Release Day: A Family for Hazel

 Release Day: A Family for Hazel

I'm thrilled to announce the release of A Family for Hazel, Book 18 in the "Brides of Pelican Rapids" series. We're back in Green Bay, Wisconsin where you met Miles Andersen and Vanessa Randolph from Vanessa's Replacement Valentine. As usual, I had a great time doing the research for the story and delved deeper into the Norwegian roots of the area with Olav Kristensen and his daughter.  You'll see some well-known characters and meet some new ones.

The book is available at the special launch price of $0.99 but only for a limited time, so grab your copy today!

Here's a bit about A Family for Hazel:

Can a widowed preacher who must marry to keep his job and an alleged thief find true love? 

After the Civil War takes Hazel Markham’s father, and her mother dies of a broken heart, a friend of her parents hires Hazel as a companion. All is well until the woman’s lecherous son takes an interest in his mother’s assistant. When Hazel spurns his advances one too many times, the man frames her for theft, and she is fired. As a last resort she applies to be a mail-order bride, and to her dismay, her groom-to-be is a preacher. Will he believe her claims of innocence or reject her as unacceptable? 

Olav Kristensen has no plans to remarry after being widowed five years ago, but when the church elders give him an ultimatum to find a wife or lose his job, he advertises for a mail-order bride. The woman who arrives attests she was unjustly accused of robbery at her last job, but when his daughter’s heirloom locket goes missing, he is hesitant to believe his bride-to-be. Will he lose his church and a second chance at love?

Purchase Link: Amazon

Traveling Tuesday: Gunnison, Colorado

Traveling Tuesday: Gunnison, Colorado 

I’m working on my next manuscript, Ellie’s Escape, which takes place in Gunnison, Colorado, so I thought I’d take you on a virtual visit. 

 

Located about 175 miles west of Colorado Springs, Gunnison is part of west-central Colorado. Tucked between the San Juan Mountains and the Sawatch Mountain range, the town lies at 7,703 feet along the Gunnison River. Headquarters for the Gunnison National Forest, Gunnison originated as a silver mining camp and is named for Captain John William Gunnison, an Indian fighter and railroad surveyor who explored the area in 1853, who was killed in an ambush a short time later. I was fascinated to discover that Captain Gunnison was born and raised in New Hampshire, attending school about an hour from where I live. 

 

In the early 1800s, Gunnison was mostly filled with fur trappers and mountain men, but the bottom

dropped out of the fur industry in the 1840s. A decade later, gold seekers flooded the area bringing conflict between the Ute tribes who had called the area home for centuries. Silver would later also be discovered. By the 1870s, Gunnison saw heavy population growth because of the mining surge that occurred throughout the state. The railroad arrived in 1881, and Gunnison quickly developed into a trade center for mining and farming. Also in the 1880s, the cattle industry was established, the farmers had discovered that with less than a foot of annual rainfall and the short growing season, ranching and breeding were better choices. 

 

Brothers John and William Outcalt from New Jersey are two of Gunnison’s earliest (and most famous) settlers. Their ranch, family-owned for more than one hundred years, is located on the southeast bank of the Gunnison River. John built an irrigation system for the ranch and was able to grow hay and other grains. A savvy businessman, he managed to convince the railroad to build the rail through is property, allowing him to ship over 800 carloads of his hay each year. 

 

In 1911, Western State College was established ensuring continued growth for the area. During the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1918, Gunnison residents isolated themselves from the surrounding area, but the order was lifted in early 1919, resulting in the death of several inhabitants. 

 

Gunnison is located at the bottom of a valley, and because of its location in the Rocky Mountains, cold air settles into the town at night, making it one of the coldest places in winter in the United States. The average low in January is -8 degrees. Early fall and late spring snows are not uncommon, and snow can remain on the ground from as early as November to as late as April. The average annual snowfall is slightly more than four feet in town, but the surrounding area receives as many as 300-400 inches. 

According to one source I found, Tombstone’s famous marshal, Wyatt Earp, spent a “peaceable winter”

in Gunnison in 1882-1883, with his buddies Warren Earl, Doc Holliday, Texas George, and Big Tip, so I was tempted to set my story during that period, but ultimately decided I didn’t want these guys to overshadow my characters. Another source indicated that the Vidal Ranch was used as the setting for the 1902 silent film The Girls in the Overalls. 

 

Gunnison is also home to the Gunnision Tunnel, an engineering marvel that was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world when it was dedicated in 1909 by President William Howard Taft while he was on vacation. The 5.8 miles tunnel is cut through the cliffs of Black Canyon, taking water from the Gunnison River and funneling to the Uncompahgre Valley, a semiarid area to the west. 

 

The idea is thought to have come from one-time miner Frank Lauzon, and in 1900 a local rancher, John Pelton, set out with a party of four men to determine whether the tunnel was feasible. Their mission was a failure, resulting in the destruction of one of the boats, but the project continued to generate interest. The following year, a team from the U.S. Geological Survey set out with rubber air mattresses and waterproof bags. Nine days later they emerged from the gorge with photographs and locations of the best areas to dig. In 1901, Colorado appropriated $25,000 to start the tunnel, but only 900 feet were driven before the money ran out. Congress jumped in and passed the Reclamation Act of 1902, with the Federal Government handling construction and an association of landowners obligated to pay back the costs. 

 

Difficult and much larger than anticipated, the project involved seeping water, poisonous gasses, excessive temperatures, and a fractured fault zone that complicated the drilled. A cave-in took six lives, and an explosion twelve more. Fortunately, before the tunnel was completed, technological advances made the work safer and easier. The finished project greatly impacted the area. By 1923, the population had doubled, and by 1933 the number of irrigated acres rose to 64,180 (from 37,000 in 1913). Gunnison Tunnel is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

 __________________ 

About A Family for Hazel: 

Can a widowed preacher who must marry to keep his job and an alleged thief find true love? 

After the Civil War takes Hazel Markham’s father, and her mother dies of a broken heart, a friend of her parents hires Hazel as a companion. All is well until the woman’s lecherous son takes an interest in his mother’s assistant. When Hazel spurns his advances one too many times, the man frames her for theft, and she is fired. As a last resort she applies to be a mail-order bride, and to her dismay, her groom-to-be is a preacher. Will he believe her claims of innocence or reject her as unacceptable? 

 

Olav Kristensen has no plans to remarry after being widowed five years ago, but when the church elders give him an ultimatum to find a wife or lose his job, he advertises for a mail-order bride. The woman who arrives attests she was unjustly accused of robbery at her last job, but when his daughter’s heirloom locket goes missing, he is hesitant to believe his bride-to-be. Will he lose his church and a second chance at love?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3ng9GqO

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back Terri Wangard

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Back Terri Wangard

Linda: Congratulations on your upcoming release A Heart for the Sailor. What was your inspiration for this story? 

Terri: When I wrote Wheresoever They May Be, I learned about Typhoon Cobra. Three destroyers capsized and sank with great loss of life. The destroyer escort Tabberer heroically rescued many of the survivors. It made a great story. 

LM: You amplified a previous short story to create A Heart for the Sailor. What were some of the challenges involved with doing that? 

Terri: Every other chapter is new. Previously, Evelyn’s part came through only in her letters. Now she’s in “live time.” Jerry’s story takes place in December when her letters arrive. Her part is written when she wrote the letters, in late summer, early fall. Seems confusing, right? You read about Evelyn’s life and then jump ahead to see Jerry’s reaction to her news while he’s dealing with the typhoon. 

LM: Research is an important aspect of writing, especially historical fiction, and you obviously take it seriously, having flown in a WWII B-17 Bomber. Tell us about the research required for A Heart for a Sailor, and whether you found some particularly interesting tidbit you had to include. 

Terri: Evelyn is a Winnie the Welder, as opposed to a Rosie the Riveter. I had to learn about the

Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company and how submarines are built. A lot of incidents I read about found their way into the novella. 

LM: How do you choose your locations and characters? For example, do you determine the plot or event first, and then decide where to set the story or do you have a location in mind, and then wrap the plot around it? How do you name your characters? 

Terri: Most of my characters are from Wisconsin because I know Wisconsin. One character lived in Ohio because she volunteered at a train canteen, and I don’t think there were any in Wisconsin. In Wheresoever They May Be, the characters live in Southern California (where I lived for nine years) because Lily worked in an aircraft factory. Since my WWII series, Promise For Tomorrow, took place at the Ridgewell Air Base because I found a wealth of information about Ridgewell and it is one word, easy to pronounce. Many characters receive names plucked from my family tree. Others are names I like really like, because I’ll be living with them for a long time. 

LM: You’ve published seven books with more on the way! Who is your favorite character that you’re written thus far? 

Terri: When I edited my WWII books to independently release after getting the rights back, I read through them and thought, “Oh, I like this book.” If I can’t even choose a favorite book, I sure can’t choose a favorite character! 

LM: What is one thing you wish you knew how to do? 

Terri: Play a musical instrument. I did take two years of organ lessons. Now I wish I had persevered. 

LM: What advice do you have for fledgling writers? 

Terri: Lots of patience is required. And don’t expect agents and editors to be waiting with bated breath to represent your project. I started writing my debut novel in 2008. It was published in 2016. Eight years. That’s not unusual. 

LM: What is your next project? 

Terri: I’ve gone back to World War II. I have a series in mind with unexpected settings. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Terri: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

Newsletter: https://terriwangard.us12.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=0be495d35d59f06fddf9a4d31&id=5a59b910b7

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/terriwangard

Instagram: @terriwangard 

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

Website: http://www.terriwangard.com

About A Heart for the Sailor:

Working as a Winnie the Welder during World War II, Evelyn builds submarines. She’s good at her job, but men begrudge women taking jobs in heavy industry. She dreams of the day her sailor comes home and the life they’ll have, but does Jerry dream about her? When a typhoon threatens the US Fleet in the Pacific, Jerry and his shipmates aboard the Tabberer rush to the aid of their fellow sailors. The typhoon prompts a greater awareness of what he wants in life. First, though, they have to survive.

Fiction Friday: New Releases for October!

October 2021 New Releases More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website Contemporary Romance:
Home for Christmas by Cathe Swanson, et. al. -- The 6th annual Christmas Lights Collection features active duty and veteran military members. (Contemporary Romance from Havilah Press)

Riverbend Gap by Denise Hunter -- She came in search of the family she’d always wanted—and found the kind of love she’d never dared to imagine. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing)

Tacos for Two by Bestsy St. Amant -- Rory Perez, a food truck owner who can't cook, is struggling to keep the business she inherited from her aunt out of the red--and an upcoming contest during Modest's annual food truck festival seems the best way to do it. Then maybe Rory will have enough time to meet the man she's been talking to via an anonymous online dating site. Complications arise when Rory's chef gets mono and she realizes she has to cook after all. Then Jude discovers that his stiffest competition is the same woman he's been falling for online the past month. Will these unlikely chefs sacrifice it all for the sake of love? Or will there only ever be tacos for one? (Contemporary Romance from Revell)

The Billionaire’s Secret by Meghann Whistler -- He’s a billionaire hiding a devastating diagnosis. She’ll do whatever it takes to help her sick, matchmaking mom. A freak accident throws them together, but will his big secret tear them apart? Inspired by 2 Corinthians 12:9, The Billionaire’s Secret is a sweet inspirational romance with a swoony hero, LOTS of entertaining banter, and a strong Christian message. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Historical Mystery:

Murder at the Empire by Cathe Swanson -- They call him the Emperor. John Starek fills his theater with fine artwork and treasures. He’s particularly pleased to have one of the country’s first female organists – and he thinks Gayle Wells is the bee’s knees. Despite pressure from her social crusader mother, Gayle isn’t interested in changing the world. She just wants a car of her own – and a career playing the organ at the Empire movie palace would be especially ducky. Then the Empire’s treasures start disappearing and employees start dying. Are a few pieces of art really enough motive for the string of murders? Will Gayle be next? (Historical Mystery from CelebrateLit Publishing)
Historical Romance:

A Deep Divide by Kimberley Woodhouse -- After being kidnapped as a child, heiress Emma Grace McMurray has seen firsthand the devastation that greed causes in the world, and she wants nothing to do with it. When she discovers her father has offered her up as a bargaining chip to expand his empire, she disappears into the night. Determined to stay hidden, even if it means always looking over her shoulder, she finds herself working as a Harvey Girl at the El Tovar Hotel. When the son’s owner, Ray Watkins arrives at the hotel on business, he immediately admires Emma Grace, and though an attraction begins to form, she can't let go of the deep-rooted fear that he's just like every other wealthy man she's known. When suspicious activity follows Emma Grace and Ray to the El Tovar, they are pulled into a mystery that stirs up their worst fears. And as shocking revelations come to light, they are left to question all they thought to be true. (Historical Romance from Bethany House)

A Family for Hazel by Linda Shenton Matchett -- After the Civil War takes Hazel Markham’s father, and her mother dies of a broken heart, a friend of her parents hires Hazel as a companion. All is well until the woman’s lecherous son takes an interest in his mother’s assistant. When Hazel spurns his advances one too many times, the man frames her for theft, and she is fired. As a last resort she applies to be a mail-order bride, and to her dismay, her groom-to-be is a preacher. Will he believe her claims of innocence or reject her as unacceptable? (Historical Romance from Shortwave Press)

A Heart for the Sailor by Terri Wangard -- Working as a Winnie the Welder during World War II, Evelyn builds submarines. She’s good at her job, but men begrudge women taking jobs in heavy industry. She dreams of the day her sailor comes home and the life they’ll have, but does Jerry dream about her? When a typhoon threatens the US Fleet in the Pacific, Jerry and his shipmates aboard the Tabberer rush to the aid of their fellow sailors. The typhoon prompts a greater awareness of what he wants in life. First, though, they have to survive. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Christmas Tree Wars by Delores Topliff -- Kris Lundquist, am ambitious New York City financial planner, comes home to Wisconsin for two weeks to help his Swedish-American Christmas tree grower dad meet a financial crisis. While there, he gets re-acquainted with Marcie Halvorsen, the idealistic forestry-major niece of their cranky Norwegian neighbor who is also home to solve a financial shortfall. Both enter contests to provide national Christmas tree to build their businesses and sales. Despite their relationship seeming as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet’s, they fall in love and help their families and town rediscover the reason for the season. (Historical Romance from Scrivenings Press)

In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz -- Boston, 1793—Beautiful and artistic, the only daughter of a prominent merchant, Molly Chase cannot help but attract the notice of Federalist Boston—especially its men. But she carries a painful secret: her father committed suicide and she found his body. Now nightmares plague her day and night, addling her mind and rendering her senseless. Molly needs a home, a nurse, and time to grieve and to find new purpose in life. But when she moves in with her friends the Robbs, spiteful society gossips assume the worst. And when an imprudent decision leads to public scandal, Molly is tempted to take the easy way out: a marriage of convenience. In the wake of tragedy, these longtime friends discover a new intimacy. But slander, confusion, absence, and a wealthy, conniving bully stand between them. And with French spies on the loose, they not only have to rescue their reputations—they have to protect their lives. (Historical Romance from WhiteFire Publishing)

To Stand in the Breach by Author Name -- 1933, Wisconsin – Large animal veterinarian Katy Wells takes her patients’ welfare personally, so it’s no surprise when she stands up to angry farmers planning a milk strike or takes in an injured draft horse to save its life. But after a visitor from the past discovers her location and reveals a threat, she must choose between her work and her freedom, and whether to trust a man to keep her safe. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

The Wrangler’s Woman by Davalynn Spencer -- Corra Jameson doesn’t think of herself as a spinster and is content to spend quiet evenings with her books. Paper beaus, her sister calls them, teasing her about the stories Corra reads. But when a rugged widower asks her to come to his ranch for the summer to help him with his tomboy daughter, she sees opportunity to earn a side of beef for her sister’s family. Besides, she has nothing to lose in the arrangement. Except perhaps her heart. Re-released from the 2016 ECPA bestselling Barbour collection, The Cowboy’s Bride. (Historical Romance from Wilson Creek Publishing)

Romantic Suspense:

Deadly Connection by Kathy Harris -- After fending off a would-be abductor, 27-year-old singer-songwriter Hannah Cassidy hides behind a car in the half-empty parking lot behind Pancake Pantry in Nashville. From there, she watches in horror as her attacker grabs another woman and pushes her into a nearby car. Within seconds, the vehicle speeds away. TBI Special Agent Jake Matheson may have planned a quiet day off and a date with Shannon―the only name her online profile revealed―for an introductory lunch, but after pulling into a parking space on 21st Avenue South, he hears a scream. He races to the back of the building and finds a frightened young woman bent forward and gasping for breath. Thrown together by uncanny circumstances and driven by the whys and what-ifs of secrets yet to be revealed, Hannah and Jake set out to find the connection between them before it becomes deadly. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller from Iron Stream Fiction)

Traces of Virtue by Robin Patchen -- From her deathbed, Carly Garcia's mother asked Carly to look after left her stepfather and her sisters. Carly is doing everything in her power to keep that promise, but now she has a new life to protect, this one innocent and vulnerable. She visits her ex to tell him a truth he doesn't deserve to know... and witnesses his murder. Now, Carly's on the run from killers whose faces she never saw. Braden Reilly is building a career in Coventry, New Hampshire, happy to put the drama of his crime-ridden Boston neighborhood behind him. When a woman he's spent years trying to forget shows up on his doorstep, his first instinct is to turn her away. But the bruises on her arms and the fear in her eyes have him offering her sanctuary. The story she tells him makes his blood curdle. Together, they must discover who's behind a murder nobody believes occurred before the killers catch up to Carly and her unborn child. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller, Independently Published)

Yuletide Cold Case Cover-Up by Jessica R. Patch -- The mystery of her sister's death is about to reveal some deadly answers…When her sister’s remains are found just before Christmas, cold case agent Poppy Holliday is determined to solve the years-old murder—even if it turns the killer’s sights on her. But her investigation with her straitlaced partner, Rhett Wallace, is stirring up the town's old memories—and bitter grudges. And this killer will do anything to keep secrets buried. (Romantic Suspense/Thriller from Love Inspired/Harlequin)

Literary:
A Flicker of Light by Katie Powner -- For generations, the Jensens have raised their families in the small Montana town of Moose Creek, where gossip spreads faster than the wind. Yet some secrets need to be told. When twenty-one-year-old Bea discovers she's pregnant on the heels of her husband losing his job, she's forced to admit she needs help and asks her dad for a place to stay. But past resentments keep her from telling him all that's going on. Grandma June is good at spinning stories, but there's one she's never told. Now that her mind is starting to fade, her time to tell it is running out. But if she reveals the truth before her memories are gone forever, the Jensen family will never be the same. (Literary from Bethany House)

Speculative Fiction:
Book Title by Amanda G. Stevens -- Unable for the last century to grow old or succumb to injury, Cady Schuster has lost a lot of people, some more recently than others. She's trying to find new belonging in Harbor Vale, Michigan, among a welcoming little group of fellow ageless folk. Then she meets Paige, a mortal woman who needs a friend-and might need help.Paige's husband rules their church with an authority unquestioned by his congregation. When Paige suddenly severs all communication, Cady determines to find her. Churchgoers warn her off, and the behavior of Paige's husband proves a still bigger warning. Is this friend lost too, or can Cady help her? And how far should an ageless woman involve herself in the conflicts of mortals? (Speculative Fiction, Independently Published)

Western:
Love on the Range by Mary Connealy -- While his brothers and their new wives search for who shot him, Wyatt Hunt is temporarily bedridden and completely miserable. Somehow Molly Garner's limited skills have made her the most qualified in their circle to care for Wyatt. But by the time he's healed, she's fed up with him and the whole ungrateful family. For even worse than his grumpiness were the few unguarded moments when he pulled at her heartstrings, and she has been long determined to never repeat her mother's mistakes. But when another Pinkerton agent gets shot, they realize Hawkins isn't the only danger. The Hunt brothers will have to band together to face all the troubles of life and love that suddenly surround them. (Western from Bethany House)

Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:  

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sarah Hanks!

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome Sarah Hanks!

Linda: Welcome and thanks for joining me today. Congratulations the recent release of the second book in your Mercy Series, Mercy’s Song. What was the inspiration for the plot for this book, and did you set out to write a series? 

Sarah: The story fell into me when Ferguson erupted in flames. I lived 10 minutes away from the epicenter. What the news didn’t show was that a community of people from various churches gathered in a tent to worship amid the chaos. It was in that tent that I went up for an altar call for artists and creatives. I say the story fell into me because that’s exactly what it felt like. One minute, I had nothing—no story to write. The next, I had this blossoming idea. A big idea, a big story. Too big to fit into one novel. I wrote book one so that I could write book two. 

 

LM: The book is a contemporary/historical novel, commonly referred to as timeslip. Why did you decide to craft the story this way, and did you find it difficult to both combine and separate the stories? 

Sarah: To understand what’s going on present day, we have to look to the past. This generation’s racial tension didn’t happen in a vacuum. I found that I couldn’t give Natassa’s story justice without telling Mercy’s story. It was a challenge to line the two stories up in a way that would make sense to the reader, but the result was satisfying. 

LM: Research is an important part of writing, especially historic fiction. Your website includes an

interview you did with Michele Pyatt of Dance Again Ministries regarding prison that plays an integral part of your story. Was there any sort of “aha” tidbit you found that you knew needed to be included? 

Sarah: When I first met with Michele, I knew my character would be going to prison. It had to happen. The story told me so. There was no way around it. But I had in mind that he could go in, get out, and not be affected too much. I nearly cried when Michele shared what she knew about the prison system. 

I loved my character (still do), and putting him through that was almost too much to bear. There was no way he could come out of there unaltered. There was no way the experience wouldn’t profoundly impact him. I started going with Michele into the prison to do ministry, and there I met men who, though behind bars, were my brothers in Christ. The experiences they shared touched me, and at times, shocked me. They helped me write my character’s story, including all the little details. There wasn’t one tidbit, but the summation of the experience. 

 

LM: What is your writing process? (e.g., Do you come up with the plotline first? Characters? Do you outline the entire story before beginning or just sit down and start) 

Sarah: I’ve changed over the years. I used to be a pantser. I sat down and wrote, then moved things around later. Now I fully plot things out. I have most of the story figured out, my characters mapped, and the setting researched before I ever type a paragraph. I work on the plot and characters in tandem and create character and setting posters to hang in my writing area. By the time I start hammering out the story, my fingers are tingling. I want to get it all down and am bursting to start. I rarely suffer from writer’s block this way, but it takes a long time on the front end. 

LM: What one thing do you wish you knew how to do? 

Sarah: Rest! I’m learning and growing in this area, but my natural inclination is to go, go, go. My mind is always churning, and I keep picking up projects. I wish I was better at slowing down, putting the to-do list away, and relaxing. 

LM: What is one thing readers should know about you? 

Sarah: My other passion, besides writing, is equipping parents and teachers to train up children to bepowerful in the Kingdom. I’ve written three children’s books (I Can Color a Prayer, I Can Sing a Prayer, and I Can Dance a Prayer) and occasionally write articles on my other website http://www.equippingthechildren.com. 

LM: What is your next project? 

 

Sarah: Right now, I’m in the process of revamping my novel Drifting In and Out of Sleep for a second edition and writing a short story—part of the Mercy Series—for my website. I’m also planning a new timeslip novel that includes characters I’ve been getting to know for quite a while. I’m excited to explore their stories. And Mercy’s Legacy, book three of the Mercy Series, comes out this Winter. 

LM: Where can folks find you on the web? 

Sarah: My website is http://www.sarah-hanks.com. I’ve got a free eBook there for those who’d like to sample my work. You can also find me on Facebook and Instagram as @authorsarahhanks. 

About Mercy's Song: 

Natassa has settled into a "new normal" three years after the assault that changed her life. Marriage, family, and a new career have brought changes that she never thought were possible, and love like she'd never known before. But any semblance of peace shatters when a new development occurs in her case. Flooded with emotion she thought she'd long put to rest, Natassa must navigate strained relationships. Will she find the truth that can set her free? 

DeAndre returns to Crawford County after dropping out of art school and finds an opportunity for romance. His past continues to haunt him, even as he and his new love seek to piece the broken shards of their lives together. Soon, a shocking discovery sends DeAndre reeling and forces him to choose between the woman he loves and his integrity. Will he end up losing everything or can he cling to hope despite it all? 

 

In the 1840s, Mercy labors next to her mother in the rice fields and discovers a spark of affection growing between herself and Jonah, another slave. But Mama's health begins to fail, and the missus makes an announcement that will alter their lives forever. Will Mercy's plan to save them succeed? Or will they lose everything, including each other?

Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3A1mZzJ