THE CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

 

In the mid to late nineteenth century, the arrival of the circus provided a major form of entertainment, attracting huge crowds, particularly in Western cities, an area of the country starved for entertainment. 

In the East, Philadelphia boasted America’s first circus building in 1783, but by 1825 Joshua Purdy Brown started a new trend with the use of large canvas tents to host the performances.  Thus was born the traveling circus.  Before long, circus organizers expanded to the multi-ring format, heightening the excitement by allowing different acts to take place simultaneously in several different rings at a time. 

As train tracks rolled out across the country in the latter half of the eighteenth century, the use of train cars to transport the circus from town to town made the popular traveling shows more accessible than ever.

In my series, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, backstory for one of the brothers saw him run away from an unhappy home life when he was young and join the circus, whose members became his surrogate family.  Bradley had a true gift with animals, which served him well later as part of his new family on the ranch where the series takes place.  He found his place and his calling in Arizona (not to mention love) and was often called upon by neighboring ranchers when one of them had an ailing member of their herd. 

This entire series of Sweet, Western Historical Romances is currently available in single title or as two complete box sets, each with a bonus novella.  You can find out more here. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XDY2JGS

I still remember the thrill of seeing my first circus when I was young, even though after World War 2, the circus’s popularity declined due to new forms of entertainment like radio and television. 

If you're a fan of mail order bride stories, allow me to tease you by saying that a new series will be launched in May.  I can't tell you any more than that, but hopefully next month we'll have a cover reveal and launch party.  

Kathleen Lawless blames a misspent youth watching Rawhide, Maverick and Bonanza for her fascination with cowboys, which doesn’t stop her from creating a wide variety of interests and occupations for her alpha male heroes. 

Her hero, Steele, in HER UNDERCOVER COWBOY, is a modern-day cowboy, so when she was wooed by a man called Steel— while he’s not a cowboy, he is an Alpha male and her forever hero.  Which is why all of her stories end Happily Ever After.

She has published close to 40 novels, and a good number of them involve Cowboys.           

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LASSO MY HEART By Kathleen Lawless @kathleenlawless

Lasso is also one of those interesting words that is both a noun, originating from the Castilian word lazo, “noose or snare”, and a verb, where something (livestock, typically) is lassoed.

Even today, the lasso is a basic component in any cowboy’s gear.  I’ve had my hero use one in a contemporary romance, and the bad guy use one in a historical romance.  Which got me wondering about the history of this handy, braided piece of rope, which is typically 60 to 100 feet long and sits coiled on the right-hand side of a cowboy’s saddle, in front of the rider.

In my part of the world, credit for this useful tool goes to the Native American craftsmen, who brought the concept from Mexico where it was further refined in the Cowboy territories of the US.  But North America doesn’t get all for credit.  In Ancient Egypt, in a temple built in 1280 A.D., a relief drawing shows Pharaoh Seti I using a lasso to bring down a bull.  Clearly, the Ancient World used a lasso first.

I am pretty sure I will never look at a length of rope quite the same way.

While he doesn’t use a lasso, Daniel Chambers does manage to steal Rachel’s heart in MAIL ORDER RACHEL, Book 24 of Widows, Brides, and Secret Babies.  This clean and wholesome historical western romance is available for Pre-order now, to receive on your Kindle this Friday.        https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088HFGF49

Excerpt from MAIL ORDER RACHEL  

          Daniel paced the platform impatiently.  The train was late.  It had been several months since he had been introduced by mail to a sweet-sounding girl from Boston who had agreed to become his wife.  Even her name was sweet.  Mary Margaret.  He felt in his heart that any woman with a name like that had to be a Christian.  She was Irish, she had told him, with red hair and freckles.  Her words sounded hesitant, as if fearing he might reject her on that fact alone. 
          He’d heard that the Irish immigrants hadn’t been treated very well back East, and could hardly wait to make up any indignities suffered by his sweet bride.

          Finally, the train pulled into the station and discharged its passengers.  Daniel, who stood taller than most, watched each passenger disembark, but there wasn’t a single redhead in the lot.  His shoulders slumped.  Surely Mary Margaret hadn’t changed her mind? 

          As the platform started to clear, he watched a porter approach a young woman with an infant.  The porter carried an infant’s traveling basket which he dropped at the woman’s feet.  The woman didn’t look happy, and heated words were exchanged.  Daniel felt sorry for the little tyke, for the woman held it on one hip as if it were a bag of flour.  

          The porter left and she turned defiant blue-gray eyes his way.  “You must be Daniel.”

          He swallowed his surprise.  This couldn’t possibly be Mary Margaret, his sweet Irish bride.  “Who are you?” he asked as he took a hesitant step toward her and the infant. 

          Dark hair tumbled about her shoulders and looked as if it hadn’t seen a comb in weeks.  As he reached her side, the baby let out a pitiful cry. 

          “I’m Rachel, Meg—I mean Mary Margaret’s friend.  She sent me in her stead.”

          “I don’t understand,” Daniel said.  “Why would she send you?  And who is this?”

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Happy Reading!  See you in September! 

Kathleen

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