Old West

Jodie Wolfe, Author of Burrton Springs Brides Series

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Just two days until Convincing Lou releases tomorrow, August 16th! Here’s the back cover blurb:

Ellie Lou Williams will do just about anything to save her ranch, even going undercover as a man to round up a fella who is late to his own wedding. The reward will more than cover the money she owes the bank and solve all her problems.

Caleb Dawson agrees to one final job as a deputy US Marshal before he starts his new life away from the trail and tracking criminials. What he isn’t counting on is a mysterious bounty hunter who’s determined to undermine his every step.

Will one reach their goal first? Or will they learn to lean on God and work together?

In honor of its upcoming release, here are new questions I asked for a fresh new interview with the author, Jodie Wolfe:

Q. What was your favorite chapter book as an elementary age child?

A. Definitely the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Q. What was your favorite book as a teenager?

A. It’s too hard to narrow it down to a particular book, but probably the Trixie Beldon series.

Q. What is your current favorite book?

A. That’s difficult to say. Two favorites that come to mind are: If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer and A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure by Angela Bell.

Q. When did you first know you wanted to be an author?

A. When I was in grade school and started writing stories about my dog.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

A. It depends on which stage of the writing/marketing process I’m working on. Recently, I’ve been working on finishing the rough draft of a new book while also marketing for a book release. I try to juggle all that, plus social media posts and taking care of our home too. A lot of times, the home suffers if I’m in the midst of deadlines.

Q. Has your writing been influenced by any other author? If so, which author, and how did that author influence your writing?

A. The two biggest ones would have been Janette Oke and Lori Wick. Their writing style spoke to me and probably influenced the way I write too.

Q. So far, all of your books have been set in the Old West. Are you planning more books set in the Old West, or will you move to a different setting?

A. I actually have a book I wrote that’s set in a lighthouse on the east coast. At some point, I’ll go back and edit it and see about getting it published and write two more in that series. For now, I’ll be taking a detour for a while and will be writing about southcentral PA. Eventually, I plan to write a series set in Texas too.

Q. What’s your favorite thing about writing Historical Fiction?

A. I love the time period — particularly the 19th century. I love researching and learning new things that I can include in stories.

Q. Do you think you’ll ever write another genre? If so, what genre would you like to try?

A. I have dabbled in children’s books — but those have only been for my six grandchildren. I also have written Bible studies, but as of now, they aren’t published.

Q. Now that the Burrton Springs Brides Series is finished, what’s next for you?

A. This isn’t finalized yet, but here’s the working copy of the back cover blurb to Abigail’s Pursuit, which is the book I just finished writing. It still needs to go through the editing process, but I’m excited about my ‘Time to Come Home’ Series that will be set in Shippensburg, PA.

Abigail’s Pursuit working back cover blurb:

Abigail Stewart is on the verge of losing everything she holds dear to her heart. When the man who is responsible for the death of her brother offers to help, she, at first, refuses. How can she work with her enemy? What’s to stop him from betraying her?

Wounded during the Civil War, Daniel Thompson must come to grips with making amends and fulfilling his friend’s dying request. He longs to find the family who told him to return, with hopes of seeking forgiveness. Can two wounded hearts find their way back home?

Jodie Wolfe’s Bio:

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), and Faith, Hope, and Love Christian Writers (FHLCW). She’s been a semifinalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, knitting, and walking. Learn more at http://www.jodiewolfe.com.

Social Media Links

www.jodiewolfe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodie.wolfe.1

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodie-wolfe

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie Wolfe

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Wolfe/e/Bo1EAWOHXO/ref=dp byline cont ebooks 1

MeWe: https://mewe.com/jodiewolfe

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodie-wolfe-3955b2bb/

Purchase Links:

https://qr.pbgrp.link/convlou

Strangers and Pilgrims by Kristina Hall

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Strangers and Pilgrims (A Better Country Book 1) by [Kristina Hall]

As a Book reviewer, I received a free ebook copy of Strangers and Pilgrims by Kristina Hall. This is my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor any review.

Strangers and Pilgrims is set in the late 1860s West. Harry Reiner left home to fight in the Civil War. The war has been over for three years when Harry returns to his hometown. But Harry doesn’t receive the warm welcome he was expecting. Everything’s changed, and one evil man controls the town. When Harry’s life is threatened, a young woman, and the girl she took in, drag him into their home to nurse him back to health. Another man the town tends to look down on is also a frequent visitor to this home. These four characters bond and do their best to survive ten miles outside of town, but soon find that even there, the threats plague them.

Strangers and Pilgrims is a well written book. The reader is immediately drawn into the story and the characters’ lives and has no problem choosing sides between the majority of the town and the four characters at a ranch not far outside town. The story is filled with conflict and suspense that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. There is a lot of action, a touch of romance, and descriptions and dialogue that take the reader back to the 1860s west. There are a couple twists and surprises before the story comes to a resolution and end.

This is also a story of faith and includes some Scripture passages from the Bible and occasional one or two line prayers.

This is the first book in the A Better Country series by Kristina Hall.

If you enjoy suspenseful stories that keep you reading til late in the night or love old western stories, you’ll enjoy Strangers and Pilgrims, as I did.

I give Strangers and Pilgrims by Kristina Hall 5 stars, and look forward to reading the next book in the A Better Country series.

Timeless Tuesday: What was Happening in 1860?

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The novel that I am working on is set in 1860. That is the year the Pony Express began. How did it begin?

William H. Russell, one of a trio of men who had a freighting company known as Russell, Majors, and Waddell created the Pony Express. They were business partners in Missouri. They had a lot of experience hauling cargo and passengers. They took an interest in government mail contracts as they already offered a stagecoach service that provided mail between the Missouri River and Salt Lake City, Utah.

Russell was convinced that a horse relay, a Pony Express would be a money-making endeavor. His partners, William, B. Waddell and Alexander Majors were not so sure. Without the approval of his partners, William Russell committed to opening the express mail service on the central overland route in April 1860.

So the three partners started a new company, the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company (C.O.C. & P.P.). This was the official name of the Pony Express. The company had just 67 days to hire riders, station keepers, and mail handlers, and to buy horses, food, and other supplies and distribute them to stations along the route. Some of the stations weren’t even built or located yet.

However, homes stations were established every 75 to 100 miles. These homes stations would house riders between runs. Smaller relay stations were established every 10 to 15 miles to provide riders with fresh horses.

Many of the stations were upgraded from existing stagecoach stations, while some had to be built from scratch. They began with 86 stations but expanded to 147 stations by mid-1861.

Alexander Majors organized the route into five divisions, numbered east to west. The first leg of the route ran from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Fort Kearny, Nebraska Territory on the Platte River.

This is the leg of the journey that my main male character has a part in.

An Interview with Author, Jodie Wolfe

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Jodie Wolfe

I recently had the opportunity to interview author, Jodie Wolfe. She writes Christian Historical Romance novels. She has a new book that will release on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2020.

Q: How long have you been a published author, and how long did it take you to publish your first book?

I’ve been a published author since May of 2016. My first book was indie published, and I wrote it earlier that year.

Q: You have quite a few books published and available on Amazon: a two-book series–series title, “Twins and Needles”; an anthology entitled “Let Love Spring: A Historical Spring Collection”; a Christmas anthology entitled “The Hope of Christmas”; and “To Claim Her Heart” which came out in 2018. You also have a nonfiction title: “Mrs. Wigglesworth’s Essential Guide to Proper Etiquette and Manners of Refined Society”. What was your first published book, and what led you to write the nonfiction Mrs. Wigglesworth book?

My first published book was Hearts Tightly Knit.

Mrs. Wigglesworth’s Essential Guide to Proper Etiquette and Manners of Refined Society came about because her sayings are at the beginning of each chapter in my book, To Claim Her Heart. Readers so enjoyed these quips that I decided to offer an ebook with more of them.

Q: Your fiction stories are historical fiction. What led you to decide to write this particular genre?

My love for historical fiction developed as a little girl, reading and watching Little House on the Prairie.

Q: I read and reviewed, your last release, “To Claim Her Heart”. I enjoyed that story. You create such interesting characters that draw your readers into the story and keep them reading. You also include some great historical facts about the places you write about. I enjoyed reading about the “runs” in order to purchase property in “To Claim Her Heart”. That story was set in 1893. Your upcoming release, “Taming Julia” is set in 1875. What is it about the 1800s that inspires you to write about that time period?

I love that time period – the styles of clothing, the simplistic life, as well as so many things were being discovered, created, etc.

Q: Also, both “To Claim Her Heart” and the upcoming “Taming Julia” are set in the Old West. What is it about the Old West that draws you to write about it?

Part comes from those Laura Ingalls Wilder books, and also part developed years ago when my in-laws were living in the country and my father-in-law was the pastor of a tiny church. I had the opportunity to visit many areas of interest that spurred ideas for stories.

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer and what gave you that desire?

My desire to be a writer happened in grade school after a school assignment to write a poem. I wrote about my absolute favorite thing at the time – Snoopy. Soon after I was creating little stories… I was hooked and knew I wanted to be a writer.

Q: You are a member of both ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and RWA (Romance Writers of America). Can you tell us a little about these organizations and why you find it valuable to be a member of these groups?

Each organization has something special to offer. ACFW is a great network for learning about current trends in publishing, encouragement, courses, etc. As for RWA, my main reason to be a part of that is because of the group within RWA – Faith, Hope, & Love https://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/. They are a great resource for asking questions, providing support and ideas, etc. I recently joined Compel Training https://compeltraining.com/home-member/ through Proverbs 31 Ministry. They provide weekly teachings, online support/learning groups, critique groups, etc. Each of these groups has been helpful in my writing journey.

Q: Your new book, “Taming Julia”, will release on Friday, February 14, 2019. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Here’s the back cover blurb:

In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery’s sole desire is to serve God, but his congregation’s ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to advertise for a wife by proxy.

Jules Walker strides into Drew’s life wearing breeches and toting a gun and saddle–more cowboy than bride. After years on the trail, she’s not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family, and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.

Q: Your female characters are strong and independent. Why do you choose to write them in this way? Do you base your female characters on yourself?

I think those type of characters are fun and provide lots of opportunities for struggles and conflict within the story. As for basing the characters on myself, there’s always a tiny bit of me in each one, but I don’t know that I would call myself strong and independent. 🙂

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share?

While the majority of the story takes place in Kansas, there’s a portion that is set in Texas. I had the pleasure of visiting my husband’s aunt and uncle a couple years ago to see the area they helped me write about. We had the chance to go on private property and view the spot I wrote about that causes bad memories for Jules. I’ll let it at that so I don’t ruin the story for you. 🙂

Thanks for having me here today, Kelly.

TamingJulia_w12704_680

You’re welcome. Thank you for being here and giving readers a little glimpse into you’re writing life and your wonderful stories. I look forward to reading “Taming Julia”.

Q: Where can readers find you and connect with you online?

Website: https://www.jodiewolfe.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jodie-Wolfe-553400191384913

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JodieAWolfe

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/JodieAWolfe

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15220520.Jodie_Wolfe

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jodie-Wolfe/e/B01EAWOHXO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Purchase Links for Taming Julia:

https://www.amazon.com/Taming-Julia-Jodie-Wolfe-ebook/dp/B083L8MDD5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=taming+julia&qid=1578503989&sr=8-1

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taming-julia-jodie-wolfe/1136004491?ean=9781522302711

TamingJulia_w12704_680

Be sure to get your copy of “Taming Julia” on February 14th. I will be reading it soon and will post a book review here on my blog.

What Have I Been Reading Lately?

/ kellyfbarr / 2 Comments

I suppose some of you may be missing my book reviews.  I know it’s been quite a while since I’ve done one because I have been reading books in the genre I am trying to write in hopes to help me with my scene setting.

Therefore, I have been reading a lot of Love Inspired Historical Fiction books and other Historical books about the old west.  Some of the titles I recently finished are:

The Love Inspireds:
Wagon Train Reunion by Linda Ford
The Runaway Bride by Moelle Marchand
Hill Country Cattleman by Laurie Kingery

Other Historical Fiction:
Heart of Gold by Robin Lee Hatcher

I enjoyed each of these stories and if you like romance stories of cowboys in the old west, you would enjoy them as well.

I’m not sure when I will get back to doing book reviews because my main focus is writing my novel, and now I have begun to read the Love Comes Softly and Prairie Legacy series by Janette Oke.  These are older books but are still great stories of the old west as well, and so I continue to read for help with my writing.

Do you like old west stories involving romance with cowboys?