Christmas Past

by Shanna Hatfield

While I was working on The Christmas Vow , the fourth book in the Hardman Holidays sweet Victorian romance series, I wandered through past Christmases by looking through images of antique Christmas items.

As a huge fan of the Victorian era and Christmas, those hours spent researching were entirely full of bliss for this girl! The story takes place in the 1890s in the eastern Oregon town of Hardman. 

Columbia River Pilot Adam Guthry returns to his hometown of Hardman, Oregon, to pay his last respects after the sudden death of his life-long best friend. Emotions he can’t contain bubble to the surface the moment he sees the girl who shattered his heart eleven years ago.  Widow Tia Devereux escapes her restrictive life in Portland, returning to the home she knew and cherished as a girl in Hardman. She and her four-year-old son, Toby, settle into the small Eastern Oregon community, eager for the holiday season. Unfortunately, the only man she’s ever loved shows up, stirring the embers of a long-dead romance into a blazing flame.  When her former father-in-law, a corrupt judge, decides he wants to raise Toby, Adam may be the only hope she has of keeping her son.

Throw in a cranky cat named Crabby, some well-meaning friends, and a meddling brother... and you've got some real holiday fun.

A few of the items I found in my research ended up in the story, like this fun sleigh with lithographs printed  on the sides. In the story, Adam has the storekeeper fill the open section with nuts.

A big skating party plays an important part in the story.

 While Adam and Tia are having a grand time, Toby and his little friend spend more time falling down than they do upright.

This photo inspired a fun interaction between the children and adults.

Every little boy needs a sled. This one is similar to the sled Toby receives Christmas morning.

The Christmas Vow  will release Nov. 12!

You can pre-order your copy today for only $2.99! http://amzn.to/1KQHhvI

  

Teaser

 “I believe that’s exactly the point.” Adam’s lopsided grin revealed his dimples and made her mouth water for want of his kiss.

Aggravated with herself, Tia aimed her fury at Adam. “The point is your recklessness might get you or someone else horribly injured.” She turned around and strode toward the kitchen door. “I insist you…”

A snowball caught her square in the back. Mouth hanging open in surprise, she spun around and glared at him.

Adam worked to form another snowball, ignoring her scowl.

Incensed, Tia surrendered to the need to stamp her foot. “How dare you!”

“Just like this.” He grinned and lobbed another snowball at her, catching her on the shoulder. Bits of snow sprayed into her face and hair.

“Oh! You are in for it now, Adam Guthry!” Tia bent down and hastily formed a snowball. With unmistakable precision, she threw it at Adam, hitting him on the chin.

He spluttered and returned fire, barely grazing her arm as she twisted away at the last second.

Peals of her laughter filled the quiet December afternoon and drew Toby outside as she and Adam continued to throw snow at each other.

“Mama?” The little boy’s lip quivered. “Did you send me inside so you could play without me?”

    

 

Don't miss out on the Hardman Holidays series!


The  release of The Christmas Vow  is part of a very special event!

The 2nd annual

Cowboys and Christmas

Blog Tour!

Raising funds and awareness for the
  Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund

Ring in the Holidays with a Helping Hand

November 1 through December 24, ten percent of the net proceeds from all Shanna Hatfield book sales will be donated to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period. Every book purchased during this promotional period adds to the donation total. Don't forget to add books to your Christmas lists!   

Also releasing Nov. 12 is Capturing Christmas is the third installment in the sweet holiday western Rodeo Romance series.

Life is hectic on a good day for rodeo stock contractor Kash Kressley. Between dodging flying hooves and babying cranky bulls, he barely has time to sleep. The last thing Kash needs is the entanglement of a sweet romance, especially with a woman as full of fire and sass as the redheaded photographer he rescues at a rodeo.

Determined to capture the best images possible, rodeo photographer Celia McGraw is fearless and feisty. Not one to back down from a challenge, her biggest risk isn’t in her work. Danger lurks in the way her heart responds to one incredibly handsome stock contractor. Will Kash and Celia capture the spirit of the season?

Pre-order your copy today! http://amzn.to/1FC8ZQj

Teaser

Too stunned to reply, Celia gulped and continued staring at him, gradually comprehending she hadn’t been killed.

At least she assumed she hadn’t died, unless angels wore dusty cowboy hats, dark blue chaps, and were breath-stealing handsome.
 

Celia experienced the most unreasonable urge to run her fingers along the stubbly expanse of his cheeks, down his square jaw, and over his strong chin. Mesmerized by his full bottom lip, she inhaled a deep breath and nearly choked.

The very scent of him hinted at a lethal combination of freshly fallen snow, a warm winter fire, and sweet seduction rolled into one incredibly enticing package. 

 

Get all three books in the Rodeo Romance series!

You’re Invited to PARTY!

You’re invited to join in the online Cowboys & Christmas Facebook Party, Thursday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (PST). Drop in anytime during those four hours to enter to win great prizes, chat with guest authors, and more (many of the giveaways will stay open until the following morning)!

Here’s the link to the party: http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasparty2

The talented guest authors joining in the celebration include: 

10 a.m. - Carmen Peone 

10:30 - Kayla Dawn Thomas 

11 a.m. - Melanie D. Snitker, Author 

11:30 - Julie Cerniglia Lence 

Noon - Author CJ Samuels 

12:30 - Rachel Rossano 

1 p.m. - Author Kristin Holt 

1:30 - Dani Harper

Enter to Win Prizes!

To enter the drawing for an Amazon gift card, Wrangler Tote Bag, Rock & Roll Cowgirl T-shirt, autographed books, chocolates, and more fun goodies, fill out this form. Winners will be randomly drawn and announced Nov. 16. http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasprizes2

Where to Find The Books

 

Start the Rodeo Romance Series with The Christmas Cowboy.

Kindle | Amazon
 

 

Travel back to a time of grandeur in the old west

with the Hardman Holidays series.

The Christmas Bargain begins the popular series

and is available free for next week Nov 8-12!

Kindle | Amazon

About Shanna Hatfield

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield is convinced everyone deserves a happy ending and is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with characters that seem incredibly real.

When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

The author is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Romance Writers of America, Sweet Romance Reads, and Pioneer Hearts.

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter

Make sure you sign up for her newsletter to get the latest on new releases and exclusive giveaways!

Newsletter

Columbia River Bar

by Shanna Hatfield


As a writer, it's important to me to get the historical details as accurate as possible in my stories. Due to that fact, I spend a significant amount of time researching information that will help bring my stories and characters to life.

The book I'm working on right now features a hero who is a Columbia River Pilot back in the late 1800s.

I started doing research on what this job would entail and discovered a wealth of interesting details.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Columbia River, it is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It flows northwest and then south into Washington State before it turns west to form most of the border between Washington and Oregon. It empties into the Pacific Ocean.

The river is 1,243 miles long and its drainage basin is roughly the size of France and extends into seven US states as well as a Canadian province. It is the fourth-largest river in the US and has the greatest flow of any North American river draining into the Pacific.

The Columbia Gorge is the route the river follows dividing Oregon and Washington. The gorge is canyon that is up to 4,000 feet deep and stretches for more than 80 miles as the river winds westward through the Cascade mountain range toward the Pacific Ocean. It provides the only navigable water route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia River Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. It holds a protected status as a national scenic area and is a popular recreational destination.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Ships coming inland from the ocean or those traveling down the river trying to reach the ocean face a treacherous area known as the Columbia Bar. The jaws of the mighty Columbia River empty into the ocean at the bar where water gushes more than a million cubic feet per second and smashes head-on with hurricane-force winds creating twenty- to forty-foot swells roaring off the Pacific. Eerily nicknamed the "Graveyard of the Pacific," this stretch of the coast lives up to the moniker.

Since 1792, there have been approximately 2,000 ships sunk in the area and more than 700 deaths.  Water, weather, and geography combine to make the bar deadly. The Columbia River flows through a narrow channel into the Pacific. As the water surges toward the ocean, it slows down, dropping sand and silt. The sand and silt then form a fan-shaped sandbar that extends more than six miles into the ocean, creating underwater speed bumps. The conditions can rip ships to pieces and force swells to sheer off, creating a freefall. Pelting rain and heavy fog add into the dangerous mix.

The bar's weather and waves are notoriously dangerous for all types of vessels.

In 1846, after numerous shipwrecks, the Columbia River Bar Pilots organization formed to ensure the safety of ships, crews, and cargoes crossing the bar. The main office is located in Astoria, Oregon (12 miles upriver), where Victorian houses crowd the steep hills to the waterfront, giving visitors a reminder of a bygone era.

The men and women who belong to this organization must hold an unlimited master’s license (meaning they are licensed to pilot vessels without limits on size, power or geographic location) and have served a minimum of two years as master of oceangoing vessels.

All vessels engaged in foreign trade are required to employ a Columbia River Bar Pilot licensed by the State of Oregon when crossing the Columbia River Bar. The standard of licensing for the bar pilots is one of the highest in the nation.

The pilots board the vessels and assume navigational control, using their experience and knowledge to safely navigate the restricted channels of the Columbia River and over the bar both coming and going from the sea.

Approximately 3,600 vessels cross the bar each year – from 100-foot tugs to 1,100-foot tankers, bulk carriers, car carriers, log ships, general cargo ships, container ships and passenger ships. An estimated 40 million tons of cargo valued at $23 billion goes across the bar each year.

Another organization, the Columbia River Pilots, provide maritime pilotage services to all ports on the lower Columbia and Willamette Rivers once ships have crossed the bar. These pilots  are charged with safely and efficiently piloting vessels in all weather conditions, at all hours of the day and night, 365 days a year. Headquartered in Portland, the group has a pilot station located in Astoria where pilots await inbound ship assignments.

In my story, Adam Guthry is a Columbia River pilot, helping guide vessels from the bar to ports along the Columbia River and back again. You can read more about his work in The Christmas Vow, releasing this November as the fourth book in the Hardman Holidays series.

 ~*~*~

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.

Find Shanna’s books at:
Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:
ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter

The Forgotten Town of Hardman

by Shanna Hatfield

 Two years ago, I decided to write my first historical romance story. While debating whether to use a real town or make one up for the setting, I happened across information about the town of Hardman, in Eastern Oregon.

Although classified as a ghost town today, Hardman was a happening place to be in the 1880s with a skating rink, four churches, a school, and newspaper office among the many businesses located there.

John F. Royse, reportedly one of the most successful farmers in the area, and his brother, were said to be the first permanent settlers in the Hardman country.

Originally named Dairyville, the town was popular as a freighting center and saw promising growth in its early days. Dairyville became known as Raw Dog, while a mile away a rival settlement sprang up, known as Yellow Dog.

Stagecoaches and wagon trains traveling north and south through eastern Oregon and Washington found a convenient stopping point in both Raw Dog and Yellow Dog. The rivalry between the two locations escalated as they competed over which town would secure the stagecoach depot for the area.  When Raw Dog received a permanent stagecoach station, the two towns became one, known as Dogtown.

The town’s name changed to Hardman in 1881 when David N. Hardman, an old pioneer farmer, moved to town and brought the post office with him, by consent of the government, which he previously operated from his farm. The town took the name of the post office and became generally known as Hardman.

It was rumored the railroad would go through Hardman in the late 1880s. When it was routed through Heppner twenty miles to the north, it was a devastating blow to the community, effectively stunting future growth of the town.

By the 1920s, trucks replaced horses, mail routes changed and Hardman began its decline. The last business in Hardman closed in 1968. 

One sunny morning, I begged Captain Cavedweller (aka hubby) to go for a drive and check out what was left of the town.

We drove... and drove... and drove. 

Some of the views, like the one above, were quite spectacular. Others, not quite as much. I think a highlight on part of the trip was contemplating if a particular bit of roadkill was a skunk or a porcupine. We doubled back to confirm it was a porcupine - ironically and tragically killed next to a road marker for Porcupine Lane.

Finally, we arrived in Hardman. It didn't take long to explore what's left of the town.

 Ramshackle is a kind description for many of the buildings.

After seeing the old houses in their current state, it really made me wonder what the town looked like back in the 1890s, the time frame of my Hardman Holidays series.

That curious part of me that wishes I could find some photos from back then can't help but paint the buildings and restore them in my mind's eye.

This is the location of where the school sat, on the little rise before dropping into the heart of town.
The school plays a big role in the third book in the series, The Christmas Calamity, releasing Nov. 13.

Dependable and solid, Arlan Guthry relishes his orderly life as a banker’s assistant in Hardman, Oregon.

However, his uncluttered world tilts off kilter when the beautiful and enigmatic prestidigitator Alexandra Janowski arrives in town. With a broken-down wagon and a lack of finances, Alex takes a temporary position as the schoolteacher, just until Christmas. It gives her plenty of time to spin magic and trouble in her wake as the holiday season approaches. 

Here's an excerpt from the book:

He stopped at the mercantile and perused the goods, searching for something special to share with Alex. Settling on a box of chocolates, he paid for them and smiled when Aleta gave her approval on his selection.

“You chose some of the best confections in the store, Arlan. You can’t go wrong with these.”

He thanked her, slid the box into his coat pocket, and hurried on his way to the school. Halfway there he noticed Alex lurking in the alley behind the saloon.

Quietly walking around behind her, he tapped her on the shoulder. She spun around with a hand over her mouth to stifle her scream. Recognition replaced fear and she swatted him on the shoulder then grabbed his hand, pulling him deeper into the shadows of the alley.

“What are you doing?” she hissed, glancing around to make sure they’d gone unnoticed. “You’re going to get me killed, you ninny.”

“What are you talking about?” His breath stirred the curls near her ear as he leaned close, keeping his voice low. “I was on my way to see you and bring you a surprise when I noticed you prowling around in the alley. I think I’m the one with a right to know what you’re about.”

“I’m getting ready to kill a man so you best stand back and be quiet...”

You’re Invited to PARTY!

You’re invited to join in the online Cowboys & Christmas Facebook Party Thursday, Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (PST). Drop in anytime during those four hours to enter to win great prizes, chat with guest authors, and more! Here’s the link to the party: http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasparty

The Christmas Calamity takes readers back to Hardman just in time for the holiday season. Preorders are available now for just $1.99 on Kindle. You can reserve your copy here: http://amzn.com/B00OGOO994

In addition, the first book in the Hardman Holidays series, The Christmas Bargain, will be available free that day, as well!

Enter to Win Prizes!

To enter the drawing for an Amazon gift card, autographed books, chocolates, original western artwork, and more fun goodies, fill out this form.

http://tinyurl.com/cowboychristmasprizes

Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund®

Nov 7 through Dec. 24, I'll donate 10 percent of the net proceeds from all book sales to the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund. The JCCF is a non-profit organization that assists rodeo athletes who’ve sustained catastrophic injuries and are unable to work for an extended period.

About Shanna Hatfield

A hopeless romantic with a bit of sarcasm thrown in for good measure, Shanna Hatfield is a bestselling author of sweet romantic fiction written with a healthy dose of humor. In addition to blogging and eating too much chocolate, she is completely smitten with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

She is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, and Romance Writers of America.

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter