Interview with Authors Angela Grey & Paige Peterson

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? I, Angela, took a class in Dakota Studies at the University of Minnesota and learned of the accurate history of Fort Snelling, a place where I’d taken my children for July Fourth celebrations over the years. I was dismayed that I was never told the accurate history of the place, which was that it was an internment camp for Dakota women and children after the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862. Being appalled by their treatment, I sought out more history.   

2. What exactly is it about, and who is it written for? This YA book of poetry and prose is written for teens and adults who want to learn more about the pain, anguish, and danger of the internment camp. It tells the fictionalized story of a present-day teen who finds friendship with a teen girl of that time at Bdóte, thereby learning the actual history that isn’t taught in our schools.   

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I hope readers will learn more about the true history of what went on beneath the towering Fort Snelling and realize the horrors the Dakota women and children faced on the march, at the internment camp, as well as their expulsion from the state of Minnesota via a barge that took them down the Mississippi and up the Missouri River to Crow Creek Reservation in South Dakota where still more died due to hunger and the bleak conditions of that land. 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? Bdóte, or "where the two waters come together," is culturally significant to the Dakota people since it is the center of their spirituality. The cover image shows the confluence of the Minnesota River and the Mississippi River, where Bdóte is located. On one half of the image, you’ll see the colorized bridge that now spans over the Mississippi and the B&W side that symbolizes the past.   

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? I advise everyone to journal their history for their descendant s. Regarding publishing, I think there are enough readers out there that we don’t have to compete with one another, as you’ll see on social media. Regarding history, always check out alternate sources to make sure they’re factual.   

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I see that there are more Generation Z readers than millennials. It’s nice to know that they’re picking up books, especially physical copies, and writing them, than the generation directly preceding them who may have been distracted by social media or the video game realm.  

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? I, Angela, who is half Dakota Sioux, took a class in Dakota Culture studies at the University of Minnesota where we took field trips to various local sites of importance to our ancestors. It was the start of many a dream and nightmare where I needed to write about it in order to get the thoughts out of my mind and onto paper.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Our predominant writing style is first person with alternating points of view, which we picked up after reading Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. Other than that, we lean towards Joy Harjo’s prose.  

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? We worked to find a balance between the historical atrocities that occurred on the march, where the women and children endured pain and suffering like a Native American infant being ripped from the mother’s arms and being slammed to the ground. The infant died and was left beneath the crux of a tree as the soldiers forced the mother to continue on the march. Since it’s a YA book of poetry and prose, we didn’t want to dwell on the tragedy to cause nightmares but relay the account for historical accuracy. 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? We think readers should explore historical accounts that will broaden their horizons. Diversity and inclusivity are important. Plus, our book has a wonderful glossary of poetic terms that are helpful in writing the young adult’s own words and thoughts. This book of poetry and prose has teachable moments and spans the present day and past intergenerational traumas that persist. 

About the Authors: Shady Oak Press is home to authors Angela Grey and Paige Peterson, a mother-daughter duo from the Twin Cities area. Angela Grey, a writer of both Dakota Sioux and western European descent, has created memorable moving tales about the sometimes unexpected and challenging road to first love. Angela enjoys budget travel, camping, grilling/BBQs with family, yoga, and spirituality classes. Paige Peterson received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of St. Thomas and an additional bachelor's degree from Rasmussen University. She resides in the suburban Twin Cities with her husband, two cats, and a dog. She's a lover of coffee, all things travel-related, and camping alongside Lake Superior. www.ShadyOakPress.com.  

 

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Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.