#ComingSoon from Debut Author Kaci Curtis - ALONG THE TRAIL

Today my guest is debut author Kaci Curtis with ALONG THE TRAIL, a young adult historical western. She tells us about animals she has known and loved and how those animals tie into her story. The book releases October 22, 2025 but is available for preorder now. Welcome Kaci!

Kaci's Farm Animals

Like me, my main character (Winnie) was was born and raised in Missouri. I chose to have her family originate from there because it made their arrival to Independence far simpler. I wanted to highlight the difficulty of even getting to the start of the trail through the story of the Volgelsang family, who came all the way from Germany. (One interesting tidbit: Vogelsang was actually my grandmother's maiden name). 

Winnie's family sold their farm to pay for all the provisions they needed to make the journey west. When I was writing the book, my family had a little homestead on five acres, and my favorite animals on our real property make an appearance whenever I describe the fictional one that Winnie had to leave behind. 

Our donkey's name was Eeyore - he was a gentle soul that my son could ride bareback in the pasture. He also brayed if anyone, even a neighbor, came into the yard. Mama Pig was real, too - I bottle fed her piglets when she had complications and was unable to produce milk. We even had a beautiful little calf, Maple. She was named for her coloring, which matched that of a dark maple syrup. We had dozens of chickens, ducks, turkeys, and guinea hens - we hatched our own chicks out in the coop with their mamas, and also bought new hatchlings in town at the feed store. 

We are a military family, so we move frequently. The farmhouse is no longer ours - we've moved twice since then. But it remains a special place in my heart, one full of animals roaming our property, living life in the sun and fresh air in the way they were meant to. I hope that little spark of authenticity shines through in the descriptions of Winnie's Midwest farm!

Excerpt, ALONG THE TRAIL:

The friends passed the next several hours on horseback, taking care to always keep the wagon train in sight. The wagon canopies were so small in the distance, they resembled a herd of sheep.

Mae recounted many stories from her native friends – outlandish tales of trickster coyotes, nature spirits, and ancestral guides who took the forms of animals.

As they hunted for the stream that Big John had spoken of, the wilderness around them seemed to come alive.

Winnie knew it was because of Mae’s stories, but she couldn’t help herself. The afternoon sun gilded the tree tops, and she found herself searching their branches and trunks for a glimpse of curious eyes or a wily smile.

When they ventured from the swath that had been cut by hundreds of wagons before them, the prairie grass grew tall enough to brush the bellies of the horses. It wasn’t hard to imagine something crouching there, peering at them between stalks of grass.

The wildflowers seemed brighter, the colors more vibrant. The biting flies that lingered around the livestock were long gone, and for the first time, Winnie thought she could see why people had begun to venture west.

Maybe it was the break from the monotony. Maybe it was the novelty of riding Lazy Loui instead of walking. Or just maybe, Winnie was finally beginning to actually see the wilderness, instead of only resenting it for its hardships and the simple fact that it wasn’t the farm she’d grown up on.

With that thought, she felt that she had found the root of the matter. The heart of the cause for the blinders she’d worn the past month and a half, which had kept her from finding anything about the trail worthy of its renown. She bore resentment. A bit of anger. Reluctance.

Papa had decided to bring them across the wilds to Oregon territory. He had spoken to Mama about it beforehand, but he’d been the driving force behind the idea. And months later, the animals Winnie had helped to raise were all gone. Millie’s little calf. The piglets that Mama Pig grunted with so affectionately. The chickens that had followed Winnie around the yard when she did her chores.

All were gone now, except for Millie the milk cow.

The simple life she’d known had been traded for the uncertainty of the westward trail, and she saw now that she had been determined to endure it, but also determined not to find anything about the scenery of their travels very pleasant or worthwhile.

With her stories, Mae breathed life into the trees, curiosity into the rabbits and squirrels, and omnipotence to the birds, and Winnie removed the blinders she’d been wearing. She saw the true feelings that had lurked there, ducking behind the exhaustion, the cautious excitement over her relationship with Hal, and the irritation over small inconveniences.

She’d been grieving the home she’d lost. And she’d never even known it, until now. It wasn’t until those wounds began to close over that she even acknowledged their existence.

Blurb:

In 1847, Winnie and her family are traveling west to start a new life in the Oregon territory. While many in their wagon train fret over river crossings, disease, and encounters with Native tribes, she relishes the unexpected freedom of life on the trail. Threatened by storms, wild animals, and outlaws, Winnie must rely on the bonds she’s made and all she’s learned in order for them to make it to Oregon alive. She also must decide if she is ready to risk forming an attachment to Hal, the cowhand who has a knack for showing up just when help is needed, or whether she will emulate Mae, the free-spirited daughter of their trail guide.

Buy Links:

Publisher: https://wildrosepress.com/product/along-the-trail/

B & N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/along%20the%20trail%20kaci%20curtis

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FL1C55WW/thewildrosepr-20

Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/along-the-trail/acddcf8eab8a6041?ean=9781509263165&next=t&next=t

BooksAMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509263165

Author Bio:

Kaci Curtis is a military spouse, and mom of two. She was raised in Kansas City, MO, only minutes away from the town of Independence, where the Westward Trails began. She loves hiking, camping, reading while sipping coffee, all things National Parks, thunderstorms, gardening, and book club.

Socials:

Website: kacicurtisauthor.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KCurtisWriter

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kacicurtisauthor