The inspiration for The Wilderness Saga came from growing up in Superior, Wisconsin, where the series is set. Superior has a rich history, being that it has one of the largest shipping ports on Lake Superior. My former co-author, Kathe Birch, and I started another series years ago called the Gitche Gumee Saga, also based in Superior, but Kathe passed away after we finished book four and I simply could not make myself continue the series without her. The Gitche Gumee Saga went out of print, so I decided a year ago to start this series. I'm glad I did. Though the Gitche Gumee Saga was good, The Wilderness Saga is MUCH better (in my humble opinion). The first book, "A Dream In The Wilderness", begins in 1837 and it is my goal to bring the series all the way up to 1975 and the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald. Yes, it will be a long series, and "Dream" is only the beginning. I'm currently working on Book 4, titled "A War In The Wilderness," which will be released in January. Book Two, "Whispers In The Wilderness" and Book Three, "A State In The Wilderness" are currently available on Amazon.
This series is my first attempt at self-publishing, and I am not sorry I took the risk. My previous two publishers both went under, and I was tired of shopping for a new one. There is one aspect of self-publishing that I absolutely love. "A Dream In The Wilderness" was released just under a year ago and, as I mentioned earlier, I'm getting ready to release Book 4. With a traditional publisher, I would have been lucky to get one book published a year. With self-publishing through Amazon, I work at my own pace and I determine when my next book will be available, rather than a publisher dictating it. I find that very liberating. Quite frankly, I will never use a traditional publisher again.
Unable to find a teaching position in the flooded job market that is New York City, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Bentley accepts the position of nanny to Caleb Wachsmann’s three children after the farmer’s wife, parents, and infant son die in the Cholera epidemic of 1834. The twist? The job is in Superior, Wisconsin in the Michigan Territory, an unsettled wilderness located on the northwestern tip of Lake Superior.
Caleb is not looking for love; his heart will always belong to his beloved Annie. What he does need is a woman to watch after the children while he toils in the fields making a living for his family. Sarah turns out to be that woman. She raises his children with a gentle and loving hand and also helps Caleb to overcome an unbearable loss. As Wisconsin vies for statehood, the young couple will face challenge after challenge as they struggle to tame a wilderness that really doesn’t want to be tamed at all.
A Dream in the Wilderness is available at https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Wilderness-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJS19HMH.
Next to writing, my second passion is live theater. I founded a local community theater group back in 1992 and directed upwards of 40 shows, including three that I authored. I also appeared on stage a few times, portraying Anna in The King and I and Miss Hannigan in Annie. I am sad to say that the theater group dropped its final curtain in 2008, but those 16 years will always hold some of my fondest memories.
I moved from Superior 15 years ago, seeking the serenity of country living. I also wanted to get away from the natural air conditioning provided by Lake Superior. We moved only 50 miles south, but the temperature can vary by 20-30 degrees. I guess I’m a country girl at heart. I simply love this area, and am lucky to, once again, have someone to share its beauty. I love the solitude, the picturesque beauty of the sun rising over the water, the strangely calming effect of watching a deer graze outside your kitchen window. Never again, will I live in the city. I am an author, after all, and what better place to be inspired than in God’s own backyard.
Let’s Connect!
Website: https://www.jeanhackensmith.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment