Spanning Half of a Century by Zina Abbott

As I prepared to focus on my year-end reviews of my 2024 books, I realized my stories had covered a wide span of years. Only seven this year—I planned on the time off in the summer to heal from my full knee replacement surgery—yet I realized what I wrote required quite a bit of research in order to keep them true to the decades and locations in which they took place.

I did not write my books in chronological order. My book with the earliest calendar setting—1855-1858—was Wyatt’s New Bride. My book with the latest calendar setting—1896-1898—was Phoebe. Here are the book timeframe/calendar settings in chronological order:

Between 1850 and 1869, except for very short spurs of rails in Kansas as the Kansas Pacific Railway began to build its line starting in Kansas City, Kansas, there were no transcontinental rail lines between the Mississippi or Missouri Rivers and the Pacific states. All long distance travel was accomplished by steamship, steamboat, carriage, covered wagons (or other wagons), carriages, or horseback/mule teams.

Wyatt in Wyatt’s New Bride (1855-58) probably covered the longest distance when he traveled by steamship, steamboat, and stagecoach from Maine to Sonora, California. It is interesting that Tuolumne County attracted many gold prospectors from Maine and other New England states. When he sent for a bride, she traveled by riverboat, covered wagon, and local freight wagon from Michigan to Sonora, California. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

Lucy and her Aunt Caroline plus the other characters in Lucy (1863-1865) traveled by covered wagon from Lawrence, Kansas, to a foothill community between Placerville and Sly Park, California. The Genoa, Utah Territory, characters who met them in Atchison, Kansas, (Oregon and California Trail travelers stopped using Independence and St. Joseph, Missouri, at that time due to the Civil War) traveled east from Carson City by Stagecoach on the Overland and Central Overland Trails. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

In A Surprise for Christmas (1864-1867), what was left of the North Carolina household of Analia’s family traveled by carriage and steamboat to her aunt’s house in Baltimore, Maryland. A couple of years later, train travel was available as far as Topeka, which was in east Kansas, where Analia met the husband she married by proxy. That was just about the limit of where the Kansas Pacific Railway tracks reached at that time. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 Starting after the end of the American Civil War, the effort to expand railroad service between the Missouri River west to California began in earnest. That was when the West opened up to many. Since men were the first to head to the West—some to escape the Civil War, some seeking opportunity, or both—the issue of their being a far greater proportion of men to women continued. The number of women who made arrangements to travel to the West seeking husbands and families increased. Although it still had its drawbacks, rail service made travel much quicker. Since train service did not go everywhere, there still was plenty of stagecoach, covered wagon, and steamboat travel.

 

In Florence’s Good Deed (1877), Florence travels from West Virginia to Wisconsin to meet her groom she met through letters, only to end up traveling back after he rejects her. In Columbus, she meets Ash, who was bound for New York. He had traveled by steamboat from Fort Benton, Montana Territory, before taking the train from St. Joseph, Missouri. They continue on the train together to allow Florence to perform what could be a dangerous good deed. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICKHERE

Jocelyn’s Wedding Dilemma starts with a prologue in 1877 and ends in 1886. However, the bulk of the story takes place in 1881. She travels by buggy while still living in Columbus, Ohio. When she leaves to meet her groom, she travels by train. Too back her mother is following close behind. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

Lisbeth in Lemon Cookies by Lisbeth (1883-1884) is not a mail-order bride romance. Her father’s job with the Denver & Rio Grande Railway resulted in the family moving to Cleora, Colorado. However, my hero, Roy Hobart, is also an employee of the same railway—much of the time working track, then later part of the section crew based out of Gunnison, Colorado. He travels between his job and visits to his family—his cousin in Lisbeth’s brother-in-law. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

In the 1890s up until the end of the century, many of the travel conditions of the previous four decades still provided the means of transportation. However, there was a new development—the invention of the automobile.

In Phoebe (1896-1898), her love interest, Graham, embraces the future of the automobile to the point he is anxious to position himself to help finance the development of the oil industry in Oklahoma Territory and neighboring Indian Territory. Part of the conflict involves the attitudes of his father and Phoebe’s parents—both parties insisting they prefer to travel by train and in a well-sprung carriage. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

That is my writing year in review as far as place settings, and how my brides and grooms got from here to there, depending on the decade in which they lived. If you do not already receive my newsletter or follow me on BookBub, I would love for you to sign up to do so. Please click on the links below:

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I wish all a very happy and prosperous New Year. Happy 2025!

 

Elk in Colorado

    Elk arrived in northern Colorado around 8,000–10,000 years ago and in southern Colorado around 4,000–5,000 years ago. 

   Elk have two canine teeth, also known as ivories, "eyeteeth," "dog teeth" or even “whistle teeth”. Because they are vestigial tusks, these teeth are made of the same material as tusks on walruses, wild boars, and elephants. As antlers evolved to be larger, the canines receded to shrunken remnants of the ivory weapons once used for defense and fighting during the rut. I am still amazed that they shed these massive sets of antlers, and grow new ones every year. 

Although sometimes called whistlers, the teeth are not involved in the elk's bugling which comes from their vocal chords and nose. 
                      some amazing footage of elk bugling

   The ivory teeth held great significance for some of the High Plains Native American tribes such as the Cheyenne, Lakota, Apsáalooke, Dakota, Kiowa, to name a few. At only two teeth per animal they were a prized commodity. Using the teeth to decorate leather ceremonial dresses indicated status and the prowess of the wife's husband's hunting ability or his wealth for trading. If used in bargaining, 100 ivories would buy you a good horse.

                     

A Lakota legend explains the importance of the teeth: 

"Two elk teeth remain after everything else has crumbled to dust… and for that reason the elk tooth has become an emblem of long life. When a child is born, its parents desire long life for it and for this reason an elk tooth is given to a child."

 We are so fortunate to be able to see great gatherings of these beautiful creatures in Estes Park the town and surrounding area. 

If you do go there, resist the urge to get a selfie or to pet these animals. An adult male can weigh 1200 pounds and they are lightning fast when need be. Besides, they deserve our respect and to be left alone to make their way through the world. 

In my story Trapper's Moon, a Still Moments Magazine Reader's Choice award, I'm sure Kade and his partner Tucket dined gratefully on elk many a time. The heroine, Blind Deer, had survival on her mind, and although she repairs a shirt for Kade, she has no time to sew ivory teeth on her own clothing. 

Blurb: 

    As a free trapper, mountain man Kade McCauley is wary of the Hudson Bay Company. Their form of vengeance against those who are not part of the company can be deadly. When he and his partner are attacked, he fights back, only to discover one of his shots struck an innocent. A woman who touches his soul, and he will do anything to keep her safe. 

   While searching for her Native American tribe, Blind Deer crosses paths with Kade—with near fatal results. Once she is patched up, she decides it is safer to travel with him than alone Their uneasy alliance turns to genuine caring, but Blind Deer's past gets in the way, and she must choose between love or old obligations. 

    But nothing in life is carved in stone except the mountains, and those formidable peaks have been known to change the course of a man's life or a woman's.

Available here

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 

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Celebrating the Christmas Holidays in the Old West by Reggi Allder

Celebrating the Christmas Holidays in the Old West

In North America, Christmas is filled with electric lights, parades, and gifts as ways to celebrate. Of course, we have a big dinner with turkey and the trimmings, pie, cake, and candy canes. Colorful electric lights are hung on our houses and many lights decorate the Christmas trees in our homes. 

 However, in the 1800s, life was simpler and, at times, tougher. Bad weather made it hard to heat a house without gas or electric heating. In the Prairies, blizzards, rain storms, and lightning might force men on the ranches and farms away from their families to care for the livestock and herd cattle to safety, leaving their families to fend for themselves.

Given the harsh conditions, men and women of the day still did what they could to decorate for and celebrate the Christmas Holiday. Natural evergreens, pine cones, and holly berries were used in the home and Mistletoe was too. Strings of cranberries, popcorn, and paper cutouts were often hung on a tree. Handmade gifts were shared which could include corn husk dolls and wooden toys for the children. Hand-knitted items like mittens and socks were for the grownups and children. Dinner would not be what we would expect today. The fare of nuts vegetables, and perhaps wild birds would be shared. Dried berries might be the dessert, and gingerbread men if the family was lucky.

One item that we still use in our homes today is Mistletoe. It is a parasite found in many parts of the world. In North America, it grows in Oak trees. It is poisonous to people and some animals, but birds eat the berries from the plant. If you have it in your home be sure animals and young kids can’t chew on it.

If it is poisonous, why do we kiss under the mistletoe? After doing research, it appears there are several reasons. It starts with the Norse Goddess Frigga, the goddess of love. She demanded that all animals and plants protect her son Balder from harm. But she forgot to tell the Mistletoe. A mistletoe arrow kills her son. As he was the god of goodness and sunlight —we have long winter nights in the north. Frigga declared the plant shouldn’t harm anything ever again, instead, Mistletoe should inspire love.

From then on, anyone standing under mistletoe gets a kiss. In the 1700s, mistletoe hung in the entryway and a young woman caught in the doorway where mistletoe hung had to be kissed. The idea was to help her find a husband by the following Christmas.

Do you have Mistletoe as part of your decorations? To leave a comment, scroll down and click on the word “comments.”

Whatever your tradition, I wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

 🌲DO YOU  NEED A FEEL-GOOD READ TO TAKE YOU AWAY? OR USE FOR A LAST-MINUTE GIFT? 🌲 🎅 HER COUNTRY HEART Sierra Creek Series CHRISTMAS EDITION by Reggi Allder.  ★ 5 stars reviews “If you love cowboys, small towns, second chances, and real-to-life characters, the Sierra Creek books are for you! There are 4 books,” “Perfect when you need a feel-good read. Her Country Heart Christmas Edition by Reggi Allder”

Will Amy have a home for Christmas?

Amy Long needs a forever home. Downsized, she lost her apartment in the city and returned to the small town of Sierra Creek to find a fresh start. However, she's in the way of cowboy Wyatt Cameron’s plans and as executor of her grandmother’s estate, he has the power to send her packing.  What can she do to change his mind?

https://www.amazon.com/ebook/dp/B0758R6SV8

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0758R6SV8

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0758R6SV8

 

#SmallTownRomance, #CountryChristmas, #WesternRomance, #Amazon, #cowboys, #SecondChanceRomance, #AmazonBooks, #RuralRomance, #HeartWarming, #AmazonNovels

 

 Discover what is next for Amy and Wyatt. His Country Heart Sierra Creek Series book 2 by Reggi Allder. https://www.amazon.com/Country-Heart-Sierra-Creek-Book-ebook/dp/B0CL845NJK/

 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Reggi-Allder/e/B00G05PJRS/

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Thanks for stopping by and again Happy Holidays to you and yours!