Elaine Marie Cooper Author

Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

inspirational reads

“A Heart For Freedom” Releases!

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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

Books of Impact

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I was recently “Tagged” on Facebook to ask which books I considered to have “stayed with me.” They might have been memorable for any number of reasons but they must be books the reader could not forget.

How intriguing: Not just favorite books but books with impact. It really got this author thinking about the variety of books I’d read throughout my life, and which ones were implanted in my memory as having impact. After contemplating the challenge, here are ten books that have influenced my life. I’m sure there are more, but these rose to the top of my thoughts:

 

10 – A Pillar of Iron by Taylor Caldwell; for the first time as a teen reader I was aware of the extensive research that went into a book of historical fiction. I was in awe of the author’s time and hard work spent on gathering facts.

9 – Those Who Love by Irving Stone. Read when I was a teen, I was amazed that real life historical figures could be brought to life in fictional form. I was enthralled by the process and the engaging read.

8 – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I loved the brave heroine in the midst of suffering circumstances. She held her head high despite those who would treat her as an inferior. The book made me fall in love with window seats to read upon. 😉

7 – Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung. A short but powerful glimpse as to motivations behind being too busy. Thought-provoking.

6 – Simply Salsa by Janet Perez Eckles. Powerful true testimonial from a lovely Christian woman who went blind amidst numerous other trials in her life. Inspiring story of strength and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

5 – A Love Worth Giving  by Max Lucado. Allowing Christ’s love to SO fill you that the overflow will spread to those around you.

4 – The Redemption Series by Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley. This is five books (Redemption, Remember, Return, Rejoice, Reunion) that sparked my appreciation for the impact Christian fiction can have on a reader. It can actually draw you closer to the Lord. It was a revelation that helped inspire me when I started writing my own Christian fiction.

3 – A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plumb Martin. First person account by an elderly veteran of that war that brought me into the mindset and language of soldiers during the American Revolution. Best research source for my Revolutionary War era novels.

2 – Roses in December: Comfort for the Grieving Heart by Marilyn Willett Heavilin. Given to me on the day of my daughter’s funeral, this book is the autobiography of a Christian Mom who lost three sons over the course of several years. Inspiring. Heartbreaking. Comforting.

1 – The Bible. Source for my faith, my hope, my salvation.

 

 

So what are ten books that have stayed with you? I’d love to read your list.