The winner of the $10 Amazon gift card is:
Sabrina
I’ll be in touch. Congratulations!
Not So Luxurious Transportation of the 1850s (And a Giveaway)–by Jill Dewhurst
Not-So-Luxury Transportation of the 1850s
Would you want to experience travel from San Francisco to Springfield, Missouri, on a stagecoach in 1860? After my research for Clara’s Courage, I might forgo the adventure. Modern cinematography of that time period tends to give us a romanticized image of stagecoach travel.
For travelers departing San Francisco for the Oklahoma Territory during the winter months, the Butterfield Stage Line was the only one of the three primary stage routes that dipped southward enough to avoid blizzards and Rocky Mountain crossings. Because it prioritized mail over passengers, the accommodations were far from luxurious. Unlike the Overland Stage Company that traversed the country further north, the Butterfield Line did not have coach houses along the route, for the stage kept going day and night. Instead, the only stops were at way stations every two hours or so to change horses. That fifteen-minute window gave passengers just enough time to stretch their legs, visit the outhouse, or purchase a light meal.
The twenty-eight-day trip was partitioned into nine divisions. The First Division from San Francisco to Los Angeles most often used the Concord coach, the design we envision when we think of a stagecoach. (The Overland Stage Line and Wells Fargo Company used the Concord.) Los Angeles was a primary hub, and the town even had one choice for overnight accommodations. The Bella Union Hotel in 1858 was a single-story building that housed the courthouse, a tavern, a mercantile, and the printing press for the Los Angeles Star. Along the north side of the building ran a series of six-by-nine-foot spaces nicknamed “dog kennels.” These rooms had a short door, walls, dirt floors, and a canvas roof. No bed. No washstand. Just walls and a muddy floor. Trip Advisor rating: zero stars.
From Los Angeles, the Butterfield vehicle switched from the Concord coach to the Celerity wagon. The latter was commissioned by John Butterfield to be lighter and faster than the Concord. The result resembled a flat-bottomed buckboard wagon with rectangular vertical framing, a canvas roof and windows, and a boot (trunk) for the luggage. Think of it as a cross between a coach and a Conestoga wagon. Some of these had an extra bench in the middle and could carry up to twelve passengers if their legs dove-tailed for the journey. The only concession for comfort was that the back of the seats could be laid flat for sleeping. Next to strangers. Bouncing along rutted roads. Lying on unpadded wood. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
The Butterfield trail skirted the border of Mexico and the Gadsden Purchase (now southern Arizona and New Mexico) before heading across Texas to Fort Smith, Arkansas. The route traversed desert, Comanche land (one of the more war-like tribes of the day), and low mountains. Dotted along the way were a few military forts, the Butterfield’s primary resource for a blacksmith, physician, and protection against attacks. Once the stage reached Fort Smith, Arkansas (the next major hub), travelers heading to Oklahoma Territory (also called “Indian Territory”) would secure their own transportation and head west to Fort Gibson and pick up the Shawnee Trail (known as the “Texas Road”) heading north. This final stretch was a welcome respite for travelers, for the road was well-maintained and sported several coach houses (single night boardinghouses) along the route through the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations.
The primary setting of Clara’s Courage and the Rugged Cross Ranch series is the fictional town of Prairie Hills in northeast Oklahoma, but circumstances beyond Josiah Collins’ and Clara McClintock’s control send them on the journey described above. How do they get to San Francisco in the first place? That’s a story worth telling.
Meet Josiah and Clara in Clara’s Courage, a faith-filled story complete with an awkward meet-cute, a marriage of convenience, and a sweet western romance. Check out the description below, and preorder Clara’s Courage to have it automatically delivered to your Kindle on release day ~ September 22, 2026. Preorder pricing will only last for a limited time.
~~Giveaway~~
Have you ever visited a museum with a stagecoach? Was it a Concord coach or a Celerity wagon? Do you have a favorite novel, movie, or television show that features stagecoaches? My favorite would be the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart inspired by Janette Oke’s novel.
Anyone who comments below will be entered into the drawing for an autographed copy of Clara’s Courage. Be sure to chime in! I’d love to meet you!
~*~*~*~
Clara’s Courage
A PRICELESS RING, A PERILOUS JOURNEY, AND A PROMISE THAT COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING
She vanished without a trace. He never stopped believing she was alive.
Three years after an awkward first meeting, Clara McClintock’s unexpected visit to the Rugged Cross Ranch forges a friendship with Josiah Collins that whispers the promise of something more. Receiving permission from her father to become her suitor, Josiah courts Clara via letters until she disappears with no clues leading to her whereabouts. One by one, the people in Josiah’s life succumb to the belief that Clara has perished, but Josiah never surrenders hope.
Far from home, Clara finds herself trapped with no hope of freedom or a future with the man she was beginning to love, yet she determines to hold onto her faith–a faith tested when a promise made to a dying young woman places her in the crosshairs of a dangerous man.
When an unexpected reunion brings Josiah and Clara together, their journey across the frontier is fraught with danger as a relentless pursuer closes in. With every mile testing their growing love and their faith, Clara must find the courage to trust God’s providence when the path before them seems impossible.
Sometimes the longest road home is the one that leads straight to the heart.
Clara’s Courage on Amazon
~*~*~*~
A Selah Award Bronze Medalist, Christian Author Award Winner, Will Rogers Medallion Award Gold Medal Winner, and bestselling author of historical Christian fiction, Jill Dewhurst writes novels that seamlessly weave a page-turning story with the truth of God’s unconditional love. With her varied experience as an RN, a musician, and a homeschool mom, Jill creatively weaves a part of herself into each story. When not writing, she enjoys playing her flute and thanking God for the hubby who lassoed her heart for keeps. Publishing her Rugged Cross Ranch series has been a dream come true.
The World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo
My husband and I recently returned from our annual get-out-of-the-heat summer trip to Payson, Arizona. While we didn’t attend this year, I have gone to the Payson Rodeo more times than I can count—which usually takes place the same week as our traditional trek to the area. The Payson Rodeo claims to be the oldest continuous rodeo in the world. Interestingly, the not very far away Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo has a similar claim: the World’s oldest rodeo. Records are a little sketchy as both rodeos were taking place unofficially before 1888 when the US Patent Office granted Prescott Frontier Days, Inc. a registered trademark as the World’s Oldest Rodeo.
But as it turns out, both claims are likely true (which is quite a feat for a state that is the youngest of the “lower 48”). By all accounts, the Prescott Frontier Days Rodeo started earlier than the Payson rodeo (both around the mid 1880s) but the difference is in the word continuous. Payson wins out over Prescott on that one point as it hasn’t missed a single year. That’s quite an accomplishment when you think about it. First called the August Races because horse racing was a big part of rodeos back then, it was later renamed the August Celebration or the August Doings, and finally just the plain old Payson Rodeo. Dances were a big part of those first rodeos, too. Cowboys do like to twirl the ladies around the dance floor to the music of a toe-tapping band. These days, however, rather than a neighbor picking the guitar or playing a fiddle, big name acts are brought in to delight the crowds. Payson’s rodeo committee spends an entire year planning and organizing the event, and their hard work shows in a first-rate event.
Most of us know that rodeos started as a way for cowboys to entertain themselves, blow off steam, and hone their skills. And, yes, a little wagering was going on, too, in addition to the prize money to be won. In the sweltering heat of Arizona summers, what better place for cowboys to come together that than the cool pine country of Payson? In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the locals were so enthusiastic about the Payson Rodeo, it was said to have rivaled Christmas in celebration. It wasn’t until 1958 when the Beeline Highway was paved that people from all over started pouring into Payson for the rodeo, and that included tourists as well as competitors. Today, the residents of Payson take great pride in their rodeo, and the entire town pretty much comes to a standstill for the entire week.
If you happen to be traveling through Arizona during the third week of August, I highly recommend checking out the Payson Rodeo. Who knows, hubby and I might just run into you. And wouldn’t that be great!
Jill Dewhurst Will Visit Friday!
Historical Western Romance Writer Jill Dewhurst will arrive Friday, August 28, 2026 for a visit!
How much do you know about stagecoach travel? Miss Jill is going to tell us a lot about the pros and cons. Come over and help us make her at home.
She also has a new book to tell us about. Clara’s Courage looks like a humdinger of a story.
This book is #5 of her award-winning Rugged Cross Ranch series so I know you’re itching to shake the wrinkles out of your bustle and get over here to chat a while. Leave a comment on her Friday blog for a chance to win one copy of Clara’s Courage.
Exciting for sure and you don’t want to miss it.
The Cowboy’s Reckoning by Jeannie Watt and a Give Away
I have a new release coming out tomorrow. The Cowboy’s Reckoning is the third book of my Bad Boys of the Rodeo series and I’m excited for its journey out into the world.
Imagine what it would be like to spend your life thinking that your father was a cattle thief who passed away in jail, only to discover that he was actually a wealthy businessman who left you a ranch. That’s what happens to Jordan Matthews, the hero of my latest Bad Boys of the Rodeo book, The Cowboy’s Reckoning. Inheriting a ranch out of the blue would be an amazing windfall to most people, but it doesn’t feel that way to Jordan. His surprise father had obviously been aware of his existence and had the means by which to care for him, yet he’d let Jordan go into foster care at the age of four when his mother died. Why? And why leave Jordan the ranch, which is now long-termed leased to Lil and Meg McAllen, sisters who lost their family ranch to bankruptcy?
Rather than get answers to those questions, Jordan wants to get rid of the ranch and go back to life as he knows it. The only thing standing in his way is Lil, who not only refuses to vacate the place, but insists that he uphold his end of the lease and fix what’s broken. And lately a lot of things have been mysteriously broken on Jordan’s new ranch—to the point that he and Lil begin to wonder if someone is purposely sabotaging the place. They also start to wonder if perhaps they can find a middle ground for both the ranch and a future between them.
Here’s an excerpt:
“That’s him!” Meg said, eye widening.
Lil followed her sister’s gaze to see three men standing near the crowded hotel bar. “Who?”
“The guy I saw today while I was riding. The spy.”
Aubrey pushed her glasses down to look over the top. “That’s Jordan Matthews. He’s local and harmless.” She bit the edge of her lip as she canted her head to one side. “I take that back. Not harmless. He’s broken countless hearts, mostly by accident. But he’s cowboy through and through. Not a stalker or anything.”
“Jordan Matthews?” Lil gave Aubrey a stunned look. “That’s the name of my new landlord.”
“No way.” Aubrey gave her head an adamant shake. “I mean … No. Way.”
“Why?”
“Jordan’s dad died in jail years ago. The guy was a cattle thief of all things.”
“Wow,” Lil said softly, studying the dark-haired cowboy.
He was strikingly handsome, with chiseled cheekbones and a pirate-y smile that flashed as he talked to his friends.
“What about his mom?” Meg asked, obviously intrigued by the cattle thief angle.
“She also died,” Aubrey said, “which is why a local rancher adopted Jordan when he was little. He was two years ahead of me in school. His origin story made him double romantic, you know. Being drop-dead gorgeous didn’t hurt either.”
Lil tried to keep from staring, but the guy was an eyeful, with a perfect profile, easy smile, and a lean yet muscular build.
She blew out a breath. “I wasn’t expecting … him.”
“It can’t be him,” Aubrey said.
“So why had he been spying on the property just before I’m supposed to meet with a man named Jordan Matthews?”
A few thoughtful seconds passed before Aubrey conceded, “You’ve got me there.”
Lil looked away just as Jordan casually swung his gaze her way. She was very glad to have seen the man in the wild, because it gave her an indication of what kind of guy he was. Comfortable in his own skin. Quick to smile. He looked like he could charm a cranky grandmother into mending his torn jeans.
“I hope he’s good with a hammer,” Lil murmured. “I have stuff that needs to be done.”
“You do set the bar low,” Aubrey replied as the server approached their table.
She declined another round while Lil continued to low-key study the man who might be her landlord. Jordan’s friend nudged him and a dark gaze suddenly swept her way, catching her mid-stare.
Drat.
Even at a distance, she saw a questioning expression form on his handsome face and felt her cheeks grow warm. Surely a guy like that was used to being stared at, so she didn’t look away. He could make what he liked of it. For all he knew she was staring through him. Then, after a few very long seconds, she casually turned her attention back to Aubrey who was once again discussing why her Jordan Matthews couldn’t be their Jordan Matthews.
Lil was ninety percent sure that he was indeed the owner of the place, and she didn’t care how it had come about. She just wanted the man to honor the language of the lease and repair the things that had started to go wrong on the place.
And to maybe not recognize her as the stalker in the bar.
AMAZON KOBO BARNES & NOBLE APPLE BOOKS GOOGLE PLAY
To celebrate the release of my book I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly chosen respondent. To qualify, please tell me a time you got a surprise gift. I’ll start–when I was nine years old, my parents surprised me with a beautiful white horse to use for 4-H.
Quilt Lady is Kit Morgan’s Winner!
Congratulations Quilt Lady!
You’ve won a free ebook copy of Harvest at the Weavers!
Contact Kit at authorkitmorgan@gmail.com for your book.
Inspiration for Characters and a Giveaway!
If you’ve spent any time with my fictional Weaver family, you know they’re a lively bunch. They tease one another mercilessly, laugh a lot, work hard, and when enough of them gather in one place, there’s a good chance something unexpected is going to happen.
Readers sometimes ask where authors get their ideas. In the case of the Weavers, I didn’t have to look very far. I grew up with them. Well… sort of.
My Aunt and Uncle had twelve children, that’s twelve cousins who became part of the inspiration for the Weaver family. I didn’t take Cousin A and turn him into one Weaver, or Cousin B and turn her into another. The fictional family came from something bigger than that. It came from the spirit of my cousins. Things I remember from summers at their ranch as a kid when my dad and mom would go help with the wheat harvest.
They are quick-witted, fun, hardworking, and they laugh. A lot. Put a bunch of them together and the stories start flying. Recently, we lost one of those twelve. and as sometimes happens after a loss in the family, I found myself looking backward and learning things about some of my cousins that I’d never known. That’s how I stumbled across a newspaper column from the East Oregonian about my cousin Joe. And let me tell you, after reading it, I thought, Well, there you go. No wonder I created the Weavers so easily.
My cousins come from ranching country in Eastern Oregon. They’re wheat farmers, but cattle ranching is also a big part of the operation.
Horses, cattle, corrals, farm equipment, wheat fields stretching over the hills, it’s not scenery they visit on vacation. It’s part of their lives. The article about Joe described a day spent touring his farming and cattle operations near Ione and through South Morrow County. And apparently, when Joe gives you a ranch tour, you had better clear your calendar.
The writer began the day riding around with him in a farm truck. Okay, that’s normal enough. Then Joe took him back to the farm, walked him over to what looked like a machine shed and introduced him to the next mode of transportation: A 1952 Super Cub airplane. The runway? A patch of wheat stubble.
Of course it was. Joe flew him over remote ranch country, pointing out ridges where he’d landed over the years. According to Joe, “sometimes on purpose and sometimes in an emergency.” And it gets better.
Joe built a contraption beneath the wings of the airplane that allowed him to carry salt blocks for cattle grazing in hard-to-reach areas. He could fly low, operate a pulley system, and drop the salt block where the cattle needed it. The writer admitted imagining some unsuspecting cow getting clobbered by a sixty-pound salt block falling out of the sky. Joe assured him he’d always missed the cattle.
After the airplane tour, they got back into the pickup and drove into the mountains, eventually reaching a fully furnished house in the middle of the ranch country. There, Joe made lunch. Then came the four-wheelers. For the next couple of hours, they toured rough country where thousands of cattle spent the summer. The writer described Joe charging up a primitive road at about thirty-five miles an hour through snow, ice, and ruts.
At one point the writer of the article later told his son, “He took off up the road like a madman on that machine.” His son’s response? “You were the perfect companion.”
See what I mean? This is my family. And they’re wonderful.
Cousin Joe explained to the writer of the article, that his generation had plenty of family around while growing up. The article mentions the twelve children in Joe’s family, eleven cousins across the canyon, and another group of eight children closer to Ione.
At times, the school bus picked up twenty or more of Joes relatives at the homeplace.
Can you imagine being the poor unsuspecting child who boarded that bus after all of them?
No wonder big fictional families have always felt completely normal to me!
That’s really what inspired the Weavers. Not twelve specific characters copied from twelve specific cousins. It was the atmosphere. A big rural family. Wheat and cattle. Horses and corrals. Hard work. People who know how to pitch in because there’s always something that needs doing. Who tease one another because they know each other too well to get away with much.
People who can turn an ordinary workday into a story everyone will still be laughing about years later. And, most importantly, people who enjoy one another.
I think that last part is what found its way most strongly into the Weavers. They may fuss and meddle. They may get themselves into ridiculous situations. But beneath all of it is family, and that sense that whatever happens, nobody is facing it alone.
The Weavers themselves are entirely fictional. But the laughter? The chaos? The enormous family and ranching life? That part came from someplace very real. And now, after discovering Cousin Joe once took off from a wheat field in an airplane rigged to drop salt blocks from the sky, I’m starting to wonder if maybe I’ve been too restrained with the Weavers.
If you’d like to read the article about Cousin Joe, you can find it HERE
How about your family? Do you have a larger-than-life relative who could walk straight into the pages of a novel?
Or is there someone in your family whose personality or adventures have inspired one of your own stories?
I’d love to hear about them! I’ve giving away a copy of Harvest with the Weavers to one lucky commenter!
Cowgirls in the Kitchen – Sarah Lamb
Welcome to my kitchen! Some of you might know there are food allergies in our house. Just to name a few are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, and every legume but soy. To further complicate things, as an adult I developed an avocado allergy. So, cooking in our house can get kind of…difficult. However, there’s a recipe that I discovered and I’ve been wanting to try, and I thought I’d share it with you, since it’s a cookie with a pretty unusual ingredient, and only five ingredients total, unless you want to add a topping, then it’s just two more.
Ready?
I’m here to introduce Italian Cinnamon Olive Oil Cookies!
This recipe comes from this website here, and so you can print out the recpie if you are interested in trying this yourself!
As I said, super simple ingredients.
- 2 ¼ cups All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Regular olive oil
- 2 / 3 cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon Mandarin zest or orange zest
- 1 / 8 teaspoon Kosher salt
If you want a topping for the cookies, you’ll need:
- 2 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine all of the dry ingredients, and make a little well in the center.
Add the zest and olive oil, and mix.
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, then test it. If you can squeeze it together and it doesn’t fall apart, it’s ready. If it does, add 1-2 more tablespoons of olive oil and mix well.
Roll the dough into a ball, and, if desired, sprinkle your sugar and cinnamon on the top. It’s easiest to blend the two together before sprinkling.
Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms brown.
Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then 10 minutes on a rack and sample.
Don’t forget the last step. If you don’t sample, how will you know if it’s good for whoever you are making it for? Always sample, my friends!
If you have a favorite type of cookie, I’d love to hear it. I really like oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip or plain old sugar! Those are my favorites. What is yours?
R.J. Sloane Has a Winner!
Thank you so much for coming, R.J.! We really enjoyed you and all the chatting about action-driven westerns. We know all about action. 🙂
But now for the Drawing………..
One commenter will get a copy of The Rustler Hunter! Yippee!
And the Winner is………..
JOYE
I’m dancing a jig for you, Joye! Congratulations! Now keep your eye out for R.J.’s email!
I Thought I Was Writing for Men. My Readers Had Other Ideas–by R.J. Sloane
I Thought I Was Writing for Men. My Readers Had Other Ideas.
By R.J. Sloane
I’ll be honest with you. When I sat down to write The Rustler Hunter, I figured I knew exactly who would pick it up.
Men. Specifically, men who grew up on Louis L’Amour and still reread Hondo every few years. Guys who like their westerns lean and mean with action-packed gunfights, manhunts, wide-open Arizona Territory, and not a lot of fussing about feelings.
So, imagine my surprise when the emails started coming in, and most of them were from women.
Not just a few. Most of my reader mail comes from women. Women who write things like, “I don’t usually read westerns, but I couldn’t put this down.” Women who tell me the Harper brothers remind them of the honorable men in their own families. Quiet protectors who show up when it’s important. Men who don’t make a speech about it. Women who say the family oath in the series—Proverbs 21:15 CSB, when justice is executed, it is a joy to the righteous but a terror to evildoers—impacted them profoundly.
I had to think hard about why my writing resonates so strongly with women.
This is what I think: women have always understood what justice costs. They’ve watched the men they love carry the weight of protecting others. They’ve been the ones keeping families intact while that work got done. They know, maybe better than anyone, what it means to hold a code when the world makes it inconvenient. I finally realized that’s not a masculine theme. That’s a human one.
The Harper siblings, children of a violent outlaw, aren’t compelling because they’re tough. They’re compelling because they chose to be something better than the man who raised them. And that kind of story resonates with anyone who’s ever had to rebuild their life or overcome a tough past.
Hayley Harper, the Pinkerton agent at the center of The Rustler Hunter, is probably part of the answer too. I write women who are competent, stubborn, and fiercely loyal. Women who carry the same moral code as the men beside them but fight their battles with their strengths. Women who don’t need rescuing but aren’t too proud to accept backup. I believe readers appreciate that kind of woman.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that she spends most of the book striking sparks off a certain legendary manhunter who didn’t see her coming either. J.J. Westin met his match in Hayley Harper, and I think readers enjoy watching two people who are equally stubborn and equally principled figure that out—one dusty Arizona canyon at a time.
What is it about action-driven western fiction that keeps you coming back or brought you to it in the first place?
I have a feeling you’ll teach me something, partner.
Giveaway
I’m delighted to offer a signed copy of The Rustler Hunter to one lucky winner. Just tell me in the comments below, what is it about action-driven western fiction that keeps you coming back or brought you to it in the first place?
The Rustler Hunter: Harper’s Justice Book 1
When forty-one successful manhunts make you a legend, there’s only one way left to go—down.
J.J. Westin, the infamous Rustler Hunter, goes undercover at Arizona Territory’s largest cattle ranch to expose the rustlers bleeding it dry. The thieves aren’t just stealing cattle. They’re trusted cowboys operating from inside the bunkhouse.
What he doesn’t expect is Hayley Harper, the tough-as-nails cook with secrets of her own. She’s a Pinkerton agent working the same case and the daughter of notorious outlaw Galen Harper.
When their covers are blown, they uncover something far deadlier than rustling. A corruption network spanning three territories. With enemies closing in and bullets flying, the legendary manhunter and the outlaw’s daughter must survive the badlands of 1898 Arizona, where trust is deadly and justice comes at gunpoint.
R.J. Sloane writes gritty Western adventures where justice rides hard across the untamed Southwest. Inspired by Longmire, Yellowstone, and a childhood of classic westerns watched with his dad, R.J. brings authentic frontier spirit to every page. His Harper’s Justice series follows territorial lawmen where doing right often means defying the law.
When he’s not writing fiction, R.J. releases original dark country music—outlaw Americana cut from the same cloth as his stories.
Find R.J. on his site: https://rjsloanewesterns.com and at all major retailers