A Warm Welcome to Historical Romance Author, Haley Whitehall!
The Legend of Silverheels
I
do a lot of research for my historical romance stories. I actually find the
research the most interesting part of the writing process. I have a history
degree and am a historian at heart. When writing Wild and Tender Care I had to
research small pox outbreaks in the Old West. It was here I learned about the
legend of Silverheels.
Silverheels
was a dancehall girl who worked in the mining town of Buckskin Joe in Colorado.
She was nicknamed Silverheels because she liked to wear silver slippers and was
well-respected by the miners. History does not know her given name. In 1861, a
smallpox epidemic broke out in the mining community brought to the town by
sheepherders.
Silverheels
nursed the miners, fed them, cleaning their homes, did their laundry etc. Eventually
she came down with smallpox as well. When the outbreak passed the miners wanted
to celebrate and thank Silverheels for taking care of them, unfortunately she
was nowhere to be found. Most likely she thought she could no longer practice
her trade as a dancehall girl now that she had a pock-marked face.
It
is tricky to actually base a story on a real person. I, however, was inspired
by Silverheels and she helped me develop my strong, feisty and caring heroine
Ida Page.
Here is an excerpt from Wild and Tender Care:
Here is an excerpt from Wild and Tender Care:
The following day she focused on her
usual pile of laundry. Scrubbing a pair of trousers, she did not know anyone
had approached until she heard a man cough.
Stomach tightening, her spine
snapped straight.
Dr. Steere nodded to her. “Miss Page,
I did not mean to sneak up on you.”
“That’s quite all right, Doctor,”
she said, her insides slowly unwinding.
“I see you are enjoying the
sunshine.”
“If you consider running clothes
over a washboard as enjoyment.”
He glanced up at the sun. “Colorado
Territory does have pretty skies, don’t you think?”
What was this, a feeble attempt at
small talk? She didn’t have the strength to keep up the charade any longer. It
was much easier to be friendly. “A blue sky is a blue sky.”
He shook his head. “But this sky has
horses and castles and giant flowers.”
She peered up at the clouds dotting
the stretch of endless blue. Looking for shapes in the clouds had been a fun
game when she was little. She pointed to a large cloud. “That one looks like a boat.”
Dr. Steere sidled up to her and
followed her finger to where she was pointing. “Yes, it does.”
His masculine musk filled the air,
surrounding her. A deep-seated ache migrated through her body and settled
between her thighs. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man. Even
though whoring had been her business, she’d learned to derive pleasure from her
clients. A pleasure she’d been long denied. Dr. Steere was not like any of the
usual men who had called upon her nightly services. His presence alone aroused
her. She didn’t even need his touch to remind her body what to do.
Her long-suppressed need for male
companionship rose to the surface. Watching him out of the corner of her eye,
she noticed the corners of his lips twitching. Had he caught her looking at
him?
If this was a game for him, she’d be
happy to lose. Her heart raced, beating with eagerness to be with him. It would
be more than sex with him. They had a deeper connection. He wanted to court
her, make her his wife, and she longed for him to drop on one knee and ask her.
She could enjoy his strong, steady
presence all day especially if it led to the bedroom. Damn, this was a
precarious situation. He wanted her and her body wanted to be with him, but she
knew the people of Big Rock better than he did. Was she ready for the storm
that would follow?
While she was in charge of her own
life, not the good Christians passing judgment on her, she did have to live
within their community. Would it be more or less painful to live as Mrs. Steere?
Clearing her throat, she got his
attention. “What is your business here, Dr. Steere? I take it you no longer
require directions around town.”
“No, you explained the surroundings
very well. It will just take time for me to get to know everything.” The way he
looked at her left no question of whom he wanted to get to know.
Her pulse skidded out of control and
her core heated. She put both her hands in her apron pockets to keep from
running them up and down Dr. Steere’s broad shoulders.
She gulped air, grasping for her
resolve to keep things strictly professional. “Did you come out here merely to
discuss the clouds? I figured a doctor would have more important things to
occupy his time.”
He put a hand on his chest. “The
lady’s wit strikes again.”
She scowled. His sarcasm was not
becoming.
“I was actually hoping you could get
out bloodstains.” He took off his frock coat and then his vest, standing before
her in a white shirt, tie, and trousers.
He was stripping in front of her.
She couldn’t believe it! Yes, she’d seen many men strip for her before but that
had been in the privacy of her room, not on the front lawn where anyone could
see. Heat spread from her ears all the way down to her toes, and yet she could
not tear her eyes away from the enthralling sight.
She wetted her lips and clenched her
thighs, already feeling the moisture down below. He slipped off his tie and
then proceeded to take off his white shirt.
Speechless, she gaped at his toned
chest covered in a dusting of black hair.
“I suppose I should have changed at
the office,” he said in an apologetic tone. “I wasn’t thinking.
I knew it was best to clean the
bloodstain quickly. I was changing the bandage on a patient and my sleeve fell
down.” He handed the shirt to her.
The right sleeve was coated in
blood, still damp.
Somehow her lust-filled mind still
managed to form a coherent sentence. “I will see what I can do.”
“Thank you. After medical school and
the war I don’t have too much savings. I figure I’ll be scraping by until I
build up a good practice. Of course, I realize many patients pay in kind out
here.” His gaze migrated lower, pausing for a hairbreadth at her thighs and she
pulsed with need.
“How much do you charge?”
“Charge?”
He pointed to the shirt she was holding.
“For the washing,” he said, a taut smile tugging at his lips.
“Oh. Two bits.”
He nodded and began buttoning up his
frock coat to hide his bare chest.
“I-I can deliver your shirt
tomorrow,” she stammered.
“That will be fine, Miss Page. You know
where my office is.” He walked all the way to the street and then stopped and
turned around. “A doctor keeps long hours,” he called to her. “My door is
always open.”
Blurb:
Ida Page has
seen the worst the west has to offer. Snubbed by the citizens of Big Rock,
Colorado, ever since the town cleaned up its act and became civilized, she has
tried to change with the times. No other line of work available, she became a
laundress after the mayor shut down the whorehouse, but the good people will
not allow her to forget her past as a shady lady. She has given up on ever
being accepted, let alone falling in love, until a handsome half-breed stranger
arrives in town.
After the War Between the States, William Steere has been looking for a town to build a medical practice. He answered a newspaper ad placed by the mayor of Big Rock and hopes their desperate need for a doctor will overrule their race prejudice against his half-breed status. At the Independence Day picnic, he is introduced to all the town citizens except for one woman sitting off by herself. This redhead draws him to her with merely a gaze.
Can the two outcasts find love and acceptance in each other's arms or will the town’s cruelty and a smallpox epidemic tear them apart?
After the War Between the States, William Steere has been looking for a town to build a medical practice. He answered a newspaper ad placed by the mayor of Big Rock and hopes their desperate need for a doctor will overrule their race prejudice against his half-breed status. At the Independence Day picnic, he is introduced to all the town citizens except for one woman sitting off by herself. This redhead draws him to her with merely a gaze.
Can the two outcasts find love and acceptance in each other's arms or will the town’s cruelty and a smallpox epidemic tear them apart?
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Author Bio:
Haley
Whitehall lives in Washington State where she enjoys all four seasons and the
surrounding wildlife. She writes historical fiction and historical romance set
in the 19th century U.S. When she is not researching or writing, she plays with
her cats, watches the Western and History Channels, and goes antiquing. She is
hoping to build a time machine so she can go in search of her prince charming.
A good book, a cup of coffee, and a view of the mountains make her happy. Visit
Haley’s website at http://haleywhitehall.com.
Where to find Haley Whitehall:
Thanks for hosting me, Ann! :)
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