The Scots who came to settle the mountain regions of the United States were a hardy lot, especially those who hailed from the Scottish Highlands. They felt at home settling in these areas few other immigrants wanted – areas like the Appalachians or the Rocky Mountains. A large amount of my heritage can be found among this group. Eighty-three percent of my ancestry come from the British Isles with a mixture of Scot, English, and Irish.
This is what happens in Mountain Storms, the first book in
my In from the Storms Trilogy. Ian MacGregor was wounded in the Civil War and left Maryland to hide away in a mountain cabin in Wyoming Territory. He had been rejected because of his war wounds and wanted to move from society. Aileas Campbell stumbles on the cabin in a snowstorm after she runs away from unwanted attention. Neither suspect the adventure they’re about to begin or the changes God has in store for them.
The family saga continues in Past Storms. Jeannie MacGregor, at seventeen, feels imprisoned in the secluded mountain cabin with her taciturn brother, so she runs away and goes back to her aunt in Maryland, hoping to have a social life and find a suitor. But nothing turns out as she expected, and within a few years, she finds herself on a train back to Wyoming with her young daughter in tow. The unexpected interest of three men there surprises her, but only one man makes her heart beat faster. However, he’s the new pastor, and what would a man of God want with someone like her. He could hardly find a more unsuitable wife.
In Dust Storms, Brady Sharpe, Aileas’s stepbrother, wanders his way to Texas
after Aileas refuses to leave with him. He tries ranching and becomes a foreman but never feels he truly belongs. After catching some cattle rustlers, he decides to leave but discovers a young woman in desperate need of help. He does his best but ends up deciding to take her back to Wyoming and get Aileas to help her. In their journey, they battle many storms, including a major dust storm and storms of the heart.
I loved writing this trilogy. Originally, I hadn’t planned to write Dust Storms, but when I finished Past Storms, Brady said I needed to tell his story, so I did. This has happened before in my character-driven novels. Readers seem to like this series, too, because these books have been my best-sellers for months.
I would like to offer one of you the chance to win a free copy of Mountain Storms. In addition, as long as they last, I would also like to give free codes for audible editions of one of the 3 books to any who have an Audible account (which is free but required to redeem the code). You can email me at janicecolehopkins@gmail.com, and I will send you the code for the book you request. Have a blessed day, ask me any questions you’d like, and I hope to hear from you soon.
My Scots ancestry is in the Appalachians.
Grandfather Mountain has a large Scottish Clan games and gathering each summer. http://www.gmhg.org/
denise
Yes, it does, Denise. That’s the region of my birth and childhood. In fact, I graduated from Appalachian State University, not far from Grandfather Mountain.
These sound like some good books. I don’t know much about my ancestry except my grandparents came from Hungary and my father is English.
Thank you, Janine. They were a joy to write.
You’re welcome!
Welcome to P & P. Wonderful blog. Your books sound amazing.
My Granny Lucas was 1/2 Cherokee, my Granny Douglas was full German.
Tonya, you might want to also look at my Appalachian Roots series. It is about a family in the Appalachians. Half the family is of German decent (Moretz), and the son marries a Cherokee. The first book, Cleared for Planting in on sale for a limited time for only 99 cents.
Great post! I would love to read more. I am a true product of the melting pot and a bit of many
Thanks, Debra. Even though I predominately have British Isles ancestry, the rest is a big mixture, too, and I like that.
This series sounds captivating and wonderful. I know my ancestry since I was very young. Eastern European 100%.
Thanks, Anne. I hope the books are those things. And it’s wonderful to know your ancestry .
Welcome. My ancestors were from Europe and Wales. Ireland and Scotland.
Thanks for the warm welcome, Charlene. I’m impressed by how many of you know your ancestry.
What a fascinating and memorable book. A real treasure. My ancestry is Jewish and Italian. I was aware of this since it is important and meaningful.
The novel is all about the characters, of course, much more than their ancestry. But ancestry is certainly interesting.
Welcome today! My ancestry is German, Dutch, Irish, English (no Scot!) and Polish on my father’s side. This sounds like an interesting trilogy. Trilogies are perfect. Sometimes a series is too much but three books can cover all your favorite characters.
Yes, some series are joined by a theme and not the characters. All of mine follow characters in the same family. That way, you get to see more of those first characters.
Mountain storms sounds good.
Thanks, anxious58. I would love for you to try it and let me know your thoughts.
A most interesting post today with an extraordinarily great book and series. Ancestry is always informative and interests me greatly. Since I was a young child I knew my background. Ashkenazi Jewish 100%.
Thank you so much, Ellie. I loved writing the books, and ancestry is interesting to me, too, as you can tell. We all should be proud of our heritage.
This sounds like a wonderful series. The mountains are dear to our family and we have never been happy living away from them.
So many of us have ancestors who came over from Ireland and Scotland and in my case, also France. The French ones came over with the original settlers in Canada. The Irish came over due to the potato famine. I grew up in the Adirondacks where Scottish, French, and Irish influences were present. We currently live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains where the Scottish influence is very strong. It takes strong people to survive and thrive in mountain conditions. They are good places to hide, either from the law (moonshiners were and are numerous here) or from society/civilization. For me, there is the added benefit is their striking beauty. We lived in the Colorado Rocky Mountains for three years. They are awe inspiring and beautiful, but the weather is unpredictable and can be dangerous. The perfect setting for stories of isolation, survival, and growth. The mountains do become a part of you.
Patricia, I agree with you about mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains is where I grew up. Mountains make my spirit soar and lift me up.
Welcome, Janice! It’s nice meeting you. Your Storms Trilogy sounds like my kind of stories! I’ve just now put them on my TBR list. My maternal grandparents were Czech, and they came to this country through Ellis Island just before the start of WW1. And my ancestors on my father’s side were from England. I belong to a few lineage societies, and it was so interesting learning about them when I was doing my research.
Sharon, thank you! I hope you love them. I will never forget touring Ellis Island. I found the history there fascinating.
Everyone, I’ve been having some internet problems today, but hopefully they are over.
Janice, I’m late coming over but welcome. We’re so happy to have you. Your books look amazing and I’m sure they’re all good stories. I love books of the Appalachian people. They have their own type of music and way of life. It’s very interesting reading about them.
My In from the Storms trilogy is set mainly in Wyoming. They are westerns, but I do have 5 set in the Appalachians.
When I was in Wyoming, I loved Cody. I thought of it when I wrote of Sudden Springs in the novels.
I’ve enjoyed my day with you and appreciate your kind welcome. Blessings all.
This sounds like an interesting series. I don’t know much about my ancestry other then some Irish and Indian.
The books feature a different pair and show the struggles and heartaches of living in a rugged environment in the early West. The ancestry issues were not important. Before I started devoting so much time to writing , I used to be an avid quilter, too, quiltladyblog..
Hi Janice, I would like to read more about Ian as he struggles with surviving the horrible Civil War and dealing with his injuries. Aileas sounds like a strong, independent woman capable of loving this physically and spiritually wounded man. I love visiting the national parks out West. I’ve even stayed in Cody, WY on our way to Yellowstone ( loved that gorgeous 50 mile drive), the Tetons and Glacier. I know I would love to read the whole trilogy.
I’m primarily German with a bit of English and Scottish from my dad and a bit of French from my mom.
Dear Laurie, we have some of the same interests, background, and experiences. Thank you for your comment. I have answered the email you sent and look forward to your response. Have a great day!