My Thoughts - Hope Like Wildflowers Author: Pepper Basham

 

Hope Like Wildflowers Kick-Off Package

About the Book

Book: Hope Like Wildflowers

Author: Pepper Basham

Genre: Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

Release date: October, 2024

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams’s story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor with southern Appalachian flair. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her historical romance novels, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge and The Red Ribbon, and her contemporary novels, the Mitchell’s Crossroads and Pleasant Gapseries, showcase her Appalachian heritage, as well as her love for humor and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to about fifty more, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

 

More from Pepper

It’s pretty easy to overlook wildflowers.

I mean, until they show off all their pretty colors, especially in the middle of a barren place, then they’re noticed and usually appreciated but did you know there’s a lot more to wildflowers that…meets the eye?

Apart from providing food and shelter for smaller animals and/or insects or assisting bees in pollination, wildflowers can be used as an ingredient for healing remedies and contribute to soil health and reduce erosion.

Especially in places where other plants aren’t likely to grow. They’re known as “hardy” because they can survive all sorts of weather conditions, extreme temperature, animal damage, even drought.

So why am I talking about wildflowers??

Because, in lots of ways, wildflowers are a great example of what hope looks like.

1. Hope nourishes. Romans 15: 14 “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” When we recall and reflect on what the Bible says about who we are in Christ, our hearts are encouraged and given the spiritual energy they need to remind ourselves of truth in the middle of hard times and wilderness-living.
2. Hope spreads – Romans 15:13 – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” A heart filled with the knowledge of the love of God is a heart filled and “overflowing” with hope…and that hope is contagious. When we know whose we are and what our future looks like because of the One who loves us, we live in joy…even when the storms come.
3. Hope restores and heals: “Isaiah 40:31 reads, “For those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
4. Hope protects – Psalm 62:5-6 “Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.” Life is hard. Sometimes, bone-achingly, soul-shakingly hard. If we’re reliant on our own ability to protect our faith or mind or soul, we will fail. We’re not strong enough and neither is any of our human defenses, but God is amply able to protect us from the storms, trials, and droughts that mean to wither our hope. HE is the hero of our heart’s story and he is armed to overcome so we can trust Him with our hope and our futures.
5. And hope grows in the hard places. Hope does not consist of weak or wishful thinking, it grows out of nutrients squeezed from the soil it has. Hard-won, many times. Romans 5:3-4 “ Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” A life with Christ doesn’t mean that pain is taken away, but there is a promise and purpose in the pain. The promise that God is with us and a purpose that He is making us more like Him.

Hope Like Wildflowers tells the story of hope, but the main character, Kizzie, isn’t relying on her own abilities to keep her hope strong. Oh no! She learned to trust in the only One who is strong enough to BE her hope. He nourishes her heart when her life has turned upside down and she’s been forsaken. He restores and heals her when she’s been broken and cast out. He protects her from dangerous men who try to hurt her, but also he protects her heart from choosing the wrong path. And through the hard places of life, Kizzie’s hope overflows in joy to touch the lives of those around her.

And it’s beautiful and unexpected.

Like wildflowers.

How has God helped bring hope to your life? What trials has His hope helped you through?

My Thoughts

If you ever want a glimpse of what Appalachia was like back in the day. Pick up a Pepper Basham book. In Hope Like Wildflowers readers are transported back to 1910. We are introduced to Kizzie McAdams. 

Kizzie has been working as a servant in a landowner’s house. She finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy situation. She finds herself disowned by her father and the one that promised to love her isn’t following through. 

She finds solace in a nearby family and she’s learning to heal, and trust God. The author has done such an amazing job writing in the reminder that no matter what we’ve done God can heal us. He’s got a plan for all of us. 

I will admit this book had me teary-eyed several times. I didn’t want to put it down. The book is well written and the storyline is engaging. We met Kizzy in a previous book so it was amazing to hear her story. 

Thank you the author, publisher and Celebrate Lit for allowing me to read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own. 

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 30

Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 30

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 31

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 31

Devoted To Hope, November 1

Texas Book-aholic, November 1

Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 2 (Guest Review from Marilyn)

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 2

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 3

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 3

Wishful Endings, November 4

Book Looks by Lisa, November 4

Sylvan Musings, November 5

For Him and My Family, November 5

lakesidelivingsite, November 6

Blossoms and Blessings, November 6

Connie’s History Classroom, November 7

Labor Not in Vain, November 7

Holly’s Book Corner, November 8

An Author’s Take, November 8

Back Porch Reads, November 9

Inklings and Notions, November 9

Cover Lover Book Review, November 10

Pause for Tales, November 11

Just Your Average reviews, November 11

To Everything There Is A Season, November 12

Vicky Sluiter, November 12

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Pepper is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon eGift card and a print copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5482

My Thoughts -SUNNY GALE: A NOVEL by Jamie Lisa Forbes

 Book Details:

Book Title:  SUNNY GALE: A NOVEL by Jamie Lisa Forbes
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 268 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction, Literary Novel
Publisher:  Pronghorn Press 
Release date:   May, 2024
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (USA only) and ebook (PDF, NetGalley download)  
Tour dates: Oct 21 to Nov 8, 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: There is no profane language. There are some sexual scenes, non explicit. There is one instance of sexual abuse that is more recollected than described. My specific reason for giving this rating was two scenes where animals are harmed intentionally.

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"Forbes is an experienced author, and her latest novel is beautifully, even poetically written...A moving, memorable, and fully realized rodeo saga." Kirkus Reviews, starred.

"Those who have an interest in historical fiction...will find this book enlightening. It's an eye-opening read and an evocative mixture of fact and fiction." Michaela Gordoni for Portland Book Review.

"Forbes showcases her remarkable storytelling skills, promising readers an unforgettable experience." Suzie Housley for Midwest Book Review

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Book Description:

It's 1895 and fourteen year old Hannah Brandt is struggling with the hard life on a new Nebraska homestead. When her imagination is captured by a wild filly she becomes obsessed with horses, which opens the door to her destiny. Just four years later she enters the first Cheyenne Frontier Day rodeo where she wins the relay race and her fate is sealed. She gives herself a new name, Sunny Gale, and pursues a rodeo career, much to the disgust of her young husband and her very proper mother. Sunny defies convention with every move as the drive to compete takes over her life, leaving everything else behind, including husbands and children. It is a rough life she has chosen, but she craves the glory of the spotlight and refuses to bow to the expectations for a woman in her time.

​Award winning author Jamie Lisa Forbes has once again brought us complex characters in a story based on real women and the early days when rodeo was wide open for them to become stars. It is a story of the social mores of the times and of a woman determined to defy them no matter how high the personal cost or where that choice might take her.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org ~Indigo
​add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

Jamie Lisa Forbes was raised on a ranch in the Little Laramie Valley near Laramie, Wyoming. She attended the University of Colorado where she obtained degrees in English and philosophy. After fourteen months living in Israel, she returned to her family’s ranch where she lived for another fifteen years.

In 1994, she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2001, she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law and began her North Carolina law practice.

Forbes’ first novel, Unbroken, won the WILLA Literary Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2011. Her collection of short stories, The Widow Smalls and Other Stories, won the High Plains Book Awards for a short story collection in 2015.

Forbes’ novel of rural North Carolina in the segregation era, entitled Eden, was published in 2020. Her historical novel about women bronc riders in the early days of rodeo, entitled Sunny Gale, was published in May 2024 by Pronghorn Press.

Ms. Forbes continues to live—and write—in North Carolina.

Connect with the author:   website  ~ facebook ~ pinterest ~ X ~  goodreads 

My Thoughts 

Sunny Gale is a historical fiction story that is written by Jamie Forbes. This is my first read by this author and it will not be my last. The author has done careful research to bring her story to life. I felt myself being transported back to 1895. 

Hannah has had a rough life. She moves to Nebraska to start a new life. Her mother and step father fall on hard times. Hannah finds a passion riding horses. 

She soon finds herself in the Cheyenne Rodeo.  She was introduced to horses by Luke. Who will eventually become her husband. Hannah finds herself choosing the rodeo and that path over her husband and children. She’s decides to reinvent herself and she becomes Sunny Gale. She pioneers women in the rodeo circuit. 

I enjoyed this journey that the author took us on. She captured this time period beautifully. The story is raw and edgy. It’s so well written. 

Thank you to the author, publisher and IRead book tours for allowing me read a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own. 

Author Interview

 

1. How did you do research for your book?

Initially, I researched the lives of the women who had been involved in early rodeo. One of the best resources was Heidi Thomas’ Cowgirl Up! which is a summary of the lives of the major women in early rodeo. From there, I researched individual women to learn more. Fortunately, a lot of themhad given interviews in the latter stages of their lives.

Then I contacted the American Heritage Center archives in Laramie, Wyoming. To my great good fortune, they had a collection from a gentleman who had saved newspaper articles of Cheyenne Frontier Days from the early years and who had saved nearly all the rodeo programs from 1898 to 1920. This resource was critical because it was the history as it had happened, giving me the names of the major players, a listing of women’s events as well as the rules for those events. In its totality, the collection gave me a good snapshot of what early rodeo was like.

I also utilized a fascinating little website called “wyomingtalesandtrails.com” which had photographs anddetailed commentary on the history of each Wyoming community. That’s where I learned of the “Cheyenne Club”which, in its day, was a haven for the big landowners and bigwigs in Wyoming government. I checked today and sadly,this site is not active.

2. Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

The heroine’s mother, Francine, was the hardest character for me to write. I always struggle to write weak-willed, rather than strong-willed characters. I had the same problem with thecharacterization of the hero’s mother in my previous novel, Eden. I have a hard time unraveling the make-up of women who find themselves unable to cope with reversals of fortune.Francine, having entered a bad marriage followed by adisastrous choice to migrate to unsettled Nebraska, is unable to summon the resilience needed to adapt to a different way of life. Where I think I found an anchor in developing thischaracter was in her selfless love for her daughter, despite thedaughter’s rebellion against the domesticity that Francine sees as the appropriate role for women.

The easiest character to write was Sunny Gale herself. After I wrote the first chapter, where the heroine falls in love with a wild horse, it was easy to see horses as Sunny’s pivotal focus. Despite the many distractions of career, ambition and romantic interests, I saw her as always returning to the core obsession that launched her in life.

3. In your book you make a reference to Native American cowboys and cowgirls. How did you come up with this idea?

I looked at many early twentieth century photographs of rodeo, from Cheyenne and elsewhere. I noticed a significant number of Native Americans, men and women, in rodeo events and I thought the book would be incomplete without them. Looking at the early Cheyenne Frontier Day programs, they had segregated Native American events from white events, but after having seen so many photographs of Native Americans alongside white competitors, I felt justified in concluding that the segregation wasn’t ironclad. There was a quite famous Native American rider of the period in Pendelton, Oregon named Jackson Sundown, and I based a minor character on him.

4.   Your book is set in several Western locations (western Nebraska, southeastern Wyoming, New Mexico). Have you ever been to these locations?

I lived nearly forty years on a ranch in Laramie, Wyoming so I am very familiar with southeastern Wyoming, and I used my knowledge of that geography extensively. I have been to nearly all the Wyoming locations in the novel.

My father’s family were pioneers in the Sandhills of Nebraska so while I have not been there, I have seen many photographs of it from the era when the novel begins (1890’s). I did research on what conditions were like in that period and there was a significant drought in the 1890’s that ended the hopes of many pioneers.

I have traveled in New Mexico only one time, but what I remember about it was the magnificence of the landscape. For all my locations what I kept uppermost in my mind was that they would have been empty of nearly everything that exists today: no fences, highways, lights, buildings, people. There is an interaction that one has with open space that I believe has the power to alter character for better or for worse, depending on how one reckons with the realization of his or her insignificance against the enormity of time and space.

5. If you could put yourself as a character in your book, who would you be?

This question makes me smile because I am not capable of being any of the characters in Sunny Gale. When I look at the magnitude of the achievement of these women, I feel very awed. First, start with the physical and mental make-up itwould take to engage in professional bronc riding and Romanriding (standing on two horses). There is the physical part of teaching your body to engage in these sports. There’s also the mental mindset of overcoming the fear of falling and being hurt. Then, researching these sports, I learned that professional bronc riders study out what they need to accomplish very rigorously. Bronc riding may look random and impulsive. It is anything but that. These dangerous horse sports require all of one’s mind and body.

Add to that the fact that up until 1920, women had no right to vote in any place other than Wyoming. There was little access to birth control or childcare. The idea of a woman having a “career” was quite outside the conventions of the day. Torealize their ambitions, these women needed more than passion. They needed unswerving commitment to their ambitions and the ability to withstand the objections ofanyone who would question or deny them, such as family members, and the ability to repel those with inclinations to manipulate them for gain.

I can’t think of a more daunting way of life and yet countless women were successful in it.

6. How long have you been writing?

I started writing poems and fiction from the age I learned to write. I was encouraged by elementary school, junior high and high school teachers. I am thankful for them to this day.

While attending the University of Denver, I won the University of Denver Creative Writing Award in 1975. After I married and began a family, I wrote short stories, some of which were published in the 1990’s.

After moving to Greensboro in 1993, I stopped writing until I got an idea for a novel in 2000 based on the ranching life I had had in Wyoming. It took me seven years to write the novel. Eventually, I met up with the historical novelist, Beverly Swerling, who was a very good mentor. With her guidance, the novel I had spent years on became Unbroken, which was published by Pronghorn Press in 2010. It went on the win the WILLA Literary Award for contemporary fiction in 2011.

I then went back to writing short stories and my collection, The Widow Smalls & Other Stories, was published in 2014. It won the High Plains Book Award for a short story collection in 2015.

My novel about life in segregated North Carolina, Eden, was published by Pronghorn Press in 2020. While I am very gratified by the praise Sunny Gale has received, I think novels are steppingstones. I don’t think I could have written Sunny Gale without writing Eden first.

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Tour Schedule:

Oct 21 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight
Oct 21- @stars.and.embers * - book review
Oct 22 - @acourtofspinesnpages * - book review
Oct 22 - @bearyintobooks * - book review
Oct 22–@adriftinfictionalworld - book review
Oct 24 – Deborah-Zenha Adams – book spotlight / author interview
Oct 24 - @this.human.reads * – book review
Oct 25–Book Corner News and Reviews - book review 
Oct 28 – Sharing Life’s Moments – book review
Oct 28- Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / guest post
Oct 28 - @kiv_coffeeandpages * - book review
Oct 28 - @jilljemmett * - book review
Oct 30 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / guest post
Oct 31 -Cheryl's Book Nook – book review
Nov 1 – @Leannebookstagram – book review
Nov 4 – FUONLYKNEW – book review / guest post
Nov 5 – Books R Us – book spotlight / guest post
Nov 5 - @CountryMamasWithKids – book review
Nov 6 – Bigreadersite – book review
Nov 7 – Connie's History Classroom – book review / author interview
Nov 8 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight
Nov 8 – @bookscape__ * - book review
​Nov 8 - @onceuponamaltesereader * - book review
Nov 8 – @bookameme * – book review
Nov 8 - @alwaysreadingxo * - book review
Nov 8 - @readsandmusic * - book review