THAT OLE BOY HAS ‘GONE TO TEXAS’ A fella who owns a gas station and mini-mart down the road has an interesting habit. Every time a customer’s check bounces, and he can’t find the person who signed it, he posts the check on his bulletin board and writes across it with a red Sharpie: “Gone to […]
Jawbone Credit Western Slang Devotional by Stephen Bly On February 15th, 1894, Milton Porter, without a penny to his name, walked into the White Pine County Bank in Ely, Nevada, and carried out $12,000 cash. He used jawbone credit. He didn’t have a mask over his face or a six-gun in his hand. The tellers didn’t […]
OLD WEST SAYINGS – A Wink and Nod by Stephen Bly One of the Old West sayings went, “A wink is as good as a nod to a blind mule.” In other words, if the mule is blind, no amount of motion would motivate him. You could stomp, wave your hands, flap your hat, or kick […]
Sometimes we get the idea that every old time cowboy was so tough he didn’t run from anything. According to some pulp writers, he faced down enemy attacks from every direction. He could turn a thousand head of stampeding cattle. Face down a dozen gunfighters in the street. Ride through the desert with a hundred […]
Looking Over His Shoulder by Stephen Bly Every era and generation has its unwritten rules of proper behavior. The Old West was no different. One of those had to do with the proper way for a cowboy to turn around, looking over his shoulder. He didn’t want to do it too often or it would signal […]
Are you a long-ear? You might be if you keep your ear to the ground. In an old western movie a seasoned Indian scout crawls out of the saddle, drops to his knees, and lays his ear to the ground. Then he’ll say, “Three riders. Going south. About four miles away. One of the horses […]
Leavin’ Cheyenne Western Slang by Stephen Bly Out west there’s a big difference between country music and western music. The beat’s not the same. Diverse instruments. Different words. Western music claims a long history. Most songs center around the vast outdoors. Horses and cattle, danger and the girl left behind. Ever since the first drover had […]
An Old West Western Slang Devotional by Stephen Bly An Old West type ladino character, J.W. lives back in the woods along the Salmon River Breaks somewhere. You take the gravel road 18 miles. Turn left at the big buckskin tamarack. Then 15 miles down a dirt and mud rutted trail. Park your rig and hike […]
Ketch My Saddle, Boys No one likes to get bucked off a horse, old cowboys especially. But if his broomtail decided to ‘hop for mama,’ ‘take ya to church,’ ‘chin the moon,’ or ‘wrinkle his spine,’ he plowed the ground with his face. Then he must catch the rude horse and holler, “Ketch my saddle!” […]
Ever Heard of a Karimption? Western Slang Devotional by western author Stephen Bly Old Jack Ferguson had a special role in our church. He counted the folks who attended the worship service. But he didn’t bother with exact numbers. He had 3 western slang rankings: Funeral size. Sunday rodeo comfort. Or karimption. A funeral size […]
In the frame short story in this anthology, Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .
The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique short story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.
Here in The Jeweler's Heart are their fascinating tales told by seventeen of the talented novel writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler's Heart is a treasure.
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