BOOK BIRTHDAY: Isabella’s Calico Groom
New Release Today! (7-10-18)
Read the full first chapter of Isabella’s Calico Groom (within Calico Ball: Timeless Western Collection)
New Release: Gunsmoke and Gingham
Today is A Book Birthday for brand-new release The Gunsmith’s Bride. This article contains not just the opening scene but the first TWO CHAPTERS. Come on in and meet my characters: the gunsmiths–George and Morgan Hudson (father and son), and the brides–Zylphyia and Elizabeth (mother and daughter).
The Gunsmith’s Bride originally appeared in the bundle: GUNSMOKE & GINGHAM, containing five brand-new novellas by FIVE USA Today Bestselling, Amazon Bestselling, and Award-winning Authors. While this bundle is no longer for sale, individual titles can be found where each author’s books are sold.
What Did Pioneers Use for Quilt Batt?
Quilt-making was an important part of “women’s work” in the 19th century (as well as before and after). My ancestors’ journals tell of a ransom demanded for the return of their little boy, kidnapped by the Black Hawk Indians in central Utah–including five quilts. The family got by with husk-filled bedding until Mother could gather enough wool from the barbed-wire fences to make batting for another quilt. She wasn’t alone in this frugal (and apparently necessary) practice.
TODAY is Release Day! PLEASANCE’S FIRST LOVE is here! It’s #6 in the acclaimed Grandma’s Wedding Quilts Series.
Pleasance’s Flying Geese
As each book in Grandma’s Wedding Quilts series has its own quilt pattern, I share some historic tidbits about the meaning behind the Flying Geese quilt blocks. Pleasance’s quilt, Flying Geese, to her 10-year-old mind wasn’t fancy enough, but by the time she marries and better understands the value of Grandma Mary’s gift to her, the significance of this quilt pattern (and her grandmother’s work) means a good deal to her. I share quotes from the book, beginning and end, with Pleasance’s attitudes about her very plain quilt pattern.
Note to Readers: Courting Miss Cartwright
When Courting Miss Cartwright was published within the Western Historical Romance anthology, Cowboys & Calico, I didn’t include the “Dear Reader” letter, but it appears in the newly available stand-alone title (Courting Miss Cartwright). I share the brief note inside this article, in case you read the anthology, because I’d love to share a bit about why the Yiddish words and phrases, more about the quotes at the beginning of chapters, and how this title connects to two of my series.
