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Friday, April 27, 2018

Book Review: Texas Gold by Tracy Garrett

34895873

Blurb:
Texas Ranger Jake McCain is hot on the trail of a band of murderous outlaws when they ambush him and leave him for dead. A candle in a faraway window shines dimly in the night, and with his last ounce of strength, he makes his way through a blinding snowstorm to a solitary cabin and blessed shelter where he can heal.

The last thing Rachel Hudson expects the deadly spring blizzard to bring is a wounded Ranger with a pack of trouble he’s got to catch up to and eliminate—as soon as he’s able. As she works to save him, Rachel begins to fall for his dark gaze and seductive touch—and she must remind herself she’s got her younger brother to think of. As memories of her earlier life haunt her, Rachel realizes Jake McCain is far more dangerous than any storm.

But the past Rachel had hoped to escape suddenly looms over her future. She and Jake have more than a powerful mutual attraction in common—the dangerous gunmen he’s been chasing intend to steal Rachel and her brother, Nathan.

Jake vows to protect Rachel, the innocent beauty with a smile that touches his heart and kisses that burn straight through to his soul. Now that he knows life is worthless without love, he’s not about to lose the woman who means everything to him—Rachel, his TEXAS GOLD…

My review:
You know that feeling you get when you crack open a book and as the words float off the page and weave around your heart, you know you've just discovered something special?

Well, that was me with Rachel and Jake's story.

From the first moment Jake landed on Rachel's porch needing help, and Rachel discovered him and took him in, you could feel the "something" that sparked between them, even though both had demons from their past that kept them from fully acknowledging that "something." The drama and trials and adventures they faced together and separately helped both to grow and dig deep into their hearts about what really matters and what they really needed and wanted. The story moved quickly, but it didn't feel rushed either. Each layer to the story naturally grew and settled as you worked through everything - from the relationships to the surprising twists thrown in.

What especially clicked with me was the way Tracy Garrett used her words to build her world. I was sucked into the pages in such a way that I was living and breathing the story - experiencing everything as Jake and Rachel were. Remarkable story-telling like that isn't always easy to find, and I'm delighted to have discovered a new book to treasure and revisit often.


Purchase link

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Please help me welcome Kaye Spencer! I'm so excited to have her here today and to learn more about her.

Your hero, Mingo, in The Comanchero’s Bride is a dynamic character. In creating him, what were your inspirations?


Kaye: I was inspired to write Mingo’s character from the Marty Robbins gunfighter ballad, ‘Meet Me Tonight in Laredo’.  In fact, the story is a retelling of that song, and Mingo (Domingo) is the ‘wild Comanchero’, the former outlaw, who trades his wild and violent life for the love of a good woman (forgive me the clichéd trope…I am a romance writer, after all. *grin*).woman.


Available at Amazon

The taking of captives by Indians has an interesting history, especially in Texas. I’ve read a lot on the subject, but I didn’t know about the Comancheros before I read your story. Can you tell us about them?

Kaye: The term Comanchero came about during the 1840s when Josiah Gregg first used it to describe the group of native peoples who traded for a living with the nomadic plains tribes—particularly the Comanche, hence the name Comanchero—in what is now northern and central New Mexico. This area is known as the Llano Estacado and Comancheria. In the early days, the trading was legitimate, and Comancheros hauled their trade goods in oxcarts (carretas). The goods they carried consisted of beads, knives, paints, tobacco, pots and pans, bolt cloth, food staples, coffee and such. They bartered mostly with the Comanche and Kiowa for whatever seemed reasonable. The territorial government attempted to regulate and license Comanchero trading, but it was an unenforceable endeavor and was largely ignored.

Carreta

As way led on to way, trading in illegal commodities, such as stolen livestock and property, firearms, ammunition, and whiskey, became a better source of income for all parties. But this type of trading was nothing compared to the Comancheros’ growing practice of ransoming captives from the Comanche and, in turn, holding the captives for ransom from relatives or selling them as slaves. As slaves, the captives often ended up in Mexico where they  were worked to death as a disposable commodity in the mountain mines.

Carreta and Historical Marker near El Paso

An area near Lubbock, Texas served as the primary Comanchero rendezvous location. It became known as Cañón del Rescate (Canyon of Ransom). Another area in Texas known for a place where captives were held and sold is Valle de las Lágrimas (The Valley of Tears). This location is at the southeastern edge of Briscoe County. Legend has it that the valley was named for the wailing of mothers and children who had been brought there only to be separated and sold.

Ransom Canyon, Historical Maker

I use a combination of these two locations in my story as the capturing and selling of women and children plays a part in Mingo’s past. In fact, it haunts him. The excerpt below is a scene in which Mingo recalls this.

To read more about Comancheros, visit the Handbook of Texas Online.

Ransom Canyon, TX

In The Comanchero’s Bride, you take the reader on quite a journey to many locations, including an historic hotel in Denver that I’ve also used as a setting (so I know you did your research, because I did mine *wink*). Each location we move through, you describe in amazing detail. I’m curious about how you choose a location for your stories when you begin a story. Is the location the starting point and inspiration for you? Or does the story lead you to the location? What research tools do you use?

Kaye: For The Comanchero’s Bride, the foundation location was already determined in the song: Laredo, Texas. However, as the plot unfolds, the reader travels the central part of Texas north to south along the ancient Indian trails and across northern New Mexico (territory in 1880), and then north into Colorado to Denver. From El Paso to Denver, I coordinated the year of the story with the availability of the railroad and stage routes. Transportation plays such an important part in my stories, that it sometimes becomes a character of its own. I often adjust the year of a story to accommodate historically accurate train and stagecoach routes.

Hotels often present a stumbling block when it comes to locating the historical information I need to know about them. Whenever possible, though, I include actual historic hotels. This can also create time-frame issues. For instance, the Horace Tabor’s Brown Palace in Denver was a magnificent structure. It was built in 1892. Even taking a bit of literacy license into account, I couldn’t legitimately stretch history to use this hotel in The Comanchero’s Bride, since it takes place in 1880. Oh, how I wanted to, though. It was “the” place to be seen in Denver. The historic hotel I used in the book is (was) the Windsor Hotel. It was the fanciest hotel up to that date in Denver.

I do meticulous cross-referencing dates and events in my determination to get the history correct in my stories. I have many trusted historical reference sites on the Internet, and I also have an extensive personal library of reference materials and books as well as historically accurate maps of the 1800s that show transportation routes, old trails, battle sites, and so on.

I know music is important to you. Can you share with us what performers and songs have inspired you?

Kaye: Yes. Music is important to me, and I have a straightforward answer: Marty Robbins and his gunfighter ballads run deeply through my writing veins. His songs influence my writing so much that if you’re familiar with his gunfighter ballads, then you’ll recognize snippets I scattered throughout The Comanchero’s Bride. I also included a passing reference to Lorne Greene’s song, Ringo. It was my humble way to pay homage to how much I love Marty’s music.

Besides being a writer, you have another role at Prairie Rose Publications. Tell us a bit about that. What is Blog a Book Scene and how did you come up with that idea?

Kaye: My role at Prairie Rose Publications is in a quiet, *mostly* behind-the-scenes support capacity for the authors in the area of promotions and marketing. I also contribute to the upkeep of the website.

Blog-A-Book-Scene came about because I was determined to increase my blogging activity on my website in order to increase my visibility out there in social media land. I had to figure out how to better use my time, though. Blogging is a time-eater, and it wears a person down just coming up with viable (interesting) blogging topics. It occurred to me that I could recycle words I’ve already written in my published and works-in-progress and thereby accomplish several things at once. The details developed from there. Once I had it figured out, I shared this with the Prairie Rose Publications’ and Imprints’ authors.  

For those of you who haven’t come across the Prairie Rose Publications’ Blog-A-Book-Scene, and you want to know more, drop me an email, and I’ll get you going. [ kayespencer @ live.com – remove the spaces ]

What does a typical day look like for you? Do you have a designated time set aside for writing or do you work whenever the muse summons you? Have you ever had writer’s block?

Kaye: I’m retired, so I’m loosey-goosey about any sort of routine. Late evenings into the night are my most productive time for writing. I’ve not had writer’s block, but I have experienced prolonged periods of lack of interest (or mental energy) in writing. These times have occurred around a death in my family or some other difficult, mentally and emotionally, event.

I believe that even when an author isn’t actively sitting at their desk, tapping away on the keyboard, there are still times you’re writing in your head. There’s a link between walking and creativity, for instance. Do you have other activities or hobbies you find support your writing?

Kaye: I’ve always been a voracious, but persnickety reader—mostly historical fiction, nonfiction, and what are now deemed as classics. I cut my eye teeth, as the saying goes, on Louis L’Amour’s westerns and, like Marty Robbins’ gunfighter ballads, those western stories are deeply ingrained in my creative processes.

As for working through scenes…driving is my go-to activity. Where I live is a long way from everywhere, so I have a lot of opportunity for windshield time. I’ve solved many plot holes or dead ends in a story while on these long drives.

Hobbies? Other than reading and spending time with grand-kids and walking my dogs, writing takes up most of my time. I do, however, collect petrified wood. I also dabble in wine—not as a collector—but reading about, and I enjoying drinking a wide variety from ice wine to champagne and every type in between. I also play the harmonica—old folk songs and cowboy songs. Sadly, the heyday of singing around the campfire with harmonica accompaniment is long past. My grandchildren aren’t familiar with those old traditional songs, so I play for my own amusement and entertainment.

Kaye's Petrified Wood Collection
EXCERPT – The Comanchero’s Bride by Kaye Spencer


Mingo stared into the gray light of the minutes before sunrise. Isabel reined in beside him.

“What is it? Why have you stopped?” He didn’t answer.

“Mingo?”

“Tell me.” He continued to look ahead of them. “What do you see? What do you feel?”

She turned in her saddle, looking all around. “Well, I see scattered patches of bare dirt and grass through what’s left of the snow. It looks much like what we’ve already crossed—sometimes flat, sometimes hilly. Now, with more light, the shadows look like dark, bottomless pits. But I don’t feel anything. What is this place?”

“All night, we followed along Yellow House Canyon. When the light is just right, there are yellow dirt cliffs in the canyon that, from a certain distance, give the illusion of a town.” He made a wide, sweeping gesture. “And though you cannot see it, Buffalo Springs is near. It is a good place to rest for its water and grass, but it is a place we must avoid in case someone is watching.”

“But we’re low on water. Is there another source we can use?”

“Over the ridge and down the slope.” Mingo stared straight ahead, his thoughts taking him to a dark place in his mind he didn’t like to visit. “Cañón del Rescate,” he whispered.

Isabel sucked in a startled breath. “We talked of it the night of the fiesta.” “It is right in front of us and yet, even after all these years, I cannot bring myself to ride into that canyon. There is still much heartache here. The sorrow weighs heavy on my shoulders.” Memories of what he’d seen still woke him at night. Desperate mothers sobbing, screaming, and pleading as their children were torn from their arms. Images of the little ones, terrified, helpless and hopeless in their plight, others staring through lifeless eyes where they lay in the dirt, casualties of wanton killing.

“It is always with me.”

Isabel placed a hand on his arm. “Tell me, please.”

“It was many, many years ago. I was here with two compadres. We had cattle and horses to trade. Many guns and ammunition, and whiskey. We were young and without a care, and with no consideration to the lives of others. It was the first time—my only time—to come here. I considered myself an important man, but I was only a boy.” His laugh was a harsh, self-deprecating sound to his ears. “I soon learned what it was to be a man.”

Details he’d banished returned now. “I had heard of the women and children, but I could not believe it. Then, when I saw for myself that it was true— what some Comancheros were really trading…demanding ransoms for…” His words faded. He exhaled on a ragged breath. “It was terrible to choose. There were so many, and I could do so little. So very little.”

Memories took tangible form, and the captives emerged before his eyes. He saw them—the women and children stolen from their ranch houses or seized from enemy tribes of the Comanche, and the men and boys to be sold for slave labor in Mexico where they would die in the mines, worked to death and replaced with others who would succumb to the same fate. And all of them pleading for release, begging for their lives.

Except for one.

The Comanchero's Bride is also available now in the collection Under a Western Sky
Available at Amazon

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Book Review: The Innocents by C. A. Asbrey

The Innocents - Mystery Series book 1
(and thank goodness there’s more coming!!)


Blurb:
Pinkerton Detective Abigail MacKay is a master of disguises—and of new crime-solving technology! But she’ll have to move fast to stay a step ahead of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy.

Nat and Jake are the ringleaders of The Innocents, a western gang that specializes in holding up trains carrying payrolls—and Nat is pretty savvy when it comes to using the new sciences of 1868 in committing his crimes.

Charismatic Nat and handsome Jake are on the run, and they’ve always gotten away before—before Abi. But when Abi is caught by another band of outlaws during the chase, there’s no other choice for Nat and Jake but to save her life. Abi owes them, and she agrees to help them bring in the murderer of a family friend.

The web of criminal activity grows more entangled with each passing day, but Nat, Jake, and Abi are united in their efforts to find the murderer. Once that happens, all bets are off, and Abi will be turning Nat and Jake over to the law. But can she do it? She finds herself falling for Nat, but is that growing attraction real? Or is he just using her to learn more about the Pinkertons’ methods? Abi always gets her man—but she may have met her match in her “best enemies”—THE INNOCENTS.

My review:

If you're looking for a mystery to twist your mind, awesome dialogue that makes you legit laugh out loud, and characters to fall in love with… Look no further!!

The Innocents, the debut novel by C. A. Asbrey, fully delivers!

From the first page I was immediately captured and drawn deep into the story. My curiosity on who and what and how and when ensured that I remained tightly intrigued and invested. As it were, having to close the pages and be present in real life was difficult to accomplish. So... it didn't happen often. Ha! And even after the last page was complete I was diving back in to re-experience some of my favorite scenes.

Abi is quite the leading lady, with her wits, her strength, her passion, and her vulnerability. I'm not afraid to admit that I want to adopt some of the same tricks and traits that make her her. Especially that hair pin...

Nat. (happy sigh) Nat’s sense of honor, compassion, and humor endeared him to me. And whoever said being smart isn’t sexy? They haven’t encountered Nat. The way that man adored and pursued the challenge of being around Abi and taking on what he did had me melting… even through the few rough moments. He sure knows how to use his mind and turn up the charm and… never mind. If I say too much more I'll ruin it. Just trust me.

Jake. The muscle. Haha. Oh, Jake! His claim to loyalty, family, and his soft under the gruff scary exterior won my heart over. He had his own unique charm about him that made him the perfect partner to Nat, and one of the most adored characters in the story.

I loved how the words flowed off the page, weaving the world around me and bringing all the characters to life. I was laughing as much as I was sifting through all the clues to determine what was happening and who was going to do what next.

The Innocents is a delightfully unique story that will appeal to all readers. Whether you love a western or a mystery, with just a dash of heat thrown in, this will most definitely satisfy.

I was delighted to discover that it’s the first book in a series and that Abi, Nat, and Jake’s story is not over yet. I am most anxious to get the next book in my hands to see what journey C. A. Asbrey takes me (and you!) on next!

What are you waiting for?  Grab your copy here!

     

Thursday, April 19, 2018

New Release -- The Innocents (The Innocents Mystery Series Book 1) by C.A. Asbrey @prairierosepubs #historicalmystery

Pinkerton Detective Abigail MacKay is a master of disguises—and of new crime-solving technology! But she’ll have to move fast to stay a step ahead of Nat Quinn and Jake Conroy. 

Nat and Jake are the ringleaders of The Innocents, a western gang that specializes in holding up trains carrying payrolls—and Nat is pretty savvy when it comes to using the new sciences of 1868 in committing his crimes.

Charismatic Nat and handsome Jake are on the run, and they’ve always gotten away before—before Abi. But when Abi is caught by another band of outlaws during the chase, there’s no other choice for Nat and Jake but to save her life. Abi owes them, and she agrees to help them bring in the murderer of a family friend. 

The web of criminal activity grows more entangled with each passing day, but Nat, Jake, and Abi are united in their efforts to find the murderer. Once that happens, all bets are off, and Abi will be turning Nat and Jake over to the law. But can she do it? She finds herself falling for Nat, but is that growing attraction real? Or is he just using her to learn more about the Pinkertons’ methods? Abi always gets her man—but she may have met her match in her “best enemies”—THE INNOCENTS.

EXCERPT


     “So, you want to pretend you’re a Pinkerton? As a female?” His eyes darkened. “I’ve questioned one before, although he didn’t know who I was. They’re trained real well on being both sides of interrogations. You don’t want to do this. Not as a woman. He had a real hard time. You’ll have it even harder.” 
     She sat staring ahead once more, her face impassive and stony.
     “You’ve nothing to say?”
     Her eyes flashed. “Beating the hell out of me won’t change anything but my view of you.”
     Nat reached out and entwined a hard fist in her hair and dragged her backward until the chair balanced on the back legs. He brought his face close to hers, his hot breath burning into her cheek.  “Think harder, lady. This isn’t a game. Who are you?”
     Abigail felt the dragging pain at the back of her head as shards of pain lanced across her scalp. He held her, balanced between his painful grip and a clattering fall to the floor but her stubborn nature wouldn’t let her acquiesce.
     “Others will come after you, no matter what you do to me.” She darted her eyes to meet his, unable to move her pinioned head. “I won’t be the last.”

          

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Let's Discuss the Blind Spot





Last month I wrote about breaking the Fourth Wall—that moment when the author does something that takes you out of the story—and making it impossible for readers to continue to suspend disbelief and enjoy the story.


For me, it was the moment when the author has the heroine assess her features in a mirror as a way of describing her to us.

That led to a discussion about another common trope: the heroine who doesn't realize she’s attractive.

I’ve been thinking about this way too much these past few weeks, but the more I’ve considered it, the more concerned I’ve become. 

Why is it our heroines are so blind to their own looks when I would lay bets that most of us are quite realistic in our assessment of our attractiveness even if we’d never admit it out loud?

Worse, in my readings, the woman who not only knows that she’s attractive, but is comfortable with her looks is usually the jaded mistress-slash-villainess.

So why do we do this?

Worse, what message are we sending to our readers?

So many women, even highly successful ones, struggle with their looks, feeling like they never look as they should. You have to be attractive enough to gain male interest, but not so attractive that other women would be jealous of you. And only a certain type of woman uses her looks to get what she wants (free drinks) or needs (her flat tire changed). 

In trying to make our heroines reflective of our common struggles, have we gone too far in reinforcing another impossible standard that women have to navigate daily?



Keena Kincaid writes historical romances in which passion, magic and treachery collide to create unforgettable stories. Her medieval heroines don’t always know how pretty they are—but that’s because they don’t always have mirrors. If you want to know more about her as an author, visit her Facebook page or her Amazon page.






Monday, April 16, 2018

Lock'em Up- SONORA'S TUOLUMNE COUNTY JAIL by Zina Abbott


Sonora, like so many other gold mining towns in California, found the lure of gold brought hoodlums along with the gold miners to a predominately male population that for the most part disregarded the social controls they had learned at home. It lead to overwhelming law enforcement problems. In 1850 alone, Tuolumne County, with Sonora as its principle community, dealt with 30 murders. Twelve took place within one week.
1866 Downtown Sonora, California
The need of a jail in this largely lawless land became apparent. However, housing was at a premium. The first means of securing prisoners was to chain them to a large oak tree.  Next, the inhabitants constructed a 20' X 50' log building.  Due to the number of escapes from this building, it was deemed not secure enough for a jail.

Bradford Street, Sonora - near Sonora Creek and Jail 
In early 1853, the county purchased a building on the north bank of Sonora Creek. This served as its jail until 1857 when the public demanded something be done to prevent frequent escapes and provide healthier quarters for prisoners.  As a result of the 1856 Grand Jury report, the Board of Supervisors purchased two city lots on which to build a county jail.  B. Stout's bid for $13,300 was accepted and the work began.  Completed in 1857, the final cost of the jail was $20,186.
Jail cell-ctsy Tuolumne Co. Historical Soc.
Inside Jail-ctsy Tuolumne Co. Historical Soc.

On December 20, 1865, the newly built jail was destroyed by a fire set by a prisoner.  Using salvaged material, the present structure was rebuilt by J. D. Patterson for $8,400.  On September 19, 1866, the displaced prisoners were transferred to the new jail by Sheriff Bourland.

The Tuolumne County jail was used continuously from 1857 to 1961.

Side of old Tuolumne County Jail-ctsy of Tuolumne Co. Historical Society
The jail is also an example of city and county cooperation to avoid duplication of public services.  The two cell blocks, one of which was divided into two parts, allowed for the incarceration of women and juveniles and also city prisoners as the occasion arose.  This flexibility accommodated all types of prisoners in a single facility with a minimum of supervisory staff.  This supervision included the sheriff and sometimes his deputy, and later, a jailer.
 
Criss-crossed Iron Bars used on cell doors and windows- 
Courtesy of Tuolumne County Historical Society
The jail walls were constructed using two thicknesses of red brick.  All of the doors and windows had iron bars and shutters to provide security and air.  From the old Western movies, we think of jail cells having bars. However, typical of jails of the time, the Tuolumne jail had doors and windows with criss-crossed iron strips. The brick walls were set on a foundation of well laid schist rock.

The jail yard, which served as the prisoners' exercise yard, was enclosed by a high brick wall. Family quarters were an important part of the jail. The sheriff and his family lived in a building attached to the jail. Often the sheriff's wife was contracted to provide meals for the inmates. Also, she acted at the matron for female prisoners.


By 1960, the old jail was obsolete and a new jail was constructed one block to the north.  Shortly after use was discontinued, the building became the Tuolumne County Museum.   Used for its original purpose and limited in the number of its alterations for so long, the museum building remains a good example of the jails built to house prisoners during the county's first hundred years. 
Current Tuolumne County Historical Society in old Tuolumne County Jail 
The majority of the information for this post was taken from the Tuolumne Historical Society's website. For more information on the jail in Sonora, California, please visit their site at this link:   https://www.tchistory.org/TCHISTORY/Jail_Print.htm


Anyone who has not yet read my Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series which takes place just on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountains from Columbia and Sonora, you may enjoy my first two books in the Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series. You may find the first book in the series, Big Meadow Valentine, by CLICKING HERE.

The second book, A Resurrected Heart, is about the April resurrection day in the gold mining town of Lundy, but it has nothing to do with Easter. You may find this book by CLICKING HERE.

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Book Review: Beneath a Horse-Thief Moon by Elizabeth Clements *NEW RELEASE*


Beneath a Horse-Thief Moon by Elizabeth Clements is the first in the Prairie Moon Trilogy.  Check it out!!

39349379

Blurb:

U.S. Marshal Chase Reynolds is on a mission—to track down an escaped train robber, even if it takes him into the wilds of Canada! Hot on the outlaw’s trail, he follows him into the Canadian West—and encounters more than he bargained for when he’s taken prisoner by a beautiful woman.

Sara Cranston is trying to hold on to her ranch that a band of outlaws is determined to steal from her. A woman alone, she’s “easy pickin’s”—and this ruthless crew is after more than the ranch—there’s a legend of buried gold hidden somewhere on her land.

Sara and Chase have a shared past—one that is full of lies and secrets…and love. Seventeen years have gone by, and the passion is still there between them—but will deceit and mistrust keep them from the happiness they both crave?

Chase has a duty to bring in the outlaws, but now he must work fast to do it before they murder the woman he loves. Can he convince her the future is still theirs for the taking if they only survive to enjoy it? Anything can happen BENEATH A HORSE-THIEF MOON…

My review:

Anything worth having is worth fighting for -- and oh my goodness, did Chase have a fight on his hands to win his Sara and claim their hea!! But it was one that had amazing rewards and was so desperately needed for both of them.

I was immediately hooked once I started this book and I didn't want to have to put it down! This story delivered on all the emotions - laughter and swooning, sorrow and triumph. And getting to watch that connection between Sara and Chase as it sizzled and sparked....sometimes hot, sometimes cold, but always undeniable, so totally worth it!

I loved Chase's heart and stubbornness. He was the perfect compliment to Sara. He made me laugh and happy sigh over and over again.

I loved Sara's heart and strength. She held things together and refused to be beaten down. Her heart was so filled with love that despite the way she struggled with expressing it, it was a thing of beauty.

I needed a moment to catch my breath after experiencing Chase and Sara's journey to their happily ever after. This is definitely one story that will stick with me and has a place on my favorites shelf.

~~~~~~

And I'm not the only one who loves it! 

I loved this heartwarming adventure from talented debut author Elizabeth Clements.
—Jacquie Rogers, author of the Hearts of Owyhee series

Get it here:


Thursday, April 12, 2018

New Release -- Beneath a Horse-Thief Moon (Prairie Moon Trilogy) by Elizabeth Clements @prairierosepubs #westernromance

U.S. Marshal Chase Reynolds is on a mission—to track down an escaped train robber, even if it takes him into the wilds of Canada! Hot on the outlaw’s trail, he follows him into the Canadian West—and encounters more than he bargained for when he’s taken prisoner by a beautiful woman.

Sara Cranston is trying to hold on to her ranch that a band of outlaws is determined to steal from her. A woman alone, she’s “easy pickin’s”—and this ruthless crew is after more than the ranch—there’s a legend of buried gold hidden somewhere on her land.

Sara and Chase have a shared past—one that is full of lies and secrets…and love. Seventeen years have gone by, and the passion is still there between them—but will deceit and mistrust keep them from the happiness they both crave?

Chase has a duty to bring in the outlaws, but now he must work fast to do it before they murder the woman he loves. Can he convince her the future is still theirs for the taking if they only survive to enjoy it? Anything can happen BENEATH A HORSE-THIEF MOON…

I loved this heartwarming adventure from talented debut author Elizabeth Clements.
—Jacquie Rogers, author of the Hearts of Owyhee series

EXCERPT

Whistling Blaze over, Chase pulled rawhide strips from his saddlebag and hobbled the outlaw. There wasn't much he could do about the man's wounds except clean them with water from his canteen. Folding his handkerchief over the bloody stumps, he bound them with the man's bandana.
“I'd just as soon see you bleed to death,” Chase muttered to the unconscious man. “One less outlaw. But dead men tell no tales. And I want to hear all about your rustling partners.”
Murmuring to calm the skittish tethered horse, Chase slung the outlaw across the saddle and tied him down with a rope. He did the same with the dead man, although neither was a featherweight. His shoulder throbbed and burned like hell. Blood trickled inside his sleeve.
“Hold it right there,” a familiar voice growled behind him.
Damn, I'm getting old if a woman gets the drop on me twice in one night.


    

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Why is Friday the 13th unlucky? by Kaye Spencer #PrairieRosePubs @PrairieRosePubs #superstions #Fridaythe13th


Friday the 13th — A date for the superstitious to keep a low profile.

According to that model of excellence in accuracy, Wikipedia, Friday the 13th occurs at least once a year, and can occur up to three times in one year. For 2018, the dates are April 13th and July 13th. Also, according the Wikipedia article, there are many origin stories for the superstition surrounding Friday the 13th.

It appears that, historically, there is ‘…evidence of both Friday and the number 13 being considered unlucky, [but] there is no record of the two items being referred to as especially unlucky in conjunction before the 19th century”*. This article also states that an estimated 21 million people in the U.S. are seriously affected by this day and they are unable to go about their normal activities.  Businesses, particularly airlines, report millions of dollars in lost revenue on any given Friday the 13th.

While Friday the 13th is a superstition, it is not a worldwide superstition. Other days of the week are associated with the number 13 in different cultures.

Apparently, the origins of the superstitions surrounding Fridays and the number 13 are found in the ancient world. Here are a few of the more interesting examples from an article on the website National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily – April 12, 2004**:

  • In a Norse myth, 12 gods had a dinner party at Valhalla. In walked the unlucky number 13 guest: Loki. Loki wreaked havoc by “…arranging for the blink god of darkness, Hoder, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow… Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day…From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding”.
  • Biblical reference to 13 as unlucky in that Judas was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. There are numerous other biblical references.
  • Ancient Rome’s superstitions for the number 13 involve the belief that witches gathered in twelves and the thirteenth was the devil.
  • Numerology: There is a negative association with the number 13. As 12 is considered a complete number (12 months in a year, 12 signs in the zodiac, 12 gods on Olympus, 12 labors of Hercules, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus), 13 is considered ‘a little beyond completeness…restless and squirmy’.
  • High rise buildings often skip the 13th floor.
  • Airports will avoid having a 13th gate.
  • Hospitals and hotels tend not to have a room marked 13.
  • In some countries/cities, if a house address should be 13, it will be designated 12½.
Two older literary sources regarding Friday and/or the number 13 as unlucky are:
  • Chaucer wrote of Friday being an unlucky day to undertake a journey or to begin a new project in the Canterbury Tales*.
  • Thomas W. Lawson's 1907 novel Friday, the Thirteenth in which “…an unscrupulous broker takes advantage of the superstition to create a Wall Street panic on a Friday the 13th”*.
The origin story that I find the most intriguing is the persecution of the monastic military order the Knights Templar. In 1307, King Philip IV of France in collusion with Rome and the Pope ordered the arrest of hundreds of members of the Knights Templar, which resulted in their ultimate demise, so to speak. Here is an oh-so-painfully brief and white-washed summary:

As the Crusades came to an end, the Templars had gained wealth and power. King Philip, as head of an impoverished kingdom, and in collusion with the Pope in Rome, not only viewed the Templars with suspicion of their intentions to gain even more European power, they viewed their wealth as a ‘get out of debt card’. So, ‘evidence’ of Templar heresy toward the church popped up and, in an amazing feat of clandestine planning and orchestration, King Philip and the Pope had hundreds of Templars simultaneously arrested in diverse locations. They were charged with all manner of heresy, blasphemy, and sacrilegious offenses, none of which were ever proven. All of the accusations were fabricated and confessions were gained under duress and torture. Nonetheless, the Templars’ assets were seized in a masterful move fueled by  jealousy of their wealth and fear of their power.

The date was Friday, October 13, 1307.



So, if you’re worried about staying safe from the unluckiness of the upcoming Friday the 13th in two days, here are ways people throughout the ages have protected themselves:

  • Wake up on the right side of the bed
  • Sleep facing south
  • Carry an acorn in your pocket
  • Avoid black cats


  • Wear your clothes inside out
  • Pick up a penny (heads up or tails up)
  • Don’t walk under a ladder
  • Make a wish on a wishbone
  • Don’t open an umbrella indoors

  • Don’t step on cracks in the sidewalk
  • Throw salt over your left shoulder
  • Stand on your head and eat a piece of gristle
  • Sprinkle salt in the corners of rooms and underneath windowsills
  • Burn sage in your house


  • Climb to the top of a mountain or skyscraper and burn all the socks you own that have holes in them
  • Light a white candle in a white dish with a cup of water nearby – candle burns, negative energy is absorbed into the water
  • Wear red
  • Carry a rabbit’s foot (obviously not so lucky for the poor rabbit)
  • Knock on wood (doesn’t bring good luck, but keeps bad luck away)
  • Hang up a horseshoe (ends pointing up) – iron, not aluminum – iron counters all evil and keeps harm away


And the number one safety precaution to take on Friday the 13th is NOT to break a mirror, because the broken mirror represents the broken soul, and a mirror is said to reflect a person’s soul. Hence, your soul, which is now in pieces, will bring you seven years of bad luck and misery in its desire for vengeance for breaking it into pieces.


Do you have Friday the 13th superstitions or favorites you’ve heard of? Share them…if you dare.



Until next time,

Kaye Spencer
Writing through history one romance upon a time

Website/Blog- https://www.kayespencer.com
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Images from Morguefile.com:
Clover: Michelle Bulgaria
Horseshoe: Seeman
Cat: lisaleo
Mirror: Dee

Knights Templar image:
Public Domain: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Knights-templar.jpg


References:
-NPR: https://www.npr.org/tags/136274257/friday-the-13th
-The Criminal Element website:
https://www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2013/09/friday-the-13th-evolution-of-a-thirteenth-superstition-history-myth-literature-deborah-lacy
-*Friday the 13th: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th
-**National Geographic News: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0212_040212_friday13.html
-*Knights Templar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Knights_Templar

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Creativity (An 8-Part Series): Part IV - Forbearance

By Kristy McCaffrey

Don't miss
Part I   - Imagination
Part II  - Domestication vs. Wildness
Part III - Shape-Shifting


Forbearance is the act of patience, restraint, and tolerance. To forbear is to endure. Another interpretation is to refrain from a harsh judgment. In the Old Testament, one translation of forbear is to keep silent or to be still.


How does this relate to creativity?


There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1



Creation can’t be rushed. It must unfold in its own time. It’s the difference between ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians.’ When a creative endeavor has been given the proper time to percolate, a depth and authenticity will emerge that will be undeniable. If rushed, the project will only be a toe-dip in the soul-creating cauldron. The result will be a pale façade, a shallow rendering, and one that is easily consumed and digested, leaving no lasting fullness.



How long is long enough? Only you can know this. However, understanding the need for forbearance can ease the stress of thinking I must get this done NOW. For the painter, the writer, or the filmmaker, this time should be spent learning the fundamentals. Then, when the BIG story comes, or the BIG canvas, the skills will be in place to filter the highest quality of work.


In today’s world, there’s a need to rush. We’re all guilty of it. We release a work, an idea, before it’s reached fruition. Learning forbearance is a crucial skill if we hope to fully develop our talents, and even more importantly, to understand the way our process unfolds, for this is as individual as the person.


Don’t miss Part V in the Creativity series: Maiden/Mother/Crone

Until next time…


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