Journal Notes

According to Kate Wins Big at the Bass & Belle Film Festival

Posted on by Chris Enss
Wonderful news for According to Kate! Our film has won Best Short Film at the Bass & Belle Film Festival!
My heartfelt thanks to Lone Rider Productions, LLC, and our incredible cast and crew for bringing Kate Elder’s story to the screen. Special recognition goes to the incomparable Manuela Schneider as Kate Elder, the brilliant Craig Hensley as Doc Holliday, and the compelling Curt Lambert as Johnny Ringo. What a privilege to share this journey with such talented people!
You can catch According to Kate at these upcoming Arizona screenings:
• Saturday, October 17: Tombstone Courthouse
• Sunday, October 18: Touchmark Theater in Prescott
• Wednesday, October 21: Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale
• Wednesday, October 21: Wild Bunch Film Festival in Tucson
Thank you to the Bass & Belle Film Festival for this honor and to everyone who has supported our film. Kate’s story rides on!

According to Kate in Prescott

Posted on by Chris Enss
Happy to share the poster created by the good people at Touchmark for our screening of According to Kate in Prescott on Sunday, October 18!
Manuela Schneider and I will begin the day with a book signing at the Western Heritage Center from 1–3 p.m. That evening, join us at Touchmark’s Theater Room for the screening at 7 p.m., with a book signing before the film and a Q&A afterward.
It’s going to be a busy day, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to share our books, our film, and the stories of the women of the American West. We look forward to seeing you!

One Last Ride Tour Kicks Off on October 17

Posted on by Chris Enss

 

Sherry and I ride again in a couple of weeks—this time, I’ll carry her memory with me.

For years, Sherry Monahan and I traveled together, sharing our books, our love of Western history, and plenty of laughter along the way. These photos capture some of those happy times, including adventures with our traveling posse members Bill Markley and Monty McCord.

My One Last Ride Tour honors Sherry’s life, her work, and a friendship I will always treasure. Join me in Arizona as we celebrate the stories she told and the memories she left us.

📚 October 17 | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
J.L. Silver Co. • Tombstone

📚 October 18 | 1–3 p.m.
Western Heritage Center • Prescott

📚 October 20 | 7–8:30 p.m.
White Stallion Dude Ranch • Tucson

For years we toured together. Now I’ll take one more ride in her honor.

 

Frontier Her Launches Today!

Posted on by Chris Enss

The West has more stories to tell—and Frontier Her launches TODAY!

You’re invited to visit our new YouTube channel celebrating the women who made the American West—and the women keeping their stories alive.

Explore the channel, subscribe, and join us from the beginning! More content will be added regularly, bringing you new stories and fresh perspectives on the remarkable women of the West.

Frontier Her—Women’s Voices of the West Heard Here.

Visit and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@FrontierHer

#FrontierHer #WomenOfTheWest #WomensHistory #WesternHistory

They fought for a lifetime to cast one ballot. Make yours count.

Posted on by Chris Enss

They fought for more than 70 years. We can take the time to register and vote.

As someone who writes about women’s history, including in No Place for a Woman: The Struggle for Suffrage in the Wild West, I wish every woman heading to the polls could know the stories of those who fought to make that moment possible.

The amendment that became the 19th Amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878. It took 41 years to win congressional approval and another year to secure ratification in August 1920. Mississippi did not formally ratify it until 1984, long after it had become the law of the land.

The road was anything but straight. In New Jersey, some unmarried women who met property requirements could vote in the early republic—only to have that right taken away in 1807. Wyoming Territory granted women suffrage in 1869, then refused to surrender it when seeking statehood. Wyoming entered the Union in 1890 with women’s voting rights intact.

And in 1872, Susan B. Anthony cast a presidential ballot in defiance of restrictions on women’s voting and was arrested. She would never live to see the 19th Amendment ratified.

Those women fought for generations they would never meet. They fought for us. When we choose not to vote, we leave unused the right they worked so hard to secure.

Women, and everyone eligible to vote, please register, check your registration, and make a plan to cast your ballot.

Honor their struggle. Use your voice. Vote.

 

No Place for a Woman – The Struggle for Suffrage in the Wild West Cover

According to Kate with Writer/Actor Chris Enss In Person @ Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale

Posted on by Chris Enss
According to Kate with Writer/Actor Chris Enss In Person
Join us to both watch the film and hear from the writer and actor of this biographical western film based on the life of Mary Kate Cummings—widely known as “Big Nose Kate”—the famous partner of Doc Holliday. Set in 1899, the story follows an elderly Kate reflecting on her turbulent frontier life, her relationship with Holliday, and her eyewitness account of events like the Gunfight at O.K. Corral.
Chris will provide an introduction and engage with the audience following the screening, as well as do a book signing. Several of her books will be for sale at the Western Spirit Museum Store including According to Kate: The Legendary Life of Big Nose Kate, Love of Doc Holiday, which is the original source for this film.
Chris Enss is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing about women of the Old West for more than thirty years. She has penned more than fifty published books on the subject. Her work has been honored with nine Will Rogers Medallion Awards, two Elmer Kelton Book Awards, an Oklahoma Center for the Book Award, three Foreword Review Magazine Book Awards, two-time winner of the Downing Journalism Award, and a Willa Cather Award from Women Writing the West for scholarly nonfiction.
Program Info:
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
3:00 p.m. @ the Western Spirit Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona
FREE for Museum Members (Members, log-in first to reserve tickets)
FREE with Museum Admission
$10 for just the program
Contact 480-686-9539 to reserve your seat!

Another Win for the Film According to Kate

Posted on by Chris Enss

According to Kate has won Best Drama Short at Hollywood Just4Shorts for September 2026!

As executive producer and screenwriter, I am thrilled to celebrate this recognition with the extraordinary artists who brought the film to life.

Manuela Schneider as Kate Elder, Craig Hensley as Doc Holliday, and Curt Lambert as Johnny Ringo delivered incredible performances filled with depth, conviction, and humanity. Their work gave these historical figures a powerful presence on screen, and I could not be prouder of them.

My heartfelt thanks to Lone Rider Productions, LLC, and our amazing crew, including director of photography Derek Carlson, first assistant director Robert Clark, sound designer Danni Valdez, and costume designer Karen McKechnie. Your artistry and dedication shaped every scene.

A special thank-you to Craig Hensley for writing and singing “Darling, Oh Darling,” and to Mauriel Morejon for its beautiful orchestration.

Thank you, Hollywood Just4Shorts, for honoring According to Kate. This win belongs to everyone who helped tell her story.

Good for you, Kate!

LAST CALL FOR LOVE, ADVENTURE, AND A LITTLE OUTLAW HISTORY!

Posted on by Chris Enss

Enter now to win a copy of

The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch

 

Tomorrow, September 30, is the last day to register to win a copy of The Last Ride: Outlaw Laura Bullion and the Wild Bunch! Visit www.chrisenss.com to enter.

Here’s what one reader had to say in this five-star Amazon review:

“The frontier or a dusty western town was hard on men. Harder on women. Men chose the roads they took. The women had to make peace with the hardships of daily living and the expectations of society that boxed them in a cube of convention. Laura Bullion said ‘Bag that! I’m out for love and adventure.’

And she got it! Along with heartbreak, humiliation, and invisibility in plain sight.

Chris Enss not only shines a light on a woman we never heard of but also brings her out of the shadows to reveal a resilient woman who grabbed LIFE and lived it her way, with its successes, failures, and consequences. She reveled in the high times, took it on the chin in the bad times, and re-invented herself on her terms. I’m not sure I would have liked Laura Bullion, but I sure as heck respect her. A reflective read that will stay with you.”

Laura took her chances. Now take yours—enter by tomorrow at www.chrisenss.com!

 

The Last Ride

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11 Wild Bunch Film Festival Nominations for According to Kate!

Posted on by Chris Enss

 

 

As the screenwriter and executive producer of According to Kate with Lone Rider Productions, LLC, I’m grateful to the Wild Bunch Film Festival for recognizing our film with 11 nominations.

I’m especially proud of Craig Hensley, who earned a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Doc Holliday. Craig also wrote and sang “Darling, Oh Darling,” Doc’s song in the film. The song was not nominated, but it is brilliant, and I want to celebrate the extraordinary work Craig put into it. The music was magnificently orchestrated by Mauriel Morejon.

A general thank-you to the cast and crew is simply not enough. Director of Photography Derek Carlson helped create the world of the film with his exceptional eye. First Assistant Director Robert Clark kept that world moving with skill and dedication. Incomparable sound designer Danni Valdez gave it texture and life. Costume designer Karen McKechnie helped transport us into Kate’s time and place.

These gifted professionals work on major motion pictures, and I remain humbled that they gave their time, talent, and hearts to a short film like According to Kate. Congratulations to our nominees Manuela Schneider, Curt Lambert, and Craig. This recognition belongs to the entire team.

Our 11 nominations:

  • Best Short Western Screenplay
  • Best Historical Truth Based Screenplay
  • Best Short Western Film
  • Best Actor, Western Short Film — Craig Hensley
  • Best Supporting Actor, Western Short Film — Curt Lambert
  • Best Actress, Western Short Film — Manuela Schneider
  • Best Supporting Actress, Western Short Film — Chris Enss
  • Best Female Director, Western Short Film — Manuela Schneider
  • Best True Story Based Western Film
  • Best Historical Drama Western
  • Best Arizona Short Western Film

Thank you, Wild Bunch Film Festival. I am profoundly grateful—and enormously proud.

Frontier Her launches October 5!

Posted on by Chris Enss

The women who made the American West have stories worth telling—and the women keeping those stories alive deserve to be heard.

Our new YouTube channel, Frontier Her, will share news about work by award-winning author and filmmaker Manuela Schneider, New York Times bestselling author Chris Enss, award-winning poet and filmmaker KC LaCourse, and many more writers whose work centers on women of the American West.

Expect new books, films, poetry, historical features, and the voices behind them.

Women’s Voices of the West Heard Here.

Subscribe now and join us for the launch on October 5: youtube.com/@FrontierHer