PRP PRESENTS A FANTASTIC FALL/HALLOWEEN SALE JUST FOR YOU! by Cheryl Pierson

Who’s ready for a Halloween and Fall story sale? With Halloween right around the corner and Autumn already upon us, Prairie Rose Publications is letting the bargains fly! So settle in for a nice juicy list of some wonderful books you can really “sink your teeth into” and enjoy. These stories are sure to put you in a “chilling” mood, but bring warmth to your heart!

Our 2014 two-volume boxed set of western historical romance stories with a spooky twist is now available for the lowest price ever. BOTH VOLUMES OF COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO CAN BE YOURS FOR ONLY .99! This double set includes twelve deliciously creepy tales by such authors as Lorrie Farrelly, Linda Carroll-Bradd, Tanya Hanson, Sarah J. McNeal, Kathleen Rice Adams, Cheryl Pierson, C. Marie Bowen, Cher’ley Grogg, Kristy McCaffrey, Jacquie Rogers, Kaye Spencer, and Shayna Matthews. You can’t go wrong for only .99—take a look!


COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO BOXED SET

      


Love anthologies? Try this on for size! NINE DEADLY LIVES: AN ANTHOLOGY OF FELINE FICTION. With THIRTEEN great stories included, this is one collection you won’t want to pass up! From magic to murder, from felines to faeries, the authors of NINE DEADLY LIVES spin thirteen tales featuring those sometimes aloof and occasionally dangerous but always adorable creatures we know and love as cats! Whether it's mystery, fantasy, historical, or romance, these cat tales provide plenty of entertainment and thrills!

NINE DEADLY LIVES: AN ANTHOLOGY OF FELINE FICTION


                 

We’ve got a ton of short stories that just released as .99 single sell stories, as well. If you’re looking for “out of the ordinary” historical tales, try some of these:

THE CROW AND THE BEAR—by Kristy McCaffrey—OCTOBER 2015 NEW RELEASE


The Crow and the Bear





ANGEL OF SALVATION VALLEY—by Doris McCraw w/a Angela Raines—OCTOBER 2015 NEW RELEASE


Angel of Salvation Valley





The following stories are included in COWBOY, CREATURES, AND CALICO, and are also available in single sell formats, as well:

Sarah J. McNeal—The Beast of Hazard

Tanya Hanson—The Bridesmaid

Shayna Matthews—The Legend Of Venture Canyon

Kristy McCaffrey—The Crow and the Coyote

Kristy McCaffrey—  Lily and Mesquite Joe

 Kaye Spencer—For Love of a Brystile Witch

C. Marie Bowen has had a fantastic year for western historical romance stories that will send a shiver up your spine and keep you turning the pages. Her debut novel, PASSAGE, was released last year—the first in an edge-of-your-seat trilogy. PASSAGE is now on sale for just .99! For less than $1.00, you will be introduced to a wonderful reading experience with much more to come. Her second story in the trilogy, PROPHECY, bowed just this month, with the final book to become available in early 2016.

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This talented author also has a PRP “duo” of two just-released novellas available. HUNTER features her charismatic Cajun bounty hunter, who also makes a lengthy appearance and plays an important role in her novel PROPHECY. One taste of Ms. Bowen’s story magic won’t be enough—you will want every one of these wonderful books. HUNTER is available for only $1.99!

Hunter

Looking for a bit of medieval magic? Check out author Keena Kincaid’s release, ANAM CARA. This carefully woven story will keep you entranced by the intrigue and danger the characters must sort their way through—and if you can’t get enough of these characters, there’s a second book, TIES THAT BIND, with a third to release soon. ANAM CARA is now on sale for only .99! Fall under the spell of this marvelous medieval tale!
                       

Deborah Macgillivray is one of the best writers in the business when it comes to Regency romance. Take a look at her latest release, A CAT IN JACKBOOTS...

He is a hunter...despite being a scion of one of the most respected families of the ton, he enjoys solving the mysteries that life presents...at a price. And he is hot on the trail of a burglar robbing the titled members of London society. She is saddled with a scatterbrained, matchmaking Grandmother and a retired battman for a butler...and a black cat named Romeo...and carries a world of secrets. One slip and it will cost her everything.

Neither is seeking romance...only sometimes love happens when you least

. 

If you’re “on the prowl” for some spine tingling thrills contemporary-style, try MILE MARKER 59, by B.J. Betts.

With the help of the local sheriff, Michael Morris, and the victim of yet another near-tragic wreck at MILE MARKER 59, secrets are uncovered—and spells are finally broken. Can Marissa Daniels face a supernatural danger more powerful than anything she ever could imagine? Asking Michael to help her unravel the mystery of the Sioux curse that exists in that spot could lead to his death—and hers. The occurrences at MILE MARKER 59 are what holds this little town’s secrets in silence—and what could rip Marissa’s life apart…

If that doesn’t give you the shivers, I don’t know what will! But if you’re looking for more Halloween chills and thrills, grab a copy of B.J. Betts’s story BELLE’S CROSSING! This novella was released last year and is one of creepiest stories you will ever read—and both of these tales were based on true stories!

              

Do you love time travel? TIME PLAINS DRIFTER, a full-length novel by Cheryl Pierson, is one that you will love! Trapped in Indian Territory in 1895 by a quirk of nature, high school teacher Jenni Dalton must find a way to get her seven students back to the 21st Century. Handsome U.S. Marshal Rafe d'Angelico seems like the answer to her prayers: he is, after all, an Angel. In a race against time and evil, Rafe has one chance to save Jenni's life and her soul from the Dark One – but can their love survive?

Time Plains Drifter received a 4.5 star rating from Romantic Times Magazine! It’s on sale right now for only .99! Snap it up!

THE MISADVENTURES OF A TONGUE-TIED WITCH by Livia J. Washburn is a delightful boxed set of two wonderfully “bewitching” tales for your reading pleasure—and the best part? THE TWO VOLUME SET IS ONLY .99!

WITCH GOT YOUR TONGUE is the first novel in the Tongue Tied Witch series by best-selling novelist Livia J. Washburn. Aren McAllister, the Tongue-Tied Witch, returns in A PECK OF PICKLED WARLOCKS. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed WITCH GOT YOUR TONGUE, Aren searches for a way to rescue her father from the other-worldly realm of the witches' council. From the sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast to the bright lights of Las Vegas to the dangerous depths of an abandoned silver mine, Aren's quest is filled with adventure, romance, and humor.

Misadventures of a Tongue-Tied Witch: Boxed Set: Witch Got Your Tongue & Peck of Pickled Warlocks

Kathleen Rice Adams has a duo out featuring two brothers.

Everyone should have career at which they excel. At failing to commit crimes, nobody is better than Laredo and Tombstone Hawkins. Maybe they can bumble their way into love.

The Worst Outlaw in the West and Family Tradition are the two stories that comprise this double novella set for only $1.99—a “steal” you will not want to miss!

Do you love these stories about brothers and family? Well, maybe this collection will be something you’ll enjoy! WINTER MAGIC by Cheryl Pierson contains three stories gathered from previously published anthologies about a trio of brothers. HEARTS AND DIAMONDS, SPELLBOUND, and LUCK OF THE DRAW comprise this collection.

Three criminals who’ve lost everything… three women who have nothing to lose…is it love or magic that bring them together? The Diamond brothers are cast out into the world by a crooked business deal at a young age. They’ve lost everything—including their father. Although they are forced to make their own way, brotherly bonds remain unbreakable: It’s all for one and one for all.

Say, have you met Jo Harper? She is author Richard Prosch’s heroine in the small turn-of-the century town, Willowby, Wyoming. Here’s a bit about one of his latest tales in the Jo Harper series, DOGBREAD AND DIAMONDS.

In the wild west, decades before Willowby, Wyoming was founded, Stink Carmichael robbed a stage coach of the famous Dakota Diamonds and was never heard from again. When Jo Harper and her best friend Frog find the loot in a hidden cellar, old secrets come out and greed can't help but rear its ugly head. When Frog disappears and Jo is accused of pilfering the diamonds herself, things can't get any worse. But Constable Abby Drake has a few secrets of her own and a sack of warm, flaky breakfast rolls might just be the key to saving the day.

Once you start reading Rich’s stories about Jo and the people in Willowby, you can never leave…uh, quit.

Dogbread and Diamonds (Jo Harper Book 7)

For the younger crowd, how about a boxed set of FIVE novels about the American west, with both historical and contemporary settings? This entire set is just .99, and will provide hours of entertaining reading for ages 9 and up. Stories by Sara Barnard, Livia and James Reasoner, and Richard Prosch are included in this "FABULOUS" collection that you won't want to miss. Yep, one of these stories has a definite "spooky" flavor. Take a look at Livia and James Reasoner's  contribution, THE PHANTOM RANGER AND THE SKATEBOARD GANG. Here's a bit about it:

Codi Jackson has started a new school—again. Will she ever be able to settle down in one place and make friends? It seems unlikely, especially now that she has the ghost of her great-great-great grandfather appearing at the most inconvenient times! How can she explain him to her history project partner—and her own father? But Codi is determined to come to her dad’s rescue when he corrals a gang of young thieves on skateboards at a nearby mall—and they get some very unlikely help

Fabulous Five: Five novels for Middle Grade Readers

Do you love a good ghost romance?  Livia J. Washburn's SPIRIT CATCHER is now available in A COWBOY's TOUCH which includes novels by Cheryl Pierson, Kathleen Rice Adams, and Kit Prate.

Ready for some REALLY spooky tales? Cheryl Pierson’s single-author collection, DARK TRAIL RISING, contains FOUR incredible western tales with a twist. They won’t let you rest until you’ve read the entire anthology. DARK TRAIL RISING is a group of old west stories that will keep you wondering and thinking long after you read the last line.

Included in DARK TRAIL RISING are: THE KEEPERS OF CAMELOT, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS, SHOT FOR A DOG, and HIDDEN TRAILS.

Dark Trail Rising: Four Tales of the Old West

We are so proud to present our Fall/Halloween line-up and hope you will find some very entertaining reading here that you will enjoy reading and re-reading for years to come!(I will be out of town when this post is up but I will answer comments when I return home on the 2nd of November!) HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!
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THE HAUNTED FORT WORTH TX STOCKYARDS!

Do you believe in ghosts? I do. This time of year, tales of hauntings appear to thrill or frighten us. Here is a replay of a guest post from last year about ghosts in the Fort Worth Stockyards.

Fort Worth Stockyards on Exchange Street off Main Street

Cowtown Winery Haunted Stockyards Tour

By Bea Smith

The Stockyards actually have a branch of the Trinity River flowing under Exchange, the main street. Many people believe that water holds spiritual activity and heightens paranormal activity.

The Stockyards Hotel was built in 1910 and was a crown jewel of a hotel, attracting rich oil tycoons. Bonnie and Clyde reportedly stayed in room 305, which overlooked Merrick Fine Western Wear, then a jewelry store, and the bank nearby.  Two stories are told about their stay. One is that they rented the room to stake out the two businesses, but they liked Fort Worth so much they decided not to rob it. The other is that they told the owners of the bank and the jewelry store that they weren’t there to rob them or cause any trouble; Bonnie and Clyde were just hiding out from the law until things cooled down a bit.

The Stockyards Hotel has a full-bodied apparition named Jesse. He’s a cowboy who couldn’t have afforded to stay in the Stockyards at the time. People speculate that he just wanted to stay there in the afterlife.  Visitors hear his spurs jingling as he walks through the hall or see him but he never interacts with anyone.

People feel the presence of a former employee, Jake. He was a messenger from the 1900’s and he loved his job of 30 -40 years. Visitors feel hot and cold spots and some of his physical duties are still taken care of: if guests leave their room unlocked, it will be locked when they return. For the last 30 years, the phone rings after hours. No one is there and the call cannot be traced, put on hold, or transferred. 

Stockyard Hotel

Love Shack, owned by Tim Love. Ten years ago or so, an Australian couple was vacationing in the Stockyards and staying in the hotel.  They had been having a wonderful time and seemed to be very happy. One early morning the man woke up his fiancée, very energized and agitated, and said he had something to show her. She followed him across the street to the closed restaurant, where he climbed to the second floor and threw himself off the balcony headfirst, dying instantly. She later said she felt some evil force had inhabited her lover.

Exchange Building: Rodeo Arena: Had a rodeo since 1908. Hotbed of paranormal activity. There is a phantom black horse that runs around the arena.

Apparitions are of a deceased cowboys in old-time clothing.  The rodeo was very dangerous and many lost their lives during the performance.  EVP’s (electronic voice phenomenon; conversation not heard by the human ear) record hearing a voice saying, “Cow, cow, cow.” And “Pig, pig, pig.”

People have also recorded seeing the spirit of Quanah Parker, who was the first Native American to ride in a rodeo.

Exchange Rodeo Arena

Exchange Building: A man’s small child followed him to work in the early 1900’s. He wasn’t sure what to do with her, so he let her wander around. She went to play in the vault and an employee inadvertently locked her in. She wasn’t discovered in the airtight building until the next morning, where she had suffocated.  Employees say they get an eerie feeling upstairs. They see a little girl running around playing and trying to get their attention. She looks out windows at dawn. One early morning, there were hand prints on the inside of the door. The paranormal team from the stockyards found two prints.

The body of a prostitute was found inside years ago when prostitution was a licensed profession. She was probably murdered offsite and then dumped there. Her rose-scented perfume, for which she was known, can still be smelled on tours.

Exchange Building

Armour Swift Corporate Building: 1900’s-1970’s. Arson destroyed the building and, with all the residual animal fat, it took 1 month to put out completely. The Spaghetti Warehouse was there after the building was rebuilt, but they couldn’t keep staff. Silverware would fly, things would be moved, strange noises, and creepy feelings.  It’s a power company now.

Former Spaghetti Warehouse, now offices.

Riscky’s Steakhouse: A Brothel was above--a high class brothel; more expensive. The last member of the Riscky family is very embarrassed about the brothel and won’t let people go up there. She threw everything away—but one red rocker, owned by the Madam, mysteriously reappeared in the building.  The bells that signaled the men that their time was up are still there and working. The windows where the women would stand to attract customers have been boarded up because people kept seeing apparitions of working women standing and posing in them.

Saunders Park: When it was Hell’s Half Acre, people would take care of disputes by shooting at each other. Dead or dying were dumped into the river by the park. Sometimes the water was red with blood. Divers report that there are too many human bones to count remaining on the bottom of that part of the river.

Saunders Park

Miss Molly’s B and B: Molly is actually the name of the lead cow in the simulated cattle drive and the mascot of FW. The actual Madam was Miss Josie. It was a speakeasy until the 1930’s, then became a low end brothel. 

The girls were actually 11-15 years old. Most of the girls were orphans or runaways.  Miss Josie was abusive. She didn’t take any guff from the male customers and was known to throw them out on the street. She was very obese and ill-tempered. The girls had huge quotas and, if they didn’t meet them or they talked back, Josie would lock them in the closet without food, water, or facilities as long as she felt they needed. Girls were very competitive and would poison each other’s food and lotion, resulting in some violent illnesses and deaths.  

Miss Josie had a daughter, father unknown, who she abused terribly. When the little girl was 8 years old, she disappeared.  Everyone thought Josie had killed her but it was never investigated.  One time a little girl on the ghost tour had her hair pulled and said that “Mary was messing with her.” No one had told the little girl that Josie’s daughter was named Mary. The owner keeps toys for Mary that no one else is allowed to play with, and the playthings move around.

Josie’s room and the Cowboy’s room are the most haunted. Men have their shoulders rubbed or their heads patted, but women report feeling very unwelcome and watched.

The real Miss Molly leading the herd

Longhorn Saloon:  Three cowboys stopped to drink, boys between 15 and 17. They got drunk and got back on what they thought were their horses. The men whose horses they stole confronted them and the boys were hanged in the saloon.  Now women in the Ladies bathroom report having their legs tugged and feeling like they are being watched.

Cowtown Winery: The paranormal team that works the Stockyards swept the building and found just as much activity as Miss Molly’s.  It used to be a Chinese Laundromat with the family living above.  People feel the presence of a young boy. A medium said he was killed by an abusive parent, who kept him in a cupboard behind the bar. There is an old-fashioned sock monkey doll no one admits to having brought in.  It will disappear for days, then reappear in odd places.

Another presence is also felt. Wine is spilled during the night, crackers are spilled, and cases topple over. The motion detector is never tripped.  People hear glass break and rush in, but nothing is broken.

Cowtown Winery, start and end of ghost the tour

While the guide was talking about the little boy, the street light in the alley was flickering. When she got to the story of the other presence, it went out with a “Pop!” Everyone jumped, watched, and then laughed at themselves. As the tour dispersed and the guide went back in, one of the remaining tourists said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if the light came back on?”

And it did.

A Smidge, a Pinch, a Recipe by Paty Jager

There is nothing better than walking into a kitchen in December. The smells bring back so many memories. My grandmother lived in a two-story farm house with us until I was twelve, making Christmas at our house a mixture of my grandmother’s favorite goodies and my mom’s.  Grandma’s specialties were cookies, cinnamon brittle, peanut brittle, and divinity. My mom’s specialties were sugared nuts, popcorn balls, fudge, toffee, and liquor-laced fruitcake.

As you can see our house was full of wonderful smells the whole month of December. My brother’s and I loved the failed batches. The batches my mom and grandma deemed not good enough to give to friends, but good enough to make the kids happy. 

People traveling across the country didn't have all the useful things we did to cook with. They lacked, measuring cups, measuring spoons, and liquid measures. The girls grew up learning from older members of the family and learning what a smidge and a pinch were and how many egg shells of milk or water to put in a recipe.   

I have a recipe for my mom's doughnuts. This is a typical recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. After having watched my mom make the cake doughnuts, I know how, but the recipe is sparse. 

Mom's Doughnuts

3 eggs beaten till foamy

2 cups whole milk

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp. baking powder

Nutmeg to taste

Flour to make a real soft dough 

That's it. The whole recipe. I can tell you these are delicious! 

Want more?  I mix in the nutmeg to where you can see the specks in the dough. By real soft, it has to ooze through your fingers like slime. ;)  Roll the dough out to 1/2 an-inch thick on a well-floured surface, cut out the rounds and the holes in the middle. Fry in hot oil lightly browning both sides. While still warm shake in a bag of sugar to coat. Don't overwork the dough when you pick up the leavings and add it to the batter or they turn out tough. That's how you make Mom's Doughnuts. 

In my Christmas novella, Christmas Redemption, in the Silver Belles and Stetsons Christmas Anthology,  the hero returns home after being in prison and walks into his mother’s kitchen while she’s baking. 

Excerpt:

The leafless cottonwood trees appeared stark and ominous hovering around the farm house. The two-story structure held pleasant memories. His mother’s cooking and laughter. Would she welcome him back or follow her husband’s lead? His stomach knotted, and he once again wished Tessa were by his side.

A multi-colored mutt ran out of the barn barking. Half-way to the wagon he stopped and looked back toward the barn. A girl of about eight strolled out of the building wrapped in a heavy coat, scarf, and mittens.

“Button. Stop barking,” she said when he stopped the wagon in front of the house. His mother’s eyes stared at him from the child’s face. This was his sister Grace.

“Is your ma or pa home?” he asked uncertain what to do. He wanted to pick her up and hug her, but reasoned she wouldn’t care for a stranger grabbing her.

“Ma’s in the kitchen. Christmas is coming.” She put a hand on the dog’s head.

“It sure is. How about you take me to the house then rustle your ma out of the kitchen so I can talk with her?” He started walking to the familiar front door.

Grace grabbed his hand. “We can’t go in that door. Ma doesn’t like snow on her wool rug.” She tugged him to the back of the house.

Van smiled and allowed his sister to haul him around to the back of the house. The garden patch looked larger. And the cellar which he’d help dig was grown over sprouting pale weeds through the six inches of snow.

Grace pulled the screen door open, then shoved the door into the kitchen. Familiar aromas wafted around Van’s head. He sniffed and savored each spicy nuance.

His ma turned. “Grace, shut the door, I have bread ris—”

Ma was the same other than gray wisps in her dark brown hair. She blinked, and her hands clasped in front of her chest.

“Hello, Ma.”

“Van?” She took a step toward him. He smiled and nodded, and she lunged into his arms, crying.

He hugged her tight as tears burned his eye sockets. His heart, that had been torn in two when he never heard from her, slowly melded back together. “I’ve missed you,” he said, holding on, wishing he had all those years back.

She drew out of his arms and studied him. “My, you turned into one handsome man.” She wiped at the tears on her face with her apron. Then motioned to Grace. “Come say hello to your big brother.” His mother’s smile warmed him like a toasty fire on a cold day.

“My brother? I thought pa said—” Grace stared up at him quizzically.

Silver Belles and Stetsons
Ten Western Romance Christmas Novellas
Available as a boxed set for a limited time

Bestselling and Award-Winning Authors bring you ten western romance novellas featuring alpha-cowboys from the past. This boxed set will take you back in time when
men were rugged and handsome and the women who loved them, courageous and
daring.


The Greatest Gift: A Montana Cowboy Christmas by Kathleen Ball. Amazon Bestselling
and Award- Winning Author. Looking for the man who ran out on her, Ginger finds a
cowboy worthy of love but he doesn't want or need love.

Catherine’s Cowboy by Cait Braxton, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. During a supernatural dust storm, Fate steps in when rugged army tracker, Elam, helps Catherine deliver her child.

Stone Mountain Christmas by Caroline Clemmons, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Can Celia restore the town's Christmas spirit? "A beautifully written story about love and hope and all the emotions Christmas brings out in people." Karren Lucas

Angel and the Texan from County Cork by Carra Copelin. Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Does Angel trust marriage to the man she suspects of killing her husband or the stranger who promises to pay off her debt and set her free if she decides their marriage of convenience won’t work?

The Drifter’s Proposal by Kristin Holt, Amazon Bestselling Author. The baker's man is home for Christmas... "Compelling. Heartwarming. Tender." ~Diane Darcy, USA Today Bestselling Author

The Perfect Gift by Lyn Horner. Friendship has blossomed into young love, but it seems destined to die on the vine...until an unexpected Christmas gift promises happiness.

Marshal Mistletoe by Susan Horsnell. She married the wrong man. Will fate intervene?

Christmas Redemption by Paty Jager, Amazon Bestselling and Award-Winning Author. Can two battered hearts find solace or will the past continue to haunt their lives? "A story of forgiveness that has a wonderful hero who has worked hard to redeem himself."

A Hard Candy Christmas by Hebby Roman, Amazon Bestselling Author. Two damaged souls. Can their budding love and the healing power of Christmas bring them together?

Cowboy Christmas by Margaret Tanner. Will a miracle Christmas baby unite two tortured souls, or will it forever keep them apart?

BUY LINK: Amazon

Award-winning author Paty Jager and her husband raise alfalfa hay in rural eastern Oregon. On her road to publication she wrote freelance articles for two local newspapers and enjoyed her job with the County Extension service as a 4-H Program Assistant. Raising hay and cattle, riding horses, and battling rattlesnakes, she not only writes the western lifestyle, she lives it.

All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters. Her penchant for research takes her on side trips that eventually turn into yet another story.

You can learn more about Paty at

her blog; Writing into the Sunset 

her website; http://www.patyjager.net 

Facebook; https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paty-Jager/132536633482029

Newsletter: Paty’s Prattle: http://eepurl.com/1CFgX

Paty’s Posse: https://www.facebook.com/groups/402519373168442/?ref=bookmarks

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1005334.Paty_Jager 

twitter  @patyjag.