Our featured writer today is Josie. Let’s give her a warm welcome!
If you would like your talent featured in the Artists in Our Midst series or Authors in Our Midst series, send me an email message. Don’t be shy! I have no more Artists posts in the queue, so please get in touch if you would like to be featured.
A Novel of the Mexican Revolution: A Dangerous Woman
by Josie Wilson
Hi Fellow Jackals,
First, I want to thank WaterGirl for allowing me to write about my book. It is my first novel, but hopefully not my last. I have done quite a lot of writing over the years, but it has been almost exclusively academic. This is my first foray into fiction, and it has truly been a learning experience. I find that, at almost 80 years old, I still have much to learn.
It has taken seven years to complete the project, since much research was required, and for several years my brain was zoned out due to the pandemic. I have finally completed my epic and am foolishly considering a sequel. Maybe the new project won’t take as long (she said hopefully). It’s been a family undertaking. My sons and my daughter in law helped by putting up with lengthy discussions of story lines, characterizations, word choices, and other difficulties.. My consuegra (the other grandmother) gave valuable help with editing and proofreading.
Here is the description of my story as it appears on Amazon:
Chihuahua City, Mexico, 1913. Katherine O’Brien reluctantly enters into a marriage of convenience to hide from her abusive ex-fiancé. She struggles to adapt to an unfamiliar culture as she begins to regain her ability to love and trust. Her new husband, a soldier in Pancho Villa’s army, treats her well, although he expects an obedient and docile wife. Kate, a tomboy raised on a west Texas ranch, finds such a role extremely difficult. The two strive to find a middle ground even as he fights beside Villa in the brutal revolutionary war.
When the Revolution turns against Villa, the couple is separated. Kate must lead her small extended family to a new home without help from her husband… and with her violent ex-fiancé following her tracks. Facing these challenges tests her courage and survival skills to the utmost.
A Dangerous Woman, a debut historical novel from Texas author Josie Wilson, seamlessly blends fact and fiction to depict a determined woman and an unlikely romance that blooms and endures, even during the hardships and turbulence of war.
Many years ago, I was the librarian at a majority-minority middle school in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. It occurred to me that my Mexican American students needed to know something of their heritage, which was not being taught in the seventh grade Texas History curriculum. As I researched and purchased books on South Texas and northern Mexico, I became immersed in the turbulent history of Mexico. It has long surprised me that we Americans know so little of the history of a country on our doorstep.
I became particularly interested in the Mexican Revolution and its aftermath. So many people involved were fascinating, complicated characters, such as Pancho Villa, Tomás Urbina, Felipe Angeles, Álvaro Obregón, and Rodolfo Fierro, Villa’s fierce executioner/bodyguard. I found it interesting that the stories told about these men varied according to the language in which the stories were written. In many English accounts, they were either heroes or villains. In accounts written in Spanish, they were more fleshed out as real people with both good and bad characteristics.
This was especially true of Fierro. When I finally decided to write about this slice of history, I intended to make my story about him. Indeed, his story is still in there. To my surprise, however, his fictionalized love interest stood up and said that her story was also interesting and important. And so here you have the novel I finally finished after all those years.
I would appreciate your reading my book and leaving a review, as reviews help more people to discover the book. It is available on Amazon Unlimited currently, and, if things go well, I will publish in paperback later this year. Baby steps. I welcome your feedback and will be happy to answer any questions.
This looks really interesting doesn’t it?
Josie’s book can be ordered on Amazon.
If you pre-order, it will appear in your booklist on Monday, July 10. ~WG
WaterGirl
Hi Josie, let us know when you get here?
I LOVE the book cover!
raven
Did you watch “Viva Zapata” for any kind of background?
Josie
@raven: I’m here.Yes, I watched every movie I could find and every reel of film on YouTube in addition to books, magazine articles, and essays on the internet. I even found a film clip that showed Villa and Fierro walking with a group of men, so that I got a good idea of what he looked like (nothing like Charles Bronson).
Maxim
Fantastic cover! Congratulations.
Josie
@WaterGirl:
Thanks. I had an image in my mind that I described to the artist and they got it exactly right after only two tries.
ETA: @Maxim
Dorothy A. Winsor
That sounds fascinating, Josie. I see it actually releases tomorrow but can be pre-ordered. So I did. :-)
Josie
@Dorothy A. Winsor:
Thanks. That means a lot coming from you.
Dorothy A. Winsor
@Josie: I have so many books on my kindle right now that it will take me a while to get to yours, but I promise I will.
MomSense
Congratulations!!! Ordering!
raven
@Josie: Awesome!
Kristine
@WaterGirl: I do, too–it’s a great cover.
BeautifulPlumage
Congratulations! I love that it was a family affair of sorts and not 7 years in writing & research isolation.
WaterGirl
@Kristine: Everything about it is compelling.
Josie
@BeautifulPlumage:
Exactly. We are a very close family, and I probably couldn’t have completed it without their support. The writing is all mine, but the support came from them.
Josie
@MomSense:
Thank you.
Baud
You look dangerous.
Congratulations on the book.
Josie
@Baud:
Lol. My three boys would probably back you up on that.
Lethe
Ordered and top of my list! You have a fantastic family and I am so glad you have realized all your hard work.
Elizabelle
Cha-ching. Just ordered. What great summer reading.
Need to learn more about Mexican history, and what a painless way to dip in next week.
Josie: do you speak Spanish well? How wonderful, to be able to read the Mexican source literature, rather than depend on American (and other) writers/historians who bring a non-Mexican perspective to their research.
NaijaGal
Congratulations on your book!
Re Mexican history, I was shocked to learn that their first mixed race (indigenous, African, and European) president and second overall president, Vicente Guerrero, totally abolished slavery across all of Mexico in 1829. He didn’t survive long though and was executed by firing squad in 1831. I hope someday someone will write a fictionalized account of his life.
Josie
@Elizabelle:
I grew up really close to the border (15 miles or so) and speak moderately good Spanish. It took that plus google translate to work my way through the Spanish texts. Tedious and time consuming, but well worth it.
Josie
@Lethe: Thanks.
ronno2018
just bought it!
cain
I sent it to my wife – who loves this genre of books. thank you for posting about this and best of luck on sales!
Elizabelle
@NaijaGal: Ooh. Gotta read up on Vincent Guerrero too. Thank you.
Joy in FL
I just pre-ordered your book also. Your description of it got my interest! And I really like knowing some of the back-story for how you came to write it. Thanks for sharing that.
Ruckus
@Josie:
Your book sounds like a very worthy read. Congrats on publishing!
Another Scott
Sounds fascinating. I’ve ordered it as well.
Best of luck, and thanks for the story of how it came to be.
Cheers,
Scott.
Anyway
Congratulations on your fiction debut. That’s so exciting. Will be sure to add a review.
Josie
Thanks, everyone. I so appreciate your support.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Definitely ordering on Kindle, as my family has connections to this place and time. I know very little about the family history except that Villa is not spoken of with affection.
Josie, I’d be interested in some of your Spanish-language source material.
SiubhanDuinne
@Josie:
Have just pre-ordered your book. I look forward to reading it!
ETA: And, like so many other commenters, I love the cover art.
Elizabelle
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
Yes, for sure.
I would love if WaterGirl would organize a Zoom with Josie maybe a month or so from now. Once we have read the book, and have more questions, and comments/reviews. Could be fun!
Josie
I’ll work on a list of sources, both English and Spanish, and send it to WaterGirl. She could either post it or send to anyone who wants it. It won’t be quick, as I am doing nanny duties for the next week, but I promise to get it done.
dc
For a well written Spanish language source on Villa, the great Paco Ignacio Taibo II has a very detailed biography, Pacho Villa.
stinger
Ordered! I hope you get good sales. Sounds like this book should be in EVERY U.S. school library!
Josie
@stinger: Um, maybe not. There are several pages that might not pass muster.
Baud
@Josie:
Drag queens?
Josie
@Baud:
Nope
zhena gogolia
Congratulations, looks great!
zhena gogolia
@Baud: OT, Omnes was in the Ukraine thread last night, since you were asking.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
Ordered! I’m so inspired at your deciding to launch this new career! I’ve had a couple of non-fiction ideas kicking around in my head for years.
@dc: Also ordered! Managed to locate a Spanish edition on Abebooks. For some reason it seemed to be easier to find a French translation. I thought my French might be up to it, but somehow it felt too incongruous to read about the Mexican Revolution in French.
Baud
@zhena gogolia:
Thanks.
Josie
@Ceci n est pas mon nym:
You should put your foot in the water. Writing is really rewarding if you have a love for the subject. For me it was history and romance. Different for each person. It’s never too late!
Ivan X
Fantastic. Congratulations. So amazing to see something you’ve worked seven years on become tangible.
NeenerNeener
Love the cover. Pre-ordered.
Josie
Y’all are the best. I never expected such a wonderful response. Thanks to everyone. Most of all, thanks to WaterGirl.
WaterGirl
Josie, thanks so much for doing this! You might want to check back for questions and comments in the morning – with Author posts, we get comments into the next day.
WaterGirl
@Elizabelle: We can certainly do that if people are interested.
*people includes Josie, who would obviously have to be on board if we did it!
mali muso
This looks fascinating! I love a good historical romance. Any chance you will have it turned into an audiobook (my favorite way to consume books these days)?
Josie
I honestly don’t know. I haven’t gotten that far yet. I understand it takes a bit more money than I am able to spend in order to do that right now.
Anne
@Josie: As an aspiring and older novelist, it’s wonderful to hear of your journey into fiction writing and your success. Congratulations and Salud! The whole process of inventive writing is so fascinating.
http://www.annebower.studio
Miss Bianca
Wow, very cool. I will have to order a copy soon, even tho MtToBeRead is alarmingly high these days…