Once upon a time, a little girl named Stevie Myers, who happened to be the daughter of a man who wrangled horses for cowboy actor Tom Mix, owned a sorrel Arabian and quarter horse mix named Sweetie Pie. This may not seem like anything all that special, but, trust me, it was. For Pie, as ... Read more

I’ve been watching episodes of Masterchef this summer, and one particular cook caught my eye and set my cowboy-loving heart to fluttering. Mike Hill from Powder Springs, Georgia. From day one of the auditions, I could tell this was a cowboy with class and with true cowboy heart. He competed in memory of his sister ... Read more

Though some writers set their stories in real locations, a lot of us create our own settings. That has been the case for my books, and yet every new locale I create is inspired by places I’ve been. For the past seven years, I’ve been writing in mainly one location — Blue Falls, Texas. Blue ... Read more

Do you like short stories? I love them, both as a writer and as a reader. I’m so thrilled that they’re making a comeback in today’s world! I remember as a teenager in high school English class, some of the short stories that were taught at the time. You can probably recall these classes, too—we ... Read more

Welcome Guest – Sylvia McDaniel As a western writer, I spend a lot of time reading books about the time period. Much has been written about bad men, but what about outlaw or bad women of the west? From the beginning of time women, just like men have gone astray. In my Lipstick and Lead ... Read more

Hi folks, Winnie Griggs here. Lately I’ve noticed several photos of early bookmobiles circulating on Facebook and it got me to wondering about the history of these literary vehicles. So of course I had to dive in and do a bit of research. Here is a little taste of what I discovered. Bookmobiles have been ... Read more

Please welcome our guest, Jolene Navarro Jolene has generously agreed to give away a print copy each of Lone Star Bride and Texas Daddy and one eBook of Sweet Summer Night. So be sure to check back and see if you’re one of the winners. (Contest guidelines apply) I’m a Texas girl through and ... Read more

For some reason, I’ve always loved stories in which a hero or heroine helps the other one heal — either physically or mentally. I think it’s because there is a vulnerability, a tenderness when one person takes the time to help another heal, even though it might not be a quick or easy process. A ... Read more

Decorating for the holidays in the desert Southwest can be challenging~no fluffy white stuff covering the ground and the sun shines bright and strong. In the desert when the wind blows it doesn’t whistle through bare tree limbs, it rustles palm fronds. Even though we don’t have weather that makes you want to curl up inside with ... Read more

Fact-Checking for Historical Westerns by Kathryn Albright, Historical Romance Author. Blog at Petticoats and Pistols Western Romance Blog. A day in the life of a writer.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I think you should know that the classic candy that has been a constant since 1847, is about to go the way of phone booths. Yes, that’s right. The company that makes Necco Wafers has announced that, unless it finds a buyer, it will close ... Read more

Howdy! Yes, indeed, The Princess and the Wolf has just been released in e-book format. Plus, it’s undergone a terrific job in the editing department. But before I get into the excerpt for the new book, I wanted to send out a call to all of my former Warriorettes. My newest book, Brave Wolf and ... Read more

by Regina Scott If you’re like me, you’ve already been queueing up the Christmas music. There’s something special about the hymns, carols, and jingles written to celebrate the season. But in the west of the 1800s, music was a precious commodity, at any time. There are tales of families sacrificing to bring a piano ... Read more

This month I’m celebrating the release of Lone Star Father—the final book in my Cowboys of Stampede, Texas series from Harlequin Western Romance. The stories revolve around three brothers who are doing their best to look after the family ranch and their grandfather, the mayor of Stampede. When Grandpa Emmett’s former high-school flame, Amelia Rinehart, ... Read more

Hi everyone! What better way to kick off our fall special events week here at PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS than with some good news about a new book? The end of the year is in sight and with it comes such a time crunch for most of us. In the publishing world, things begin to gear ... Read more

The Yuma Territorial Prison was known as the Country Club on the Colorado. I’ve wanted to visit this prison ever since I wrote A Cowboy’s Redemption (2015, Cowboys of the Rio Grande series).I wasn’t sure how readers would react to a “contemporary” western with an ex-con hero but I soon learned romance fans love a good ... Read more

Welcome Tina Radcliffe, Author of Claiming Her Cowboy! Book Description Attorney Jackson Harris regularly goes toe-to-toe with the world’s toughest lawyers—but none of them compare to Lucy Maxwell. The feisty director of Oklahoma’s Big Heart Ranch for orphans is as stubborn as she is pretty. But Jack must stay focused; he’s only ... Read more

Welcome Evelyn M. Hill, author of His Forgotten Fiancée! Book Description ... Read more

Yummmmm… Autumn — crisp air, scented delicately with falling leaves and the smoke from wood stoves; Cinnamon and fresh apple cider, pumpkin pie, turkey and cranberry sauce, apple pie, the last of the corn on the cob… And what about the “feels” of autumn? Traipsing through leaves, racking them up and jumping in them; picking ... Read more

Hello everyone and happy Wednesday! I have a bit of a guilty confession–I am fascinated by lady outlaws. Life was tough in the old west, and people did what they had to in order to survive. And some took things a step farther. I don’t know what motivated Sally Scull , but over her ... Read more

Hello to everyone at Petticoats and Pistols! Thank you so much for inviting me to stop by to talk about my new book, Luckiest Cowboy of All, coming out next Tuesday. This book has gotten rave reviews at both Publisher’s Weekly and RT Reviews and from my amazing readers on Goodreads. To say I’m ... Read more

Hello and happy Friday at the Junction. Today guest author Tamera Lynn Kraft joins us to spread the word about circuit riders and to give away a copy of her new book Red Sky Over America. Please join me in welcoming Tamera! I’ve always been fascinated with circuit riders. Men traveled from place to place ... Read more

Affordable reproduction firearms and accessories from the muzzleloading period, including muskets, pistols and more.

Hi there! Kit Morgan here! It’s so nice to be invited to write for the Petticoats and Pistols Blog. Thanks so much for having me. Today I want to tell you about a fun project I’m involved in. I love creating entire communities, so when western historical romance author Caroline Lee asked me to help ... Read more

If you’ve read my books, you know I love pairing a cowboy with a city girl. My characters usually wonder how they can be attracted to someone who fails to hit even one item on their this-is-what-I’m-looking-for-in-a-potential-date list, and this creates great conflict. But another reason I love throwing cowboys and city women together is ... Read more

I love giving gifts at Christmas time, and who better to honor than my dedicated readers? So this week, I’m running a contest to give away 2 autographed copies of the novella collection Mary Connealy and I have stories in along with 2 different audio book CD sets. I will post the results on my ... Read more

By Jennifer Uhlarik Today’s article is from talented author and friend, Jennifer Uhlarik. Jennifer and I have both written a novella in the Smitten collection “The Cowboys.” I’m currently reading J…

Sometimes events in my life inspire a story. That was certainly true with Knight on the Texas Plains and my little playmate who’d been won in a poker game. And now again with THE COWBOY WHO CAME CALLING (Book #2 Texas Heroes series.) When I wrote this story in 2002, I was locked in a ... Read more

Pint-Sized Percussion with a Punch

This is the time of year we pause to count our blessings, but fostering a spirit of gratitude year-round is a goal I strive to achieve. Did you know that people who make a regular effort to be thankful, live richer lives? Counting blessings and expressing gratitude for what we already have instead of focusing ... Read more

Between blogging and book inspiration I’m always coming across all kinds of cowboy pictures. If something strikes me, I’ll tuck it away in my cyber file. Sometimes I use in blogs, or for cover inspiration–every once in a while a picture will fit a character that’s been bumping around in my mind. Sometimes the right ... Read more