Talkshow Thursday: A Guest Post from Julie McDonald Zander

Talkshow Thursday: 

A Guest Post by Julie McDonald Zander

More than a dozen years ago, while guiding schoolchildren through our local historical museum, I spotted a small placard that mentioned the story of a woman who crossed the Oregon Trail in 1847 and suffered horrendous tragedy.

My heart broke at the sorrow she must have suffered, and I thought, “How did she survive?”

So, I decided to find out. Since 1999, when I launched my personal history business, Chapters of Life, I’ve helped dozens of individuals, families, organizations, and businesses capture and preserve their histories in book form. In between these projects, I dove into uncovering the story of Matilda (Glover) Koontz Jackson.

After five years of research, I wrote the early nonfiction draft. At Writers Weekend at the Beach in Southwest Washington, critique group members suggested I needed dialogue. But Matilda died in 1901, so if I put words into her mouth, I could no longer call it nonfiction. I debated whether to write it as fiction or nonfiction, but since her story had never been told, I finally published the nonfiction version, Washington Territory’s Grand Lady: The Story of Matilda (Glover) Koontz Jackson in 2019.

But her story deserved an even wider audience. So, after publishing more than 75 nonfiction memoirs

and history books, I spent five years in critique groups and conferences learning to write fiction. Then, in September 2024, St. Helens Press launched The Reluctant Pioneer, the fictional account of Matilda’s life, inspired by her true story.

I loved putting myself into Matilda’s viewpoint, experiencing the Oregon Trail as she might have, trying to entertain children while keeping them safe along a perilous journey. Instead of writing that she rode a canoe over Celilo Falls, I climbed into the craft with her, bouncing through the whitewater, striking boulders and freefalling over drop-offs, all the while praying for God’s protection and blessings on her family.

I’m honored that both the nonfiction and fiction books were finalists for the Western Writers of America Spur Award and won a Will Rogers Medallion. I call Matilda my favorite pioneer, but she was everything I’m not—a terrific housekeeper, a wonderful cook, a kind and gentle spirit who epitomized the fruits of the Spirit. She never would have sought the limelight or a book about her life, much less two, but she persevered through great struggles and losses, clinging to the promises of God in the Bible.

History offers many opportunities for inspirational fiction stories. In 2019, I served on a committee to commemorate the Centralia Tragedy, but even a century after the November 11, 1919, event that left four soldiers dead and a union activist lynched, people argued over what exactly transpired. I decided the best way to address this conflict between American Legion veterans of World War I and union activities in the Industrial Workers of the World is through fiction. Within the pages of a novel, I could explore the lives of the loggers who labored long hours in dangerous jobs for little pay as well as the veterans who fought for freedom in the trenches of France during World War II. In the spring of 2025, St. Helens Press launched Shattered Peace: A Century of Silence, a dual timeline novel exploring what some refer to as the Centralia Massacre.

I’ve always loved to write, and I pursued this passion first by studying journalism at the University of Washington, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science. I worked a decade as a newspaper reporter and nine years as an assistant city editor before starting Chapters of Life. I’m enjoying my newfound career as a fiction writer and love to hear from readers. Sign up for my newsletter at https://dl.bookfunnel.com/u9mvncauqy and receive a free pictorial ebook, Retracing the Oregon Trail.

Book blurbs:

The Reluctant Pioneer: Matilda Koontz cherishes her life as a wife and mother on a Missouri farm, but her hardworking husband wants to claim free farmland in the Pacific Northwest. When he suggests selling the farm to trek two thousand miles across the Oregon Trail, she balks.

But in the spring of 1847, Matilda and Nicholas Koontz and their sons embark on a grueling journey westward. Fresh graves testify to dangers of disease, accidents, starvation, and a multitude of hazards threatening her family and her beloved’s dream.

With new struggles at every turn, Matilda wonders how she can protect her sons on such a perilous journey. Will they reach the trail’s end? Will the babe growing inside her womb survive?

When tragedy strikes, the question changes: How can she possibly continue?

This pioneer woman’s journey is inspired by a true story.

Shattered Peace: A Century of Silence

A forgotten diary. A century-old secret. A town still haunted by its past.

When former Navy Seabee Colleen Holmes inherits an old house in Centralia, Washington, she sees it as a chance to escape her own ghosts and start anew. But as she peels back layers of history within the home’s walls, she unearths long-buried secrets tied to a dark chapter in the town’s history.

Hidden behind crumbling plaster, a faded diary and a bundle of love letters unveil the struggles of a soldier trapped in the trenches of France and the heartbreak of those left waiting at home. Yet the diary’s brittle pages hold more than just longing—they bear witness to the explosive events of November 11, 1919, when a parade meant to celebrate peace erupted into violence and bloodshed.

As Colleen pieces together the tragic choices that shattered lives and fractured a town, she realizes history is never truly buried. The wounds of yesterday still shape today, and the past is not done with her yet.

Inspired by true events, Shattered Peace is a gripping time-slip novel of love, loss, and the echoes of history that refuse to fade. Perfect for fans of The Alice Network and The Girl You Left Behind, this haunting tale of resilience, redemption, and the pursuit of truth will linger long after the final page.

Author Bio:

Julie McDonald Zander, an award-winning journalist, earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and political science from the University of Washington before working two decades as a newspaper reporter and editor. Through her personal history company, Chapters of Life, she has published more than 75 individual, family, and community histories. Her debut novel, The Reluctant Pioneer, won a Will Rogers Medallion and was a finalist for the Western was a finalist for the Western Writers of America’s Spur Award for Best Historical Novel. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest, where they raised their two children.

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