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Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

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Historical Fiction

The Day the First Americans Died for their Country

May 27, 2019 by emcoop 1 Comment

When I was a child, I walked by the Jason Russell House on my way to school in Arlington, Massachusetts. Looking at the empty two-story dwelling, I somehow could feel its history—and its fear.

“There’s still blood on the floor in there,” my brother had told me.

Blood? I quivered at the thought.

I felt as vulnerable as Scout in “To Kill a Mockingbird” when her brother and Dill, the curious friend visiting from out of town, discussed Boo Radley, a mentally-challenged neighbor that they feared.

I viewed that dwelling in a whole new light when I learned that people had died there in the American Revolution.

The story of my hometown of Arlington is often swallowed up in the historical accounts of the Revolution. The focus has always been on the “shot heard round the world” and the initial battles in Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775.

And though my brother/sister conversation gave me the creeps, it also instilled in me a fascination for the war that birthed our nation. History had come alive for me while on my way to the classroom.

One of the reasons that Arlington has not received as much acknowledgement on that first day of the war was that it went by a different name in 1775. It was known as Menotomy, from an Indian word for “swift running water.”

Situated between Boston and Concord, Menotomy Village was actually called “the bloodiest half mile of all the battle road.” More redcoats and patriots were killed or wounded there on April 19 than in all the other towns combined. This occurred when the British troops were marching back to Boston after the skirmishes at Lexington and Concord.

The Jason Russell House stands as a living memorial to those who died there that day.

Russell was a 59-year-old farmer, loyal to the cause of freedom. He owned a large farm—120 acres—right on Concord Road, the path upon which the British troops journeyed. Prior to the battles, Paul Revere and William Dawes both rode by Russell’s house on their way to warn the Minutemen.

When the Redcoats retreated from Lexington, word reached the villagers in Menotomy that the enemy was coming. Russell sent his wife and children to a neighbors’ house for safety.

It became a brutal battle.

A group of rebel Americans running from the British regulars sought refuge in Russell’s house where they could make a stand against the Redcoats. Russell, who had a lame foot, was the last to reach his doorway and was wounded by British bullets. He was bayoneted numerous times. Several other Americans were wounded.

Eight survivors ran into the cellar and shot and killed the first two regulars to come after them. The battle went on, to the Russell orchard and beyond.

In Victor Brooks’ The Boston Campaign April 1775 to March 1776, he describes the horrible scene:

“The ‘battle of Menotomy’ became the most brutal engagement of the day as house-to-house and room-to-room fighting resulted in Regulars and militiamen clubbing and bayoneting one another, pistols flashing, men swinging tomahawks and hunting knives and dozens of casualties on each side.”

Wow. No wonder my brother claimed there was still blood on the floor of the Jason Russell house. Even if it was not still visible, surely the floorboards echoed the carnage.

There still are several holes from musket balls visible in the house today.

Jason Russell was buried nearby his home, in the Old Burying Ground. His inscription reads:

“Jason Russell was barbarously murdered in his own house by Gage’s bloody troops on the 19th of April, 1775. Age 59. His body is quietly resting in this grave with eleven of our friends who in like manner with many others were cruelly slain on that fateful day. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.”

In 1923, the Jason Russell house on the corner of Jason St. and Massachusetts Avenue was acquired by the Arlington Historical Society and restored. In 1974, it was added to the National Registry of Historic Places. Tours of the home are still given and a museum has been added.

My novel, Fields of the Fatherless, depicts the story of Jason Russell and the events of April 19, 1775. It is available at Amazon and other book outlets. You can purchase it here

Celebration Day—Books Release!

January 18, 2019 by emcoop 2 Comments

It does not matter to me that I have been through book-release-days before. Six times before, to be exact.

If you ask a mother with many children, she will likely fawn over each and every new baby that she births. Every child is a treasure.

For authors, the birth of every book is a joy that is the culmination of months, and sometimes, years of work. And today, I am birthing TWINS! The release of both War’s Respite and Love’s Kindling, are especially treasured as they are my first published books since 2016. That year, I spent many months of treatment for an infection that pushed my writing schedule behind. Way behind.

So today, to experience my first releases since 2016, is beyond a joy. Coming back after a seemingly endless hiatus is both exhilarating and comforting. It’s a relief to know the inspiration still exists. And I praise the Lord for it.

Today is the release of the first two books in my new series entitled Dawn of America. Book 3 is entitled Winter’s Ravage and Book 4, Courier’s Return.

War’s Respite is the prequel novella to the series and will only be released in E-book format. Love’s Kindling will soon release in paperback form as well as E-book.

This series is set on the shores of Connecticut in 1779, when a little-known attack by the British occurred during the American Revolution. This unexpected discovery while doing online research immediately piqued my writer’s muse. This history needed to be told.

I hope that these stories are a blessing to you as you follow the lives of the fictional families who are impacted by the events that turn their lives upside down.

Thank you for being my readers!

Link to order War’s Respite: click here

Link to order Love’s Kindling: click here

When Characters Push the Historical Envelope

December 19, 2018 by emcoop 15 Comments

Note from Elaine: I am re-posting this blog by Kathleen Maher because my website was under construction when it first appeared and most of my subscribers did not receive it!

The challenge for historical fiction writers is to avoid anachronism. In other words, it must be historically and culturally accurate for the time period in which the story is set. Author Kathleen Maher understands the challenge and is my guest blogger today. Kathleen has not one, but two, novels releasing! Here is her post with some awesome giveaways! — Elaine 

 

The historical writer has the unique challenge of making characters interesting and appealing by today’s standards without sacrificing authenticity. We strive to stay true to historical detail in all things. Transportation, even city maps showing which roads existed back then. Clothing, furnishing, popular music and literature of the times. But what about the character itself? Obviously, one wouldn’t write about a NASCAR driver in the 1800’s. But what about attitudes, beliefs, values? Societal expectations on ladies and gentlemen were quite strict. Writers live in one world but try not to allow modern ways to influence their story world. It’s easy to slip into social anachronism.

I have the thrill and chaos right now of two books launching simultaneously. That’s a lot of characters. A lot of personalities vying for attention. So, for simplicity’s sake I’ll focus on my two heroines. Both are from the mid 1800’s. Both have high ideals and strong faith. Both seek to “push the envelope” of women’s roles in their society. But the *how* and the *why* is critical.

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In The Abolitionist’s Daughter, Marietta Hamilton is a passionate idealist. She has been raised by parents active in politics—her father serves Senator William Seward who becomes Lincoln’s Secretary of State– and further, her family offers their home as a station on the Underground Railroad. She has unique positional influence and predisposition to the desires burning within her heart. Desires to help the helpless, to champion the downtrodden. To rescue those trapped in slavery, poverty and disadvantage. And those desires have been fueled by the church she attends, the faith she holds, the speakers she has heard. Her world has conditioned her for the work.  All except for one factor—women in the Victorian age, especially young ladies seeking their social debut and of marrying age—were expected to be demure, retiring, winsome, and skilled in feminine arts. Not little firebrands or social activists.

The challenge for me, then, was to create a crusading female within the context of the times. Women WERE encouraged to participate in charity. Women were praised for making social alliances and exerting influence through their feminine wiles. Charm, beauty and persuasion went a long way, even for the high society of a very visible Washington family with a mother who watched her only daughter with an eagle eye. Much could be accomplished, playing the piano and entertaining guests, in diverting  unwanted matchmaking attempts. And maybe pushing her boundaries by writing letters to the Virginia-born horseman who has stolen her heart, with or without her parent’s awareness.

And then there are the ways society itself began to change during this time. Women had begun to gain traction in educational opportunities. Marietta seeks to escape the noose of finishing school and attends a female college with a very rigorous academic standard. The school places harder social strictures on her than her mother did, so again, she must navigate these expectations in an authentic way to achieve her goals. All the while keeping the spark of the forbidden romance with her “common” cavalry soldier alive.

Victorian Christmas Brides Collection cover

My second heroine, SarahAnn Winnifred from Love Brick by Brick in Victorian Christmas Brides Collection, has very ambitious goals for a woman of her times. In 1857, she has been taken under the wing of a husband and wife doctor team and is being apprenticed to become a female doctor. Her mentor, Dr. Rachel Gleason, is a real historical figure who was only the fourth woman in history to earn her MD. SarahAnn works at the Gleason’s health resort, a Victorian invention called a Water Cure, which employed the use of mineral springs, baths, tonics, and wraps for the perceived curative powers of water.

SarahAnn is determined to elevate herself from humble beginnings as an orphan, and education and new opportunities for women in careers was an increasingly authentic means. Though historically accurate, I weighed her character goals and motivations carefully. Women then simply were not driven by the same ambitions as women of today. Some modern women delight in rocking the boat and stretching boundaries. But not so much with Victorian women.  I believe the natural progression of women’s roles in history followed genuine need and not so much want. For example, when husbands went off to war or died, women had to fill roles that under other circumstances would have been unlikely or inappropriate. In my character’s case, she works because a gracious lady has offered to take her under her wing, to grant her a better future. My heroine has chosen to pursue a career because she finds love and marriage unlikely due to her social standing. A chance acquaintance at the Water Cure may open doors to a yuletide romance she never considered possible.

 

The Abolitionist’s Daughter
1860-1864 Shenandoah Valley, and Elmira, NY
When a fiery social crusader interrupts a slave auction, a horse trader and his twin brother are set on a collision course with war—brother against brother. Can the passion that severed ties inspire a love strong enough to overcome hate?

Purchase link: Click here

The Abolitionist’s Daughter book trailer link: Click here

Love Brick by Brick by Kathleen L. Maher in The Victorian Christmas Brides Collection
1857 Elmira, New York
SarahAnn Winnifred overcomes orphanhood apprenticing with pioneering doctors. Rufus Sedgwick, relocating his English estate, seeks help for his ailing Mum. Christmas reveals the secret wish of both hearts—for love.

Purchase link: Click here

Pinterest board:Click here

author photo alternate (2)

Kathleen L. Maher has had an infatuation with books and fictional heroes ever since her preschool crush, Peter Rabbit. She has a novella in BARBOUR’s 2018 Victorian Christmas Brides collection, featuring her hometown of Elmira, New York. She won the 2012 ACFW Genesis contest for her Civil War historical romance, releasing this summer under a new title The Abolitionist’s Daughter. Her debut historical, Bachelor Buttons, blends her Irish heritage and love of New York history.  Kathleen shares an old farmhouse in upstate New York with her husband, children, and a small zoo of rescued animals.
Follow Kathleen

on Facebook Click here
on Twitter: Click here 
on Amazon: Click here

 

and on Pinterest: Click Here

 

Thanks so much once again for having me today, Elaine.  I look forward to interacting with your readers.

 

 

 

 

“A Heart For Freedom” Releases!

October 18, 2018 by emcoop 2 Comments

 

Author Janet Grunst won the Selah Award in 2016 for A Heart Set Free, and now the much-anticipated sequel, A Heart for Freedom, has released! Here is the back cover information:

 

He longs for freedom, but he won’t risk those he loves.

Matthew Stewart wants only to farm, manage his inn, and protect his family. But tension between the Loyalists and Patriots is mounting. When he’s asked to help the Patriots and assured his family will be safe, he agrees.

She’s seen the cost of fighting England, and she wants no part of it.

In Scotland, Heather Stewart witnessed the devastation and political consequences of opposing England. She wants only to avoid war and protect the family and peace she finally found in Virginia. But the war drums can be heard even from home in the countryside, and she has no power to stop the approaching danger.

The consequences are deadly.

When Matthew leaves for a short journey and doesn’t return, Heather faces the biggest trial of her life. Will she give up hope of seeing him again? Will he survive the trials and make his way home? What will be the consequences of his heart for freedom?

A Heart For Freedom Cover

My Review:

A Heart for Freedom by Janet Grunst is a historically-accurate novel that depicts the quandary of the colonists in 1776. While many Americans desired freedom from England, an equal number desired to remain loyal to the King. What is often missing from historicals during this time period is the other third of the colonists—those who desired freedom yet desired peace as well. Their simple lives as farmers and merchants were about to be turned upside down by war and they knew the consequences would be life-changing. They could no longer ride the fence of indecision.

This novel is a riveting look at the rippling effects of events that force the main characters to choose one side or the other. They long for peace that can no longer be, as the discontent of the Patriots and the military response of the King’s Army force the issue.

In A Heart for Freedom, a sequel to A Heart Set Free, Ms. Grunst shares the lives of Heather and Matthew Stewart, who struggle to remain neutral as farmers and owners of an ordinary (a Colonial era hotel). They, along with their children and their circle of friends, become impacted by the Revolution in ways that disrupt their peace of mind and challenge their faith. A compelling read that makes me look forward to Book 3 in this series!

 

Author Bio:

Janet S. Grunst 2

 

 Janet is a wife, mother of two sons, and grandmother of eight who lives in the historic triangle of Virginia (Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown) with her husband. Her debut novel, A Heart Set Free was the 2016 Selah Award winner for Historical Romance. A lifelong student of history, her love of writing fiction grew out of a desire to share stories that communicate the truths of the Christian faith, as well as entertain, bring inspiration, healing, and hope to the reader.

You can read Janet’s blog here

Available on Amazon here

Researching Rhode Island – Part 3

October 16, 2018 by emcoop 2 Comments

 

As my friend and I continued our research trip around Rhode Island, our next stop on the tour was Bristol, the main locale for my novel “Scarred Vessels” (as yet unpublished). Here in Bristol lay the heart of my story.

*     *     *     *     *

My female protagonist, Lydia, is the daughter of the owner of a slave ship. Her life became a nightmare of fear and guilt once she understood the depth of the horror of slavery. My male protagonist (Micah) is a sergeant from the Continental Army who has arrived in Bristol to recruit freed slaves to form a regiment of black soldiers to join the American forces during the Revolution. Ezekiel is a slave owned by Lydia and freed to join the regiment, but then he must leave the woman he loves (Hannah) to join the cause for freedom. Hannah argues with him about his decision:

The woman’s voice grew angry. “And just whose cause is this? I don’t see no one offering to free us colored folk if we win this war. What’s to become of us, even if you be free?” She resumed her heartrending cries.

*     *     *     *    *

Musket ball from the attack of the British army in Bristol, RI, May 1778
Musket ball from the attack of the British army in Bristol, RI, May 1778

Before ever stepping foot in Bristol, I had studied some of its history that left me feeling conflicted. I could appreciate the beautiful wharf and stately homes. But knowing that the source of the wealth in this city was rooted in the slave trade overwhelmed my appreciation for the architecture.

According to author/historian Douglas Harper, “By 1750, Newport and Bristol were the major slave markets in the American colonies.”

Perhaps as you read this post, you are as shocked as I was when I first began my research. It’s ironic because Rhode Island was the first colony to pass an anti-slavery statute in 1652. The law banned lifetime ownership of slaves, allowing a slave-owner relationship for no more than ten years. The ensuing decades however, revealed a far different scenario.

An article printed from the John Carter Brown Library tells these chilling statistics:

By the close of the eighteenth century, Rhode Islanders had mounted at least a thousand voyages from Africa to the Americas. Of the approximately twelve million Africans transported to America by the mid-nineteenth century, six hundred thousand (or 5 %) came to mainland North America, and about one hundred thousand (or 1%) were carried in Rhode Island ships.

Thus, my visit to Bristol teemed with mixed emotions as I viewed the physical beauty of the surroundings yet knew the source of Rhode Island wealth.

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The wharf where the ships would land has been updated but the waters are the same landing point for the slave ships.

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In May of 1778—before the battle in Portsmouth the following August—British troops along with Hessian mercenaries invaded Bristol. I incorporated this attack in my book. During that invasion, St. Michael’s Church was burned to the ground. The updated building is in the same location as the original. In total, the structure has now been replaced three times since the original. The nameplate on the building explains it’s history.

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This is St. Michael’s today.

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My friend Cherrilynn and I met the historian (Reinhard Battcher III) in Bristol and we viewed his library of Bristol history and picked his brain for interesting tidbits. He was as welcoming and helpful as the volunteers in Portsmouth were.

 

As my friend and I wrapped up our busy day of travel and research, I left the beautiful seaside town with satisfaction of a day well spent, yet sadness about this tragic history.

 

As beautiful as Bristol was, it’s man-made scenery paled in comparison to the city of Newport. A brief drive through that busy port town provided a display of mansions that are even more impressive in their architecture than the homes in Bristol. Yet the wealth so evident today was also originally birthed through the blood money of slave trade. As one writer notes about the history of Newport, its “economic success from African slave labor in making rum was best described by 19th century American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson when he stated, ‘The sugar they raised was excellent; nobody tasted blood in it.’”

Harsh words reflecting the excruciating reality of slavery.

Years ago, I read a biography of John Newton who was a slaver before he became a Christian. I’ve not been able to find that book (it was quite old) but there are books about the slave trade available on Amazon, if you’d like to research this history.

For more information on the 1st black regiment of Rhode Island, I recommend Christian McBurney’s, “The Rhode Island Campaign,” and Robert Geake’s “From Slaves to Soldiers.”

Thanks for “driving” through Rhode Island with me as I shared my research trek that brought to life the scenes in my book and the places I had studied for months. I love reading history. But there’s nothing that quite compares with actually seeing the sites where events from our past occurred. They are tangible reminders that the battles and the people were real. And as Edmund Burke was once famously quoted, “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it.”

 

 

 

 

Researching Rhode Island – Part 2

October 9, 2018 by emcoop 6 Comments

 

My journey to Rhode Island was off to a rough start. First, there was a maintenance issue with my flight, followed by a reschedule onto a different airline. But foggy conditions prevented a timely takeoff, necessitating another flight change. My layover was at first to be in Newark, NJ, then was rescheduled for Chicago, finally scheduled once again, this time for Charlotte, North Carolina.

So, after hanging out at the airport for most of the day and having to go through security twice due to the change in airlines, I was finally on my way to Providence, Rhode Island. I definitely thanked Providence for my arrival, safe and sound!

It’s a good thing I love research. 😉

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My friend Cherrilynn picked me up and we hugged and visited for hours. We spent the next day drinking tea and coffee, and planning our agenda for the first trek to Portsmouth, Bristol, and Newport, the areas featured in my manuscript, “Scarred Vessels.” I’d spoken with a couple of historians on our planning day to set up meetings in Portsmouth and Bristol. Our first venture on Friday morning was the site of the Battle of Rhode Island.

 

To see the landscape now, one would never know the island known as Aquidneck was the site of this major battle in August of 1778. While many historic sites around the country are preserved to appear as they were during the American Revolution, much of the island is now businesses and farms. But fortunately, for the sake of preserving this heritage, the area where the actual battle took place on Butts Hill in Portsmouth is so covered in shale rock as to be worthless for agriculture. By benefit of its geological formation, Butts Hill still bears the marks of the battle site.

EarthenFort

Although tree growth is abundant, the general outline of the fort that was originally built in 1777 by the British, can still be envisioned. One of the local historians assured Cherrilynn and I that the fort was undoubtedly created by the forced labor of the local colonists who were conscripted to bear the load of digging through the hard dirt and unforgiving shale to create the ramparts that would protect the British from the American Army.

 

But by 1778 when the American regiments arrived at Portsmouth on flat boats from Bristol Ferry, the British Army had by then abandoned the fort, propping up straw-filled “soldiers” dressed in red coats to appear from a distance to be actual troops.

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This was their starting point to take back the city of Newport, held by the British, on the southern tip of Aquidneck island. It was approximately seven miles south to that city and thousands of American troops traversed the island and set up camp, thinking they would attack the fort and take it back from the British. But multiple circumstances forced an evacuation of the American troops back to Butts Hill in Portsmouth and that is where the stand-off took place.

ButtsHillMonument

Gloria

Gloria Schmidt, a local historian, did the honors of showing us the fort area and answering our many questions. She was a delight and so very helpful.

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As I stood on top of the earthen fortress built so long ago and envisioned the sweat, the fear, the ear-splitting sounds of gunfire and cannon fired on that sweltering day in 1778, I was truly moved by the sacrifice of these men. It was sad to realize that, with support from the community, this fort could be restored in some manner as a memorial to the bravery of the soldiers who fought here. But the technicalities of declaring a place a historical site affects local communities in far-reaching ways that often cause towns to shy away from such a commitment. While it is sad, it is also understandable.

 

A volunteer at the Portsmouth Historical Society, John Watts, showed us an area on the edge of the fort where the local militia in Portsmouth had rallied together to help the main body of troops returning from Newport. When the militia discovered the British had sent a unit to attack the Americans as soon as they’d arrived at the fort, this militia engaged that British regiment and prevented the slaughter of the Americans soldiers.

Tree,StoneWallFirstSkirmishThis is the monument to remember the first skirmish fought in the Battle of Rhode Island between the British and the American militia. The stone wall is part of the wall where the battle took place.

In 2005, a monument to the 1st Rhode Island Regiment, comprised of nearly 200 black soldiers, was erected to honor the men who fought so valiantly in this battle. Every name of every soldier in the regiment is etched on the long stone wall. It’s a fitting tribute to honor the black soldiers who signed on to earn their freedom, in a country that had yet to declare all black people free.

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Next week will be the historical visit to Bristol, Rhode Island, home of my main characters in “Scarred Vessels.”

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