Category
Western History
The real events, places, and people behind the fiction.
Posts coming soon.
From the writing desk
The Blog
Notes from the research trail, the writing life, and the world of my books. New posts gather here as they're written.
Latest post
Character Spotlights
Marcus: The Youngest Brother Who Carried the Weight of the War
Meet Marcus — the youngest of the Original Five Oath Brothers, and the man whose weary honor became the foundation of the Iron Oath Sentinels.
Read the post →
More posts
Frontier Life
Hunter's Whitworth Rifle: Reach Beyond Ordinary
Hunter carried a Whitworth rifle when he enlisted with the Louisiana Infantry—until it was taken from him at the Wilderness. Here's the story of the hexagonal-bored marvel that could strike at a thousand yards.
Read →
Frontier Life
The Rifle They Called the Yellow Boy
Before the Winchester 1873 became "The Gun That Won the West," the 1866 Yellow Boy taught a generation of riders to trust a lever-action rifle under their knee.
Read →
Character Spotlights
Meet Daniel Judge. Cross him at your peril.
Fewer than 15 pages total of actually being on the page, yet Daniel Judge's shadow looms over the whole of the Iron Oath Sentinels series.
Read →
Frontier Life
Rachel's 1848 Colt Dragoon: A Hand Cannon on Horseback
In West of Forgotten, Rachel carried an 1848 Colt Dragoon—a four-pound horse pistol built for mounted dragoon regiments and powerful enough to stop almost anything in its path.
Read →
Frontier Life
The Colt That Won the West
The Single Action Army was the revolver most of my heroes would have worn on their hip in 1873 — and the reasons why say a great deal about the men who carried one.
Read →
Why I Write
I write because the world is messy, painful, feels out of control, and often is unfair. Stories are one of the few places where I can make sense of it all and where I have some control.
Read →
Historical Authenticity: Writing the Truth of the Past
I attempt with every historical romance novel I write to bring historical authenticity to the page. I use common vernacular of the time—within limits.
Read →
The Characters Who Live Rent-Free in My Head
Asking an author to pick a favorite character is like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. I may not have a favorite child, but I do have about four characters I simply adore.
Read →
Wounded Hearts Between the Lines
On the night of July 2, 1863, a Confederate soldier sang old hymns between the battle lines at Gettysburg while wounded men from both armies listened in the moonlight.
Read →
Faith in Something Greater
On second chances, the town called Redemption Bluff, and the sister town where no one thought to look for one.
Read →
Category
Frontier Life
Everyday details of life on the American frontier.
Posts coming soon.
Category
Historical Research
Where I went looking — and what I found.
Posts coming soon.
Category
Behind the Scenes
The making of a book, from first spark to final page.
Posts coming soon.
Category
Character Spotlights
A closer look at the men and women who carry the stories.
Posts coming soon.
Category
Writing Updates
What's on the desk, what's on the way.
Posts coming soon.