Book Birthday Party, Day Five: Author Erica Vetsch

I'm sorry to say that this is the final day of guest posts but it's not the end of the party! Come back tomorrow for my very own post and giveaway. I don't like to think about packing away leftovers so be sure and devour every word of this interview with first timer to Black 'n Gold Girl's Book Spot, Erica Vetsch. It's been fun getting to know all these great authors and their books. Be sure and stop by everyone's sites and blogs if you want to know more about them.

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Please tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing for those who don’t know.

I’m a native Kansan transplanted to Minnesota. I’m a wife and mom of two teens, the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, and a history museum addict. I’ve always loved reading and spinning stories in my head, and I finally started putting those stories down on paper. Writing historical fiction allows me to combine my two favorite passions, history and fiction.

I’ve noticed that Barbour has a ton of books releasing soon in trade paper with titles similar to yours. Is your book one of the first in a line similar to Summerside’s Love Finds You series?

Yes, Barbour is launching a new series of book to compliment their Romancing America 3-in-1 line. The new line features historical and contemporary romances that are location-specific. The historical titles will all have the word Bride in the title, and the contemporary stories will all have the word Wedding in the title. I was privileged to be placed, along with Kim O’Brien, in one of the two launch slots. Kim’s title is A Wedding Blunder in the Black Hills.


Since this is a birthday party I’ve been asking everyone what their character would bring to the party. What would Addie bring?

Addie would bring her Scovill camera. She would take portraits of everyone there to commemorate the occasion.


If you could invite anyone to party with you at your book birthday or your own birthday who would it be and why?

I have a current fascination with Winston Churchill. I would love to invite Winston to a party, then buttonhole him into telling stories. He had a fascinating turn of phrase and a sharp, pithy way of getting to the heart of any matter. And a quick sense of humor.

Anything that you want to add about your book or anything you want to add in closing! Maybe an excerpt?

Thank you so much for having me here at the Birthday Bash. It’s been my pleasure. Here’s an excerpt from A Bride’s Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas.

Copyright 2011

Erica Vetsch

Uncle Carl had taught her that the customer should be accommodated no matter what, but surely there were limitations. Addie Reid pressed her fingertips against her temple. “You want to do what?”

“I want my picture made with my horse.”

“Sir, this isn’t a livery stable. I do serious portraiture.”

The cowboy—so prototypical of the breed as to be comical with his wide hat, sunburned face, and bat-wing chaps—waved a scrap of newsprint in her face. “Read this here ad. It says ‘Come to Reid’s Photography to get your portrait taken with your trail pards and best friends.’ This is your ad, ain’t it? You are Reid’s Photography?”

A small pang twisted Addie’s heart. She was now. What if I can’t do this alone?

“Well?”

“Yes, that’s my advertisement, and this is Reid’s Photography.”

“Good. Then I want my picture made with my trail pard and best friend. I’ve got good, cash money. Trail boss paid us off an hour ago. I got spiffed up down at the barbershop and headed right here.”

“But sir, a horse? The advertisement is intended for humans.”

“That horse”—he pointed through the open door to a dusty animal dozing in the sun on Front Street—“is the best friend and trail pard I’ve ever had. He’s smart and gentle and has forgotten more about cow work than I’ll ever know.”

Which was either an accolade for the horse or an insult to the cowboy. She blew out a breath. “I can’t haul the camera out into the street.” Though she wouldn’t risk moving the Chevalier for a simple portrait, perhaps she could use her smaller Scovill. Though the print would be smaller, too.

“I don’t want no outside picture. I want it taken in the studio with one of those fancy backdrops. And I want the picture to be about this big”—he held up his hands about a foot apart—“so it will look good in a frame on the wall.”

That ruled out the Scovill. A print that size would need the bigger camera. Her mind trotted back to what he’d said, and her jaw dropped. “You intend to bring a horse inside?” Jamming her hands on her hips, she shook her head. “No. Impossible. I’ll take your picture, and it will be a good one, but the animal stays outside.”

He tugged the corner of his enormous moustache. “I reckoned as much. No gumption. Should’ve known better than to come to a woman photographer. A man would understand. Guess I’ll go over to Donaldson’s. He offered to do it for me, but I wanted to give you a try at it first, since you’re new in town and all. He said you’d be too timid.”

Stung, Addie straightened. “Wait. Don’t go.” Donaldson’s Photography three blocks down would be her biggest competitor, and Heber Donaldson had been the most vocal about the new photography shop on Front Street stealing his customers. “We can work something out.” But it would have to be worth her while. She hesitated then quoted him a price.

The cowboy grinned. “That sounds fine to me. Donaldson was almost twice that. Don’t you worry. My old Mudslinger’s gentle as a spring breeze, and he’ll stand quiet.” He removed his hat and smoothed his hair. “You got a back door or something? I can lead him in that way.”

“No, he can’t come in through the back. That door’s blocked off.” She eyed the paisley-scattered rug in her reception room. “I suppose you’ll have to lead him through here.” This was ridiculous. Why was she even contemplating such a crazy idea?

Money. Pure and simple. She needed customers and couldn’t afford to turn one away.
The cowpoke jammed his hat back on. “I’ll fetch him in.” He hustled outside as if afraid she might change her mind.

Which she should do. A horse in the studio?

Old Mudslinger’s hooves clomped on the boardwalk and through the doorway, muffled on the carpet. She winced to think of horseshoe-shaped marks on the pretty red and blue rug but shrugged. Worry about the bank manager. Worry about convincing him to let you assume the mortgage. And while you’re at it, maybe you should worry about how you’re going to get this beast to hold still long enough for the exposure.

“This way.” She hurried into the studio ahead of the horse and cowboy. The animal brought with him a whiff of sweaty hair and barnyard, hay and leather. Lovely. “Don’t let him near the camera.” In the center of the long room, her pride and joy, a glossy new Chevalier, stood on a tripod, the black drape hanging nearly to the floor. She crossed to a bench along one wall and pulled her order book towards her. Snagging a pencil from a jar, she held it poised above the page. “Can I have your name, please?”

“Call me Cracker. Everybody does.”

“Very well, Mr. Cracker.” She wrote the name and the date.

He guffawed. “Not mister. Just Cracker. It’s a nickname I picked up because I love those little oyster crackers like they serve over at the Dakota House. Can’t get enough of those tiny things. I been called Cracker for about as long as I can remember.”
Cracker and Mudslinger. Fran was not going to believe this.
“Cracker, I’ve three backgrounds you can choose from, but I would suggest the landscape.” She crossed the studio and tugged on the rope that raised the canvas curtain painted to look like a drawing-room and lowered the heavy drape painted to look like rolling hills.

“Say, that’s dandy.” Cracker rested his arm across his saddle.

Mudslinger stood still, one hind leg tucked up a bit, his ears drooping. Perhaps getting him to stand still wouldn’t be a problem. Might be more challenging to make him look alive.

Addie wrestled a plaster pedestal and a wicker chair out of the way and quickly folded a fringed piano scarf and tucked it away on a shelf. “Just what did you have in mind for a pose?”

Cracker rubbed his chin. “I want you to get all of us in the picture. Head to tail and hat to hooves. And could you make sure you get my rifle in the picture, too?” He patted the gunstock sticking out of a scabbard on his saddle. “This picture’s for my mama back in Uvalde.”

Why a picture intended for his mother would need to be bristling with guns, Addie didn’t know, but once again Uncle Carl’s voice in her ear reminded that above all else, she must try to accommodate the customer.

“Lead him around here then, so the rifle is on the side facing the camera. Are you going to be astride?” She stepped back as Mudslinger’s haunches came around. If the man wanted to be in the saddle, she’d have to move the camera back, which would reduce some of the detail. . . Her mind slipped into working mode, and she began to consider the lighting and the exposure time, the focal point, and how to achieve depth of field.

“Naw, I’ll just stand beside him.” Cracker looped the reins over the saddle horn and placed his hand on the pommel. He lifted his chin, shoved his hat back so it wouldn’t shade his face, and stared off into the distance. “Like this. Like we’re standing on a hill looking over a herd and dreaming of home.”

Addie hid a smile. Cowboys might like to be thought of as firebrands and fearsome, but most were just boys with romantic notions and fierce pride. “That will be fine. You wait here while I prepare a plate. It won’t take me a minute.”

She ducked into the darkroom at the back of the building, struck a match to light the lantern, and lowered the red glass covering. Rosy light bathed the room, the workbench, the trays, and the rows of bottles and chemicals necessary to her job. She closed the door, shutting out all sunlight, and reached for a large glass slide to begin the process. Uncorking bottles and preparing the wet-plate washes, she shook her head again. A horse in her studio. If word got out, she might have a stampede of equine customers. Would that make the bank manager more amenable to her taking over the mortgage?

Just thinking of the meeting with the bank manager this afternoon made her hands shake. In her haste, she splashed a bit of silver-nitrate on her cuff and wrist. Grrr. Grabbing the ammonia bottle and a rag, she dabbed at her skin. If she didn’t get it off now, it would turn blackish-blue and take ages to wear off. Twisting her lips, she scowled at the once-white cuff now blotched.
She took precious moments to roll up her sleeves like she should’ve done right away and donned her work apron to cover her straight, blue skirt. She wouldn’t have time to go back to her boardinghouse to change before meeting the bank manager, so now, in spite of the warm day, she’d have to don the matching jacket to cover the stain on her sleeve.

Finally, she had a prepared plate in the lightproof box. Entering the studio once more, she noted that neither cowboy nor horse had stirred. “I’ll just get this into the camera. You’ll both have to stand completely still until the plate has been exposed for the proper length of time. If you move even a little, the picture will come out blurred.” She removed the lens cover and ducked under the drape to peer through the camera. She emerged, backed the camera up about a foot, and sighted again. Perfect. After replacing the lens cap, the black drape stifled all light. Operating by feel, she slipped the glass plate into the back of the camera and closed everything up.

When she emerged from beneath the cloth, she took a moment to tighten the combs keeping her upswept hair from teasing her face and studied Cracker. She approached him for some final adjustments. “Put one foot a bit in front of the other and let your left arm hang loose. You’ll look more natural that way.” She smoothed his collar and tilted his hat a bit more. The sunshine from the skylight overhead should provide enough illumination that she wouldn’t need any flash powder. Just as well. The pop and glare of a flash might startle even the dozy Mudslinger into bolting.

“Make sure you get my pistol and knife in the shot.” Cracker patted his gun belt.

“Of course.” This was for his mother, after all. “Now relax, but hold completely still until I give you the word.” She stepped back, surveyed the tableau, trying to see things through the camera lens in her mind, to see the finished product and predict if it would please the customer.

Gently, she unscrewed the lens cap. “Hold it.” She counted off the seconds, added two more because the horse and saddle were so dark, then replaced the cap. “There. You’re done.”

Cracker relaxed a fraction then grinned. “Great. When will it be ready?”

“You can pick it up tomorrow, but you’ll have to pay for it today.” Uncle Carl always required payment from a cowboy before developing the picture, and she intended to follow his example. If she waited until Cracker came to pick up the photo tomorrow, chances are his money would’ve disappeared, siphoned off in one of the saloons or gambling halls. What took the average cowboy three months to earn on the trail up from Texas could be gone in a matter of hours in a cow town like Abilene or Dodge City, Kansas.

Cracker dug into his pocket and produced a wad of bills. He peeled off a couple, grinned at her, and added a third. “There you go, lady. A little something extra for you. And I’m going to tell everybody I know to come here to get their picture made.”

He grabbed Mudslinger’s reins and tugged. The animal roused, shuffled his feet, and ambled toward the door. When he came abreast of her camera, he paused.
Addie let out a shriek.

Cracker yanked on the reins, but it was too late. “Whoops. I sure am sorry about that. He ain’t exactly housebroke, you know.”

~Available to purchase from Amazon and other booksellers.~
~Read my review of Bride HERE.
~ Visit Erica's website...there are a TON of books listed that you will want to read!

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Giveaway: Enter to win a signed copy of A Bride's Portrait of Dodge City, Kansas, by Erica Vetsch!

~To be entered simply fill out the form below. YOU MUST DO THIS OR YOU WON'T BE ENTERED! US Residents only, ages 13 and up. Void where prohibited. Closes for entries 9/11/11 @12:01 AM

~For 2 extra entries leave a comment about your favorite hobby (mine is reading but I bet you might have guessed that) or say hi to Erica!