Trails End

Pampered Margarita McIntosh is not used to being forced to do things she doesn’t want to do—but when her father, Jock, sends her away for her own safety, she has no choice. The long journey from Flagstaff to Durango tests her personal strength of will as never before, and the secret she carries in her saddlebag could be the death of her. 

A rough Irish gunman, known to her only as “Rafferty”, is entrusted with getting her to her destination “safe and intact”—something he fully intends to do to claim the reward he’s been promised by Jock McIntosh. With a price on his head, the promised money is Rafferty’s ticket to a new life, and he’s not going to jeopardize that for anything—not even love.

But there are steamy nights and dangers all along the arduous trail for MARGARITA AND THE HIRED GUN, with deadly secrets between them that passion cannot erase. With her father’s enemies after her and the secret she conceals, will Rafferty’s protection be enough to save their lives? And will the heat of their passionate love be enough to seal their future together—if they do survive?

Sometimes as a writer, I have to pull characters and plot lines out of thin air to craft a story. Other times, I’m able to share stories that have lived in my head for years. Such was the case with my first historical western, Margarita and the Hired Gun.

But where did the seeds that took root to become this novel come from? Reading classic quest  or journey tales like the Odyssey and watching old movies with my grandma, that's where.

There’s something about setting a character off on a journey, ending in self-discovery which piques my interest. I love to watch a character being tested and meeting challenges to come out at the end of the trail a stronger person.

Sancho Panza and Don Quixote on the trail

Now, put two mismatched strangers together on that journey and you’ve got a romance of epic proportions.

Hepburn and Bogart in the African Queen

So, it with a nod to all the great journey tales and odd-ball couple movies, I set Margarita and Michael (AKA Rafferty) off on a journey.

Margarita McIntosh is a westerner by birth, but after her mother dies she’s sent to boarding schools out east. In her sheltered life, she’s never had to fend for herself. But, there's a change in her fortunes, and the pampered princess finds herself traveling for weeks on horseback, sleeping on the ground, battling the elements, and facing danger all alongside a big, scary Irishman.

While Margarita’s transformation is about finding her inner strength under trying circumstances, Michael’s journey is more of a spiritual one. Forced to flee Ireland, he has spent in years in America doing just about every bad thing a man can do in order to survive. He entertains Margarita around the campfire with his stories of time spent in a tenement in New York, his escape as a sharpshooter in the Civil War, and riding with an outlaw gang.

Every step forward on their journey together, Michael begins to shed his outer layers. As he starts to see himself fresh through the naive young woman's eyes, he remembers the man he once was and can possibly be again. He tells her his real name and every time she uses it (which she frequently does), it’s like a wake up call to his soul. Margarita is his conscience personified.

One of the most poignant moments in the book (in my opinion) is just as the two have had their first flirty moment, they are attacked. Although Michael saves her, the act of violence repulses Margarita. Michael is pulled right back to Rafferty.

Excerpt: He raised his hand and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. Margarita recoiled. He reacted like she’d slapped him. “I saved your life!” “I know, I know. I’m grateful.” The image came back to her. Michael standing over that wounded man, his eyes so dark they looked like cold, black stones, ready to cave the man’s head in with his boot. “This is what I do. You knew that.” “Knowing and seeing are two different things.” He sat back, looking away from her. “Ah, that’s it.” “In getting to know Michael Byrne, I forgot about Rafferty.” He looked back at her with a pained expression, but then his eyes hardened with anger. She sat back further away from him. “Margarita, those two men are not like any men I hazard you’ve ever met before. I know the kinds of things they’ve done. Do you know what they would’ve done to you before they killed you?” He pulled a gun out of his pocket and held it sideways in front of her face. “This is the gun I took off Brady. Do you see the notches in the handle? Each notch represents a person he killed.” “I imagine you’ve killed more.” “Maybe, but he was proud of the people he killed. So proud, he struck a line in the handle of his gun for each kill. I am never proud of killing a man. Every man I dispatch is one more notch in my soul. I don’t need to put notches in my gun.” He stuck the gun back in his pocket. His face contorted with anger. “Listen, I have killed men. Lots of them, and killing is killing. I’m not excusing the things I’ve done. But I vowed when I deserted from the army I would never shoot another innocent man. I’ve had to pull the trigger on men who were ready to do the same to me, and I’ve been hired to take out men who were acting out of the reach of the law. Murderers and outlaws. I may be fooling myself, but I think the world is better off without those men.” He stood up and began pacing, different emotions warring over his face. Then, he turned to her and pointed his finger at her. “And don’t you look down your nose at me. How do you think your father paid for your fancy clothes and schools?” “You said my father didn’t kill innocent people.” “He didn’t have to, because he hired me to persuade them to see things his way. I didn’t have to kill any of them.” He stood up then, raking his hand through his hair, putting his emotions back into order. “Come on, let’s find their horses. You’d like your own mount again, wouldn’t you?” He held out a hand to her, but she couldn’t make herself put her hand in his. He made a clucking sound and turned away from her. Margarita hurried to walk behind him. Whatever else he was, he was her protection, and she now knew there were things to be afraid of.

And, now, Margarita and Micheal hit the trail again along with five other full length novels in Under a Western Sky! And what great company to be in along with Prairie Rose Publications authors Cheryl Pierson, Kaye Spencer, Tracey Garrrett, Agnes Alexander, and Celia Yeary.

Where do the very best love stories blossom? UNDER A WESTERN SKY, of course! This fabulous boxed set of six tales of danger and romance are sure to capture your imagination as you are carried away to the old west. Handsome marshals, Texas Rangers, gunslingers, and wealthy landowners meet their matches with the daring women they happen to fall in love with, and you won’t want to put this boxed set down until you’ve read the very last story! 

For a limited time this boxed set, is on sale for $0.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited.

BUY NOW

https://www.amazon.com/Under-Western-Sky-Historical-Romance-ebook/dp/B078SGY1HW/ref=la_B01C7L8QUU_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516663818&sr=1

The City of Londinium -- Cynthia Breeding -- #prairierosepub @prairierosepub

Long before dukes and earls rode in fancy carriages through London’s Hyde Park, and long before the Norman-French claimed victory at Hastings, Romans established the city of Londinium.

Julius Caesar first visited Britain in 55 B.C., but it wasn’t until A.D. 43 that Emperor Claudius decided the Thames was a favorable shipping route from the North Sea and established a town in the area just east of present day Westminster.

The area extends roughly from east of Waterloo Bridge to Tower Bridge and north from the Thames toward the Museum of London.  If walking, there are stone Dragon monuments that mark the boundaries of the Old City.

Of course, local Celtic tribes did not welcome the Roman invasion any more than Native Americans did white settlers.  Inceni Queen Boudicca of East Anglia led a revolt against the Romans and destroyed their cities of Camulodunum (Colchester), Verulamium (St. Albans) and Londinium.

Perhaps she was the first, true Women’s Libber!  In any case, she was indeed a Warrior Woman whom men followed into war.  A statue of her driving her chariot stands at the corner of today’s Westminster Bridge and Victoria’s Embankment, right across from Parliament. 

The Romans, however, were not known for accepting defeat.  They rebuilt Londinium, including a stone wall to protect from future attacks. London Wall (between Bishopsgate and Aldersgate marks where the Roman wall once stood.  Portions of it can also be seen on the grounds of the Tower of London as well as beneath St. Brides Church on Fleet Street and at the Museum of London.  

A gladiatorial ampi-theatre was built on the North Bank of the Thames off Gresham Street where the Guildhall now stands. A Forum was added near present-day Cornhill and Gracechurch Streets. Close to Cheapside and Queen Street, a Roman-style bathhouse with hypocausts provided the traditional three-chamber method of bathing—soaking in the caldarium (hot, steamy water), then into the tepidarium (tepid temperature) and dipping into the frigidarium (very cold water) for the finish.

A number of temples to Roman gods and goddesses were also erected through the first two centuries. When Christianity emerged in the early 4^th century,  Romans did in Britain what they did across the Continent…they simply replaced Pagan holidays with Christian ones.  The Celtic Imbolc (February 1) became Candlemas, spring Beltane  became Easter,  the Summer Solstice of Litha became St. John’s Day, autumn Samhain became All Hallows Eve, and the Winter Solstice festival of Yule became Christmas (celebrating the Christ’s Mass).

The Romans abruptly abandoned Britain in the early 5^th century to return to the Continent and defend their empire from Eastern invaders, but many remnants of their culture remains, if one knows where to look.

Another point of interest within the old Roman walls is the circular Temple Church built by the Templars in 1185. Not only is it still standing, but it’s in regular use for Sunday services and special events.

But Temple Church—and the Templars—are fodder for another day.

http://www.cynthiabreeding.com

         

MAIL ORDER BRIDES FOR SALE: THE REMINGTON SISTERS! LIZZY by Livia J. Washburn– January #blogabookscene #westernromance #PrairieRosePub @PrairieRosePub

Blog-a-Book-Scene is a monthly themed blogging endeavor from a group of authors who love to share excerpts from their stories. Find us on Twitter with the hashtag #blogabookscene and #PrairieRosePub.

January’s theme is Baby, It’s cold outside.  The cold Alaskan excerpt below is from my western romance novel, Lizzy that was included in the boxed set Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters! There are four Remington sisters, and a novel about each romantic adventure. This is my

Brought up in the wealth and comfort of Eastern “old money” in staid and proper Philadelphia, the Remington sisters are forced to scatter to the four winds and become mail-order brides. In order to gain a fortune, their sinister step-father, Josiah Bloodworth, has made plans to marry them off in loveless marriages. Time is running out, and no matter what lies ahead in their uncertain futures, it has to be better than the evil they’re running from…

LIZZY: Livia J. Washburn

Elizabeth Remington’s world is turned upside down when she is forced to become a mail-order bride. With her cat, Fulton, Lizzy flees to Alaska—only to discover the man she’s to marry is not who she thought he was! Now, she must protect herself from the biggest danger of all—her own heart. Handsome Flint McKinnon has signed his soul away to her step-father, hasn’t he? He’s chased Lizzy across the continent, but can she believe him when he says he loves her?

EXCERPT

From the way Lizzy was having trouble catching her breath, she would have thought she was much higher in the mountains, where the air was thinner.

But it was Flint’s simple declaration that had stolen all the breath from her body. He was looking directly into her eyes, and the sincerity, the utter truth she saw in his gaze, shook her to her core.

“No...” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said. “Why do you think I followed you all the way here to Alaska? I had a bit of money of my own saved—not enough to rescue my uncle’s business ventures—but enough for me to track you down after you disappeared. I hired detectives, and they led me to that matrimonial agency. From there, I learned that you were supposed to marry a man named Gabriel Devery in Seattle. That...that tore me up inside, Lizzy.” The pain in his voice and on his face was undoubtedly genuine. “You fled from marrying me, but you were willing to marry a stranger just to get away.”

“From Josiah,” she said. “To get away from Josiah and his scheme...but I can see...I can see why you felt the way you did.”

“I’m glad of that, anyway. Glad you understand.”

Without thinking about what she was doing, Lizzy reached out and rested her fingers on his forearm. “Why didn’t you tell me all this as soon as you arrived in Harrisburg?” she asked. “Why did you let me stay angry at you?”

“Pride, I guess,” he said with a sigh. “Although how a man who’s just chased a woman all the way across a continent can have any pride left, I don’t know.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a man going after what he wants. No reason not to be proud.” Lizzy swallowed hard. “If that’s what he really...wants.”

“More than anything in the world,” Flint said.

His hands came up, rested gently on her shoulders, urged her toward him. Lizzy didn’t resist. His fingers grazed the side of her neck, slid along her jaw to cup her head with incredible tenderness. It was amazing how those hands, strong enough to swing a pickax or fight for what was right, could be so soft and compelling now in their touch. Her head tipped back, not forced but willingly, instinctively, and her eyes closed as she felt his warm breath brush her cheek.

An instant later, his lips found hers.

Lizzy moaned softly, deep in her throat, as she put her arms around his waist and molded herself to him. The urge to be closer to him, as close as humanly possible, rose up and crashed through her in an irresistible wave. She clung to him as their mouths worked together, hungrily, passionately, and the sensation made her head spin until she felt like she was flying high in the air, higher than any of these majestic mountains that rose around them.

There was no way of knowing how high she might have flown, because at that moment the sound of a gunshot blasted through the gulch and set off clamoring echoes among the slopes.

Lizzy is only one book in Mail Order Brides for Sale: The Remington Sisters! It’s on sale now and also contains novels by Cheryl Pierson, Jacquie Rogers, and Celia Yeary.

Available at Amazon

Print | eBook | KindleUnlimited

Coming FebruaryTheme All You Need is Love

Until that time,

Livia J. Washburn

  

Website/Blog- http://www.liviajwashburn.com

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/liviajwashburn

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/liviajwashburn

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/liviajwashburn

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/author/liviajwashburn

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liviajwashburn

Prairie Rose Publications - http://prairierosepublications.com

Thinking Outside of the Box - Authors' Tips 101

For years I've heard authors complain that nothing they do seems to improve their sales.  After thirteen years in the business, I have come to the conclusion no single thing will.  There is no magic biffity-boppity-boom and suddenly you are selling like hotcakes.  So what do you do?  Work.  Sorry, that is the raw truth.  Another sad truth?  Indy published, Small Press or Tradition published, it doesn't matter.  It's all going to fall on you.  Your money, your time.

Writing THE END is truly just the beginning of your journey as an author.  If you are a hobby writer (and I am not putting that path down) then marketing probably won’t be pressing for you.  But to the career writer, you must accept that you will likely spend as much time promoting as you do writing.  It’s a hard fact all new authors have to face.  There are days I do nothing but  promote...promote...promote.  It’s not fun, it’s grinding, and often you simply have no idea if any of it has impact.  So lose the idea I am going to offer you a golden key or a witch’s recipe to help you sell more books.  What I will do is impart some ideas to make you think about how you promote.  Most of this is old ground, but I continually see authors asking these same questions, even from authors a decade in the business...so one more time.

(Full Page Romantic Times ad 2009)

Paid Promotions —

There are various venues, which promote books for you.  I have gone that route with full page ads in The Romantic Times, Realm of Fantasy, and even history and Scottish magazines.  Did they help?  To this day I am not sure...lol.  Sad fact.  Actually, I did see heavy traffic to my website the day The Romantic Times came out.  So the ads I did with them drove traffic to my door.   

(Half Page Ad for Romatic Times 2007)

All my novels had high sell-through.  Sell-through is that point where your book begins to earn the publisher money, after all their expenses are covered.  My novels all have gone into third printings, and the Historicals are now in the fourth printings.  Was that because of the magazines ads?  I simply do not know.  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Frustrating, eh?  Maybe the ads were just a brick in the wall to building your brand.

As I said, most venues of PR leave authors scratching their heads.  So unless you have a $1000 or more to toss around you may not wish to consider this option.  If you do think you might want to opt for magazine ads, consider going in on ads with several authors—from the same publisher/ have the same subject matter.  I have done several of these.  Did they help?  Same redundant answer.  Possibly.

Positive side—you reach a lot of people all over the country.

Downside—high cost with no real assurance of a return.

(Double Page Ad in Realm of Fantasy Magazine 2009)

Reviews and Review sites—

There are a lot of places that offer reviews for free (NEVER pay for a review!).  Some also offer other author services, such as a web page on their site, or special showcase, chats, etc.  There have probably been fifty—maybe a hundred—over the last decade.  A lot didn't survive a year or two.  If you are looking into promotional packages with an author’s promo site, ask questions.  How much traffic do they have?  How will they promote you?  How often? 

Many have come and gone, but there are some solid ones that were there when I began and are still going strong.  Romance Junkies is one of the best.  Another top one is The Romance Studio.  I have done individual PR promos with them, but have also bought full service packages and have been very pleased with them.  Night Owl Romance is another I used and felt gave me plenty for my money.  As with print PR—be sure to weigh how much you are comfortable with spending for advertising.  Maniac Readers and Long and Short Reviews are two more I would recommend.  Two others I recommend that are more professional writing communities that let you promote all you need: Booktown and Authors Den.

Plus side—some of these venues have a big following, message board on Yahoo, website and social media presence.  Side Note:  Many of the social media pages are open to join free.  So check around.  You can find a lot of PR groups or pages on Facebook you can use.

Down side—they often are heavy with authors, too, so are not reader groups.  Meaning you are preaching to the choir.  Authors are there to promote their books, too, not buy yours.

Blogs and blogging—

Blogs were super hot ten years ago.  Now, everyone has them.  An author’s web site and blog are losing their importance in PR scheme of things.  Several reasons.  Most people seek out authors on spots like Authors Central on Amazon.com, or Facebook and Twitter.  These are updated frequently so they get fresh information and have a more personal feel.  Also, the average reader doesn't have time to read the blogs of 20-30 authors every week.  Generally, I use my blogger account as a personal showcase of what is happening in my life.  When I post about going to the Renfaire, or special restaurants or happenings in my town, I get as many if not more hits on those posts.  I give people a personal hello, what is happening, what books are out or coming.  I post excerpts or promotions.  Image intensive posts tend to get more attention.

Plus side—you can post daily where a website is more static.  You can get information out there quickly, run contests, and get PR rocking.

Downside—when you are doing frequent postings on a blog, requiring long articles, organized with images etc.—that is time away from your writing.  Since PR is already a big drain on your time, you have to make choices of what is more important.  Using your words takes those words away from your novels.  It has also been proven people respond to quicker, sharper posts, than long reading.  So keep that mind.

Social Media --

You might say well, duh.  Everyone knows about Facebook and Twitter.  So I won’t spend a lot of time pushing them.  But are you using Google Plus?  Google has groups and chat options, but I mainly use it as an information site, doing promos and such.  I often get more hits off postings there than either Facebook or Twitter.  Are you using Linkedin?  It’s less social and more business feel, but you can promote.  The neat thing about Linkedin is I can set it so my account reposts all my posts to Twitter—neat way to save a little time.

Right now my Linkedin account posts to Twitter.  My Blogger posts to Amazon Central, Booktown and Goodreads.  Twitter can be set up to post to MySpace and Facebook.  Word of warning--if you do that watch promo posting.  You are likely already posting to Facebook, but if you set up Twitter to post there too, you end up with double posts and someone will scream you are spamming everyone.  You can create a professional page on Facebook.  With a professional page you can add more people than you can on a personal page, and you can actually set your books up to sell right from the page.

Yahoo Groups—

they are showing some age after two decades and really no improvement for about ten years, but they still work to find reader groups and promo groups.  Again, you will run into the authors stampede, but you do what you can at times.  There are two means of posting—going to the individual group and posting on the message forum.  This is sent out to everyone on their list, and remains on the forum board.  Or you can be an mail box member—allowing you to post and reply through your own email, but if you chose this option you cannot post on the forum boards.  If you join at the Yahoo Groups site itself, you will have both options available.

Authors Central on Amazon.com—

They provide you free of charge an author’s page.  You can load about half a dozen photos, bio information, and set up your book list.  You use their claiming option to claim your books, and they will place them on your page, so when a reader checks in, they will have every thing about you in one spot.

Book signings—

Book signing are another option.  Personally, I do not enjoy them, but I know many people who love doing them.  The downside is getting people into the bookstore (which requires PR to do!)  Unless you or the store promotes the event, don’t expect a line like Stephen King gets.  You might try to organize a multiple author signing.  That tends to be a bit more fun.  Also, check and see if you have any big book fairs near you.  Don’t just offer to do a book signing at the local bookstore.  Offer to give a master class in romance writing, or how to realistically write a specific time period.  This will draw people in that are interested in learning to be a writer.  

But all these options are in the box thinking, and by my title I said we would be thinking out of the box.  Here is where you have to put your thinking cap on and see what venues are out there where you could do signings.

What events are happening in your area?  A farmer's market?  A craft fair?  Small shop Saturdays or events around holidays?  See if your local tea room might want to have a book signing.  Your local library branch?  You might combine it with a talk on how to get into publishing, or something along those lines.  One I have suggested to Historical writers—Renfaires.  There is a natural target.  They are into history, reenacting, costumes—you have someone who speaks your language.  I once discussed this targeting your audience, and Jacquie Rogers decided to go after rodeos, which is perfect for Western writers.  So is your county fair.  Many offer booth space for very a reasonable price, and often can do multiple days.  

One of the best book signings I did was at Keepers Seafood and More, just outside of my town.  I went there expecting not to sell a book.  I was totally surprised, selling hundreds of dollars of books in just three hours.  

The point being, you simply don’t know what will work until you give it a try.  You could organize a book launch party.  Tea rooms or cafés are a great place to hold a launch party.  Have a sheet cake and several pots of tea or punch, and invite people in to help you celebrate.

Craft fairs are another place.  These tend to pop up around late autumn and holidays.  They are generally merchandise orientated, but most are very open to you having a booth to promote your books.  Splurge on Vista Print poster—sometimes you can get them for $10 or less.  So far, I haven’t found authors going in this direction so you generally have a good showcase.  Books, especially, sell well around Christmas, since they make great presents.

Getting your name out there— 

Not just as you are a romance writer—get you name into various other venues.  There are a wide variety of options.  Some might even pay you.  Consider penning an article for a magazine.  Today it is easy enough to check out magazines on-line.  Writer’s Digest accepts articles.  But don’t just focus on  romance writing venues.  Pen a short story for Alfred Hitchcock Magazine or Ellery Queen Magazine for example.  By getting into a different genre you widen your exposure.  Look at area magazines.  There can be a wide range of different focuses, from ones covering a whole area such as Southern Writers Magazine, to others more localized.  There is a monthly magazine that covers my county.  Maybe you have a historical society that puts out monthly pamphlets.  Consider doing an article for your local newspaper.  Consider doing seasonal recipe story about what people ate then and include recipes.  Same for Western writer – especially good in the summer—Cowboy tips to open-fire cooking.  Look for a fashion angle.  See if you can tie in your period clothing to an article about women’s changing fashions.  These are just a few suggestions to help you think outside the box.  Getting your name—your brand—out there can be done outside of the normal perimeters of fiction writing.  Check out the magazines or news sites you haunt next time.  See what submissions they accept, how to submit.

(Romantic Times Half Page Ad - February 2007, shared with Cynthia Breeding)

Bottom line, it’s ALL work.  Sorry, there is no way around it.  Writing The End isn’t the end of your dream.  You have birthed you baby, now you must continually feed and nurture, and like all children they require a balanced diet.

Several bestselling authors I know were not big overnight successes.  It took years for them to sell.  Years to build an audience.  Most will tell you without a strong backlist they would have never made it to the top.  That means never stop promoting all your novels, stories and novellas.  Keep your works in print so the readers can find you.

Selling takes three things 1) talent/skill.  Talent you are born with.  Skill can be learnt.  Never stop honing your craft.  2) Opportunity, being at the right spot at the right time.  An editor may want a Scottish novel now, but two weeks from now the door has closed.  3) Determination—it’s grinding work, but if you don’t do it, what happens?—generally nothing.  Marketing is not hard, it’s persistence and time.  It takes a bit of imagination.  Don’t look at other authors and say, “What are they doing?”  Ask instead, “What they not doing?”

Don’t be afraid to try some PR venues that haven't been done before.  You just might surprise yourself.

Lock'em Up! Mariposa's Old Stone Jail

The first recorded jail facility for Mariposa County in California' Gold Country was built in 1852 from logs cut from surrounding forest. It was constructed close to the present day cemetery, near the creek behind the Trabucco Warehouse in the town of Mariposa. During this period, another tiny jail was built in the town of Hornitos and used to detain prisoners prior to transportation to Mariposa. 

1854 Mariposa

In 1858 a fire destroyed most of the south end of Mariposa, including the jail there. 

The same year construction began on a second jail. It  was built by J.O. Lovejoy for the amount of $14,744 using native granite stone quarried in the Mormon Bar area about two miles south from jail's location on Bullion Street. The granite intrusion from which those blocks were cut forms the southern barrier of the Mother Lode. 

 

Mormon Bar-South View 1858-60

The jail was completed in 1858. It is located on a small knoll above Bullion Street overlooking the town. The walls were formed from 24” thick granite blocks with the outside dimensions of 33 feet by 26 feet. Originally, the jail was a two story structure with a flat roof and a gallows built on it which extended from the east end of the building. Small windows covered by tiny, iron bars gave the building a foreboding appearance. Making prisoners comfortable was not a priority in the early days of the county, as many bad men who ended up spending time there discovered.

In 1892, the building was gutted by fire. It was believed the fire was set as part of an escape attempt. The only person who died in the fire was the sole inmate, Thomas Truit, which meant he did escape, but not in the manner he probably originally had in mind.

After the fire, the building was reconstructed by removing the upper story and changing the roof to a gable roof instead of the former flat roof. The surplus granite that came from the upper level was used in making retaining walls at the county fairgrounds.

Several prisoners have escaped over the years, usually by overpowering the guards. In 1935 two inmates escaped with outside help. Rivets were cut, an iron plate removed, and a stone block worked loose. Both escapees were captured in Oregon.

 

This facility remained the Mariposa County jail for one hundred and five years until 1963 when it was condemned.

The empty building now stands as a historical site with an E. Clampus Vitus plaque posted to tell its history.

Resources:
http://www.mariposacounty.org/ 
http://mariposamuseum.com/mariposa-town-ship/historic-jail/ 
Malakoff, California Gold Country: Highway 49 Revisited, The 
http://quarriesandbeyond.org/articles_and_books/gold_country/mariposa

Zina Abbott is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her historical novels. She has published five novellas in the Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series. Now is a great time to start with Big Meadows Valentine .