My dad had an old cast iron stove in his “office” – a building out back of our house that women today would call a man cave. The stove sat right in the middle of the room surrounded by desks, chairs, book shelves, and a drafting table. There was something cozy about hanging out in that one-room retreat on a rainy day, something inviting and primitively simple.
In my latest book, The Cowboy Takes a Wife, a potbelly stove becomes a focal point around which the characters gather to enjoy Annie Whitaker’s home-made, potbelly biscuits. When I started the story, I didn’t know the old coal-burner would become so important. But if I had been in the Rockies on a snowy day in 1860, that’s where I would have headed.
Today my husband and I have a wood and coal stove in the living room, and it offers the same thing those old cast iron stoves did: great heat and a cozy atmosphere. I crave the intimacy of curling up on the sofa with a novel and a cup of hot tea while the Colorado wind takes a run at our snug little home.
Warmth and comfort – two things we all look for. May the warmth and comfort of God’s love hold you close these remaining winter days.
~finding faith & fresh hope through Love~
It’s always interesting to discover why authors include the things they do in their novels. While reading ‘The Cowboy Takes a Wife’, I thought the potbelly stove gave the reader a feeling of community among the town people in the story.
Thank you, Linda. So glad I made the connection I was intending!
Hello Davelynn. Nice to meet you. I love Westerns. Used to be most all that I read. This one of yopurs sounds real good. Sure enjoyed reading the first chapter, but should have been doing something else. But wouldn’t have been fun as this. I grew up in the days of pot belly stoves. Daddy used to fuss at me for getting too close when he got it ready for winter. I burned a knee several times. Sure felt good when we came from a cold bedroom to get ready for school or church. We went to bed with hot bricks wrapped in towels to warm our feet till we got the covers warm. Mother cooked on a old iron stove and the big pot belly in our living room. And we walked to school. Did our lessons by lamplight and had an outdoor privvy. Took our baths in a wash tub too. But I have lots of good memories from those days. I also loved in a small town. Tho, most times we were part of the country folks. One of my brothers used to help break horses at one time. Later he was a career serviceman. I was about nine probably when we moved into town for the first time. First time for electricity and a indoor bathroom. I thought it was a castle. When I was nearing 13 tho, we moved to another state and bought a house with no bathroom. So, back to an outhouse. later my daddy built us an indoor bathroom. Happy day. Guess this isn’t a give-away, but wish it was. I would love to read the rest of this story. Thanks for the good read and the memories.
Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
Thanks for writing, Maxie. So nice to meet a reader who enjoys Westerns and the simpler ways. There will be another give-away the end of April as I prepare to release the next installment in the Whitaker’s story. Book 2, Branding the Wrangler’s Heart comes out the first of May.