Some Stories Take a While to Simmer

It seems hard to believe that it's been almost 20 years since I was first introduced to the 1893 Cherokee Strip Land Run. My sons and I were visiting my in-laws for the month. They lived in Kansas at the time. My husband wasn't able to get away from work for that long, so it was just the three of us.

 My mother-in-law was excited to share her rich heritage with me. Several of her relatives had competed in this last great land race in our country.

On our way to a family reunion in Texas, we made a stop in Oklahoma to see the original homestead from one of Mom's relatives. The permanent structure had been built in 1894 and still was standing. It was partially built into the hillside.

By then, it had seen better days, but I could already start picturing characters who competed in the land race and settled on this plot of land.

With a stream nearby, it was the perfect spot for a claim. A small mountain range was nearby as well - at least mountains for Oklahoma!

Once I returned back home, I filed my notes away along with the stories from my mother-in-law and returned to life as a busy homeschooling mother of a seven and four-year-old.

Fifteen years flew by while I continued to raise my children, homeschooling them all the way through graduation. In between there I wrote a couple novels and wrote a column for a homeschooling magazine.

Finally it was time to dust off my notes and start working on my Oklahoma story. My biggest regret is that my mother-in-law never lived to see the story come to life. She knew I was writing it and had finished it when she was in hospice care, but by then she was too weak to be able to listen to me read it to her.

I utilized some of the family stories and items that Mom had shared with me. One of the really neat ones involves a quilt that's been given to the oldest daughter in each generation. Mom gave it to me before she died. We believe the quilt was stitched in 1834 and was carried along in a wagon when one of the relatives raced in 1893. It's a priceless heirloom that I'll give to a granddaughter one day.

My book, To Claim Her Heart, releases this coming Monday. Here's a little bit about it:

In 1893, on the eve of the great race for land, Benjamin David prays for God to guide him to his 'Promised Land. Finding property and preaching to the lost are his only ways of honoring his deceased fiancée. He hasn't counted on Elmer (Elsie) Smith claiming the same plot and refusing to leave. Not only is she a burr in his side, but she is full of the homesteading know-how he is sadly lacking.

Obtaining a claim in the Cherokee Strip Land Run is Elsie Smith's only hope for survival, and not just any plot, she has a specific one in mind. The land's not only a way to honor her pa and his life, but also to provide a livelihood for herself. She's willing to put in whatever it takes to get that piece of property, and Elsie's determined to keep it.

Her bitterness is what protects her, and she has no intentions of allowing that preacher to lay claim to her land . . . or her heart.

Purchase Here

In honor of my birthday, I'll be giving away one print copy (US only) to one commenter. Please be sure to provide a way for me to contact you... and answer this question:

Do you have a priceless heirloom that has been given to you? If so, what is it?

Please join me for a fun night on May 21st for my book launch party on Facebook. I'll be giving away a Kindle Fire. Check it out here.

Jodie Wolfe creates novels where hope and quirky meet. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA) and has been a semi-finalist and finalist in various writing contests. A former columnist for Home School Enrichment magazine, her articles can be found online at: Crosswalk, Christian Devotions, and Heirloom Audio. She's a contributor for Putting on the New and Stitches Thru Time blogs. When not writing she enjoys spending time with her husband in Pennsylvania, reading, walking, and being a Grammie. Learn more at www.jodiewolfe.com.