Dandelions on the Wind

The Saint Charles Quilting Circle

Our next adventure takes us back in time. 1865. Saint Charles, Missiouri. Some came home from the war. Many didn’t. The women of the Saint Charles Quilting Circle waited and prayed . . . Dandelions on the Wind. An eBook . . . February 19th! Available now for Pre-Order.    

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History Matters: Remembering Western Author Stephen Bly

Bob and I live at the base of Mingus Mountain, home to the historic copper mining camp known as Jerome, Arizona. About sixteen years ago, my fellow writers and our friends, Stephen and Janet Bly, along with their son Aaron, came for a visit. Actually, our house served as home base during their research trip for Stephen and Janet’s contemporary …

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The Intersection of Reality and Character Experience

Many of my closest friends are liars. Those friends may prefer the title storyteller extraordinaire. Tale-weavers. And whether the literary yarn they spin is set in an actual place or based upon real life events and historical characters, like me, they are authors of fiction. As novelists, we have chosen to write fiction, not fact. But even so, is the …

Undergarments for the 19th Century Lady

Luxurious fabrics. Stylish necklines and skirts with elegant swish and sway. The extravagant, Victorian ball gowns of the 1800’s. Ever wonder how those Victorian ladies achieved their extraordinary silhouettes? Layers upon layers of uncomfortable undergarments. Bestselling historical romance author Deeanne Gist commissioned professional seamstress Kelly Cochran to make Deeanne a ball gown she could wear to author events. Kelly provided Dee with an informational …

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Guest: Mark D. Ford, Artist for Two Brides Too Many Book Cover

How much does a book cover factor into your reading choice? It’s the first draw, right? (Forgive the artsy pun.) Today’s guest isn’t an author. But as the Senior Art Director at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, Mark D. Ford is a key member of my publishing team. MONA: Mark, thanks so much for joining us on Hindsight today. We’d like to …

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Bob’s Corner: Mine Elevators and Ore Cars

Bob here. Welcome back to my Corner. Today, I want to share a little about the workings of a hard-rock gold mine at the end of the 19th century. In the Cripple Creek District, the mines were mostly vertical shafts, blasted through solid granite. In a previous post, Headframes and Hoists, I explained that this had to do with the …

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Guest Author: Deeanne Gist Talks About The History of the Telephone

I’m excited for you to meet or get to know Deeanne Gist better. Well-read copies of Love on the Line, Maid to Match, A Bride in the Bargain, Deep in the Heart of Trouble, Courting Trouble, The Measure of a Lady, and A Bride Most Beguiling, Dee’s historical fiction, line my bookshelves. I asked her to share a bit about the …

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Heroes: What We Look For in Leading Men

In novels, a hero is the central male character in a fictional tale. A leading man with admirable qualities. Although the hero’s positive traits may not be obvious in the introduction, he possesses characteristics that typically will serve him and the heroine (since I write love stories). That’s not to say those strengths won’t come into play as weaknesses or obstacles at some …

Heroes: Matt Dillon Style

Any Gunsmoke fans out there? James Arness played Matt Dillon in the longstanding TV series Gunsmoke. Marshal Matt Dillon’s larger-than-life persona kept me on the edge of the couch rooting for him. Apparently, I was one viewer among a throng who favored the Dodge City drama because Gunsmoke ran for twenty years with a whopping 635 episodes. The appeal of …

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Wanted: Mail-Order Bride Stories

I had great fun living the life of a mail-order bride. Vicariously, that is, through the harrowing, humorous, and heart-warming experiences of Kat Sinclair and her sister Nell. Two sisters, two missing misters, and a shocking welcome to the Wild West. What pulls you and I toward such an outrageous scenario as a woman leaving what she knows to step …