Under A Comanche Moon

by Pat Capps Mehaffey

"Mama", Jane's voice quavered, "I hear Injuns up on the roof. Can they come down the chimney?" So began one of the many dangers faced by Jane McGregor and her mother, Caroline, in Comanche County, Texas in 1872. A band of Comanche Indians captured two small neighbor children. Jane's father, Robert, and other area ranchers, had to find them and negotiate their release --avoiding bloodshed if possible. But there were good times, too. When she was 13, Jane's father gave her a beautiful roan mare named Clover, and the two formed an unbreakable, loving bond. Together they shared adventures and understanding. When Jane's brother, Allen, married Maggie under an arch covered with vines and flowers, Jane had a sister at last. She even caught the bouquet. By 1876, Comanche County had advanced and prospered, and the pioneer McGregor family grew and prospered with it. That same year, Jane fell in love and began planning her wedding.

127 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2020

About the author

Pat Capps Mehaffey, a life-long Texan, received a degree from Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. She had no interest in writing until her retirement after 30 years of employment as a bank officer.

Pat has been a member of Abilene Writers Guild, Writer’s Bloc of Granbury and Cisco Writers Club. Her published credits include two inspirational books of daily devotionals titled Lessons for Living and Strength Sufficient for the Day. Her short stories have appeared in Cup of Comfort, Rocking Chair Reader, Passager, Quotable Texas Women, The Noble Generation, This Path, From the Porch Swing, The Upper Room, and several issues of Guideposts. Her entries have won awards at Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc. and Weatherford College.

Under a Comanche Moon, for young adults, features Jane McGregor and her pioneer family in Comanche County, Texas. Shadows of the Comanche, a continuation of Jane’s story, was published in 2013. The adventures in both books are based on events experienced by Pat’s ancestors and told to her by her father. Her great-grandparents homesteaded land on the Texas frontier in 1859.

Pat and husband currently reside in North Central Texas, enjoying urban conveniences and proximity of extended family.