Linda Broday

An Odd Custom in the 19th Century and Earlier

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One of the strangest customs that was pretty common in the 19th century and earlier was a married woman referring to her husband as Mister and whatever their last name was. I just think it’s so odd and kind of funny in a way. It makes it sound like they’re not even married and maybe complete strangers.

My grandmother used to call her husband Mr. Smith like they weren’t even acquainted.

But my grandpa always called my grandmother by her first name which was Becky and didn’t say Mrs. Smith. It seems it was only the women who did this.

Another thing had to do with sending any mail to my grandmother. It had to be addressed as Mrs. Robert Smith, not by her name. It almost seemed like an ownership thing and she wasn’t her own person, not like today.

I still have an elderly cousin who always wants Mrs. Ed Langley on every piece of mail I send her even though he’s been dead for over ten years. Somehow, she’s still unable to claim her own identity. I think that’s really sad.

Yet, when I try to write this into one of my stories, it makes it seem they’re strangers, so I give up and change it so the reader will know who I’m talking about.

These days, we have a fast-paced, very casual lifestyle and wives always use their husband’s first names when they speak to them and it seems more natural.

One of my pet peeves is that I do not like is a man referring to his wife as his “old lady or old broad.” And the wife saying, “My old man.” Just sounds awful disrespectful, but maybe that’s just me. Or when they call each other Ma and Pa.

My parents always used their first names when speaking to each other.

Now for book news. The McIntyre complete series is out now, and I think doing pretty well as far as I can tell. It has its own series page on Amazon.

CLICK here for the link.

The McIntyre siblings are on a quest to reunite their fractured family no matter the cost. As they search, each also finds a love that cannot be denied.

 

How about you? Have you ever heard women of the older generations calling their husbands Mr. so and so? I’ll give a copy of Book 1 in this series – Cade’s Quest – to one commenter. (Either ebook or print)

Angel Crowns and Other Superstitions

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It’s really interesting how new information comes when I’m not looking for it. I was reading The Mountains We Call Home by Kim Michele Richardson (Book 3 of The Book Woman series) and how these people in the Appalachians were really superstitious. The main character in this book found an angel crown in her pillow and saw it as an omen that death was near.

So let me explain what an angel crown is. This phenomenon only occurs in feather pillows when the feathers swirl in a circle to form what appears to resemble a crown.

The character in this book found one of these dark omens and refused to sleep on the pillow. She threw it on the floor and slept without. To clarify, she does not die.

Angel crowns were also found in the pillow of a deceased and that was supposed to be a sign that the person went to heaven.

The main character in this particular book by Richardson is Cussy Mary and she has blue skin which is a real affliction by a select group way back in the hills and has been studied by a lot of scientists. Everyone believes if they touch her, they’ll die so they hunt her like she’s a wild animal. I really loved this story.

Anyway, I grew up with a lot of superstitions. A bird in the house is a sign that someone will die. Finding a hat on the bed meant bad luck, illness, or death. To break its curse, you were supposed to spit in the hat, throw it on the floor, and stomp on it. There were a million others. I think these people had way too much time on their hands.

In my new book, Jess’s Reckoning, they’re trapped in an outlaw town with a madman. He’s very superstitious so Abigail, the newspaper owner, plays on his fears by appearing at his bedside in white face paint, wearing a nun’s habit. She tells him he has to pay for his crimes and will face death. Scares him out of his wits. She and Jess McIntyre do finally wear him down and they’re able to get free.

This is a sweet romance. For an excerpt, CLICK Here.

I once had an uncle who was terrified to walk past a cemetery for fear a ghost would get him. He took a night watchman job but never got out of his car. Another time our family was in a flood and found a dead body. They left my uncle to stay there and went for the sheriff. As the water began to seep out of the person, the muscles began to contract in his arms and legs. My uncle took off running and never looked back.

Who still throws salt over their shoulder when they spill it? Or refuse to walk under a ladder? Or how about not crossing a black cat’s path or step on a crack? I don’t think I’m very superstitious but how about you? I’m giving away two copies (ebook or print) of Jess’s Reckoning so leave a comment.

Traveling Performers in the 1800s.

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On the Texas frontier, justice is a long ride. And love is the most dangerous gamble of all.

Jess’s Reckoning is now up for preorders! Won’t be long until release day on May 12th. I had so much fun with this story as Jess and Abigail find themselves trapped in an outlaw town where death awaits around every corner.

One of the more humorous parts is the fact that newspaperwoman Abigail Farnsworth wears a black wig over her blonde curls in an effort to escape notice. She has access to all sorts of fake wigs, mustaches, and beards through a woman she meets who once traveled across America with an acting troupe.

Research proved extremely helpful and I learned that wigs and artificial facial hair were very prevalent back in the 1800s. Of course, the judges and lawyers wore white wigs like their British counterparts but others wore a variety of colors for different reasons. Hair loss was a big thing back then. Maybe due to bad water, medicines made with opium and alcohol, and lead that was often in food and their homes. They were made of horsehair and other animal hair, sheep’s wool, vegetable fibers, and human hair. Egyptians wore wigs because they shaved their heads. In fact, they were probably the first people to wear them.

There were two different kinds of traveling performers – the medicine show and what was called tent repertoire theater. The medicine shows traveled by wagon out west selling elixirs and mostly fake medicines. They used an actor or two to entertain the crowd while the salesman made the pitch. Tent repertoire theaters were just that—performances in tents that could be pitched anywhere.

In my book the wigs and hair pieces were needed for disguises that helped them move around the outlaw town of Diablo Springs. Once you entered, you were not allowed to leave. Something Jess and Abigail learn too late.

While they’re kept there, they discover Jess’s little sister, the last of his missing siblings to be found. And that only complicates things more. Jess has his work cut out for him and after he’s beaten severely on the head with a hefty club, he’s left with double vision, headaches, and intermittent dizziness. You get the picture. Scary times.

Have you ever worn a wig or hairpiece? If not, would you want one? I have a nice wig that I bought following a botched haircut. I learned firsthand that they’re not all that much fun and I couldn’t wait for my hair to grow out so I could retire the wig. Every so often I get it out for a special occasion. And I also have a purple wig I bought for Halloween. Here’s a picture.

 

If you haven’t preordered Jess’s Reckoning, CLICK HERE. And if you’d like to read an excerpt, CLICK HERE. 

Wearing of the Green

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Linda Broday here. Hey, are you wearing green? Do you know why you’re supposed to? I grew up totally ignorant of the reason. I just knew I didn’t want to be pinched by the boys at school. I did know the holiday originated in Ireland and the Irish immigrants brought it to America but little else.

How about you?

Here’s the scoop. We celebrate to honor Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland in the 5th century.

But back up a minute. Patrick was abducted at the age of sixteen and brought to the Emerald Isle as a slave. He escaped and later returned to convert the Irish to Christianity. He used the three leaves of a shamrock, which grows wild in Ireland, to represent the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost with the stem uniting all three.

That’s something I did not know.

But the Irish got on board with him and turned from paganism, which was a good thing.

Still, why is green worn?

Seems the custom is due to political origins that go back to the Great Irish Rebellion in 1641.This uprising was due to the Catholic leaders opposing the English crown and they adopted a green flag with a harp on it. Green also reappeared during the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

Yet, I wondered why it’s customary to pinch someone failing to wear green. The answer is folklore. Green is supposed to make you invisible to leprechauns. They can see those wearing different colors so the mischievous little things pinch them. It’s a lighthearted belief to inspire us to wear green. Boys especially love to pinch.

Today, St. Patrick’s Day has evolved into a global celebration. There are parades and other festivities meant to highlight Irish culture and nurture community spirit and pride. And to eliminate discrimination, which is always a good thing.

We celebrate with green beer, various clothing and hats, and the Chicago River is dyed green, among other ways we celebrate.

But in Ireland, it’s still a religious holiday and continue to pay tribute to St. Patrick. By the way, he established many, many monasteries, churches, and schools before he died on March 17, 461.

In all my 50+ published books, I’ve never written any around St. Patrick’s Day. Maybe I should remedy that. Who knows what will inspire me?

Do you do anything to celebrate? Maybe eat the traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage or wear green? I’ll give away a $10 Amazon gift card in a drawing from the commenters.

Cowgirls in the Kitchen With Linda Broday

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Hi everyone, I’m Linda Broday and welcome to my little kitchen. I am not the best cook and I have to confess I don’t even really like to cook. My mama, God bless her heart, sure did try to instill some of her love for cooking in me but it just wouldn’t take. She was one of the best cooks and everyone loved to go to her house and it wasn’t for the candy she hid under the sofa. LOL My mama sure did love her sweets, and unfortunately, that got passed on to me. I’ve made these cookies so you know they aren’t very difficult. I did get some a little bit brown. Ha!!! Typical.

POTATO CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup (133 g.) light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (65 g.) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g.) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 3/4 cups (145 g.) crushed kettle-style potato chips, divided

Directions

Step 1 In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat brown sugar, butter, granulated sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat in egg, vanilla, and baking soda until combined, then reduce speed to low and beat in flour just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips and 2 cups potato chips. Cover bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Place remaining 3/4 cup potato chips in a small flat dish.

Scoop dough into balls about 3 tablespoons (2 ounces) each. Roll in potato chips, gently pressing to adhere. Arrange on prepared sheets, spacing about 1″ apart. With a clean palm, flatten balls into pucks about 2 1/2″ in diameter.

Bake cookies, rotating sheets top to bottom and back to front after 7 minutes, until puffed and golden brown around the edges, 11 to 14 minutes.

Let sit 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Enjoy!

These will store in an airtight container for 3 weeks. I tell you they are so tasty. But don’t expect a soft cookie. These are crunchy sweet goodness.

What are your cookie favorites? Have you ever made any unusual kind?

Handcuffs and Criminals

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As an author of historical western romance, I’ve written a lot about criminals and bad men. Even jails on occasion but lots of lawmen. The fact is, I like writing about them.

If you think handcuffs originated in the 18th Century, think again. The earliest metal handcuffs were used during the Bronze and Iron ages with new improvements as the centuries have passed. Maybe you already knew this but I did not. It never occurred to me that metal ones existed before the 18th Century. I assumed they used rope or leather bindings, not metal.

Inventor John J. Tower patented a pair of cuffs in 1865 that were widely used in America. They were ratcheted and therefore adjustable to the size of the criminals’ wrists which was a remarkable adaptation. They allowed a lawman to carry only one pair of cuffs whereas he used to have to carry multiples in various sizes.

The picture below is of Tower’s design and is the courtesy of The Science Museum.

John Tower’s Adjustable Handcuffs

Here is a set of Old West handcuffs that were widely used. Again, courtesy of The Science Museum.

Old West Handcuffs

As I said above, I’ve written about a lot of outlaws and criminals. One of my favorite stories was Saving the Mail Order Bride. It was 2nd book in my Outlaw Mail Order Bride series. Outlaw Jack Bowdre finds himself handcuffed to a lawman on a stagecoach on the way to jail when the stage overturns and kills the lawman. There’s one passenger on board, a woman named Nora, who panics and tosses the key to the handcuffs out the window. Jack would like to have wrung Nora’s neck. He’s never able to find the key. This story has so much humor and I just loved writing it. This is not a sweet romance though since it has love scenes.

 

What makes a book truly memorable? If you’d like to get your name in the drawing for one copy of Saving the Mail Order Bride, let me know in the comments. I’m also giving away one copy of Summer’s Heart which is my latest sweet romance.

Summer’s Heart, Book 2 The McIntyres, came out in January.

Texas, 1882. A suffocating blizzard locks Summer McIntyre inside a small town just as her world blows apart. A strange woman emerges from the storm carrying a baby and a damning accusation—Sheriff Dan Bodine fathered her child. The man Summer meant to marry suddenly seems like a stranger.

While the town is paralyzed under snow and suspicion, Summer receives even more staggering news: her missing little brother is alive, but being held by a deranged woman somewhere in the frozen wilderness. Summer and Dan want nothing more than to ride out and save him, but the storm has sealed every trail and turned the hills into a death trap.

With time running out and trust shattered, Summer must decide whether Dan is the ally she needs—or the heartbreak she can’t outrun.

Insanity in the Old West

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“On an unforgiving 1880s frontier, where secrets cut as sharp as winter winds, love must decide whether to freeze—or fight its way through the storm.”

When I began to write SUMMER’S HEART, I had no plans to include a woman who was off her rocker. It wasn’t until I decided Summer and Dan were too comfortable in their relationship. So, like authors do, I had to shake the couple up. Enter Elsie Finch with wild claims that Dan fathered her child.

Boy, did the fireworks light things up! Doubts and questions rose. I won’t give the story away but it took a while for Summer and Dan to kiss and make up. Here’s something fun for you.

 

Insanity treatments in the 19th century left a lot to be desired. Our own Mary Connealy has blogged about this several times so you might find more there. Here is the link to one: https://petticoatsandpistols.com/2022/04/21/insane-asylums-in-history/

In the east, they had plenty of asylums where they locked people with mental illness away. But husbands with wives they didn’t want soon saw how easy it was to label their excess baggage as insane and lock them up with no questions asked.

A few of the crazy reasons they gave was:

  • Imaginary Female Trouble
  • Political Excitement
  • Asthma
  • Brain Fever
  • Jealousy
  • Religious Enthusiasm
  • Reading too many novels (WHAT!!)

I kid you not. Reading novels had to be one of the lamest excuses!

Anyway, that was mostly back east. In the old West, mental asylums were not prevalent. Mostly, families tried to deal with their crazy relatives themselves. Another alternative was putting them in prisons but those conditions were horrible.

In Texas, the first institution was the Texas State Lunatic Asylum. Doctors there tried a softer approach—until it became overcrowded. A second one, the North Texas Lunatic Asylum was built in Terrell but it was pretty bad. Lobotomies, cold water immersion, beatings, and things like that. Few doctors knew how to treat them.

In my new story, I never go into what kind of asylum the one in Austin was. It wasn’t discussed and I had to get the characters onto the rescue of her little brother which proved quite challenging. I’m sure it was about the same as the others. Horrible places.

Not only did Elsie Finch provide a lot of comic relief, which the story needed to offset the darkness, it also taught Summer to trust Dan with all her heart and see that he truly loved only her.

In this snowbound 1882 Texas romance filled with frontier mystery, unexpected betrayal, and heart-pounding suspense, nurse Summer McIntyre’s world is upended when a stranger arrives through the blizzard carrying a newborn and claiming the sheriff, the man she’s set to marry is the father. As the storm seals the town under ice, Summer discovers her missing little brother is alive—and in the hands of a dangerous madwoman in the frozen hills. With rescue impossible and trust between her and Sheriff Dan Bodine shattered, Summer must uncover the truth before the storm takes everyone she loves.

Let’s chat. Do you like reading books in the season in which they’re written? A snowy blizzard in this one might be best in winter. But then reading it in summer when it’s hot might be a refreshing break from the heat. Or maybe it doesn’t matter. I’m giving away a copy (winner’s choice of ebook or print) to two commenters so be sure to leave a comment. 

Toast the Holidays with Linda Broday

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Classic Shirley Temple Mocktail

My drink is so simple and easy to make and is really versatile. It’s a great way to celebrate the New Year without the alcohol and kids can drink it too as well as pregnant women. It’s delicious.

Recipe

1 cup of Ginger Ale or any lemon-lime soda diet or regular

1 teaspoon Grenadine (can use pomegranate juice instead)

1 squeeze of a fresh lime

Maraschino cherries to garnish. And you also can put an orange slice on the rim.

Directions

Pour the Ginger Ale and Grenadine into a glass. Squeeze in some lime, stir and add the cherries. Also lots of ice.

This would be a good drink for New Year’s celebrations. Or just anytime you want something different. You can also rim the glass with sanding sugar that you find in Walmart.

Most grocery stores shelve Grenadine by the Club soda and Ginger Ale. That way you wouldn’t have to go to a liquor store which I hate. But I think the pomegranate juice would be a great substitute. Any health food store should carry it because it is very healthy.

Anyway, I hope you try this and find it delightful!

 

Christmas Frontier Style

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No place was lonelier for settlers than the frontier. Having left family and friends back East, a lot felt cutoff from the world. The wind howled, temperatures were freezing, and they were hard put just to stay alive. The days were long and filled with hard work. There was little enjoyment to be had.

Christmas was the worst time for depression to set in. In addition to missing their loved ones, there were few trees over a lot of the high plains so they had to make do with whatever they could find. Some mothers, desperate for Christmas cheer, collected a tumbleweed (which were very plentiful throughout the central plains) and decorated it in bright colors. Candles were not allowed near due to the combustible nature of the dry bush.

Others chopped down other trees like scrub oak, juniper, or blackjack and used those. These settlers were very resourceful. To make it appear it had snowed on it, they wrapped the limbs and twigs with cotton. Other decorations were popcorn and cranberries they strung on twine and strings of paper hearts.

The children could also use the foil that separated layers of cigars and make icicles to hang on the tree. That is if their fathers smoked cigars and they could persuade him to save them. I’m sure there were many other things they made decorations out of. Possibilities were endless, including bird nests, colorful ribbon and empty spools of thread strung together. The first ornaments were hand-blown and didn’t come along until the late 1800s and early 1900. And electric lights appeared after the turn of the century.

School age children usually had a Christmas program of some kind, and they got a chance to sing or perform in a play. Those were fun occasions for kids and parents alike.

Food was an important part of the Christmas celebration and sugar was saved for months so there would be enough for the cakes and pies. Oranges were a real treat and kids only got one at the holiday. Fathers usually went hunting for a turkey, a duck, or whatever game they ran across.

Gifts were handmade unless the family was very wealthy. Fathers carved toys, mothers made dolls and knitted scarves, hats, and gloves. Everything was simple with the emphasis on the celebration of the birth of Jesus. Personally, I wish we could go back to these days without all the commercialization.

Tell me about a Christmas of yours that stands out and what made it really special.

Mine was the year my dad suffered third degree burns over much of his body in an explosion at his job on a construction site. I think I was probably seven or eight. He was in the hospital for months and we didn’t know when he’d get out. Back then, kids weren’t allowed beyond the waiting room so Jan and I couldn’t see him. My mom usually sat with him at night and our older sister came and stayed with us while she was gone, so our door would be locked. I was so afraid that Santa couldn’t get in and we wouldn’t get any presents. My older sister assured me he could come through the keyhole and not to worry. The next morning, sure enough, we had a few gifts even though we had no tree. And Mama had brought Daddy home from the hospital. That was the best Christmas I can remember because we were all together again and everything seemed right in my sheltered little world.

Also, I have a new book up for preorder! SUMMER’S HEART #2 The McIntyres. Release date 1/12/2026. AMAZON

In a storm of secrets, even love can freeze—or fight its way through the cold.

A mysterious woman, a newborn baby, and a claim that shatters Summer McIntyre’s secure world. As a deadly Texas blizzard seals the town in ice, Summer reels from betrayal—only to learn her long-lost little brother is alive and trapped with a madwoman in the treacherous hills. Every trail is buried under snow, every rescue impossible, and Summer must face the storm inside her heart as well as the one raging outside. Can love survive when trust is broken and time is running out?

Wishing you all a joyous Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or whatever you say!

Linda

Welcome Back to Day 4 of Cowboys & Mistletoe (Week 1)

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POST 2 OF 2 FOR THURSDAY
CHRISTMAS STOCKING SWEETHEARTS Book 7
Linda Broday’s Love Comes To Christmas

 

Joy and dreams are fleeting at best, but will a Christmas miracle happen in time?

 

Someone wants Gillian Everly to believe her beloved Christmas shop, the dream she built from nothing, is haunted. Strange events unsettle her, but she refuses to believe in ghosts. With her Christmas Eve piano performance approaching, she can’t afford distractions.

Enter Brett Love, a rugged local rancher who’s as intrigued by Gillian as he is determined to protect her. When he lends her one of his dogs for safety, it seems like the perfect fix, until the nightmare turns real.

A violent confrontation leaves Gillian’s hand maimed, her music performance in jeopardy, and Brett questioning the solitary life he’s always known. This Christmas, it will take more than faith to keep their dreams, and hearts, alive.

Purchase for 99¢ on AMAZON

 

And here’s your “What’s In Your Christmas Stocking” question for this afternoon.

“Inside your stocking is a postcard. Who sent it and where is it from?”

You could win a $10 Amazon gift card or our Grand Prize quilt!

 

And don’t forget, in addition to the other prizes we’re offering,
All entries will also be eligible for our oh-so-beautiful Grand Prize – a gorgeous quilt hand made by our very own Jo-Ann Roberts

 

ALL PRIZE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14th

Petticoats & Pistols