Tag: Linda Broday

Parlor or Living Room? Supper or Dinner? What the Heck?

Language, Personal Glimpses
54 Comments

 

Blame my curious mind for this post. When did people start calling a parlor or drawing room a living room?

First, let’s start with the meaning.

PARLOR – A sitting room in a private house where the family received visitors. This is a dated word that we no longer use in this context but was the common term until the 1900s. It was known as the “death room” and was where families laid out dead relatives as was common practice in times past. I can’t imagine this! CREEPY! And they took pictures of the dead people in their casket!! Double CREEPY!

 

DRAWING ROOM – An archaic word for a very formal sitting room and could be upstairs or the main floor where a person entertained visitors.

RECEPTION ROOM – Usually refers to a hotel, churches or anyplace besides a private home.

LIVING ROOM – An informal setting in a private home where the family welcomes visitors.

 

So, when did a parlor become a living room?

Inquiring minds want to know. It all changed by the end of World War I when funeral homes started taking care of the dead and they started calling the place where they set the caskets funeral parlors.

In 1910, the Ladies Home Journal came out with an article changing home parlors to living rooms. It’s an informal space where families gather and hang out. It became a “Lively” room and no more dedicated to death.

Large houses sometimes have more than one—both a formal and an informal.

 

Now…When did supper change to dinner?

The Merriam and Webster Dictionary says the last meal of the day changed names with the rise of industrialization and workers were not home for the midday meal they called dinner. (Psst, I still do by the way.) Thus, dinner slid to the last meal of the day and lunch became the noontime meal.

But…Is it an uppity thing? I never hear rich folks say supper. So, was it was a division between those who had and those who had less? 

Whatever the reason was, I just want to point out that the Bible says the Lord’s supper – not the Lord’s dinner.

Now, what’s for dessert? I’m hungry and I might eat in the living room.

So what are your thoughts on all this? Do you have a parlor or living room? Eat supper or dinner?

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!! Hope you’re wearing green!

The Rose of Cimarron

Oklahoma History, Outlaws, Outlaws, Women in History
77 Comments

 

Writing a series about outlaws has opened my eyes a bit concerning the oddities I sometimes find hidden way back in history. It’s been fun and very interesting.

Sometimes teens in the old West, just as today, had some wild oats to sow. Yet, you never think about girls doing it back in the 1880s. Yet, this one became famous for it.

Rose Ella Dunn was born Sept. 5, 1878 in Indian Territory at Ingalls, Oklahoma. She was the only girl among five brothers. That was probably the problem right there. They taught her to ride, rope, and shoot. The boys had formed their own outlaw gang by the time she was just twelve years old. I’m not sure what their parents must’ve thought of that.

A few years passed and when she was fourteen or fifteen, her brothers introduced her to outlaw George “Bittercreek” Newcomb.

The striking beauty with a kind demeanor became very infatuated and Bittercreek called her his Rose of Cimarron. Bittercreek was a member of the Doolin/Dalton gang and they were extremely protective of her.

Rose would go into town for supplies and whatever the gang needed, plus bring back news. It was a good system.

For some reason, maybe they got religion or something, her brothers disbanded their gang and started bounty hunting. Knowing most of the gangs and how they operated, they had quite a bit of success. I’m sure the brothers switching horses mid-stream must’ve made everyone on the lawless side just a tad bit nervous.

On September 1, 1893, the gang was in the saloon in Ingalls, Oklahoma when they found themselves surrounded by a posse of U.S. marshals. A hail of bullets rained down on them. The outlaws exchanged fire and made a run for it.

Bittercreek was struck down in the street but managed to pull himself to cover. Rose watched it all from a nearby hotel, filled with horror. She ran to him with two belts of ammunition and a Winchester rifle and hunkered down next to him.

Rose fired the Winchester at the marshals while Bittercreek loaded his revolvers. Finally, he was able to escape.

Three deputy marshals lay dead. On the gang side, several were badly shot up. Rose hid out with them, nursing them back to health.

By 1895 Bittercreek had a $5,000 bounty on his head and was wanted DEAD OR ALIVE. That caught the attention of her brothers. Loyalty didn’t amount to much when that much money was involved.

The next time they came to visit at the house, the brothers were waiting. They shot Bittercreek and the outlaw with him as they dismounted, killing them both.

Rose was never prosecuted for her involvement with the gang and her life of crime ended. She married a local politician until her death at the age of 76. I could find no record of any children.

So, was she just a rebellious teenager innocently caught up in something over her head? Or was she truly an outlaw and in it all the way? Have you ever been caught up in something you really wanted no part of and then couldn’t figure a way out?

I’m giving away two $10 Amazon gift cards in a drawing on Sunday.

The Meaning of Colors

Giveaways, Mail Order Brides, New Releases, Outlaws, western romance, Western Romance Series
66 Comments

Color is all around us and writers use a lot of color in telling a story. Readers visualize the characters knowing the color of their eyes, hair, and clothes. Animals, landscape, foods–it’s impossible to write a story without using the various shades and hues.

There’s a reason why hospitals use a lot of blue, churches employ white, firetrucks are red, and nobility wear purple.

Here’s a little of what I discovered:

WHITE – purity, innocence, and wisdom. i.e. angels

BLACK – negativity and judgment

RED – energy, vigor, power, strength

PINK – love and compassion

PURPLE – royalty, blending of mind and spirit, uplifts

BLUE – prime healing color, relaxation, sleep, peace

BROWN – the earth, commitment

GREEN – balance and harmony, sensitivity, abundance

YELLOW – the emotional self, cleansing, creativity

ORANGE – cheerful and uplifting, warmth

TURQUOISE – brotherhood, friendly, the color of the freed soul

* * * * *

My new book – THE MAIL ORDER BRIDE’S SECRET – will release on Jan. 28th. This is Book 3 of my Outlaw Mail Order Bride series and tells Tait Trinity’s and Melanie Dunbar’s story.

Melanie has turquoise (green/blue) eyes and Tait describes them as the color of ancient stones. His eyes are an icy gray, the color of quicksilver. Her hair is red and his sun-streaked brown. Color says a lot about these two.

Tait is an outlaw and has a large bounty on his head for a string of train robberies so when his sister’s twin boys and four-year-old daughter appear on his doorstep, he’s totally unprepared for the responsibility. The last thing he needs are children to raise, yet he can’t let them go to an orphanage. His friends advise him to send for the mail order bride he’s been writing, but when she arrives, she’s nothing like what he expects.

Melanie is thrown as well to see there are kids involved. She lets him know right off that she’s not going to be his nanny, housekeeper, laundress, or cook while he rides out and stays gone for weeks or months at a time. Wife is the role she’s agreed to, but she comes with secrets—big juicy ones.

How long will it be before Tait figures out her true reason for marrying him? And he does.

I hope you give this book a try. The children provide ample humor and the ending is the most powerful I’ve ever written. The old western series Paradise provided a lot of inspiration. Book 4 will release the end of the year and complete the series with Ridge Steele and Addie Jancy.

Question: How does color affect your life? Do you have a favorite and why?

Giveaway: Two people who comment will win a copy (their choice of format.)

It’s Yee-Haw Day!

Filly Fun, Filly News
34 Comments

Welcome to Yee-Haw Day, the once-a-month day we’ve reserved to share our news with you – all sorts of fun news!

So check out the post below to get the details on the kinds of things that make us go Yee-Haw!!

Linda Broday

 

I have a new book out on January 28th! The Mail Order Bride’s Secret is #3 of my Outlaw Mail Order Brides series!

What’s an outlaw and wanted man to do when he suddenly finds himself the guardian of his sister’s three small children?

Why, send for a mail order bride to help, of course!

Only she’s not what she claims to be.

“…climactic heart-stopping action…” Publisher’s Weekly

 

 

 

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  APPLE  |  KOBO

Karen Witemeyer

My most recent full-length novel was selected as an
Amazon Kindle Monthly Deal for January.
YeeHaw!

Grab an e-copy for only $2.99!


Cheryl Pierson

The new year is here and…hey, how could it sneak up on me like this? I had to really hustle to get my short story, A CALL TO DUTY, entered in the 2020 Western Fictioneers Peacemaker Awards Competition! I’d been “meaning to do that” for several weeks, but suddenly realized I had not done it — and if it was going to be “in the running” for the Best Western Short Fiction category, I better get a move on–the deadline is January 15!

 

A CALL TO DUTY was a western story I wrote to submit to an anthology, THE LAST COMANCHE, that Scott Harris was putting together. Each author’s story revolved around a “prompt”–every tale in the anthology had to use the same prompt, somewhere in the story.

 

Here’s the prompt: The warrior stood atop the rocky outcropping, blood dripping from his face and his lance. He stared out over the plains and let out a blood-curdling scream that struck fear into the hearts of his enemies.

 

Stories couldn’t be more than 5,000 words in length–that’s hard for me ’cause I’m “wordy” sometimes! 

 

Anyhow, y’all wish me luck. I’m the “Susan Lucci” of the Peacemaker competition–I’ve been a finalist four times in the past for this category, but never won!  I won’t know until this summer if I’m a winner! Keep your fingers crossed!

 

Available for Kindle or in paperback at Amazon:

https://tinyurl.com/uno5byg

Julie Benson

I’m starting off 2020 with a new release! To Tame A Texas Cowboy will be out January 9! This is the third book in my Wishing Texas Series and is Cooper Abbott’s story.

They want different things, but they just might need each other

 

Barrel racer Cheyenne Whitten returns to Wishing, Texas, after an injury, determined to recuperate and return to the rodeo circuit. But living with her over-protective mother only adds to Cheyenne’s problems. Desperate to move out and reclaim her independence, Cheyenne believes a service dog is the answer. That is, until she learns the waiting list for one is up to five years.

Having lost his fiancée two years ago, Cooper Abbott wants to run his veterinarian clinic and rebuild his life. A calm, stable, uneventful life. Then Cheyenne shows up asking for help getting a service dog, and Cooper finds he can’t refuse the feisty redhead.

Cheyenne and Cooper insist a relationship is the last thing they want. Cheyenne is focused on her health and returning to the rodeo. Cooper’s heart is still raw from loss. But it could be they’re exactly what each other needs.

To order To Tame A Texas Cowboy click here.

Pam Crooks

As I write this, it’s my first day back at the computer after a days-long, multi-activity Christmas celebration. We are a BIG family. While we always have lots of family get-togethers over the holidays, after my parents died, my out-of-town brother and sister come back only every other year. And 2019 was the year where we were all together for the first time in two years.

A couple of fun pictures:

Here we are at High Tea. Tea rooms are scarce and there are none in my city, but this was a delightful one in a small town twenty minutes away. Yep, that table goes clear to the back of the room, and every chair is filled with mothers and daughters.  

Remember I said we were a BIG family?  Here we are on our last night together. My brother designed custom Family Feud and Jeopardy games. Oh, my goodness, was it fun!  You can tell how everyone in the room was engrossed.  (And that doesn’t include the half-dozen or so who were behind the photographer in the kitchen!)

Getting together with my family and celebrating the blessed season of Christmas makes me yell YEE-HAW!

Jingle Jangle Spurs — Flavors of the Season

Special Week
42 Comments

We thought it’d be fun to share some of our favorite holiday recipes.

Here is my Granny’s Fresh Apple Cake recipe. It’s exactly as she wrote it and the way I’ve baked it ever since I can remember. It’s a great holiday cake.

Granny’s Fresh Apple Cake

2 eggs, beaten 1 tsp. soda
1 ½ c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla
¾ c. oil 2 cups chopped apples (approx. 3 apples)
1 ½ c. flour 1 cup chopped pecans
½ tsp. salt

Flour pans. Turn on oven to 325 degrees.

Cream eggs, sugar and oil. Add flour, salt, soda, vanilla and pecans. Mix well, but do not mash apples. Bake 45 to 60 minutes. Use Caramel Icing.

Caramel Icing

1 c. brown sugar 1 stick butter                     ½ c. milk

Cook all ingredients for minutes after bringing to a boil. Add:
1 ¾ c. powdered sugar Vanilla                     Beat till smooth and put all over cake.

Enjoy!

Phyliss

 * * * * *

I hope everyone is planning a wonderful Christmas and you have the gifts all wrapped and ribbons tied. Being with family and eating wonderous treats makes everything so much better. In my family, we have a tradition of making Sausage Cheese Balls — the easy way — and serving them up hot on Christmas morning. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of dry Bisquick

1 pound of grated cheese

1 pound of sausage (any degree of spiciness)

This recipe calls for no liquid. 

Knead everything all together (This will take some time but keep mixing until it’s all integrated into a ball.) Your hand will get very tired.

Roll out the size balls you like and put them on a cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. But check on them so you won’t overcook. Eat and Enjoy!

Do you hear those Jingle, Jangle Spurs? It’s the cowboys filing in to eat their share. Better hurry!

See you all in 2020!

Much Love,

Linda Broday

 

Cover Reveal and a Giveaway

Giveaways, New Releases, western romance, Western Romance Series
67 Comments

 

Sometimes a book creates a life of its own and the author simply goes along for the ride. That’s the case with my January release, The Mail Order Bride’s Secret (Book #3 Outlaw Mail Order Brides.) Outlaw Tait Trinity finds himself the guardian to twin nephews and a four-year-old niece. He doesn’t want the job but it seems he’s the last resort.

What did a wanted man with a price on his head do with three children?

He takes his friend’s advice and sends for a mail order bride and she can’t come soon enough.

Yet, when Melanie Dunbar arrives with a whiskey flask in her pocket and a secret agenda, the woman gambler is anything but childrearing material.

This is the biggest gamble of her life and it’s anyone’s guess how it turns out.

I got the inspiration for this story from the old western series Paradise that starred Lee Horsley. That series was fresh and different. If memory serves, there were four children and they were a bit older. But Ethan Cord shares a lot of similarities with Tait Trinity. Both have a violent past and an unsure future with the law breathing down their necks.

Although married life gets off to a rocky start, Melanie is committed to making it work—at least until she gets the stolen money to save her sister. She just didn’t count on the children worming their way into her heart and falling in love with her handsome husband.

Plans have a way of changing for both Tait and Melanie.

This story has a lot of twists and turns and just when you think you have it all figured out, it takes off in a new direction. I think readers will love this story of love, redemption, and hope.

This book releases on January 28, 2020 and is available for preorder. The fourth and final book of this series will come out later in the year.

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  APPLE  |  INDIEBOUND

 

Question: What do you think about secrets? Are there any good ones?

I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to someone who comments.

COWBOYS & MISTLETOE – Day Two

Christmas, Christmas, Christmas in the old west, Giveaways, Holiday Fun, western romance
50 Comments

 

Cheryl Pierson

 

Texas Ranger Shiloh Barrett loses his hotheaded older brother to a gunfight over a hand of cards. Now the “winner”—a wealthy landowner who’s coveted the Barrett homestead—finally has what he wants. But could there be something Seamus O’Connor desires more than the Barretts’ land?

O’Connor has not seen his beautiful daughter, Kalli, for thirteen years. He knows that she’s living with her mother’s Cherokee people in northeastern Indian Territory. Determined to have her kidnapped and brought to him, Seamus uses the deed he holds to the Barrett homestead to get what he wants. Even though it goes against everything Shiloh Barrett believes is right, O’Connor’s blackmail cannot be ignored.

But beautiful Kalliroe White Dove O’Connor has some tricks up her sleeve as the handsome ex-ranger spirits her away into the nearby San Bois Mountains. The tables turn when Shiloh is bitten by a rattlesnake their first day on the trail. Though Kalli tells herself she has no other choice but to stay with Shiloh—and she does want to reunite with her father—deep down, she knows there is another reason she can’t leave the handsome lawman. Could it be she’s falling in love with him?

In a final showdown with a cutthroat outlaw gang, Shiloh heads straight into the pit of vipers to buy some time for the man he despises—Kalli’s father. No matter how this all plays out, KIDNAPPING KALLI has been the best thing Shiloh Barrett’s ever done—if he only lives to see it through…

BUY HERE:  AMAZON 

 

A woman with no home… Beautiful Southern belle Julia Jackson has just been informed she and her niece must find a new home immediately—or else. With no family to turn to in Georgia, Julia takes a mighty gamble and answers an advertisement for a nursemaid in wild Indian Territory—for the child of a man she knows nothing about. Together, she and five-year-old Lauralee waste no time as they flee to the safety of the new position Julia has accepted. She can only hope this move will be the start of a bright future for them away from Lauralee’s dangerous much older half-brother.
A rancher with no heart… The death of Devlin Campbell’s young daughter has ripped the light from his life. Though the birth of his son, little Jamie, should have been a source of happiness, the subsequent loss of his wife forces Dev to ignore his emotions and trudge through life’s joyless responsibilities. But all that changes with the arrival of Miss Julia Jackson from Atlanta! Not at all what Dev is expecting in response to his ad, his resentment boils over at her failure to mention her tag-along niece—a painful reminder of the loss of his own little girl just two years earlier. Yet, how can he deny the sunshine Julie brings into his drab existence with her very presence?
Can love find a way? In the depths of Dev’s boundless sorrow and his accompanying anger, is there room in his life for anyone else as Christmas approaches? Can Julie convince him that love is the cure for a broken heart, and hope is the only recipe for a new beginning between THE DEVIL AND MISS JULIA JACKSON…

                       BUY HERE:    AMAZON  

Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $10 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON! 

Scroll down to the form below. Click the link to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE and FOLLOW ME, then note on the form that you followed. If you like, you can also mention it in the comments here on the blog!

Linda Broday

 

Find your very own cowboy to keep warm these long, wintry nights as you cozy up with six sweeping, epic tales of heroism, passion, family and celebration from bestselling authors Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas.

Fall in Love with Christmas

Whether it’s a widower finding an unexpected new start, a former outlaw and his new wife welcoming their very own Christmas miracle, a long-lost lover returning just in time for a special holiday celebration, a second chance at love between two warring hearts given peace at last, an unlikely pair working together to bring joy to a small Texas town, or a cowboy and his dark-eyed beauty snowed in one unforgettable wintry eve…every Christmas with a cowboy is filled with light, laughter, and a forever kind of love.

A Fairy Tale Christmas – Leigh Greenwood

Christmas in Paradise – Rosanne Bittner

A Christmas Wedding – Linda Broday

A Love Letter To Santa – Margaret Brownley

One Snowy Christmas Eve – Anna Schmidt

Through the Storm – Amy Sandas

 

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  APPLE  |  KOBO  |  INDIEBOUND

Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $10 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON! 

Scroll down to the Rafflecopter form below. Click the link to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE and FOLLOW ME, then note on the form that you followed. If you like, you can also mention it in the comments here on the blog! If you already follow me on Amazon, you can follow me on Bookbub or friend me on Facebook instead. Thank you so much.

Kit Morgan

 

There’s nothing quite like spending Christmas with the Weavers!

 

They’re boisterous, they’re loud, and most of all, they’re full of surprises! But this time the Weavers are the ones surprised by what happens when Clear Creek residents Harrison Cooke and his family along with Irene and Wilfred Dunnigan come for a visit. Cinnamon rolls, budding romance and of course one cantankerous Mrs. Dunnigan make for a hilarious holiday romp in this sweet, clean and wholesome historical western! Enjoy the coming together of two of Kit Morgan’s most iconic families!

Buy Here: Amazon

 

And while Harrison Cooke and his family are visiting the Weavers, his brother Colin and his family back home get a visitor of his own…

Jefferson Cooke, the eldest son of one of the famous Cooke brothers of the Triple-C Ranch wasn’t looking for love. Why bother when there were no young women around to marry? If he wanted a wife, he’d have to send for a mail-order bride and the thought didn’t appeal to him. In his mind, it was far too risky. His situation, therefore, was hopeless. So he’d forced himself to forget about finding a bride and falling in love. What else could he do? Little did he know one was about to show up, and wearing a funny pair of shoes to boot! Enjoy this sweet, clean and wholesome time-travel romance set against the backdrop of the old west!

Buy Here:

Buy Here: Amazon

 

Don’t miss out on the chance to win a $10 GIFT CARD TO AMAZON! 

Scroll down to the form below. Click the link to my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE and FOLLOW ME, then note on the form that you followed. If you like, you can also mention it in the comments here on the blog!

 

Winners will be announced on Sunday, December 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Courting Candles

Courting, New Releases, western romance
61 Comments

Courting in your ancestors’ days was entirely different from now. Suitors first called on the girl’s father and got his permission and a time was set. There was no pulling up in front of the house and honking the horn. Nope. There were rules to be obeyed.

At the appointed time of the young man’s arrival, the father would get out a courting candle—a metal contraption that consisted of a heavy coil. He’d set a taper in it and adjust it by turning the candle to whatever height he saw fit. It was purely at his discretion. He’d then place it either in the parlor or on the porch.

If he liked the suitor, he might set the candle high so it would burn for a while.

If he didn’t approve of the boy, he’d set the candle low.

But whether high or low, when the candle burned down to the top of the coil, time was up and the father would show the young man to the door. If the suitor argued about it, the dad might show him the toe of his boot! I’m sure many a one left that way.

On rare occasions when the suitor met with joyous approval, the father might let a second candle burn after the first was all the way down.

These courting candles were used by rich and poor families alike and set boundaries that must be adhered to. They provided a quiet yet firm reminder that the girl’s father was boss and his word was final.

I sort of like this old tradition where no words needed to be said. The candle spoke loud and clear.

The most recent courting scene that I wrote was in Catch a Texas Star when Roan Penny courted Marley Rose McClain. Duel didn’t much want them to see each other because Roan was a drifter. Roan didn’t like it a lot when Duel told him he’d have to prove he’d stick around. Which he did.

Longing for a Cowboy Christmas is out and I’m so happy. My story, The Christmas Wedding, is about Rebel and Travis from the outlaw town of Hope’s Crossing. To take her mind off the fact that Travis has been captured by a bounty hunter and she hasn’t seen him in months, she and the other women decide to celebrate the Advent and make the entire town the calendar.

Do you have a courting story to share or maybe one in a scene from a book? I’ll give away a copy of Longing for a Cowboy Christmas and will draw the winner on Saturday.

 

Mary Porter, Queen of the Fort Worth Madams

Fort Worth, Wild West Research
47 Comments

 

In almost every town in the old West lonely cowboys could find entertainment in a red light district. Fort Worth’s seedy part was bigger and a lot rowdier than most. Due to the notoriety, it became known as Hell’s Half Acre and it comprised Tenth to Fifteenth Streets while Houston, Main, and Rusk (now Commerce) crossed. Boarding houses (wink, wink,) gambling parlors, hotels and saloons lined the avenues and it became a hideout for outlaws and violent criminals. The murder rate was high on a nightly basis. But if a woman had enough guts and could stomach the hard life, she could make a good living.

One woman was Mary Porter. She was born in Ireland in 1844 and came to Fort Worth about 1885 where she operated a high-end brothel. She employed four girls: Kittie Wilson, Etta Daniels, Mabel Thomason, and May Keller.

From 1893 to 1897, Mary was arrested 130 times but never spent a night in jail. Her clients were the wealthy and powerful and they made sure they kept her in business. Her fines usually ran around $100 but she viewed that as the price of doing business.

She operated within the laws—didn’t advertise, kept fighting to a minimum, got regular medical checkups for her girls, and kept a clean house. She was well-respected as someone in that business, and her girls sang her praises. Still, depression, suicide, and murder were things they all faced.

In 1887 following the famous shootout between Jim Courtright and Luke Short, a prostitute named Miss Sally was discovered nailed to an outhouse door. The murderer was never caught.

As the years passed, Madame Mary Porter’s fame and coffers grew. But somewhere before the turn of the century, a committee made up of ladies of the Union Bethel Mission and accompanied by two officers paid her a visit. They demanded that she vacate the premises by Monday, that her house was needed for other purposes. If she refused to leave, she would be the subject of a grand jury investigation.

Mary thought long and hard, then told her girls to start packing. She moved out all right—into one just a few doors down. The committee didn’t bother her again. On the 1900 census, she listed her occupation as “boardinghouse keeper.”

She once entertained the Wild Bunch led by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid plus other notable outlaws.

June 10, 1905, Mary suddenly died leaving an estate valued at $20,000 ($500,000 in today’s currency.) They buried her in an unmarked grave in Oakwood Cemetery. Then in 2009, over 100 years of her death, a group of citizens got together and bought her a gravestone engraved with the simple words, “Call me madam.”

I love stories that give colorful accounts of what life must’ve been like before we became “modernized.” I can close my eyes and picture this seedy part of Fort Worth and the rough and tumble daily existence. I wish I knew more of Mary’s story and what led her to prostitution. Maybe she got trapped in it as so many other women were who found themselves alone. Occupations for women were very limited.

Can you imagine how scary it was for a woman alone back then? Especially if she had no one to turn to. What do you think of Mary Porter?

It’s almost time! Longing for a Cowboy Christmas releases on September 24th! Six heartwarming stories sure to put the Christmas spirit in your heart by Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, Amy Sandas, and me.

AMAZON  |  B&N  |  APPLE  |  KOBO

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS!

P&P Birthday, Personal Glimpses
102 Comments

 

WOW! Twelve years! We’re almost a teenager. Exciting! 2007 seems like such a long time ago and yet, for me, it feels like it was only yesterday that I received an email from Pam Crooks one day in June. She asked me to embark on this wonderful journey with her and nine other authors.

My memory is a little fuzzy but if I recall in the email Pam outlined her vision of a website designed solely for western romance – both historical and contemporary—and devoted to promoting and talking about this genre. There were no sites out there like this.

Blogging itself was in the early stages and few were doing it. Hard to believe huh? It seems like the internet has always burst at the seams with these posts yet social media was just taking off.

Pam had to explain what a blog was. I felt like such a dummy! Totally clueless. I had never even seen a blog, even the word was foreign, but I did want to be in on this exciting adventure. We never expected to last long. Not one of us thought we’d be here TWELVE YEARS later.

I always wondered who gave Pam my name because I was an unknown back then. Hmmm.

Pam talks about forming in her own words: Long about May, 2007, Cheryl St.John and I got together over lunch and brainstormed the possibility of launching a site dedicated to western romance. Blogging was relatively new back then, and there wasn’t a site like we envisioned anywhere in the blogging world. We came up with a ton of ideas, more than we could even implement. We brainstormed names to call ourselves, discussed pages on the site, authors who might want to join us, possible guests to invite. Later, after a gazillion emails back and forth with our fellow western romance authors, the idea not only took off, but has proudly endured.

Here are the original group of Fillies:

  • Pam Crooks
  • Karen Kay
  • Charlene Sands
  • Cheryl St. John
  • Elizabeth Lane
  • Stacey Kane
  • Pat Potter
  • Geralyn Dawson
  • Lorraine Heath
  • Linda Broday

We became a family of sorts and a group of Fillies. 

We blogged twice a month back then which was pretty grueling. We were all so busy.

Charlene Sands kicked us off with her blog – Love Westerns? Welcome to the Club! I remember how scared I was. My fingers were shaking so bad that I kept hitting all the wrong keys in my comment and had to keep correcting the typos. I think it took about 45 minutes to type a three or four sentence comment! I kept erasing and starting over because there was that fear of sounding ignorant sitting in the back of my mind. So funny.

I didn’t know what I’d gotten into. It was terrifying. The thought hit me that if I couldn’t write a simple comment how was I going to write a blog post. Oh man!! Lots of sweating in those days. My main goal was not to look totally stupid. If I could manage that, I was happy.

My first post was Love Those Cowboys! It only consisted of two paragraphs. HaHaHa! But, I didn’t look back and eventually got the hang of it and they didn’t kick me out.

Now, here we are still going strong. How long will our run last? You, dear followers, will decide that. As long as you keep coming, we’ll keep writing blogs.

I know what they are now!!!!

What do we have planned next? Who knows. You’ll just have to stay tuned.

Tell me what you enjoy, what keeps you coming back, or tell me when you first learned of blogs and began following some, and I’ll put you in a drawing for one of three $10 Amazon gift cards.