New Yesterdays Revisited

You may remember from my tale, New Yesterdays that Turkeytown was an important village in the days leading up to the Great Removal and Trail of Tears. The town took its name from Chief Little Turkey and was the largest of the Cherokee towns. Little Turkey was the first Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The town proper was located about ten miles southwest of present-day Centre, Alabama on the shores of Lake Weiss.

Now, Little Turkey predates my story by many, many years but it was he who helped to paint the background against which the story is told.

Principal Chief John Ross

Principal Chief John Ross (Guwisguwi, Little White Bird) who led the Nation in those dark days and was called the Cherokee Moses was born in Turkeytown.

Late in 1813 the US government came in and built Fort Armstrong in order to “protect” the area and manned it entirely by Cherokees.

After the Creek War Lt Gen Andrew Jackson and some of his cohorts, representing the government met in Turkeytown with members of the Cherokee Nation and the Principal Chief, Pathkiller to negotiate a treaty. As in most treaties the Cherokee had to give up a substantial amount of land in return for $5,000 and a $6,000 annuity to run for ten years. Those are the facts. My story begins some time after the Battle of Horseshoe Bend and the subsequent Turkeytown Treaty.

New Yesterdays is an alternate history fantasy that follows a young boy’s journey through a time portal and into the third decade of the 1800s. He’s in the same location he left behind, but now he finds himself living in a Cherokee village. He’s befriended by Dustu, a young boy about his own age of thirteen.

Jim and Dustu’s adventures lead them into battle against General Jackson’s United States Army. A great many friends are lost in the war, but life must continue after the war has ended and the smoke has cleared.

An as yet unpublished sequel, Changed Tomorrows takes up where New Yesterdays left off. We will be reunited with our old friends from the original stories and meet new characters. It is going to be very exciting to see how the North American continent wades into the future.

If everything goes to plan, Changed Tomorrows will be available in 2015. Watch this blog for developments and be sure to let me know what you think of it, as well as New Yesterdays.

Today, being Friday is a good day to visit some new blogs. Here are a few that have my recommendation. Go check them out, I’m sure it’ll brighten your day right up!

This little post has probably whetted your appetite for New Yesterdays. Those of you who haven’t yet read it are probably asking yourselves, “How can I get this book? I’ve just got to have it!” Well, don’t worry yourselves on that account because I’m going to tell you where to get it. Just go to Amazon US, Amazon UK, or Amazon India and you’ll find your copy waiting for you. Happy reading!

About Ol' Big Jim

Jim L. Wright is a storyteller with a lifetime of experiences as colorful as the characters he creates. Born and raised in Piedmont, Alabama, Jim’s connection to the land, history, and people of the region runs deep. His debut novel New Yesterdays is set in his hometown, where he grew up listening to stories of the past—stories that sparked his imagination and curiosity for history. Today, Jim lives in Leeds, Alabama, with his husband Zeek, a tour operator who shares his passion for adventure and discovery. Known affectionately as “Ol’ Big Jim,” he has had a diverse career that includes time as a storekeeper, an embalmer, a hospital orderly, and a medical coder. There are even whispers—unconfirmed, of course—that he once played piano in a house of ill repute. No matter the job, one thing has remained constant: Jim is a teller of tales. His stories—sometimes humorous, sometimes thought-provoking—are often inspired by his unique life experiences. Many of these tales can be found on his popular blog, Ol’ Big Jim, where he continues to share his musings with a loyal readership. Jim’s adventures have taken him far beyond Alabama. For seven years, he lived in Amman, Jordan, the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city. His time there, spent in smoky coffee shops, enjoying a hookah and a cup of tea while scribbling in his ever-present notebook, deeply influenced his worldview and his writing. When Jim isn’t writing, he’s thinking about writing. His stories, whether tall tales from his past or imaginative reimagining is of historical events should read from his past or imaginative reimaginings of historical events, reflect a life lived fully and authentically. With New Yesterdays, Jim brings readers a rich tapestry of history, fantasy, and human connection. Visit his blog at www.olbigjim.com to read more of his stories, or follow him on social media to keep up with his latest musings and projects, one of which is a series that follows Bonita McCauley, an amateur detective who gets into some very sticky situations. His book, New Yesterdays, can be found at Amazon US, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.

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