Welcome Erica Vetsch and A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERICA VETSCH is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical fiction set in the American West. Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictional world, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

Blog: http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erica-Vetsch/168952446490736
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ericavetsch

A BRIDE'S PORTRAIT OF DODGE CITY, KANSAS
by Erica Vetsch
Published by Barbour

ABOUT THE BOOK

Even as a female businesswoman in a world that expects men to be in charge, photographer Addie Reid believes she can succeed in Dodge City, Kansas—if she can outwit a grasping banker and keep her own past hidden. Love is the last thing Addie thinks she needs, but Deputy Miles Carr, a man with his own secrets, begins to change her mind until a smooth gambler who knows them both arrives in Dodge. Will revealed secrets disrupt the attraction between Addie and Miles and jettison the career opportunities of both Addie and Miles?

Readers, buy your copy of A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas today!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

My debut trade-length novel, A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas, takes place in my home state in the ‘The Wickedest City in the West’ during the height of the cattle-drive era. As a Kansas native, I was familiar with the basics of Kansas history and its cow towns, but I knew I would need to delve deeper into the factual accounts of life in Dodge City if I was to portray a setting more realistic but hopefully as entertaining as Gunsmoke. I found the research fascinating, and I hope I’ve given readers a real taste of the sights, sounds, and action of Dodge.

Kansas cow towns played a key role in the cattle drive era, being the terminus of those longs treks north. Longhorn cattle from Texas were rounded up, branded, and driven in massive herds into Kansas to the railroad for the trip to the meat-packing plants of Chicago. Between the years of 1866 and 1886 an estimated 20 million longhorns walked from Texas to Kansas, first to Abilene, then Ellsworth, Newton, Wichita, Caldwell, and finally to Dodge City.

The expansion of the railroad westward across Kansas accounted for some of the changing destinations for the cattle herds, but settlers, lawmen, and the Kansas legislature accounted for the main reasons that Dodge City became the Queen of the Cattle Towns. The state legislature moved the cattle drives further and further west in the state, claiming that Tick Fever brought up by Texas cattle were infecting the livestock of the farmers and settlers living in Kansas. In reality, as the towns of Abilene and Ellsworth and Wichita became more civilized, the residents were less and less willing to put up with the vice and violence that accompanied the Texas cowboys’ arrival each summer.

Eventually, Dodge City, in the far southwest corner of Kansas, became the last place cattle and cowboys were welcome, and boy howdy, did Dodge roll out the red carpet for those Texas wranglers. The law in Dodge was instructed by the city leaders to go easy on the cowboys, allowing them pretty much a free rein in the town as long as no citizens were endangered. This wide-open reception caused saloons, dance halls, and ‘houses of negotiable affection’ to spring up all along Front Street.

In the midst of all this vice, another faction in town comprised of lawyers, doctors, and the clergy, lobbied for stricter enforcement of laws and putting the safety of the citizens ahead of the fleecing of the cowboys. This led to tensions in the town and among the law enforcement officers, most of whom had invested in saloons and dance halls in Dodge City.

I tried to weave this underlying tension into the story, forcing my characters to choose sides in the debate. I had a great deal of fun researching Dodge City and her more famous residents (some of whom make an appearance in the book,) and I hope you’ll catch a glimpse of that when you read A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas.

As a bonus, here’s a little recipe I found for some real chuck wagon food. This dish was served as a treat for the cowboys to break up the monotony of a steady diet of beef and beans.

Sucamagrowl
3 cups water
1 cups sugar
2 pinches cinnamon or nutmeg
1 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons of flour

First, mix water and vinegar and bring to a boil. Mix sugar and flour together and stir into the boiling liquid until thoroughly dissolved. Cook for 15 mins, then add the spice. Mix up a batch of biscuit dough and drop by spoonsful into the simmering liquid. Serve hot.

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Thank you, Erica, for sharing with us today.

Guest Question: Most folks know of Dodge City only through the TV show Gunsmoke, so my question for you is: Did you watch Gunsmoke growing up, and did you have a favorite character? If not, another western, another character? I’ll go first and say, Yes, I did watch Gunsmoke, and my favorite character was Festus’s mule Ruth. :)

ENTRY RULES Readers, leave your email address (name at domainname dot com/net) along with your answer to the question for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of the book above. If you do not answer the question, and your email address isn't provided, you will not be entered.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

Spotlight on Erica Vetsch and The Bartered Bride

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ERICA VETSCH is married to Peter and keeps the company books for the family lumber business. A home-school mom to Heather and James, Erica loves history, romance, and storytelling. Her ideal vacation is taking her family to out-of-the-way history museums and chatting to curators about local history. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Calvary Bible College in Secondary Education: Social Studies. You can find her on the web at http://onthewritepath.blogspot.com.

THE BARTERED BRIDE
by Erica Vetsch
Published by Barbour Publishing / Heartsong Presents

ABOUT THE BOOK

Duluth, Minnesota in 1905 boasts more millionaires than any other U.S. city. Tycoon Abraham Kennebrae intends to marry his grandsons off to three of the wealthiest heiresses in town and allow Kennebrae Shipping to gain control of Duluth Harbor.

Tempests rage, in the board room, the ball room, and on treacherous Lake Superior. Will hearts and helms survive? Will God prove Himself sovereign over wind, waves, and weddings?

Jonathan Kennebrae, oldest of the three Kennebrae brothers, finds himself backed into a corner. Marry heiress Melissa Brooke or lose his own considerable inheritance. Can he find a legitimate reason to avoid the wedding and still keep his fortune? But as the wedding day approaches, does he want to escape?

Melissa Brooke, only heir to her father’s empire, is bartered by her parents into a marriage contract to a man she’s never met. Can she trust him with her deepest secret? Can she trust him with her heart?

Readers, buy your copy of The Bartered Bride today!

MY REVIEW

Wow! As many already know, I love historical romance. As a historical author myself, though, I am often quite picky about the books I read. Erica has done an amazing job with her research of Minnesota and the little tidbits peppered throughout her book that help bring the reality of Duluth alive to the reader. And the premise of a grandfather who is looking to marry off his grandsons is fantastic! Jonathan and Melissa are rich in detail and quickly hook you with their respective plights. The supporting characters only add to the depth and make for a solid read. Be on the lookout for some great books coming from this author.

OTHER STOPS ON THE TOUR

Nov. 16th Myra Johnson http://myra.typepad.com/
Lisa Harris http://myblogintheheartofafrica.blogspot.com/

Nov. 17th Cindy Wilson http://cindyrwilson.blogspot.com/
Jamie Debree http://thevarietypages.blogspot.com/

Nov. 18th Lynda Schab, http://on-the-write-track.blogspot.com/

Nov. 19th Jamie Debree again http://thevarietypages.blogspot.com/

Nov. 20th Rachel Fernandes http://confessionsofaheadhopper.blogspot.com/
Mary Connealy at Seekerville http://seekerville.blogspot.com/

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your debut novel! Congratulations! What gave you the inspiration for this story?

The initial idea came from a visit to Duluth MN and loving the setting so much I knew I wanted to write a story set there. Then came some research into the history of the city. And then one day I was sitting in church waiting for the service to start when the idea of a shipping tycoon wanting to marry off his grandsons came to me.

2. How much of your own experiences influenced your characters? What aspects became traits that were theirs and theirs alone?

I can't think of anything specifically as far as character traits. I do know that I've prayed Jonathan's prayer before, that God would change someone else, when in reality, I was the one who needed changing.

3. If your hero/heroine were an ice cream flavor, what would he/she be and why?

Melissa would probably be strawberry since she loves pink. Jonathan, Cookies and Creme, smooth, creamy, and full of little surprises.

4. Are there any themes in The Bartered Bride that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

The theme of God's sovereignty is fairly overt. More subtle would be His trustworthiness. Not only is He in control, but He can be trusted to work things out for our good and His glory.

5. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

This book flowed really well. I wrote that first draft in about five weeks one summer. My favorite parts of this book to write were actually the most difficult as well. The ending provided lots of challenges, but I'm very pleased with how it came off.

6. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

My next book is The Marriage Masquerade, which is the story of Noah Kennebrae, Jonathan's brother. It comes out early next year.

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Thank you, Erica, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of The Bartered Bride.

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This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.