Showing posts with label abuse. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Pretending to be the Mountain Man's Wife (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch Book 6) by Misty M. Beller

Always a pleasure to read about the Sapphire Ranch family and fall in love with the characters. This is Gil's story as he searches for his brother and the sapphires that were stolen from their family. He and Jess are both praying and happen to run into each other - and each of them can help the other exactly as they need. Danger awaits around every corner where her father is involved which keeps you on edge. Another faithful and satisfying read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#PretendingToBeTheMountainMansWife #MistyMBeller #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #MistyMBellerBooksInc

About the Book

Book: Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife (Brothers of Sapphire Ranch Book 6)

Author: Misty M. Beller

Genre:Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 19, 2024

In the wild mountains of the Montana Territory, the Coulter ranch is a place of family, second chances…and a hidden fortune.

Determined to find his missing brother and catch the elusive mastermind behind the theft of his family’s precious sapphires, Gil Coulter embarks on a solo mission to the remote town where the criminal is rumored to reside. As Gil scours the surrounding wilderness for the thief’s hidden lair, he crosses paths with a captivating young woman who harbors secrets of her own.

Jess McPharland has spent her life hidden in the mountains, doing her best to stay separate from her family’s business. Yet the secret she’s just discovered will change her life forever. She offers a silent prayer, pleading for a man to help her conceal the truth she’s only just discovered. As if in answer, Gil Coulter rides through the trees, seeking the very criminal Jess calls Father. Now she must find a way to ask this stranger for the ultimate favor—to pose as her husband and shield her from the consequences of a change she won’t be able to hide much longer.

As Gil and Jess navigate the treacherous landscape and the greater danger from her father and his cronies, they find themselves caught in a web of danger, deception, and unexpected attraction. With each passing moment, the stakes grow higher, and the line between pretense and truth blurs. Will the love growing between them be enough to protect Jess’s secret and lead them to the justice Gil seeks, or will the truth shatter everything they’ve risked their lives to build?

From a USA Today bestselling author comes a mountain saga filled with high-stakes adventure, a pretend marriage, a secret baby, and love that heals wounded hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Misty M. Beller is a USA Today bestselling author with over 1 million books old. She writes romantic mountain stories, set on the 1800s frontier and woven with the truth of God’s love.

Raised on a farm and surrounded by family, Misty developed her love for horses, history, and adventure. These days, her husband and children provide fresh adventure every day, keeping her both grounded and crazy.

Misty’s passion is to create inspiring Christian fiction infused with the grandeur of the mountains, writing historical romance that displays God’s abundant love through the twists and turns in the lives of her characters.

Sharing her stories with readers is a dream come true for Misty. She writes from her country home in South Carolina and escapes to the mountains any chance she gets.

More from Misty

In Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife, the heroine and her father live in a cave which is part of an intricate catacomb hidden inside Montana mountain.

I LOVED researching cave systems, especially those in Montana, and I was amazed at how many extensive tunnels and caverns have been discovered!

One of the most well-known is Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, located between Butte and Bozeman. This spectacular limestone cave system features a series of caverns adorned with incredible rock formations. These days, visitors can take guided tours to marvel at the intricate stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and helictites that have formed over thousands of years. The cave is also home to several species of bats.

Another notable cave system is the Bighorn Caverns, situated in the Pryor Mountains south of Billings. This complex network of caves extends for over 14 miles, making it one of the most significant cave systems in the state. Experienced cavers can explore winding passages, underground streams, and vast chambers with unique mineral formations.

The Bighorn Caverns are very similar to how I imagine the cave system was that Jess lived in. As amazing as the tunnels are to explore, I’m not sure I’d want to live in such darkness. What about you?

I pray you enjoy Gil and Jess’s story in Pretending to be the Mountain Man’s Wife! J

Blessings!

Misty

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 22
Melissa’s Bookshelf, November 22
Pause for Tales, November 23
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 23
Texas Book-aholic, November 24
Blossoms and Blessings, November 24
Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 25 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
lakesdielivingsite, November 26
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 27
For Him and My Family, November 27
Devoted To Hope, November 28
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 29
Jeanette’s Thoughts, November 29
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 30
Book Looks by Lisa, December 1
Holly’s Book Corner, December 1
Betti Mace, December 2
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, December 3
Cover Lover Book Review, December 3
Books You Can Feel Good About, December 4
Life on Chickadee Lane, December 5
Mary Hake, December 5

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Misty is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54105

My reviews

ChristianBook

Thursday, November 21, 2024

Into The Sunset by Mary Connealy

Can you believe a woman could be declared insane by her husband back in 1873? So you can understand the depth of this story when Ginny, who escaped from and insane asylum and went into hiding needs to be declared sane now so that she can live her life and keep her husband from putting her back there. She has a bigger family and friends that accompany her - into danger. Suspense heightens the story, as well as love and companionship, and the support of others who encourage each other to be all that they can be and live their best life and grow in God's grace. Multiple characters are struggling with their own issues, but they help each other through it. Excellent read, masterfully woven.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#IntoTheSunset #MaryConnealy #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction #BethanyHousePublishers

About the Book

Book: Into the Sunset (A Western Light Book Three)

Author: Mary Connealy

Genre: Historical Romance

Release date: October 15, 2024

Will the sun set on their chance at happiness before they can seize it?

To finally escape the clutches of her controlling husband and the threat of being recommitted to an asylum, Ginny Rutledge enlists the help of her friends, Maeve O’Toole and Dakota Harlan. Fleeing their own tumultuous pasts, the group embarks on a journey to prove Ginny’s sanity. However, as they confront the shadows they wish they could forget, danger looms from unexpected places.

Maeve grapples with her mother’s impending remarriage and seizes a rare chance to escape her homestead–but that means reuniting with Dakota, the man she holds responsible for her father’s death, who is caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful family. As the two of them navigate their shared history and a dangerous mission, Dakota is forced to confront his deepest fears and fight for the woman who has unwittingly captured his heart.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Mary Connealy writes “romantic comedies with cowboys” and is celebrated for her fun, zany, action-packed style. She has sold more than 1.5 million books and is the author of the popular series Wyoming Sunrise and The Lumber Baron’s Daughters and many other books. Mary lives on a ranch in eastern Nebraska with her very own romantic cowboy hero.

More from Mary

Into the Sunset is the third book in A Western Light series, and I always love the wrap up of a series. In this book I’ve got a deliciously evil villain, and I’ve worked that villain in and out of the characters lives at the end of each of the first two books, but he keeps coming back. This time, he really gets what’s coming to him. Anyway, it’s not a shocking thing to say: the bad guy loses. I’ll bet most readers of my work knew that was coming. It’s the HOW that makes it fun.

My heroine is one I really enjoyed: Maeve O’Toole—a red-headed, sassy Irish lass with a mild brogue. And my hero, Dakota Harlan, has interested her from the first moment she laid eyes on him. Except that moment was several years ago, and she blamed him for her father’s death on the wagon train Dakota was leading. Then life separated them as he went on to Oregon and her family turned aside to homestead in Idaho. Now Dakota is back in Maeve’s life again. She’s had a chance to see that her anger with Dakota was unfair and has discovered that Dakota has always admired her. He’d probably scoop her up and marry her, if it wasn’t for the men trying to kill him. He doesn’t have much room for a wife in the life he’s living now.

In this story, I bring back all the characters from the earlier two books. The villain who’s been harassing them all along reappears, and the men hunting Dakota show up, too. Ginny must go to court to break the hold her evil husband has over her, declaring her insane and locking her away. She’s been hiding ever since. But now she’s ready to face him in court, but a conniving, wealthy man like her husband never plays fair.

Into the Sunset is packed with love and action, adventure and danger. All play out against the hectic railroad town of Cheyenne, Wyoming a few years after Wyoming becomes the first state to give women the right to vote. And there are some tough, smart women ready to stand between Ginny and a cruel husband. And plenty of tough smart cowboys, too. I hope you love this story!

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 9
Book Looks by Lisa, November 10
Devoted To Hope, November 10
lakesidelivingsite, November 11
Texas Book-aholic, November 12
For Him and My Family, November 12
Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 13 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 14
Jeanette’s Thought , November 14
Betti Mace, November 15
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 16
Holly’s Book Corner, November 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 17
Stories By Gina, November 18 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, November 18
She Lives To Read, November 19
Cover Lover Book Review, November 20
Labor Not in Vain, November 20
Books You Can Feel Good About, November 21
Connie’s History Classroom, November 22
Jodie Wolfe – Stories Where Hope and Quirky Meet, November 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Mary is giving away the grand prize of a $20 Amazon gift card and a full paperback set of the A Western Light series by Mary Connealy: Chasing the Horizon, Toward the Dawn, and Into the Sunset!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5491

My reviews

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

A Calculated Betrothal

After a decade of abusiveness, Tabitha is able to reinvent herself. Tabitha enabled her sister to be married to her true love when she married a man her father wanted her to. After being a spoiled, manipulative debutant, she didn't realize what she would have to go through. It's a shock as things her husband had done before he died are revealed, and she's put into another trap. The changes in her are dramatic as she adjusts and learns to be a frontier woman. Very interesting story with her being caught up in fighting between Loyalists and Patriots, at times trying to walk both sides. She receives help from an unexpected Patriot soldier, which deeply weaves through the story. Good longish read keeps you involved as its very well written.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ACalculatedBetrothal #DeniseWeimer #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: A Calculated Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release date: November 12, 2024

A Patriot scout, a Loyalist widow, and a desperate fight to save what matters most.

The death of her titled husband means that not only is Tabitha Gage no longer a lady—but she’s also abandoned on an isolated Southern Georgia plantation on the eve of revolution. With the fine house and fields sold to a neighbor, she’s left with a log cabin on unsettled timber land. Rather than marry the neighbor’s son, Tabitha determines to make her own way—and never again be shackled to a man she doesn’t love.

Sergeant Edmond Lassiter is one assignment away from promotion when he comes to the aid of a red-haired beauty fending off cattle rustlers. Thrown together during an attack at a nearby fort, the Patriot scout and Loyalist widow are surprised by the values they share—including honesty, loyalty, and equality. When Edmond learns the same man who ruined his family is after what little Tabitha has left, he convinces her they should work together to make her land profitable—all while fighting off the British from East Florida and her greedy neighbor, who sabotages their every effort to succeed. Their work together will be a business arrangement…nothing more. But as a British invasion threatens, the truth soon becomes clear—continuing the connection between them will risk far more than their hearts.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored around twenty traditionally published novels and novellas–historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. The mother of two wonderful young adult daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

There were only going to be four books in my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier Series. But have you ever had a character take over a story? That’s what happened for books four and five.

Temperance Scott, the shy but principled heroine of A Conflicted Betrothal who started her own Daughter of Liberty group during Savannah’s 1765 Stamp Act Protests, had a feisty twin sister named Tabitha. Tabitha kept marching all over the page in her bright silk gowns, making Temperance feel pale by comparison, jockeying to maintain her position as Daddy’s favorite, and plotting to steal Temperance’s beau. When that failed, she stole the end of the novel instead, saving her sister from authorities tracking down the spy who wrote the Townsman Letters that accused prominent Loyalists of supporting the Stamp Act. Then she wed her father’s choice for her, the much older Henry Gage, Lord Riley, and sailed away on his sloop to avoid punishment. As the book closed, Temperance got to marry her Royal Ranger-turned-Patriot, Ansel Adams, while Tabitha was left to an unknown fate in swampy South Georgia. I kept wondering whatever became of the Savannah belle down there with the snakes and gators.

When I learned that Fort Barrington on the Altamaha River changed hands several times during the American Revolution, becoming Fort Howe while under Patriot control, I had to write book five, A Calculated Betrothal. Fast forward ten years, and Tabitha is newly a widow. The intervening years have not been kind, as her husband marginalized her when it became clear she would not provide him with the heir he desired. Their finances have dwindled as he continually sent money to his wastrel brother-in-law in England. Upon his death, she discovers the fine rice plantation has been sold to their greedy neighbors, Loyalist father and son Hugh and Julian Jackson. Julian has an alternate plan in mind, but Tabitha has no intention of yoking herself to another man she doesn’t love—particularly a cruel slave owner and womanizer. She takes her maid-slash-best-friend Dulcie and flees to the cabin Dulcie’s husband occupies on the south side of the river. This land, at least, is still hers…even though it offers only undeveloped timberland and swampland, free range for the Spanish cattle Dulcie’s husband herds.

But there’s an enemy more dangerous than the snakes and gators, and maybe even than the Jacksons…the British-allied East Florida Rangers that raid into South Georgia—burning, stealing, and rustling cattle. A confrontation with their vengeful colonel puts Tabitha at the top of their list. With enemies all around, how will Tabitha establish her independence? Enter Fort Howe’s Sergeant Edmond Lassiter, a man determined to settle his own score with the Jacksons. He offers the help Tabitha needs, but with their hidden wounds and differing backgrounds, can they learn to trust each other enough to defeat their common enemies?

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 15
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 16
Pause for Tales, November 16
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 17
lakesidelivingsite, November 18
Allyson Jamison, November 18
Books You Can Feel Good About, November 19
Texas Book-aholic, November 20
Connie’s History Classroom, November 21
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 22
Simple Harvest Reads, November 23 (Guest Review from Donna)
Cover Lover Book Review, November 24
Book Looks by Lisa, November 25
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 26
For Him and My Family, November 27
Holly’s Book Corner, November 28
Blossoms and Blessings, November 28

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Denise is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5498

My reviews

Thursday, May 23, 2024

Shoot at the Sunset (Chaparral Hearts Book 5) by Kathleen Denly

"Why couldn’t he be the cold-hearted, arrogant loner his profession suggested? It would’ve made keeping the walls around her heart so much easier."

Continuing the series at the desert ranch with Lucy and Preston. Realistic characters who have had tragedy, abuse, fear and abandonment in their lives. They learn that God is the answer and brings miracles and growth, and that none of them can do it all alone. Interesting lives and backgrounds including a wild west show and danger at the family ranch where they're used to attacks. Entertaining read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ShootAtTheSunset #KathleenDenly #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalFiction

About the Book

Book: Shoot at the Sunset

Author: Kathleen Denly

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: April 9, 2024

Will love survive when truth takes aim at their secrets?

Sharpshooter Preston Baker has spent a lifetime confronting danger head-on. So when a heartfelt letter arrives from his big sister asking for help, he doesn’t hesitate to put his traveling show career on hold and journey to her remote desert ranch, determined to make amends for past failures. What he doesn’t expect is to discover his long-lost little sister and her best friend, Lucy, are both hard at work on the ranch.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Lucy Arlidge’s decision to travel to a remote desert ranch was born as much from desperation as friendship. Fleeing San Francisco may have saved Lucy’s life, but the decision left others in danger. To thwart the evil plans of those who pursue her and her family, Lucy must keep her new gem-mining operation concealed and her secrets safe.

Preston is drawn to the mysterious woman, despite her plans to marry the neighboring rancher. Lucy’s quiet strength and undeniable beauty beckon him like a campfire in the wilderness, offering light amidst the dark memories and deepest fears resurrected by the presence of his sisters. But as danger closes in, Preston and Lucy must confront their pasts to save not only their own futures, but the lives of everyone they love.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathleen Denly lives in sunny California with her loving husband, four young children, two dogs, and ten cats. As a member of the adoption and foster community, children in need are a cause dear to her heart and she finds they make frequent appearances in her stories. When she isn’t writing, researching, or caring for children, Kathleen spends her time reading, visiting historical sites, hiking, and crafting.

More from Kathleen

One of the primary themes of Shoot at the Sunset is secrets and the fears that sometimes drive us to keep them. Did I mention there’s even a secret signal used in the book? So today I thought it would be fun to play with a secret code. Using the key provided below, see if you can reveal the hidden message.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, May 11
For Him and My Family, May 11
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 12
Texas Book-aholic, May 13
The Lofty Pages, May 13
Lakesidelivingsite, May 14
Locks, Hooks and Books, May 15
Blossoms and Blessings, May 15
Alena Mentink, May 16
Devoted To Hope, May 17
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, May 17
Karen Baney Reviews, May 18
Melissa’s Bookshelf, May 18
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, May 19
Connie’s History Classroom, May 19
Bizwings Book Blog, May 20
Book Looks by Lisa, May 21
Holly’s Book Corner, May 21
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, May 22
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, May 23 (Author Interview)
Books You Can Feel Good About, May 23
Pause for Tales, May 24
Cover Lover Book Review, May 24

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2b594/shoot-at-the-sunset-celebration-tour-giveaway

My reviews

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor

"Life has taught me a lot, some I wanted some I didn't."

Wow. We just had the chance to watch an advance copy of I Will Survive - a new movie about Gloria Gaynor. Very inspiring and touching, especially for anyone who has experienced abandonment or abuse. The story, and of course the music is fabulous. Gloria has lived an amazing life with an amazing gift from God, and she's finally able to sing what she wants which is gospel music. Her album "Testimony" is fabulous.

She partnered with GRAMMY-winning producer Chris Stevens (TobyMac, Mandisa) to create a roots gospel collection that relies on Gaynor's songwriting, a couple of hymns and a stunning interpretation of Dylan's "Man of Peace." Special guests include Yolanda Adams, Jason Crabb, Mike Farris and Bart Millard, as well as a "who's who" of studio musicians. A gospel album has always been part of Gaynor's vision, and Testimony proves to be worth the wait.

Release Date: 2/13

Trailer link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCvHkWCRWLo

#iwillsurvivemin #booksyoucanfeelgoodabout #ChristianMovies

GLORIA GAYNOR I WILL SURVIVE

Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive is the story of a Disco legend who, for five decades, has inspired millions with her words I WILL SURVIVE, but only understood the lyrics when she hit rock bottom at age 65 - the film is about reinvention, the power of faith and a woman's magnificent second act. Gloria Gaynor has wielded her inner drive and undeniable musical talent to change the course of her life. Having surmounted abuse, paralysis, her sister’s murder, a 35-year troubled marriage and a cleaned-out bank account, she never lost her faith, vision, and momentum. At 71, Gloria embarks on her lifelong dream to write and record a solo Gospel album. As Gloria gets deeper into the process, she realizes that switching music genres is no easy feat and unexpectedly has to self-fund her very personal album TESTIMONY. When US Gospel stars Yolanda Adams, Jason Crabb and Bart Millard join her on the recording, the tides turn. After a five-year struggle to get the album finished and released, Gloria wins the 2020 GRAMMY for Best Gospel Album - 40 years after Gloria won Best Disco Track for “I Will Survive”.

Gloria: I Will Survive blends Gloria’s present-day journey with the artist’s personal collection of archival photos and footage to help track the pivotal moments of Gaynor’s life, including never-before-seen super 8 mm movies of Gloria on the road from 1972-1976 during the early days of disco. Through 8 years of filming we capture a story of reinvention, inner drive and a magnificent second act made possible by Gloria’s private philosophies and life lessons.

“I am finally at a place of joy and self-fulfillment, and I am ready to share my secret to not only “surviving but thriving” with the world” – Gloria Gaynor

Monday, September 11, 2023

A Counterfeit Betrothal by Denise Weimer - Scouts of the Georgia Frontier Book 1

1813 Georgia. Esther was born with a club foot and had a limp. She was verbally and physically abused by her father, then later her husband. After she was made a widow, Jared came to her rescue and changed her life when she went back to his family's homestead to help his sister-in-law. Verbal abuse can be even more long lasting. It takes a long time to build confidence and trust. This is a precious story of frontier life and living off the land. Esther was taught healing plants and ways by an Indian woman. Secrets are uncovered. Esther - a healer that needs healing. It's a good long story told in stages; quite intricate, faith filled and healing, satisfying. Wonderful read.

I received this book free from the author, publisher and CelebrateLit book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

#ACounterfeitBetrothal #DeniseWeimer #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #FiveStarNovel #CelebrateLit #ChristianHistoricalRomance #WildHeartBooks

About the Book

Book: A Counterfeit Betrothal

Author: Denise Weimer

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: September 6, 2023

A frontier scout, a healing widow, and a desperate fight for peace.

At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory in 1813, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.

Freed from a cruel marriage, Esther Andrews agrees to winter at the Lockridge homestead to help Jared’s pregnant sister-in-law. Lame in one foot, Esther has always known she is secondhand goods, but the gentle carpenter-turned-scout draws her heart with as much skill as he creates furniture from wood. His family’s love offers hope even as violence erupts along the frontier—and Jared’s investigation into local incidents brings danger to their doorstep. Yet how could Esther ever hope a loyal man like Jared would choose her over a fine lady?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

North Georgia native Denise Weimer has authored over a dozen traditionally published novels and a number of novellas—historical and contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and time slip. As a freelance editor and Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books, she’s helped other authors reach their publishing dreams. A wife and mother of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

More from Denise

Romance on the Colonial Georgia Frontier

Near my home north of Atlanta, we have plenty of history, which is great for a lifelong history buff like me. But apart from some Colonial-era settlement in Savannah and Augusta, most of it (at least, the recorded part) doesn’t trace back much before the Civil War. Many town and river names hint of the native people and earlier times.

Imagine my surprise when I learned that a War of 1812 fort existed in what is currently Gwinnett County—then Jackson County—less than forty miles northeast of current downtown Atlanta. That evidence of this fort was plowed up in someone’s back yard in 2009 made it even more intriguing. And the fact that I grew up in Jackson County and later briefly lived and worked in Gwinnett (as a historical interpreter, of all things) made my connection to Fort Daniel a close one. The location is now an archeological site with a small museum maintained by the Fort Daniel Foundation.

Most folks, even those who live around here, aren’t aware that the Creek War (or Red Stick War) fought in modern-day Alabama was part of the War of 1812. Or that the Cherokees fought alongside the Americans against the Creeks, allied to the British. The military side of that story is explored in my earlier novel, Bent Tree Bride. But when I learned about Fort Daniel, a home front romance, A Counterfeit Betrothal, book one in my Scouts of the Georgia Frontier Series, was born.

1813

At the farthest Georgia outpost this side of hostile Creek Territory, Jared Lockridge serves his country as a scout to redeem his father’s botched heritage. If he can help secure the peace against Indians allied to the British, he can bring his betrothed to the home he’s building and open his cabinetry shop. Then he comes across a burning cabin and a traumatized woman just widowed by a fatal shot.

Esther seems to have everything against her—a physical handicap, an abusive past, and then being stranded on the frontier without money, friends, or relatives. Not to mention, the assailant who killed her husband still appears to be stalking her. Her only skill? The herbal remedies learned from a Cherokee woman. The harshest winter in Georgia history closes in, threatening to extinguish all hope. Yet through the example of the loving Lockridge family who take Esther in, she finds her identity and strength in God’s love…and eventually, the love of a good man.

In writing this story, I drew on real history and folklore as related in History of Gwinnett County Georgia 1818-1943 Vol. I by J.C. Flanigan and The Early History of Jackson County Georgia: The Writings of the Late G.J.N. Wilson. The panther attack Esther and Tabitha Lockridge face during the hard winter is based on an 1830s account of a Missouri settler. And the Wog? This strange creature of legend is not only mentioned in the History of Jackson County, but I grew up hearing tales about it as late as the 1980s.

A Counterfeit Betrothal is a story of how healing and redemption can happen among the harshest circumstances. But it’s not just a survival tale. Its sweet romance and loyal friendship will take you back to bayberry candles and syllabub at Christmas, the scratch of a fiddle at a spring log rolling, and the laughter of loved ones gathered around a crackling fire. I hope you enjoy the journey!