Category: Historical novel

Guest at Book Release Party!

by Kathryn Spurgeon, posted in Historical novel

The 1930s party to release my novel, A Promise Child, is almost here! We’ll have a Special Guest at the party – Margaret Pope Akin, the first baby born in A Promise to Break, the first book in the series – and my mother! 1933 margaret pope (2)
Thought you might like to see her baby picture. The books about the Trimble and Pope families could not have happened without her help. She is a delightful, intelligent and godly woman.

This is as much Margaret Pope’s book as it is mine. She has a clear memory and has been willing to spend hours and hours discussing and dissecting the family history, the town of Shawnee back in the day, and the details surrounding life in the ‘30s. I hope you get a chance to meet her! 2007 Margaret 2

Enjoy the journey with Sibyl and Fremont as they live out the late 1930’s in A Promise Child.

More about Book Release Party

Camping in the 1930s

by Kathryn Spurgeon, posted in Historical novel

Researching for my 1930s novels, The Promise Series, has revealed that life back then was just that—life. They loved, dreamed, despaired and hoped just like we do today. And they went camping!
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I found this picture among my family relics. It’s my grandfather, Fremont Pope and his two oldest children, Margaret and Judson. Isn’t Fremont a handsome man?

I can’t see the date clearly on the bottom of the picture but it looks like 1937. And apparently they figured out how to make a tent and bed with little of today’s conveniences. I wish I knew what kind of car they had in this picture but it must be from the 30s.

I’m ready to get your response from my new book, the second book in the series, A Promise Child. The book is based on a true story. The Depression ripped through Sibyl Trimble’s hometown of Shawnee, and left dying stores, repossessed farms, and countless men and women out of work and living in poverty, Many people headed west to save their families. Would Sibyl and Fremont abandon Oklahoma and their hopes and dreams for the promises in California? Or would they find a way to survive in Shawnee, Oklahoma?

You’re welcome to come to the book release on August 15th from 6 to 8 at the Aldridge Hotel in Shawnee, Oklahoma!

Book signing in the 1930s hotel

by Kathryn Spurgeon, posted in Historical novel

I found the most awesome place to release my 1930s historical novel, A Promise Child! The lobby of the Aldridge Hotel in Shawnee, Oklahoma. That’s so appropriate since the book is set in Shawnee. The hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it’s simply regal, gorgeous, and right out of the past.

The Aldridge was the tallest building in Shawnee at the time of its construction in 1929. Ten stories. The lobby and mezzanine contain much beautiful marble. Many people take wedding pictures there. The floors above contain 200 rooms and are now used for senior apartment rentals.

According to what I found on the internet, the building was built by oil man Hilton A. Phillips during the 1920’s oil boom at a cost of $750,000. I can’t believe in all the years I lived in Pott County, I never visited this beautiful historic building.

It’s located at 20-24 East 9th Street on the northwest corner of 9th and Bell Street. Come and join us at the Aldridge Hotel lobby on Tuesday, August 15, 2016, to celebrate the release of the second historical book in the Promise Series!

A historical novel

A Promise Child – second novel to be released!

by Kathryn Spurgeon, posted in Historical novel

My second historical novel, A Promise Child, is ready! The book release date is August 15th, 2017.

Here’s the back cover of the book:

Sibyl Trimble Pope, from a wealthy banking family, marries a handsome hobo from the wrong side of the tracks.

As the Depression rips through Sibyl’s hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma, it leaves dying stores, repossessed farms, and countless men and women out of work. Now living in poverty, Sibyl suffers the burdens of a changing world and troubled economy.

Based on a true story, Sibyl Pope wants to make the world a better place. Since her youth, she has followed her papa, a respected, clever-minded banker. Interested in socialist politics and asking the hard questions of life, she struggles to find her own purpose. She does her best to listen to God, even when her father refuses to help.

Blessings come. A new baby, a job with the PWA, and a promise of a brighter future. Concerned for her children, she still struggles to keep food on her table and love alive in her heart.

Many people head west to save their families. Will Sibyl and Fremont abandon Oklahoma and their hopes and dreams for the promises in California? Or will they find a way to survive in Shawnee?

Click here to order A Promise Child on Amazon.

A Café with a past.

by Kathryn Spurgeon, posted in Historical novel

Shawnee, Oklahoma has some interesting places that have existed since the 1920’s or 30’s, some mentioned in my book, A Promise to Break. Last week, when I was in Shawnee, my mother and I ate at the Hamburger King.
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She says they make the best hamburgers she’s ever eaten with toasted buns, fresh lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. They also make many kinds of homemade pies. Oh, delicious.

What important people or dignitaries may have eaten at this hamburger joint during the past decades? Many famous people came through Shawnee and could have stopped in. It’s strange to think that my great-grandparents probably ate at the same café I did. That history connects me to them in a tighter way.

Which makes me think of my ancestors’ godly, Christian lives and the way their values have been passed down through the years. Some history never fades. I hope my great-grandchildren remember the values I’ve been taught and tried to live by. Maybe that’s one reason I write historical fiction based on true stories, so future generations won’t forget their past.

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