Changing Covers but never titles...anymore lol

 

 Creating titles and covers is one of the complications of bringing out books.

For quite a while, I've had what seemed a rather sweet cover for a book that had become more complex than that. Still, I had liked that cover.

To create the wagon trains, I had gotten permission from Ben Kern to use photos from his modern leading of wagons along the route the pioneers took. I was happy that the couple looked as I had imagined them with images I purchased... except it did look sweet. In the beginning I suppose it was, but as I grew older, I saw things in the story that I hadn't as a youth. Incidentally, Ranch Boss does the titles. 

The book in question is the longest one in my life. As a child, I wrote stories in my imagination when I created paper dolls and they were not like Raggedy Ann. I wanted them to be adults and nude with clothing to suit pioneer eras. When I first found the story of Matt and Amy, it was when I'd go for walks with my younger cousin and we'd take turns with parts of their story as we'd walk. Then she didn't want to carry on the plot, but wanted me to tell their story.

I was so young and, of course, immature, but I carried it on further later, writing their story on an old typewriter. My original title for it was Taopi Tawote. In Lakota,it means wound medicine, which seemed apropos for what the hero had to go through to be the man he wanted and needed to be. The problem was people would expect it to be a Native American book, which it is not. 

The word comes into the book from a secondary (but very important) character, St. Louis Jones. He is the older, wagon master, for one of the last of the really large wagon trains. He had much wisdom based on having lived with the Lakotas, there having a wife and child, both of whom he had lost. 

He becomes a powerful mentor to the hero, Matthew Kane, who needs that support given his family and the abuse, with which he's grown up from a father and older brother. Through it all, he found solace with his love for a neighbor girl in Missouri. When her family was heading to Oregon, Matt decided to put what he had earned into also making the journey. He did not want his own family to come, but couldn't turn them down when they asked. His brother, Morey, didn't want the trip so much as to not lose his opportunities to hurt Matt. Morey is a psychopath, who hides his evil well to gain what he sees as power.

 One thing about this book is it's not sweet. The journey west was tough, full of danger and death. Not so much Native American attacks as illnesses and accidents. 

The farm that we own in Oregon has such a sad story. The man had settled there and told his older brother, sister-in-law and their daughters to join him on his homestead They left Missouri. On the way, the brother was killed in an accident with their wagon. She came on with their daughters, married the brother and they had more children. Sadness and happiness. As it was in the West.

So, Round the Bend tells the story of the journey, the growing, love story of two young people, friends to lovers. In the beginning Amy does not believe she could feel feel passion for Matt. He's her best friend and he's ruining that by trying to change things.

Through their experiences, they find healing physically and emotionally, but underlying that is the story of two families, one with love and generosity, while the other filled with hate and selfishness. Adventure, along with the danger that it rides with it. We've driven part of the trail, and it's hard to imagine what it would have been like with canvas for the only roof, when the weather can turn so violent.

 Link to read free sample, blurb, and buy the book if you wish.

Round the Bend