It’s Yee-Haw Day!

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The fillies are riding in with news fit for sharing!

Sarah Lamb

I’m excited that tomorrow is my release date for Whispers of Treason! I hope you’ll enjoy the newest addition to the Petticoats and Patriots series!

 

A traitor in the Continental Army. A raid that could end Virginia’s government. And one woman willing to risk everything for love.

Anna Randolph has always believed women are capable of more than society allows. The daughter of a prominent military supplier in Revolutionary Virginia, she manages her father’s correspondence and longs to contribute meaningfully to the cause of independence. When she meets Major James Coleman at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, she’s drawn to the self-made officer who sees her as an equal—but in the uncertain spring of 1781, with war raging through Virginia, falling in love feels like both a gift and a gamble.

Major James Coleman earned his rank through merit, not birth. A Scots-Irish officer from the Shenandoah Valley, he’s gathering intelligence for the Marquis de Lafayette while avoiding romantic entanglements—his dangerous work is no life for a family man. But Anna Randolph is unlike any woman he’s ever known: intelligent, passionate, and brave. For the first time, James allows himself to imagine a future beyond the war. Until a routine visit to the Albemarle Barracks uncovers a deadly conspiracy threatening both Jefferson and the cause itself.

When whispered treason reveals plans for a devastating raid on Charlottesville and James is left for dead by a jealous rival, Anna must become the courier he never meant to send into danger. Racing thirty miles through enemy territory to reach Lafayette’s camp, she carries intelligence that could save Jefferson and alter the course of the war. In a world where women are meant to wait and worry, Anna Randolph will ride into the heart of danger to prove that sometimes the most perilous mission requires not just courage, but love.

Find it here! 

Jo-Ann Roberts

Next Tuesday, July 14th, is release day for “Her Rebel Heart,” Book 5 in the Petticoats & Patriots series. Based on a true event, I’m excited to bring you Kate and Griffin’s story.

North and South. Yankee and Rebel. Union and Confederate.
In the midst of the Civil War, can two hearts come together?
When the tide of war sweeps south and the Union Army invades and destroys the Georgia cotton mill where Kate Brodie is a nurse, not only is her livelihood destroyed but she’s branded a traitor and shipped northward with the other workers. Only the unlikely attention of a Yankee major makes the trip tolerable.

Union major, Griffin Fletcher loathes the part of his job that requires him to destroy homes, towns, and livelihoods of innocent civilians. But he’s sworn to uphold the Union at all costs. Yet, he vows to protect these women he’s been ordered to transport to Marietta. Especially the one whose fiery determination, proud stance, and soft heart draws him closer.

Determined to remain in the South, Kate makes a daring leap of faith to nurse wounded Yankee soldiers, never expecting Major Fletcher to be one of her patients. Along with his healing, they each faced the fears and prejudices that had brought them together.
With survival so tenuous, can faith help them find love in the midst of so much tragedy?

CLICK HERE

Karen Witemeyer

I have been honored with two more contest finals. In the Golden Scrolls, my novella A Star in the West from the On a Midnight Clear collection is a finalist for best novella, and To Love a Beast is a finalist for best western novel. What a joy!

Jeannie Watt

The Cowboy’s Last Rodeo is free for a limited time!

Shane Marvell’s career as a rodeo rider is ending far too soon. He doesn’t have a plan B, so during his last season, he’s all in, determined to win as much prize money as possible–even if it means riding injured and taking more risks than he should.

Ella Etxeberri has always played it safe, so when her life still takes a bad turn despite her caution, she wonders if it isn’t time to see what she’s been missing. While researching risk behaviors in rodeo riders, she meets Shane Marvell, a cowboy who merits additional study of the personal variety.

Just as Ella is hitting the point to embrace risk, Shane is pulling back. He knows Ella’s all-in approach is born of curiosity and whim. He’s not what she wants forever, and perhaps Ella is one risk he can’t allow himself to take. (Please note, this story has language and a little heat.)

I have two new patriotic books I’m excited to share with you.

The first is A Patriot’s Promise — a collection of four full-length wholesome romances.

Courage wears many uniforms.
Love is the promise that brings them home.

From the battlefields of World War I France to the uncertainty of a top-secret World War II mission, from a cowboy veteran returning to the ranch he loves to a former Tomb Guard searching for peace in a mountain town, A Patriot’s Promise gathers four full-length wholesome romances filled with faith in the future, tenderness, sacrifice, and the enduring power of love.
? In Sadie, a gifted doctor finally sets out on the grand adventure she has always dreamed of when America enters the Great War. But as the wounded arrive in endless numbers, Sadie Thorsen faces the greatest test of her heart when the man she has loved for years is reported missing in action. Across war-torn France, Harley John Hobbs clings to one hope — seeing Sadie again.
? In Home of Her Heart, Sergeant Klayne Campbell volunteers for a dangerous World War II mission knowing he may never return. With no family to remember him, he offers spirited Delaney Danvers a marriage of convenience, hoping to leave behind someone who will know he mattered. But one night as her husband gives Klayne something far more powerful than a name on a beneficiary form — a reason to fight his way home.
? In The Cowboy’s Summer Love, Travis Thompson returns from military service to the Triple T Ranch, restless, wild-hearted, and determined to outrun the memories that followed him home. Tess Morgan has loved him for years, but convincing Travis she is more than his best friend’s sister may be her biggest challenge yet. As summer works its magic, two hearts may finally discover they belong together.
? In Lake Bride, Bridger Holt’s life has been shaped by duty, discipline, and the twenty-one steps he walked as a sentinel guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Unsure what comes next, he retreats to a mountain cabin in Holiday, Oregon, where a sunshine-hearted nurse, a cast of quirky townsfolk, and a few persistent animals might help him find hope, healing, and a future worth embracing.
Heartwarming, hopeful, and rich with the love of country, family, and home, A Patriot’s Promise is a moving collection of four sweet romances celebrating brave hearts, second chances, and the kind of love that stands strong through every season.

Available at Amazon in eBook format, or through your Kindle Unlimited subscription!

 

The second book is a rhyming read-aloud picture book for children called Theo and the Day the Bells Rang.

Celebrate 250 Years of America with a Young Patriot’s 1776 Adventure

Eight-year-old Theo Carlson thinks it is just another summer day in Philadelphia. He wakes with a stretch and a yawn, pulls on his stockings, buckles his shoes, and hurries off to finish his chores. There are vegetables to water, eggs to gather, and plenty of little wonders waiting to catch his attention along the way.

But before long, Theo realizes this is no ordinary day.

Crowds begin gathering near the Pennsylvania State House. Bells ring through the city, excitement fills the cobblestone streets, and everyone seems to be waiting for something important to happen. Walking with his mother and his older sister, Lucy, Theo follows the sound of the bells and the joyful stir of the crowd. With a wooden bandalore toy in his pocket, a lost puppy in his arms, and a heart full of questions, Theo finds himself standing in the middle of a moment that will change America forever.

On July 8, 1776, Colonel John Nixon steps before the people of Philadelphia and reads the Declaration of Independence aloud for all to hear. As Theo listens, he begins to understand the courage of the Patriots, the hope of a new nation, and the precious meaning of freedom.

Theo and the Day the Bells Rang is a heartwarming patriotic picture book that introduces young children to an important moment in American history through the joyful eyes of a child. With gentle storytelling, charming historical details, and a spirit of freedom, this story brings early America to life for little listeners and early readers alike.

Perfect for families, classrooms, homeschool studies, patriotic holidays, America’s 250th birthday celebrations, and children who love history, adventure, and stories filled with heart.

Help the young readers in your life celebrate 250 years of liberty and learning with this engaging journey back to the day the bells rang in Philadelphia and freedom began to shine.

Bingo Round-Up – Week 3!

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Last chance to play  ~Her Heart’s Allegiance~  Bingo!

We’re rounding up our Bingo clues to make it even easier to play.

Choose your answers, submit your entry for each clue, and you’ll still have a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card!

Winner will be announced Monday in the Reader Group.  

 

Submit Entry

Submit Entry

Submit Entry

Submit Entry

Hot Off the Press!

Our second — and FREE — issue of the

Petticoats & Patriots Magazine!

Martha Washington’s cherished locket journeys from the Civil War, to our country’s Centennial, to the Post-Korean War, and right up to modern day.  Download your FREE copy to learn more about the last four books in the Petticoats & Patriots series.

DOWNLOAD

 

Book #4 in the Petticoats and Patriots Series

Coming Tuesday!

 

PREORDER ON AMAZON

Join us Tuesday in the Reader Group on Facebook as we play a new Bingo game to celebrate!

You could win a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

Don’t forget to check out our Series Page to see all the books, too!  

Kristy McCaffrey Has a Winner!

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Thank you for visiting, Kristy! We loved talking about those wonderful birds. Come back soon!

Now for the Drawing…………

One commenter will get an ebook copy of The Swan!

And the Winner is………..

LORI SMANSKI

Woo-Hoo! Congratulations, Lori. Now watch for Miss Kristy’s email. Check Spam if you don’t see it.

 

Happy 250th U.S.A!

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The Declaration of Independence was adopted 250 years ago on July 4, 1776. The 56 signers asserted that “these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States.” The colonies became states, the states became united, and a new nation—the United States of America—was born.

This new nation was built on the bold and truly revolutionary idea “… that all men are created equal…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Those words motivated and inspired the colonists in 1776. Two hundred and fifty years later, they continue to inspire and challenge Americans and people all around the world.

Happy 250th Birthday, USA!

FALCONRY (AND A GIVEAWAY!) by Kristy McCaffrey

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Falconry is the ancient sport of hunting wild quarry with a trained bird of prey. The practice didn’t arise in the American West until the late 1800s and early 1900s, although the practice was sporadic.

Spanish conquistadors noted indigenous people and Aztecs using trained raptors during the 16th century, and Christopher Columbus had one falconer in his party who hunted with hawks in what is now Haiti.

“Falconer” has been traditionally used to describe someone who flies a falcon. Hunting with a conditioned falconry bird was also called hawking of “gamehawking,” but those terms have fallen out of favor.

Raptors used in falconry include broadwings (Buteos and Parabuteos, which include Harris’s hawks), shortwings (Asturs and Accipiters, including hawks, goshawks and sparrowhawks), and longwings (Falcos, including peregrine falcons, kestrels, gyrfalcons and saker falcons).

In my upcoming historical western romance, The Falcon, the heroine is raising an abandoned prairie falcon fledgling, but as she has no experience in such an endeavor, she seeks out the introduction of a falconer from Argentina.

Prairie falcons are medium-sized falcons similar to peregrines located in Western North America. They might be better called desert falcons from their need for open space and arid dry habitats. They’re scrappy survivalists, with females much larger than males, and when trained well, they’re impressive hunters—aggressive, agile, and determined.

 

Mexico

December 1899

Josie Ryan’s connection to Texas runs deep, from the land to an almost preternatural kinship with the animals in the wild. This bond has led her to the edge of life and death, from saving a boy caught in a fire when she was eleven years old to being struck by lightning to a mountain lion attack that almost ended her life. The discovery of an abandoned falcon chick leads to a fierce attachment, but with only intuition to guide her, Josie struggles to train the wildest creature she’s ever encountered. When she learns of a man who could help, she’s determined to gain an introduction.

Mateo Almirón, El Halconero—The Falconer—and Argentine gaucho, is tasked with delivering two prized purebred Criollo mares to Matt Ryan, a man whose reputation casts a long shadow. Years ago, Ryan saved the life of Mateo’s father, and the horses will settle the longstanding debt, but when the exchange goes wrong, Mateo is entrusted with protecting Ryan’s daughter, Josie. Now Mateo and Josie must hide in the mountains of Northern Mexico where stories abound of Josie’s mother, a woman who lived among the Comanche and rose from the dead.

But in a place alive with superstition, Josie and her untamed falcon will give rise to a new legend …

Josie is the youngest child of Matt and Molly from The Wren (Book 1).

 The Falcon will be available 9/22/2026. Pre-order now at Apple Books and Nook. It will also be available at Amazon, Kobo, and Google Play books on release day.

Have you ever seen a falcon, hawk or eagle in the wild? Or maybe a zoo or rescue center? Leave a comment and be entered to win an e-copy of Book 11 in the Wings of the West series, The Swan.

 

In Oklahoma Territory Malcolm Hardy has created enough distance from his questionable family name to find a quiet purpose to his days, but then Dr. Anna Ryan walks back into his life, and his hard-won peace is in jeopardy.

 

Kristy McCaffrey writes award-winning historical western romances with grit and emotion, along with contemporary adventure stories packed with romance and 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.

Come For Supper – 1776 Style!

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If you could go back and sit down to dinner in 1776, the scene would probably look far more practical and lived-in than the polished Colonial Williamsburg reenactment most of us have in our minds. The table might have dense slices of cake made sticky by dried fruit, or bowls of long-simmered stew and greens softened in hot fat. Cornmeal mush would be steaming near the fire while savory pies baked somewhere nearby. If your host was wealthy enough to show off a little, there may even be a tureen of turtle soup on the table. And somewhere nearby, almost certainly, there is alcohol.

Revolution is thirsty work.

Colonial American cooking was practical because it had to be. Refrigeration didn’t exist, roads were rough, and winters could feel endless. Meat spoiled quickly, fresh ingredients changed constantly with the seasons, and much of early American food was built around one central question: How do we keep this edible longer than three days? But the food itself was far from joyless. The flavors were rich, heavily spiced, buttery and often surprisingly elegant, shaped by European traditions, Indigenous ingredients, and the realities of cooking in an entirely new landscape.

In honor of America’s 250th birthday, here are some of the dishes that might have appeared on a 1776 menu—some comforting, some genuinely strange, and a few that deserve another shot.

Election Cake

Americans have apparently been stress-baking through elections since the 1700s.

Election cake was especially popular in New England, where communities gathered for long, crowded voting days that involved travel, taverns, speeches and enough socializing to require enormous amounts of food. According to Reader’s Digest, women in Connecticut baked these to help sustain men traveling to the polls.

These were not delicate little snack cakes. Election cake was heavy with dried fruit, warming spices and often whiskey or brandy, placing it somewhere in the neighborhood of fruitcake and spice bread. It was the kind of sturdy baked good capable of surviving both a muddy carriage ride and several hours of political debate.

I guess the colonists enjoyed their carbs even in 1776!

Brunswick Stew

Modern Brunswick stew usually contains chicken or pulled pork. Colonial Brunswick stew was considerably wilder.

Early southern versions often included squirrel meat (I’ll pass, thank you!) simmered with tomatoes, lima beans, corn and okra. Both Virginia and Georgia claim ownership of the dish, though the earliest versions were less about state pride and more about whatever happened to be running through the woods that week.

The interesting thing is that, apart from the squirrel, Brunswick stew still feels remarkably familiar. It’s smoky, slow-cooked and hearty, and it’s still tied to regional ingredients just like Southern cuisine. Corn, tomatoes and beans—all ingredients heavily shaped by Indigenous agriculture—became foundational to colonial cooking.

Thank goodness modern cooks have stopped putting squirrels in it…or let’s hope so!

Wilted Salad

Wilted salad sounds rustic until you realize warm greens dressed with sharp acid and rich fat are still the backbone of half the appetizers at modern farm-to-table restaurants.

Colonial versions usually involved sturdy garden greens tossed with softened onions, mustard, vinegar or lemon and often some form of warm animal fat. Which, frankly, sounds delicious.

This is one of the clearest reminders that colonial food was not all beige mush and aggressively preserved meat. There were fresh herbs, garden vegetables and bright acidic flavors woven throughout daily cooking whenever the season allowed for it.

Succotash

Traditionally made with corn, beans and sometimes squash, succotash originated in Native communities long before European settlers arrived. Colonial Americans adopted the dish quickly, which makes sense given that corn appears everywhere in early American cooking.

Corn appears constantly across colonial cooking because settlers quickly realized Indigenous crops and agricultural knowledge were far better adapted to the local landscapes than the European traditions they arrived with.

Today, succotash still feels like the sort of dish that typifies the season: sweet corn at its peak, tender beans and fresh herbs melting into the mix, and the faint feeling that summer is starting to slip away.

However, beneath the unfamiliar names and occasionally alarming preservation methods, much of colonial American food still feels recognizable. Its rich stews, buttery cakes, creamy desserts and communal meals were built around comfort, abundance and, of course, the occasional cocktail.

 

To stay up on our latest releases and have some fun, too, join our Facebook Reader Group HERE!

 

Kristy McCaffrey Will Visit Friday!

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Western Historical romance author Kristy McCaffrey will visit Friday, July 3, 2026!

What do you know about falcons and the men who train them? Miss Kristy will tell us about these birds and an also who a falconer is. I guarantee it’ll be interesting.

She’s also going to tell us about her upcoming release, The Falcon. But…she’ll give away one copy of The Swan, her previous book.

To enter the drawing, leave a comment on her Friday post.

Sarah Lamb has a winner!

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Thanks everyone for stopping by my post today, to learn that little bit of Virginia history! Thank you also for sharing some of the amazing

historical site you’ve visited.

The winner for the $5 Amazon gift card is:

I live in the Southwest and have visited a lot of historical sites that occurred during the settling of the West.
Tombstone, the Oregon Trail and Hoover Dam

Joye, please send me an email at: sarahlambwriting@gmail.com so that I can get that sent to you!

The Event that Could Have Ended Virginia’s Government, and Changed the Course of the Revolutionary War

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Banastre Tarleton by Joshua Reynolds

In May 1781, Virginia’s government was on the run. The state capital of Richmond had become incredibly dangerous due to ongoing British threats and raids along the James River. Believing the inland Piedmont region would be a safe haven beyond the enemy’s reach, the General Assembly voted to abandon Richmond, retreat west, and reconvene at Charlottesville on May 24. They had no idea Cornwallis would intercept a colonial dispatch revealing their new location and send his fast-moving cavalry straight after them.

At the time, Charlottesville was just a small and insignificant town. Governor Thomas Jefferson lived and worked from his estate, Monticello, which was a few miles outside of town. His term as governor had actually just ended two days prior on June 2, leaving the state temporarily without an active executive, but because he was still at Monticello managing the crisis, history still looks at him as the British army’s prime target.

At this particular moment in time, the General Assembly worked in the town of Charlottesville itself, convening in the Albemarle County Courthouse and frequenting the nearby Swan Tavern. Up at Monticello, Jefferson was hosting the Speakers of both the state Senate and the House of Delegates.

When Cornwallis learned that it would be possible to strike a devastating blow to Virginia’s government—and potentially change the course of the war—he sent one of the most feared individuals to strike: Banastre Tarleton, a 27-year-old superstar of the British forces.

Born in Liverpool to a wealthy merchant family, Banastre Tarleton went to Oxford and studied law, but he spent most of his time living wildly, gambling, and burning through his inheritance. His family eventually bought him an officer’s commission in the British Army, and he volunteered to go to America to put down the rebellion.

Tarleton was given command of the British Legion, a highly mobile combined force of cavalry and light infantry. They wore distinctive dark green uniforms instead of the traditional British red coats. Tarleton soon developed his patent style of striking without warning, marching through the night, and hunting down retreating enemies. In fact, his reputation preceded him in a terrifying way.

In May 1780 at the Battle of Waxhaws, Tarleton’s men caught up to a retreating force of Virginia continentals. When the Americans tried to surrender, Tarleton’s horse was shot. Thinking that their commander had been killed under a flag of truce, his soldiers went into a frenzy and killed over 100 Americans who were attempting to lay down their arms. From that day on, “Tarleton’s Quarter” meant killing surrendered soldiers.

When Tarleton was sent to Charlottesville, it was just by luck that his troops were spotted by a young man named Jack Jouett. Tarleton and his men thought they’d sneak up on the town completely unnoticed, but the 26-year-old militia captain had a different plan in mind.

An artist’s depiction of Jack Jouett’s ride through the Virginia night. Source: History.com

Jack Jouett, son of the owner of the Swan Tavern in Charlottesville, was at the Cuckoo Tavern in Louisa County when he spotted the distinctive green uniforms of Tarleton’s British Legion riding past in the moonlight. Suspecting Charlottesville was the target, he raced out, mounted his horse, and rode into the night to warn his town. The only problem was that Tarleton had a massive head start on the main highway, and Charlottesville was 40 miles away.

To arrive first, Jouett had to take an abandoned, heavily overgrown path through the Virginia Piedmont known as the “Three Chopt Road.” The path was treacherous, but he rode at a reckless gallop through the dark. The vines and thorns literally shredded his clothes and his body. He carried the physical scars from those branches on his face for the rest of his life.

Just before dawn, Jouett arrived. His first stop was Monticello, where he warned Jefferson, who managed to escape into the woods moments before the British cavalry arrived at his front door. Jouett then continued on his way down the mountain into the town of Charlottesville.

Thanks to his warning, the majority of Virginia’s leadership fled over the Blue Ridge Mountains to Staunton just in time. Those who escaped included Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Harrison V, and General Edward Stevens.

However, there were some who didn’t get away in time. When Tarleton’s British Legion cavalry came rushing through the town, it was absolute chaos. Legislators were said to be leaping out of windows and running for their horses. Tarleton did manage to capture several assemblymen, including the legendary frontiersman Daniel Boone, who was serving as a local representative.

While so many know of Paul Revere’s 12-mile ride, it’s sobering to think that Jack Jouett rode 40 miles through dense, bloody overgrowth, saved the cradle of Virginia’s government, and is barely mentioned in standard history books. Who knows how many other incredible men and women played a huge role in history and were left out?

When I wrote Whispers of Treason, I wanted to be sure to weave real historical places and stories I heard as a little girl growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia. That time period and those places have always had a special place in my heart, and I hope that if you read Whispers of Treason, you’ll enjoy the historical facts I’ve included at the end of the book.

A traitor in the Continental Army. A raid that could end Virginia’s government. And one woman willing to risk everything for love.

Anna Randolph has always believed women are capable of more than society allows. The daughter of a prominent military supplier in Revolutionary Virginia, she manages her father’s correspondence and longs to contribute meaningfully to the cause of independence. When she meets Major James Coleman at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, she’s drawn to the self-made officer who sees her as an equal—but in the uncertain spring of 1781, with war raging through Virginia, falling in love feels like both a gift and a gamble.

Major James Coleman earned his rank through merit, not birth. A Scots-Irish officer from the Shenandoah Valley, he’s gathering intelligence for the Marquis de Lafayette while avoiding romantic entanglements—his dangerous work is no life for a family man. But Anna Randolph is unlike any woman he’s ever known: intelligent, passionate, and brave. For the first time, James allows himself to imagine a future beyond the war. Until a routine visit to the Albemarle Barracks uncovers a deadly conspiracy threatening both Jefferson and the cause itself.

When whispered treason reveals plans for a devastating raid on Charlottesville and James is left for dead by a jealous rival, Anna must become the courier he never meant to send into danger. Racing thirty miles through enemy territory to reach Lafayette’s camp, she carries intelligence that could save Jefferson and alter the course of the war. In a world where women are meant to wait and worry, Anna Randolph will ride into the heart of danger to prove that sometimes the most perilous mission requires not just courage, but love.

You can find my book right here, and preorder it so it’s delivered straight to your Kindle on July 7th!

Now, how about a little giveaway? One person will win a $5 Amazon gift card by simply telling me: Have you ever visited a historical site, and what is your favorite one?

Penny Zeller’s Winner

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We shore did enjoy havin’ Miss Penny back fer another visit this week. And bein’ the gracious lady she is, she left behind one o’ her fabulous books to be given away.

I’m pleased as punch to announce that the winner of Miss Penny’s book is:

Bridgette Shippy

Congrats, Bridgette! You should be gettin’ a note from Miss Penny real soon.

Petticoats & Pistols