The Stories We Share ~ D. K. Deters

 I’m a Western historical romance author. Another title might be wordsmith, storyteller, or wordslinger.

As a child, I thought my dad was the best storyteller ever. Dad was a towering figure at six foot three, wore a black Stetson, and had one of those voices that reminded me of a trail-tough cowboy. His stories also influenced why I write about the Old West today.

Like many kids, I grew up with the allure of the Old West through Westerns on television. The majority were reruns, but that didn’t sway our enthusiasm. These tales of frontier life brought our family together for a few hours every week.

My folks hailed from southeastern Kansas, where we lived for several years. Dad’s stories often included the Dalton Gang, the Benders, and the James Gang, making the Old West part of our family history.

What kind of stories? Well, my favorite is about my great-grandfather. He was born in 1860.

One day, when he was ten (or so), he was instructed to go down by the road and wait for a neighbor to bring the mail. While he waited, he passed the time playing with a deck of cards. It wasn’t long before a cowboy rode up and inquired what my great-grandfather was doing. As he explained, the stranger dismounted and asked if he might play cards, too. After a while, the fellow mounted up, but before he left, my great-grandfather asked him his name.

 The stranger stared back. “You can tell your friends you played cards with Jesse James.”

 Was he the outlaw Jesse James?

I suppose my great-grandfather could have made up the story and passed it down to his children. My dad may have just wanted to see my eyes get big. But I like to believe that Jesse James needed to stretch his legs and might have missed his children.

Can I prove it? Uh, no, but I always keep that simple story in mind when I’m writing.

It’s fun to picture this curious boy playing with bent cards that amounted to half a deck. I can see the ruts in the road from heavy wagons pulled by strong horses past corn fields and hedge post fences. It’s easy to imagine the disbelief crossing the kid’s suntanned face as the stranger galloped away.

This story prompts my imagination and transports me, if only for a fleeting moment, to that dusty road where I witness the card game between my great-grandfather and the infamous Jesse James.

Perhaps this narrative will inspire you to pen some of your relatives’ stories. The stories might seem mundane after hearing them for the umpteenth time, but your grandkids will love them!

Character Interview with Chip Colucci ~ Julie Lence

 

Last month, I sat down for a chat with Bailey Bennett from The Singer Ropes A Cowboy. This month, I’m chatting with her hero, Chip Colucci. A Belmont Park stable hand turned ranch hand on his way to becoming a veterinarian, I’m meeting up with Chip at a coffee shop across from Ringo’s Casino.

Good afternoon, Chip. Thank you for meeting with me today. Tell my readers a little about yourself.

“Afternoon”, he responds, removing his hat and setting it on the seat beside him. Before he can say anything else, the waitress appears to take our drink orders. He orders a coffee and I’m having an iced tea.

“There’s not much to tell. I grew up in Queens, New York. My family still lives in the same neighborhood, except for my older brother. He lives in Brooklyn. Pops busted his leg last year, but thanks to Bailey and the therapist she hired, he’s getting around much better. His old foreman might even let him back on the job site. 

And your mother? I ask.

“She went back to her job at the bank.” He pauses as the waitress sets down our drinks. “Thank you.” He stirs a bit of milk into his drink. “Mom still cooks big meals. She has to. My brother, Dominic, eats enough for two people. Maybe even three.”       

Tell me about Bailey. What did you think the 1^st time you met her? She’s prettier in person than in the pictures in the gossip magazines. People at the track leave them lying around. I look”. He shrugs.  

What was your 2^nd thought? In the getup she was wearing, she really didn’t belong in a barn. But then, she’s Bailey Bennett, country music’s sweetheart. She does whatever she wants, without thought for someone else. Sam as the she-devils at the club. He scowls. Least the debutantes never shunned Pops, like Bailey did. Hated the disappointment on his face when her goons turned him away from meeting her.    

Sounds like she wasn’t your favorite person.

“At that time, she wasn’t. But now…” A grand smile lights up his features. “She’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”    

What do you like most about Bailey?  She’s sweet, thoughtful, caring. She adores her family, including her brothers, even though they shun her.  She has a twin, Barbie. Those two are thick-as-thieves. And she loves me. Goes outta her way every day to prove it, not that I’m blind and can’t see.  

How would you describe Bailey? She’s smart when it comes to her career, and ruthless. Some say she’s snotty and demanding, but she doesn’t have time to carry on a conversation with everyone she meets. She’s loyal to her fans, tries her best to keep them happy, and she guards her feelings. Most won’t notice when something’s digging at her, but Barbie does. So do I.     

How would Bailey describe you? Tall, sometimes moody, someone who has a soft spot for animals and wants to help them any way he can. Someone who puts his family before himself. Someone who loves her and would do anything for her. The  man she can always depend upon and trust to never hurt her.     

How do you relax? Bailey has a suite at the family’s casino in Reno. She and I sneak away from her singing and my ranching duties as often as we can to enjoy a quiet night listening to music or watching a movie on the television. We did spend the new year in Italy. Maybe one day we can go back.  

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Married to Bailey, living in our own home on her family’s ranch. Maybe a kid or two. Definitely working in my own veterinary clinic and watching her sing on stage every chance I get. Did I tell you she has the sweetest voice… Pride shines in his eyes.

Thank you for chatting with me, Chip. My readers thank you, too, and know to pick up a copy or The Singer Ropes A Cowboy to learn more about you and Bailey.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1J88PH

      

Sarah and the Horses of WWI

 

I have a new book releasing May 22. It takes place during and immediately following World War I. 

This story grabbed onto my heart and didn't let go even after I finished writing it. 

Part of the reason was due research the animals who were killed during the war. Approximately eight million horses and mules died in World War I. My brain doesn’t even want to wrap around that number.

World War I required hundreds of thousands of horses and mules to pull and pack artillery, supplies, communications, medical supplies and ambulances, and engineering services, as well as to carry the cavalry. When the war began in 1914, Europe did not have enough equines to support massive armies. France, England, and Germany looked to other nations to shore up their numbers of horses, mules, and donkeys.

British and French purchasing agents and their staff came to North America in search of horses. They selected animals based on size, breed, and type from specific regions, shipping them mainly from Newport News, Virginia, and Montreal, Canada. Ships were modified with stalls and fodder storage. By the fall of 1917, more than half a million American horses and mules had been sent to Europe for service.

When the United States entered the war in 1917, a single American Army division required approximately 7,700 horses. The AEF struggled to field adequate equine power in France. Between the U-boat threats, the urgent demand for soldiers and the supplies that had to go along with them, insufficient remounts, and an equine epidemic that came in 1917, it was hard to keep up with the demand. More than 1,000 horses were cut from divisional allotments with plans to cut an additional 2,800 more by motorizing divisional artillery regiments. To supplement the number of American horses, many wild horses were rounded up from southeastern Oregon, Nevada, and northeastern California.

One article reported an estimate of 500 American horses being shipped every day and a half in the last months of the war.

The animals faced the same hardships and challenges as the troops: miserable conditions, poor food, injuries, and poisonous gas. Because there weren’t enough ships available to haul everything the Americans needed, when a choice was made between supplies for humans or animals, the humans won, of course. But it meant that there were animals that starved to death. Animals that needed medical treatment didn’t receive it due to lack of equipment, staff, or animal hospitals.

The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established in June 1916 with the National Defense Act. At the beginning of World War I, there were approximately 70 veterinary officers and no enlisted men. As the war progressed, the numbers grew to 2,312 officers and 16,391 enlisted personnel. In August 1918, the American Veterinary Corps officers assumed key AEF staff and command posts in the Quartermaster Corps, combat divisions, and corps. However, there was a decided lack of American animal hospitals, veterinarians, and needed supplies.

Even before the war ended, efforts were underway to commemorate the sacrifices of the animals lost during the war. Today, there are monuments to the service of the horses, mules, and donkeys of World War I to honor the critical role they played in the success of the Allies.

I chose a Kiger Mustang for the hero in my story to bond with because the horse is unique to southeastern Oregon, and Keegan would have reminded him of home. On a fun side note, a Kiger mustang stallion named Spirit was the inspiration for the DreamWorks film “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.”

Keegan is a combination of several horses I read about that were incredibly brave and courageous during the war, like Warrior, a thoroughbred owned by British General Jack Seely. Warrior became one of the most famous horses from World War I.

If you have plenty of tissues on hand and don’t mind a heart-wrenching story, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse is a gripping and emotional movie about one horse’s journey through World War I and the young man who loves him.

Sarah releases May 22, but you can pre-order your copy today.

She desires his heart. 
He longs for her love.
Can they find common ground when he returns forever altered by the war.

In a world turned upside down by World War I, all Sarah Richards desires is to love Brett Rawlings and build a future together. After graduating high school a year early, she’s ready to dive into her dreams of college and a home filled with laughter and love. But one impulsive decision threatens all her aspirations—as well as her relationship with Brett.

As the war rages on and men head off to fight, sixteen-year-old Brett reluctantly follows his twin brother, Ben, sneaking off to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. As the months pass, Ben thrives amidst the chaos of battle, while Brett finds himself haunted by the girl he left behind and the uncertainty of his own heart. When Ben reveals a life-altering secret, the bond between the brothers is shattered, forcing Brett to grapple with betrayal as he faces the brutal realities of war.

Brett returns home a changed man, burdened with memories too heavy to bear, yet yearning to mend the fractures of the past. Will Sarah still be waiting for him, or have time and truth forged an unbridgeable chasm between them?

Find out in this heartfelt historical romance that weaves a tale of hope, grace, forgiveness, and sweet, enduring love.

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes.

When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West.

Arbuckle Mountains

By Kristy McCaffrey

The Arbuckle Mountains, located in the southern part of Oklahoma, are the oldest known formations in the United States between the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains. They were named for General Matthew Arbuckle (1778-1851), based on a nearby Fort Arbuckle that had been christened in his honor.

The mountains were part of the Chickasaw Nation within the Indian Territory until 1907 when the Twin Territories (Indian and Oklahoma) were combined under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Federal government to form the state of Oklahoma. Prior to that, the Chickasaw Nation had governed itself.

Arbuckle Mountains

There is a major lake in the region, Lake Arbuckle, as well as the Washita River. The Arbuckles are an important mining region for limestone and dolomite, although early settlers were mainly subsistence farmers and ranchers.

Arbuckle Mountains

In my upcoming release THE SWAN, the setting is Conleyville, a fictitious town in the Chickasaw Nation at the base of the Arbuckle Mountains.

Pre-Order THE SWAN

Amazon | Apple Books | Nook | Google Play

(it will also be available at Kobo and in paperback on release day)

Oklahoma Territory
November 1899 

Dr. Anna Ryan has been spurned by the Dallas medical community for the simple reason of being a woman. Wanting more than a rural practice alongside her mother, also a doctor, Anna accepts an invitation from a mentor to join a private hospital for disabled children in Oklahoma City. But when she falls in with a band of women attempting to liberate a town of innocents, she’ll need more than her medical training to survive.

Malcolm Hardy has skirted the line between lawlessness and justice since escaping the mean streak of his father and his no-good half-siblings a decade ago. In Oklahoma Territory he created enough distance from his family name to find a quiet purpose to his days. But then Anna Ryan walks back into his life, and his hard-won peace is in jeopardy.

The last time Malcolm saw Anna, she had been a determined girl he couldn’t help but admire. Now she was a compelling woman who needed his help to find The Swan, a mysterious figure with a questionable reputation. But one thing was clear—Anna’s life path was on a trajectory for the remarkable while Malcolm’s was not. Surrendering to temptation would only end in heartbreak.

Anna is the eldest daughter of Logan and Claire from THE DOVE. 

The Wings of the West Series Reading Order
Book One: The Wren
Book Two: The Dove
Book Three: The Sparrow
Book Four: The Blackbird
Book Five: The Bluebird
Book Six: The Songbird (Novella)
Book Seven: Echo of the Plains (Short Story)
Book Eight: The Starling
Book Nine: The Canary
Book Ten: The Nighthawk
Book Eleven: The Swan (Coming Soon) 

Connect with Kristy

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What Makes It Western?

 Exactly how western does something have to be in order to be considered western? For those who like to read and write historical westerns I think the answer to this question is straightforward. In order for a book to be considered a historical western both the setting and the time period are important. Westward migration in the late 1800’s for example, is one of the most popular configurations. For contemporary authors and readers, though, the answer gets a bit murkier.

Let's start with locale. Most of us know where the West isn't. It isn't on the East Coast or in the South or in the Midwest, but beyond that people's opinions may begin to differ. In order to say you're reading or writing a western where does the boundary begin? At the mighty Mississipp? The famous river slashes the United States from Minnesota to Louisiana partitioning it into an eastern third and a western two thirds. We've all heard the references about something being the biggest or the best thing West of the Mississippi. The giant body of water is a simple and well-known marker for many, but is a story set in Iowa really considered the West?

For some readers and writers, I would dare to say a true western story takes place even farther West than that. Maybe not until one leaves Central time for Mountain time on the edge of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico has one arrived “out West.” This is probably the demarcation line that fits best in my own brain, however, I then immediately have to confess my inclusion of Texas and Oklahoma in my roundup of western states and how can this be? Texas and Oklahoma are clearly in the South lol.

Well this leads us to the second criteria for considering something as western. Lifestyle. Horses, cattle, wide open spaces like ranches and undeveloped land, as well as employment that is in some way related to the land, all signal a western flair. Where there are horses, there are hats, cowboy boots, and jeans—items that have widely become considered standard western wear. Food preferences tend toward beef since it is plentiful as well as other hearty, stick-to-the-ribs meals ideal for people who work hard outdoors and spend long hours in all types of weather. It's true many of these mentions hearken back to historical times, but in a contemporary western story perhaps those ties to the past are in and of themselves a qualifying feature.

Location, lifestyle, and ties to the past, then, could be called indicators of the western genre, but I would even go one step further to include values. In my opinion a western story embodies values such as love of family, loyalty, faith, hard work, good stewardship, neighborliness, and grit. Does anyone notice these things flowing straight out of our western past? Pioneering, hardship, dependence on land and animals, remote settings, and big dreams for a good life fuel the stories of the West—even the contemporary ones.

For me, blending modern language and conveniences with the other appealing elements of the Western genre provide fodder for enough stories to keep me writing for the next century when we’ll all have to start talking about space cowboys.

I confess to stretching the boundaries of what some may consider western in my books, such as setting it in California, or including politics in the mix, but the truth is, I will never stray far because while I never owned a horse or a cow, growing up in a small town where my predecessors farmed for a living, my heart is bound to the importance of it all as well as to the romance. There are so many stories to discover, so many dirt roads to walk down, so many streams to wade across, and an abundance of lives to live via the people on the pages.

Have you read one of my contemporary western romances yet? I invite you and encourage you to do so—especially if you are primarily a historical reader. Check them out. Look for the hallmarks mentioned above. Are there enough of them present for you to feel like you are reading a western?

The Blue Sky Series is Sweet With Faith and follows the Wests, a Montana ranching family.

The Fake Series is Sweet With Sizzle (chemistry, not spice) and follows The Connor siblings and their search for love in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

All That Glitters is a Sweet With Grit Celebrity Stand-alone that tackles harassment and SA in the country music industry.

And The Target is book one in my new Bodyguard Series, a Sweet With Suspense tale about a country music singer who needs protection from a stalker.

The above list of western specific elements is by no means exhaustive. I'm curious what you need to read or write into a book in order to feel it deserves the label of western. Drop a comment below and weigh in.

What is it about Westerns people love?

What is it about Westerns that people love? I believe it’s the simplicity of life, the quietness of that era, the rawness, the freedom, and the grit. Westerns portray a picture of what life might have been like long ago after our ancestors first came to America and settled. It was a time when there was no gray, only black and white, and our heroes would fight to their death, if needed, for what they believed in. A time when you could find land, settle down on it, and build your life around it—a home, farm, ranch, family. Many admire a cowboy's way of life: riding the ranges, never staying at the same place for long, traveling from ranch to ranch for work, sleeping outside under the stars, eating what you caught or shot, and cooking over an open campfire. Can you imagine striking the mother load in California? Or what about a gunslinger fast at the draw? Risky, but the confidence they must have had. Being a bounty hunter could be interesting work, but it is also a risky lifestyle. What about a lawman like Matt Dillon in “Gunsmoke” or Wyatt Earp after he turned from his outlaw way of life? A schoolteacher in a tiny one-room building in the middle of nowhere instructing children of all ages and backgrounds would have been fulfilling but also hard work in the Wild West. What about A preacher or nun spreading the good word? Helping to build the Great Northern Railroad across the vast wilderness might have been interesting work. A bartender, barmaid, or a lady of the night in the red-light district? It’s a tough way to make a buck and stay alive to talk about it. Own a business like a mercantile, hotel, saloon, dress shop, blacksmith, or manage the bank or post office. What about A rancher or farmer? Hard but fulfilling work. The options for employment were not like they were now in the 20th century, but they could find honest work if they wanted to. Many preferred the other route, where the “bad guys” came in—the bandits, thieves, cutthroats, and cowboys. Yes, the Cowboys were not always known as the good guys in history. I grew up watching Western sitcoms and movies in the 1960s and 1970s, and now, many years later, they are still my favorites to watch and read. I especially like them if they have a good romance tied to the story, like John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara in McClintock. I also prefer stories that have strong family ties, like Bonanza, 1883, and 1823. The stories are usually simple in context, and it is easy to figure out who the “good guys” are versus the “villains.” And who does not like to root for their favorite heroes? The scenery in most Western movies is breathtaking, and we long to be there riding horses, with the wind rushing through our hair as we race with wild mustangs across long grassy hills. The water is so clear we can drink straight from the river. The sky is so vast and clear you can see for miles, and the sunsets are so gorgeous with reds, yellows, and purples that you long to sit in the back of a hay-filled wagon and share kisses with your favorite cowboy as the sun goes behind the mountains. Many people like Western movies and books because of the history of the wild frontier. They love to learn about the past and the strong people who lived, loved, bled, conquered, and died building our great country.

In the last few years, Westerns have made a massive comeback. Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, and Deadwood greatly impacted the revival. Do you agree? What is your favorite Western movie or book? Why do you love Westerns? Thanks for reading, my friends! Take care.

Tequila, second favorite drink of the Old West

 Cowboys usually asked for whiskey when they bellied up to the bar, but tequila came in a close second. It became popular after the 1840's, especially in the South West area.

 Last summer, the Berthoud Conservation Gardens had a special plant blooming, the Parry's Agave.      

Each flowering plant has a giant stalk up to 20 feet tall, with 20 to 30 side branches. Each side branch produces hundreds of flowers.                                
Often called century plants, agaves live many years before flowering, after which they sadly die. This succulent (not really a cacti) has been a source of human food and beverage for at least 9,000 years. 

When an agave’s central bud is removed, the cavity fills with fluid. This nutritious juice is called aguamiel (honey water). When aguamiel is allowed to ferment it becomes an alcoholic beverage called pulque. The Aztecs fermented pulque from 1000 B.C. to 200 A.D.. 

                             
When pulque is distilled it becomes mescal. But while all tequilas are technically mezcals, but not all mezcals are tequilas. Tequila is a high quality mescal produced only from the blue agave plant and grown only in limited regions of Mexico.  

Sugars concentrate in the core of an agave just before flowering. If the leaves are trimmed away, the core can be baked or roasted. Native Americans of many Southwestern tribes pit-roasted agaves in an elaborate process that took three or four days of cooking!

Chunks of roasted agave were chewed and the tough fibers discarded. Roasted agave could also be pounded into cakes and dried for later use.

Agave leaves have strong fibers good for many uses. Sisal fiber derived from Agave sisalana is grown worldwide and used for inexpensive twine, rope, paper, fabric, filters, mattresses, and carpets.

*************************************************

Around 1936, in Tijuana, an Irishman called Madden, was known around the area for his Tequila Daisy. Though Madden admitted that the creation of the drink was a lucky mistake, it’s become one of the most celebrated in the U.S. (margarita in Spanish means daisy).

In 1974 the Mexican government declared the term tequila, intellectual property. This made it necessary for tequila to be made and aged in certain areas of Mexico, and it also made it illegal for other countries to produce or sell their own “tequila. 

"Hey, Waiter. What's that worm doing in my drink? And please don't say the backstroke."

 In the 1950's, when a mezcal maker discovered a moth larvae in a batch of his liquor, he decided the stowaway improved its taste. Since then, he started adding “worms” to all his bottles as a marketing strategy. The larva is usually either a red worm or a maguey worm. The red worm is typically considered tastier.

            This weekend, why not treat yourself to a Sunrise

            or Margarita and get lost in a good western story!  

           

 My Stories: 

Western Romance: Break Heart Canyon * Undercover Outlaw * Cowboys, Cattle and Cutthroats * A Cowboy’s Fate*Special Delivery. 

Contemporary Romantic Thriller: Fatal Recall

Medieval Romance: The Dragon and The Rose * Iron Heart        *Promise Me Christmas. 

Victorian Romance: Lady Gallant * Victorian Dream 

Fantasy: The Fae Warriors Trilogy: Solace * Bliss * Portence 

Blog   www.ginirifkin.blogspot.com

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