Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul
I received wonderful news this week from my publisher: Fields of the Fatherless was going to become an audio book!
My publisher had contracted with an actress (Becca Ballenger) after she’d auditioned for the reading. I think her reading is perfect. 🙂
If you’d like to hear the first 15-minute preview, you can listen to it here:
When the whole book is available, I’ll be sure to announce it.
And thanks for listening.
I recently received an unexpected e-mail from my writer-friend, Marie. “Darin passed away.”
Darin? My oxen expert?
“But he was fairly young, wasn’t he?” I couldn’t wrap my mind around the reality. He was not that old but of course, death is not discerning of age when it comes to its victims.
“Darin hadn’t been feeling well and had some chest pain, which they think he mistook for indigestion because they found some acid reflux medicine,” Marie wrote.
Though I never knew Darin in person, he had become my go-to guy when I had a question about the lives and habits of the huge beasts of burden that were used in Colonial America. His cousin-in-law, Marie, had connected us on Facebook. She knew I wrote about Colonial America and she recommended his expertise for everything “oxen.”
And Darin never let me down. He never made any question that I had seem too trivial for him to take the time to answer. I so appreciated his help for writing a scene in “Fields of the Fatherless,” that I put his name in my acknowledgements. I did so proudly. Not everyone can claim an oxen-expert for their contacts. 🙂
Even in my brief Facebook exchanges with Darin, I sensed a warm and caring person—someone who loved the animals he cared for in his job at Colonial Williamsburg as well as a gentle spirit who cared about people.
That became even more evident when I saw the memorial tributes posted on his Facebook Page. Here are a few of the posts from friends and co-workers:
– He was such a gentleman
– Darin was one of “the good guys”
– A gentle giant with a warm, friendly smile
– Darin Tschopp will be missed tremendously. So saddened to hear the world has lost such a kind man.
– He loved God!! And he was a man of God!! He loved history and he loved sharing it with others. It was his life!! There is so much more I could say but the biggest thing would be to say that I will miss you, Darin Tschopp, But the most important thing would be to say is that I will see you in heaven because I know that you loved your Savior.
I still cannot fathom that Darin is gone. Whenever I have a question about oxen in my future books, I will remember him. And miss his kind manner. I am so grateful that I was able to send Darin a signed copy of my book before he passed into eternity. Had I put that off, I would have regretted it always.
We are never assured of tomorrow. But death is assured for all. Never put off doing good unto others for another day. Their tomorrow—or yours—might not exist on this earth. As another of Darin’s friends wrote, “Life is precious, dear friends. Don’t waste a moment.”
I never met you face-to-face on earth, brother Darin. But I look forward to meeting you one day in heaven. I’ll look for the kind keeper of the animals.
And I’ll end with one more message of love from a friend:
“Fair winds and following seas, brother. Until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand. You will be missed.”
Book launch for Fields of the Fatherless is less than one week away! Next Tuesday, all systems will be “GO!” at Amazon!
I have been so blessed by the reviews that pre-readers are posting at Goodreads. Here are a few snippets:
Elaine Marie Cooper has done a great job in Fields of the Fatherless portraying the culture and events of the time. While the main characters and their stories are fictional, many of the events and places which served as the basis for the story did occur.
Elaine takes us directly into the emotions of fear and disbelief as Betsy’s world is turned upside down by war. Her emotions show her both honest and strong as she faces an uncertain future forever shaped by what she witnesses. Struggling to make sense of the horrors of war, she discovers a truth greater than death and hating.
— Angela Meyer, Author of Where Hope Starts
What I experienced in reading Fields of the Fatherless was an engrossing, heart-wrenching read with characters that grabbed my heart and a wonderful historical tale, suitable to be shared with the entire family, the sort of book grandmothers can confidently pass on to their granddaughters.
What makes this story special is that it is based upon true accounts of an actual battle and its aftermath in the small village of Menotomy, Massachusetts, at the start of the Revolutionary War. Ms. Cooper makes history come alive in a first person account told through the eyes of real-life Betsy Russell. Betsy was a teenager when this significant, but little told, battle in our country’s fight for independence took place, and she makes for an endearing character.
— Lisa Norato, Author of Prize of my Heart
Elaine Cooper captures the essence of what it was like to live during the opening days of the Revolutionary War. Her research about this little known battle takes the reader to Betsy’s side as she sees horrors, love, and a personal journey of hatred and forgiveness in this amazing story. Fields of the Fatherless is a snapshot of history everyone should read.
— Peter Leavell, Author of Gideon’s Call
You can Pre-order Felds of the Fatherless by clicking here.
Or join me for my book launch on Facebook, Tuesday, October 22. It’s all online so no travel necessary!
Click here for Facebook Launch Page.
Fields of the Fatherless is the story of the beginning of the American Revolution in Menotomy Village, Massachusetts. While fiction, it is filled with facts. And it reveals that there is much about that first day of the War that many are not aware.
While the sacrifice of the few who fell in Lexington and Concord is written about in our history books, the worst battle took place in Menotomy as the British troops withdrew to Boston. By the time the King’s Army reached Menotomy, just six miles from Boston, they were exhausted, angry, and out of control. The brutal onslaught that occurred in my hometown—for this is the town I grew up in—brought more casualties on both sides than anywhere else that fateful day. It was a story from our history that begged to be told.
Here is the preface from Fields of the Fatherless.
Betsy Russell could not discern if the sweat on her palms was from her own fear or from the intensity of Anna’s pain. Either source seemed a sufficient cause of the slippery pool of moisture.
Betsy, the only daughter of Jason Russell, trembled at the events occurring outside on the nearby road as well as in the birthing room. She intertwined her fingers with those of her sister-in-law so tightly that Anna’s labor pains seemed to course through her own arms.
Anna screamed as a contraction gripped her swollen belly. Betsy clung to her as if she could take away the pain with the pressure of her grip. But before the pain ebbed, another sonorous blast of cannon fire echoed from hundreds of rods down the hill. The concussion reverberated throughout the house, and the walls shuddered along with the women’s nerves. Even the midwife, normally a pillar of calm, turned pale.
Betsy desperately fought back fearful tears.
Why did Father not come with us?
She remembered his comforting hand on her shoulder the night he first said he was meeting with the patriot committee. He smiled at her then. All seemed as it should be with the world. But that seemed so long ago…
Another round of explosives elicited uncontrollable shivering.
Where is he now when I need his reassuring presence? Dear Lord, protect him.
The women in the room jumped when an enormous volley of musket fire rattled from the direction of Concord Road. Betsy doubted the pain-filled screams she heard were only in her imagination.
Father in heaven, this cannot be happening. How did we get to this terrible place? Dear Lord…help us.
Fields of the Fatherless releases October 22. To pre-order a copy, click here.
About a month before the battle in Menotomy Village, Massachusetts in 1775, the Reverend Samuel Cooke preached a sermon to the Minutemen of that small town. Many excerpts from that sermon, taken from the minister’s hand written notes and transcribed by Samuel Abbot Smith in West Cambridge 1775 (published by the Arlington Historical Society) are quoted in Fields of the Fatherless.
My friend and fellow author, Tammy Doherty, took one of those quotes from Reverend Cooke and produced this memorable photo.
In just a little over two weeks, Fields of the Fatherless will be released. To say that I am excited is an understatement. To say that I am heartened and overwhelmed by the reviews appearing on Goodreads from advance readers is absolutely true. And I am so very grateful for each and every one. Here is another review:
After reading this epic tale, I immediately sat down to write my review. I had to get it down while this story was fresh in my mind.
I am totally spent after reading Fields of the Fatherless, all my emotions are either at the surface, or have spilled over. Elaine Marie Cooper has truly shown what it was like during this terrible time in history. I found myself vividly envisioning such unthinkably, vivid scenes, yet I kept reading because I needed to ‘witness’ it until the end.
I appreciate Elaine’s writing so much, as she doesn’t hold anything back. She not only tells the story, but she ‘shows’ the story through her words.
This story is based on fact and Elaine did a great job incorporating her own imagination into it all.
I simply love this quote from the story…it spoke to my heart.
“T’would not have mattered, if I had died doing the right thing.”
She paused. “If I did not do the right thing, it would mean something
inside my soul had died. Nothing is worth that. Not even my life.”
Such powerful words and so true.
Whether you are a history buff or simply enjoy a great novel, I highly recommend this book to you. You will find yourself totally immersed in the time…..and find yourself learning a very important lesson in forgiveness and what if truly means to show compassion and love to everyone…including your enemies.
Thank you, Elaine, for writing this story. And thank you for including your Author’s note. It added to the impact of this story.
I was allowed to read this story in advance in exchange for my honest review. I was under no obligation to write a positive review.
Thank you, Deborha Mitchell!