Several members of my family have quilted or do quilt. My Grandma Irene Shindlebower and Grandma Mabel Gansberg, my Sis Linda, and others. Quilting is one of those historical, generational skills and art forms that delight and fascinate me. In anticipation of the January 21st release of The Quilted Heart, three novellas in one book, I’m starting a Quilters and Quilts Series, which will …
Test Your Oregon Trail Vocabulary
Writing historical fiction brings me delight on many levels. The process of discovery is one of the things I enjoy most about writing fiction. Yes, it can be great fun getting to know a cast of characters and discovering their story. But deepening my knowledge and understanding of history also brings me delight. While doing the research for Prairie Song, Book …
Doc Susie & Book Giveaway
You never know who you might meet in Cripple Creek, Colorado! While I was in Cripple Creek in August to participate in the Gold Camp Days and Western Literature Festival, I made Wyatt Earp’s acquaintance through a program presented by his grandson, Wyatt Earp. Then during a book signing at the Cripple Creek District Museum, I met Doc Susie, played by Hedy Boyce. …
Happy Birthday, Daniel Boone!
Daniel Boone. What image does the name evoke? A mountain man wearing a beavertail? If you answered, a mountain man wearing a beavertail cap, you’re likely a baby boomer or a fan of TV reruns. Daniel Boone’s pioneer exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He was born on October 22, 1734 in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, lived in Kentucky, …
The Oregon Trail and Prairie Song
The end of the American Civil War reopened the floodgates for humanity headed west. Men and women hungered for land and business opportunities to help them rebuild their war-torn lives and families. Wagon train companies were typically a ragtag group of pioneers–families and individuals–fleeing their past, headed for a brighter future. Or so they hoped. A captain was usually hired to …
The Quilted Heart Novellas, 3 in 1
The Quilted Heart novellas only available as individual eBooks? Not for long! January 21st, WaterBrook Multnomah will release Dandelions on the Wind, Bending Toward the Sun, and Ripples Along the Shore as a print omnibus–three novellas in one thick book. In 1999, I’d gone to St. Louis for a conference and a children’s book signing event. On a program-free afternoon, this Arizona …
Reading with a Map and Making an Itinerary
Charles and Clara Tanner are headed to Cripple Creek, Colorado, this month to visit the landmarks mentioned in my Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series. Sweet fans of my fiction, the couple gave me permission to share excerpts from their notes to me. December 2012 Dear Mrs. Hodgson, What a blessing the four books on the Sinclair sisters have been to myself and …
Leeverites, Do You Have Them?
I didn’t write this post from my home office. I was traveling, which required that I pack for another state, a higher elevation, and cooler temperatures. Before I left home, piles of clothes, shoes, and sweatshirts lie on the bed awaiting their fate, vying for room in a suitcase already spoken for by toiletries, a blow dryer, and a makeup …
Guest Author: Lori Benton and Book Giveaway
The day I’ve been waiting for . . . Lori Benton is our guest! Lori is a debut novelist whose work reads like that of a polished veteran storyteller. Lori writes historical fiction set on the American Frontier. Lori’s storytelling brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. Lori’s milestone 30th birthday gave her a chilling and …