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Happy tales, Heather Horrocks
www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Author’s Note
There have been three Antlers Hotels built on the same site in Colorado Springs. The first one, built in 1883, burned down in 1898, a year before my story; I chose to ignore the burning down part because I wanted it in my book. I hope you’ll forgive me for taking that literary license.
The Buckhorn Exchange is Denver’s oldest restaurant, and I took part of that name and moved it to the Antlers Hotel for Emily’s dinner date at the Buckhorn Steakhouse. It seemed to fit the theme.
I also made up the bank in my story so I could give my banker a back story. So sue me.
The world’s first indoor swimming pool mentioned by the banker was real, opened in 1889, and was located in the Hotel Broadwater; this pool plays a part in the third book of this series, Montana Gold.
I changed the year on the story of Katherine Lee Bates, but her story is true. I slid the real incident three years earlier, from the actual 1893 to my book’s 1890-91. She wrote in her diary some lines that later she put into a poem, and then on July 4th (a fitting day) of 1895, the first four stanzas were printed in The Congregationalist newspaper. This poem became the song, “America the Beautiful.” Later, she was quoted as saying, “That the hymn has gained ... such a hold as it has upon our people, is clearly due to the fact that Americans are at heart idealists, with a fundamental faith in human brotherhood.” I just had to include this delightful tidbit in my book! (If you’d like to watch and listen to a video of “America the Beautiful” sung by “America’s Choir — the Mormon Tabernacle Choir — click here.
Book Club Questions
1
Do you believe that the best way to make money during a gold rush is to supply the miners? In 1848, Sam Brannan, a store owner, shouted, “Gold!” — right after he’d purchased all the shovels in San Francisco. Cornering the market, anyone? He made a killing selling them to the miners and may have inspired the maxim: During a gold rush, sell shovels. Author Mark Twain said, “During the gold rush, it’s a good time to be in the pick and shovel business,” and investor Peter Lynch said, “During the Gold Rush, most would-be miners lost money, but people who sold them picks, shovels, tents and blue-jeans made a nice profit.” Apparently, Levi Strauss became a wealthy man during the gold rush. What do you think?
2
Joseph was born and raised in America City, which is a real town in Kansas that later became a ghost town. Do you know anyone who was raised in a town that has since died off?
3
Katherine Lee Bates is a real person and what she tells Emily is true. Did you know this is where the idea for the song “America the Beautiful” came from? Does it make you want to see the view from Pikes Peak?
4
Did you find it interesting that the Statue of Liberty had just been put up four years before and the world’s first swimming pool opened just the year before? It’s interesting to me to know that these things that we grew up with were so new and novel at the time.
5
Did you feel the Dawsons (the couple on the train) would have been generous employers, as they claimed?
6
If you’d had Emily’s jewels, would you have confided in the men sooner? Or did you agree with her keeping them secret as long as she did?
7
Is there anything in modern society that resembles the frantic grasping for riches of the gold rush era?
8
If you lived in the 1890s, would you have preferred to live in the more strait-laced high society of New York or out in the Wild West where women did have more voice and freedom? Or do you think they really did?
9
It was common for women to sew valuables into their clothing during this time period. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that could have been, especially with gemstones?
10
Wouldn’t you love to have Mrs. Easterwood’s recipes? Most women of that generation didn’t use actual recipes; they just measured in their hand (like my grandmother did). Can you even imagine cooking and baking that way now?
About the Author
Heather Horrocks is the USA Today bestselling author of numerous light-hearted, funny, feel-good books (Moonchuckle Bay paranormal romances, Chick Flick Clique and Christmas Street romantic comedies, romances in the American Mail-Order Bride and Rocky Mountain Romances series, Who-Dun-Him Inn and Bad Mothers Club cozy mysteries), the Women Who Knew inspirational books, plus an upcoming series for writers, sharing her unique character interview and amazing book-in-a-day system developed by plotting over ninety books with Diane Darcy, each in one day. She is also the founder of Word Garden Press, a niche publisher of PG-rated fiction and non-fiction. She’s currently working with a talented screenwriter/producer on the first book in her Christmas Street series, Bah, Humbug!
Raised overseas for her first seventeen years, she hid under the bed with her mother during a South American coup, waterskied through an oil slick in the Persian Gulf, partied with a Kuwaiti princess classmate at her palace, flew in and out of the blacked-out Cairo airport mere moments before it was bombed during the Six Day War, rode a camel (and ate a camel steak), crossed the finish line first at Utah's Miller Motorsports Park, and walked on hot coals — without getting burned! — at a firewalk workshop!
She loves anyone who can make her laugh, which explains why she adores her witty husband, her funny friends and sisters, Anne George mysteries and Molly Harper romances, and her cute little dog Gus. She loves to cook for friends, siblings, and especially her children and their families. She and her husband reside in Utah. You can find her online at www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com.
Welcome to Rocky Mountain Romances, seven sweet historical romances brought together by the majestic and beautiful Rocky Mountains.
Be sure not to miss any of the installments by clicking on the links below.
Utah Sunrise by Amelia C. Adams
Idaho Fairytale Bride by Jacquie Rogers
Montana Gold by Diane Darcy
Ride for a Bride in Wyoming by Charlene Raddon
Hazel of Heber Valley by Annette Lyon
New Mexico Enchantment by Savanna Sage
Colorado Dreams by Heather Horrocks
Rocky Mountain Romances Facebook Page
If you liked this book and series, you’ll probably like the American Mail-Order Bride series, as well.
Violet: Bride of North Dakota
American Mail-Order Bride Series #39
Amazon
Violet Keating is thrilled to be a mail-order bride — until she arrives in N
orth Dakota to learn she has a runaway groom!
Feeling protective of her, confirmed bachelor Daniel Lund vows to help this jilted beauty find another husband — until he realizes he’d like to change his own status from “confirmed” to “eligible”.
Can a man who’s given up on love and a jilted mail-order bride find magic under the northern lights?
Acknowledgments
As usual, I have lots of people to thank for helping me write and polish this book.
Amelia C. Adams for inviting me to join the Rocky Mountain Romances series.
USA Today bestselling author Diane Darcy. This makes nearly ninety books plotted, each in one day!
Anissa Wall of AnissaEdits.com.
Theresa Crouse of Magical Words Editing.
Copyright © 2017 Heather Horrocks
www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Word Garden Press
The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
Cover Art Copyrights
Cover Design by Steven Novak at Novak Illustration
Inside Graphics Copyrights
Chapter Numbers: Vintage Seamless Damask Pattern © -strizh- (istockphoto.com)
In-Between Scenes: Crossed Pickaxe and Spade © AlexLMX (istockphoto.com)
All Rights Reserved
This includes the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions.
Work of Fiction
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
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Free Books by Heather Horrocks
Bah, Humbug!
Christmas Street Series #1
In development for a TV movie!
If you “buy” the free Kindle ebook, the Audible audiobook is only $1.99! Also free on B&N and KOBO.
Jingle Belle
Moonchuckle Bay (Movies … Monsters … Magic!) #0.5
The Artist Cries Wolf
Moonchuckle Bay (Movies … Monsters … Magic!) #1
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Pride and Precipitation
Chick Flick Clique (Friends … Family … Falling in Love) #1
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Series by Heather Horrocks
(Watch for the free books below)
MOONCHUCKLE BAY Paranormal Romances:
Jingle Belle (FREE here), The Artist Cries Wolf (FREE Amazon, B&N, KOBO) , The Bridesmaid Earns Her Wings, The Director Gets a Grip, The Fireman Finds His Flame, Elvis Gets His Groove Back, The Hacker Pushes Her Luck, The Contestant Flies Off the Handle, and The Dog Designer Ruffles Some Feathers (Aug 2017).
CHRISTMAS STREET Romantic Comedies:
Bah, Humbug! (FREE Amazon, B&N, KOBO), Kissing Santa, The Naughty List, Love on Christmas Street (#1, 2, & 3), and Deck the Malls.
CHICK FLICK CLIQUE Romantic Comedies:
Pride and Precipitation (FREE Amazon, B&N), A Hound Dog Named Elvis, Regally Blonde, A Pink Dog Named Fluffy (formerly titled Puppy Love), My Spare Lady, Movie Night at Candy’s Cafe (#1, 2, & 3), A Bulldog Named Desire, Fifty Shades of Greystoke, While You Were Stranded, Davidson and Goliath, and Romancing the Clone (2018).
WHO-DUN-HIM INN Cozy Mysteries:
Snowed Inn, Inn the Doghouse, Inn the Family Way, Laugh Yourself to Death at the Who-Dun-Him Inn (#1, 2, & 3), and The Czech’s Inn the Mail #4 (2018)
BAD MOTHERS CLUB Cozy Mystery Series:
Murder is Misunderstood #1
INSPIRATIONAL:
Women Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, Women and Men Who Knew the Mortal Messiah, and Women Who Knew the Great Jehovah (2018).
HISTORICAL WESTERNS:
Violet: Bride of North Dakota (American Mail-Order Brides series #39)
Colorado Dreams (Rocky Mountain Romances series #7)
OTHERS:
How to Stuff a Wild Zucchini, Old Maid of Honor, Baby Mine
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Thanks again!
You’re amazing!
Heather Horrocks
www.BooksByHeatherHorrocks.com
Colorado Dreams (Rocky Mountain Romances Book 7) Page 10
