“Loving Beth” follows a resilient Civil War-era woman battling to save her farm and two abandoned children, while contending with life-threatening dangers, a bitter suitor’s scorn, and the complexities of love. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My husband and I lived in the Alaskan wilderness for many years. We built cabins and lived off the land. While there, Sam shared stories  about his ancestors—especially those of his spunky great grandmother, Easter Mullens.  I was fascinated by her life. We eventually purchased my husband’s mother’s old homeplace nestled in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia, and together we built our home by hand. Living in the wilderness for fifteen years gave me the skills and understanding of how our forefathers and mothers’ must have lived in the 1800s. Sam often talked about his aunts foraging from the land—they knew what vegetation you could eat and what you couldn’t. I became enamored with these hardy, resilient mountain people and their stories.

I started to write Easter’s story as nonfiction, but my imagination took over and a fictional story grew from the fragments of her life and circumstances.  

Beth and Jacob are compelling and well-developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

As you know, characters are typically a composite of people we know and characters we imagine, with a bit of ourselves sprinkled in there. Beth originally was a combination of Sam and my ancestors—at least, how I imagined them to be. As I worked with her, she took on a life of her own. Instead of simply being impressed by her courage, I realized how vulnerable she is. I also realized that being so young, she is going to make mistakes a more mature person wouldn’t. But I think her driving characteristic is her spunk. She does what she has to do to survive in a harsh world and to protect those she loves. 

Jacob is a decent man whose devotion to his departed wife leaves no room for another. He has to come to terms not just with his wife’s death, but with what is expected from him as he puts the pieces of his life back together. Most importantly, he must realize his harshest expectations are those he has cast upon himself—and that his stubbornness is destroying not only his own happiness, but the happiness of those he loves.

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

Faith, love, and determination. Faith has been so important in my own life and got me through so much when we lived in the Alaskan wilderness. Therefore, I wanted to illustrate the role faith played in the lives of Beth and Jacob. Love comes in so many different forms, and I wanted to explore the different types of love. There’s the love between a man and a woman; the love between parents and children—even if they are not biologically related; and, of course, the love that grows from relying on good neighbors and friends. Determination is what allows us to survive the unsurvivable. Without the determination that seeds in our guts and grows to see us through the worst times of our lives, we would not succeed. Of course, determination can also work against us. When we stubbornly adhere to principles that are no longer relevant, our determination cause much more harm than good.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

Loving Josephine is already in the works. Also taking place in the late 1800s, it’s the story of Josephine, the only child of a prostitute. When her mother becomes too ill to work, the proprietor decides to replace her with young Josephine. Her mother sends a letter to Josephine’s father to come and rescue her. Unfortunately, her father died during the Civil War, and her letter goes to his family, who have no idea Josephine or her mother were a part of his life. Yet, without their help, Josephine will have no choice in the fate that awaits her.

Author Links: Wins Of Skilak | Website | Facebook