
Wow. It’s been one year since the Fillies settled in at Wildflower Junction and opened our doors to all of you out there. We’ve been looking forward to celebrating our milestone birthday for weeks now, so it’s only natural that a bit of deep-from-the-heart ruminating goes right along with it.
Mainly, why we love being a Filly.
Petticoats and Pistols has truly been a part of me from its inception almost a year and a half ago. It’s a constant commitment, but only from hard work can anyone expect any rewards. Sure, our hits are climbing, our books are selling, we’ve done a good job spreading the word about western romances–not just our own, but scores of other authors, too–and we’ve made so many wonderful friends with you, our dear readers. Yet the Fillies are the biggest reward for me. We’ve become a family. We laugh together, stress together, work together–and Petticoats & Pistols wouldn’t be the success it is today without each and every one of them. The Fillies are the best! Yee-haw!
—-Pam
This is the greatest, most supportive group of women I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. Not only are
the Fillies great to work with, but I enjoy their marvelous, informative and fun blogs each and every day too. I love seeing new faces on the blog and enjoy our regular, die-hard fans who come back every day to add their comments at Wildflower Junction. I think we’ve created a special bond with all of you! Heartfelt thanks goes to Pam Crooks for all she does, along with so many of the hard-working, talented authors I get to be associated with on a daily basis!
Now, if I only knew what my next blog would be about … 🙂
—-Charlene Sands
The more I learn about Western Romance, the more I love it. And the more of these blog posts I read, the more I know about all the details that make a good western romance great.
I consider my year on Petticoats & Pistols to be an education, a social life and a delight.
These Fillies know so many things that have made my writing better. And writing these blog posts has been pure fun for me. Except I do tend to go on rants in my posts. Can’t seem to control that. 🙂
—-Mary
To me, Petticoats and Pistols is like a “Sisterhood of the Traveling Blogs.” I love being a Filly and it’s
helped build name recognition. With it being quite a while since my last single title was out, blogging here keeps my name fresh and in the minds of readers. And I don’t think I’ve ever met a more caring warm group of ladies to be associated with.
—-Linda
Through my participation at Petticoats and Pistols over the past year, I have met and worked with some incredible people. The Fillies are extraordinary ladies who have contributed much time, effort and heart to make this site work. We have evolved since our beginning. Looking back to our months with Lorraine Heath and Geralyn Dawson, I want to say what an honor it was to have them with us for our launch.
Then there are the wonderful readers who are the reason we are here and who inspire us to keep things fresh and exciting. Not only am I able to interact with the readers and writers who so faithfully blog with us, but I have also been privileged to work with our guest authors in setting up their weekend appearances. Our guests are the most special people one could hope to meet. Some I’d never met before, others were long-time friends, but I remember each of them as adding something unique to our community.
When thinking about what being a Filly has meant to me, I’m thankful for the opportunity to interact with exceptional people. I’m looking forward to the next year!
—-Cheryl
Being a Filly is just plain fun. I love being a part of something that is so upbeat. It has a lot to do
with the charm and personalities of the other authors, which shines through in their blogs. Behind the scenes, the women are just as funny and supportive. So are the readers! We couldn’t do any of this without you–people who take a break in their daily schedule to come and read what’s new, share a laugh, and learn something about the Wild West and our own family histories. When the business side of publishing intrudes, Petticoats and Pistols is a place where we can concentrate on the joy of writing.
—-Kate
The call of Western Romance is deep in my blood. Not only do I love the genre, I have always loved the authors who write about it. When approached to be a part of this blog, it was like a dream come true.
Not only did I get to blog with women whom I deeply respect, but I was presented with an opportunity to get to know each of these wonderful writers even better.
Yes, I’m an author, but I’m also a reader and a fan and so this has been like a little bit of heaven for me. Because I write Native American Historical Romance, my heroes are Indians and very rarely cowboys. But to me, the cowboy represents what the Native American became as the incoming civilization took root around him. To this day, Native America is steeply rooted in the cowboy legend, kept alive with pow-wows and rodeos and ranching.
I love being a part of this. My deepest thanks and respect goes out to each and every Filly.
—-Karen
My favorite thing about being a Filly is the connection with nine wonderful authors who are always
teaching me new things, making me smile and occasionally bringing a tear or two. What strong, amazing women! And I love connecting with readers as well. My favorite moments come when I bring up something so obscure that I think no one will remember it, let alone relate to it. Then I get these responses from people who’ve been touched by the same thing. That’s a real connection.
Thanks, everyone, for making this past year one of my best ever!
—-Elizabeth
I am truly honored to be a part of Petticoats & Pistols. When Pam first mentioned her idea to create a group blog of western authors my heart leapt with excitement at the mere thought of an all western blog forum. As a long-time reader and lover of western romances, this was something I had longed to see–a cyber home for those who LOVE WESTERNS. Being a starry-eyed new author, to be included with such an amazing group of authors whose work I admire has been a huge thrill — as well as completely terrifying *g*. The culmination of all that fear and excitement has become a true joy in my life.
P&P is entwined with the start of my author journey and my fellow fillies have been an inspiring source of support and friendship. What I love most about being a filly ~ the wonderful interaction and energy our readers bring to the blog and the sharing of historical information that never fails to amaze me. I love having a place to go that’s fun, positive, informative and (of course) full of hunky cowboy inspiration.
Thanks to all for an incredible year, and wishing us many, many more 🙂
—-Stacey
I’ve loved being a part of the Fillies this past year. The excitement, enthusiasm, knowledge and
support of my fellow Fillies and our community of writers and readers have been a joy. I’ve learned so much and have so enjoyed sharing my interest and love of the West.
Wishing all of you a second great year!
—-Patricia
There you have it, dear friends! Our heartfelt feelings not only about each other, but also about YOU!
Now, let us know–have you enjoyed our first year as much as we have?
Can we make our second year even better?
What would you like to see on Petticoats & Pistols? Anything different?