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Journal Notes

March 10, 2010
I had the pleasure of seeing Hal Holbrook perform his one man Mark Twain show a couple of nights ago. It was extraordinary. Not only was I moved by the brave interpretation of the material, but impressed with Mr. Holbrook’s tenacity. He’s 85 years old. The set was simple. A desk, chair, pulpit, a few books, an ashtray, and a crystal pitcher of water and a glass. It was a wonderful experience and it made me want to read Huck Fin again. Samuel Langhorne Clemens came West looking for golf and discovered a career instead. He plied his trade as a journalist, but it was his short story, “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” (set in the area that he’d gone to hunt for gold) that caused a sensation and made his name as a writer. Twain was brilliant. I thought I’d include some of my favorite Twain sayings on the site today. I aspire to be as entertaining in my work. We write frankly and fearlessly but then we "modify" before we print. - Letter to Fred J. Hall, 10 Aug 1892 about his work as a journalist. I conceive that the right way to write a story for boys is to write so that it will not only interest boys but strongly interest any man who has ever been a boy. That immensely enlarges the audience. - Life on the Mississippi. It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off.- "An Author's Soldiering," 1887 Experience of life (not of books) is the only capital usable in such a book as you have attempted; one can make no judicious use of this capital while it is new.- letter to Bruce Weston Munro, 21 Oct 1881.

 

March 8, 2010
I’ve been struggling with insomnia for years. I am completely unable to sleep until it’s time to get up! It’s maddening. It does give me a great deal of time to do research. And there’s nothing more fun to do at 3 a.m.. The last few nights I’ve been looking into the life of a lawman turned outlaw by the name of John Larn. On this day in 1877 Sheriff Larn of Shackleford County, Texas resigned because he and another outlaw were found to be stock thieves. That’s a polite way of saying they were cattle rustlers. It was a busy year for Larn. He killed one of his partners in a fight over a horse in Colorado, a nosey sheriff in New Mexico, two Mexicans near the Pecos River, and a third riding along with him on a cattle drive. Larn was eventually shot and killed by vigilantes. I’ll be heading to Lone Pine, California at the end of this week. I’m going to be speaking at the Lone Pine Film Museum. Lone Pine has been used as a setting for numerous westerns - How The West Was Won, North to Alaska, and Joe Kidd are just a few. Back in the 1870s, Lone Pine was a wild and woolly supply town providing goods and services for the gold and silver miners in the area. It’s a beautiful location. I could use a change of scenery. Everywhere I go however, there I am and that’s the damned awful misery of it.

 

March 4, 2010
Dodge city is the backdrop for today’s “It Happened When” segment. Bully Brooks, a petty thief and hard case with a chip on his shoulder, got into a heated debate with Buffalo Hunter, Kirk Jordan. Shots were fired and Henry H. Raymond, another buffalo hunter near by the action witnessed the exchange. According to his diary (a copy of which is on file in the manuscript division of the Kansas Historical Society) Brooks had been shot, but escaped. “Tuesday, March 4, 1873. Beautiful day down in town. Bill Brooks got shot with a needle gun - the ball passing through two barrels of water.” Brooks quickly left town, but he was back a few months later causing more trouble. As annoying as Brooks was at least he had a purpose. I really feel like I’m in a rut with writing. After 10 years of being in this line of work I just thought it would be different. There’s lot of hustle to improve sales. Lots of e-newletter sent out, postcards, calls made to bookstores, advertisement placed, but emails aren’t returned, the phone never rings, and I don’t see sales improving much. I’ve got to think of a big publicity venture. Or perhaps I should just set this aside all together and go full time into private investigation work. Maybe too much bad has happened and I just can’t see beyond that. My brother has surgery in May to relieve the swelling on the brain he received from beatings he endured. Bars of soap shoved in a sock can cause a lot of damage when six or seven men are using them to beat you senseless.

 

March 1, 2010
I had some really wonderful teachers throughout my school years, but I question some of the material I had to read. I often wonder if my perpetual sense of impending doom was cased by those Dick and Jane books I read as a kid. What was Dick always running from? And why did he have to be told twice? Maybe I could have handled that sort of thing had I read it as an adult, but I suspect that reading Dick and Jane in my early childhood crippled me emotionally. I can’t put my finger on where it all started to go wrong some days. The Dick and Jane theory is as good as any right now. I think if there hadn’t have been great teachers in my life things would have turned out a lot worse. I wish I had cared more about learning when I was a teenager. In the Old West teachers were allowed to hit students. Some of them even threw things at their students - a book, a stick, a shoe…. I’m glad that isn’t a practice that continued on through time, but I can’t help wondering if that could have helped me. I think if a few of my high school teachers would have thrown something at me I wanted like a really good looking guy it could have improved my receiving skills.

 

February 26, 2010
5.0 out of 5 stars A great addition for your bookshelf By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews There's gold in them thar hills, and the women came to get it out! Chris Enss presents some of the finest snapshots of women prospectors of the old west and how they made their mark in history. When reading these marvelous tales of rough and tumble characters it is impossible not to get a feeling how our western states were developed. There are many illustrations and actual photographs which depict how hard life actually had been for these women. Through the years they not only prospected, they found gold and had the mines to show for it. Side line businesses were started so as to fund their ventures in the hills. We learn about their restaurants, boarding houses, and managing skills. Yet, they gave charity to miners on the skids by giving them free food, bathing, and often staking to search for a new claim. Compassion was really the second name for many of these tough broads, but never cross them like Jamieson did when he shot and killed Charley (Charlotte) Hatfield's husband. She did a lot of searching for many years until she caught up with him by chance and shot him three times! Author Chris Enss brings to this compilation of true stories, a keen eye for interesting anecdotes about each of these women of the old west. In 1905 Lillian Malcolm said "The grandest and healthiest life known is this rough pioneer life. And I don't see why more women are not in the hills." Early photographs are from many historical societies in the western states and you have to see them to really get this wonderful flavor of seeing a woman swinging a pick or sifting a pan for gold. Chris has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and the movies. Her professionalism shines and you are easily transported to yesteryear in an old western motif. Past books have included The Doctor Wore Petticoats, The Lady Was a Gambler, Pistol Packin' Madams, and Outlaw Tales of California. A Beautiful Mine is a recommended exceptional read and a great addition for your bookshelf. Clark Isaacs Reviewer

 

February 24, 2010
It’s one of those days where the cold, rainy weather mirrors that gloom that permeates your heart and soul. I face this day with hope that things will get better soon. Everyone who loses somebody wants revenge on someone, on God if they can't find anyone else. But in Africa, in Matobo, the Ku believe that the only way to end grief is to save a life. If someone is murdered or taken from you by a false accusation, a year of mourning ends with a ritual that they call the Drowning Man Trial. There's an all-night party beside a river. At dawn, the killer is put in a boat. She or he is taken out on the water and they are dropped. They are bound so that can't swim. The family of the dead or wrong person then has to make a choice. They can let them drown or they can swim out and save them. The Ku believe that if the family lets the person drown, they'll have justice but spend the rest of their lives in mourning. But if they save them, if they admit that life isn't always just... that very act can take away their sorrow.

 

February 22, 2010
In my never ending quest to increase book sales I’m going to attempt a move into a frightening area - I’m going to move from text e-mail newsletters to video. A camera crew will be at my office on Friday to shoot a series of on-line commercials. Ten years ago I couldn’t have imagine that there would come a day when millions of ordinary people would be creating and uploading homemade videos onto sites like YouTube each month, and this is just the tip of the iceberg! This is not some flash-in-the-pan fad; it is a symbol of the growing clout of online users who expect to get information delivered the way they want it - in video. Much of my day is spent doing the actual marketing of the books I’ve written. The ads that will be produced will be funny and catchy - at least that’s the plan. If all goes well I’ll be sending out video emails by mid-March. I spend the bulk of my day working on promotions and sales for the books I’ve already written. It’s that distasteful part of the business that my authors don’t care to participate. I was naïve enough when I started writing to think that the publisher did the promotions. Not a chance. Little did I know. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to arrange book signings at some incredible Old West sites. Last year I was in Dodge City at the Long Branch Saloon. In the coming months I’ll be in Cody, Wyoming at the Irma Hotel. As and Old West junkie it doesn’t get any better than that. Keep your eye out for the video email - coming soon to a computer near you.

 

February 18, 2010
There are days when I am keenly aware that even if my brother lives to be released from federal prison he will never be the same again. A fire has swept through his life and there is nothing left now but the shell of the man that once was. It’s a hurt from which I believe I will never fully recover. I ask God everyday to help. I want to forgive. I cannot understand why it is so impossible for so many to have glossed over the true bad guy in this scenario. John Steinbeck said it best in East of Eden "Just as there are physical monsters," Steinbeck asks, "can there not be mental monsters born with face and body perfect? If a twisted gene or a malformed egg can produce a physical monster, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?" There were a lot of malformed souls in the Old West - for example: On this day in 1878 the Murphy-Dolan faction murdered the benevolent John Tunstall outside of Lincoln New Mexico. A bloody power struggle called the “Lincoln County War: broke out following his death. It’s easy to hear about this crime and instantly think of Billy the Kid’s role in the war...glossing right over the ones that started the mess in the first place.

 

February 16, 2010
Hanging on the wall across from my desk are three pictures of the ghost town known as Bodie. I’ve had the pleasure of traveling to Bodie a few times. It’s a magnificent state park in a state of arrested decay. When you’re there you can’t help but imagine what it must have been like more than 150 years ago. You can almost hear the sound of a piano playing and laughter bursting through the swinging doors of the wooden buildings that used to be busy saloons. I always dreamed of being a part of a film that recaptured that time period. I’ve come close, but nothing yet. I guess a lot of people hope to be part of a film - western or otherwise. Everyone wants to write a book, screenplay, or act. With all the tedious, humiliating, stupid ways there are to make a living in this world, why do so many of us choose that. Maybe we didn’t get enough attention as a child, maybe we watched too much television, or maybe someone read one of my books and said, “Come on, she writes books, how hard can it be?” It seems like acting would be a constant exercise in humiliation. A “how low can you go” limbo game where it helps to have a double-jointed ego because it’s going to be bent, stretched, and forced into positions a lanky yoga instructor on Ambien couldn’t manage. You go to Hollywood to ply your craft and you get a job waiting tables at Der Wienerschnitzel in Culver City so you can network with Sony interns as they ask you to refill the relish tub. I should be content with just being able to write about people from the Old West because it seems to make it as a screenwriter or a motion picture actor you have to want it more than you want anything else in life and I just don’t want anything like that. Not true…I want my brother to live and come home, but outside of that…. Actors are always talking about their motivation, that is, what makes their character do the things he does. I think at this point and time in my life any plum role I would get I would use a special acting technique for my motivation that I call the check method. See, in every one of my movies, my “character” would know that when filming was done, I would get a big check. I know it’s so much more than that. It’s a craft, an art. You can’t watch Phillip Seymour Hoffman or read anything Larry McMurtry writes and not know that. If nothing else, most aspiring entertainers live in the “now.” For most aspiring entertainers, it goes something like this: “Now I’m broke. Now I’m still broke. Now I’m going to sell my blood so I can buy some ramen noodles.”

 

February 12, 2010
I had the pleasure of doing another interview today with Mike Thomas at KWRE in Warrenton, MO. His program is entitled Livewire and I always enjoy being a phone-in guest on the broadcast. He's read the book before we start and can ask pointed questions. I like that in an interviewer. Valentine's Day is Sunday and one of my happier childhood memories is selecting just the right v-day card for the boy in class I liked. The card had to convey my true feelings without being too forward. In 2nd grade I selected a card with a little girl shaking hands with her puppy. The message read, "I paws to tell you Happy Valentine's Day." Oh, I wish Dale Thoeni knew how I agonized over that card. Romance wasn't blooming in downtown El Paso, Texas on this day in 1882 when two local characters got into an arguement over an actress. Doc Cummings was drunk and mouthing off to Jim Manning at a variety show. It came to a shoot out and Doc was killed. I received some information from one of the doctors who has been helping with the research of the book I'm working on about my brother. It's interesting and very sad. In Montana v. Harts (State of Montana v. Harts, 1993), the State's child protective services workers had performed the first several evaluations of two children, ages 3 and 5, who had alleged sexual abuse by their great-grandparents, ages 78 and 81, who had no documented history of previous criminal behavior or of sexually inappropriate behavior. Child protective services workers and police rewarded the children with praise when they provided affirmative responses to their questions. When one child reported something that the other could not at first remember, pressure applied until the child could remember it. No effort was made to verify the physical possibility or impossibility of the allegations. The children were sent to a therapist who insisted that the children elaborate on this abuse by asking them to "draw a picture of your rectum" and "draw a picture of how you feel about Pa's genitals." These drawings were submitted to the county attorney over the next two years as evidence of abuse. Other grossly inappropriate "therapeutic techniques" were also used to extract confirmation from the children that bizarre and violent sexual abuse had been perpetrated against them. The 5-year-old boy was put into treatment sessions with a 9-year-old boy who was a confirmed sexual abuse victim. The therapist typically saw the children in her home for up to 6 hours at a time. The therapist forbade anyone to talk to the children, including their grandparents, unless they promised not to express any doubt as to the children's allegations, or unless the therapist was present. When the children tried to say that their reports were "just dreams" or had never been true, these statements were discounted. The therapist asked the children to draw something and when they did not, she produced the drawing, labeled it as the child's, and sent it to the county attorney. The therapist collected crime victim's compensation funds for the children's treatment, long before an unbiased investigation was performed, reinforcing the necessity from the therapist's perspective that the crime be confirmed even if it had not occurred. Through disorderly and biased procedures, these children were induced, albeit unintentionally, to report ever more heinous acts of sexual abuse against them. Deposition testimony indicated that upon re-evaluation the children's statements did not meet credibility criteria when the procedure, "Statement Validity Analysis" (Raskin & Esplin, 1991) was applied. Re-evaluation also indicated that initial evaluation procedures had been faulty. The county attorney filed a brief to quash this challenging testimony at trial, maintaining that SVA and the other procedures described above were inadmissible as expert testimony due to major disagreements and lack of consensus among experts in the field. A review and analysis of the literature identified eight core similarities among the major approaches to such evaluations. Expert testimony was offered that these eight similarities, used as the foundation for the investigation of the sex abuse allegations, do meet evidence admissibility requirements. The judge allowed the challenged testimony, ruling that investigative procedures utilizing these eight core similarities were scientifically acceptable and admissible as evidence. Prior to trial a Statement Validity Analysis was performed enabling further expert testimony to the effect that the children probably had not been abused, but had been led to believe that they were, based on suggestive, coercive, and biased investigative and therapeutic conduct. The Judge ultimately ruled that the alleged sexual offenders were "not guilty."

 

February 10, 2010
I’m losing another loved one and there’s nothing I can do but watch them fade away. There’s a golden hawk outside my window this morning, screeching as she scans the ground below. The screeching mirrors the hurt I’m feeling over the impending loss. I pray and I believe in the power of prayer, but I’m also very stubborn. I’ve never been able to “let go and let God” as the saying goes. I always have to see how I can fix it first. I’ve tried, but years of hurt and struggle have broken the heart and spirit of this person and now their heart is physically giving out on them. And just like watching my brother slowly die, I have a front row seat to this ending as well. Every morning before I beginning writing I spend some time in a Bible study and prayer. I don’t want to be like the character in the Ox-Bow Incident, that great western film about an angry mob that rushed to judgment. I want to be forgiving because I’ve been forgiven, but some days that’s a tall order. The Bible study generally leaves out how difficult it is to live up to that. I’ve reached out to someone I have been struggling with forgiving and we’ve spoken a couple of times. Healing is going to take a while for me, but it’s a start. I would like to have a permanent place in someone’s heart. A place that could not be removed no matter what tragedy or hardship occurs. In recent months I’ve been told by my biological father and my aunt to never bother contacting them again. I don’t like being so disposable. That ability to consistently live the love you declare you have for someone is what I admire in Elizabeth Custer and why it’s a joy to write about her everyday. I’m at the part in the book I’m writing where Elizabeth faces Monahseetah for the first time. Monahseetah is an Indian woman George is rumored to be romantically involved. Elizabeth doesn’t rush to judgment after she hears the rumor. She spends time with George and the other woman before she forms her opinion. And even when the rumors seem to have a glimmer of truth, she stays with her husband. She stays with him because she made a promise that she would and Elizabeth Custer is as good as her word. So here I sit. The work day has begun the hawk continues to screech. With all that’s going on it’s what I would do right now if it were socially acceptable.

 

February 8, 2010
4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating history of 15 women gamblers of the American Wild West., February 4, 2010 By Cathy G. Cole (Phoenix, AZ USA) - First Line: An attractive, statuesque woman with golden blonde curls piled high on top of her head sat behind a large table in the back of the Pacific Club Gambling Parlor in San Francisco, California. There's something about the ching of spurs, the slap of the bat-wing doors of a saloon, and the alluring smile of a beautiful faro dealer. They are some of the most common sounds and sights that come to mind when people think of the Wild West. Author Chris Enss provides names and histories to fifteen of these pretty gambling faces, and it's a pleasure to get to know them all. Alice Ivers ("Poker Alice") was in the gambling profession for more than sixty years. She died broke at the age of seventy-nine. "I gambled away fortunes," she once told a friend, "but I had a ball doing it." She also never sat down at the table without her gun. The right face, the right name, and the right personality meant added business for gambling houses, and the very best of these ladies could rake in thousands of dollars. (Just ask Doc Holliday who once lost $30,000 to Lottie Deno.) Speaking of Lottie Deno, many historians claim that the character of Laura Denbo in the movie Gunfight at the OK Corral and the character of Miss Kitty in Gunsmoke are based on her. Although there are many instances in these ladies' lives that provoke laughter, it wasn't all fun and games. When large sums of money, alcohol, quick-tempered men and pretty women are all in one place, abuse, death and tragedy are frequent visitors. Enss provides just enough biography, history and photography to make readers want to do their own research and learn more. I've walked down Allen Street. I've walked past the OK Corral, and I've seen the gallows at the Courthouse in Tombstone, Arizona. I've heard the rustle of skirts, the ching of spurs, the shouts of laughter, and the slap of those bat-wing doors when I strolled past Big Nose Kate's Saloon. But it's only now that books like Chris Enss' The Lady Was a Gambler are being written that I'm getting a real feel for the people who lived in these legendary towns. If you like to read books about the history of the Old West and about women's history, you'll want to read The Lady Was a Gambler. The only real problem I had with this book was that I would've enjoyed an extra 200 pages!

 

February 5, 2010
From MidWest Book Reviewer - Clark Isaacs The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill Author: Chris Enss ISBN: 978-0-7627-4815-0, Pages: 168, $16.95 Publication Date: January 19, 2010, Paperback, Biography, Published by: TwoDot Press, an Imprint of Globe Pequot Press Over 100 books and articles have been written about the man who made the Wild West come alive, “The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill” by Chris Enss adds another dimension to the stories about the life of William F. Cody. He was a showman extraordinaire, a scout for the United States Government, a soldier in the Civil War, an Indian fighter, and above all, he loved the ladies. Chris Enss, who has written many books about western culture, its people, and the lives of many interesting personages of the old west, has assembled a succinctly remarkable characterization of who ‘Buffalo Bill’ really was. He was a family man, a showman, and a person who was able to take care of business. According to Annie Oakley, who was a star performer for 17 years in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, “His words were better than most written contracts.” Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show traveled around the world and gave audiences in Europe and the United States a taste of the ‘Wild West’. This all took place in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. His troupe had several hundred members who roped, rode horses, and demonstrated shooting acuity. His people were extremely loyal to him and stayed with the show for years. One of the most interesting facts about his life is that in the span of 50 years of marriage, he attempted to divorce his wife Louisa twice. The contested divorce trial ended with the Judge not granting the parties what they had sought. In later years they reconciled their differences, but the jealousy of his philandering in many dalliances with young ladies kept his wife on a suspicious crusade to catch him by hiring a private detective. Quoting from the trial transcripts and other documentation, we are made privy to many of Louisa Cody’s witnesses’ statements about some of the women he dallied with. With an almost puritanical recitation of facts, we are told of his affairs with Indian maidens, theatrical ingénues, and some pretty interesting ladies of the evening. Buffalo Bill Cody outlived his children and died at the age of 70 in 1917. He lived an exciting life that took him through an untamed land in the old west as a pioneer in a developing civilization. He was instrumental in the settling of the ‘Wild West’ and was one of its last glamorous heroes of a by-gone generation. He became well known across the world as he mingled with Kings, Queens, and other royalty of Europe. His life as depicted in this non-fiction account was about bravery, honesty, and courage that made him a righteous man even though he had an eye for the ladies. His love of this land was more important than his indiscretions. The legendary career of Buffalo Bill Cody, the only Western Hero mentioned in Who’s Who in America, makes this book a must read.

 

February 3, 2010
No matter how many books I’m currently contracted to do I can’t resist looking for the next manuscript to write. I’ve started to dive into the life of pioneer architect Julia Morgan. She designed and oversaw the construction of more than 800 buildings in the Old West. With the exception of her friendship with William Randolph Hearst (the to built Heart’s castle) little is known about her personal life. That alone is fascinating. Surely there must be something out there that would tell her story. A journal, letters…I’m determined to find it at this point and begin writing the proposal for the book I want to write about her. I’ll use my P.I. license that I now have to venture into areas that are off limits to anyone who isn’t a private detective. Perhaps that’s where I’ll uncover Julia’s story. A good portion of my afternoon yesterday was spent dealing with the person who stole my credit card number and was charging several musical instruments to the account. I recently booked my airline tickets to Billings on-line and the thief got the information from there. It’s been a nightmare. Many of my days are filled with these irritating situations. Whether it’s dealing with prison officials about my brother’s ever failing health or trying to convince a pet shop store owner in Cleveland who barely speaks English that my credit card number was stolen and it wasn’t me who purchased 70 pounds of monkey-chow, life can be a irritating. There’s been too much irritation and work and not enough play. I’m not having any fun in life and I’m lonely. Of course you can’t tell that from my recent credit card use. Evidently I ordered enough music equipment to start my own band. So apparently I’m rich and at least hang out with a drummer and a xylophone player.

 

February 1, 2010
I hope to finish writing another 10 pages for on the Libbie Custer biography before heading off to Montana at the end of the week. I need to visit the Little Big Horn again and Elizabeth Custer’s museum in Garryowen Town. The object of the additional research is to acquire more information about their extra-marital relationships. George and Elizabeth were hopelessly devoted to one another, but their marriage had problems. I’d like to explore some of those problems and find out how they rose above them. I’m using two books as templates for writing the book about my brother, one is Forgiving the Deadman Walking by Debbie Morris and the other is Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton. Right now I am focusing on the prosecution’s statements to the press that my brother was hanging out at schools and picking up young girls. They failed to mention to the court and to the reporters that the girls in question were my nieces and that Rick was asked by my other brother to pick his daughters up after school and take them to the dentist. That kind of truth does not make good headlines, but the lie certainly helps a prosecuting attorney paint a misleading picture so the case can successfully be tried in the court of public opinion. And that’s just one of the many misleading statements that was fed to the press. It’s very hard to live the example set by the three people in the books I previously mentioned. I want to however. I am compelled to correct these misconceptions, but this experience has convinced me that God’s peace can’t be separated from his grace and forgiveness. On this day, just a mere 199 years ago, Bob and Grat Dalton were making plans to rob a train in Alila, CA.. The actual robbery took place on Saturday, February 6th. They killed the fireman but could not open the safe and finally rode off empty handed. The Daltons were tougher and meaner than they were smart.

 

January 29, 2010
I’ve enjoy researching and writing about Elizabeth and George Custer, but find it difficult to recount the brutal behavior of both the Native Americans and the Whites on the frontier. For example, on this day 145 years ago, outraged Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Sioux warriors launched a series of attacks all along the valley of the South Platte River in Colorado. The Indians strike at wagon trains, state stations, and military outposts. The town Julesburg, in northeast Colorado, is burned, and its white residents scalped in retaliation for the massacre at Sand Creek. Denver is threatened. Communications and supplies through the area are halted. The incident at Sand Creek that prompted this action was a shameful. A 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia attacked and destroyed a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped in southeastern Colorado Territory. They killed 133 Cheyenne and Arapaho men, women, and children. The Indians wanted revenge and they got it. It only resulted in more bloodshed however. Revenge rarely has the effect you think it will. I believe it must be wholly unsatisfying. For me Clint Eastwood’s character in The Unforgiven demonstrated that best. There’s a great scene in the movie when he and The Kid are discussing the demise of the person they were seeking to get revenge. Eastwood’s character says, “It’s a hell of a thing, ain’t it, killin’ a man. You take everything he’s got…an’ everythin’ he’s ever gonna have.” The Kidd responds through tears, “Well, I guess they had it comin.” Eastwood’s character answers, “We all got it comin, Kid.” I suppose in some way that’s true. We all got it coming. In my opinion there are some more deserving than others.

 

January 27, 2010
The new book that was just released and the book I’m currently working on feature the complex issue of marriage in the Old West. In the Many Loves of Buffalo Bill I highlighted the affairs he had and in the book Howard Kazanjian and I are writing about Elizabeth Custer, we look at the extra-marital relations both Libbie and George had. It got me thinking about marriage as a whole this morning. I can’t help but notice the changes that have taken place in the institution of marriage itself since people wed in the Old West. People tended to stay together back then in spite of their problems. They either worked things out or learned to live with that which would never change. Not today. It seems now of days that couples are breaking up like a four-thousand-year-old Peruvian vase shipped UPS. And that’s too bad, because marriage can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will have on this planet - if you meet the right person. (George and Elizabeth never doubted they had met the right person, but Buffalo Bill…) If you don’t meet the right person marriage can be as tedious, ugly, and soul-crushing as driving on the 5 Freeway to Knott’s Berry Farm with the windows up and no air-conditioning on Labor Day weekend. The vows are scary enough. I mean, “We are gathered here to witness the joining of two people….” Joining. Could we come up with a slightly more industrial term? How about, “soldering?” Yeah, have a couple of guys from the machinists’ union swing by, drop the welder’s masks, and handle this part of the ceremony. It seems like the only two times they pronounce you anything in life is when they pronounce you “man and wife” or “dead on arrival.” More often than not in the Old West couples just eloped. They were spared all the arguments that come with planning such an event. After close to 21 years of marriage, I’m sure of two things - first, never wallpaper together, and second, you’ll need two bathrooms…both for your wife. And now on to an event that took place on this day in the Old West in 1890. Heck Thomas, a lawman from Oklahoma, tried to arrest Jim July, one of criminal Bell Starr’s paramours, who was a robber and bail skipper. July resisted arrest and was killed in the ensuing gunplay. That was one of the reasons relationship worked out so well in the Old West. There was so much gunplay many were killed before they had a chance to be really unhappy with their situation.

 

January 25, 2010
If you’re looking for a cool comeback to a tough character, trying to get out of an unhappy relationship, fed up with the office hussy, or need a new job, there’s nothing like snappy lines from a great western book or film to draw from. I thought I’d start the week off with bits of dialogue from some of my favorite westerns. They remind me of that there’s independent western spirit inside each of us. The exchange between Carroll Baker and Chuck Conners gets pretty heated in the 1958 movie Big Country - “Miss Terrill, aren’t you going to introduce me to your fiancé?” Chuck asks. “I wouldn’t introduce you to a dog.” Carroll responds. In Destry Rides Again Marlene Dietrich sets James Stewart straight about what her profession involves. “You’d better mind your own business or you’re heading for trouble.” James Stewart’s character warns Marlene Dietrich. “Trouble is my business,” she snaps back. Christopher George had a great line in the movie El Dorado. “Faith can move mountains. But it can’t beat a faster draw.” One of my favorite lines of dialogue is in the movie Giant. Wealthy Elizabeth Taylor’s character shares with the poor James Dean character that “Money isn’t all, you know….” Dean responds, “Not when you got it.” I began preproduction on a short subject western last week. I hope the dialogue in the short is as tough and memorable as these lines. After several months of waiting for the financing for the film version of Thunder Over the Prairie to materialize, the official word from the backers of the project is that the check should be in the producer’s hands by next month. While I wait I’ll work on the Libbie Custer bio and the book A Most Deadly Lie. I’m the least patient person I know with a job that requires nothing but. Oh, the irony. Whenever I think about venturing into another line of work that offers immediate results the line John Wayne uttered in Red River echoes in my head. “I don’t like quitters. Especially when they’re not good enough to finish what they started.” Thanks, Duke. I needed that.

 

January 22, 2010
Think I’ll return to the Old West today. On this day in 1877, lawmen, gambler, businessman and rancher Pink Higgins gunned down all around bad guy and cattle thief Merritt Horrell. Higgins shot Horrell with a Winchester rifle at Jerry Scott’s Saloon in Lampasas, TX. Horrell got back up each time after being shot twice. He didn’t make it back up after the third and fourth time he was shot however. The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill is available in wide release. So far the reviews have been positive. Cody was a fascinating man. Hope to get some good news today about the western film Thunder Over the Prairie. I could use a little good news.

 

January 21, 2010
I get by with a little help from my friends. Thank you, God. Kathie Miller Floyd commented on your status: "Oh, YES!!! You are DEFINITELY a child of God!!! May the joy of the Lord and the healing balm of His Spirit fill your awareness all DAY -- over and above all the evil that exists in your world." Lova Wood commented on your status: "HOLD ON TO THAT FAITH CHRIS GOD KNOWS WHAT A GREAT CHRISTIAN AND PERSON YOU ARE." Jan Carman commented on your status: "how would this person know if you're a christian or not because she definetly isn't one. only God knows your heart and some of us are blessed with feeling your heart. only God knows your brothers past and i know God has forgiven him of all his past sins like he has me. What is the most important thing God tells us to do???? LOVE, LOVE, AND MORE LOVE. lets all pray for this demonic person that sounds like they're trying to be God's assistant." "James D Smith commented on your status: "Chris! those of us who know you know your are a christian and your love of God, we support you standing by your brother that is what God wants to do! do not this person get to you! let's pray for them to know God as we know him. Jim" Timothy L. Smethers commented on your status: "If she or he is a real Christian, then he or she wouldn't have to hide by another name!!!!! The LORD tells me to LOVE that person but that doesn't mean they are not a stupid BAFFOON!!!!"Patti Ferree commented on your status: "Chris, the christian sister of mine. You are such a servant of the Lord. Why this person keeps saying these things is because they are doing the work of the devil, himself. This person is NOT a believer or they would know you and who you are. Stand firm in Christ."

 

January 21, 2010
I received this email this evening. I have passed the entire ramblings on to the Feds, my own attorney, and to the the Dean at BYU. "Dear Chris, I am the person who you are now calling "the culprit". Since you claim to know who I am, I am now going to explain to you my actions. You spend every day on your website claiming to know God, and then claiming to know that your brother is innocent of the crime for which there was tons of evidence for, that he was convicted for." I think it's unfortunate that this student spends so much time on my site. I don't understand - if they are that bothered by what I write on my post, why do they continual visit my site. I'll be praying for this young woman and BYU. I hear New Zealand is lovely this time of year.

 

January 20, 2010
Home again. The 17th Century attorney general Edward Coke wrote “The home of everyone is to him his castle and fortress, as well for his defense against injury and violence, as for his repose.” I don’t think that applies now that homes have the internet. My fortress has not protected me from injury or the threat of violence. I have been in long talks with authorities today about the threats and pornography I was emailed prior to leaving on the book tour. For those of you who have emailed to ask about the identity of the culprit I can tell you it’s a student from BYU, her friends and associates. The head of the FBI is quoted as saying that the “internet gives cowards a false sense of security, but cowards are always found out.” I had a wonderful time on the road promoting the Buffalo Bill Cody book. As usual, Mary Kay Speaks at the Barnes and Noble in Independence was a delight. She always makes time for authors when they visit and her store is very busy. I got to spend time with my niece while I was in the Midwest. She’s adorable and I love her more than I realized. I’m anxious to get back to work on the Elizabeth Custer biography. I received another of her journals from Yale University while I was gone and can’t wait to pour over it’s contents. I’m blessed to be able to make a living doing what I love. And speaking of history…on this day in 1893, the outlaw Bitter Creek George Newcomb and two others were jumped by a posse near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. One of the outlaws was wounded and captured, but Bitter Creek and Henry Starr both got away. They were eventually caught and gunned down. I guess cowards were found out in the Old West too.

 

January 20, 2010
Book Review. The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill: The True Story of Life on the Wild West Show. By Chris Enss. Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT. ISBN 978-0-7627-4815-0. $21.50. xviii + 150 pages. Soft cover. 24 illustrations. Endnotes. Bibliography. Index. Reviewed by Chuck Parsons. Even a cursory glance through Chris Enss’ bibliography suggests there is a plethora of information about the world’s most famous scout. Four books by Cody himself are listed, as well as a biography by his wife Louisa; highly regarded biographies by Don Russell and R.L. Wilson, Helen Cody Wetmore and Nellie Snyder Yost are included. In addition there is a list of newspapers utilized dating from 1870 and for decades following. The twelve pages of endnotes confirm that she has made a serious attempt to document the loves of William F. Cody (1846-1917). Author Enss maintains her focus of providing the reader with a near blow-by-blow accounting of the numerous objects of Cody’s love (and lust). We must admire his love for his four sisters -- Julia, Helen, Eliza Alice and Mary Hannah -- bonds maintained through the storms of their parents’ lives. Prior to his marriage Cody may have had romantic dalliances with any number of women, “Indian princesses” certainly, and following his marriage many more. But rather than speculating on these probable trysts the author devotes her brief narrative to documentable affairs. Cody certainly suffered both emotionally and financially from the disclosure of these romances, although few people refused to buy tickets to his Wild West shows because of his infidelities. He suffered emotionally as his marriage disintegrated; his children suffered as they were fully aware of their father’s treatment of their mother. Louisa Cody, affectionately known as “Lulu,” was well aware of the extra-marital affairs of her husband and lived up to the axiom, “Hell hath no fury . . . .” The public became zealously aware when much of the Codys’ “dirty linen” was aired in open court during the divorce hearings. The objects of Cody’s “love” also suffered. Katherine Clemmons perhaps suffered the most of all his women. She was described by Cody as “the finest looking woman in the world [78].” Upon meeting Cody she shared with him her “aspirations” for the stage. Hooked, Cody offered her $50,000 to tour England with him as his top actress. Her acting ability proved less than Ned Buntline’s creative writing ability; the kindest critics even pointed out that she was “devoid” of acting talent. Nevertheless, Cody continued to support her at great expense, until he even realized it was all for nothing. While Enss discusses the loves of Buffalo Bill she also parallels the relationship with Louisa and his relationship with their children. In spite of all the heartaches the couple caused, Mrs. Cody ultimately chose to drop the divorce and remained his wife. Enss also brings in aspects of Cody’s early years as a scout and his stage career. In so doing Chris Enss provides us with an excellent study of an unpleasant side to the great scout’s life. It is best for those who have a limited knowledge of Cody’s career and the Wild West show business, although the so-called “buffs” will learn a few things. The moral of the tale is clearly presented although not in a heavy handed way. Cody’s love of the stage and his fidelity to children and friends was certainly legitimate and to be honored, but his illicit “loves” proved costly to many in more ways than one. Enss may not have intended to produce an informal moral treatise but nevertheless the lesson is there, clearly, and due to her writing style and her historical research.

 

January 11, 2010
More than 130 years ago today the folks at Fort Sumner, New Mexico were dealing with another murder at the hand of Billy the Kid. Billy shot and killed Joe Grant after having disabled the man’s gun earlier in the day. In 1894 in Bannock, Montana Sheriff Henry Plummer was hanged by vigilantes. You can read all about the corrupt Sheriff’s activities in the book Outlaw Tales of California. His career as a notorious outlaw began in the California. I’m off on a promotional tour for the new book The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill. First stop, Vegas. With regards to the threatening emails and hundreds of pornographic images that were sent to my business website on New Year’s Eve, the authorities have traced the IP address back to the user. Although the perpetrator removed the offensive material they posted about me from the livejournal.com site they could not remove the IP address information. I’m taking much of the historical research I have about the Custers on my trip. Hope to get a lot of work done between lectures and signing events. I was invited to speak at an event in Lone Pine, California in March. Many, many western were filmed there. It’s a beautiful spot. I still prefer Dodge City, Kansas however. If I can’t move to Dodge any time soon I’ve got to arrange another book signing event at the location. I'll update my journal once I return from my trip. And as my life is generally not without controversary, I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about.

 

January 7, 2010
Cowboy True’s Christmas Adventure Author: Chris Enss Illustrated by Melissa & Jeff Galpin ISBN: 978-1-4363-6648-9, Pages 28, Paperback, Published by Xlibris, Publication Date December 2008, Age Level: 3 to 7 Review by Clark Isaacs and Clark's Eye on Books Article 12/20/09 Chris Enss is well known as a writer of western women’s tales, and now brings this quaint story of a young cowboy in “Cowboy True’s Christmas Adventure”. A children’s tale which tells a message that is always the same this time of year, to give unto others. Christmas is about caring and sharing. Enss shows that this is a lesson that can be taught at an early age with inspiration. This learning book is highly recommended for those young buck-a-roos who will discover the meaning of the golden rule and how to deal with those in need.

 

January 6, 2010
On this day in 1875, the notorious Doc Holliday was still recovering from a violent new year’s eve party. Doc and a surly bartender emptied their revolvers at one another in a Dallas saloon. Nobody was hurt. Alcohol may have been a factor. Also on this day in 1913, Josie Bassett (Bassett was a female rancher. She and her sister "Queen" Ann Bassett are known for their love affairs and associations with well known outlaws, particularly Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch) was mourning the death of her husband. On the 3rd of January she poisoned her spouse, Nig Wells, with strychnine in Lynwood, Wyoming. She was trying to sober him up after a 4 day bender by unknowingly serving him coffee in the wolf bait cup. In other news, I hope to finish chapter five of the Elizabeth Custer book today and use the rest of the week to schedule research trips to Oklahoma to learn all I can about a lawman named Sam Sixkiller. It seems like I’m running out of month very quickly. In addition to the Midwest trip planned I’ll be traveling to LA and possibly Montana. I need more January! Two newspapers reviewed the Buffalo Bill book and articles about the tome will be published in the Sacramento Bee and the Cody Enterprise next week. All indications are that the reviews are favorable. I’m pleased with the way the book turned out and hope it does well. I’m happy to send the press review copies, all you need do is ask.

 

January 4, 2010
In keeping with my fascination with the Old West I’m going to include some interesting items from that era that happened on this day way back when. I just might find another book out of the look back. On this day in 1869, the notorious thug and bully, Cullen Baker, was sitting beside the road in Arkansas having lunch with a pal when a posse rode up and killed them both. Baker was armed with a shotgun. Four pistols, three derringers, and six pocket knives. Also on this day in 1863, the first claim under the Homestead Act of 1862 is filed by Daniel Freeman, a few miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska. I hope to finish chapter five of the Elizabeth Custer book this week. No doubt I’ll have to put the work aside this morning to deal with the latest email threats. God does amazing things. Whatever they intended for bad He will use for good. I will continue to work on the book about my brother with the proceeds from the tome going to the Prison Fellowship Ministry. Chuck Colson is the head of the organization and a man I truly admire. Al Pierleoni with the Sacramento Bee phoned yesterday to ask about the new book The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill. Al does an article for the Bee about new books and will include the Buffalo Bill book in his column next week. I’m in Missouri most of next week doing book signings and giving lectures at schools. Hope the weather holds out back there. I’m not a big fan of driving in ice and snow. It’s 5:51 a.m.. Guess I need to get to work now.

 

January 1, 2010
And just like that the culprits who threatened my life and forwarded the horrible material to my site have been found out. North Carolina and Provo, Utah are two sources. Charges will certainly be pressed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I continue to get encouraging messages like this one from truly Godly people. "Beautiful Lady, Honoré and I join your host of supporters as you deal with the evil people trying to take you down. I believe that evil people are demon possessed whose assignment is to attack God's children. Their attacks are provoked by their boss [satan] because your witness effects his popularity and makes his job harder. Imagine the strained look on his ugly face as he watches the standing ovation of your supporters as you walk across the stage of life holding the hand of the King of kings and Lord of lords. So rejoice and sing a song. Love, Cliff and Honoré." It's going to be okay now. I've praying for that for a long time.

 

December 31, 2009
It's been a wonderful morning. Here are a sample of the emails I received overnight. I've contacted the police. Seems most originated from Greensboro, North Carolina. Harold Radisson Haroldraddison@isuhl.com Chris Enss? More like Chris STUPID FUCKING COW lovelylady@fireandbrimestone.com be seeing you soon satan go to hell. defending your brother means you are just as disgusting as him. xxxxx xxx@xxx.com Perhaps you don't quite understand the meaning of rape (which is not surprising considering you clearly lack a firm grasp on english). Here is a handy dandy definition provided by wikipedia: Rape, also referred to as sexual assault, is an assault by a person involving sexual intercourse with or without sexual penetration of another person without that person's consent. Your brother is guilty and you are a terrible person for supporting him. He committed rape and he molested her. Hope you have fun rotting in hell. Clementine James clementinejames@gmail.com You genuinely make me ill: defending a criminal and child rapist, then having the audacity to complain that his unfortunate soul is being raped in prison? There's a reason even criminals have a hierarchy when locked up. There is nothing more innocent than a child and to rape, abuse, and ruin 10 years of one's life is inexcusable to even the most vicious of criminals. THAT is why your brother is being raped in prison, and that is why it will continue. If you ask me, he should be castrated. I would tell you and your brother to enjoy hell, but some admirable people would be there according to the bible. Enjoy rotting in the earth and being remembered as sick, sick people. die die die General George A. Custer custer@littlebighorn.com you are a sick human being. your brother is a sick human being. hope you have fun in hell. satan thedevil@hell.com see you soon CHILD RAPISTS AND THEIR DEFENDERS BURN IN HELL J.C. hgkgd@kiughcmskucdsl.com Hey, remember when you were a child and you didn't get raped? That was awesome, right? You know what else would be awesome? Other kids not getting raped BY YOUR FUCKPIG OF A BROTHER. God thebigguy@heavenabove.com Hey, just a friendly reminder, no heaven for the defenders of child rapists. If you want to kick it with me in the clouds some day, you'd better smarten the fuck up. Roseanne anothergirl@gmail.com Hey, how goes being a horrible, sick person? Hope your bed catches on fire as you sleep tonight.

 

December 29, 2009
The following is the opening from the book that comes out next year. I'm not quite sure what title the publisher will give the tome. This has been the most difficult writing assignment I've ever taken on. "He bled. The dirty socks filled with D-size batteries found the inmates’ head and the blow cut a deep swatch that sent blood gushing down his terrified face. Another sock stuffed with bars of soap busted his glasses and left bruises across his eye socket. Still another took out his dentures. The false teeth flew out of his mouth and were quickly stomped into shards of nothing. Welts and bleeding bulges riddled the prisoner’s face, head, and chest. He was still conscious when they jerked his pants off, bent him over a toilet in a back stall and raped him. He remembers seven, but thinks there might even had been eight men involved. More stood guard so the violent act could be played out. My brother awoke two days later with multiple contusions, impaired vision, a swollen mouth, and bloody gums. By the time I got to him, deep, protruding bruises had overtaken his once handsome face. Tears stood in his black-and-blue eyes. I sat down next to him and wept. He tried to speak, but I could barely understand him. After a few painstaking attempts I finally made out what he was trying to say. 'Ask God to get here,' he pleaded."

 

December 28, 2009
I returned home to find a nice surprise waiting on my doorstep…advanced copies of The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill; The True Story of Life on the Wild West Show. Of all the books I’ve been privileged to work on, this one turned out the best. The cover, the typesetting, even the paper feels like a tome you would pick up at one of Cody’s Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill was the Tiger Woods of his day. Women were constantly throwing themselves at him. They knew he was married and had children, but they didn’t care. Louisa and he argued a lot over that. Of course Cody’s sisters believed he married the wrong woman to begin with. They tried to warn him that she would make his life a misery, but he didn’t listen. By the time he figured it out for himself he had children with her and didn’t want to leave because of them. I can identify with Cody’s sisters. My brother Rick married poorly too and many tried to tell him she would be his undoing. Actor Peter Sherayko, who played Texas Jack Vermillion in the movie Tombstone, wrote the foreword for The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill and I’m grateful he agreed to do so. I’m excited about this title and anxious to get it out to the press contacts and make arrangements for signings and such. It’s not been a great decade. I’m hoping Cody will help make the beginning of the next one a little better. Look for excerpts from the book on the website beginning January 1st and look for The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill in bookstores everywhere. You can also order copies through this website. Happy reading.

 

December 21, 2009
It’s difficult to write about a subject that has so much information to pour over. George and Elizabeth Custer’s lives have been well covered in many publications, but in the book I’m working on I’m focusing on Elizabeth’s devotion to her husband. Today I’ve been reviewing George’s journal and all he had to share with his wife about the Plains Indians. Prior to working on this book I assumed he was completely unsympathetic towards Native Americans. I was surprised to learn how he felt about the Indians being forced onto reservations. “In making this change,” he wrote in 1869, “the Indian has to sacrifice all that is dear to his heart; he abandons the only mode of life in which he can be a warrior and win triumphs and honors worthy to be sought after; and in taking up the pursuits of the white man he does that which he has always been taught from his earliest infancy as degrading to his manhood - to labor, to work for his daily bread, an avocation suitable only for squaws.” History is fascinating! I received some good news from my editor today. Good news has been in short supply the last six years. Outlaw Tales of California and The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill were the #1 and #4 on Globe’s bestseller’s list last week. Seems like a good way to kick off the Christmas break. I’ll be back again soon with more news. Merry Christmas!

 

December 18, 2009
It’s not been a great decade. The struggles and strains have manifested themselves in ways I never imagined. Perhaps I would feel better about life if I got a neck-lift My neck is showing a lot of age and I can’t keep wear turtlenecks in August - it just looks silly. I was doing a signing last week at a bookstore and noticed a book I used to read as a kid entitled The Saggy Baggy Elephant. I could relate. I’m still working on the elephant part, but the saggy baggy I’ve got down. I don’t necessarily think that sublime physical perfection is the only way to get past the velvet ropes at Club Happy, but, well let’s just start with the neck and see what happens. I suppose in a way many of us are exhausting ourselves in a narcissistic orgy of bingeing, purging, and free consultations, all in the hope that Father Time will cut us the same deal that Dick Clark has. I know it’s not right, but models and movie stars are the aesthetic benchmarks against which we measure ourselves, regardless of how unattainable their beauty may be without access to personal trainers, extensive cosmetic surgery, and pharmaceutical speedballs. That’s why people go to plastic surgeons asking for Angelina Jolie’s lips or Brad Pitt’s eyes. Ask many little girls what they want to be when they grow up. Chances are they won’t say president or astronaut or doctor. Chances are they’ll say “Supermodel.” I think I wanted to be a model when I was younger. Teacher was on the list too, but it was way down on the list. I was a dope. I was eight and couldn’t know the closest I’d ever come to modeling was doing a print ad for non-stick pan-wear and panty-shields. And by the way, isn’t it about time we passed an absolute edict forbidding those Victoria Secret women from uttering the words “Modeling is hard work.” Sadly, so much is wrapped up in how we look. It shouldn’t be that way, but it is. Women’s magazine don’t help much. A glance through one of those tony tomes and you’re indoctrinated into a no-win, parallel universe populated by spindly, overpaid nineteen-year olds in thousand dollar frocks, hair and makeup tips so intricate they would confound Oppenheimer, and diets that make the rations at a Sudan refugee camp look like the Viennese table at the late Pavarotti’s wedding. And the biggest irony is, in every single one of these magazines, there are at least five articles about how important it is to like yourself just the way you are. Be that as it may, I choose not to go gently into that saggy night. In addition to a neck-lift I might even get a little liposuction because uh, well…let’s just say my belly button’s not as close to my spine as it used to be.

 

December 16, 2009
Thought I'd share a review the book A Beautiful Mine received. Thank you Midwest Book review. "By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews There's gold in them thar hills, and the women came to get it out! Chris Enss presents some of the finest snapshots of women prospectors of the old west and how they made their mark in history. When reading these marvelous tales of rough and tumble characters it is impossible not to get a feeling how our western states were developed. There are many illustrations and actual photographs which depict how hard life actually had been for these women. Through the years they not only prospected, they found gold and had the mines to show for it. Side line businesses were started so as to fund their ventures in the hills. We learn about their restaurants, boarding houses, and managing skills. Yet, they gave charity to miners on the skids by giving them free food, bathing, and often staking to search for a new claim. Compassion was really the second name for many of these tough broads, but never cross them like Jamieson did when he shot and killed Charley (Charlotte) Hatfield's husband. She did a lot of searching for many years until she caught up with him by chance and shot him three times! Author Chris Enss brings to this compilation of true stories, a keen eye for interesting anecdotes about each of these women of the old west. In 1905 Lillian Malcolm said "The grandest and healthiest life known is this rough pioneer life. And I don't see why more women are not in the hills." Early photographs are from many historical societies in the western states and you have to see them to really get this wonderful flavor of seeing a woman swinging a pick or sifting a pan for gold. Chris has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and the movies. Her professionalism shines and you are easily transported to yesteryear in an old western motif. Past books have included The Doctor Wore Petticoats, The Lady Was a Gambler, Pistol Packin' Madams, and Outlaw Tales of California. A Beautiful Mine is a recommended exceptional read and a great addition for your bookshelf. Clark Isaacs Reviewer

 

December 14, 2009
The Bookseller in downtown Grass Valley graciously hosted the launch of the children’s book this weekend. It went well. Melissa and Jeff Galpin were with me - they are the illustrators of the book. During the event I was reminded of just how lost I’ve been this year. I’ve been in a depressed fog for months. Much of it has to do with my brother and his incarceration. It’s gets harder everyday to watch. I’ve lost a lot of the passion I used to have for life as a result of the desperate situation. I used to dream big, now I can’t even remember any dreams or aspirations. Jeff and Melissa had asked me to think about doing a follow up for the children’s book and at one time I was excited to do so. Saturday Jeff mentioned that they had waited long enough for me and were going to work with another author. I can’t blame them. It did make me aware of how long this sadness has gone on and the dark turn it has taken. I watch myself slip away further and further and there’s nothing I can do to stop it. With Christmas time fast approaching I thought I would extend an opportunity for visitors to this site to write and ask for a copy of the new children’s book if they would like one. Even if I am dragging these day, the story is fun and so is the artwork. Let me know if you’d like an autographed copy for your family.

 

December 12, 2009
I received this email yesterday and thought I'd post it on the site. It's been one of the hardest years of my life, but little bits of encouragement like this help me keep going. Sent: Fri, Dec 11, 2009 7:27 am Subject: Your book inspired a song! Greetings from Arizona! Just wanted to let you know how much we both enjoyed your book, "Thunder Over the Prairie"! What a great story! We enjoy the true tales of the west and in fact write songs and poems about them, as well as our own historical western creations. Your book set us to writing our second "Lawman" song called "Saddle Up!" which we are looking forward to performing for the first time publicly at the Arizona Folklore Preserve this weekend. The song is not about Dora Hand, but about the camaraderie of the lawmen of the west, I personally enjoy writing songs and reading books about the women of the west, and have several of your books on that topic in our wish list on Amazon. After this great first experience with your work, I am expecting they will be further inspiration and enjoyment! Thanks so much for your dedication and hard work! Best Regards, Nancy Ruybal. Thank you, Nancy.

 

December 11, 2009
It’s been a banner year. It’s been a banner decade. In between my writing assignments I’ve been visiting with my brother who is in federal prison and struggling with his health. He was beaten and raped and the result of that violent act have changed everything. It’s hard to watch someone you love die and not want to do all you can to stop it, especially when you feel responsible. I told him to take the guilty plea and I’m having a hard time living with that. I received a letter yesterday that said I was “obsessed with him.” Maybe so. As I say, it’s hard to watch someone hurting like Rick is and not want to do all you can to save him. The letter I received consisted of a list of my faults and how I’ve been a disappointment. The intent of the letter was to hurt and it didn’t miss the mark. The one comment in the letter I do feel compelled to respond to is this one and I quote a segment of the letter now “You claim to be a Christian but you don’t worship the same God I do because the God I worship would be disappointed in you.” I know I’m a sinner and that God has a lot of work to do with me, but one thing God is not is disappointed in me. He doesn’t see us as others do. He sees us as the finished product. A sinner saved by grace. He sees His Son in us. When you see me driving down the road in a jalopy, you don't see me strictly by myself. My car is a kind of identity. But if you see me driving down the road in a classic Corvette with chrome... Hoo boy! You see me differently, don't you? When God looks at us, he sees the Corvette. While Paul was still a sinner, a murderer, God saw him as a great missionary. While Abraham was a sinner, a liar, he saw him as the father of a nation. I have always questioned how other people saw me, whether or not they truly loved me, but I stand on solid ground with this point. God does loves me and is proud of me even if no one else in my family ever will be. He corrects me when I’m off base and is doing that daily. He does that for everyone. He doesn’t look at us the way human beings look at us. That’s what made me want to accept Christ into my life and that’s why I seek him still. The new book Cowboy True’s Christmas Adventure is being launched Saturday at the Bookseller in Downtown Grass Valley at noon. The bookstore phoned yesterday to let me know that they were out of books. I rushed to the store to drop off more. Things will be okay.

 

December 9, 2009
The men in Custer’s Seventh Cavalry drank when they left on a campaign and when they returned. They drank to celebrate a birthday, a promotion, when they were depressed, and when they were bored. In short, the soldier’s drank a lot. According to Elizabeth Custer, trying to keep his troops sober was a major problem for George. Often times there weren’t enough regular supplies to go around, but alcohol was never lacking. Elizabeth wrote, “A man who overindulges lives in a dream. He becomes conceited. He thinks the whole world revolves around him - and it usually does.” I never acquired a taste for alcohol. Which given my addictive personality is a good thing. The one and only time I did drink I got drunk and was sick the following day. I had a combination of Boone’s Farm wine and peppermint Schnapps. Never again! There is a history of alcoholism in my family. I saw little signs of it when I was growing up - like when my uncle asked the waitress “what wine goes with a grand slam breakfast?” Many people, and I’m guessing the men under Custer’s leadership included, go for decades without addressing their steadily worsening problem. Occasional cracks in their armor may leave them shaken but not stirred to action. Others, however, get tired of French-kissing the gutter drain and join Alcoholics Anonymous. I think that Alcoholics Anonymous is truly a wonderful, lifesaving organization. And privacy is of the utmost importance in AA and members are very, very serious about protecting their anonymity. If you don’t believe me, just tap on the window of someone with a “One Day at a Time” or “Do It Sober” bumper sticker and ask them.

 

December 7, 2009
My grandmother died on November 27. I returned to Missouri for her funeral last week. I was able to keep my emotions in check until I saw my 24 year-old nephew helping to carry her casket. In a flash I remembered how the two of them used to watch the movie E.T. together and play games on the floor. I heard them laughing. When I saw my nephew dressed in his Navy uniform hoist the coffin up and help march it out of the church, I understood fully then that my grandmother was gone. She and I spoke almost every other day over the phone. I missed talking with her yesterday and found myself scrolling through the speed-dial numbers in my phone until I got to her number. I almost called. She was a bright spot in my childhood and she will be missed. It’s back to work today on the book about Elizabeth Custer. Tales Behind the Tombstone is the book of the month for the excerpt section of this site. Because I’ve been spending so much time with the Custers I wanted to include an excerpt from Tales about George’s death and Libbie’s life after the Battle of Little Big Horn. She has indeed been one of the most fascinating women I’ve had the privilege of writing about. I’ve been in talks with a couple of production companies about doing a documentary on women of the west for the Discovery Channel. If all works out I’ll be in Los Angeles next month to discuss the matter further. The film projects for Playing for Time and Thunder Over the Prairie continue to move slowly ahead. It’s a long, laborious process, but one I hope will be well worth it. Until then, I’m off to Fort Riley with George and Elizabeth.

 

November 29, 2009
I try to maintain this site on an every other day basis, however, due to the death of my grandmother I will not be updating the journal as regularly as usuaul. I will return on December 7 with information about the latest books I'm writing, book tours in which I wil be participating, and the general chaos that is my life.

 

November 14, 2009
I’ve been working on Chapter 4 of the Elizabeth Custer book. It’s a great story, but it’s slow going because there’s so much material to go over. I’m anxious to review the material in Garryowen, Montana that belonged to Elizabeth. I suspect everything I’ve written so far will need to be amended or added to. She was brave to go with him into the field. She lived in the same tents, ate the same food, suffered the same troubles the 7th Cavalry was exposed to. George called her his “best soldier.” She simply refused to be without her husband and was willing to put up with anything to be by his side. In addition to lining up speaking engagements for the new year and contacting all the independent bookstores from Independence west, I’ve been working on the annual Christmas in Bethlehem program. This is year six and this year’s program promises to be bigger than the last. Visit www.nccib.org for more details. The program is free to the public. I promise that no one will be disappointed. Still no word on the complete funding for Thunder Over the Prairie. Walter Hill is still set to direct, but the funding to make the picture has to come from a variety of sources. Howard Kazanjian is working diligently on that front, but it’s slow going. There will be at least four new western released next year - a real plus for that genre. My parents are going to the prison today to see my brother. I don’t think they are fully prepared for what they are going to see. I hurt for my them, especially my mother. She won’t know until today the extent of Rick’s injuries and how rapidly his health is declining. It will be a shock. It’s like a wave of pain that washes over all of us who know and love him. The only way to deal with the pain is to dive into the oncoming wave.

 

November 11, 2009
As of two day ago, there’s more than a good chance I’ll get to take a look at some of Elizabeth Custer’s personal letters - letters few others have seen before. That will enhance the book I’m working on about her life as I’d like to include information that isn’t common knowledge. I don’t know what the weather is like in Montana in February, but that’s where I’ll be heading to learn more about this fascinating woman. My excitement over that possibility is mixed with the frustration and bitterness I feel over a judge in Austin, Texas pouring over my website looking for information about my brother. I know this judge is related to the low-life my brother was married to and her accomplice that helped fabricate the most deadliest of all accusations. I’m perplexed by their continued interest in Rick and my family. They never make any contact with me, but I can see them poking around like rats. From 9:30 yesterday morning to 11:10 a.m. they nosed around my site. Sometimes I wish I didn’t know what I do. Today is Veteran’s Day. My grandfather, father, nephew, and my brother Rick are all veterans and I’m proud and grateful for their contribution. On this day I’m reminded of something the stoic philosopher Epictetus once wrote. Frederick the Great carried a copy of this book on all his campaigns. So did Vietnam POW Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale. It was referred to as a ‘field manual for soldiers.’ Some of it reads as follows: “The essence of good and evil lies in an attitude of the will. There are things which are within your power, and there are things which are beyond your power. Within your power are opinion, aim, desire, aversion; in a word, whatever affairs are your own. Beyond your power are body, property, reputation, office; in a word, affairs not properly your own. Concern yourself only with what is within your power. The essence of good consists of things within your own power; with them there is no room for envy or emulation. For your part, do not desire to be a general, or a senator or a consul, but to be free; and the only way to do this is a disregard of things which do not lie within your own power.” Now there’s a lesson to live by.

 

November 9, 2009
Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “There is no scale or chart on earth to measure what a friend if worth.” That particular sentiment was acted out in my life this weekend through the kindness of my friend Cindy McIntosh. Cindy is the coordinator of the annual 4-H Leadership Conference. More than a year ago she invited me to be the keynote speaker at the first night of the conference. I was pleased to do so. The event was held in beautiful Monterey. When I arrived was struggling with another incident involving my brother in federal prison. I wanted so much to forget about that for just one night, but I guess it wasn’t meant to be. Cindy greeted me at the event with enthusiasm and excitement that I was going to be speaking. I set up my table of books and hurried off to have dinner with her. The event was the most organized one I’d ever had the privilege of being involved. Everyone at the conference was incredibly kind. With all that’s happened in the last five years that’s a rarity. After the speaking engagement and selling many books to attendees (thank you Carol Scofield - I couldn’t have done all that without you), I was packing up my stuff to get ready to leave. As I noted, I now had to be somewhere else after the talk. Cindy came by and suggested I leave everything there and that she would make sure I got it all back. I still had books left over and she believed more conference goers would want to buy them. I had to leave, but was not worried about what would happen to the left over books, money, posters, bins, all the things that one has to take with them on the road. I couldn’t believe she offered to let me leave the things these and bring them back to Nevada County for me. It was a kind gesture right in the heart of a difficult time. A kind gesture right in the heart of a time when I struggle with trusting at all. After hugging Cindy for the fourth time she said, “See, there are still some good people left in the world.” She’s right. My faith in such things has been eroded away since the incident involving my brother. I thought I was going to Monterey simply to give a speech about women of the Old West. I did, but God used it to show me that the goodness in mankind is not completed gone. Thank you Cindy, for being the instrument he used to show me that truth. I’m grateful.

 

November 5, 2009
There are some days that the only way you can express how you’re feeling is through the lines of a great western movie. This is one of those days. Out in the wild, wild West, the men were strong, the horses were fast, and the talk was rough. What a time. “Temper’s something only the very strong or the very rich can afford. My father taught me that very early.” - rancher John Parrish (Glenn Ford) to his foreman Jim McCloud (Warner Anderson) from the movie The Violent Men. “I don’t intend to start at the bottom. Been there. It’s too crowded.” from the movie Stars in My Crown. “I don’t want trouble with anybody - unless I start it.” from the movie The Showdown. “I say we do it my way - and that’s an order.” “Yes, sir. But if you’re wrong, don’t ever give me another.” John Wayne to Ward Bond in one of my favorite westerns, The Searchers. “This ranch isn’t big enough to hold the two of us.” Robert Mitchum in Pursued. “Whenever he gets low in spirits or confused in his mind, he doesn’t feel right until he’s had a fight.” Harry Morgan in The Ox-Bow Incident. I’m heading to Monterrey tomorrow to speak at the 4-H leadership convention. I’m looking forward to spending some time gazing out over the ocean and contemplating what life holds next. Which brings me back to another great movie line. “Faith can move mountains. But it can’t beat a faster draw.” from the movie El Dorado. Couldn't of said it better myself.

 

November 2, 2009
Chapter four of the Libbie Custer book has George and his capable wife in Texas. Nothing of great military importance happened during Custer’s time there. Libbie becomes a better horseback rider, George hones his skills as a leader and both meet Captain Frederick Benteen for the first time. Benteen knows of Custer and hates him. He dislikes Libbie almost as much. Given the animosity Benteen had for the Custers it’s not hard to imagine that he would eventually abandon George and his “band of brothers” on the field of battle. Benteen shouldn’t have been surprised he was partially blamed for what happened at the Little Big Horn. This has been one of the most interesting stories I’ve ever had the privilege to research and I’m anxious to continue working on it. While getting ready for work this morning I happened onto one of the most precious gifts I ever received. Years ago, Trenna Tozer, one of the little girls I taught in Wednesday night Bible study class, gave me a plastic splatter cover for use when you place foods in the microwave. It’s a simple item, but this little girl had very little to purchase a gift with. She gave it to me right after my brother had been arrested and I was very low. That plastic splatter cover is extremely special to me. Trenna is in high school now and just as dear as always. I’ll never forget her and would never part with the plastic splatter cover. It reminded me then as it does now that God is good. Elizabeth Custer wanted to believe the same thing, but life is hard and I can appreciate that. She struggled with her faith too. Further research on my part will reveal if she ever received a gift from anyone in her travels to remind her of God’s faithfulness in the midst of troubles. I can only hope she did.

 

October 30, 2009
I received microfilm of Elizabeth Custer’s journals from Yale University yesterday and it reads like the diary an 11 year-old girl would have written. Her father gave her the journal for her 10th birthday in April 1853 with instructions to “keep and preserve a record of her life.” Elizabeth didn’t use the journal until her 11th birthday. She felt she had nothing of interest to say until then. After reading one of the entries from February 24, 1854, I think she should have held off a few months at least. It read, “Have been making underclothes for my larger doll.” Day to day life isn’t always filled with exciting events or insight…unless of course you’re Anne Frank. I decide to compare the journal entry I made in my own diary on February 24, 1972. I was 11, same age as Elizabeth in 1854. “Oh, how I wish Dale Thoeni noticed me. Maybe if I didn’t have big teeth and a big nose he might. My mother said I’ll grow into my teeth and nose and that Dale would one day notice me for my other qualities. Parents always say things like that. What other qualities?! When are these other qualities supposed to arrive?” Elizabeth Custer’s journal goes on to describe her life leading up to the days of the Civil War. My journal describes a list of local beauticians who refused to cut anyone else’s hair like Farrah Fawcett’s. I’m grateful that Elizabeth kept a record of her life and times. It’s a wonderful piece of history. It’s right that an institution as prestigious as Yale would have her journal. My journal, which I have maintained since I was eight, is safely tucked away in a cedar chest under my staircase. No one is going to go looking for it unless there’s a toilet paper shortage. Sure, maybe I wasn’t as astute as Elizabeth Custer, but I did one thing she never would do. I dotted the I in Dale’s last name with a heart. My journal won’t ever make it into a libraries special reading section, but it’s been a wealth of humor for my friends and I. And maybe that was what I was suppose to “keep and preserve.”

 

October 27, 2009
I will never get past what I’ve done. My brother was terrified and looked to me for help and I told him to plead guilty. It was wrong and there is no way to undo the action. So, here are a few words of advise from a sister who convinced her brother to plead guilty and is now serving a 20 year sentence. It's too late for my brother, but NEVER plead guilty unless the trial is just not worth it (e.g., some minor traffic). The plea bargain, if a reduced sentence, can be approximated after a court finding of guilty anyway. It is also possible that unknown circumstances can turn up. In my brother’s case, there were multiple ways that further psych evidence could be produced. What matters most, and what the majority of lawyers will never tell you, is that a "guilty" judgment has lasting impact on the person's life. It will affect every aspect of that person's life, and can make it much more difficult for the person should the same or another person make a charge. The hard part is convincing the defense attorney. A for-fee attorney already has incentive, but a public defender will merely try the case by rote unless inspired. The explanation is in a criminal defense attorney’s justification for "getting criminals off": "If I get someone off, I've made the system work and that benefits the rest of us. If I lose, then a criminal was punished. The difficult part is where I have an innocent defendant. If my client is innocent, then his freedom depends on how I do my job." Pray you get an attorney like this. I hired J.R. Hobbs out of Kansas City, Missouri. He didn't care about my brother or my family - only money. A public defender will just do a bare minimum, unless the public defender is convinced that the person is innocent. If the defender is convinced, the defender will do what he can because he/she doesn't want an innocent person to be punished on the lawyer's account. It is not always easy to convince someone of innocence because of the common protestation of innocence. Often it is necessary to point out one item which contradicts the charges. (Example: photos showing no marks on a person "kicked 4 or 5 times in the head" by a 250 lb. man.) Once a first piece of evidence shows up, the rest will follow. It is not uncommon for garbage evidence to be used by the prosecutor. It is also common among some departments to ignore the requirement to provide exculpatory evidence ("Brady evidence", Brady v. MD). A prosecution analysis of a defendant is not the end-all. In this country, a person is presumed guilty until proven innocent. Procedures are used to insure easy prosecution and there is a disincentive for the prosecutor to make a reasoned determination of culpability. It is up to the citizen, often at great expense, difficulty, and often luck, to prove innocence. But the consequences of a guilty plea are too great.

 

October 23, 2009
The meeting yesterday with the attorney resulted in more bad news. It’s hard to hear that there is no help to be had and that my brother will die in prison. The sticking point is that he pled guilty - a course I told him to take because our attorney, JR Hobbs out of Kansas City informed me that there was a 97% conviction rate in cases like Rick’s. Of course, the lawyer tells us that after he’s collected more than $100,000. There was no money left to go to another lawyer then and Hobb’s statement and actions proved he wasn’t willing to give it his all to help my brother. Given all of that I opted for the plea. It’s all my fault. Retaining an attorney who didn’t care, convincing my brother to take a plea - that’s on me. It’s been five years and I’m still trying to undo my actions. I hope death comes quickly for him. I’d pray about it more, but it seems obvious God is somewhere else.

 

October 22, 2009
When Libbie Custer left her parent’s home in Monroe, Michigan with her new husband, George Custer, she was excited about all the possibilities ahead of them. Nineteen days after they were married, however, George had to return to his cavalry division engaged in heated battles with the Confederate Army. They wrote one another often and when letters were few and far in between, Libbie took to reading every newspaper article about her husband. He was a Civil War hero. As youngest general in the Union Army he led his division to one victory after another. The press loved him. Libbie loved him, the man and the hero became one in the same. Libbie was captivated by him. I liken it to being married to a superstar politician such as John Edwards, the press loved him at first. It was hard to separate the real man from the glowing individual the press reported on. Eventually truth found Edwards out as it did for Custer, but for this moment in their new life together, all Libbie saw was the man the newspaper accounts helped create. I’m fascinated with this story and eager to continue on with it. Alas, I won’t be able to do much work on the book today because I’m going to see another attorney about my brother. I’m dealing with a warden who has told me that “he doesn’t care about the inmates - whether they live or die. “I’d prefer they die quickly. I’m not here to educate, rehabilitate, or make sure any medical need is addressed. I’m here to punish. And make no mistake about it, I will punish.” That attitude makes me furious. Not just at the prison officials and all the other officials who allow that to happen, but at the people who planned the demise of my brother. While going through a research book yesterday I found a letter my terrified brother had written to me almost two years ago. It read simply this, “Please ask God to come quickly. Tell him not to send his Son. This is no place for children.” Two days later he was beaten and raped. Last night as I walked around a store doing some early holiday shopping, my mind settled on how bitter I have become over this incident. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the day the woman who accused my brother of such vile acts, and her mother who helped conceive the idea, get what’s coming to them. My soul is dark and brooding. I am troubled and lost. In that moment I realize that I am evil, cursed, unrepentant for thinking such things. I know that the Lord can transform this incident into a blessing. But my fear is that I am so far gone in my dark thoughts that I can’t be saved. And why would he want to? Some souls are malformed. Perhaps this struggle has left me with just that. I pray, but at times feel so disconnected because I have become so jaded.

 

October 20, 2009
I’ve noticed that a number of visitors to my site are interesting in wild west costumes. So, I’ve got an offer I hope you won’t pass up. In exchange for signing up for my email newsletter I will send you a copy of the book How the West Was Worn. Just send me an email asking for the title and I’ll get it to you. Happy Halloween!

 

October 19, 2009
My real father left my brothers, mother, and I when I was about 7 years old. Prior to that he stopped in long enough to create trouble for my mother and take whatever money she had earned to support us because her husband of 15 years refused to do so. I have seen this man twice since becoming a grown woman. When I asked him about why he left and never looked back, he claimed to not remember his bad actions. Which only heaped craziness on life-changing rejection. His financial contribution to my brothers and I come to a little over 4 thousand dollars. Five years ago today I phoned to ask him for help with my brother Rick because the lawyer’s fees were outrageous. He told me then that he “had a family now and we’re not it.” He remarried a woman who had children and invested in them. His name is Richard Lea Shields. Last I heard he lives in Ft Worth, Texas. I often wonder if he googles my brothers and I. I often wonder if he wonders about us. Obviously the answer is no, but I can’t help but wonder. The bad people in this world always win and are never sorry.

 

October 16, 2009
The plan yesterday was to work on the Elizabeth Custer book, but I had to put it aside to review the final pages of the Buffalo Bill book that had come from the editor. My editor sent the pages via an attachment to an email and it took me two hours just to get it opened and then another hour to print the material out. I am lousy with computers. Even the relatively new computer I have, which was supposed to be easier to learn, confuses me. Computer technology moves faster than John Goodman going after a Cinnabun. No matter what computer you buy, now matter how much you spend, by the time you get it to your car, it’s an eight-track player. True, computers have made it possible for us to do our jobs much more quickly and efficiently. And what do we do with our newly acquired scads of leisure time? We sit on-line for hours in chat rooms, participating in imbecilic exchanges with people we wouldn’t be caught dead talking to in person. Just when did all this computer stuff happen anyway? You know, one day I was playing Pong, the next thing I know Stuey, the gas meter guy with the eye patch, has an uplink to a satellite on his tool belt. Even our cars are computer complete. I’ve got a global positioning device in my truck. Hey, listen, I’m going to the store for milk, I’m not Magellan tracking around the Cape of Good Hope, all right? Tell me, O global positioning device, where can Ponce De Chris locate the 7-Eleven in my neighborhood? I must secure nectar of the cow lest my king be disappointed, and so I have brought much silver and gold and colorful beads to appease the keeper of the Slim Jims behind the counter, who appears to be in a wretched mood when I beseech him to avert his gaze from his Twittering. Okay, maybe I’m a little rebellious when it comes to the whole technological blitzkrieg. Nothing serious. I’m not going to stop shaving my legs and live in a dirt-floored Fotomat in Quiet Lonerville, Montana. It’s just that everywhere I look, there’s such a dependence on synthetic forms of communication. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned face-to-face insincerity. As for my computer skills, there hasn’t been anyone this ineffective at a keyboard since Susan Dey was in The Partridge Family. That’s why I prefer to use a Dixon No.2 pencil and a giant legal pad to do my writing.

 

October 14, 2009
The trip to Washington D.C. was a positive one. I met with a few politicians who promised to look into helping my brother. We’ll see. I do appreciate the process of being able to meet face to face with elected officials and voicing your concerns. Up until this weekend, I’d only read about such things. I located some important letters Libbie Custer wrote to George while in D.C.. I’m anxious to get back into writing today and adding the find to the text of the book. Hopefully this week there will be some forward movement with the western Thunder Over the Prairie. Walter Hill is still set to direct and there has been interest in the project from actors Steve Zahn and Ethan Hawke. The producers that optioned the book Playing for Time are meeting with a casting director this week. The process from book to script to actual production is a long one. I don’t know that the book The Cowboy and the Senorita will ever see the studio lights, but I believe strongly that Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ story should be told. I think it’s particularly important now that their museum is closing. With all that in mind…I’m off to work.

 

October 9, 2009
I'm off to Washington D.C. today. I'll be meeting with a few politicians about my brother, the poor treatment of federal prisons, the number of rapes that happen inside, and the rise in false allegation of child molestation. I plan to spend some time at the National Archives as well researching Libbie Custer's story. No matter where I am or what I'll be doing my thoughts and prayers will be for my friends the Franks. They've been dealt a heavy blow, but have praised God through it all. Oh, to be that kind of Christian.

 

October 7, 2009
News came yesterday that the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans Museum will be closing in December. Howard Kazanjian and I spent a great deal of time with the family getting to know all about the cowboy duo’s life and poured over precious artifacts and letters to pen the two books we wrote about them. It was a privilege and I’d welcome the chance to do it over again. They were motion picture icons and truly wonderful people. They possessed genuine spirits and something they like to call Cowboy Faith. Cowboy Faith is a simple faith-but one that has a rock-solid foundation and the unshakable assurance of God’s presence in every landscape and every situation. Roy and Dale endured many tragedies and always arrived on the other side holding on tightly to the Savior. They believed if our hope is truly in God, then we will be able to withstand anything this life has to offer. They knew that God never promised us that this life would be easy. But He did promise to always be with us and to help us endure life’s difficulties. They knew He wants us to be mature and complete, for it is then that we are of the most use to Him. Roy and Dale believed that together, we can make a difference. And they did. Museum or not, they’ll always be.

 

October 5, 2009
There are those who believe that life is a sexually transmitted disease. I wouldn’t go that far, but it is relentless. It’s Monday. Again. I signed with a second publishing house this past week. I’ll be working on a book entitled Bedside Stories of Bad Girls from the Mid West for FarCountry Press. The territory I’ll be covering are South and North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, etc.. I’m thrilled to be working with a second company. I’ll be traveling to D.C. this week to speak to a couple of politicians about my brother. The quest to get him teeth goes on. It might not have taken this long had it not been for the fact that my ex sister-in law had taken my brother’s dental records. She did that AFTER she remarried. There are laws set in place to keep a person from doing such a thing, but in Missouri the true law breakers go unpunished. My brother’s dental office looked the other way while she took the files. They offer no excuse for their actions -they simple let it happen. They were kind enough to give me the paperwork that shows that the records were removed from the office by a woman my brother wasn’t married to however. I wonder what she did with the medical records? I also wonder where she gets shoes to fit over her cloven hooves, but the Prince of Darkness surely has a plan to clothe his dominions. I hope the politicians I meet with about this situation hear me and actually do something. I should hear news about the baseball movie and the western this week. It would be nice to see some forward movement on those two fronts. Making a motion picture is a lengthy process. It’s so easy to feel a twinge of envy for the Hollywood executives. They have everything…and so much of it. Libbie Custer will keep me busy through all the waiting today. She is one of the most fascinating women I’ve ever spent time with. Onward and upward…I hope.

 

October 2, 2009
Over the years the women in my Thursday night Bible study have become essential to my ability to get up and go on the next day. They’ve listened to the horror stories about my brother, reserving any judgment. They cried with me, laughed with me, and prayed with me. We’ve been there for one another and it is because of them that I recall one of my favorite stories this morning. Nothing I could write could express the need I have for this group of women better than Leo Tolstoy. Tolstoy once wrote a brief allegory in which an Angel disguised as a man is sent to earth by God to learn these three lessons: what is given to men, what is not given to men, and what men live by. At the conclusion of the story, the Angel reveals his identity to the poor shoemaker who had taken him in, and speaks of the lessons he has learned. So, Mr. Tolstoy, if you don’t mind…. “The clothes fell off the body of the Angel, and he was clothed with light so that no eye could bear to look upon him, and he began to speak more terribly, as if his voice did not come from him, but from Heaven. And the Angel said: “I learned that man does not live by care for himself, but by love for others. It was not given the mother to know what was needful for the life of her children; it was not given to the rich man to know what was needful for himself; and it is not given to any man to know whether by the evening he will want boots for his living body or slippers for his corpse. When I came to earth as a man, I lived not by care for myself, buy by the love that was in the heart of a passerby, and his wife, and because they were kind and merciful to me. The orphans lived not by any care they had for themselves; they lived through the love that was in the heart of a stranger, a woman who was kind and merciful to them. And all men live, not be reason of any care they have for themselves, but by the love for them that is in other people. I knew before that God gives life to men, and desires them to live; but now I know far more. I know that God does not desire men to live apart from each other, and therefore has not revealed to them what is needful for each of them to live by himself. He wishes them to live together united, and therefore has revealed to them that they are needful to each other’s happiness.”

 

September 30, 2009
Prior to working on the biography of Libbie Custer’s life, I assumed she wasn’t aware that George drank, played cards, and bet on the horses. But George was completely forthcoming about his vices before they married. Libbie decided to ignore his shortcomings and even went so far as to write her cousin and boast her new husband had no faults apart from cursing from time to time. She must have been harboring some misconception that after they married George would be a changed man. Love and deep admiration is silly that way. I believe Libbie had no idea what she was getting into when she married Custer. She walked on the ground he worshipped. She convinced herself that his philandering was all in her imagination and even if it did happen, he would always come home to her in the end. I can identify with her thought process. I was once married to someone just like that. After we divorced I wrote a play about the relationship entitled Lucy which won a couple of awards at college. It was really the inspiration I needed to pursue a career in writing. Custer’s roving eye and inability to manage his gambling habits inspired Libbie to write as well. She made a fortune writing and lecturing about her life with George. My broken heart wasn’t quite so financially lucrative, but it set me on the path I believe I was intended to be on and for that I’m grateful. Thanks, Roy. After doing the preliminary research for the book about Libbie I believe she was the type of woman who would have asked her husband during an argument, “Tell me, George, if you had to do it all over would you fall in love with yourself again?” I know how the Custer's story ends, but the development of their relationship to that point has been most interesting. Hope readers of this tome, due for release next Christmas, will think the same.

 

September 28, 2009
The most popular edict among women today is that their father’s raped them as children. The deadly accusation destroys lives and requires nothing to back up such a statement. The popular thought is that this statement is so horrible no one would make it up. What would be in it for them? In the case of McKenzie Phillips and at least three other full-grown adult women I know, the answer is vanity. It’s Satan’s favorite sin. They like the spotlight. They crave the attention. They parade their “so-called trauma” before news crews, talk shows, and in print. The accused, who in some cases is dead, has no way to defend themselves. The truth is, there’s no way to defend yourself against such a charge anyway. Because the prevailing attitude is again, so shocking, no one believes anyone would make it up. Psycho analyst, counselors, mental health students are quick to point out that the over the top behavior from these so called “victims” is textbook. They maintain it’s textbook no matter what the behavior happens to be from the self proclaimed victim. If I family knows the woman making such claims to be a habitual liar who has repeatedly made similar claims about other men in addition to their fathers, that behavior is explained away too. Psychiatrist reason that’s in keeping with a rape victim as well. NO ONE can question the accuser. They are obviously right because they dared to accuse. It’s set up from the beginning to be the deadliest accusation because NO ONE who defends themselves and NO FAMILY members who defend the accused are given any attention. The denial is consider “standard textbook behavior” as well. No thought is given to the fact that the accused just might be innocent. All that being said, I must add that I do believe such atrocities exist. I believe there are young girls and women who have been violated in the most despicable way by someone they trusted. I know it happens. I know and work with many women, my mother included, who I believe they have had such odious crimes perpetrated upon them. I believe these horrible things happened to these women because they are the least vocal about it. They share their stories with women in support groups and earnestly seek to help heal. They are not looking for a headline, they are not motivated by 15 minutes of fame. They don’t buy new clothes, get new hairstyles, manicures, and have their makeup done professionally to be interviewed by the nightly news. They are quiet heroes who strive to help a victim feel whole again. There are quiet heroic victims like Jaycee Dugard, who decide to deal with their agony and terror with the help of family and counselors and do not initially parade their angst out on television for ratings and their own talk show. I’m always suspect of the good Samaritan who calls the fire department to inform them of a three alarm blaze and then stands around to help in any way they can once the fire crew arrives. To neighbors, friends and family they look like a hero. But in many instances those are the very people who set the blaze in the first place. They crave the attention and for a very important moment in time they get it. Vanity. Satan can ruin so much with it. My brother sits dying in prison because of such heinous accusation that could have been disproved with medical records, time line, witnesses, etc... I was told none of that would matter in a court of law. 97% of all juries side with a victim regardless of anything the defense has to offer. I told my brother to take a plea. It will be interesting to see what becomes of McKenzie Phillips after this. A reality T.V. show, new book deals, film contract? She set off a three alarm blaze and this fire should yield her significant attention.

 

September 25, 2009
Prior to marrying George Custer a good friend of Libbie's gave her some sage advise. "General Custer has elements of character which will develop...and, dear girl, some of that development rests with you." Any character Libbie was unable to develop while they were married, she improved after he was killed. I'm fascinated with Libbie's story because it shows how blind many people in love truly are. Just prior to the pair getting married, George was forthcoming about his vices. He told her that he drank (although he made a pledge to quit), cursed (because it was satisfying), was prone to eye a pretty face, played cards for money, and bet on horse races. These were all things that would eventually cause problems in their marriage, but she looked passed these particular faults. Actually, she not only looked passed them, but shared with her cousin that they were non-existant. In January 1864, she wrote, "I do not say Armstrong is without faults. But he never takes liquor, nor frequents the gaming-table, and though not a professing Christian yet respects religion." Young love is intoxicating, but prone to overlooking flaws that could be big obstacles later on. It's a glorious sickness. I know how George and Libbie's story begins and ends, but filling in the life in between is what holds my interest in writing their story. Maybe I'll learn something in the process.

 

September 23, 2009
Nothing has been the same since my brother went to prison five years ago. Not only is has his constant care become a responsibility I never would have imagined I’d have to deal with, but it has eroded away at my hope. No matter what I was involved in prior to this life altering experience I had hope that things would work out for the best. That’s all gone now. Years ago when I entered the writing profession I knew it was going to be hard, but that hope and persistence would be the keys to any success. Even if that notion was naïve it was still the spark that enabled me get through difficult days of rejected book proposals and screenplays. I also had hope that good guys won once in a while. Now all I see is that bad guys have everything - and so much of it. I continue to write because I enjoy it, but I no longer think it matters. I see for my future more visits to federal prisons, more money spent on medical care and feeding of my brother, a front row seat in which to watch his ultimate demise, a divorce, because who would want to willingly take part in this, and a Hemingway style ending to a writer who once hoped to inspire and entertain readers. I still have just enough hope to think I can pull out of this tail-spin, but I’m growing impatient for it to happen.

 

September 21, 2009
Inspiration. Webster defines it as a “high level of feeling or activity.” Wikipedia defines inspiration as the “arousal of the mind to special activity or creativity.” However it’s defined I don’t feel I have it anymore. I used to have such dreams about writing. Lack of true success in that area has left me uninspired. I can trace the decline of my inspiration to the day they arrested my brother and took him away shackled and handcuffed. When that life altering event took place I realized that many individuals probably never meet their definitive destiny. I used to want to try in spite of that, but I lose a little bit more inspiration everyday. I’m worried about those misalignments in life. What is the greatest military strategist of all time was born a watchmaker in Switzerland, or what if the most brilliant medical mind in history was housed in a man selling shoes in Oklahoma? Well, look at the sun. It gives us our very life and sustenance, but there must be many other suns, which are no different from our own directing their sustaining rays at lifeless rock formations, or at nothing at all. They must feel a little gypped. That’s how I feel to some extend. Kind of like a video game would feel without a T.V. set. I don’t want to be one of those people who approach life with the exuberance of a curb, but I’m rapidly beginning to fall into that. I will continue to write because I love the craft, but I’m not inspired. I just don’t believe anything turns out like you plan. I don’t believe dreams come true. I believe some of us struggle and fight for a place in line and are told the “window is closed” just when you get to the counter with your dream. I believe you can work hard all your life an never realize a damn thing. Still, I can’t give up. I just wish I knew a way to ignite that small, flickering light of hope back into an inferno of inspiration. I’m open to suggestions.

 

September 17, 2009
I began this section of the website a few years ago to journal the daily life of a writer. By now the average visitor to the site is painfully aware of just how boring it can be. I enjoy writing - right now I’m working on a biography about Elizabeth Custer. The research is enjoyable and her story is fascinating. Combing over personal letters and digging through artifacts at the National Archives that once belonged to Libbie is thrilling. No one was more surprised than I was to find out that much of your day as an author would be spent building press packets, writing press releases, placing ads about the books in various magazines, contacting radio and television producers to arrange interviews, phoning individual book stores to tell them about your books and ask them to consider carrying it, and arranging scheduling book signings. Actual writing is secondary to all of this. If you do the job well, book sales increase. If you aren’t staying on top of that particular aspect of the job, sales fall off. I hope sales for Thunder Over the Prairie, the new book that just came out in June, will increase as the film’s executives get closer to the day we begin production on the story, but for now sales have slowed down considerably. Instead of working on chapter two of the Custer biography today, I’ll be trying to correct that problem. I am frequently approached by aspiring writers with great stories they want to put down on paper. They have the same look in their eyes I used to have. And I suspect that like me, they will hold onto their exuberant naiveté until they have to draft the a proposal to an editor explaining what the book is about and how the work will make money for the publishing house. That’s when the dream of writing the perfect story that will change - when dreams runs head-long into commerce. I’ve never seen any pictures of Hemingway struggling over the business aspect of writing. Yes, I know he was Hemingway, but the industry has changed substantial since then. Few things live up to what you have them built up in your mind to actually be. The few exceptions for me are as follows: Disneyland. I’m still just as excited to be there as I was making all the preparations to be there. Falling in love. Nothing comes close to that glorious sickness you feel when you know you can’t wait to see that special someone again. Of course nothing hurts worse than learning that same love of your life eventually married and his wife happens to be kind and beautiful. Rocky Road ice cream lives up to the hype. Pizza never disappoints. Bolgna. I’d wear Bolgna if it were socially acceptable. Holding my kids I teach at Wednesday night Bible study lives up to the hype. Harry Potter movies, Lanai, Hawaii, Bodie, California, and Christmas all live up to the hype. I’ll try to keep that in mind today as I phone stores across the U.S. to discuss my books. To add balance to the activity be assured I’ll be eating a carton of Rocky Road while I dial.

 

September 13, 2009
A week ago I was doing a book signing at Linda’s Old West Books in Tombstone, Arizona. While I was there I met a writer who had co-authored a book about the place many refer to as “the town too tough to die.” At some point during the signing the affable author mentioned that she was a researcher as well as a writer. Evidently she has done extensive research on a variety of frontier subjects for many western authors. When the topic of old west cemeteries came up she shared her knowledge of Tombstone’s Boot Hill. The author explained that most of what is currently known about the graveyard, it’s location and occupants, is incorrect. She said she knew the truth about the cemetery because she has the deed and some other original documents for Boot Hill. She added that she was not going to write about it herself, nor was she going to share the information with anyone other than one of her friends who was going to pen a book about the legendary spot. The entire discussion got me thinking about the accuracy of history as a whole. When you write non-fiction books about the old west you strive to use original source material. If original source material is in private hands, like the deed to Boot Hill for example, how accurate can any history be? At best, history writing can only be an unfinished work in progress. Even when the facts are reasonably well established, historians may differ radically in their interpretation of those facts. Some historians take those interpretations too seriously. Prior to the signing I’d received a couple of emails warning me not to come to Tombstone because of what I wrote about Wyatt Earp in the book Thunder Over the Prairie. The number of men I said Earp gunned down in his vendetta ride differed from theirs. This difference was so substantial to them they felt the need to threaten me. I can’t imagine being that upset about something that happened more than 125 years ago. When I told author Glenn Boyer about all this he was outraged. He called fellow author and Tombstone resident, Ben Traywick and asked him and a few of his hands, to be my body guards while I was in town. Mr. Traywick did not disappoint. I believe I’m in for more trouble when the book about Libbie Custer comes out. I already know that more than 6,000 personal documents on or about Libbie and her famous husband are in the hands of a gentlemen living near the Little Big Horn. And he’s not going to let me see them. I’ve asked. So, the book will only be as accurate as the material available. Oscar Wilde once said, “the one duty we owe to history is to rewrite it.” If many historical records are privately owned and only a select few are allowed to examine them, history will always be rewritten.

 

September 9, 2009
Some of the finest writing I’ve ever read was penned by screenwriter David Webb Peoples. Peoples wrote the Unforgiven and I think it’s a brilliant piece of film writing. I couldn’t help thinking about one of the final scenes in the screenplay this morning. Seeking vengeance isn’t right, but in a well written western it’s so satisfying. I fear for my brother’s life everyday and knowing he’s fading away while the guilty parties continue on without a worry makes my blood boil. And so I turn to David Peoples and his spectacular work Unforgiven for a taste of justice. Little Bill is holding court in a saloon with his deputies. Outside the saloon, in an upright coffin is Ned, Munny’s friend, a man that has been as close to him as a brother. Little Bill tells his men, “Now if we divide up into four parties and hit all the farms and trails in a circle, we’re bound to find someone who seen them skunks (referring to Munny).” Little Bill is suddenly conscious of his own loud voice in a sudden silence that has swept the bar like a brushfire and, turning, he sees what everybody is staring at. Munny, with his 10-gauge shotgun leveled from the shoulder, is standing thirty feet away in the doorway. Taking a couple of sideways steps to get the door behind his back and sweeping the twin barrels in an ominous arc, he surveys the scene. Munny, a little drunk say, “Which one of you owns this place?” Nobody says a thing. Skinny stares pop-eyed from behind the bar and the sweat starts on his forehead and Little Bill is thinking coolly and everybody else is swallowing hard and looking at the shotgun. Munny, to an overweight man in front of him, “You there, fat man, speak up.” The man gulps and then Skinny screws up his courage and steps from behind the bar and gives it every bit of dignity his fear will permit. “I…I own this establishment,” Skinny says. “I bought it from Greely for a thous….” “Better step clear, boys,” Munny says to the men around Skinny. And Skinny looks from side to side as people step away from him and he wants to say something desperately he wants to live, he wants…. “Hold on, mist…,” Little Bill interjects. Bah-whoom! Munny fires and smoke belches and Skinny is blown back against the wall and he falls to the floor a bloody mess. Little Bill is furious. “Well, sir you are a cowardly son of a bitch, because you have just shot down an unarmed man.” Munny points his gun at Little Bill. “He should have armed himself if he was gonna decorate his saloon with the body of my friend.” That level of animosity is how I’m feeling this morning. There’s nothing I can do about any of the wrong done to Rick though so I’ll just replay that section of this western masterpiece over and over again - changing the names of the characters in an effort to quiet the desperate pleas for help I hear everyday.

 

September 7, 2009
Although I was able to reconnect with some wonderful people from my past this Labor Day weekend, my 30 year class reunion was not without its awkward moments. The most memorable of the awkward moments occurred when I was asked to read a note I had written in one of my former classmate’s yearbook. Alfonso was a foreign exchange student at Buena High School. He was charming and personable and is very much the same now. I began the brief not to him in his yearbook with “Dear Pancho.” I asked him if that had been his nickname back then. He told me I was the only one who called him that and I named him after Pancho Villa. He neither looks like Pancho Villa nor was he from Mexico. He’s from Columbia! Evidentially, I was some sort of low-rent Don Rickles at 17. Another awkward moment came when I touched base with someone I dated a bit my senior year. Given how badly I treated him then he would have had every right to be rude to me now, but Jeff Bess was gracious and kind and behaved better than I deserved. The reunion gave me the opportunity to thank certain people for the positive influence they had on my high school years. Karen Derr was always sweet and no matter how busy she was she would stop and ask me how I was doing. And she was sincere. So were Susan Trick, Steve Smith, Janet Helton, and Tom Fair. Hopefully I’ve arrived on the other side of this historic occasion with not only a list of awkward moments, but new friends - people I never want to lose touch with, people that will make me a better person. I want to develop deeper friendships with Tracy Brown, Kate May, Cathy Hougham, and Robyn Hammon. You can never have enough friends. A friend is someone who can watch twelve straight hours of the Cartoon Network Jonny-Quest-a-Thon without uttering one word then get up and leave and not even say good-bye to me. A good friend is someone who can keep a secret, someone who likes to eat real food and not just salads, someone who’ll let me store some of my personal effects at their place, no questions asked, someone who doesn’t judge my mood swings, no matter how extreme they get, and most important, someone who will jerk the pen out of my hand should I begin any note with “Dear Pancho”.

 

September 2, 2009
Author Chuck Parsons forwarded a sonnet to me by Michener and I wanted to share it. "When people saw that I might be a writer a wise man gave advice profound and sane: I know that you by nature are a fighter but when the critics blast, you can't complain. For that's their job so think of something brighter. Don't try riposte or struggle to explain, you'll not succeed, just make yourself look slighter. And I advise you never to disdain the critic, for he boasts a clout that far surpasses yours: brains, style, facts and the use of that huge daily paper. He's the czar with force to hammer you with harsh abuse. You'll find recourse in the only one true shot: That you have writ the books and he has not."

 

August 31, 2009
Another week with Libbie Custer and Nellie Bly… I’m going to be tracking down a story I heard last week about a court case involving Libbie and her nemesis, Frederick Benteen. According to my source she sued him for defamation of character several years after he had passed away. In all the writing I’ve done I don’t think I’ve ever researched a woman more dedicated to a single purpose than Elizabeth Custer. She fought everyday to bolster her husband’s reputation. Her motives were not simply economical either. She believed George had been accused of something he didn’t do and was willing to go to great lengths to prove it. I promised my brother I would do the same thing. Even if he dies where’s he’s at I will not stop. Libbie Custer will be my inspiration. I’m off to Tombstone at the end of the week. Historical writers Glenn Boyer and Ben Traywick will be there with me. No one knows more about Wyatt Earp than these men. It will be a thrilled to meet them in person and get their take on today’s history writers. Hope to hear something back about the film projects this week, but with all the fires in and around Los Angeles all decisions might be delayed. I’ve got a lot of work to do today so I will put into practice the best advice I ever received, “Shut-up and write.” Thanks Dad.

 

August 28, 2009
Yesterday I had the unique privilege to speak with author Gail Kelly-Cuter. Gail is a descendant of George Armstrong Custer and the information she provided about her family was invaluable. I’m writing a book about Elizabeth Custer for Globe and got some great stuff about George’s relationship with an Indian woman name Monahsetah. Monahsetah knew George was married and eventually Elizabeth found out about Monahsetah. Historians will no doubt argue George’s involvement with Monahsetah. Gail has already taken a few hits for the book. When I say hits I mean people have been rude and insulting to her. The woman has been hurt and publicly ridiculed. Whether or not you agree with her story she deserves better than that from so-called educated people. I believe the fountainhead of all this bad behavior has got to be daytime talk shows. What an intergalactic freak show these are. You tell me, what Rusty the Bailiff Fan Club meeting do they go to harvest these losers? Ricki Lake? Richard Bey? Jerry Springer? These people should be not be allowed to own a TV, for crying out loud, much less be on it. And you know their guests not only aren’t ashamed of their asinine antics, they positively revel in their own grand mal ignorance. Screaming in people’s faces, screaming at the audience, the audience screaming back…. There have been so many times over the last five years I just want to say forget this culture, pack up some jerky, and go time-share with Jeremiah Johnson. I don’t want some vacant-headed Quaker land. That’s not civility, that’s banality. And I’m not talking about Martha Stewart civility either, where there’s nine forks arranged around your dinner plate like some cutlery Stonehenge. I’m simply saying, treat people with some decency. You don’t agree with what someone wrote in a book, try to engage them in a grown-up conversation about where they got their information. Don’t make fun of them in front of a large group of people or carry on about their work on a website. I guess people feel they don’t have to be civil when they hide in the dark behind a keyboard in their home or office. I believe when civility breaks down, the fall of civilization is close behind. It seems we’ve all turned inward and in the process have forgotten there are other human beings on the other side of the insults we hurl or lies we tell that put a good man in jail. That’s where civility comes in.

 

August 26, 2009
A few weeks ago I did an interview for a newspaper in Missouri where my family lives. The interview was about the western books I’d written and the books I have coming out in the not too distant future. I had forgotten that the article was due to come out until I received a call from my grandmother. I wasn’t home when she phoned so she left a couple of messages on my answering machine. Both messages were about the fact that the article was on the front page of the newspaper and how hurt she was that I didn’t mention her. She was near tears when she said, “You must be so ashamed of me and the fact that I’m in a rest home.” She wasn’t happy for me or proud of me, just hurt that I didn’t mention her. My family put the “funk” in dysfunctional. The message did remind me of a few others my grandmother has left on my answering machine that are just as aggravating, but none the less comical. I thought I’d share. “Hello, Chris. Yeah, I don’t know if you heard the latest on the portable stereos, but they’re saying that the foam earpieces on the headphones is a prime breeding ground for bacteria. So if you’re walking around with headphones on, you may wanna take an antibiotic. Okay? Talk to you soon. Bye.” I’ll write more later. My phone is ringing now. It might be my grandmother.

 

August 25, 2009
I’m heading back to Arizona next week for a few book signings, one of which will be at Linda’s Old West Books in Tombstone. I’m looking forward to this trip because I’ll get to spend time with some of my favorite authors. These are the historic authors that have inspired me to keep going on. Jane Candia Coleman, Captain Glenn Boyer, and Ben Traywick are not just writers that tell great stories, but they are kind people. It’s going to be a blast hanging out with them and drinking in the history of Cochise County. I think a book about those three individuals would be a fascinating read. I hope to get a chance to talk with Gail Kelly Curtis today about her new book and all that she knows about Elizabeth and George Custer. I admire daring authors like her, people who know the hits they are going to take just putting their work out to the public. It’s very brave. I need to be around brave right now. It’s been a hard year thus far. Actually it’s been a hard life. My heart physically hurts. Too much trouble and loss in a short span of time.

 

August 24, 2009
And so another work week begins. I’m inspired this morning by the late producer Don Hewitt’s favorite expression, “Tell them a story.” I hope to do just that with the Elizabeth Custer book I’m working on. Hopefully I’ll be able to speak with George Custer’s descendant, Gail Kelly-Custer today. I believe the interview will provide a much needed balance to the story and am looking forward to speaking with her. Gail wrote a book about her famous heritage and has received a great deal of criticism by several self-proclaimed historians. I already like her just because of that. Someone once said, “Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves.” In addition to the work I’ll be doing on the book about Libbie Custer, I’ll be working on a new book proposal about Nellie Bly. Bly was a fascinating journalist who went so far as to have herself committed to an asylum so she could write about the atrocities within the system. She had critics too and shot one of them in the arm for his constant barrage of negative comments. In a scenario that sounds all too familiar, her critic was expressing the feelings of an author friend of his who hoped to write about the same subject. Instead of writing their own book, they spent copious hours picking apart her work. Frustrated by the never ending harassment, she marched in to the bar where the critic worked serving drinks, ordered a beverage, and paid for her drink with a gunshot wound to the right shoulder. Unfortunately the critic lived. In other matters, we should find out something concrete about the production company involved with bringing Thunder Over the Prairie to the screen. I should have a definitive idea about where I’ll be moving next as well. That’s good. I do don’t well in limbo. I’m looking forward to my high school reunion in a couple of weeks in Southern Arizona. It should be fun getting reacquainted with people I shared the same bit of carpet with for three years. I’ll be working with a team of budding college attorneys on helping my brother. At the very least I’d like to get some teeth sent to him. Criminals and blackhearts run the institutions and family members are forced to watch the suffering. The corruption within the system goes unchecked. There’s very little I can do to help, but watch things get worse and plan for my brother’s ultimate funeral.

 

August 20, 2009
How bad can life be when my work day begins with a book signing in beautiful Lake Tahoe and ends with a meeting with Clint Black prior to his concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto? Seems pretty good. I consider myself blessed, but not necessarily happy. I’m forever mindful that my brother is in jail, in harms way, and I am the one who persuaded him to take the plea. No matter what is going on in my life, I miss Rick and am painfully aware that he isn’t coming home. The beauty of Emerald Bay will be marred by the though of where he is and the memory of how he used to be. I’ll spend the drive praying not only for Rick, but for whatever problems I seem to continually cause at my church. Perhaps like many things in life you outlive your usefulness somewhere and it’s time to move on. I put in a lot of hours there and enjoy working on programs like Christmas in Bethlehem and the benevolence committee, but when the church leadership is less than thrilled with you , it’s time to go. I get beat up a lot in my professional and personal life I don’t have the strength to deal with another group of individuals who are disappointed in me too. Even at a church setting there seems to be a different set of rules for the average volunteer and those related to the ministerial staff. None of this takes away from the fact that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. I just don’t seem to fit anywhere and I’m so very tired of the battle and I’m lonely to the bone. On a lighter note, I’m going to have a chance to interview a descendant of General George Custer tomorrow for my book about Elizabeth Custer. That should prove to be very interesting. I’m grateful that Gail Kelly-Custer has consented to talk with my about her heritage. My publisher is also giving me a chance to submit a book proposal for one of the most heroic woman in history, Nellie Bly. I’d like to remove myself to a remote island where there are no critics and heartache and pour myself into my writing. Of course it wouldn’t hurt if Matt Damon were near by.

 

August 18, 2009
The research I continue to do on the book about Elizabeth Custer led me to a couple of people who used to be the directors of the Little Big Horn Museum. My talk with Nadya and Bill Henry about the famous General's wife was interesting and filled with valuable information I can use in the new tome. The best thing about the conversation I had with the Henrys was their complete candor about the supposed affairs George Custer had and the romantic attraction Elizabeth had towards a soldier named Thomas Wier. We spoke about the so-called guardians of history who do not care so about being factually correct as much as they do being politically correct. According to the Henrys, the desire by so many outside intities to manipulate the truth about Custer's Last Stand has transformed the sacred battleground into a "political football." Nadya was a delightful woman who wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She was refreshing and bold and I look forward to many more conversations with her on this subject. Looks like I'll have a chance in the coming weeks to visit with one of my favorite authors Glenn Boyer. Maybe I'll get at the correct number of men Wyatt Earp killed on his vendetta ride. (Earp historians differ wildly over the exact number) Glenn has written several books about Earp and I like his fearless style. His critics don't seem to bother him - and they've been unkind and unfair. I wish I could be more like Glenn in the face of such unfairness. Perhaps I'll learn how he deals with it all when I see him. Until then, I'll be spending time with Elizabeth Custer and diligently striving to get all my facts correct. Those facts change depending how someone reads the various historical accounts and interprets them - that's what makes history writing such an explosive venture. I have five books coming out over the next five years, each one just as controversial as the next. I'm in for quite a bumpy ride.

 

August 17, 2009
I began my work week reflecting on a conversation I had yesterday with one of my favorite authors, Jane Candia Coleman. Jane is a two time Spur Award winner and an exceptional writer of the Old West. It was a pleasure to speak with her about her work (Doc Holliday’s Woman, Tumbleweed, and Silver Queen just to name a few) and share with her how inspired I am by her talent. She encouraged me to keep writing regardless of the challenges and invited me to her home next month when I’m in Arizona. There’s a quote about encouragement that I keep near my desk. It’s by pastor and author William Arthur Ward. I dusted it off this morning to give it another read. “Flatter me, and I may not believe you. Criticize me, and I may not like you. Ignore me, and I may not forgive you. Encourage me, and I will not forget you. Love me and I may be forced to love you.” Life is exceptionally hard. We all need a boost from time to time, an encourager to help us through the rough patches. Jane Coleman was that for me. I hope to pay that kindness forward today. I’ll be writing about Elizabeth Custer and her efforts to preserve her husband’s memory. Should anyone want a copy of Thunder Over the Prairie I have two to give away today. Just drop my an email and let me know you'd like one. I'll get it off to you.

 

August 13, 2009
There’s a very good possibility that I’ll be leaving the Grass Valley area in 2010. Maybe a change of scenery will help to shake things up in my life. I’ll miss my church family and friends, but I guess I’ve never been a cradle to grave kind of person. As an army brat I was always on the move. It seems natural to me. I’ve lived in Northern California longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere. The more books I work on the more isolated I become. I don’t think I’d mind the isolation living by the beach in Monterey. It’s something I always dreamed of doing anyway. I’m juggling two books right now and am going to begin a third next month. I’ve been putting the third title off for a while because I know it’s going to be emotionally difficult to put all that happened on paper, but it’s time. Who knows, maybe I’ll find this thing called “happy” everyone has told me so much about.

 

August 11, 2009
I felt well enough yesterday to make a pilgrimage to the library to review microfiche that had just come in from the Kansas State Historical Archives. One of the books I’m working on is about women journalists from the Old West and Carrie Nation is the current focus of study. Throughout the late 1800s and into the early 1900s, Carrie led a crusade against alcohol. She published a newspaper called The Smasher. She named the paper after one of her most violent crusading actions, smashing up barrels of liquor with an ax. She was dedicated to the idea that alcohol was the root of all evil. She was married twice and both husbands drank to excess. She took her intolerance of the beverage to the streets and saloons. She was arrested several times for her violent actions, but it never deterred her in the slightest. One of the sections in her newspaper was dedicated to the many letters she received. The letters were both in favor and against, what she stood for. She bravely ran all the letters from readers and drinkers who opposed her position that liquor was the “devil’s tonic.” The letters criticizing her behavior were published under the heading “From Hell”. The letters praising her bravery were published under the heading “From Heaven.” Whether or not you agree with what she did you have to admire her spunk and dedication to a cause. If Carrie Nation were alive today she would come face to face with a faction of the public who believe that alcoholism is disease and that some individuals need help with their problem. I have an uncle that falls into that category. I’m trying to trivialize the nightmare that is addiction. It’s a difficult thing when you start to notice that someone close to you has a drinking problem. You see little signs, like when they ask the waitress what wine goes with a grand slam breakfast. Or when they go to a liquor store and bring their own hand truck. Or when they walk up and down the bar pointing at people’s drinks, asking, “Are you gonna finish that?” I realize that some people get dealt a lousy genetic hand. I’m sure there are some physical predispositions to alcohol abuse - maybe lacking certain chemicals in your brain, maybe a problem with your metabolism, maybe just being a Kennedy. Many people go for decades without addressing their steadily worsening problem. Occasional cracks in their armor may leave them shaken but not stirred to action. Others, however, get tired of French-kissing the gutter drain and join Alcoholics Anonymous. I think that Alcoholics Anonymous is truly a wonderful, lifesaving organization, and Carrie Nation would have been proud of the group. Not everyone with a problem believes that AA is the solution. Some of my relatives are still in denial about their addition. Anyone in AA will tell you that first and foremost, you have to admit to having a problem. Here are some blurred signposts that might signal you’re weaving down the road to alcoholism. 1. If you walk out of the movie Leaving Las Vegas early because you’re thirsty. 2. If Boris Yeltsin asks you for your autograph. 3. If you have to paint the words “don’t panic, you’re at home” on the ceiling above your bed. There’s no doubt Carrie Nation was an extremist, but sometimes that’s what it takes to get someone’s attention.

 

August 8, 2009
I had no idea how many anti-Earp people were in the world until Thunder Over the Prairie came out. The bulk of the book is about the “most intrepid posse” of the Old West. I spent years researching the material and made sure the book included was a comprehensive bibliography, as well as numerous end-notes, and a foreword by the Director of the Kansas Heritage Center, explaining where the information came from. Even with all that, there are still a handful of people who insist the story is fabricated. The one that is making the biggest noise is very upset about a quote used in the book from an 1881 edition of the Dodge City Globe about Wyatt’s vendetta ride. The report from the paper notes that Earp and his men killed 150 men in that ride. The outraged critic insists I made that up. Without bothering to check the facts for himself or contact the Director of the Kansas Heritage Center himself, he has taken to openly blasting me on a website dedicated to complaining and knocking various authors. Dealing with that individual consumed a big portion of my work day. I passed his complaints on to my editor. His hope is to get the book taken off the shelves. He’s furious that it’s been optioned for a screenplay too. There are those days when writing isn’t everything I dreamed it would be. People who say you lied never have to back it up. They only have to say it. I happen to believe if Wyatt Earp was alive he would have called this guy out. That’s the way they settled things in the Old West. I’m a fan of frontier justice. I’m also a fan of truth. I don’t see frontier justice making a come back, but I’d certainly like to see truth become commonplace. I’ve often wondered what happened to truth. How did it become so unaccepted. I read a quote that explains it better than I ever could. It’s from Joan Beck of the Chicago Tribune. “Lying is commonplace in our society - government, courts, churches, and homes. Sometimes for what may seem the best of reasons, often for personal gain, almost routinely for social or business convenience (‘Tell him I’m in a meeting.’) We cannot assume that honesty is a way of life in our country - or the world. The forces of society have subtly squeezed us into new definitions of honest and morality. Absolutes of right and wrong have largely disapproved and have been replaced by a fuzzy, gray fog of inconsistent moral choice.” Excellent quote! If anyone would stop to contemplate the notion perhaps things would change. But I guess to a lot of people it’s easier just to call someone a liar without having to prove your case. Someone like Earp wouldn’t have bothered to wait for the motive behind the lie to come to light. I like to think he would have stared him down the barrel of a gun and just before he turned the coward’s head into a canoe told him, “You’re a blackguard, a hypocrite, and a stench in the nostrils of honest men.” It’s extreme, I know. Guess you can’t get rid of all the dogs just because one has fleas. I'm sure I'll hear from this same flea invested dog when the book about Elizabeth Custer comes out. What else does he have to do?

 

August 5, 2009
Sales for Thunder Over the Prairie continue to drop off aas quickly as visits to this site. And talks with Walter Hill have stalled while the remaining funds to make the film are being raised. We have partial funding, but getting another entity to committ to additional money is slow going. We are told quite often that "Western movies don't sell." If you can't open a picture with the kind of revenue a film like Harry Potter makes it isn't worth the studio's time. It's exhausting. This pneumonia I've had since July 14 continues to drag on. My condition was further aggrevated yesterday by a close family member who insists I "let go of the past." She was referring to my brother. It is a past event to her and those around her. Her investment in the tragedy is a letter to Rick every now and then. There is no real emotional tie and no respect for the devotion I have for him. My brother is not gone yet. He languishes in a prison, hurt, with broken teeth the prison will not allow me to help fix. Since his beating his teeth have been broken and all efforts to get him dentures have failed. In fact, the prison dentist told Rick that she "would confiscate the teeth he has remaining if he didn't shut-up about it." That kind of treatment makes it hard for me to put this "in the past." Of course, my loving family don't get the calls about such hardships and hurts. I believe when she says "let go of the past" what she is really saying is "don't mention this situation to me anymore because it interferes with my life." The situation with my brother is my past, present, and future. His continued care is my responsibility. Where he lives, if he lives, is of utmost concern to me. I won't let him be tossed out onto the street to be thrown into the gutter. And so we learn that aunts, neices, cousins, grandmothers, do not want to be bothered with your hurts. Their motto is "Don't deal, forget," and their family crest is a drawing of several people sitting around a television, never dealing with what is. So I shall leave them to themselves. I think I'll make a trip to Custer's Last Stand next month. I have more research I need to do on the book about Elizabeth Custer. For a little while maybe I can surround myself with people who know how difficult it is to leave things in the past. At the very least I have that in common with Libbie.

 

August 4, 2009
According to Amazon.com, sales for Thunder Over the Prairie have begun to slip a bit. Perhaps things will pick up once everything is in place for the film. Award winning director, screenwriter Walter Hill will be writing the screenplay. He does westerns better than anyone I know. I loved the Long Riders, Broken Trail, and Geronimo. While I wait for all that to come to pass, I'm focused on the Elizabeth Custer book and lining up more speaking engagements. I thought I'd pass on an email I've received about one of the other books. Thunder, however, is my favorite book that Howard and I have been able to write and I hope it has a long shelf life. "Hi Chris, I met you last year when you came to speak to a 7/8 grade Social Studies class. My daughter was in that class and really enjoyed your presentation. At the end of the school year one of my students gave me a gift certificate to the Book Seller, so my daughter and I picked out one of your books, A Beautiful Mine. I wanted you to know how much I enjoyed reading the book and look forward to purchasing more that you have written. I think it would make a nice gift for girls heading out on their own in the world to encourage them to work to achieve their goals. Thank you for such well written books on a fascinating era! Helen Cope" Thank you, Helen. You've made a pneumonia ridden gal very happy.

 

July 31, 2009
I’ve been able to get a lot of writing done since I’ve been sick. Usually I breakup my work day with a routine trip to FedEx or the post office, but I’m unable to do that so I’ve just concentrated on the next book. For a little while I’d hoped this bought of bronchial pneumonia would take me out of this world. I tire of the struggle. I continually worry about my brother that’s in prison and it’s too painful to hear the hurt in my parent’s voices over what happened. My mother is justified in how badly she feels. Her execution…let’s just say she’s like a mother lion that has her mouth around her cub’s neck - sometimes she clamps down a little too hard. Maybe all mothers are like this, but my mother can work a 48 years-gone umbilical cord like Zorro lighting matching with a whip. She’s got the psychological and emotional drop on me. And you know what, a mother’s claim on your psyche is wholly substantiated because you love her so much. My mom has been right there for all the investigation into the accusations made against Rick. She’s seen the letters from officials who confirm everything Rick has said and can backup his side of the story. She’s seen the medical reports that show there’s no way he ever raped the accused in the manner she claimed. She knows and it’s killing her. She wants to be heard, but no one is listening. And the sad sorry truth is no one ever will. My mom wants to protect her kids from anymore hurt. That’s her job. There’s a very good explanation for why cult leaders force members to cut off all contact with their families. Because they know that their spell will be broken and all the mind control will disappear the instant you hear your mother saying: “And I suppose that just because your new friends are having themselves castrated so they can go on the spaceship, you have to do it too, right?” The relationship between mothers and children never changes, and that’s because no matter how rich or powerful you are, your mother still remembers when you were three and put SpaghettiOs up your nose.

 

July 29, 2009
Today I took some time from thinking about the demands of my job, missing family members, and loved ones currently incarcerated, and concentrated solely on what the heck I’m going to wear to my high school reunion. In contrast to the sad events in my recent past I thought it would be a nice break. It wasn’t. It just brought up a lot of self esteem issues. I think everyone has low self-esteem to some degree. Because no one can ever take a compliment. They either totally dismiss it or they confess some really horrible thing about themselves that you would never have otherwise known. You’ll tell someone, “Oh, you have a beautiful smile.” They’ll say, “My back tooth is completely black.” “Oh. Well. That’s a beautiful dress you’re wearing.” “It was a dollar.” Fashion. People have been obsessed with fashion ever since the Garden of Eden when Eve said to Adam, “You know, that fig leaf you have on is so last season.” During prehistoric times everyone wore the same thing every day. I mean, look at Wilma Flinstone. She’s always sporting the same tight, short skirt with that shredded zigzag cut three inches above her knee. Where does she shop? Fashion is commerce built on envy. Know why fashion magazines are always thicker than a Tokyo phone directory? Because they’re full of ads that are tying to make you think that if you use this raspberry/kiwi/placenta thigh cream, your life is going to change, and articles that are trying to make you believe that if you wear this Dolce and Gabbana dress, you’re going look just like the ninety-five pound heroin addict who’s modeling it. I don’t know what I’m going to wear yet, but it won’t be anywhere close to a size 2 or 4, although it will have a 2 or a 4 as the second digit if that counts for anything. Here are two basic rules of fashion I will adhere to however. Never wear a Budweiser cap with a Coors T-shirt. Commit. When using a Magic Marker to color in your ankle to cover a hole in your pantyhose, make sure the Magic Marker color matches the hose. Now, where did I put that J.C. Penneys catalog?

 

July 28, 2009
I took my research books to the emergency room yesterday. I didn't know how long I'd be waiting to see a doctor and I hate wasted time. I'm trying to find the necessary sources to back up information I have that notes that General Custer had a child with a Cheyenne woman named Monahsetah. I have numerous books on the subject, but the bibliographies are woefully lacking. I'll need to go to the source and try and locate Custer's great, great, great, great granddaugther Gail Kelly Custer. There's nothing like actually going to the source of a story to find the answers you need. I decided yesterday that I'm going to have to employ the same method when it comes to getting to the bottom of the accusations against my brother. As distasteful as it may be, I've got to go to the source. I made an attempt at doing just that yesterday. I'm trying desperately to think things through this time. I don't want to make another costly mistake. I'm struggling with broncial pneumonia at the moment and it's reeking havoc with my emotions. Not that they weren't running high to begin with, but this just makes the situation seem all the more desperate. I can't let my brother die without a further fight. I got a letter from an attorney this past week that suggested I do just that. He had my best interests at heart, but I know I can't let Rick die like that. I doubt this source I've contacted is reliable and I'll be afraid for my life should a meeting come about, but I am compelled to do this.

 

July 25, 2009
Today is the next to last day on the eight week promotional tour for Thunder Over the Prairie. It's too early to tell if the blitz had the long term effect I'd hope. The book has done well in the short term. I appreciate KNCO Radio. They are always enthusiastic about doing interviews with me on the material and both reporters had actually read the entire book prior to the broadcast. So today the signing is at a fabulous western clothing store in downtown Grass Valley. I'll have to resist the temptation to spend any profit I make on the merchandise at the store. I'm broken hearted today, so I could be persuaded to believe that kind of spending is justifies. I received a letter yesterday about my brother Rick informing me that "there is simply nothing left to be done to save him and that it is time to allow myself to heal." That seems like an impossibility. In the right now my hands are filled with bitterness and it's all I want to taste. Hatred for the mother and daughter who brought about this ending washes over me. I'm living a nightmare I can't wake up from. The ongoing horror is punctuated with book signings and talks of motion pictures, but it does little to ease the pain or rage. I want to look my tormentors in the face and ask why?

 

July 22, 2009
Elizabeth Custer is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve had the pleasure to write about. She was fiercely loyal to her husband, the boy General, and tough enough to withstand months in the field with George and the 7th Cavalry. “Instinct guided me always in detecting the general’s enemies,” Elizabeth wrote about George, “and when I found them out, a struggle began between us as to my manner of treating them.” Manner of treating them. I like that expression. It’s a very polite way of letting people know that she would deal harshly with anyone who threatened her family. Her method of taking down her enemies was much more refined than that of Wyatt Earp, but just as deadly. Her behavior peaked my interest today. My brother Rick’s ex-wife is going out her way to get in touch with members of my family again and thoughts of the manner which I’d like to treat her and her odious daughter play out in my mind. How satisfying it would all be if I could act out the last scene from the film the Quick and the Dead. All the evil that licks at my family’s heels like sick dogs would be taken out. Into all these vengeful thoughts a still soft voice whispers in my ear reminding me that Jesus loves them and that I want to serve him. So I can’t do any of those things I see Clint Eastwood or John Wayne do in the movies. Elizabeth Custer didn’t simply defend her husband’s actions at the Little Big Horn because she loved him, she collected reports that supported what happened the day he and 200 other men were killed in battle. I’ve done the same with my brother. I’ve spent five years investigating his case and gathering evidence. A month ago I learned much of the evidence the prosecuting attorney said they had was made up. They lied. I thought a lot about that when I left the federal prison two weeks ago after seeing my brother. Seeing him was very hard. I walked to the parking lot and sat in my car for a long time, weeping, unable to see enough through the torrent of tears to drive away. A piece of my heart stayed at the prison - a part I feel at times is vital for my heart to continue beating at all. Nothing about this journey is familiar, comfortable, or desired. It’s like a trip to another country - to a foreign land where my brother doesn’t belong. I want so much not feel this way, to go on like it doesn’t matter, to return to the way it was. But there is no going back. There was no going back for Elizabeth Custer either. What’s gone is gone.

 

July 20, 2009
All too often I find myself in ridiculous situations in which there is no way out. Generally, I sign up for a beating, I get a beating, and then I’m surprised I got the beating.. Such was the case with the book event I attended in Texas this past week. Exhausted and struggling with bronchitis, I drag myself to a location across from the Alamo to promote Thunder Over the Prairie. Most of the people I met were incredibly kind. I learned some interesting facts about history listening to some of the other authors at the program talking about their books. One of the speakers had written a book about John Ringo and had researched the outlaw’s death and concluded that Ringo had committed suicide. It was fascinating to hear him discuss the documentation that led him to that thought. He shared Ringo’s death certificate and historical information with a coroner he knows. Brilliant idea! There were a few self proclaimed historians sitting around me during the author’s talk who were jotting down mistakes they believed the writer made in his book. They couldn’t wait to share their mean-spirited critique. I realized in that instant that I was guilty of the same thing. I made a mental note of every snub and hurtful comment that was made to me about my work while I was there. And I couldn’t wait to share my thoughts with others if anyone asked. Many of us our critics. From the comfort of my couch I’ve sniped at a few active individuals struggling to effect political change, make a movie, write a book, tell a joke, design a faucet - okay, that guy is a jerk. The faucets are fine, stop messing around with them, all right. The ones in airports are like science projects with the electronic eyes and motion sensors, water-saving springs - Faucet guy! Stop it! I’m not saying there isn’t a place for solid, intelligent, constructive criticism. But when was the last time you read a review of something, a movie, play, book, that gave you a real feel of what the author was trying to say? Now I don’t have any personal ax to grind here. Bad reviews don’t even affect me that much. I’m not the kind of person who names names - in fact, I don’t even know the name of that insufferable blow-hard from Wyoming. But uh…I feel so cleansed… The key thing to remember about all critics is that they remain dependent on the innovator, the person doing the real work of creating. And because they just sit on the sidelines of life, never the hunter, they are doomed to be forgotten. I hope to have further news to report this week on the progress of the film based on Thunder Over the Prairie. I know I’ll have news to report about my brother Rick’s condition. In the meantime, here’s a review of Thunder that was emailed to me. If only every reader felt this way… “Earp! Bassett! Masterson! Imagine joining a posse that is after a murderer, corrupt with a sour passion of lust and love. That’s what it its like reading THUNDER OVER THE PRAIRIE! Ms. Enss has done it again! Surpassing her other great books such as Pistol Packin' Madams, A Beautiful Mine, and The Lady was a Gambler. Being a amateur historian, its totally amazing how much time, effort, and travel has been made on research just for one book. All I can say is THANK YOU, Ms. Enss, THANK YOU!!!!! Waiting for another book. TL Smethers.”

 

July 14, 2009
I slowly made my way through the Polo Lounge Restaurant at the Beverly Hills Hotel, careful not to gawk at whatever celebrity might be dining at the same establishment. When my eyes did stray I noticed that everyone around was tall, perfectly tan, and dressed in crisp, freshly pressed garments. I was wearing a white dress with a matching black and white coat, slightly crumpled from the plane ride to L.A.. My skin is hopelessly white. It’s as if I’ve never been around the sun. One would think my parent’s were polar bears. My new shoes were pinching my feet and I walked with a slight limp. Something didn’t belong in this setting and it was clearly me. That fact became even more obvious when Walter Hill met Howard Kazanjian at our table. Sitting between two legendary film makers who were polished and poised and discussing the art of film making with reverence, I blurt out “So, how about those Long Riders.” The Long Riders is a great western Walter Hill produced. He kindly responded, but clearly I didn’t belong there. I was dumb-struck by the setting and company and from what I can remember, was barely able to string two sentences together that made sense and that didn’t include the expression, “Holy Cow!” Walter was nice and complimentary of the book Thunder Over the Prairie and I was thrilled with that. He will be adapting the material to the screen. Until everything comes together and the film premiers my part is done. All I can think is Holy Cow! I’m off to San Antonio tomorrow to the Western Writers History Association conference. It should be a real learning experience. I can only hope one of the things I learn is another phrase to express my enthusiasm and admiration. “Holy Cow” is getting a little old.

 

July 9, 2009
I'm off to Los Angeles today. I'll get to see my brother and make some inroads in getting him some teeth at long last. My meeting with Walter Hill will now be on Monday. I'm very excited. Even if nothing ultimately happens. What a thrill to meet such a distinguished director and discuss Thunder Over the Prairie. I'm going armed with one of the following 8 reviews: By W. Hylinski (California) -See all my reviews: "I don't get a lot of time to read with 2 little boys in the house, and most books take me weeks to read. This book though had me hooked right from the beginning and I found myself making time to read it. I loved the attention given to the backgrounds of everyone in the book, it was filled with facts that are often unknown by most or that are given little attention. The writing was top notch and you could just see all the hard the work that went into putting it together. Chris and Howard have once again brought to the world a piece of art in literature. I'm happy to send out a few promotional copies of the book. Just drop me a line and let me know you'd like one and I'll get it out to you.

 

July 7, 2009
All efforts to view the Elizabeth Custer archives in private hands in Montana have failed. The owner will not allow me access to the material. I don’t blame him for being a suspicious given the fact that the Federal government overtook his property and seized historical items he acquired himself. The claim was that the material belonged to the national museum in Washington. It reminds me of the final scene of the first Indian Jones movie. I’m not giving up however. I travel to LA this week in part for work, but mostly to see my brother. It breaks my heart. But it should, I guess. I struggle everyday with trying to forgive the two women responsible for the broken man I’ll see again Thursday. Over and over again I recall Ephesians 4:32 “Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ Forgave you.” And Matthew 18: 21-22. “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven? Jesus replied, ‘Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.’ I love that last verse because it reminds me Jesus knew that forgiveness, for more of us, is a process that often has to be repeated, not a one-time decision that lasts a lifetime. And so again today, I’ll pray that forgiveness seeps into my soul. I’ll have to repeat the scene again when I see Rick. It just isn’t getting into my heart. I want to insists that my prayers for this situation get answered with the favorable resolution I have requested. But God says, Chris I have a bigger plan than you envisioned for this. Trust me. I’m lousy at trust too.

 

July 2, 2009
Yesterday was a high point in my life with regards to my work. I spoke with Emmy winning screenwriter Walter Hill about Thunder Over the Prairie and he was very complimentary. I’ve always been a big fan of Hill’s work. In fact I have a movie poster of The Long Riders hanging in my home. He was gracious and kind and I was honored that he read the book. Howard and I will be meeting with him next week in L.A.. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and if nothing comes of it I am thrilled that it got this far. The research into the personal life of Elizabeth Custer continues. I have a specific idea about how I want to approach the story, but need a few of her letters on the subject to bring it about. I believe that the rumors about his infidelity were fueled by fellow officer Frederick Benteen. He was Custer’s nemesis. I’ll keep digging. In the meantime, press packets for the children’s book Cowboy True’s Christmas Adventure need to be created. The book will officially be launched in December, but all the press material has to be mailed by the first of August. It’s a busy time and I’m glad for that, but I miss my brother. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him or see his suffering in my mind’s eye. If he were gone from this world perhaps I wouldn’t grieve so. I wrestle with the part of me that knows how mighty and just God is with wanting to see the wicked who did this to my brother get theirs now. I can’t sleep. Rick is gone, but he’s here. At night there is nothing to occupy my mind, no one to reach out to. I am consumed with the image of his slow demise. There is nothing and no one to drown out the hurt. There is only the dream that nothing will go right for the mother and daughter who did this until they admit what they’ve done and how they’ve lied. Dreams seldom come true however.

 

June 29, 2009
My desk and the floor around my desk is covered with research papers and books about Elizabeth Custer. She was a fascinating woman. From almost the moment she met George to the time she passed away at 91 she sang his praises. They were wed in 1864 and he was killed 12 years later. She never remarried and she died in 1933. She was hopelessly devoted to George. I want to do more research on Libbie and the General, but I’ll have to go to Monroe, Michigan where she was born to get it done. I’ve just returned from a long trip and am not anxious to get on another plane. Flying has turned into an amazingly arduous process, especially boarding the plane, which has now become this tedious Bataan death march with American Tourister overnight bags. The last trip I took I was stuck behind one guy who took forever to get situated. He clogged the aisle like a piece of human cholesterol. He folded his sport jacket like he was in the color guard at Arlington National Cemetery. I’m a nervous flyer I guess. I’m suspicious of those masks that drop down in the event of decompression. The flimsy apparatus looks like a Parkay margarine cup on the end of an enema bag. The airlines always have these bizarre instructions to start the flow of oxygen. “Tug down lightly on the cord.” Yeah, you know when I’m shoulder-rolling at seven hundred miles per hour, lightly just isn’t in my vocabulary. In comparison to the mode of transportation Elizabeth Custer used to get to the military posts where George was located, flying is still the easiest and fastest way to get from one point to another. With that in mind, I’m off to book another flight.

 

June 25, 2009
It’s a good thing my life as a writer isn’t a reality show. Nothing could be more boring. I spend a great deal of my day just looking for my reading glasses. When I find them I'm going to go back to researching the life of Elizabeth Custer for the new book I‘m writing. I’ll have to make a trip to Monroe, Michigan to get all the information I need. That’s where Mrs. Custer was born. Guess I’ll go there after I get back from San Antonio and the Western Writers History Association conference. I’ve spent some time today mailing off review copies of Thunder Over the Prairie and praying the movie goes through with Hallmark. I'd be so thrilled if that happened! I imagine myself in the audience when the theatre goes dark and the film starts. Of course first there will be the dancing candy ad that theatres always run before the movie begins. That ad was always a little disturbing to me. If the candy can dance, and for that matter, play musical instruments, why should I get up, go to the snack bar, and buy the candy? Why can’t it just walk down the aisle and meet me at my seat? And why does a Coke cost more than the ticket? The Cokes the theatres serve are so big you could swim in them. Halfway through the movie I’m so bloated I have to step outside for twenty minutes of dialysis, which means I have to come back the next day and see the movie again to find out the part I missed. Perhaps I’ve shared too much. If I could find my glasses I’d reread what I’ve written and delete the part about being bloated. But I don’t know where the glasses are! Maybe they’re with the television remote. That’s been missing since Monday.

 

June 22, 2009
According to the folks at Hallmark Films “we may be able to get this one (Thunder Over the Prairie) set up this fall!!!” I certainly hope that’s the case. People don’t always mean what they say. What a blessing it would be though. Howard and I were guests this morning on a radio program out of Sacramento called Insight and spoke quite extensively about the four lawmen in the new book. I’ve got another signing coming up this weekend and will be talking to book buyers about the title then too. I’m doing everything I can think of to keep the momentum going for this tome. I really like the book, but the window of time needed to get everyone else to like it is very short. Soon, very soon, it will be old news. It’s moments like these that make me wish I had gone into some other line of work. Maybe I should have been a lawyer. Not a dishonest, grotesquely rapacious pimp like the one who let my brother go down, but a good lawyer motivated by compassion and concern. I didn’t always have such low opinions of lawyers. The word “lawyer” used to conjure up images of an upstanding, tireless advocate for the little guy. An Atticus Finch or Clarence Darrow, who was passionately dedicated to truth and justice. I think the law has been bastardized by a band of hucksters (like the dishonest, grotesquely rapacious pimp and his staff who let my brother go down) who have made it so cryptic, so utterly puzzling and arcane that Moses and Judge Judy working around the clock for twenty years could not understand it. The average person walking into a courtroom (like my parents and I) have long abandoned any expectation of justice. Because the American legal system has been turned into nothing more than a baroque multitiered Vulcan chess game where the rules have become too intricate for the average citizen to play and where the loser is no longer the guilty party but rather the least clever of the two. Okay, maybe I don’t want to be a lawyer and it’s too late to change careers now anyway. So, it’s back to writing and the struggles inherit with that. By the way, did I mention Thunder Over the Prairie is in book stores everywhere?

 

June 19, 2009
Nellie Bly was an American journalist, author, industrialist, and charity worker. She is most famous for an undercover expose in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from within. Lucy Stone was a prominent American abolitionist, suffragist, and reporter for the newspaper The Liberator. Both women are subjects in the new book I’m working on entitled Front Page: Women Journalist of the Old West. Both women have admirable qualities, but I respect Nellie more than Lucy. She never made her gender an issue. She did what she knew she could do based on her skill and talent alone. She didn’t hide behind a cause. She acted and in so doing opened the door for many investigative journalists to follow. I think we trivialize women’s issues in this country by fixating on the insignificant and ignoring the consequential. With all the serious inequities heaped on womanhood: the fact that we don’t get paid equally; the fact that we’re often brutalized by incomplete males. What do we focus on? The freak show, giving women sports caster’s access to football locker rooms, young girls being allowed to join the Boy Scouts. I’m aware that I have benefited greatly from the women who made sure I had a right to vote and could attend school to become a doctor or a minister, etc. and I'm grateful. But things have changed since Nellie and Lucy broke onto the scene. Women don’t just want their rights anymore, they want more. As a proponent of father’s rights I have seen the way women have brutalized men. I have seen women in the so-called justice system rape men and terrorize them in ways they never would a female. Because I’ve witnessed such blatant acts personally I have a general distrust of women. I don’t think I’d feel that way if I knew more women like Nellie Bly. From the research I’ve done for this new book I believe women like her would have exposed injustice regardless of gender. I wish I’d known Nellie. I could have introduced her to my brother. Maybe she could have saved him from the succubus he married. It's interesting how all stories seem to lead back to the same hurt.

 

June 17, 2009
Some days it feels like I’ve got just one hopeful thing going on. Today it’s Thunder Over the Prairie. I’ve included a few reviews from the book on Amazon.com as a reminder to myself of how grateful I am to have had a chance to write about some of my heroes. I’m pleased people like the book and would like to ask other readers if they feel favorable towards the material if they would post their comments on Amazon. I’m working on a new book now about women journalists of the Old West. I’ll be adding some interesting stories on the site in the days ahead. And now, on with the reviews.... This author is always a pleasure to read!, June 10, 2009 Cynthia Martin: Once again, history is made fun and easy to read. The story grips you from the very first page. The author always seems to strive to bring you that little know fact you might not have known. Familiar historical names are brought to life in the pages of Chris Enss' book. An incredible true story that reads like a classic Western movie, May 28, 2009 Michael L. Thomas “radio talk show host” Any fan of the Western genre, fact or fiction, will love this book. An easy read full of everything a great Hollywood western would contain...a spoiled brat rich villain...four young lawmen looking to right a wrong...a beautiful victim...but this is all true. Chris Enss and Howard Kazanjian have managed to transport readers back to one of the most important years and sites in the history of the old West...Dodge City, 1878. Absolutely awesome, May 24, 2009 Denise Fink I could not put the book down. I am involved in a Bible Study and I actually neglected to complete my Bible Study to finish the book, because of the way the author draws you in and I just felt the emotions of the characters. From the death of Dora to the posse hunt for the killer, it kept me on my toes. I also love the fact that the book told about each of the characters lives. So wonderful to read. Can't wait for more

 

June 15, 2009
Life is a tough proposition, and the first hundred years are the hardest. At 48 I’ve got a long way to go yet. Many of the people around me that I love and care about are experiencing the dilemma too. Thunder Over the Prairie is doing well and I’m thankful for that. I hope to hear this week if the book will be given the green light to be made into a film. Seems I can’t really rejoice in that possibility while others close to me are struggling. A serious health issue threatens to bring down someone who has always been there for me. They’re too young to die, but unless things change and soon…. Like my brother, this is going to be a hard one to watch fade away. Actually, I think it’s going to be worse. During my book tour through the Mid-West I was able to get a letter that I pray will be helpful for my brother. The former Prosecuting Attorney for Ray County has come to Rick’s defense. I uncovered many other interesting items from lawyers and law enforcement officials involved with my brother‘s case, but for now this letter. “To Whom It May Concern: I was the Prosecuting Attorney of Ray County, Missouri…. Detective Enss, along with now deceased, Detective Cevie Due, handled a great many child molestations and similar cases through the Prosecutor’s Office. Rick Enss had several discussions with me as Prosecutor, relating to child pornography and pedophiles on the internet and on several occasions, indicated that the Police Department was attempting to locate and find the same via the internet. Based upon the need to keep the children of the County safe, I concurred that research into such areas and potentially performing a “sting” on the internet was authorized and should be pursued….. At no time during the prosecutions of the State or Federal matters in Rick’s case, did anyone inquire of me about my knowledge of his involvement for the Police Department in viewing and attempting to identify sexual predators locally via use of the internet. To the extent that images were on computers that Rick Enss possessed or used, it would be my presumably (legitimate assumption) that those images appeared because of the research that had been discussed with myself, and other law enforcement individuals.” Don’t I wish this would all go away, that I could be someone else, anyone else.

 

June 11, 2009
Many books get bad reviews. I’ve had more than my share of bad reviews and although I do not think there is any up side to reading them I wouldn’t deny a critics right to express his opinion. Over the last few years however it seems that reviewers have gone beyond critiquing the work and ventured into personal attacks. One reviewer suggested I should “consider a career change and become a mortician.” One said “she should stick to comedy writing.” Author Brendan Behan once wrote, “Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it’s done, they’ve seen it done every day, but they’re unable to do it themselves.” All that being said, I don’t mind the good reviews. I eagerly lap up a glowing response. Lord Byron told his editor to “send him no more reviews of any kind.” “I will read no more of evil or good in that line.” I’d like to be able to do that, but I know I can’t. I take praise like a greedy boy takes an apple and I'll keep coming back for more. Over the last few days I’ve been smacked around quite a bit verbally by people who haven’t even read Thunder Over the Prairie. The shots have been hurtful, inaccurate, and unfair. But if I dismiss the bad mannered, egotistical ramblings of the self-proclaimed Old West historians who believe great legendary men like Wyatt Earp need the likes of them to dismiss actual newspaper accounts of his actions - I’d have to throw out the nice comments the work has received from people who enjoyed the read and I’m not going to that.

 

June 10, 2009
It’s good to be home again, but what a time I had on the book tour. I met some wonderful people in every town I visited. Larry Bowen at Readers Corner Book Store in Rolla, Missouri, Steve Meyer in Richmond, Sue Lightfoot in Carrollton, and Mary Kay Speaks at Barnes and Noble in Independence were gracious and fun to work with. I laughed more at Larry’s store than at any other signing I’ve ever done. Bowen and his staff like authors and are very supportive. Larry’s Bowen book store is to Missouri what Larry McMurtry’s book store is to Texas. I got to see my niece while I was in Rolla too. Nickol is stunning and kind. More grownup than any 22 year old has the right to be and full of promise. I’m proud of the person she has become. I knew I loved her, but I wasn’t prepared for just how deep that emotion would go. The launch in Dodge City turned out very well. Jim Sherer and Cathy Reeves went out of their way to make sure the celebrations were classy and inviting. The events were well attended and I’ll never forget it as long as I live. The highlight of my time in Dodge was when I got to hold Bill Tilghman and Bat Masterson’s gun. Tilghman is my hero and I’m glad Brent gave me the chance to handle the firearm. His gun was light and I couldn’t help imagine how many bad guys he brought down with it. What a moment. If only Val Kilmer had been there it would have been perfect!

 

May 26, 2009
So many of the visitors to this site over the last few months have been teachers, school librarians, and home school educators. School officials from Manchester, Massachusetts to Everett, Washington and points in between have dropped by to check out the books and ultimately added a few to their collection. I’ve had a lot of parents purchase the “Go West” series of books for their daughters and granddaughters and the feedback has been encouraging. My goal was to write material that would appeal to younger readers as well as the mature history buff. I had a wonderful high school history teacher and she made learning fun. Hope the “Go West” series is entertaining as well as educational. In the not too distant future a special section will be added to the site specifically for teachers and the like. It will provide more information about the titles and the great women who made their mark on the west. I’m heading to the plains tomorrow to launch Thunder Over the Prairie. I think it’s going to be a wonderful experience. As usual, no matter what good thing is on the horizon, I see my brother in my side view mirror. The situation that occurred to the male lead in the movie Doubt is reminiscent of what happened to Rick. In spite of Flynn’s insistence that he had not raped a child Sister Aloysius vigorously claimed he did. “You haven’t the slightest proof of anything,” Flynn tells her. “But I have my certainty…,” Sister Aloysius sneered. That’s all it took for Flynn to go down - all it took for me to lose my brother. Like Sister Aloysius I pray the mother and daughter who caused this tragedy are haunted daily by doubt. I miss my brother. I’ll be thinking of him when I’m at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge. I'll be thinking of Bat, Charlie, Bill, and Wyatt too. I'll be back next month.

 

May 21, 2009
Although Thunder Over the Prairie doesn't official debut in book stores until June 2, some readers have received advanced copies. The first review is great and I wanted to share. I pray the book gets more reviews like this one. "5.0 out of 5 stars A truly gripping story, May 21, 2009 by Christopher L. Frank "boater flier" (Penn Valley, CA United States) This true story reads like a thriller! From the first page I was hooked.I had been unaware of the potential odds against the posse before this book. The author brings to life the heros and villian of a real WILD WEST story. I missed an important call in order to finish a chapter, I was so engaged in the action. Take the time to start this book and you wont put it down."

 

May 20, 2009
For all those planning to participate in the launch at Dodge City, I thought I'd include a schedule of events. Guests that made prior arrangements will be staying at the Dodge City Hotel and Convention Center. The address is 2408 W. Wyatt Earp Blvd. and the phone number for the hotel is 620/225-5012. On Friday, June 5th the following events take place: Launch of book at the Dodge City Public Library from 5 -7 p.m.. Refreshments will be provided. News interviews will be conducted by local media both during and after the launch. Mayor Jim Sherer will be doing the introductions and will say a few words about the book before giving us a chance to share our experiences and sign copies of the book for guests. The bulk of the attendees will be local and regional politicians. The city of Dodge will be taking us to dinner at the Cowtown Steakhouse once the event ends at 7 p.m.. On Saturday, June 6th the following events take place: At 9:30 a.m. a trolley will pick all the guests up from the hotel and they will be given a personal tour of the town. The tour will end on Front Street where a special presentation will be made to Howard Kazanjian. The city officials will name him Honorary Marshal. The BIG launch of the book will take place in front of the Long Branch Saloon at 5 p.m. and continue for one hour. Guests will be treated to buffalo wings and the like, sarsaparilla or lemonade. Immediately following the launch, dinner will be served at the Boot Hill Museum for all invited guests. If you need a ride from the airport for any reason please let me know and I will make those arrangements. The people of Dodge are very excited about our being there and have gone out of their way to make this special for us. I'm very excited about the event. Please let me know if you have any questions. In two weeks I'm going to be sitting in the same room Wyatt Earp, Bill Tilghman, Bat Masterson and Charlie Bassett put together the "most intrepid posse of the Old West." That will be a moment I'll never forget.

 

May 18, 2009
Since getting my license as a private investigator I’ve been able to delve a bit more deeply into the case involving my brother. Some well meaning people in my life have suggested that I just let it go, but I am wholly unable to do that. After all, it’s my fault he took a plea in the first place. He wanted to keep fighting, but I was scared. Computer pornography is such a complex issue and next to impossible to fully explain to a jury. One of the things the DA’s office accused my brother of was possession of child pornography. They said he had more than 2000 images. My brother was a police officer working on several child pornography cases for the local prosecuting attorney’s office. The former P-A has written a letter attesting to that fact and I will be picking it next month. The letter is great, but I wanted to keep digging. I hired a forensic computer specialist to further look into the images and the results I got back today were staggering. The majority of these awful sites require that a fee be paid to view. The fee ranges in cost from $19.95 to $35.00. If a person only viewed half of these paid sites at the low end of $19.95 a site, the cost would total more than $19,000. That was more than my brother earned in an entire year as a cop. Sites like that don’t take cash - just credit cards. Yet the DA’s office had no credit card records. This small portion of the case is only one that doesn’t track with any sense. I found out yesterday that one of the main instigators in all this sells adult sex toys and has made frequent visits to the sites they accused my brother of visiting. I’m going to deliver all this information to the media. Writing about my intentions is the only thing I can think of to force the cockroaches out of hiding and show themselves. I may lose my life in the process, but I’m going to keep digging into this until I prove my brother was set up.

 

May 15, 2009
I received five advanced copies of Thunder Over the Prairie and I'm eager to share the new book. If you'd like a copy send me an email with your name and address and I'll make sure you get it. Globe Pequot Press did a wonderful job laying out the material. I can't wait for everyone to see it!

 

May 14, 2009
More than 40 schools have visited this website in the last 14 days. I had always hoped that the books about women of the Old West would be attractive reading for junior high and high school students. The students who have used the material in class have reported that they like the books. One of the best things about writing on the subject matter I do is being able to participate in lectures at schools. I get to go out in costume and share stories about some of the most heroic women that ever lived. I couldn’t have been a pioneer. I like frequent showers and am vehemently opposed to using the out-of-doors as a restroom. The closest I ever came to that was an outhouse rural Missouri. I used to stay nights with my Aunt Bessie and she didn’t have an indoor restroom - just an outhouse and every summer is was filled with bees. Oh, the mysteries of nature. As I recall, the outhouse had side-by-side seating. Never understood that either. It’s not really a participatory event. No pioneer would waste time thinking about such things. Pioneers wore a lot of wool year round. I couldn’t do that either. I base most of what I wear on what doesn’t itch. I wouldn’t want to eat like pioneer did. I like fast food drive-thru. I’m waiting for a fast food drive-thru pizza place. As far as I know there are none on the horizon. I’m working on it though. With God’s help and my enormous weakness for pizza I’ll make it happen. I may not be a pioneer, but I do have that pioneering spirit.

 

May 11, 2009
My favorite movie is a western entitled Once Upon a Time in the West. Charles Bronson’s character spends the entire film tracking Henry Fonda’s character and it isn’t until the very end of the movie that he finds out why. Fonda’s character murders Bronson’s character’s brother. Just shooting Fonda down when Bronson meets up with him won’t do. He has to make him suffer like he’s suffered. An instant death is too good for Fonda’s bad guy. In the end Bronson enacts perfect western justice. Only at the point of dying does Fonda learn what he did and why he has to pay. It’s a brilliant story and for a brief moment satisfies the desire to see the villain get what’s coming to them. Real life isn’t like that. Evil flourishes and there’s nothing that can be done. No prayer, no polite words of tolerance can make it right. Yesterday I received an email that included a photograph of the interior of the home my brother once owned with the woman he used to be married to. The picture was of a party and my brother’s ex-wife and her new husband were standing where my brother stood at one time. It’s not enough that I lost my brother and live with the image of his broken, raped and beaten body in my mind everyday, but now I have another heartbreaking image to think on. I believe there are many cruel individuals involved in this scenario. People with malformed souls who think they‘ve gotten away with sending an innocent man to prison. If the person who sent the email had hoped to hurt me again, congratulations. It worked. I’ll never get over it and you’ll never get caught. Things would be different if this were a Charles Bronson movie though.

 

May 8, 2009
I finished researching the life of Lucy Stone today. She is another Old West journalist that will be featured in the book Front Page. In addition to being a suffragette and a writer she was the mother of two children. She wanted them to have every advantage. As I was reading about how devoted she was to her kids I started thinking about mothers in general. Those tireless nurturers who, for better or worse, have formed us into who we are today. I’m talking about the woman who changed your diapers, kissed your boo-boos, sat up all night with you when you were sick, disapproved of your friends…. Those unshakable bastions of well-meaning dysfunction, somehow teach us about the world while protecting us from its dangers, encourage us to be independent while carefully rationing our freedom, and manage to instill in us the belief that we’re the best while simultaneously making us feel like we’re never good enough. Only a mother possesses the unique ability to envelop you in a soft, warm blanket of unconditional love at the exact some moment that she’s driving you crazy. When you’re a kid, basically your mother’s job is to make you look like a dork. I remember the mittens pinned to the jacket, the Elmer Fudd earflap hats my brothers wore, the rubber boots and the snow pants. There’s an outfit that just screams “Beat the crap out of me and take my lunch money.” And why did my mother insist on cutting my hair herself when I was in grade school. I distinctly remember the pink hair tape being stretched across my forehead so she could trim my bangs evenly. Some of those haircuts were just silly and would have only made sense if my school was doing a stage production of Sling Blade. It seems like mothers get under our skin more when we’re teenagers too. I remember the messages my mother would take if a friend called. They were garbled! “Jenooga called and said the mall can’t be bitten.” Okay. Thanks, Mom. I’ll get the code breakers on that. I doesn’t matter what our mothers do or have done we love them. Whether they are good women who wipe the vomit off the corners of their children’s mouths after they’ve thrown up from the chemotherapy treatments, work two jobs to support her brood when her husband abandons them, or they’re an awful women who has an affair with a coworker then lies to put a father in prison to get him out of the way, kids love their moms. I love my mom. Always will. And as soon as I find my snow pants I’m going to call and tell her.

 

May 7, 2009
Jim Sherer, former mayor of Dodge City and Director of the Kansas Heritage Center, graciously supplied the foreword for Thunder Over the Prairie. In anticipation of the upcoming launch festivities that will be going on in Dodge City, he has made arrangements for guests to get a tour through Dodge, special meals, visitors packets in each room, and making Howard Kazanjian an honorary marshal for the day. Dodge City Library Director Cathyrn Reeves has been instrumental in organizing the launch party at her branch on Friday. Everyone has been very generous with their time and I know the event will be a success because of their hard work. These two people didn't have to go out of their way, but I've come to the conclusion that that's they way they do things in Kansas. It's a marvelous state to visit, not only for the scenery, but for the kind individuals you'll meet as you travel through. It's been a joy. Even though I am excited about all the upcoming doings, there is still a sadness that tugs at my heart and always will. Rick, my precious brother will never enjoy this with me. Oh, how I wish I'd done things differently. I told him to take a plea and I shouldn't have done that. I don't see a happy man in my mind's eye anymore. I see a physically and emotionally dying man who was beaten. No matter what I do, the thought is there. It looms over me and reminds me of great loss. I believe it will haunt me forever. I miss his smile, his sense of humor, his laugh...I miss. The smile is there for a new book, but deep inside I'm crying out for justice for my brother. Help was never on the way.

 

May 4, 2009
The trip to Dodge City to launch Thunder Over the Prairie is a month away. I'm excited about the book being released, but nervous as well. What if it gets bad reviews? What if noone buys a copy? What if people are disappointed when they meet me? My name throws people off. I'm often mistaken for a guy...and that's AFTER they meet me. The launch parties themselves will be the highlight of the Dodge City experience. Jim Sherer and Carolyn Reeves have been very supportive and kind. Howard Kazanjian, the coauthor of the book, is going to be named an Honorary Marshal. he deserves it. He is one of the finest individuals in the film industry and I'm glad I know him. I met many people during my visists to Kansas and they've all been wonderful. I feel blessed. The trip is going to be a great belated birthday present. I had almost forgotten I'd be 48 next week until JC Penneys reminded me earlier today. They sent me a 15% off coupon for the occasion. 48! I remember when I used to think that was so old. It works out to be 72,000 in frequent flyer miles. I have a lot of frequent flyer miles. There have been some new additions made to the website. Checkout the Media section and let me know your thoughts.

 

April 30, 2009
I would like to announce the winners of the Dodge City giveaway. The three people who will be joining me in Dodge City are Jeff & Melissa Galpin and Margie Bell. Looking forward to seeing one of my favorite actors, Peter Brown there as well. The two day launch for the book Thunder Over the Prairie promises to be entertaining and educational. Hope to see you all there!

 

April 29, 2009
Just when I was about to give up on the Elizabeth Custer book getting approved once and for all I got work that it's a go. This time there will be a contract from Globe Pequot Press to inspire me to go further. Looks like the other proposals I submitted will go through as well. What a relief! I received my private investigator's license and badge today too. That should help expedite the research I've been doing on my brother's case. I'll be pursuing a degree in computer forensics next. Not that I'm interested in computers, but I am interested in deciphering the evidence fabricated about Rick. What I've unraveled so far is very telling. I miss my brother every day.

 

April 27, 2009
There are those people in life who show up to everything fashionably late and make a grand entrance doing so. I am not one of those people. I have always been 15 to 30 minutes early to everything and it’s irritating. I’m waiting a lot. A 1 o’clock meeting doesn’t really start at 1 o’clock. It starts at 1:15, 1:25...I know this and yet I’m always early. I should wait another week to make the calls to confirm everything for the book signings in the Midwest, but I don’t. I made them today and it’s still too early! I’m trying to anticipate everything that could go wrong however. In my world something always goes wrong. I don’t see the glass as half-full or half-empty. I see it as a glass somebody else has already put their germs on. As I was early again for a meeting today I decided to pop in to a store and try to find a swimsuit. I don’t own a swimsuit. I think that’s a dangerous fashion statement for a size 12-14 woman with big hair. If I hadn’t have been early I would have been content to wait for the styles from the late 1800s to come back. You know the look - the big blouses with the bloomers, tights, cap and cape. I glanced briefly at the thong bikinis. Brave is the woman who dares to dream the impossible dream, face a new challenge, try on a thong bikini knowing she’ll look like a sumo wrestler. Ultimately, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to try on ANY swimsuit. The only thing I found really comfortable at the store was the dressing room. Oh well, I’m not going to be swimming in Dodge City anyway. I’ll be promoting Thunder Over the Prairie. Fully clothed. Head to toe in traditional prairie garb. I’d like to think the men who were part of the greatest posse in the Old West and the subject of Thunder Over the Prairie would applaud my decision. I’d also like to think they’d be offended at any woman who wore a thong swimsuit and captivated by those who were always early. Hey, a big-haired girl can dream.

 

April 24, 2009
There are times in life when a song, a piece of art, or a film comes along and articulates things so well it leaves you breathless. The film Doubt did that for me. A nun at the Saint Nicholas Church School suspects the priest there of an unspeakable act with one of the students. She dislikes the man and looks for wrongdoing in every corner. Armed with nothing more than doubt and circumstantial evidence, she begins to systematically ruin this priests life. No proof just doubt takes away everything for him. I remeinded me so much of my brother's situation. The film should be required viewing for everyone that was involved with Rick's case. I would particualrly like my brother's exwife & step-daughter to see it. People like them however have souls that are black as the night and the message would most likely be lost on them. I'll continue to work on the new book Front Page, but I'll be thinking of the inspired work by John Patrick Shanley. He is a brilliant writer and I aspire to capture an event like he has. I miss my brother and wish I could have saved him from the pain.

 

April 22, 2009
I can't believe how many people have responded to the Dodge City stay giveaway. Dodge City is a great place and I think the winner will enjoy the rich history the town has to offer. A winner will be selected on April 30 so if you haven't already entered you still have some time. I'm encouraged by the response and hopeful the book launch will be a success. I don't feel as positive about the outcome with my neice, Nickol. A few months ago I sent her a card. After not hearing anything, I sent another. Finally, I heard back from her. She's very angry and feels slighted my her father's family. She's feels as though she was tossed aside and forgotten about. I would have like to have had a chance to meet with her in person and share with her what has happened since my sweet brother went to prison. Maybe she doesn't know the FBI came to my parent's home and told us to stay away from her. Maybe she doesn't know how devestating it was to be told by the Federal agents during the sentencing that my parents and younger brother that we were not to even look at her. Maybe she doesn't know how we have suffered because that day in court we lost a son, a brother, a friend, and a neice that I particularly adored. My emails to her go unanswered. The pain continues and I was so hoping for just a little break in the constant storm of grief. Someday, maybe, things can be different. In the meantime, I write.

 

April 20, 2009
The newsletters were emailed today announcing the contest giveaway associated with the launch of Thunder Over the Prairie. I can’t believe the response so far. It’s been very positive and I’m encouraged. I placed the information about the contest on my site a few weeks ago, but thought I’d add it to the rotation again today. I think the event will be fun - once I get past being nervous. The true story of the trek the most intrepid posse of the Old West ventured on in pursuit of a reckless gunslinger is the subject of a new book entitled Thunder Over the Prairie. Thunder Over the Prairie rides into bookstores in June 2009. The year was 1878. Future legends of the Old West—lawmen Charlie Bassett, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Bill Tilghman—patrolled the unruly streets of Dodge City, Kansas, then known as “the wickedest little city in America.” When a cattle baron fled town after allegedly shooting the popular dancehall girl Dora Hand, these four men—all sharpshooters who knew the surrounding harsh, desert-like terrain—hunted him down, it was said, like “thunder over the prairie.” The posse’s legendary ride across the desolate landscape to seek justice influenced the men’s friendship, careers, and feelings about the justice system. This account of that event, written by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss, is a fast-paced, unforgettable glimpse into the Old West. The launch of the new book will be held in Dodge City, Kansas at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City on Saturday, June 6th at 5 p.m.. The authors would like to give a lucky western fan a chance to attend the festivities. Enter to win a two night’s stay at the Dodge City Hotel, a signed copy of Thunder Over the Prairie, admission to the launch party, and a complete library of the author’s other works. Email gvcenss@aol.com and tell us you want to go to Dodge. One winner will be selected from the entries and notified by the authors on April 30th. Good luck!

 

April 16, 2009
Knowing that I have Bible study tonight has helped me keep going today. I’ve been working on the research and writing of the book Front Page: Women Journalist of the Old West and sending out multiple submissions for other books as well, but it hasn’t been work that’s given me inspiration it’s been the fact that later I’ll be praying for someone and they’ll be praying for me. The group of ladies in my Bible study class are some of the best friends I have. They let me cry over my brother, rant about the lies his step-daughter continues to spread, and pontificate about the future. As a writer I spend a lot of time by myself and I find that I can be so desperate for companionship at times that I often believe people are my friends when they’re not. Like my post lady. Every day she comes to my house and gives me exciting letters, stimulating magazines, and shiny presents. You know, fun stuff, and I’m always glad to see her. She’s a nice lady, but she’s not my friend. It takes me a little bit, but I have to realize she’s just delivering the mail because that’s her job, she’s a post lady. And when she smiles or waves at me, that’s because she likes her job. Not because she wants to be my friend. It’s important to know the difference. I still question everything because of what happened to my brother. I don’t trust myself at times. People who claimed to love Rick and me and my family did some horrible things. I would have sworn they really did care. But just like the post lady, they were just doing their job. It’s hard to know sometimes who really does love you and who doesn’t. Who is really your friend and who isn’t. I think the very best way to tell if you can be friends with someone is whether or not you can make each other laugh. The group of ladies in my Bible study class make me laugh so hard milk actually comes out of my nose. And I haven’t had any milk in over two years. They’ve been a real blessing to me and I’m grateful. They stay my friends even when my heart is hard and I struggle to forgive. They help me differentiate between real family and those that aren't.

 

April 15, 2009
As a Christian I know that worrying doesn’t add a second on to your life, but I can’t seem to help being worried all the time. Nothing in my life seems settled and as I approach my 48th birthday I had hoped things would be settled to some degree. The publishing house that I work for has been telling me for months that the proposals I submitted last year will more than likely be approved, but that hasn’t happened yet. Meetings to approve those proposal continue to get pushed back. The publishing house filed bankruptcy a few weeks ago and employees had to take a 10% pay cut across the board. Given those circumstance I am worried that the proposals will not go through at all. I’ve contracted to do a book with Chronicle of the Old West that I’m excited about that and have proposals out at a few University Presses, Far Country Press, and Harlequin Romance, but it will takes months to hear back from any of those companies. I’ve written 22 books for Globe and felt like I was on my way to establishing myself in the niche market of women of the Old West, but it looks like I’m going to have to start over now from scratch. Lately I don’t think I have it in me to start over again. From a financial standpoint the need to find something soon is great. In addition to all the other daily things you need to pay for I’ve got to think of supporting my brother that’s in prison too. They’ve made several cutbacks and he has to be supplied with food and medicine. That only happens when a family members puts money in his account. Did I mention that I haven’t gotten paid from Globe this month yet? I worry. It’s a worthless emotion, but it is all consuming at times. I have no plans to abandon writing, but I did think I was at a place where that was now my full time job. Maybe a burst of good fortune will present itself while I’m on this book tour to promote Thunder Over the Prairie. One of the signings I arranged will take place in Rolla, Missouri. One of the reasons I wanted to set up a signing there was to have a chance to see my niece Nickol and possibly work through some of the grief we are both feeling, but I don’t think that’s going to happen either. She sent me an email and it was harsh and accusatory. Guess I shouldn’t have tried to reach out - now I just hurt more. I’m tired of scratching and fighting with life to make things happen. I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. I sure wish one thing in my life was easy. I worry that it never will be. I’ll continue on with the plans for the major promotional tour through the Mid-West for the new book. What happens after that is a big mystery. I prefer mysteries in the form of a Sue Grafton novel, but I guess this will have to do. Can’t say I’m not worried about the outcome though. And now we’ve come full circle.

 

April 13, 2009
The book tour through the Mid-West for Thunder Over the Prairie begins May 28th. I know it’s too early to make follow up calls about the promotion, but I have to sit on my hands to keep from picking up the phone. As I’ve said before, I’ve invested a lot in this campaign and hope it pays off. Larry Bowen at Readers Corner Book Store in Rolla has been very kind and I’m looking forward to the signing there. I want the event to be a success for his book store too. He’s gone out of his way to help and it would be a shame if no one showed. I’ve done signings where no one has shown. I’ve been at signings where shoppers have told me, “We hate history. We like books on magic. Have your written any of those?” I’ve had the flu for the last few days so that has curtailed my desire to make phone calls about the promotion a bit. Whenever I get sick I treat it like a CSI episode. I spend a lot of time trying to figure out where I could have picked up the flu! My imagination runs wild too. I’ve decided if I’m ever stuck on a respirator or a life support system I definitely want to be unplugged. But not until I’m down to a size eight.

 

April 7, 2009
I’ve teamed up with Dakota & Sunny Livesay from Chronicle of the Old West to write a book about women journalists on the frontier. The book will focus on the women who made the front page news they wrote. One of the women I’m researching is Elizabeth Cochrane. She was better known as Nellie Bly. She went to great extremes to get a story - including faking a mental illness so she could be institutionalized. She was so convincing as an insane person that on September 25, 1887, four eminent physicians from Bellevue Hospital had her hauled away to famous Blackwell’s Island in New York. Nellie wanted to do an expose about how patients in a mental institution were treated. The article was historic and not only changed the way people with mental illnesses are treated, but changed the way the world saw women journalists. The book Front Page: Old West Headlines and the Women Who Made Them will be in bookstores by Christmas 2010. What I like about Nellie was the fact that she wanted to achieve great things not simply because she was a woman, but because she knew it would give her a certain amount of power. She used her power for good, but I know many people with power who don’t. I think power is one of the most sought-after, addictive, seductive, abused drug there is. Compared to power, crack is a Cinnabon. People crave power. Power over corporations, laws, other people, blindly sad circumstances…. Whether it’s heading a major publishing company or just spraying that cockroach in your kitchen with a steady stream of Raid and pretending you’re Tom Cruise’s character from Top Gun shooting down Val Kilmer’s character from Top Gun. It’s easy to think if you don’t forgive someone in your life who has done a horrible wrong that you have all the power, but nothing could be further from the truth. You’ve done nothing more than give what power you do have away. I wonder if Nellie wrote any articles about the power to forgive? I’ll look into it later. Right now all I can think about is a Cinnabon.

 

April 5, 2009
It’s seems wrong that I should spending a big chunk of the day thinking of every way possible to promote the next book. It’s too pedestrian to contemplate what I want for dinner or to speculate about what time the cable guy will actually arrive tomorrow. The concerns of my everyday life are too ordinary in comparison to the life my brother lives in prison. I try not to dwell on it, but I know he was raped and severely beaten and the thought of that violent act and his current physical condition as a result haunts me. As I address more envelopes for the launch of the book in Dodge City in June, thoughts of Rick break into my mind and stop me cold. I quickly say a prayer that God would take him now and not let him suffer any longer. It’s amazing how eagerly I wait for news that he’s gone. My brother trusted me to help him and I let him down. Shakespeare wrote, “When sorrows come, they come not as single spies, but in battalions!”

 

April 2, 2009
It's April already. Just 30 days out from the release of Thunder Over the Prairie. I so hope all goes well with it. If feels a bit like I'm sending a child off on their own for the first time. I'm very protective of it and don't relish the thought of any bad reviews. I don't happen to think any publicity - good or bad - is a plus. I do like the good though! I subscribe to the idea that if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. I subscribe to that saying - I don't always practice it. I think the key thing to remember about critics is that they're dependent on the innovator, the person doing the real work of creating. And because many critics just sit on the sidelines of life, never the hunter, they are doomed to be forgotten. And no one wants to be forgotten. But it's not all their fault. I mean, we give them their chance when we rely too much on critics to make our choices for us. We think we need help sorting out books, films, restaurants, or whatever. I guess we think if we don't have that we don't have all the facts. But you know something? We don't need help! You like the Red Skelton paintings? Buy the Red Skelton paintings! What do critics know anyway?

 

March 30, 2009
It seems like I’ve been working on the story of Sam Sixkiller for a while. But I’m just as fascinated with the lawman’s life now as I was when I first began the research. The history of the frontier Indian police of Oklahoma would not be complete without the story of Sam Sixkiller. Sam was one of the most popular and accomplished lawmen in the territory. He built a police force that took on bootleggers that threatened to destroy the lives and culture of the Native Americans in the central plains. He was the Eliot Ness of the Old West. In 1886 Sheriff Sixkiller was shot and killed in an ambush. After the killers escaped indictment by the tribes, Congress passed a law giving the district Federal courts jurisdiction over any Indian who committed a crime against a federally appointed Indian police officer or United States deputy marshal. I thought I’d post a bit of the Sixkiller story today. Enjoy. Lawman Sam Sixkiller led his horse through a belt of sparse timber along the Illinois River in Southeast Oklahoma. He was a stocky, heavy-shouldered man with a neatly trimmed, droopy mustache and small dark eyes that were flatly calculating. They shifted purposely from the streams of sunlight off a growth of yellow sagebrush to the rocky path before him. In addition to the sound of the roan’s hooves slowly moving through the mesquite and buffalo grass, there was the mingling of a trio of agitated voices wafting through the warm air. Sam urged his ride into a clearing where three Cherokee Indians sat playing dice. In between rolls of the pebble dice the men drank from a bottle of whisky they eagerly shared with each other. Scattered beside the men were four empty bottles of liquor. The drunken Indians barely noticed Sam watching them in the near distance. He scowled and inched his horse into their crude camp. The men were undisturbed by the rider and continued with their game. They argued over whose turn it was, nearly coming to blows before settling on which player went next. Sam watched them toss the dice on a thick blanket. At first glance the blanket appeared to be draped over a log. The closer Sam got to the action the more it became clear that the make-shift table was actually the body of a fourth man. A stream of dried blood had trickled out from under the blanket and pooled around a stand of butterfly weeds. Sam scrutinized the scene more carefully, spotting a massive knife within reach of the Indian closest to him. Every nerve in Sam’s body tensed. He refrained from any sudden moves that might betray his next move. He casually pushed his jacket over the six-shooter strapped to his side, revealing not only the weapon, but the slightly tarnished badge that showed he was the sheriff of the Cherokee Nation. One by one the men turned and looked at the lawman. For a breathless instant Sam watched the knife, expecting one of the Indians to snap it up. Without saying a word the three gamblers got to their feet, wavering a bit in the process. Sam pulled his gun out of his holster and leveled it at the men as he lifted his 5’8 inch frame off his horse. He motioned for the Indians to back away from the body and they reluctantly complied. Disgusted, Sam walked over to one of the bottles and kicked it hard. It spun into a nearby rock and broke. What little booze was left in it spilled out and was quickly soaked into the ground. With his gun still trained on the Indians, Sam made his way to the motionless man on the ground. Using the toe of his boot, he rolled the man out from under the blanket. There was no mistaking he was dead. There was a deep cut across the man’s throat and his limbs were stiff.

 

March 27, 2009
There are some aspects of my job I enjoy more than others. I particularly love going to schools and teaching children about women of the Old West I’ve been able to write about. I have such a good time teaching children’s Bible study on Wednesday nights. I always learn so much more from them than I expect. Visiting the students at Clear Creek School wasn’t any different. The class made up thank you notes for me after my visit and some of those notes are so dear I had to share them. “Dear Ms. Chris Enss, thank you for coming and teaching in our class. I had a very interesting experience. Once again, I thank you.” Josh signed that very formal note. “Dear Ms. Chris Enss, thank you so much for being our guest on Tuesday. That was the most interesting history I’ve ever heard and what was awesome is that you made it funny too. I’m glad you were able to interest me in history for once! I am actually seriously convinced and considering, buying one of your books! You’re AMAZING! You inspired me to learn more about the miners, or the Donner Party, all that! You make it sound so interesting! I also loved how you had little artifacts from that time. You ROCK! Your new #1 fan!” That note was signed Brittney Huseboe. Those notes made me feel so special. I needed it too - after writing a note to my niece Nickol and never hearing back from her. Not only did I not hear back from her, but she removed herself from Facebook. It made me feel like I was some sort of predator or stalker or something. Oh, well. There’s nothing I can do about any of that. I do have many children in my life that I’ve adopted as my family and they call me Auntie. I’m grateful for them and thank God for the times they’ve let me know I’m loved.

 

March 25, 2009
Thunder Over the Prairie Prize Giveaway! The true story of the trek the most intrepid posse of the Old West ventured on in pursuit of a reckless gunslinger is the subject of a new book entitled Thunder Over the Prairie. Thunder Over the Prairie rides into bookstores in June 2009. The year was 1878. Future legends of the Old West—lawmen Charlie Bassett, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Bill Tilghman—patrolled the unruly streets of Dodge City, Kansas, then known as “the wickedest little city in America.” When a cattle baron fled town after allegedly shooting the popular dancehall girl Dora Hand, these four men—all sharpshooters who knew the surrounding harsh, desert-like terrain—hunted him down, it was said, like “thunder over the prairie.” The posse’s legendary ride across the desolate landscape to seek justice influenced the men’s friendship, careers, and feelings about the justice system. This account of that event, written by Howard Kazanjian and Chris Enss, is a fast-paced, unforgettable glimpse into the Old West. The launch of the new book will be held in Dodge City, Kansas at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City on Saturday, June 6 at 5 p.m.. The authors would like to give a lucky western fan a chance to attend the festivities. Enter to win two night’s stay at the Dodge City Hotel, a copy of Thunder Over the Prairie, admission to the launch party, a complete library of the author’s other works, and why you like their books by emailing gvcenss@aol.com with your idea for the next western you would like to see written. One winner will be selected from the entries and notified by the authors on April 15th. Good luck!

 

March 23, 2009
I had the pleasure of participating in a signing this past weekend with three lovely authors - one of whom was a New York Times Best Seller. Brenda Novak was smart and engaging and I enjoyed hearing how her work made it through a slush-pile of submission that flood a publisher’s office everyday. She read the first few pages of her book to the group and it was easy to see why she is a success. I like to see a talented person get ahead in this world. I don’t care much for those who get to the front of the line based solely on hype. A lot of so called celebrities got what they are based on hype. Dennis Rodman for example. He is the Sistine Ceiling of hype. I’ve been watching Celebrity Apprentice and it makes me sad. I don’t think he’d be the star he is today if it weren’t for hype. He was a solid basketball player, but come on, being the leading rebounder in the league is like playing first chair tuba at the Des Moines Pops. Clint Black…now he’s talented and deserves to be a star. One of the best written songs of all time is Killin Time. He owes his fame to talent not hype. He doesn’t have to dye his hair to resemble the muted rainbow of bad meat - he’s just talented. Like Brenda Novak is talented. All that being said hype is here to stay because we live in an increasingly narcissistic universe that everyone believes they’re the center of. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I’m prone to think that myself from time to time.

 

March 17, 2009
Just finished packing for my trip to Monterey. Among the standard items tossed into the suitcase are my school books. I’m training to become a private investigator. I have a whole Phillip Marlowe scenario playing out in my head. This venture will either turn out to be an unexpected pleasure or another sitcom waiting to happen. I’ll be listening to the third book in the Twilight series as I drive. I've really enjoyed the series but at times my mind tends to wander while the book is being read. I’m not as moved by the werewolf aspect of the story. Werewolves…of all the monsters, the Wolf Man had it the worst I think. More body hair than Ed Asner in a line trap, never able to have a white couch in his house.... I do like a man with a mustache however. Now if I could only find a man who likes the same thing in a woman. But I kid. The Twilight movie comes out on DVD on Friday. How pathetic! I’ve set my sights on spending the weekend lost in a teenage driven film. Well, not the entire weekend. I’ll be working on the many opportunities the world of private investigation promises to deliver. Behind every failure is an opportunity somebody wished they had missed.

 

March 16, 2009
The Authors On the Move event held Saturday at the ballroom of the Hyatt Hotel was about the classiest thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of being involved. So often big fund raising book programs that ask the guests to dress up are disappointing. Dressing up for some writers means a T-shirt with a tuxedo jacket painted on the front of the garment, but not so with this event. Men were dressed in bow-ties and suits, women were dressed in spangling gowns. It was really something. I got a chance to wear the new western costume promising fashion designer Christian Goodwin made for me. The dress was beautiful, but I can’t imagine how women in frontier towns dressed like that everyday. I tripped on the dress going UP the stairs twice. The second time I fell I just rolled into the event. I looked like a hedgehog in silk taffeta. Lack of grace not withstanding I was glad to have been invited to participate. If nothing else it lifted me out of the nonstop misery that seems to be life these days. It’s not one thing - it’s a lot of little things that make me blue and hurt. Both my teenage nieces are pregnant and unmarried with no viable means of support. It seems like teenagers who have no right being in the baby-making business are spewing out toddlers faster than a candy conveyor belt operated by Lucy Ricardo on meth? Book sales have slowed because of the economy, family members are ill, and I can’t find the CD version of Breaking Dawn anywhere. And as always, there’s Rick. I recently tried to contact my brother Rick’s daughter in an effort to try and get beyond some of the hurt. I noticed that she had been visiting my website quite a bit and decided I’d reach out. Her name was posted on Facebook so I started there. The next day I noticed she removed herself from Facebook - almost as though she’s afraid. It’s disappointing. Who knows the lies she’s been told and believes. Lies so black they could suck the light from Las Vegas and still have enough black left over to provide a lifetime supply of turtlenecks to the Yale English department. And I know the people who have lied about my brother and my family hate to be called liars. So how about I just call them Fact Reconstructionists, Truth Managers, or Reality Stylist. Whatever they want…. The bottom line is I wanted to help ease the pain and make the bad get gone and I thought a little forgiveness all the way around would be the ticket. I guess there’s really no chance of that. I’ll just have to wait and be lifted out of this envelope of sadness with another event where I can wear my western garb and pretend my brother is okay.

 

March 11, 2009
It’s hard not be effected by what’s going on in the world right now. It’s a violent world we live in. Now people are walking into churches and shooting up the place. It seems like those violent acts lift shooters out of the anonymous muck into the national klieg light faster than a spot on Dancing With the Stars. And speaking about heaving things into the national klieg light, it’s hard not to notice that I’m spending my day writing about some of the west’s most notorious shots while a newscaster is reporting on some of the west’s most notorious shots. It’s a madhouse. I feel like Chuck Heston waking up in the field and seeing the chimp on top of the pony. What can be done with so many unhappy people in the world? All of us feel anonymous, powerless, and insignificant at times, but for many there seems to be no way out except to shoot it out. Maybe that’s because truly selfless acts don’t get near the publicity. “Hey, forget the guy who saved the kid in the fire, when’s Brittany Spears gonna reveal her new look?” “Will the doctor with the cure for cancer please sit down, here comes Usher!” Enough of that. I’ve got to get back to work writing about how two men unloaded their six-shooters into a wagon train of passengers. I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t have network television in the Old West. The public would be more familiar with a psychopath like Jesse James than a true hero like Bill Tilghman. Wait a minute…

 

March 9, 2009
I’ve been on the trail of Sam Sixkiller for several weeks now. Sixkiller was the first captain of the United States Indian Police who was shot and killed in 1880. I wanted more information about him than simply the facts of the various arrests he made and the night he died. Finally, I got a lead on a great, great, great, great, great granddaughter living in Idaho. I gave her a call and was able to learn a bit more about the man. The research part of writing a story is always the most interesting to me. I enjoy tracking down a lead and coming up with a tidbit few have heard about. That’s why I like working on Thunder Over the Prairie. All of the press packets and invitation have gone out for the launch of that book. I’m looking forward to the event at the Dodge City Public Library and the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City. Just bellying up to the same bar where Bat Masterson and Bill Tilghman took a seat will be a treat. The message of forgiveness was the central theme yesterday in church and continued to be so throughout the day. My strongest desire is to be transformed into a person that can do what God asked with regards to forgiveness. I’m afraid that I’m such a despicable creature I’ll never be able to let go. I know that murder is born from anger and adultery from desire. I know that in the same way, the hatred of an enemy is destroyed by the love of friendship. Suppose you have viewed someone as an enemy, yet after a while they’ve been swayed by your benevolence. You will then love them as a friend. I think that Christ ordered these things not so much for our enemies as for us: not because enemies are fit to be loved by others but because we are not fit to hate anyone. I know hatred is the prodigy of dark places. Wherever it resides, it sullies the beauty of sound sense. Therefore not only does Christ order us to love our enemies for the sake of cherishing them, but also for the sake of driving away from ourselves what is bad for us. I watched an interview with a rape victim last night who accused an innocent man of the horrible act. He professed that he wasn’t involved, but no one would listen. He spent years in prison and was finally released after DNA evidence proved another man was the actual culprit. The victim met with the innocent man to apologize for what she’d done and he forgave her. She said that at that moment she could feel her broken heart actually start to heal. I want the experience of my broken heart actually healing more than I want anything. Of course in my desperate mind runs the thought that if I forgive maybe the bad will get better. Maybe things will work out as I dreamed. The Holy Spirit instantly reminds me that any forgiveness would be conditional then and not simply an act to “love my enemy”. Forgiving and expecting nothing is the key. To return evil for good is devilish. To return good for good is human. To return good for evil is divine. I ache for a healed heart.

 

March 5, 2009
Today I decided to take a break from court cases, statements, and loss and add the foreword actor Peter Sherayko wrote for the Buffalo Bill Cody book. It lifted my spirits and oh, how I needed that. Here it is...“I’ve got a good woman-what’s the matter with me? What make me want to love every woman I see?” Hank Williams, Jr. In 1883, a remote cow town in Nebraska was treated to the grand opening of a show that would reign as America’s favorite for thirty years. It was Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. Kelsey Grammar holds the TV record for playing Frasier for 21 years, followed by themselves in film and TV for over 25 years, outstanding in today’s world. Yet Bill Cody was Buffalo Bill professionally for over 40 years, a role which is doubtful will ever be topped. In 1900 the Who, What and Where book was published featuring photos and biographies of kings, presidents and world leaders in business, literally hundreds of bios of the world’s most famous. Buffalo Bill is the only personality from America’s Western frontier. No Daniel Boone or Davy Crockett, Jesse James, General Custer, Billy the Kid or Wild Bill Hickok, just W.F. Cody - Buffalo Bill. His fame was so wide that he ranked with the most powerful men of all time. Virtually every American knew of Buffalo Bill: how he earned his nickname, his rides for the Pony Express, fought and befriends Indians, scouts for the U.S. Army in both the Civil and Indian Wars, performed for 10 seasons as a professional actor and all before the age of 40. When he created his “Wild West Exhibition”, Cody gave his audience their money’s worth: wild Indians, fancy roping and deadeye marksmanship, Bill himself topping them all with rifle from horseback at a full gallop, breaking dozens of glass balls thrown in the air. The crowd loved it, so did the press and dime novelists with writers like Mark Twain praising the show. In short, he out-Barnum’d Barnum. The exhibition set attendance records throughout America and Europe. Over a hundred books and articles have been written about Cody the frontiersman and entertainer. What more could be said? Well, Chris Enss has uncovered another notch in the Shakespearean life of Bill Cody. “The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill Cody.” Yes, Cody was a showman, a frontiersman, a man whose life started during the Mexican/American War and ended just as America entered the war to end all wars, World War I. Yet he was a man, a man in the truest sense of the word, one who cut his own trail and followed his own spirit guide. As a boy, he marveled at men like Kit Carson who taught him how to shoot from horseback and Jim Bridger who taught him Indian sign language. As a 10 year old he dreamed of becoming one of his buckskinned clad heroes and, by golly by gum, he did. But he was tainted with the sins of man. An eye for beauty and strength, an admirer of courage and adventure and in some circles a weakness for cigars, whiskey and women. In his own words, “Yeah, I like my cigars and whiskey and I sure do love those women.” Chris Enss gives us the stories behind many of the beauties who captivated Buffalo Bill. She gives us a clearer insight into a simple yet complicated man, a showman, Buffalo Bill and a man, Bill Cody, who became one. Yet for all of his fame, money and problems, Chris Enss gives us some clues and answers to this complex hero. It’s great how writers and researchers uncover questions that so many of we curious followers of American history have. My hat’s always doffed and a glass is raised to the hero of the west, Buffalo Bill, and now thanks to Chris, a glass is raised to her. Chris Enss is truly a woman of the West. Her previous books, mostly about women of the frontier west were enjoyable and informative. We met several years ago a mutual book signing in Tombstone, Arizona. I was impressed not only by her charm and style, but by her incredible knowledge and passion for, as Buffalo Bill said, “God’s biggest playground.” We are indeed lucky today that a whole new breed of people are influencing, educating and entertaining those of us who are interested in American History. Chris Enss is truly one who has blessed us with her knowledge and passion for stories of the West that haven’t, but need to be told. Ride hard and shoot straight, Peter Sherayko"

 

March 2, 2009
Rick has been gone from us for more than 4 years now and during that time there have been many interesting twists in the case brought against him. His former boss spoke out against him at the time and swore they were telling the truth. I’ve learned from first hand experience that this person is less than honest. I noticed that they visited my website this past week and spent more than 14 minutes reading my journal. They’ve never done that before so I called to ask what the interest was now. I was told they were merely interested in my books and wanted to know more about them. The status report for my site indicates that they arrived at my site Googling Rick Enss - not Chris Enss. The status report for my site shows they never viewed any information about my books. They lied. The authorities I’ve been passing such information on to agree the behavior is highly suspicious and are looking into the matter. I don’t think I’m safe right now, but it’s surprising how little I care. I had a hand in his downfall because I scared. I won’t make the same mistake twice. I’ll continue on with another portion of Rick’s statement today - if for nothing else than to ease my own guilt. “During my time working investigations, the Chief of Police, the Lieutenant in charge of investigations, and the Prosecuting Attorney at the time had approved a plan to establish an internet/child pornography/criminal investigation unit. I attended several courses on this type of investigation. One such class I attended was given by the Attorney General’s office from the State of Missouri. These were classes I took at the request of the supervisors who wanted the task force started. When the classes and training first began, the department did not have internet. We were just getting started and in the process of setting things up. I was not told when this unit or task force would be complete or fully operational, but was instructed to continue my training in this area of law enforcement. The problem that is huge for me is that the Chief of Police died of cancer shortly after the department moved and got internet. The Lieutenant in charge of investigations was made temporary chief and was subsequently killed in a car accident. The Prosecuting Attorney at the time is the only one left who knows about the task force. He would have testified in my defense.” I wish everyday I had let things play out and that Rick could have told his side to a jury. I talked him out of it because I was scared and now he’s gone.

 

February 26, 2009
Looks like I struck historical research gold today. The Oklahoma Historical Society had and article about Sam Sixkiller that included information about his personal life. Maybe now I’ll find out his thoughts regarding the problem of alcohol on the reservation where he lived. I imagine his views on the subject played an important role in how he approached his job as a law enforcement officer. Sam has quickly become a hero of mine. He was another one of those police officers of old who stood up for what was right in spite of the cost; and he backed up his convictions with a gun. I hope I’m able to find some of his great, great grandchildren to talk to. That could add another rich layer to his story. I booked more signings through the Midwest today. May and June is going to be very busy - a different book store everyday from Labor Day weekend through the second week of June. Hope Thunder Over the Prairie will be well received. I spent a portion of my evening working on a Paper Mache piece for the kids in by Bible study class and it got me thinking…. How come when you mix water and flour together you get glue…and then you add eggs and sugar and you get cake? Where does the glue go? As always I end my day thinking and praying for my brother. What happened to him isn’t unique. Thousands of families, primarily in the foster care field, are subject to the same bullying tactics. I know how Sam Sixkiller would have handled the problem. Oh how I long for the days of the early west. And now, more of the last statement my brother will ever make. “On April 9, 2002, I was at a training class for my job. I was finishing up there for the day when I received a call from home. It was my ex-wife and the local officer got on the phone and told me that my step-daughter made accusations against me. She told the authorities I had been sexually abusing her. She told them the last time I had molested her was 30 days prior to this event. I told the investigators that that was a lie. I informed them that 30 days prior to this event her mother was home. My ex-wife had time off of work and we were inseparable. But I wasn’t feeling well during this time. I was having a lot of back pain then and went to the doctor on Monday, March 11. The doctor took an x-ray of my chest and found out I had a collapsed lung. He had a tube inserted into my chest and it remained there for 10 days. That information was verified by DFS. The DFS worker told my ex-wife and I that my step-daughter had major problems with my daughter from my first marriage. She told us that she thought my step-daughter was lying about everything. She told us that my step-daughter was jealous of her step-sister and believed her capable of doing anything to drive a wedge between my daughter and I. She didn’t want my daughter from my first marriage to be happy.”

 

February 24, 2009
One of the three writing projects I’m working on right now is about the life of Sam Sixkiller. The extensive research into the slain lawman’s past began today. I’ll have to make a trip to Oklahoma to find out what I need to know about his personal life. All I’ve got so far is the name of his wife. I’d like to know more about the man and not just what he did for a living. I’ve reached out to the University of Oklahoma for assistance. I think this is going to be an interesting quest. I like the research part of writing. I like investigating so much I’m in the process of getting my private investigator’s license. There are a lot of secrets to be uncovered not only about the historic figures I get to write about, but about some of the people who visited my site just today. People from public libraries in the Kansas City area, locations near Wells, Maine, and St. Louis are interested in my brother’s statement. That statement continues today…. “My ex-wife’s mother had a brain aneurism in 1996 and was in a coma for several months. My ex-wife spent most of her time with her mother at the hospital in Kansas City. I moved our family out of our small 2 ½ room home and into her mother’s home. The plan was to care for her mother once she returned home. I was with the kids most of the time and alone with them throughout the evening. All of the kids were in a single bedroom with two bunk-beds. I also drove back and forth not only to work but to the city to see my ex-wife and her mother. From my ex-wife’s mother’s home we moved to a house close to my grandparents. All of the kids were upstairs with the two oldest girls sharing a room. My two other children each had a room of their own. We got a computer shortly after we moved into the house and got internet service. We allowed the kids to use it and they each had their own email addresses. My step-daughter got into trouble numerous times for being on questionable sites. She had hundreds of contacts on her instant message account and people from all over the country, especially boys, were sending her pictures. My oldest daughter and step-daughter had trouble with each other because my daughter was popular, well-liked, and had more friends than my step-daughter. My ex-wife’s was jealous of my daughter. My daughter was kind to everyone and generous. My ex-wife’s daughter was mean to many people and made fun of classmates.” More tomorrow.

 

February 23, 2009
I’ve spent the better part of the day working on the promotions for the release of Thunder Over the Prairie. More press packets have to go out, interviews have to be scheduled, and advertising has to be booked. I’m excited about the launch of the material and want to do everything I can to make the book a success. It’s a gloomy, rainy day though. I feel old and unappealing. Word has gotten back to me that my life might be in danger because I’ve been speaking out for my brother, but I’m not persuaded to stop. Guilt is powerful and my brother’s suffering goes on and on. I won’t quit even if it costs me my life. I remember how it began…he cried. His sobs were deep and labored. My brother’s despondent sobbing was infectious. I cried with him. He tried to speak, but all I could make out that he was saying was “please help me.” His step-daughter had accused him of molesting her. It was a despicable, life-altering claim she swore only happened whenever their were people around. Rick swore it never happened and the lie detector test bore that out. “I don’t belong here,” he wept. He was terrified and in shock. My brother was a police officer and worked on a special task force for the county Prosecuting Attorney’s office helping to track down child pornography users. The Prosecuting Attorney confirmed Rick’s position with the task force. Some of the images found on the work computer and family’s home computer were “indicative of child pornography.” Special investigators hired to review the material showed that the bulk of the images found were from a site called pedoland.com. Pedoland is a game site for children. Children take care of a computer pet. They feed and play with the puppy, kitten, or whatever baby animal they choose. My nieces used my brother’s computer often to play with their computer pets. The attorney I hired to represent Rick told me if the case went to trial that the jury would be shown a series of pornographic images and that the attorney representing Rick’s step-daughter would point to my brother and say he viewed these images and that he molested his step-child. I was told that was all that needed to be done to assure a conviction. No testimony. No opportunity for my brother to tell his side. I was told that a jury would convict based solely on those two things. The conviction rate was 97% no matter what Rick said in his defense. I was told the government wanted to make an example of Rick and give him life in prison. I was told to take a deal for 20 years. My brother was too distraught to make any decision. He could barely speak. I told him what he should do. I denied him his chance to tell his side of the story. I hope to rectify what I’ve done in the book The Deadliest Lie. I hope to give him a voice. While he could still speak clearly and write, this is in part, what he stated. “First of all I have never touched any of my children in a sexual manner. I have as a parent changed diapers, taken care of diaper rashes and such, just as any parent would. Sometime in 1994, when my step-daughter made her first accusation, we were living in a 2 ½ bedroom home. The girls shared the big room and my son was in a closet, converted to a room for him. My brother was living with us for awhile and we had his two daughters with us. Five girls slept on a set of bunk beds with two girls on top and three on the bottom. When my step-daughter made the accusation, not only did my wife and I discuss the matter, but we determined after talking that my step-daughter was really mad at her mother for working in the evenings. We also had taken my step-daughter to Children’s Mercy Hospital for a SAFE Exam. They told us she showed no signs of sexual assault.” I will continue with Rick’s statement over the next few weeks. I'll die before I'm quiet about this injustice.

 

February 20, 2009
Actor Peter Sherayako (he played Texas Jack in Tombstone) graciously agreed to write the foreword for the Buffalo Bill book. Peter has portrayed Cody in a number of stage plays and he’s very good. He knows everything about Cody and has caught a few mistakes I’ve made in the manuscript. Which is good! There’s nothing worse than having a book out there riddled with inaccuracies. Readers aren’t shy about letting you know what mistakes you’ve made. They often post the misspellings, mistakes in dates, and/or photo captions on Amazon.com.. The whole world knows you screwed up. Well, maybe not the whole world, but definitely the three people who actually read the reviews on Amazon. I received an email about my high school reunion in September in Arizona. I’m a little nervous about it. I feel like I only have seven months to make something of myself. I’ll have to get new glasses before the event. The ones I have now make me look like Bea Arthur as a welder. Next week I’ll be posting sections of the book The Deadliest Accusation on the site. I can’t say I’m going to be as excited about the release of that book as I am about Thunder Over the Prairie. I want my brother’s life to have counted for something and maybe that title will help in the long run.

 

February 17, 2009
At long last the Buffalo Bill book is complete and is off to the editor. The working title is The Many Loves of Buffalo Bill Cody. After spending so much time researching the showman I can see why so many women were drawn to him. I suspect he was actually more dazzling than history gives him credit for being. I’m anxious to tackle my next subjects. I’ll not only be writing about Elizabeth Custer, but about the most notorious bad men and women in the Midwest in the 1800s. I’ll be writing about Kate Bender - the first serial killer in the U.S.. She lived in Kansas and is credited with cutting the throats of 20 people - one of whom was an eight year old girl. I’ll start the initial research about Kate and others like her in June. I received a very nice email from one of the librarians at UCLA. She has read a few of the titles and noted how well she liked them. Her note was very encouraging. I added some more signings to the roster for May. I’ll be at the Reader’s Corner Book Store in Rolla, Missouri on the 28th of the month. I’m looking forward to that visit. I have yet to book a rental car, airline ticket, or hotel room for the Midwest trip. I’m afraid if I don’t do that soon I’ll have to sleep outdoors and I hate the outdoors. To me the outdoors is where the car is. I’d like to lose weight before the trip too. I don’t think I’ll be successful at that. I belong to a gym, but apparently you have to actually show up in order to get into shape. That’s just as well. Gyms are filled with skinny people anyway. I’m not crazy about skinny women, because no matter how thin, they’re still always on a diet. I have a friend that’s 5’9 and 102 pounds and she’s been on Phen Fen, Metabolife, and lives on Slim Fast. Used to be she’d ask, “Do I look fat in this?” Now she says, “Can you still see me? Am I still visible to the naked eye?”

 

February 15, 2009
I get lots of visits everyday to the website. Most of the vistis are from schools and colleges. That's encouraging because I want to be able to share the work with educational departments. Over the last few months the most frequent visitor to the site seens to be from the area of Reston, Virginia. I received no personal email from this person so I have no way of letting them know that I know they did a google search on my brother. I just want to let them know that you spelled his name wrong. It's Rick E-n-s-s and not Enns.

 

February 14, 2009
The book I'm in the process of writing entitled The Deadliest Lie is set for release in late 2011. One of the chapters includes the confession of a young woman who lied about being molested. She no doubt required 30 pieces of silver prior to making the tragic accusation that ultimately took a life. This happens all the time. “Today, January 21, I told mom and dad the statements against dad were false. I had told them Vikki had wanted out of the house and thought mom and dad would turn her down. So we came up with this crazy scheme. I did not know the chances and what would happen or how big it would get. I just thought Vikki would go back east and it would be ok. She had promised to return for visits and keep in contact with me. She has lied again. Like I said, I did not know the consequences of this situation. That day I drew the picture and Mrs. Williams came and got me I told her no, dad did nothing. But Carman D. said he did. So I got scared and knew they would question Vikki and she would go with it. So I told them dad was out of the house for a long time. I was glad when he moved back in. I was permitted to go to counseling. This has been going on for a year. The reason I did not tell the truth was because I was scared they would take me away as I would be sent to a juvenile thing. Also I figured if I went with it Vikki would keep her promise. She has not. So today I told them. I told them everything…. Vikki has lied so many times and I believe she will accuse me of telling lies when asked about it….”

 

February 11, 2009
I have such good intentions with this daily journal. I want to share the rewards and trials of writing non-fiction as well as information about the people and places I visit on various signings. I touch on a that bit at times, but I stray far from the topic as a norm. Today will be no exception. I’m putting the finishing touches on the Buffalo Bill Cody book and should be focused solely on meeting the deadline for the material, but local events remind me of my brother and I can’t concentrate. A Nevada County school is under fire because a set of parents claim a male counselor gave their 12-year-old daughter a pregnancy test. As it turns out, it’s not true. The girl did take a pregnancy test, but the school had nothing to do with it. Her parents found the used test at their home. The kid panicked and blamed the counselor. Before this man had a chance to defend himself or speak out, news crews from Sacramento had swarmed his office and house. They broadcast his name numerous times, insinuating that he was a dangerous predator. One lie ruined this man and his family’s life. I can identify with his plight. The church I attend is now taking precautions against such accusations. I was informed last night that everyone at the church who works with children or youth are now subject to a criminal background. I agree in part. I know there are bad people out there. It’s just sad that things have come this far. Should my brother live he’ll have to register as a sex offender. Should he live he’ll stay with me so I can take care of him. I will be discriminated against based on the past of the person (who was wrongfully accused) I am associated. My family and I have already been subject to that more times than I can count. It’s been a nightmare. I guess that’s what my brother’s ex-wife and step-daughter hoped would happen. I wish my brother had never met them and that it could go back to when it was just him and his daughter Nickol. I wish I could see her again. (She was the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen in my life.) I want to wish for compassion all the way around, but I wish for justice. There’s a difference between compassion and justice. Compassion sees a child in a basket floating down the river, rescues them and raises them as their own. Justice seeks out the person who put the child in the basket to find out why they did such a thing. I want to know why. Maybe if I knew why I could think of nothing but the writing project on my desk and never ask for another deadline extension again.

 

February 9, 2009
The speaking engagement I had this past Saturday was a real joy. The audience was very receptive. I enjoy talking about women of the Old West and how they helped tamed the wild frontier. My friend, Cynthia Martin has sat through the same lecture more than a half a dozen times. At each event she still looks interested in what I’m saying. She’s a great friend and a good sport. An old friend will help you move. A good friend, like Cynthia, will sit through the same lecture you give over and over again and never complain. I realize I’ve been out and about too much with the books because I’m eating every meal at McDonalds. I went into a McDonald’s yesterday and said, “I’d like some fries.” The girl at the counter asked, “Would you like some fries with that?” McDonalds is such a routine with me I didn’t even realize what was said until after I got the double-fries order. The invitations for the launch of Thunder Over the Prairie will soon be in the process of being printed. The book will be in stores by mid May. I’ve had some people I invited to the launch already decline. Dodge City, Kansas is a bit far for most people to go to celebrate the publication. They’ve been kind about and told me they’d happily wait for the book to be made into a TV movie. It’s interesting, if you read a lot of books, you’re considered well-read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you’re not considered well-viewed.

 

February 6, 2009
It’s official! The next project I’ll be working on is a biography of Elizabeth Custer. I spoke with my editor this morning and was given the green light. I’ve been fascinated with the Widow Custer for years. I visited the scene of Custer’s Last Stand in 2007 and wanted to write about how Elizabeth must have felt looking over the same plot of land so many years ago. And here I thought the last book I’d be contracted to write for a major publishing house was the Cody book - I’m grateful. Next month is National Women’s Heritage Month. I have a lot of signings scheduled around the state in March. I’m going to try and visit my brother and my nephew soon. Corey will know me, but Rick…. He suffered quite extensive trauma in the beating and rape at Beaumont. It’s heartbreaking. I hurt for my parents. My mom will probably never fully recover from all that happened either. She seldom if ever leaves her house. The actions of two disturbed creatures haunt our lives. The real guilty parties are still out there waiting to destroy again. I sincerely hope it’s true that what goes around comes around. The lies will be found out and sooner than they know. Elizabeth Custer believed the same thing. And she was ultimately proved right. God is good no matter what!

 

February 4, 2009
The recent book signing tour was through Nevada and Arizona. I visited several book stores and had a speaking engagement at the Prospector’s Association annual meeting in Kingman. I met a lot of nice people there. I got lost once or twice but didn’t mind much because I was listening to a book on CD called Twilight. I’m a little late to the genius of this material, I know. It’s a great love story. The primary target audience for the book is teenage girls, but I was captivated by it just the same. I couldn’t help remembering what it was like to be 17 again and waiting on my grandmother’s porch for my crush to drive by. I can’t say life was simpler even then, but I had just enough innocence that the future still had a rosy tinge. I fell in love really quickly when I was much younger. That scared guys away. My ex-husband can attest to that. And I wasn’t shy about telling the object of my desire how I felt either. I would admit to them, “I’m in love with you, I want to marry you, I want to move in with you.” And they’d respond, “Ma’am, give me the ten bucks for the pizza and I’ll be outta here.” Things with the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans project are moving along slowly, but they are moving. It’s been hinted that to promote the initial production of the film a major casting call for young lady equestrians is in the works. The Cowboy and the Senorita film will include many lady riders to participate in the reenactments of the rodeos the duo hosted. I’m a little old for a part, but maybe I’ll take a riding lesson or two anyway. I could be an extra way, way off in the distance. And now I have to go and unpack. That’s the worst part of the book signing tour - the unpacking.

 

January 30, 2009
I'll be traveling to the Las Vegas area Monday to speak at a conference about the book A Beautiful Mine. I thought I'd post the review Clark Isaacs, the President of the organization wrote about the book. I'm happy to send interested readers a review copy. All you need to do is drop my an email and let me know you'd like a book. Enjoy. A Beautiful Mine Women Prospectors of the Old West: There’s gold in them thar hills, and the women came to get it out! Chris Enss presents some of the finest snapshots of women prospectors of the old west and how they made their mark in history. When reading these marvelous tales of rough and tumble characters it is impossible not to get a feeling how our western states were developed. There are many illustrations and actual photographs which depict how hard life actually had been for these women. Through the years they not only prospected, they found gold and had the mines to show for it. Side line businesses were started so as to fund their ventures in the hills. We learn about their restaurants, boarding houses, and managing skills. Yet, they gave charity to miners on the skids by giving them free food, bathing, and often staking to search for a new claim. Compassion was really the second name for many of these tough broads, but never cross them like Jamieson did when he shot and killed Charley (Charlotte) Hatfield’s husband. She did a lot of searching for many years until she caught up with him by chance and shot him three times! Author Chris Enss brings to this compilation of true stories, a keen eye for interesting anecdotes about each of these women of the old west. In 1905 Lillian Malcolm said “The grandest and healthiest life known is this rough pioneer life. And I don’t see why more women are not in the hills.” Early photographs are from many historical societies in the western states and you have to see them to really get this wonderful flavor of seeing a woman swinging a pick or sifting a pan for gold. Chris has written for television, short subject films, live performances, and the movies. Her professionalism shines and you are easily transported to yesteryear in an old western motif. Past books have included The Doctor Wore Petticoats, The Lady Was a Gambler, Pistol Packin’ Madams, and Outlaw Tales of California. A Beautiful Mine is a recommended exceptional read and a great addition for your bookshelf.

 

January 27, 2009
There's nothing more satisfying than a western film. With rare exception, the bad guy always gets it in the end. I think that's what makes westerns so popular. We all want to see the liar, the cheat, the truly evil person get what's coming to them. Real life isn't like that. If you tell one big lie and get away with it, it's easy to do it again. Some of the good guys have helped her do just that. I'm glad Nomadic Pictures is considering bringing Thunder Over the Prairie to life. I'm going to live vicariously through Wyatt Earp. I try not to think of vengence in such a way, but I was informed today that the one responsible for taking my brother from my family is now claiming someone else was involved. If it were only 1881 and my last name was Earp. I hope the people in Rolla, Missouri who visited my site today at 4:27, 4:38 and 7:18 p.m. will be okay. I'll just keep praying that God will help me finally get past this new hurt. I'm so sad.

 

January 26, 2009
I’m nearing the end of the second rewrite of the Buffalo Bill book and thought I would include a sample of one of the chapters. Cody was involved with an actress named Katherine Clemmons and that involvement caused a great deal of hardship and embarrassment for him and his family. Lots of great men have met their downfall through opportunistic women. That’s a big part of what the Buffalo Bill book is about. The book I’ve written about my brother is in part about the same thing. By the way, The Deadliest Accusation is set to be released in December 2011. And now, a little Buffalo Bill… On February 17, 1894, the Posh Chamberlain Restaurant in Washington D.C. was filled to capacity with well-dressed guests, enjoying the elegant ambiance and sumptuous food. Forty-eight year old William Cody was among the fashionably coifed patrons. He was seated at one of the pristinely set tables wearing a tailored suit and tie, his long hair combed neatly away from his handsome face, his signature beard and mustache trimmed and waxed. Katherine Clemmons, a San Francisco born actress with soft, stunning features and a petite frame, sat across from William sipping on a glass of wine and drinking in every word the showman said. It was obvious from the way he looked at her that the two were more than just dinner companions. They ate their meal and shared a bottle of champagne, as a handful of musicians serenaded the patrons with a delicate, classical piece. In the midst of the harmonious setting Fred May entered. Fred, an acquaintance of both William and Katherine, walked across the eatery to their table. Fred and Katherine exchanged a flirtatious glance as ordinary pleasantries were exchanged. Sometime during the tense conversation that transpired between the three, William punched the man in the face and knocked him to the floor. The distinguished clientele around the activity halted their eating and quietly speculated about what had happened. The wait staff hurried to the table apologizing profusely for the disturbance and helping Fred to his feet. With a slight bow and broad grin to the other diners around him, William quickly tried to defuse the awkward situation. “Just a difference of opinion between gentlemen,” he told them.

 

January 23, 2009
Yesterday’s excursion to LA turned out to be better than I hoped. I had three meetings about various film projects in the works and got to know Jay O’Connell, author of The Train Robber’s Daughter. Jay graciously gave me a lift back to the airport when all was said and done. It was a pleasure to sit and chat with a fellow author about the business and swap ideas on how to promote the books. Jay works at Warner Brothers on the show The Big Bang and he gave me a tour of the lot. At one point I was in the same air space as George Clooney. He was there filming an episode of E.R.. Life suddenly made sense! Perhaps I’m being a little overly dramatic, but it was a kick! I’m back to work today on the Buffalo Bill book. I’ve uncovered so much information about his extramarital affairs that I’m finding it hard to condense it all into 40,000 words. I’ve got to do some editing. I’m lunching today with another fellow author. He happens to be a Federal Judge as well. He’s a Christian who has written several books on the subject of forgiveness. Funny how that subject keeps coming up in my life. In addition to discussing the writing process, I’m anxious to share my story with him about my brother. I’d like to get his take on why the attorney I hired to help my brother continues to visit my website. I had another visit from the firm while I was in Hollywood. Oh well, I knew a long time ago they weren’t really working in the best interest of my brother. I’m glad they have such a great relationship with the prosecuting attorney’s office. I am in awe of the new feature on my site that enables me to track all the visits. I’ve had visitors from a variety of school board members and teachers who have requested copies of the book Frontier Teachers for classroom use. I’ve had visitors to the site from as far away as Turkey, London and France and as close as Norborne and Rolla, Missouri. My motivation for getting the feature was to increase book sales, but I’m learning so much more.

 

January 20, 2009
Today I received the children’s book I wrote that supposed to be due out three months ago. The book is entitled The Christmas Adventures of Cowboy True. I’m glad the book is here. Jeff and Melissa Galpin, the illustrators on the project, did a wonderful job. The finished product is vibrant and eye catching. My only problem is IT’S JANUARY! So…the book will be in wide release for Christmas 2009. If you’d like an advanced copy email me and I’ll get one out to you. I’m off to LA at the end of this week. I’m feeling a little nervous about it. I really want these meetings to go well. One of my friends told me not to worry and to go and just “be myself.” “Be yourself” is about the worst advice you can give to some people. I’ve been doing that and it hasn’t worked out like I thought it would. I’ve narrowed down the careers I’m qualified to pursue should writing cease to be something that’s offered to me. A magician’s assistant and juggler are the only other skills I have. And I’m not very good a juggling. It’ll be okay, right? I am a little worried about driving to my appointment in LA. I am the worst driver. I should just drive a hearse and cut out the middleman. More later…I hope.

 

January 16, 2009
I will be in Los Angeles next week. I’ll have a chance to meet Jay O’Connell, the author who provided Howard Kazanjian and I a quote for the book Thunder Over the Prairie. I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to meet with the promotional director for Barnes & Noble and discuss the in store publicity for the book. I’ve always enjoyed working with Barnes & Noble. I can’t say I’ve sold a lot of books when I’ve done signings there, but that’s not because they haven’t put their all into it. I’m uncertain about what to wear to LA. I generally dress like a real estate agent - business suit, heels, bouffant hair. Okay, so I dress like a real estate agent from the 60s. Maybe I’ll wear a dress. I know a lot of women wear dresses without pantyhose, but I can’t do it. And I have to wear Control Top pantyhose. I’ve found there’s no quicker way to flatten my stomach-and shut down my entire digestive tract. Guess I’ll have to go shopping. I’ll look from something from my favorite designer, On Sale. Before the holidays I decided I’d write a letter to my brother’s daughter from his first marriage. I knew it was a long shot that I’d hear anything back and I was right. It’s unfortunate, but not unexpected. I can’t help remembering one of the last times I saw her. She had gotten permission to go to a dance and I was going to do her hair and her step-sister’s hair. While I was doing her step-sister’s hair, her step-mother entered her bedroom and starting dumping clothing out of her dresser drawers and the closet. Then her step-mother ordered her to pick it up. I never got to help her get ready for her dance. I missed out on that and so did she. She was very upset over the incident. Her step-sister wasn’t made to pick up anything. It was reminiscent of a scene from Cinderella. The image of her on the floor, crying, putting all those clothes away is tattooed on my brain. What’s that have to do with trip to LA, what to wear or writing? I think those memories shape everything you do and every decision you make. From the most mundane such as how to dress, to the more complicated such as how to write a much needed letter.

 

January 12, 2009
Work on the Buffalo Bill book continues. I’ll have it done and out to the publishers by the middle of next month. I’ll have to set the material aside next Thursday. I’m supposed to be in Los Angeles to discuss a couple of scripts I’ve written that have been optioned. But I think my actual presence could only hurt the situation. I’d like to see things move along a little faster, but my heart isn’t as into the process as it used to be. I used to be so enamored of the industry. I didn’t realize luck played such an important part of getting a job. Lucky I’ve never been. My lucky number is four billion, which usually doesn’t come in handy when you‘re say, gambling. “Come on, four billion…” I think there’s roughly four billion scripts my screenplays are competing against so you’d think my number would come up more often. It’s basically an industry for people (and by people I mean women writers) in their 20s and 30s. I’m fighting fifty…which is too old for gymnastics and Hollywood. I’m not complaining… (although I can see how one might think I am)… it just is. There’s a Star Trek convention going on the same time I’m in town, maybe I’ll forego any meetings and attend that event instead and just people watch. The crowds fascinate me. I never really understood the people who participate so fervently in those conventions. I mean, I like Mary Tyler Moore too, but I don’t rent out a big hall and dress up like Rhoda. I might feel differently about all of this tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m glad I’ve got Buffalo Bill.

 

January 8, 2009
Rejection. I’ve experienced a lot of rejection as a writer. Well, not just as a writer…. You’d think I’d be used to it. But it still stings. One of my books was recently rejected by Bethany House publishing. I was sure hoping that material would be approved. It seems like when you’re down about disappointing circumstances in life you can’t escape other people who are feeling the same way. It’s a little comforting I guess and I’m ashamed that it‘s that way. Misery does love company. Just look at a fly strip. You never see a fly stuck there saying, “Go around! Go around! Rejection is just a nature of the line of work I’m in. But I’m in good company. William Young, the gentlemen who wrote The Shack, had his book rejected by more than a dozen publishers. Young kept trying. He kept making submissions and someone finally said, “yes”. The book became a bestseller. That’s the happy ending I’m looking for. Maybe several happy endings. I need it to make up for some of the rejection letters I’ve received. One rejected letter said, “Opened by mistake.” Another one said, “You’re one of those writers who is worth watching. Not reading; just watching.” One of the difficult aspects of this job is to keep writing after you’ve been told that you can’t. But that’s what I’ve got to do. Maybe it’s not too late for clown college.

 

January 6, 2009
Prior to the holidays, my friend Lisa, loaned me a copy of a book entitled Forgiving the Dead Man Walking. I had shared with her many times about how I struggle with an unforgiving spirit. The book, written by Debbie Morris, is the untold other half of Dead Man Walking, the movie that depicted killer Robert Willie’s death-row relationship with spiritual advisor Helen Prejean. Debbie was one of Willie’s victims and in her book she recounts the story of being kidnapped by him in gripping detail. She is living testimony to the grace we long for; grace that shines more brightly than we dare believe, bright enough to triumph over the darkest evil. Morris divides the work of forgiveness into two areas or goals: salvage and restoration. She pointed out that “there are times we’ve been hurt when the only reasonable goal is to find a way to get over the incident, to minimize the damage, to get on with the healing, to learn from the experience, and to move on. Making the best you can from a past experience is the goal of what she termed “salvage.” I want so much to grasp this concept. To make it alive in my life. I’ve been mad for so long over the situation with my brother. Mad at the injustice, the lies, and deception, especially from one of the attorneys my family and I hired. I don’t believe this particular law firm cared anything about my brother. Cared anything about defending his rights. I will go to my grave believing they had some underline deal going with the prosecution. I learned yesterday that they have been monitoring my website. No explanation was given when I called to inquire. I’m more suspicious of them now than ever. I can’t help but wonder which one of their current clients is getting billed for them to watch my website. All that being said, the ultimate goal must be forgiveness. Debbie Morris writes, “How badly do we want to be healed? For so many years my reluctance to forgive was like a darkness inside, a barrier that barred joy and love and so many good things from my life. Forgiveness smashed the barrier and has enabled me to experience the giving and receiving of love again.” I want that. I want what forgiveness can deliver. I still miss my brother and feel very sad and guilty about asking him to take a plea. I shouldn’t have done it. He’s innocent. Justice won’t do a thing to heal me though. Forgiveness will.

 

January 4, 2009
It was an encouragement to read the following review for the book Frontier Teachers. Great way to start 2009! “Teachers were the female trailblazers of the West, yet they often are overlooked. Thanks to Chris Enss, who once again breaks new ground in the realm of historic women, we learn teachers often inspired many who went on to progress in the frontier. She tells the stories of 12 women who come from different circumstances but share the same goal-furthering education. Eliza Mott taught the alphabet from tombstone instructions while Lucia Darling taught in a one-room cabin that was the first school in Montana Territory. Their experiences were enough to pass on wisdom; and their knowledge still educates generations today.” Linda Womack - True West Magazine January/February 2009

 

December 31, 2008
On this last day of the year I want to reflect on the life of my brother, Rick. In a few short months he will have been in prison five years. He was once a vital, happy man, refereeing ball games for his son, escorting his oldest daughter down a football field when she was part of her high school homecoming court, romping around with his youngest child and laughing at her antics. He loved to buy presents for his children. I was with him when he purchased a new bicycle for his son. He was excited about the gift and meticulously searched for just the right bike. Tall, handsome and thin, my brother is now a near lifeless shell, bloated from the medication he is on due to injuries he sustained from inmates at the Beaumont prison in Texas who beat and raped him. I’ll never see the brother I knew again. In my estimation the mother and daughter who did this to him are murderers. My grandmother lives at the rest home where one of the killers works. According to my grandmother the killer recently told her that “she never meant things to get this far.” If she wanted out of the marriage and wanted money, I would have given it to her. More than $345,000 was spent on my brother’s defense. I would have given her the money and anything else she wanted. They lied and the brother I knew is gone. I will not forget him, nor what was done to him. I will try to move into 2009 with hope. Hope that I can heal. That we all can heal.

 

December 28, 2008
The trip to Missouri for the holidays was long and I had plenty of time between flights to work on the next idea for a book proposal. A month ago, Howard Kazanjian, the film producer I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with on several occasions, suggested looking into the life of a lawman named Sam Sixkiller. Sixkiller was a Deputy Marshall in Oklahoma who became the first captain of the United States Indian Police headquarters in Muskogee. As Captain, Sixkiller had 40 men under his command. He was an exceptional officer who was eventually shot down in the line of duty. He led an interesting life and I’m anxious to write about him. I can either get a lot of writing about Sam done at my office or at an American Airlines terminal should I ever have to fly with them again. And I probably will. I've had to fly with them a lot this past year. American boasts painfully long layovers and numerous crying children once the flight boards. When did it become a federal regulation that you have to have at least seven crying babies on every flight? I just want to know: Where are they going? Why are they on planes? They have no appointments, they were just born days ago. Are times so hectic that babies are born and instantly tell those around them, “I just popped out of the womb, I gotta dry up, learn to breathe-I’ll be on the two o’clock, it’s the best I can do….” If I had a good time at Christmas I can’t remember because the flight itself drained all my good will and pleasant memories. I took a lot of pictures so something good must have been happening. It’s great to be home and making plans for the new year. I've got three new books that will be released over the next 12 months. How I pray 2009 is better than 2008, or 2007, or 2006, or…. I’ll keep the website updated on that subject or, you can drop by the American Airlines terminal at the Dallas/Forth Worth airport to find out how it's going. I seem to spend a lot of time there.

 

December 21, 2008
Over the past couple of days I’ve received information about my 30th high school reunion that’s going to be held in September. The people planning the reunion are doing a great job. There’s a website specifically for Buena High School class of 1979 alumni. In addition to whether or not you’re going to attend the festivities, you’re asked to give a little information about yourself. The very first thing they want to know is how many children you have and their ages. Now I know the majority of people have children, but for those of us who don’t, or in my case couldn’t, you’re left to feel as though procreating is the highest goal one could achieve. When I went to my 20 year reunion the class president brought his baby into the hall where the event was being held and announced to everyone that “this is what it’s all about” and that “nothing else mattered.” He was a proud dad. I bet there’ve been days since then that he hasn’t felt so proud. I’ve watched people struggle to raise kids. They’re not easy. But there has to be some penalty for sex. For many, parenting is the easiest job to get - you just have to screw up once and it’s yours. I have a 17 year-old niece who found out how easy it was to get the job. Nothing else matters much to her either. I take exception to those who think childbirth is a miracle. I don’t think it is. It’s a chemical reaction, that’s all. Raising a kid that doesn’t talk in a movie theatre - now there’s a miracle. It’s not a miracle if every nine months any ying-yang in the world can drop a litter of mewling cabbages on the planet. And just in case you haven’t seen the single-mom statistics lately, the miracle is spreading like wildfire. All that being said, I’m really looking forward to my high school reunion. Even if I have nothing to show for my life but a degree and a couple of dozen books.

 

December 16, 2008
The first series of ads to promote Thunder Over the Prairie were booked today. I placed an ad in the June/July edition of American Cowboy Magazine. The price - $1800 for a half page. I want to run a full page ad in True West Magazine and one in Chronicles of the Old West. The plan is that this investment will pay off big when the book is released. It’s by far the most enjoyable piece I’ve written and I know that I’d like to write more material like it. If Thunder doesn’t sell well I might not get the chance. I think I’d like to write for Bethany House too. I finished the sample chapter I’ve been writing for them and will send it out Thursday. It always comes down to sales though - making money. Which makes a difference for all businesses, but art suffers in the process. The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money. It looks like the comedy series Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black’s pitched to Lifetime is going to happen. Hope that means the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans project starring the couple will get a green light. It would be nice to go into 2009 with something bright on the horizon and of course, the possibility of actually getting paid. Howard and I’ve have been working on the Roy and Dale story for more than five years. I will continue to update the site with news about the progress of the books and screenplay. In the meantime, anyone who signs up to receive my newsletter will get a copy of Frontier Teachers. The book would make a nice gift for a school or public library. Drop me a line and I’ll send it on.

 

December 13, 2008
I’ve never been very good a writing letters. I can never really convey what’s on my heart and mind without it coming across rehearsed or disingenuous. I stare at the stationary, struggling to transform nothing into life. I only bring it up because I am about to write the most important letter of my life and I’m not sure how to begin and looking ahead, I’m not sure how it will be received. I suspect I won’t get an answer at all and if I do I don’t think it will be a positive. Still, I’m convinced I have to try. Life turned out to be so hard. I guess most people could say that. I was at an event not long ago and somebody was talking about the Good Old Days. At the time all I could think of was, “Which Good Old Days? During the McCarthy blacklist? Or when blacks couldn’t vote? When they burned women at the stake because they were herbalists? Those Good Old Days?” Maybe after I get the letter written I could send it off to my editor to look over. He did a great job on the posse book. I’m sure he’d appreciate his talents being used in such a way. If he were forced to do that as part of his job he’d be the one lamenting that life isn’t fair. And I’d have to agree. After all, if life were fair Elvis would be alive and the impersonators would be dead. I’ll do the best I can with the letter and pray for the best.

 

December 10, 2008
Thunder Over the Prairie came back from the editors with a few changes they would like to see made. Most of the comments center on bibliography and additional fact checking. It’s tedious, but necessary. I want to make sure everything is as accurate as I can get for this book so I don’t mind the effort. It is the less attractive aspect of the job however. The book is more than 40,000 word, but it still seems thin to me. The cover art looks great! Globe always does such a good job. I hope to finish the sample chapter for the book proposal I’m doing for Bethany House publishing this week as well as the last chapter of the Cody tome. It would be nice to have a few days off over the holidays and I don’t just mean from work. I’d like to take a trip from me. If worry and guilt were Olympic sports I’d win the gold every time. I once wanted to save the world - now I just want to leave the room with some dignity. It’s holiday time and it seems like everyone is having an office Christmas party. I’m a staff of one so an office party would just be pathetic. They’re not in existence anymore, but I always wondered where those people who worked in those Photo-Mat booths took their breaks or had their Christmas parties. Did they just duck down on the floor out of sight? Enough! I’ve got to get back to work. I’ll be with Bill Cody if anyone asks.

 

December 8, 2008
The last couple of weeks I set my usual writing assignments aside to embark on a number of ventures. I directed the annual Christmas in Bethlehem program at my church, spent time with my parents who were here, and traveled to see my brother at Terminal Island in Long Beach. I call it “visiting life.” It was an emotionally draining time and I feel like I’ve aged several years. No amount of makeup can hide the toll the situation with my brother has had on me. My skin is starting to lose its elasticity. I took a nap on a corduroy bedspread. It took six hours for the lines to come out of my face. But there’s always food. I ate too much over Thanksgiving. I always make too much food, especially one item, like 700 or 800 pounds of mashed potatoes. With that much potatoes I have to push them during the meal. “Did you get some mashed potatoes?….They’re hot. There’s more in the oven…some more in the garage. The rest are at the Johnsons.” I continue to work on the last bit of the Buffalo Bill Cody book and am looking ahead to the launch of Thunder Over the Prairie. I hope over planning for the event will help the book to be a success the first week out. How this title does will decide the fate of my writing career. I like my job and would like to keep doing it for some time to come. Everyone has a purpose in life. If mine isn’t writing, perhaps it’s watching television.

 

November 24, 2008
Family members visiting loved ones at a Federal Prison endure heartache the moment they enter the facility. After surrendering their driver’s license, filling out a barrage of forms, and answering a series of personal questions, they are subjected to a search and locked in a holding unit while waiting to see their relative. They’re stamped, processed and escorted by a surly, armed guard to a visiting room. The procedure is grueling, intimidating and difficult. There are numerous senior citizens that come through - dazed parents, handicapped grandparents, broken siblings, discouraged wives and confused children. The children are the most amazing visitors. Regardless of their age, they have to adhere to the same rules as everyone else. It’s moving to see them sit so still and behave so well. They greet their fathers with an eager smile. They’re dedicated, gracious, loyal and inspiring. It’s unfortunate my brother could not have been so blessed. His ex-wife and her daughter killed him. They are nothing less than murderers. I’ll never forget Rick or what they did to destroy him. The children I met at Terminal Island know exactly how I feel, but forgiveness overtakes their heart and that’s all you see. They are true heroes to me and I’m glad to be involved with the Angel Tree project this year. In some small way I can help give back to them what they've given to me. These children stand by their families and bring pure light to a dark situation. I hope to do them justice in the book The Deadliest Accusation due to be released in December 2010. Now that I’m home I’ll complete the work I started on the Buffalo Bill Cody book. Can’t wait to get back into it.

 

November 17, 2008
I generally divide my days into thirds and work on various writing projects or promotions in the time frame. I get to my desk about 8:30 in the morning and after a prayer and a Bible study, get busy writing. About an hour into my job I find I’m so tired I can’t keep my eyes open. I know a part of the problem is my diet. You know you’ve got bad eating habits if you use a grocery cart in 7-Eleven. I’m one of those people who believe that red meat is not bad for you. I particularly believe that red meat on a slice of pizza is not bad for you. Now, blue-green meat. That’s bad for you. There’s only one food I won’t eat, which is hot dogs at a movie theatre, because I feel like there’s no USDA preparation guidelines for this meat. They used to be impaled on spears rotating inside a Timex case. Suddenly that’s gone and replaced by the foot massage-log roll jamboree. And they never look like they’re cooking; they just look like they’re sweating. Anyway, after jolting myself awake with a cherry pop-tart, because I know I need that daily requirement of fruit, I was able to write a few more pages on the last chapter of the Cody book. I’ll have the manuscript to the publisher before the deadline. I participated in a writing workshop this weekend at the North Star House in Grass Valley. Respected architect, Julia Morgan built the home for author Mary Hallock Foote in 1905 and a group of concerned citizens are trying to preserve the Old West structure. The class of aspiring authors that participated in the talk were enthusiastic and entertaining. I enjoyed my time with them and look forward to a repeat performance in the spring. Visit www.northstarhouse.org for more information. I do believe that’s the last speaking engagement I have this year. Which is good. I need a nap. But first a piece of pepperoni pizza!

 

November 13, 2008
Much of what you do as a writer is trying to figure out how to best promote what you’ve already written. A good portion of my day was spent working on that very thing. I met with a couple of internet experts who are going to help bring more visitors to my website and hopefully more readers to my books. I’m very behind when it comes to technology. The whole world seems to be up to speed on this, but I can’t seem to get the hang of it. I just now got a cotton gin and I can’t figure out how to work that either. I’m on the phone every day with tech support, “Do I keep the seeds, or the fuzzy stuff?” I know I’ll be investing in more magazine ads in the coming months in order to promote Thunder Over the Prairie, but I would sure like to get more hits on the website from people interested in Old West history. I think the only way I’ll be able to master this technology is when produces food on demand. I’m waiting for the kind of computer where I can look at the screen and say, “Hey, I need a pizza,” and one comes out and hits me in the eyebrows. My brother’s birthday is Saturday. I miss him. I can be writing for hours about Buffalo Bill Cody, deeply entrenched in that story and suddenly a thought of Rick flashes in my mind and I miss him all over again. I blame myself for what happened. He didn’t do anything and I asked him to plead guilty. He was so distraught, unable to speak, and looking to me for help and I didn’t know the best thing to do after a while. Worse yet, I trusted our attorney. Things will get better. Guess I’m suffering from post-traumatic syndrome, and I’m going to keep talking about it until Daniel Craig comes and holds me. Maybe if I email Mr. Bond and tell him…. How do you do that again?

 

November 10, 2008
For several months now I’ve been working on a book about the life and loves of Buffalo Bill Cody. I received a final piece of information this past week that will make it possible to finish the last chapter. The book will include details about the many extramarital affairs Cody had and how these relationships naturally hurt his marriage. The research has been fascinating. Cody was not loyal and his wife, Louisa, was not kind. Prior to him becoming involved with other women, Louisa berated him in public over his overly generous nature and attachment to his sisters. The Codys had four children together. Louisa outlived all her children and Buffalo Bill. When their daughter, Arta, died in 1904, she left two children behind. Louisa offered to raise Arta’s son, but sent her daughter away to be raised by other family members. Louisa was never as close to her granddaughter, Arta Clara, as she was her grandson, Cody Boal. I suppose that’s understandable given the circumstances, but what I find distasteful is that when Louisa died, she left $5,000 to Cody and $1 to Arta. I don’t have any information that can shed light on why Louisa would do that. As I mentioned, she wasn’t a kind woman, but that seems vindictive and I’d like to know what the motive was. It’s not really relevant to the book, I’m just curious. Toward the end of his life Cody told a biographer that “no man was more blessed in his wedlock” than he was and that he had “only the fondest regard for Lulu.” I guess he wanted to leave this world in peace. The bulk of their married life had told people about how horrible Louisa was to him. He never retracted any of the harsh statements he made in court about her during their divorce case. Whenever he was asked about Louisa behavior he simply said that she was “much misunderstood.” The Codys were married more than 50 years to each other. They slept in separate houses, had separate dinner parties, took separate vacations and in the end Louisa said they were doing everything they could to keep their marriage together. The Life and Loves of Buffalo Bill Cody will be in bookstores this time next year.

 

November 5, 2008
It’s been a gloomy few days. I think about my brother a lot and want to give pause to the life that was for fear that he will be forgotten all together. I guess I do that too much. And then there’s concerns about my job, the current economy, my inability to commit to any kind of exercise. I hate to exercise. I need more than my life to get me on a Stairmaster for an hour. I view my body as a way of getting my head from one place to the other. I was talking about that very thing a couple of weeks ago at a Barnes & Noble signing. Most people were in complete agreement. I met some wonderful, fellow non-exercisers there that day. One of whom sent a package to me today. Christy Udall, a lovely woman who graciously purchased a couple of my books, sent a box of antique jewelry. It was a thoughtful gesture and the items are great! Kindness like that helps me to realize all is not lost yet. That kind of generosity does more for the heart than anytime I ever spent at a gym. Not that I’ve been in a gym…but I’ve watched people go into those establishments. I’d rather be writing.

 

November 3, 2008
November - a new month rich with possibilities. I hope this month to learn to better breathe through the punches in the gut I received professionally and personally in October and seize the moment. I’m going to do that by remembering all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. First, I feel compelled to mention a story a gentlemen from church shared with me this weekend about employing a high school teenager to work at his store. After hearing about what happened to my brother and other men across the nation who have been falsely accused of sexual assault, he decided to let the teenager go. His wife reminded him that if the teenager felt like it she could ruin his life and reputation. If she wanted a raise and didn’t get it or a day off and was denied it, she could say she was touched inappropriately and it would be all over for him. It’s amazing how often this happens. I have to believe that evil will return to the evil doers who leveled my family and as long as I live I’ll warn people about such individuals. The work continues on the Buffalo Bill book. I hope to have chapter nine finished by the end of the week. My parents are coming to visit soon and will take part in the 6th annual Christmas in Bethlehem program at my church. They seemed to enjoy themselves last year and hope they have a good time again this year as well. I’ve got to start placing ads soon in the western magazines to publicize Thunder Over the Prairie. Bob Bell, editor of True West Magazine, had a great idea to publicize his western. The entire November/December issue is dedicated to telling the story of Mickey Free and the Apache Kid. It’s a graphic novel and it’s brilliant! The whole idea is brilliant! I think I’m going to need more than a great looking postcard to compete with that kind of marketing. I think Bell's story is going to be a huge success.

 

October 29, 2008
Some days it seems Abe Lincoln has a brighter future than I do. After weeks of waiting and hoping, AMC has passed on making a film of Thunder Over the Prairie. They could be persuaded to change their minds if there was a prominent actor or director attached to the film project. I phoned Robert Duvall’s company about the material. I sent it to them about four months ago. As luck would have it, Duvall’s project about the Pony Express was just approved by AMC yesterday. So, he’s not interested in working on Thunder. I’m convinced the road to success is under construction. Okay, so I’ll never be a ballerina. I get it. At 47 I’m more convinced of that than ever, but I did have hope and some self-esteem. Now my self-esteem is so low I’m going to keep my keys on me when I walk through airport security just so I can get some acknowledgment. It’s not the end of the world and I know that…I just don’t know where to go from here. I like a plan, a goal. I’ve got book writing projects and I’m thankful for that, but it seems like there should be something more. I know what I want to do for a living I’m just not going to get the chance to do that. There’s no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting. If only I wanted to be an accountant. Perhaps I’m suited for a job as a coroner - performing surgery on dead people. What’s the worst that could happen? If everything went wrong, maybe I'd get a pulse. Well, back to the laptop.

 

October 27, 2008
I’ve been working with the prison fellowship ministry for three years now and I enjoy getting information about the men and women inside who have changed their lives for the better. In spite of the horrific setting, these individuals have managed to turn it around. One man I read about yesterday was in jail for more than 10 years when a benevolent minister dared to spend time with him. The minister gave the man a dictionary and a thesaurus and challenged him to learn. With a new focus on education, the man threw himself into college classes offered at the prison. He gave his life to God and began working with PFM. He taught himself how to play piano using a keyboard made of cardboard! It’s an amazing transformation and an example of how only God could have conquered his heart and made things better. After 20 years in prison the man is out now and a productive member of society. There is hope. With memories of my visit to Tombstone still fresh in my mind, I got back to work on the Buffalo Bill Cody piece today. Think I found the perfect person to write the forward. He was actually in the movie Tombstone and has portrayed Cody on film. I got to visit with a friend from high school while I was in Tombstone. I had lunch with him and his wife at Big Nose Kate’s. It was fun! I don’t miss high school. It’s interesting to find out what some of the people you knew grew up to be though. My 30 year reunion is coming up. I guess I’ll know more about those people then. I’d like to know what my ex-husband grew up to be. I was so naïve in high school. Nothing I learned in school prepared me for life on any level. My first book should have read, “See Dick balance his checkbook. See Jane leave an unhealthy relationship. Run, Jane, run!”

 

October 23, 2008
It’s so good to finally be home. It feels like I’ve been away a long time. I guess travel will do that to you. Tombstone was great! Linda and Nancy at Old West Books are the kind of people every author hopes to work with. They did a wonderful job of staging the store event. There’s no time to rest now. There’s a big book event at the Nevada County library tomorrow I’ll be attending. I’m grateful for the opportunity to promote the books locally. I thought I’d post a review of Frontier Teachers on the site today. As soon as I collect my thoughts I’ll write more about my journey. Till then…. Book review: 'Frontier Teachers,' by Chris Enss By Alicia Funk, "Frontier Teachers-Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West" offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of twelve of the 600 women adventurous women who dedicated themselves to teaching in the west between 1847 and 1858. During this time, the only respectable job choices for women were working as a seamstress, nurse or teacher. Prepared and determined, typically single women traveled west in rough wagon trains to build schools, raise money for school supplies and construction, and teach pioneer children and orphans of parents desperately seeking gold. Grass Valley author Chris Enss uses a light, direct tone and easy-to-read language to explore the minds and hearts of these pioneering women, in some cases using their own words through excerpts from their journals. A gun-slinging 22-year-old teacher, Olive Mann Isbell, protected her mission school from the Mexican Army. Her thoughts on life in California on November 14, 1849: "I have all that I want here, and what more could I have elsewhere? I have tried luxury without health, and a wild mountain life with it. Give me the latter, with the free air, the dashing streams, the swinging woods, the laughing flowers and the exulting birds."The "grandmother teacher," 66-year-old Tabitha Brown, embarked on the 9-month journey across the plains from Missouri to Oregon to establish and run for ten years the school that became Pacific University, while saving $1,000 from her efforts. The journal entries of Mary Graves Clarke, offer an intimate retelling of the infamous Donner Party. Mary was a beautiful, fearless 19-year-old girl in 1846, when she left Indiana with her family to join the Donner Party and headed for California. By mid-December of 1856, Mary was in the rescue party of 15 who left the camp to get help for the starving party trapped at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Her father died on the way, calling her to his side, "You have to do whatever you can to stay alive. Think of your mother and brothers and sisters in the cabin at the lake. If you don't make it to Sutter's Fort, and send help, everyone at the lake will die. I want you to do what you have to ...Use my flesh to stay alive."She later became a teacher in San Jose, but her past cheerful disposition was forever replaced with sorrow. The stories of dedication and personal sacrifice help deepen our understanding of the importance of women in the days of the Wild West. The commitment of frontier teachers to do whatever it takes to educate America's children remind us to keep their promise alive today. Chris Enss has written more than a dozen books on women in the Old West. She will be a presenter Oct. 24 at "A Moveable Feast" at the Madelyn Helling Library Reading Room, Nevada City. Call 265-1407 for more information. Alicia Funk is a Nevada City author with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a passion for reading.

 

October 16, 2008
One last thing for today. Let me say how very much I miss my brother and how I wish he was still here.

 

October 16, 2008
I'm heading to Arizona tomorrow. I look forward to visintg Linda's Books in Tombstone where I'll be signing copies of Frontier Teachers. I envy Linda. That seems like the life. Living in Tombstone and running an Old West bookstore. I've been working on the first chapter of a new western book for Bethany House Publishing. I thought I'd post it here to find out what visitors to the site think. Here goes.... A belt of timber green and vast hugged the banks of a swift river tumbling out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ward Hubert, a dusty, travel-worn miner in his early 20s, knelt beside the water’s edge and plunged his face into the icy liquid. After washing a layer of grime out of his eyes and ears he plopped himself down in a clump of grass. His tired mule gnawed on the vegetation near him then sauntered away to chew on a flowering oleander bush. Many more hours beyond the dense pine and oak was a line of tall, craggy rocks sweeping the horizon. The prospector considered the patch of landscape he occupied then slowly began to gather chunks of wood for a fire. In a matter of moments wisps of smoke rose up from a pile of kindling and the smell of bacon frying in a skillet permeated the air. Ward didn’t notice the four riders walking their horses into his camp until it was too late. The pounding of the rushing river drowned out the sound of the animals hooves. He pushed his meal aside and turned to face the unfriendly looking men. Rowe Jurgens, a tall man with intense black eyes and a boney face, halfway smiled at Ward and leaned forward in his saddle. “Where you headed,” he asked rhetorically? “Carson City,” Ward responded hesitantly. Rowe climbed off his horse and walked over to the fire. He picked up a coffee pot balanced over the hot embers and poured himself a cup. “What’s at Carson City?” he asked coolly. His eyes slowly scanned the possession in Ward’s small camp. They rested on a letter jutting out of the saddlebag lying near a bedroll. Rowe reached for the bags. Ward almost stopped him, but thought better once he caught a glimpse of the guns on the intruder’s hips. Rowe opened the letter then began reading it aloud to his fellow riders. “Attention, Mr. Allen, owner of the Borat Stamp Mill in Carson City. Enclosed please find ore samples taken from the Mustard Seed Mine near Fairplay, California. My young partner in the venture and myself hope to transport the gold we pull out of the Mustard Seed to your mill for processing….” Rowe’s voice trailed off as he carefully refolded the correspondence. Ward watched Rowe sit the letter aside and shove his scarred fist into the saddlebag. He lifted out four chunks of ore samples at the same time Ward spotted his gun on the other side of the camp. Rowe shuffled the glittery rocks around in his hand, then grinned a big, toothy grin at Ward. He noticed the prospector’s gun as well and was taking great delight in watching Ward try to determine what to do next. “By all rights,” Rowe told him, “Otto Hackett is entitled to seize your mine now. He holds the mortgage on the property. Ward took a small step towards his gun. “A deal was struck between you and the others,” Rowe continued. “Hackett’s is the only stamp mill you’re to use.” Ward inched a little closer to his weapon. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had to remind you of that,” Rowe snapped. Ward made it to his gun and in one fast motion picked it up and leveled at the men. Rowe was quicker on the draw and aimed the barrel of his six-shooter at Ward’s head before the miner could pull the hammer back on his own gun. “And now things need to be handled differently,” Rowe announced. Ward choked down his anger and with great resignation, lowered his weapon. He glanced over Rowe’s shoulder at the armed men pointing their rifles at him. “Well, if you’re planning on getting me back to Fairplay fast you better have a horse,” Ward warned. “My mule is strictly a pack animal and she’s tired at that. Rowe studied the scene then turned and smiled at the nervous prospector. “Looks like we’re one horse shy,” he announced. “Wonder how we’re going to fix that.” Suddenly, Rowe’s gun belched as it cleared leather and Ward flipped backward into the water as the slug hit his chest. The rapid current carried the dead man’s body over an outcropping of rocks and pushed it into an embankment. Rowe’s riders watched the lifeless figure wash onto a shallow chaos of gravel and remain there. “What do we do with his body,” one of the men asked? “Nothing,” Rowe responded without remorse. “Leave it. Buzzards have got to have something to eat.” After placing the gold ore back inside the saddlebag with the letter, Rowe mounted his horse and rode away from the site. His men eagerly followed along behind him.

 

October 15, 2008
I’ve written twenty-two books and am still trying to navigate my way through the publicity maze. Some of the highly publicized signings I’ve done at big stores like Barnes & Noble in Reno, Nevada resulted in only two interested parties purchasing books. Conversely, I’ve done signings for book clubs where there was no notice but word of mouth and several people have shown up and many copies of the books were sold. Sometimes my website will get hundreds of hit’s a day and other times less than fifty. I do like speaking to book clubs, civic organizations, history groups. That’s seems to always go well no matter how the events are publicized. I do feel a bit like a Ginsu knife salesman at a county fair at times. I wheel my posters, books, postcards, etc. into the event and set it up, shove the empty boxes under the folding table, rearrange my business cards and wait. People stop by to chat about the material or buy a book. Most are very nice, but I have met the occasional odd duck. For instance…one man picked up a copy of the book Pistol Packin’ Madams and began talking with me about the subject matter. As the conversation wound down he asked me, “How much?” I explained to him that the bookstore had their own mark up for the book and he’d have to ask them the price. He then told me that he wasn’t talking about the price of the book. Somewhat taken aback, I then had to explain that I wasn’t a hooker, but the author of the title. What made the exchange even more perplexing was that I was dressed in a floor-length, pioneer costume, complete with a bonnet and high-button shoes. Are there a lot of soiled doves running around these days dressed like Laura Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie? And if so, who does their publicity?

 

October 13, 2008
Friday’s meeting with the studio head in Los Angeles didn’t turn out like the meetings I’ve attended usually do. In the past when I’ve traveled to meet someone who said they were interested in my work it generally turned out to be an exercise in ego. The “head of development” usually didn’t have any pull at the company, but rejoiced in luring hopeful, and at times, desperate writers, to their office. They can’t make a movie happen, but they pretend they can. And having someone come to visit them in their office makes them seem much more important than they are. At 25 I had the patience for that act. I’m 47 years-old now and I don’t tolerate it so well. In recent years I haven’t made as many trips to L.A. because of the act. There comes a point and time when you must face the truth that you are not going to be a ballerina, or famous artist, or whatever grand thing you thought you could do. Reality sets in. I didn’t give this visit south much hope, but I wasn’t so disappointed. The woman I met with actually is who she says she is. She was kind and had some good advise. I’ve been working on her suggestions to the Roy Rogers Dale Evans story today. It just might be a go this time. We’ll see. Howard Kazanjian was with me. He’s a bright film maker and he’s been working on this project for years. Hopefully being persistent will pay off. He’s certainly put in the time. I had a book signing the day after the L.A. trip at the Barnes & Noble in Citrus Heights and it was a fun event. The store manager, Mike Troyan, is brilliant! I met many nice people and as a whole the signings was a joy. I met a couple of sisters who shared with me a great story about their 80 year-old mom. Her mother fell in love with a boy from school and had dreamed of marrying him, but it never happened. Each married another. In the last few years, they have both lost their spouses and have reconnected with each other. After all this time it seems they will have a chance to be together. What a sweet dream.

 

October 8, 2008
The local launch for Frontier Teachers is this evening at the Book Seller in downtown Grass Valley. I was happy to find out that Globe had paid for an ad to be run about the signing in the paper. I didn’t know they did that. Good to know. I never leave a book store without buying something. Any lull in the signing and I’m shopping. It’s a good thing I’ve never had a signing at a candy store. I’d eat my weight in chocolates and never be able to physically make it out of the business. I hope to have chapter seven of the Buffalo Bill book completed tomorrow. I’ve been racking my brain to think of a the right person I can approach to write the forword for the book. I’m open to any ideas.

 

October 6, 2008
I was right in the middle of working on chapter seven of the Buffalo Bill Cody book when I got a call from Clint Black today. He’s currently in New York working on Celebrity Apprentice. I like that show. I watched it last year and thought Trace Adkins was the best player. I hope Clint will do just as well. He wanted to find out if I could purchase a cupcake from him for an episode they are filming for the show. I froze. I know how much something like that goes for on that program. I think the celebrities sold hotdogs last year and someone received an $8,000 donation for one. I gave Clint the phone number of Howard Kazanjian. I think he’ll stand a better chance of making his goal with someone like Howard in his corner. Anyway, it was a memorable call and a nice break from writing. Along with the Buffalo Bill Cody book I’m working on chapters of a book for Bethany House Publishing and adding a few here and there to the Deadliest Accusation. A 7 year-old boy was arrested this week for breaking into a zoo and killing 13 animals. There are a lot of youngsters who do terrible things. They take guns to school and shoot their classmates, they film themselves robbing and vandalizing houses and beating senior citizens. It’s not such a stretch to believe a teenager would accuse their father of rape. It's the deadliest of all accusations. It’s not difficult to believe at all…just sad. Something to ponder over an $8,000 hotdog.

 

October 3, 2008
A phone conversation with Edmonds Entertainment has given me renewed hope that the Roy Rogers Dale Evans movie is a little closer to getting made. Clint Black spoke with the company a few months ago and told them about the project. They asked to see the material and my agent sent it along. Howard Kazanjian and I are supposed to meet with the head of development for the production company next Friday to discuss The Cowboy and the Senorita. I didn’t know what to think at first. I’ve been down this road many times. I called Clint and he had good things to say about the development head. He was positive and that attitude is infectious. Roy and Dale were such wonderful people. They deserve to have a film made about their incredible lives and faith in God. My prayer is that this is a door that leads to the movie getting made. Howard and I have been working on this project for more than five years. I guess that’s a reasonable time period. It took ten years to get the film Forrest Gump made. It’s a funny business. There are no rules and they’re strictly enforced.

 

October 1, 2008
I have a couple copies of the new book Frontier Teachers to give away to history lovers who email me and sign up for my newsletter. Let me hear from you.

 

September 30, 2008
One of the definitions of the word reconcile is to settle or resolve. I’m trapped in a situation that seems like neither of those options will ever be possible. My brother languishes in the hospital wing of a federal prison with no hope of ever getting better. Calls on his condition come every other day and money must be sent each month to pay for the necessities that help sustain his life. I long for reconciliation, but there seems to be no possible way of ever settling or resolving this event. When he was falsely charged of this heinous crime, the prosecution attributed the arrest record of another man to my brother. Our last name is spelled Enss. The background check was issued for a man with the last name spelling of Enns. Motions to revoke that falsehood from the case read like this, “It is clear that Mr. Enss does not have a prior criminal record. The government sought to introduce evidence of an alleged domestic assault on Mr. Enss’s ex-wife in the early 1980’s. There were no charges filed, there is no arrest report, and there is no other evidence save the bare allegation twenty years later of the ex-wife.” My brother's former boss submitted this letter to the court. March 26, 2004 TO: Richmond Police Department Attn: Chief Terri Williams 102 West North Main Street Richmond, MO 64085 RE: Criminal Background Investigation ENSS, Ricki Everett DOB: 11/15/1963 SSN: 527-79-8528 Dear Chief Williams, A check of the Sierra Vista Police Department records shows no criminal history conviction data on the above named individual. If I can be of further assistance, please contact me by calling (520) 452-7500, extension 702. Sincerely, Anita Johnstun C-233 Records Clerk. None of the above information made any difference. The prosecution continued to lie in court and say my brother had a criminal background. And there were so many other things: Two erroneous statements, were used to obtain a warrant from the Grand Jury. None of the plagiarized poems and/or songs that the alleged victim claimed she wrote were found on the Richmond Police Department computers. Child pornography was found on the confiscated home computers after my brother moved out of the home. An FBI Agent gave the alleged victim and her mother money. Spouse lied on witness stand at Ex Parte Hearing. Alleged victim admitted to lying before about the case and stated she had no problem lying again under oath. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney’s inappropriate counseling of spouse concerning divorce proceedings, delaying it for over three years. FBI Agent threatened four family members in court at sentencing. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney coerced, intimidated and threatened the defendant and his entire family. Computers were dismantled by unauthorized person and not according to police policy and guidelines. Victim wrote a recanting letter in 2002 and she and her mother requested that the case be closed. I’ll get another call today from the prison on the condition and needs of my brother. It comes everyday like a wave and it’s impossible to reconcile. I told him to take a plea and added to this miserable situation. I can’t settle anything or resolve the matter, therefore reconciliation seems to be only a dream. I keep saying I'm going to let this go, but the call comes and I'm right back in it again.

 

September 28, 2008
Stately rows of Victorian windows keep watch on the doings of Leadville and Cripple Creek. It was just as I expected it would be. The drive to both Old West towns was beautiful. The trees were a mixture of gold and red. I saw antelope sparring with one another on the open range and watched a thin band of rain fall on a dilapidated cabin near the base of a mountain. I stayed the night at the Hotel St. Nicolas in Cripple Creek. Built in 1898, it was initially a hospital. My room was the nursery at one time. Cattle roamed the streets like they owned it. Which in some respect they do. The open range law is still in existance there. If you want the cattle out of your yard and off your property, it’s your responsibility, not the owner of the cattle, to build a fence to keep them out. While in Leadville I visited Baby Doe Tabor’s cabin near the Matchless Mine. Actually, it’s more of a tool shed than a cabin. Her husband told her never to sell the mine because gold would be found there again in time. Baby Doe died in the one room cabin at the age of 81. She froze to death waiting for another fortune. I stayed at the Delaware Hotel, in the same room Horace and Baby Doe stayed in from time to time. The Tabors weren’t the only famous people to come out of Leadville. An Irish lass married a miner there, and became the Unsinkable Molly Brown. Doc Holiday visited the area too. On the way back to Denver I stopped at the grave of Buffalo Bill Cody. It’s a lovely spot overlooking miles and miles of the state. The only thing detracting from the beauty of the area were numerous rude bicyclist with no sense of courtesy for the pedestrians walking on the sidewalk leading to Cody’s grave. The museum at the spot had one of the outfits Buffalo Bill wore in his Wild West show. Sitting Bull’s headdress was on display there as well. I had a lot of time to think while driving. The was the most unfortunate part of the trip. Wish I could have left those things that continue to haunt me behind in Grass Valley. I’ve come to the conclusion that what people long for is reconciliation of one kind or another. But that topic is for another day. Right now it’s enough to savor the memory of the Colorado Gold Country and the rich history that's still alive.

 

September 23, 2008
I’ll be making my way to Leadville, Colorado later this week. At one time Leadville had it all. It was a booming gold camp in 1860. Silver was discovered in 1878, a bonanza that in ten years had produced some $136 million. I can’t help but think of Baby Doe Tabor’s connection with the infamous mining town. Her husband, Horace Tabor, was a 47-year-old failed prospector-turned-grocer when he bought the Matchless Mine in 1878 and struck it rich. It was to net him $10 million. He had an affair with the opportunistic Baby Doe and the liaison scandalized Leadville and Denver society. Now of days that kind of behavior would barely raise an eyebrow. I hope to take lots of pictures of the area and enhance the sell of the books there. A man who was wrongfully convicted of murder is being executed in Georgia within the week. His family is going through a hundred kinds of hell on earth. I ache for them. I’ve learned much more than I ever wanted to know about wrongful convictions and false accusations that cost good people their lives. Wish there was someway to erase it all from my mind. I don’t think a trip to Leadville is going to do it.

 

September 19, 2008
I heard yesterday that Thunder Over the Prairie has made it to the next level of executives at the studio. Which makes it a little closer to actually getting made into a film. I spoke with actor Marty Kove and he was gracious enough to want to give it a read too. Frontier Teachers did okay for the first day out. All in all I was feeling happy about things that were going on. And that hasn't happened in a long time. I was okay until the tracking feature on my site showed a couple of people, one from Missouri and another from North Carolina posting derogatory remarks about my brother and my family. As always, I don’t know why. I received a post to my site a few months ago from one of their family members who boasted that everyone was doing so well. During the initial investigation into my dear brother’s situation, we were told by the courts that his children did not want to see us and to stay away from them. At my brother’s sentencing hearing they told the court that they “were hurt that their father’s family didn’t want to have anything to do with them.” That was a lie. Just one of many. I spoke with a woman this morning who’s brother was sent to prison on a lie as well. It was nice to be able to talk with someone about the hurt you feel everyday over the matter…and in severe cases, over the loss. There is a sadness deep in your heart…a pain that aches always. It hurts especially so when people who claim to be moving on continue to do the ugly things they do. Think I’ll add that in the book The Deadliest Accusation too. It's an example of the very little character they have and the pain they continue inflict on people who had nothing to do with what they say happened. Now, back to work.

 

September 16, 2008
Frontier Teachers is now in the bookstores. I’ll be heading out to the Book Seller in Grass Valley to pick up a few copies. I did an phone interview about the book this morning with Mike Thomas at KWRE in Warrenton, MO.. It’s always a delight to be on his broadcast. I wish everyone you met in the industry could be as decent. One of the reasons I consider pursuing a different career is the rude response you get from radio and television promotional directors, motion picture agents and publicist. With rare exception (producer- director Howard Kazanjian being one of them) most of the people I’ve encountered in the entertainment industry are rude. I placed a call to actor Tom Selleck’s representatives this afternoon and she was less than kind. Fifteen seconds into the conversation I knew this was not a situation I wanted to be dealing with on a long term basis. I wonder if actors know how they're being represented? They probably don’t care much. I do know this, should his name be mentioned again in casting I’ll caution everyone concerned to think twice. Life is too short to deal with representatives who can’t grasp that their clients haven’t cured cancer, they aren’t working to teach children to read and write, and they haven’t rescued people from burning buildings. That kind of rude behavior should barely be tolerated from real heroes like doctors, teachers, and firefighters. It’s inexcusable from the representatives of the people who simply act the part of real heroes.

 

September 12, 2008
Frontier Teachers is supposed to be in bookstores next week. I haven’t seen a copy of the book in its completed form, but have been told by my editor that it looks good. To all who have written to ask, I’ll be sending out review copies as soon I get them. The trailer for Thunder Over the Prairie is now on You Tube. It will interesting to track how often it gets viewed. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m not always crazing about writing. I like having written. Having written can be very satisfying. I remember sitting in a theatre on campus at the University of Arizona having written a play that had been produced by the school. I was still stinging from my divorce when I wrote Lucy. Writing about the ordeal and seeing it performed was gratifying. I’m not necessarily proud of what I put down on paper then. I was young and foolish and brokenhearted. I find the variety of ways you can express yourself through the written word fascinating. Words and thoughts. They bounce around inside our heads, with only a few making the transition into real life. A few made the transition into Frontier Teachers and Thunder Over the Prairie. I certainly hope they're well received. A lot is riding on it.

 

September 9, 2008
The launch for the book Thunder Over the Prairie will be held in Dodge City on Friday, June 5 at the Dodge City Library and Saturday, June 6 at the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge. I’ll be sending invitations out in March. If you’re a regular visitor to the site and would like to be a part of the festivities, drop me a line and you’ll be added to the guest list. I guess it seems a little silly to be planning a book launch so far in advance, but I want to do everything I can to make this title a success. I have three other books behind this one that are coming out, but I hope Thunder opens new doors. I’m at a crossroads professionally and still trying to catch my breath over the tragedy in my personal life. I should have been a lawyer maybe things would be different. I good lawyer. With the exception of my brother-in-law, I don't think there are too many of those. I read a newspaper article yesterday about fifteen women who were hired by the University of Illinois to smell pig manure so that researchers can find out what makes pig manure smell so bad. You know who I feel sorry for? The women who applied for that job and got turned down. Guess I’ll stick with the writing.

 

September 5, 2008
Lord Byron once wrote about marriage, “Wishing each other, not divorced, but dead; They lived respectably as man and wife.” I can’t help but think about Bill Cody when I read that. I’ve been working on a book about his life and loves and the difficulties he had with this marriage. He wasn’t faithful, but his wife did try to poison him. An act like that is bound to push you into the arms of someone else. According to the transcripts from the Cody’s divorce proceedings William told the court, “We have had trouble off and on during all our married life, first, beginning about two months after we were married.” Two months?! Louisa fought divorce and they were miserable. She liked the money he made however. I guess it bought her the type of misery she could live with. I know women like that. Most of the women in my family married for money, but not a lot of money. You can’t go to a reading of a will in my family without someone asking, “Who’s getting’ the tools? I’m back on the road Monday doing various book signings in the Sacramento area. Don’t think I’ll go in costume this week. The petticoats are too hot to wear. The plains had to be littered with petticoats from women making their way west. I base all my fashion decisions on what clothing is least itchy. Pioneer women didn’t have that luxury. Back to Bill and one story that can’t possible end with “and they lived happily ever after.”

 

September 3, 2008
There are many moments in American history to be proud of and remember often. I’ve had the pleasure of being able to write about some of those moments. The graduation of the first woman from medical school, the rescue of the Donner Party, the opening of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. Those were truly proud, unforgettable moments. There were some disappointing moments in the Old West as well. I’m working on a proposal about the Sand Creek Massacre right now and the brutal way in which the American Indian was treated. Hundreds of men, women and children were slaughtered by a lunatic dressed in an army uniform. Not the country’s finest moment. But it is a sad fact of history and should not be ignored or watered down because it’s distasteful. I hope I get the chance to write a book on the tragic event that occurred in Colorado in 1864. I continue to work on the book about Bill Cody’s life and loves and about my brother’s ordeal. I can’t forget him and I can’t forgive myself for convincing him to take a plea. I just want to make it right.

 

August 29, 2008
The “Coming Soon” attractions on this site has been updated. I’m pleased with the trailer for Thunder Over the Prairie. The promotional idea came from the most recent edition of the Author’s Guild. It’s a new way of getting the word out about a new release. Hope it’s effective. Visitors to the site can let me know what they think of the trailer via email at gvcenss@aol.com. The men and women at the medical museum where I spoke this week were great. I was very nervous because the audience was made up of healthcare professionals and I wanted to make sure I got all the facts straight that were in the book The Doctor Wore Petticoats. Everyone seemed quite interested in the material and I was invited to submit an article to the medical magazine USC publishes. Wish I had the time to contribute, but I’m swamped with the Buffalo Bill Cody book, writing The Deadliest Accusation, promoting the Frontier Teachers book due out next month and the children’s book being released in December. During my lunch hour today I worked on press releases for a book that’s due out in June of 2009. 2009! There’s too much going on. My life seems to be running me. I started doing a hundred and one things shortly after my brother was hurt. I kept myself over scheduled to keep me from thinking about all the bad. Now I don’t know how to stop. I’d love to be on a beach somewhere with nothing on my mind but better times, the view of the surf and an impossible blue sky. If things don’t go as well as I hope for Thunder Over the Prairie I am going to consider another line of work. Maybe I’ll move to a ranch in Montana and ride off into the sunset. Of course I’d have to learn how to ride….

 

August 25, 2008
Shirley Worley died this week. She was a delightful human being and my aunt. I spent a lot of time at her house when I was a little girl. I remember her as a kind lady with a big heart. She was always ready with a smile and a hug. I didn’t see much of her after my biological father ran out on my brothers and I and that’s unfortunate. Not too long ago I became reacquainted with her and enjoyed speaking with her on the phone from time to time. I’m sorry she’s gone and sorry for her daughters. She’ll be missed. On the business front, new postcards announcing the upcoming release of the book Frontier Teachers were sent out last week. Some of postcards have arrived at the homes and businesses of readers who have been added to the mailing list. The book celebrates the schoolmarms of the Old West and their dedication to education in harsh, unsettled territories west of the Mississippi. David Sanchez, President of the California Teacher’s Association wrote the foreword for the book. I got a look at the trailer graphic artist, Jeff Galpin made up for Thunder Over the Prairie. He did a great job. I can’t wait to get it on the website and out to my publisher. Thunder Over the Prairie will ride into bookstores in June 2009. The cover art for the book The Deadliest Accusation is reaching the final stages of design. It’s taken some time to complete the manuscript because the subject matter is so difficult. Hope it makes a difference.

 

August 20, 2008
While reading through the transcripts of Buffalo Bill Cody's divorce records I found an interesting quote from his wife. "I still love my husband just as I always did," she told the press. "We were always happy until he went into show business, and met other people - other women. I always hoped he would settle down with me someday at our home in North Platte." I find it interesting that she could make such a statement after accusing him of a variety of vile acts. What was it about him that she loved? She was an extremely jealous woman. She was most particularly jealous of his sisters. Her drive to destroy him for not making her his whole world is reminiscent of Gene Tierney's character in the movie Leave Her to Heaven. Leave Her to Heaven is a chilling film. If I hadn't have seen with my own eyes the length some people will go to possess another human being and/or bring them down in the process, the movie would not have scared me so. It's on to chapter seven now.

 

August 18, 2008
I’ve been digging through mounds of paperwork from Buffalo Bill Cody’s divorce hearing. His wife accused him of a variety of horrible things, most of which were not true. Some of the accusation were so heinous that had they been made in this day and age, Cody would have been jailed. The subject matter is all too familiar to me and I thought about my brother, Rick. Just as those same old demons threatened to rear their ugly head and pull me down to the depths of sadness again I heard a song that snapped me out of it. Like a voice from heaven the lyrics of the song “Held” by Natalie Grant pricked my soul. “This hand is bitterness. We want to taste it and let the hatred numb our sorrows. The wise hand opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow. This is what it means to be held, how it feels, when the sacred is torn from your life and you survive. This is what it is to be loved and to know that the promise was that when everything fell we’d be held.” When everything falls we are held by a Creator who cares deeply for His children. I’ve been thinking about that song and the message within all day as I worked on chapter six of Cody’s story. It’s made a difference.

 

August 15, 2008
Sometimes there’s noting really exciting on the writing front to report. I’ve just been working on Chapter 6 of the Buffalo Bill book since I returned from Cody. I feel bad for Bill. I’ve been reading over the transcripts from his divorce proceeding and his wife was a shrew. He tried to get out of the marriage a number of times, but the divorce wasn’t granted. The judge did not find any grounds for the marriage to be dissolved. Times sure have changed. The Codys were married for more than 38 years and were never really happy with one another. I feel for Louisa Cody too. Just like Buffalo Bill, my first husband thought monogamy was a type of wood. Louisa didn’t want to let Bill go, but she didn’t want anyone else to have him either. That's a miserable place to be. I received the latest edition of True West magazine today. The full page ad featuring the cover of the book on frontier teachers is on page 72. It turned out well. I hope it brings more visitors to the website and readers to the bookstores.

 

August 12, 2008
I need to spend some time today working on promotions for the frontier schoolmarm book due out next month, the Thunder Over the Prairie book and the annual Christmas in Bethlehem program, but I am having a hard time tearing myself away from all the historical information I picked up at the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum. I've been reviewing testimony from Buffalo Bill's valet about a woman named Bessie Isabelle who he had seen on more than one occasion in Cody's hotel rooms across the country. It's amazing how much private life is made public. Although, I think Cody wouldn't have minded the sorted details being brought to the forefront of thought if it meant increased ticket sales to the Wild West Show. I was eating lunch at a great Mexican restaurant in Cody and trying not to feel sorry for myself because I was dining alone, when I got to thinking about all the times I had meals with my grandparents when I was a girl. And with a certain pristine rush many wonderful childhood memories flooded into consciousness. I took out a pad of paper and started jotting down what was running through my mind. It's the smell of freshly mowed grass, fried chicken and Avon's Occur bath powder. It's the distant sound of a marching band, meal-time conversation and my grandmother loudly sipping her ice tea. It's the anticipation of a high school football game and selecting just the right something to wear in case just the right someone sees you. It's dust from a plowed field and a cold bite in the air to remind you that winter will be again. It's popcorn, funnel cakes and tightly swirled ice cream cones. It's crawling into your summer pajamas and curling up on the couch next to your grandmother, while your grandfather sits in his chair under a pole of ridiculous round lights, reading a newspaper. It's laying your head in your grandmother's lap and then falling asleep in the middle of the Johnny Carson Show. It's comfort and home, infatuation and youth. You return for that moment, that memory, that hope. What you see with 14 year-old eyes cannot be recaptured with 47 year-old vision. It's lost, but remembered. Longed for, but never realized again. Still you go back on the off chance you can catch a glimpse of what was and savor the experience as children rarely can.

 

August 10, 2008
The Buffalo Bill Historical Museum was naturally rich with information about Bill Cody. I was able to go through documents that had rarely been viewed. I read letters written to Cody from Elizabeth Custer, (the actual letters, not a photocopies) examined numerous transcripts of his highly publicized divorce, and studied hundreds letters the famed scout penned to his sister. Cody was very close to his sister Julia. He confided in her and she adored him. I couldn't help but be reminded of my own brother, Rick. Cody, Wyoming was a wonderful place to visit. It's beautiful and wild. Some of the nicest folks I encountered were the hundreds of Harley Davidson riders that were staying in the scenic area. The staff at the museum were some of the most accommodating people I've ever worked with. They are anxious to help anyone who walks in with research questions. While en route to my various destinations (I was in Helena, Montana before I went on to Wyoming) I read a book entitled The Shack. I thought it was exceptional. I hadn't read a book that stirred my soul like this one since Hannah Hunards' Hinds Feet on High Places. I particularly keyed into the section on forgiveness. The lead character in the book has been grieving for years over the loss of his daughter. Again, I couldn't help but be reminded of my brother, Rick. The main character in The Shack has a conversation with God about the notion of forgiving and tells him that forgiveness is first for you, the forgiver, to release you from something that will eat you alive; that will destroy your joy and your ability to love fully and openly. The Lord asks him if he thought the protagonist in the book "cared about the pain and torment they had caused?" "If anything," the Lord tells him, "they feed on that knowledge. Don't you want to cut that off? And in doing so, you'll release them from a burden that they carry whether they know it or not -acknowledges it or not." When I finished reading the book I was willing to really ask God to help me to forgive the people who harmed my family and I. I've only given it lip service to this point. Forgiveness does not excuse the false accusations made against my brother. I think the last thing the people who made the false claims are is free. According to the web service tracking program I subscribe to they continue to search my site - so no, they aren't free. But neither am I until I truly forgive. I have no duty to justice in this matter. God will handle it.

 

August 1, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Doris Day. I've seen all of her movies two and three times. I've sent her copies of my books as they have been released with a note of appreciation for her contribution to the film business. When one of my first books came out I received a card from Ms. Day wishing me well. I had the card framed and it's in my office now. Wednesday evening I watched one her movies entitled Romance on the High Seas. What fun! I checked my email later that same night and was thrilled to read an email Ms. Day had sent. Dear Ms. Enss, Doris does not have a computer -- so she asked me to send you this e-mail to let you know that she appreciates the books you sent and she's looking forward to reading them because they remind her of "Calamity Jane." Many thanks! Sincerely, Judy Ruby for Doris Day. Wednesday was a good day! I'm off to Wyoming on Monday and I'm taking my portable DVD player with me and a handful of Doris Day movies.

 

July 30, 2008
There have been times when I've considered my devotion to my brothers to be a bit unusual. I continue to grieve over my brother Rick and worry all the time about Scott and Corey. Both are grown men, one is the director of 911 services in the Ray County, Missouri area and the other is in the Navy. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for them. Buffalo Bill Cody's sister felt the same way about him. The book I've been writing about his life would not be complete without touching on the relationship he had with his sisters. His older sisters, Julia and middle sister, Helen both wrote books about him. They were proud of him and helped manage his ranch and hotel. His little sisters, May and Eliza were equally dedicated to him. Cody made sure they were taken care of too. He had homes built for them and supported them monetarily. When it became clear that their brother had married badly and wanted a divorce, all of Cody's sister championed him in court and to the press. I have a great picture of Buffalo Bill flanked on either side by his sisters. It's an endearing photograph. His sister did everything they could to keep their brother from being physically or emotionally harmed, but were unsuccessful. If only they'd been able to convince him that the woman he was marrying was a shrew. But just like my brother Rick, Cody wouldn't have listened. Helen Cody said of her brother, "We regarded him as a superior being&it seemed so fit and proper that the promise of the stars concerning his future should be fulfilled that never for a moment did we weaken in our belief that great things were in store for our brother." I admire the Cody sisters loyalty to their brother. Maybe what I feel for my brothers isn't that unusual after all.

 

July 28, 2008
At one time I had hoped to get the okay to write a biography about Mary Jo Kopechne. The story of her life and untimely death fascinated me and I wanted to write about all the wonderful things she managed to do in her short time on earth. It seems that most only know about her accident with Senator Ted Kenedy, but she was much more than that. I've included a bit of the sample chapter in my notes today. Let me know if it catches your interest. If the response if favorable I might be able to convince my publisher to give me another shot at the manuscript. "I guess those girls just aren't going to talk. It would ease the heartache so much if they would give some answers." Mrs. Joseph Kopechne - September 26, 1969. A determined diver dressed in full scuba gear carefully lifted a bent, stiff body with gritted teeth and clawed hands out of a murky pond. A company of police officers, fireman and medical examiners all wearing doleful expressions watched as the lifeless figure was placed on a white tarp stretched out on the ground. Few spoke as a cursory examination of the twenty-eight year-old woman laying before them begun. The process took only ten minutes. It was 9:30 a.m. on July 19, 1969, and most of the residents at Chappaquiddick Island had no idea their tiny community had played host to a tragedy. News that a car had plummeted off Dike Bridge claiming a life in the process had not reached them yet. From the standpoint of Massachusetts law enforcement this meant there would be no curious crowds to control or usher away from the wreckage. They were free to investigate the scene without distraction. Doctor Donald Mills, Associate County Medical Examiner, squeezed his fat hand into a pair of surgical gloves and stared down at the woman's face. "This is Mary Jo Kopechne, gentlemen," he announced in a business like manner. "Looks like she fought hard to stay alive," he added. In Doctor Millss initial inspection of the body he noted that Mary Jo was wearing a blouse, a bra and slacks, but no panties. "Maybe she forgot them," he offered to no one in particular. With mortician Eugene Frieh and his assistant, David Guay, looking on, Doctor Mills loosened the front of Mary Jo's blouse and pressed his stethoscope over her chest and abdomen. The physician inspected the body for ten minutes then turned to the examiners on either side of him and confessed, "This is the most drowned person I've ever seen &any light pressure on the chest wall&water would simply pour out of the nose and mouth." The mortician nodded, "We need to be sure, though," he insisted. Doctor Mills stood up, his hand on his chin. He squinted into the sunlight as he pondered the comment. At that moment a black Oldsmobile arrived at the scene and stopped next to an awaiting ambulance. Senator Ted Kennedy, dressed in a neatly pressed pair of trousers and a white shirt, emerged from the back of the vehicle. His attorneys climbed out after him, flanking him on either side.

 

July 24, 2008
Rarely have I had a better time at a book signing than I did at the event in Redding. The audience was attentive and respectful. They were fun and asked some great questions after the presentation. I can't wait to go back. The highlight of the evening was when a reader walked up to me and told me that she had read the journal entries on my site and would be praying for me and my family. I heard from another reader in Arizona the following day who had read the journal entries as well. She emailed me and shared the hurt she experienced over her daughter's incarceration and was looking forward to reading The Deadliest Accusation. Such encouragement I believe is from God because at times I feel like I'm just holding on by a thread to get to the next day. I received the final quote about Thunder Over the Prairie from Dakota and Sunny Livesay at Chronicles of the Old West. Here's what they had to say&. "Lawmen, cowboys, songbirds and soiled doves&it doesn't get much better. A shooting, a chase and a trial whose verdict changes all of their lives. Thunder Over the Prairie is a great story from the history of our American West, warts and all." I'm just waiting for a couple more photos to arrive and then I can turn the posse manuscript into the publisher. It's very exciting.

 

July 21, 2008
The response from an article in the Grass Valley Union newspaper about the book A Beautiful Mine was overwhelming. Many people signed up to be on the mailing list for my newsletter and all of the interested parties got a free copy of the book. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm off tomorrow to do a book signing event in Redding, California. I'll be close to beautiful Shasta Mountain so I'll probably take a drive there before the lecture. I hope to have all the finishing touches made on Thunder Over the Prairie this week. I'm waiting for the rest of the photographs for the book to come in and a few more permission useage forms to be returned. After that, it's good to go. I'm happy with the book and the changes that were made as a result of the early reviews. I don't know if I'd have been able to get through those necessary revisions if not for Sunny and Dakota Livesay and Jim Sherer. They are good people and I'm glad I know them. The title for the book about my brother was decided on today. It will be called "The Deadliest Accusation." I think it's a good, solid title.

 

July 17, 2008
The book I've been working on about my brother has allowed me to connect with a variety of interesting people. Many of those have lost a loved one in the Federal Prison system. Some of them have loved ones inside that have been falsely accused. It's comforting to talk to people who know the hurt and sadness you're experiencing. No matter how much you talk about it or cry over it with them nothing erases the image of the one you hold dear being repeatedly raped and beaten beyond recognition. I wish it did. There's a common bond, but nothing makes it hurt less. Not even if I were able to write the most stirring novel ever, compose the most touching symphony heard, or paint a picture that would move all who looked upon it. Nothing, nothing diminishes the grief in your heart. You just go on living by faith that God knows ALL.

 

July 14, 2008
I miss my brother and think about him everyday. My sincere prayer is that when the book I've written about him and the circumstances surrounding him being taken from us is told that lives will be changed. Prior to penning the tome I only wanted to get back at the two people who brought this on. I realize now that it won't change anything as far as they're concerned. I hope it helps the next group of people who find themselves in similiar situations where false allegations rob them of a son and a brother. I'm working on chapter six in the Buffalo Bill Cody saga. I'm looking forward to being in Cody, Wyoming in August to do more research on the subject. Think I'll rent a car and take a drive through Yellowstone. I finished writing the western film treatment for AMC. I'll work on the rewrite this afternoon and this evening turn my attention to promotions for the book Frontier Teachers: Stories of Heroic Women of the Old West. The book is being released in September. I was encouraged by the quote I received from Jay O'Connell for Thunder Over the Prairie. It's going to go on the back cover of the book. I can't wait to share it though so here it is. "Thunder Over the Prairie, written with cinematic clarity and a galloping pace, is a wonderful primer for the considerable literature on Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp et. al. This accessible narrative of a fascinating episode in the careers of these well-known western icons is filled with characters that are archetypal yet utterly fresh at the same time. This charming books is the perfect read for anyone over a drink (or two) in a dusty western saloon on a lazy afternoon." I've got a couple more copies of A Beautiful Mine: Women Prospectors of the Old West for anyone who writes and let's me know they'd like to give it a read. Drop me an email.

 

July 9, 2008
Part of the process of completing a manuscript is soliciting quotes from other authors or industry professionals. The quotes can be used for the back jacket of the book or the inside cover, etc.. In the past few years I've been able to get quotes from some great people such as Kim Dickens, who starred as Jonie Stubbs on HBOs Deadwood, Dusty Rogers, Roy Rogers and Dale Evan's son, and producer Rob Word. Most of the people I have asked to supply a quote have been very kind, but none more so than the author Jay O'Connell. Mr. O'Connell wrote a book entitled The Train Robber's Daughter. The book is a biography of the life of Eva Evans, the daughter of one of California's most notorious outlaws, Chris Evans. Jay has one of the largest collections of material on the crime team of Chris Evans and John Sontag. I didn't know that when I was writing the book Outlaw Tales of California or I certainly would have looked him up. One of the chapters in Outlaw Tales is about Chris Evans and John Sontag. When Outlaw Tales came out Jay sent me an email congratulating me on the book and told me about The Train Robber's Daughter. I wrote him back and asked him to give me a quote for Thunder Over the Prairie. He kindly agreed. He agreed even though he wasn't too thrilled about Outlaw Tales and the fact that I didn't contact him when I was writing the book for information about the men. Like I said, if I'd known about his background I would have done just that. His response to Thunder Over the Prairie was positive and I look forward to his quote. Jay O'Connell demonstrated a level of decency I have rarely ever seen in the writing business. I respect and admire him for that. The Train Robber's Daughter is a good book and I look forward to more work by him.

 

July 3, 2008
In the last five years I've learned more about how cruel people can be than any of the 47 years I've been around. Most of what I've learned about depraved behavior I learned at the hand of a young woman that used to call me "Aunt." It would be nice to get past the hurt and lies, but I don't think there is any chance of that happening. Somehow I feel if I let the hurt go entirely I would be forgetting the brother I lost and I can't do that. Maybe the people who caused this pain can go on like he didn't exist, but I can't. I may not write about him everyday, but he is always in my heart. I wish he could be at the launch for the posse book, which has now been rescheduled to June 6th , 2009 in Dodge City. The publication date for Thunder Over the Prairie was set for September of next year, but according to my editor it's in good shape and ready to go to press. I did get the forword from Jim Sherer, former Mayor of Dodge City, yesterday. He had a lot of nice things to say about the work and I'm grateful. There is a blessing with having had experience with truly ugly people and that is that the truly decent individuals I've known stand out all the more. Without the cruel I've known it I wouldn't recognize the kindness in someone like Jim Sherer, or the sweetness in my little adopted niece Breanna Sanders, or the beauty of a special friend long since gone like Edna Kirsten. From that respect I'm thankful I've gone through what I have. It improved my vision when I wasn't even looking.

 

June 30, 2008
And there goes June.... It's been a busy year. I finished the sample chapter for the spy book, made revisions to the posse book, completed a rough promotional schedule for Thunder Over the Prairie, and am getting ready to submit most of the material needed for the children's book. Jim Sherer, the former mayor of Dodge City is working with me on setting up the launch party for Thunder. The launch is scheduled for October 3, 2009 at the Dodge City Public Library. Invitations will go out to politicians and local history lovers, the press will be invited...it's going to be fun. I'm going to cram everything I know about marketing into this title. I really want the book to do well. The publishing industry as a whole is suffering along with the rest of the economy and this might be the last time I get a chance to do something this grand again. Not that it matters much given what I do for a living, but I have the worst case of laryngitis I've ever had. It's very quiet in my home office. The smoke in Northern California is bad right now and I think that's what brought this on. I haven't spent as much time as I wanted to working on the Buffalo Bill Cody book. I make up a schedule for my daily work and I'm supposed to be completing two pages a day on that project. I'm three pages behind. I think I'm going to blame that on the layngitis. How can I write when I can't read aloud what I put down on paper? A Beautiful Mine comes out tomorrow. I received my copies today. I've never received the finished book this early. It's a refreashing change. I'll be sending copies of the book out to everyone who emailed and asked for a complimentary copy. I've got a few remaining for anyone else that signs up for the newsletter and emails telling me they'd like an advanced copy of their own. Let me know.

 

June 25, 2008
Home again. Like many before it over the last four years, the trip to Missouri was a particularly sad one in many respects. My grandmother's home and household possessions were auctioned off. It was daunting to see my grandparents life reduced to four plywood tables and a few bits of furniture scattered about a garage. At the end of a two hour period most of all they owned had been sold off. As I watched their things being hauled away I realized that with those things went a lifetime of memories, both good and bad. My grandfather's passing at 85 was a natural happening. His health had been failing for some years. My grandmother struggles with many health issues as well. Someday in the not too distant future she'll go too. A natural happening. No surprise. The loss of my brother continues to be the opposite however and being back in Norborne I was flooded with more memories of him. It disturbs me that the maladjusted thing that falsely accused my brother and the other members of the cult church she and her disfunctional lot are a part of continue to contact my family. Now it's being done through a site called Facebook. Like I've mentioned in previous posts, these were individuals who told the lawyers and court that they wanted nothing to do with us and had the FBI visit my mother to emphasize that. What a troubled, evil bunch. The book signing at Barnes and Noble was a joy. There were more than a few sales made and I got a chance to reunite with cousins I hadn't seen in years at the event. Marla and Merrillyn were warm and engaging, funny and kind. I was so grateful that they came to visit and look forward to getting to know them better. They were endearing because there wasn't an ouce of pretentiousness about them. It was refreshing. I hope to wrap up the sample chapter of the spy book in the next couple of weeks. I've got major revisions to do on the posse book and I need to write the film treatment for it as well. I'll get back to the Buffalo Bill book too and set my sights on establishing a marketing plan with the publisher for the book about my brother. No signings now until July 7th. I'm off to write.

 

June 16, 2008
The associate editor that worked on the book A Beautiful Mine sent me an advanced copy last week. I think it's a pretty book and will be a nice addition to the collection. The story of women prospectors of the Old West hasn't been explored much so I'm glad Globe gave me a chance to write about the subject. The book was dedicated to Patti Ferree. She is a wonderful woman who runs a business in Nevada County and has been nothing but kind, especially with regards to my brother. She befriended him, wrote him long letters, and lifted his spirits. Just as I believe there is evil that I've personally known, I believe there are angels I've come in contact with. Patti is one of those angels. I can only imagine how much better my brother's life would have been if he had married someone like Patti. I have free copies of A Beautiful Mine to give away to anyone who emails me and asks to be on the mailing list. Next to be released, Frontier Teachers: Schoolmarms of the Old West. I'm off to a signing this evening in Placer County. I'm looking forward to the drive through the historic countryside. I'm excited to send copies of A Beautiful Mine out so let me know via email if you'd like to give it a read.

 

June 11, 2008
I've been missing my brother a lot today and thinking about the heartache my parents continue to go through. I don't think any of this will ever really be over. I did have a bit of bright spot however. The following letter was emailed to me about the books. It was good news and after I've shared so much of the bad that has happened because of a deceptive mother and her daughter, I thought I'd include this... Dear Chris, We sincerely thank you for your commitment to preserving the history of the American West and for especially, the most entertaining way you have shared that history in each of your titles. Also, we wish to thank you for your powerful example as a writer and professional to our community. Your success and the success of your books has been an encouragement to many of our own authors and writers. As a small independent bookstore, we've been selling your titles for several months and have been very pleased at the public response. It may be useful for you to know that in the last six months we've sold an average of four of your titles per week. This makes you the best-selling author at Amicus Books, even above and beyond Echart Tolle. We've found that your books have a wide demographic appeal and would encourage any retailer west of the Continental Divide to make room for the smokin' pen of Chris Enss. Sincerely, James and Kara Davis Founders/Directors Amicus Books and Literary Arts Center Marysville, CA .

 

June 9, 2008
Now that the posse book is completed I am moving on to the next writing assignment. Howard Kazanjian and I are working on a book about a German born spy who fell in love with a Jewish woman who was being held at a labor camp. He took great risks to get her out of the prison. Based on a true story, the event took place in 1944 and is an incredible tale. I've never written a war book before so this journey should prove to be interesting. I continue to work on the book about the life and loves of Buffalo Bill Cody. I can't leave the subject of the Old West totally. I'll be heading to Missouri next week again. In addition to the book signing I'm doing at Barnes and Noble in Independce, I want to be home for my grandmother. Her home and household items are being auctioned off so she can continue to pay for her care at the nursing facility. I have wonderful memories of spending time at my grandmother's home. It's sad that it all has to go.

 

June 6, 2008
The short subject comedy entitled An Ounce Short is now available for viewing in its entirety. I hope visitors to the site like the mockumentary. I had a ball working on it and the talent who contributed to the project are exceptional people. I'll be posting sections of Thunder Over the Prairie on the site next week. Howard and I got the first bit of feedback on the book and it was favorable. I've got my fingers crossed that all the reviews will be the same.

 

June 4, 2008
The last couple of days I've been working on the Buffalo Bill Cody book. The book is about his life and loves. One of the many women in his life was Annie Oakley. They were not romantically involved. They were more like brother and sister. The had a mutual respect for one another and both were stars of the Wild West Show. The only rival she had for Cody's attention in the program was Lillian Smith. She was known as the "champion rifle shot of the world." Annie was a better performer and the 15 year-old Smith did everything to try and get Buffalo Bill's attention. She was a flirt and not afraid to use her sexuality to get what she wanted. Cody didn't fall for her act. If they were alive today and he spurned her advancments, the outcome might have been different. I find it interesting that this theme keeps reoccuring in my life. I'll be traveling to Placer County tomorrow to speak to a historical society there. Hope the event is well attended. I'm anxiously awaiting input on the posse book and pray that the reviews are good.

 

June 2, 2008
I traveled to Marysville Saturday to speak with authors at Amicus Books about marketing. Authors don't generally consider marketing a part of the writing process. I know I didn't when I first started out, but I've come to learn that you have to be proactive with your title and promote the materail yourself. A publisher will only do so much. They talk was enouraging and meeting other authors was invigorating. Amicus Books is a unique bookstore that celebrates authors and works with them to get their books published. Whether you're an author or a customer, Kara and James, who own the business, will make you feel like the most special person on earth. They are wonderful people! I'm working on the Buffalo Bill now as well as the fascinating biography about a German born spy. I hope I do the tale justice. I receive hundreds of emails a day from men and women falsely accused of sexual misconduct by their own teenagers. I hope the book I've written on the subject will generate still more letters. There are so many people who have suffered needlessly. The following is part of one of the letters sent to me. Not only are people suffering, but they are rightfully scared for their lives now. "I feel just like you do about warning people to be careful. On the way to the library today we saw our neighbors across the street and a lot of young kids were out in the yard. My husband and I both don't even look their way. Times sure have changed from when I was growing up and Gramps, next door, would take us little ones to the park. My Dad was a coal miner and the neighborhood kids would line up to kiss him good-bye. Imagine doing that now? Sorry how life has changed and not all for the good either."

 

May 29, 2008
This day has been spent organizing all the photos and art work for the posse book. I don't know if I have a photograph to go with each chapter. The publisher may run them all together in center of the book. The photos are spectacular, especially the one of Wyatt Earp. There is so much going on behind his eyes. It's a rage I think many people identify with. I sent the various copies of Thunder Over the Prairie out to my editor, agent, and all the people that are going to be offering a quote for the back jacket of the book. I sent the manuscript out praying that it gets good reviews. It's one of the hardest parts of the job. Wednesday night Bible study was fun. There weren't many kids there though. They were out with end of school year events. When I left the building I saw one of the male teachers helping his neighbor's 8 year-old girl into his truck. The girl's mother had asked him to give her a ride to church. I was instantly scared for the man. I told him that he should never be alone with any little girl. He was stunned because he never even thought about the consequences. Never thought she might make an ugle accusation. I think about that kind of thing all the time now and feel strongly about warning people. All it takes is one evil, horror of a human being who wants attention to ruin your life. The devil has many disguises. I've got the description of a couple of those disguises tatooed on my brain now. Looking at Wyatt Earp's photo, I'd say he does too.

 

May 27, 2008
Yesterday was Memorial Day and I couldn't help but think about my nephew, Corey. Corey is a sailor on his way to Iraq and I'm extremely proud of him. I'm equally proud of my grandfather, father, and brother for their service to the country. My grandfather served in World War II, my father was in Vietnam, and my brother, Rick served in Desert Storm. I'm grateful to the men and women who fought for the American way. One of my many prayers is that Corey comes home safely, along with the other soldiers in dangerous locations. The posse book will go out to the editor this week. I'm pleased with the way it turned out and am anxious to see it in print. Thunder Over the Prairie will be released in October 2009 - 131 years after the posse set off to catch Dora Hand's killer. The book about my brother should be coming out not long after that.

 

May 22, 2008
Finished chapter 10 of the posse book today! I was given a word count of 40,000 and am currently at 36,000 and I have yet to write the introduction and bibliography. The mayor of Dodge City is writing the forward and hopefully I'll have some great quotes to use from other western authors. In the book I used one of Wyatt Earps' quotes about the way he dealt with the true criminals in this world. It reminded me all over again that many of the real offenders are not behind bars, but walking among us masquerading as wives, students, and health care workers. "I'm not ashamed of anything I ever did," Wyatt said in 1927. "Were it to be done over again, I would do exactly as I did at the time. If the outlaws and their friends and allies imagined that they could intimidate or exterminate the Earps by a process of assassination, and then hide behind alibis and the technicalities of the law, they simply missed their guess." I'd liked the way Wyatt handled the people who came after his family.

 

May 19, 2008
Review of Chris Ensss Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier, paperback, The Globe Pequot Press, 2005, 114 pages, ISBN: 076272756X Cite as: Nick J. Sciullo, Review of Chris Ensss Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier, Spring Board Journal, Volume 1, Number 1, Fall 2005. A provocative look at an overlooked area of history. This work is enticing because it functions not only as a historical investigation, but as a jump off point for gender studies criticism. Enss provides an intimate description, much like an oral historian might provide, of the trials and tribulations of womyn in the West. The book reads well and is a product of not only an excellent researcher, but an excellent story teller. There are pictures of mail order brides and ads used to purchase them. Each chapter discusses a couple and reveals romance, hope, and fear. The book reads like a diary. Each chapter is a personal account, vivid and intimate. With writing this clear and genuine its a wonder more people are not jumping on the historical bandwagon. It is this type of history that brings the people back to the events, epochs, and criticism. History often needs a personal touch and perhaps this is why social history is on the rise. When folks talk about history they need to talk with the people that made the history. Hearts West comes as close to a first-person narrative as humynly possible. Works like this bring the world to life and reinvigorate historical inquiry and interest. Perfect for students of the West and those interested in feminist theory and historyHearts West is a welcome addition to the bookshelf. Nick J. Sciullo (University of Richmond, 2003; West Virginia University College of Law, 2006)

 

May 19, 2008
It was a productive weekend. The signing for the new 2 disc DVD for The Big Trail went well. I enjoy working with the people at Barnes & Noble. They know their business and treat visiting authors well. The patrons who stopped by to pick up a copy of The Big Trail were generous and kind. I met one man who was a Vietnam vet who couldn't say enough good things about John Wayne and his movies. I wish I could report that the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans film was moving in the right direction, but I can't. It looks like the cast that had been selected for the roles will have to be replaced with actors who are a bit more enthusiastic to play the parts. It's unfortunate. I've been working on this project for years and it seems every step forward has been met with five steps back. I guess it will all come together one day. Roy and Dale were such wonderful people and it's a shame that studio heads won't green light the film so real offers can be made. In addition to working on the last chapter of the posse book and chapter four of the Buffalo Bill book, I've been meeting with politicians to talk about the tragic situation that cost my brother his life. I spoke with Senators Aanestad and McClintock about Rick and the prevalence of false accusations of abuse leveled by disgruntled teenagers. I'm going to raise the level of awareness about the events in my brother's life and those of other such people if it kills me. I won't let him or others who have suffered through the same nightmare be forgotten.

 

May 15, 2008
I've had a rough couple of days, but things turned around a bit after I received an email from one of the readers of How The West Was Worn. Thank you Mr. Warshaw, for your much appreciated comments. It lifted my spirits more than you know. Here's what he had to say. "I finished How the West was Worn yesterday. You've done it again! That book is totally fascinating. Reading about what the people wore back then, from hats to footwear to perfume, gave such a better insight into what life was like back in the Old West. One really never gives much thought to that until you described how people dressed by necessity rather than by style, and how it created a style of its own. I had always wondered whether cowboys' pants were supposed to be tucked into the boots or worn over the boots, because in the movies and on TV you see both. Your book explained that it depended on where the cowboy lived or was from. I also never considered how much of a woman's time was spent making or mending clothes. Between that and cooking and child care, a woman back then really had no spare time at all as if living in the frontier didn't make life difficult enough!" All it takes is a kind word. Now of days they are few and far between.

 

May 13, 2008
Thought I'd post this review from New Mexico Magazine about The Lady Was A Gambler. It was my pleasure to write about these unique ladies. THE LADY WAS A GAMBLER: True Stories of Notorious Women of the Old West by Chris Enss TwoDot/Globe Pequot Press, www.GlobePequot.com, 160 pages, paper, $12.95 The Lady Was a Gambler document women who engaged in professions outside the box for their time. The Lady Was a Gambler takes as its subjects 13 women gamblers, including Belle Star; Martha Jane Canary, better known as Calamity Jane; and Eleanora Dumont, a stunningly beautiful and demure young woman whose meteoric rise included owning a highly successful blackjack parlor in Nevada City, California. A wealthy woman, Dumont unwisely married a scamp,lost everything, and returned to dealing blackjack in mining camps before her demise in Bodie, California. Another character was Mary Hamlin, a lucky poker player and bunko artist who pulled off several big scores: In 1869, the sale of shipping rights to the Mississippi River to a group of French investors, a scam akin to selling the Brooklyn Bridge, netted her more than a quarter-million dollars; and in a diamond hoax a few years later, frequently referred to as the West"s Greatest hoax, she and accomplices salted a claim with bogus diamonds, sapphires, and opals, and secured $1 million for it from a wealthy San Francisco banker before leaving town. Hamlin seems to have been one of the few women who lived on the edge and spent most of her life in luxury. Also included in The Lady Was a Gambler is the legendary Gertrudes Barcelo (circa 18001852), aka Dona Tules, a well-known monte dealer and operator of gambling saloons and entertainment houses in Santa Fe, of which there were many, beginning about 1833. Enss's efforts whet the appetite for more information about these compelling women, whose lives were hardly the norm for women of the West.

 

May 12, 2008
Fox Films will rerelease John Wayne's first film, The Big Trail on a special DVD set this week. I got a few advanced copies and was impressed with the work Cloverland Productions did on the special features disc. I was happy to be a part of the production. It turned out well. I have a couple of copies to give away and will send them out to readers if they write and let me know who they are. I received an email from a cowboy poet named T. Michael McClure. He kindly sent me a poem he'd written about Abraham Lincoln and it's very good. Keep an eye out for his work and thank you, Mr. McClure for letting me read your poem. I'll be at Barnes and Noble in Citrus Heights this Saturday signing copies of the John Wayne DVD and the book The Young Duke. I look forward to meeting many of you there.

 

May 10, 2008
My plans to travel to Cody and work on researching the Buffalo Bill book I'm writing had to be set aside this week. My dad had to have triple by-pass surgery. I'm grateful that he did so well and am happy to report that he is home recovering. I did get a chance to work on researching the book about the number of parents who have been falsely accused of sexually abusing their teenagers. It breaks my heart to meet so many people who have suffered from this and to know that Child Protective Services does such a poor job. My dad received visits from many people in the small Missouri town where he lives. Each one of them praised my brother who was falsely accused and shared stories of his kindness towards them and their famililes during various crisis. It's good to know he made a difference and that many people cannot and will not believe my brother was guilty of anything. They know the other parties involved and shared that many consider them to be "evil human beings who the community at large view try to avoid at all cost." That information will enhance the volume I'm writing and spur me on toward the ultimate goal. My brother had value and I miss him still.

 

April 29, 2008
Over the last few years there have been many heartaches that have interfered with my daily writing schedule. Today it's that same old heartache brought on by bitterness and the inability to completely forgive. I emailed the associate pastor of my church a week ago to share with him the struggle I continue to have with forgiveness. He was kind and sympathetic and assured me that many people battle with forgiveness. I believe that to be true and believe that God is patient with me, but I wish I could be through with it now. I think it's because I have to revisit the situation with my brother having been falsely accused that keeps my heart hardened. My family has paid a high price for those false accusations and my dad is the most recent one to succumb to the stress. He's been a strong man and suffered through a variety of cruel people who have refused to either take care of my parents dog or sell them a car because they say my family are "nothing but pedophiles." The loss of my brother has been hard on him and his heart is hurting. He'll be going to the doctor on Thursday and might have to be hospitalized at that point. The anger I feel toward the people who ultimately helped bring this about is overwhelming. There is no going on with your life as it once was after such an experience. It's hard to live in a world where absolute horrors of human beings continued to breathe. As I write about Wyatt Earp I realize he felt the same way. He knew he couldn't go on until evil was made to pay. A part of me envies Earp. The even bigger part of me that loves the Lord shudders at the thought and constantly reminds me of how much I've been forgiven. I'm holding on tight to that truth.

 

April 28, 2008
The book signing this past week for How the West Was Worn was a success and I'd like to share the success with those who visit my website. Visitors who email me and tell me what interests them most about women of the Old West will receive a free copy of the book. I'm including a review of the book from a reader named Mark Keehnel to give you an idea of what others like about the material. Mark writes, "This book contains a great deal of helpful information for anyone wanting to know the clothing styles worn during the frontier period in the old west, whether for research purposes or just for the fun of it." Drop me a line and I'll send you a book. I was in Arizona the last few days. It was hot, but a joy to visit. My desk was piled with work when I got back, but that's to be expected. I've spent the day working on making sure all my sources are noted on the posse book. I've used numerous primary and secondary sources to gather the information needed to write the book. It's been a pleasure. Look for a copy of How the West Was Worn for all those who send an email. I believe you'll enjoy the book!

 

April 23, 2008
The fashion show based on the book How the West Was Worn was held today. The Nevada County Newcomer's Club sponsored the event and it was well received. My sweet friends Patti, Brandy, Mary, and Conni, modeled the Old West garments and they looked wonderful. Petticoats and hoop skirts never looked so good. I'm headed to Arizona tomorrow. I'll be doing a few signings and research for the book I'm writing about false accusations of child abuse. I'm going to be interviewing a couple who have lived through the horror of such lies and have quite a testimony. I trust it will be an encouraging talk.

 

April 21, 2008
Chapter nine of the posse book is done! I've been paying special attention to note the primary and secondary sources I've used to write the tome. Many hisotirans don't agree about what happened at times. Authors argue about what book is more accurate and what nonfiction book is nothing but fiction. I have reviewed five books on Wyatt Earp and each author states that the other books on the subject are inaccurate. Some of the author's have stated that the newspaper accounts of the time were wrong too. It leaves you scratching your head and wondering what version of the story you can trust. I learned from the previous volumes I've written to reference information better and that aspect of writing has been very time consuming, but very necessary. No matter how hard I try, however, I suspect someone will have a different take on the events around Dora Hand's murder. I work with a very talented graphic artist that will be assiting me with the maps for the book. Jeff Galpin and his wife Melissa did the illustration for the children's book I wrote and with their combined talent I'm sure the maps and diagrams for the posse book will be equally as spectacular. I attend church with the Galpins and they have two of the cutest boys. Both of whom have played Jesus in the Christmas program. I have sort of adopted the boys as my nephews. It's good to have people in your life you can count on and I'm grateful for my church family as a whole because of that. Now, on to chapter ten.

 

April 17, 2008
I like to listen to talk radio during the day when I take a periodic break from writing. I find it interested that today the talk show hosts are up in arms about the raid on the church grounds in Texas. They're criticizing the government for storming the compound and taking the more than 400 children that lived there into custody. The action was prompted by a sixteen year old girl who called authorities claiming to be abused. A girl now no one can find and the mothers at the compound state they don't know. The talk show hosts are outraged that there was nothing more required than a single allegation for the government to raid the church compound and take the children. I'm not surprised at all. I know from personal experience that entire lives can be lost and ruined by a single allegation. There doesn't have to be any proof. No evidence. A single allegation and that's all it takes. And we should all be afraid. Very afraid. I finished chapter nine of the posse book today. It's an exciting story and I can't wait to see it in print. Bill Tilghman was indeed the finest of the posse members.

 

April 14, 2008
Most days pass with nothing remarkable happening. I spend my days working on a couple of books and a few magazine articles. I make travel plans and prepare for the next lecture and out of town signing, but on the whole, nothing truly remarkable happens. I think I expected this line of work to be more like the life Joan Wilder lived in Romancing the Stone. Id complete a book and turn it into my editor, who happens to be my best friend. Shed read the work and be moved to tears and Id go off on an exotic adventure. Thats what I thought the life of a writer would be like. I like what I do, but I cant help thinking if I were living and writing from Spain like Hemingway did, maybe something remarkable would happen. I did get a call from the California Teachers Association about the schoolmarms book thats coming out in September. They wanted to know the title of the book and the release date. That was encouraging news, but not remarkable. Im not quite sure what I would deem remarkable and maybe thats the problem. Maybe an invitation to talk about the books on Oprahs show, and opportunity to write from a private beach house in Bora Bora&Im just not sure. I think most people spend their days simply doing their jobs and looking forward to the next station in life. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this job, or any job for that matter, is that you have a chance to do it at all. Id like to feel content in that knowledge and think I could&from a private beach house in Bora Bora.

 

April 10, 2008
Writing chapter nine of the posse book has been slow going this week, but I think that's because there's so much information it's hard to condense it into 3,000 words. Wyatt, Bat, Charlie, and Bill arrested James Kenedy for the murder of Dora Hand, but Kenedy was not convicted for the crime. In spite of his suspicious behavior and the confession he made to the lawmen, the judge determined that there wasn't enough evidence to hold him over for trial. All the lawmen were affected by the decision and it changed their opinion of law and order. According to Wyatt he was "soured on the law" after that. Out of the four men only one decided to make being a law enforcement officer a lifetime career. It's easy to see how corruption and politics have taken over the justice system today, but I guess it's always been the case more or less. H.L. Mencken defines a court of law as a "place where Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariot would be equals, with the betting odds in favour of Judas." I think Wyatt Earp would have agreed with that. I know I do.

 

April 7, 2008
Saturdays book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Roseville was very well attended. I always meet a lot of wonderful people at the stores. I am pleased that I'll be signing books in Independence in June. Independence, Missouri is rich with history. It was the starting off point for hundreds of pioneers heading west. I've been working on chapter three of the book about the loves of Buffalo Bill Cody. This chapter focuses on the way he met his wife, their wedding, and their first home. Cody was so complimentary of his wife when they first wed, but 20 years later he referred to her as being "off balance." Of course he failed to mention the numerous affairs he had that contributed to her fragile mental state. It's time now to write a few more pages for chapter nine of the posse book. I'll be in Dodge City if anybody needs me.

 

April 3, 2008
I get a lot of telemarketer calls. I'm sure everyone does. I don't usually answer the phone if the caller I-D reads Unknown or Private. After the third telemarketer call yesterday I decided to answer the phone and give the person on the other end a piece of my mind. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Clint Black on the other end. He phoned to talk about the Roy Rogers Dale Evans movie. The project has received a much needed boost now and I'm grateful. There are rewrites that need to be done to the script, but there's hope for a future production. I guess I need to start answering the phone regardless of what the caller I-D reads. I teach Bible Studies on Wednesday evenings and I had a great group of 2,3,4 & 5 year old kids last night. I always enjoy working with them. They like to give out hugs, but I remain hesitant to return the favor all the time. I know what some kids and a vindictive parent can and will accuse a person of and it scares me. I won't change a baby's diaper or take a child to the bathroom. I let some other teacher do it because of what I know can be said. I know certain teenagers who are capable of such accusation. Doing the research for the book on this subject I've met a lot of parents who have found themselves on the wrong end of their teenager's unfounded accusations. There are troubled, evil teenagers who film themselves shooting up a school, beating dogs, and defacing property. Those same kinds of human beings accuse innocent people of doing heinous things and get away with it. The only recourse is to highlight the actions in print and in the media. Nothing will ever make me feel truly at ease again around kids of any age. That's gone. Shame on the person I used to hold dear for taking that from me.

 

April 1, 2008
Like most people around the Northern California area where I live, I've been struggling with a flu virus that has hung on now for more than a week. I did a radio interview yesterday and two lectures and my voice was low and raspy. I'm grateful for the people who tolerated the stories about women in history filtered through a voice that sounded a lot like Darth Vadar's. Research continues on the Buffalo Bill Cody story and I'm writing chapter nine of the posse tale. Dont know if anything is going to be happening with the Roy Rogers movie anytime soon, but I live with the hope that it will be greenlit in the near future. I've been contemplating doing a documentary about the cowboy duo. There hasn't been a definitive project like that done and I think fans would like to see it. Not to mention the fact that it would give me an opportunity to spend time writing about two people who always kept their eyes on the Lord no matter the circumstances. I'd like to be that kind of person. I continue to be overwhelmed with bitterness at times. Just when I think I'm past it - there it is again. I continue to miss my brother and don't know if I'll ever get over that.

 

March 25, 2008
It would be so wonderful to get this Roy Rogers Dale Evans film project up and running. There have been so many false starts and stops. As it currently stands Clint Black and Lisa Hartman-Black are set to portray the singing/acting duo. I think it is a good fit. I've been on the phone with their agents and managers trying to set up a time when we can meet and discuss packaging the script. I'm just waiting for the people in charge to finish reading the material. At times it seems like such a far off dream and you want to give up. I won't though. I'm finishing up chapter one of the Buffalo Bill Cody book today. He was an interesting character. His wife catches him kissing a handful of actresses and he is stunned to find out that she is upset by the display. He wrote in his memoirs, "I do not think most wives would have felt a little angry to know and hear her husband in an adjoining room on Sunday morning, drinking beer and kissing theatrical girls of his company. I think they would have been rather proud of a husband who had six or seven months work with a party of people who were in his employ, to know and feel that they were on a kindly footing&. Not one of them got up and kissed papa goodbye, but all four of them rushed up and kissed papa, their old manager, goodbye&." I don't Bill was being very realistic. I am amazed at the number of women who threw themselves at him knowing he was married. They didn't really care about that. They simply wanted the fame and monetary benefits that came from being with Cody. It ultimately led to the demise of his marriage. A famous playwright once wrote that "Being a husband is a whole-time job. That is why so many husbands fail. They cannot give their entire attention to it." I believe that was Cody's problem exactly.

 

March 21, 2008
Thank you to all the people who emailed me and asked about the new book. Copies have gone out to the first five book lovers who expressed an interest in reading Outlaw Tales of California and I hope their time spent poring over stories about some of the Old West's bad guys is educational and entertaining. The next book, A Beautiful Mine: Women Miners of the Old West, is set to be released in July. I've been asked to speak at a prospectors conference to discuss the brave ladies that dared to sink their gold pans into the rivers and streams in places like Nome, Alaska and Tombstone, Arizona. It was a hard life for a man and an even more difficult way of life for a woman. It was all worth it once they discovered gold however. I placed an ad for the new books in the April/May edition of True West magazine. The edition centers around books that transport readers back in time to the wild days of the Old West. True West magazine is one of the best such publications out there. Second only to Chronicles of the Old West. Both are essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about the rugged frontier. I finished chapter eight of the posse book and am off now to start chapter nine. Charlie, Wyatt, Bat, and Bill have just brought James Kenedy into Dodge to stand trial for killing Dora Hand. The story doesn't end the way Bill Tilghman hoped it would, but Wyatt Earp was right about the unjust outcome. Wyatt had learned the same lesson I was forced to learn this past year that the color of justice is green.

 

March 17, 2008
Outlaw Tales of California is in bookstores everywhere today. The subject matter was incredibly interesting to research and I hope that the title does well for Globe. It is part of a series of books about outlaws from a variety of western states. I made plans to travel to Cody, Wyoming in May to complete the research for the Buffalo Bill Cody book I'm working on. Cody is a wonderful place and I look forward to going back. The last time I was there I was doing reseach for the Buffalo Gals book and got to go through some of Annie Oakley's personal letters. The focus of the new book is the various love affairs Cody had while married to Louisa. It promises to be very entertaining. In the past when I had a new book come out I would give away a copy to the first five people who signed my guest book. I know longer have a guest book, but I do have email. You will find my email address in the contact section of this website. I'd like to give away five copies of Outlaw Tales to anyone who writes and ask for one. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

March 16, 2008
The book signing I participated in yesterday at the Placer County courthouse in Auburn was well attended. I met many nice people and some of them even brought their own historical artifacts along. One kind woman brought an autographed photo of the famed child actress Lotta Crabtree and a pair of Lotta's earrings. I'm always hoping that I'll come across a treasure like that. I'd like to be one of those lucky people who finds a rare photograph of Wild Bill Hickock hidden behind a velvet painting of dogs playing poker. The closest thing I thing I have to a real historic artifact is an old bottle with a piece of the Donner cabin inside that dates back to 1846. I keep it in my Bobby Sherman lunchbox. If the piece of the cabin has no significant value I'm sure the Bobby Sherman lunch will be worth a fortune someday. And I keep that on a dresser underneath my velvet painting of dogs playing poker.

 

March 10, 2008
I don't think I'll ever be able to get past the decisions I made concerning my brother. I shouldn't have succumbed to threats and then asked him to take a plea. In doing the research about cases similar to my brother's I've found a number of broken people who have had to live through the turmoil of false allegations of sexual abuse. Brad Mavis of Lee Summit, MO served 5 years of a 50 year sentence after he was falsely convicted of sexually molesting his step-daughter. His conviction was overturned in 2005, and he was acquitted at re-trial. After further review it was learned that The Lee Summit police detective who initially investigated the allegation was having an affair with Mavis's then wife and framed Mavis on false charges to get rid of him. Mavis's ex-wife subsequently married the detective and Brad Mavis is suing both of them. In Texas, a 12 year-old girl accused her adopted father of sexually assaulting her. He phone CPS about the allegation and was arrested. Over the next two years his wife was also charged. The couple lost their business, their home and their two biological children. A jury found the father not guilty of the sexual assault charges and ruled that the girl had made the allegations up because she felt she was not getting enough attention from her parents. In Brooklyn, New York a school custodian was accused of stockpiling child pornography and of being a child rapist. The two teenagers who accused the man of the heinous crime wanted to find a way to become famous. The custodian was found not guilty, but the man is now too scared to go out of his front door, he can't sleep, he can't wipe away the nightmare of being arrested, jailed, and wrongly accused. For Michael Lenvens of Orlando, Florida the nightmare began in August of 2004 when his youngest daughter accused him of molesting her, a charge Lenvens absolutely and unequivocally denied. His first trial ended in a hung jury. Lenvens was convicted at his second trial in 2005, a conviction that the Fifth District Court of Appeals concluded rested on claims that Lenvens had a prior conviction of assault. (It was later found that it was another Michaels Lenvens that was charged for assault. How familiar this all sounds.) When the Court of Appeals reversed Lenvens' conviction, the Orange County judge continued to refuse to allow Lenvens' release from prison. Lenvens, who is awaiting his third trial on the same charges stated, "I am 54 years old and must have been sleeping all those years not to realize that the trial courts and the prosecutors in this country are so corrupt only looking for the conviction and not the truth. The people of this country need to be told about the state of affairs in the judicial system in this country. Until this happened to me I thought that this country was a very good country to live in. The people of this country need to vote to change the system back to what our founding fathers wanted. Without the knowledge of the broken system though people will not know to make the changes."

 

March 6, 2008
I guess you never forget your first love. You relish in the anticipation of when you will see them next and imagine what you'll say or do. It's a glorious sickness. I never would have thought someone like Buffalo Bill Cody would have remembered his first love, but he did. I've been writing a book about his life and loves and have learned that the first girl to capture his attention was Mary Hyatt. They were 12 and although she liked Bill she was mostly interested in another boy in their class. Bill grew up to turn the heads of many a young women, but always looked back with fondness on the one who first captured his fancy. I'll be speaking at the Nevada County library this evening. It should be fun. Maybe I'll get a chance to talk about Cody and his life and loves and spur the attendees to remember their first heart-throb. I know I'll never forget mine.

 

March 4, 2008
I've never enjoyed writing about a subject as much as the posse story I've been working on. The heart of tale is about the pursuit of justice and atonement for a horrible wrong. Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and Charlie Bassett would sooner yield to frontier style justice and shoot the man who killed Dora Hand on the spot, but Bill Tilghman insisted that the law must be upheld and the murderer brought be brought to trial. Dora Hand's killer is devastated when he learns the bullet he intended for the Mayor of Dodge City found its way to Dora. At one point in his arrest he pleads for forgiveness. Bat responds with a comment I've been pondering for days. "How do you forgive the devil?" He asks rhetorically. The enemy disguises itself in many ways. He can be an outlaw, a lawyer, a neighbor, even someone you used to call family. How do you forgive the devil? I don't think men like Bat and Wyatt ever learned how. Maybe that's because their brothers had been taken from them. Bill did not have the same point of reference that the other lawmen had. He was the cooler head that prevailed. He was the voice of reason that held the others back when the devil changed his tune and insisted he was justified. We all need a voice like that when the enemy cries out that hes the victim. Until next time...I'm off with the posse.

 

February 26, 2008
The book signing at Barnes & Noble in Citrus Heights was a real pleasure. There were many people waiting to get a copy of the John Wayne biography and hear stories about the women of the Old West containted in some of the other titles. It's a treat to meet such avid readers. Some of them have wonderful stories about their ancestors that traveled here during the Gold Rush. They are so excited about their heritage and their connection with the history of westward expansion. Mike Troyan is the manager of the store and a wonderful author in his own right. He penned a book about Greer Garson and is working on a tome about MGM. All in all it was a nice day. I haven't had too many of those in the last few years so I cherish them all the more when they come around. Thanks to all the good people who attended the event. You were all a delight.

 

February 22, 2008
Buffalo Bill Cody was one of the most famous characters in the Old West. By the time he was eleven he had ridden shotgun on a freight wagon and killed a man trying to attack the teamsters pushing supplies to Utah. Articles were written about him, fame was eminent. He was a household name when he met Louisa Frederici, the woman who would become his wife. One of the books I'm working on is about their marriage and the numerous affairs he had. He was a striking looking man and women threw themselves at him. Louisa was jealous, and rightly so, but didn't not want to give Cody up. She made his life miserable and his three sisters resented her for it. Cody's sisters were dedicated to their brother and would have done anything to protect his name and position. They couldn't stand Louisa and believed the biggest mistake Cody ever made was marrying her. I didn't expect the story of Louisa and Buffalo Bill to resonate with me personally, but that's the thing about writing. You find something to identify with in every tale you venture into.

 

February 21, 2008
I'm dressed in my Old West garb and ready to hit the road to speak at a book store about marketing books and promotions. I'm looking forward to the program, but am heart broken for my brother Scott and his wife, Linda. Linda lost her son this past week and both she and Scott are suffering over the loss. The funeral is today and I pray they will find comfort in the loved ones that surround them. I feel particularly blessed to have a sister-in-law like Linda. I wish my brother had met her a long time ago and further wish my brother, Rick had been as lucky to have had someone like her in his life. Statistics show that 90% of your happiness is derived from the person you marry. Scott is living that statitic out. If I'd been a better sister I would have made sure Rick would have had a chance to meet someone as wonderful as Linda.

 

February 19, 2008
The least stressful part about working on the Roy Rogers Dale Evans movie project has been dealing with Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black. Not only are they the best choice for the roles of Roy and Dale, but they are kind, humble people. I had the pleasure of going back stage at Clint's concert this past weekend. We spoke briefly about Roy and Dale's story and about the television series he's doing with CBS in the coming weeks. Both he and his wife are very talented and it's going to be a real pleasure to make a movie with them. I'll be speaking to a group of aspiring writers this week at Amicus Books. We'll be discussing the business end of writing and reviewing the publicity campaign for both of the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans books. It's always great to be at Amicus Books. The folks that run the store are quality individuals and a joy to be with. Their store is beautiful as well.

 

February 18, 2008
I have decided, along with my attorney, to elliminate the guest book portion of the website starting today. There are certain people who want to use my site as a forum for their own personal agenda. I received the first such guest book addition in Decemember and assumed the evil ones who were writing would move on, but alas they did not. I have not told any real specifics about my brother. The law doesn't care about specifics or truth and can put a person in jail for a long time for doing nothing. I suspect the nameless individual that has been posting to this site is working every angle available to her to have me locked up. For now, I hold on tightly to the recantation letter written to me by the person who accused my brother of rape. I hold on tightly to a medical exam that shows an intact hymen. I've interviewed hundreds of men and women falsely accused of heinous acts against their children. One particular gentlemen was accused of such abuse by his young teenager daughter because she wanted pierced ears and didn't think she should have to pay for the proceedure herself. There was no solid proof of the allegation and the man in the case is home now. The teenager in question was convinced that nothing really bad would happen to her father if convicted. Her mother, who wanted full custody of the girl, told her that her father would only had have to be gone "two weekends out of the month." Some people can live only when the spotlight is on them. That's the case with many teenagers who are making such accusations. The book I'm writing on this subject matter dives into this serious wave of actions in depth and sites many examples. The person who used my site as their own personal forum this weekend suggested I should feel shame for not believing the evil things said about a brother whom I know to be good. There are two sides to this story and I reject statements made by a person I always knew to be less than honest. I have numerous letters from the "less than honest individual" that paint an entirely different picture of the situation. I saw how easy it was to take care of my brother with no hard evidence and half truths told. I will live every day with the regret of telling my brother to take a plea. I was afraid of the system and now I know it was with good right. I do not want myself or my family exposed to the people who did that to my brother and are obviously looking to do the same to my mother, father, husband, brother, and nephew. I don't feel any pride in the continual battle I am in over my unforgiving spirit and have made that clear in previous posts. However, I am proud of the fact that I will never have to be in the same immediate orbit as those who can do what they've done and have no remorse. It wouldn't be safe for anyone else I love to be around them. If I do away with the guest book the individuals who feel as though I have no right to my sadness and loss will have to find another place to spew their hatred and continue telling people lies. Earthly justice is corrupt. God will sort this matter out according to the truth. That's it for me on this subject on this post. Everything else that can be said can be purchased in a bookstore near you very soon.

 

February 18, 2008
To those folks who read my daily journals.... Please forgive the vile allegations of people who continue to add their thoughts to my guest book. My brother was a good man and was wrongly accused. I find it interesting for people who have moved on that they even read my journal at all. I guess if they were so righteous they'd get their own website. I will continue to voice my thoughts on my grief regardless of the few who don't like it. In the past, guests who visited the guest book signed their names and left their email addresses. I noticed that the coward who blasted me for not embracing a liar refused to do that. But that's what cowards do. I will be seeking legal recourse against the people who have spewed their falsehoods on my website. They told the authorities that they want nothing to do with my family had the police make that clear to my mother. Again, it seems odd if that were their true feelings they would leave us alone. Hopefully, the lawyers can handle this now.

 

February 13, 2008
Valentine's Day is fast approaching and some of the Old West romances I've been able to write about come to mind. One of the sweetest romantic stories (told in the book 'Love Untamed') was the romance between Frank Butler and Annie Oakley. The couple performed their sharpshooting acts together. Butler soon realized it was his wife the crowds were coming to see, and not him. Ultimately, he stepped aside and put Annie front and center. It was a generous sacrifice and one that continues to move me. They had been married for 52 years when Oakley died in 1926. Frank Butler was so overcome with grief that he stopped eating and died 17 days later. We know about Annie Oakley's accomplishment, but we seldom ever hear about what Frank did. Another fascinating tale, this one less romantic, appears in the book Hearts West. Eleanor Berry wrote to the Matrimonial News to find a husband and struck up a correspondence with a gentleman who asked her to marry him. So she traveled to the Nevada County area. No sooner did she get here when her stagecoach was held up by masked bandits, who demanded that everybody throw down everything they owned. She was frantic. She was on her way to get married and had her trousseau with her. She pleaded with the robbers, 'Please let me keep these things.' The leader said OK. Eleanor proceeded to the home where the ceremony would take place. There, she met her future sister-in-law, who took her into the back bedroom and helped her prepare for the wedding. When the organist started to play, Eleanor came out and met the man she'd been corresponding with for so long. The moment he began to speak, though, there was something familiar about him. Then she realized he was the man who had just held her up.

 

February 8, 2008
I've been spending the last few days with either Buffalo Bill Cody or the men from the most intrepid posse in the Old West. I'm including in this post a few paragraphs from chapter seven of the posse book. I'm excited to tell the story of the men who successful brought in Dora Hand's killer. The ending of the tale is as compelling as the chase itself. A cold morning broke in rose and gold colors over the vast Cimarron grassland. James Kenedy tumbled out of his rocky bed tucked under a long, narrow mesa and abruptly rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He hauled his weary frame to a depression in the earth, turned his back to the frigid, biting wind, and began relieving himself. His tired horse meandered behind him, alternating between gnawing on dried brush and drinking from deep puddles made by the rain that had assaulted the region. James finished his business and dragged himself to the saddle and bit he'd removed from his mount the night before. The horse gave the outlaw a disapproving look as he approached him with the harness. Dried lather from profuse sweating beaded across the animals backside and his unshod hooves were tender and chipped. The idea of riding on wasn't anymore appealing to James than his horse, but it was necessary. The downpour from the previous evening had no doubt raised the level of the river further, but James was hopeful that the water had crested and would begin receding by late afternoon. If that happened the ford would be passable and James and the cowboys he was sure his father had sent after him, could make it across. No matter what trouble James had ever managed to get himself into he knew there was sanctuary in Texas. His father had recently purchased Laureles Ranch, a one hundred thirty-one thousand acre spread 20 miles from Corpus Christi, and had hired a team of ranch hands to fence in the property. Miflin Kenedy planned to build up his herds, raise a better quality of livestock, and isolate his rebellious son from persistent police or vengeful gunslingers. For a brief moment in time Miflin believed his spoiled boy had a future with the Texas Rangers. In November 1875, James joined a company whose main objective was to reduce the raids on cattle ranches by Mexican bandits. His knowledge of the wild territory made him a valuable asset to the troops, but his term of duty lasted only five months. In April 1876, he voluntarily left the Rangers earning a mere $59.72 for his time served. Law and order was not in James's nature. He thrived on misdeeds and violent confrontations with competing ranchers outside of the Texas Panhandle. He relished indulgencies of every kind and came and went at his sweet will. He could not conceive of a single circumstance where he would not be rescued from the consequences of his vicious actions. In fact, he counted on it. With no regard for the promise his race horse once possessed, he cinched the saddle tightly on the animal's back, sunk his boots into the stirrup, and threw himself on the ride. With staggering self assurance James led the horse away from the scant hideout onto the plains.

 

February 4, 2008
There doesn't seem to be a great deal of forgiveness practiced in the area of the Old West I've been writing about as of late. Neither Bat Masterson or Wyatt Earp decided to simply forgive the people who killed their brothers. They did away with them. I don't know how they felt afterwards. I'd like to know if they felt satisfied. I think it would ultimately rip your soul to pieces. I struggle with forgiveness though. I want to look beyond those individuals who have severed relationships and shredded unity. I know that I've been forgiven of much and that I should be forgiving. I know. And just when I think I could try there is another call from an attorney and the nightmare starts all over again. The pain is still there. The confusion over what to do and who to talk to never leaves. I wish there was someone I could turn to take care of this situation with my brother once and for all. I don't believe the pain ever left Wyatt and Bat no matter what they did. Their brothers were still gone. An eye for an eye offered no real peace. I believe forgiveness would do that. If I only knew how.

 

January 31, 2008
Snow and heavy rain have kept me tied to my office now for four days. I've got to venture out soon to do more research on Buffalo Bill Cody. I am working on a book about his life and loves and need more information about his home in Nebraska. He was married for more than 50 years to Louisa Frederici. They had a rocky marriage and it's been interesting to learn why the relationship was strained. Cody was larger than life and Louisa couldn't compete with his drive to conquer the wild frontier. He was rarely home. She wanted his attention and love so much she purchased a "love" potion from a gypsy. She slipped it into his tea and it made him very ill. When he filed for divorce he noted the incident to the court and claimed that she tried to poison him. Oh, the acts of a desperate woman.

 

January 28, 2008
Wyatt Earp. I thought I knew just about everything there was to know about him until today. I've been working on a chapter in my posse book about Wyatt and learned that he was a fine boxer. More often than not, Wyatt was able to subdue outlaws without ever pulling his gun. He was naturally good with his fists and having observed fighters in numerous boxing matches, had become a cunning pugilist in his own right. Bat Masterson claimed that Wyatt "never, at any time in his career, resorted to the pistol excepting in cases where such a course was absolutely necessary. Wyatt could scrap with his fist, and had often taken all the fight out of bad men, as they were called, with no other weapons than those provided by nature." Wish I knew how to take "all the fight out of a bad man." I'd do it and possibly find some peace.

 

January 25, 2008
The last permission form needed to complete the schoolmarm book came in today and I can finally send the manuscript off to the publisher. I've walked away from the experience writing this book with a great deal more respect for teachers than I did have. It's a tough job and when it's done well has a lasting, positive impact on a student. I finished chapter six of the posse book today and think I became even more enamored with Bill Tilghman. He was tough and had a love for the law and seeing true justic served. His wife Zoe wrote an amazing biography about him. She was quite the author in her own right. She wrote several books and I bet when Bill returned home from a long ride had great stories for her to draw from. I think a book about her life would make a good read. Maybe I'm just looking for a reason to spend more time with Mr. Tilghman.

 

January 21, 2008
I've been spending the last few days with Wyatt Earp. He was part of the posse that went looking for Dora Hand's murderer and iatrical to the story I'm working on about the manhunt. So much has been written about him it's hard to find a fresh approach to the material. He was a fearless man and very good with his fists. I didn't realize that until I started my research. He seldom if ever went for his gun first. He preferred to physically beat his opponent down. He spent a great deal of time at saloons and railroad worker camps watching boxing matches and picked up tips that aided him in his pugilistic endeavors. I suppose a man like Earp is just born a soldier of sorts. I don't know how it was that at the age of 22 he was so unafraid to confront the worst sort of man. His yes meant yes and his no meant no. I admire his strength of character and the fact that he stood up for his brothers in times of trial. My yeses are cheap and I can't go to the extent to stand up for my brothers like he did. I'd lose my very soul in the trying.

 

January 16, 2008
The article in today's Sacramento Bee generated a great deal of interest in the books. I'm pleased that so many people want to read about women's contributions to the Old West. I got a call from Christina Richter, the Community Relations Manager at Barnes & Noble in Roseville, this afternoon. She wanted me to know that folks had been into the store and were asking about the titles. Fortunately they had a few books on hand. In the seven years I've been traveling around promoting the titles I've never met anyone at any of the bookstores more accomodating and generous as Christina. She likes authors and wants them to do well. That attitude contibutes to the success of that particular store and does wonders for an author. She's a joy to work with. Most of the books I've written are at Barnes and Noble and can also be found at the Placer County Museum Gift Shop in Auburn. I'll be at both locations for signings in February and March and I'm looking forward to it.

 

January 14, 2008
It's always good to hear from readers who like the books you've worked on. Writing is such a solitary profession and you never know if anyone has given the material a look. It's amazing how much encouragement a postive remark about the books gives you. I'm grateful. I spent part of Friday with a reporter from the Sacramento Bee. Al Pierleoni was kind and asked a number of thoughtful questions. The article is to appear in the Wednesday, January 16 edition of the paper. These are all very positive things, but I still miss my brother and would do anything to get beyond that darkness. Any day now...

 

January 11, 2008
I've been finishing up the book about schoolmarms of the Old West and remembering the truly inspirational teachers I've known. I was in Germany during my eigth grade year and enjoyed all the art classes I had with Mrs. Lucille Ramsey. She was smart and well dressed and had done away with the traditional desks and chairs and replaced them with pillows and stools. It was the mid-70s and she was very progressive. She was an encourager too. No matter what outlandish art project students worked on she praised us for our effort. That's what I remember best about Mrs. Ramsey. She made you think you had potential just in your trying and it made you want to try harder.

 

January 8, 2008
I've been working on the final chapter for the book about schoolmarms of the Old West and was impacted by the affection Bethenia Owens-Adair had for her teacher. She was 12 years old when she entered his class in 1852 and terribly upset when he left to teach in another location. The following is a piece from the chapter. "Bethenia blinked away more tears. Mr. Beaufort took her hand in his and led her out the door. The two walked down the dusty roadway to the gate and continued on for a bit without saying a word. Finally, Mr. Beaufort stopped and bent down next to the faithful student. "Now little one," he kindly said, "you must go back. You are a nice little girl, and some day you will make a fine woman, but you must remember and study your book hard, and when you get to be a woman everybody will love you, and don't forget your first teacher, will you?" Mr. Beaufort scooped Bethenia into his arms, kissed her cheek, sat her down in the direction of her home, and went on his way. Bethenia hurried back to the house where she found a quiet spot to cry over the loss of the teacher she so worshipped." If I had never experienced the effects of a vindictive teenager I would look upon the above as wholly innocent. But one person has changed the way I see such tales forever. All I could think of as I wrote about Mr. Beaufort was how afraid he should be. He was being kind, but a depraved person would see it differently. They would twist his actions to fit their own devious plan. And in this day and age Mr. Beaufort would be in prison for life...because all it takes is one false claim, one awful allegation. No proof. Just a claim...just an allegation.

 

January 4, 2008
A major storm is brewing outside and the wind is gusting violently. I'm pleased to be safe inside my office writing about the Old West. The men in the posse I'm writing about were stuck in this kind of weather for a couple of days. The conditions beyond my window help me to imagine what Wyatt, Bill, Bat, and Jim were up against. I received an email from Lisa Rea. She is the president and founder of The Justice and Reconciliation Project. She's a dedicated woman with a heart for God and a great desire for hurting hearts to be mended. She emailed me the story of a man who had been in prison for 26 years. He was accused of raping a young woman and DNA testing recently revealed that he didn't do it. It turns out the woman, who was a teenager at the time, had been having sex with her boyfriend and was afraid to admit that. She accused an innocent man of a vile act and the circumstantial evidence along with her false statements brought about a conviction. It's tragic and all too familiar. The FBI has announced that they are looking into more than one thousand such claims young girls made like this. Any woman who makes such claims and is determined later to have lied should be jailed along with the overzealous prosecutors. There ought to be a law....

 

January 1, 2008
It's a new year and my prayer is that I can redirect much of the sadness and bitterness that I still feel into something positive. I enjoy reading about such sports greats as Vince Lombardi and George Allen. I covet their attitude. Lombardi said, "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up." And George Allen said, "The big thing is not what happens to us in in life, but what we do about what happens to us." I'm going to make that my focus this year. I have a children's book coming out in September of this year and half of the proceeds are going to go to Prison Fellowship Ministries. In some small way I hope this helps that ministry to continue on. The book is called The Christmas Adventures of Cowboy True. The illustrators working on the project are gifted artists and I'm proud of the job they've done. Can't wait for everyone to see it.

 

December 28, 2007
Living in the high sierras of Northern California you get a sampling of all kinds of weather. As I write this the snow is coming down and the sun is trying desperately to make an appearance. The inches of snow and ice that cover my driveway have left me stranded in my house for a bit. I am able to use the time to answer many emails that have come in from readers who are anxious to read the book I'm writing about my brother's situation. There are many people who have had to live with the loss of a loved because of fabricated evidence and the like. There are many authentic victims of injustice and it makes every authentic victim related in some sense. Books, movies, television shows, etc., on the subject of the bad guys getting what they deserve will always be popular. The desire to balance an account long overdue is powerful and universal.

 

December 20, 2007
It was a great pleasure to have been a guest on Loyce Smallwood's radio program and discuss the books. She's a sweet lady and is a gracious interviewer. I appreciate the calls and the questions about The Lady Was A Gambler. Hope readers enjoy the book and encourage those who sign my guest book who want a copy of the material to email me with their address. I am looking forward to getting back to work on the book about the most intrepid posse in the west. I've had to put it on the back-burner so I could finish the books about schoolmarms and women miners of the Old West. I am inspired by that story and am anxious to get back into it. I'm hoping that the book I'm writing about the situation involving my brother will help me feel less guilty and less sad. I feel haunted at this point and would dearly love to be at peace. I don't know if that's possible.

 

December 17, 2007
On Friday, December 14th I had the good fortune of being a part of a book signing at Amicus Books in historic Marysville, California. The ladies who hosted the event dressed up like characters from the book With Great Hope: Women of the Gold Rush and read aloud from a few of the chapters. It was a delight to meet the people that turned out for the event and I was honored that they liked the books enough to invite me to participate. I look forward to returning to the location in the near future. Tomorrow the production company that's filming the documentary about John Wayne's early years will be here to do an interview about the book The Young Duke. They sent me a list of talking points and I've been going over and over them in hopes that when the camera is on I sound like I actually know something about the Duke's life. I feel like I'm studying for an exam - memorizing dates and places. He was a huge talent and I liked him because he was every man's hero. He had a quiet strength. He was the good guy who always made the bad guy pay for his sins. I'm a big fan of that notion and believe the only place that ideal is ever realized is in motion pictures. I think that's why so many are drawn to him. Who doesn't want to see the Ned Peppers and Liberty Valances of this world shot? And who didn't think Wayne was always the man for the job?

 

December 12, 2007
What a glorious few week of answered prayer and further dislpays of God at work. I've not kept up with my journal notes this week because I was directing the annual Christmas in Bethlehem production at the church I attend. A thousand people took the tour through the city and many lives were reached for the Lord. People left the tours knowing that we serve a real Savior. It was a blessing to be a part of the program. It couldn't have happened at a better time too because right in the middle of spending long hours building the city I received an ugly message in the guest book section of this website. The designer of my web-page was able to trace the culprit down and I now know that the identity of the foul, unsigned memo writer. The note came during a rare moment when I was able to allow something else into my heart other than the overwhelming sense that my beloved brother is gone. My brother was a former policeman who attended numerous conference in his career to learn how to deal with a variety of situations. How to evaluate traffic accidents, how to identify arms dealers, how to identify and track people who forged checks, rob banks, plant bombs, and how to identify and track pedophiles to name a few. Every officer who attends such conferences receive how-to manuals to aid them in their efforts to apprehend criminals. The odious creature who signed my guest book stated that the training manual my brother was in possession of was in fact a book he had been writing himself about pedophilia. Every time the story about what happened to my brother is told more cruel lies are interjected. I guess that's what some need to do to sleep at night. My brother was no author, but I am. And the book about the event, which is soon to be released, will tell all. In the meantime, life goes on. I'm going to get a chance to be a part of a documentary 20th Century Fox is doing on John Wayne. I meet with the production company next week and will be interviewed about the book I wrote on the Duke's younger years. I'm excited about the possibility and look forward to meeting the crew. I hope the writer's strike ends soon. The screenplays I've written are at a virtual standstill during this time. Work on the various books continues though. I'm blessed to have that.

 

December 3, 2007
I'm working this week on a missionary venture...giving tours through Bethlehem at my church. Once a year we transform the interior to look like the Holy city and conduct tours through it for the public. It's a marvelous experience. I'll be working on my new book as well, but the bulk of this important week is dedicated to telling people about God. I think it's a great place to be when you are dealing with a loss. I have to admit that my hurt and anger has made me take my eyes off Him a lot lately. I hope this will be a blessing and many ways and act as a comfort. No one knew more about what it was like to be wrongly accused. The lies told about Jesus by the leaders of the Jewish high priests and Herod were staggering. I will take an example from my God. Herod questioned Jesus and asked Him about the things people have accused Him of, but Our Savior said nothing. Herod was too far gone to respond. Some depraved people are too far gone to respond to. Like Herod, evil has taken over and that's all they see. Jesus knew responding to the enemy was a waste of time. There was no redemption for Herod. I've been hurting and very sad. This website reflects that to some extent. The loss of my brother has struck me hard. I miss him and always will. To know that he was lying in a pool of his own blood, beaten with his false teeth kicked out and smashed, glasses smashed, face unrecognizable. The image will haunt me forever. I am so grateful to God for giving me a heart to be torn over such things. I think I'm entitled to grieve. Dear Tammy, thank you for writing. I was able to get your email address from the brilliant webmaster of my site. I'm always amazed at what the people who manage a website are able to find out. So I'm off with paper in hand to write in between giving tours through Bethlehem. God knows it's where I need to be writing.

 

November 29, 2007
Writer tells stories unearthed in Old West graveyards By Carol Dexter Many Old West graveyards have nothing more than faded pieces of wood to show for the lives of the deceased who are buried there. Gone and forgotten many may be, but Chris Enss brings back to life some of the more interesting characters' stories in her new books - "Tales Behind the Tombstones" and "The Lady Was a Gambler." Some of these folks you've never heard of; some were and/or are famous, and some were even locals. Enss revives their faded memories with stories of how they lived, how they died and what led up to their mostly untimely deaths. From Doc Holiday to the little child memorialized on Route 20 near the town of Washington, Enss proves that everyone has a story to tell. And most of them are tragic. These soiled doves - sporting women and gamblers of both sexes - earned their places in the castoff cemeteries outside the cemetery "proper," where upstanding citizens rest in peace. They are, in my opinion, all the more interesting for that fact. Not everyone is dealt an easy hand. Not everyone can stay on the straight and narrow, lest they die of starvation along the way. And more often than not, these characters were women. Using their feminine wiles to lure the unsuspecting female-starved prospector or dandy to their faro tables, these women were smart, talented and, most importantly, beautiful. Everyone, after all, has to have a gimmick. What's more interesting about these people and all of the others who didn't make it into these books was that they risked everything to come West. Most of them reinvented themselves time and again as though it were the most natural thing to do in the world. And that, to me, is almost incomprehensible. Very few questions were ever asked and, if they were, you just moved on and started again. It must have been very liberating to know you could just pick up, disappear and start over. Perhaps these people could do that because there were so many vacant niches in the vast, unsettled West. But I can't imagine that most people today could so easily start over so many times, often with new identities. In today's world, where everyone is identified by numbers, passports, vehicles, bank accounts and references, I just can't imagine pulling this sort of thing off myself. I don't think most people could - at least not without a hefty bankroll behind them. And the people in these books had no such luxury. Pack your things; get on your horse and go. The thought is very alluring. These books might just give you ideas.

 

November 27, 2007
My appreciation for teachers continues to grow. I'm writing about schoolmarms of the Old West and am amazed at all they had to do to bring formal education to the frontier. Some of the teachers used McGuffey Readers to teach their class how to read and spell. Others only had a Bible or a Sears, Roebuck catalog as a text book. I applaud the teachers I've had in my life. Viginia Upton was a dedicated teacher who was as kind as she was intelligent. Most everything she taught me has turned out to be correct with the exception of one item. She believed in justice and taught me that evil would always be found out. Not true. A copy of letter came today to my mother requesting that my brother quick claim deed the house he owned with the unfortunate horror of a human being he was married to, over to her. My brother will never be able to sign his name again. Evil will never be found out. I wish my heart wasn't so overtaken by hatred at times like this. It's hard not to think that way when your mother is crying and misses her son...and always will. Where is the relief? If only a teacher knew.

 

November 20, 2007
I was given the opportunity to be a guest on KNCO Radio's afternoon program yesterday and it is always a treat to be a part of the broadcast. I appreciate KNCO's staff and talent. They eagerly welcome authors and are genuinely pleased to talk with you about your work. KAHI Radio in Auburn, California is the same way. I'll get to be a part of their programming next month. In the last few years I've been surrounded by people that have proven themselves to be untrustworthy. A few of whom I was once related to and one specifically I was proud to call my neice. The level of deceit and hurt on her part shattered my faith in many who claim to care. And it's been hard coming back from it all and I can't say I'm over it yet. Small acts of kindness as witnessed in the generosity of the KNCO staff, my friends from church, my family, and the readers of this website are helping me to make it through to another day. I'm grateful for that this Thanksgiving. And Tammy, if you could, please send me your email address. I'd like to thank you for your encouraging words.

 

November 16, 2007
I got a nice email from a friend from Buena High School in Sierra Vista, Arizona where I graduated. He had some nice comments about the books I sent him. And I quote, "I finished "The Lady Was a Gambler" on Saturday. What a fun read! The way you write, I could smell the leather, the wood, the cigar smoke and the perfume! I couldn't wait to start the next one. I spent the whole morning reading, instead of watching my weekly Westerns on TV." I thought it was darn nice of him to write. Thank you, Dale. Wouldn't it be nice to go back to high school knowing what we know now? I think I'd appreciate it a lot more. I know I'd thank my teachers more. I had a great history teacher. Her name was Virginia Upton. She was tough, but fair and I loved her a lot. She's gone now, but she will never be forgotten by this former student. Teaching is a gift and I appreciate all the gifted educators I've known. They're heros to me.

 

November 13, 2007
Sorting out the best way to market a book is probably the most challenging part of the writing process. I invested in a number of marketing campaigns this year for the books Ive had released and am unsatisfied with the slow sales. The ads that Ive placed in True West Magazine, American Cowboy Magazine, and Chronicles of the Old West all contain my website address. It disheartening when people say, You have a website? I am frustrated because I want to get the word out about the work and the website and am obviously doing an inadequate job. Ill keep at it. I havent been as vigilante as Id like to be with that aspect of writing. Try as I might I cant seem to get my brother off my mind. I wonder how long that will take. The despair is overwhelming the sadness is always there&lurking. Im off now to collect art work for the schoolmarm book due out next year. Im already planning a publicity campaign for that book and I pray that it will be a success.

 

November 9, 2007
I'm in San Jose today doing research on a schoolmarm who started the first school in the area. Her name was Mary Graves and she was the heroine of the Donner Party. Her story is tragic and inspired. It will be a great addition to the book. No matter how hard I try I cannot stay totally focused on the work. Thoughts of my brother's torture creep in. I see him lying there, his teeth kicked in and his glasses busted. Bruises on his face and head, unable to move, ever. I will miss him always. The constant thoughts of the brutality are like a mistress. Someone who takes everything, but leaves nothing but sadness. I cannot find out anything about my brother's body. The prison officials continue to be cruel. I was told that if "there was enough of him that a rat could eat I'd be lucky." I am heartsick for my poor mom and dad. I wonder if the real criminal in all of this knew that we would be condemn to such a life? I'm sure she did. I wonder if the man she married will be safe? I suspect in two years time or less, this poor man's mother will be suffering as she watches her loved one go to prison and die. Some souls are black as the night. There is no mercy and no way to fight such evil. When Mary Graves's husband was murdered she felt the same way. It seems odd that most of the characters I'm writing about lately have experienced similar heartbreaking circumstances in their lives. There is comfort in that I suppose.

 

November 6, 2007
I can't imagine what it must have been like for Wyatt Earpy, Bill Tilghman, Charlie Bassett, and Bat Masterson to ride the plains of Kansas looking for Dora Hand's killer. Just as they picked up on the murderer's trail a freezing rain washed away any trace of his horse's hoofprints. They kept at it though and eventually got their man. The sad, awful misery of it was that James Kenedy went free. His father was very wealthy and helped get his son out of trouble. Even in 1878 the color of justice was green. I feel like my brother got some justice today. After a grueling intake process from Moody Bible Institute he was accepted as a full time student. I wish he'd known how many people spoke out for him and recommended him to the program. I wish he'd known how many lives he touched. I wished I'd had adequate enough money to have helped my brother. I wish...

 

November 5, 2007
I've been writing about Bat Masterson again today. I am working on chapter five of the new book. I like Bat a lot. He was tough, but fair and always looked out for his brothers and sisters. He was particularly close to his brother Ed and after Ed was shot he blamed himself for not taking better care of him. He was never the same after he buried his brother at the Fort Dodge cemetery. The four men involved in his brother's shooting were arrested for the crime, but were later released because there was no positive proof of there complicity. The bad guys went free, but Bat dedicated the rest of his life to making sure justice was served. Bat eventually became a writer and called out the bad guys by name in print. He could have shot them, but dying was too good for those boys. I know just how you feel, Bat. I know just how you feel.

 

November 4, 2007
I'll send a free copy of The Lady Was a Gambler to the next five people who sign the guest book and include their email. The new book would make a great gift for history lovers.

 

November 2, 2007
I have spent so much time researching and writing about the four men that participated in the hunt for Dora Hand's killer that it's hard for me to decide who I like best. I've been focusing on Bat Masterson over the last few days and I like him as much as I do Bill Tilghman. It's been interesting to learn what specific event made them become champions for right. Bat and his brother had done some work grading a section of land outside of Dodge and the man that hired them failed to pay them for the job. He skipped town. Bat couldn't afford to hire an attorney to go after him so he bought himself a six shooter and waited for the man to one day return. When the thief eventually did return to Dodge City, Bat made sure he got the money he and his brother were owed. Bat waited out the bad guy. I wish I could subscribe to that. I got word yesterday from the prison officials at Beaumont Prison that if I ask anymore questions about my brother or his treatment they would turn me over to the FBI and tell the them that I was terrorizing them. Don't know how Bat would have handled this. I don't believe you can wait out the bad guy now of days. The bad guys have won and unfortunately work for the government. Where's a good posse when you need one?

 

October 29, 2007
I'm trying to get back to work today. I have been writing about Bat Masterson and his role in the posse that set out to capture Dora Hand's killer. It's hard to stay focused. It seems like my faith and circumstances have been in a head on collision. I don't think believing in a good God makes sense right now. I don't think he likes me much. Don't think he liked my brother either. My mother wants him to be buried next to her at the Norborne Cemetery, but I can't let that happen. Just thinking about what those absolute horrors of individuals did to him in life makes me shudder to think what they what do to his grave in death. What happens to him will be a closely guarded secret. You know, Bat Masterson excaped death more than once. He was shot in the pelvis during a gunfight at the Lady Gay Saloon near the Sweetwater Creek in Texas. An Army surgeon managed to remove the bullet, but he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. I miss my brother. Like I said, it's hard to stay focused.

 

October 25, 2007
Life has thrown another curve and that has caused me to neglect the website. Once again my brother that is in prison has come under attack. We are trying to get him moved to another location, but the executive assistant at the Federal Bureau of Prisons has assured me that "he will be killed and there's nothing I can do to stop it." I'm heartbroken. If he were to just die it would be one thing, but they will rape him again and again and beat him to death. My poor parents. I have been so very involved in my church and know God is real, but question everything about my faith right now. There is no mercy. I continue to work on my writing as best I can. It is my one and only joy these days.

 

October 19, 2007
The conditions were just right today to write about the Kansas posse pursuing the man who shot entertainer Dora Hand. Wyatt Earp, Charlie Bassett, Bill Tilghman, and Bat Masterson chased the bad guy across the plains and lost his trail after a heavy rainstorm. They made camp in the rain and tried to sleep so they would be well rested to continue the hunt the next day, but the weather wasn't having it. Sometime in the middle of the night the men began talking about their careers and various pursuits. Although the rain was rentless, the time they spent swapping stories helped make the wet conditions seem but a minor irritation. I'm trying to recreate the scene in the book. It's not an action sequence, but so much can be learned about these legendary characters during the exchange. As always, Bill Tilghman is the standout lawmen among the four. He was unassuming and generous. I think I'm more than a little smitten with Mr. Tilghman.

 

October 18, 2007
Some days I'm not passionate at all about writing. Today I'd be hard pressed to say just what I was passionate about. I started this venture of writing wanting to do nothing more than pen comic screenplays. Simply put, I just wanted to make people laugh. Breaking into that line of work requires an association with someone in the business however. No matter how good the work might be you'd stand a better chance at winning the lottery than getting one of your screenplays optioned and made into a motion picture. The competition is overwhelming. So many people want to write or say they've written. I've met many people who tell me about their book or script. No one ever meets a dentist and confesses to them that they've been working on filling molars in their spare time. Few bump into a librarian and tell them about their idea to better the dewey decimal system. Lots of people write though and lots of people want the world to know what they're writing. I admire their passion and on cloudy, rainy days like these, long to feel as excited about the venture as they do.

 

October 12, 2007
I've been busy this week writing about school marms of the old west. My publisher has asked me to bring the book in before the original deadline so I've been feverishly trying to comply. I want to focus all my energy on the posse book. I love the story and the memory of the four men I get to spend time with everyday. After meeting with Louis Gossett Jr. this past week I decided I would phone him and ask if he would read the screenplay I wrote entitled Frogs In Paradise. The story centers around a murder that actually occurred in my hometown. He agreed and my agent has sent the material to him. In other news, the production company that optioned Playing For Time emailed and told me there has been some interest expressed in the project. It would be nice to see that get off the ground. Even with all this going on I find I am overwhelmed with thoughts of my brother. I will write his story and continue to pray everyday that God stips the bitterness from my heart. It's all consuming at times. There's nothing anyone can do about the hurt and loss and that's the damn awful misery of it.

 

October 7, 2007
I had the distinct pleasure of being a part of the Lone Pine Film Festival this weekend. I was able to speak with several Western film legends and visit a part of California I'd never seen. The volunteers working with the festival were kind and generous. The ladies who hosted the Friday night meals were gracious as well. Chris Langley, the gentlemen in charge of the event, gave my little mock-u-mentary a showing at the Lone Pine Film Museum. I am sincerely grateful for that opportunity. With the exception of sitting on a panel entitled Crafting Written Film History, in which I was clearly out of my element since I do not write about film history or consider myself worthy of being on dais with such giants in the field as Holly George Warren and Petrine Mitchum, the event was delightful. The man who moderated the panel was aware that I didn't belong there either. The back-handed insult at the onset of the discussion where he introduced me to the audience was proof of how offended he was at my being there. At least I like to think he was simply offended by my presence and not that he is a boorish, self-indulgent, know-it-all with the manners of a goat on a regular basis. I could be wrong. Anyway, I'm glad to have had the experience.

 

October 2, 2007
In my opinion people who write quality music are the most talented writers around. To set thoughtful lyrics to a provoking melody is admirable. Whenever I hear a tune like that I am in awe of the creativity behind it. Music is a universal language and can mean many different things to different people. Nothing else is like that. I heard a song yesterday entitled Because of You. It brought back feelings that I have for my one time neice who falsely accused my brother of some very evil things. I am much more careful now with children from my Sunday school class than I used to be because of her. I never imagined teenagers would say the things she did to get attention and because of that I don't trust any accusation a teenager makes about anyone - a teacher, aunt, uncle, grandparents. I lost a bit of the innocense I used to have because of her and it defines the way I write now and see the world. The lyrics of the song Because of You echo my sentiments and I'm proud of the person who wrote the song. Wish I had that kind of talent.

 

October 1, 2007
The book signing at Barnes and Noble this past Saturday was wonderful! I met some very talented writers and particular enjoyed the conversation I had with Michael Troyan the author of the biography about actress Greer Garson. We've decided to collaborate on a book about the cowgirls of Old West films. I'm off to the Lone Pine Film Festival this weekend. It's a six hour drive from my home, but I'm going to bring a handful of Max Brand westerns on tape and enjoy the ride. I'm working on the posse book and learning more about Marshal Bill Tilghman. In my opinion he was the best man on the ride and one of the finest lawmen that ever lived - next to my brothers that is.

 

September 28, 2007
I'm so excited about the signing at Barnes and Noble in Sacramento tomorrow. I think it's going to be a great time and I'm grateful for the opportunity. I'll be signing with authors who have written biographies on Greer Garson and Boris Karloff. I look forward to being able to talk with them about their subjects. My nephew leaves for the Navy on Monday. I know he'll do well. Good luck, Corey.

 

September 26, 2007
One of the things I dread most about writing is when the manuscript comes back from the editor with questions, comments, and suggestions for changes that need to be made. The comments can be quite biting at times, even somewhat mean-spirited. I find myself on the defensive rathering than looking at the suggestions objectively. I just finished making changes to a book I got back from my publisher about outlaws of the Old West and I have to say the experience was quite different this time. The person who reviewed the material was kind and thoughtful. Their attitude made me want to bend to all of their suggestions. Don't get me wrong. I still bristle at the prospect of doing rewrites, but this time it wasn't so bad. The book Outlaws of California is due out sometime next fall.

 

September 21, 2007
It's amazing how devastation in one's personal life shapes what they write and the way they write. Orwell, Hemingway, and Melville.... I would not presume to put my own work in the same category of these literary giants, but I can identify with how suffering and tragedy influences the work. My beloved brother is sitting in a federal prison right now because I asked him to plead guilty for a crime he did not commit. Due largely to a corrupt federal system that misuses the Patriot Act, investigating officers who were and still are, romantically involved with the witnesses in the case, supplying them funds and special services, coupled with how easy it is for a disgruntled teenagers to falsely accuse fine individuals of the most vile acts and make it stick with no evidence, I believe I had to ask my brother to take a plea. It's my fault he is where he is. I couldn't risk losing him for life. Every day when I sit down to write I see his aged, sad face. I hear my mother weeping, longing for her son. Every t I cross, every i I dot holds the pain I feel over this unjust event. I ache for justice and cause the characters I write about to ache for the same ideal. I pray daily for all bitterness to be removed from my heart. Man can do nothing, but yield to God in all things. I hold onto and believe completely in the irrefutable truth sent forth from the heavens above, God's vengeance is assured.

 

September 17, 2007
I'm off to Gold Hill, Nevada tomorrow to take part in the Old West lecture series there. I'll be speaking on the subject of women doctors of the Old West. I met an interesting gentlemen this past week while I was at the Capitol Public Radio studios. He had just completed a trip to Africa where he was part of a program that helped educate people about STDs and the HIV virus. The teenagers there are given false information about the virus and are being told (by their teachers no less) that the HIV virus is found in condoms. I was shocked to learn the odd things some believe. It reminded me of when I was doing the research for the book The Doctor Wore Petticoats. I learned that men and women on the frontier who were suffering with an STD believed the water around Lake Tahoe could heal them. They soaked themselves in the water around Emerald Bay. I can't help but think about that whenever I drive by that area and see people swimming. Very interesting.

 

September 11, 2007
I spent the better part of the day working on the book about the intrepid posse. My focus has been about Marshal Bill Tilghman and his law enforcement techniques. He was interested in learning every aspect of the law and that made him different from Earp, Masterson, and Bassett. Out of the four men he was the only one that made being a police officer a way of life. The other men dabbled in the business, but it was Tilghman's profession. Bat Masterson said that Tilghman was "the finest of us all." On more than one occasion, Marshal Tilghman was wrongly accused of a crime. I guess that kind of thing has been going on longer than I even imagined. In Tilghman's case however, the people who really did commit the crime were made to pay and he was vendicated.

 

September 7, 2007
And so ends another work week. I've got a good start on chapter four of the posse book and will be traveling to Sacramento this coming week to do further research on the book about school marms of the Old West. I'm glad to see that westerns are still alive at the theatres. I think there will always be an audience for them. People like it when the guys in the white hats outgun the guys in the black hats. There's something very satisfying about that kind of justice. It's been my own personal experience that the bad guys (or girls as in this paticular case) never get what's coming to them. In a truly good western evil never triumphs. If only art imitated life.

 

September 4, 2007
One of the reasons why I agree to run ads in major publications like True West Magazine and American Cowboy is not just because of the quality of the periodical, but because of the quality of the advertisement. Jeff Galpin at House of Print and Copy in Grass Valley is the graphic designer who creates the ads and I couldn't be more pleased. He does such a fine job that anyone would be proud to show off his work. He and his wife are so talented they are doing the art for the children's book I'm writing. The book is entitled The Christmas Adventures of Cowboy Ned and it should be released by Christmas 2008.

 

August 30, 2007
I continue to work on the book about schoolmarms of the Old West. I've been writing on a chapter about a 66 year-old woman who traveled to Oregon from Independence in 1846. She weighed 108 pounds and walked with a cane. After she arrived in the Oregon territory she went to work teaching school and caring for orphans. The strength of character in the women from back then is amazing. I have four wonderful neices and hope they grow up to have the same courage as the ladies I've had the honor to write about. My neices are Taylor and Jordan Parry and Melissa and Amanda Enss. What a delight they've been.

 

August 27, 2007
I'm going to be working on an article for True West Magazine on what's it's like to live in Grass Valley, California. There is a great deal of history in the Gold Rush town and I'm proud to get a chance to write about it. Sixteen years ago when I moved here I didn't think I was going to like it. It was cold and snowing and I had spent so much of my time in Arizona...I had my doubts. But it turns out that this place is home to me now and I can't imagine living anywhere else. Maybe Kansas, or Tombstone, or Deming, New Mexico...

 

August 24, 2007
One of my next projects is going to be a story of frontier justice. I'm am fixated on bad people getting their come-upings. I haven't personally experienced that. I don't know that a lot of people have. Most of the bad people I've been personally acquainted with have never gotten what's coming to them. Maybe that's why stories like The Unforgiven, The Quick and the Dead, or Once Upon a Time in the West are so popular. I haven't really been passionate about writing much else. Perhaps writing a story like that would do me a world of good.

 

August 22, 2007
I was only in Dodge City for a short time, but I miss it. The people, the history. It was a delightful place and I look forward to going back when the book is released. I heard from the producers of the film project I'm working on. The screenwriter finished the rewrite and they are heading out to the studios soon. Wish I could have been the one to rewrite the piece, but they needed a name writer and that ain't me.

 

August 20, 2007
I'm pinning a lot of hope on this book I'm writing entitled Thunder Over the Prairie. I am working very hard to make sure it's accurate and I have every source listed. I want this western to open the door to other writing opportunities. Lately, I don't have the passion I used to...for anything. A personal crisis has left me drained. Bad things happen and the hurt that accompanies it is overwhelming. The hurt should kill you, but you keep going. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me going is the story, the next writing project. Don't know what I'd do if I couldn't write.

 

August 13, 2007
I'm disappointed in the sales for Tales Behind the Tombstones. I thought it would do better than what it has. Maybe it needs to be out there a bit longer. The Lady Was a Gambler comes out in October. I think that will do well. I always thought writing books would look like it did for Kathleen Turner's character in Romancing the Stone. The words would pour out of her fingers onto the typewriter. She'd celebrate the completion of the book with her cat, deliver it to her publisher, who would read it right then and who loved the work, and would put the promotional staff at the publishing house to work promoting the book. Few things are as good as they appear in the movies.

 

August 9, 2007
I'll be running an ad for the book about women gamblers of the Old West in the Nov/Dec edition of the magazine American Cowboy. From what I understand the magazine will be distributed to guests at the upcoming NFR conference in Las Vegas. The ad should be well received. I hope. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the ad in the publication.

 

August 7, 2007
It's my dad's birthday today. He recently went with me to Dodge City, Kansas on a research trip for the book I'm writing about the "most intrepid posse." My real father left my brothers and I when I was about eight and never looked back. How blessed I am that I have someone in my life that wanted to be a dad and hung in there. It's made all the difference in the world.

 

August 6, 2007
I just had to post the following note from a kind person who read Tales Behind the Tombstones. Dear Chris, Congratulations on the publication of your book Tales Behind The Tombstones. I just received a copy (complimentary) today. Thank you for thinking of us. It will be displayed in a prominent place in our Archives and lent to the many avid readers we have in our Community. You have chosen many interesting people to write about and I find it fascinating reading. it prompts me to do more research on many of the subjects of your book. It is very readable and written in an easy-reading style. Again, many thanks for the book. Good luck in your future ventures. Sincerely, Sister Kathleen Padden Archivist, Ursuline Convent of the Sacred Heart Toledo, OH 43606

 

August 6, 2007
At times I think I like having written more than writing. I am always amazed at the finished product - the cover, the typesetting. It seems like the real work starts after that, however. Lots of promotion. I'm looking forward to getting the posse book done and promoting that work. Thought I'd include a bit of the new book today. Let me know what you think. All at once the hard thud of a pair of bullets charging through the wall of the tiny room cut through the routine noises of the cattle town with an uneven, gusty violence. The first bullet was halted by the dense plaster partition leading into the bed chambers. The second struck Dora on the right side under her arm. There was no time for her to object to the injury, no moment for her to cry out or recoil in pain. The slug killed her instantly. More to come later...

 

July 31, 2007
I've been spending a great deal of time working on the book about the "most intrepid posse." I want to make sure that I cover all my bases and note all my sources. I always include a bibliography with my books, but this time I am going to mark particular sentences with numbers and list the sources for particular statements. I should have been doing that all along, with every book. Wish I could go back in time. There are so many things I would change. So many know-it-all historians I'd avoid. Oh, well...

 

July 27, 2007
The Doctor Wore Petticoats is a fascinating glimpse into the heretofore unseen world of female physicians in horse and buggy days. Despite an urgent need for trained doctors in the Old West, women were told that they need not apply. Flora Hayward Stanford actually worked on such legendary folk heroes as Buffalo Bill Cody and Calamity Jane. Susan La Flesche was the first Native American woman to become a licensed physician - so women today have no excuses for not fulfilling their potential. Anyone who believes in the equality of the sexes will love this book. Chris Enss has given us an inspirational journey through time. Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Karri Watson, 2007

 

July 26, 2007
Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier Chris Enss Falcon (2005) ISBN 9780762727568 Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (7/06) Around the 1850s, pioneering American men left the east and headed west to uncharted territory like California, Oregon, and Wyoming to find gold or claim land. But what happened when they got out there and realized there were no women to share their land or riches with? How did they entice women to the wild west? And what type of woman was likely to make that journey across America? Hearts West tells us these stories. Hearts West relays the true stories of mail-order brides and bachelors during the late 1800s in Americas wild west. Chris Enss has done her research and provides the reader with accurate information collected through journals, newspapers, letters, photographs, and other historical documents. She adds just the right amount of fictionalized commentary to draw the reader in, but not intrude upon the facts. This book is appropriate to use as a textbook or for research since it is so well documented. But it is also a good read for anyone interested in the topic. Many methods were used to bring women to the west. Matrimony magazines and newsletters were the most common method. Men and women both wrote ads and answered by letter to find a suitable mate. Samples in the book were surprisingly similar to todays online dating service ads. More innovative methods include renting boats and shipping groups of women across country. This book is filled with short anecdotes that tell a much larger story and provide a historical viewpoint of relationships. This is a viewpoint that we dont often get enough of. Without these brave men and women many of us wouldnt be here today. I found that there were two overwhelming themes in this book  the power of survival and the power of love. After only a few letters passed between them, a man and a woman were brave enough to decide to meet and marry. Why would they take this risk? For many of the women it was a chance to make more of their life. Stuck in poverty, dead-end servant jobs, or just the thought of spinsterhood drove them to take that plunge. While some of these matches ended in disaster, others ended in long happy relationships. Hearts West provides a good mix of humor, disaster, sweetness, and sadness to give an overall picture of what our American ancestors went through, all for the sake of love and survival.

 

July 25, 2007
I doesn't appear that I've had many visits to my site yet. I guess I've got to give it some time. I would really appreciate the chance to be able to dialogue with other authors. If you stop by this page, sign the guest book and let me know if you'd like to talk about writing - specifically writing historic non-fiction books. Tune into KAHI Radio tomorrow at 9 a.m.. I'm doing an interview with Loyce Smallwood about the new book and getting your work published.

 

July 23, 2007
At the request of some of the people I've met while doing book signings, a guest book section has been added to the website. I hope everyone who visits will take a moment and sign the book and let me know what interests you about the subject of women of the Old West. I will be giving away a free copy of the new book Tales Behind the Tombstones to the first five people who signup. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

July 19, 2007
I spent the day in North Lake Tahoe. I was a speaker for the monthly historical society meeting and it was a sincere honor to have been invited to do so. The staff at the Gatekeeper's Museum where the event was held were kind and the museum itself was filled with a wonderful Indian basket collection. Tahoe was breathtaking. Being able to talk about the books I've written at venues like that is the best part of the job.

 

July 17, 2007
So many times when I've been doing research for one story I happen onto interesting facts about a seemingly unrelated person's life. Such is the case with the book about schoolmarms of the Old West and the chapter I'm writing on Sister Blandina Segale. This dedicated nun and school teacher kept a diary that described her life in the Southwest. While working in Trinidad, Colorado she met Billy the Kid. Her description of the outlaw and his actions at the time are fascinating. According to Sister Blandina, Billy had "steel-blue eyes, which tell a set purpose, good or bad." I'm looking forward to learning more about this remarkable woman and about the many legendary characters she met in ther life.

 

July 13, 2007
One of my favorite magazines about the Old West is Chronicles of the Old West. It's not only a well edited newspaper, but the folks that handle the publication are quality individuals. Sunny and Dakota Livesay are two of the nicest people you'd ever want to meet and are quite knowledgable about Old West history. There are some historians that behave as though they have a copyright on what happened in the Old West and seek to destroy anyone who writes about it. Sunny and Dakota want nothing more than to help any writer working on books or articles about that period of history and are generous with their time and own research on the subject. They are a real joy and I'm proud of the work they do.

 

July 10, 2007
I stopped by the local bookstore today and was pleased to see a copy of Tales Behind the Tombstones on the shelf. I hadn't seen it in it's final form. I'm grateful to have another book on the market and hope that it is well received. I dedicated it to a good friend of mine, Chris Navo. He and his wife and children have been an inspiration to me and he is one of the key players in the Christmas in Bethlehem program that is produced at our church. He also hosts a haunted house every year and people from all over the county stop by to visit. If anyone would appreciate a book about tombstones it's Chris Navo.

 

July 9, 2007
It's amazing how many different accounts are written on one historical event. And everyone insists their version of the event is accurate. Many historians out there claim to be the experts on a subject and are offended should you bring up another version of the story. In the "letter to the editor" in the most recent edition of True West Magazine a distant relative of Soapy Smith took writer Cathy Spude to task about an article she had written about the famous character. I really liked her response. She said, "Like horse racing, differences of opinion make for better Western history." I agree that it makes for better Western history, but dealing with all the differences of opinion can be a giant pain in the backside.

 

July 3, 2007
Started writing about the death of western entertainer Dora Hand today. I think this story is going to be a fascinating one to put on paper. It's sure been a joy to research. I love the Old West. Think I was born 150 years too late.

 

July 2, 2007
Tales Behind the Tombstones is due out today. I haven't seen a copy of the book in its completed form yet. It's always a treat when the finished product arrives. This book is filled with photographs and I hope it is well received. Writing the piece made me aware of the many cemeteries across the country that are in a state of disrepair and of the many tombstones that have been vandalized. It's unfortunate the lack of respect some people have for an indivdual's final resting place.

 

June 27, 2007
I have been reviewing the edited pages for the book about women gamblers of the Old West. I was intrigued all over again about the ladies that dealt cards to the rough cowhands and fascinated with their ability to master the games of poker, faro, and blackjack. I believe readers will find the subject interesting as well.

 

June 25, 2007
One of the most difficult, and often times expensive, aspects of writing books about the Old West is securing the photos to use in the manuscripts. Historical libraries have archived thousands of wonderful photographs, but the process of acquiring the pictures and getting all the permission paperwork signed by the proper person is time consuming. The end result is an aesthetically pleasing book, however. The book I'm wrapping up now about women miners of the Old West will feature pictures that capture ladies digging and panning for gold. Priceless bits of history that are well worth the effort.

 

June 21, 2007
I miss working with author Joann Chartier. She was a joy to collaborate with and a true friend. There are very few women I admire and Joann is one of them. She moved away a few years ago and is living in a beautiful valley in Oregon, painting and writing. I know she's happy and I'm happy for her.

 

June 18, 2007
Of all the women I'v written about, business owner and prospector Nellie Cashman, has to be one of my favorites. She labored diligently alongside male prospectors in mountainous creekbed and streams from Alaska to Arizona. She was outspoken and direct and her fellow miners respected her. She wouldn't tolerate any improprieties was not afraid to standup to any man who dare cross the line. She never used her feminine wilds to make life easier. "Some women think they should be given special favors because of their sex. Well, all I can say is that those special favors spell doom to a woman and her business.... I've paid my bills and played like a man." Nellie was one of a kind.

 

June 15, 2007
One of the reasons I'm attracted to the Old West genre is the notion of frontier justice. Bad people got what they deserved, a bullet between the eyes or hung. Avenging wrongs against your family, ala Wyatt Earp, was expected and accepted. The process had its flaws, but bad guys knew they couldn't get away with it forever. I live vicariously through the actions of Wyatt Earp and what he did for his brothers. I'd have done the same.

 

June 13, 2007
I've spent part of the day revising a book proposal I've written about film producer Howard Kazanjian. He has had a rich film career and has worked with many repected members of the industry from Sam Peckinpah to George Lucus. His story will benefit film students and fans of film alike.

 

June 12, 2007
I began research on another book - this one will be about frontier schoolmarms. Emigrants established schools for their children almost as soon as they were settled in the new land. In sparsely furnished rooms equipped with mininmal supplies, western teachers taught as many as twenty separate lessons a day to youngsters ranging in age from four to twenty-four. I'm looking forward to writing about these heroic women.

 

June 8, 2007
I received three copies of the pictorial Happy Trails today. It reminded me of what wonderful people Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were and what a wonderful job the art department at Globe Pequot Press did on the book. There are so many people I write about I wished I'd known personally. Roy and Dale were two of them. They managed to keep the faith no matter what tragedy occured in their lives. I admire that and aspire to one day be like that myself.

 

June 6, 2007
Back in Grass Valley, California after an enlightening research trip. Kansas is a lovely state and it was a treat to be able to walk the same streets traveled by Wild Bill Hickock and Bill Tilghman. I'm putting the finishing touches on the book about women miners of the Old West. It will include a glossary of mining terms - one of which has always baffled me - the term "sourdough." The term now refers to a "veteran inhabitant of an area," but during the Yukon gold rush of the late 19th century, sourdough bread was a staple in the prospector's camp, and the prospectors themselves became known as sourdoughs.

 

June 1, 2007
Woke up in Dodge City, Kansas yesterday. My stay at the historical location was enlighting and memorable. The research staff at the Kansas Heritage Center couldn't have been nicer or more cooperative. I'm anxious to put words to paper for the new book entitled Thunder Over the Prairie. The posse that originated out of Dodge City consisted of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Charlie Bassett and Bill Tilghman. It's going to be quite an adventure.

 

May 23, 2007
I travel to Winterset, Iowa tomorrow for the celebration of what would have been John Wayne's 100th birthday. I feel blessed to be a part of the book signing event that will include several other authors who have written about Wayne. I'll also be visiting Dodge City, Kansas and gathering information for an upcoming book entitled Thunder Over the Prairie.

 

May 21, 2007
In the summer of 1849 Dr. Fayette Clappe from New Jersey arrived in San Francisco. With him was his small, blonde, vivacious wife. Louise Ameila Knapp-Smith Clappe was a published writer, but her most famous works were yet to come. For, as "Dame Shirley," she would write a series of twenty-three letters from the gold mines which would become classics. Her descriptions of the very location where I currently live is riveting. I'm pleased her story will be included in the new book about women miners of the Old West.

 

May 18, 2007
My research on the new book about women miners of the Old West took me to Tonopah, Nevada today. I spent time poring over information about a tenacious prospector named Ellen Nay. On March 31, 1909, she discovered a 75 pound boulder full of gold at the base of the Sugarloaf Mountains near Salsbury Washington, Nevada. "Oh, Lord," she proclaimed after learning about the depth of her discovery, "I never supposed there was so much gold in the world."

 

May 16, 2007
Another day in the Old West. I am currently working on a book entitled A Beautiful Mine, Lady Miners of the Old West. Included in this work is a chapter about Baby Doe Tabor, the Silver Queen of Colorado. She is the least likeable character I've written about to date. A manipulative woman who, from the age of four, knew how to "work" the opposite sex to get what she wanted. She wanted to marry a rich man and set her sights on Horace Tabor. It made no difference to her that he was a married man with children. She wanted what she wanted and would have it regardless of who was hurt in the process. In the end she had few friends, was deserted by her children and died alone. When they found her body in her run down shack outside the Matchless Mine she only had a small cache of food in her pantry and a few sticks of wood to keep her warm. I guess some people do get their "come-upings."

 

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