Thanksgiving Blessings ~ Ruthie L Manier

 

Finding Gratitude in a Year of Change:  As the crisp air of November settles in and Thanksgiving approaches, many of us pause to reflect on the past year and count our blessings. For my family, this year has brought its share of loss and heartache, making gratitude feel a little harder to grasp. Yet, in the midst of sorrow, I’ve found comfort and joy in cherishing the good times we’ve shared together. Today, I choose to focus on those moments that filled my heart and brought smiles to our faces.

Time with Family: The Greatest Gift This year, both my mom and sister retired, and their newfound free time has become an unexpected blessing. We finally have the chance to spend more meaningful moments together, sharing stories, laughter, and the everyday joys that come with being close. After so many years of busy schedules, just being able to sit together has become a treasure I never want to take for granted.

Adventures with My Children: My children truly spoiled me this year, surprising me with tickets for visits and adventures that I’ll never forget. Holly took me to see the majestic Niagara Falls and made sure our experience was unforgettable by treating us to a tour on the famous Maid of the Mist. Standing beside her and the kids in front of the roaring falls, I felt overwhelmed by the beauty and the love that surrounded me. We also visited the peaceful shores of Ontario Lake, soaking in the calm and the laughter of those moments together.

Grand Canyon Memories with Jon Kyle: My son, Jon Kyle, and his family invited me to join them for a few days exploring the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon. We started our adventure by riding the train from our hotel in Williams, Arizona, where we were greeted by wild Mavericks running alongside the tracks and the delight of a pretend train robbery — a fun surprise that made us all laugh. On the way back, they took me through Sedona, Arizona, with its breathtaking red rocks and serene landscapes. The beauty of Sedona captured my heart, and I hope to return one day to experience it all over again.

Holding Onto Thankfulness: This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the precious time spent with my loved ones, for adventures that brought new memories, and for the simple moments of joy that helped heal our hearts. While this year has tested our resilience, it’s also reminded me to cherish the people and experiences that make life beautiful. As I look forward to gathering around the table, sharing stories and laughter, I am grateful for the blessings that shine through even in difficult times. Wishing everyone a Thanksgiving filled with love, connection, and gratitude. May we all find moments to celebrate, no matter what this year has brought.

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

      

Character Interview with Bailey Bennett ~ Julie Lence

Greetings, readers. I’m hanging out backstage at Ringo’s Casino with country music’s sweetheart, Bailey Bennett. She’s just finished the day’s rehearsals for her summer tour and has agreed to chat with me before a costume fitting. Following her into her dressing room, I expected to find numerous photos of Bailey hanging on the walls and many of her awards littering tables. But such is not the case. The only photograph on the cream-colored walls is a painting of cowboys galloping across a field, and except for a glass of tea, the two small tables flanking the plush sofa are bare. A wardrobe on wheels hugs the wall directly across from the sofa, the hangars holding various western shirts and denims. A makeup chair faces the lighted mirror on the back wall, the shelves below the mirror housing an array of makeup, brushes, and hair products. Bailey gestures for me to take a seat on the sofa, then sits next to me.           

Thank you for meeting with me this afternoon, Bailey. My readers are eager to know you better. “My pleasure.” She gestures to the small refrigerator in the front corner. “Would you like something to drink? I have iced tea or soda.”

 I decline the offer and get right to the questions.  

Tell us a bit about The Singer Ropes A Cowboy.  The Singer Ropes A Cowboy is the tale of how Chip and I met. He’s my better half, and my favorite person in the entire world. My twin sister, Barbie, is a close second. Chip and I met last fall in New York City. Barbie and I were in Manhattan to buy Bella Cosmetics, something she’s wanted for a long time. I was also in the city to look over a racehorse at Belmont Park. My sister-in-law said the filly loathed racing and was in need of a good home. Chip was working Belmont that day I went to see Potent Polly, and by his side was a mangy looking pinto. He explained someone had abused her and he was nursing her back to health. He also was quick to inform me Polly was enamored with the pinto and wouldn’t leave her side, hence if I purchased Polly and brought to the family ranch in Reno, the pinto would come, too.

In my initial meeting Chip, it was easy to see he had a way with horses. The abused pinto adored him and Polly did, too. To make the acclimation from Belmont to Reno as easy as possible for the horses, I hired Chip to come with us. Not only did I find his softness for the pair endearing, his dark eyes and muscles were irresistible. Looking back on those few days in the city, I have to say that even though Chip and I started off on the wrong foot, asking him to come to Reno with me was the best decision I’ve ever made. Life without him isn’t worth living.        

What did you think the 1^st time you saw Chip?  That morning at Belmont, she begins, running her fingers through her long dark hair, I was instantly attracted to his rugged handsomeness and his muscles. But then, he spoke, and something in his tone suggested he knew me… that he believed some or all of the gossip surrounding me. I tried to put him at ease, get him to smile, but he rebuked my efforts and made it clear there was nothing I could do or say to change his opinion of me. Funny thing is, even when he was glaring at me, I couldn’t seem to stop my stomach from somersaulting.    

What was your 2^nd thought?  That I should keep my distance, but then, keeping the two horses together was a concern, and with the pinto only trusting Chip, I thought it best to ask him to hire on with me… until I ran into him at a nightclub. His sneer for me and the cameras that night was worse than at the track, and something inside was sure him and I working together was most definitely not a good idea. I said my goodbyes and promised myself to steer clear of him. But those dark eyes… and those muscles…  (Bailey inhales sharply.)

Anyway, Chip needed the job I offered that night at club, to help his family, and wormed his way into my good graces. I still had reservations, but as Barbie was quick to point out, my attraction for Chip wasn’t going to fade any time soon, that he was the 1^st man I took an interest in since breaking off with John. She urged me to bring him to Reno, to give him a chance to prove there was more to him than brawn and a never-ending glare. And if not, I could always send him back to New York. I took her advice, and never regretted it.  

What do you like most about Chip? His honesty. His dedication to his family, and to me. Whether I’m at his side or thousands of miles away, I know he loves me. I feel his commitment to me deep in my bones.     

How would you describe Chip? Kind, caring, trustworthy. Patient with the world I live in. Protective, hard-working; a man who was born to take care of animals.       

How would Chip describe you? Hmmm… (She pauses for a sip of tea. From the glass I noticed on the table upon entering the room.)  Full of anxiety… impatient… unease. I think he understands it took many years for me realize the type of fame I have, to learn how to live within the realm of the entertainment industry while keeping as much of my personal life as I can out of the tabloids. I’m sure he would be quick to say I’m also dedicated to my family and my horses, but above all, he would say I love him with everything that I am.    

What is your biggest fear? At the moment, life is good. Beyond anything I imagined my teenage years. I have money, and a comfortable home. If I woke up tomorrow and found my voice was gone, I’d wouldn’t care, because I know in my heart that no matter what the future brings, Chip will always love me.    

How do you relax? I take a few weeks off in the fall from singing to unwind, usually at Bennett Ranch. Just recently, Chip and I vacationed in Italy over the new year. I’m thinking him and I in Hawaii to usher in the next new year.   

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Well… she sinks her teeth into her bottom lip for a long moment. You can’t tell Chip, but I see him and me married and living in our own home somewhere on Bennett Ranch. I’m still turning out albums and touring during the summer months. Our son accompanies me on the tour bus so Chip can finish his schooling while tackling the ins and outs of opening his own veterinary office.  

Thank you for talking with me this afternoon, Bailey. I’m sure my readers have a better understanding of who you are and look forward to reading your story.

The Singer Ropes A Cowboy is available through Amazon in both E-book and paperback. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1J88PH 

 

  

Christmas Reading ~ Julie Lence

 

My Christmas tree
 from 2020

As a child, Christmas was always a magical time of year. My brothers and sister and me awed over Mom’s nativity ( I think she had around 50 pieces), eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa Claus, and stretched out on the floor in front of the television to watch Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There was also the excitement of going to New York City to have a second Christmas with our grandparents on New Year’s Eve, and through all the anticipation and festivities, to include parties in school classrooms, one thing always made the month special; the brightly decorated Christmas tree. Dad strung the lights and us kids helped hang the ornaments and tinsel. We even made paper chains from red and green construction paper to hang on the tree and around the house. In many homes the tree was the focal point of the holiday season, and that tradition holds true today, with ornaments more detailed and elaborate than my childhood, with tinsel exchanged for delicate ribbons, and with tree toppers ranging from delicate angels to snowmen. And just as I admired Christmas trees  from childhood and closeness of my brothers and sister and parents, you’ll find the characters in my Christmas stories enjoy a gaily decorated tree and the spirit of the season, too.  

 

Christmas Miracles: With a winter storm threatening to blanket the land in snow, James Landry boards a train to Denver two days before his Christmas Eve wedding to Tess Weston, despite her misgivings that the storm will hinder his return trip home. But James has to go to the big city to replace the worthless ring he mistakenly bought for her with a band of real gold, and assures her nothing, not even snow, will keep him from arriving at the altar on time. But James doesn't count on finding himself stuck in knee-deep drifts, with a Colt .45 staring him in the face.

Tess has had an eerie feeling that something bad is going to happen to James since the moment he told her of his trip. With fat, flakes of snow falling steadily from the sky, images flicker in her mind of him stranded in a hotel room, or on a cold train car. But for some reason, the snow piling up outside her window doesn't lend weight to her fear that James is in grave danger. Determined to help him, Tess sets out on a course to find him, only to have one obstacle after another deter her from reaching him.      

 Available at: www.amazon.com/dp/B009YZDXOC

 

 

Christmas Hearts: After spending two years in Wyoming, Cade Weston is eager to return to his family’s ranch to celebrate the Christmas holiday. But fate intervenes in the form of a tortured soul—Nicole. Her guardian has abused her, leaving Cade with little choice but to pay for her freedom and take her with him. Holed up with her in a Denver hotel, a feeling hints he wants more from her than a thank you for having helped her. Problem is she doesn’t return the feeling.

Nicole Lamar has spent the past six months dreaming of freedom. Savannah, with its warmth and sunshine, beckons. Now that Cade has rescued her from an evil proprietor, that freedom is within reach. But when the handsome cowboy proves he’s the owner of a Christmas Heart, a life without him suddenly isn’t so desirable. Before she can approach him about the matter, he purchases a ticket for her on an eastbound train. And one for himself on a southbound train.

Available at: www.amazon.com/dp/B00FL000FY

 

Christmas Wishes: U.S. Marshall Chance McBride has spent weeks tracking Steve ‘Smarty’ Jones. Ambushed and wounded by the outlaw, Chance is forced to seek help at a nearby school. But the teacher isn’t what he imagined. Instead of a male wearing trousers, a female takes charge of his care. Bright blue eyes and soft curves; Tabitha’s sassy nature awakens a deep-seated loneliness only she and a Christmas wish can soothe.

Tabitha Weston has never favored anything girlie. She’d rather saddle-break wild horses than bat her eyelashes and flirt with a man. But one glimpse into Chance’s molasses-colored eyes and Tabitha’s abhorrence to relationships is suddenly corralled by her need to win the lawman’s favor. Can a wish upon Christmas snow for him to trade the freedom of the trail for a home with her actually come true? She’s about to find out.

Available at: www.amazon.com/dp/B016PPALO

 

Happy Reading and Happy Holidays to you and your family!

Julie    

Hunter’s Girl 1st of the The Clayton Boy’s series ~ Ruthie L Manier

Hello, I'm Ruthie L. Manier and I'd like to extend a BIG thank you for joining me here today on my Cowboy Kisses Blog spot! March has been a crazy month for me full of birthdays, trips, and St. Patrick's Day, of course. Here is one of my favorite pictures that was professionally taken in Leavensworth, Washington as a birthday gift for me from my family. 

And now onto the Big News: my upcoming release:  HUNTER'S GIRL

Hunter Clayton is in Mr. Jeffries Mercantile when Mischief King(Cumming's is her maiden name, King is her adopted name) spots him. She's super excited to see him because she's been waiting ten years for him to return. Hunter was an outlaw on the run when he saved her from the malicious gang who killed her biological parents. Mischief was twelve at the time, and Hunter kept her with him just short of a year before leaving her with the King family after she was was shot in a crossfire. 

Over the tears, Mischief's adoptive parents have kept truths from her, but raised her well. After the tragic death of her adoptive mother, her adoptive father finds solace in liquor, eventually leading him to become a mean drunk who abuses Mischief and then runs out on her, leaving her destitute. But Mischief is happy she's rid of him, and this brings the reader to the reason for Hunter's return. 

Unbeknownst to Mischief,  Hunter has been sending money to the Kings for her care. The last three installments have been returned to him without a forwarding address. More importantly, Mischief is a grown woman who knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after what makes her happy. She never stopped loving Hunter and wants nothing more than to be his wife. Hunter is attracted to her at first sight but does not realize the stunning woman is his little Mischief. When he discovers the truth, he has a hard time forgetting the 'girl' and embracing her as the desirable woman she's become. Will Mischief convince Hunter she's a woman? And that he's not to old to marry her? Well, you'll need to wait for the book to come out. There are a lot of twists and turns along their journey; murder, gun fights, and secret intimate moments that I'm planning to publish by the end of Spring. 

I'd love to have some advance readers before the book releases, so if any of you have the time, please contact me on Facebook under Ruthie L Manier, Twitter, and Instagram. Until next month on the 4th Monday of April be happy and kind to all you meet. xoxoxo

Decorating the Christmas Tree through History ~ Ruthie Manier

Welcome to my blog on Cowboy Kisses!

 I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with love, laughter, and a delicious dinner. Mine, like most people I think was fast paced. So many family members to gather with through out the day.

First, in the morning we carried on the tradition we started last year with a pie baking contest. Holly and Nick won again! The kids love the tradition of eating pie with ice cream or whipped cream for breakfast. No surprise there.

After My daughter Holly’s family went to her in-laws and the dishes were done with the food put away, my son and his family drove me to see my mother. We surprised her.

 My mom had ten children so is used to cooking enough food for an army. It was around eleven thirty and Thanksgiving dinner was on the table. I knew it would be. We didn’t come to eat after just eating pie a couple of hours before, however when mom says “Fix yourself a plate,” that’s what you do! So, we ate. 

After visiting an hour or so we drove home and five hours later I served Thanksgiving dinner for my family that lives with me.

Here’s a few pictures from my day. 

On to Christmas

The other day I was shopping and everywhere I went had lit Christmas trees up. It started me thinking about the history of Christmas trees of the past. My grandma Ruby Moore who was born in the early nineteen twenties told me about some things like stringing popcorn and berries. She taught me how to string them and I taught my children and we strung them for years while they were growing up. 

She also told me that the ornaments were mostly homemade. Crocheted, knitted, cross stitched. They made little red stockings, bells, angels, wreaths and rocking horses, and stars, basically anything they wanted. 

Sweet cookies were made and hung.

Berries, nuts and fruits.

Ribbons and bows.

Hand carvings out of wood and sometimes painted. 

Many used winter foliage that they would stuff in the trees to make them look fuller.

Homemade candles held on by wax or pins were used to light the tree up. As you can imagine this practice caused lots of fires. 

Candleholders became the next  popular way to illuminate the tree. 

Around nineteen fifteen beautiful glass balls and lanterns were invented replacing the candles. 

The first actual tree lights were invented by Thomas Jefferson yet it was his friend and co-worker Edward Johnson who was the first to show the walnut sized lights off on a tree. The first colors were red, white, and blue. 

New York was where the first tree was lit up by the electric lights. 

President Cleveland was the first president to light up the Christmas tree in the White House. 

String lights became available around 1890. They were not affordable for the general public until 1930. At first because the string of lights were expensive at twelve dollars a string which would average today at around three hundred and fourth many people rented them.

Do you know what the reasoning behind the lighting of the Christmas tree was for?  I didn’t until I googled it. From what I read it was to remind us that ‘Jesus Christ is the Light of the World.’ Another thought was that the tree was lit to remind us to be the light in someone else’s life. 

Have a joyous holiday season!

Ruthie

Female Outlaw Pearl Hart By: Julie Lence

Pearl Hart was born in 1871 in Canada, with the birth name of Pearl Taylor. One of several children, and her parents of French descent, she was raised in a middle class home and sent to boarding school when she was 16. While at school, she met smooth talker Frank Hart, who filled her head with romantic tales of an exciting life in the wild west. In reality, he was nothing more than an abusive drunk, but Pearl fell in love with him and married him. The two left Canada and eventually landed in Chicago.

Women's Bldg at the Fair, Pinterest

Chicago was a changing point for Pearl. She attended the 1893 World’s Fair, featuring a Women’s Pavilion. A large array of females spoke on the Women’s Suffrage topic and Pearl took to heart that she could be more than just a wife, as her upbringing taught her. She also attended a Wild West show featuring Annie Oakley. Pearl was in awe of Annie’s shooting skills, and accompanied with the what she learned at the fair, she got up the gumption and left her abusive, unable-to-hold-a-job husband. She landed in Trinidad, Colorado, but soon found out she was pregnant and went back to Canada. After giving birth, she realized the lure of the west still beckoned and lit out for the states, leaving her son with her parents.

Pearl met up with her husband again and took him back on his promise that he was a changed man and capable of holding a job. For a while he held a maintained the positions of bartender and manager at a hotel, but all too soon, he and Pearl began partying, with Pearl learning to drink and smoke and use drugs. Problems arose between them again, and Frank left shortly after she gave birth to their daughter and joined Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, stating home life wasn’t for him. Pearl traveled back to Canada again and left her second child with her parents.

Courtesy of American Cowboy 

She found her way to Arizona and worked the mining camps as a cook, taking up drinking and opium use and not finding the romance and excitement of the west she longed for. Rumors suggested she tried to commit suicide several times, but was always saved by the miners, one of whom she formed a partnership with. Joe Boot was from German descent and he and Pearl began working their own claim when Pearl received a letter that her mother was gravely ill and needed money for the doctor’s bills. To acquire the money, Pearl and Joe thought to rob a train but decided to rob a stagecoach instead. Pearl cut her hair, dressed in Joe’s clothes, and together, they held up a stage. They came away with over $400 and the guard’s revolver and took off on their horses. But not knowing the land, they rode for two days then made camp and fell asleep, and woke to a posse surrounding them.

Courtesy of Pinterest

In Jail, Pearl became an instant celebrity. A lady bandit was rare. Remembering everything she learned from the Women’s Suffragette talks in Chicago, she began spouting she wouldn’t be tried in a court of law under rules men made and not women. Signing autographs and posing for pictures from her cell, the press loved her, and so did civilians. Ed Hogan was so smitten with her, he helped break her out of jail. She was found and brought back, and eventually went to trail. The jury found her innocent, especially after her defense lawyer brought into play she’d never been in trouble in the past and the only reason she robbed the stage was because of her mother’s health. The judge was furious with the decision and tried her on charges of stealing the guard’s gun and unlawfully carrying of a weapon. She was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years in Yuma. Joe received a 30 year sentence to Yuma.

Pearl became an even bigger celebrity and legend while in Yuma, earning the nickname Lady Bandit. The warden liked her and gave her a larger cell, and she again posed for pictures and signed autographs. She was released after serving 18 months and moved to Kansas City. Her sister wrote a production based on Pearl’s ‘Lady Bandit’ persona of which Pearl was to star in, but it never really caught on and Pearl disappeared from the public eye. A few years later, she was arrested for purchasing a stolen can of food. After that, she disappeared again and surfaced in 1924 at the Arizona courthouse she was tried in. She remarked to the attendant that nothing had changed since her last visit. He asked who she was and she replied, Pearl Hart, the lady bandit.

Rumors have abounded as to what happened to Pearl after this. Some say she died in Kansas City after operating a cigar shop. Others hint she lived in San Francisco until her death in 1952. A third suggests she married a rancher in Arizona and died under the name Pearl Bywater in 1956. She is wrongly credited with being the last person to rob a stage. The last stagecoach robbery was in 1916 in Jarbridge, Nevada. She is also not the only woman to ever rob a stage. Jane Kirkham was killed robbing a stage between Leadville and Buena Vista, Colorado in March 1879.

Such and interesting woman, and such a hard life Pearl led. 

Interview w/ Lydia Tyler from Lydia's Gunslinger By: Julie Lence

Thank you for joining us today, Lydia. Your likeness is to the left, so readers can visualize you as you answer the following questions:   

Where is home? Austin, Texas. Mama and Papa have a grand city house, with a cook and two maids. Mama enjoys socializing with her circle of friends and helping at the church. Papa works closely with the governor. Actually, he and the governor share a relationship akin to brothers. I’ve referred to the governor as my uncle most of my life.        

What is your family like? It’s just Mama, Papa and me, and the servants. Mama is very sweet and has a kind heart for everyone. My growing up years, she and I had tea every afternoon when I came home from school. She taught me to appreciate fine silks and satins, to conduct myself in a manner befitting a lady, and to never look down on someone else.

Papa works long hours and is often called away on business. He’s like Mama in that he has a kind heart and goes out of his way to help those in need. Regarding me, he’s strict, but he’s also loving and indulges my every whim, including my latest quest to find suitable homes for 4 orphans.

What brings you to Revolving Point, Texas? I have failed the children miserably. I asked everyone I know, and could not find homes for them. They are such sweet innocents. Ben’s almost a man. His sister, Abby, is pretty and as kind as Mama. Their little brother is adorable, and Lacy clings to me so much that I fear even if I did locate suitable parents for her, she wouldn’t go with them. Which got me to thinking that maybe they could stay with me. Not at Mama and Papa’s city home. There isn’t room. But an orphanage, with plenty of bedrooms and a long table to share meals…

I’ve scoured Austin for a lot to build an orphanage, but I again failed. Then Papa suggested I didn’t have to build in Austin, that Texas is home to several towns that have space to build an orphanage as grand as I envision. I traversed Texas and settled on Revolving Point. The Rio Grande flows just behind town. I can teach the children to swim, and the land I chose has apple trees and room for horses… a more perfect area doesn’t exist.      

What did you think the 1^st time you saw Roth? That he was in desperate need of a haircut. His stringy hair touched his shoulders. Worse was the guns he wore. I detest guns and violence.    

How would Roth describe you? I’m sure he’d say I’m uptight and snobbish, maybe even a prude, and too outspoken, but I have little choice but to present a strong façade. The children are of the utmost importance to me, and I will do whatever is necessary to ensure they have a home… to ensure they know they are loved, even if that means ruffling a few feathers. Now, if I can rid myself of the annoying Mr. Coper, the headmaster Papa hired to help with the children’s education, I just may succeed with all of my plans.     

How would you describe Roth? Now that I’ve had time to get to know him, he’s definitely a menace… on the outside. On the inside, he has a heart worth knowing, worth loving. He cares greatly for the children and abhors Mr. Cooper. If only he’d hold me close to him…    

How do you relax? I don’t. The children and overseeing the building of the orphanage take up so much of my time, as does Mr. Cooper usurping my authority. If I had to venture a guess, I suppose I’d answer with a hot cup of tea at the end of a long day, with my feet propped up on a stool, but those times are rare.     

What is your biggest fear? That Mr. Cooper will ruin all of my plans for the orphanage. From day one of Papa hiring him, he’s tried to wrestle control from me, and has succeeded on a few matters. Most recently, he had a wall built to divide my office inside the orphanage into two rooms. Blessedly, Roth tore down the wall. Guns, danger; he really is a good man.    

What is the best advice someone gave you? A long time ago, Papa told me if something was worth having, then I needed to work extra hard to obtain it and keep it. Roth is worth having, and persuading him to agree a union between us isn’t a bad thing is a challenge I intend to win.      

Sounds like you know exactly what you want and how to get it. Thank you for joining us today, Lydia. It was a pleasure chatting with you. And thank you for leaving us with an excerpt I’m sure readers will enjoy.

To purchase Lydia’s Gunslinger, please visit Amazon here:

www.amazon.com/dp/B007873DIE   

Excerpt:

He ducked inside the mercantile and waited for his sister to finish with a customer. The woman left and Debra stepped out from behind the counter.

"Where have you been?" she asked, approaching him. "You need to get upstairs. Lydia's waiting for you."

His gut hit the floor at that. Lydia knew he'd left town for a few hours. She wouldn't come here looking for him unless something was wrong. "What happened?"

"I'll let her tell you." Debra touched his arm. "Don't lose your temper, Roth. She's upset and needs your help."

He scrambled out the door, down the side of the building and up the stairs, where he paused and took a deep breath before quietly opening the door and stepping inside. Lydia sat at the table, with her fingers wrapped around a cup and her head bowed.

He shut the door behind him and crossed the floor, gently touched her arm. "Lydia?"

She looked up at him. Tears swam in her cat eyes. "He means to have Papa and the governor take my children from me," she whimpered.

"Who?" He hunkered down beside her.

"Mr. Cooper. He saw me leave the livery with you and said people will question my morals if I continue a relationship with you."

"Sonofabitch!" Roth slammed his fist on the table.

"I can't lose them, Roth." She shivered. "I won't lose them."

"You're not gonna lose anyone." He stood and pulled her into his arms, held her close and petted the back of her head to ease her trembles. "I'm the deputy around here. Some folks respect that. Others…" He shrugged. "I'll stay away. Make things easy for you."

"I don't want you to stay away." She leaned back in his arms and looked up at him. "I want you to pummel Mr. Cooper. Hard."

He couldn't help but grin. She hated his guns. But she wasn't too adverse to him pummeling someone when the need suited her. The thought floated across his mind that he should kill Cooper and put an end to her troubles before they got any worse. But something hinted a bullet wasn't what she needed most from him. "I can beat Cooper to within an inch of his life and run him outta town, but it'll only make matters worse for you." He caressed her cheek.

"You like punching people."

"When I know that will solve the problem. Cooper isn't like that. I shouldn’t have told you he was. He'll take the beating. And then he'll heal and come back." He sat on the chair and pulled her onto his lap. "Short of killing him, the only way to get rid of him is to take away what he wants most."

"My money." She frowned. "I'm not giving up my trust fund. I need that for the children and the orphanage."

"You don't have to," he soothed. "Marry me. You wouldn't agree before. Agree now. Listen," he instructed when she started to object. "We'll move into the orphanage with the tots. Once Cooper realizes he's lost your money to me, he'll strike out against me and then I can pummel him for you." He threaded his fingers through hers. "I'll sign that paper, Lydia. I don't want your money. Or anything else you own. You'll keep everything after we divorce."

She quieted a moment, looked at her fingers laced with his and Roth wondered what she thought.

"Your plan to dismiss him and hire someone else won't work. He'll only make more trouble and force your new headmaster to quit." He tipped her chin up. "I ain't the quittin' kind."

She swallowed hard and searched his features. "You're offering to do this, but you get nothing in return."

I get to see you morning and night. "I get to make Cooper's life a living hell like his uncle made mine." He grinned sadistically.

She smiled softly and touched her palm to his cheek. "You would enjoy that. I would, too."

"Then you're agreeing?"

"I don't know, Roth." She sighed and looked away. "A marriage in name only doesn't seem… satisfying. It seems like a prison sentence. For both of us."

He perused her heart-shaped face and green eyes. "Men would go to the calaboose willingly if women like you were there."

She emitted a small, pitiful laugh. "Somehow I doubt that."

"I don't." He tucked his finger beneath her chin and brought her gaze back to him. "You detest marriage. You told me. But this is the only way to get rid of Cooper."

"I detest being a divorced woman more than I detest marriage." She slid off his lap and onto another chair. "Society doesn't care if a man is divorced, but a woman is shunned and gossiped about as much as those girls you have working for you at Miller's. If I earn the respect of the townsfolk now by marrying you and then lose it later when we divorce, the children will be made to suffer." She entwined her fingers around her cup and stared at the tea. "I won't have my children ridiculed because of me."

Roth sat back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest and thought about what she'd said, and what she hadn't, as he studied the slump to her shoulders and the frown hugging her lips. She cared a great deal for her tots, but they weren't the reason behind her hesitancy. "What's giving you doubt, Lydia?"

"I told you, the children will suffer and–"

"Bullshit. Something else is on your mind. Spill it."

Interview with Rachael Weston from Bring Me Luck By: Julie Lence

Hello Cowboy Kisses and thank you for having me as your guest. For those who don’t know me, I’m Rachael Weston from Bring Me Luck. The photo to the left is a good likeness of me (or rather, how Julie sees me.) By no means am I a beauty. Even in my younger days, men didn’t crowd around me vying for my attention. Now that I think about that, my father and brothers may have had something to do with that. Being the only girl, they were overly protective and didn’t cotton to anyone paying me more than an ounce of interest. There was one man, though, who didn’t concern himself with my family.  To this day, more than twenty years later, he still sets my heart aflutter. But enough about him. I told Julie I’d answer her questions about me. Jess will have to wait his turn.      

Where are you from? Coyote, Colorado

How old are you? 40ish

How do you dress? Not in anything fancy. I wear simple, yet comfortable, dresses, skirts and shirts. And sturdy boots. I live on a ranch and cooking and cleaning is best done while wearing gingham or cotton in the summer and wool in the winter. I fashion my hair in a bun or a braid and usually have an apron tied around my waist.

What is your family like? My birth family consists of Ma and Pa, my older brother Lucas, my younger brother Creel, and my twin brother Royce. Lucas, Royce, and Creel could each be married with families of their own, and Ma and Pa could be enjoying their final years; I don’t know for sure. I haven’t seen them in 2 decades.

   My adoptive family consists of my stepson Stephen and ranch hands Blue and Vincent-Bodean. Stephen’s pa took me in when I desperately needed help. Stephen was just a tyke then and motherless, and Blue was already a staple at the ranch. Shortly after I recovered, Stephen’s pa died. Stephen and I formed a mother-son bond, and along with Blue and Vincent-Bodean, we’re family.  

Can you keep a secret? Yes. I’ve kept one for twenty years.

If you could make any 1 thing happen, what would it be? I would go back in time 20 years and face the consequences of my actions rather than run away. I wasn’t raised to be a coward… to disrespect my parents… to shun my responsibilities. But Ma was more than difficult back then. And Pa was too distracted by her antics to confide my troubles. Jess was nowhere to be found and my brothers… they hated Jess and his family. Probably still do. But then, if I had stayed in Coyote, what would’ve become of Stephen after his pa passed? Blue couldn’t have raised him. He knew next to nothing about caring for a toddler. He still doesn’t. But he would’ve protected Stephen with his life.

If someone from your past showed up, who would you most want it to be, and why?  Pa. He’s the wisest man I know. I’m almost certain were I to confide my past to him, he would take away my heartache and replace it with something good, with something warm and worth cherishing. And with little more effort than a father’s hug.   

If someone from your past showed up, who would you most NOT want it to be, and why? That would be a toss up between Ma and Jess. Born and raised in Boston, Ma hailed from a wealthy, prominent family. She had certain rules and conduct she expected my brothers and me to follow and was quick to chastise and point out our faults when we didn’t. Twenty years ago, she never would’ve forgiven my indiscretions or the gossip that was sure to follow had I stayed in Coyote. Today wouldn’t be any different.

   My indiscretions have to do with Jess. So does my running away. If he were to learn what my fleeing cost him, he would hate me more than I already hate myself, and that is something I cannot endure.

Speaking of Jess, what did you think of him the first time you met him? I can’t really say for sure. His family’s ranch and my family’s ranch border each other. We grew up together, attended school together, but rarely spoke to each other. He was more interested in fighting with my brothers and I was more interested in helping ma or visiting my friends. It wasn’t until we were older that we took an interest in each other, and snuck off to his pa’s lineshack almost daily. I fell in love with him, believed he loved me, too, and cried endlessly when I discovered he didn’t. The only thing Jess loved was a Jansen triumphing over a Weston. To this day, I ache with that truth, and from the loss of something that should’ve been.   

What is the best advice someone gave you? Trust in the Lord. When one door closes, he’ll open another. I believe he did just that when he gave me Stephen.

  

Thank you for joining me today. I leave you with an excerpt from Bring Me Luck, which can be purchased here: www.amazon.com/dp/B00OP5PT2U     

Excerpt:

“I severed our relationship!” Jess kicked aside the quilts and lunged to his feet. “You ran out on me.”

Anger sprang into her eyes. “I did not. You shunned me on the boardwalk and then you ceased all contact with me.”

“The hell I did.”

“Oh?” She fisted her hands on her hips. “You didn’t shun me?”

Heat crept up his neck, spread to his cheeks. “That I did do, because I didn’t have a choice. Carl was with me. You and I had agreed to not give our families reason to suspect we favored each other until we were ready to tell them.”

“I would’ve accepted your explanation, except…” Her brow furrowed. “What are you doing on your feet? Lie back down before you do more damage to your back.”

“My back’s fine.”

Her gaze rapidly filled with damnation. “You lied about your health?”

“How the hell else was I going to convince you to let me stay?” he groused. “And don’t change the subject. Finish what you were going to say.”

“You know the rest.” She pivoted on her heel and strode toward the kitchen.

“You’re not getting away this time.” He went after her, gently grasped her arm and turned her to face him. “I’ve waited twenty-two years to hear your side of the matter. I’m not waiting any longer. Spill it.”

“My, my, what a tyrant you’ve become.”

Jess rolled his eyes. “I’ve been called worse. Now talk.”

“I’m sure you have.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste before pulling free from his grasp. “I saw Alexandra and Cynthia at the dress shop before I saw you and Carl. Alexandra told Cynthia you didn’t favor relations of any kind. I didn’t believe her, but then, you shunned me and stopped meeting me.” She squared her shoulders. “I waited for you, but you never came.”

“I came,” he spat. “You were nowhere to be found.”

“You’re a liar! I was at your pa’s lineshack every day for a week.” Her gaze narrowed. “Where were you?”

“For a week? What the hell for? Everyone knew Carl and I were in the calaboose.”

“You were not. I would’ve known if Sheriff Crumb had locked you in his jail cell. The gossips would’ve talked about nothing else the whole time you were there.”

“I wasn’t in the Coyote jail. I was in the Pueblo jail.”

“Pueblo?”

At the stunned expression on her face, his blood turned cold. Brawling with his brother. Shattered glass. Ten days of miserable hell. He’d always assumed she’d known. Pa had said everyone knew. But she hadn’t, and he swallowed hard, felt the regret for what should have been burn his gut. “I didn’t abandon you,” he said quietly before taking her hand and leading her to the table. “Sit. Let me explain.”

www.amazon.com/dp/B00OP5PT2U