This week my fellow writer and new friend Johnnie Alexander joins us. She has a new release in the Courageous Brides collection. Here’s a little bit about her story.
During a forced march to Oklahoma, the Ponca Indians camp outside Neligh, Nebraska. When Marcy Whitt is unable to save the life of a Ponca child, she risks her reputation and her engagement to help the grieving family. When her compassion and courage attract the attention of a man who is more worthy than her fiancé, will she give him her heart?
Sounds like a lot of great stories. What inspired you to write The Healing Process?
White Buffalo Girl, an eighteen-month-old toddler, lived with her parents along the Niobrara River in Nebraska. That is until her family and other members of the tribe were forced to leave their homes. Several years earlier, the U.S. signed a treaty with the Sioux that gave them the Ponca land.
It was a bureaucratic mistake with horrific consequences.
Instead of negotiating a new treaty, the Poncas had to move to the Oklahoma Territory in May 1877 during thunderous weather. Many died on the long and arduous trip. White Buffalo Girl was the first.
At her funeral, attended by a few members of the Ponca tribe and the nearby community of Neligh, the child’s father said these words:
“I want the whites to respect the grave of my child just as they do the graves of their own dead. The Indians don’t like to leave the graves of their dead, but we had to move and hope it will be for the best. I leave the grave in your care. I may never see it again. Care for it for it for me.”
White Buffalo Girl and her parents, Black Elk and Moon Hawk, are still remembered by the Neligh community. The original oak cross was replaced with a marble marker in 1913 which was then replaced by a historical monument that memorializes the promise made so long ago.
I read about this event in a newspaper article way back in the early 1980s. I lived in Norfolk, Nebraska at the time, and it seemed the events of the “Old West” weren’t as deep in the past as when I lived further east. The sense of history, stronger and more authentic than the pages of a textbook, sparked inside me.
When I read that article, I immediately wanted to write a story about it. But I didn’t have the words or the experience to do so. So I filed the article away, taking it out now and again as years—decades—slipped by.
Then Barbour House requested novellas for The Courageous Brides Collection, and I knew my opportunity had arrived. I pulled out the article again and did more research while imagining a compassionate woman who seeks God’s strength as she attempts to ease the grief of these heart-broken parents.
It’s a story of love amidst grief that I hope honors the memory of the Ponca Trail of Tears and especially White Buffalo Girl and her parents.
To learn more about this historic event, please visit:
Johnnie Alexander writes stories of heritage and hope while raccoons and foxes occasionally pass by her window. Her debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, was a CBA bestseller and has been translated into Dutch and Norwegian. Where She Belongs, her first contemporary romance in the Misty Willow Series, was Library Journal’s Pick of the Month (February 2016). Johnnie treasures family memories, classic movies, road trips, and stacks of books. She lives near Memphis with Rugby, the princely papillon who trees those pesky raccoons whenever he gets the chance.
Purchase Link for The Courageous Brides Collection
http://johnnie-alexander.com/book-table/
Blog      http://www.johnnie-alexander.com
Facebook Profile (Friend or follow me!) https://www.facebook.com/johnnie.alexander.author
Facebook Author Page   https://www.facebook.com/JohnnieAlexanderNovelist
Twitter      https://twitter.com/johnnie_alexndr
GoodReads   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6802954.Johnnie_Alexander
Amazon Author Page   http://www.amazon.com/author/johnniealexander
Johnnie is giving away a copy of the Courageous Brides collection.
Thank you so much for joining us, Johnnie. We enjoyed having you!
I like reading novellas for several reasons. Sometimes I just don’t have time for a longer book, so the shorter stories fit my time. Often novella collections have a few authors I’m acquainted with (and who draw me to that collection) and several I’m not familiar with. I may just find more authors whose other work I want to read.
This post was very interesting. I was not familiar with this story but watched the video to find out more about White Buffalo Girl. I like learning about history even when reading fiction.
Hi, Pam. I’m so glad you watched the video. There doesn’t seem to be much information about this particular event so I was glad to find it. Thanks for sharing!
I enjoy reading novellas.. I can get them read in one setting & just enjoy the story with no interruptions.. That’s probably why I enjoy collections so much 🙂
As a Nebraska girl this is a story I know I will enjoy!
Hi, Deanna. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to Nebraska but I enjoyed the years we lived there. My daughters were born in Norfolk. Glad you dropped by!
Such a touching story, Johnnie – I’d love to read it, thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!
I enjoy reading novella collections as they give me the opportunity to sample writing from new (to me) authors, and enjoyment even though I may not have the time to read a novel.
Hi, Bonnie. Whenever I cleaned out my filing cabinet, I’d come across the newspaper clipping again but I could never throw it away. I’m so thankful I finally had a chance to write a story inspired by this tragic event. Hope you get a chance to read it!
Reading novellas gives me the opportunity to “meet” authors I have never met before. I’ve found several authors whose books have become favorites that way.
I also enjoy them for the reason that I can read a story in a short amount of time, which in a busy life is a blessing.
I can’t wait to read this collection. Living in Omaha, Nebraska, there is so much history close that I had never known was there. I will have to try and “go west”!
Cheryl, if you get a chance to go to Neligh, please, please, please take a photograph of White Buffalo Girl’s grave and send it to me! LOL!
I lived in Norfolk a long time ago and we would go to Omaha once in a while. Usually to pick someone up from the airport but also to walk around a part of the city–is it a revitalized train station or something like that? It’s been so long ago, I don’t remember but it was fun.
I enjoy novellas as they are shorter and are great in-betweens. Also, they are a way to get acquainted with new authors as sometimes they are with authors I’m familiar with. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Hi, Linda. Thanks for participating in the giveaway. I hope you get a chance to read this collection.
I like novellas to get to know a new author or when I know I’m not going to have a long time to read. Thanks!
Hi, Robin. You have such a lovely smile. I love your photo. Thanks for participating in the giveaway!
I enjoy reading novellas because I get to know characters and a great story line in a short amount of time.
I also like reading novella collections because I get to discover some new authors and enjoy their writing styles along with some of my favorite authors that I can read their new creative work.
Hi, Merry. It’s a bit of a challenge to write “short” when you’re used to writing full-length novels. I was surprised by a motif that showed up in the story that I hadn’t put there on purpose. But that’s the fun of writing–the surprises! Thank you!
Hi, Liz! Thanks so much for having me on your blog and for sponsoring the giveaway. The growing popularity of novella collections makes so much sense–shorter stories and finding new authors. I love that!
Thanks to everyone for participating in the giveaway. Wishing you all the best of luck!
Novellas are a great way to try out a new author. I love these collections.
Hi, Caryl. So glad you stopped by!