Marly Landers from Under A Texas Star

Tonight we welcome back Marly Landers from Under A Texas Star.

Throughout history women have masqueraded as men as a means of working in a field closed to women... like the military. Many times, they are only discovered when injured or killed. Your story, as told, doesn't go into many details of how you pulled it off. Care to share?

I'd traveled as a boy before. At the end of the war, renegade rebs beat and violated my mama, I was next. I know it. The Sarge showed up in time to save me, but just barely. Mama let me wear britches when I was doing chores so I changed into them and packed up a few valuables I could carry. I only had a couple of dresses and one of them was near covered in blood from Mama. I didn't mind leaving them behind with my bonnets and ribbons.

Okay, but you were much younger without as much... shape. And you had an accomplice. How did you pull it off alone?

Aunt Adele took me by buggy to the city to catch the train east. She saw me settled beside a widow visiting her sister in Rhode Island. As soon as Aunt Adele left, I changed trains and headed south. Of course they checked my ticket and "my mistake" was discovered. When I was let off, I asked where the telegraph station was, so I could send a wire to my family. I left my trunk at the station. I took my handbag and cut through a few backyards, and, I'm ashamed to admit, stole some clothes off someone's line.

It couldn't have been that easy.

I planned ahead. I had an old chemise in my bag from when I was younger. I'm not a very shapely woman and the tight vest squashed down what little shape I had. I had an odd sock to give me a bit of shape where I needed it. Mostly though, I'd been dealing with school boys for years so I knew how to act like one. The hardest part was finding a place to make the transformation. I would love to know how the owner of the tree fort looked when he found a lady's dress and smalls there. I spent the night in the fort and left before dawn: Marly Landers the boy.

What was the hardest part of the masquerade?

Keeping clean. Even a bowl bath is a challenge when you got to keep yourself covered. I spent nights in haylofts and once sharing a stall with sick colt. Mind, that job got me a fifty cents and two good meals. It was a pure joy when I finally got to have a hot bath in a private room.

That was at the Oasis in Fortuna.

Yes, sir. Er... ma'am?

Just Nighthawk.

Read about Marly Landers in Under A Texas Star. Available FREE on Kindle February 24-27, 2013.

Free Book - Upcoming Interviews

UNDER A TEXAS STAR 
FREE TODAY ON KINDLE!
(December 21, 2012)

"An interesting, evocative story where trail dust rises from the pages and you wonder how Marly will ever unscramble her past to choose a respectable future"
Amazon.co.uk

"Canadian author Alison Bruce has crafted a heroine every red blooded postmodern female wishes she were..."
Amazon.ca

"Alison Bruce has crafted a steamy tale of the old West that takes us out of the ordinary and into a rollicking world of romance and adventure."
Amazon.com

Next on Nighthawk Talks...

Igor Thorsen from Deadly Legacy shares talks about his Yuletide traditions. (We tried to get him for today, but one of his traditions is spending the longest night with his family.)

Call for Characters...

Nighthawk needs some fresh victims - er guests - for the new year. If interested, please get your author direct message Alison Bruce on Twitter or Facebook.

Fred from Under a Texas Star

Breaking from Nighthawk Talk policy for once, we've invited author Alison Bruce in with her character Fred.

So, Alison, what made you put a proper English butler in an old west setting?

A: When other teenage girls were dreaming of a rich, famous and handsome husband, I dreamed of having my own butler. I wrote a story about him once. He would bring me tea and toast in the morning, make sure my clothes were clean and pressed, oversee the house and grounds keeping staff, be quietly in love with me, willing to stand up to me, and loyal to the death.

Movies like My Man Godfrey - and an intense dislike of house work - inspired my creation of the perfect butler/valet/lover. He was further influenced by a myriad of characters from Batman’s Alfred to Wooster’s Jeeves with a touch of Yoda for good measure.

One of the reasons we invited you is because only you know Fred's full name.

A: Do you mind, Fred?

F: (Sniff)

A: Although only known as Fred in Under A Texas Star, his full name is George Fredericks. As you might notice, if you're a student of royal history, he looks a bit like Prince Albert Victor - one of the Saxe-Cobourg princes.

F: (Cough.)

Any comment, Mr Fredericks?

F: I prefer Fred. Mister Fred if you insist. George Fredericks in dead, a fitting punishment for his crime.

Which is?

F: None of your business sir.


Miss Bruce?


A: I think I've said enough. After all, I have to keep working with Fred. I'd rather we got along.

To find out more about Fred, but not much more, we'll have to read Under A Texas Star published by Imajin Books.

On Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and other Amazon sites 

ON SALE IN PAPERBACK NOV 1 - DEC 16
On Create Space (coupon code HWVDU6SL)

Back-to-School with Miss Gumm

In honour of  the first day of school, I've invited Miss Adele Gumm, from Cherryville Kansas, 1873. 


Miss Gumm, better known to readers as Marly Landers' Aunt Adele, is oft referred to but never appears in Under A Texas Star.


Welcome, Miss Gumm.

Humph! That ungrateful girl has put you up to this, hasn't she? I rescue her from a renegade reb. I put a roof over her head and food in her belly. I teach her to read and write and do sums - I even let her learn history and bookkeeping with the boys - since she had no aptitude for needlework.

Boys and girls have a different curriculum in your school?

In every school! When I started teaching, girls and boys were in different classrooms - if not different schools. That was in the city of course. In a one-room country school, the best I can do is have the girls on one side and the boys on the other. Both learn reading, writing and sums, but the boys learn skills that will help them take care of their accounts or go into business - maybe go to college if their folks can afford it. Girls learn what they need to take care of a home and children.

Whatever her faults, Marly was a quick learner. Except for the needlework, she could handle all the lessons I gave. She was good with the younger children too. I was training her up to take over for me as teacher. No fear of that happening now.

Do you miss Marly?

Humph! She was useful enough when I could get her to work, I suppose. Give her the chance and she'd disappear. Took to hanging about the Sheriff's office when she was younger. Sweeping floors, sorting wanted posters when she should be sweeping the schoolroom floor and cleaning the slates for me. Though, fair is fair, she took her turn at those chores too.

It wasn't seemly, a young girl hanging about a bachelor like Langtree. Not saying he would have taken advantage but I know from experience how easy it is to have your head turned by an experienced man.

What experience is that, Miss Gumm?

None of your beeswax! You keep your prying beak to yourself.

The rules that a teacher has to follow are pretty strict, aren't they? You can't marry or keep company with men. You can't dress in bright colours...

That all depends on your school board, doesn't it? And whether you're a man or woman.

Men are expected to court, so long as the girl is respectable, because a man is considered more respectable if he's married. A woman is expected to leave her profession if she marries so she can get down to making babies and the like.

The school I started in did its best to fill their female teacher's time with chores and Bible study. They didn't want to lose us to marriage. One whiff of impropriety and you were out.

Here, they're just glad to have a teacher. There are plenty of rules, of course, but no one is going to check up and see if I'm in bed by sundown or chide me if I smoke a pipe now and then. As for bright colours... those days are past me now.



Are you smarter than an 8th Grader circa 1900? Find out here.

From Under A Texas Star - Marly Landers

Tonight on Nighthawk Talk, we welcome back Marly Landers from El Paso.

I'm not from El Paso, I'm headed for El Paso. I notice that nice Cherie girl isn’t here. Does that mean I won’t be asked about my glutes and abs? I never did find out what she meant.

We won’t talk beauty tips this time.* Instead, perhaps you could tell us about your journey so far.

That's a long story. Aunt Adele was sending me to a convent school. I’d rather not go into the reasons. Let’s just say, I had other plans. So, I purposely took the wrong train out of Kansas City. Then I had steal boys clothes and muddy my trail so my aunt wouldn't figure out where I was going. Not that she would care too much but I bet she made Sheriff Langtree look for me when I didn't turn up...

How about starting when you met Ranger Strachan?

I guess I first noticed him in Abilene but we met in Dogflats. By that time I was having to walk or hitch rides to get from town to town. He'd been following me for a couple of days – though he said I was following him. He bought me a steak dinner after I gave my supper away to Mr Hayes. He lost his son in the war and he really wanted to blame someone but mostly he was just sad and drunk and whatever Jase might think, I don't think he really would have hurt me.

Excuse me?

He only left a little bruise. I got much worse falling of Trouble.

Your horse?

Jase's horse really. I was borrowing it. Except.... well... I really did feel like he was mine. That's what made it so sad when...

When?

You know, this is really something the way I can talk to you and people all over can hear me. Is it like the telegraph? Does my voice carry over wires?

Sort of. What about Trouble?

He was a good horse, even if he deserved his name. Jase said you were going to ask me about being a detective - though I'm hardly that. I just helped out some with the murder investigation. I mean I did figure out who killed Marshal Strothers, but Jase was the one that proved the case and even if I did break up a few bar fights, I think he only made me deputy to keep me safe.

Marly, do you ever run out of breath when you talk?

<chuckle> Sometimes.

You can find out more about Marly Landers in Under A Texas Star, by Alison Bruce
* And in her previous Nighthawk Interview.

Under A Texas Star is available in paperback at Amazon.ca, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble on sale in eBook format at Amazon.com , Amazon.uk and Smashwords.

From Under A Texas Star

Welcome back to Nighthawk Talk. Tonight we have a blast from the past, Texas Ranger Jason Strachan. Howdy, Ranger.

Good evenin'.

The Texas Rangers are legendary. Their history goes back to the early years of the American colonization of Texas when Stephen F. Austin hired ten experienced frontiersmen as rangers for a punitive expedition against a band of Native Americans. In 1835, the Texas Rangers were formally created as a law enforcement and defensive organization.

Sounds about right.

What made you join the Rangers?

Somethin' t' do.

And...

It was the Civil War. My father joined the Confederate Army out of a sense of duty or maybe because it was the thing to do at the time. I was to stay home and take care of my mother and sister.

 You didn't.

I did for awhile, but I was young, foolish and in love with the idea of adventure. Still, I joined the Rangers because I saw it as a way I could protect my family. We mustered to guard our home state from Comanches and banditos - not other Americans. As it happened, when things were getting desperate, we were sent east to fight.

 That's when you met Miss Jezebel.

Eventually. She and Fred rescued me when I was injured and helped get me back home. I will always be beholden to her for that.

You were lovers?

I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that last question, else I'd have to assume you were casting aspersions on my honor as a gentleman.

You were close friends?

I will always consider Jez my good friend. She was there when I needed her and I will always try to be there when she needs me.

 Which is what brought you to Fortuna when she asked for your help.

<chuckle> That was plain old good luck. Her message caught up with me a couple of days after we arrived in Fortuna.

By we you mean you and Marly Landers.

Yep. But before you ask the question I know you're dying to ask, think about how much you like your nose unbroken.

Uh - I was only going to ask how Landers worked out as your deputy.

Fine. Landers is a natural born detective - observant and nosy.

 Will you work together again?

Maybe you best ask Landers that question.

Maybe I will. Marly Lander was a guest on Nighthawk just before our change in venue. If you'd like to read the transcript of her earlier interview, click here.

Under A Texas Star is available in paperback at Amazon.ca, Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble on sale in eBook format at Amazon.com , Amazon.uk and Smashwords.