YOSEMITE TRAIL DISCOVERED - Marie Sontag - One Free Book

Welcome back, Marie. Thanks for joining me today. Congratulations on your most recent release Yosemite Trail Discovered. What was your inspiration for the story?  As a resident of California for over 58 years, I never heard the story of how non-Native Americans first entered Yosemite. The more I researched, the more I realized this "'clash of cultures" story needed to be told. Written for a cross-over market, the main character, 17-year-old Daniel Whitcomb, was raised in a Christian home, but after losing his parents in a mysterious house fire, he struggles to maintain his faith in God. He witnesses injustices in the California gold fields, both on the parts of the whites as well as the Native Americans and seeks to find ways to right these wrongs. His adventures include the unravelling of the mystery surrounding his parents’ deaths, a romance with a survivor of the Donner Party, battles against marauding Indians, and the discovery of Yosemite Valley. 

You had a full career as a middle-school teacher. Was it a natural progression to become an author of YA fiction? What can you tell us about your journey to publication? I always had a hard time going to sleep at night, so as a little girl I’d make up stories in my head to pass the time until I fell asleep. I started writing these stories down in junior high but never thought of writing as a career. After I became a middle school social studies and language arts teacher, I couldn’t find adventurous historical fiction to read in class to help my students relate to the time periods we studied, so I wrote my own to share with them. When a publisher bought my first book, The Bronze Dagger, a middle-grade novel about a 13-year-old boy in ancient Babylon, I began to write more. When I retired, I pursued writing full time. 

What is your favorite aspect of writing? My favorite aspect of writing is sharing adventurous historical fiction stories with young readers and getting them excited about history.

What do you do to prepare for writing? Since I write historical fiction, I do a lot of research. I also visit places I write about, if possible. I continually attend writer’s conferences and read books about writing to improve my craft.

Yosemite Trail Discovered is part of a series. Did you intend to create a series when you wrote the first book California Trail Discovered? Are there more books coming? I initially envisioned California Trail Discovered as a stand-alone novel. Once I began writing, however, it turned into a two-book series. In the first book, the main character, Daniel, is thirteen. In book two, almost three years have elapsed and Daniel finds himself in the California gold fields. Book one is for middle grade readers, while book two is for young adult readers. Friendships Daniel has in book one blossom into romance in book two. At this point, I only envision this as a two-book series.

You’ve accomplished quite a lot. What is one thing you wish you could do? I wish I was still young enough to teach in the classroom, but time moves on! I am so thankful for the young, dedicated teachers who give their all for today’s students.

What is your next project? I’m finalizing edits for a novel coming out in September 2022, Underground Scouts. This YA historical novel tells the story of six teen Scouts and Girl Guides who join forces with the Polish underground army in 1944 to oust the Germans from Warsaw. I plan to expand this into a three-novel series, following these Scouts through the Cold War (Underground Spies) and the Glasnot era (Spy Scouts). Beyond that, I hope to write a book about a Spanish character, Lorenzo de Zavala, first vice-president of the Republic of Texas. 

Where can folks find you on the web? I love connecting with readers. Here are some of my social media links:

Email: mesontag@gmail.com

Webpage: https://www.mariesontag.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mesontagauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/profsontag

Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMarieSontag

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marie-sontag-27195b9

Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOByXaDbRmlVscChu-1XJKWHrcGbKFUrW

Google Scholar: tinyurl.com/2jmkj6p7

Book Blurb: Join sixteen-year-old Daniel Whitcomb as he juggles a growing relationship with Virginia Reed, one of the survivors of the Donner Party, helps his Miwok friend learn how to read and write, and manages the account ledgers for his guardian, Jim Savage at his trading posts in the California gold fields.

Is Jim correct when he says, You can't possess what you can't protect? Does that justify fighting the Yosemites after they attack Jim's posts, or the Mariposa Battalion's entrance into Yosemite to rout out the Ahwahneechee? And will Daniel ever make it back to Illinois to solve the mystery of his parents' deaths?

Purchase Links: 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yosemite-Trail-Discovered-Whitcomb-Discoveries/dp/1957344040/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15TRNCR76T7JX&keywords=yosemite+trail+discovered&qid=1649694718&sprefix=yosemite+trail+discovere%2Caps%2C300&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yosemite-trail-discovered-marie-sontag/1141104459?ean=9781957344041

Thank you, Marie, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I’m eager to read it.

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