Back cover blurb
Clarissa Wilding can’t run away from her past. Moving from
the drought-ridden Kansas plains to the green hills of the Pacific Northwest
has only drawn her secrets to the surface, threatening the new life she has
built with her husband, Frank, and their boys. When Frank introduces her to his
brother, everything changes, and Clarissa must deal with new revelations that
test their family bond and may forever alter their happiness.
The first page of the book:
Chapter
One
Pasco,
Washington, June 1935
After three long
days and two nights sitting on a lumpy seat, Clarissa had looked forward to
getting off this train, but now all she wanted was to slither into the safety
of the grimy locomotive and go back where she’d come from. Despite a promise of
a new beginning, her life was about to fall into an abyss deeper than the sand
dunes she had just escaped.
Her throat
tightened as she tried to pull in some air. Like the dust storms around their
homestead on the Kansas plains, the sight of her husband, Frank, hugging his
estranged brother, robbed her of breath. If her first impression was correct,
another kind of storm brewed before her eyes.
It can’t be him.
Her gut told her this wasn’t her imagination, but indeed a cruel twist in her
plans for a brighter future for what was left of her family. One more long look
at his face, his stature, and any lingering doubt faded.
She turned from
the scene and scanned the yard around the clapboard station house. The sheer
beauty of the clear skies and rolling hills in the distance should have been
her welcome. The sight of blooming flowers and tall leafy trees might have
excited her but for the shock of seeing him again.
Please tell us five random things we might not know about
you.
1) I’m a craft-a-holic.
2) I have been singing
since I was 6 years old – sometimes professionally.
3) I founded and directed a
writers conference for 5 years.
4) In my family I’m known
as the cheesecake queen.
5) I was first published
when I was in the 3rd grade. Been writing ever since.
Why did you choose to write this book?
This book is the 2nd in a
series on a topic I became fascinated with while watching some documentaries.
The depression/dust bowl era has so many stories left untold. I believe in keeping
history alive, and the characters in my book make that happen for me, and I
hope for my readers. Once I developed my make-believe family in book 1, I had
to continue their journey through all the tough years Americans endured.
What one thing about writing do you wish non-writers would
understand?
How much hard work it takes to organize and write a good
story. That most talented authors have to study the craft and learn what makes
a good read. The majority of authors don’t earn a living just from writing
books. I’d like non-writers to know that while it’s great to get a book for
free, authors work very hard to get that story to them. Please thank your
favorite authors with reviews on Amazon.
What is the toughest test you've faced as a writer?
Writing the next book, and making it better than the last.
Book 3 of my series is based on the life of my mother. As I finish the
manuscript, I feel pressured to get the characterization right while still
telling a great partially true story. This has been a struggle for me – sort of
mixed emotions at times. But I know I’m supposed to write this book. I’ve
researched it for years and just want to get it right.
What do you hope readers to take away from
your novel?
I hope my readers see that even through
the most difficult times, determination and faith can move mountains. The women
in my books all find that inner strength to endure impossible situations. It’s
a lesson in humility for most of us who have never had to suffer through
devastating circumstances like those of the dust bowl, the great depression,
and WW2.
What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of, writing-related or
not?
Creating and directing my conference was a huge thing for me, and I
feel good that so many writers were encouraged and even published through those
conferences. The other thing is just finishing a novel, then 2, then 3!
What do you do for fun
when not writing?
Crafts, RV camping, golf. We also have a cabin on a small
lake that is a good getaway.
What are you working on now?
Book 3 of this American Dreams series. As I mentioned, it is
based on the life of my mother – and her WW2 bomber pilot husband. Then I have
another WW2 story up my sleeve for next year.
Where else can readers find you online?
Jancline.net
Facebook: Jan Cline Author
Twitter: @Jan_Cline
Anyone can join my monthly newsletter and receive a free
short story! Jancline.net/subscribe
Bio
Jan has been writing most of her life, but wasn’t published until
later in life. After writing non-fiction for several years, fiction became her
focus, with emphasis on the stories from America’s history. Her first novel,
Emancipated Heart, was published in 2016. Jan enjoys her life in northern
Idaho, living with her newly retired husband and very spoiled dog. She has 9
grandchildren to keep her busy.
