Review Roundup: Short Reads, Big Stories

Publishing Christmas-themed stories in July seems a bit…well, non-traditional. Then again, not much about new publisher Prairie Rose Publications is traditional. Founded in August 2013 by long-time Western Fictioneers members Livia J. Washburn and Cheryl Pierson, PRP staked a claim to territory almost all other publishers declined to touch, saying the genre “didn’t sell”: western historical romance. Since then, PRP has been busily engaged in proving naysayers wrong. Within the past few weeks PRP has released eleven short stories, two novels, a boxed set, and a single-author anthology—all historical, all western, and all written by women.

Below are brief reviews of several of the short stories. (I reviewed the novels and one of the short stories earlier. Those reviews are here, here, and here.)

Covenant
By Tanya Hanson
Prairie Rose Publications, July 2014
$0.99 Kindle, ASIN B00M2A98JU
$0.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781311063656
45 pages

A mail-order bride and the man she traveled west to marry mourn the death of the man’s young daughter death in different ways. Carsten abandons his new wife to make peace with inner demons. Alone on Carsten’s homestead in the dead of winter, Ella blames herself for the accident that claimed the child’s life.

In very few pages, author Tanya Hanson does a remarkable job of portraying the grief-sparked misunderstandings and personal suffering that often drive couples apart even in the modern world. The story’s happy ending is all the more touching for the author’s ability to present realistic emotion to which even non-parents can relate.

Her Christmas Wish
By Tracy Garrett
Prairie Rose Publications, July 2014
$0.99 Kindle, ASIN B00M2829GQ
$0.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781310552885
47 pages

Author Tracy Garrett’s Old West twist on the enduring star-crossed lovers plot gives Romeo and Juliet the happy ending they deserved but were denied. Parental disapproval separated Kathryn and Will as young adults, before they could marry. A decade later, widowed Kathryn mourns the loss of her youth while honoring her late husband’s dream by tending his stagecoach stop in the middle of nowhere. An unexpected reunion with the man she never forgot—and his explanation for his sudden disappearance on the eve of their elopement—leaves her confused and angry.

Author Tracy Garrett weaves freshness onto a well-worn framework. Plausible situations, behaviors, and emotions create very real doubt the characters will work out their differences and find the happily-ever-after ending romance stories require.

A Christmas Miracle
By Phyllis Miranda
Prairie Rose Publications, July 2014
$0.99 Kindle, ASIN B00M27PDD8
$0.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781310972737
48 pages

Outcast by the local townsfolk because of her late father’s reputation as an outlaw, destitute Mattie Jo is barely able to feed and clothe her orphaned younger siblings even though she works long hours at a shameful job. When her baby sister takes ill with a life-threatening illness, Mattie Jo swallows her pride and turns to the new doctor in town for help. Snowed in at Maggie’s remote cabin on Christmas Eve, two vastly different people discover a remedy to mend both their wounds.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Phyllis Miranda is known for bringing the most unlikely couples together through the power of love. In “A Christmas Miracle,” Miranda’s typical voice and style turn what could have been a pile of trite into a much more satisfying tale of forgiveness and acceptance.


A Husband for Christmas
By Sarah J. McNeal
Prairie Rose Publications, July 2014
$0.99 Kindle, ASIN B00M282QV4
$0.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781310904981
42 pages

Jane and her young son Robin survived the sinking of the Titanic, but their husband and father went down with the ship. Grief and survivor’s guilt keep both mired in the past even as they attempt to convince one another to face the future. Long after his people were assimilated, Lakota Teekonka still occasionally struggles for acceptance in the white man’s world. His native spirituality sustains him and provides a bulwark behind which Jane and Robin begin to heal.

“A Husband for Christmas” represents a branch of author Sarah J. McNeal’s heartwarming Wildings series. This is a “quiet” story made all the more enchanting by its focus on a small, rural town and its very genuine inhabitants.

Outlaw’s Kiss
By Cheryl Pierson
Prairie Rose Publications, July 2014
$0.99 Kindle, ASIN B00M27PX9M
$0.99 most other e-formats, ISBN 9781310400353
46 pages

Months after he shamed Talia before the entire town during a community picnic, her childhood friend Jake shows up on her doorstep bleeding from a gunshot wound. Though she’d rather let him die in the snow, Talia takes in the outlaw-on-the-run and nurses him back to health. Trapped in Talia’s cabin during a December blizzard, Talia, Jake, and Talia’s little brother learn home is more than a physical place.

Wounded heroes are a staple of author Cheryl Pierson’s work, perhaps because breaking down a strong man’s external defenses provides symbolic resonance for the internal struggles that form the backbone of all romance stories. Pierson never disappoints, and this story is no exception. The little boy is particularly charming.



Kathleen Rice Adams is a Texan, a voracious reader, a professional journalist, and an author. She received review copies of all the stories in this post from the publisher. Her opinions are her own and are neither endorsed nor necessarily supported by Western Fictioneers or individual members of the organization. Links in the review are for convenience only; they do not produce affiliate revenue.

Full disclosure: Rice Adams’ fiction is published by Prairie Rose Publications.

PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS' DEBUT ANTHOLOGY IS HERE! by CHERYL PIERSON

Two short months ago, Livia J. Washburn and I decided to take a plunge and open our own publishing house, PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS. It was a dream come true for me because I definitely do not have the computer skills and savvy that Livia possesses! So I would never have undertaken this project on my own. My part of the partnership is publicizing, acquiring new manuscripts, and editing. It is a match made in heaven for both of us. May I share with you all what our “dream company” has done in two short months?

Let’s start with our debut anthology WISHING FOR A COWBOY. We were so fortunate to have such wonderful contributors to this collection! Phyliss Miranda, Tanya Hanson, Sarah McNeal, our own Jacquie Rogers, Tracy Garrett, reviewer Kathleen Rice Adams, Livia and me. This short story grouping is western historical romance, in the sweet to sensual category. All the stories mention a certain holiday food, and the story is either built around the food or can just bring it up casually. The recipes will be included in the back of the book, so there'll be lots of great eating! WISHING FOR A COWBOY was (surprisingly!) available early, as of yesterday, October 29 rather than the planned November 1 release date. It is available in print and digital formats—it’ll make a great Christmas gift for anyone!
KINDLE LINK:
http://www.amazon.com/Wishing-for-a-Cowboy-ebook/dp/B00G9GTWVC/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383171524&sr=1-1-fkmr2&keywords=wishing+for+a+cowboy+print+and

PRINT LINK:
http://www.amazon.com/Wishing-Cowboy-Cheryl-Pierson/dp/061591070X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383171663&sr=1-1&keywords=Wishing+for+a+Cowboy

Our next anthology, HEARTS AND SPURS, will be available on January 15, 2014, for Valentine’s Day gift-giving and reading for those who want to “self-gift.” We were thrilled to have every one of the above authors sign up once more for this anthology as well, and we added another author, Linda Broday!

Also in the mix, one of our anthology contributors, Tanya Hanson, has a brand new inspirational historical western romance, CLAIMING HIS HEART, coming out this month, and we’re all very excited about this one…because she’s talking about a sequel!

We’ve also got two other authors who have novels coming out with PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONSin the near future, so we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Livia and I decided to “go for the gusto” when people began to ask about other submissions avenues—Do you publish contemporary or science fiction stories? Do you publish children’s westerns or historicalstories? What about children’s contemporary stories?

Well, what could we do? With that much support and those requests, we had to immediately branch out! We opened PAINTED PONY BOOKS, an imprint for youthful readers of historical/western stories with three levels of submissions/readership: Middle Grade readers (ages 9-12), Young Adult (ages 13-17) and New Adult (ages 18-24)

TORNADO ALLEY PUBLICATIONS is the “sister” imprint for these same ages, but for the contemporary, futuristic, and fantasy categories.

Finally, FIRE STAR PRESS is our imprint for contemporary, futuristic and fantasy categories for adults.

Already, we have several unique and wonderful books and anthologies planned for these different companies that offer a wide variety of reading for all ages.

While PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS accepts submissions from women only, the other imprints are co-ed! If you know of anyone who might be looking for an honest publisher, please send them our way! We appreciate you spreading the word for us, and all the support and well wishes we’ve received in the short time we’ve been in business.

You can e-mail us here: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com
We have a brand new website here: http://prairierosepublications.yolasite.com/

INTRODUCING PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS! by Cheryl Pierson

Have you ever had a dream that “just happened” –before you could think about it anymore, or try to decide how to accomplish it—it was just…there?

One of the things I’ve always “thought about” was opening a publishing company of my own. That would be impossible because, as everyone who knows me is well aware, I am NOT a “computer guru” at all. So how could I ever do all the things I’d need to do to open a publishing house? The answer is, I couldn’t.

I’d pretty much let those thoughts go until Livia Reasoner and I were talking about a way to be able to get some brand new, very talented authors “out there” for others to read and enjoy, and this topic came up. As it turned out, we both had the same idea—an imprint for women authors, both well-seasoned and fresh talent, to submit historical westerns and historical western romances.

Since so many women read westerns and western historical romances, Livia and I thought this might be a great way to reach even more women authors who write those kinds of stories. What we wanted to do was provide a venue for these authors to shine—to get their work “out there” with a publisher who is interested in helping give them a hand navigating the publishing waters and seeing that they get their fair share of profits for their hard work. With that in mind, our imprint, PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS, was born!

Livia and I are so excited to be working together. With her bookkeeping, formatting, and other computer skills and her ability to make such fantastic covers for our books I have no worries. It’s my job to edit, promote and do much of the correspondence (cause I DO love to talk about writing!)
Our first venture will be a Christmas anthology called WISHING FOR A COWBOY. We’ve got a wonderful group of authors lined up for this collection: Phyliss Miranda, Tanya Hanson, Sarah McNeal, our own Jacquie Rogers, Tracy Garrett, reviewer Kathleen Rice Adams, Livia and me. This short story grouping will be western historical romance, in the sweet to sensual category. All the stories mention a certain holiday food, and the story is either built around the food or can just bring it up casually. The recipes will be included in the back of the book, so there'll be lots of great eating! We are going to have a wonderful time with this! WISHING FOR A COWBOY will be available November 1, 2013, in print and digital formats—it’ll make a great Christmas gift for anyone!

If you know of any ladies who might be looking for an honest publisher of westerns and western romances, please send them our way! We appreciate you spreading the word for us.

We have a brand new website here:http://prairierosepublications.yolasite.com/

If you have questions, you are welcome to contact me at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com or Livia at livia@flash.net

Please wish us well on our new publishing adventure, and come on over to the website for more information on the anthology and submissions procedures.

Thanks for all your support!
CHERYL AND LIVIA

SIX SENTENCE SATURDAY by Tanya Hanson

OUTLAW BRIDE, by Tanya Hanson
Second in my Lawmen and Outlaws series
Coming later 2013

Set up: Outlaw girl Jessy Belle Perkins, sister to notorious gang leader Ahab Perkins, is being strung up for thieving a horse. All she was doing, though, was warning the rancher. The gang’s left her behind...

Former U.S. Cavalry scout Cleeland Redd is gonna save the day!


Of all the goddamm ways to die!

The thick strips of canvas around her neck wouldn’t give her but a second or two of breathing room. Most times she kept the cloth tight around her bosoms to hide the fact she was a female. But today she wore the only dress she had, and its high collar hid the strips just fine.

Ahab had taught her this trick, and she just might get away with it...But the rope was thick. She was dying, the world turning black.


Thanks so much for joining me today for Six Sentence Saturday! I am giving away a pdf or Kindle copy of CHRISTMAS FOR RANSOM, the first book in the series, to one lucky commenter today. Here's a bit about it:

CHRISTMAS FOR RANSOM: A good-hearted outlaw and the woman who gives him her heart...before she realizes it’s HER horses he stole!

Member of the notorious Ahab Perkins gang, “Canyon” Jack Ransom promised his beloved gram-maw on her death bed long ago that he’d learn to read. After growing a conscience and leaving his past behind, he hires Texas schoolmarm Eliza Willows to do the deed while she, unbeknownst he’s the crook, hires him in return to “track” the thief of her granny’s prized Morgans. Falling in love with each other is fast and furious but real...and the two getting snowbound at Christmas while gun-battling Ahab and the gang only adds to the fun!

To be entered in the drawing for CHRISTMAS FOR RANSOM, just leave a comment along with your contact info!

www.tanyahanson.com
www.petticoatsandpistols.com
www.sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com

SO YOU WANNA BE A COWGIRL? ~ Tanya Hanson

Uh, so why did I decide on western romance when I reckoned it was time to sit down and write? Well, cowboys are hotties, for one thing. Next up, the western T.V. shows of my childhood wouldn’t stay still in my imagination. Last, college days in Nebraska and student teaching in Colorado sorta iced the western cake.

But I’m a California beach girl raised in a suburb. Whatever to do to live the life of the West and feel the love? The Writer's Guide to Everyday Life in the Wild West could only do so much. I did call up horseback riding in Girl Scout camp eons ago and Audra Barkley in The Big Valley. But I just needed some first-hand help


And I found it in a city slicker wagon train adventure where I trekked by horse and civilized Conestogas around the Tetons! Wow, do Jess Warburton and his family at Teton Wagon Train and Horse Adventure make it real. (http://www.tetonwagontrain.com/tetonhistory.htm)

First off, upon discovering this treasure, I had to convince hubby to ride along. I thought I’d be in for a lot of whining and cajoling, but he was on board right away. Second to hook were our favorite travel-buddies, his sis and her man.

On a hot August day, we left Jackson Hole for the trip of a lifetime. Four days in Paradise. Our group of city slickers included us four Californians as well as faux cowpokes from Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Illinois as well as Bermuda, Japan, and Brighton, England.

We set off both riding the wagon and going horseback. The tourist-friendly trail horses were friendly, accommodating and extremely patient. But unspeakably grand were the draft horses who pulled the wagons, the Percherons and Belgians. They were named in teams, such as Lady and Tramp, Gun and Smoke, Sandy and Sage, Jack and Jill. The first name is always the horse on the left. These glorious beasts are capable of pulling up to 4,000 as a team, and they love to work. (In winter, to stave off boredom, they lead sleigh rides to the elk refuge outside Jackson.)

Ah, there was nothing like Dutch oven meals prepared for us over an open fire. “Cowboy potatoes” are good enough for any city restaurant. Waking up to the scent of piles of bacon simmering was, well, enough to make my mouth water still!

After suppers, we huddled around the campfires to hear guitar strumming, legends and lore of the Old West, cowboy poetry, and home--on-the-range music. Our last night--not to reveal company secrets-involved gunfire and mountain men!

Our tents were rustic, but comfy. And the “facilities”, well, suffice it that often there was “girl meadow” to the left, “boy meadow” to the right.

Although I admit the wagons had rubber tires and padded seats, the rocky trail is laughingly and rightfully called “cowboy rollercoaster.” Our driver Marisa told us she’s paid extra to hit every pot hole and rock in the road for “authenticity.” I’m not sure she was joking!

Our last day, a “Pony Express” rider burst into camp bearing letters from home.

As for Wyoming, ah, the trees and wildflowers and the endless starshine at night will live inside my head until my last moment.

As for this wannabe-cowgirl, I even managed to rope the pretend cow, Corndog, after my lariat lesson in “spoke” and “honda”. It took me three tries, but I nailed it!


www.tanyahanson.com
www.petticoatsandpistols.com