Category Archives: Grace be a Lady
Feminism vs. Just Gittin’ It Done…
Let’s be clear: I am no feminist. I do, however, write stories about strong-willed women who overcome some pretty stout obstacles. Often, my heroines are based on real people.
So, why am I not a feminist? Isn’t modern feminism basically the belief women should be treated the same as men? One dictionary defines it as advocating social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men.
Hmmm. Let’s not give that platform a blank check. The FACT is women are different from men and when two things ARE inarguably different, they don’t always need to be treated the same. For example, only women can get pregnant. A woman shouldn’t be allowed to kill a baby growing in her uterus under the guise of women’s rights, or pro-choice or whatever pretty euphemism you’d like to use.
Furthermore, God’s Word draws a distinction between men and women, calling us the weaker vessel. Weaker. Not defective. Physically weaker.
Generally speaking, women didn’t sail the seas to find a new country. Women didn’t hack trails out of the wilderness to see what was over the next hill. Women didn’t trek deep into the heart of the mountains to trap beavers. When gold was discovered in California, women didn’t saddle their horses and ride hell-bent-for-leather to stake a claim.
Feminists would say slow female participation in these events was due to a society that held women back. Everything from unfair property laws to corsets, to educational barriers kept us from tackling great, ground-breaking, destiny-defining adventures. I say phooey. That is a bogus construct.
Women—namely, American women—have always done what they needed to do when they needed to do it. Especially if they really wanted to do it. Our female ancestors lived on the frontier, fought in the Revolutionary War, drove their own wagons west, panned for their own gold, opened their own freight lines, ranched on the edge of Indian Territory, won the right to vote. These endeavors were harder for them. Yet, rather than whine about their circumstances, like their physical limitations and ignorant men, they forged ahead.
And did all this without playing the victim, amplifying their own sense of self-importance (read “selfish” here), or casting off their moral compass, along with their femininity.
I believe the content of a person’s character is the true determining factor in their success. You can’t keep a good woman down and smart men eventually figure that out.
~~~~~
Speaking of strong-willed women, you should check out my book Grace be a Lady. Yep, it’s the tale of a feisty heroine who did what she had to do without selling her soul in the process.
She Chose the War Path
from my post over at https://cowboykisses.blogspot.com
Sometimes when I do research, I discover fascinating individuals who led gloriously exciting lives and then retired in peace, children and grandchildren sitting at their feet. The happily ever after. The ending we’d all like. Truth is, though, sometimes a hero has her moment early on and from there it’s not a very pretty spiral downward.
This is my impression of the life of Apache warrior woman Dahteste (pronounced ta-DOT-say).
Born around 1860 she chose her path as a warrior. The Apache let you do that. A fairly open-minded society, you could be a warrior, a homemaker, a medicine man, whatever, as long as you worked at it and could deliver. Dahteste was known for her beauty, but she was also clearly respected for her fighting, riding, hunting, and shooting skills. She was fast and she was mean. No man challenged her light-heartedly. And she proved her worth repeatedly on raids with the Apache. In fact, she rode with Cochise (you might remember him. He led an uprising against the U.S. government that started in 1861 and didn’t end until ’72). Remarkably, Dahteste was barely a teenager! Her fighting didn’t end, however, with Cochise’s acceptance of a peace treaty. She continued it by riding with Geronimo. Who knows how many “white-eyes” lost their lives to her rifle?
Geronimo surrendered in 1886. Dahteste over the years had picked up quite a bit of English, had even served as a cavalry scout for a time, so she negotiated the great chief’s surrender. Her reward? She was arrested and shipped to a prison in Florida where she stayed for eight years. Then she was moved to the military prison at Fort Sill, OK where she was a guest for nineteen years. During her time as a resident of the US Army’s military prison system, she survived pneumonia and tuberculosis. I suspect she survived much more than that.
During this time she divorced her husband Ahnandia (one of Geronimo’s original warriors) and within a few years married fellow inmate and former Army scout Coonie. The couple was released in 1919 and moved to the Mescalero Apache Reservation in New Mexico.
Dahteste, reports say, never spoke English again and wore only beautiful beaded native clothing. She left her long black hair down and unbraided, but always brushed. She was a proud Apache woman who walked with her chin up.
Though she did, indeed, retire with children and grandchildren around her feet, none of them were hers by blood, and she was not generally known to smile much. I hope she spent her final years enjoying peace and happiness, but I don’t get that sense. I think Dahteste was a survivor and she did so with more grim determination than optimism.
The Measure of a Man–His Heart & Soul Plus an Exclusive Excerpt!
by Heather Frey
To Love and to Honor—Why a story about an amputee?
Last year I stumbled across a newspaper article about photographer Michael Stokes. He was snapping sexy pics of veterans who had lost limbs in combat. I was stunned both by the soldiers’ mind-blowing good looks, and the extent of their injuries.
The thought haunted me how these devastatingly handsome, rugged men were dealing with the scars, the prosthetics, the missing limbs. I thought also of evangelist Dave Roever. Horribly disfigured in Vietnam, he’d watched as a fellow soldier’s wife had taken one look at her gravely burned husband and walked out of the room. Fortunately, Dave’s wife had the opposite reaction and the two are still married to this day.
But based on the junk you see coming out of Hollywood, one would believe our culture values physical perfection far above inner beauty. It seems the shallow masses give a pass to monstrous inner ugliness if the package comes wrapped in a big bust or washboard abs.
I feel for the wounded vets in a society like this and wanted to write something for them—a story that clearly focuses on the real measure of a man—his heart and soul, not his number of fingers or toes.
I hope you enjoy it and all the other stories in the special collection It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas! ON SALE NOW or read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited! I’ve included an excerpt at the bottom!
If you are so inclined, you can read an article on Michael Stokes photography here— http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3165402/Photographer-captures-amputee-war-veterans-posing-naked-proudly-revealing-injuries-powerful-picture-series.html, but WARNING: adult content. Privates are covered… BARELY! 
An excerpt from To Love and to Honor–
Someone knocked at the door. “Señor, Señora” a voice called. “We have the water for a bath.”
Joel’s bath. “Yes, come in.”
Four ranch hands, one right after the other, trailed into the room, each with a steaming bucket of water. In short order, the portable copper tub was full and they excused themselves.
Joel stared at the bath with a tight expression, as if he was afraid of it.
Slowly, Angela rose and crossed the room to stand in front of him. He looked up with an expression of surprise that quickly transformed to desire. Hope flickered in his deep, blue eyes. She knelt in front of him and gently laid a hand on his knee. “You need a bath.” She swallowed, and fought to control her breathing. “I’ll help you.”
His eyes widened. “You—you can’t.”
She reached for his boot heel and started tugging. “I’m the only one who can.” The boot came free and she reached for the other.
Joel clutched her hand. “No.”
She didn’t meet his gaze, but she could feel it, like a gentle touch on her cheek.
“I mean, I don’t want you to see…”
Was he afraid his wound, his missing limb, would be too grotesque for her? She couldn’t imagine anything about this man being repulsive. She gave him a slow, reassuring smile. “I don’t mind.”
She pushed his pant leg up above his knee and realized his boot had been sewn on to the prosthetic. She didn’t know what to do.
“It’s cinched around my thigh.” Joel’s voice sounded strained.
Grace be a Lady #BookGiveaway #WIN #LadiesinDefiance
What better way to “Go Green” then by reading e-books? No trees or paper wasted and you can enjoy them again and again! Welcome to the 2nd annual Green Thumb Giveaway Hop! This event is hosted by Savings in Seconds. Each participating blog has a prize that will help you welcome spring with a green thumb!
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady.
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. As friendship and love blossom, so do the lies. Soon deceit catches fire and threatens everything Grace and Thad hold dear. Will love conquer all?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
The Giveaway
The e-book giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering great giveaways, click the blue frog link below for the list, and start “hopping!”
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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Grace be a Lady Book #Giveaway #LadiesinDefiance
Welcome to the A Fresh Start Giveaway Hop hosted by MamatheFox! Get the New Year started with a chance to win some fun new prizes! Be sure to come back for your daily entries to increase your chances of winning! Good Luck
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady.
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. As friendship and love blossom, so do the lies. Soon deceit catches fire and threatens everything Grace and Thad hold dear. Will love conquer all?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
The Giveaway
The e-book giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering great giveaways, click the blue frog link below for the list, and start “hopping!”
MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.
Grace be a Lady by Heather Blanton AUDIBLE #BookGiveaway #LadiesinDefiance
The Gracious Giveaway Hop event runs from November 3-17, 2016. Many thanks to Maximum Games for providing the grand prize for this event! Be sure to enter at Savings in Seconds for your chance to win.
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady. (A Historical Western Romance with a Big Twist.)
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. What is he thinking, though, playing with fire … ? Isn’t he a better man that?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
BTW- Grace be a Lady is only $2.99 right now on Kindle and FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Load up your reader for Winter is what I say!
The Giveaway
The giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. The winner will have a choice of the Audible version of the book or an e-copy. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books. Enter through the Rafflecopter link below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering great giveaways, below is the list, so start “hopping!”
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Grace be a Lady AUDIBLE BOOK #Giveaway #LadiesinDefiance
Welcome to the Inspirational Giveaway! Each participating blogger created a post around their inspiration, so be sure to hop around and read all the creative stories. This event is hosted by Savings in Seconds, where you can find the grand prize — a Yonanas Classic!
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady. (A Historical Western Romance with a Big Twist.)
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. What is he thinking, though, playing with fire … ? Isn’t he a better man that?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
BTW- Grace be a Lady is only $2.99 right now on Kindle and FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Load up your reader for Spring is what I say!
The Giveaway
The giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. The winner will have a choice of the Audible version of the book or an e-copy. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering great giveaways, below is the list, so start “hopping!”
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Grace be a Lady by Heather Blanton #BookGiveaway #LadiesinDefiance
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
A big thank you to b00kr3vi3ws for hosting this blog hop especially for indie authors!
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady. (A Historical Western Romance with a Big Twist.)
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. What is he thinking, though, playing with fire … ? Isn’t he a better man that?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
Fingers crossed… Love & War in Johnson County Book 2 coming soon in August 2016!
BTW- Grace be a Lady is only $2.99 right now on Kindle and FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Load up your reader for Spring is what I say!
The Giveaway
The giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. The winner will have a choice of the Audible version of the book or an e-copy. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering book giveaways, below is the list, so start “hopping!”
Grace be a Lady BOOK #Giveaway #LadiesInDefiance
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
Luck be a Lady tonight. . . . Because, I sure as heck know, Grace is NOT being a Lady in this one!
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady. (A Historical Western Romance with a Big Twist.)
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. What is he thinking, though, playing with fire … ? Isn’t he a better man that?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
Fingers crossed… Love & War in Johnson County Book 2 coming soon in August 2016!
BTW- Grace be a Lady is only $2.99 right now on Kindle and FREE with Kindle Unlimited! Load up your reader for winter is what I say!
The Giveaway
The giveaway of Grace be a Lady is open internationally. The winner will have a choice of the Audible version of the book or an e-copy. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering book giveaways, below is the list, so start “hopping!”
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
A TWO AUDIBLE #BookGiveaway from #LadiesInDefiance
Welcome to the Under the Rainbow Giveaway Hop Event, hosted by the Lindsey Blogs at SEBG and Viva Veltoro!
Who doesn’t love finding gold under the rainbow? I’ve joined with a group of bloggers who will be offering great prizes for you, just waiting to be found under the rainbow! So, hop along to all in the giveaway hop linky below to find your gold and don’t forget to check out the great Grand Prizes for this event including a Venta Airwasher on Lindsey Blogs and an adorable baby nighttime trio of prizes on Viva Veltoro!
Please check out the other giveaways going on at my site ———————————->
TWO books. . . . ONE winner. Score!
This one features TWO AUDIBLE versions of my books. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books.
There is a sample of the Audible version of Grace be a Lady and In Time for Christmas that you can listen to here. Just click on the “Audible Sample” button located just under the book cover picture.
Well, what do you think??!! Pretty awesome, huh!
Click here to start reading a free sample of Grace be a Lady right now!
Act like a man … Think like a lady.
Banished to the dusty cow town of Misery, WY for an alleged affair, Grace Hendrick wants nothing more than to get her son away from the clutches of his abusive father Bull. But if she dares return home to Chicago, Bull has promised to whisk their son out of the country and away from her for good. Furious, desperate, Grace decides to beat Bull at his own game, which means all bets are off … even her wedding vows?
Thad, the middle son of the oldest, most successful cattle baron in Wyoming, is busy building a ranch and his faith in God. One chance meeting with Grace, though, batters his focus–and his morals–like a hail storm in July. When Grace’s brother Greg is hired by a local widow, Thad figures the kid is the straightest path to Grace’s heart. What is he thinking, though, playing with fire … ? Isn’t he a better man that?
As friendship and love blossom, Grace and Thad will also discover truths that threaten the foundations of everything they believe. But the truth will set them free … won’t it?
Click here to start reading a free sample of In Time for Christmas right now!
Charlene needs a miracle. God has one waiting…a hundred years in the past.
In Time for Christmas — a Novella, is the story of Charlene Williams, a woman trapped in a dangerously abusive marriage. Disappointed that God hasn’t gotten her out of it, or even hears her prayers at all, she has shut down emotionally. When husband Dale becomes suspicious of her daily chats with the mailman, he whisks her out of town and abandons her on his family’s ranch—an isolated, dilapidated place no one has lived on for over forty years. With the promise that he’ll be back in a few days, he knocks her unconscious and leaves.
Charlene wakes up on the ranch—a hundred years in the past. Almost instantly she is drawn to Billy Page, Dale’s great grandfather. The connection is powerful and mysterious, but should she risk falling in love with a ghost? What’s going on here? Is Charlene dead, dreaming, in a coma, or simply experiencing a gift from her heavenly father?
She’ll learn one thing for certain: God does see the tears of his children.
The Giveaway
The giveaway of Grace be a Lady and In Time for Christmas is open internationally. Anyone who is able to receive an Audible book is open to enter. You are able to listen on your Kindle Fire or with the free Audible app on Apple, Android, and Windows devices to books. One winner will receive both books. Enter through the Rafflecopter below:
If you’d like to find other blogs offering awesome giveaways, below is the list, so start “hopping!”
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
So Easy Being Green, Viva Veltoro, and the Under the Rainbow participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.
Ladies in Defiance 