My Story Inspiration for Following Faith

By Jacqui Nelson

What's the inspiration for my stories? History, loss, hope, adventure, love, and quite often horses. 

Last month I shared my Story Inspiration page (a page that I've included in the back of all of my books) for my first book, Between Heaven & Hell. Today I'm sharing the Story Inspiration page for the sequel to that story...

FOLLOWING FAITH 

Story Inspiration page ~ from the back of the book

Following Faith came to life after I was asked to write a short story for the historical romance anthology Journey of the Heart featuring forms of Old West transportation.

I’d always planned to give Hannah’s brother, Eagle Feather (first seen in Between Heaven & Hell) his own story. Oregon became the setting since that was where Hannah had settled, and I wanted his path to reconnect with Hannah’s. 

Next came the decision of what transportation to use. Train, boat, stagecoach, wagon, or just plain old horseback—which I never find plain when every horse is unique. A childhood memory of a very unique horse and a much-loved book sprang to mind. 

San Domingo, the Medicine Hat Stallion first published in 1972 by Marguerite Henry (with illustrations by Robert Lougheed) was re-published as Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion in 1972 (when it became a TV movie). Set in Pony Express-era Wyoming, the story’s core is the bond between a boy and a pinto horse with a very specific and rare color pattern—a mostly white body, neck, and head with a darker color that covers the top of the horse’s head and ears like a bonnet or a hat. 

Native legend said such a horse held the medicine to protect its rider from harm. The horse was greatly coveted and often stolen by those who wished to safeguard their—or a loved one’s—life.

FOLLOWING FAITH

Oregon Territory 1852

Can a single day together on horseback 
change your life forever?

Labeled a harlot and expelled from a remote logging camp and her only employment teaching children, Faith Featherby embarks on a journey to return a stolen spirit horse to the little girl whose photograph she found hidden in the horse’s riding blanket. 

Orphaned young and stifled by a lifelong shyness, Faith has only her education as a schoolmistress and her memories of her mother’s stories. She’s not an experienced rider, but a Medicine Hat horse—alleged to have the sacred power to protect its rider—might be her best hope for surviving the wilderness... until an Osage warrior rides out of the mist. 

Scarred by a brutal past, the warrior challenges Faith to follow a new path where belief in yourself and your partner, be they horse or man, can lead to a triumph of the heart.

Follow a path. Find a partner. Fight for a future together.

Click here to read an excerpt on my website.

~ * ~

THE LONESOME HEARTS SERIES 

Following Faith is book 2 in my Lonesome Hearts series, which follows the frontiersmen and women who meet on the Oregon Trail and afterward. Each story includes one or more of the characters from the other books but is also a standalone read.

Click here to see a summary of all of my books on one page.

Hope you enjoyed my writing inspiration and that you have a fun Friday full of your favorite things ❤️

~ * ~

Download my FREE STORY Rescuing Raven

Join me on 

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Pinterest, my Website,
my Cowboy Kisses page 

Follow me on 

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Read my Wild Women of the West blog posts 

My Story Inspiration for Between Heaven & Hell

By Jacqui Nelson

I've included a Story Inspiration page in the back of each of my books, but today I thought...why not share them everywhere and start with Cowboy Kisses? And why not start with my first book as well? 

So here we go! 

 

BETWEEN HEAVEN & HELL 

Story Inspiration page ~ from the back of the book

Between Heaven & Hell was the first novel I wrote (and the second I published), so you can imagine how honored I was when it won both the 2010 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® for Historical Romance and the 2014 Laramie® for Western Romance Drama.

The inspiration for Hannah and Paden’s story came from many directions. First was the astounding idea of traveling 2,170 miles (3,490 km) on foot, wagon, or horseback but also leaving behind everything you knew—family, friends, the familiarity of home, the disappointments of the past. All for the hope of a better future. Few people crossed the trail more than once as Paden did. From the 1830s the Oregon Trail and its many offshoots were used by over 400,000 travelers. To put that into perspective, America’s population was 23 million in 1850, the year of my story.

Attack by anyone including Native Americans (whose land was being taken and abused) was my initial worry for my travelers. It was an eye-opener to learn that disease posed the most danger. Cholera killed 3% of all travelers in the epidemic years from 1849 to 1855. Other common causes of death included hypothermia, drowning in river crossings, being run over by wagons, and accidental shootings.

So how to protect yourself? From the early days, Native tribes believed tattoos held protective powers. Symbols were tribe and individual specific because if everyone’s life story is unique, then a tattoo (and its guardian spirit) should be unique as well.

BETWEEN HEAVEN & HELL 

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas – 1850

Hannah knows one thing the moment she enters Fort Leavenworth—she’s arrived in Hell. But inside the fort is the means to a new life, a position as a scout on a wagon train bound for the Western Territories. All Hannah has to do is convince the wagon master, Paden Callahan, she’s the right person for the job.

After his wife was murdered by the Comanche, Paden let his work as a Texas Ranger consume him. Now he wants nothing more than to forget his past and disappear into the West. Unfortunately, the one man he can’t refuse has asked him to guide a wagon train full of tenderfoots across thousands of miles of Indian land. But Paden’s greatest challenge turns out to be Hannah, a woman his heart won’t allow him to ignore even though she’s been raised by an enemy he hates.

On a trail full of danger, will he guide her to heaven or hell?

Click here to read an excerpt on my website.

~ * ~

THE LONESOME HEARTS SERIES 

Between Heaven & Hell is book 1 in my Lonesome Hearts series, which follows the frontiersmen and women who meet on the Oregon Trail and afterward. Each story includes one or more of the characters from the other books but is also a standalone read.

Click here to see a summary of all of my books on one page.

Hope you enjoyed my writing inspiration and that you all have a very happy Friday! 

~ * ~

Download my FREE STORY Rescuing Raven

Join me on 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
Pinterest, my Website,
my Cowboy Kisses page 

Follow me on 

Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads 

Read my Wild Women of the West blog posts 

Native American Tribes & the Transcontinental Railroad by Zina Abbott

The construction of the Transcontinental Railroad created serious consequences for the native tribes of the Great Plains. As roadbeds and tracks cut across the land, it forever altered the landscape. Along with the increased arrival of white Americans, it caused the disappearance of once-reliable wild game.

Railroads began to undercut native independence before a single mile of track had been laid. Especially with the discovery of gold in California, the federal government felt a powerful need to bridge the distances between the bulk of the nation’s people east of the Missouri River and the rising populations on the Pacific Coast. During the 1850s, the army surveyed and improved more than twenty thousand miles of roads in the West, but the greatest hopes were pinned on a transcontinental railroad. Four possible routes were surveyed, each with its eastern advocates who hoped to benefit from the traffic. However, before a route could be considered, the government had to have clear, unopposed access to the land where the rails would run. That meant settling up with American Indian tribes and eliminating any of their claims to the country in question.

The result was a quarter century of vigorous efforts by railroad interests and their political allies to move Indians out of the way, part of the broader effort to confine and isolate them on reservations.

Although most of the Native Americans had signed away their rights to much of their land in treaties with the federal government, they still regarded it as their traditional hunting grounds. After acquiring horses, Indians had become heavily dependent on the plains bison for everything. The railroad was probably the single biggest contributor to the loss of the bison on which they had come to depend upon for everything from meat for food to skins and fur for clothing and shelter.

The railroad brought white homesteaders who farmed the grasslands that had been the home of bison for centuries. Not having the same understanding of land rights as the whites, the Indians regarded their coming and ownership claims on the land as an invasion. As the resources they depended upon for survival diminished, they fought back against the great beast—the railroad—who brought the intruders.

Native Americans sabotaged the railroad and attacked white settlements supported by the line. Working several days journey ahead of the end of the track, the union Pacific's Advance work parties were in considerable danger of Indian attacks. Near Plum Creek, Nebraska on the night of August 6, 1867, Cheyenne Warriors derailed a hand cart carrying a repair gang, and then a freight train. Eight men were killed. The only survivors were the train conductor, who escaped and ran for help, and an English-born track worker named William Thompson. Thompson feign death as a Cheyenne scalped him. In the confusion, he later managed to slip away and even carried his scalp with him. Many years later while living in England, Thompson mailed the scalp as a donation to the Omaha Public Library.

Warriors occasionally harassed surveyors. In addition to destroying railroad tracks and machinery, they stole the railroad livestock used to feed the rail workers. Some of the tribes attacked the railroad crews or their hunting parties directly, which necessitated guards being posted for the safety of the men, but overall, their direct attacks were relatively few.

In contrast, there was one tribe that welcomed the coming of the railroad. The Pawnees, with their traditional lands in Nebraska, had the greatest Indian presence on the line. They were friendly to the American government. Their traditional enemies were the Sioux. Their warriors often served as scouts for the military. The railroad offered the Pawnee people free passage on its work trains, which was gladly accepted. In exchange, they staged mock raids and battles for visiting dignitaries at Union Pacific’s lavish 100th Meridian Excursion party. Under army Major Frank North, a uniformed battalion of 800 Pawnee men patrolled the railroad to protect crews and livestock from Lakota and Cheyenne raiders. Their presence served as an effective deterrent to attacks by other tribes.

In the end, in spite of their struggle to drive away the railroad, tribes of the Plains were unsuccessful in preventing the loss of their territory and hunting resources. The Transcontinental Railroad ushered in a new way of life for many Americans, but the cost was the destruction of the traditional way of life of most Native Americans.

Just today, I introduced my cover reveal and pre-order link to my new Christmas novel, Two Sisters and the Christmas Groom. More about that book next month after it releases.

I have been pleased with the overwhelmingly positive reviews for my novel, Escape from Gold Mountain, which was released last month. It is now available on Kindle Unlimited. 

Please CLICK HERE for the book description on Amazon. The print version is also available on Barnes & Noble, which you can reach if you CLICK HERE.

Sources:

https://dp.la/exhibitions/transcontinental-railroad/human-impact/native-americans

“Linked by the Golden Spike: Building the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads”; History  of Railroads (Moorshead Magazines, Ltd.:Toronto, ON, Canada & Niagara Falls, NY, United States, 2013) pages 14-17.

https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/development-west/essays/american-indians-and-transcontinental-railroad

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/tcrr-native-americans-and-transcontinental-railroad/

https://www.uen.org/transcontinentalrailroad/downloads/G7IndigenousEncountersTranscontinentalRailroad.pdf

Petroglyphs

By Kristy McCaffrey

Petroglyphs—also known as rock art or rock writing—are etchings left on rocks in the landscape, usually on boulders, cliff sides, and other stone outcrops. “Petroglyph” comes from two Greek words—petro meaning rock and glyph meaning carving or engraving.

Petroglyphs have been made for thousands of years. In the Southwestern United States, many different Native American tribes have left this rock art in the deserts, the plateau country, and the mountains. Petroglyphs are made by either a pecking method (hitting the surface with a tool) or abrading (grinding), or a combination of both.

There are several different styles of petroglyphs in the Southwest.

Archaic: All Southwest, approximately 5000 BC – AD 300

Portions of this are archaic.

Fremont: Central and Southern Utah, AD 500 – AD 1400

Fremont style.

Anasazi: Four Corners Region, AD 300 – AD 1300

Anasazi style.

Hohokam: Central and Southern Arizona, AD 300 – AD 1400

Hohokam style.

Rio Grande: Central and Northern New Mexico, AD 1300 – Present

Rio Grande style.

Petroglyphs are believed to represent several things. Some were made to mark the landscape—showing a trail, indicating the presence of water, or identifying territorial claims. Some recorded events, such as migrations or a memorable hunt. Others marked the phases of the moon or the position of the sun, planets, and stars. And other petroglyphs were related to spiritual life and vision quests, or they simply told a story.

If you happen upon a petroglyph, help in its preservation by not touching it or making a rubbing of the symbol.

The following public places have large petroglyph sites:

Painted Rocks Petroglyph Site, near Gila Bend, Arizona

Petrified Forest National Park, near Holbrook, Arizona

Saguaro Nation Monument, Tucson, Arizona

Deer Valley Rock Art Center, Phoenix, Arizona

Mesa Verde National Park, near Cortez, Colorado

Bandelier National Monument, near Santa Fe, New Mexico

Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, Three Rivers, New Mexico

Chaco Culture National Historical Park, near Thoreau, New Mexico

Dinosaur National Monument, near Vernal, Utah

Fremont Indian State Park, near Richfield, Utah

Newspaper Rock Site, near Monticello, Utah

Canyonlands National Park, near Moab, Utah

Nine Mile Canyon, near Price, Utah

Available on all digital platforms. Click here to learn more.

Connect with Kristy

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War Bonnets

Last July, singer Pharell Williams appeared on the cover of Elle UK – a fashion magazine – wearing a regal Native American headdress. Williams, however, is not Native American, and the incident set off a stream of virulent social media protests which ultimately led to his apology: 

“I respect and honor every kind of race, background and culture. I am genuinely sorry.”

The incident caught my attention, as well, and aroused my curiosity about the meaning and significance of Native American headdresses. They have deep spiritual meaning.

For most of us, what we think of when we imagine a headdress is the “war bonnet”. Many of us first encountered the image on “Big Chief” tablets when we set off for school. We’ve probably seen them, too, in western movies. The war bonnet is also seen many times as part of Halloween costumes.

War bonnets were worn mostly by the Plains tribes.  These were hand-crafted and eagle feathers were used, based on the belief that the eagle was the greatest bird in the skies and that feathers could protect a wearer from harm. To gather the feathers, young birds were captured and taken from their nests. When the birds were older, the feathers would be plucked from their tails. Feathers were sometimes dyed with red or blue coloring. In addition, the headdresses were often adorned with pieces of fur and fancy bead work.

Now, of course, eagles are a protected species. The U. S. Government has set up the National Eagle Repository in order to provide today’s Native Americans with the golden eagle and bald eagle feathers required for religious and ceremonial use.

Eagle feathers were symbols of leadership among a tribe, and each individual feather was earned through a deed. They were typically worn only on special occasions. Although these elaborate headdresses are often referred to as “war bonnets”, they weren’t worn into battle. Rather, their purpose was to commemorate the valor of the men who had fought.  Today, Native Americans who have served in the U. S. military are often presented eagle feathers or war bonnets upon their return to show their bravery.

Although we all have the “war bonnet” image in our heads when we think of Native Americans, the reality is that the traditional war bonnet was worn by only a few Plains tribes such as the Sioux, Crow, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and Plains Cree. Later, as tribes were relocated by the government, the war bonnet was adopted by other native people, but without the same spiritual meaning and significance.

Another interesting note I learned is that although women of the Plains tribes sometimes went into battle, and in fact, sometimes became tribal chieftains, they were not allowed to wear the feathered war bonnet headdress. This was reserved for men only.

There are three primary types of war bonnet.

·         Trailer War Bonnet

·         Halo Bonnet

·         Straight-Up Bonnet

Trailer War Bonnet

As its name suggests, this headdress is long and flowing, trailing over the back of the wearer like a cascade. In most tribes, only few special leaders were allowed to wear this style of headdress. To earn so many feathers would truly be an incredible feat.

Halo Bonnet

The halo bonnet, like the one shown on the “Big Chief” illustration, has feathers fanning out in a circle, forming a halo-effect around the wearer’s head.

Straight-Up Bonnet

Rather that fanning out around the wearer’s head, the feathers in a “straight-up” bonnet did precisely that. They were placed to appear as though they were standing on end.

* * * *

In addition to the controversy caused by Pharrell Williams, other incidents have sparked outrage among Native American people. For more information about the misappropriation of the culture, you might want to visit the following website:

Native Appropriations

Many western romance writers make use of Native people in their stories, and it is important that we present them not as stereotypes, but as individual human beings. I believe it is is also important for each of us to learn about the native culture, to know their ways and traditions and to understand the spiritual meaning in their arts, crafts, and religious practices.

Christmas Every Day

The Handsome Fellow

By Alison Bruce


While Christian missionaries have a lot to answer for in many of the places they invaded, the message of Christianity did strike a chord with many Amerindians. The story of Jesus paralleled parts of their own traditions and, when they were allowed to, they could adapt and mesh their ancient beliefs with the Christian ones.

This practice of adapting was the norm when Christianity first spread throughout Europe. It is the reason why we celebrate the birth of Jesus in December instead of in the spring when he probably was born. It is also why there were so many variations on the theme. The Coptic Church in Egypt had different liturgical practices and traditions from the Iberian Church in Spain or the Celtic Church in Ireland and Britain.

A similar process occurred as Christianity spread throughout the Amerindian nations. Christmas practiced among the Iroquois is different from a Navaho Christmas. What gets adapted, assimilated or replaced is different from culture to culture.

Being a firm believer in Old Father Christmas, the first thing I looked up was an equivalent to Santa Claus. I found him in The Handsome Fellow. Dressed in white buckskins, accompanied by a wolf, he played the role of gift bringer. Although adopted into Christmas traditions, he is based on a real chief.

"There was a real Native American man in the 1800s, who was an important leader and warrior in the Creek tribe. His Indian name was Chief Hobbythacco, which means Handsome Fellow. Chiefs in Native American cultures were often the beneficiaries of many gifts. According to the traditions of Native Americans, the chief would then share these gifts with others of the tribe who were less fortunate."
www.aaanativearts.com/mailbag-archive/1367-how-do-native-americans-celebrate-christmas.html#ixzz2oeJNreOy

The image of a handsome warrior stepping out of the wilderness appeals to my inner storyteller. The historian is more interested that The Handsome Fellow played Santa whenever there was a need and only became associated with Christmas later. The idea that there is only one day a year when presents are distributed is literally a foreign concept.

"Everyday is our Christmas. Every meal is our Christmas. At every meal we take a little portion of the food we are eating, and we offer it to the spirit world on behalf of the four legged, and the winged, and the two legged. We pray--not the way most Christians pray-- but we thank the Grandfathers, the Spirit, and the Guardian Angel."
ibid