#Christmas story! HOW THE TEXAN STOLE CHRISTMAS by @JacquieRogers #historicalromance

How the Texan Stole Christmas

by Jacquie Rogers

How did folks celebrate Christmas in the Old West?  How about the single gals?  What did they do?

The best way to find out (and fun, too!) is to read newspapers that cover the time and place of my stories.  When I was researching for my Hearts of Owyhee series, I ran across this item from the December 21, 1872 issue of The Owyhee Avalanche (the oldest newspaper in Idaho, still operating out of my hometown, Homedale, Idaho):

THE CHRISTMAS TREE. The Christmas Tree Festival will be held in Jones & Bonney’s Hall. We will stake in addition to what was said in our last issue, that the Brass Band, composed at present of Messrs. Charles Leonard, Joe Gross, Benj. Davis, Rufus King, Ferd. W. Frost and E. Douglas, will perform some of their best pieces, which will add greatly to the pleasure of the occasion.

The singing, accompanied by the organ, will be done principally by young girls who have learned all the music they know in Silver City, and who by virtue of talent, industry and a good teaching have acquired, in our judgment, wonderful proficiency in the beautiful art over which the Muses preside. They are our little folks, and not imported singers, which will make it all the more interesting; that they will do their part in first-class style for their ages, we have not the least doubt, in fact, we know they will.

The tree will be a prolific one no doubt. The Argosy of Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, & Co. arrived at the port of San Francisco four days ago, as we are informed per telegram, and a large cargo of its merchandise is on its way up here, and will not fail to arrive in time. ~~

I could just see the hustle and bustle of Silver City.  

Brass bands were wildly popular all over the West then.  Yes, they decorated and put up Christmas trees.  They had dances and concerts.  And Santa was on his way!

So why not have a Secret Christmas Angel event for all the single men and women in town?  Seems like something they'd do.  And that's what How the Texan Stole Christmas (a Hearts of Owyhee single read) is all about.  Here's the blurb:

Winnifred Spangler has thrown herself into community work to ward off the pangs of her lonely heart. Fairview, Idaho Territory, is snowed in—and cabin fever has set in with a vengeance. Winnie organizes a gift exchange for the town’s single young adults. Her hope is that a few of them will find the loves of their lives.

Judd Shaw, a Texas cowhand, hates the ice and cold. As soon as the roads are passable, he’s headed back to Texas. But thanks to his childhood friend, he’s caught up in the Secret Christmas Angel game, and the name he draws is the prettiest widow in all of Idaho—Winnie.

Can Winnie’s smile melt his hardened Texas heart?

How the Texan Stole Christmas

a Hearts of Owyhee single read

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Hearts of Owyhee series

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#NewRelease! Don't Go Snaring My Heart #western #romance

Brand New Release!

Don't Go Snaring My Heart

A Hearts of Owyhee Single Read

by Jacquie Rogers

"Jacquie Rogers writes a trademark tale, one that we have come to identify with her. A great romp of fun and hilarity..." Rising Star Reviews

Don't Go Snaring My Heart was originally published in Lassoing a Groom (Prairie Rose Publications).  Our only guidelines were wordcount and the title.  This is what happens when your publisher tells you to go to it--whatever you want.  Ha!

You should know right off the bat that Dex's men love Betsy because she makes awesome cheese pie. We call it cheesecake. She used goat cheese that she made herself. I'm not quite that industrious. Or inventive. Here's a recipe from Moms Who Think.

Easy Cheesecake #1

Ingredients:
1 graham cracker pie crust
8 ounce package soft cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces Cool Whip, slightly thawed
Directions:
1. Beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar and mix well. Add sour cream and vanilla, mix well. Fold in Cool Whip.
2. Spoon into pie crust and chill for 4 hours.

And here's what Don't Go Snaring My Heart is all about:

Alone in the high-mountain desert, self-sufficient Betsy Lynch is determined to eke out a living selling goat cheese while she fulfills her father’s dream to find a rich silver lode. Claim jumpers threaten to take everything she holds dear, so Betsy uses a bullwhip, her wiles, traps, goats, and an attack rooster to defend her land.

Rancher Dex Madsen needs to feed his hungry crew. He tracks a herd of pronghorn and shoots one, then steps into Betsy's snare and is jerked upside down. The goats and rooster attack before Betsy cuts him down, and soon he's neck deep in her fight to protect the claim. But can he get past that killer chicken to claim her heart?

Return to southwest Idaho in the 1880s in Jacquie Roger's acclaimed Hearts of Owyhee series.

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Prairie Rose Publications

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Where the Heck is Grasmere, Idaho?

In fact, whoever heard of Grasmere, Idaho?

It's in Owyhee County, located in the southwest corner of Idaho. This is one of the largest counties in the lower 48 states, and has about the same area in square miles as New Jersey. Population is a about 1 person per square mile (twice as many people as when I lived there), although far less dense than that around Grasmere. (New Jersey's population density is about 1,170 people per square mile.) You'll find Grasmere . . .

South of Grandview.
Farther south of Murphy.
Way south of Marsing.
And way, way south of Homedale.
North of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.

This is what Grasmere looks like.



At the bottom of the page, you'll see my fictional world of Grasmere.



My editor was a bit stunned when I told her that there are twice as many characters in Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues as there is actual population in Grasmere, Idaho, where the story is set. Last I knew, Grasmere had phone service but not electricity, and outlying ranches have neither. All appliances and electrical devices are run with generators or propane.

In high mountain desert, Grasmere's elevation is a mile high: around 5,200 feet. Precipitation is scarce, about 8" per year, so even though the altitude is high, Grasmere ususally only receives less than a foot of snow total--a dusting here and there that blows away with the incessant, biting wind. In the summer, there is no wind at all, sometimes not a hint of a breeze. Temperatures can get up into the 100's, although average temperature in August is only 86 degrees.

So who lives In Grasmere? I'm not sure, at this point. Grasmere is a city with a post office, but last I knew, only one family lived in the city proper, and they were looking for a buyer. The buildings there are: restaurant/gas station/post office, a house, a garage, and I think a shed. Take a look at the Mapquest Aerial Map.

And exactly why did I set Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues in Grasmere? Because I wanted to make communication a little more difficult, the lifestyle more contrasting to the urban life, and my heroine just a little bit ashamed of her roots. In fact, that's her external character arc, to become proud of her family, her roots, her childhood home. To contrast that, the hero comes from an urban family and settles in one of the most rustic places he can find. His external character arc is to learn that happiness comes from what and who you are, not where you live.

I just don't see how this story could have worked anywhere else. The long drive to the hospital, the infrequent shopping trips to the city, and whole joke about Triangle--these elements are integral to the story.

And, as promised, here's the fictionalized Grasmere:


To get an idea of how I envisioned the story world, take a look at the book video.

How important is setting to you? Let me know and you could win an autographed copy of Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues and a Mule Blues T-shirt (USA mailing only. All others responsible for postage.)

This is a Classic Romance Revival GROUP event. You MUST have commented on EACH and EVERY blog in order to qualify for a prize. To see the contest rules and other prizes and to find more fabulous blogs, please go to:

Classic Romance Revival Blog.

(Don't forget to include your email address when you make comments here and at the other sites, so we can reach you in case you win!)

Cheers!

Jacquie
Down Home Ever Lovin' Mule Blues (See the Book Video featuring Justin Saragueta)
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Faery Special Romances * Book Video * Royalties go to Children's Tumor Foundation, ending Neurofibromatosis through Research