The Ancestral Pen

Tag: #Bookwriting

  • When the Old Ways Became the Only Way

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    amygennut
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      How Gary McAllister saved Pack Saddle by returning to his father’s “obsolete” pack trains There’s an irony at the heart of 1920s Idaho: the world kept telling people the pack train was dead while the mountains kept needing one. Trucks, rail, and roadbuilding pushed progress into valley towns, but steep passes, dense timber, and…

  • Welcome to 1927 North Idaho: Where Dreams Were Buried in Stumps

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    amygennut
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      Step into the world of Pack Saddle Ranch, where clearing land could cost you everything The first thing you need to understand about northern Idaho in 1927 is this: the land didn’t want you there. Not in a mystical sense—though the old-timers might argue otherwise after too much whiskey. No, the land resisted in a…

  • Book Release: The Rancher’s Healing

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    amygennut
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      Book Release 👉 Get your copy on Kindle today! And if you enjoy it, leaving a quick review on Amazon helps more readers discover the series than you can imagine. 💛 Thank you for being part of this journey — from my research notes to your Kindle screen. I’m still finalizing the paperback cover, but…

  • Why I Write Like I’ve Lived It (Because I Have)

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    amygennut
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      And no, I’m not talking about a ghost story or other forms of woo-woo. I’m writing this newsletter on my laptop while jars of applesauce, apple butter, and fermented apples cool on the counter. My daughter just came in from collecting eggs, warning me that Butt Head (yes, that’s really his name) is being…

  • From Amy’s Pen – Weekly Newsletter

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    amygennut
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      Meet Evelyn Bennett. She’s a city girl. A nurse. Completely out of her element on a rural Idaho ranch in the middle of nowhere. She was just doing her job—caring for a man foolish enough to blow himself up with dynamite. But to do that job properly, she needed to whip three bachelor brothers…

  • Banjo Roads and Dynamite Dreams: Inspiration in the Wild

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    amygennut
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      Banjo Roads and Dynamite Dreams: Inspiration in the Wild Last week, I shared that I was writing a new trilogy, Pack Saddle Ranch. This week I have exciting news! You can now grab your copy of Until We Meet Again (link below in Button), the prequel, to tide you over until I finish Healing the Rancher’s Heart.…

  • Stories the Live Within Us Newsletter

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    amygennut
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      My Motivation This makes all the hard work so worth it. It was made even sweeter because my husband’s 90-something-year-old aunt took the time to sit and write this to me. She loves my Woolsey Saga books, which I’m already thinking of adding another book to that set before our country celebrates its 250th…

  • A Good Ghost Story

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    amygennut
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      View in browser  Well, summer is almost over. For me, that means canning season is about to begin—but this year, I’ve added writing a good ghost story into the mix. In my last newsletter, I shared that I’m entering the Writers of the Future contest. The work is well underway: I now have a…

  • Newsletter: Gardening, Dogs & Cars

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    amygennut
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      Growing, Restoring, and Writing Hello again, dear readers! It’s time to step away from my writing desk and share another update with you all. Life has been busy, as always, but in the best possible way. Let me give you a peek into what’s been going on lately. The Garden’s Growing StrongThe garden is…

  • Creating Character Profiles from Ancestral Records: A Guide for Writers and Genealogists

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    amygennut
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    When writing historical fiction or simply trying to visualize our ancestors, we often face a challenge: how do we create a vivid character when we don’t have photographs? This guide will show you how to extract rich character details from historical records and transform them into both literary character profiles and AI art prompts. Records…