Dime Novel Romance ~ Julie Lence

Ah, February. The month dedicated to love. Sweethearts gift each other with flowers, candy, and dinner. Students address cute Valentine’s Day cards to hand out to classmates while snacking on anything from cupcakes to heart-shaped candies. Parents may surprise their kiddos with a small trinket, and Hallmark continuously airs romance movies geared to tug at your heartstrings. But neither Hallmark nor the movie industry were the first to draw your attention (and your purse strings) to sweetheart’s month. Books did that, to include the dime novel.

When I think of dime novels, the first thing that comes to mind is a short stand-alone paperback from the 1800’s featuring dashing heroes from the old west. While some of what I imagine is correct, there was more than one story in a dime novel and not all centered around action, adventure, and intrigue. Some were romances. Selling for 10 cents a copy (some for 5 cents) and averaging 100 pages in length, with their brightly illustrated covers and slimness, dime novels were easy to carry and often marketed toward the working class.

While one person isn’t credited with creating the dime novel romance, Erastus and Irwin Beadle were the first to publish the dime romance, under the imprint Beadle’s Dime Novels. Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter was the first title.  Check out this dime novel and a few others below.

Malaeska, the Indian Wife of the White Hunter by Ann S. Stephens, is often cited as the first American dime novel. Malaeska includes works from authors Charles Garvice and Laura Jean Libbey, to include Only a girl's love and Daisy Brooks; Or, A Perilous Love, respectively Other stories  include The Girl He Loved by Adelaide Stirling and Forrest House by Mary Jane Holmes. 

 

Belles & Beaux: A Home Weekly for Winter Nights and Summer Days. [1874]

Belles & Beaux was one of the very first story papers devoted exclusively to young women and marked publishers Beadle & Adams’ first attempt to reach an all female audience. Launched in  January 1874 for ten cents per copy, it was a mixture of serialized love stories, (usually with two stories running at a time) short stories, poems, and reader’s letters. The first issue featured a poem entitled “Belles and Beaux, Greeting”, and included a large illustration detailing the phases of courtship and marriage.          

 

Waverly Library. “The Only Young Ladies Library of First-Class Copyright Novels Published. Complete and Unabridged. Price but Five Cents Each.” [1879-1886]

The Waverly Library was Beadle & Adams most significant contribution to women’s dime novel romances. This series began in November 1879 and was one of the first sustained and successful attempts to reach a woman’s market in cheap, mass-produced fiction. It promised to cover “the field of Love and Society Romance” with a complete story in each issue. Advertisements promised “Wholesome, Vigorous and Fresh” stories avoiding tedious narrative… nothing but good strong stories of today.  (Source: https://chnm.gmu.edu/dimenovels/wp/romance-series-and-story-papers.html)

 

My favorite romance stories are Double Standards by Judith McNaught and Gentle Rogue by Johanna Lindsay. What are some of your favorite romance stories?  

 

 

My Favorite Christmas Movies ~ Julie Lence

courtesy Movie Nights at Home

 September 1^st thru December 31^st always seems to go by in the blink of an eye. Labor Day kicks off these 4 months, followed by the start of the NFL Season and everything pumpkin. Leaves change colors and fall off tree branches. Halloween rounds out the month of October, and then most of America swarms the grocery stores for turkeys, sweet potatoes, and pies. Then, Bam! it’s Christmas everywhere (maybe even before the turkey goes into the oven). Every year I make a schedule for decorating, shopping, wrapping presents, and yes, even writing blogs. Some years everything goes accordingly. Other years, not so much. But one thing I don’t let anything deter me from is Christmas movies. Below is my must-see movies every year.

 

White Christmas-- Somewhere back when I was young, Vera-Ellen captured my attention with her dancing. (She is and always will be my favorite dancer.) I remember seeing her in this movie and how in awe of her I was. I really didn’t pay much attention to the other stars, especially Rosemary Clooney, and their singing (except for Bing Crosby’s White Christmas), but as the years went by, I took more notice of Bing, Danny Kaye and Ms. Clooney. Now, I eagerly look forward to this movie, know most of the speaking lines by heart, and always choke up at the end. And I have a better appreciation for Ms. Clooney. Her voice in Love, You Did Me Wrong is exquisite.

 

A Christmas Story-- Hubby introduced me to this movie back in the 90’s. I’d never heard of it and laughed so much, and so hard, that I had to have it on video. Then, I bought it for my nephews, who started mimicking Ralphie and Randy so much that Grandma took the movie away from them, lol. This is another movie I eagerly look forward to each year and know the lines by heart. It’s charming, set in an era I adore, and I laugh just as much as I did the 1^st time I watched it. Christmas Day, TNT runs it for 24 hours and I always have it on in the background.

 

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York-- Home Alone in itself is funny, but I love New York City and prefer this one. I get to see some of my favorite areas in the city, can smell and taste the pizza Kevin enjoys in the limo, and the scene with the bricks still makes me laugh so hard that I cry.

 

Elf-- Another must-see, not only because it takes place in NYC, but because it is hilarious. Will Farrell not only captures the innocence of an over-sized elf, he reminds us life is meant to be enjoyed with those we hold dear in our hearts. The part with the syrup and spaghetti… while I cringe outwardly, I laugh on the inside. (It’s an Italian thing…)

 

Hallmark-- Right around Thanksgiving, I start gearing up for the onslaught of Hallmark movies. I know, most will say the plot is the same, and I suppose in some ways it is, but Hallmark movies bring joy to those who watch them. They allow us to step into someone’s life and destress from our own insanities that come with this time of year, and they serve to remind us that love really can conquer all. My favorite Hallmark Christmas movie is A Holiday Spectacular, featuring the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.                            

Now that you know some of my favorites, leave a comment with some of your favorites, and let me know what your preferred snack is when watching. I tend to lean toward cookies or popcorn.

Merry Christmas, Everyone & Happy Movie Watching!

 

     

Guest Blogger--Barbara White Daille

Thanks for welcoming me back to Cowboy Kisses!

As I said in my first visit, almost all my books feature cowboys, one of my favorite types of hero. Another subset of faves is the cowboy/daddy hero, whether he’s a daddy when the book opens or he’s about to discover he has a child he never knew existed.

My upcoming book, The Rancher’s Baby Proposal, has a new twist for me. It’s the first time I’ve written the story of a single dad who is raising his child from birth. Don’t ask me why it’s taken me so long to get around to this story, because I love Reagan and his little boy Sean!

Watching the big, strong hero take care of his infant son tugged at my heart. So did seeing Reagan’s struggle to do the right thing for his child. Oh, and I can’t forget my surprise at how he handles the feisty flirt who’s crushed on him forever. :)

Here’s a peek at the back cover blurb:

HER SECRET COWBOY CRUSH

Ally Martinez has always been known as a fun and flirty kind of gal. But deep down she’s never forgotten the cowboy who left town. When her crush Reagan Chase comes home after a five-year absence, Ally knows this is her big chance. The guy I’ve always wanted. Only Reagan has something different in mind…

Still reeling from his last relationship, Reagan needs a babysitter for his month-old son. With Ally’s help, he can get his family’s ranch ready for sale and get out of Cowboy Creek. The problem? Ally is one seriously cute distraction. But Reagan will do whatever it takes to keep his heart safe. Even if it means losing the only place—and the only woman—he can call home.

And here’s a clip from early on in the book:

Just as Reagan’s waitress disappeared through the doorway into the kitchen, the front door of the shop opened, and Ally entered.

Her long dark curls tumbled down almost to her waist and bounced as she walked toward him. She had never been tiny, and she had filled out more in the years since he had last seen her. With her gleaming dark eyes, rosy cheeks and snug orange T-shirt, she gave the bright pink seats and decorations in the sandwich shop some competition. He recalled her hanging around the schoolyard in grade school. He had been a couple of years ahead of her. Even that long ago, she had always acted larger than life—and been the life of the party.

Thinking of Sean, he frowned. Maybe Ally as a babysitter wouldn’t be such a good influence on a preteen or a teenager…but a one-month-old? What could it hurt? Besides, even if she accepted the offer he planned to present to her, he and the baby wouldn’t be here long enough for her to make much of an impact.

“Hi.” Sounding a little breathless, she took the booth across from him. “I got here as soon as I could.”

“Hope you didn’t have to rush.”

“No rush. No more than usual, anyhow. My papa says I never run at half speed when I can take it up to full.” She laughed. “But I’m running behind now because, just as I was leaving, one of the customers came to the register with a big order.”

Since they had met up at the local hardware store, where Ally worked as a clerk, she had slicked something on her lips, shiny and red as cherry candy. Suddenly, he felt an urge to lean across the tabletop for a taste.

Whoa, Nelly.

He’d been away from women too long. Or not long enough.

Sex wasn’t supposed to be on his radar for a good while into the future. Preferably, at least not till Sean turned twenty-one. He tried to think back to his school days and the younger Ally, when the few years’ age difference between them seemed a much wider gap.

“Is something wrong?” she asked. “You’re frowning.”

“No. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just trying to decide what to have. To drink.”

She smiled at him. “So, how has the big, bad city been treating you all these years? Well enough, I guess, or you would have been home again before now.”

“Houston did treat me well, I have to admit.” The woman he had met just before graduation was another story. “Going to school there was a good experience, one I don’t regret. But I’m not in Houston anymore. I’ve got a job outside San Antonio, sales manager for a distributor of farming equipment.”

She blinked those big dark eyes. “Why would you be selling farm equipment, when you have a ranch right here to come home to?”

“It pays the bills.”

“Oh.” His curt reply had thrown her. It didn’t keep her down for long. “Well, I can certainly see the benefits of that.”

He hoped so. Just as he hoped this meeting would benefit them both. But he wanted to lead up to his idea slowly. And he didn’t want to say too much about the past.

If he had his way, neither Ally nor anyone else in Cowboy Creek would learn what happened between him and the woman he’d loved and had thought loved him, too.

Links

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Ranchers-Baby-Proposal-Hitching-Hotel-ebook/dp/B01LLPCDXY/

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-ranchers-baby-proposal-barbara-white-daille/1124564570

Books-A-Million
http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Ranchers-Baby-Proposal/Barbara-White-Daille/Q92625305?id=6809026813830

Harlequin
http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=70354

IndieBound
http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373757596

Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-rancher-s-baby-proposal

About the Author

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom. Barbara also loves writing, reading, and chocolate. Come to think of it, she enjoys writing about those subjects, too!

Barbara wrote her first short story at the age of nine, then typed "The End" to her first novel many years later...in the eighth grade. Now she's writing contemporary romance on a daily basis. Sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest in her writing life:  http://barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter.

Social Media Links

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Newsletter  http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter

Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille

Twitter  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille

Amazon author page  http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-White-Daille/e/B002J6B0QQ

Harlequin author page  http://www.harlequin.com/author.html?authorid=1244  

Goodreads author page
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/529361.Barbara_White_Daille

Meet Jessie Kane from Be Mine, Valentine

With Valentine’s Day approaching, love and romance are in the air (and the taste of chocolates are on the tips of many tongues). I invite you to get to know Jessie Kane, my heroine from, Be Mine, Valentine.

I grew up on a farm in Virginia. It was just Ma and Pa and me working hard from sun up ‘til sun down. The list of chores never seemed to end, but I’m not complaining. Ma and Pa were the best parents; kind, loving, strict when there was need. I lost them to fever before the start of the war between the north and the south. Even though the farm was small, the chores were too many for one person. I sold the land and moved to Chicago where I took an unusual job for a woman―a private investigator specializing in finding runaways. My first assignment I spent a good amount of time honing my skills. Through trial and error, and my own stubbornness, I became adept at tracking those I was hired to find and escorting them home, except for the last girl. Two days before I caught up to her, she was killed in an accident. I mourned as if she were my own daughter, then forced myself back into the saddle to locate the Cantrell’s grown son.

Craig Cantrell proved difficult. He’d changed his name to Gage, fell in with a band of outlaws, and led me on a long chase across the southern territories. Every time I thought I’d caught up to him, he’d vacated his hideaway a day or two before. Sometimes, even a week. Worse, Gage’s fiancée caught up to me and insisted she accompany me in my search. She’s a thorn in my side, too delicate for the trail, but I finally convinced her to hole up in Austin while I follow another lead. A source in Tucson is certain Gage is in Revolving Point, Texas. I have my doubts. The woman in Tucson is unreliable, and too selfish for her own good… and correct in her claim!

Gage Cantrell is the first person to greet me when I arrive in the notorious town along the Rio Grande. Cocky, temperamental, evasive; it’s going to take some careful wrangling to corner him and convince him he can safely return to Chicago. But that’s the least of my worries. For a woman who has never been interested in love and settling down, the eatery manager has set my heart to thumping. And my pulse to pounding. Handsome and quiet, with a warm heart and sorrowful eyes that have captured my soul, this Valentine’s Day, Tom Porter will ask me to be his Valentine. And his wife.

Excerpt:

Quietly moving across the floor, he nudged the door open to find Jessie wearing her night clothes and sitting in a chair before the hearth, her blonde hair hanging loose down her back. She cradled a cup in her lap, caressed the rim while staring at the low-burning fire. He filled a cup and joined her.

“Can’t sleep,” he asked.

“Oh,” she startled, and arched her neck toward him. “I didn’t hear you.”

“I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He nodded toward the hearth. “May I join you?”

Her guarded gaze traveled the length of him. “Al-all right.” She shifted her attention back to the crackling wood.

He pulled a chair beside her and sat, took a long drink of the hot brew. “Are you up because you’re worried about the squatter?”

“No. The sheriff and the deputies will find him.” She kept her gaze on the flame. “They won’t allow harm to come to their wives and children.”

“Reckon you’re right about that.” He took another long swallow to settle the unease snaking through his gut. He had plenty to say to her, and hoped the words came out right.

“Why are you awake?” she asked.

“I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

“Most people do.” She leaned forward, pulled a log from a basket beside the hearth and added it to the fire. Sat back in her chair.

“Jessie,” he started, only to pause and take a deep breath. He let it out slow, prayed his gumption wouldn’t desert him. “I apologize for what I said to you earlier. You’re more than a waitress to me. You’re someone I care about very much.”

She sniffled and met his gaze. Except for the moisture clinging to her eyes, her expression was void of feeling. “So you’ve often said.” She cocked her head. “Are you willing to do something about that?”

He swallowed hard. “If you’re referring to marriage, than I’m sorry, but the answer is no. I can’t marry you.” He touched her arm. “But I can be your friend.” And love you with everything I am. “Someone you can depend upon for anything.”

“I have friends, Tom,” she said, stonily. “I want more than that.”

Be Mine, Valentine is available at Amazon for .99cents.

www.amazon.com/DP/ B01ATV451O

****Jessie Kane was first introduced in Debra's Bandit, which can be found here: www.amazon.com/dp/B0095IG390