I am a huge fan of Heather Graham (aka Shannon Drake) and her Western romances. This is one of them, a post Civil War tale of the Wild West.
Why would Ian, an ex-Rebel officer and half Sioux Indian, think Ann McCastle was a virgin when she was running a saloon and bordello on the Colorado frontier? Well, he wouldn't...and she has no intention of informing him he is wrong when he was being so stubborn and acting like he knows it all. But no matter her experience, he was willing to marry her—no, he demanded she marry him—when he bought the controlling interest in her establishment. Since they both had grievances against a local bad man (though neither would disclose what those grievances were), and the marriage would make the bad guy really unhappy, why not marry? So they do. And then, as they say, we're off to the races.
Ian's a handsome warrior type who is just what McCastle's saloon needs. He cares more deeply for Ann than he wants to admit. Of course, Ann runs more than a saloon and bordello out of McCastle's but she isn't willing to tell Ian, nor is she willing to confess she has begun to love him.
You'll love the characters in this one, including a noble Pawnee Indian named Cloud Walker, a French chef, a sympathetic bartender, three ladies of the night with hearts of gold who are loyal to Ann, and a piano player who keeps all her secrets! Ah..the Wild West! I think you'll enjoy this one. There's lots of mystery and great chemistry between the two leads as Graham weaves a wonderful tale. But ignore the picture inside the cover that shows the dark haired Ian with blond hair, and the blond-haired Ann with dark hair. How did they get that so wrong?
Note: Heather Graham will be on my blog in late July so y’all come back ya hear?
Love romantic historical fiction? Well, you've come to the right place! I share my reviews of those I've rated 4 and 5 stars, my favorite authors, my "best" lists and occasionally a special post. Come join us!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013
New Review: Ellen O’Connell’s BEAUTIFUL BAD MAN – A Great Story of Second Chances from a Wonderful Author of Western Romance!
This is O’Connell’s fourth Western historical romance, and it’s a good one. Set in Kansas in 1880 (except for the prologue set in 1866 and 1871), it tells the story of two people who met one night at a circled wagon train when they were young. He was a thief looking for food and she was his rescuer when some drunken men wanted to hang him. Neither forgot each other, but when they meet years later, all has changed. Caleb Sutton has become a hardened gunslinger, good at killing men; and Norah Hawkins is a broken widow looking for death. When Cal realizes she is “the Girl” who saved him, he can’t leave her without helping. And she needs help, as a land grubbing rancher is using any despicable means he can to steal the settlers’ land.
O’Connell weaves a complex tale of second chances and redemption as lives affected by the evil actions of others are dealt with in the context of love. Cal is a hardened and brutal (but still noble) hero haunted by the ghosts of his past; he believes he is “the devil’s spawn” as he was told as a boy. Though deep down he has a tender heart, he hides it from all but Norah. Norah is a courageous woman who only needs a reason to live, and Cal gives her one.
It’s a great story, well told and with richly developed characters. There’s lots of action, too, and the plot is cleverly woven, the dialog wonderful.
I highly recommend this and all her novels. They are on my Best Western Historical Romances list.
O’Connell weaves a complex tale of second chances and redemption as lives affected by the evil actions of others are dealt with in the context of love. Cal is a hardened and brutal (but still noble) hero haunted by the ghosts of his past; he believes he is “the devil’s spawn” as he was told as a boy. Though deep down he has a tender heart, he hides it from all but Norah. Norah is a courageous woman who only needs a reason to live, and Cal gives her one.
It’s a great story, well told and with richly developed characters. There’s lots of action, too, and the plot is cleverly woven, the dialog wonderful.
I highly recommend this and all her novels. They are on my Best Western Historical Romances list.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Best Western Historical Romances – Love in the Old West!
I first discovered Western romances by reading those written by my favorite authors who also wrote in other subgenres (when I was gobbling up their backlists). Since then, I have become a true fan of the subgenre and find myself every now and then reaching for a good romance from the Old West. Love those Indian and gun-slinging heroes. So, it seemed a “best” list was in order to share some of these wonderful stories with you.
Here are the best of those I’ve read…all rated 4, 4 and ½ or 5 stars by me. Some have won Golden Heart, RITA and other awards. I think you’ll like these!
• A Fire in the Blood by Shirl Henke
• A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey
• Beautiful Bad Man by Ellen O’Connell
• Branded Hearts by Heather Graham (Pozzessere)
• Brave the Wild Wind, Savage Thunder and Angel, Wyoming trilogy by Johanna
Lindsey
• Brighter Than Gold by Cynthia Wright
• Broken Vows by Shirl Henke
• Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw
• Capture the Sun, The Endless Sky and Sundancer, trilogy by Shirl Henke
• Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart and Indigo Blue (from the Comanche series)
by Catherine Anderson
• Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell
• Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell
• Fair is the Rose by Meagan McKinney
• Fireblossom and Wildblossom, the Matthews duology by Cynthia Wright
• Golden Fancy by Jennifer Blake
• Golden Lady by Shirl Henke
• Heart of the West by Penelope Williamson
• Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Dawn and Bride of the High Country, the Runaway
Brides trilogy by Kaki Warner
• Innocent Fire, Firestorm, Violet Fire and The Fires of Paradise (from The Bragg
Saga) by Brenda Joyce
• Lawless by Nora Roberts
• Love Cherish Me by Rebecca Brandewyne
• Love Unwilling By Shirl Henke
• McCrory’s Lady by Shirl Henke
• Mountain Mistress by Nadine Crenshaw
• Night Wind’s Woman, White Apache’s Woman and Deep as the Rivers, trilogy by
Shirl Henke
• No Other Man, No Other Woman and No Other Love, trilogy by Shannon Drake
• Pieces of Sky, Open Country and Chasing the Sun, the Blood Rose trilogy by Kaki
Warner
• Reckless Angel by Elizabeth Awbrey (aka Elizabeth Stuart)
• Silken Savage by Catherine Hart
• Sing My Name by Ellen O’Connell
• Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers
• Tears of Gold by Laurie McBain
• The Bequest by Candice Proctor
• The Darkest Heart by Brenda Joyce
• The Outsider by Penelope Williamson
• Under the Desert Moon by Marsha Canham
• When the Splendor Falls by Laurie McBain
• Where the Wild Wind Blows by Nancy Morse
• While Passion Sleeps by Shirlee Busbee
Here are the best of those I’ve read…all rated 4, 4 and ½ or 5 stars by me. Some have won Golden Heart, RITA and other awards. I think you’ll like these!
• A Fire in the Blood by Shirl Henke
• A Heart So Wild by Johanna Lindsey
• Beautiful Bad Man by Ellen O’Connell
• Branded Hearts by Heather Graham (Pozzessere)
• Brave the Wild Wind, Savage Thunder and Angel, Wyoming trilogy by Johanna
Lindsey
• Brighter Than Gold by Cynthia Wright
• Broken Vows by Shirl Henke
• Captive Melody by Nadine Crenshaw
• Capture the Sun, The Endless Sky and Sundancer, trilogy by Shirl Henke
• Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart and Indigo Blue (from the Comanche series)
by Catherine Anderson
• Dancing on Coals by Ellen O’Connell
• Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O’Connell
• Fair is the Rose by Meagan McKinney
• Fireblossom and Wildblossom, the Matthews duology by Cynthia Wright
• Golden Fancy by Jennifer Blake
• Golden Lady by Shirl Henke
• Heart of the West by Penelope Williamson
• Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Dawn and Bride of the High Country, the Runaway
Brides trilogy by Kaki Warner
• Innocent Fire, Firestorm, Violet Fire and The Fires of Paradise (from The Bragg
Saga) by Brenda Joyce
• Lawless by Nora Roberts
• Love Cherish Me by Rebecca Brandewyne
• Love Unwilling By Shirl Henke
• McCrory’s Lady by Shirl Henke
• Mountain Mistress by Nadine Crenshaw
• Night Wind’s Woman, White Apache’s Woman and Deep as the Rivers, trilogy by
Shirl Henke
• No Other Man, No Other Woman and No Other Love, trilogy by Shannon Drake
• Pieces of Sky, Open Country and Chasing the Sun, the Blood Rose trilogy by Kaki
Warner
• Reckless Angel by Elizabeth Awbrey (aka Elizabeth Stuart)
• Silken Savage by Catherine Hart
• Sing My Name by Ellen O’Connell
• Sweet Savage Love by Rosemary Rogers
• Tears of Gold by Laurie McBain
• The Bequest by Candice Proctor
• The Darkest Heart by Brenda Joyce
• The Outsider by Penelope Williamson
• Under the Desert Moon by Marsha Canham
• When the Splendor Falls by Laurie McBain
• Where the Wild Wind Blows by Nancy Morse
• While Passion Sleeps by Shirlee Busbee
Saturday, June 22, 2013
New Review: Nora Roberts’ LAWLESS – Superb suspenseful storytelling from the Old West!
This was my first historical romance by Nora Roberts and I loved it. Set in 1875 in Arizona Territory, it tells of Sarah Conway, who was raised in a convent school in Philadelphia where her father left her when he went west to discover gold. He loved his daughter and saw Sarah had everything but the one thing she really wanted—her father. So, when she was nearly 18, she traveled west to Lone Bluff where her father had settled and built them a fine home. She is shocked to see how stark the land was and to discover her father has been killed in an accident in his mine and there was no fine home. Instead, she finds a one-room shack with a dirt floor.
Jake Redman is half Apache and all gunslinger, a hardened man but with a kind, noble heart. Jake thinks the girl he calls Duchess won’t last a day in Lone Bluff. But he was wrong. And for some reason, he wants to protect her.
Sarah is a stubborn, determined woman with little respect for the prejudice of others. She falls hard for Jake and befriends a young prostitute—all the while she is making a home of the cabin her father left her and building a seamstress business. Jake is the perfect hero, steel and ice outside and fire inside. Sarah has a steel backbone but is all lady inside.
Roberts brings the Old West to life creating vivid images of the rough life on the frontier with lots of action to keep you biting your nails. There are wonderful secondary characters, too, including Lucius, the kind old soldier who Sarah hires to look after her place; Alice, the young prostitute who thought the sun rose with Sarah; Sam Carlson, the smooth rancher who was more snake than gentleman; and Carlotta, the madam of the local whorehouse who wants gold and Jake and doesn’t take kindly to the proper young lady from Philadelphia who has captured Jake’s attention. Great storytelling!
I recommend this one!
Jake Redman is half Apache and all gunslinger, a hardened man but with a kind, noble heart. Jake thinks the girl he calls Duchess won’t last a day in Lone Bluff. But he was wrong. And for some reason, he wants to protect her.
Sarah is a stubborn, determined woman with little respect for the prejudice of others. She falls hard for Jake and befriends a young prostitute—all the while she is making a home of the cabin her father left her and building a seamstress business. Jake is the perfect hero, steel and ice outside and fire inside. Sarah has a steel backbone but is all lady inside.
Roberts brings the Old West to life creating vivid images of the rough life on the frontier with lots of action to keep you biting your nails. There are wonderful secondary characters, too, including Lucius, the kind old soldier who Sarah hires to look after her place; Alice, the young prostitute who thought the sun rose with Sarah; Sam Carlson, the smooth rancher who was more snake than gentleman; and Carlotta, the madam of the local whorehouse who wants gold and Jake and doesn’t take kindly to the proper young lady from Philadelphia who has captured Jake’s attention. Great storytelling!
I recommend this one!
Friday, June 21, 2013
We have our winners!
We have our two winners who commented on Catherine's post yesterday! Congratulations, Carol and Linda! I have emailed you so we can be sure and get your books to you. Thanks for connecting with Catherine. I know she appreciates it.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Favorite Author and My Guest Today: Catherine Anderson New York Times Bestselling Author!
Today I welcome Catherine Anderson to my blog, New York Times bestselling romance writer of more than 30 wonderful historical and contemporary romances. Romantic Times describes her novels as "moving, heartwarming...celebrating the ideals of perfect love in an imperfect world.
Her characters are complex, often conflicted individuals who triumph over substantial odds."
She has been nominated nine times for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards, her book Cherish was a Romantic Times award winner, and she has also received one of their Career Achievement Awards.
Catherine, who is part Shoshone, and her husband live on 160 acres in Oregon. They love the wildlife on their pristine mountain ridge and enjoy the solitude of their wilderness lifestyle, which is, she says, a writer's dream.
Take it away, Catherine!
I thought I would talk some about my research behind my Western Historical romances set in 19th century Oregon. Before I started Cheyenne Amber, which was published in 1994, I spent several weeks researching the lives, beliefs, and customs of the Cheyenne Indian tribe. Native American culture has always fascinated me, probably because of my Shoshone ancestors. The Cheyenne people strongly appealed to me because of their beliefs, their respect for the land and the animals, and their sense of unity as a people.
The character Deke Sheridan grew out of my research. I didn't exactly create him...he created himself and introduced himself to me. Okay, I had my hero...now I needed to find my heroine. This tough, cynical man would have to be emotionally ambushed in order for anyone to get past the wall he's built between himself and other people. Who could best do that? Someone who's about as different from him as it was possible to get.
Laura, abused and desperate, couldn't be less interested in beginning a relationship when she bursts into the saloon and points a gun at Deke. Her approach isn't one that exactly inspires confidence, but something about her makes him agree to help her...broken gun or no. I wanted a story that combined tenderness and humor, showcasing the best of both characters, yet combined with a suspenseful plot that would keep readers flipping the pages -- and me glued to the keyboard, wanting to find out what happens next! Cheyenne Amber made a huge hit with my readers, and it’s such a joy to a writer when readers love a book as much as the author does.
Spousal abuse was a topic that was never discussed in the 19th Century. When I was researching Coming Up Roses, set in Oregon in 1890, I was horrified to read that in many towns and states women were regarded as possessions little different from horses and cattle, and that abuse was actually legal in many cases. What, I wondered, could a woman do who was trapped in such a situation? What if her husband abused not only her, but their child? If the law wouldn't help her, what could she do to protect both her child and herself?
My heroine, Kate Blakely took action and, as a result, lives on the razor edge of fear, worried about her interfering and suspicious brother-in-law and wondering if the guilty secret buried in the rose garden will ever be uncovered. The law won't care about the circumstances that trapped her and their child, and if she is arrested, what will happen to little Miranda? When her neighbor, Zachariah McGovern, shows up, he's anything but welcome. Even his act in rescuing Miranda from an old well, and nearly dying from rattlesnake bites, doesn't completely break down the barriers of fear that surround Kate.
Kate eventually does marry Zach, but she remains wary, although Miranda bonds with him rapidly and "magic wished" him to be her new dad. The little girl's trust, and Zach's gentleness with her, strengthen the bond between the adults. Above all, I wanted a story that demonstrates the power of love and trust, one that could offer hope to women everywhere.
I am frequently asked is which book was the most challenging to write. That’s an easy one. Annie’s Song. The heroine is deaf. I wondered what would that be like? How would she perceive her world, herself, the hero? What things would be hardest for her to comprehend, and how would she react because of this? How could she possibly know many of the basic things we have come to take for granted? In particular, how in the world could she communicate with, let alone relate to, the hero, Alex?
Again, I did a lot of research, but that can’t substitute for actual experience. Believe it or not, I stuck earplugs into my ears, good ones that would block out anything short of a nuclear blast, and wore them for an entire day, during which I did not utter one syllable while trying to make myself understood. I believe that experience was instrumental in my being able to create a believable hero who couldn’t hear. Even during that brief period, I found myself relying heavily on sight, touch, and what I can only describe as intuition.
For my Comanche series that Regan has featured on her blog, I spent months in meticulous research. I was at the beginning of my career, and far from well known at the time. I knew I wanted a Native American hero, but I didn’t know which tribe I wanted him to identify with. That was my first decision. I chose the Comanche people for many reasons. Their legends appealed strongly to me, and The Prophecy, on which the story is based, grew out of my extensive reading. I needed a hero who was a superb horseman, had every reason to loathe the swarms of whites who were invading the Comanche lands and slaughtering the buffalo, and who would be fiercely devoted to his people and their customs.
Hunter of the Wolf was born. As I came to know him, he felt so intensely real to me that I wouldn’t have been surprised if the man had shown up in my kitchen while I was cooking dinner and handed me the salt. (I feel sure, however, that this would have been a considerable shock to my husband.) More research, including the meaning of names, brought Loretta to life. The story flowed and took on a life of its own. I felt that it was being revealed to me as I wrote it. Halfway through, I knew I wanted this to be a series. Amy and Swift? Perfect. So, then came Comanche Heart.
My finished product was not greeted with open arms by the publishing world. A mute heroine? A strong-willed Native American hero? The book had possibilities, but would I consider changing it a little? No, I would not. Something told me this was the way the book had to be. It found a publisher, and the rest is – pun intended – publishing history.
I am unendingly grateful to everyone who has bought my books, supported my career, and taken the time to write, e-mail, or post, letting me know that you enjoy my work. I love hearing from readers and fans and I always send replies. E-mail me at CatherineDirect@ykwc.net. Each communication is precious. This is one writer who will never take her fans for granted.
Regan, thank you so much both for your wonderful blog, and for inviting me to be a guest.
As a token of appreciation, I will be offering two autographed copies of Cheyenne Amber to two winners among those commenting!
Her characters are complex, often conflicted individuals who triumph over substantial odds."
She has been nominated nine times for Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Awards, her book Cherish was a Romantic Times award winner, and she has also received one of their Career Achievement Awards.
Catherine, who is part Shoshone, and her husband live on 160 acres in Oregon. They love the wildlife on their pristine mountain ridge and enjoy the solitude of their wilderness lifestyle, which is, she says, a writer's dream.
Take it away, Catherine!
I thought I would talk some about my research behind my Western Historical romances set in 19th century Oregon. Before I started Cheyenne Amber, which was published in 1994, I spent several weeks researching the lives, beliefs, and customs of the Cheyenne Indian tribe. Native American culture has always fascinated me, probably because of my Shoshone ancestors. The Cheyenne people strongly appealed to me because of their beliefs, their respect for the land and the animals, and their sense of unity as a people.
The character Deke Sheridan grew out of my research. I didn't exactly create him...he created himself and introduced himself to me. Okay, I had my hero...now I needed to find my heroine. This tough, cynical man would have to be emotionally ambushed in order for anyone to get past the wall he's built between himself and other people. Who could best do that? Someone who's about as different from him as it was possible to get.
Laura, abused and desperate, couldn't be less interested in beginning a relationship when she bursts into the saloon and points a gun at Deke. Her approach isn't one that exactly inspires confidence, but something about her makes him agree to help her...broken gun or no. I wanted a story that combined tenderness and humor, showcasing the best of both characters, yet combined with a suspenseful plot that would keep readers flipping the pages -- and me glued to the keyboard, wanting to find out what happens next! Cheyenne Amber made a huge hit with my readers, and it’s such a joy to a writer when readers love a book as much as the author does.
Spousal abuse was a topic that was never discussed in the 19th Century. When I was researching Coming Up Roses, set in Oregon in 1890, I was horrified to read that in many towns and states women were regarded as possessions little different from horses and cattle, and that abuse was actually legal in many cases. What, I wondered, could a woman do who was trapped in such a situation? What if her husband abused not only her, but their child? If the law wouldn't help her, what could she do to protect both her child and herself?
My heroine, Kate Blakely took action and, as a result, lives on the razor edge of fear, worried about her interfering and suspicious brother-in-law and wondering if the guilty secret buried in the rose garden will ever be uncovered. The law won't care about the circumstances that trapped her and their child, and if she is arrested, what will happen to little Miranda? When her neighbor, Zachariah McGovern, shows up, he's anything but welcome. Even his act in rescuing Miranda from an old well, and nearly dying from rattlesnake bites, doesn't completely break down the barriers of fear that surround Kate.
Kate eventually does marry Zach, but she remains wary, although Miranda bonds with him rapidly and "magic wished" him to be her new dad. The little girl's trust, and Zach's gentleness with her, strengthen the bond between the adults. Above all, I wanted a story that demonstrates the power of love and trust, one that could offer hope to women everywhere.
I am frequently asked is which book was the most challenging to write. That’s an easy one. Annie’s Song. The heroine is deaf. I wondered what would that be like? How would she perceive her world, herself, the hero? What things would be hardest for her to comprehend, and how would she react because of this? How could she possibly know many of the basic things we have come to take for granted? In particular, how in the world could she communicate with, let alone relate to, the hero, Alex?
Again, I did a lot of research, but that can’t substitute for actual experience. Believe it or not, I stuck earplugs into my ears, good ones that would block out anything short of a nuclear blast, and wore them for an entire day, during which I did not utter one syllable while trying to make myself understood. I believe that experience was instrumental in my being able to create a believable hero who couldn’t hear. Even during that brief period, I found myself relying heavily on sight, touch, and what I can only describe as intuition.
For my Comanche series that Regan has featured on her blog, I spent months in meticulous research. I was at the beginning of my career, and far from well known at the time. I knew I wanted a Native American hero, but I didn’t know which tribe I wanted him to identify with. That was my first decision. I chose the Comanche people for many reasons. Their legends appealed strongly to me, and The Prophecy, on which the story is based, grew out of my extensive reading. I needed a hero who was a superb horseman, had every reason to loathe the swarms of whites who were invading the Comanche lands and slaughtering the buffalo, and who would be fiercely devoted to his people and their customs.
Hunter of the Wolf was born. As I came to know him, he felt so intensely real to me that I wouldn’t have been surprised if the man had shown up in my kitchen while I was cooking dinner and handed me the salt. (I feel sure, however, that this would have been a considerable shock to my husband.) More research, including the meaning of names, brought Loretta to life. The story flowed and took on a life of its own. I felt that it was being revealed to me as I wrote it. Halfway through, I knew I wanted this to be a series. Amy and Swift? Perfect. So, then came Comanche Heart.
My finished product was not greeted with open arms by the publishing world. A mute heroine? A strong-willed Native American hero? The book had possibilities, but would I consider changing it a little? No, I would not. Something told me this was the way the book had to be. It found a publisher, and the rest is – pun intended – publishing history.
I am unendingly grateful to everyone who has bought my books, supported my career, and taken the time to write, e-mail, or post, letting me know that you enjoy my work. I love hearing from readers and fans and I always send replies. E-mail me at CatherineDirect@ykwc.net. Each communication is precious. This is one writer who will never take her fans for granted.
Regan, thank you so much both for your wonderful blog, and for inviting me to be a guest.
As a token of appreciation, I will be offering two autographed copies of Cheyenne Amber to two winners among those commenting!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
New Review: Catherine Anderson’s INDIGO BLUE – 3rd in the Series Does Not Disappoint! Daughter of Hunter of the Wolf Comes into Her Own!
Set in Oregon in 1885,
this is the story of Indigo Wolf, daughter of Hunter of the Wolf and his white
wife, Loretta, from Comanche Moon and Comanche Heart. When she
was younger, Indigo fell in love with a young man who broke her heart and
betrayed her trust, telling her she was just a “squaw” and good for only one
thing. Though his attempted rape was thwarted by her uncle, Swift Lopez, Indigo
is still scarred by the experience and wary of men who are attracted to her. She
has become her own woman, tending to the wild animals of the forest, wearing
Indian dress and helping her father with the mine.
When a series of mine
accidents have her father, Hunter, laid up with injuries, along comes Jake Rand
to offer his hand at managing the mine (though he seems to spend little time
doing that). In reality, Jake is the oldest son of a wealthy owner of mines,
many of which were purchased when the mine owner was in trouble, as Hunter is
now. While Jake originally came to purchase Hunter’s mine, when he finds out
his father may be causing the mine accidents, he comes in disguise to learn the
truth. He didn’t count on meeting the bewitching Indigo who soon has him
forgetting he has a fiancé back in Portland. And he shakes Indigo’s world, too.
(“The moment she first saw him, she had sensed it—an inexplicable something, a
strange feeling of recognition—as if her destiny had finally come calling.”)
As with the first two
books in the series, Anderson has captured the time period and the Comanche
culture with practiced expertise. She makes it look easy when it isn’t. We see
Wolf’s Landing and it’s unusual blending of cultures from Jake’s point of view,
a stranger to this part of Oregon. Jake is impressed by the love he witnesses
in the Wolf family. He has known poverty as well as wealth, but he has never
known such simple joys as the Wolf family shares. So when an unusual happening forces a "shotgun wedding" to Indigo, Jake steps up to do the noble thing even though Indigo rebels at the idea of marrying any man.
Anderson tells the story of Jake and Indigo beautifully with elegant dialog and believable twists and turns. And wonderful secondary characters! I loved
the family priest, Father O’Grady. He and Jake have a very funny conversation about
Indigo that had me laughing out loud.
It’s a great read and I recommend it! I
do, however, suggest reading them in order.
The Comanche Series:
Comanche Moon, 1991
Comanche Heart, 1991
Indigo Blue, 1992
Comanche Magic, 1994
Sunday, June 16, 2013
New Review: Catherine Anderson’s COMANCHE HEART – Absorbing Tale of A Second Chance at Love between a Comanche Turned Gunslinger and a Broken Young Woman
Set in Oregon in 1879, this
is a tale of second chances and the story of a man who left one world to join
another and, in so doing, became worthy of winning the woman he had given his
heart to long ago.
We met Amy Masters in Comanche Moon, book 1 in the series. As a 12-year-old girl, Amy suffered a brutal rape by comancheros and was rescued by her cousin, Loretta’s man, Hunter of the Wolf, now Loretta’s husband. The young half Comanche brave, Swift Antelope, friend of Hunter, helped Amy heal. They vowed their love and became betrothed under Comanche law—forever belonging to each other.
Now, 15 years later, Swift Antelope is Swift Lopez a gunslinger famous for his fast draw and the men he has killed after seeing so many of the People die. Swift believed Amy was dead having been told that and shown her grave. When Swift decides to leave his gun slinging behind him and seek a new start, he goes to Oregon to see Hunter and is amazed to learn his betrothed, who wants nothing to do with him now, is alive. Amy, now a schoolteacher, tells him she wants only to be left alone, but Hunter tells Swift she is only going through the motions of living.
Swift is a wonderful hero, strong and patient. He intends to claim his bride one way or the other, for he knows Amy loves him though she is hiding in her “safe” life. As Swift once told her, “The sadness in your heart is a yesterday you can no longer see, so put it behind you and walk always forward.” He encourages her to once again find her “Comanche heart.” Both Swift and Amy are survivors and the people they have become will make their bond even stronger. It’s a great love story with some very real villains.
Anderson is masterful at weaving history, dialog and introspection into a fast-paced story that will keep you turning pages. Her sense of Indian thinking is conveyed throughout the story as Hunter and Swift accept they must live among white people while still trying to preserve traditions of the Comanche. I loved Comanche Moon and I loved this one, too. As Indigo’s story begins in this one, as did Amy’s in Comanche Moon, I recommend reading them in order.
The Comanche Series:
Comanche Moon, Comanche Heart, Indigo Blue and Comanche Magic
Friday, June 14, 2013
New Review: Nancy Morse’s WHERE THE WILD WIND BLOWS – Absorbing and Bittersweet Story of Love Among the Plains Indians
Set in Wyoming in 1855 and the few
years following, this is the story of Katie McCabe, daughter of an Indian
trader who was raised in Sioux country, who in one day loses her family when
the soldiers attack. When offered a choice, she chooses to live with the Lakota
Sioux. Black Moon is an Oglala warrior who is bitter against the whites who are
taking over the Indians’ lands but still he rescues Katie and finds himself
attracted to her. As Black Moon tries to reconcile his hatred of the whites
with his desire for the trader’s daughter, Katie marries Black Moon’s brother,
though she does not love him, while still wanting Black Moon to whom she gave
her body and her heart.
Katie faces one crisis after another as
first a Crow Indian abducts her and then she is sold to some French traders. Of
course, Black Moon comes to her rescue once again. Then there is Katie’s trip
back to the white world when the soldiers come to bring her to a rich aunt in
St. Louis. And the Army officer who wants her as his wife. All the while Katie
longs for the freedom of the Plains and the Sioux warrior she still loves.
Not only are Katie’s trials enough to
make you sad, but all of this is set against the hopeless striving of the
Indians to save their way of life. Morse does a fine job of setting out the
history and weaving an absorbing tale. There were some improbable elements that
detracted for me though other readers might not mind: though she is captured,
married or sold to one Indian or white man after another, none force her to have
sex (and Black Moon never asks if they did); Black Moon allows a young,
inexperienced brave to talk him into attacking when he believes it’s a bad day
to fight and knows they cannot win (this seemed inconsistent with Black Moon’s character);
and soldiers ride into an Indian encampment to retrieve Katie and are not
challenged.
I loved Katie’s spirit and Black Moon’s
strength. Together they were a worthy pair. But I did wonder what kind of a “happy
ever after” they would have when the Indian wars were only beginning and any children they might have would be old enough to
have fought (and perhaps died) in them. Such is the mark of a good story that I
would care. If you want to experience the struggle of the Plains Indians, and
the Sioux in particular, this is a bittersweet tale that will provide it.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
New Review: Shirl Henke’s GOLDEN LADY – Masterfully Written tale of the Old West!
This
was Henke’s first novel, published in 1986, and is book 1 in the Old California Couplet (Love Unwilling is the other). The eBook
version (which I read) may have changed slightly from the original since I know
Henke is updating her backlist titles as she publishes them in e format. No
matter the edition you read, it’s a grand story, impeccably researched and well
told.
The story begins in 1848 as 19-year-old
Esteban Santadar views the devastation from war torn Mexico City where the
forces of Santa Anna have lost to the Americans. Wounded, he goes home to
Sonora to heal and to resume his life among his aristocratic family. At the
same time, 13-year-old Amanda Whittaker’s father dies on a wagon train headed west,
leading her mother to marry a hard man just to survive. Four years later, Esteban
is coming into his own as a merchant trader and horse breeder working with his
Irish uncle but being pressured by his family to take a worthy Mexican bride. A
world away, Amanda is raped by her stepfather and she flees to San Francisco
where she goes to work in a brothel, first as a maid and then, under pressure
to help another, as one of the prostitutes. Amanda hated it, and at the first
opportunity, left to find a better life.
One night in the brothel Amanda had
seen a man (Esteban) who captured her young heart. Years later, when Amanda has
been freed from the bordello and adopted by a rich German as the daughter he
never had, she encounters Esteban once again, this time in connection with his
beautiful golden palomino horses. He is taken by Amanda’s beauty and her
ability with horses, and, of course, he pursues her. She tells Esteban lies
about her past, even as she knows his family and his culture would insist he
take only a pure bride. She doesn’t want a man to accept her as a “reformed
whore” (her words), so she marries him even as her friends tell her she is
building a house of cards that will one day fall.
I love that Henke brings you into the early
days of San Francisco and the different cultures and attitudes that came
together in that amazing city. I wasn’t too keen on the rape and prostitution
of the heroine, but Henke did a good job of redeeming her. Amanda is a very
likeable heroine, and while I could understand her not wanting a man she loved
to know of her past, it was clear the lies she told would eventually lead to
her downfall. Henke brought us to that point in masterful fashion, as she did with Esteban's change of heart. There are also
some wonderful secondary characters, too, including Esteban’s Irish uncle and
his wife, the old man “Hoot” who helped the runaway Amanda, and of course the
German who made her his daughter.
It’s a great story and I recommend it.
Monday, June 10, 2013
New Review: Shirl Henke’s LOVE UNWILLING – Old California masterfully brought to life through the loves of two brothers!
This was Henke’s second book in
the Old California Couplet (Golden Lady was her first). LOVE
UNWILLING is really two romances in one and Henke presents them very well,
entwining the lives and loves of two brothers who make very different choices.
Set in 1848-1853, it tells
the story of David and Miguel Kane, heirs to the sprawling Cien Robles (Hundred Oaks) ranch in Southern California. Their
parents’ marriage had been one of necessity in order for the Alvarez family to infuse
money into their Spanish land grant after California became a part of the US and
subject to Yankee laws. The marriage was so divisive that David was named and
claimed by his father, the rich Yankee sea captain, and Miguel by his mother the
Californio aristocrat (who’d planned for him to become a priest). Years later,
when David gets into trouble, killing a man after a card game, and flees with
an Irish lass he has deflowered named Kate, Miguel’s father claims him as heir
and tells him he’ll marry the neighboring rancher’s daughter, Ellie St. Clair,
originally intended for David.
David and Kate flee to gold
country where David supports them on his gambling winnings and Kate keeps
house, soon falling in love. The other brother, Miguel stays home to take on
the ranch and finds he loves it, but he’s not interested in marrying the St.
Clair girl and she doesn’t want him either.
We’ve all seen the family
where the oldest son is expected to be the one to assume control of the
father’s business, but what if it wasn’t so? What if it were the younger son? (Or,
these days, a daughter?) Well, this story shows what can happen when the apple
cart is thrown off the intended course. It’s about choices and second chances
and making your own life, not just fleeing the bad choices your family might
force on you. I have to say my favorite character was Kate…she had the strength
of Irish womanhood and was beautiful as well.
The brothers were both cads
for much of the book, and for all his faults, David was faithful to Kate. Miguel,
on the other hand, had a bad habit of visiting whores before and during his
marriage to Ellie. And he believed a cattle rustler over his loving wife. Argh!
Kudos to Henke who sets this story
in the Old West at an interesting historical time when the Californio rancheros
were fading and their culture losing out to the Americans who were flooding
into the state. Meticulously researched, LOVE UNWILLING brings this time to
life with great characters, engaging dialog and wonderful descriptions.
Henke is truly a master
storyteller. I recommend it!
Saturday, June 8, 2013
New Review: Kaki Warner’s BRIDE of the HIGH COUNTRY – 3rd in the Brides Trilogy is a Wonderful Finish!
The Bride |
This third in the Brides
trilogy (Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Dawn
and Bride of the High Country), is set
in 1870 in New York and Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Territory. Lucinda Hathaway,
the heroine, was a character in the first two books—one of the “brides.” This fact
also presented a problem for Warner in telling Lucinda’s story because we’ve
already seen her in Heartbreak Creek when her tale actually begins in New York in
1855. So there’s a bit of backtracking to cover ground covered before.
Lucinda was only twelve and
an Irish orphan, saved from a life of prostitution by a priest who placed her
in the home of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Throckmorton (an endearing character).
There she was given a new and very proper name, Margaret Hamilton, and taught
to behave like a distant relation of her benefactor (who would tolerate no
Irish).
Fifteen years later, against
the wishes of Mrs. Throckmorton, Margaret (aka Lucinda) decides to wed Irishman
Doyle Kerrigan, a wealthy railroad investor who wants to leave all things “Irish”
behind and join society. To do that, Doyle wants the kind of well-born young
lady like Margaret. But Margaret has never forgotten her roots or that she is
really Cathleen Donovan—an orphan from the Irish slums. (Got that? Our heroine
has three names.) When, at their wedding, she suddenly discovers that Doyle was
a “runner,” one who preyed on his fellow Irishmen, like her father, she runs
from the wedding reception. Doyle sets his partner Tait Rylander on her trail
telling him to look west. Tait is an ex-bare knuckled boxer and a brilliant man
turned entrepreneur who owes Doyle for having saved his life. Tait has secretly
admired and desired Margaret for over a year. Lucinda and Tait end up on the
same train traveling west. Once he finds her, Tait tries to do the noble thing
and bring her back to his partner. Of course, she won’t go back and insists she
is now “Lucinda.”
This installment in the
trilogy understandably overlaps with the first two books, even having some shared
dialog in places. But still, this is very much Lucinda and Tait’s story and it
is a joy. As with all Warner’s stories, it is well written with dry wit, intrigue,
and action as Doyle hunts his errant bride and Tait is wounded and unable to
protect Lucinda from her past. Tait and Lucinda are separated as Lucinda
pursues her life alone in Heartbreak Creek—and finds the family she always
longed for (much of that occurred in the first two books). Of all the three
brides, Lucinda is the most wily, the most intelligent and the most streetwise.
I loved that Tait accepted her just as she was, though her love of argument
exasperated him at times.
At the end there is a
touching scene with Thomas and Pru from the earlier books. I wanted to know
more about the time Pru was captured by the Indian Lone Tree, but I guess that
will have to wait for a later book. Which brings me to a last point. If you liked this trilogy, you’ll want to see how it ends in
the Heroes of Heartbreak Creek
trilogy that comes next, starting with Behind
His Blue Eyes. It’s on my to read list!
Friday, June 7, 2013
Winner, winner chicken dinner!
The winners are: Caroline Clemmons and Barbara McCoy! Congratulations!
I'll be emailing the winners to get your address for the books or you can email me...just use the envelope link on the left of my blog. And thanks to all who commented. You made our day!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Favorite Author and my Guest Today: Kaki Warner talks Trains!
Welcome with me Kaki Warner—a RITA award-winning
author and my friend.
Although she now lives on the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Kaki grew up in the Southwest and is a proud graduate of the University of Texas. Her years spent riding horses and enjoying the expansive vistas of Texas became the inspiration for the backdrop of her first novels—the wide-open spaces of historic New Mexico Territory.
Kaki and her husband Joe now live in a hilltop cabin overlooking the scenic Methow Valley in Washington where Kaki spends her time gardening, hiking, reading, writing, and soaking in the view from the deck with her husband and floppy-eared hound dog. Sounds ideal, no?
Long before Kaki and I met and became fast friends at a writer's conference in Seattle last year, I was a fan of her wonderful Western romances. She brings the West to life along with some endearing heroes and heroines. Warner’s Pieces of Sky, book 1 in the Blood Rose trilogy won the RITA award for Best First Book, a real achievement.
Her latest books from the Runaway Brides trilogy feature scenes where the characters ride on the Transcontinental Railroad. Kaki tells me she got the idea for the railroad connection from her husband who is a “railroad freak.” Well, so am I, and I can’t wait to hear what she has to say as she talks 19th century train travel!
Train Travel After the Transcontinental Railroad
Good morning! And thank you, Regan, for inviting me to help celebrate Western Historical Romance month on your blog!
Since several of my books center around
the railroads (especially Bride of the
High Country and my upcoming August release, Behind His Blue Eyes), I thought I’d share some of the weird and
interesting facts my research uncovered about train travel after the completion
of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
But when I wrote Bride of the High Country—wherein the fiancée of a railroad mogul flees their wedding with a valise full of stolen railroad certificates—I wanted my characters to travel in style—i.e. Pullman Palace Cars.
These railcars were as plush as rooms on a
gambler’s riverboat, complete with velvet couches, drop-down beds, carpet and wooden
inlay around the windows. In addition, each four-berth Pullman boasted a lavatory
with a “necessary”, which emptied directly onto the tracks (and you thought it was
hunters who decimated the buffalo—HA!). And many of these luxury runs also
included a parlor car and dining car, which served mostly-edible meals when
your plate wasn’t sliding into your lap as the train clickety-clacked along.
Ah, the beautiful scenery and fresh air. If only you could see out of the soot-streaked windows or breathe through the billowing smoke wafting back from the locomotive. Still, it was faster than a three-month trip by wagon. Plus, you got to shoot at stuff from the rear platforms as you careened along at ten, twenty, or even thirty miles an hour. What a treat!
FACT: Each Pullman Car was owned and operated by the Pullman Company (not the railroad), and was serviced by a white-jacketed ex-slave universally named “George” in deference to his employer, George Pullman.
The West would have been a vastly different place without the influence of the railroads. For one thing, they offered incentives (like cheap land) to encourage people to settle along the right-of-ways (which had been granted to the railroads at no charge by the government), thereby building a permanent market for the goods they were hauling.
They also carved routes through impossible
country, built thousands of trestles, bridges, culverts, and tunnels, or—since anything
steeper than a 3% grade was prohibitive in fuel, construction, maintenance, and
equipment costs—they laid tracks miles out of the way to avoid obstacles, thus
opening up even more country. Such as Heartbreak Creek, in Colorado Territory,
which is the setting for my August release, Behind His Blue Eyes, wherein a man trying to escape his past finds
himself caught up in a search for a serial killer bent on keeping the railroad
from coming through the canyon. Oh, yeah, and there’s also a love story. It is
a romance, after all.
FACT: In constructing the Transcontinental, Irish immigrants laid tracks west from Nebraska, while Chinese workers came east out of Sacramento—and they arrived at the EXACT SAME SPOT at Promontory Summit! Amazing! And the Chinese laborers (mostly farmers imported by the Central Pacific) later contributed to the development of the California vineyards and the highly productive farmland in the Central Valley.
ANOTHER FACT: The standard width between rails was determined by the Romans when they built stone roads in England. Four feet, eight-and-a-half inches was the width between the wheels of a two-horse chariot. Over time, those wheels wore such deep grooves into the stone that later wagon-makers had to space their wheels to fit them. Then somebody figured wheels roll easier metal-on-metal, so they laid down metal-capped wooden rails, put flanged, metal-treaded wheels on their horse-drawn wagons, and soon coal was rolling out of Newcastle at record rates. And all because of the width of two horses’ asses pulling an old Roman chariot. Who knew?
So there you have it. More than you ever wanted to know about the joys and hazards of riding the rails west. Here’s my question for you: Have you ever taken a cross-country train trip or slept in a Pullman? Would you do it again?
Leave a comment, and your name will be entered
to win one of two three-book sets of my Runaway
Brides Trilogy. Good Luck! Thanks for coming by, and my thanks to you, too,
Regan, for letting me chat with your followers.
Since Kaki graciously agreed to answer a few questions, I’ve
a bit of an interview to serve up. I think you’ll find it interesting. Here it
is:
How
does your new trilogy, the Heroes of Heartbreak Creek relate to the Runaway
Brides trilogy, which is also set in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado Territory?
The
Heroes trilogy continues with most of the same folks
from the Brides trilogy, but with a new hero and heroine in each book. The
starring characters of Behind His Blue Eyes are Audra and Ethan. But we
also catch up with the Brodies and Rylanders, see a bit of Thomas Redstone, and
at the end, are introduced to Rayford (Rafe) Jessup who is hired by Ash as his
wrangler (he’s somewhat of a horse whisperer. Sorta.)
Rafe
is the hero of Book 2, Something In His Smile (the one I’m working on
now). The heroine is a ruined Englishwoman, Josephine. In this book, the
Kirkwells (Ash and Maddie), Pringle (who Mrs. Throckmorton insists accompany
Ash as his manservant—HA!), and Rafe and Thomas all go to England and Scotland
on a horse-buying trip for the thoroughbred/warmblood stable Ash is setting up
in Colorado. Thomas joins them at the
last minute when his visit with Pru in Indiana turns sour.
Book
3 (as yet without a title) centers around Thomas and Pru and will pick up when
they all return to Heartbreak Creek and Thomas tries again to convince Pru to
come home. By this time, he’s a bit more civilized and she’s a bit less the
world-saver, so they’re ready (after some travails) to settle down. Mostly.
I
envision a sub-plot involving Buster Quinn and Mrs. Bradshaw (first introduced
In Bride of the High Country). Since that’s the end of the
trilogy, there will be closure for T & P, as well as issues with other
characters. Don’t know if I’ll continue from there.
You
have the most interesting names for people and places. How do you come up with
them?
I
have a baby book that gives origin of names, which is a big help. I also try to
pick old-fashioned names, or ones that aren’t currently “all the rage”. I also
use names of friends and family members (like the grandkids). And others are
names I’ve heard over the years and thought they were neat—like Brady, Declan,
Tait, and Audra. The other two Wilkins brothers were named after American
statesmen (because I liked the nicknames), and Rayford Jessup, Joe Bill and
R.D. sound utterly Texan. Edwina and Pru are plays on their personalities (and
also make good nicknames), and Thomas Redstone’s name is indicative of his dual
heritage. The rest I just make up. But I’m always on the lookout for unusual
names that sound authentic, but not too contrived.
Your
descriptions of places and views from the trains are amazingly detailed. Do you
do research for that? Take trips? Or, is your creative imagination working hard
to accomplish this?
My
husband and I take a lot of road trips, so I’ve seen most of the western states
at least once. For places I’ve never seen (like Lucinda’s train ride through NJ
and points west), I go online for maps and pictures of the terrain, as well as
pics and maps of the bigger cities during that time frame. If need be, I
research fauna and flora of the area so I get the wildlife and trees right.
Plus, I make up stuff.
You
have captured the male perspective very well...how do you do that? Do you
listen to men and pick up on the way they talk or is it, once again,
imagination? (Whatever it is, it works!).
Thanks.
I do a lot of observing. Plus, I had a brother, and I’ve been married
for-freaking-ever. But I think most of it comes from my less than feminized
personality. I have a lot of “male” traits (their virtues, mostly—all the bad
stuff they can keep), meaning I rarely cry, I don’t suffer fools very well, I
don’t wilt from confrontation (when necessary), and I’m fully capable of
pulling out my own chair, opening my own door, loading my own gun, or killing a
snake with my head (but that’s another story). Plus, I’ve been known to cuss.
However, I refuse to bait my own hook—or fish, unless I have to. Nor do I hunt,
like to watch NASCAR races, have a hat with beer cans on it, or cruise bars.
I
just read that over. I think I need professional help.
I think you’re just fine, Kaki, and as
one of your fans, I thank you for giving us such wonderful stories! For those
of you who want to know more about Kaki and her books, you can find her HERE.
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