25 cts and then walked about through

Harrisburg till 8 Oclock. Took the car and came to Mechanicsburg and stayed there with

cousin Kate Seabrooks for the next train. I then came to Shippensburg my fair was $1.35

cts. John and cousin [first name] Diehl was in town and I came with them.

I used some of these journal entries in my new book, Abigail’s Pursuit. Here’s a little bit about it:

Abigail Stewart, with the Civil War raging, is on the verge of losing everything. The man who is responsible for her brother’s death comes to Shippensburg offering to help. How can she work with her enemy? What’s to stop him from betraying her?

Wounded during the war, Daniel Thompson must find a way to make amends and fulfill his friend’s dying request. Daniel’s homecoming proves anything but easy as he seeks to find forgiveness from his family when they can’t be found. The woman he tries to assist, doesn’t want anything to do with him.

Can two wounded hearts find their way back home?

JODIE WOLFE loves writing historical fiction after years as a homeschool mom. She enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, knitting, and walking. Jodie creates novels where hope and quirky meet. Visit her at http://www.jodiewolfe.com.

So how about you, when’s the last time you kept a journal? You never know, one day it might be of interest to a writer. 🙂 

One lucky respondent will win a digital copy of  Abigail’s Retreat. 

Learning to Write Westerns When I Had No Clue

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Please welcome special guest author Lisa Jordan to the Junction!

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Several years ago, I had a wonderful conversation with my editor at Love Inspired, asking her input about what I could do to increase my readership.

She said, “Write Amish or cowboy stories. That’s what’s really selling right now.”

At that time, my husband and I had started watching Heartland, too, and I fell in love with the family dynamic as they worked through the trials and triumphs of ranching and all things horses. I appreciated her advice, took it to the Lord, and determined that it was time to move away from my fictional town in PA and head to CO—at least, fictitiously.

The only problem was I’ve only been to a hotel in Colorado for the 2009 ACFW conference. Oh, yeah, I’ve never been on a ranch. And come to think of it, I haven’t ridden a horse since middle school…and Queenie was the gentlest pony on the planet.

So creating a fictional family on a fictional ranch in a fictional town shouldn’t be too hard, right?

How was I going to create a four-book series and make it realistic?

When it came time to decide where my fictional town was going to be located, I pulled up Google Maps and determined my fictional town of Aspen Ridge was going to be set about forty-five minutes outside of Durando, Colorado.

I learned to lean on my friends, who were able to help with some geographical aspects of the terrain, the weather, and even little things like what brands of ice cream were popular—I needed that info to write one sentence in my book coming out in April 2025. Another friend, Dalyn Weller, lives on a ranch in Washington and shared information pertaining to care, feeding, and tacking horses.

I’ve purchased books and magazines to help with research…and the other articles inspired new ideas.

YouTube is one of the best sources of information. I searched for videos for that part of the state for visuals to build storyworld into my scenes. I watched videos about ranching, tacking horses, growing strawberries in that area. I also took visual tours of the San Juan Mountains that overlook my fictional town.

In my book series, my fictional family expands their ranch to include a guest ranch. Instead of building cabins, which can be quite costly, I decided the Stone family was going to put yurts on their property. For the past three years, my husband and I have camped in a yurt for a week in July. Since nothing is wasted in a writer’s life, it was the perfect inspiration for a novel.

My husband and I visited a local rodeo where I spent the afternoon and evening taking lots of pictures and video to create a realistic bull rider in my series. Additionally, we watched a wonderful (and painfully-looking) documentary about bull riders, bull riding, and all that goes into the sport.

I’ve visited online forums like Reddit to get a real, down-to-earth view about different aspects from people who live out their days running ranches, caring and riding horses, and trying to make a living for their families.

And finally, one of my favorite ways to research my newly-released book, Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter, was to visit a nearby horse rescue. My new friend Nola, who has a huge heart for saving the beautiful animals, took me on a tour of her small non-profit horse farm and walked me through what she’s done to start and grow her organization. A couple of times, I was moved to tears as she shared a few stories of heartbreak in trying to save the animals.

I’ve learned to not be limited by what I know when it comes to writing new stories. It’s become an adventure to learn something new and use that knowledge to inspire readers.

I will be giving away a signed copy of Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter. Post a comment below and tell me what you love most about reading westerns.

Bonding with the Cowboy’s Daughter

She’s left her old life behind

…only to find a new love waiting

After a broken engagement, Callie Morgan decides to move to Aspen Ridge, Colorado, to fix up her late grandmother’s gift shop. But the shop is in bad shape and Callie runs out of money faster than expected. Old childhood friend and single dad Wyatt Stone comes to the rescue, offering her a job at his family’s ranch, Stone River Ranch. While their friendship is rekindled, will Callie ever risk loving again…even as Wyatt’s little girl is already stealing her heart?

 

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Storytelling vs. Historical Authenticity?

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We’re pleased to welcome special guest author Misty Beller back to the junction!

I’m so excited to visit with y’all again! The Petticoats and Pistols family is one of my favorite places to hang out. 🙂

My latest releasing is Winning the Mountain Man’s Love, and I was excited to research a job I’d not studied much beyond what I’ve seen on a thousand old westerns. 🙂

Our heroine’s work in this story is as a gambler in the mining town of Missoula Mills. She had a sort of love/hate relationship with being a professional gambler, but that job plays a significant role in shaping her character and her journey.

But what was the reality of gambling in this time and place?

During the 1870s, the Montana Territory was a wild, untamed land, attracting adventurers, miners, and those seeking to make their fortune by profiting from the miners. With the influx of men and money, gambling became a prevalent pastime and a lucrative business. Saloons, gaming houses, and even street corners became hubs for various games of chance, including poker, faro, and dice.

For many, gambling offered a quick path to wealth, but it also led to addiction, debt, and desperation. The lack of regulation and high stakes often attracted unsavory characters, making the gambling scene a dangerous and unpredictable world.

Women like Patience, who found themselves caught up in this world, faced even greater challenges. They were often viewed as mere entertainers or worse, and their involvement in gambling was seen as a mark of moral failure. However, for some women, gambling provided a means of survival in a society that offered few opportunities for financial independence.

Despite the risks and the societal stigma, gambling continued to thrive in the Montana Territory throughout the 1870s. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that anti-gambling laws and reformers began to push back against the pervasive gaming culture.

Thankfully, Patience didn’t have to wait so long to leave the gambling world behind her, but that life certainly left its mark on her. I won’t share any spoilers, but I pray you enjoy Patience and Jonah’s story in Winning the Mountain Man’s Love! 🙂

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

 

Winning the Mountain Man’s Love

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Jonah Coulter can’t stand to watch his former fiancée build a life with her one true love. That’s the way it always happens for him—second child of six, second choice for love. He’s relieved to escape his family’s ranch to search for the aunt of a lost child he rescued. At least little Anna needs him. She deserves to be reunited with her last living relative.

Patience Whitman fled from her past and the man who killed her late husband. Now she’s reinvented herself in the untamed Montana Territory. Relying on her gambling skills to survive, she’s determined to earn enough to buy independence from the constant threat of men—she’s never met one who isn’t greedy, controlling, or violent. But when a stranger shows up and says his brothers have taken in her orphaned niece, Patience must go after Anna no matter the cost.

As Jonah and Patience navigate the treacherous landscape of their pasts and little Anna’s future, they must confront their deepest fears and learn to trust each other. But when danger catches up to them, they must risk everything to claim the happily ever after they both crave.

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