Beyond the Book: Pick a Puppy

Welcome to Beyond the Book. My name is Jake Douglas, Elaine's heroine in Rest Thy Head. I'd like to get a pet for my sweet Peyton, so help me pick one. Leave a comment telling me which one you like best, and I'll talk Elaine into giving away some books.  Here we go.

Puppy 1

Puppy 2

Puppy 3

Puppy 4

Beyond the Book: Character Interview

Welcome to Beyond the Book. My name is Jennifer Jones, and I'm the anchor on WPFA TV. I recently interviewed local resident Jake Douglas for our weekly Local Color segment, and today I'm talking to Peyton O'Malley who recently married Jake. Peyton, how did you first meet Jake?

Peyton: (laughing) I first saw Jake in the barn brushing his horse. He didn't want to talk to me  at all. In fact, he was downright rude to me.

Jennifer: Obviously, he changed his mind about you.

Peyton: Yes, I asked him for a job, and he hired me to work in the kitchen at Rest Thy Head.

Jennifer: Can you cook like Jake does?

Peyton: Not a chance. I'm still the salad girl. Coffee too. I can make good coffee.

Jennifer: You also appeared in the annual play to commemorate  the founding of Waterbury.

Peyton: (nodding) That was a lot of fun. 

Jennifer: I'm sure it was. Jake told us that Rest Thy Head really does have a ghost. Do you believe that?

Peyton: (shrugging) If we do, I know it's a nice ghost. 

Jennifer: Thanks so much for talking to us, Peyton. I'll come out soon and try one of your salads.

EXCERPT:

“Did you and Jake have a good time?” Sandra asked. The way she rolled her eyes, Peyton knew she was still angry about Jake’s curt manner during breakfast.

“Actually, we did. We saw a bear on the edge of the woods, and he bought me an ice cream sandwich.”

Sandra dropped the cucumber she was peeling. “Wow. You must have impressed him. He won’t even speak civilly to me.”

Peyton giggled. “If you can sweeten an old bear with honey, maybe you can sweeten Jake with an ice cream sandwich.”

“Then let’s keep plenty of them on hand,” Sandra retorted. “He had no business acting up the way he did this morning. Everybody in the kitchen is mad at him.” She pursed her lips. “If I were a man, I’d kick his butt for him.”

Peyton tossed her a head of lettuce from across the room. “It might do him good. Teach him some manners.”

Jake entered the kitchen about the time another head of lettuce flew through the air. The angry look on his face almost scared Peyton. Almost. “Catch, Jake.” She fired another head of lettuce his way, and he caught it with one hand.

“I didn’t hire you to play football with the lettuce,” he growled, but it was too late to scold them. Everyone had already seen him grin.  

Only .99 at http://amzn.to/1Th5ylf 

Beyond the Book: Character Interview.

Welcome to Beyond the Book. My name is Jennifer Jones, and I'm the anchor on WPFA TV. I recently interviewed local resident Jake Douglas for our weekly Local Color segment. For those of you who don't know Jake, he and his brother Patrick operate a local inn called Rest Thy Head. Prior to settling down at Rest Thy Head, Jake was a Marine. He left the Marines after he was severely burned in Afghanistan. Let's see what he had to say.

Jennifer: Jake thanks so much for taking time to talk to me. I imagine you're pretty busy at Rest Thy Head.

Jake (laughs) Rest Thy Head is always busy, but that's a good thing. You won't hear me complaining.

Jennifer: No, I bet not. Both you and your brother recently got married, right?

Jake: We sure did. It was the best day of our lives.

Jennifer: People say that Rest Thy Head is haunted. Have you seen any ghosts?

Jake: You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but yeah, I've seen a ghost.

Jennifer: How exciting! Do you think the ghost would appear to me if I stayed at Rest Thy Head?

Jake: No ma'am. I think the ghost is busy with other things.

Jennifer: Well, that certainly sounds intriguing. What do you offer as entertainment for guests at the Inn?

Jake: We pride ourselves on our kitchen. Rest Thy Head has the best food in the area. We also offer horseback riding, swimming, and overnight campouts for starters.

Jennifer: Who's your chef at the Inn?

Jake: I am. Come out for dinner one evening, and you can see if I exaggerated my ability.

Jennifer: I will. I don't know if you'll like to talk about it, but I've heard that you got those scars on your face and hand in Afghanistan.

Jake: Yes, I did. Insurgents threw gas on me and set me on fire. If it wasn't for my buddy, I'd probably have burned to death, and if it wasn't for my wife Peyton, I'd still be a recluse at Rest Thy Head. She taught me that a man's character means a whole lot more than the scars on his face.

Jennifer: What a dreadful experience. Your wife sounds like someone special.

Jake: (smiles) Oh, she is.

Jennifer: On behalf of everyone at WPFA, I'd like to thank you for your service to our country.

Jake: You're welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer: What's for dinner on Friday night, Jake?

Jake: Fried chicken, and it'll be good.

Jennifer: Jake is offering $10 off ever guest ticket on Friday evening so if you like fried chicken, this is a good time to try the food at Rest Thy Head. Is there anything else you'd like to add, jake?

Jake: Yes, I thought I'd offer a tip. Everyone always wants the recipe for our hot dog chili so here it is. We use a combination of sweet barbecue sauce and ketchup to flavor the chili. Just tinker with it until it tastes right.

Jennifer: Thanks so much for talking to us Jake. I'll see you on Friday for some of that chicken.

Beyond the Book: Weddings

Welcome to Beyond the Book. My name is Peyton O'Malley, and I was Elaine's heroine in Rest Thy Head. June was traditionally the month for weddings, so I decided to show you my wedding dress and the ones my bridesmaids wore.  The skirt is what sold me on this dress. It's so flirty and cute.

Oh, yeah, Elaine offered a book to someone who commented on last week's post. Her grandson drew the name Amy Hart out of the hat.

What about you, readers? What colors did you use? Did you have a big ceremony? A romantic honeymoon? Leave a comment.












Bridal gown: http://www.photl.com/379718.html

Bridesmaid:"Bridesmaid and junior bridesmaid" by Nils Fretwurst Fretwurst - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bridesmaid_and_junior_bridesmaid.jpg#/media/File:Bridesmaid_and_junior_bridesmaid.jpg

Beyond the Book

Hi, my name is Peyton O'Malley, and I was Elaine's heroine in Rest Thy Head. I have to admit that my first meeting with Jake Douglas didn't go over too well. In fact, it was downright unpleasant. I'll share that excerpt with you, and then if you leave a comment telling me how you and your significant other met, I'll put your name in the pot to win a copy of Rest Thy Head. I'll give everyone a week to get their comments in, so next Tuesday I'll announce the winner. 

She entered the barn, a big white structure with a center aisle and stalls on either side. Just inside the door she saw a dark-­haired man dressed in jeans and a long-­sleeved, plaid shirt brushing a pretty chestnut mare.

“Hi,” she called.

The man half turned toward her; wow, he had blue eyes to die for. The blue was so intense that it reminded her of a blue diamond she’d seen at the jewelry store. Oh, and look at those shoulders. If there was one thing she loved, it was a pair of nice shoulders. Yummy. He was just yummy. “Yeah?” he asked, his voice abrupt and snappy.

“I’m Peyton O’Malley. I’m supposed to meet Patrick for a ride.”

“He isn’t here yet. You can sit on the bench under that tree outside and wait for him there.”

Instead of leaving the barn, Peyton stepped toward the man. “What a beautiful ... horse.”

The man quickly averted his face, but Peyton had seen the dreadful red scars that covered the entire left side of his face. They looked like burns. “I told you to wait outside,” he growled, scowling at her with the good side of his face. “Get moving.”

Peyton’s lips pressed together in a thin line. How dare he speak so rudely to her! Anyone would have looked twice when they first saw his scars. She stalked outside without another word. 

Beyond the Book: Rest Thy Head

Hi, my name is Jake Douglas. I know Elaine has been doing a cowgirl series for Rest Thy Head, and today I have something to say. Being a cowgirl is more than just wearing the right clothes, it's an attitude, a way of life. When Peyton came to Rest Thy Head she'd never ridden a horse, but she took to riding like a duck to water. Here's a picture of her horse, Reggie. (Reggie's named after a girl I date in high school, but don't tell.)

 Besides riding, Peyton learned how to camp in the wilderness and tell ghost stories around a campfire. We had a bad experience in a cave, but even though she was the one it happened to, she was worried about me, not herself.

Of course, talking about ghosts is pretty common at Rest Thy Head. Everyone knows it's haunted.
Peyton doesn't like to admit it, but I'm pretty sure she's seen it.

So my hat's off to my beautiful Peyton who was willing to see past my scarred exterior and convince me to rejoin the human race. Her can-do, whatever it takes attitude is the essence of what a cowgirl ought to be.

Beyond the Book: Cowgirl Duds

Welcome to Beyond the Book. For the past few weeks we've been talking about cowgirls, and today we're checking out some cowgirl clothes. A girl has to look the part, right? First of all, we need some boots. I love this pair. Our fashion conscious cowgirl will notice the cheetah print on the leather, and I love the turquoise inlays. You can get these nice boots athttps://www.cavenders.com/western/women/ladies-boots-shoes/western-square-toe-boots/CFW2000

A girl has to have a purse too so how do you like this one? I adore the tribal print. http://www.itsacowgirlthing.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=23678

A girl needs a hat too. This one looks purely decorative to me, and I like it. http://www.itsacowgirlthing.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=23678

There are lots more wonderful cowgirl clothes out there, but I guess this is enough for today. Have you guessed yet that I have a turquoise fetish?

This series on cowgirls is in honor of my Rest Thy Head heroine Peyton O'Malley who moved to Rest Thy Head and learned to ride, explore caves, track wild horses, and fall in love with a hot cowboy.

Buy link:http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Thy-Head-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00NTAXTOC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1433205328&sr=1-1&keywords=rest+thy+head

Saturday Sample: Rest Thy Head

Now on sale for only .99 at Amazon and B&N.

Beyond the Book: Wildhorse Annie

One of my all-time favorite cowgirls is Velma Bronn Johnson. Velma was also known as Wildhorse Annie. Annie had polio when she was a girl, and for the rest of her life she lived with chronic pain. She was on her way to her secretary's job one day when a chance encounter changed the course of her life. 

She saw a trailer full of half dead, gravely injured mustangs on their way to a pet food factory and was horrified at the abuse the poor mustangs had suffered. She investigated the treatment of mustangs and found that roundups and transport were always dreadful. Armed with facts and figures, Wildhorse Annie went on a campaign to save the mustangs before they went extinct.

She fought Congress, powerful ranchers, and went on stealth missions to free the horses. American children were inspired by her message and wrote endless letters to Congress. The only issue to receive more mail was the Viet Nam War. 

In 1971 the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act was passed, largely because of Wildhorse Annie's work throughout the years. Her devotion to her cause made her a national heroine, but unfortunately, mustangs are still shot from helicopters, rounded up and sold as pet food, and what's even worse, some are bought at auction and shipped to slaughter houses where they are sold as food for people. 

You can find more information here.

This series of cowgirl posts is in honor of my Rest Thy Head heroine Peyton O'Malley who came to Rest Thy Head and learned to ride horses and camp in the wilderness. She also fell in love with Jake Douglas, a true cowboy.

 

Picture:By ISPMB [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons

Article information:http://www.equitrekking.com/articles/entry/five_cowgirls_who_changed_history/

Saturday Sample

Welcome to Saturday Sample. In this excerpt, my heroine learns how my hero got scarred.

“Jake was in the marines, and a couple of years ago they sent him to Afghanistan. His unit was involved in a firefight with the insurgents. He got burned on the left side of his body.”

Remorse for all the hard thoughts she’d had toward Jake flooded Peyton. “That’s awful. I... I hope I didn’t make him uncomfortable. He must have seen that...”

“Yeah, I know.” Patrick grimaced. “The first time you see him, it’s startling.”

Peyton allowed Reggie to stop so she could feed on a clump of grass. “I feel bad for him.”

Patrick’s voice hardened. “Well, don’t. He wouldn’t want you to, and for goodness sake don’t offer him your pity. He really can’t stand that.”

“Pity him?” Peyton’s eyes widened. “I think he’s a hero, not someone to be pitied. He didn’t give his life for his country, but he gave a lot.”

Patrick favored her with a warm smile. “That’s exactly what I think.” 

Beyond the Book: Etta Place

 Wow, where to start with this cowgirl? Her name is Etta Place, and she was married to the Sundance Kid, a notorious bank robber and outlaw. No, wait, that may not be right. We don't know her real name. We're not even sure she and Sundance were married. Some folks said she first had a relationship with Butch Cassidy before turning to the Sundance Kid, but again no one knows for sure.

You do know about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, right? They were two of the most famous outlaws of the old west. They ran a gang of outlaws called the Wild Bunch. Etta was one of only four or five women ever to be allowed in the gang.

No one knows for sure how Place met the Kid. Some say she was a teacher, and some say she was a prostitute or housekeeper who met the Kid at a hotel. She's very pretty, isn't she?

We do know that she went with the Kid to Argentina in 1901. They took advantage of a newly passed law to get a huge amount of land for themselves. Place was the first woman to get law under this new law.

They visited the US several times, but finally in 1904 they had to leave Argentina because the American detectives were on their trail. By later that year they returned and started robbing banks. Things get fuzzy again after that.

Some say she was tired of running and asked the Kid to take her to San Francisco which he did. After that, we don't think they ever saw each other again. Who was she? Did she and the Kid really leave each other? Excellent questions, and some people think they have answers, but with so many theories out there, who knows what's true and what isn't. She probably isn't the best role model to come out of the old west, but she sure is interesting.

All information is from Wikimedia and so is the picture.

I'm doing this series on the old west in honor of my heroine Peyton O'Malley who became a cowgirl herself after coming to Rest Thy Head.

Saturday Sample

Rest Thy Head is on sale through the end of May for only .99.   http://amzn.to/1IxA5qq

Beyond the Book: Women of the Old West

You may not have realized this, but Laura Ingalls Wilder was a woman of the old west too. Her father had itchy feet and wandered from one place to another and finally settled in DeSmet, South Dakota. It was there that Laura met and married her husband Almanzo Wilder.

Life wasn't easy for them. They coped with hail storms, illness, fire, and the death of a child before moving to Mansfield, Missouri where they raised their only child a daughter called Rose. It was in Mansfield that Laura wrote the Little House books that have so captivated people of all ages. If you've never read the Little House books, I urge you to try one. You'll like it.

The picture is of Laura and Almanzo at the time they were married.

This series on cowgirls and women of the west is in honor of Peyton O'Malley my heroine in Rest Thy Head. Peyton moved to Wyoming where she learned to ride a horse, went camping, explored caves, observed wild horses, and fell in love. 

Picture of Laura and Almanzo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Laura_and_Almanzo.jpg

Saturday Sample: Rest Thy Head

Rest Thy Head is on sale for a limited time for only .99.

Buy link:http://www.amazon.com/Rest-Thy-Head-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00NTAXTOC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429933118&sr=8-1&keywords=rest+thy+head

Beyond The Book: Cowgirl Food

Any cowgirl worthy of the title probably knew how to make Vinegar Pie. Wikimedia says it's a North American variation of Chess Pie. Some of you may recall that Laura Ingalls Wilder ate Vinegar Pie at Christmas in Little House in the Big Woods. I've eaten Chess Pie, but personally, I've never tried Vinegar Pie. I believe that this recipe was supposed to be made when you were out on the trail somewhere. Let me know how it tastes if you decide to indulge your cowgirl taste buds.

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup cold water
4 eggs, beaten
5 tablespoons vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons butter 

Combine sugar and flour. Add the rest of the ingredients and place in a saucepan. Cook until thick and pour into a prepared pie crust. Bake in a 375-degree oven until the crust is brown.

Rest Thy Head is now on sale for .99 at Amazon and B&N.

First Meeting

Remember when you first met that special someone? Here's how Peyton met Jake.

She entered the barn, a big white structure with a center aisle and stalls on either side. Just inside the door she saw a dark-haired man dressed in jeans and a long-­sleeved, plaid shirt brushing a pretty chestnut mare.

“Hi,” she called.

The man half turned toward her; wow, he had blue eyes to die for. The blue was so intense that it reminded her of a blue diamond she’d seen at the jewelry store. Oh, and look at those shoulders. If there was one thing she loved, it was a pair of nice shoulders. Yummy. He was just yummy. 

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice abrupt and snappy.

“I’m Peyton O’Malley. I’m supposed to meet Patrick for a ride.”

“He isn’t here yet. You can sit on the bench under that tree outside and wait for him there.”

Instead of leaving the barn, Peyton stepped toward the man. “What a beautiful ... horse.”

The man quickly averted his face, but Peyton had seen the dreadful red scars that covered the entire left side of his face. They looked like burns. “I told you to wait outside,” he growled, scowling at her with the good side of his face. “Get moving.” 

Beyond the Book: Cowgirls

Welcome to today's edition of Beyond the Book. In honor of my Rest Thy Head heroine Peyton O'Malley who moved to Wyoming and learned to ride a horse, I'm sharing a few posts about famous cowgirls of the old west. My character today is Poker Alice.

Alice was born in England in 1853. She and her family moved to Colorado where she married Frank Duffield who taught her to play poker. He was miner, and after he died in a mining accident, Alice turned to poker to make a living. Look at that dead pan expression on her face. I bet she could bluff with the best of them.

She eventually traveled all over the west, gambling as she went and winning regularly, sometimes as much as $6000.00 at one time. In Deadwood, Colorado, where she spent most of her time she met and married her long time husband Warren G. Tubbs. Tubes wasn't much of a poker player. He was an artist. I wonder if she ever let him win when they played cards. He eventually died of tuberculosis. They were broke, so she pawned her wedding ring to pay for his funeral.

Alice wasn't through with men yet. She left Deadwood and ended up in Sturgis where she met her third and final husband George Huckert. He died not too long after their marriage, leaving Alice broke and alone. She went back to gambling to support herself. She ran a poker house and made bootleg whiskey, but when she was shut down during Prohibition. Ever resourceful, she started a house of ill repute for soldiers at Fort Meade.

During the last years of her life she became somewhat eccentric. She wore old faded clothes and a beat up hat, but she still continued to deal cards until her death in 1930. She's buried in the St. Aloysius Cemetery in the Black Hills.

Picture:By The black-and-white photo is courtesy of the South Dakota Historical Society (http://www.sangres.com/history/pokeralice.htm) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Reference: www.thewildwest.org

Beyond the Book: Cowgirls

My heroine had never even ridden a horse before she came to Rest Thy Head, but here's a real cowgirl who could give her some inspiration.

Elizabeth “Lizzie Johnson” Williams

1840‒1924)

Ranched near Austin, was a pioneer in breaking the barrier into what had always been considered a man’s world: cattle trading. Legend has it that she was one of the first women to drive her own cattle, along with her husband’s, up the Chisholm Trail, earning her the nickname, “The Cattle Queen of Texas.”

Come back next week for another look at cowgirls of the old west. 

Picture and bio from http://www.cowgirl.net/portfolios/elizabeth-lizzie-johnson-williams-2/

Saturday Sample: Rest Thy Head

My sample today is from Rest Thy Head which is on sale for .99 for a limited time only.  In this excerpt, my hero Jake talks about the ghost with the people he took camping.

Morris Feldman’s s’more dropped onto his lap, but he picked it up and ate it anyway. “Hot,” he mumbled as he sucked air into his mouth. “Jake, one of the maids told me Rest Thy Head is supposed to be haunted. Have you ever seen a ghost?”

Jake paused to lick marshmallow from his fingers. “A couple of times I’ve seen something.”

An expectant air filled the crowd. They had everyone’s attention now. “What did you see?” Feldman asked.

Jake pursed his lips in a way that made Peyton think he intended to scare everyone. “Once I went to the second floor to do some repairs and saw a mist swirling in the air in front of the window on the landing.”

“It was probably just dust in the sunshine,” Morris disagreed. “I’ve seen dust motes dancing in the sunshine many times.”

“It didn’t look like dust.” Jake’s head tilted to the side as he considered his memory. “The mist was thicker, and it didn’t seem to just float in the air; it swirled.”

Feldman grunted. “It would take more than that to convince me.”

“I’ve seen curtains sway in the breeze too,” Jake continued “even when the windows were closed and the heating or air conditioning wasn’t running.”

Mrs. Feldman slid a little closer to her husband. “Have you ever actually seen a person, I mean an apparition?”

Jake hesitated and the thoughtful look on his face made Peyton think he wasn’t trying to scare anyone now. “Maybe. Several times I’ve been outside working, and when I looked back at the inn I thought I saw a face watching me, but the moment I blinked it disappeared.”

“Why does it surprise you to see someone looking out the window?” Feldman scoffed. “You do run an inn.”

Jake struggled to explain himself. It seemed to Peyton that he wanted to understand what he’d seen as much as he wanted his guests to understand. “That’s true, but...well, it didn’t look right some way or other. I know that isn’t a good description, but it’s the best I can do.”

“Would you say that perhaps it looked a bit insubstantial?” tiny Lucille Chastain broke in.

“Yes, I think so.” He nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good description.”

Lucille smiled. “Most of the time you can see through them.” 

Beyond the Book: Cowgirls

Peyton O'Malley had never ridden a horse before she came to Rest Thy Head, but here are some cowgirls to inspire her.

Dale Evans

"Cowgirl" is an attitude really. A pioneer spirit, a special American brand of courage. The cowgirl faces life head-on, lives by her own lights, and makes no excuses. Cowgirls take stands; they speak up. They defend things they hold dear."

Guys, have you read Rest Thy Head? Peyton has a lot in common with Dale Evans.

Annie Oakley

Aim at a high mark, and you will hit it.

I don't know if Annie was talking just about guns or not, but it's great advice. My heroine Peyton was taught to aim high from the time she was a child, but until she ran away to Rest Thy Head, she couldn't find the high mark she wanted to achieve.

Fannie Sperry Steele

“To the yesterdays that are gone, to the cowboys I used to know, to the bronc busters that rode beside me, to the horses beneath me, I take off my hat.  I wouldn’t have missed one minute of it.”

Fannie Steele started riding at age two. Before her career ended she had raced Thoroughbreds, became the Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the West twice, performed with Buffalo Bill Cody, and was a charter member of the Cowboy Hall of Fame. She was also the first woman in Montana to get an outfitter's license.

Like Fannie Steele, my Peyton knows exactly what she wants and isn't willing to live life on other people's terms. 

Rest Thy Head is set in Wyoming, so come back next week, and we'll talk cowboys and cowgirls again.

Rest Thy Head is on sale for a limited time at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.


Picture credits:

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans
photo by Alan Light [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Annie Oakley
By Stacy Co., Brooklyn, N.Y. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Fannie Sperry Steele
By Edward F. Marcell [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons