My short description of LED TO THE SLAUGHTER.

A description of Led to the Slaughter.

It's a historical novel.  I've tried my best to stick to the historical facts.  I've had to adjust a few timelines slightly, maybe move the geography just a little bit, but mostly it's how it really happened.

The werewolves aren't treated as a gimmicks. I treat them as natural creatures.  They manipulate the Donner Party into taking "short-cuts" which leads them to being trapped in the mountains.  But it's the worst winter ever and the werewolves end up being as trapped as the humans.

My protagonist is a 15 year old girl named Virginia Reed, who is an indomitable and resourceful character, as well other other heroes of the journey, and I tell it from the viewpoint of 'journals.'

(I found the "actual" journals and diaries.)

The Donner Party is an absolutely fascinating survival story in its own right.  I didn't want to take away from the human tragedy of it.  I tried to retain that, while adding the element of the werewolves as a further threat.

I want the reader to come away with the feeling that they've experienced the real events without ever feeling like it is unbelievable.  Even with werewolves.

It's supposed to be an entertaining and fast read, but I also wanted to dig deeper into the human spirit that emerged from the tragic events.