Sydney Avey is our guest today.

She wrote a book called The Trials of Nellie Belle.

Today, Sydney will share the story behind her story.

When her parents marry off Kansas-born Nellie Belle to the ranch foreman, she never questions that motherhood will follow. But at the dawn of the progressive era, dissatisfied Nellie seizes an opportunity to move west and start a new life.

Desperate to find a sense of self-worth, Nellie leaves behind her husband and son and takes her two daughters to the Northwest. She charges forward to become the first woman court reporter to travel the circuit in the region.

In small-town makeshift courtrooms and growing cities boasting new halls of justice, Nellie touches many lives: independent-minded lawmen, enterprising women, hard-working immigrants, and a number of cads.

But when her prodigal youngest returns home with a babe in arms, Nellie must do what she can to pull together the remains of her scattered family.

Learn more and purchase a copy.

What inspired you to write this book?

Growing up, I heard stories about my great-grandmother, Nellie Belle Scott. My mother wasn’t fond of her. Mom felt like the less-favored grandchild, and that feeling left deep wounds.

The Nellie Belle I heard about possessed high intelligence, sarcastic wit, writing abilities, and high aspirations. I knew bits and pieces of her life: A divorce; a son left with his father; a daughter who died from drinking creek water; and a third child, my nana, who went to New York at age sixteen to dance on the vaudeville stage.

These weren’t church-going women, but my nana taught me the Lord’s prayer and dropped me off at church on Sundays. She felt it was an important part of my education, and I am eternally grateful.

In an age when few women held professional jobs, Nellie Belle became the first female court reporter in the Northwest to travel the judicial circuit with judges and attorneys. They esteemed her for her work ethic, conversational skills, and sense of humor.

That’s all I knew until the day my mother gave me a set of short stories Nellie wrote for a creative writing class. They were typed on yellowed legal paper and red-inked with comments from her instructor urging her to publish.

One story revealed the heartbreak of her girlhood on the Kansas plains. With humor and poignancy, other stories captured the whims, woes, hopes, and dreams of women at the dawn of the progressive era. Each vignette was a treasure.

I wove Nellie’s stories into an account of her life and presented the narrative as historical fiction. I had only ever heard what others said about her, so I let her to tell the story from her point of view. For me, this was an exercise in compassion that led to greater understanding of our family dynamics.

I hope readers will enjoy this story about a resilient girl who matures into a woman who tried to balance her desire for self-worth with love and duty to her family.

Sounds like a very engaging story with a strong female lead! Thanks for sharing.

Sydney Avey writes about dynamic women in changing times.

She is the author of three historical fiction novels, The Sheep Walker’s Daughter, The Lyre and the Lambs, and The Trials of Nellie Belle.

A native Californian, her writing celebrates the historic restless spirit that draws people to the West and the hope that sustains them in all types of hardships.

She is a member of ACFW, Christian Author’s Network, and Women Writing the West.

Sydney and her husband divide their time between the Sierra foothills near Yosemite, CA and the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.

Visit her website at www.sydneyavey.com.

Follow Sydney on social media: Twitter, Amazon Author Page, Facebook, Goodreads

Sydney is giving away a copy of The Trials of Nellie Belle. Follow the directions below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway