Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Loyalty’s Pursuit by Shannon McNear

 

Allegiances divide, faith is tested, love endures. Story is set during the revolutionary war, told from the perspective of loyalists. Rob and his family are loyalists, and they own land in South Carolina, with rebels as neighbors. When the call to war came, he went as a sharpshooter for the British. Bess - who had come over from England - was a camp follower with her husband when he was killed. Rob asked her to marry him and their story begins. Very real, with so many conflicts, giving insight to the reality of war and what it takes to survive. They travel together as the war progresses. So many difficulties and feelings for each of them to handle, with times to try their faith. Loyalties to country, family, spouses are strengthened and tried - challenging what the right thing to do is and who to stand with and for. Hard to put down, has you turning the pages to see what they'll face next. Not a quick read, gives space to the conflicts and also shows how people from many countries fought for this country.

#LoyaltysPursuit #ShannonMcNear #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction #WildHeartBooks

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

About the Book

Book: Loyalty’s Pursuit

Author: Shannon McNear

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: October 13, 2026

 

She needs a husband to survive. Right now, a wife is the last thing he wants.

August 1780. After the Battle of Camden leaves British camp follower Bess Eaton widowed, expecting a child, and stranded in enemy territory, she faces two impossible choices: a return to an England that offers her nothing…or marriage to a stranger before the army marches on without her.

Backcountry loyalist Rob MacFarlane has already buried a wife and son and has no intention of marrying again at this moment. But he can’t ignore the vulnerable widow in his path. What begins as an act of duty quickly becomes something far more complicated when he offers Bess protection—and a name.

As war rages and the British cause begins to crumble, their fragile alliance is tested at every turn. Loyalties fracture. Faith is questioned. And the lines between enemy and neighbor blur. To survive, Rob must decide what allegiance truly costs—and Bess must choose whether she can trust not only the man she married…but the God she’s never fully known.

 

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author



Transplanted to the far north after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. She’s the author of twenty-one novels and novellas, not all of them in print, but her favorite roles are retired military wife, pastor’s wife, mom-of-many, mother-in-law, and grammie. When not cooking, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, hanging out with her grandbabies and basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

 

 

 

More from Shannon

I’m so honored to be part of yet another Celebrate Lit tour! This story especially is near and dear to my heart, because it was my very first long historical after writing fantasy for decades, the book I still had in process when I submitted the proposal for my first novella, Defending Truth, and the one which gave me the courage to try that story (and genre) to begin with.

The first draft of this story took five years to complete, in between other projects and real life. It was a hard sell to start with, I knew, being set within the Southern Campaign of the American Revolution but from the British and Loyalist viewpoint. Still, it eventually netted me both of my agents (Defending Truth’s RITA® nomination didn’t hurt there, either) while garnering interest from various editors—but didn’t actually sell until last summer. That means this story languished for more than 10 years—and then the Lord Himself practically dropped this contract in my lap.

The first story of how the concept came to me can be found here:

https://colonialquills.blogspot.com/2014/07/dispelling-colonial-myths-reenactor.html

It was on my heart from the beginning to portray the romance, such as it is, in a rather unconventional way—something closer to what I imagine real life must have been for such a situation. And I deliberately steered away from the usual flowery declarations of love between my main couple, while hoping to present them in such a way that the reader has no doubt by the end of the story that they do absolutely care for each other. My dear editor with Wild Heart Books helped me shape and refine the characters and story from what might have been a more straightforward historical fiction read into more of what a historical romance reader might expect. I hope those expectations are now met, but also that my readers also come away with a fresh appreciation for how our country came to be.

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Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Shannon 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.

https://gleam.io/AJy7n/loyaltys-pursuit-celebration-tour-giveaway


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Monday, September 7, 2026

Thawing The Frontiersman's Heart

Beauty and the beast? Jared was terribly scarred in the war and prefers to live in remote wilderness, even though he's from a prominent family. Roisin is trying to find her Dad who has wandered out into this area - during a blizzard. She stumbles on Jared's cabin and there their story begins. But oh, they're both Irish so you know it will be ok, and they'll melt your heart, and it will be an interesting and beloved story. Strong faith blends in beautifully. You can't go wrong with this author's work as she keeps you turning the pages and feeling involved with the characters. Wild Heart books will surely be favorites.

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.

#ThawingTheFrontiersmansHeart #AndreaByrd #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #ChristianWesterns #WildHeartBooks 

About the Book

Book: Thawing the Frontiersman’s Heart

Author: Andrea Byrd

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: August 25, 2026

A missing father. A deadly storm. And a stranger who may be more dangerous than the wilderness.

Kentucky Territory, 1785
Roisin Duncan has spent her life guarding secrets—her father’s failing mind, her own quiet eccentricities, and the fear that one misstep could see them both locked away like the aunt she lost. But when her father disappears into the wilderness caves he loves, Roisin has no choice but to venture beyond the safety of her carefully controlled world. Caught in a brutal snowstorm, she finds refuge at the cabin of Jared McFadin—a man as scarred on the outside as he is within.

Haunted by war, Jared has built a life of isolation on the edge of his family’s land, convinced he is more danger than protector. But when a desperate young woman arrives at his door, he cannot turn her away.

As they search the treacherous caverns and race against time to find Roisin’s father, the greater danger may not be the wilderness, but the fears that have kept them both imprisoned. To survive, Roisin and Jared must risk what they’ve guarded most—their trust, their hearts, and the fragile hope that love might be stronger than their weaknesses.

Perfect for fans of Lori Wick and Janette Oke.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Andrea Byrd is a small-town wife and mom from southern Kentucky who harbors a deep love of days gone by, expressed with pioneer skirts and a once-in-a-lifetime ride in an authentic biplane. She seeks to respect the past, giving voice to those that came before, while reminding readers that no aspect of their past defines them.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Andrea

Prior to becoming officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association in 1980, PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) went by many names including Combat Fatigue, Shell Shock, and Soldier’s Heart. However, none of these categorizations even came about until the Civil War.

When considering the horrors faced by the soldiers that fought for our freedom 250 years ago, though, there is no doubt that it would have had a lasting effect on the mental health of a great number of men. And yet, during the Revolutionary War, the only term used for any kind of anxiety or sleeplessness amongst soldiers was simply Nostalgia.

But we all know that PTSD is extensively complicated, rather than simple homesickness. Not only can it bring flashbacks and nightmares, but it can cause hypervigilance, insomnia, and considerably more. It affects a person’s thoughts, behavior, mood, and overall quality of life.

In this Wilderness Romance series, and particularly in Thawing the Frontiersman’s Heart, I strove to give readers a small glimpse of what this might have looked like for the Revolutionary War soldiers to which we owe so much.

I pray that it serves to bring awareness to the struggles that many men during the time likely faced in darkness, without recognition or support. And I hope that you enjoy both Jared and Roisin’s stories as they each strive to find freedom from the confines of their own minds.

Happy Reading!

Andrea Byrd

Blog Stops

Devoted Steps, September 1
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 2
Texas Book-aholic, September 3
For Him and My Family, September 4
Jeanette’s Thoughts, September 5
Devoted To Hope, September 6
Books You Can Feel Good About, September 7
lakesidelivingsite, September 8
Books, Books, & More Books, September 9 (Author Interview)
Avid Reader Nurse, September 9
Blossoms and Blessings, September 10
Holly’s Book Corner, September 11
Pause for Tales, September 12
Life on Chickadee Lane, September 13
Lyssa Loves Books, September 14
Cover Lover Book Review, September 14

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Andrea 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.

https://gleam.io/VzZoo/thawing-the-frontiersmans-heart-celebration-tour-giveaway


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Friday, July 31, 2026

The Traitor's Daughter: A Revolutionary War Novel of Love, Betrayal, and Redemption by Heather Frey Blanton

 

Set in Georgia towards the end of the Revolutionary War, when the British are in control. Elizabeth naively exposes her father to a man she thought loved her and he betrays her. After her father is hanged, she is made a servant in her own house and is taking care of her mother. Easily get caught up in the characters and be sure not to consume caffeine as your heart will beat steadily faster as the story in its complexity builds, you'll be holding your breath and turning pages to see what happens. Their world is full of secrets and important alliances that are not easily revealed, with a great deal of danger and importance in their lives. Incredible tension with strong lessons of faith. Fabulous read for lovers of historical stories. Hoping there's a next one!

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

#TheTraitorsDaughter #HeatherBlanton #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ChristianHistoricalFiction 

Synopsis:
★ She trusted the wrong man—and paid an unimaginable price. ★

When Elizabeth Eldridge falls in love with a charming British soldier, one innocent confession seals her father's fate. Branded the traitor's daughter, she loses everything: her family, her home, and her faith in love. Four years later, she lives as a servant in the very house the British stole from her, consumed by guilt and determined to reclaim the only piece of her past she has left.

Patriot spy Benjamin Holloway needs someone inside General Campbell's household, and Elizabeth is the perfect choice. But convincing the fiercely independent beauty to trust another man may be more dangerous than facing the enemy.

As war rages across the colonies, secrets, espionage, and sacrifice draw Elizabeth and Benjamin together. With freedom hanging in the balance, she must choose between clinging to the past—or risking her heart for a chance at redemption.

An emotional tale of faith, courage, romance, and second chances set against the unforgettable backdrop of the American Revolution.

Read this patriotic story today!

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Sunday, February 15, 2026

Texas Reclaimed by Author: Sherry Shindelar

 

Well I wasn't ready for this to end yet. Cora and Ben keep you glued to the story right to the end. Always hard to put it down, you want to know what will happen next. Real life struggles on her family's ranch, where Ben goes after the war and his recovery as a promise to her brother.  Many problems develop between them, and lots to get in their way. Lovely ending with a promise for more hiding there - I'm hoping.

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.

#TexasReclaimed #SherryShindelar #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #CelebrateLit #HistoricalChristianRomance #WildHeartBooks

 page-turner, Christian historical romance, ranch, newspaper, editor, addiction, war, mental recovery, physical recovery, loveable characters, family, social pressure, native american   


About the Book

Book: Texas Reclaimed

Author: Sherry Shindelar

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 3, 2026

Can love blossom between a woman haunted by her family’s past and a man haunted by the trauma of war?

Cora Scott is determined to hold onto her family’s Texas ranch and provide a stable home for her young half brother, Charlie, despite the mounting challenges of post-Civil War frontier life. But when a scheming creditor threatens to seize their land, she must accept help from Ben McKenzie, a former Yankee soldier sent by her late brother. Though Ben’s generosity and strength draw her, the man’s private struggle she stumbles upon—too reminiscent of her father’s alcoholism—makes her question whether she can trust her heart to him.

Ben McKenzie arrives in Texas intent on fulfilling his promise to his dying friend to protect Cora and Charlie. While using his inheritance to save their ranch, he battles not only the loss of their cattle but also his dependency on laudanum—a medicine that turned into a curse after his imprisonment at Andersonville. As his feelings for Cora deepen, he must choose between his promise to his father to take over their Philadelphia newspaper and his growing dream of a life with Cora in Texas.

When a Comanche warrior begins courting Cora and Ben’s responsibilities in Philadelphia threaten to tear them apart, they must decide if their love is strong enough to overcome their fears and forge a future together on the Texas frontier.

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. She is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-eight years. She has three grown children and three grandchildren.

 

 

 

More from Sherry

Texas Reclaimed is a story of victory, redemption, and the rebirth of trust. It is a story of courage and of freedom from the chains of the past and the chains of addiction. It is a story that honors the Civil War soldiers who survived their wounds, only to return home to fight another battle: dependency on the opioid-based medicines that had helped save their lives.

I first heard of laudanum when I watched the movie Amazing Grace about William Wilberforce’s eighteen-year battle to end the slave trade in Great Britain. Wilberforce played a pivotal role in ending the slave trade and eventually slavery itself in Britain by speaking, campaigning, and introducing bills into the British parliament. However, Wilberforce was also addicted to laudanum, a tincture of opium.

It wasn’t his intention to become dependent upon a drug. A doctor prescribed it to him when he was twenty-nine years old for ulcerative colitis and other health ailments. Laudanum was used to treat a number of health issues and ailments in the 18th and 19th centuries, and no one, including doctors, had much understanding about addiction and dependency. The word addiction didn’t even exist as we use it today. But the soul-deep struggle was very real for too many people, even a man of faith like Wilberforce.

Addiction is pernicious, and laudanum took its toll on Wilberforce. He suffered physically, mentally, and spiritually from its poisonous effects.

Years later, I learned that even some of the nineteenth-century authors that I admire, such as Louisa May Alcott and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, struggled with laudanum dependency, as well.

In the nineteenth century, doctors and the public viewed opium, in its various forms, as an essential medical tool. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were wounded in the American Civil War, and many more suffered from debilitating and potentially life-threatening illnesses. A Civil War medical manual, quoted in Dr. Jonathan Jones’s Opium Slavery, states that opiates were as “important to the surgeon as gunpowder to the ordinance [military weapons].”

My heart went out to Wilberforce, the tens of thousands of soldiers, and others enslaved to laudanum or other substances through no fault of their own. For many, once infected, it could be a lifelong battle, one that many did not win on their own.  But there were victories.

And I love to write about soul-deep struggles and victories.

My hero, Ben McKenzie, is a Federal Cavalry captain captured and imprisoned in the notorious Andersonville Prison Camp. He barely survives the harsh conditions of the camp. His best friend, Jeb Scott, does not. Ben makes a death bed promise to his friend that he will look after Jeb’s mother and sister who live in Texas.

Ben aims to keep that promise, but the medical treatment that he receives after his release from prison camp leaves him dependent upon laudanum. My story starts a year later. Ben determines to break the chains that are eating away at his self-respect. He throws away his bottle of medicine and heads to Texas to keep his promise.

I asked a friend of mine about his own deliverance from addiction. He had this to say, “It was a lifetime ago, my addiction was strong, but my pain was stronger. I’ve lost so much in my life, but then I found that God’s love was deep, and He was even bigger to forgive. Out of His mercy He set me free, and through His grace He healed me from my past.”-Rev. Mark Little Elk

That is my prayer for all of those who struggle. And I look forward to sharing Ben McKenzie’s story with you in Texas Reclaimed.

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Sherry 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.

https://gleam.io/mEe2g/texas-reclaimed-celebration-tour-giveaway


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Sunday, January 25, 2026

Scars of the Revolution (Harbor of Spies Book 3) by Megan Soja

 

Isaac and Libby have known each other and have been friends for years; he was a good friend of her father's. Boston (and all America) was under British control and rule. Isaac is a soldier for the British army. After the Boston Tea Party, things changed and lines were forming. Each side had their own strong point of view, so it was difficult to live there, especially as the war escalated. Libby is close to family and friends whom she doesn't realize are spies for the Patriots. Libby and Isaac are walking different paths while yet together, each with their own pain. It seems impossible for them to get together as events happen around them. Excellent portrayal of the hurts along divided lines and God's ability to bring them together and bring purpose to pain. 

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.

#ScarsOfTheResolution #MeganSoja #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #WildHeartBooks #ChristianHistoricalRomance #CelebrateLit

About the Book

Book: Scars of the Revolution

Author: Megan Soja

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: January 6, 2026

Some scars are born from duty, others from rebellion—theirs were carved by both.

Libby Caldwell has been in love with Isaac Harrison for years, ever since her late father befriended him. While her head knows there is no hope of sharing her life with a British soldier, her heart is much more difficult to convince, especially now that he is quartering in her home. With Boston under siege and battle looming, each day together forces her to recognize how deep her feelings truly are…and how forbidden.

Bound by duty to both his family and country, Isaac is determined to serve honorably in the King’s army, despite never wishing to be a soldier. But quartering with the widow and daughter of his old friend places another obligation on his shoulders—that of their well-being. The more time he spends with Miss Caldwell, the more that duty begins to feel like something personal, something he cannot allow.

As the siege of Boston tightens, Libby finds herself drawn into a dangerous game of espionage that could save the Patriot cause—and destroy any chance of a future with the man she’s growing to love.

Will betrayal and war keep their two worlds forever apart? Or will they look to the One whose love knows no bounds to bring them healing and a future?

 

Click here to get your copy!

 

About the Author

Megan Soja is a multi-award-winning author who writes stories with strong faith, rich history, and sweet romance. She lives in western NY with her husband and two daughters and loves having adventures, both big and small, with her family. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, and playing French Horn.

 

 

 

 

More from Megan

One of the things I love about reading and writing Christian fiction, is being able to see God’s truth woven into the story. Even though the characters and their experiences are fictional, the truth of who God is and how He loves us is very real.

In Scars of the Revolution, my heroine, Libby Caldwell, wrestles with understanding God’s goodness in the face of loss and hardship. Libby is grieving the death of her beloved father, while also facing the siege of her hometown and the worsening fight between the Patriot colonists and the British Army stationed in Boston. Her growing love for one of the British officers further complicates matters, and makes it hard for her to discern what God is doing in her life.

Her questions and struggles reflect much of my own faith journey. When my husband and I lost our first baby just after birth, I spent months trying to reconcile what I thought I knew of God with the tragic loss we had experienced. I wasn’t angry at God, but I was utterly confused as to how to understand His goodness in the midst of something that felt anything but good.

It wasn’t easy, but when I look back now, I see how God led me through my grief into a deeper understand of His character and a stronger reliance upon Him. I can truthfully say, as Libby’s mother does in Scars of the Revolution, that it was “in the hardest times, when God has seemed utterly incomprehensible, that my faith has grown the most.”

If you have ever walked through a painful experience that made you struggle to understand God’s purpose or even doubt His love, I hope that Libby’s journey will inspire your own faith. Or maybe your experience is more like that of my hero, Isaac Harrison, whose life has revolved around duty for so long, that it is hard for him to comprehend a God who freely gives His love and forgiveness, even when we don’t deserve or cannot earn it. I won’t give any spoilers as to how Isaac’s understanding grows and changes, but I hope you’ll be encouraged when you read it.

Libby and Isaac’s story is one of love against all odds, set against the backdrop of the Battle of Bunker Hill and a complex web of espionage. But it is also a story of faith in the God who is able to turn our scars into something beautiful. I pray you will find that truth in the pages of Scars of the Revolution.

Blog Stops

Giveaway



To celebrate her tour, Megan 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.

https://gleam.io/nSWnS/scars-of-the-revolution-celebration-tour-giveaway


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Wednesday, December 3, 2025

The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz

 

The call for liberty creates a divide between family and country, desire and duty, love and loyalty.

1777 New Jersey, caught in the American Revolution.
Laura captures both sides, the Loyalist and the Patriot within one family, as well as one who was fighting the war and one who was left at home. Raw emotion, secrets, love and faith. Beautifully told and so very hard to put down. Make extra time for this one.  George Washington and his troops went from near defeat to victory against the world’s foremost fighting force at the time. Patriots were considered traitors, until they won the war - then certain loyalists who fought or spied were considered traitors. So many lives were lost in this fight. Our country wouldn't be what it is, and we wouldn't be free without their commitment. Informative, realistic, honest, heartbreaking and romantic.

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

#TheBelleofChatham #NetGalley #LauraFrantz #ChristianHistoricalFiction #Revell #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout

On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Laura Frantz offers a stirring friends-to-lovers historical romance of divided loyalties, patriotism, sacrifice, sisterhood, and love set during the American Revolution.

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Thursday, September 25, 2025

A Love Not Forgotten: A Second Chance at Romance by Linda Shenton Matchett

 

Nice story taking place after WW2 was over. Chaz is thought to be dead in the war but actually has amnesia. Someone recognizes him and he is reunited with his family and the love of his life - but he can't remember them. Well written story about how they all deal with that, with strong lessons of faith. 

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

#ALoveNotForgotten #LindaShentonMatchett #BooksYouCanFeelGoodAbout #ShortwavePress #ReligiousHistoricalFiction

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