Mail Order Brides Even in Hollywood

While speaking to my daughter in law the other day, I mentioned the Mail Order Bride Story I'm currently writing.  After telling her a little of the story line, she looked at me in a strange way and asked if Mail Order Brides were a true part of history.

I was actually surprised.  With the thousands of Mail Order Bride stories available on Amazon I thought everyone knew about the concept.  Then I remembered the first mail order bride story I ever wrote.  At the time, I was looking for factual information to back up my concept and I recall it was very difficult to find.  That was way before the internet and Google searches were available.

And here I am, years later, still intrigued by the Mail Order Bride concept and still writing Mail Order Bride stories.   There are also some old movies available that readers might want to get 

Westward the Women (as pictured above) tells a story about a man who takes 150 women on a wagon train across country as Mail Order Brides for a town of gold miners. Its intriguing to see how the women had to work as hard as men, learn to shoot, learn to drive a wagon and learn to deal with death along the trail. All in hopes of finding a husband at the end of the journey.

If you've ever watched the Beverly Hillbillies, you will know Buddy Ebsen.  In Mail Order Bride, 

he follows several ads placed by women in newspapers, hoping to find a Mail Order Bride for a young man. What he finds is a saloon girl he hopes to pass off as a Mail Order Bride.   

Both movies are fun and will give you a sense of how things may have been during the time in which Western Mail Order Brides were traveling across country hoping to find love.

I have personally written several Mail Order Bride Stories, 

and hope you will look for them on Amazon.

Mammie's Mail Order Bride

Available on Amazon  

https://www.amazon.com/Mammies-Order-Bride-Teresa-Lilly-ebook/dp/B083JZFM6Q

Mammie’s Mail Order Bride When Mammie announces that Stephen needs to go to town and pick up his mail order bride, he is flabbergasted. Mammie has been writing to Sally Jersey and now expects him to marry her. Stephen has every intention of putting her back on the stage and sending her home, until he sees her lovely face and the nieces and nephews she brought. Will Stephen allow himself to fall in love or will Sally be given away to the most eligible bachelor in Waterhole, Texas.

And Coming Soon

Welcome back to Waterhole, Texas in Mail Order Ruby

Availabe for Pre-order on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088P7M4DN

Ruby’s mother has informed her its time for her to start dancing at the Golden Dawn saloon, 

and has replaced all Ruby’s clothes with saloon ballgowns. To escape that lifestyle,

 Ruby answers a mail order bride ad of a man in Texas looking for someone with 

upstanding morals to help clean up his town.
When Ruby arrives in town, dressed in a saloon gown and toting her younger brother, Timmy, 

Seth thinks he's been duped and the last thing he wants is a child in his life,

 having recently lost his own son.
Will time spent together prove to him that Ruby is who she said she is

and can Seth learn to love again?

Wanted: Bookkeeper Silverpines #14

By Sophie Dawson

Wanted: Bookkeeper 
 
Tilde Lasek wanted to advertise for a husband when the ladies of Silverpines first sent them after the earthquakes devastated the town leaving it without men. Her mother discouraged her. Now there's been an attempted robbery at the Silvepines Bank Tilde runs since the deaths of her father and brother. It was the last straw. She posted an advertisement without her mother's knowledge. Now her groom is here.

How does Mabel, Tilde's mother react to a surprise husband for her only daughter? How do Tilde and Joel Richards work together as well as work out their marriage by beginning as strangers? 

The fourteenth book in the acclaimed Silverpines series brings people you've read about in previous books back together as the town continues to rebound from tragedy. 

Wanted: Bookkeeper becomes available Tuesday, September 18 for Kindle, KU, and print. Pre-order also available.

I enjoyed Tilde coming into her own as she defies her mother doing what she knows she must. Joel Richards comes from Cottonwood, Iowa for a fresh start. You may remember Joel from Giving Love, Book 3 in my Cottonwood series. He's all grown up now and ready to find the love of his life.

P.S. Yes, I know the cover on Amazon has Bookkeeper misspelled. It will be fixed on the 18th. I can't do it until it's released.😉)

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Sophie Dawson writes sweet and clean romances in both historic and contemporary genres. Her novels have won awards as well as critical acclaim.

Music of Her Heart Cover Reveal

Hi there. Sophie Dawson here.

SAS has given me the privilege of revealing the cover of my next book on their site. Thanks, Ladies.

Music of Her Heart, Stones Creek Ladies of Sanctuary House #2, is nearly finished with its first draft. I’m ready to write the climax and charting new territory in my writing as it’s a type of scene I’ve never done before. Nope, not going to give any other clues than that. 

If you’ve read any of my Stones Creek novels, you’ll know of Sanctuary House. It’s a place for women from Sanctuary Place Mission for Women to live while they are courted by the men of the town and surrounding ranches. All the Ladies have challenging pasts. 

Yes, I’m going to make you scroll down to see the cover. It’s nasty of me, I know.

Laundry Lady’s Love was the first in this spinoff series. If you’ve read it, you met the main characters in Music of Her Heart. Gema Volkovichna who was orphaned as her family immigrated from Russia and traveled across the country heading West spent four years at Sanctuary Place. She’s come to Stones Creek hoping to work and possibly find a husband. 

Red Dickerson had been given the mitten (Cowboy phrase meaning she broke the engagement) by Laura Duffle in Laundry Lady’s Love. When Gema escapes from her kidnappers, Red finds her. Three nights spent in the line shack during a spring blizzard makes for a reputation-saving marriage. 

Now, Gema and Red have to learn to be husband and wife. Does love follow? How does the Music of Her Heart play into their relationship?

I just love how his hand is on her leg. Red’s protective instincts shine through in the image.
 
For a peek at the opening scene, check it out on my Little Bits Blog. I'll post more snippets there soon.  

Release of Music of Her Heart is set for November 16.  In the meantime, if you haven’t read any of the Stones Creek books you can find them on Amazon on my author page: Author page https://www.amazon.com/Sophie-Dawson/e/B0084POHB6/

Teamwork

I'm sure you have many examples of how teamwork makes your life easier. Maybe helping people in your circle is the way you all make it through the week. It makes sense. We're busy and we have many responsibilities. Most of us can't get everything done alone - at least not and remain sane.

Back in the old west, teamwork was necessary. Without help, a small farm might not survive. Communities banded together in times of trouble to rebuild storm damage or plant crops after a tragedy.

In one of my Cutter's Creek stories, Becoming a Family, the town pulls together to find two children who are lost in the woods. The men spend all night out in the dark and the cold and the brother and his sister are brought safely home. If not for the care provided by the community, the story would have had a much different ending.

Families shared food and hand-me-down clothes. They looked out for each other in most all areas of life. If anything was about to go to waste, they'd find someone who needed it to keep precious supplies from being lost.

It's uplifting to read about all the ways the brave and hearty people of the west cared for each other. They had trials and troubles of their own, but they still made room for others in need. Perhaps they knew that at some point everyone needs a helping hand and it was likely they'd need the same thing at some point. Possibly, these people just had big hearts who loved their fellow man.

No matter what their motivation, the hard life of the west was made a little easier when friends and countrymen gave aid to others. Can you imagine making your way to the west in a wagon train but only relying on yourself to survive the journey? Of course not!

I find today that we need help in many ways. Carpools, elder care, career support. The list is endless for ways we can reach out to others to get physical help and moral support. In our neighborhoods, in our families, and even online - help is available in so many ways. Teamwork makes life work better.

Teamwork is the thread that binds a multi-author series together. We all work together for a common goal and to support each other as we travel the road to create something we hope readers will love. The Sweet Americana Sweethearts authors have recently done that with their Grandma's Wedding Quilts series. (Another awesome series is on the way, too!  😄)

The Cutter's Creek series is another very close to my heart. The women I work with in that group have become like sisters to me in the last year or so. We started working together in February, 2016 and our first four books were published on May 15, 2016. It's been a year already! Wow! We've worked together to create an ongoing beloved series. Where one of us was lacking the others picked up the slack. We each had a chance to help each other out - no doubt about that.

And now, with one year and twenty books under our belts, I'm pleased to celebrate this milestone with my dear sisters! Kit Morgan, Vivi Holt, Kari Trumbo, and I would like to invite you to join us on May 18, 2017 at 8PM EDT to celebrate the one year anniversary of Cutter's Creek. We're planning a ton of fun with prizes and gifts for all. Be sure to RSVP on Facebook.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Take a look at Annie's latest contribution to the beloved Cutter's Creek series - Perfect Timing.

Be sure to RSVP for the Cutter's Creek Anniversary Celebration.

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

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

Let's Talk About Kansas

I imagine that Kansas isn't on many vacation bucket lists. It's not on mine. However, it was a place that attracted more than a few mail order brides in the late 1800s. Topeka and Wichita were home to ranches and farms that prospered. The cattle industry growth was a big factor. Successful cattlemen were hard to resist for mail order brides needing security.

Kansas is located about halfway between Canada and Mexico

Wichita and Derby, Kansas are both located in the southeastern quadrant of the state. In about 1880, the Derby wasn't considered to be a suburb of Wichita as it is today. The journey in pioneer times took significantly longer in a wagon or on horseback than it does today in a car on the interstate.

Thunderstorms are common in the spring and early summer. Weather was definitely a concern for those living in the Wichita or Derby areas in history. The buildings were often not sturdy enough to withstand high winds and a tornado moving through could take off a roof in a flash.

While rain was a needed commodity, having it delivered by a thunderstorm wasn't desirable. In fact, the blessed vision of rain clouds in the distance, could bring a man to his knees when he realized he was about to get more than just water for his crops and livestock.

A thunderstorm is moving in beyond the wheat field

The area is also affected by extreme temperatures. Summers are very hot and winters are very cold. Extremes were difficult to manage comfortably for those living in the area before central heating, air conditioning, and indoor bathrooms. These people had to be prepared for anything.

Wearing many layers of clothing hampered the ability to move around easily and indoors layers could be a fire hazard when it was necessary to work around a fire. Men - and especially women - couldn't wear shorts to do chores and heavy labor in the summer. It must have been brutal on those sweltering days in July and August.

Much of my Kansas Mail Order Brides series is set in Derby, Kansas. In 1890, the population was 236. It was really just a small town, though it may seem larger in some of the stories of the series. I probably romanticized a bit about the town and it's capabilities, but it seemed like the right thing to do as I wrote.

Wichita was a much larger city. In 1880, the population was almost 5,000 and by 1890 there were nearly 24,000 people living there. What an amazing population explosion as people flocked to the western US!

Kansas was one of the gateways to the wild, wild west - there's no doubt about that.

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Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Take a look at Annie's latest contribution to the beloved Cutter's Creek series - Perfect Timing.

Get more information on the Kansas Mail Order Bride Series.

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

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

The Emotional Journey of a Mail Order Bride

Have you ever gone on a first date? Of course you have! Remember the anxiety and stress? And the excitement and hopeful anticipation?

What about a blind date? Don't you think all the emotions are amplified? I remember a few blind dates I had that were almost ruined when I was almost too nervous to talk!  Then there was that blind date when I was in high school with a guy who wouldn't share popcorn in the movie. He actually pulled the bucket away from me when I reached to get a little bite. But, I digress. That's likely a story for another time.

I can only imagine what the women who moved west to start their new lives as a mail order bride must have been going through, emotionally. Oh sure, they had written some letters to each other - maybe even many letters. But meeting the man who would soon be your husband face to face for the first time must have been frightening for some women.

The stories we read often have the woman in some sort of jam to make her decide to become a mail order bride. That was probably not so far from the truth in many cases. But possibly, there were some adventure seekers out there who answered the call to be a mail order bride. Some women were bored with their lives and read about the romanticized, action packed wild west and decided to see what it was all about.

But leaving a big city was a big step. There was much to leave behind.

Even the adventure seeker must have been nervous when she met her intended for the first time. Considering this man would be with you for the rest of your life, or the rest of his, there were probably a fair list of concerns. Even traditional marriage doesn't come with guarantees and you can bet your bottom dollar arranged marriages like this had none, either.

While I’m sure fear and apprehension would have been some of the underlying emotions the mail order bride felt as she traveled westward, I believe hope and excitement were there, too. Those emotions, combined with daydreams about what her new married life was going to be like would have kept her pushing west even when the going got rough.

The journey itself was difficult, especially if she made the trip on a wagon train or a stage coach. Worry about all the potential problems and dangers that she would encounter along the way must have been near paralyzing to some. Yet, they managed to do it. Likely because of the hope for a better life.

Her emotions upon arriving at her final destination would depend on both her expectations and what she found when she arrived. Expecting a western town to be like the eastern town she left behind was a recipe for disappointment and maybe even trouble. Expecting to be delighted by the man and his home could also make for serious awkwardness, to say the least.

Consider his expectations of her. Most of the time, these women weren't expected to simply keep a tidy house, cook hearty meals, and raise a houseful of kids. They also were there to work the fields, manage the animals, and do whatever else her husband needed. The reality of what all this actually meant must have been a shock to most of these women who found themselves in that position.

If the man had been honest, then possibly trust would take root. Maybe even respect would be the basis of their relationship. Is it possible that love could bloom? Of course!

 

Wouldn't it be wonderful to find that every mail order bride felt an overwhelming sense of delight when she finally met her intended bridegroom for the first time? We all know that's not how it went - not even in sweet romance!

So, it's probably clear that a mail order bride didn't walk into a fairy tale life when she stepped into her new town. In fact, her emotions may become even more intense when the reality of what she's done hits her. Imagine the shock and horror that your life in the west is going to be so grueling that you'll be bone weary every single night. Whatever you left behind might look good compared to your new reality.

As an author, I admit to romanticizing the process. I admit to making it seem far easier than it was. My stories may seem unrealistic when you get right down to it. As a reader, I want the emotional roller coaster with a healthy dose of hope, love, and above all a happy ending. Even if a true mail order bride didn't always end up with a happy ending, I want my heroine to always have one.

If you had lived in this intriguing era, would you be up to the challenge of becoming a mail order bride? I can tell you without a doubt, I don't see myself being able to pull it off. I don't believe I'd have been savvy enough or tough enough to do it. My emotions would get the best of me, for sure.

Writing about strong, heroic women gives me the opportunity to make them savvy and tough even if their emotions make it difficult for them at times. I'm thankful for those trail blazers for their inspiration and bravery to face the scary unknown and live to tell about it.

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 Annie Boone writes sweet western historical romance with a happy ending guaranteed in every single story. Her latest release is Book 17 in the beloved Cutter's Creek series - Perfect Timing.

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

Follow Annie on Amazon, Bookbub and get email updates.

Late Bloomers - Now and Then

There are some names that come to mind for a woman who never married or possibly married later than was typical of the time. Old maid, spinster. Neither is becoming or thought of as a compliment. 

Some twenty years ago, I was considered to be a late bloomer - or at least that's how my mother termed my unmarried state. I was in my mid-thirties without a serious relationship in sight. After missing the boat in my prime marrying years of the previous decade, my family assumed I was focusing on my career. Yep. That's what I was doing.

Being single, I was blessed to be able to take vacations with my other old maid, oops--I mean single, friends. Those trips were epic. And I also traveled with my parents a bit. Here we are in Jefferson City, Missouri in about 1995. The tour of the state capital was reminiscent of the vacations I had with these people as a child. Ah, the joys of growing up as the daughter of a history buff.

We traveled from the east to the west more times than I can count. Even though I was in need of a husband, I never made a journey to meet a man to become his wife. Neither did any of my friends. We simply waited around at home hoping to meet The One. Mr. Right.

In the world we know today, the idea of risking everything and leaving our friends and family behind to marry some man we’ve never met seems insane. Back in the 1800’s when the western territories were being settled, that’s exactly what thousands of women did. Many of these women became mail-order brides to avoid the label of "Spinster." I'm betting that while necessity played a part in the decision, the hope for love was there. I wouldn't be able to be a romance writer if it weren't for that undying hope!

Dating in the 1800’s

Things were very different in the 1800’s. A woman needed a man to take care of her. Okay, I suppose some women today still need that, but that's probably a topic for another day. Seriously, women had limited opportunities to gain skills and jobs were taken by men first. A woman would get the job after all the able men had turned it down.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule. One such exception was Florence Bascom. She was the first woman to ever earn a Ph. D. from Johns-Hopkins University. After that she was the first woman to be elected to the Geological Society of America. She was a researcher, teacher, and an authority. Florence never married. I don't imagine she felt the need to have a man to help her make it in the world. Women of her ilk in the 1800's and early 1900's were rare.

Florence Bascom, Geologist and Spinster

Yes, the truth is it was hard for a single woman to make it on her own. If she didn't come up with a husband, she'd often be a burden on her family. When money was tight or times got difficult, an unmarried woman would sometimes be passed around to extended family members to lighten the load for her parents. That must have been humiliating and sad for her.

Most of the time, men had complete say in all aspects of his wife's life. So even if a woman was able to find a husband, it wasn't always a good situation for her. Running away to the unknown risks of the western territories was often a better plan.

At some point or another, I'm sure we've all commented on how hard it is to find a great guy. Today we have so many options to find a date. Single girls in the 1800’s didn’t have any of that. Just going to the next town over to find someone they wanted to spend time with would have been a major undertaking. 

And, the entire time the girl was looking for someone she was interested in courting, she would have heard the clock ticking. Staying single for a prolonged period of time while she tried to find the perfect beau was not encouraged. 

Compared to spinster, being called a mail order bride could have been appealing. I have to think that the idea of knowing there was a man who couldn’t wait to meet and marry her would have done wonders to boost the girl’s confidence.

What Mail Order Brides Stood to Gain

If the girl chose well, her new western husband would already be settled into life with a house and enough money to live on. Best of all, she wouldn’t have to go through the whole courtship nonsense. She and her intended would be able to get married right away without the scrutiny of society or meddling parents. With time, patience, and some luck, eventually the women would belong to the people who welcomed them and the land they called their own.

It's difficult to tell if the mail order brides truly understood how difficult their life would be once they reached the west. They would have found challenges they never would have experienced if they’d stayed home. 


What we do know is that the sheer amount of courage these women would have needed in order to complete the journey made them a good match for their pioneering husbands. Without these brave women, it would have taken a great deal longer to tame the Wild, Wild West.

In my sweet romance stories, I'm more than aware that the whole life of a woman in the 1800's is softened and romanticized. I do it on purpose. While the reader can feel the hardships these women faced, it's still portrayed easier than it was. I do that so there's not so much angst that a happy ending seems unrealistic. And since every sweet romance must have a happy ending, I create one no matter what! Knowing that all stories didn't have a happy ending doesn't mean that wanting one in what we read is wrong! 
 
In my story, Belonging, Bianca was an orphan. Life as a spinster orphan would have been unbearable. Her final fate was undecided until she made a decision that would shape her life for the better. She was likely going to have to work in the orphanage she grew up in or be turned out on the streets. So, she went west to find her true love. Of course we know she found her happily ever after, but if you want to know about her journey, you can find the book on Amazon.

And finally, I want to share my wedding picture with you. Yes, I was an old maid. A spinster. A late bloomer. I was 41 years old in my wedding picture! But I finally found my true love and I didn't have to go west to do it! And, yes, I did wear black. It wasn't for any other reason than I look best in black! My mom was disappointed in the choice, but she's over it now.
 

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