Calamity Jane as written in Meet the Legends - Destination Deadwood

Calamity Jane was born Martha Jane Canary.  My favorite movie is Buffalo Gals, but it doesn't follow history as I've recently discovered.

Jane was married a number of times, and although the movie claims Wild Bill Hickok as the father or her only child, little is known about her marriages and lovers.

In line with the movie, she was a female bushwacker with language so strong men feared it more than her gun, which rarely missed its mark.  She came to Deadwood in 1876 and made it a permanent home, but ventured freely from time to time.  She caroused with drunkards, gamblers and miners, and even, during a small pox outbreak in a mining camp, nursed many back to health.  To some she was a true angel.

Her reputation varies depending upon who you believe.  She was kind and took care of the less fortunate, or a renegade who was drunk and disorderly.  She was never known to have stolen anything, however, but always got what she needed....at gunpoint.

Buffalo Gals centered on her love for Wild Bill, but he was married to his beloved Agnes, who awaited his return in Cheyenne.  If there was a love affair, it was definitely one-sided as Wild Bill never strayed.

Jane died August 1, 1903 and was buried, at her request, near Wild Bill in the Mt. Moriah Cemetery.  Some say she coudn't be near him in life, but would forever be close to him in death.  A combination of pneumonia and alcoholism made her dream a reality. 

Quilt Blocks & Book Plots

Wow! My day already and I am up to my eyeballs busy putting together quilts to be tied for my church's humanitarian aid project. 

So, today I am going to reshare with you a quilting blog I published on my own Zina Abbott Books blog about a year ago. It ties in nicely with not only what I am doing now, but with my Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series:

Design for Sophie Ann's Quilt

 [Back when] I finished my third novella in the Eastern Sierra Brides 1884 series, I thought this was my all-time hardest story to write. It took me far longer to finish than I had hoped or anticipated. One reason was because life happens. But, the other reasons are far more subtle. They can probably best be described by comparing my writing to my quilting experiences.

This third book titled Her Independent Spirit starts with Beth Dodd giving a quilt she made to Sophie Ann, the two week old daughter of a prostitute whom Beth helped deliver. We first read about this quilt in the second book, A Resurrected Spirit.

Unlike some of the artistic quilt masterpieces we see today, this quilt was made from white flannel that Beth had originally bought to sew into a new nightgown, red flannel from some of her late husband's long-handle underwear, and blue and white striped cotton from one of her late husband's shirts that had been torn and stained. It was far from being a work of art. But stitched together neatly, it was serviceable. 

Primarily Blue

 Sometimes putting together story plots reminds me of what it is like trying to design and assemble a patchwork quilt top. 

I can keep it simple and serviceable. But, to be pleasing to the eye, it is necessary to have a good blend of color, dark, medium and light shades, compatible fabric design and piece shapes. It is also important that the fabric chosen be compatible with the overall theme of the quilt.

Some like Primarily Blue made mostly of the primary colors on the color wheel have a basic, straightforward plot.

Nascar Spin

   
Fortunately for me, my first quilt with three basic colors turned out quite well in spite of my combining all cotton and cotton-polyester blend fabrics--a big no-no in the quilting world. The colors and designs balanced well. Likewise, my first completed novel turned out well even though it was not my most skillfully crafted writing effort.

Rock Star

Pugs In a Garden

Other quilt tops have a plethora of colors from all over the pallette. Some block pieces are bold and eye-catching and others are muted and restful to the eye.

I love writing parallel or entwined novel plots, sort of like the climbing rows of bold alternating orange and blue-green blocks in Rock Star. 

But, just like colorful quilts such as Rock Star require a lot of balance of all elements of the quilt design, it takes skill and often a lot of rewrites to piece entwining plots together so that the overall story moves forward smoothly. That was my challenge in writing Her Independent Spirit.

Some novel plots like Pugs In a Garden are soft and sweet. They provide a relaxing read, a get-away break for a few hours. I picked this floral fabric up in another quilter's yard sale. The design and color pallet was 10-15 years old--old-fashioned in the world of quilting fabric--but it suited my sister to a tee, so I snatched it up. Soft and sweet in an old-fashioned way is one reason many readers snatch up the historical romances we write.

Other quilts are gripping, intense and, like my veteran's quilt, Gung-Ho!, keep your mind moving hours after the reader has finished the book.

Gung-Ho!

If I'm not careful, I can find that my writing gets too chopped up, or too dark like this star-studded black sashing. To add balance and to lighten up this veteran's quilt, I added the red binding to draw out the red in the scrappy strip blocks. 

In my writing I find I sometimes have to change elements of my story or surround it with a coordinating, but uplifting theme, to add balance and not allow it to sink into darkness or distraction.

Like the colors in these scrappy blocks, it is important to keep them from becoming too choppy. Although each block is unique, there is balance. I did this by scattering the lesser colors of orange and white throughout the entire design. Same with parallel or entwined plot lines.

There is also the issue of being cautious about research sources in order to keep plots believable. The themed fabric to the left was purchased online. In the online images, the primary sea color appeared to be more turquoise than aqua, and the main design appeared to be more vibrant and well-defined. The actual fabric I received appeared much greener and washed out when sewn into the quilt.

That is why I try to balance my online browsing with other forms of research. Just as the color strips separating the blocks ended up providing the most vibrant, eye-catching color in this quilt, so can the book research and onsite locality research make the difference between my writing being ho-hum okay or a more accurate, believable story to be remembered long after the reader reaches "The End."

Floral Medley

Sometimes, in spite of my best efforts to blend compatible colors, balance the contrast of lights and darks and have a good mix of small, medium and large coordinating fabric designs, once it is all put together, I just don't like the overall effect. 

This floral large block quilt I intended from the start to donate to charity had all my favorite colors in it. But, when I was finished, I sincerely hoped whoever received it liked it better than I do. Novel plots are like that sometimes. They start out as a good idea. But, by a couple of chapters into the work, I'd just as soon abandon the project so I can move forward writing something else that excites and pleases me.

So, what made Her Independent Spirit so time-consuming? Unlike the first two books in this series, the storyline follows two women and their romances, not just one.

Beth, still engaged to Val, pursues her goal of getting her own house on her own land so she has a place to which she can bring her sister who is still back east. To do that she must get her late husband's estate settled and navigate the land laws and legal issues that applied to women in her day.

At the same time, Louisa Parmley, known at the Blue Feather as Lulu, decides to leave the brothel and start a new life for her and her baby, but needs Beth's help to do so. Both women realize as long as Louisa lives in the mining regions of the West, she will always be at risk of encountering people who recognize her and know her past. Louisa agrees with Beth that her best option for a decent life for her and her baby is to move back east and settle in a new city. She plans to travel with Beth when Beth goes for her sister. 

Noah's Arky-Arky

 But, a complication arises neither anticipated at the beginning. Of course, it involves a man. What man, you ask? To find out, you will just have to read the book and piece it together yourself.

Writing Her Independent Spirit was like designing this Noah's Arky-Arky quilt.

I started with the main blocks and several color coordinating fabrics that set off the colors in the blocks beautifully. Unfortunately, most of the patterns were just not right for a baby quilt. I needed fabrics that would complement each color in the main design AND each of the little animals in the two repeating baby themed blocks. And, bright colors for a baby quilt? Yes. A lot of dark colors like navy and maroon? No.

In the novella Her Independent Spirit, the time frame starts in mid-April, touches on the the Independence Day holiday, and includes an actual event that took place in Lundy on August 21, 1884, an event that changes the course of both Beth's and Louisa's plans.

For the quilt, some of the fabrics I considered had designs that were too large or contained colors that were garish enough that they detracted from the Noah's Ark blocks in the quilt. 

Likewise, in Her Independent Spirit I couldn't afford to have a lot of extra fluff that did not move the plot forward through the months of April to September. In both cases, I had to stay focused. That meant, like a quilt top, I cut out the pieces, stitched them together, ripped them back out, shopped around for something that worked better and tried again. More than once.

For both this quilt and this book I felt forced to design each element connecting one section to the next scene only after I finished the one before. I could not picture the overall effect in advance.

For the quilt, it took me two trips to the fabric store and three fabric purchases just to come up with the right fabric design and the right shade of light blue with polka-dots for the outside latticework. For the plot, once I got the primary scenes written, I had to review my research, plus write and rewrite in order to connect each scene to the next and and keep the events in the proper order--calendar-wise and development of relationships-wise--so the action flowed.

Archie - R.I.P. - We miss you.

Was it worth it? Yes. In spite of the extra time, aggravation and effort, I love how Noah's Arky-Arky turned out. 

Likewise, I'm pleased with the end result of Her Independent Spirit. It is almost ten thousand words longer than each of the first two novellas in the series. But, I was finally able to put it to bed as a story I enjoyed telling. To me, it was worth the effort.

My publishers agreed. I have since had published the fourth book in the series, Haunted by Love, and the fifth book should be published within the next few months. Now that they are all available on Kindle Unlimited, I suggest you read them all in order, starting with Big Meadows Valentine.

Have a great day and keep piecing together those plots!

Why Visit Buffalo, WY?

On a road trip I took with my daughter last year, I insisted that one of our cross-country stops had to be Buffalo, Wyoming.  Conveniently nestled at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains on the Cloud Peak Scenic Byway (as well as near the Bozeman Trail), it lies between Yellowstone—or Cody, if you prefer—and the attractions of the Dakotas.  In our case, we were headed to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.  But, if you look at any of those other attractions, the likelihood of them mentioning Buffalo in their advertisements is not great.  And that’s a shame.

Buffalo is steeped in history.  Some might say it’s a good thing that not many people make their way down the circuitous roads that lead there, but to me it’s something of a pity.  Founded in 1879, the town isn’t named for bison but for Buffalo, New York.  Apparently, the name was drawn out of a hat amidst other suggestions, having been put in by a N.Y. native.  As the local area developed with large cattle companies out on the Powder and Sweetwater Rivers and elsewhere, it soon became the major stopping place for cattle barons and travelers alike.  Hotels were built in 1880 to cater for these people, including The Capitol and The Occidental, which started as a basic log structure with 6 rooms, a saloon and restaurant. 

The Occidental Hotel in 1883

While The Capitol has been converted into modern rental suites, the Occidental maintains its Old West charm.  It has played host to Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, Teddy Roosevelt, General Phil Sheridan, Owen Wister who wrote The Virginian’s walk down scene as taking place outside, and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

That brings me to The Hole-in-the-Wall.  About eight-five miles from Buffalo is the notorious Hole-in-the-Wall where Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, along with their ‘Wild Bunch’ gang, hung out.  Based around Ghent’s Cabin, the Hole-in-the-Wall became a veritable village of outlaws, and included a livery and cabins.  Elzy Lay, Black Jack Ketchum, ‘Kid Curry’ Logan, and other famous outlaws ‘holed up’ there. While several gangs used the site, apparently there was little interaction between them, and it proved an ideal place to winter Wyoming’s minus sixty temperatures.  To reach the “Hole” today, it is a 2.5 miles hike from the trailhead parking lot.

Buffalo is the Johnson County seat and so played a major role in the famed Johnson County War.  It must be said that things got unpleasant after the winter of 1886/87 when the large cattle companies lost about 60-75% of their stock.  By the late 1880s, things had got sticky between those large cattle companies and the smaller ranchers, and Ellen Watson—now known mistakenly as ‘Cattle Kate’—and  Jim Averell paid the ultimate price and were lynched.  For the full story of the hanging of ‘Cattle Kate’ please see my blog at https://andreadowning.com/2012/08/31/a-lynching-an-opera-and-a-book/  In any event, things between the large cattle companies and the smaller ranchers/homesteaders spiraled on from there and ended with the Johnson County War.  This entailed the cattle barons hiring guns from Texas, who came out and started going after the smaller ranchers, who were accused of rustling.  It ended at the TA Ranch in April, 1892, after a three day shoot-out.  Today the TA Ranch, thirteen miles south of Buffalo, has guest lodging in its historic, preserved  ranch house and bunkhouse.

When I moved from the ranch, at which I was staying outside Buffalo, to the Little Bighorn Battlefield, I stopped to see the marker of Fort Phil Kearney.  This has a large interpretative site; the fort was used to fight Indian wars.  It was actually burned by the Cheyenne in 1868 after being abandoned when the railroad made the Bozeman Trail obsolete. It was from Fort McKinney, on the other hand, that soldiers were sent to arrest the Texas gunfighters hired by the cattle barons in the Johnson County War.  Situated on the Clear Fork of the Powder River (1878-1894), it was basically aimed at keeping Sioux and Cheyenne on their reservations, but it was from here that President Benjamin Harrison sent out those troops.  Today it, too, is discernible by an historical marker.

So when I needed a setting for my latest novella, Long A Ghost, and Far Away which has come out in the anthology, The Good, The Bad, and The Ghostly, I sought  someplace other than Jackson Hole, which is my part-year home turf, and turned to Buffalo, which I had visited. 

The lobby of The Occidental Hotel today

The Occidental Hotel is purportedly haunted and seemed a good spot to include, but it is the town of Buffalo with all its history that intrigues me.  I hope you’ll get the chance one day to visit and maybe stay at The Occidental.  And, of course, I hope you’ll read the anthology as well.

5 Little known Shooters by Paty Jager

I tend to write villains into my historical western romances and therefore am always on the lookout for a good bad guy to use as a model for my fictional characters. Here are five real bad guys I came across in my research.

purchased canstock photo

1) Clay Allison - Born in 1840 in Tennessee. He started out as a dirt farmer but the Civil War changed his future. During the war he learned how to kill and became skillful at it. He enjoyed "scouting" or spying as it mainly was during that war. During his scouting he was caught. The night before he was to be shot, he killed a guard and escaped. He was known for an erratic mental condition due to a head wound from his youth. The Tennessee Light Artillery said he was suicidal and discharged him after one year.  He hired on with Loving and Goodnight in Texas. On a trail drive, they passed a small town and Allison rode down main street wearing only his sombrero, boots and gun belt after drinking too much. When the sheriff tried to arrest him he started shooting, scaring the lawman. He went on to be one of the most psychotic, deranged gunmen that ever lived.

2) John Larn - Came from Alabama, drifted to Colorado tried to "borrow" a horse and was caught. He killed the cattleman objecting. Two months later he shot the lawman arresting him. In Texas he hired out on a cattle drive. He killed three men and tossed them in the Pecos. On the return trip he had problems with the trail boss and took several other unhappy drovers through the camp causing havoc. Seven men were wounded and two killed. He eventually hired on with another ranch and married the owners daughter. Around his wife he was a gentleman and never killed anyone. There were wars between the grangers and the cattle barons.In 1876 Larn was twenty-five years old and elected as sheriff. He hung many rustlers and cleaned up the area. Then he and a partner started rustling themselves and killed hired hands to prevent having to pay them. He made himself the least liked lawman in Shackleford, Texas. Two years after becoming sheriff, he was gunned down while locked in his own jail.

3) Bass Outlaw - He was five-foot four and fully dressed and armed, he weighed one hundred and fifty pounds. He was a Texas Ranger for being of short stature. He was a nice fellow, who could ride harder and cuss harder than any other ranger. He was also known for being sympathetic, tender and patient when the need arose. But he had one flaw. He couldn't leave liquor alone.When he drank he was a homicidal maniac.

4) Pearl Hart - Born around 1871 in Ontario, Canada. She left home at seventeen. She took up with a young miner who didn't believe in working hard. Pearl would lure men into her room and her miner would hit them over the head and take their cash. When this didn't get them the amount of money they wanted, they started robbing stage coaches. Pearl cut her hair and wore men's clothing. They were as bad at robbing stages as they had been luring men into her room. They made one heist of about $400. But after they took off, they became lost and ended up not far from the robbery and were captured by the posse. Pearl told a tale story of a sick mother and that's why she needed the money and the jury released her. The judge didn't like that and had her rearrested for carrying a gun.She spent a limited time in jail, convincing the courts she was pregnant. The only men she'd spent time with alone were a clergyman and a governor. They gave her a discreet pardon and asked her leave Arizona.  She was arrested around the country for pick pocketing and prostitution. She also rode in the Buffalo Bill Wild West Show. She lived to be ninety after marrying a rancher.

5) Jack Slade - Born in Carlyle, Illinois, he served in the Mexican War.  After the war, he worked as a trouble shooter for the Overland Stage. He was short, round, and schizophrenic. He married a pretty girl. Jack worked, fought, and drank with enthusiasm. Slade was sent to take care of a man who had stolen company horses. In the shootout he stopped thirteen slugs. He lived after a long convalescence. He offered $500 to anyone who brought in the man who shot him. Four cowboys brought the man in. Slade tied him up to a post and started shooting his legs and arms while swigging whiskey. When the man passed out from the pain, Slade put the barrel in the man's mouth and pulled the trigger. Then he cut off the man's ears and wore them on his watch fob for years. HIs drinking became a problem and after sending the Virginia City milk wagon over a steep hill while drunk, a vigilante group strung him up. When his wife arrived she claimed the body, dipped him in alcohol and sent him to Salt Lake City to be buried in a Mormon grave site.

There are bits and pieces from each of these real-life people that gives me fodder for villains in my westerns. How about you?  Have your read a book about or watched a movie that the villains could have come from one of these?

Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 25+ novels and over a dozen novellas and short stories of murder mystery, western historical romance, and action adventure. She has a RomCon Reader’s Choice Award for her Action Adventure and received the EPPIE Award for Best Contemporary Romance. Her first mystery was a finalist in the Chanticleer Mayhem and Mystery Award and is a finalist in the RONE Award Mystery category.  This is what readers have to say about the Letters of Fate series- “...filled with romance, adventure and twists and turns.” “What a refreshing and well written love story of fate and hope!”

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Source: A Gallery of Notorious Gunmen From the American West: The Shooters by Leon Claire Metz