America's Bookstores

 

I happened across something the other day about the first use of the word bookstore. 

Intrigued, I decided to dig a little further into the word and the history of America's bookstores. 

The word bookstore is a relatively modern compound word, created from two simple English terms: book and store. The English word book traces back to Old English bōc, meaning a written text or volume, while store comes from Old French estorer, meaning “to supply” or “stock.” When combined, bookstore literally describes a place where books are stocked and sold.

The earliest recorded uses of bookstore appear in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in both British and American English. Before then, books were primarily purchased from stationers or book sellers, terms still in use today. 

Unlike those earlier expressions, bookstore emphasizes the physical location, reflecting a shift in how books were marketed and accessed during a period when literacy rates were rising and printed works became more affordable.

In Britain, the word bookshop remained more common, while bookstore gained popularity in North America. By the nineteenth century, the bookstore was firmly established as not only a retail business but also a cultural hub, often tied to publishing houses, printers, or intellectual circles.

Tracing the first bookstore to open in America proves challenging, but the oldest, continuously running bookstore in the United States (and one of the oldest in the world) is in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Moravian Book Shop opened in 1745 and is still open today as part of the Moravian University. For nearly three centuries, booklovers from all over and come to the bookstore for a curated selection of books and gifts.

Among the other early American bookstores was one Benjamin Franklin opened in Philadelphia.

Early booksellers often wore many hats, offering services of printing and binding, as well as selling books. Their goods could include a variety of items beyond books. 

By the mid 1800s, bookstores in America had become community hubs, resembling modern shops where people could browse and discuss literature. Some stores became vital community spaces where readers, writers, and publishers gathered. There were those that even served as publishing houses. 

The arrival of the 20th century and major department stores like Marshall Field & Company in Chicago changed the landscape of traditional bookstores by becoming sellers of books. 

The 1980s and 1990s saw the rise of chain bookstores that shot up in nearly every shopping mall and outlet center. 

At its heart, though, the origin of the bookstore remains the same. A place, whether physical or virtual, where readers go to find stories, knowledge, and connection. A place where magic and adventures having between the words of a good book.

USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where hay fever and life lessons were always in season. Today, she blends her rural roots with a love for storytelling, crafting sweet, wholesome romances filled with hope, humor, quirky characters, and realistic heroes paired with strong, inspiring heroines. When she’s not writing or baking new recipes, you’ll find her cherishing quiet moments at home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—affectionately known as Captain Cavedweller.

Find out more about Shanna on her website: shannahatfield.com

From Dugouts to Log Cabins: Making a Shelter a Home

By Kimberly Grist

From Dugouts to Log Cabins: Making a Shelter a Home



When we think of pioneer life, we often picture a cozy log cabin with smoke rising from its chimney. However, for many settlers, especially those living on the treeless plains, pioneers carved their homes directly from the land. Dugouts and sod houses provided shelter for families until wood became available. Eventually, log cabins emerged as symbols of permanence. These humble beginnings remind us that a house was never just a shelter; it was a place where love thrived and families grew strong.

The Homestead Act and the Rush for Land
In 1862, the U.S. Congress passed the Homestead Act, which allowed any citizen aged twenty-one or any immigrant intending to become one to claim 160 acres of prairie land. After paying a filing fee, the settler had six months to build a home, cultivate the land, and live on it for five years. Once this period was completed, the ownership of the land would be granted to them.

By 1900, more than 600,000 men and women had boldly staked their claims, leaving behind familiar comforts for their opportunity to gain a piece of the promised land. Many poured their last savings into oxen, wagons, and the long journey west, arriving with little left to purchase lumber. 

Dugouts and Sod Houses: Homes Born of Necessity
Homesteaders, often called "sodbusters," sought land near creeks and rolling hills, which provided natural windbreaks. They initially built dugouts, which were hollowed out from hillsides. Dugouts were quicker to construct and more comfortable than tents. As families gained strength and time, they sometimes expanded their homes into sod houses. The proverbial castle on the hill came not from quarried stone or cut timber, but from the sod beneath their feet. 

A Nebraska homesteader family in front of their sod house, late 19th century. Photographer Solomon D. Butcher documented hundreds of families who built lives in these humble dwellings. Attribution: Solomon D. Butcher photograph, Nebraska State Historical Society collection (public domain).

Did You Know?
Building with sod wasn’t easy. Bricks were cut about 18 inches wide and 24 inches long, each weighing nearly 50 pounds. To keep sod from drying, homesteaders cut only what could be laid in a day, stacking the root side down so roots would knit into the layer above. A modest 16x20-foot house could require as many as 3,000 bricks. Over time, these walls grew into one solid mass.


Life was far from spotless.

These brave pioneers stitched together their homes with faith, sod, and grit, their walls rooted in the earth, hardened by storms, and lifted by hope. 

Inside, life was far from spotless. With dirt floors and walls that shed dust, pioneers fought to keep homes livable. Some tacked newspaper or muslin to ceilings and walls, both for color and practicality, to keep dirt and critters from falling in. 

Yet there were advantages: sod walls were thick, keeping homes cool in summer, warm in winter, and sturdy against storms.

Elinore Pruitt Stewart, a Wyoming homesteader, captured the pride of these modest beginnings:

“I am so glad to have a home of my own, even if it is only a little soddy, for it means independence.”
— Letters of a Woman Homesteader (1914)

Romance in the Rough- The heart of the frontier was always home.

Whether a dugout carved into a hillside, a soddy patched with muslin, or a sturdy log cabin, though small and humble, these homes were the backdrop for faith, whispered dreams, lullabies, and love stories. The heart of the frontier was always home. No one felt that longing for stability more than teachers like Meriwether Walker, who rotated from various boarding situations and never truly found a sense of belonging. Her story echoes the heart of every homesteader who dreamed of a place to call their own.

A Promised Land

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Available for 99 Cents for a Limited Time 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P7F5RPF

Back to School, 1893 Style

Ah, it's that time of year again, when children in towns like my town of Fiddler’s Gap traded berry buckets, fishing poles, and farm chores for slates, chalk, and copybooks. The one-room schoolhouse was more than just a place of learning in a lot of small towns. It was the heartbeat of the community.

Most small towns had a single building where children of all ages gathered. First graders might sit side by side with teenagers, everyone working at different levels under the guidance of one teacher. Desks were often hand-me-downs, carved with initials from students long graduated, and sometimes two children shared the same seat.

At the front stood a large blackboard, and it was here that most lessons began. Teachers carefully wrote arithmetic problems, spelling words, or moral sayings for the children to copy into their copybooks. With textbooks scarce and costly, families treasured the few they owned. The famous McGuffey Readers, first published in the 1830s, were still widely used in 1893, and many a child learned to read by reciting lines from those little volumes.

Forget backpacks filled with colorful binders and endless pencils. A child in 1893 might carry all they needed in a simple tin lunch pail or cloth satchel. Inside you might find a slate and slate pencil for practicing arithmetic, a small copybook for writing lessons, and perhaps a treasured lead pencil if the family could afford one. Chalk dust clung to fingers, and the sound of scratching slates filled the room.

Lunches were plain but hearty: a biscuit spread with jam, perhaps a slice of cold meat, or an apple from the family orchard. Some children walked for miles to school each morning, and their simple midday meal gave them the strength to walk home again.

Teachers were often young women, sometimes barely older than their oldest students. Many boarded with local families, moving from home to home during the term. They were expected to be not only educators but also role models, disciplinarians, and community leaders. Discipline could be strict, misbehavior sometimes earned a switch or a rap on the knuckles, but teachers also celebrated progress and encouraged learning with praise and small rewards.

Schoolhouses doubled as gathering places. Spelling bees, recitations, and geography contests weren’t just for the children, they were evening entertainments where families packed into the little building to cheer their sons and daughters. Christmas programs, complete with simple costumes and handmade decorations, filled hearts with joy and strengthened community bonds.

Recess brought its own form of learning. Jump rope, tag, and impromptu games taught teamwork and forged friendships. For many children, these schoolyard memories stayed with them long after they left the classroom for farm work, apprenticeships, or marriage.

For children in 1893, education was both a privilege and a challenge. Their world was smaller, filled with hard work, yet also rich in curiosity and wonder. And while the desks, books, and lessons look very different today, some things never change: the thrill of new beginnings, the nervous excitement of meeting a teacher, and the friendships formed on a playground.

How about you? Do you remember your own first day of school, the smell of new pencils, the sound of the school bell, or the flutter of nerves in your stomach? It seems no matter the century, going “back to school” always carries a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Until Next Time

Kit

Look what our authors published in August!

Our authors have been busy writing your next favorite story.

Look what we published in August!

  

Mail-Order Barber: Hopeful Husbands

By Zina Abbott

     Rowena Healy’s happiness over being reunited with her husband in the gold mining town of Columbia, California, is short-lived after he is caught in the crossfire of a Saturday night shoot-out and killed. She soon receives offers—many not honorable, none appealing—from the women-starved men in town. She must find a way to support herself and her nine-year-old son, Tobias. The only items of value she now owns are her late husband’s barber shop and its contents. As part of her plan to save the barber business for her son to someday inherit, she advertises for a husband of convenience. The catch? He must have experience as a barber and be willing to teach her son the trade.
     Disillusioned now that most of the streams have been stripped of their easily panned placer gold, Baird Tucker knows he must either hire on as a wage-earning miner or find another occupation. Back east, he had worked as a barber. However, he sold the tools of his trade to finance his journey to California’s gold fields. A newspaper advertisement offers a position for a trained barber—including a shop, supplies, and equipment—in exchange for a marriage of convenience. He is not interested in marriage—he can barely support himself. Recognizing it might be a fool’s errand, the temptation to earn his gold by cutting hair and styling facial hair again is too strong to resist. What does he have to lose by looking into the matter?

Release date: August 7, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/Mail-Order-Barber-Husbands-Zina-Abbott-ebook/dp/B0DT7TCH4P

 

Mail-Order Avis (A Mail-Order Mystery Book 3)

By Kit Morgan

One determined woman.
One reluctant groom.
And a town full of secrets!

      Given the boot from her late uncle’s café, Avis Prescott is ready for a new beginning. An ad for a mail-order bride seems like the perfect answer. But when she arrives in Fiddler’s Gap, she discovers her intended groom has no idea who she is.

      Reed Barclay never placed the ad, but he quickly realizes someone is running a dangerous scheme. Protecting Avis and uncovering the truth is the only way to stop it. Trouble is, the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep his heart out of the bargain.

      With devious plots afoot, reputations at stake, and unexpected romance blooming faster than gossip at the café, will Avis and Reed find love in the middle of the madness?

      Find out in this sweet western romance with a mystery to solve!

Release date: August 11, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FM6BMXG1

 

Miss Amity (The Brides of Fiddler's Gap Book 14)

By Kit Morgan

A dutiful young woman.
A determined shopkeeper.
And one gentlemen’s saloon.
      Amity Morton didn’t come to Fiddler’s Gap to start a fight. She came to help her uncle launch The Morton House, his “respectable” gentlemen’s saloon. Then Taylor Johnson offers a hand, a smile, and a front-row seat to the town’s orchestra and theater rehearsals, and suddenly Amity sees how a single business could change everything.
     Horace Morton is determined to win. Taylor is just as determined to protect the town he loves—especially the woman caught in the crossfire. Amity must decide whether to play the part her uncle wrote…or write her own ending with the man who believes in her. One saloon, one town, and one steadfast man will decide her future. And just when she sees what that future could be, her uncle does the unthinkable.

Release date: August 25, 2025

www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNS1YRKD

 

Anthelia Yosemite Bride : National Park Brides Book 1

By Zina Abbott

          With the death of her parents and the loss of the only home she had ever known, Anthelia Spencer thought sure her life was over. With no job or marriage prospects, only her aunt and uncle in California offered her a place to live and work. They ran a combination bakery and merchandise shop that catered to visitors near the Yosemite Grant preserve, Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Only after she arrived did she realize the wild and remote nature of her new home. The one bright spot was the regular arrival of the stagecoach that brought tourists to Yosemite—with Dallin Walton employed as the shotgun messenger. 

Release date: August 29, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP8C92VG

 

    Not all of our authors make their books available on pre-order. For those who do, those advance sales go a long way to help their book ratings.

Below are some future books.

 

September Releases 

Aggie Ambushes the Rancher (Uncertain Sweethearts Book 6)

By Marisa Masterson

      Aggie's sharp instincts always lead her into trouble. So when she stumbles upon a rancher's advertisement, she can't resist responding. But when she shows up on the afternoon train, Clint Evans is less than thrilled with the bride he's been promised. Despite her mature words, Aggie appears to be only twenty years old. But with no other options, Clint reluctantly agrees to marry her.
      Before they head to his ranch, Clint enlists the help of Fox Creek resident, Ida Parton, to serve as a chaperone. But Ida's prickly demeanor only adds to Clint's frustration. Will Aggie's time on the ranch change her mind about becoming his wife? And why does Clint suddenly find himself imagining Ida as more than just a chaperone?

     For fans of historical romance with a strong-willed heroine and a rugged cowboy hero, this book is a must-read. If you enjoyed 'The Bride Wore Blue' by Cheryl Bolen, you'll love this captivating tale of love, adventure, and unexpected twists. Reserve your copy now!

Release date: September 5, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK91SSFW

Floree Sequoia Bride : National Park Brides Book 2

By  Linda Carroll-Bradd  Due to the impact of commercial interests on the scenic land that became known as Yosemite, the 38th United States Congress passed legislation creating the Yosemite Grant, which President Abraham Lincoln signed into law on June 30, 1864. It was the first time land was set aside by the U.S. government specifically for preservation and public use. Although initially Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove were ceded to California as a state park, this action set a precedent for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone National Park, the nation’s first national park. Over the years, as more lands were set aside as national parks, these natural wonders captured the imaginations of those who visited and enjoyed their beauty. Join several of your favorite authors as we share romances and adventure set in several of North America’s early national parks.      Artist Floree Percival goes to stay with the Sampsons, old family friends, in Sequoia National Park. Captain Hank Sampson serves as park manager and agrees to chaperon her. A student in the natural science department of University of Southern California, she’s also the illustrator for her father’s book on the birds of California. But her heart’s desire is to write and illustrate children’s stories.

Release date: September 5, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F92RZDX2

 

Emma Yellowstone Bride: National Park Brides Book 3 

by P. Creeden Emma Sterling finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Will marriage help her find a way out? Longer description coming soon…

Release date: September 12, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9YGZG47

 

 

Caroline's Challenge : (Westward Home and Hearts Mail-Order Bride Book 62)

By Jo-Ann Roberts

There’s always one risk in life worth taking.
     Caroline Stoddard clung to Sister Benedict’s words like a lifeline as the train took her across the country from Boston to Pine Ridge, Colorado. After learning the orphanage was closing and she’d be without a roof over her head and her teaching position, she couldn’t have been more surprised when the Prioress referred her to Millie Crenshaw, owner of the Westward Home and Hearts Matrimonial Agency.
     But life had another surprise in store for Caroline when she stepped off the train in Pine Ridge, Colorado. Instead of the new start she expected with James Murdock, her intended groom, he is nowhere to be found. With only a few coins to her name and no reason to return to Boston, she’s determined to make the best of it in this rugged land.
     As the deputy sheriff in Pine Ridge, Knox Manning is haunted by a robbery gone wrong, making him question his ability to protect the town, and a stranded woman at the train depot with nowhere to go is the last thing he needs. But walking away isn’t in his nature. The badge he wears is both an anchor and a burden, one that caused him to sacrifice the one thing he always wanted—a chance for a home and a family.
     Just as they begin to see each other in ways neither expected, and Knox dares to dream about a future with Caroline, the town of Pine Ridge is threatened by the same outlaws he’d been tracking for two years.
     When Caroline is abducted, Knox realizes the gang had given him something worth fighting for—worth dying for, if necessary.
     But more importantly, worth living for.

Release date: September 20, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FLL3VHJH

 

October Releases

 

The Bride on the Shawnee Trail: A Clean Mail-Order Western Romance

By Marisa Masterson

     Caroline Bierhals would have married the next day. Instead, her fiancé dies under mysterious circumstances. As she delves into the investigation, the killer threatens her, forcing her to flee for her life. Desperate for justice, Caroline finds herself alone and without support.
      Meanwhile, Jack Poston longs for more than just beans to eat on his ranch. In need of a wife to cook and tend to the chickens, Jack sends for a bride. When she arrives later than expected, they must marry quickly so Jack can return to his ranch and begin the cattle drive the next day.
      Having lost two grooms, Caroline refuses to let her new husband out of her sight, determined to keep him safe from the unknown danger that lurks on the Shawnee Trail. As they face the hardships of the trail, Caroline realizes that the real threat may be the murderer who is hiding among them.
      Will they find a love strong enough to survive the treacherous journey and bring them together, or will danger ultimately tear them apart?

Release date: October 14 2025

https://www.amazon.com/Bride-Shawnee-Trail-Mail-Order-Western-ebook/dp/B0FNQ27L9T

Isabella Rocky Mountain Bride : National Park Brides

By Angela Raines

Scarred in body and spirit from the 1902 Philippine-American War, Michael (Jim) Welling fled to the untamed Colorado mountains seeking peace and isolation. Isabella (Bella) Harrison, a spirited and independent woman of the early 1900s, defies her well-meaning family to retrace Isabella Bird’s legendary journey through the rugged frontier. When their paths cross in the wild heart of the Rockies, neither expects the spark of connection—or the healing power of love. As they work to preserve the breathtaking land that will one day become Rocky Mountain National Park, they must confront their pasts and decide if they can build a future together.

Release date: October 28, 2025

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBR9NJSN