Jail in 1880 Town

Most towns in the West had some sort of jail, especially in the later years. However, 1880 Town was rather unusual. It had two buildings. One housed the marshal's office and jail, and the other was a small building where another prisoner could be locked up. It looked like it might have been a former house converted into a jail. These holding areas tended to be austere and rustic because they weren't concerned with providing comfort.

Can you imagine being locked up in a place like this? I suppose it helped act as a strong deterrent, but you can understand why those being pursued by a lawman might go to extreme measures not to be apprehended. Prisons were often worse because they also involved hard labor. 

My newest release, A Match for Reece, features a sheriff in a small Texas town. Finding himself middle-aged, Reece decides to finally send for a mail-order bride, but his intended is running from the Chicago mob, and he and his young deputy struggle to protect her. The book is available on Kindle, KU, print, and Audible. 

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 Fear Not

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).

You've probably heard the often-quoted statistic that we're told in the Bible not to fear 365 times -- one for each day of the year. One of the reasons God tells us not to fear so many times is that it's such a paralyzing force, and Satan often uses it. It's one of his main weapons of attack.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1 Peter 5:7).

Fear and its rotten fruits, worry and anxiety, keep us from living the Christian life God wants for us. They immobilize us and prevent us from stepping out in faith. They take over our minds and steal our joy. We can't focus on God when we're occupied with such controlling thoughts.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).

I remember when I was preparing to go to the Philippines as a missionary to replace a man and his pregnant wife who were on furlow for six months. I didn't know a soul there, and I was going as a single female. The night before I left, I lay, unable to sleep for all sorts of bad what-if scenarios rolling through my mind. Satan would have loved it if I'd decided that going was too risky. However, I decided to trust God and put everything in His hands. I had a great six months.

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea. I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).

Decide not to let fear into your life. Choose to turn to God instead. There is no fear in Him and His perfect love. Instead, Christ offers freedom from such burdens. Don't let Satan win but instead, be victorious in Jesus.

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears (Psalm 34:4).

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 The Barbershop in 1880 Town and More

Most Western towns had a barber shop. Sometimes the barber would also take on different jobs, depending on the situation. Some were known to act as doctors, veterinarians, undertakers, etc. In 1880 Town, the barbershop also had a bathhouse, so cowboys, travelers, and others could get cleaned up.

The buildings and facilities would vary. Nicer ones could usually be found in the larger towns and cities, but one had to take whatever was available in the smaller locations. Although adequate, I found the barbershop in 1880 Town more rustic than the one I envisioned in my novel, A Match for Milton. 

Milton Cauley, the main character in A Match for Milton, is the barber in Pinyon Falls, Texas. A widower from a marriage that had turned unhappy in the end, Milton plans to spend the rest of his life single until a well-meaning friend secretly sends for a mail-order bride for him. Although Milton declares he'll have nothing to do with her, things don't turn out as he expects.

Link to A Match for Milton

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Two Opposites

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love (1 John 4:8).

The Bible tells us that God is love. It's His nature, a part of who He is. And unlike most humans, He loves unconditionally. If we belong to God, His love will overflow from us into others. It's amazing that so many people reject God and His perfect love. They don't know what they're missing. It's a precious treasure.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16).

In opposition, Satan works against us, fueled with hate. The Bible tells us he was a murderer from the beginning, and the truth is not in him. He's the father of lies because he told the first lie to Adam and Eve and brought sin into the world when he convinced them to disobey God.

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth,  because there is no truth in him. He speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it (John 8:44).

It's for each one of us to choose. If we don't choose God, we are Satan's by default.

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A Writer Who Loves Quilts

Before I retired from teaching and became a full-time writer, I used to dabble in many arts and crafts. One of my favorite things to do was quilt, and I made many of them, selling most of them in craft shows. I not only made quilts, but I studied them. Some of the first magazine articles I wrote were about quilts and quilting. I've even appraised their value.

With an Appalachian heritage, I come from a long line of craftspeople. My great-aunt, embroidered, made quilts, and did other crafts to be sent to a gallery in New York City and sold there. My mother was talented and did many crafts, but interestingly, I brought her back to quilting when I became so involved in it. She used traditional patterns, but she also liked to draw her own, like this morning glory appliqued quilt she made for me.

Now, my quilt background enters some of my novels. The first one that focused on a quilter was Got Your Goat. Set in the Appalachian Mountains right after the Civil War, Emily Rose was both a quilter and a potter, but she had more success with her quilting. Then, came Candace, who finds a way to make a quilt in a remote cabin in the Rockies without the proper supplies. Two quilts play a very important part in Lily finding a happy future in Lily: Christmas Quilt Brides. The next book of mine in the same series, Andrea, involves an avid quilter and will publish on December 6th. As much as I love quilting, I'm sure they will be included in more books to come.

Got Your Goat

Candace: Runaway Brides of the West

Lily

Andrea

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The Almost Disciple

And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? (Mark 10:17).

Do you remember the sad story of the rich, young ruler? He came to Jesus with so much going for him. He had plenty of money and lived a privileged life. Even more important, he'd been a faithful Jew all his life, keeping the laws and commandments. And now, he came seeking Jesus, calling Him "Good Master," and wanting eternal life.

Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. (Mark 10:21).

The young man had come to the right place. Jesus, seeing the good in this man but knowing his heart, asked him to give his possessions to the poor and follow Him. Of all the things Jesus could have said, the young man had likely never imagined this. It was the one thing that made him struggle because he had extensive wealth.

And he was sad at the saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions (Mark 10:22).

In the end, his wealth meant more to the man than following Jesus, and he went away grieved for he wanted both. We know that God won't accept us putting anything above Him in our lives. To the man's credit, his decision still grieved him, but he thought he'd been asked to give up too much, so he gave up being one of Jesus' disciples. In actuality, what he gave up -- Jesus -- was so much greater than what he kept -- his possessions. Can you imagine the joy and peace of following Jesus in the flesh, learning at his feet, and being one of his special friends?

But before we judge this rich young man too harshly, would you be willing to give up every possession you have, all of it, and become homeless if you felt God commanded you to? We would hope so, and we might even think so, but when it came time, could we do it? It would mean losing all earthly security, all means of making a living and trusting God completely for everything. Now, God doesn't ask us all to do this, but if He did, He wants us to put Him before our possessions. I pray that we all would have that much faith, trust, and commitment because God won't accept anything else. He won't be second best in our hearts.

You shall have no other gods before me (Exodus 20:3).

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me (Matthew 10:37).

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 Reece Is Coming

The last book in my six-book series, A Match for Reece, is publishing on Friday (Nov. 1, 2024). This is a series within a series. The Matchmakers - Agatha Returns is a multiple-author project where different authors are writing about the matches made by Agatha Sinclair. 

In A Match for Reece, the sheriff of Pinyon Falls, Texas, Reece Felps has always thought lawmen should never marry because of the danger and uncertainty that comes with the job, but as he enters middle age, he begins to reconsider. A friend convinces him that he should write to the matchmaker in Chicago with whom so many others in the area have found success. Meanwhile, Adrianne Clark and her brother live a meager existence in Chicago. When she sees a brutal murder and they learn the mob is involved, they decide she needs to leave the city, so she goes to her best friend’s aunt, a matchmaker.

Matt Griffin’s new job as deputy sheriff suits him just fine, and he begins to notice Ginny Harris for the first time. Then the new schoolteacher comes to town, and she’s different: sophisticated and refined. No one else seems to appreciate her, but she makes him feel special. However, when they all become caught up with someone trying to harm Adrianne, things get complicated, and Matt starts to realize things might not be as he thought they were.

All six of my books are set in Pinyon Falls in the Texas Hill Country, and the reader gets a wrap-up of all the main characters in this last book. Still, it focuses mainly on Reece and Adrianne and Matt and Ginny. Readers of the series won't want to miss this one. It's full of adventure, suspense, and romance.

A Match for Marshall (the cattle rancher)

A Match for Cord (the horse rancher)

A Match for Silas (the blacksmith)

A Match for Merle (the land speculator)

A Match for Milton (the barber)

A Match for Reece (the sheriff)

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