Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on deep inside Will Crump’s soul. His soldier’s heart is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud’s War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises, leave both sides searching for answers. Will’s search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will’s search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding and reach Across the Great Divide.
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INTERVIEW!
Writing Interview questions.
Why did you choose to write your book in this era?
I started writing the Across the Great Divide series in the American Civil War period because I saw so many parallels between the issues of that time, and the issues of today: States rights versus federal authority, a deeply divided country, tariffs, immigration, sanctuary cities, and racial prejudice. I believe that in looking at how our ancestors handled these issues, we can learn to do better. For book 2, The Search, I believe that the issue of disease and purposeful genocide committed upon Native Americans is one that is still being worked out today. The epidemics that killed such a large percentage of the pre-Columbian Native American population are mirrored in our current pandemic. The actual viruses may be different, but in principle, we still haven't learned.
Did you find researching this era particularly difficult? What was the hardest thing to find out, and did you come across anything particularly surprising?
One surprise was the degree to which northern economies like New York City were invested in slavery, and in the theft of Native American land. Did you know the mayor of New York City wanted to secede along with the Southern states? Or that the Mormons were instrumental in several genocidal actions against Native American tribes? I learned a great deal about the Bear River Massacre, the Tongue River battle, and how Native Americans were forced into mission schools. I learned that in spite of becoming US citizens in 1924, Native Americans were forbidden by law to practice their religions until 1978. The hardest thing to research was PTSD or "soldier's heart" among Civil War veterans. Recent scholarship is examining first-person accounts and diaries in a new light and recognizing how pervasive this problem was, and its impact on post-Civil War society.
Can you share something about the book that isn’t covered in the blurb?
The book reflects the attitudes of its times, but it is difficult for us to imagine how deep-seated racial and ethnic prejudice was in the period 1859-1870. After massacring innocent women and children, was Patrick Connor censored? No, he was given a promotion. I was privileged to meet with Darren Parry, the current "chief" of the Northwestern Shoshone, whose ancestors were murdered in the Bear Creek massacre. He gave me a personal tour of the massacre site and answered endless questions about the Shoshone. He eventually endorsed the book, saying that "you got the Shoshone parts right."
If you had to describe your protagonist(s), in three words, what would those three words be and why?
Will Crump: integrity, faith, broken Dove: kind, courageous, tenacious Will because honor is everything to him, based on his faith in God, but the war has left him psychologically broken and vulnerable. He's a potent warrior but is tired of killing. He's seen too much death. He wants peace, family, and love. Dove is a victim who refuses to be one - kidnapped twice, in danger of being forced to marry a man whom she does not love, but unwilling to give up. Something in her responds to Will's desire for love and peace, family and home. She defends herself, and those she loves, while staying within the bounds of her culture.
What was the most challenging part about writing your book?
The most challenging aspect was getting information on and feedback from the Shoshone. I don't think I realized how deep the mistrust between white man's culture and Native Americans runs even today. I learned how to talk to Native Americans, how to respect their culture. and that we don't have a right to information from them - it has to be earned.
Was there anything that you edited out of this book that would have drastically affected the story, should it be left in?
There were aspects of Will's interaction with the Shoshone that were edited out or re-written. I don't know that it would have dramatically affected the story, except that anyone knowledgeable would have discounted the story with those errors left in. Two things, in particular, come to mind: first, Shoshone did not give or trade horses as a bride price, though other plains cultures did. In the Shoshone tribe, the father is the sole decision-maker in who his daughter marries. The woman herself had little power. And a prospective husband couldn't just give a certain number of horses to secure his bride. Second, I thought of having Will perform the Sun Dance as a way of proving himself, but as I researched and learned, that would never have been permitted. Even today, whites are rarely allowed even as observers for the Sun Dance.
What are you currently working on?
I am researching for the third and final book in the Across the Great Divide series, which will take Will Crump up through the founding of Lubbock, Texas in the early 1900s. The second book was exclusively Will and Dove's story. In the third book, most of the characters from the first, The Clouds of War, will return. I'm also working on three other projects: A book about a Civil War nurse, a book about a drummer boy for George Washington, and a memoir about my mother in the polio epidemic of the 1950s.
What would you tell an aspiring author who had some doubts about their writing abilities?
Read widely in your genre. Get feedback from critique partners. Hire an editor - everyone needs one, even NY Times bestselling authors. Analyze best sellers to see what makes them tick. Keep writing, keep trying, keep improving. Attend genre-specific writer's conferences. As Stephen King says, great writers are born, but good writers can be made.
Personal Interview questions.
What do you like to do when you are not writing?
My day job is writing, so for fun, I read, spend time with my wife, go fishing, and do woodworking.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
I started out wanting to be a pilot but ruined my eyes with too much reading. I settled for becoming a software engineer and did that for thirty-seven years. I also wanted to write but recognized that writing code paid better than writing novels. I did sell my first story at fourteen, but I didn't depend on writing for my living until after I retired.
What’s for dinner tonight? What would you rather be eating?
Honestly, I hate to cook, so I eat whatever my wife puts on the table. Tonight it was pulled pork - I'm proud of myself for remembering. I can more easily tell you the combatants and statistics for Civil War and World War II battles than I can remember what I ate two days ago.
What would be a perfect day?
It would have to have 28 hours :) . Get up early, write from four to seven (which I do every day), then eat a big breakfast with my wife. Walk, fish, or do something outdoors with her. Then spend time with my adult children and their kids, and still have time to read and research.
What is the best part of your day?
Morning, because that's my uninterrupted writing time, and time with my wife.
Either or!
Tea or coffee: Coffee (though I drink tea as well)
Hot or cold: Hot. I hate being cold
Movie or book: Book - it last longer and I'm more likely to learn from it.
Morning person or Night owl: Morning person, but you guessed that. Up at 4AM every day.
City or country: Country. I live in the country on three acres. Cities drive me crazy.
Social Media or book: Again, a book. I'm a classic introvert.
Paperback or ebook: Ebook. I rarely read or buy paper books. With an ebook, I can mark it up and not feel guilty, I can search it, I can extract important passages for study. It's always with me, and I never lose it. And they are cheaper. I usually listen to one book and am involved in another book as an Ebook.
Michael Ross is a lover of history and great stories. He’s a retired software engineer turned author, with three children, and five grandchildren, living in Newton, Kansas with his wife of 41 years. Michael graduated from Rice University and Portland State University with degrees in German and software engineering. He was part of an MBA program at Boston University. He was born in Lubbock, Texas, and still loves Texas. He’s written short stories and technical articles in the past, as well as articles for the Texas Historical Society. Across the Great Divide now has two novels in the series, “The Clouds of War”, and “The Search”
