Here's a wonderful gift basket giveaway filled to the brim with themed items pertaining to The Homestead Brides Collection from Barbour Publishing. It's all part of The Homestead Brides Collection Author Blog Tour and the wagon just stopped here!
I'm excited to be included in this collection of nine novellas all about homesteading on the Great Plains. My novella is all about "Proving Up" on homesteads in Swedeberg, Nebraska, a small, but thriving, Swedish community.
Elsa Lindquist
applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the Nebraska plains,
intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. Will their
dreams come to ruin, or will love prove their success?
The Timber Culture Act of 1873 is central to my story and by now I have learned more about growing trees on the Nebraska plains than any person should know. A hazard of research, for sure, but it made interesting fodder for my plot. A headstrong gal can get into a lot of trouble when she decides to grow trees in the middle of a prairie.
Our culture tends to romanticize things of the past. But it took a lot of grit to homestead. To comply with the regulations of the homestead claim a claimant had to provide proof that they have met the standards by working and living on the land within a set period of time. The process was called "proving up", thus the name of my novella. The reward was 160 acres of land after five years of homesteading. Another 160 acres could be added to this by cultivating trees for several more years.
While I'm writing, I collect resources, sources, and photographs that I use for inspiration. I keep them on my
Pinterest story board and make it public to share with my readers. You can see my story board for
Proving Up HERE.
My contribution to
The Homestead Brides Collection themed gift basket is a diecast
windmill pencil sharpener. This windmill represents the windmills used to provide energy on the homesteads, like one featured in my story.
