Western Romance Series

A “Heart” Horse Influences Melinda Curtis’s Writing

by

Hello, I’m Melinda Curtis and I write lighthearted sweet romance and romcoms. Today, I’m talking about my “heart” horse (a horse you love more than you might need) and how she influenced how I include horses in my western romances.

When I was a teenager, I owned a seven-year-old, red roan, appaloosa mare. Misty was gentle as a kitten when I was in the stall with her, in the pasture with her, grooming her, washing her, or saddling her up. But something happened when I got in the saddle. Misty wanted to run. And once Misty started to run, she didn’t want to stop.

The cowboys in the neighborhood told me I had soft hands and good legs—which meant I had a light touch on the reins and knew how to control a horse with my heels. They very politely never said anything about my seat—which refers to how much air goes between your booty and the western saddle when horses go faster than a walk. My seat wasn’t good (I got a lot of air).

So Misty and I tried compromise. I worked on my “seat” and exercised her more. We galloped up hills and in circles around the corral. I got a little better, but she never lost her need to run. Then one day, after she should have been winded from racing up a vineyard hill, she took the bit in her mouth and tossed her head. Her neck hit my nose. Blood spattered everywhere. She shook her head once and realized as I did (in horror!) that she’d broken the chin strap. The chin strap is what holds the bit in place. No chin strap means no bit pressure which means Misty could ignore the reins.

She whinnied. It was a happy sound. A carefree sound. If you were a horse, that is. To me, it sounded more like brouhahahaha! Misty spun and headed back downhill between the shiny green grapevines at a full gallop. I knew she was headed back home. But I also knew there was a barbed wire fence at the bottom of the hill and we’d have to make a hard left.

Now, my teenage brain was calculating the odds of me falling on that rusted barbed wire fence. They weren’t good odds. I’m not a daredevil. I don’t bungee jump. I don’t even cannonball into swimming pools. But that day, I leapt out of my saddle and tumbled about twenty feet in clay soil to the bottom of the hill. Took me a couple of minutes to catch my breath, wipe my bloody nose and my tears, and get to my feet.

And Misty? She was waiting for me back at the door to her stall, ears perked up and ready to be brushed and loved and cooed over by her adoring girl. Do goldfishes really have the shortest memories? That day, it seemed like horses did.

Have you ever had an animal that taught you a lot about life and/or yourself? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a comment to let me know. One lucky commenter will win a digital copy of the first book in the series — A Cowgirl Never Forgets. The drawing from the commenters will be Sunday.

Fast forward to me writing cowboy romances/romcoms. I love drawing on my experiences with Misty when creating the perfect foil for my hero or heroine. My characters’ lives aren’t perfect and neither are their mounts. But they learn to deal with it and laugh along the way to their happily ever after.

Here’s a little about A Cowgirl Never Forgets:

Rodeo cowgirl Maggie Blackwell doesn’t need her estranged family. She’s got Clem Coogan—her best friend, rodeo buddy and absolute rock. But when a rodeo accident leaves Clem with a terrible concussion, he’s convinced they’re a romantic item…and proposes to her. Now until his memory comes back, Maggie’s playing along. But can she keep this headache from turning into heartache for both of them?

 

You can meet my latest western couple—Griff and Bess—in The Rodeo Star’s Reunion. In this second chance romance, Bess had a sweet spot for reckless cowboy Griff—until he ghosted her on prom night. No explanation was ever given, and Bess was too proud to ask for one. Now, years later, he’s suddenly offering to help with her ranch and with the high school rodeo team that she coaches, which rekindles a spark from long ago. But will their resurfacing feelings survive when Bess discovers the real secret that Griff’s been holding on to for all these years?

The Rodeo Star’s Reunion is Book 5 in the Cowboy Academy series. Each book features a hero that spent time as a foster child at the Done Roamin’ Ranch, a rodeo stock distributor and teen foster home. The books are all connected but all stand alone. You can grab your copy of The Rodeo Star’s Reunion on Harlequin HERE or Amazon HERE.

 

BIO:

USA Today Bestselling Author Melinda Curtis writes lighthearted sweet romances and romcoms, both independently and for Harlequin. Half her titles every year are western/cowboy romances. You can learn more about Melinda’s books, shop for deals and autographed print editions, or listen to her audio books for free at the following sites:

Website  /  Direct Store  / YouTube Channel

The History of Typewriters by Charlene Raddon

by

Hi everyone, Charlene Raddon here and I’m thrilled to be back. The first documented version of a typewriter was in 1575 when an Italian printmaker named Francesco Rampazetto created the scrittura tattile, which was a machine made to impress letters into the paper. But this wasn’t the first attempt. In 1801 and 1808, Pellegrino Turri invented a typewriter for his blind friend, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano, to give her the ability to write. Of more use was a patent for a machine called a typographer in 1829 by an American, William Austin Burt, considered one of the first typewriters to have existed. A little later, in 1864, an Austrian carpenter named Peter Mitterhofer developed several typewriter prototypes.

One early model that did not use the QWERTY system did not even type with typebars. The Hammond, introduced in 1884, came on the scene with its own keyboard, with two rows and a curved “Ideal” keyboard. The Hammond printed from a type shuttle—a C-shaped piece of vulcanized rubber, which can easily be exchanged if a different typeface is wanted. There is no cylindrical platen as on typebar typewriters; the paper is hit against the shuttle by a hammer.

The first commercially produced typewriter, the Hanson Writing Ball, was invented in Denmark in 1865 by Rev. Rasmus Malling-Hansen. By 1878, he made the refinements to create the machine by which it is primarily known. It was a combination of unusual design and ergonomic innovations: 52 keys on a large brass hemisphere, resembling an oversized pincushion. It was successful in Europe and a staple in European offices into the early 1900s. The Hammond gained a solid base of loyal customers. These well-engineered machines lasted, with a name change to Varityper and electrification, right up to the beginning of the word-processor era.

 

The best breakthrough came in 1868 when four Americans, Christopher Latham Sholes, Frank Haven Hall, Carlos Glidden, and Samuel W. Soule, patented the first truly commercially successful typewriter produced by E. Remington and Sons. The Sholes and Glidden comes closest to what we know today. It had a QWERTY keyboard, the first of its kind, which was adopted as the standard.

Other machines typing from a single type element rather than typebars included the Crandall (1881) … and a more practical version called the Blickensderfer.

The effort to create a visible rather than “blind” machine led to ingenious ways of getting the typebars to the platen. Examples of early visible writers include the Williams and the Oliver. The Daugherty Visible of 1891 was the first front-stroke typewriter to go into production: the typebars rest below the platen and hit the front of it. With the Underwood of 1895, this typewriter style began to gain ascendancy. The millions produced the most popular model of early Underwoods, the #5. By the 1920s, virtually all typewriters were “look-alikes”: frontstroke, QWERTY, typebar machines printing through a ribbon, using one shift key and four banks of keys. (Some diehards lingered on. The giant Burroughs Moon-Hopkins typewriter and accounting machine was a blind writer that was manufactured, amazingly enough, until the late 1940s.)

In 1897, the “Underwood 1 Typewriter” was developed, the first with a typing area visible to the typist. It was created by American Franz X. Wagner in 1892, but in 1895, it was taken over by John T. Underwood, who gave it his name. The Underwood 1 typewriter set the standard going forward. In the 1900s, typewriter designs became standard, mainly having the same setup with only minor variations depending on the exact use of the machine.

In 1914, James Fields Smathers invented the first practical use, a power-operated typewriter, and in 1925, Remington produced its first electric typewriter based on Smathers’s design and used a Northeast motor to power the typing function. Then, in 1935, IBM came out with their electric typewriter.

I don’t remember the make of the first typewriter I used as a stenographer and secretary in the 1950s-’60s, but I remember when the “ball” typehead came out, and I received my first one. It seemed like quite an invention at the time. I also remember the small portable typewriter I used in 1980 to start my writing career. I wonder what became of it—thrown out, I suppose, or given away. And, of course, I remember my first computer—so many glitches and problems. But that was long ago.

In the 19th century, the standard price for a typewriter was $100—several times the value of an excellent personal computer today when we adjust for inflation. There were many efforts to produce cheaper typewriters. Most of these were index machines where the typist first points at a letter on some sort of index, then performs another motion to print the letter. Obviously, these were not heavy-duty office machines; they were meant for people of limited means who needed to do some occasional typing. An example is the “American” index typewriter, which sold for $5. Index typewriters survived into the 20th century as children’s toys; one commonly found example is the “Dial” typewriter made by Marx Toys in the 1920s and 30s.

It was on a portable electric typewriter that I wrote my first book. It’s been too long to recall if I purchased a better one before I got my first computer. I think I must have been in the late 80s or early 90s. I didn’t know many people who had one yet at the time. I’ve been through more than I can remember since then, and so far, I’ve typed twenty-five published books, two unpublished books, and a few partially completed books.

My most recently finished book is #2 in my Outlaw Brides Series, The Outlaw and the Bounty Hunter. This was a fun one to write. The hero was raised in a circus, and when the circus closed, the workers became his hands on his new ranch. They worked for room and board and $5 a month, and were glad to have a bed to lay their heads on. The circus element added entertaining scenes to the story and made the characters more unique as well. One famous character is Rupert the Lion. He falls in love with the heroine and plays a key part in the finale. I hope to see this book released by the time this blog appears, but editing, proofreading, and publishing it may take longer.

Did you ever use a typewriter in your earlier days? If so, tell me how old you were. I’m giving away one copy of The Outlaw and the Sheriff to one commenter, and to another, I’ll offer a copy of The Outlaw and the Bounty Hunter.

* * * * * * *

About Charlene:

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.

    Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads  | BookBub  |  Instagram  |  Amazon  |  Pinterest  |

SPANISH CONQUISTADOR GOLD IN THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (AND A GIVEAWAY!)–by Kristy McCaffrey

by

At the end of the 15th century, gold had become rare in Europe and therefore coveted by many monarchies, especially the Spanish Crown. The conquistadors (Spanish and Portuguese colonists) began to spread into the New World, and while some were trained military warriors, many were artisans, lesser nobility, and farmers seeking new opportunities.

The Americas proved to be a gold motherlode. The indigenous peoples utilized it for its beauty and lustre, developing a strong spiritual association to the sun via the objects they created. Gold was mined and traded across the continent.

 

In the early 1500’s, Conquistador Hernán Cortés explored Mexico and ultimately conquered the Aztecs in the Spanish quest for wealth of any kind, which included emeralds and exotic hides, but mainly gold. The ensuing battles were brutal. Temples, palaces, and homes were looted for valuables, and locals were captured and tortured for information. Subjugated tribes were obliged to give yearly tribute in the form of gold, and the most lucrative mines were taken over by the Spanish.

The golden city of El Dorado was a myth with origins in the mountains near modern-day Colombia, originally referring to a king adorned in gold powder who leapt into a lake during his coronation. The story evolved into a “lost city,” and the Spanish Conquistadors were determined to find it. A subsequent myth was born of the Seven Cities of Cibola, an Aztec story revolving around the pueblos of today’s New Mexico and the southwestern United States.

 

 

From 1540 to 1542, Spanish conquistador Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas, taking him through parts of the American southwest. A leg of this journey is said to have gone through Arizona Territory, exploring the Verde River near what would become the mining town of Jerome where the local Yavapai tribe mined copper. Antonio de Espejo and a troop of Conquistadors came through Jerome looking for El Cibola, and the locals instead showed them an area that would later become Cleopatra Hill, the site of a large copper mine. Legend says the Spanish found a vein of gold, mined it, and hid the spoils in a nearby area known as Sycamore Canyon. An elderly prospector known as Jerry the Miner spent nearly thirty years in the canyon looking for the treasure, and he claimed to have found a helmet and a breastplate left by one of the Conquistadors, but it’s unclear whether he ever found any gold.

In my new novel, The Nighthawk, treasure hunters and outlaws are searching for Spanish gold in the Arizona Territory. The Nighthawk is Book 10 in my Wings of the West series, but it can be read as a standalone.

 

 

Arizona Territory

September 1899

Sophie Ryan’s dream of working for a newspaper has come true. Accompanied by her cousin, Lucas Blackmore, a newly appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal, she arrives in Jerome, one of the richest mining towns in America. And one of the most remote. Although she’s been hired to report for the Jerome Mining News on education and cultural issues, she soon finds herself immersed in something more serious when she finds an enigmatic injured man in the Black Hills claiming to be an ornithologist.

U.S. Deputy Marshal Benton McKay is undercover tracking the notorious train robbing Weaver gang, and the trail ends in Jerome. When he’s injured in the Black Hills and found by a determined and beautiful young woman, he must gain her trust to keep his identity a secret. But keeping her out of trouble proves a challenge, especially with her cousin assigned to assist him. As they track down the band of outlaws, another agenda emerges—the renegades are searching for lost gold believed to have been left behind by the Spanish Conquistadors. And Sophie Ryan is determined to report on it.

The Nighthawk is a fast-paced romantic adventure filled with humor, treasure hunting, a tenacious heroine, and a hero harboring a secret. It has light steam and a happily-for-now ending.

Read Chapter One and find vendor links at Kristy’s website.

 

Have you ever visited Arizona? What was your favorite location? If you’ve never been, what Arizona sites are on your bucket list? One commenter will win an eBook of THE CANARY, Wings of the West Book 9.

Join Sarah Ryan and paleontologist Jack Brenner in a quest for an elusive dinosaur fossil in the Painted Desert.

Kristy McCaffrey writes award-winning historical western romances with grit and emotion, along with contemporary adventure stories packed with smoldering romance and spine-tingling suspense. Her work is filled with compelling heroes, determined heroines, and her trademark mysticism. She lives in the desert north of Phoenix with her husband and rescue bulldog, Jeb. Learn more about her books at her website, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Graphics courtesy of Deposit Photos. Book covers by Earthly Charms.

THE 19TH CENTURY BRIDE: FROM THE MAILBOX TO THE CHURCH (AND A GIVEAWAY!)–by Nancy Fraser

by

As a reader (and author) of sweet, historical western romance, nothing gets me more excited than seeing a new mail-order bride story. While I can’t begin to imagine what these women went through, I can certainly create a scenario that seems plausible to me.

When I wrote my first mail-order bride romance, I did a lot of research and found some of the most hilarious recounts of how and where men found their match. Of course, it wasn’t always done by mail. There were many different avenues to explore should you be in need of a wife. Or, for that matter, a husband.

 

The Standard Mail-Order Bride

The most familiar scenario was the “advertisement”. This was also the longest process given the time it took for a letter to cross great distances during the mid-1800s (the height of the phenomenon). Generally, a man would place an advertisement in a handful of larger newspapers throughout the East and Midwest. The ads varied from short and to the point, to longer explanations. I found a wonderful example of these ads during my research and used of few of them to create a meme insert in my book, A Christmas Baby for Beatrice.

The Bridal Service/Matchmaker

The use of a matching service took a lot of the unknown out of the process. Applications for both men looking for brides and women seeking to be a bride were (hopefully) scrutinized by the person running the matchmaking service. Matches were made and, depending on the applicant’s preference, contact was then done via letters until the couple became comfortable, OR they went on blind faith that the matchmaker knew what they were doing.

Matchmakers, especially during the time of the gold rushes and land grabs, would often set up meet-and-greet parties, where you could meet face-to-face before selecting a partner. For the most part, these were among the most successful of all the matching types.

Matches weren’t always perfect and, occasionally, the bride was ‘returned’ which usually involved paying for their travel expenses back to where they came from. Or, by receiving a refund from the matching service. My very first mail-order bride romance, Seth’s Secretive Bride, was a mismatch that turned into a beautiful love story.

 

The Arranged Marriage

Arranged marriages were the norm among the rich, most often for business purposes of mergers or financial bailouts. Given most young women would never defy their father or mother’s wishes, these marriages often ended up cold and heartless. Children were only conceived out of a sense of duty, and husbands often took mistresses. Personally, I’m not a fan of arranged marriage brides. I much prefer a strong heroine who refuses to accept her fate. I’ve written a few of those. All with happy endings, of course. My latest arranged marriage story, Adela’s Solemn Vow, ended in rejection by the would-be groom. Thank goodness my heroine was strong-willed because she took it in stride and made a new life for herself with a much better hero.

 

The Church Marriage

Probably the least known form of matchmaking was those that were facilitated by the church. It wasn’t widely practiced but did happen when a newly ordained minister was single. The church, preferring a stable homelife for the man in charge of their faith, would find a suitable wife for the minister to marry.

My grandfather, Peter M. Weaver (b. 1860), was first ordained as a Methodist minister in Tennessee in 1884. His church arranged a marriage to Nancy Ann Melson (b. 1864), a lovely twenty-year-old from a nearby community, and so began my lineage on my mother’s side of the family. They had two children right away, a son and a daughter, born in 1885 and 1887.

In addition to his small country charge, my grandfather also covered two other remote areas on his circuit (not unusual at the time). When he was home, he and my grandmother ran a small farm to help feed their family. However, in 1909, at the age of 45, my grandmother became with child for the third time. My aunt Lillie was born in September of that year. My mother followed two years later in September of 1911. By the time both my aunt and mother were born, the two older siblings had children of their own, making both babies aunts to children older than themselves.

Despite my personal family history, a church-arranged marriage is the one scenario I’ve not attempted to write. I’m not sure why, but likely because it hits home too closely.

 

I’d love to hear what you think of the mail-order bride scenarios. Is there something you’ve not read that you think would make a good premise?

I have four signed/print books to give away. So, please feel free to comment for your chance to win.

Wishing you all a happy, blessed day!

Nancy

NANCY FRASER is a bestselling and award-winning author who can’t seem to decide which romance genre suits her best. So, she writes them all.

When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.

Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/bxkKvD

 

Just Who Is the Medicine Man

by

Howdy!  Howdy!

And Welcome to another terrific Tuesday.  Yay!

Am hoping y’all had a wonderful 4th and are ready to jump back into work, family, and life in general.

Well, I know this is a bit of an odd topic, but I gotta tell you, when I first started writing about the American Indian Medicine Man, I really didn’t have a clue.  All the while I was writing book#1 (She Steals My Breath), I was reading and studying and for those who believe in a bit of the paranormal, I had some help from a spirit medicine man, who came to me during a time of great trauma and who seemed to help guide me through the rough passages.

And so, a few years later and now writing book #5 in the series, I feel I can perhaps write about what I have discovered about these fascinating men.

To the right is a photo of Black Elk, one of the most famous of the Lakota Medicine Men.  This picture was snapped when he was touring Europe with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show.  He became a medicine man when he was only nineteen (I think that’s right — it might have been eighteen, but I think he was nineteen).  The book, BLACK ELK SPEAKS by John G. Neihardt, details his illness and his dream that caused him to become a medicine man.

He was a very handsome man, as well as a defender of his people, and he remained handsome and his people’s defender all his life.

Another book that has done much to bring the mind-set of the medicine man to me is the book, Fools Crow by Thomas E. Mails.  This book, and especially the chapter called “We Medicine Men,” was enlightening to me.  These men were not shaman’s who could be good and do lots of good, or could be the opposite.

Not so the medicine man.  To the right here is a Kiowa Medicine man and his wife and child.  Now, when I first started studying the medicine man, I relied on the observations of George Catlin, who traveled West in the 1830’s and met the medicine men and chiefs and others within the tribe and painted their pictures.

And so I’m going to include here a little of what I have learned in these few years of my study of this subject.  I’m hoping to include this little “write-up” I did of the medicine men in book #5.  So here is where I am today on this subject:

***************************************************

THE MEDICINE MAN:

Because of my constant study of books in this field, I have become more and more aware of just what was a medicine man in the long ago days, and so I thought I would try to define this word or this man as it was known and used before the turn of the 19th century (the 1800’s).  Also, because the word, medicine, has a different connotation today than what was traditionally meant by an American Indian Medicine Man, it seems only right that I should try my best to define this word, medicine, as it was used traditionally.  Author and painter, George Catlin, tried as best he could to define the word, medicine, and to define the “medicine men,” also.

From his book in the early 1830’s, LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND CONDITIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS, Mr. Catlin writes:  “The Fur Traders in this country, are nearly all French; and in their language, a doctor or physician, is called ‘Medecin.’  The Indian country is full of doctors; and as they are all magicians, and skilled, or profess to be skilled, in many mysteries, the word “medecin” has become habitually applied to every thing mysterious or unaccountable; and the English and Americans….have easily and familiarly adopted the same word, with a slight alteration, conveying the same meaning; and to be a little more explicit, they have denominated these personages “medicine-men,” which means something more than merely a doctor or physician.”

Note:  The photo to the right here is of a Blackfeet medicine man and his wife.

Mr. Catlin goes on to write that these Medicine Men were of the highest order in their tribes.  He goes on to say this: when the medicine man was called upon to help the sick or the injured, he generally first used roots and herbs as many people today do, too.  But if those failed, Mr. Catlin observed that those men would resort to the use of their “medicine,” or the mystery that each medicine man possessed.  And, each medicine man had his own dress and ritual he would perform over a sick, dying or injured person, using dances, rattles, and singing his song or songs of healing.  Mr. Catlin also made a note that the medicine men of the past used, “magic” to heal, saying he was often successful, and many “mysterious” or “magical” healings occurred because of the medicine man’s skills.

It is in reference to the use of the word, “magic,” that I wish to address more specifically, because this reference I have found, while not a lie, is also not quite true in my opinion.  But, let me explain.

Mr. Catlin was not an American Indian, and so he defined the word in the best way he knew how and he describes a sort of “magic” that he could see was being used by these medicine men.  This is understandable, because Mr. Catlin wrote about what he could see was happening from his own view of the world as he knew it.

However, there are now more recent books on the topic of how the medicine man was able to heal: one of these books is, Fools Crow—Fools Crow by Thomas E. Mails— another of these books is Black Elk Speaks, by John G. Neihardt.  And so we now know that it was not necessarily magic the American Indian Medicine Man was utilizing to heal, but rather it was his devotion and prayers to the Creator who, working through the medicine man, healed the sick and the dying.  In other words,the Creator was healing the sick…through the medicine man.  I do not believe the Creator or God should ever be left out of the equation of healing.

Note: the picture to the left is a Crow man standing outside a medicine tepee.

In the old days, a real medicine man never believed that it was he who was healing the sick.  He was always well aware, as were others within the tribe, that it was the Creator who healed those in need.  And He healed via the Medicine Man.

Again, I quote from George Catlin’s book, LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND CONDITIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS:

“These men…are valued as dignitaries in the tribe, and the greatest respect is paid to them by the whole community;… In all councils of the war and peace, they have a seat with the chiefs — are regularly consulted before any public step is taken, and the greatest deference and respect is paid to their opinions.”

 To the right here is another Kiowa medicine man and his wife.

Before ending, I’d like to say this about the “magic” George Catlin beheld and wrote about.  In delving back into history, I’ve discovered that there were medicine men and medicine women who were so in tune with themselves and nature around them, they appeared to be doing “magic.”  However, to many of these men, what they were doing was to them more common place than what we see in our fast-paced world today.

For instance, I write about the “mind-speak” that all medicine men and almost all scouts could do at a distance or up close.  There is on record an entire council of medicine men who “talked” about and decided upon a course of action without a single word being said nor using hand gestures.  The scout could tune into the vibration of the woods and know when something came into those woods that wasn’t supposed to be there.

I guess today we would say this was magic because we are not used to being this close to nature or even to each other.  And yet, men and women who have been married for a long time often know exactly what the other person is going to say before he/she even says it.  Some even complete sentences for the other.  So, I guess what I’m saying is that I think this “magic” that was witnessed by many people during the 1800’s was, perhaps, to them more commonplace than we would think of it today.

By the way, I am NOT saying magic doesn’t exist or that it wasn’t used, but I do think … from my studies that what we would call “magic” was more common place back then, if only because the people, themselves were so close to nature, to each other and to God.

These medicine men and medicine women could talk to animals, to each other, to plants, to trees and often — according to them — in their own language.   I talk to my plants and they “talk” back to me if I am in a mind to listen to them.  And, sometimes when my attention isn’t even on them, they get my attention and tell me what they need

 

To the right here is Peter Mitchell, Medicine chief during the Ghost Dance.

This actually isn’t a very good picture of him — he was a very handsome man.

From my studies of the past and of these men and women, I find a real devotion to God (each tribe had a different name for God — I call Him in my books, the Creator) and to the people of their tribe.  I once read a story of two Blackfeet Medicine Men who, upon learning that their “medicine” wasn’t working, counselled together and discovered that they were praying using the tobacco given to them by the traders.  Because it was their devotion and love for their people, they decided to once again grow their own tobacco, which they did (having many adventures) and when done, they found they were able to help their people again.

 

Here is another picture of Dust Maker — Peter Mitchell, with his wife.

Well, this is what I have discovered from my studies.  These men had some mysterious qualities, as did many of the American Indians, both men and women.  And this is what I think might be true and so I thought I would blog about it today.

How I wish we had learned from one another instead of what happened.

Let me remind you that my latest effort, She Brings Beauty To Me, is still on sale at a 25% discount…but only for a short time longer.

Please pickup your book here:  https://tinyurl.com/She-Brings-Beauty-To-Me

So, I would love to hear your opinion about his — no matter what it is — so please do come on in and leave a message.  By the way, the site is experiencing some difficulties, making it hard for an author to answer comments.  But, perhaps it will be fixed today.  But, I will check in to see your posts and I will answer if I can and if not, at least I will be able to learn of your thoughts.

 

 

Jodi Thomas Celebrating Two Books!

by

Netflix started the shooting for Ransom Canyon in February, and I can’t help feeling it’s come full circle. When I first thought of writing this series, I had only planned on doing six books about ranches around a small canyon. Ransom Canyon is a few miles from Lubbock, Texas, and I used to drive around there when I was in college at Texas Tech. I always thought it was a beautiful place, and I wanted to write a story about ranch life around there.

I knew I wanted to write six books, but I wanted to keep one storyline of four kids, from the time they were fifteen to when they were twenty-three, threading through the series. So, when Random House formally offered me the contract for my Ransom Canyon series, buying only two books, I turned it down. I have never turned that much money down in my life. And I was thinking, “Oh man, I could use that money.”  But I still said no.

Afterward, I called Gail Fortune, my agent, and told her I had turned down the contract. And she said, “Harlequin has been waiting to talk to you.” So, I left the office, and I went for a walk in the mall. About an hour later, Harlequin called me, a conference call with the editor in chief, an editor, and their publicist; they wanted six books and two short stories. So, I went to work on Ransom Canyon.

I knew I was taking a risk with this series because I was writing a very Western series, even though it is contemporary. It was a risk because Westerns are not as popular as other genres. But I had to write it.

To begin this series, I turned the little room out back of our house that we call the bunk house into Ransom Canyon. HQN gave me six months to put the proposals together. And during that time, I built Ransom Canyon’s world and wrote the short story “Winter’s Camp.” I did a lot of research to make the series just right, and it’s very dear to my heart. I love it because it is so character rich!

The first book of this series is called Ransom Canyon. It set up all the stories in the books to come. My main character is Staten; he is a successful rancher, an honest man, a strong man, and totally broken because he has lost both his wife and his son. He turns to his life-long friend Quinn because they both need someone. I loved writing their story, and I can’t wait to see it come to life on the screen. I always dreamed of having one of my books become a movie or TV show, and it has been so exciting to watch.

I look back on when I first started this series, and I’m so glad I wrote the story I wanted. I’ve loved this journey, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. But before we all climb into the saddle this fall to watch the TV show Ransom Canyon, travel back with me to Someday Valley and read my new book The Wild Lavender Bookshop, coming out April 23!

For a chance to win this new book, tell me who you’re most looking forward to seeing brought to life on the screen.

The Wild West: The Good, The Bad, and the Unexpected–Penny Zeller

by

Howdy, y’all! I’m so thrilled to be a guest on Petticoats & Pistols. Love’s Promise, Book #4, in my Wyoming Sunrise Christian historical romance series, releases this month. I cannot wait for you to meet Silas and Amaya.

We open the story with Amaya aboard a stagecoach with three other passengers. Following an accident, outlaws bent on preying on helpless individuals decide to commit a crime. Will dashing hero, Silas McFadden, come to the rescue?

Speaking of Silas, he’s a rugged and muscular rancher who sometimes rides with the Poplar Springs posse, which includes his best friend from Dreams of the Heart, Deputy John Mark Eliason.

Silas once spent time on the wrong side of the law. But God has a way of changing hearts—Silas’s included. Christian historical romance is my favorite genre to write. Of course, I couldn’t add in a bit of “western” flavor without including law enforcement. So, while writing both Love’s Promise and Dreams of the Heart, I researched Wild West lawmen.

This topic intrigues me, likely because since I was a young girl, my grandpa told us stories about his time on the San Diego police force.

Below are some interesting tidbits about the Wild West—the good, the bad, and the unexpected.

  • Some of the duties of Old West sheriffs included keeping the peace, collecting taxes, issuing liquor licenses, keeping the streets clear of dead animals, and cleaning up manure.
    .
  • A Wyoming Territorial sheriff named Christopher Castle, along with his deputies, noted the amount of money an outlaw had in his pocket when arrested. Later, when a fine was assessed, it was that exact amount. Apparently, he didn’t have any concerns about leaving criminals penniless.

 

In Love’s Promise, a stagecoach carrying the main female character, Amaya Alvardo, is targeted by a gang of highwaymen looking for the strongbox. While researching stagecoach robberies, I discovered some interesting information about the cost of this lucrative crime.

According to my research, these robbers cost Wells Fargo & Co. an incredible amount of money. J.B. Hume, a detective for Wells Fargo compiled records over fourteen years (1870-1884), including how much the company lost due to those bent on stealing from trains and stagecoaches. He included in his report a variety of “expenses”—money taken in the heists, salaries of guards and agents, attorney fees, reward money, and miscellaneous expenses.

  • In total for all of the categories listed above, $927,726.55 was taken from Wells Fargo & Co. during this time period according to Hume’s 1885 report, which was published in a Nevada newspaper.
    .
  • Further, J.B. Hume also reported the number of guards and passengers killed and injured, the number of robbers killed while resisting the guards, and the number hanged by citizens. In all, 33 lives were lost during these 14 years, including four stagecoach drivers, four passengers, 16 highwaymen, and two guards. Seven highwaymen were hanged by citizens for their crimes. Of note, Arizona and New Mexico led the other states (which aren’t specified) in the number of hangings.

While Silas has his share of “Wild West adventures” in Love’s Promise, I daresay he is content being a rancher and not dealing with outlaws and keeping streets manure-free as is the case for John Mark in Dreams of the Heart.

Thank you for joining me today. As a special gift, be sure to snag An Unexpected Arrival, a Wyoming Sunrise novelette, for free by going here.

Pretend for a moment you live in the Wild West in the 1800s. What is your occupation? Leave me a comment for a chance to win a copy of Love’s Promise (U.S. residents only, please).

Snag your copy of Love’s Promise at the following (soon to be available wherever books are sold).

Amazon 

Kimberly Woodhouse Finds Stories in Bones

by

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to travel across the plains of Kansas into what is now Colorado and all of a sudden you see the Rocky Mountains ahead on the horizon?

If you’ve ever driven in this part of the country, you’ve seen it first-hand. It’s an incredible sight to behold. Especially after crossing so much… flat terrain. (Raise your hand if you’ve driven all the way across Kansas or Nebraska. Bonus points if you’ve done it multiple times.)

Out west here in Colorado, we get a lot of tourists that come to see the mountains. A lot of tourists.

One of the amazing hidden gems in our mountains and the surrounding rocky hills and landscapes is the plethora of sights where fossils have been found.

If you’ve read any of my books, you know that I love digging up some good history. And a pretty important part of our American history that a lot of people have never heard of is the Bone Wars.

Two paleontologists—Cope and Marsh—are the ones behind that intriguing title. Why? Well, let’s just say they weren’t nice to one another. Always trying to outdo each other, to be the “top dog”, to write the latest and greatest papers, to have the biggest and best skeletons displayed in museums with their name on it—these men stopped at almost nothing to win. Even going so far to use dynamite and blow up priceless, irreplaceable fossils just so the other couldn’t get to them.

Talk about the wild west.

My Treasures of the Earth series tackles the Bone Wars era while highlighting women in paleontology and the sticky subject matter of faith and science.

Set in Stone is book two in the series and it takes place in Colorado near the famous Red Rocks. Pretty close to Dinosaur Ridge actually, a place where you can see actual Dino footprints preserved in a towering wall.

One of the things I love about this area is the beautiful rock formations. In red, white, and gray. I can just imagine Martha—my heroine in this book—digging into these rock layers.

Her hopes and dreams of being recognized in the field are on the line when a fierce competition to present a complete skeleton to the museum puts her and her team in danger. Add in a good bit of suspense, a creepy villain, the thrill of digging for dinosaurs, and a dash of romance—you’ve got this second stand-alone installment in the series.

To celebrate the release of this book this week, I’m inviting you all to join with me in a little party here at Petticoats and Pistols.

I’m giving away FIVE copies of The Secrets Beneath (book one in the series), and one of those five lucky winners will also receive a copy of Set in Stone.

To enter – just leave a comment below. I’d love to hear about your favorite dinosaur, your favorite piece of American History, or if you’ve ever ventured west to see my Rocky Mountains.

Until next time… enjoy the journey,

Kimberley

 

Kimberley Woodhouse is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than forty books. A lover of history and research, she often gets sucked into the past and then her husband has to lure her out with chocolate and the promise of eighteen holes on the golf course. Married to the love of her life for more than three decades, she lives and writes in Colorado where she’s traded in her hat of “Craziest Mom” for “Nana the Great.” To find out more about Kim’s books, follow her on social media, and sign up for her newsletter/blog, go to: https://kimberleywoodhouse.com

 

Marlene Bierworth and Her Double Trouble Series!

by

Benjamin’s Brides

Double Trouble Series: Book 11

Marlene Bierworth 

Thank you for having me. It has been such a blast writing in the Double Trouble series. The name itself suggests mayhem, and amidst my storyline, involving, a touch of mystery, suspense and adventure, therein lies the question: Which bride will Benjamin choose? Sounds like fun, right? Not so for poor Ben.

I started this title by using my parent’s names (definitely not their story, but their names.) From there, the characters took off and created a happily-ever-after of their own. I have never written a summary plot for a book, and rarely know the direction it will take until I write the first paragraph. It only takes one word, or a particular phrase that comes to mind, to send the story off to who-knows-where. I enjoy writing this way—it’s like reading my own book as it unfolds. Benjamin’s Brides is sweet entertainment you won’t want to miss.

I am a Christian who writes inspirational stories. I emphasize character growth, life’s solutions that usually point to God, a historical setting that are not presented like nonfiction, and interesting twists, while not overthinking plots—they just happen. I do not take this gift for granted, and depend on the Master Author to guide my pen.

Double Trouble! The premise of this series is men who must deal with two women intent on marrying them. If they thought one woman was a handful, two is more than they can imagine. How will they choose the right one, and what will they do with the other one? What if they don’t care for either of the brides? So many opportunities for great stories.

Check out the entire series here.

Join the fans of this series here.

Here is the blurb for Benjamin’s Brides:

Benjamin Slater has been a good brother, raising his younger siblings after his parent’s death. Now, at the age of thirty-five, the family plots to find him a wife. While working in the hills, Ben meets a battered Leona Baron, and offers her a job on his ranch, only to arrive home and find a mail-order bride awaiting him.

The widow, Lea, is relieved to be rid of her husband who made her life miserable. She realizes she is ill-equipped to survive alone and agrees to follow Ben home, both feeling an attraction they cannot deny.

Rose-Ann Grainfield comes from old money. She answers the mail-order bride ad to marry a cowboy—at least that is what she claims. Is there a sinister plan in the works? The spoiled woman will need to grow in character and integrity to win Ben’s hand in marriage against her cowgirl rival, Lea.

When Devon, the prodigal son returns to the Slater Ranch, plans are foiled, love is rekindled, and loyalties are put to the test. Join in this heartwarming adventure, where broken and trapped hearts search to find their happily ever afters.

Pick up your copy today to see which bride Benjamin chooses.

***

I have written two books in that series. Isaiah’s Brides is just as entertaining.

Both are available at Amazon or to Read on KU

Benjamin’s Brides: Get your preorder today. Benjamin goes live with his story on January 15, 2024 THREE days from when THIS BLOG publishes. Pick up your copy here.

Isaiah’s Brides:  It is live on Amazon and KU today. Secrets, loyalties, compassion, God’s faithfulness, and a strange twist of fate rule romance in this historical fun and heartwarming tale of love gone bonkers. Pick up your copy here.

So, my question is: Have you ever (in your past or present) had the option of choosing between two persons seeking your commitment?  Either to keep company with—or even marry? I will choose my winner (Isaiah’s Brides – or another western if you have already downloaded it—no problem) from your answers.

I DID! When I met my husband at the ripe old age of 16, I was going steady with another fellow. Paul was a blind date. I dated him as a favor to my girlfriend who was bugging me to go out with a fellow who worked with her boyfriend at the time. (She didn’t like my steady LOL) I snuck out with him (on a double date with our friends) on Friday night and had a good time, but when he asked me to go out again on Saturday night, I gulped. I had a date planned with my steady.

CHOICES—life is all about choices, and I made the right one. Paul and I have been married for 52 years, have 2 grown children. 5 grandchildren, and 1 great granddaughter with another great on the way in May.

So other than family life, I enjoy reading, oil painting, socializing, and traveling. I love cruising and celebrating life with family and friends. And I love meeting new readers and authors online.

Hope you will become my new friend today!

Other Places to find Marlene Bierworth

Dream Creations: Sweet Romance (Facebook Readers Page)

Book Bub Author Page

Friday Newsletter

Amazon Author Page

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Heartwarming Romance: My business website.

Meanwhile Isaiah and Benjamin await your viewing.

Thanks for letting me spend this time with you all. I look forward to reading your comments. And if you have any questions, you can ask there too. Hope to see you on the Internet soon.

Respectfully,

Marlene Bierworth

Bringing hope & encouragement to the nations through fictional characters & the written word.

Kara O’Neal Has Unearthed a Research Gem!

by

Hello! I’m so excited to be here today! I adore talking about books, and Petticoats and Pistols always offers such wonderful content. Hopefully, I only add to it!

I’ve been a published author for 10 years now – my anniversary was in September – and I’ve completed two series. The Texas Brides of Pike’s Run has 22 books in the series, and my Gamblers and Gunslingers series has 6. Writing all of those books has required a lot of research. I’ve learned so much about people, places, patterns, fashions, trains, horses…my goodness! The list is never-ending!

Probably the most interesting topic I ever had to delve into was how society saw, and treated, people with Dyslexia in the 1800s. I needed this information for The Inventor’s Heart, which is the 14th book in the Texas Brides series.

I didn’t come across anything that detailed any cruelty, but I did discover that, at one time, a German physician, did extensive research in the 1870s on people who struggled to read.

In my readings, I learned that it was thought that people with Dyslexia actually had trouble with their vision. Dr. Kussmaul found otherwise. He said that those who struggled with reading had a print deficit, but he still termed the difficulty as “word blindness”.

This information helped Alex, the hero of The Inventor’s Heart, figure out how to help Julia, the woman he loves, who suffers from reading difficulties.

The Inventor’s Heart truly was a beautiful book to write. Alex is considered a genius and attended Yale, essentially working in the field of electrical engineering. And, let me tell you, learning what they knew about electricity during the 1870s and 80s was also interesting, but I digress.

Because Alex is so smart, Julia doesn’t think she’s good enough for him. He sets out to prove her wrong. Alex and Julia’s story is one of the most moving romances I’ve written. It was a joy to bring them to their happy beginning!

In all of the books you’ve read, what have you learned that has stuck with you? Was there a book that enlightened you or taught you something?

Leave a comment and you could win an ebook copy of The Inventor’s Heart and also the first in the series, Welcome Home.

The Inventor’s Heart

Thank you so much for having me! I look forward to your answers!

Kara O’Neal

Kara’s series:

Texas Brides series – https://books2read.com/ap/xdPlZ4/Kara-ONeal 

Gamblers and Gunslingers series – https://books2read.com/ap/xdPlZ4/Kara-ONeal 

The Inventor’s Heart – https://books2read.com/u/3n7oqo

Welcome Home – https://books2read.com/u/47XZ8j