Would You Have What it Took
To be a Woman Homesteader?
Inspiration for
the first in The Homesteader series came from a grandmother I never met.
Although she died before I was born, I always felt a kinship to her.
Having been a
“change of life baby,” born when my parents were much older than when they had
my siblings, My father and mother lived the western cowboy way of life. I soon
learned about it from tales they related.
Included in this
oral history was the fact that my maternal grandmother was widowed. She had
three step-children and a passel of her own youngsters to support.
What was she to
do when she was left without a husband? She moved the family from Oklahoma to
New Mexico where she taught school and claimed a homestead.
Moving to New
Mexico is as far as her life goes in the story line. It is only loosely based
on Mary (Mollie) Ellen Hall Warren in the fact that she was a woman
homesteader. Parts of the novel would probably shock her or, in the least, make
her certainly want to correct me.
In The
Homesteader, published by Wings Epress, Molly Kling is a woman set on a
mission. She will do whatever it takes for her and her three step-children to
survive and build a home.
The family lives
under their buckboard on the bare property and uses the tailgate as a counter
to prepare their meals. Molly dreams of a real kitchen in a real house with a
real bed.
When her plans
are threatened by a wandering stranger (Trace Westerman), she has no compulsion
against shooting the man. She fires close to his leg, to get him away from the
rocks she and the children have come to claim for a foundation for their house.
An accident
requires the stranger’s help. Molly is forced to allow him to return to the
homestead with them.
Wary of the
stranger, she questions his sanity when he contributes to their dinner menu. Following
is an excerpt when Trace and two of Molly’s stepson’s return after the oldest
boy, Andy, has delivered the rattlesnake Trace shot for dinner:
“Having
Trace there certainly made life interesting, Molly had to admit to herself as
she saw the three of them approaching.
She'd had guests bring something to the supper table before, but never a
rattlesnake. For certain, he'd
have to show her how to cook it.
But, she'd be darned if she'd give him the satisfaction of letting him
know his contribution disturbed her.
She hated snakes.
Rattlesnakes were the worst to her. She had almost turned down the land claim when she found
they were natural creatures to the area.
Only the family’s desperation kept her from moving on. Since then, she had done everything in
her power to eradicate or, at least, keep the snakes at bay. She might cook one for Trace but she
wasn’t about to eat it.”
The
Homesteader’s
Legacy, Back to the Homestead and Life on the Homestead follow the
first book, The Homesteader. New characters are added as the series
continues. Currently I am working on Annabel’s Story as the series
becomes The Homesteader Chronicles.
Keeping
with the historical theme, Whiskey Creek Press published Blue Coat and Kat’s
Cradle. Both are situated in historic western sites.
_________________________________
Author Mary Jean Kelso lives in
the true west, Nevada, where cowboys abound and start out as cowboys when they
are old enough to ask for a hat. The location has inspired Kelso’s writing for
over 50 years. She publishes not
only adult and young adult novels but children’s illustrated books as well.
Kelso says, “Look for my littlest cowboy, Cowboy James, recently released from
Guardian Angel Publishing.”
Kelso’s books are available in
print and digital formats at www.Wings-press.com,
www.whiskeycreekpress.com, www.guardianangelpublishing.com
and www.Amazon.com and other venues.
Mary Jean Kelso
www.madeinNevada.org
www.wings-press.com
www.whiskeycreekpress.com
www.authorsden.com/maryjeankelso
andyandthealbinohorse.blogspot.com
http://childrensbookwinp.ning.com/profile/MaryJeanKelso
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com
http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com
http://guardianangelfamily.blogspot.com/
TRAILERS
http://www.blazingtrailers.com/browse.php?txt=kelso
www.madeinNevada.org
www.wings-press.com
www.whiskeycreekpress.com
www.authorsden.com/maryjeankelso
andyandthealbinohorse.blogspot.com
http://childrensbookwinp.ning.com/profile/MaryJeanKelso
http://www.guardianangelpublishing.com
http://www.guardian-angel-kids.com
http://guardianangelfamily.blogspot.com/
TRAILERS
http://www.blazingtrailers.com/browse.php?txt=kelso
TITLES;
MYSTERY IN VIRGINIA CITY - Great Basin Press
A VIRGINIA CITY MYSTERY - MarKel Press
ABDUCTED! - MarKel Press
SIERRA SUMMER - MarKel Press
GOODBYE, BODIE - MarKel Press
THE HOMESTEADER (May 2005 Best Seller - Wings-Press.com)
THE HOMESTEADER'S LEGACY - (February 2007 - Wings-Press.com)
BACK TO THE HOMESTEAD - (May 2008 - Wings-Press.com)
LIFE ON THE HOMESTEAD - (July 2009 - Wings-Press.com)
GOODBYE IS FOREVER (March 2006 - Wings-Press.com)
BLUE COAT (April 2006 - Whiskeycreekpress.com)
KAT'S CRADLE (October 2007 - Whiskeycreekpress.com)
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL (August 2007 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND THE ALBINO HORSE (April 2008 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ONE FAMILY'S CHRISTMAS (August 2008 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT GO TO THE FAIR (July 2008 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT IN THE BIG RESCUE (March 2009 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT MEET THE RODEO QUEEN (April 2010 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
THE ADVENTURES OF ANDY AND SPIRIT, BOOK 1 (July 2010 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT IN SEARCH AND RESCUE (Spring 2012 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT GO ON A DAY COUNT (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
ANDY AND SPIRIT RIDE A TRAIN (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
COWBOY JAMES (Aug. 2011 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
THE BOW TIE BUNNY (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
THE CHICK THAT COULDN'T SCRATCH (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
THE RV MOUSE (February 2010 - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
CHRISTOPHER MAKES MAGIC - (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
BIRDS IN THE FLOWER BASKET - (TBD - GuardianAngelPublishing.com)
3 comments:
I don't know why my Google acct. never works here.
Anyway, Howdy Mary Jean,
I'd never make a good homesteader in those days. I'm afraid I like my creature comforts too much.
But...I do like to read about them. I love westerns.
Good luck with the sales.
Lorrie Unites-Struiff
I might have made a decent homesteader when I was in my teens or early twenties. Now I take too many medications just to keep moving!
I still love to camp, though, but we've upgraded from tents to a trailer with heat and A/C. LOL
Great blog post.
This was really interesting as well as entertaining! Thank you so much. I enjoyed reading this post.
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