Meet Caroline from The Quilted Heart Omnibus

Meet Caroline from The Quilted Heart Omnibus

Today, I’m featuring the two main characters in Ripples Along the Shore, the third and last novella in The Quilted Heart. After you’ve read The Quilted Heart, read Prairie Song to spend more time with Garrett and Caroline. MEET Garrett Cowlishaw Garrett Cowlishaw  is the a friend of Rutherford Wainwright and is in St. Charles to recruit a band of people to …

Meet Elsa Brantenberg from The Quilted Heart

Meet Elsa Brantenberg from The Quilted Heart

If you’re familiar with my Historical Fiction, you know that my stories tend to feature a “Titus 2:3” type mentor as a secondary character. In The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series, it was Miss Hattie, the proprietor of a boarding house. In The Quilted Heart novellas,the key woman of influence is Mrs. Brantenberg. Meet Elsa Brantenberg, who owns the …

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A Novel Instrument ~ The Zither

Music played a key role in the 1800s. In patriotism and in the church. In the life of a community. And in family life. Such was the case for Elsa Brantenberg and her household in Dandelions on the Wind, the first novella in The Quilted Heart omnibus. Sunday evenings after supper is set aside for family music time. Mrs. Brantenberg …

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A Civil War Bullet Hole at the Sandfort Farm

I’ll get to the bullet hole story, but first, a bit about how I found the farm for Dandelions on the Wind, the first novella in The Quilted Heart omnibus. What fun to return to the enchanting Historic Main Street District of Saint Charles, Missouri, in 2012 to conduct research for the three novellas in The Quilted Heart—Dandelions on the …

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Quilters and Quilts ~ Barn Quilts with Christina Turner

In this final week of our Quilters and Quilts Series, celebrating the release of The Quilted Heart novellas, we’ve taken a turn and headed to Canada for a look at Barn Quilts with my reader-friend, Christina Turner. “Barn quilts are painted quilt squares-usually fashioned on boards and then mounted on a barn or other building. While cloth quilts are usually …

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Legend of Lady Detectives & Book Giveaway

I’m excited to introduce my author-friend, Kathleen Y’Barbo, as my guest today. Kathleen is talking about Lady Detectives, a subject in her newest book, Sadie’s Secrets. The Legend of Lady Detectives by Kathleen Y’Barbo When I set out to write a heroine equal to the task of catching the charming villain Will Tucker in Sadie’s Secrets, there was no doubt …

Civil War Stars Block Pattern

Civil War Stars Block Pattern

I’ve said it before and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but story research is so much fun! Visiting a story setting, yes. But so is the nose-in-books research, which is what led me to The CIVIL WAR Sewing Circle by Kathleen Tracy. Better than a candy story for someone with a sweet tooth, Kathy’s book is full of quilts, …

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Story Inspiration for The Quilted Heart Novellas

Happy Book Birthday to The Quilted Heart omnibus! I’m celebrating the release of Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples along the Shore–3 novellas in 1 book. Here’s a peek at the inspiration behind the stories.  The American Civil War  

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Quilters and Quilts, Week 8 ~ Karen Powell

Karen Powell is my guest today. Not only is Karen a reader-friend quilter, she is also the Assistant Manager at Crossroads Books and Coffee in Phoenix, Arizona. Last summer, for a book signing event for Prairie Song at Crossroads, Karen decorated the book table with period pieces including a beautiful quilt made by her grandmother. Our chat about quilting prompted …

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One-Room Schoolhouses, A Clean Slate, A New Year!

2013 has faded into the sunset and most of the year 2014 still stretches out before us, a clean slate. I write historical fiction set in the 1800s, a time when one-room schoolhouses were common. Students of varying ages and stages of education would use a school slate, a piece of quarry slate framed with wood, and a slate pencil …