Free eBook and Where it Started

Yes, it's free. For two days,
15 – 16 January 2012, at Amazon.

On Promised Land is a story about the Blacks who lived with, fought with, and were moved West in the 1830s with the Seminoles of Florida. I have developed the extended family of Tru and Tall Deer Campos, caught in the turmoil, with hopes of portraying the determination and dangers of the times.

I first became interested in the history of Black Seminoles many years ago. I was traveling with my children to a Western Writers of America (WWA) convention. We were tent camping, and after a rainy, muddy night, we needed to do some laundry. I found a nice coin laundry in Wewoka, Oklahoma, the capitol for Western Seminoles. Near to the laundry was a museum, and of course, I had to go in.

It was orderly and informative, and I realized that the Blacks, free and slaved, who lived with the Seminoles had a fascinating history in Indian Territory. My interest was noted by the museum's curator. When I mentioned WWA and that I was a writer (I think one of my children sprung this tidbit of information), he became enthused, and encouraged me to create a story about the Black Seminoles. When we left to get our laundry, my tote bag contained several pamphlets and references.

But how to fashion this story? Up to that time, most of my published works were for YA readers; I attempted a story from that angle, but the more I read and studied, the more I wanted too write an adult novel for this subject. I collected books and information, and made several attempts at a manuscript.

A year or so later, I received a telephone call from a New York publishing house. (Now wasn't I wide-eyed and giddy!) The editor said she had gotten my name from a mutual WWA colleague ; he had recommended me for a project the house had in mind. They wanted a novel about Blacks in the West, to show the struggles, the fortitude, et cetera, and present information that, to a great degree, hadn't been given at that time. We talked at length, and I committed to sending a proposal, synopsis and fifty or so pages. I went immediately to information on Black Seminoles. It seemed the perfect subject for what this New York house had in mind.

Alas—I was so mistaken. I sent a professional proposal, synopsis, and the opening chapters, only to be told that my subject was too obscure. "No one's ever heard of this," the editor told me. I wanted to quip, "Isn't that the point?", but kept my professional demeanor and tried to fathom what she really wanted. I presented another idea about the free blacks who traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1840s. That didn't fly, either. The editor finally became more specific: "1870s. Ex-slaves settling on Western plains with their new freedom..." (Thinks me: Little House on the Prairie in black face).

I was done. My interests in western history pretty much end at 1870. I thanked her for considering my work. My writing was commended and my resume "would be kept on file." I never heard from them again.

But there I was with an outline, the research nearly complete, several chapters written about Blacks in Indian Territory during 1840-1865. I shopped my proposal to several other publishers, even had agent representation, but the story didn't fit into any publishing needs.

And here I am, still with a partial...a novella of the early years...On Promised Land. Will I finish this saga? The story of Tru and Tall Deer doesn't reach a moderate conclusion until 1865. I've written into the 1850s. Occasionally I look at the historical data and I'm overwhelmed. I like to write about people first, and set them into an historical landscape. The events of those years, particularly 1850 – 1862 are so volatile and convoluted, I cannot yet make it become background and not overshadow my characters.

At the end of the e-book On Promised Land, I have listed the history that follows where my novella ends. I have also added a selected bibliography. On Promised Land is in the Kindle Select program, which means it's always free for Kindle Prime members. But on 15 and 16 January 2012, On Promised Land will be free to anyone with a Kindle, Kindle App or using Kindle Cloud.

Two days. Download this history story, and I would appreciate some feedback that might aide me in completing the saga.