WritersWest.com Launches a Special Page to Salute Women of the American West

To honor the trials and accomplishments of women of the American West, Writers West.com has set up a special page during this National Women's History Month.

(PRWEB) March 12, 2005 -- Not one single face can be ascribed to western women. Each circumstance and person was intriguing. Western writers have many stories about the unique women who lived in and settled the West. The women's page at http://westernbookdeals.writerswest.com/women/htm shows the covers and a bit of information about the book, and links directly to the book page for more information.

"We intend to maintain this page throughout the year," says Fran Crawford at Writers West. "This is more than a special March celebration."

At Writers West, the timeline in western history ranges from the 18th into the 20th century. Outstanding books can be found here:
- Lucia St. Clair Robson's fictionalized history of Sarah Bowman during the Mexican War (Fearless), Cynthia Ann Parker (Ride The Wind), Lozen, legendary woman warrior of the Apaches (Ghost Warrior).
- Dennis W. Fabel has written a novel of Electa Bryant (Electa), the staunch supporter and eventual wife of Montana's legendary Henry Plummer.
-- Ellen Gray Massey's biography of Mary Elizabeth Mahnkey (A Candle Within Her Soul) relates Mahnkey's devotion to the Ozarks, while Massey;s novel The Burnt District tells the bitter survival of a family in civil-war Missouri.

"I've read many of the books at Writers West," says Marcia Ludwig, a retired librarian. "Not only is the history compelling, but the emotions are representative of the western experience."

From homesteading (Charlotte Hinger's Come Spring) to devotion (Terry Burn's TO Keep A promise) to minority view and struggle (K Follis Cheatham's The Adventures Of Elizabeth Fortune), other western writers have recorded the stamina and pluck of women who settled the west with fictional characters.
- Two-time Willa winner Gladys Smith's books tell of surviving a harrowing river trip (River Of Our Return), and maintaining a Montana homestead and horse ranch (Deliverance Valley).
- Dorothy Weston Larson gives a rich depiction of women in the early days of Billings, Montana (As Shadows On The Hills)
- Richard S. Wheeler's SPUR winning title Drum's Ring tells of a widow who maintains her dreams despite all odds

In the tradition of Mary Austin, B.M. Bower, Juanita Brooks, Willa Cather, Helen Hunt Jackson and others women storytellers, the writers who sell their books at Writers West.com have titles that plumb the depths of the rich experiences and achievements by women of the American West. Whether presenting fiction or nonfiction, these western writers have all been true to the marvelous history of women in the west; strong women characters come alive in their books.

More information about women western writers can be found at Women Writing the West http://www.womenwritingthewest.org , and a fine tribute to women of the American West is at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame http://www.cowgirl.net. Other women's history links can be found at http://www.booksandwriters.awritersaide.com/DIRECTORY/research.shtml#WE

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