Karen Schutte To Have Book Signing & Presentation February 20th

Karen Schutte will have a book signing and presentation at the Albany County Public Library on Sunday, February 20th. The book signing and presentation will begin at 2:30.

Born, raised and educated in Wyoming, Karen Schutte has recently released her debut historical novel, The Ticket. Her love of writing evolved over the past eight years as she began searching her family’s genealogy, making notes, and then writing short stories about the stories she heard sitting at the feet of her grandparents.

“I didn’t want this information to fall by the road side—it is important to know where one comes from and the history behind it. Everyone’s family immigrated to this country at one time or another and it’s fascinating to learn when, how, and what they sacrificed when they made the choice to leave the life they knew behind.”

The story of Karl and Katja Kessel (note: family names have been changed in the novel) begins in a German colony of farmers (pre 1700) in the decades-old established area of Surtschin, Yugoslavia. On the invitation of Maria Theresa of Austria, they left the Black Forest region of southwest Germany to immigrate and settle the rich farm land along the Danube. From that time on they were known as the Danube Swabian Germans. The Kessels immigrated at the turn of the century, traveling across the Atlantic separately. Karl arrived first, going to Cleveland, Ohio where he went to work for the Great Lakes Sugar Beet Company. After several months, he traveled to Lovell, Wyoming where he found a farm to purchase in the Kane region. Karl worked the winter in Lovell, taking any job he could find to raise enough money to send for his family. When Katja and her three small sons disembarked from the train, she turned 360 degrees and in stunned disbelief, asked—“Is this where I am to spend the rest of my life?”

In her debut historical novel, Karen Schutte spins a compelling family story woven with rich historical detail. Her nuanced and unvarnished narrative exposes the many memorable events as the Kessels made their journey of life. The Ticket is an unforgettable and touching account of a true American family, filled with ambition, promises, love and loss, and ultimately, a legacy of survival.

Ms. Schutte comments, “When I write, I visualize the characters and the scene—I become that person and describe what is happening, how they are feeling etc.—I paint a picture with my words.”

The Ticket is published by Langdon Street Press. For a personally signed copy, contact her web site at www.karenschutte.com, or you can email Karen at Intdskaren@aol.com. It is also available on Amazon.com.