Elaine Marie Cooper Author

Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

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Cover Reveal – “Road to Deer Run”

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Cover Reveal Day for Road to Deer Run is here at last! And soon, the newly edited text and the beautiful interior design will be available for readers to be swept up in this historical romance set in 1777. I cannot wait!

Book Launch Day will be December 10 but there will be plenty of opportunities before then to pre-order a copy for either Kindle or in paperback.  But keep December 10 on your calendar, as there will be lots of fun giveaways to celebrate this new version of Road to Deer Run. I’ll announce more details as the time draws near and I will set up an event page on Facebook.

Some say you can’t tell a book by its cover. While that may sometimes be correct, a book cover can reveal much about what is inside the story. What do you see in the facial expression of Mary Thomsen as she clutches a red coat in her arms? This new cover should give a hint at the intense story line of this historical romance. And since it is an inspirational romance, it is generally geared towards an adult audience rather than YA. There is nothing graphic in this book, but it is not intended for young children. It is, after all, a story set in the midst of the American Revolutionary War.

Road to Deer Run - Cover

I want to thank CrossRiver Media for breathing new life into the Deer Run Saga. The edits by Debra Butterfield and the new cover design allow readers of the earlier release to be in for a treat. It is basically the same story, but so much more.

 

The sequels will release in 2016: Promise of Deer Run in June and Legacy of Deer Run in December. I cannot wait to share these novels with you as well. It is a series close to my heart and I am grateful for its rebirth!

 

 

 

Cover Reveal in One Week: Road to Deer Run

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Sometimes dreams unfold slowly. Often the journey to fulfillment takes many winding and bumpy roads before the path emerges onto a smooth road. That’s when you look back and realize it was worth all the effort to get to the highway. That’s how I feel with the re-birth of the Deer Run Saga.

And in just one week, the brand new cover for Road to Deer Run will be revealed.  The book itself will release on December 10.

The idea for Road to Deer Run was planted in my heart in 2007, exactly four years after the death of my daughter. It was an anniversary of her loss spent like most—hiding under my bed covers. I had no intention of climbing out of my quilted cave to face a world without Bethany. Then an inaudible voice spoke to my heart. It was as clear as if I’d heard it with my ears: A directive to write a book based on my ancestors.

Well, that wasn’t in my plan. I was already working full time as a nurse. Besides, I had given up writing altogether. I had tried creating an article one time after Bethany’s death, only to realize that bleeding words onto a keyboard was far too painful. No more writing for me, I determined.

 

American Revolution Monument
Site of the Homestead of Daniel Prince

And then the still small voice beckoned me out from beneath the covers.

 

I was confused, not to mention embarrassed. What would I tell my husband? Apparently God had that taken care of as Steve did not question my sanity, but took me to the used bookstore to start my research. It was just another adventure at the Cooper house.

 

So after a stint of self-publishing in 2010, the Deer Run Saga has a contract with a new publisher, new edits and brand new cover, which I can’t wait to share with you. Road to Deer Run’s cover will be revealed first.

In the meantime, I’ll share photos of a visit to the land of my ancestors in Massachusetts. The path they trod, the stone walls they likely created, the granite monument that now memorializes where Daniel Prince built his first home in America. It was an inspiring journey of connecting with my family’s past while seeing God’s hand in the present.

Rural Massachusetts
My ancestor’s path

Review of “Cassia” by Susan F. Craft

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It’s difficult to pinpoint what I appreciate the most about Susan Craft’s latest release entitled “Cassia.” Is it the well-crafted and impeccably researched story? The amazing tale filled with love and adventure? Or the fact that the author describes the true face of evil, not falling into the unrealistic device of romanticizing pirates who seek to kill and destroy? It is each of these aspects of this third book in her series (that includes “Chamomile” and “Laurel”) that had me riveted to my kindle late into the night. I am just saddened to bid farewell to these precious characters, so skillfully created by the author.

But I applaud Ms. Craft’s satisfying finish to an amazing family saga. And I never fear that the author has short-changed us on getting the historical facts correct. Her amazing ability to blend details from the past with an enticing story for present day readers never ceases to amaze me.

Another five star novel to satisfy this historical romance reader. Well done!

front cover fina.

Author Bio:

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Susan F. Craft writes inspirational historical romantic suspense. Her Xanthakos Family Trilogy includes her Revolutionary War novel, The Chamomile, which won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick (re-released April 2015); its sequel, Laurel (released in January 2015); and the third in the trilogy, Cassia, (released in September 2015). Her publisher is Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (LPC), and her literary agent is Linda Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency. To assist authors to “get it right about horses in their works,” Susan worked with the International Long Riders’ Guild Academic Foundation to compile A Writer’s Guide to Horses that can be found at www.lrgaf.org .

She recently retired after a 45-year career as a communications director, editor, and proofreader.  She currently serves on the LPC Heritage Beacon Imprint publication board and works for LPC as a manuscript editor of historical fiction.

Forty-five years ago, she married her high school sweetheart, and they have two adult children, one granddaughter, and a granddog. An admitted history nerd, she enjoys researching for her novels, painting, singing, listening to music, and sitting on her porch watching the rabbits and geese eat her daylilies.

You can purchase “Cassia” on Amazon by clicking here. Available in both Kindle and paperback.

Baby Pandas/Baby Humans

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Excitement rippled through the country a few days ago as the National Zoo announced a rare event: the birth of twin Panda Bear cubs. News outlets from coast to coast featured the details about the birth, even offering a Panda Cam for those who wanted to observe the newborns. The cam was so popular, it crashed at one point.

Although the zoo had suspected an impending birth, they were “ecstatic” about the delivery of twins, a rare event for this endangered species. Zoo officials gushed about the delivery as the staff flew into mother mode to help Mama Panda keep her babies alive. Sadly, one of the babies died yesterday.

Everyone seems to love Pandas. I know I do.

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But wait. Look at this newborn Panda.

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It is nearly hairless, covered with wispy fur. It is pink and weighs about 3-5 ounces. The newborn is compared to the size of an adult mouse. It doesn’t look much like a Panda.

It looks—dare I say it—similar to a human fetus.

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A human baby of 14-16 weeks gestation weighs 3.5 ounces and is covered with soft downy hair. At this point in utero, the baby hears, sleeps, and even dreams. She can grasp with her hands, kick, and do somersaults.

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Yet at 14-16 weeks gestation and even older, this human baby is at risk for a nightmarish experience. It is at risk for being pulled apart, piece by piece, limb by limb. In anguish. In terror.

No Baby Cams to watch. Only heartless observers with a scalpel bent on abortion and the harvesting of human baby parts.

May God help us and may He deliver these innocents from torture.

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Everyone does not love human babies. But I do. And so does the God Who created them.

Review: “Final Grace for Reverend G”

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I have mixed feelings about announcing the release of the third and final Life at Cove Creek novel entitled Final Grace for Reverend G. I hate for this series to end! I have been blessed by these books written by R.J. Thesman that follows a woman who suffers from Alzheimers. It has been both heartrending and a joy to follow the title character’s journey through dementia, but I would never call it depressing. It is a brilliant portrayel of the person behind the disease and I recommend the three book series to all who know someone with Alzheimers. Here is my review of book 3:

 

A brilliant word crafter, author RJ Thesman completes her Reverend G series with a story that will touch your spirit and enlighten your understanding of the disease known as Alzheimers.

Final Grace for Reverend G is the third and final segment that details the journey of dementia that impacts the Reverend as well as those who love her. The three book series, including The Unraveling of Reverend G and Intermission for Reverend G, is written entirely from the point of view of a former minister who now suffers from dementia. Although her story is fiction, author Thesman has done her research well and clearly depicts the physical, spiritual and emotional odyssey of brain cells rapidly declining and destroying the main character’s ability to function.

Rev G 3 Cover

This third book covers the later stages of this illness. While I expected to find this final episode extremely painful, it also provided moments of hilarity that had me laughing out loud. Mostly, it elicited tears from this reader as my heart ached for each and every character whose loss I felt deeply.

This entire series deserves five plus stars. I would recommend the story of Reverend G to every family whose loved one has dementia and to every caregiver who will ever work with Alzheimers patients. It is a truly uniquely look at this illness, that will open the eyes of many. Bravo, to author Thesman!

Links to order:

Through CrossRiver Media: Click here

Amazon: Click here

 

Author Bio:

RJT - pic for 2nd book

RJ Thesman has been a writer since she flipped open her Red Chief tablet and scribbled her first story. As the author of Life at Cove Creek Series, Thesman speaks on the subject of caregiving and what to do when life unravels. Thesman is also a certified writing coach and Program Director at GateWay of Hope, a nonprofit organization that helps hurting women. Thesman enjoys teaching workshops and helps beginning writers birth their words. She is the mother of an adult son and enjoys reading, gardening and cooking – especially anything with blueberries. Thesman lives in the heartland of Kansas with her son and an elderly cat.

 

 

Book 1:                                                                   Book 2:
Intermission Rev G Cover

 

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The Fourth of July in “Road to Deer Run”

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With the upcoming release of the newly-revised Deer Run Saga, I am posting the excerpt of the 4th of July reading of the Declaration of Independence that is a crescendo event for the character of Daniel Lowe. This excerpt is from Road to Deer Run:

The older man  was similar in  appearance to  Josiah, but  the resemblance ended there, as the father had a more humble demeanor in both his countenance and speech. He read the Declaration with a clear, audible tone, obviously moved by the passion underlying the text. It was easy to understand why Mr. Grant had been chosen to do the reading. [Read more…] about The Fourth of July in “Road to Deer Run”