Saturday, February 28, 2026

Famous Horses in History – Comanche by Donna Schlachter with Giveaway



Comanche, 1872 (Courtesy Wikipedia)


In our second installment of Famous Horses in History, we are going to take a look at another war horse, Comanche. While his exact date of birth isn’t known, he was bought by the US Army in 1868 in St. Louis, Missouri, and sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He was thought to be part mustang and part Morgan, giving him good lineage for living on the plains as well as having stamina and personality. Captain Myles Keough liked the versatile size of the gelding, and purchased him to use as his personal mount, to be ridden only in battle. He usually rode Paddy on marches, while Comanche followed with the other extra horses. Apparently, Keough wanted to keep Comanche fresh for the fighting. 


Captain Myles Keough

 

Comanche was wounded several times prior to Little Big Horn, and each time, the horse continued through the battles and was treated after the fighting ended. One such report was that in 1868, he was wounded in the hindquarters by an arrow, but carried Keough in the fight. He was then named “Comanche” to honor his bravery and toughness. Comanche healed quickly, and Keough was proud of his fearless horse who was never afraid to enter a battle, even though he’d had many injuries.

On June 25, 1876, General George Custer led the 7th Calvary into battle at the Little Big Horn, and Captain Keough rode Commanche into what is now known as Custer’s Last Stand. Every soldier in the battle died, as did most of the horses, and Comanche was one of perhaps 100 Army horses that survived. There is even a report that a yellow bulldog made it through the battle. Most of these mounts were taken by the natives, although their fate is unknown, as the Army horses were more accustomed to a diet of rich grasses, hay, and grain, and tended not to fare well on the native diet of whatever forage they could find.

Severely wounded, Comanche was discovered two days after the end of the fighting, standing beside his owner’s body. He was shipped to Fort Lincoln to recover from his wounds.

Following that, he received the honorary title of Second Commanding Officer and was retired. This time, however, his healing took longer due to the extensive number of wounds. Part of the official order said, “his kind treatment and comfort shall be a matter of special pride and solicitude on the part of every member of the Seventh Calvary to the end of his life…Wounded and scarred as he is, his very existence speaks in terms more eloquent than words, of the desperate struggle against overwhelming numbers…he will never be ridden…nor will he be put to any kind of work.” In accordance with the order, he was never ridden again. He led official parades, with a pair of Calvary riding boots reversed in the stirrups to honor his fallen owner and fellow soldiers.

A reporter from the Bismack Tribune was so inspired by the order that he visited Fort Lincoln to interview the horse, writing that he asked the usual question, and the subject acknowledged with “a toss of his head, a stamp of his foot, and a flourish of his tail.”

However, his official keeper, John Rivers of Company 1, added more details, including that the horse had been found in 1876 following the fatal battle by Sergeant DeLacey, severely wounded. He had serious wounds, including four bullets, three of which were extracted following the battle, and the fourth in April 1877. His keeper didn’t consider him an extraordinary specimen, but acknowledged he was noble looking.

Comanche stayed at Fort Lincoln until June 1879, then the Seventh Regiment moved him to Fort Riley, Kansas in 1887, where he became something of a pet. He enjoyed the run of the post grounds and acquired a taste for beer due to all the toasts made to his bravery in battle.

On November 7, 1891, at the estimated age of 29, Comanche passed away from colic.

Comanche on display at Kansas University (courtesy of The Wayback Machine)

 

A well-known Kansas taxidermist was commissioned to preserve his body, which was exhibited at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893, before being moved to the Kansas University where he is currently on display. He is one of only four horses to be given a military funeral with full honors.

 
Leave a comment and I will draw randomly for an ebook “Christmas Under the Stars”, which also features horses. Please include your cleverly disguised email address (so the ‘bots don’t get you). For example: donna AT livebytheword DOT com


About Christmas Under the Stars:

November 1858, Utah Territory: Edie Meredith strives to keep her temper and her tongue under control as she heads west with her brother to California. Raised in an itinerant preacher family, she promises she will never marry a man of the cloth. Tom Aiken, drover of the wagon train, longs to answer his true calling: to preach, and while he realizes not every woman would choose a preacher for a husband, he hopes to soon find his help-meet. Suspicious ‘accidents’ plague their journey. Is someone trying to keep them from reaching their destination? Or will misunderstanding and circumstances keep them apart?



About Donna:

A hybrid author, Donna writes squeaky clean historical and contemporary suspense. She has been published more than 60 times in books; is a member of several writers' groups; facilitates a critique group; teaches writing classes; and judges in writing contests. She loves history and research, traveling extensively for both, and is an avid oil painter. She is taking all the information she’s learned along the way about the writing and publishing process, and is coaching committed writers eager to tell their story.

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Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comanche_(horse)

University of Kansas Natural History Museum

https://web.archive.org/web/20101028094838/http://custerlives.com/custer4.htm

Literature Appel, David (1951). Comanche: Story of America's Most Heroic Horse. World Publishing Company. ASIN B0007HG0SW.

Movies Tonka (1958), also released as A Horse Named Comanche, a Walt Disney film starring Sal Mineo, based on David Appel's book
Comanche (2000), a film written and directed by Burt Kennedy, starring Kris Kristofferson and Wilford Brimley

Friday, February 27, 2026

Shamrocks, Society Balls, and Political Speeches: St. Patrick’s Day in the Late 19th Century


by Kimberly Keagan

Many Americans can trace their ancestry back to Ireland. In my own family tree, my father’s side includes McClendons and Gillilands who settled in North Carolina during the 1700s. My husband’s lineage includes Murphys who made their home in Canada in the 1800s. Our daughter, with her striking red hair and green eyes, surprised us all but proved that Irish roots can run deep!

With St. Patrick’s Day approaching, I found myself curious about how people in the late 19th century celebrated this beloved Irish holiday. While today’s festivities often center on wearing green and enjoying parades, back then, the holiday carried a deeper cultural and political significance.
 
In both Gilded Age America and Victorian Britain, St. Patrick's Day was not simply about heritage—it was about identity, faith, political influence, and social standing.
 

 


A postcard from the early 1900s. Author's collection.

By the 1890s, Irish immigrants and their descendants had firmly established themselves in American cities such as New York City, Boston, and Chicago. What had begun as immigrant enclaves were becoming political and economic power centers.

For many Irish Americans, St. Patrick’s Day was more than celebration — it was visibility.In New York, the parade organized by the Ancient Order of Hibernians had already become a major annual spectacle. Regimental bands marched. Green banners rippled above crowds. Clergy, fraternal organizations, and military units processed through the streets. Politicians eager to secure Irish-American votes made conspicuous appearances.  

 

Marchers in the St. Patrick's Day parade in New York City in the 1890s. Getty Images.

In working-class neighborhoods, festivities spilled into the streets and parish halls. But among the upper classes — particularly those who had climbed into positions of influence — celebrations often moved indoors. Elite clubs and private homes hosted formal dinners featuring corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, and hearty stews. Some hostesses arranged elaborate green-themed soirĂ©es decorated with golden harps and shamrocks. Society columns occasionally noted such gatherings, marking them as fashionable yet culturally meaningful affairs.

Faith remained central. Catholic families attended special Masses honoring St. Patrick’s missionary legacy. Sermons often emphasized perseverance, resilience, and loyalty — virtues closely associated with Irish identity in America. Charity drives on March 17th supported orphanages, hospitals, and relief funds for struggling communities both at home and in Ireland.


St. Patrick's Cathedral, NY, circa 1895. Photo from author's collection.

Across the Atlantic, however, observance took on a different tone.

In Victorian England, St. Patrick’s Day was generally more restrained among the broader British population. Yet in cities with strong Irish communities, such as Liverpool, Manchester, and London, March 17th brought church services, modest gatherings, music, and poetry readings.

One of the most enduring traditions began under Queen Victoria. In 1893, she formalized the custom of presenting shamrocks to Irish soldiers, a gesture of recognition and respect. That tradition continues today with the Irish Guards, who still receive shamrocks each March 17th.

Among the Irish aristocracy living in England, celebrations tended to be refined and private with dinner parties, musical evenings, and literary tributes to Ireland’s saints and poets.

But beneath the elegance lay political tension.

The Irish Home Rule movement was gaining strength in the 1890s. Public meetings and speeches advocating self-governance were often strategically scheduled on St. Patrick’s Day, giving the holiday added symbolic weight. Newspapers frequently reported on rallies and demonstrations, highlighting the intersection of cultural celebration and political aspiration.

Photo retrieved from www.ppt-online.com


Whether in the grand avenues of New York, the drawing rooms of London, or the pulpit of a parish church, St. Patrick’s Day in the late 19th century offered something powerful: a public affirmation that Irish identity endured.




Kimberly Keagan is a former corporate financial writer (not very romantic) who now crafts Gilded Age historical romances filled with strong heroines, swoon-worthy heroes, faith, and a touch of humor. Her debut novel, Perfect, released in May 2025, and Risky Business, the third book in her Hearts on Display series released on February 18, 2026. Go to KimberlyKeagan.com and download her free Christmas novelette!

  

 

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Home to Mingulay by Cindy Regnier

Imagine for a moment what it would be like to live on a small but beautiful island near Scotland with your only access to anywhere supplied by boats, and then only if conditions were right. That describes the island of Mingulay, a place no one lives nowadays, but scientists go there to study birds, and other wildlife. So what happened to Mingulay and why did its inhabitants leave? Let’s find out.

  From the 15th through 19th centuries Mingulay was considered as part of the lands of Clan MacNeil of Barra. The population of Mingulay were hardy people, surviving by fishing, raising crops and livestock, and catching seabirds on the cliffs. Most of the people were subjects of the Clan MacNeil, but apparently the MacNeils were mostly absent from the island and the people survived in the only ways they knew how.

The evidence remaining of the living conditions on Mingulay suggests that the life of these island people was subject to many hardships. Prolonged periods of bad weather along with the inability to leave or reach the mainland for assistance increased the dangers of illness or medical emergencies. The population reached a peak of 150 in 1881 but fell away rapidly until the last resident left in 1912. 

 Unable to sustain themselves any longer and with no help from the Scottish lords, the final remaining inhabitants sailed for neighboring Vatersay in 1912, leaving behind their village homes. Many of those foundations still stand, reminding us of a way of life now lost to relentless Atlantic elements and absentee landlords.


One interesting story that remains is the story of McPhee’s Hill. As the story goes, When Mingulay was still part of the McNeils land, a rent collector was hired by the name of McPhee. Mr. McPhee was sent to the island to collect the rents from those inhabiting the land, but when he landed there, he discovered everyone in the house he went to was dead. Perhaps there had been an epidemic of some sort. Alarmed, McPhee called to the boat crew that had dropped him off to come back and get him. Fearful of the plague, the crew rowed off and left McPhee to his fate. Mr. McPhee was left on the island for a year while no ship dared to stop there. When he was finally rescued, the McNeils paid him by granting him land on the island. He was not interested, to say the least. That area of the island is still known as McPhee’s Hill. 
 

Mingulay is now owned by the National Trust of Scotland. In certain weather conditions the island can be accessed through boat tours or charters from neighboring islands. Ruins of houses and other buildings remain to attest to the fishing and farming community of previous centuries. The former school building has been renovated by the Trust as a base for the archaeological and biological studies that continue in this harsh environment, but for the most part very little of the Mingulay way of life under their Scottish lord remains.

 

 

Scribbling in notebooks has been a habit of Cindy Regnier since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Born and raised in Kansas, she writes stories of historical Kansas, especially the Flint Hills area where she spent much of her childhood.

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

The Women of the United States Postage Stamps--Part 1

By Jennifer Uhlarik

 

I can hardly believe that we’re already nearly done with the first two months of 2026. This year has flown by, so far. In just three more days, February will be ending, and then we’re into March. Many of you know that March is designated as Women’s History month, and I thought it would be a fun topic to look at the women whose faces have graced our American postage stamps—and what they did to earn such an honor. There have been nearly two-hundred women featured since the late 1800s, when the first woman appeared. So, let’s dig in!

 

The very first woman to ever have her face on an American postage stamp was not an American woman at all. In fact, she was a European ruler. Why on Earth would we put a European queen on our American postage, you ask? Well, perhaps it is because she put up the money to fund Christopher Columbus, who is commonly credited with having discovered America. So who is the woman with the prestigious honor of having been the first female to grace an American postage stamp? Queen Isabella I of Castile (now part of Spain). The stamp was issued in 1893 and was worth $4 during its run. If you can find one of these stamps today, it can cost upward of $3500 in mint condition.


Note Isabella I of Castile on the left,
Columbus on the right.


 Just nine years later, the second woman to grace a postage stamp in the United States was none other than our first First Lady—Martha Washington. Dear Martha has the honor of being featured on stamps three different times, first in 1902, again in 1923, and the last time in 1938. Not only was she the original First Lady of the United States, but she was also instrumental in leading the women camp followers and keeping up troop morale during the Revolution, among many other things.



Martha Washington's 1902 Stamp

Her second appearance came in 1923

Her final appearance was in 1938.

Third on our list of ladies who have graced the postage stamp is none other than Pocahontas, the Native American woman of the Powhatan people who was taken captive by European settlers. Hers is a difficult story which has been beautifully and painstakingly recounted by a dear friend, Shannon McNear, in her Daughters of the Lost Colony series (along with what might have happened to another one of our ladies in this post—Virginia Dare). This stamp, issued in 1907, was originally worth five cents. Today, a mint condition Pocahontas stamp would cost around $450.


Pocahontas's short life was full of hardships.


 

In 1928, “Molly Pitcher” was added to the list of women featured on American postage. Molly Pitcher is a made-up name, and the real identity of this woman isn’t certain, though it is thought that “Molly Pitcher” was a composite of three heroic women who fought in the American Revolution alongside their husbands. The three women are Margaret Corbin, Deborah Sampson, and Mary “Molly” Ludwig Hays. The last on this list, Molly, was said to have carried water in pitchers to dehydrated and desperate soldiers, as well as used the water to cool the cannons. During the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778, Molly Ludwig Hays’s husband was overcome by the conditions and couldn’t man the cannon any longer. So brave Molly stepped into his place, fulfilling his duties during this important battle. Afterward, George Washington is said to have personally thanked her and began calling her “Sergeant Molly.” You’ll notice, on her stamp, it is actually a picture of George Washington with the name “Molly Pitcher” stamped over it. Interesting, right?


Molly Pitcher's name, but not her likeness,
appeared on this stamp.


 

Our next famed lady was Susan B. Anthony, the famed social reformer of the 1800s. She worked with the abolition movement to outlaw slavery in the United States, then lent her voice to the temperance movement, and finally women’s suffrage. Her face has appeared on postage stamps twice—once in 1936 and again in 1955. And I’m sure you all are aware that her likeness was also used on a $1 coin, which was minted between 1979 and 1981, and again in 1999. 


Susan B. Anthony's first appearance on a
postage stamp came in 1936.

Her second appearance was in 1955.

She also made it to the $1 silver coin for a few years.


 

Next is Virginia Dare, who was memorialized on a stamp in 1937. If you haven’t heard of Virginia, she was the first English child born in an English colony here on American soil. Part of the ill-fated Roanoke settlement, Virginia was born on August 18, 1587, the granddaughter of John White. As governor of the colony, White returned to England to garner more money and support, and by the time he returned, the Roanoke colony had disappeared into the mists of time.


Virginia Dare--the first English baby born in the 
colony of Roanoke in 1587--was memorialized 
on a stamp in 1937.


 

In 1940, a female author was honored with her own postage stamp. It was none other than Louisa May Alcott, who was most famous for having written Little Women and Little Men. Like Susan B. Anthony, Louisa also lent her voice to the abolition and temperance movements, and during the Civil War, desired to serve as a soldier. However, because she was a woman, she was denied. Instead, she sewed uniforms until she turned thirty, which was the minimum age for women to become nurses. She soon applied as a nurse and worked in the Union Hotel Hospital in Washington, D.C. until contracting typhoid fever.


Louisa May Alcott did far more than write 
the beloved classic, Little Women.


 

The last woman for today’s post was Frances Willard, who was yet another social reformer. Frances was a teacher who, in her short fifty-eight years, spoke up for temperance and women’s suffrage. In addition, she was the first Dean of Women at Northwestern University, the longtime president of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and in 2000, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame for her many prestigious contributions. Her stamp was created in 1940.


Social Reformer Frances Willard joined 
others in fighting for women's suffrage.


 

We’ll continue the parade of women who appeared on postage stamps for the next several months, so be watching for more. In the meantime:

 

It’s Your Turn: Which of the women who were honored with their own stamp do you find the most impressive, and why?

 


Jennifer Uhlarik
 discovered western novels at twelve when she swiped the only “horse” book from her brother’s bookshelf. Across the next decade, she devoured westerns and fell in love with the genre. While attaining a B.A. in writing from the University of Tampa, she began penning her own story of the Old West. She has finaled in and won numerous writing competitions and appeared on various best-seller lists. Besides writing, she’s been a business owner, a schoolteacher, a marketing director, a historical researcher, a publisher, and a full-time homemaker. She lives near Tampa, Florida, with her husband and fur children.

 

Available Now: Love and Order: A Three-Part Old West Romantic Mystery



 

Wanted: 

Family, Love, and Justice


One Old West Mystery Solved Throughout Three Short Romantic Stories


Separated as children when they were adopted out to different families from an orphan train, the Braddock siblings have each grown up and taken on various jobs within law enforcement and criminal justice.

 

Youngest child, Callie, has pushed past her insecurities to pursue a career as a Pinkerton agent. Middle child, Andi, has spent years studying law under her adoptive father’s tutelage. And the eldest and only son, Rion, is a rough-and-tumble bounty hunter. 

 

When the hunt for a serial killer with a long history of murders reunites the brother and sisters in Cambria Springs, Colorado, they find themselves not only in a fight for justice, but also a fight to keep their newly reunited family intact. How will they navigate these challenges when further complicated by unexpected romances?

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

The Great Halifax Explosion: A Harbor Pilot’s Job

By Terrie Todd

Before researching my novel set during the Halifax Explosion, if you’d asked me what a “harbor pilot” does, I might have taken a stab at it. Like an air traffic controller for boats? Maybe from a helicopter?

Not quite.

Harbor piloting is a career that depends on where and how you were raised. Most pilots grew up on and around boats. They know their local harbor like they know their own mother’s face. They understand its tides, currents, and hazards. They know which ships are currently in the harbor, at which piers they’re docked, what they carry, and how fast they’re moving. They know the depth of the water and exactly what lies hidden beneath.

When a ship approaches the harbor, its captain requests one of these local pilots, who arrives alongside in a little pilot boat. He boards the ship by climbing the ladder tossed over the side for him. Once the pilot is safely aboard, the helmsman of the pilot boat tootles off to his next pick-up or drop-off. The pilot stands alongside the captain and guides the ship in, sometimes taking control if warranted. If the pilot does a good job, he’ll likely be called upon when it’s time to navigate out to sea again. With that complete, the pilot disembarks the same way he boarded.

Bedford Basin in Halifax's busy harbor during WWI
In 1917, a full complement of pilots in Halifax harbor was 25, with eight apprentices. With so many men away fighting the Great War, Halifax was down to 14 pilots at a time when the harbor was busier than ever. Ship captains were not legally required to engage harbor pilots. They were, however, required to pay the fee for one. No captain would be foolish enough to forfeit this paid-for assistance, especially his first time in a port.

Location of the 1917 Explosion
In the case of Harbor Pilot Francis Mackey aboard the fateful SS Mont Blanc, language proved another barrier. His limited French and Captain AimĂ© Le MĂ©dec’s limited English proved an unfortunate combination in an already tumultuous situation. Both were prone to human error, as was the crew of the SS Imo with which they collided, setting off a chain of events that would result in the world’s largest manmade explosion prior to the atomic bomb.

    Some of the explosion's aftermath.

 

The Reluctant Healer of Halifax is the final and sixth book in Barbour Publishing’s Enduring Hope series by various authors. In one-fifteenth of a second, the world’s prettiest harbor suffered the world’s largest man-made explosion prior to Hiroshima. A story of love, loss, faith, and honor set against Canada’s most devastating moment of the First World War. Watch for it in August 2026.

 


Terrie Todd is the award-winning author of ten historical novels, all set in Canada where she lives with her husband Jon. A former church drama team leader and newspaper columnist, she’s also a frequent contributor to Guideposts Books, mother of three, and grandmother of five.

 

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Monday, February 23, 2026

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL, BUT FRENCH

 

 

The 1905 Doll That Took France By Storm

 

By Mary Davis

 

Long before American Girl Dolls stepped out of history and into little girls’ hearts, or Barbie sashayed out of her Dreamhouse, there was Bleuette. Every little French girl’s dream doll.

 

Author's Friend's Doll & Photo

 

Toward the end of the French doll era, when France was shifting toward separation of church and state, publisher Henri Gautier created a weekly magazine for girls. La Semaine de Suzette (Suzette’s Week) would teach sewing, cooking, manners, etiquette, and other womanly skills for running a household. The first issue came out on February 2, 1905, and the magazine lasted until August 25, 1960, with a break during WWII.

 


To help young girls learn and develop these skills, as well as promote the magazine, Henri Gautier devised a mascot for the magazine, a doll called Bleuette. Girls who bought a year’s subscription before the release of the first issue received the doll for FREE. What a deal! Those who bought the first issue without a subscription before it was released could buy the doll for 2.50 French francs.

 

All 20,000 of the first batch of dolls commissioned were sold before the first issue was released. In fact, the publishing house had to scramble to get 40,000 more dolls made for the initial preorder of subscriptions.

 


Though Bleuette arrived in only a chemise made out of a thin fabric, similar to cheese cloth, clothing patterns for her were featured in the magazine to help teach girls to sew. Girls were encouraged to begin making clothes for their doll right away. They also learned mommy skills in taking care of their doll.

 

Clothing patterns were in a lot of the issues, over 1,060 patterns in Bleuette’s fifty-five-year reign from 1905-1960. When a new season came, Bleuette needed new dresses, a new coat, and accessories like hats, shoes, and purses. Always fashionably dressed, she had clothes for every season, occasion, sport, and event, including a Red Cross uniform, aviator outfit, motoring coat with goggle hat, as well as skating and skiing outfits. There were even patterns to make furniture out of cardboard.

 


Bleuette stood 27 cm (10 5/8”) tall with a fully jointed composition body and a porcelain head. Bleuette had at least four different heads throughout her lifetime. The first were known as "Premiere Bleuette". After WWII, her head was made of composition. Her body also went through several variations and grew from 27 cm to 29 cm (11 3/8”) in 1933. Still all the bodies had basically the same measurements so the patterns would work for all the dolls.

 

Author's Friend's Doll & Photo

 

In 1926, Bleuette’s baby sister, Benjamine, arrived but was discontinued soon after her dĂ©but. Baby brother, Bambino, was introduced in 1928 with moderate success. And her big sister, Rosette, didn’t come along until 1955. Bleuette’s siblings never had the same popularity as Bleuette nor did they have her extensive wardrobe.

 

Years ago, I was in a porcelain doll group, and I made a couple of Bleuette dolls. I painted the faces and put the heads on composite bodies. I loved making her because of her rich history. I decided she needed her own stories like the American Girl Dolls, so I wrote a couple for her, Meet Bleuette, and Bleuette’s Birthday Surprise.

 

Author Photo

I would call Bleuette “France’s little sweetheart.”

 

Meet Bleuette & Bleuette's Birthday Surprise 


In Meet Bleuette, book 1, Bleuette's family is of moderate means, but her classmates think she's from a well-off family because she always has new dresses. When she's invited to a fancy birthday party, she can't wait to go. But will the birthday girl learn Bleuette is just the daughter of a seamstress and withdraw the invitation? 

In Bleuette's Birthday Surprise, book 2, Bleuette turns ten and thinks her family has forgotten her birthday. Will she even get cake or a present? Or will the day pass right by without anyone noticing?

 
 

MARY DAVIS, bestselling, award-winning novelist, has over thirty titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her latest release is THE LADY’S MISSION. Her other novels include THE DÉBUTANTE'S SECRET (Quilting Circle Book 4) THE DAMSEL’S INTENT (The Quilting Circle Book 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, "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection, and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads. She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Rocky Mountains with her Carolina dog, Shelby. She has three adult children and three incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:
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