Hanging Off The Wire: Sweet Betsy From Pike *Giveaway*

Sweet Betsy From Pike by Sam Sackett

About The Book:

Sweet Betsy from Pike is a historical novel based on the ballad of the same name, which has been one of the most popular American folksongs for the past 150 years. It's 1849. Betsy is eighteen, a minister's daughter, and pregnant. To escape the shame, she and her lover, Ike, run away and join a wagon train headed for the California gold fields. They end up in Hangtown (now Placerville). Along the trail and in the mining camp Betsy outgrows Ike and becomes a strong, independent woman, capable of shaping her own destiny.

My Thoughts:

Writing a story from a song can not be easy, but Sam Sackett has done a phenomenal job. I was so engrossed in this story, from cover to cover. Sometimes it is kind of hard to follow the dialogue as the author tries to write the story in an as authentic way as possible. So if you can get past the language, it is a very interesting and enjoyable read.

About The Author:

California-born Sam Sackett received his Ph.D. from UCLA. While a student he published several science-fiction stories. He taught at Fort Hays State University in Kansas, where he published a translation of a Flemish novel, a collection of Kansas folklore, a children's book of cowboy songs, and a critical study of E.W. Howe. He also founded and served as president of the Kansas Folklore Society. After 23 years as an English professor and folklorist he burned out and left teaching. He worked first for a newspaper, then for an advertising agency, then for a public relations firm. By this time he was an expert on career change, so he moved into the career management field. After gaining experience with two local companies, he worked for 12 years as vice president of the Oklahoma City office of Bernard Haldane Associates. Sackett retired in Thailand for six years, writing short stories which have been collected in two books, Through Farang Eyes and Snapshots of Thailand. On his return to the US he published his first novel, Sweet Betsy from Pike. He had heard the song at an American Folklore Society meeting, and it struck him that Betsy learned she couldn't trust sweet-talking Ike to take care of her and that she had the strength to take care of herself.

You can buy this book on Amazon.

One reader will win a signed copy of this book! Here's how to enter:

1. Follow this blog via GFC, the newsletter, or Networked Blogs.

2. "Like" Hanging Off The Wire on Facebook.

3. Promote this giveaway on Twitter using @callansmama.

Giveaway ends October 8th. US only, sorry. Good luck!