About the Book

Book: Wagons West

Author: Caryl McAdoo

Genre: Historical Christian Romance

Release date: November 22, 2022

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.

Besides the God-fearing, decent folks seeking new beginnings, adventurers, miners, risk-takers, fugitives, perverts, and runaways alike—even royals—comprise a few of the characters in book one of the ‘New Beginnings Family Saga’ titled WAGONS WEST. The two-thousand-mile journey is wrought with danger, trials, troubles and tragedies, deprivations, and of course, romance, but the lure of gold and a fresh start urges the sojourners on to the Promised Land!

Blaire Beechy, a widow with two almost grown daughters, Adeline and Beatrice, and a twelve-year-old son Tucker sells everything to go for the gold only to discover the rules of wagon master Ambrose Lee forbids them to join his wagon train, but the widow is determined. Though the disgruntled and handsome widow turns his head, the man deals with troubles of his own. His train isn’t full, he has yet to hire a scout, and his integrity thrusts him into saving a troubled young woman called Birdie. The journey is an arduous undertaking, but he’s done it before and is up to the task.
Wagon Ho!

This story was first published in episodes at Kindle Vella, Season One, by the same name. Season two SETTLERS & TOFFS continues the story and episodes are now being published and are available at Kindle Vella.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Award-winning author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory, and her best-selling stories—over sixty published now—delight readers around the world. The prolific writer also enjoys singing the new songs the Lord gives her; you may listen to a few on YouTube. Sharing four children and twenty-four grandsugars (six are greats), Caryl and her high-school-sweetheart-husband of fifty-four years Ron live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas. The McAdoos wait expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

What a fun, new adventure writing WAGONS WEST! Ron and I stepped up to try a new program Amazon offered authors called Kindle Vella where we’d write episodes rather than chapters. In a year’s time, WAGONS WEST had thirty-five episodes and was over one hundred thousand words, about four hundred pages.

We continue to write Season Two of the “New Beginnings Family Saga” SETTLERS & TOFFS, with the same characters going into the following year, 1850, scattering into three settings: those from Season One’s wagon train who decide to settle Auburn, California, those just starting the sojourn west with Emmerson Pierce, scout in Season One, now wagon master, and we sail the Atlantic to England when the son of the Earl of Farnsworth receives word of his older brother’s death.

The characters in WAGONS WEST made it so special for me, and I believe you’re sure to love them as well. Robert E. Lee’s older brother Ambrose is our wagon master and the story’s main hero. As all my heroes (thanks to Ron’s part of our collaboration) he is strong but flawed.

Our matriarchal heroine Blaire Beechy, recently widowed, has sold everything and uprooted her three children—two almost grown daughters Adeline and Beatrice and their twelve-year-old brother Tucker—only to discover Captain Lee’s idiotic rules forbid an unmarried woman from traveling in his wagon train. Why must there be a man at the head of each family?

WAGONS WEST offers readers adventures with a colorful cast of characters who support, cause trouble, act a bit crazy, and play ball to make the story one you just can’t put down. All along the way, God is questioned,  given praise, denied, and surrendered to, saving sojourners again and again—not only in the spiritual realm.

It’s a story I’ve certainly enjoyed writing, and I’m hoping you’ll enjoy reading WAGONS WEST as much!

As always, I’m ‘Praying my story gives God glory!’ Hallelujah! There is no one like Him! He alone is the Great King over all the earth! Not a man that He could lie, but worthy to receive all glory and all praise!

Blessings, y’all!

Author Interview

Hello, Charmy! Thank you so much for inviting me to visit! I pray you are greatly blessed for  blessing me, helping my awesome stories to be found by your readers! What would you like to know about me then?

• What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?

Well, I love doing research for my historical romances, and wagon trains are particularly interesting. A few years back when getting ready to write our first Prairie Roses Collection contribution, REMI, I talked my Ron (husband of fifty-four years) into a road trip—driving the route of the Oregon/California Trail! What an awesome trip!

Anyway . . . as I’ve continually researched covered wagon journeys (I’ve written ten now), new things come fewer and farther between. However, when digging for WAGONS WEST, I came across something I’d never seen before and included it in the story. Before the infamous Forty Mile Desert—disputably the hardest leg of the journey on the Oregon/California Trail—our scout Emmerson discovers a great treat for the sojourners—ice!

In what today is Wyoming, the trains traveled through the Sweetwater Valley, fording the river then climbing toward the South Pass. That’s where they come to a special place called Ice Springs back then. A marshy, bog where if a man dug down a little, he would find ice in the underground spring.

• Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I am so blessed that I do hear from my readers. I love hearing from them and getting to know my readers. I’ve met most online, but others have found my email address and sent me a message, or some handwritten missives arrive through post office mail.

The kind words of my readers often bring me to tears, especially when one tells me that my story drew her closer to God. There’s no better compliment!

I’ve received funny stories where one reader found herself praying for my characters; that gave me a giggle. Others want my folks to be their family or at least neighbors. I know I’ve fallen in love with them and perhaps that comes through when my readers get to know them, too. When a patriarch died in book eight, I cried when I wrote it, when I edited it and then again when trying to read it at our critique group. I was so sad! They are real to me and I’m glad to hear they are to readers, too!

One avid reader told me THE BEDWARMERS SON was her all-time, favorite book. Another posted I was her favorite author. So encouraging! As though straight from the Father’s heart, their words motivate me to keep writing!

• How do you overcome writer’s block? Do you have any advice for others in finding their process to overcome it?

I’ve never experienced any long-term writer’s block. If ever the next scene doesn’t come, I learned it’s because I took a wrong turn, trying to take the characters where they didn’t want to go. I quickly back up and re-write a few paragraphs, and then I’m off again. I tell people “Only God writes in stone. The rest of us re-write.” 

• How did you come up with the title for your book?

Partly, it came from the old television show Wagon Train. Every week, the wagon master would cry “Wagons Ho!”, and the covered wagons would roll west. I like short titles because I’ve learned I’d soon be writing that title many, many times in so many places, so . . . short titles seemed logical.

I also love alliteration. Many teachers of writing will warn not to use too much, but I pay them no never mind. If the biddies can’t bear using big bad blasts of better words beginning with the same first letter, then I give my blessing! But I’ll boast my best passages prove prudent use of alliteration can be prime! Short, alliterative, wagons going west . . . WAGONS WEST! 

• Is your writing space pristine or organized chaos?

Oh, how I would love to say pristine, but I cannot for I am a guardian of the Truth. I capitalize Truth because of what Jesus said: “I AM the TRUTH.” Scripture tells us Satan is the “father of lies” therefore I guard the Truth, not only counting it valuable and treasured, but essential to my life. In my humble opinion, there is never ever—no not one—reason to ever tell a lie. For this reason, I admit my writing space is neither organized nor pristine. Chaos describes it best though I’d love it if that were not so.

My husband did build me a 10×15 office space last year that has two windows to my right where with a glance, I can see our front yard and the woods with chickens, dogs, cats, wild birds, and squirrels scamper or peck about, race, play, nap in the sun, climb trees, or wag wag wag! LOVE IT!

He built a closet in and shelves galore. I’ll show you a picture I call “Sitting my Desk.” So, this is helping and one day, I hope to be all organized with the help of Holy Spirit. After all, I can do ALL things through Crist Who strengthens me!

It’s been a pleasure visiting with you, Charmy! I suppose I should get back to writing SETTLERS & TOFFS, book two of the New Beginnings Family Saga series, but I really want to stay and ask you about your unusual name! Thank you again! Blessings!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 19

Texas Book-aholic, January 20

deb’s Book Review, January 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, January 22

Books You Can Feel Good About, January 22

Cover Lover Book Review, January 23

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, January 24

Connie’s History Classroom, January 25

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 26

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 27

Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, January 28

Simple Harvest Reads, January 29 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)

For Him and my Family, January 30

Pause for Tales, January 31

Guild Master, February 1 (Author Interview)

Lily’s Book Reviews, February 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/23bc3/wagons-west-celebration-tour-giveaway