When “The Gold Rush Christmas” originally released, I sat down with author Kathleen Fuller for an interview.
This is a reprise of the original conversation, with updated information!
What made you write about this period?
I remembered my fascination with the 1897 Alaskan gold rush stories when my family traveled to Alaska.
In particular, I thought of that horrific photo of the line of men climbing over Chilkoot Pass.
I imagined a story about a family caught in that line, stepping out on December 25 to celebrate Christmas.
“The Gold Rush Christmas” didn’t quite turn out that way, though Miles and Peter do spend time on White’s Pass out of Skagway.
How is Christmas celebrated in your family and what effect did it have on your writing this story?
My husband is a retired naval officer, and we’ve celebrated Christmas in a number of different cultures.
We like to use aspects of the local customs when we lived in different spots–Christmas in Hawaii, for example, included a crèche made of a coconut shell.
We had a kiwi doll dressed like Santa from our Christmas spent in New Zealand.
While writing “The Gold Rush Christmas,” I sought an element of Alaskan culture readers would recognize that also told the Christmas story.
I found a fantastic one!
What research did you do to authenticate Christmas celebrations in your story?
“The Gold Rush Christmas” includes a Christmas totem pole. I explored the Internet for information, and discovered a missionary in Alaska had actually made one!
We corresponded and Rev. David K. Fison asked me to use his description because he’d spent years ensuring it was culturally accurate.
(I no longer have a viable address or website for Rev. Fison).
What was the “germ” of your story idea and how did you flesh it out?
I wanted to write about the gold rush and I liked the idea of a pair of boy-girl twins and the boy next door sailing to Alaska on a ship filled with gold seekers.
I had to come up with a reason why they’d be sailing and turned it into a quest for a missing missionary father.
Would you like to have been there?
No. The conditions were awful, the con men terrible, and many people suffered.
What aspects of your characters are reflected in yours?
My tall, pushy brother likes to order me around and I’ve often resented it. 🙂
I also do all the research on our family trips and carry around a guide book.
Have you been to the locations in which your story is set?
Yes, my family sailed on the Alaskan ferry to Skagway out of Washington many years ago. We even slept on deck in our sleeping bags like the three musketeers in “The Gold Rush Christmas!”
I used our experiences and the stories we enjoyed while traveling to Alaska.
What surprised you the most about your story?
The wonderful true story of how God worked in the prostitutes of Skagway! I incorporated it into my tale.
This is a 2013 video of an interview I did with Kathy Boyd Fellure’s Authors, Writers, Books & Beyond:
Would you have made a good pioneer?
While I am the mother of three Eagle Scouts and have spent a lot of time camping, I’m a coward. I don’t sleep well on the ground and I don’t like to be dirty.
So, while I am the descendant of many pioneers–not to mention treasure seekers– no. 🙂
Were any of your ancestors pioneers? If so, where and when?
Many. Their courage and strength of character humble me. Most lived on the North American continent by 1701 and moved west until they reached the Pacific Ocean.
I’m thankful for their sacrifices. I named my first book, a family history, Pioneer Stock in their honor.
What spiritual themes did you incorporate into your story? Which ones did you discover later?
I love the Biblical Nehemiah’s famous line “I am doing a good work and I cannot come down.”
I liked the idea of someone going off on an adventure and sacrificing for their family, but wanting to stay in that ministry even when things became difficult.
In writing the story, I learned much about the fortitude of a young man wanting to prove himself, even when he discovered his own prejudices.
I love how even a seminary graduate needed to be reminded, gently, that he sometimes needed to be discomforted to do the job God called him to do.
I love the spiritual growth going on in “The Gold Rush Christmas.”
Tweetables
Traveling to Alaska, Christmas traditions, & a fun interview. Click to Tweet
How Michelle Ule incorporated her life into “The Gold Rush Christmas.” Click to Tweet
To my September newsletter subscribers who participated in the raffle for a free copy of Treasured Christmas Brides, the winners are
Barbara Raymond (physical copy) and Loretta James (Ebook). Enjoy!
Ah, the advantages of subscribing to my monthly newsletter . . . you can sign up here. 🙂
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