Welcome to the WordCrafter “The French Winemaker’s Daughter” Book Blog Tour
Posted: December 16, 2024 Filed under: Author Interview, Blog Tour, Books, Historical Fiction, Interview, Women in History, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 6 Comments
Welcome to the WordCrafter The French Winemaker’s Daughter Book Blog Tour! This historical fiction novel could be classified as women’s fiction, as well, with two strong women in different times connected by a bottle of wine lost during the Nazi invasion, and recovered in current times. I don’t want to give away too much, because I want you to follow the tour to learn more about The French Winemaker’s Daughter.
We have a great tour lined up, with guest posts from the author, so you can get to know a little bit more at each stop. You can follow the tour through the links in the schedule below, but each link will not work until the post for that tour stop goes live, so please wait for the scheduled dates to click on them.
Tour Schedule
Monday: Writing to be Read – Interview with the author
Tuesday: Carla Reads – Guest Post
Wednesday: Kyrosmagica – Guest Post
Thursday: Book Places – Guest Post
Friday: Writing to be Read – Review
About The French Winemaker’s Daughter
Set during World War II, an unforgettable historical novel about love, war, family, and loyalty told in in the voices of two women, generations apart, who find themselves connected by a mysterious and valuable bottle of wine stolen by the Nazis.
1942. Seven-year-old Martine hides in an armoire when the Nazis come to take her father away. Pinned to her dress is a note with her aunt’s address in Paris, and in her arms, a bottle of wine she has been instructed to look after if something happened to her papa. When they are finally gone, the terrified young girl drops the bottle and runs to a neighbor, who puts her on a train to Paris.
But when Martine arrives in the city, her aunt is nowhere to be found. Without a place to go, the girl wanders the streets and eventually falls asleep on the doorstep of Hotel Drouot, where Sister Ada finds her and takes her to the abbey, and watches over her.
1990. Charlotte, a commercial airline pilot, attends an auction with her boyfriend Henri at Hotel Drouot, now the oldest auction house in Paris. Successfully bidding on a box of wine saved from the German occupation during the Second World War, Henri gives Charlotte a seemingly inferior bottle he finds inside the box. Cleaning the label, Charlotte makes a shocking discovery that sends her on a quest to find the origins of this unusual—and very valuable—bottle of wine, a quest that will take her back fifty years into the past. . . .
A powerful tale of love, war, and family, The French Winemaker’s Daughter is an emotionally resonant tale of two women whose fates are intertwined across time. Loretta Ellsworth’s evocative and poignant page-turner will linger in the heart, and make you think about luck, connection, and the meaning of loyalty.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/French-Winemakers-Daughter-Novel-ebook/dp/B0D3CJYP5Y
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Today, we have an interview with author, Loretta Ellsworth, and I’m so excited because The French Winemaker’s Daughter is such a powerful and thought provoking story. So let me tell you about the author, and then we’ll jump right into the interview.
About Loretta Ellsworth
Loretta earned a master’s degree in Writing for Children from Hamline University. She’s the author of four young adult novels: THE SHROUDING WOMAN, a Rebecca Caudill nominee; IN SEARCH OF MOCKINGBIRD, which won the Midwest Bookseller’s Choice Honor Award, was a Teen’s Top Ten finalist, an IRA Notable, and was named to the New York Library’s List of Books for the Teen Age; IN A HEARTBEAT, which was named a spring Midwest Connection’s Pick and an ALA Notable; and UNFORGETTABLE, which was a Kirkus Pick of the Month. Her debut adult novel STARS OVER CLEAR LAKE, was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2017. Her debut picture book, Tangle-Knot, will be published by Page Street Kids in 2023.
A former Spanish teacher, she lives with her family in Minnesota. Visit her website at: http://www.lorettaellsworth.com and follow her on twitter @lellsworth.
Interview with Loretta Ellsworth
Kaye: Let’s start by having you tell us a little about your author journey. How did you get to where you’re at today as an author?
Loretta: I started out writing articles for magazines, and was lucky to have a few published. This encouraged me to try writing longer pieces, and I wrote my first book The Shrouding Woman, a middle-grade novel. I spent many years revising it as I learned more about the craft of writing, and it was published in 2002. From there, I wrote three YA novels that were published, one picture book, and an adult historical novel. Along the way I also earned my Master’s Degree in Writing, and I read extensively.
Kaye: You developed the habit of writing every day from keeping a diary as a young girl. I agree that this is a great habit for an author to have. The words add up if you just keep putting them down. What other skills do you possess that are helpful to you as an author?
Loretta: I’m an avid reader, which helps all writers. I’m not afraid of revision, and have been known to revise a book ten or more times. And I’m one who doesn’t give up easily. When I was searching for an agent for my adult novel, I sent over 250 queries before I found representation.
Kaye: You write for children and teens as well, as adults, and you place a lot of emphasis on your experience as a educator. Do your books for children and teens carry educational messages?
Loretta: I don’t purposely write with a message in mind. I usually write about relationships, but themes do tend to rise to the surface, ones of hope, grief, guilt, connection, and self-discovery. Although my main goal is to entertain, I do write from my own heart and passion, and that comes across on the page.
Kaye: Tell us about your new adult fiction book, The French Winemaker’s Daughter.
Loretta: The French Winemaker’s Daughter is the story of two women who are connected by a rare, and valuable, bottle of wine. Seven-year-old Martine hides in an armoire when her Jewish father is taken away by the Nazis. In her arms in a bottle of wine she has been instructed to keep safe. But she drops it when she hears Germans in her father’s vineyard, and runs away. In 1990, Charlotte, an American pilot, attends an auction with her boyfriend in Paris, where he bids on a box of wine saved from the German occupation during WW II. He gives Charlotte a seemingly inferior bottle he finds inside the box. Cleaning the label, Charlotte makes a shocking discovery that sends her on a quest to find the origins of this unusal bottle of wine, a quest that will take her fifty years into the past.
Kaye: What inspired you to write The French Winemaker’s Daughter?
Loretta: My novel Stars Over Clear Lake is set in Iowa during WWII. The main character’s brother is in France fighting the Nazis while she is at home with her parents and German prisoners of war who are working their farm. In researching what part of France her brother would be in, I did a lot of reading and ended up going down a rabbit hole that led me to a book called Wine & War. It details how France undertook daring measures to save their most precious natural resource – wine. And while reading it I had an image of a Jewish girl hiding with a bottle of wine that is her inheritance, one that she loses. Of course, I had to finish the other novel before embarking on this idea, but it was one that I kept thinking about for several years.
Kaye: What was the most interesting fact you turned up in your research for The French Winemaker’s Daughter?
Loretta: One interesting fact that I used in my book is how a Moroccan leather portfolio sold at the auction house Hotel Drouot ended up containing the bill of sale for the Louisiana Purchase. You never know what valuables you will find there. Another interesting fact is the Club Les Bains, a nightclub that originally began as a bathhouse in the 1870s where Proust visited, and became a mecca of personalities in the 1980s during its heyday. Still open today, the pool is one of its most fascinating features.
Kaye: This book has not one, but two, strong female protagonists. Was it your intention to market it as women’s historical fiction?
Loretta: Yes, I’d always intended it to be historical fiction, which is what I enjoy reading as well. But it’s also part mystery and part romance, which brings other elements into the story.
Kaye: Is there a message that you hope for readers to walk away with from reading this book?
Loretta: As Mr. Rogers says, “Always look for the helpers.” No matter the situation, there have always been good people who help those in need. It’s just a matter of finding them.
Kaye: What was the biggest challenge for you when writing The French Winemaker’s Daughter?
Loretta: I had never been to France, so researching it was difficult. I read as much as I could, but Covid made if hard to visit. Finally, in 2022, I was able to go to France and visit every location where a scene in my book takes place. Being able to soak up the atmosphere was priceless.
Kaye: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Loretta: I enjoyed writing from two different character’s point of view and two different time periods, although it was challenging. But I found that it stretched my writing self, and I feel more accomplished in doing so. Also, doing research in France is the best!
Kaye: Where can readers who want to know more about you or about The French Winemaker’s Daughter find you online? (Please include links here.)
Instagram – Lorettaellsworth_author
Facebook – Loretta Ellsworth Author Page
Bluesky – @lorettaellsworth.bsky.social
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Chatting with New Blood: D. Cowart
Posted: October 26, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with New Blood, Historical Fiction, Historical Inspiration, Interview, Review | Tags: Chatting with New Blood, D.Cowart, Elkabel, Historic Fiction, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
My guest today is author D. Cowart, who has recently released her second novel, Elkabel: A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten.
About D. Cowart
D Cowart, born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, began her writing journey as a young girl. She’s written poetry, children’s stories, songs, song lyrics, a short story, and family skits. A Prison of Silk is her first novel. It’s a story of subjugation in ancient times when girls and their mothers were controlled and owned by men.
Males in other countries today still have rights denied to females. One’s gender reigning supreme over the other is unjustifiable in any era. The premise of this book came to her over thirty years ago. A Bible passage she read showing the low value placed on women infuriated her when she read it.
The author’s stories are character and plot-driven with a new slant on old ideas.
Interview
Kaye: Would you begin by telling us about your author journey? How long have you been writing? What inspires you to write?
D. Cowart: I’ve been a storyteller since childhood. Once I terrified my cousins with a ghost story I told them. They had trouble sleeping that night. Since then, I veered from scary tales forever. 
Through the years I created many, many children’s stories but never tried publishing. I’ve written poems, song lyrics, two songs with tunes, a short story, many articles on topics of interest to me, and a couple of skits for my grandkids to act out.
Kaye: Elkabel is actually your second novel. This one and your first, A Prison in Silk, both take place during the same time period, when women weren’t valued very much. Can you tell us about what inspired you to write these stories?
D. Cowart: I was a third daughter to parents who wanted a boy. Before I was 2 years old, they had a son! I saw the privileges afforded a male child that females had to work for. The time period of the Bible shows beyond question the way women were devalued. The injustices of then and since inspired me to write A PRISON OF SILK.
Kaye: Where do you find information about the time period of these books? What type of research do you do?
D. Cowart: Historical articles of all kinds, even the Bible. If I have any questions, and I always do, I spend as much time as it takes to get a better understanding of that topic even if it’s to write a short sentence. Research keeps me interested and sort of focused as I write my book. This time period has interested me for as long as I can remember and it’s an enjoyable part of my writing process.
Kaye: Is there a third book planned at this time?
D. Cowart: Yes. The third one picks up where the first book ended. I’m excited about the character in this book and his journey.
Kaye: You write historical fiction. Who would you say is your favorite historical character?
D. Cowart: In a broader sense my books are historical fantasy. In my first book, the king is a combination of Alexander the Great, King Solomon, and King Nebuchadnezzar. Even Hannibal with his use of elephants in war.
Kaye: What author or poet (dead or alive) would you most like meet and visit with?
D. Cowart: So many come to mind that I’ll pass on this question.
Kaye: What other outlets do you find for your creativity besides writing?
D. Cowart: I’ve had many hobbies, refinishing furniture was one (loved seeing the wood shine through layers of gunk). I did genealogy work long before it was available online, and dabbled with drawing and acrylic painting. I also sang in a community chorus and loved to line dance.
Kaye: What traits in your main characters do you most identify with?
D. Cowart: I think when you don’t have a lot of support growing up, you have to be resourceful, even brave, and you become stronger in the process because you must.
Kaye: What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?
D. Cowart: When I decided to write a novel, I tapped into wonderful help online. Author Jerry Jenkins’ articles and tips guided me when I first began and countless others since. I guess the thing I want most to achieve is writing a strong beginning, a strong middle, and a strong ending for my stories.
Kaye: Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer in ten years?
D. Cowart: At my age, I just hope to be alive in ten years.
About the Book
In an ancient world when females had little to no power, fifteen-year-old Elkabel becomes an orphan. Family, friends, and all other inhabitants of her province have been slaughtered. She survives only because Medeba, an enemy soldier, defied the royal command and saved her.
Elkabel’s resilience and resourceful attributes take her from one strange life to another. She experiences customs, places, and people a farm girl never knew existed. Never belonging, uprooted again and again, she struggles to make a life of her own.
Will the constant challenges make or break her? And how will helping her change the young soldier’s fate? Don’t miss reading ELKABEL, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, a fast paced and unpredictable story of survival.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Elkabel-D-Cowart-ebook/dp/B0DCM145MQ
My Review
I did a final proofread of the manuscript for Elkabel, A Life Spared, A Destiny Rewritten, by D. Cowart and immediately knew that I wanted to write this review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This story has all the elements of a tragic romance. In the aftermath of a raid to wipe out their people, with orders to spare no one, Medeba finds a young girl, still alive amoung the carnage and can’t bring himself to end her life, although it could mean his own life, should his disobedience be discovered. That girl was Elkabel, and although circumstances rake them both in very different directions, the bond between them remains and can’t be denied.
Elkabel faces trials that make her stronger, while Medeba abandons the only life he knows to find the girl he saved and loves, even before his feelings are realized in his own mind. But it seems fate is determined to keep them apart, as each makes their own way through the world and carries them away from each other.
The descriptive language Cowart uses places the reader in the times and settings of the story, where one can’t help but root for the lovers unrecognized to find one another and allow their love to be realized. Her research and knowledge of the times is evident in every scene.
This historic fantasy is delightful and entertaining, and you won’t want to put it down once you pick it up. I give Elkabel five quills.
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This post is sponsored by the Women in the West adventure series and WordCrafter Press.
Delilah: https://books2read.com/DelilahWiW1
Sarah: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West
Marta: Coming Soon
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Book Review: Retribution
Posted: August 16, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Review, Historical Fiction, PAul Jariabek, Retribution, Short Fction, Short Stories, Writing to be Read 9 Comments
About Retribution
How does a farm boy and son of a poor country preacher become one of the world’s greatest naval commanders, a hero to one nation, and a pirate scourge of the Spanish Main?
July 1557. One month after England’s entry into the Anglo-French war. A world where kinship and patronage are as important as national identity.
Follow the 17-year-old Francis Drake into a cutlass-slashing, cannon-blasting sea raid as he joins his cousin John Hawkins in cutting out one of the Hawkins’ ships, and rescuing its crew from French captivity.
One raid will create a legend.
Please note that Retribution is a short story. This is bridge story between two upcoming novels, Adventures of Francis Drake–Sic Parvis Magna and Adventures of Francis Drake–First Blood.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Retribution-Short-Story-Adventures-Francis-ebook/dp/B093GM7QRH/
My Review
I recieved a digital copy of Retribution, by Paul Jariabek in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Retribution is a short story, (about 23 pages), which can be read in a single sitting. In fact, I read it while waiting during a dental visit.
Let me start by saying that this is not a genre that I would normally pick up, even though it is historical fiction, although I did enjoy the swashbuckling antics of Pirates of the Carribean. It is the tale of a rescue mission and subsequent battle during the Anglo-French war in 1557. Readers are privy to the reasoning and planning of the raid to retrieve a stolen ship, and the fast moving execution of the plan through the eyes of young Francis Drake, a young man trying to prove himself and find his place in the world.
A fast-paced quick read, that will make you want to read the stories it bridges. It is obvious that the author has done his research from his realistic descriptions. I give Retribution four quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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A great review for “Sarah”
Posted: July 2, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Book Review, Historical Fiction, Leonberger, Sarah, Western, Women in the West, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Press 6 CommentsDrop by Thomas Wikman’s Leonberger blog site to catch his smashing review of Sarah: Book 2 in the Women in the West Adventure Series (WordCrafter Press, 2023). I’m particularly excited about this review, as it eases my nervous anticipation about how my strong female protagonists would be received by male readers with this western historical women’s fiction series. I hope you’ll check it out. 🙂
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Book Review: Peacemaker’s Dream
Posted: May 24, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Women in History, Women's Fiction | Tags: American History, Book Review, Historical Fiction, Peacemaker's Daughter, Pocohantas, Sue Wright, Writing to be Read 4 CommentsAbout the Book
If you like fast paced historical fiction… this hidden gem will have you burning the midnight oil!
She was young, smart and principled.
They were out to get her. She never gave up… and neither did they…
In a story based on fact, you will discover the heart wrenching account of the struggles of a nation under siege unprepared for the sophistication of its invader. Their most effective weapon was a young girl who has mistakenly been portrayed as a cartoon character in modern culture…
The record is now being put straight.
You will cry at her loves and losses, you will smile at her mischief, but you will finally know the truth!
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Peacemakers-Dream-True-First-America-ebook/dp/B08SHVD78J/
My Review
The beautiful cover on this book is what drew me to it on Freebooksie. I thoroughly enjoyed every word of Peacemaker’s Dream: The Story of the True First Lady of America, by Sue Wright. This book tells a the story of the life of Pocahantas, an interesting and often misunderstood period in American history. It made me rethink my ideas about that first Thanksgiving, I can tell you that.
A young Powhaten Indian princess believed to have been prophesied to be the link for peace between her people and the strange white settlers who have invaded their lands. That’s a lot of weight placed on a young girl’s shoulders. But the white settlers began early on in a pattern of greed, trickery, and broken promises, and they do not hesitate to use a young squaw for leverage to get what they want. Taken from her people and abused both mentally and physically, Pocahantas draws strength from the belief in her destined role of peacemaker for her people and tries to make a new life for herself among the white settlement with the constant threat of having it all taken away looming over her.
I always knew Pocahantas played a role in the foundations of America, but I did not realize how great one young Pohowtan girl’s sacrifice for peace was. I give Peacemaker’s Daughter five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Winners of the Wordcrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour Giveaway & a Reminder
Posted: May 12, 2024 Filed under: Blog Tour, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Historical Inspiration, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Giveaway, Historical Fiction, Historical Inspiration, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sarah, Western, Women in the West, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 9 Comments
We had a great tour for Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series, although I would have liked to see a bigger turnout. I enjoyed sharing about myself and about the research and inspiration behind the book with all of you, and I may have made new friends along the way. Thanks to everyone who participated for helping me launch this wonderful book.
The Winners Are…
Each comment on the tour earned an entry in the tour giveaway and a chance to receive a free digital copy of Sarah. So without futher ado…
Drumroll Please.
The winners of the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour are…
- Author Jan Sikes
- Priscilla Bettis
- Thomastigwikman
Congratulations to the winners!
Please contact me at kayebooth@yahoo.com to receive your free digital copy of Sarah.
Reminder
Today is the last day for tour participants to get a signed print copy of Sarah: Book 2 of the Women in the West Adventure Series. This is an exclusive offer for the tour – my way of saying thanks for your support. Tomorrow it will no longer be available, so get ’em while you can!
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Book Review: The Texian Prisoners
Posted: May 10, 2024 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review, Western | Tags: Book Review, Historic Fiction, Loretta Miles Tollefson, The Texian Prisoners, Western, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
About the Book
They called themselves “Texians.”
In Fall 1841, a band of roughly 300 men straggled out of the Staked Plains into New Mexico. They had intended to claim everything east of the Rio Grande for Texas. Instead, they were captured and sent south to El Paso del Norte, then on to Mexico City. The largest group of prisoners, which included journalist George Wilkins Kendall, was escorted to El Paso by Captain Damasio Salazar. Five prisoners died on that trek. Kendall would later write a book describing the experience, a book which accused Salazar of food deprivation, mutilation, and murder, and fed the glowing coals that would become the Mexican-American War.
But what really happened on the way to El Paso? The Texian Prisoners tells the story through the eyes of Kendall’s friend George Van Ness, a lawyer burdened with the ability to see his enemy’s point of view, and asks us to consider the possibility that Kendall’s report was not unbiased.
A historically accurate retelling of Larry McMurtry’s Dead Man’s Walk, this fictional memoir will make you question everything you thought you knew about Texas, New Mexico, and the boundary between them.
Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Texian-Prisoners-Biographical-Novel-Mexico-ebook/dp/B0CQ9TYK9L/
My Review
I received a digital copy of The Texian Prisoners from author Loretta Miles Tollefson in exchange for an honest review. I am a fan of Tollefson’s historical western fiction and have reviewed several of her books:
I always learn much I did not know from Tolleffson’s well researched books, and The Texian Prisoners did not disappoint. I knew very little about this time period in Old New Mexico, which takes place prior to and was a precursor to the Mexican American war. It was a violent time and so many lost their lives in the struggle for independence, this story tells of the men who declared the independence of Texas, demanding recognition of both the United States and Mexico, and were subsequently captured by the Mexican militia and marched across the brutal landscape under harsh conditons to Mexico City to await the judgement of Santa Anna.
This story is well-crafted and well-written, making me feel the discomforts the Texian prisoners were subjected to as if I were marching along the trek with them. Tollefson has an uncanny ability to get into her historical character’s heads and bring it to the page. The story is told from the point-of-view of McCaferty, the only Spanish speaking prisoner, who was used as interpreter, and who was in a position to speak up for his fellow prisoners. Tollefson has done her homework, combing through diaries and documents to bring this true life journey to the page, offering the viewpoints of the prisoners as well as a peek into the the motivation behind the actions of the Mexican leaders. Such a journey would undoubtedly change the lives of those who endured it, prisoners and captors alike.
An enthralling story that will keep you reading to the end and may teach you a thing or two about this country’s history. I give The Texian Prisoners five quills.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
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Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 9, 2024 Filed under: Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press 16 CommentsIt’s Day 4 of the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour and I’m pleased to welcome you all back to Writing to be Read for my post on ‘Modern Medicine’ & Women’s Suffrage in the American West, and how they played a part in the book. But first, I have something special to offer today. A special thank you for dropping in and following the tour, not available anywhere else. The offer is only available through Sunday and then the PayPal button will be gone, so get your copy now.
‘Modern Medicine’ & Women’s Suffrage in the American West
As Hair of Fire, Sarah had been the acolyte of the Ute Medicine Woman. She earns her keep in Glenwood Springs by using these healing skills, which are gladly accepted by the women of the community, who are tired of being but not so well received by most of the men. They rejected her primitive heathen ways in favor of methods of ‘modern medicine’ practiced by the overpriced and overrated doctor. When I looked at what these “modern” practices consisted of, I had to wonder if the primitive methods were much more inferior.
Female Hysteria
Many of the values in the west had been handed down from the Victorian era, and women were expected to don any number of binding and uncomfortable undergarments to appear prim and proper. Respectable women and soiled doves of the higher classes were forced to wear tight-laced corsets, layers of petticoats and bustles – the former, by their husbands, and the later by their employers. It was house rules at the Old Homestead House brothel in Cripple Creek, Colorado, that ladies weren’t allowed into the parlor and entertainment areas of the house without proper corseted attire.
Corsets were binding, especially when crossed-laced and pulled tight to give the women the hourglass figure that was the trend at the time, cutting off breath, and sometimes even fracturing ribs. Most homes and brothels were furnished with at least one fainting couch, as light-headedness and fainting were common experiences for women of the day.
Men of the day attributed fainting spells and any other female behaviors they didn’t deem appropriate to female hysteria, one of the most common diagnosed illnesses for women through the 18th and 19th centuries. Fainting, headaches, backaches, anxiety, depression, infertility, and even a fondness of writing might be attributed to the ‘disorder’ of female hysteria.
There were a variety of treatments which might be prescribed for this malady, which didn’t seem to affect persons of the male gender, but was specific to the fairer sex, including rest and isolation, dietary changes, ‘hysteric hypnosis’, hydrotherapy, pelvic massage, and ‘vibratory massage’.
- The ‘rest cures’ often involved lying immobilized for extended periods of time, isolating the afflicted away from societal view indefinitely.
- The use of ‘hysteric hypnosis’ involved women being placed under hypnosis in search of past traumas as the root of the affliction.
- Cold showers, warm baths, and localized water sprays were utilized in hydrotherapy to reduce nervousness and anxiety, and restore equilibrium.
- ‘Vibratory Massage’ and Pelvic massage were the most common treatments prescribed for the treatment of hysteria. They involved manual or mechanical manipulation of the female pelvic regions, the goal being to relax the subject and release tension. Treatments were performed by male doctors on female patients, so it is not surprising that these were the most commonly prescribed. Perhaps the women probably weren’t complaining about these treatments. They may have been quite pleasant to undergo. But, when their symptoms didn’t seem to decrease with repeated treatments, you would think the men might have had second thoughts.
The Women’s Suffrage Movement
In 1887, the women’s suffrage movement was a ripple which would eventually become a huge wave across the nation, earning women the right to vote and giving them voices that demanded to be heard over time. Most women in the American West at this time were wives and mothers, or lived in their parents’ or relatives’ homes, although there were some, like my characters Lillian and her girls, or Big Nose Kate, who found themselves alone in the world after husbands or parents passed on, or chose to strike out on their own, independent of a man. With few options to make a living, many of these women were prostitutes or madams.
In the story of Sarah, it doesn’t take long for a young girl used to living among the Utes, where the women wore comfortable clothing to necessitate free movement to carry out the day-to-day tasks of tribal living to put ideas in the heads of the women of Glenwood Springs and stir them into action. To find out what happens though, you’ve got to read the book. 😉
References
“Treating Hysteria in the 19th Century: Methods and Controversies”. 19th Century Events and Developments. https://19thcentury.us/hysteria-treatment-19th-century/
“The Classification of Hysteria and Related Disorders: Historical and Phenomenal Considerations”. The National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4695775/
Baloh, Robert W. 1 December 2020. “The Golden Age of Histeria”. Spring Link. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-59181-6_3
“Overview: Medicine 1800-1899”. Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/science/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/overview-medicine-1800-1899 Cohut, Maria PhD. 13 October 2020. “The Controversy of ‘Female Hysteria’”. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/the-controversy-of-female-hysteria
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About the Book
Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.
Sarah is not the young girl stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.
When she is stolen away from the life she’s made, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.
Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?
Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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That wraps up today’s stop on the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour. I hope that you enjoyed learning about American frontier life in the 1880s. Join us tomorrow over on Patty’s Worlds, where Patty interviews me and reviews the book.
Don’t forget to leave a comment for an entry in the giveaway and a chance to win a free digital copy of Sarah. You can comment and enter at each stop. If you missed a stop, you can access them all from the links in the Schedule below.
Schedule
Mon. May 6 – “The Soiled Doves of the American West” – Writing to be Read
Tues. May 7 – “Utes in Glenwood Springs & the Legend of Chapita” – Roberta Writes
Wed. May 8 – Interview & Reading – Book Places
Thurs. May 9 – “‘Modern Medicine’ in the American West” – Writing to be Read
Fri. May 10 – Interview & Review – Patty’s Worlds
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
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Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 8, 2024 Filed under: Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Historical Inspiration, Interview, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Audio Reading, Author Interview, Excerpt, Historical Fiction, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sarah, Western, Women in the West, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours Leave a commentPlease join us over at Book Places for Day 3 of the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, where host Kay Castenada interviews me, the author, Kaye Lynne Booth, and my reading of an excerpt from the book. Remember to comment for entry in the giveaway and you could get a free digital copy of the book. I hope to see you there.
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Welcome to the WordCrafter “Sarah” Book Blog Tour
Posted: May 6, 2024 Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Fiction, Giveaways, Historical Fiction, Western, Women in History, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Historical Fiction, Kaye Lynne Booth, Sarah, western adventure, Women in History, Women in the West, Women in the West adventure series, Women's Fiction, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours 18 CommentsWelcome to the WordCrafter Sarah Book Blog Tour, where we’re celebrating the release of Book 2 in my Women in the West adventure series. We’ve got a five day tour planned and at every stop you can learn more about me, the author, and learn interesting historical facts which inspired my settings and characters through an interview, guest posts, and a review or two, and I’ll be giving away three digital copies of Sarah in the giveaway. You can follow the tour through the schedule below, but the links won’t work until each post goes live.
Tour Schedule
Mon. May 6 – “The Soiled Doves of the American West” – Writing to be Read
Tues. May 7 – “Utes in Glenwood Springs & the Legend of Chapita” – Roberta Writes
Wed. May 8 – Interview & Reading – Book Places
Thurs. May 9 – “‘Modern Medicine’ in the American West” – Writing to be Read
Fri. May 10 – Interview & Review – Patty’s Worlds
Giveaway
Leave a comment at each tour stop for five chances to win a free digital copy of Sarah.
The Soiled Doves of the American West
Prostitution in the Old West
In Colorado, the mining town of Cripple Creek had over 300 prostitutes in 1894, and it was home to one of the most high-end brothels in the mining towns of Colorado. The clients were taken by appointment only and were put through a thorough screening process where their finances were scrutinized, as well as their references. Appointments started at $200 an hour and the gentlemen had to have at least a million dollars in the bank to get one. The Old Homestead House brothel was run by the infamous Pearl DeVere and housed five women who squeezed into their corsets, petticoats and fancy dresses every evening to offer their ‘services’ for sale. The girls entertained in luxury on the ground floor, with music provided by the girls, gambling and alcohol available for their enjoyment, but the real entertainment occured on the second floor, in the girl’s rooms.
Although their profession was illegal, authorities and town founders chose to look the other way and add fees, fines and taxes and taxes collected to the town coiffers. Permits were required ply their trade for both madams and doves, and each girl had to undergo a weekly or monthly exam by the town doctor to be cleared for the permit, all of course, at a cost. There was a designated shopping day when the ‘respectable’ ladies stayed indoors so as not to be offended by their presence, and a ‘dove’ caught on the streets on a different day would bring a fine not only upon herself, but upon her madam, as well. And donations made to local causes such as church and school by the madam kept the ‘respectable’ ladies from complaining too much about the very existence of the houses of ill repute.
Less fortunate women in the profession, who did not work in such a high-end establishment were found up and down the street They received less for their services, with small make-shift shacks in which to entertain their customers. Independent doves who had no madam to offer a place to offer their services and provide protection from unsavory types, might provide services in the shadows of an alley for as little as a dollar gold piece.
Meet Big Nose Kate
Big Nose Kate Horony is one of the historical characters which the Women in the West adventure series is known for. In real life, she was an independent prostitute and one-time Madam, who made her own way in the west and was companion to the infamous John Henry “Doc” Holliday, and her portrayal in Sarah, as ‘the woman behind the man’ is a true and accurate story. Kate was there, and she really did go into the hills of the surrounding canyon and gather firewood to sell in order to keep a roof over Doc’s head as he lay dying of tuberculosis, too weak to practice his trade as a gambler.
One of the fascinating things about the Women in the West adventure series is the fact that there is a true-life historical female character in a supporting role, along with the strong female protagonist in each book. In Sarah, the supporting historical character is Mary Katherine Horony, (Big Nose Kate), who was the consort of the infamous dentist, gambler, and gunfighter, John Henry (Doc) Holliday. In this case, our character was the woman behind the man, and is little known for her own merit.
Born Mary Katherine Horoney on November 7, 1850, who lived in Mexico as a child, she was the daughter of a the personal surgeon to the Emporer Maximillian until her family immigrated to Iowa when she was 10. As the daughter of a prominant surgeon, Kate was educated and it is said that she spoke several languages.
At the age of 15, she and her younger siblings were orphaned when both of their parents died within a few months of each other, and the children were split up and placed into foster care. But Kate ran away within a year, and she and her sister traveled to St. Louis and by 1869, in a time when there were few opportunities for females to earn a living. A self-sufficient woman in the rough and tumble of the American west, Kate worked as a dance hall girl, a prostitute, or just about any way she could to make a buck.
In Texas, she crossed paths with John Henry “Doc” Holliday, a dentist turned gambler, who became a notorious gunfighter, and they were traveling companions, on and off, until his dying days. A strong woman with a hot Hungarian temper, she and Doc had their ups and downs as they frequented saloons and gambling houses in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, living a life of vice and liquor. Even so, Kate was always there to back up Doc’s play, even setting a she on fire to distract his guards and breaking him out of house arrest to avaoid a lynch mob, after he stabbed a man who accused him of cheating at cards. It is said that for a time, Kate even had her own bordello in Tombstone, before she reunited with Doc after one of their many seperations.
When Doc was dying in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, a friend contacted her and she traveled to Glenwood Springs to care for her destitute lifelong companion, gathering firewood in the nearby hills to cover his room and board when he could no longer support himself. And that is where my fictional character of Sarah, or Hair of Fire, meets Kate in my story, after a harrowing ordeal of survival through the mountains of Colorado.
You can learn more about Kate and Doc in my guest post from the tour for Delilah: Book 1 on Kay Castenada’s Book Places blog site.
References
Brinks, Mellissa. 23 September, 2021. “What Life Was Really Like as an Old West Saloon Girl”. Ranker. https://www.ranker.com/list/life-of-a-wild-west-saloon-girl/melissa-brinks
Whitley, Carla Jean. 10 March 2017. “To Doc From Kate – But Who Was Kate?” Post Independent. https://www.postindependent.com/news/local/to-doc-from-kate/
Hughs, Jessica. 11 September 2022. “10 Authentic Old West Towns”. Uncover Colorado. https://www.uncovercolorado.com/wild-west-towns-in-colorado/
Old Homestead House Museum, Cripple Creek, Colorado,
Bowmaster, Patrick A. “A Fresh Look at ‘Big Nose Kate'”. Tombstone History Archives. http://www.tombstonehistoryarchives.com/a-fresh-look-at-big-nose-kate.html
Van Ostrand, Maggie. 2017. “Katie Elder a.k.a. Big Nose Kate, Her True Story”. Goose Flats Graphics & Publishing. Southern Arizona Guide: https://southernarizonaguide.com/katie-elder-her-true-story-by-maggie-van-ostrand/
Williams, Joseph A. “The Real Story of Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate”. Old West. https://www.oldwest.org/doc-holliday-big-nose-kate/
“Big Nose Kate – Doc Holliday’s Sidekick”. Legends of America. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bignosekate/
28 February 2022. “Couples with History: Glewood Springs Loves Stories”. Glenwood Springs Blog. https://visitglenwood.com/blog/2022/02/couples-with-history-glenwood-springs-love-stories/
“The True Story of Katie Elder”. Notes from the Frontier. https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/the-true-story-of-katie-elder
Book Trailer
About the Book
Sarah is a young girl trying to make a place for herself in the world.
Sarah is not the young girl who was stolen away from Delilah anymore. Now she is Hair of Fire, mate of Three Hawks, even as she blossoms into a young woman and tries to make a place for herself among the Ute tribe.
When she is stolen away from the life she’s made with the Utes, she struggles to survive in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. A streak of stubbornness and determination take this tough, feisty heroine up against wild beasts of the forest and the rugged mountain landscape to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where she receives a less than welcoming reception by some.
Will this young woman find her way back to the Ute tribe, which she’s come to think of as family, or will she discover a place among the colorful inhabitants of the Colorado hot springs and mining town?
Follow along on her journey to learn who she truly is and where she belongs in this rough, and often hostile frontier.
If you like strong and capable female protagonists, you’ll love Sarah.
Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Sarah-Women-in-the-West
About the Series
The Women in the West adventure series features strong female protagonists in a setting filled with hardship, which many believed did not fit well with the female constitution. Women on the frontier were few, and most of those were included in a family unit. Single and widowed women did exist on the frontier, as did those whose husbands just never came home for whatever reason, went back to the family unit in most cases. Women who chose to go it alone, defying societal expectations were rare. Those who did, chose a hard life and had to have backbone to survive.
While my protagonists are fictional, they are representative of strong women who did make a way for themselves, out of choice or necessity, and each book introduces a fictionalized version of one such historical female character who plays a supporting role in the story. In Delilah, it was Baby Doe Tabor. In Sarah, it is Big Nose Kate. And Marta will feature Clara Brown.
About the Author
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Book 1 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
That wraps up the first stop on the tour. Thank you all for joining us. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance at a free digital copy of the book. Join us tomorrow over at [ ], where I’ll be guest posting on how the history of the Ute Indians helped me choose my settings.
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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!
