Meet Carra Copelin's Newest Heroine

Meet My Character

Two posts ago, I talked about my work in progress or WIP, for Matelyn And The Texas Ranger, A Brides of Texas Code Series, Book 2. This post I'd like to introduce you to the heroine of this western historical. 

1) What is the name of your character? Is she fictional or a historic person?

My heroine is Matelyn Gloria O'Donnell. She is the cousin to the heroine in my previous western historical, KATIE AND THE IRISH TEXAN, A Brides od Texas Code Series, Book 1. She is completely fictional, except she is exhibiting traits of the spunky woman she is named for - my mother, Matelyn Gloria Roddy Carr. 

2) When and where is the story set?

The story is set in the year 1875. Matelyn's tale begins in New Orleans, Louisiana, then wends its way to Dallas from Galveston on the Texas coast. 

Matelyn O'Donnell traveled from New Orleans to Galveston, Texas in a ship similar to this one.

3) What should we know about her?

Matelyn is a single woman who learned to take care of herself early in life and is fiercely

independent. This trait served her well on the trip from Ireland with her brother, Jamey, and cousin, Katie. She fought for what they needed and for their safety. Being self-sufficient has proven beneficial  in her job as a lady's companion and will be essential for her survival when she reaches Texas. Her strength and independence have prevented her falling in love thus far, but she's certain there is someone willing to love her for who she is.

4) What is the main conflict? What messes up her life?

The trip to Texas from New Orleans offers Matelyn an incredible opportunity to begin her life anew. When plans go awry and she's forced to rely on a Texas Ranger for her very survival, she finds it hard to comply with his overbearing attitude. After surviving being stranded in the Gulf when their ship is sunk during a hurricane and trying to figure who wants her dead, she begins to doubt her thoughts of complete independence. She develops a closeness and unexpected feelings for this tortured man and begins the process of finding a chink in his armor.

A dress not unlike Matelyn may have worn.

5) What is the personal goal of the character?

Matelyn wants to marry a good man, have children and a home of her own. Barring that, she at least wants to be self-sufficient, living life on her own terms.

6) Is there a working title? 

The title is MATELYN AND THE TEXAS RANGER, A Brides of Texas Code Series, Book 1. 

Blurb: 

Overcome by the death of his wife, Ian Benning leaves his small son in the care of best friends, Katie and Dermot McTiernan. He rejoins his old outfit with the Texas Rangers to keep his mind off the loss of his only love, Emma. His assignment takes him to Galveston on the Texas Coast in pursuit of a group of bank robbers, and to the middle of a horrific hurricane.

Matelyn O'Donnell accompanies her employer, Veronique de Marceau, from New Orleans to Galveston, Texas to reunite Veronique with her cruel and conniving husband, Gerard. Introduced to Ian Benning while aboard ship, Matelyn dismisses him as a criminal in cahoots with Gerard. When their ship is capsized from the vicious winds and waves in the Gulf of Mexico, Ian Benning rescues her from certain death.

Will she accept that he is undercover and help him bring de Marceau to justice? Will she be able to ignore her overwhelming attraction to this lonely, distraught man? Can Ian tuck away his deep feelings for his lost wife to keep from losing this beautiful, feisty dark-haired beauty?

Great to see y'all here. Have a great weekend!

Carra

Carra Copelin Website , Carra's Blog , Carra's FB page , Carra's Twitter Page

LINDA SWIFT--GUEST AUTHOR

Please welcome Linda Swift, guest author, as she reveals her newest release titled This Time Forever, a Civil War novel.
Posted by Celia Yeary
~~*~~

To quote the famous lines of Sir Walter Scott,  "Breathes there the man with soul so dead"… Or "Southern author who has no Civil War book in her head."

I have always known I would one day write a story about this fascinating war when brothers fought brothers and a whole way of life disappeared forever.

 Gone with the Wind remains my all-time favorite book and movie (and not because Clark Gable played Rhett Butler although that was a plus). And later the TV mini-series North and South  took  permanent first place for TV shows.

My story was a long time in the making and it has had a difficult journey thus far. Kentucky is a border state and I had to live in Alabama and Tennessee before I absorbed true Southern culture. Then I spent time in New York State and experienced a different way of life.

Somewhere along the way, Philip Burke appeared.
In the same way, Clarissa came to live in my head.

Philip was a good man, but he was conflicted. He wanted to be something his family opposed but he did not want to oppose his family. Fighting a war was not in his plans but his conscience would not let him do otherwise. He believed himself to be in love with a "suitable" woman and asked her to marry him. Then fate brought him to Whitehaven and Clarissa and his first word to her foretold his future.

 Clarissa was a true Southern belle, beautiful and genteel but underneath had the courage and determination of a "steel magnolia" to quote this overused cliché.  She had married of necessity and had no idea what passion was until Philip defined it. She, too, was conflicted. She had a mother's deep devotion to her children, but revulsion for a husband who used and abused her. Then she was confronted with desire and denial and guilt. At times, I wanted her to be more aggressive and independent than she was, but the restraints of the times held her back and I couldn’t rewrite history.

 

There were certain poignant sections of history that I made great effort to include such as the Christmas Eve when both armies were facing, ready for battle, but joined each other singing Christmas carols and patriotic songs. Who could not read that and weep?

 And who  could  not weep when they got a rejection letter after such a marathon writing frenzy? And only because it was "more story" than this publisher was currently accepting. More rejections followed but finally an acceptance and publication in the first year of the CW Sesquicentennial. I am embarrassed to say that I did not promote it as it deserved and it went largely unnoticed.

THREE ACTORS IN THE FILM
CLARISSA'S WAR-ADAPTED FROM THE NOVEL
THIS TIME FOREVER



 Now in the last year of the Sesquicentennial it is being released again,

and this time I hope to do it justice.

And since a short film titled Clarissa's War has been adapted from the book and is being filmed this autumn in Nashville, TN by Reel Cool Films,

I think This Time Forever is finally going to fulfill its destiny.

 

~~*~~LINDA SWIFT - BIO

     Linda Swift divides her time between her native state of Kentucky and Florida. She is an award winning author of published poetry, articles, short stories, and a TV play. Linda holds an Education Specialist Degree from Murray State University with post-graduate work from U. of Alabama and was a teacher, counselor, and psychometric in public schools in three states. She credits her husband and adult children for providing encouragement and technical support necessary for survival in the cyberspace world. 

Linda's first two books were published by Kensington. She currently has thirteen e-books (and print) available from Amazon and other distributors. This Time Forever was released Oct. 1st and a short film titled Clarissa's War is being adapted from the book by Reel Cool Films of Nashville, Tennessee.

~~*~~
Blurb:

The Civil War brought casualties beyond the bloody battlefields as North fought South. Philip Burke, against his family's wishes, volunteered to defend the Union and became a prisoner of war who bartered his medical expertise to remain out of prison. When the Union Army invaded Tennessee, Clarissa Wakefield's antebellum mansion became a Confederate hospital.  Philip was placed in charge and against propriety she volunteered to stay on and help nurse the wounded. Clarissa's husband was a Confederate soldier and Philip's fiancée waited for him in Oswego but the fire between them soon raged out of control.
As the opposing armies fought for possession of Chattanooga, Clarissa and Philip faced their own battle. Caught in the passions of war and love, with hurt inevitable either way, would they be faithful to their vows or listen to their hearts?

~~*~~ 
Excerpt: Philip and Clarissa meet

            Clarissa made a slight curtsey to the lieutenant as he took her proffered hand and bowed politely.

             "My pleasure, madam."

            Then she extended her hand part way toward the captain before she saw that he wore a faded Federal uniform. She stopped and glanced uncertainly at Lieutenant Johnson.

            "Captain Burke is a Confederate prisoner, ma'am," he told her, "but you have nothing to fear. He is also a surgeon and will be in charge of the hospital here."

            "Oh, I see." Unsure what protocol dictated, again she tentatively extended her hand. It was taken with a touch so gentle she would not have felt it except for the tremor that passed between them at the contact, causing her to look up into the most penetrating eyes she had ever seen.

            For a long moment they stood, warm brown eyes lost in the depths of cool deep blue, then the captain made a visible effort to break the spell and spoke softly. "Charmed."

~~*~~
The print and ebook are now available at Amazon and Smashwords.

 http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=This+Time+Forever+by+Linda+Swift

 http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=This+Time+Forever+by+Linda+Swift

 ~~*~~*~~

 Linda Swift
"Tales That Touch The Heart"
My Facebook Page
My Amazon Page
My Website

GHOSTS, LEGENDS AND LORE BENEATH THE BIGHORNS!

Wyoming has her share of ghouls, ghosts, legends and lore that’s for sure.  And here at the foot of the Bighorns we’re carving pumpkins and stockin’ up on candy for the little gobblins who will be knockin’ on our doors this Halloween.  So, it’s a good time to share about those haunting voices carried on the Wyoming winds and the bumps in the night that has us pulling our blankets over our heads.

Here in Sheridan there are tales of Miss Kate Arnold still keeping watch over her beloved Sheridan Inn. Miss Kate arrived in Sheridan in the early 1900s and worked and lived at the inn until her death in the 1960s. She loved the Inn so much, she requested her ashes to be buried there and it’s said they were buried the wall of her room.  Miss Kate is joined in her haunts by the son-in-law of Buffalo Bill Cody who took his life at the Inn after a series of business and personal failings. There is some speculation, however, that he didn’t take his life, but it was taken from him.  These are joined by many other tales from beyond from Sheridan to Buffalo and everywhere in between. Today,  I’d like to visit the in between at Lake DeSmet.

Lake DeSmet at sunset

 

Lake DeSmet , named for Father Pierre-Jean DeSmet a Jesuit missionary priest to the Indians in the 1800s. The lake is a beautiful, tranquil lake attracting fishermen and tourists.  Pioneers, however, reported horses and dogs wouldn’t go near the lake and strange noises echoed across the water at night. Hidden under this gem of blue water are legends and secrets best left undisturbed…but we’re going to disturb them. 

The low moans of a heart breaking it’s said belong to a Crow warrior, Little Moon.  His band was camped along the lake, when Little Moon asked his sweetheart, Star Dust, to meet him at the edge of the water once the others went to sleep.  Little Moon arrived at the spot before Star Dust. While he waited a mist hung over the lake and in the mist was the face of a beautiful girl, more beautiful than any girl he had ever seen.  The girl beckoned Little Moon with a smile.

Hypnotized by the water enchantress, Little Moon viciously pushed Star Dust aside when she arrived and tried to put her arms around him.  He turned back to the face in the mist to see it gone.

Star Dust cast herself into the water when repulsed by her lover. The next morning Star Dust’s body was found drowned by the red bluff north of the lake. Her father demanded revenge against Little Moon. The men of the band bound Little Moon to the rock and left him there to watch for his mysterious maiden. 

Now, when the wind moans over the lake it’s said to be the faithless lover caller; the howls of a disloyal sweetheart. His spirit destined to wander around the shore looking for his maiden.

Another legend is that of one of the first Indian bands to camp near the lake.  They tried to use the water for drinking and cooking, but found it to be bitter. Nothing in the area explained why the water would be bitter, so they believed its bitterness to be due to the presence of an evil spirit.

That night, terrifying sounds echoed around them and suddenly the lake was infested by great hordes of sea gulls.  Throughout the night they soared and cried and swarmed.  At dawn the gulls disbanded and disappeared. 

But the worst was yet to come. After breakfast the champion swimmer among the tribe ran to the lake’s edge, gave a happy whoop and plunged into the water. As the others watched he turned and opened his mouth as if to scream, his eyes widened in horror and he was sucked below the surface.  They circled the lake, not daring to enter the water, but after a time when all was lost, they grabbed their belongings and fled the lake in terror.

Local ranchers and early pioneers reported a monster appearing the mist and rising above the waters.  Smetty, because every water monster needs a truly terrifying name, is a legendary creature thought to dwell in the subterranean caverns of Lake DeSmet. These caverns are speculated to be a faraway outlet from the Pacific Ocean.

Those who have seen Smetty report a monster 30 to 40 feet long with bony ridges along the back. His head is said to resemble that of a horse and rises from the water in a swimming motion.  Others report a large alligator like creature and still others compare Smetty to the legendary Nessie of Loch Ness fame. 

One rancher, whose home was near the lake, rose early and went into the fields. He heard a strange noise coming from the lake and turned to see a huge sea serpent rise from the lake. It stayed only a second and then disappeared.  His description of Smetty approached more of a dinosaur than any other. 

Does a monster lurk under the waters of the lake? And does a Crow warrior still wail for his lost love? Well, guess you’ll just have to pitch a tent by the lake and find out for yourself.  (I’d bring a fishing pole with ya cause chances are better of catchin’ a trout)  

Just in time to join the other ghost stories in the area is the release of THE BALLAD OF ANNIE SULLIVAN. I had such fun bringing this ghost story to life. I fell in love with Hank and Annie and hope readers will, too.  

Hank Renner enjoys summers and early autumns when he can escape his large family and spend time alone at the cow camp in the Bighorn Mountains. That is, until he starts seeing a beautiful woman with flaming red hair and brown eyes, who disappears as quick as the Wyoming sunshine. Questioning his sanity, Hank begins a search that just might lead him to his heart.

Annie Sullivan wants only one thing more than revenge for a rape and murder that occurred ten years ago…Hank Renner. Haunting the mountain, she’s kept watch over the handsome cowboy. But this year she did something she’s never done before, something that could change everything. She’s let the man see her—and exposed her soul.

Two lonely souls search for the truth that could solve a murder and a love that could resurrect their hearts.

BUY AMAZON 

BUY BARNES & NOBLE 

Kirsten Lynn writes stories based on the people and history of the West, more specifically those who live and love in Wyoming and Montana. Using her MA in Naval History, Kirsten, weaves her love of the West and the military together in many of her stories, merging these two halves of her heart. When she's not roping, riding and rabble-rousing with the cowboys and cowgirls who reside in her endless imagination, Kirsten works as a professional historian.

A Step Back into the past at Hart Square

For the last forty years, Dr. Robert Hart has rescued, and restored nineteenth century structures--the largest collection of original, historical log structures in the United States, and has furnished each building as it would have been in that time. Dating from 1782 to 1873, the seventy log structures—chapels, barns, houses, shops, and more—are all furnished, and around 220 volunteer artisans demonstrate the period techniques of flax breaking and hackling, spinning, weaving, herb dying, open-hearth cooking, broom and shoe making, shingle riving, wheelwrighting, tinsmithing, and moonshining.

The 4th Saturday of October marks the one day a year Dr. & Mrs. Hart open their restoration project, Hart Square, to the public. I've had the privilege to attend this event twice as one of the re-enactors and its a day not to be missed.

I've taken many photos of the buildings over the past two years but its the small details I find the most interesting. Take a look at the following of the general store. Dr. Hart doesn't skimp on a thing.

Tools, Harnesses & Cloth Goods

Pots, Baskets and Beans

Sewing Notions (thread, needles, buttons, etc.), Boots and Dresses

Fine China, Coffee & Tobacco

Even a wooden casket to bury your dead!

Hats, Crocheted Lace & Feathers for Hats

Hats, Bonnets and Evening Coats

Drawers full of...uh, I actually have no idea what this was used for. I just thought it was  interesting! I'm assuming small things like nails, or buttons, or ...tiny things?

Curling Irons for your hair. 

(I'm not sure if you can see it or not, but the 'end' of that has a 'bowl' where a hot coal from the fire was placed. That's where your heat came from! Neat, huh?

Ribbon for your hair.

Elixirs and Salves. Modern Medicine for the times.

Barrels and Tins

The outside of the General Store

If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Harts life-long project, and see photos of the other structures he's restored, visit the Catawba County Historical Association.

About Lily Graison

USA TODAY  bestselling author Lily Graison writes historical western romances and dabbles in contemporary and paranormal romance. First published in 2005, Lily has written over a dozen romance novels that range from sweet to spicy.

She lives in Hickory, North Carolina with her husband, three high-strung Yorkies and more cats than she can count and is mother of two and grandmother of three. On occasion, she can be found at her sewing machine creating 1800’s period clothing or participating in civil war reenactments and area living history events. When not portraying a southern belle, you can find her at a nearby store feeding her obsession for all things resembling office supplies.

To see the dresses Lily has created, visit her Pinterest page.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Google+  Wattpad | Instagram | Push Page

Historical Smith Flat House

By Paisley Kirkpatrick

I was excited during my first visit to the historical Smith Flat House, a unique building from the time of the 1849 gold rush. Because it was built on the Placerville wagon and stage road, it was the perfect location for a hotel and toll station. Originally known as The Three Mile House, now known as the Smith Flat House, it was built at this location in 1853. The owners positioned it over the entrance of the Blue Lead Mine to conceal the mine's entrance. Smith Flat House originally consisted of a general store, post office, bedroom, dining room, and dance floor all downstairs. Upstairs consisted of more bedrooms. There was also a barn that could stable forty horses which were used by the many teamsters and travelers that passed that way.

The bar is where I saw the Blue Lead Goldmine tunnel. It was my first observance of an entry into the earth's interior. I will never forget the smell of decay escaping the darkest black imaginable. You might expect to see the devil’s hand reaching out to pull you into the depths of hell.

My upcoming release One-Eyed Charly is about a woman stagecoach jehu who drives a route along the road where tollhouses are kept. I have done research on these houses and found them intriguing and a very useful part of the west. Mile houses were established during the gold rush. Many of them were privately owned and the owners collected tolls.

Just as the number of California emigrants passing Smith's Flat House decreased, silver was discovered near Virginia City, Nevada. Almost immediately, traffic reversed and the road became the most crowded road in the state as thousands of freight wagons carrying supplies and equipment passed by on their way over the Sierra Nevada to the mines. Because of this traffic, in 1863 a blacksmith's shop was added next to the Smith Flat House, followed in the 1890s by additional improvements to the building including a kitchen, pantry, laundry, more bedrooms and a saloon and card room.

When Sarah Lombardo turned eighteen in 1885, she married Nicola Fossati, the soul owner of the Smith Flat House at that time. She was expected to take over management of the house, which included all of the work. It had two floors. On the first was the general store, saloon, card room, post office, and living quarters for the family. Upstairs were 11 rooms for boarders and a large dance hall that was used as community center for political meetings, precinct voting, dancing, traveling shows, and auditorium for other large gatherings. At first Sarah was overwhelmed by all of her responsibilities. It didn't take her long to adjust to supervising the business.

Since Sarah was expected to manage the post office and general store, she needed to learn bookkeeping. The agent for Sperry Flour offered to teach her. He was amazed at how fast the young woman learned. When a young man named John Lagomarsino arrival from Italy, he needed help learning English and arithmetic. Sarah became his tutor. Lagomarsino was later instrumental in helping A.P. Giannini found the Bank of Italy, now known as the Bank of America.

During Sarah’s lifetime, it is doubtful that she ever left Smith’s Flat House except for an occasional visit to Placerville. Yet she managed to reach out and touch the lives of many.