{What's On Your Kindle?} Jean Hackensmith on A Dream in the Wilderness

  

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.

Book Information

Release Date: September 9, 2024

Publisher: Independent

Kindle eBook:  2890 KB; $2.99 (free with Kindle Unlimited) 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Wilderness-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJS19HMH

 

 

I have been writing since the age of twenty. (That’s 47 years and, yes, I’m disclosing my age.) I am the proud mother of three and grandmother to four wonderful grandchildren. After losing who I thought was the love of my life, my late husband Ron, in November of 2011, I met Rick. So, it is definitely possible to have more than one “love of your life.” Rick and I were married in July of 2018 and are still going strong today. He is my soulmate, my confidant, and my biggest fan. He has read every book I have ever written (even the romances!) 

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.

X: https://x.com/Author911 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/jean-hackensmith-61554012674412/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/32957713?ref=nav_mybooks

 

 

 

Welcome, Jean! Your book, A Dream in the Wilderness, sounds absolutely awesome. Can you tell us the story behind that intriguing title?  

 Jean: The story follows Sarah Bentley, a young woman who graduates from an all-women's college in 1834 with a bachelor's degree in education, eager to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher. However, she quickly discovers that competition is fierce in New York, with no teaching positions available. In search of opportunity, Sarah stumbles upon a newspaper advertisement for a nanny position in the remote wilds of Wisconsin. Despite her parents' concerns, she decides to apply and secures the job. Her hope is that as the small, unincorporated town of Superior expands, so too will its demand for a teacher. After all, if she's already there, surely the opportunity will arise, right?

Can you tell us a little about your main characters?

Jean: Sarah is young, energetic, optimistic to an extreme, and she absolutely loves children. She has lived a sheltered life thus far, so can also be somewhat naive. She discovers that the move to Wisconsin, though, is the best decision she has made in her young life, especially when it leads to a commitment she never saw coming.

Caleb is a widower. He lost his parents, his wife, and his youngest son in the cholera epidemic of 1834. He is both broken-hearted and overwhelmed when left to raise three young children on his own. Accepting the advice of a friend, he runs an ad in a New York City newspaper advertising for a nanny. Sarah answers the ad. She is everything he ever dreamed of and the children love her. When he also finds himself being drawn to the young, vivacious beauty, he resists the temptation that is right at his fingertips, determined to continue his solitary lifestyle.

Where is your book set and why did you choose that particular location?

Jean: The book is set in Superior, Wisconsin--my hometown. "A Dream In The Wilderness" is actually the first book in a series titled "The Wilderness Saga." It has always been my dream to write a series of historical novels set in Superior, and The Wilderness Saga is it.

What part would you say was the most exciting to write about?

Jean: The history! Superior, being "Where Sail Meets Rail", is rich in history. One of the earliest settlements on Lake Superior, the city boasted the first port at the head of the lakes. It has been so fun learning about the history of the area, including the feud between Superior and her sister city across the bay, Duluth MN, which I will delve into in a later book.

What's next for you? 

Jean: I am currently working on Book Four in The Brian Koski Stalker Series, titled "Redemption." I hope to have that book done by spring, and then will return to Book Five in "The Wilderness Saga". Readers can follow my progress on both books by visiting my website at www.jeanhackensmith.com