Tuesday Tidbits: HAPPY WEDDING DAY!!!

A wedding is one of the happiest days of a person’s life. At least for most people, but arranged marriages are something that has been going on since the beginning of time. The thought of arranged marriages doesn’t sit well with me. Some of these are purely to benefit the parents. While others are the parents genuinely trying to look out for their children’s future. I found the first recorded arranged marriage.

“Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” Genesis 2:22

Yep, Adam and Eve was the first arranged marriage. If anyone would know the absolute best people to arrange a marriage between, it is God Almighty. Others in the Bible had arranged marriages as well.

Royalty has a long history of arranging marriages. You couldn’t let just anyone into the royal family. Sometimes these arrangements are for political alliances and empire building. Some of them were arranged from birth. Mary Queen of Scots was five when the arrangement was made for her to marry France’s King Henry II’s son.

Another group of arranged marriages were the “Dollar Princesses.” These were generally new-money American heiresses post Civil War and into the early 1900s. The British nobility were struggling financially. To boost the new-money families in American society, they made arrangements with titled men (or their families) to be married. There were even magazines listing the available heiresses and titled men to help make matches.

Some well-known Dollar Princesses are Jennie Jerome, the mother of Winston Churchill who became a British Prime Minister, Frances Ellen Work who was the great-grandmother Princess Diana, and Consuelo Vanderbilt who spent the morning of her wedding alone and in tears. My heart goes out to these women and others who are forced to marry.

Some cultures still ascribe to arranging marriages for their children. I am grateful and blessed to not be in one of them. As a romantic and a romance writer, I prefer the falling in love angle. I have been married for over 38 years! And counting!

Though my hero and heroine, Lamar and Cordelia in book 5 of The Quilting Circle series, aren’t being forced into an arranged marriage in the truest sense of the practice, they are being strongly encouraged. Unlike in book 2, where Isabelle was being forced.

But worry not, they both have happy endings for couples.

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

 

Available for order on Amazon. (Releases October 5, 2022)

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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FREE E-BOOK!!!! For a Limited Time

Seriously! Nothing to sign up for.

In celebration of The Lady's Mission releasing, the Kindle version of The Daughter's Predicament is FREE until 10/9/22! Get your copy today!

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

Order Here: https://www.amazon.com/Daughters-Predicament-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B07NQZVNWY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

💖 THE LADY’S MISSION (The Quilting Circle 5) 💖 NOW AVAILABLE!!!

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love?

Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

Order Here: https://www.amazon.com/Ladys-Mission-Quilting-Circle-Book-ebook/dp/B0B8DZMZJG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B72CJD061SUW&keywords=the+lady%27s+mission+by+mary+davis&qid=1662765191&s=books&sprefix=the+lady%27s+mission%2Cstripbooks%2C133&sr=1-1

 

💖 Other Books in the Quilting Circle Historical Romance Series 💖

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner & WRMA Finalist *– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q6L5QT1?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&qid=1634872128&sr=1-1

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MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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Tuesday Tidbits: RANDOM RESEARCH

Being an author, I research a lot of things I never imagined learning about. From hot-air balloons to hurricanes, from challenge coins to stagecoaches tipping over, and a lot of fascinating stuff in between. (I’ll list a couple of those at the end.)

Here are a few of the things I hunted down while writing The Lady’s Mission.

~Since I was featuring a hot-air balloon in this story, I researched a ton of stuff about them and how to fly one. I watched dozens of videos on this and, by the end, felt as though I might be able to fly a hot-air balloon. Maybe not perfectly, but hopefully enough not to crash. Not that I think I’ll be flying one solo any time soon. 

~The Quilting Circle series obviously features quilts, and even though I have been quilting and sewing for years and years, I still did some historical research. I ran across some interesting newspaper clippings in a book about historical quilts. That is where I saw an article about bachelors sewing a quilt to raise money for charity. I knew that was a valuable gem, and I had to come up with a story to use it in. Well, The Lady’s Mission was the perfect story. 

~Next, I wanted a group of outcasts and chose immigrants, so I needed to know which ones might have been in Washington State. I wanted to have an eclectic mix of people in my little immigrant encampment.

~Now that I had my immigrants, I needed to know how to have my hero greet them, so learning to say “hi” in Kittatas (a Native American tribe associated with the Yakima Nation) and Chinese were important. I didn’t want to get into a lot of foreign language dialogue, just “hi”.

~With my hero being a hot-air balloon enthusiast, it made sense for him to receive a magazine that would include the subject, so I learned what the scientific journal of the day might be called.

Like stumbling across the bachelor quilt, here are a couple of other awesome finds I wasn’t looking.

~A dog who went to jail for killing the mayor’s wife’s cat. Yes, actual prison. He learned his prison number, and eagerly waited for his to be called so he could jump on the work-detail bus. If I remember right, this was in the 1920s. I have plans to mention him in a story, but that one hasn’t been contracted as of yet.

~The Oscars’ statue was named after a secretary’s uncle. She removed the yet-unnamed statue out of the box and said, “This looks like my Uncle Oscar.” Whether this is actually true or not, I don’t know, but it makes for a cute story.

The Lady’s Mission releases tomorrow. Read about Cordelia and Lamar trying to get out of an arranged courtship while hot-air ballooning and constructing a bachelor quilt.

In celebration of The Lady’s Mission releasing tomorrow, book 2 in the Quilting Circle series, The Daughter’s Predicament (Kindle version) is scheduled to be free for a few days. I believe starting on the 5th. Happy Reading!

RELEASES TOMORROW!

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

 

Available for pre-order on Amazon. (Releases October 5, 2022)

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

 Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

Tuesday Tidbits: THE TROUBLE WITH SECONDARY CHARACTERS

All stories have them.

All stories need them.

If you make them too bland, they don’t read as real people. They’re flat.

A flat secondary character. Why bother?

If you make them too interesting, they get minds of their own and try to take over.

This delicate balance between making them interesting enough but not too interesting that they demand their own story is a thin line to navigate.

This secondary character needs a story all her own.

I wrote a book years ago where the sister of the hero was to have a brief appearance in exactly one scene. ONE! Her whole purpose was to introduce the hero, then I was done with her. However, she wasn’t done with me. Every time I turned around, she was showing up again. She didn’t even live in the same town. She was in college. I kept on trying to get rid of her. “Go back to college.”

When she showed up with her car loaded down with all her earthly possessions, I put my foot down. “Go away! This isn’t your story.”

She folded her arms and said, “Make me.”

“Seriously!”

I bartered, made a deal with her, and sent her off to her parents’. She stayed away for the most part but did reappear for the holidays.

One of my critique partners (Hi, Suzanne!) had a walk-by character. If I remember right, the character didn’t even have any dialogue. Suzanne was careful to make sure the character wasn’t flat and didn’t want to use a typical description for her. Our other critique partner (Hi, Kathy!) said, “That character better be coming back, because I want to know her story.” I wholeheartedly agreed. Suzanne had no plans for further scenes for her. What got us was her haunted expression. We wanted to know why she was haunted. There was a backstory there we longed to hear.

In my current The Quilting Circle series, each book introduces additional secondary characters that further the current story. The trouble is, I want to learn more about them, and they deserve their own stories. One of those secondary characters was Lamar Kesner (the hero of book 5). From book two on, he had mild to serious interest in the heroines of those books, but he never got the girl. My publisher was eager to read his story. I was eager for it too by that time.

So, in book 5, another interesting lady waltzes into his life, but can he capture her heart as she has his and hold on to it?

Among soirees, hot air balloon rides, and a bachelor quilt, their hearts stitch together. Hopefully, the threads are strong enough to keep them together.

 

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

 

Available for pre-order on Amazon. (Releases October 5, 2022)

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

 Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub

 

 

Tuesday Tidbit: LAWMAN BADGES & THE WILD WEST

How do you tell a good guy from a bad guy in the old Wild West? Their badge, of course. Unless the lawman is also an outlaw and the outlaw a lawman. The difference between the two wasn’t clear-cut. Lawmen and outlaws dabbled on both sides of the badge.

Circa 1873

Law enforcement badges have been around for thousands of years, clear back to 3000 BC. Knights' shields and coat of arms were forms of badges. However, badges didn’t start out as a sign of someone in crime prevention. The insignias announced a person’s official status and allegiance. There was even a beggar’s badge in England for the poor to show they had the right to beg for food and money.

Beggar badge

Their transition to law enforcement was a natural one, to show who was authorized to administer justice and whom a person might be able to trust. These symbols of authority were traditionally worn on the left side. I found two reasons for this. One, knights carried their shields in their left hand both to protect that most vital organ, the heart, and to leave their dominant arm free to wield their sword.

 

 

Two, the placement signifies the pledge they took to hold the office and their willingness to serve and protect others, even to the point of risking their own lives.

Not all old west lawmen wore their badge on the left but a lot did. Also, not all old west lawmen wore badges at all, because there wasn’t always one available to wear. They cost money, and often, being a sheriff or deputy wasn’t a paid position.

When badges weren’t accessible or there wasn’t a large governing body to issue badges (as was the case in many old West frontier towns), some were formed out of easy to find materials. Some badges were forged out of coins. Rumor has it that the “tin” stars were made out of can lids, though the sources I came across hadn’t seen one yet, they were still looking. Since some badges were made out of readily available items, it makes sense that someone somewhere would have fashioned one out of a can lid.

Badges came in many shapes: stars, shields, ovals, circles, and various other forms. Each organization wanted their badge to be unique, hence the reason for the variety. Here are a few.

Used during WWI

Though badges have changed in their purpose over the centuries, they still convey status and allegiance.

In book 4 of my Quilting Circle series, The Débutante's Secret, a young man with a badge finds love instead of bandits.

The latest installment of the Quilting Circle, book 5, The Lady's Mission, releases October 5, 2022.

 

THE LADY’S MISSION (Quilting Circle 5)

Will Cordelia abandon her calling for love? Cordelia Armstrong wants nothing more than to escape the social norms for her station in society. Unless she can skillfully maneuver her father into giving up control of her trust fund, she might have to concede defeat—as well as her freedom—and marry. Every time Lamar Kesner finds a fascinating lady, her heart belongs to another. When a vapid socialite is offered up as a prospective bride, he contemplates flying off in his hot air balloon instead. Is Lamar the one to finally break the determination of Cordelia’s parents to marry her off? Or will this charming bachelor fly away with her heart?

 

Available for pre-order on Amazon. (Releases October 5, 2022)

 

 

 

~Other Books in the Quilting Circle Historical Romance Series

THE WIDOW’S PLIGHT (Book1) – Will a secret clouding a single mother’s past cost Lily the man she loves?

THE DAUGHTER’S PREDICAMENT (Book2) *2020 Selah Awards Finalist & WRMA Finalist* – As Isabelle’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams.

THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Book3) *2021 Selah Awards Winner & WRMA Finalist *– Nicole heads down the mountain to fetch herself a husband. Can she learn to be enough of a lady to snag the handsome rancher?

THE DÉBUTANTE’S SECRET (Book4) –Complications arise when a fancy French lady, Geneviève, steps off the train and into Deputy Montana’s arms.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q6L5QT1?searchxofy=true&binding=kindle_edition&qid=1634872128&sr=1-1

 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (Quilting Circle 3) is a Selah Award Winner. Some of her other recent titles include; The Widow’s Plight, The Daughter's Predicament, “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection , Prodigal Daughters Amish series, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of thirty-seven years and one cat. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

 Books2Read  Newsletter  Blog   FB  FB Readers Group   Amazon   GoodReads   BookBub