Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Bitter Autumn Inspired by My Great Grandmother

 When I was a child, my great grandmother told her great grandchildren the following story--one evening when she was thirteen years old she went out to feed the chickens. The hour had grown late and when she didn't answer the call to come for supper, her father went to look for her. What he found was the empty tin plate that Sarah always used to hold the chicken feed, and foot prints; not shoe prints, but moccasins. Sarah had been kidnapped by a band of roving Indians. She was sixteen when she and her baby girl were rescued.

For her entire life, Sarah was afraid of the dark. At sundown, she wanted to be inside the house with all the doors and windows locked. In fact, she would refuse to sit on the front porch in her favorite rocking chair, even if the men folks were there with her. She would say, "Thar's In'dans hidin' 'mongst the trees."

My siblings and cousins grew up with this story. We always wondered what tribe of warriors kidnapped my great grandmother. Great granny either couldn't remember or didn't want to remember. I've considered taking the DNA test to see if any Native American genes linger in my bloodline. Whether true or not, my great grandmother's story inspired me to write Bitter Autumn, a historical romance based on fact but fictionalized for interest and readability. 

My great grandmother passed away at the age of ninety-two. She never got over her fear of sitting on the porch after dark. 

Please let me know if you enjoyed reading Bitter Autumn. I would also appreciate it if you'd leave a review.  

Excerpt

Flame-haired Birdie Mae Dix has no idea what tomorrow will bring. Kidnapped by the Pawnee and traded to the Comanche, she is now in the custody of the US Cavalry. After eighteen years of loss and cruelty, she trusts no one, not even the handsome captain whose piercing blue glare fills her with apprehension...and unwanted desire. Years of war have hardened Captain Ford Thackery. Pledging his life to a military career, he has sworn never to consider married life-until he rescues Birdie. He knows he must earn her trust as well as find a way into her heart. When she is abducted by a renegade Pawnee cavalry scout, Ford embarks on a dangerous journey of rescue, but he and Birdie must still bridge the gaping chasm of hatred that separates their worlds.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

 The Wild Rose Press

Walmart


For more books by Loretta visit Amazon's Author Central

Until we meet again,

HAPPY READING!

Loretta

Monday, July 7, 2025

Lubber Vs Lovers

 

 Hello Dear Readers,                                                     

Today is a sort of reminiscing. Actually, it’s called procrastination because I should be working on my newest novel, Murders at Buzzards Bay. I’m almost to the point of writing “The End,” but I’m having a problem drawing it all together so readers can enjoy the final ah-ha moment.

When that happens, I find that if I take a little break and focus my thoughts elsewhere, a new idea will magically bloom. Fingers crossed that a little seed will sprout in my brain while I’m walking down memory lane.

I’m reminded of a funny incident that happened at a book signing. I’m a multi-genre author. At this particular event I was showcasing my romance novels. Quite often, people come to authors’ tables and want to tell their life story or talk about wanting to write the great American novel, then list all the reasons that keep them from writing.

I noticed a lady standing off to the side, patiently waiting, but at the same time getting a little antsy. When the group left my table, I motioned her over. Now, remember, I was showcasing romance novels, both historical and contemporary. 

The lady said she had asked one of the librarians (did I mention this book signing was held at a public library) to help her find the answer to a particular question. The librarian had referred her to me. Here’s the question: “Can you tell me how lubbers’ mate?”

I honestly thought perhaps she had a lisp. To clarify, I replied, “You want to know how lovers’ mate?”

She nodded her agreement. Yikes!

I was trying to figure out how to describe the process of mating without embarrassing either of us. To create steamy sex scenes on paper is one thing, to vocalize it is, well…awkward. I ask if she was married. Then I thought that maybe her husband wasn’t such a hot lover and she thought because I wrote romance, I could enlighten her. Double Yikes!

I picked up a copy of The Witching Moon and said the book had several steamy love scenes if she cared to read it.

The woman stabbed me with an impatient look and said, “No, no, no. LUB-bers!”

Lubbers? I still thought maybe something was wrong with my hearing. I asked if she would spell the word. L.U.B.E.R.S. Well, it turns out that she was asking about grasshoppers. Yep, you read that correctly—grasshoppers Specifically, the eastern lubber grasshopper native to Florida.

I apologized profusely and encouraged her to ask the librarian to direct her to the entomology section. After the book signing was over and the library was mostly empty, the librarian came to my table and apologized for sending the lady to me.

I didn’t feel so bad because like me, the librarian had also misunderstood lubbers for lovers. We both had a good laugh.

Time to get back to writing. I’m still stuck about how to end the story. Very Big Sigh! Any suggestions?

Until we meet again,

HAPPY WRITING!

Loretta


The Witching Moon

 

 

                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Happy 4th of July and Happy Reading!

 


Hello Readers,

Can you believe we’re already six months into the New Year?

It’s hard to believe that To Catch a Killer, book #6 and the final book in The Doc Holliday Mystery Series has been out seven months. WOW! I’ve enjoyed hearing reactions from readers like you and hope even more will continue to discover all the books in the series throughout the summer and beyond. If you haven’t already, click the links below, and grab your copy.

In the blink of an eye, we will celebrate 4th of July. Please remember that animals have sensitive ears and many of our veterans suffer from PTSD. While fireworks are beautiful, they are also loud and often invoke memories better left forgotten.

I’m also sending a huge THANK YOU to all of our Veterans both active and retired for your service.

Finally, if anyone is looking for a last-minute gift or simply wishing to treat themselves to a good read this 4th of July weekend, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all of the books in The Doc Holliday Mystery Series.









If you love a little paranormal, a little Native American folklore, and spine-tingling mysteries, you will enjoy reading about Dr. Tullah Holliday, a veterinarian, and how the spirits lead her to the dead.

Until we meet again,
HAPPY READING!

Loretta

Friday, June 27, 2025

The Year I Didn't Attend 2nd Grade

 Hello Dear Readers,

Did you miss me? I'm being glib, of course. Sometimes life gets in the way. That's exactly why I haven't had any new posts in a quite a while. Life reared it's ugly head and smacked me really hard. But, I'm back.

On Facebook there is a feature called "Throwback Thursday." Well, today isn't Thursday, so I'm going to refer to this article as Fallback Friday. We're going waaaay back...all the way to 1951.

I belong to a fabulous writers group called Pen Dames. If you haven't visited the Pen Dames blog, I highly recommend it. At a recent meeting, we had a writing exercise titled "I remember." I wrote about the year that I didn't attend school. Remembering the past was a little bitter sweet. I hope you enjoy it.

I Remember...

I remember September 3, 1951; my 7th birthday. There was no cake and no birthday presents. We had moved to Lakeland, Florida. Daddy had taken a job with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad.

I remember being exited to start second grade except that I didn’t. Mama was seven months pregnant and living far from Tampa, she had no one to help take care of her, my three-year-old brother, and me.

I remember daddy telling me that I had to be a big girl and take care of mama and Lynn. He got in the car and drove away. I remember being disappointed that I didn’t get to go to school.

I remember mama writing out a grocery list and giving me money. My little brother and I would walk to the general store, approximately a mile or so from our rental house. I remember how heavy the sacks were and wishing I had a little red wagon to carry the load.

December 5th, I remember when my little sister was born. Both grandmothers worked. My mothers’ sisters were married. One was in Japan with her Army husband, and the other lived in Alabama. There was only me to take care of mama and my newborn sister.

I remember that winter being cold and rainy. It rained so much that water rose over our front porch. Mama had to have a wisdom tooth pulled. For whatever reason, she decided to go wading in all that dirty water. She got lock jaw and was bedridden for a long time.

I remember heating soup, scrambling eggs, making toast and bologna sandwiches. I remember washing diapers and wringing them out by hand. I remember doctoring my little brother’s jaybird with purple iodine because he got ringworm from wading in the dirty water, too.

When the house was quiet, I remember sitting at the dining table, sounding out the words on the Kellog Corn Flakes cereal box, reading the labels on the Campbells soup cans, and the Sunbeam bread wrappers. I remember being excited when I found an old newspaper underneath the kitchen sink and how careful I was not to tear it when I labored to sound out the big words.

I remember saving the note paper that mama used to write the grocery list. I used the back of it to practice writing words.

It seemed like mama was sick that entire year. I never did attend second grade.

I remember my eighth birthday. There still wasn’t a cake or presents but daddy drove me to school to enroll me in the 3rd grade. The people there said that I’d have to go to 2nd grade. Daddy told them no; to give me a spelling test and if I passed to put me in 3rd grade.

I remember standing in front of three frowning people. They said I had to orally spell 20 words correctly. I remember being really scared. Besides, I didn’t know what “orally” meant.

I think those three frowning people were disappointed when I spelled all twenty words correctly. Don’t ask me what those words were because I don’t remember. I attended 3rd grade at Lakeland’s City School.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope all of you have special remembrances. 

Until we meet again...HAPPY READING!

 

 


Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Featured author Loretta C. Rogers is our guest today in N. N. Light's Book Heaven 10th Anniversary Party #author #interview #party #giveaway

N. N. Light



N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Isn’t that wonderful?

 

I’d like to introduce you to author Loretta C. Rogers.

 

Question 1: Where were you ten years ago in relation to your author/writer career? If you weren’t writing, what were you doing?

 

Ten years ago, I decided to stretch my wings by stepping out of the romance genre and writing a cozy mystery, which by the way turned out to be not so cozy. Although, I didn’t think I’d ended “Murder in the Mists,” with a cliffhanger, readers complained that I had and demanded a sequel. Wow! I did a lot of brain scratching trying to figure out how to connect the first book to the characters and a plot in a second book. There were times when I was certain my brain would explode, however, eventually, “Shadowed Reunion,” was born, and boy howdy readers like that one, too.

 

Question 2: Looking back on the past ten years, how has your writing grown? 

 

In the past ten years, I’ve learned to step out of my writing comfort zone and allowed myself to push the button in my characters’ goals, motivation, and conflicts. For me, writing has always been fun, but by stepping out of my own way, writing has become a more enjoyable adventure.

 

Question 3: What are you doing now? How many books have you published?

 

In my writing growth process, I decided to push the boundaries into a mystery series. My Doc Holliday Mystery series has a paranormal thread through all six books. I’ve had approximately thirty books published. Currently, I’ve plotted out a new mystery series, again with a paranormal thread; possibly a trilogy, but who knows what the characters will convince me to do after the first three books.

 

Giveaway -

 

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, the authors have each donated a prize (sixty in total) and they range from free books to swag to gift cards.


 

Open internationally but some prizes are only open to US residents


Runs March 1 - 31, 2025


Winner will be drawn on April 1, 2025

 

Author Biography:

 

Loretta is a fourth generation Floridian and lives in Citrus County, FL. She is traditionally published and began her career writing short stories for True Confessions and True Romance magazines. When she isn’t writing, she researches her family history and has traced her ancestral roots all the way back to 14th century Scotland.

 

Once an avid horsewoman she and her pinto mare took second place in a 25-mile endurance trial. Having survived a rattlesnake bite, she has a deathly fear of all snakes.

 

In her very early years of employment and long before she became a teacher, Loretta was a rape crisis--suicide prevention counselor and an auxiliary sheriff’s deputy attached to the equine division. She also worked as a court advocate for indigent women. Although Loretta writes fiction, many of the characters and plots in her books are fictionalized versions of events that she has experienced firsthand.

 

Loretta enjoys hearing from readers.

 

Where can readers follow you:

 

Bitter Autumn Inspired by My Great Grandmother

 When I was a child, my great grandmother told her great grandchildren the following story--one evening when she was thirteen years old she ...