Thrown to the Wind follows a young boy and his family fleeing religious persecution from France who wind up on a journey to America. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I have been researching my family genealogy for over 20 years and came across a note in the family histories that claimed that Etienne Gayneau, Sr. and his family fled La Rochelle in the middle of the night to avoid arrest. That intrigued me, so I started digging and found records showing where he lived, even down to the description of the white and blue tilework, and others indicating that 400 Huguenots did, in fact, flee the city in October of 1664. This was during King Louis XIV’s rise to power in his own right as he came of age. I was able to find ship logs, and passenger lists with the travel amounts owed, and then fill in the historical context with information from the King’s decrees (in translation) and other historical background. And the story started to take shape.

Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?

The most surprising thing I discovered was an accounting in the old New Harlem records about how Etienne had been attacked and arrested for “stealing” cherries from Mr. Palmer, who was renting Captain Carteret’s house. The situation was played out and resolved as I described in the book, though the actual event took place a few years later than in my book. The event was simply too good of a story to leave out and resolved a plot point I had, so I included it.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

As a history teacher, the curriculum required that we compare and contrast the various reasons for colonization and the colonies in New England, the middle colonies, and Southern colonies. As I was researching this book, I saw a lot of the same themes, but relating to a colony we often ignore in mainstream classrooms. So, it seemed natural to explore them in this story.

The main theme is that of the reasons for immigration to a new and foreign land. As teachers, we often over-simplify them to say that the Pilgrims and Puritans came seeking the freedom to practice their own religion, while the Jamestown colonists came to pursue economic ventures. But as we can see from Etienne’s story, it is more complex. Others also came for religious freedom, but also to pursue trade and to provide a better life for their families.

There is also the theme relating to the government’s role in religion. Two of the freedoms granted in our First Amendment are freedom to practice our own religions, and freedom from a state-instituted religion. These freedoms have direct linkages back to the reasons many settlers came to our shores in the 17th century.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

Thrown to the Wind is the first book in the series. The second book, A Home in the Wilderness, and the third book, At the Mercy of the Sea, are both out now.

In the second book, Etienne must navigate the challenges of living in the wilderness. He makes friends with two Lenape teens. When word of an Esopus attack on the Dutch fort at Wiltwyck reaches New Harlem, the settlement begins to build fortifications and to train the militia for war. Etienne is torn between protecting his family’s community and his new Lenape friends, as he becomes embroiled in the Second Esopus War. This book demonstrates the complexity of knowing friend from foe and the diverse relationships between various colonial groups and diverse Native American tribes.

The third book continues Etienne’s journey as he returns to the sea as a sailor, and adds the stories of Alsoomse, Etienne’s Lenape friend, and Abraham, a new friend he meets in the second book. It deals with several coming-of-age themes as all three young people are rebelling against what is expected of them as they try to find places within their respective communities. This book deals with issues relating to gender roles, mixed ethnicity, and standing up for what is right when no one around you supports your stance.

I am working on the fourth book, which should finish this series. I am hoping to get it out next year.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon

did in fact flee the city in October of 1664. This was during King Louis XIV’s rise to power in his own right as he came of age. I was able to find ship logs, passenger lists with the travel amounts owed, and then fill in the historical context with information from the King’s decrees (in translation) and other historical background. And the story started to take shape.

Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?

The most surprising thing I discovered was an accounting in the old New Harlem records about how Etienne had been attacked and arrested for “stealing” cherries from Mr. Palmer, who was renting Captain Carteret’s house. The situation was played out and resolved as I described in the book, though the actual event took place a few years later than in my book. The event was simply too good of a story to leave out and resolved a plot point I had, so I included it.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

As a history teacher, the curriculum required that we compare and contrast the various reasons for colonization and the colonies in New England, the middle colonies, and Southern colonies. As I was researching this book, I saw a lot of the same themes, but relating to a colony we often ignore in mainstream classrooms. So, it seemed natural to explore them in this story.

The main theme is that of the reasons for immigration to a new and foreign land. As teachers we often over-simplify them to say that the Pilgrims and Puritans came seeking the freedom to practice their own religion, while the Jamestown colonists came to pursue economic ventures. But as we can see from Etienne’s story, it is more complex. Others also came for religious freedom, but also to pursue trade and to provide a better life for their families.

There is also the theme relating to the government’s role in religion. Two of the freedoms granted in our First Amendment are freedom to practice our own religions, and freedom from a state instituted religion. These freedoms have direct linkages back to the reasons many settlers came to our shores in the 17th century.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

Thrown to the Wind is the first book in the series. The second book, A Home in the Wilderness, and the third book, At the Mercy of the Sea, are both out now.

In the second book, Etienne must navigate the challenges of living in the wilderness. He makes friends with two Lenape teens. When word of an Esopus attack on the Dutch fort at Wiltwyck reaches New Harlem, the settlement begins to build fortifications and to train the militia for war. Etienne is torn between protecting his family’s community and his new Lenape friends, as he becomes embroiled in the Second Esopus War. This book demonstrates the complexity of knowing friend from foe and the diverse relationships between various colonial groups and diverse Native American tribes.

The third book continues Etienne’s journey as he returns to the sea as a sailor, and adds the stories of Alsoomse, Etienne’s Lenape friend, and Abraham, a new friend he meets in the second book. It deals with several coming-of-age themes as all three young people are rebelling against what is expected of them as they try to find places within their respective communities. This book deals with issues relating to gender roles, mixed ethnicity, and standing up for what is right when no one around you supports your stance.

I am working on the fourth book, which should finish this series. I am hoping to get it out next year.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon