Settling the Wind by Kari August
The harsh and rugged Colorado frontier of 1875 is not the type of place most would consider suitable for a recent widow to establish a home of her own. Yet that is exactly what Henrietta Schodde determines she will do as she impetuously buys a cabin in the newly forming settlement of Estes Park. Despite assurances from Henrietta that the locals appear amiable, her relatives are concerned and recruit the assistance of long-time family friend Collan Wallace, who unbeknownst to Henrietta, has also just begun homesteading in the area.
The last thing Collan desires is to watch over the woman who has been his nemesis since childhood. But the pair quickly realize that there is more than each other to fight about when they discover an unscrupulous Englishman, Lord Dunraven, is hungry for their land.
Endearing and engaging, Settling the Wind, is historical fiction based on actual events that reveals the courage of Colorado’s pioneers in the face of more struggles than they could have imagined.
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Author SiteAbout the author:
Being an author is a career change for me. I once was an expert . . . uh, let us just say in a graduate scientific field . . . that no longer interests me to write about. I found, much to my personal amazement, that I preferred scribbling historical fiction novels. Especially if they made me laugh while I was either researching or writing them.
My family lives in a DC suburb, but I enjoy travelling and visiting, in particular, our Estes Park, Colorado, cabin adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. The dogs usually come with me for the thirty-hour drive because I despise flying and motorcar everywhere I can. So why not give the pooches a vacation as well?
My family thinks I am a bit nuts in this regard and they fly everywhere they can. So I am the doggy transporter while they meet me at the chosen destination. Of course, this does not always work out, depending on where that vacation site actually is, and I have been known to fly, but I am not especially fond of the looks I get from surrounding passengers as I grip my seat.
What inspired you to write your book?
I love the history of the setting.
Here is a short sample from the book:
Prologue
1875
Colorado Territory
My Dearest Sister,
I trust the town of Fort Collins is still treating you well. Clarissa, I have the most wonderful news. I will be settling in Estes Park, having purchased a picturesque cabin, already built, with a cookstove. I have new friends and neighbors who can help me if trouble arises. I hope you will visit me in the future, but for now I request that you send my wagonload of belongings by way of the freight service. I know I have made the correct decision concerning my future.
Love,
Henrietta
P.S. Give the kids a hug from me.
Clarissa was a woman of action and didn’t dally long after receiving the letter from her younger sister. She wrote a note to their brother immediately.
Dear Herman,
Greetings from Fort Collins. Hope you and your cattle ranch are prospering in the rough country of Wyoming Territory. Eddie is doing well with his butcher shop and the kids remain lively. I don’t know where the hours go by each day, I’m so busy.
Unfortunately, I am writing to you with some serious news. I am now convinced that our younger sister has lost her senses. Perhaps it is a reaction to her grief from losing her husband, or just plain foolishness. Whatever the cause, she has gone and bought a cabin in the mountainous backwoods of Estes Park, Colorado!
Now before you get it into your head that I, in any way, contributed to this decision, I want to assure you that when Henrietta told me she required some time to herself, I encouraged her to visit the much more refined Manitou Springs. But you remember even as a child how stubborn Henrietta could be—insisting that ragtag stray mutt she once found was the prettiest thing ever, comes to mind. Well, she just up and vowed to tour Estes Park, not listening to any kind of reasoning. Now look where this has gotten her. I would appreciate your help in any way you can. For now, I am placating her and sending her belongings on to Estes Park. Surely, one cold winter will be enough to convince her to come back and stay with me and mine.
Your loving sister,
Clarissa
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