Kathryn Hockett

ESCAPADE:  A man running from the law.  Logan Donovan had been framed for a murder he did not commit by a political rival.  He was determined to clear his name and reclaim his life. In his wildest dreams, he never imagined he would soon be traveling with a group of female entertainers, nor that he would have to hide his real identity by becoming one of them—the infamous ‘Prudence’. 

OUTRAGEOUS:    It was a man’s world and women could not even vote, but Elizabeth knew that behind every successful man stood a woman.  If men were the backbone of the nation—she  knew that women were its heart and soul.  In the East a women’s lack of equal rights was circumscribed by entrenched tradition, but she was certain that the West represented a clean slate upon which the progressive idea of sexual equality could be inscribed. 

          Chane, Dylan, Matthew, Mary Margaret, Teddy and Ashley wait apprehensively for the train that is going to take them to a new life out west.  The orphans are to be riders aboard the “Orphan Train” (along with several other children)  that transports parentless children from eastern orphanages to homes in the west.

    Apprehensive about what awaits them at the end of the line, the children form a strong bond of friendship with each other.  They call themselves the Rainbow Riders (each of them following his/her dream….their rainbow).   “All for one and one for all,” is the motto they adopt from Matthew’s favorite book – The Three Musketeers.  Reaching out, Ashley touches Dylan’s hand and although they are children she knows in her heart at that moment that she will always love him. 
      The journey takes much longer than anticipated due to the engine failure of the old train and the snow storm that is ravaging the countryside.  Through the trials and tribulations of the trip the children draw closer and closer, leaning on each other in times of need.   As they begin to trust each other they tell the others about what has happened in their young lives to make them homeless and parentless.  Although they do not have “families” they form their own kind of family and promise that somehow, someway, no matter where they end up, they will keep in touch.
     Several years later, the friendship that began aboard the “Orphan Train” has lasted to the years of adulthood.  Through the years they have managed ways to correspond with each other concerning the ups and downs of their lives.
     Then Ashley, Matthew and Chane receive a letter from Teddy.  One of the “riders” is in trouble.  Dylan is in danger of losing his ranch in Wyoming Territory and all that he has worked so hard to obtain.  Matthew reminds each of the “riders” of the promise they made long ago and requests that each of them come to Wyoming to save their troubled friend and one-time companion.

   It is not surprising that Marcia felt a kindred spirit with the western heroines she wrote about.  She was born at home in the small mining town of Jamestown, Colorado.  Her grandfather, Horace Vickery, and her father, Howard Vickery, were both gold miners.  Ore from the hills of Central City, Leadville, Black Hawk and Gold Hill sustained the family

Marcia adored her father.  So much so that  when she was just a little girl she tagged along after him, even going into the mines with him (which gave her information she later used for the books).  One of her favorite things to do was to make him sandwiches and bring him lunch.  

When Marcia was nine years old the family (which now included her twin brothers - John and James) moved to Boulder and lived on Bluff street (close to the Mork and MIndy house).  She was a straight "A" student who wanted to be a nurse.  In those days there were not as many opportunities for intelligent women as there are now.  After high school graduation she enrolled at the University of Colorado.

When the war was over Ervin took Marcia to his home in California near Hollywood. She was a small town girl who was intrigued by movies and movie stars. The excitement soon wore off, however, and Marica learned she had a tumor in her eye.  She returned to Boulder to be near her family for the operation.  While there she realized she didn't want to be away from her family any longer.  Ervin's mother, brother, and sister lived in the Los Angeles area so he wanted to live there.  And so began the pendulum taking the Kramers from Boulder to Glendale and then back and forth again many times.  In the end it was this that led to the end of their marriage.

Unfortunately  there was a "stigma" attached to divorced women in "those" days.  They were seen as failures and as a danger to married women lest they take their husbands away.  That Marcia had a four year old daughter made looking for love very awkward.  She was certain she would remain alone forever.  But the threat of forever ended when she was reunited with a young man who had once lived across the street from her family when he was a boy--a sailor who, like her ex-husband, had returned safely from the war.  He "courted" her with a fury that soon led to marriage.

Marcia and Wesley Hockett raised their two children at the same house in Boulder that Wesley had built when they first got married.  He was her rock when her tumor returned and she was given a 50/50 chance of surviving.  Thankfully, the operation was successful and the love of her husband and children got her through.  She did, however, have "an out of body" experience which strengthened her faith and made her unafraid of death. Ten years later it was Wesley who was diagnosed with lung cancer.  Unfortunately he was not as fortunate as she had been and he died three months after the cancer was discovered.  It was a very difficult time for Marcia, particularly since her father had died a year and a half before her husband.

Kathy Lynn was born in Boulder while her father was on duty in the Pacific Ocean on a navy ship.  Her grandmother, Elsie Margaret, was by her mother's side.  It was the beginning of the "Three Musketeers" as they would later call themselves, a lifelong vow to look after each other.

There were so many uncles in Kathy's life--Uncle Howard, Uncle John, Uncle Jim and Uncle Jack, her father's brother--that when Wesley came upon the scene she thought he must be an uncle too and called him "Uncle Daddy."  As the years went on, however, she came to call him Dad.  The addition of a brother to the family meant that her life was not as lonely.  Although not formerly adopted by her stepfather she began using his name and became Kathy Hockett.

All through her childhood years Kathy spent most of her time reading--school books and novels.  Read, read, read.  It was her favorite thing to do because reading was like entering a different world.  She was also  involved in Speech Meets, choir, and drama club.  When asked what profession she wanted to follow she said simply that she wanted to be a movie star.  Becoming a wife and a mother were not on her agenda, at least not for a long, long while.

While studying opera at the University of Colorado, majoring in music education, Kathy sang with the CU Jazz band.  A year later she was singing at a local club with the Steve Christopher Band--a far different kind of music than classical but just as difficult.  Music had now become the most important thing in her life which is perhaps why so many of the heroines in her books are singers, play a musical instrument, dance, or are in the theater.  Her favorite quote is: "music is well said to be the speech of angels."

Kathy's brother, Rick, was also interested in music and played guitar.  As they grew older the six year difference in their ages seemed to diminish and  he was no longer her "kid" brother.  When he asked her to join his band she said no at first because rock and roll was a far cry from opera.  Realizing that it would be a chance to spend time together, however, she quickly changed her mind.  Now not only was she singing and playing music but writing songs with her brother as well.

Thanks to people who believed in her and gave her inspiration, including her mother, Kathy was fortunate to see her stories published for others to read.  Best of all her mother later joined her in writing (Kathryn Hockett).  That she and her mother won the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Awards and had several books translated and published in foreign languages, was icing on the cake.

Picure at left:  At Romantic Times Convention.  Marcia, her brother John, Elsie Vickery, Pat Vickery  and Kathy

 At a Romantic Times Convention.  Dressed as the heroine of their books.

Such great fun to work with author Connie Rinehold and her husband of Liasons (right) , a photographer and two handsome models  to create bookmarks for SIREN SONG and SWEET SAVAGE SURRENDER.

Left:  John Hanlon (U.S. cavalry soldier)  from SWEET SAVAGE SURRENDER (Hockett) -- Right: Alexander Nicholson (banker) from SIREN SONG