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Early Day Clubs and Giving by Linda Broday



I’m thrilled to post my first blog as a Casablanca author! I’m excited to be associated with all of you wonderful ladies and very grateful for the invitation to join your ranks.

From Biblical times there have always been people who give of themselves. The stories that touch my heart today are the ones where a person in line at the grocery store pays the food bill for the customer behind him. Or the man in a restaurant who picks up the tab for the next table. Generosity is everywhere and income plays little part. But nowhere was it seen more clearly than on the frontier. The settlers had generous spirits and a desire to pay forward what others had done for them.

I think of the old Texas ranchers…Dan Waggoner, Burk Burkburnett, Daniel Webster (80 John) Wallace who made sure to spread their good fortune to others.

And others like prostitute, Martha Hall aka Molly b’Dam, who lived in Murray, Idaho. During a blizzard she took off her heavy fur coat and gave it to a mother and child because they had none then bought them a place to live. She nursed sick gold miners and when smallpox swept through the town in 1886 she was right there in the trenches. She cleared out the hotels and filled them with the sick. She worked tirelessly. A year later she came down with consumption. The women of Murray kept a 24 hour vigil by her bedside. When she died on January 1888 at the age of 35, miners left their diggings and sluice boxes became silent. Thousands of people came from all over to pay tribute to the bold, beautiful woman with a generous heart. Every August the folks of Murray still hold a two-day celebration to honor the woman who showed the depth of her heart.

So, too, have men’s and women’s clubs been around for a very long time. Men mostly used clubs to escape from their wives where they could get a snootful in privacy and enjoy games of chance. On the other hand, women saw the benefit of organizing in order to achieve the things they most cared about like schools, libraries, beautification of the town, etc.

Out West, ranchers had Gentlemen’s clubs, Cattlemen’s clubs and the Grange. But in Texas Mail Order Bride, the first book in my exciting new series, Cooper Thorne and his two brothers form the Battle Creek Bachelors’ Club. They’re god-awful determined to avoid the altar at any cost. They’ve dug in their heels worse than government mules and nothing is going to deter them from their vows.

Delta Dandridge has a lot of Molly b'Dam's spunk. She arrives in Battle Creek, Texas believing Cooper sent for her, only to find she's been the victim of a cruel prank. Someone forged Cooper’s name to the letters she received. And what's worse, the tall rancher tells her he's not in the market for a wife and never will be. Once again she suffers the sting of being unwanted. She’s also reached the end of the road because she can’t go back to Cedartown, Georgia. Not ever.

She reaches deep inside and looks around at the shabby town where every building is sorely in need of repair. The dying town needs her as much as she needs it. She gets the women together and they form a club called Women of Vision. Against male protests, they set to work renovating and fixing up the eyesores. Pretty soon the men start to notice the change and pitch in. Through their efforts, they bring Battle Creek back to life. Along the way, a battle-scarred man who'd lost his leg and reason for living finds real purpose. And an old woman who has no one, discovers the true meaning of family.

The brash, quick-witted Southern Belle is everything Cooper thought he never wanted...and everything his heart tells him he needs.

But Cooper swore long ago that he’d never marry, and he aims to keep his word…especially now that the demons from his past have returned to threaten everything—and everyone—he holds dear.

Texas Mail Order Bride releases on January 6, 2015 but it’s available for preorder now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.

Watch for book two in this series, Twice a Texas Bride, in May 2015!

Have you ever belonged to a club or organization? I'd love to hear about it.

I enjoy hearing from readers. My website is: www.LindaBroday.com
  
Facebook:  http://on.fb.me/1EghHP2
On Twitter: http://twitter.com/lbroday  
Amazon Author Page:  http://amzn.to/1GmbzH4
LinkedIn:    http://linkd.in/1qe50za

Comments

  1. Welcome, Linda! I love my local RWA chapter. I've also belonged to animal welfare groups.

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    1. Hi Shana! I appreciate the welcome. I was really nervous to blog here today but I know I'll settle in just fine. Animal welfare groups certainly do important work. Animals have no one to stand up for them sometimes. They are very special and I believe they have souls just like we do. I also believe we're put here to help out however we can, be it people or animals.

      I belong to Panhandle Professional Writers because we have no RWA chapter here. Hope you have a very good day!

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  2. I was a Girl Scout Assistant Leader for 3 or 4 years, then joined our local woman's group that did a lot of good charity work, and now I volunteer with our American Legion which also does a lot of good works. I've always wanted to work at a shelter but honestly I take it all to heart and I don't think I could handle it. I do help out with ferals/strays in my neighborhood which also takes a toll but I do what I can.

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    1. Hi Catslady! Thank you so much for coming over. I really appreciate the company. I can see that you have a very giving heart with both people and animals. I don't think anything warms the heart quite like giving of yourself. I've never felt anything that equals it. I've gotten acquainted with a homeless woman named Angela and I've done some things for her. I want to do more but she has so much pride. I have to take it slow. Angela doesn't want a handout. She wants a job only no one will offer her one.

      Take care, Catslady! Thanks again for stopping by.

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    2. Dear Catslady & Linda, I just wanted to say thank you for what you are both doing. Linda - you have hired me as your Virtual Author's Assistant and at age 56, very grateful for this!!!! Catslady, as more businesses move their work overseas, we are seeing more families ending up homeless with their pets. Thanks for what you are doing to help animals. I do have a "Job For The Homeless" petition on change.org that will go the to White House next year. It is time the White House stepped in and got involved before more families end up on the streets. Have an AWESOME day/night everyone. Angela :)

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    3. Hi Angela, you're a dear to pop over. You must've known I was talking about you! I love your tireless work for the homeless. I'm really glad you're doing work for me. Lord knows I'm swamped these days. Thank you so much. I wish you health and happiness. Be safe and warm.

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    4. Thank you Linda for your kind words and I mean't to mention that your post reminds me to "pay forward"... It warms my heart when someone does this for me or I am able to do it for someone else. Thanks for reminding us of such an important "kindness" that does not have to cost us any money.

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  3. Hi Linda. That Martha deserves the recognition. Best wishes on the new book.

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    1. Hi Sally! Yes, Martha had such a deep heart. Her story is so touching. Thanks for the best wishes for my release. I can't wait for the book to come out.

      Have a great weekend!

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  4. Hello how are you! I visited your blog and now I'm like a follower if you don't mind. And I also have a blog I'd like to visit. Exciting stories and thrill you.http://migre.me/dVvEK Ou http://truquedevida.blogspot.com.br/ https://twitter.com/ulissessebrian

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  5. Hi Linda! Welcome, you have joined a great group of authors and I am sure you will have fun with them. I have belonged to various animal assistance groups and more recently belong to associations that support soldiers. I look forward to reading your stories, congrats on the upcoming release!

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