Happy Tuesday, Reader Friends!
Today Jan Cline is our blogger for Takeover Tuesday. Grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and chat with her.
“Once Upon a Time”
What if I told you that your entire family could be sent to a concentration camp right here in America? Or would you believe me if I told you that thousands of tons of earth could be moved from one state to another without the aid of machinery or without a single effort from a human being?
How about finding a spot for you and your family and friends with a vantage point to watch a battle being fought in a war. Would you attend such a tail-gate party?
You don’t believe any of these things could happen? Well, they all did. These and millions of other stories comprise our nation’s history archives. So many stories and facts to tell that there just isn’t enough time for schools to teach them all. The truth is, not many of us, our children or grandchildren know enough about American history to fill a short book.
I grew up with a father who loved history and made sure my sister and I were exposed to as much information about it as possible. Road trips were always interrupted by stops to view historical markers or museums. We panned for gold, listened to Native American stories, hiked paths to view the ruins of early settlers, and heard Dad tell endless tales of how the dams and other historical monuments were built.
Back then, I rolled my eyes a lot at my dad’s passion for the past. But now, as an adult, I can’t escape its allure. I love traveling to historic places and writing down the stories, fiction or real, of people who lived through the hardest times America can boast to surviving. Their faith in God is often the only hope they had to cling to. As my love of history grew, I came to realize how this country’s foundation of faith in God helped to build strong men and women with exceptional backbone. Not wanting their example to be forgotten, I started to write fiction that showcased courageous women of the past.
My first novel, Emancipated Heart, was inspired by the true accounts of the Japanese American families who were interned in camps as a result of the Japanese Empire bombing Pearl Harbor. It’s a fascinating look at what happened on our own soil during WWII to American citizens who happened to look like the enemy.
My newest book is set in the dust bowl disaster of the 1930s. The true facts of this 10 year period in the U.S. are enough to amaze anyone. After researching the time period, I knew I had to write about it. The main character and her family will be featured in the first two books of the series, then another character takes over to complete the third book, which ends when WWII is coming to a close.
Readers, I hope you will take a part in passing on America’s stories. Our youth need to know their roots, and the kind of courageous people their ancestors were.
Thank you, Toni, for letting me share my own story here.
Many blessings!
About the Author
Jan has been writing since grade school. She has several devotional books published through Barbour Publishing, as well as independently published non-fiction. She published her first novel in 2016 and is currently working on her American Dreams series books 2 and 3. Jan speaks at writer’s conferences, writer’s groups, and women’s groups. She lives in beautiful Northern Idaho with her husband and dog, and enjoys time spent with grandchildren, golfing, and crafting.
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About the Book
Clarissa Wilding, her two sons, and estranged sister are battling the tortuous weather and drought of the 1930s American dust bowl. Her blind determination to believe the rains will come to save their farm is fed by the local charismatic pastor. But despite much needed help from a mysterious stranger, Clarissa finds she must make a decision…leave her precious homestead, or risk her marriage and the lives of her sons.
Heaven’s Sky will draw you into a dramatic time in American history, and acquaint you with characters who will touch your heart through their experiences of redemption, grace, and resilience.
Toni Shiloh 
Great to learn about Jan and her writing. I look forward to reading the book.
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Thanks for stopping by….hope you enjoy the book!
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As a lover of history myself, I really enjoyed your post, Jan! A couple of years ago we visited an exhibit about the Dust Bowl curated by the California State Library’s archivists which was displayed at the California Capitol Museum in Sacramento . I learned so much, and my heart went out to these brave individuals/families who were forced to leave their homes in search of a new life. Your novel sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing.
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