Mules to the rescue by Jan Scarbrough

What do I know about mules? 

• In Kentucky in the early 40’s, my father, a band director, marched with his band in a Mule Day Parade. You had to watch your step! (or so I was told)
• New Orleans carriage drivers use mules instead of horses.
• The Kentucky State Fair, where the fancy horses show in the World’s Grand Championship, always has a show for mules. They look like draft horses with big ears.

What is a mule?

I found the answer in the trusty Wikipedia:

The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two possible first-generation hybrids between them, the mule is easier to obtain and more common than the hinny, which is the offspring of a male horse (a stallion) and a female donkey (a jenny).

 

A mule has 63 chromosomes, intermediate between the 64 of the horse and the 62 of the donkey. Mules are usually infertile for this reason.

Why would you want a mule?

From A-Z Animals:

Mules are extremely sturdy and tough and can carry very heavy loads and pull a wagon or cart. Their shorter stature and stocky build are suited to long treks on narrow or uneven ground. Combined with a steady and easygoing temperament, mules can travel up steep inclines, mountain heights, and through the water with little difficulty.

 

Why this sudden interest in mules?

Many of you know about Hurricane Helene. From CNN, “Hurricane Helene laid waste to the southeastern United States. Its sheer wind force and deadly floods left behind a path of destruction stretching over 500 miles from Florida to the Southern Appalachians.”

 

As I write this blog, the death toll climbs. Eastern mountain states are devastated, and clean-up will take years. The light in this tragedy is neighbor helping neighbor. One such volunteer group is the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch. I found their story on Facebook. Using a team of mules, these guys are taking needed supplies to isolated parts of the mountains.

 

I thought I’d share, because sometimes in modern society, the old tried and true ways are better.

New Release! Battered Pride

The most-requested novel in the Forging America series is finally here!  Help me celebrate the release of BATTERED PRIDE!

Passion knows no prejudice.

Eva McCabe may have been raised in the genteel tea rooms of North Carolina, but she isn’t one to surrender. Even after finding her husband’s scalped and mutilated body in the field of their Oregon Territory land grant, she refuses to leave. But tenacity won’t be enough. If she can’t meet the grant’s conditions of cultivation, she’ll forfeit her independence and all 640 acres.

Hatchoq is a man of mixed blood and clashing heritage. His father’s people tolerate him, and his mother’s people want him dead. When he kills a rogue member of his clan to save a white, he’s doomed to wander brutal lands alone.

Hatchoq camps on Eva’s land and secretly lends the struggling widow some aid. Once his presence is discovered, Eva is torn between bitterness and need. Reluctantly, they work side by side, farming her land and navigating a burning attraction neither one wants. Love grows as stubborn walls of hurt and anger crumble, but can it survive? If Hatchoq stays, he must deny his Mojave identity or risk both their lives.

Battered Pride released earlier than expected.

You can grab a copy of this enemies-to-lovers romance now! 

Currently available in paperback & e-book on Amazon.

Also in Kindle Unlimited.

Add Battered Pride to your list on Goodreads.

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Infectious Reading

Aiming for Truth

I recently read an interesting article by the ever-interesting novelist Neil Gaiman about the importance of reading. Often, I see posts on Facebook and other places wherein people fret about the younger generations not appreciating reading and preferring to play video games. This fretting flies in the face of huge sales of Harry Potter books and many other adventure novels aimed at children and teens.

I'm of a mind that there will always be avid readers, just as surely as there will always be those who can't bring themselves to read more than a caption under a photograph or instructions on how to play a new game.

Gaiman quotes Rebecca Solnit, who asserted that "a book is a heart that beats in the chest of another." That's so very true, and it's why many people not only enjoy books, but also films, TV, and video games. A book, however, gives you a wholly different journey because, when done well, it allows you to know someone else's mind, feelings, and experiences. You don't just "watch." You live and breathe with a character or characters.

As Gaiman puts it, "books are the way we communicate with the dead. The way that we learn lessons from those who are no longer with us, that humanity has built on itself, progressed, made knowledge incremental rather than something that has to be relearned, over and over. Fiction is the lie that tells the truth..."

He cautioned against preaching and writing what you wouldn't be that interested in reading. Difficult tasks. That might surprise some, but writers know it's true. The need to "preach" hinders us all. We have beliefs and truths we want to present in every novel, but if we hammer home these "lessons," we risk alienating our readers. Likewise, every writer has written "fluff" to fill out a book. Fluff is usually scenes that go on too long and serve no real purpose other than to add pages, relating information the writer has recently learned and feels compelled to share even it's boring to others, or fascinating facts that end up stopping the book's narrative. To strike out paragraphs and whole pages takes courage, but it's necessary. Like cutting out a cancerous growth.

Lessons or ideas should be sprinkled in, rather than poured into book pages. Otherwise, you will over-season and ruin your original, good recipe for a well-told tale.

In my novel. SOLITARY HORSEMAN, I dealt with three "lessons." With so many, it was a delicate mission to keep them under rein so they didn't trample my story. Throughout, I had to remind myself why we read -- to immerse ourselves in another place, time, and body, so that we emerge different than when we entered that fictive world. Also, and this is no small thing, to entertain and delight. When I write, I craft scenes that I hope will compel readers to keep turning the pages, but also to elicit smiles, frowns, and maybe even a giggle or longing sigh. This happens when readers "become" the characters; when they forget where they are and what they're doing and take breath for breath with the character in the book.

I recall when I read THE STAND by Stephen King. In it, a deadly disease was killing off most of the population and symptoms started off with people coughing. I had been reading the book during my break at work. When I went back to work, a co-worker walked past me and coughed. My heart froze and my gaze snapped to the person as a sickly fear slithered through my mind with the thought, He's infected! Of course, in the next instant I was back in my own world and laughing at myself even as I marveled at Mr. King's ability to wrap me up so tightly in his fictive world.

That, my friends, is talent. And that is also why we read. 

Cowboys, Romance, and Spooky Tales

 

By Kristy McCaffrey

It’s October, which means sweaters, hot drinks, and getting cozy with a good book!

If you’re in the mood for cowboys, romance, and stories with a chill, then I’ve got TWO for you, and both are on sale in eBook for the entire month.

The Crow Brothers Collection is perfect for the Halloween season. Three Old West short novellas set during Hallowtide with medium spice romances.

The Crow and The Coyote
Among the red-rock canyons of the Navajo, bounty hunter Jack Boggs—known as The Crow—aids Hannah Dobbin in a quest to save her pa's soul during Hallowtide.

The Crow and The Bear
When no one will help Jennie Livingstone enter a haunted ravine to find her papa, she must accept the aid of enigmatic bounty hunter Callum Boggs, sometimes called The Crow. 

A Murder of Crows
Eliza McCulloch is determined to reclaim her family book of spells, and her only hope is Kester Boggs, a manhunter named The Crow.

Grab a copy here

Into The Land Of Shadows, is a full-length western romance that blends humor, a high-stakes romance, a protective wolf named Bart, and the exorcism of an evil spirit. Yes, I went there lol. This is a standalone book and includes one of my favorite scenes I’ve written. Keep reading for a sample!

The eBook of Into The Land Of Shadows is at a reduced price of $2.99 for October.

Rancher Ethan Barstow is weary of the years-long estrangement from his brother, Charley. Deciding to track him down is easy; riding in the company of Kate Kinsella, Charley’s supposed fiancée, proves to be anything but.

In this first-kiss scene from Into The Land Of Shadows, Ethan Barstow and Kate Kinsella have been fighting an attraction as they team up to find Ethan’s brother, Charlie, who’s disappeared. Charlie happens to be Kate’s “fake” fiancé, and while she has her reasons for not telling Ethan the truth, it puts Ethan in a dilemma regarding his feelings for her.

As this scene unfolds, Kate has escaped her captors—three bumbling ruffians who are using Kate to lure Charlie and his potential copper mining location into the open. There’s no question in Ethan’s mind that he would rescue her.

Setting is Tuba City, Arizona Territory, 1893.

Kate moved around a trading post but sensing a presence from behind, she jerked her head around and stared. A four-legged creature ran past, disappearing.

With a hand on her chest, she struggled to calm her breathing. It was just a dog.

She peeked around the building and saw Clive walking down the street carrying his gun. Rufus wasn’t in sight. She needed to find a place to hide but most establishments looked closed.

Movement to the left caught her eye. Joe Tohonnie? Maybe she hadn’t dreamt him after all.

The shadow moved across the street and disappeared behind a blacksmith building. Kate ran to the other side of the street, hunching over to hide herself. Once she made it to the blacksmith, she glanced around.

“Joe?” she whispered. “Mister Tohonnie? Is that you?” 

No answer but the wind. Kate began backing up toward the rear of the building, dread gripping her stomach. She swallowed hard, feeling uncertain. Staying close to the structure, her heart wouldn’t stop pounding and her hands were clammy from fear. She swallowed hard again then turned to run but was caught short, letting out an involuntary gasp when the four-legged creature cut her off with a growl.

The animal’s yellow eyes glowed by the light of the moon and he watched her with rapt attention, his body poised for attack.

A wolf.

Another low growl emanated from deep in the animal’s throat and Kate fought the urge to flee. The wolf’s head easily came to her chest; he would have no trouble chasing her down and ripping her to pieces. The gash on her face would pale in comparison to what he would do to her.

A commotion from behind startled her. Someone grabbed her, and in a frenzy Kate fought back, kicking and straining against the iron grip the man exerted around her waist. His hold loosened and Kate fell to the ground. She grabbed a loose board, and screamed as she swung it around, hitting the man’s leg. But he didn’t go down. She scooted backward and scrambled to her feet. The man grabbed her this time, facing her. Thinking it was Clive or Rufus, she continued to struggle.

“Katie! Katie! It’s me. It’s Ethan.” He held her tight against the building. A sob escaped from deep inside her throat, a maelstrom that matched the wind roaring in her ears, and then Ethan’s mouth was on hers.

Hot, insistent, devouring. She molded into him, her lips and tongue hungry for the sudden and consuming contact. She pushed her body against his, clinging to his broad shoulders, desperate to be closer still.

He didn’t abandon me.

His mouth crushed hers and she felt on fire, head to toe.

“Rufus, you find her?” Clive yelled in the distance.

Ethan broke the kiss, and Kate reeled back against the building. “Let’s go,” he said and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind the blacksmith building.

“Wait.” She tugged his hand to stop him. “There’s a wolf.” Her voice shook—either from the men chasing her, the wolf challenging her, or the man who had just devastated her defenses with one kiss. She could take her pick. She’d had a busy day.

“He’s with me,” Ethan said quietly.

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A & W – A Restaurant With History

Whiskey, coffee and sarsaparilla—three drinks every cowboy craves.

A few months back, Sandra Cox, one of Cowboy Kisses very own authors, wrote a great post on the history of sarsaparilla. While it doesn't replicate sarsaparilla exactly, the modern day version of this spicy, fizzy drink is root beer, and I am a big fan!

My favorite root beer is Barq’s. The tagline on their commercials is 'Barq’s has bite' and boy, is it true! Of the three popular root beers on the market - Barq’s, Mug, and A &W - Barq’s is the only one that has caffeine. I confess to being a daily drinker of soda and for a long time my drink of choice was Barq’s.

During Covid, along with a shortage of masks and toilet paper, came a shortage of Barq’s root beer, which forced me to mourn and change my ways, drinking whatever was available in dire times. There was never a happier day when production ramped back up and I was able to get my old favorite once again.

But I digress. The real focus of this article is not Barq’s nor even root beer in general, but the restaurant that grew out of the beloved drink—A & W.

According to a 2020 blog post on their website, there are more than 900 A & W restaurants worldwide. 460 of those are in the U.S. spread across 35 states.

A & W populates central California fairly heavily but of the handful that exist in Southern California – I am lucky to say one of them happens to be near my home. My kids and I pass it all the time. Just seeing the orange and brown sign gives me an endorphin kick, somehow jettisoning me back to childhood when stopping for a soda was a real treat. 

In present day, it’s the thought of cheese curds (put on the menu in 2003) with marinara sauce that has me swinging the wheel, accelerating my car into the parking lot, and squealing up to the drive through board. I’m exaggerating. No squealing haha. Just anticipation.

Fast food is always a pull when you’re on the road with kids, but fast food and root beer? A no brainer. If only the root beer budget was bigger. So the last time I forced myself to drive past the restaurant without stopping I began to wonder about the history of the quaint little chain. What I dug up was pretty interesting.

Over 100 years old, A & W dates back to June 20, 1919 when Roy W. Allen set up a roadside root beer stand at a WWI veterans parade in Lodi, CA. A few years later, He and acquaintance Frank Wright partnered together, opening a second stand which they quickly released to other operators so they could grow the business. A from Allen and W from Wright, became the name of their delicious little business—A&W. A few more years went by before Allen began to sell franchises. This established A&W as the first franchise restaurant chain in the U.S.

By 1950 there were 450 of the restaurants and Allen sold the whole shebang to a California company named A&W Root Beer Co.

Canada was home to the first restaurant that took A&W to international status. With outlets in the Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, and other locations throughout Southeast Asia A&W has grown by leaps and bounds with more restaurants slated to open every year.

In addition to being the first franchise restaurant in the U.S., A&W also lays claim to being the first chain restaurant to sell a bacon cheeseburger. The first! Can you believe it? What restaurant nowadays doesn’t sell a bacon cheeseburger?

In 1971 the drink became available in both bottles and cans. Cans are my personal favorite because in my opinion cans keep the drink colder and fizzier than the bottled version - not that I will turn down a bottle mind you.

Rooty the Great Root Bear became the restaurant's mascot in 1971 and still sits outside many establishments today on a barrel of root beer. 

If you’re lucky enough to have an A&W near you, or you can hunt one down the next time you hit the road on vacation, you’ll have your choice of burgers, chicken, hot dogs, sides, and sweet treats.

Which brings us to the tasty conclusion: Root beer floats. Who doesn’t love the smooth, creamy vanilla flavor and spicy fizz of root beer frothing over a giant scoop of ice cream? My kids and I made some at the house just last week, but that did not stop me from ordering one at the restaurant when I swung in to take pictures for this post. Haha.

Long story short, times and names have changed. History has given way to modernity and Sarsaparilla has segued into root beer, but the next time you get a hankering to live the cowboy life or to taste a bit of Americana, jump in your car and program your GPS for the nearest A&W restaurant. Order a float, take a picture with Rooty the Bear, and please, for the love of all things tasty, eat a cheese curd for me.

To see some fun pictures through the years and for more A&W facts visit awrestaurants.com and read their blog.

Until next time, friends. 

Cali Black

Visit Cali Black’s website @ Authorcaliblack.com

Follow Cali on Facebook and Instagram @authorcaliblack

Check out Cali Black’s books

Sweet With Faith The Blue Sky Series

Sweet With Sizzle The Fake Series

Sweet With Grit – All That Glitters – Free with newsletter signup

Coming Soon: Sweet Christmas - Christmas In The Cascades – releasing October 25, 2024

Easy Pumpkin Recipes ~ Julie Lence

 Fall is in the air! Actually, at my house, fall has been in the air for a few weeks. It’s such a short season (or it feels that way to me) that I begin decorating right after Labor Day, regardless of the temperature outside. I set out my scarecrows, autumn scented candles, and pumpkins. And when I’m done, I have a taste for something pumpkin-y and visit the bakery for whatever I can find. This is easier for me, because hubby and kiddo aren’t fans of everything pumpkin. If you and your family are, check out these easy pumpkin recipes below. They’re sure to satisfy everyone’s cravings.

 

Pumpkin Dip:

Ingredients:

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened 

¾ cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

To soften the cream cheese, plate it on a plate and microwave for 5 seconds on High power. (Alternatively, allow the block of cream cheese to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.)

Place the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract in a food processor (or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer). Blend until fully combined, stopping and scraping with a spatula as needed.

Serve with apple or pear slices, pretzels, vanilla wafers, graham crackers

Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving. Stores refrigerated for up to 1 week.

https://www.acouplecooks.com/pumpkin-dip/

 

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

¾ cup canned pumpkin puree

2 large eggs, beaten

½ cup flavorless oil

⅓ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350, and spray a 9x5" bread loaf pan with cooking spray. Ensure a rack is in the center position of the oven.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.

Make a hole in the center of the mixture, and add all remaining ingredients: pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and vanilla.

Stir everything together very well, but try not to over-mix.

Scrape the batter into the pan, and place in the oven. Bake for 60 minutes, and then test the center of the bread for wetness with a long toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done. If not, add another 5 minutes of baking time and test again.

Ensure the bread is fully done before you remove it from the oven or it will sink as it cools.

*** Walnuts or chocolate chips can be added

https://www.dessertfortwo.com/easy-pumpkin-bread/

 

Pumpkin Bread Pudding:

Ingredients (For the bread pudding)

1 pound loaf sourdough or artisan bread (12 cups bread chunks)

5 eggs

2 cups whole milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

½ tablespoon vanilla extract

1 ½ tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

1 pinch salt

Ingredients for the Bourbon Sauce:

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup whole milk

¼ cup salted butter

2 tablespoons bourbon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter or grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch squares. Place it in the baking dish and place in the preheating oven for 5 to 10 minutes until lightly dried but not browned.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the milk, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Pour it over the bread in the pan and mix it with your hands until fully coated.

Place in the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until it is puffed and golden and you can no longer see standing liquid. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

***Make ahead: This recipe is great made ahead: make it day of and allow to sit at room temperature until serving, or make it 1 day in advance and refrigerate. If you’d like, you can crisp up the top by reheating it in a 350 degree oven until warmed.

Directions for the Bourbon Sauce:

Prior to serving, in a small saucepan, whisk together all bourbon sauce ingredients over medium heat. When it starts to simmer, simmer lightly bubbling for 3 minutes, maintaining the heat at medium to medium low so that it doesn’t bubble heavily. Once it turns golden brown at about 3 minutes, taste and make sure the flavor is caramelly with a hint of bourbon (the bite of the bourbon should be cooked out). Remove from the heat and strain it into a pitcher. Makes ¾ cup; make up to 3 days in advance, refrigerate, and warm over medium heat before serving. 

https://www.acouplecooks.com/pumpkin-bread-pudding/

 

 

 

Marrying the Mechanic

 

There are certain things I particularly enjoy writing about, like cowboys, small towns, and weddings. 

When you add in a royal wedding? Yeah, that's a whole lot of fun!

So how do cowboys, small towns, weddings, and royals go together? 

Well, a princess lives in the small town of Summer Creek, which is filled with cowboys, ranchers, and farmers. Her brother, the prince, comes and sweeps a local girl off her feet. And the girl's brother just happens to be the hero in my upcoming release!

Although Summer Creek is a fictional town, I think it would be so fun to visit! 

Ethel, a loony goat, is the town mascot. She might be seen wandering around Summer Creek with a child's rain boot on one leg, or wearing a hat. 

The town has plenty of quirky characters, but it's a place where they all feel at home. 

I'm excited to share about the latest release in this series.

The book will release October 24!

A heartwarming journey of love, growth, and the bonds that tie hearts together even when life leads down unexpected paths.

Mechanic Jace Easton grapples with the sudden changes happening around him. His younger sister, Tassie, has always relied on him, but now she’s off traipsing around the globe with the prince of her dreams. As Tassie prepares to step into her future, Jace is confronted with the harsh truth that she has matured, and so has her best friend, Deena. The deepening attraction he feels for Deena—a pull that becomes increasingly difficult to ignore—leaves him further unsettled and struggling to accept his new reality.

Deena Durant may earn her living welding farm equipment, but her true passion lies in crafting metal sculptures. Alongside her artistic dreams, she clings to the hope that Jace might eventually see her as more than his sister’s friend. Until then, she conceals her feelings and does her best to encourage him as everything familiar shifts into unchartered territory.

When Jace and Deena work together to help Tassie’s dreams come true, will they discover their own path to true love?

Marrying the Mechanic is a celebration of unexpected love, personal growth, and the power of relationships in a wholesome, small-town romance.

One thing that was especially fun about this story was having our heroine be a talented welder. She's strong and tough, and determined. I don't think our hunky hero mechanic stood a chance!

Order your copy today!

After spending her formative years on a farm in Eastern Oregon, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield turns her rural experiences into sweet historical and contemporary romances filled with hope, humor, and hunky heroes.

When this award-winning author isn’t writing or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:

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