Elaine Marie Cooper Author

Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

PTSD

Promise of Deer Run — Cover Reveal!

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I’ve been anxiously awaiting this cover reveal for Promise of Deer Run. It’s just too lovely to keep it a secret!

Thank you to my publisher, CrossRiver Media for this memorable design that captures the essence of free-spirited Sarah Thomsen, who can only fulfill her love of dancing by sneaking into the woods, away from the eyes of her mother.

But there is much more to the story of Promise of Deer Run, (Book 2 of the Deer Run Saga) than the whimsical yearnings of a young lady. Here is the back cover copy:

The year is 1790.

The American Revolution is long since over, yet the battles still live in the hearts of the survivors.

One young veteran is haunted by the painful memories of war. He still awaits a father who has never returned from battle and feels the sting of betrayal from a former love. He withdraws into his own world, clinging to one hope: Perhaps his father still lives.

Only one person in Deer Run seems to understand him: Nineteen-year-old Sarah Thomsen, who feels a kinship with the loner veteran. She senses the wounds in his spirit as much as she struggles to bury her own traumatic memories of war. And the veteran’s search for his father touches a chord of empathy in Sarah, as she feels the loss of a father she never knew.

While the couple begins to find hope in a mutual affection, others determine to destroy it. Slander and misunderstandings ignite a fire of doubt and mistrust, destroying whatever faith they had in each other.

Can two souls longing for healing and trust love again? Can faith—and a family—be restored?

 

Promise of Deer Run, releases June 16. For paperback pre-orders, you can click here.

Promise of Deer Run - Cover

All those who sign up for the CrossRiver Media newsletter in the next month will receive a coupon code for 25% off pre-orders of Promise of Deer Run! Click here

 

 

Winners of “The Promise of Deer Run”

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On June 27, I posted about PTSD Awareness Day and offered three copies of The Promise of Deer Run to three commenters.

I am delighted to announce the three winners of my post Revolutionary War novel that deals with Post Traumatic Stress in veterans. They are:

 

Heidi Morrell

Debra Butterfield

Janet Grunst

Promise of Deer Run, The
Book 2 in the Deer Run Saga

Congrats to each of you! A signed copy is on the way!

If you missed the article about PTSD Awareness Day, I am reposting it. Click here.

PTSD Awareness Day – The Promise of Deer Run

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Today is PTSD Awareness Day. It is a day to remember and acknowledge the emotional wounds suffered by our military men and women after their service in the war has physically ended. Emotionally, the war still rages in their minds. Victims of post traumatic stress need encouragement, support and counseling. But ignoring these unseen wounds can only make them worse.

Years ago, the emotional distress of soldiers long after the battles had ended—the nightmares, the anxiety, the depression—were not discussed.

Most relatives of WWII veterans describe their post war loved ones as soldiers who would never speak about the war. One can only imagine the internal horrors plaguing their minds—the battle scenes they wanted to protect their families from knowing about. They suffered in terrible silence under the label of “Battle Fatigue.”

In wars prior to WWII, soldiers still suffered. Those in the Civil War carried the label of “Soldier’s Heart.” In the Revolutionary War, surviving warriors had to suffer their own nightmares of bloody battles long after the swords were turned into plows.

Promise of Deer Run, The
Book 2 in the Deer Run Saga

My protagonist, Nathaniel Stearns, in The Promise of Deer Run is a veteran of the American Revolution suffering from post traumatic stress. In doing my research for this character, I interviewed veterans from recent wars who suffered from this terrible aftereffect. I gently asked them about some of the details of their suffering in order to add realism to this fictional character. I interviewed two Army chaplains who shared stories of the emotional wounds of warriors who they had counseled. It was sobering research that still touches my heart.

In honor of all the soldiers who have suffered from this disorder, I am giving away three copies of The Promise of Deer Run to three readers who comment on this blog. Please leave me your email address so I can contact the winners.

The Promise of Deer Run won Best Romance at the 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival, and also was a finalist in Religious Fiction at the 2012 ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year contest.

 

For further information on PTSD, you can read more here.

And thank you to all who have served in our military. I salute you.