How Did They Do It?

I'm very blessed to have the kind of job that allows me to work from anywhere. One of my dear friends has taken a job in St.George, Utah and I'm visiting her this week. What a beautiful place! Different in so many ways from my beloved Georgia, I'm loving the amazing views.

Two other friends joined us (along with one of their sons) and we've had a wonderful reunion. Here's a picture I took. From left to right - Carol, Kate, Alison, and Jay.

Yesterday, we took a trip to Snow Canyon for a short hike and some photo ops. As we stopped to look at God's beauty around us, we wondered how the pioneers who went west in covered wagons managed to get across this rough terrain. I wondered if they were as taken with the lovely mountains and desert expanse below them as we were. Then I thought that possibly they couldn't see the beauty for the hardships it would cause for them.

Research over the years has told me that crossing rivers were likely the most dangerous part of the trip west. When rivers were swollen with snow melt or when they were flowing quickly, wagons were most vulnerable to turn over. Loss of life of people and animals was common. Supplies were lost. Losing the precious supplies they'd brought or managed to buy along the way could be catastrophic. Obviously, losing parents, children or friends was an unbearable consequence of taking this amazing risk for a different life.

The terrain is rutted and rugged. The mountains are jagged and steep. A typical wagon train only traveled between ten and twenty miles per day. Adding obstacles like this could slow them even further. They followed hunting trails where they existed and some of them used guides. Many had to walk through the rutted trails hunting for smoother places for the wagons to follow.

The mountains couldn't be avoided. They'd go around where they could, but it wasn't possible to go around all of them. They were far to vast for that. Scouts would search for spaces and holes in the rocks that were large enough for the animals and wagons to get through. Some of my research includes tales of wagons being dismantled on one side and rebuilt when they got to the other side. The idea seems a little far-fetched and impractical, but I did see it in more than one account.

 

One thing is certain... The people who settled the west were determined, hearty, and amazing. Their vision for what they wanted from life was clear and they were willing to sacrifice to get it. What inspiration for any of us as we face difficulties and obstacles in life!

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Annie's latest release is Book Eight in the Colorado Matchmaker Series. You can find Delilah and Ethan on Amazon.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

Matchmaking Old West Style

It's true many men and women found marriage partners through ads in newspapers in the mid to late 1800s. Men in the old west outnumbered the women significantly. Many women needed help after the Civil War since their families often had lost businesses and bread winners to the war. Some of them were desperate enough to leave their families and homes to marry men they hoped would take care of them.

There have always been people who could see opportunity in most any situation. Some of those people found mail order brides headed west to meet husbands to be the perfect opportunity to help men and women in need while making a business out of it. Matchmakers did exist and they made the process of finding a husband or wife easier and cut out answering ads and letter writing.

Matchmakers took at least some of the risk out of finding a spouse. The mail order bride process was filled with uncertainty for each party. Neither knew if they were being scammed until they actually met and sometimes falsehoods weren't found out until much later. When a matchmaker introduced a couple, each party had been at least somewhat vetted.

In my Colorado Matchmaker series, Susannah Jessup took pride in bringing women from the east to Colorado and matching them up with men who wanted a good wife. She prided herself on her intuition about which couples would fall in love and marry for more than need. As a mail order bride herself, she knew the pitfalls of the process and she understood the worries and concerns of the women traveling west. Giving the women a place to stay while they learned how to properly run a home in the west, she worked tirelessly to find the perfect match for each woman who sought her services.

Susannah plays a role in each story, but each couple she puts together has their own story that needs to be told. The love story of Delilah Waterford and Ethan Townsend is found in Book Eight of the series and was just released in mid-February. Here's an excerpt where Susannah has set up the perfect situation for Delilah and Ethan to meet.

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“Hello?” Susannah called out as she reached the large barn. The doors were open, but it was difficult to tell if anyone was in the big building or not. 

Almost immediately a young gentleman stepped out from the shadows. He had a soft grin as he fixed his rolled-up sleeves. His pants were covered in hay and there was something splattered on his shoulder but she didn’t want to think about what that might be. But no matter how quickly he had grown up, Susannah would know Judge Townsend’s son anywhere. “Good afternoon,” he offered politely. “How might we be of service?”

She beamed at his manners. “You might not remember me. I’m Mrs. Jessup, the sheriff’s wife. Why, I haven’t seen you in years, young man. I could hardly believe it when the pastor told me you had returned home already. It looks as though you’re finished with school.”

“Yes,” he nodded. “Indeed, I’m finished,” his eyes already beginning to wander. But not far, she noticed. Lemondrop was breathing on her back which meant Delilah had to be close by. Ethan’s eyes drifted from hers to her left shoulder, where Delilah must be standing. Or hiding, as she tended to do when she was feeling shy. “And I think I remember you. But…”

Lemondrop snorted and Susannah jumped, her stomach tightening. She laughed it off immediately and moved out of the way, further from Lemondrop and to allow Ethan to see who Delilah was. The lovely young woman clung to Lemondrop’s bridle tightly with both hands with a lowered gaze. Though she was getting better at being less shy, Susannah hoped she was just doing this because Ethan was so handsome. 

Turning to Delilah’s other side, away from the horse, the woman nudged her lightly. “My apologies,” she began graciously. “How rude of me for not introducing the two of you. Mr. Ethan Townsend, this is Miss Delilah Waterford. She is a guest at my home and has been for the last few months, having come all the way from Philadelphia. Delilah, this is Mr. Townsend. His father is the judge, so he works closely with my husband. I knew Ethan before he left for school in New Orleans. Now, it would appear, we have two veterinarians in Rocky Ridge.”

Her ward and the young man offered shy and brief greetings before Susannah turned the attention to the horse. Lemondrop was more than happy for the attention. 

“So what’s the problem with your horse, Mrs. Jessup?” Ethan spoke to Susannah, but looked over at Delilah as he waited for her response.

“Well, she seems to have trouble chewing. I don’t see it all the time, but sometimes she seems to move her mouth funny. I know that sounds odd, but I just want to make sure this isn’t a warning of something bigger.” Susannah blinked quickly and took a deep breath hoping she’d be able to keep her ruse going long enough.

“Let me take a look.” Ethan leaned in and pulled back Lemondrop’s upper lip on one side and then the other. The horse snorted lightly at the intrusion, but she kept her feet still. “Hmm. I’d expect to see something wrong with her teeth or some sign of an injury, but there’s nothing there.”

Susannah smiled and nodded, expecting to hear this assessment. “Well, that’s good news, then. Do you think she’ll be fine, then?”

“Yes, ma’am. It’s likely nothing since she doesn’t appear to be not eating.” Ethan looked at Susannah and then back at Delilah.

Realizing his interest was piqued by the girl, she did her best to bring Delilah into the conversation. “Delilah, here, is crazy about this horse. And of course, Lemondrop loves her, too. You’ve enjoyed learning to ride, haven’t you, Delilah?” 

Poor thing, she was still so reserved and shy. While Delilah had made leaps and bounds in the way of being social, introductions to a new person always took a while to take root. Her cheeks stained bright pink, she nodded.

“It’s nice to know you enjoy riding, Miss Waterford.” Ethan smiled at Delilah, seeming happy to have an opportunity to speak to her. “Riding is one of my favorite pastimes. Especially with the mountains as a backdrop.”

“I imagine so. It is quite lovely here.” Delilah’s voice only trembled with her first few words. That was a small triumph.

Susannah watched the interaction thoughtfully, thinking these two just might fancy each other if they were to meet often enough. Ethan certainly seemed taken with her and that was half the battle. Realizing they needed to be on their way back home, she wrapped her shawl tighter as she turned to leave.

“Thank you for stopping in. I think your Lemondrop is just fine and she’s a lovely horse. And farewell, Miss Waterford!” He added just loud enough to be heard.

It made Susannah smile. She glanced over at Delilah surreptitiously and winked as the girl’s cheeks began to flush again. “He’s a good man,” she offered lightly, trying not to sound pushy or like there was already a plan in place to bring the two of them together. “He’s always been very kind, and I was told he was very smart. I’m good friends with his mother, after all.” It would only work, of course, if both parties were interested. 

“Are you?” Delilah responded softly as though she was trying not to sound too interested.

“I am,” she nodded and decided to leave it at that. Leaving the young girl to her thoughts, Susannah ran over the conversation in her mind and tried to review what had happened. If her instincts were correct—and they usually were—Ethan was definitely intrigued by the light blonde-haired girl. And she dearly hoped that she was right about Delilah as well. There had been something there, she was certain of it.

If you'd like to read the complete story, you can find Delilah and Ethan on Amazon.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.

To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

The Mercantile of the Old West

As pioneers, cowboys, and businessmen moved west, they built up towns in the places they settled. As towns sprung up, the people running farms or working and living there needed supplies. They needed everything they couldn't grow, kill, or make themselves.

So unlike most of us, they couldn't just skip off down to the grocery store and pick up a loaf of bread and a jar of jam. They weren't able to simply swing by Target to grab a new dress, a broom, and a milk pail. They'd be making the bread and the jam themselves, most likely, but they'd need flour and sugar or bowls and crockery. They made most of their own clothes, but they did need fabric, thread, buttons, and such. Seeds to plant their gardens and boots to wear while doing it were all found in the mercantile.

Most of the larger cities in the east had general stores, but they also had specialty shops. Dress shops, hat shops, haberdasheries for men's clothing, kitchen supply stores, fabric stores, shoe shops. The western towns normally didn't have such luxuries. Most everything they needed was found all in one place. The mercantile.

For those living on ranches and farms outside town, making the trip to the mercantile was a big deal since the tools and materials they needed for every day work were there. Another reason going into town to the mercantile was a big deal was that they couldn't afford to forget anything because it would be an ordeal to come back for what was forgotten.


A mercantile store in the old west was vital. It was their means to get the items they needed, but it also served as a social gathering spot in many of the western towns. People who lived out on the farms, enjoyed catching up with friends they saw when they stopped in to the mercantile to stock up. Many times the mercantile also served as the post office, so pick up mail and dropping off letters was another opportunity to socialize.

The mercantile owner was an entrepreneur. The business was his to run as he saw fit. He could extend credit to people he knew and trusted or he could only accept cash. He could barter with other local businesses, such as the blacksmith or the tailor. He could allow local farms to swap eggs and milk for tools or shoes.

Most mercantile stores in the old western towns were monopolies. The townspeople had no other options - at least none that were practical or desirable. So, the owner made his own rules and his decisions were usually final. More often than not, though, the owner was a benevolent soul who helped out the less fortunate when he could.

The hero in my latest Colorado Matchmakers Series, Cade Jones, was  the mercantile owner in Rocky Ridge, Colorado. A widower with four young children, he was finding it difficult to raise his family and run his store. He needed help. He needed a wife. So, as a savvy business man solves problems, Cade goes to the local matchmaker to get some help.

As luck would have it, the perfect match for Cade drops into his lap with a little help from Susannah Jessup, the local matchmaker.

If you're interested in reading the sweet story of how Cade manages to fall in love and run his thriving mercantile at the same time, you can find it on Amazon.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.
 
To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

Imperfectly Perfect

Have you ever met someone you were drawn to and later realized they were different in some way? It's happened to me more than once.

In college I had a friend who had lost his thumb. I'd known him all semester and never noticed. Then one day I saw him in the cafeteria and he reached out his hand to shake mine. It was the hand without a thumb. I wasn't expecting him to not have a thumb and I jumped back just a little. I felt so bad about showing my surprise. He didn't react at that time, but we did talk about it some time later. He said he was so used to people being surprised that he rarely even noticed it. I didn't ask how it happened and still don't know his story, but I remember being amazed at his ability to not be affected when others might have a less than polite reaction.

The story that's so close to my heart is of  a friend from high school who had a deep scar beside her chin. She was very conscious of it and usually covered it with a hand or kept her head turned away. Funny, when I met her I didn't notice the scar. It was only later when I noticed her hand on her face that I realized what she was trying to cover up. I never asked her how she'd gotten it because it seemed like such a difficulty for her and I didn't want to upset her.

I saw her twenty years after we graduated, at a reunion of course, and it was so wonderful to reconnect. It turned out she'd moved away from our hometown, too, and we now lived only a few miles apart. Over lunch a few months later, she confided about how upsetting the scar had been during her fragile teenage years.

She'd grown to accept it as an adult mainly because of how the man who would become her husband reacted to it. She told me she'd mentioned it and he'd laughed. He told her he could certainly see the scar, but he saw inside her heart much easier. He told her he loved every inch of her, even the scar.

She'd gotten the scar when she fell off her bike riding with her cousins. He reminded her how important her cousins were to her happy childhood. He reminded her what a joy it must have been to ride the dirt roads of her youth with kids she loved.

She told me she wished she hadn't been so self-conscious when she was a teenager. She laughed when she said that now the scar was a happy memory rather than a stain on who she was. I loved it that she could change her thoughts about something that had been so difficult for her when we were in high school.

My inspiration for Christina and Mitchell in the Colorado Matchmakers series, is partially from my old friend and how she struggled with what she thought made her inferior. Her name is Christina, though her husband's name is Bart, not Mitchell.

In my story, Christina Bristol is half Sioux. She wasn't accepted in her home town and neither was her mother. When she meets Mitchell Powell, the world changed for both of them. Mitchell had a birthmark on his cheek. Once he was on his own, he chose to work on cattle drives that kept him out in the wilderness with just the company of a few cowboys. He was more comfortable there where he didn't feel so self-conscious.

Here's a tiny snippet about what Mitchell thought when he realized that Christina was truly a special woman.

Christina Bristol was a remarkably beautiful woman, inside and out. She was clever, passionate, and kind. Her life had been rough, from what she had told him so far, about her mother and growing up part Sioux. She even trusted him with her other name, Mahpiya. Life was good here and her happiness made his heart sing. And she never shunned him. Suddenly he appreciated her even more for telling him the truth.

Writing this story was a sweet experience for me. I remembered my conversations with my friends and tried to give Christina and Mitchell some of the experiences and feelings and thoughts I heard from my friends. We all know that looks have nothing to do with who a person really is. It's all about the heart. I'm thankful to have had these people in my life.

The Colorado Matchmaker series is about how lonely people are brought together by Susannah Lucas, a childless woman in Rocky Ridge, Colorado. Unable to have a family, she turned to helping people find each other when their chances to find happiness and love were slim. Each story is a stand alone story with a happy ending and can be read in any order. Christina and Mitchell is the sixth book in the series.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Inspiration comes in many forms and Annie finds more than one way to make her stories entertain and inspire.
 
To connect with Annie, find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.