A very warm good morning to y'all!

I'm so excited to join everyone here at Cowboy Kisses. I'm look forward to interacting with all of you and to celebrate my participation, I put Love in the Bargain and The Bounty Hunter's Bargain on sale for this weekend! 

Sale starts Friday the 13th and ends on Sunday the 16th. Also, all my books are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited.

Some random nuggets about me:

I met, dated, got engaged and married my husband all in six months. We're celebrating our sixteenth anniversary this year.

I had Hypermesis Gravidarum with both pregnancies (the same illness The Princess of Wales, Catherine, suffered with in her pregnancies).

I hate stickiness. Absolutely a struggle, especially with two small kiddoes.

I love Beta Heroes and tend to write Beta Heroes. So if you like a good story featuring a Beta Hero, I hope you'll check out my work.

If you're keen on joining my Newsletter, I would love to have you!

Hugs!

Lucette

Colorado City's First Doctor

 

Doris McCraw aka Angela Raines

Photo property of the Author

Colorado City, otherwise now known as Old Colorado City had a doctor almost from the very beginning of its existence.

James Paul Garvin was born in September 1832 in the state of Pennsylvania. While no record has been found of his early medical education, we know that he came to Colorado at around the age of twenty-seven.

Image of Dr. James Paul Garvin from 
the Oct 12, 1952 edition of the
Colorado Springs Gazette

Once he arrived in Colorado city he and M. S. Beach set about building a cabin where Dr. Garvin not only lived and practiced medicine but also worked as a pharmacist, making his home a doctor's office and a drugstore.

Dr. Garvin remained in Colorado, not taking part in the fighting that we know as the Civil War. There is also the possibility that he was a sheriff in Denver for a brief time, but so far that has yet to be verified.

During Dr. Garvin's stay in Colorado, there is a very good chance that he would have traveled to other parts of the state, specifically gold mining camps, to tend to those who were ill. That he also might have spent time searching for gold is a real possibility.

There is much still to be found about Dr. Garvin's stay in Colorado, however brief that might have been.

From the Find A Grave website.

Sometime in the late 1860s Dr. Garvin left Colorado for good and returned to the East. He may have continued studying medicine, but we do know that he married Cedelia A. Butz, in January 1875 in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was her second marriage and his first. They had three children, two boys, and one girl. The couple later moved to St. Louis Missouri and then to Alton, Madison County Illinois. He remained there until his death in 1902.

Dr. James Paul Garvin and his time in Colorado city has been overshadowed by the cabin that he and Beach built. If one is to visit old Colorado city you will find the cabin standing in Bancroft Park. The building is considered the second oldest building in Colorado City and played a part in the storied beginning of Colorado as a territory and the "First Territorial Capital of Colorado". That is a story for another time.

Until next time, Doris 

Winter Western Horses by Jan Scarbrough

In 2016 when my husband and I visited The Covered Wagon Ranch in Gallatin Gateway, Montana, near Yellowstone, I was given my own horse for the two-day stay. He was a six-year-old Tennessee walking horse named Mr. Black. He didn’t trot but racked. We never got up enough speed to go that fast because we were climbing up the sides of mountains! The view from the top looking down over the ranch property was scary. Believe me!

During my stay, I learned the horses were driving to a nighttime pasture. Wranglers drove them back in the morning for their job as trail horses for us dudes. I was surprised to find out “The Covered Wagon Ranch and Performance horses spend the off season at lower elevation with less snow and typically warmer weather…” This is not unusual for other ranches in the area. They live outdoors in the snow!

Coming from “back East,” I take riding lessons at an American Saddlebred barn. These horses usually spend most of their time in stalls. Sometimes, they’re turned-out part of the day to graze and be horses. Show horses are sometimes “let down” during the winter and spend some time outdoors. However, other horses “shown year-round usually must be kept inside. Plus, a combination of blankets and stall lights keeps coats short and slick for upcoming competitions.”

The life of Triple Crown Winner American Pharoah consists of time outside, even during breeding season. “As for his daily routine, it’s not complicated. Breeding in the morning, out in the paddock afterward, then lunch. Back to the breeding shed, to the paddock, dinner, and then they are bedded down for the night. However, if a horse is “particularly busy,” the stallion manager said, there’s an evening breeding session.”

All this is to say, I never realized resilience of horses and their ability to remain outside in winter pasture. In her article, The Hardy Horse: How Horses Handle Winter, Heather Smith Thomas gives good insight into the way horses handle chilly months. “Our horses handle winter much better than we do, and my ranch horses in Idaho have managed nicely outdoors, even at 40 below zero. They have several unique ways to stay comfortable in severe weather and do well if allowed to adapt to colder temperatures gradually.” Check out the article for the ways a horse is built to handle the winter.

That’s not to say ranch owners are not concerned about their stock. During that horrible cold snap before Christmas, I spotted this message on the Covered Wagon Ranch Facebook page: “Praying for our horses in these cold temps.”

Of course, I used this knowledge of winter horses in my Western books. You'll find three of my books in the Ghost Mountain Ranch series in a new anthology. You'll be able to read the three romances and discover why the secrets of the past still haunt the living… 

Ghost Mountain Ranch is available at many eBook retailers.

2023 Goals ~ Raine Rochelle

 Happy New Year! I hope you’re as excited as I am to welcome another year full of possibilities and opportunities.

Although January always seems such a long, cold month, I enjoy looking forward to the chance to try again at reaching the goals I didn’t quite manage to achieve last year, and to make new plans for the months ahead.

One of my aims for 2023 is to write and publish The Johnsons of Junova series, which is a spin-off from The Billionaires of Brightside Ranch and The Brides of Brightside Ranch.

On that note, I’m pleased to give you the first glimpse of the cover of Book 1 in the series, Heartstrings, which was designed by the very talented Kay Maszek of Maszek Designs. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Heartstrings is due for release on 26^th January and will be on pre-order very soon.

I hope you’re making your own plans for 2023, and hope it’s a year full of hope and health for all of us.

Take care,

Raine

Don’t forget that The Billionaires of Brightside Ranch series is currently FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Welcome 2023 ~ Julie Lence

 

Hello Cowboy Kisses! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Mine started with a month-long visit with Mom during November. Hubby & kiddo joined me later in the month and Mom’s house was filled with family for Thanksgiving. Traveling back to Colorado was a 2-day jaunt, where hubby, kiddo, and I enjoyed quiet Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations. It’s hard to believe that I hadn’t seen Mom in 3 years, but time passes quickly, just as the past year has sped by for Cowboy Kisses. Many of the cowgirls released some wonderful stories in 2022, so if you haven’t already checked them out, please do so.   

At the end of 2022, Cowboy Kisses said goodbye to Kathleen Lawless and Rhonda Frankhouser. We wish them the best of luck in their in endeavors and welcome Katina Rose and Lucy Nel to the group. Each write western romance, with Katina blogging the 3^rd Tuesday of each month and Lucy blogging the 2^nd Wednesday of every month. Be sure to check out their author pages located on the sidebar to the right and get to know them better. 

As always, be sure to visit with us on Facebook where you can interact with the Cowgirls and other Facebook members for Question Tuesday, Read Wednesday, and Tattle Thursday. Our Facebook group also features other western romance and western authors who regularly chime in with new releases, sales and freebies that you don’t want to miss. And if you’re a Tweeter, catch the Cowgirls’ Tweets by checking out the sidebar to your right or by visiting our page on Twitter. 2023 is going to be a great year and we’re truly blessed to have your continued support and love. 

Hugs,

Julie   

  

National Drinking Straw Day

Today is National Drinking Straw Day, honoring the day back in the 1880s when Marvin Stone received the patent for the paper drinking straw.

It's fun to think about an old west cowboy swagging into a saloon and requesting a straw for his drink. 

In actuality, straws have been around a long, long time. The first known straws were created around 6,000 years ago and were used by the Sumerians for drinking beer. Apparently, there was a lot of solid sediment created during the fermenting process. A straw made of gold and inlaid with precious stones was found in a Sumerian tomb dated 3,000 B.C.

South American natives used straws to drink their famous maté tea. The straw, known as a bombilla, filters out the tea leaves in the drink. They were and still are typically made from metal alloys such as bronze – or precious even metals such as gold and silver.

By the arrival of the 19th century, straws were commonly made from wheat and rye. These straws left residue in the beverage along with a strange taste. And the straws became soggy quickly.

After using one of these straws, Marvin Chester Stone decided to create something better.

The American inventor, who's family created products like pen holders and pencil sharpeners, had the know-how and business acumen to manufacture paper straws on a large scale. 

On January 3, 1888, he received the patent for his paper drinking straw.

The straws were marketed directly to companies to sell in bulk. Made from Manila hemp originating in the Philippines and coated with wax, the straws were advertised as being sturdy, and they left behind no strange taste or residue. 

At the height of popularity, he was producing two million straws a day in his manufacturing plant. 

It was after World War II when straws became widespread. The materials to create them were inexpensive and the restaurant fare they accompanied was affordable and popular.

In 1930, Otto W. Dieffenbach developed and produced a cellophane straw. His company known as Glassips Inc. produced straws for restaurants and other products.

Straws were produced in fun shapes. One of the first mass-produced twisted straw was Sip-N-See invented by Milton Dinhofer. Dinhofer originally patented his straw in the shape of a scissor with two loops on top, but Macy's refused to carry the straw unless it had a character on it. They suggested Dinhofer make three straws, which were patented in 1950: a cowboy, a clown and an elephant. Each of the characters was attached to a looping soft polyethylene straw, and users were to sip from another detachable, small, straight, straw of acetate.

Inventors also created bendy straws, spoon straws, and crazy straws.

Today, plastic straws are on the decline due to environmental issues, and paper straws are once again used more often alongside reusable straws. 

Regardless of the straw used - wishing you a very Happy New Year!

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield is a farm girl who loves to write. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances are filled with sarcasm, humor, hope, and hunky heroes.

Shanna creates character-driven romances with realistic heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.

Connect with her online at shannahatfield.com

The West: A Romance Collection

By Kristy McCaffrey

Happy New Year!! I've got a new release to share with you all. The West: A Romance Collection includes several historical western romance short stories I've written over the years. While many of them were previously published, it also includes a brand new story - The Starling and the Fox, a follow-up to my novel THE STARLING.

Don’t miss this collection of short historical western romances by award-winning author Kristy McCaffrey. Journey to the Grand Canyon, Colorado and more with U.S. Marshals, bounty hunters, and men trying to right a wrong, and the women who challenge them every step of the way. These previously published stories also include a brand-new adventure – The Starling and the Fox, related to Kristy’s novel The Starling.

The Starling and the Fox – New!!
San Francisco 1899
Pinkerton agent Louise Foster doesn’t like loose ends. When fugitive Walter Beckett escapes at the end of her last case, she follows him to San Francisco, but her careful plans are upended when U.S. Deputy Marshal Ian Maguire arrives. As they clash professionally, the sparks fly, and solving the case becomes the least of their problems.

Confluence
Grand Canyon 1894
Elise Brumlow comes to Grand Canyon to release her father’s ashes into the mighty Colorado River. When she injures herself, Taggart Mason comes to her rescue. In a place where two rivers join, one clear and warm, the other dark and cold, Tag and Elise learn that certain forces of nature can’t be denied.

Catch A Cinder, Ella
Frank Cinder made a promise to his dying mother that he wouldn’t abandon the ranch his stepfather and stepbrothers run, but as soon as he has enough money saved, he plans to strike out on his own. Disguised as Floyd to avoid his family, Frank meets Ella McMann at a town social and immediately regrets lying to her. Can they build a future together?

A Westward Adventure
Colorado 1888
When aspiring novelist Amelia Mercer travels from New York City to Colorado, the stagecoach is robbed and her luggage stolen. Bounty hunter Ned Waymire comes to her aid, seeking to impress the independent young woman.

Lily and Mesquite Joe
Arizona Territory 1872
Lily Kingston has long loved Mesquite Joe Riordan, but when he doesn’t step forward to protest her betrothal to another man—arranged by her papa—her heart breaks. When Joe is blamed for the murder of a ranch hand and disappears, Lily knows exactly where to find him. Facing the truth of his past will test her resolve, but only her stubbornness can win his heart. 

Canyon Crossing
Grand Canyon 1898
In search of her brother, Annabel Cross enters Grand Canyon with a guide, a mule, and a secret. Trailing the notorious Red Bandit, U.S. Deputy Marshal Angus Docherty suspects Annabel is bait for an ambush. Together, they test the limits of trust and acceptance.

Available in ebook and print. Grab a digital copy for only 99 cents until January 9, 2023 (then the price will increase to $2.99). Click here for vendor links.

 

Excerpt from The Starling and the Fox

A click at the front door of the Victorian townhouse had Louise ducking behind a thick curtain. The door closed quietly, and the perpetrator’s footfalls were a mere whisper moving through the darkened rooms.

Louise peered past the velvet curtain, fighting the urge to sneeze from the dusty material. With eyes accustomed to the darkness, she easily saw the tall broad-shouldered form that entered the sitting area where she had been using a spy glass to surveille Wallace Wingate’s home across the street.

The intruder crashed into a side table and swore, his voice sending a wave of recognition through her. Was it … ? She sneezed. By the time she lifted her face, he was directly in front of her.

Damn, he was fast.

“Who are you?” he said.

She relaxed. “Hello, Ian.”

He leaned closer, peering at her. “Do I know you?”

Oh. She’d forgotten she was still wearing her disguise from earlier. She tugged the blond wig from her head that concealed her auburn hair and removed the fake glasses. “It’s Louise Foster.”

He stepped back, and she immediately missed his warmth, leaving her to catch her breath.

She frowned, startled by her reaction to him.