Peter Wilson, Mitch's best friend

I'm so sorry it's been forever since I've posted anything.
Sydney asked a question in a comment the other day. She asked:  

I was wondering what happened to Peter Wilson after the trial in Price of Truth. 

 That is such a good question, Sydney. I'll try to remember what happened. I actually tried to block those awful few weeks out of my head. But since Peter IS Mitch's best friend, it only seems fair to "finish the story." Okay, here goes . . .

In case you don't remember, I saw Peter commit that crime in the back alley. Well . . . nobody would believe me, which was perfectly dreadful! Without giving away the entire story, it was an "all's well that ends well" story ending, and Peter actually admitted what he'd done. That said, we went home, but Justin went to talk to Peter later on. He didn't tell me everything he and Peter talked about (Justin sometimes doesn't tell me much), but because he admitted his guilt, he did not have to go to another trial. *huge sigh of relief for me!* I never, ever want to get up on any witness stands EVER AGAIN!!

Charles Wilson,
Peter and Johnny's father

Instead, Justin took me to Judge Wyatt's chambers a few days later and I told him exactly what I'd seen: It was an ACCIDENT. Both Peter and Ben Dockers were fighting each other and Mr. Dockers was killed by accident! (I can't believe how many times I had to say that!). FINALLY, the judge agreed that Peter had killed him in self-defense and he did not have to spend even one day more in jail or even go to prison. I was very glad about that, because Peter is just as nice as can be. Now, if you want to hear about what happened to Johnny--the bully--I can tell you that in another post sometime.

I will try to blog more often.

A New Series

I'm really excited to tell you about a new series. OK, it's not about me because it takes place in 1864, and that's four years before I was born. But it's about an exciting time in California--the Gold Rush (well, towards the end of it, anyway). The main character is a twelve-year-old boy named Jem. By the time I met him, he was like . . . 28 years old, but he's a lot younger for these stories.

So, you're probably wondering how I would know anything about some boy that is as old as my brother Justin. Well, it's because Justin and Chad told me they met Jem when THEY were 11 and 12.

They told me he has a younger sister too, Ellie, and they had quite an adventure when Father took them up to Goldtown way back in 1864. There was some kind of problem with the gold mine there, and probably Chad ended up right in the middle of it.

The first book, Badge of Honor, will come out next November, but Chad and Justin don't visit Jem and his sheriff father (golly, I think it would be fun to have a sheriff for a father or an older brother) until Book 2, Tunnel of Gold. As soon as there are sample chapters, I'll make sure everybody knows about them. They'll be posted on the website: Goldtown Adventures  If you want to keep up with what's happening with it, you can sign up to be on the Goldtown Ezine over there too.

"500 Fans" Facebook Giveaway WINNER

Thanks for all of the wonderful responses to the giveaway this last week! I wish I could give everybody a book to try out, but alas, that is not possible. 

Congratulations to "Hallie," who is the lucky winner. I have emailed her, and she has until the end of the week to respond. If she does not, then I will draw another winner.

I noticed we are well on our way to having 600 fans already. Yep, another contest will be forthcoming when that event happens. 

"500 Fans" Facebook Giveaway!

 This contest has ended. Thanks for entering!

I'm excited to now have over 500 fans of the Circle C Adventures (and Beginnings) series over on Facebook. I promised a giveaway when we hit 500 fans, and that day has come. So, what am I giving away? Your choice of any two books from either set, mix and match! 

How do you enter? Just leave a comment below with your email address as well as which two books you would like to win. If you are familiar with the two series, then you could also include which book is your favorite and why. If you are a potential new reader, then tell me how you heard about the books. You can see them here: www.circlecadventures.com or here: www.andiandtaffy.com.

There are ways to enter more than once:

1. Tweet about the giveaway

2. Post this link on your FB page

3. "Follow" Andi's blog

Note: You do not have to be a FB fan to enter this contest. It is open to anyone! Have fun and good luck! (If you want to "like" the Circle C Adventures page on FB, go here: Facebook.

This contest ends December 12th (one week).

Circle C Beginnings Christmas Winner!

Congratulations to Kendra Lynn for winning Andi's Circle C Christmas and lapbook. I did the contest the old-fashioned way by printing out and cutting up all those little strips of paper, then drawing one out of the "hat."

There are still a few more days to enter the "500 Fans" giveaway, which is just above this post on the blog.

Thanks for entering!

Circle C Beginnings Christmas Giveaway!

THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED.
The winner is: KENDRA LYNNE

It's time for a Christmas giveaway! This week (November 28-December 6) I'm giving away a copy of Andi's Circle C Christmas and the lapbook that accompanies it. If you don't know what a lapbook is, here is a great way to try one! You can read more about lapbooks here: LAPBOOKS

If you already own Andi's Circle C Christmas, you can enjoy the lapbook and give the book away to a young reader.

To enter the contest, please follow the instructions below:
1. Leave a comment with your email address (most important thing of all!).
2. You may enter more than once by doing the following (just tell me what you did):
    ~ Like the Circle C Adventures on Facebook
    ~ Tweet about the contest
    ~ Forward the Ezine (if you get it) to your friends.
If you are not on the Ezine list and would like to be, simply head over to www.AndiandTaffy.com and sign up.

Have fun!

Can You Guess the Horse Color?

I know it's been awhile, but here is a horse-coloring test. But first . . . read on for a little history: 

The colors of horses have fascinated people as far back as recorded history. Long ago, some folks thought the temperament and intelligence of a horse had to do with its color. That’s not true, just as it’s not true for human beings and their variety of skin, hair, and eye colors. In the end, it’s far better to have a smart, loyal, even-tempered horse than the most beautiful horse in the world. “A good horse is never a bad color” is an old horseman’s saying. However, it doesn’t hurt when a good horse is also nice-looking. 

In the picture below you will find a brief description of some common horse colors (which have nothing to do with the breed of a horse). Can you match the descriptions to the photographs of the horses? (Sorry, the picture is kind of small, but I tried!)

You can comment and just list the horse colors with the number beside it. Example: Bay - 2

And the winners are . . .

What a fun contest, but I'm kind of sad that I didn't have at least 20 posters to give away instead of only 3. So many enthusiastic folks entered and I'm sorry you all couldn't win.

The three lucky winners, chosen by Random.org are:
KRIS
KAILEY
DONNA


I emailed you all privately. If you do not reply within 7 days, I will pick another winner.

Thanks for participating, everybody!

Win a Poster of Andi and Taffy!

NOTE: THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. THANKS FOR PARTICIPATING! 

It's giveaway time! In honor of the release of the last two books in the Circle C Beginnings series (chapter books for ages 6-8), Andi's Lonely Little Foal and Andi's Circle C Christmas, I'm hosting a giveaway of three (3) glossy, 11x14 prints of the water color painting for the cover of Andi's Lonely Little Foal (autographed by the illustrator). To find out how you can win this fun poster, see below!

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment below (with your E-MAIL information so I can contact the winner(s). 

On August 22, I will randomly draw 3 names!

If you like, you may enter the giveaway two more times by:

~ sharing the link to this giveaway post with your friends on Facebook or other places

~ "Tweet" about this blog giveaway

(Just comment each time and let me know what you did.)

In the meantime, here are some great ways to get your hands on the two newest early chapter books: 

~ Visit Kregel.com for a special 30% savings. Enter the promo code HOME11 and save!  

~ Visit Christian Book Distributors or Amazon.com. 

~ Visit the AndiandTaffy website for autographed copies. 

~ Visit your local bookstore

 

A Trip to the Mercantile

The wages and expenses from the last post make for some harsh reading, don’t you think? Remember, the $5 a month per person “cost of living” did not include expenses like:

     ~seeing the doctor if your baby was sick

    ~ fixing the barn if a storm blew it down

    ~ taking into account a bad year of crops or

    ~ replacing your horse if it died. 

Most working-class people lived from one weekly paycheck to the next and prayed nothing would “go wrong” and put them into debt.

The middle-class had things a little better, but not by much. Many were merchants, like grocers or shopkeepers, hotel keepers, jewelers, and saloon keepers. Lawyers, doctors, and ministers were “professionals,” but they weren’t rich, either, since the people they served were mostly from the working and middle-class. The rich folks were the land owners, bank owners, railroad barons, and other wealthy businessmen, or those with “family” money. Some people in California had become rich because of the Gold Rush.

Whenever the family had a little extra money, the place to spend it was at the mercantile. One could find all kinds of things to buy—from thread and ribbon to kerosene lamps and candy.

A family bought their fresh produce from the grocer, milk came from the milkman, and the ice to keep things cold came from the ice man. Here you can see a sampling of items and their prices from 1880.

Here is your "assignment." At the bottom of this post is a shopping list. Your mother has sent you to town to pick up a few items. You have $1.50 to buy all the things on the list. It's all the money left until pay day, so spend it wisely. (You really want to buy the calico fabric because it is your little sister’s birthday, and your mother wants to make her a special dress.) 

Will the $1.50 be enough to buy everything on the list? If not, what will you do? How will you spend the money and bring home as much change as you can? Use the price lists here. Do not use a calculator! Remember, you are living in 1880, before calculators. You can do your figuring on paper or in your head. Leave a comment and let me know how the shopping trip went!

How much did a person make in 1880?

I was trying to scrounge up enough money to buy my mother a music box for her birthday. It cost $11.95. Maybe you think that's pretty cheap for a fancy music box, but not if you don't make much money. Here are some jobs in 1880 and how much the person got paid (by the month):

~ train engineer: $100
~ carpenter: $37

~ teacher: $40
~ house servant: $8
~ ranch foreman: $115
~ sales girl: $12
~ ranch hand: $30 (+ housing & food)
~ factory worker: $35
~ child factory worker: $8
~ laundress (washer woman): $12
~ soldier: $13
~ streetcar driver: $43

So, basically, you would have to wash clothes (be a laundress) for a whole MONTH before you could afford to buy one little music box. In 2011, that would be like the music box costing $800 (if you made $2,000 a month)

Are you ready to try a little math? 

How did the average wage-earner feed, clothe, and house his family? The rent for a small dwelling was about $4.50 a month. In addition, it cost about $5 a month to clothe and feed each member of the family. Below are a few families and their wages. Use the list above to figure out the family’s wages and how much they spend on the cost of living. Will each family make it through the month, or will they need to borrow money from relatives or friends?

A) John is a carpenter; Sally stays home to care for their 4 children.

B) José  is a ranch hand; Nila works as a house servant. They have 2 kids.

C) Tom is a train engineer; Mary washes rich folks’ clothes (laundress). They have 5 children. 

D) Paul and Judy are both factory workers; they have six children. Three kids work in the factory, while one stays home to care for the younger children.  

E) Sam is a soldier; Jane does the laundry for the fort. They have 3 children.

Answers:  (Did you try to figure it out before looking at the answers?)

 A) This family has $2.50 left at the end of the month. Not much for “extras.” What if the baby gets sick and they need a doctor?

B) This family has $18.00 to spare. They can afford a little extra at times. 

C) This family is very well off, having an extra $72.50 at the end of the month. If someone gets sick, they can afford to call the doctor.

D) This family is also doing “OK,” with $49.50 left over after living expenses. Maybe a new dress for one of the children is in order.

E) This family is coming up short by -$4.50. Maybe Jane can pick up some extra laundry

Next time: A shopping list at the Mercantile. What can you buy for $1.50?

What's a Greenback? (1880 money part 2)

I'm going to write this post like I was standing up in front of my classroom and telling everybody something they probably already know. Most people (especially my teacher, Mr. Foster) know how our United States paper money came about and why it is called "greenbacks." But for you 21st century readers, sit back and hear the tale:

“Greenbacks” is the name for paper money in the United States in 1880. Paper money hasn’t been around for very long, only about fifteen years or so. Since the War Between the States (or the War of Northern Aggression for you Southerners in the classroom. Or the Civil War. They’re all names for the same war, back in 1861-1865).

Anyway, before the War, everybody used gold and silver coins to buy and sell things. But they probably got pretty heavy in pocketbooks and purses.  

The $20 shows Alexander Hamilton; the $10 Daniel Webster 

However, the War cost money—a lot of money, and the United States didn’t have enough money from taxes. The Treasury Department decided to issue small rectangles of paper called “demand notes” (payable on demand) to people who lent the government money to pay the soldiers and finance the War. These “demand notes” were printed on green paper. So guess what! Their nickname became “greenbacks.”

After the War, some people wanted to keep the paper money in circulation permanently. But the Secretary of the Treasury said it had only been a War measure. The country must go back to the gold standard: silver and gold coins.

So the government started “retiring” (getting rid of) the paper money. But this caused problems too. The economy was not doing well, and they found an old law that allowed them to put some paper money back in circulation, which they did.

Back and forth the argument went, but as everyone knows, paper money is here to stay. In fact, in the future (in 1933), private citizens will have to trade in all their gold, and the gold standard will basically disappear. Thank you for your attention, and I hope I get an A on this report, Mr. Foster. 

A note from the author: You know it’s true. It’s paper only nowadays. Oh, wait. It’s PLASTIC only!
Next time: What can Andi buy with all these greenbacks and gold and silver coins in 1880?

Money in 1880

Hannah wants to know "about what money looked like and what is was worth . . . like in the first book [Long Ride Home], they [Andi and Rosa] bought ribbons with a dime. We probably couldn't buy that now a days. Well, at least not brand-new."

In this post, I'll show you what "coin" money looked like. In later posts, I'll write about what paper money (greenbacks) looked like; then in another post I'll talk about how much things cost (like food and thread) and how much money people made working different jobs in 1880.

1880 Dime

First off, here is a picture of what one of the dimes looked like that I found in my saddlebag. That was a REAL nice surprise, by the way. I was going to use one of the dimes to buy something special for Rosa and her family.

"Double Eagle"

Later on in the book, that mean ol' Felicity offered to buy Taffy for $20.00. In 1880, a twenty-dollar gold piece was called a "Double Eagle."Felicity could have given me one of those, but she slapped two "Eagles" into my hand. An "Eagle" is a ten-dollar gold piece.

"Eagle"

Can you guess what a "Half-Eagle" might be? Yep, a five-dollar gold piece! In Andrea Carter and the Price of Truth, Chad paid me eight dollars for all that work I did picking peaches. He gave me a half-eagle and three silver dollars.

"Half-Eagle"

Silver dollar

Of course, there were pennies too! Ever hear of penny candy? At the bottom of this post is a picture of a penny from 1880. Enjoy, and I'll be back later to talk about greenbacks (and how paper money got that funny name).

Indian head penny

Andi and Cory: young and old

Kendra wants me to post. So I've scrounged up pictures of Andi and Cory from both their younger days (Circle C Beginnings) and their older days (Circle C Adventures). I know, I know, you want another story, but be patient. It will come . . .

Double Surprise (Short Story): Part 1 of 5

Andi Carter burst into the library of her family’s ranch house with a cry of alarm.  “Mother! Where’s Chad? I need him right away!”

“Settle down, Andrea,” her mother replied with a patient smile. She laid aside the lace collar she was crocheting and gave Andi her attention. “Now, tell me what’s wrong.”

Andi couldn’t settle down. She felt wound up . . . tighter than a spring.

“It’s Taffy!” she explained, tossing her thick, dark braid behind her shoulder. She took a deep breath to quiet her racing heart. “She doesn’t look right.”

“Not again,” Melinda muttered from her place next to a low table, where bits of velvet, lace, and dark blue taffeta lay spread out in front of her. She picked up a half-finished bonnet and frowned at Andi. “We’ve heard about your horse morning, noon, and night for the past three days.” 

Andi turned smoldering blue eyes on her seventeen-year-old sister. “If your horse were acting strange, you’d be worried, too.”

“Perhaps,” Melinda threw back, “but I wouldn’t be racing into the house every ten minutes to yell about it.”

Arguing with Melinda is a waste of time, And decided. She ignored her sister’s remark and turned back to her mother. “Where’s Chad?”

“Chad and Mitch left right after supper for the cattlemen’s association meeting in town,” Elizabeth replied. “They won’t be home until late.”

Double Surprise (Short Story): Part 2 of 5

Read part 1 HERE

A frightened whinny and the sound of labored breathing jerked Andi from a deep sleep. She sat up with a gasp and turned to the still-lit lantern. Guilt washed over her when she realized she had committed the unpardonable sin on the Circle C ranch—leaving a lantern unattended. Taffy could have kicked it over and the whole barn—including herself and the rest of the horses—would have gone up in flames.

Andi hadn’t planned on falling asleep. She’d only meant to stay with Taffy an hour or two before heading back to the house and her own warm bed. “I can’t even stay awake to watch after my own horse,” she mumbled, disgusted.

But there was no time to kick herself for her inattention. When she saw Taffy down and in obvious distress, she jumped up and hurried over to the mare.

“Taffy!” Andi reached out a shaking hand and tried to calm her friend. There was no doubt the mare was in labor, and having a rough time of it.

Andi grabbed the lantern. “I’ll be right back, Taffy. I promise!”

She fled the barn and broke into a run, holding the light high to find her way through the thick, winter fog that had suddenly blanketed the ranch in a cold, wet mist. The light barely penetrated the black night. 
     As Andi entered the kitchen, she heard the clock strike two. Two o’clock in the morning! Surely Chad is home by now. Why didn’t Justin send him out to the barn?

Double Surprise (Short Story): Part 3 of 5

Read Part 1 HERE

Chad came completely awake the minute he stepped into Taffy’s stall. Andi saw the sudden, alert look in his eyes and the furrowing of his brow.

“You’re right,” he admitted, “Taffy’s in trouble. It looks like she should have dropped that foal by now.” He ran his hands down the mare’s quivering flank and spoke softly to her.

Andi watched in helpless terror. “You . . . you can pull her through, can’t you?”

“I don’t know. I’ll do everything I can. But you have to help.”

“I will,” Andi said, nodding. “Just tell me what to do.” She felt stronger now, with her brother in charge. Chad would save Taffy. He must!

“I need soap and water. Never mind if it’s hot. Just bring me a bucket of water from the pump and lots of soap.”

Andi lit a second lantern and hurried to do her brother’s bidding. Please, God!  she prayed breathlessly as she ran to the pump. Show Chad what to do.

      The fog was thicker than before, and the cold night swirled around Andi. She found a bucket near the water trough and started pumping the handle for all she was worth. Icy water gushed from the spout. 

When it was full, Andi picked up the bucket in one hand and snagged the lantern with her free hand.

Hurry, hurry! she commanded herself. But the full bucket kept her at a slow limp. Water sloshed over the lip, splashing her overalls. The freezing liquid soaked through, and Andi felt goose bumps crawling up and down her legs. 

“Here,” she gasped, setting the pail down next to Chad. Then she ran for the lye soap. Thankfully it was on a nearby shelf. She threw it in the bucket of water and waited for more orders. 

Double Surprise (Short Story): Part 4 of 5

Read Part 1 HERE

Chad kept talking. “It’s a bit of a tangle in there. Both foals are trying to make their way out at the same time.”

“What will you do?” Andi asked, wide-eyed.

“Well, I reckon I’ll try to untangle the little fellows and sort things out. Then I can push one back.” He paused as Taffy strained unsuccessfully to push out a foal. “But it’s not going to be easy. And it’s got to be soon. It’s been too long already. We might lose the foals, and Taffy too.”

Andi caught her breath. “No!”

Chad reached out and gripped Andi by her shoulders. His hands felt like two chunks of ice, even through her jacket. “Listen, Andi. I want you to keep Taffy standing quietly. Don’t let her go down until I say so. It’s important. Do you think you can do that?”

Andi nodded. “Taffy trusts you, Chad. She trusts me. I’ll just tell her it’s the only way. She’ll understand. She’ll stay up and quiet if I ask her to.”

“I sure hope so,” Chad muttered. Then he plunged his hands once again into the bucket of icy water. This time he was shivering as he scrubbed. “Ready?”

Andi kept her end of the arrangement. She talked to Taffy and stroked her nose—anything to keep the mare’s attention away from what Chad was doing. It appeared as though Taffy realized her human friends were trying to help. She never moved.

“I think I’ve got one of the foals lined up,” Chad announced at last in a drained voice. “Let her go, so she can lie down.”

Taffy immediately settled down in the straw, clearly exhausted.

“Please, Taffy,” Andi encouraged, “You can do it.” She rubbed Taffy’s nose, which lay flat against the ground. 

Double Surprise (Short Story): Conclusion

Read Part 1 HERE

The longer Andi sat in the straw, the colder she became. The lantern gave off a pale yellow light, which made shadows lurk in the corners. She didn’t know how much longer she could stay out here.

If I’m this cold, how much colder must the new babies be?

“Please can we help them nurse?” Andi begged. She had tried to keep her mind off the cold by thinking of names for the colts. But it was hard to think at all, she was shivering so much.

“I’d rather let them do it themselves,” Chad told her. “As long as they’re strong enough to stand, we’ll let them have a go at it. If they start to tire, then we’ll give them a hand.”

Andi reluctantly agreed. She wrapped her arms around herself and tried to get warm. It was no use. She clenched her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

“I think you’d better go up to bed,” Chad suggested. “Mother will skin me alive when she learns you’ve been out here most of the night, especially in this weather. I’ll stay and make sure they get their first meal.”

“I’m staying,” Andi insisted. She stifled a yawn. “You’re the one who got soaked tonight. Maybe you should go inside, before you fall asleep standing up.”

It was true. Chad looked exhausted. He was leaning against the stall wall, eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest. He couldn’t be very warm. His jacket had been thrown over the shirt he’d worn while sloshing around in the icy bucket.

“I’m not going to bed, only to be awakened an hour from now for some new emergency,” Chad said. He smiled to take the sting from his words. “If you’re dead set on staying up the rest of the night, we’d better find something warmer than what you have on. No sense catching a chill.”

Dumb Laws

In my latest adventure, Price of Truth, I had to go to court. Believe me, this was not a fun day. I was a witness and I had to get up and tell what I saw. But I did learn a lot about the law. It's mostly good, actually. 


However, sometimes I wonder where some of our laws come from. It's like the lawmakers were asleep when they made the laws. (Probably a lot of the laws had good reasons when they were first passed, but somebody forgot to take them out of the books when they didn't apply any longer.) 


I found some really dumb ones. They made me smile, which helped me get over my horrible day in court. Maybe they will make you smile too. 


~ In Kentucky, the law says that a person must take a bath once a year. 
~ It is illegal to tie an alligator to a fire hydrant in Michigan.
~ You may not ride an ugly horse in Wilbur, Washington.
~ In Virginia, chickens cannot lay eggs before 8:00 am, and must be done before 4 pm. 
~ You may not carry a concealed weapon over six feet in length in Seattle, Washington. 
~ And listen, all you kids, it is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket in Kentucky.
~ In Memphis, Tennessee, it is against the law to drive a car while you are sleeping. 
~ But there is a dumber law in New York. It is against the law for a blind person to drive an automobile. (Go figure!)


California has some really dumb laws:
~ You may not wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.
~ In Santa Ana, you may not swim on dry land.
~ No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 miles per hour in the state. 
~ You may not shoot at any type of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale. 


And just so the pets don't feel left out, in North Carolina it is illegal for dogs and cats to fight. 


If you would like to find silly laws from your own state, click here: DUMB LAWS