America's Beginnings

Today's the anniversary of the day the Mayflower landed at Cape Cod, MA, in 1620. While not all of us can trace our roots back to these early, brave settlers trying to find a better life, we can offer up our thanks to these trailblazers. Of the 102 passengers on board, nearly half died that first winter in this new country before spring, and more would have perished if not for the help of the Wampanoag tribe, who taught these Europeans how to grow the crops needed for their survival.

My most recent book, Dance With Destiny, explores some of my family tree, and offers up an explanation for what has been a family secret and then a family mystery. My great-great-grandmother, Susannah Myers, lived on top of a mountain (or what passes for a mountain in Ohio) in southern Ohio with her husband, William, and their numerous children. When William joined the Army to fight the Civil War, he left Susannah and the children behind for four years. It was up to her to keep the children alive, well fed and warm. That was in addition to her regular chores of cooking, cleaning and laundry. In writing this story, I had to put myself into Susannah's shoes and imagine what hardships she would face. I kept asking myself the question–could I have survived the winter?

My answer was no. Although I'd like to think I could make it, that I could be a true pioneer and deal with whatever man and the elements dished out, I know my body well enough to know I'd have been one of the 50 who died during the first harsh winter the Puritans faced. I pay homage to these brave souls who tamed this wild country by writing about them.

So today's a day of thanks. Because of the modest success of the passengers on the Mayflower, more ships from Europe arrived on America's shores each spring, bringing vast numbers of people, including my ancestors, to this new world. They fought against tyranny during the Revolutionary War, they fought for freedom for all during the Civil War, they fought for the rights of women, they fought to survive and thrive. Their hardships and their struggles should never be forgotten. And it all began on this date, a mere 397 years ago.

On another note, there are only a couple days left to enter the rafflecopter drawing for the basket of Maine goodies, put together by myself and my friend and fellow Wild Rose author, Marin McGinnis. Our books, mine a contemporary novella, Love's In The Cards, and hers, a historical, Tempting Mr. Jordan, were both released this month and both are set in Maine. The entry form is on the right, or you can access it here:

http://gvwy.io/phj4xdp