Next to writing, my second passion is live theater. I founded a local community theater group back in 1992 and directed upwards of 40 shows, including three that I authored. I also appeared on stage a few times, portraying Anna in The King and I and Miss Hannigan in Annie. I am sad to say that the theater group dropped its final curtain in 2008, but those 16 years will always hold some of my fondest memories.
I moved from Superior 15 years ago, seeking the serenity of country living. I also wanted to get away from the natural air conditioning provided by Lake Superior. We moved only 50 miles south, but the temperature can vary by 20-30 degrees. I guess I’m a country girl at heart. I simply love this area, and am lucky to, once again, have someone to share its beauty. I love the solitude, the picturesque beauty of the sun rising over the water, the strangely calming effect of watching a deer graze outside your kitchen window. Never again, will I live in the city. I am an author, after all, and what better place to be inspired than in God’s own backyard.
Let’s Connect!
Website: https://www.jeanhackensmith.com.
Can you tell us what your book, A Dream in the Wilderness, is about?
A Dream In the Wilderness -- Book One in The Wilderness Saga
Unable to find a teaching position in the flooded job market that is New York City, twenty-one-year-old Sarah Bentley accepts the position of nanny to Caleb Wachsmann’s three children after the farmer’s wife, parents, and infant son die in the Cholera epidemic of 1834. The twist? The job is in Superior, Wisconsin in the Michigan Territory, an unsettled wilderness located on the northwestern tip of Lake Superior.
Caleb is not looking for love; his heart will always belong to his beloved Annie. What he does need is a woman to watch after the children while he toils in the fields making a living for his family. Sarah turns out to be that woman. She raises his children with a gentle and loving hand and also helps Caleb to overcome an unbearable loss. As Wisconsin vies for statehood, the young couple will face challenge after challenge as they struggle to tame a wilderness that really doesn’t want to be tamed at all.
Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?
Caleb Wachsmann is a widower with three young children who is determined that he will never love again. He is also a farmer. He quickly comes to the realization that he cannot work the fields and care for the children (not if he wants to be a good farmer and a good father.)
Sarah is kind, gentle, and she loves Caleb's children almost from the moment she meets them. One passion drives her, though. She wants to be a teacher, but the children have to come first and, as it turns out, so does Caleb. She never intended to fall in love, with the children or their father, but could not deny what was meant to be.
The main supporting characters are the three children, each with their own unique personalities and quirks, who miss their mother terribly and turn to Sarah to fill that role. Without a doubt, these three young souls will endear themselves to the reader, who will watch them grow as The Wilderness Saga progresses.
Your book is set in Superior, Wisconsin. Can you tell us why you chose this location in particular?
I grew up in Superior and have always wanted to write a series of books based on its rich history. In fact, my co-author, Kathe Birch, and I did start another series set in Superior years ago called the Gitche Gumee Saga, but when Kathe passed away after the fourth book was finished, I could not bring myself to continue without her. So, twenty years later, The Wilderness Saga was born. Superior is located on the northwestern tip of Lake Superior and shares one of the largest shipping ports on Lake Superior with Duluth, MN. As mentioned earlier, the area is alive with history, including the feud between Superior and Duluth over the Duluth entry to the harbor, which I should get to in Book Five of the saga. Later, battleships were built at Fraser Shipyards in Superior, then dismantled and shipped via the St. Lawrence Seaway and reassembled on the east coast for use in WWll. Like I said, LOTS of history.
How long did it take you to write your book?
About two months, which tends to be typical of late with this series.
What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?
Actually, it came earlier in 2024 when I released "The Promise." For a reason I cannot fathom, that book in particular put me on the map. To date, it has sold over 20,000 copies and, for the first time in my writing career, I am able to make a decent living as an author. Before, I always had to supplement my writing income with a standard job. Not anymore, and it's looking like "A Dream In The Wilderness" will follow suit. I think I've found my niche.
What kind of advice would you give up and coming authors?
Don't give up. I've been at this for over thirty years, and am just now coming into my own. Just keep writing and improving your craft and one day there will be that one certain book that will open the door for you, too.
A Dream in the Wilderness is available at https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Wilderness-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B0DJS19HMH.