Elaine Marie Cooper Author

Historical Fiction That Grabs Your Heart and Feeds Your Soul

Revolutionary War

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!

 

 

 

245th Anniversary of Boston Massacre

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Today is the 245th Anniversary of the infamous Boston Massacre. The incident took place even before the American Revolution officially began, but was a key event that ignited the flames of anger leading to that war.

Snow was still on the ground that freezing day in Boston in 1770, much as it is now. The King’s Army had already occupied the city for two years in hopes of quelling riots that broke out in protest to the increased taxes levied by King George and the British Parliament. The American Colonists were frustrated and angry. Tensions between the soldiers and the 16,000 residents of Boston were already high. [Read more…] about 245th Anniversary of Boston Massacre

Why the American Revolution is NOT the Civil War

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A recent review that I read for my latest novel, Fields of the Fatherless, made me groan.

Now please don’t get me wrong: I VERY MUCH appreciate folks who take the time to read and/or listen and then review my books.  Reviewers could spend their precious moments on any given day doing anything else in their busy lives. Instead, they have chosen to post their thoughts about a book that I wrote. I am so grateful to my reviewers.

What made me groan was yet another reminder of how often Americans confuse two crucial wars that occurred in our country: The American Revolution and the Civil War (also called the War Between the States). Each war significantly changed our country. Each conflict set our states on a new course. And each war should be duly remembered for its importance in our nation’s history.

Although my book is clearly labeled a Revolutionary War novel, the above-mentioned reviewer called it a book about the Civil War. The person even changed the clearly designated British soldier as a “Confederate” soldier. *SIGH*

Ok. Time for a brief history lesson:

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The American Revolution was the war that changed Colonial America into the United States of America. It was fought between the American colonists against Great Britain, the mother nation.

It began in 1775 and lasted eight years. The signing of the Declaration of Independence, for which we celebrate the 4th of July and the birth of our nation, occurred in 1776. So this year celebrates our 238th Birthday. Happy Birthday, America!

George Washington became the 1st president of the United States, starting after the first election in 1789.

 

The Civil War started on April 12, 1861 and was fought between the Northern states and the Southern states of this country. It ended when General Robert E. Lee surrendered the last Confederate (Southern) Army to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865 (although the last battle was actually fought in Texas on May 13, 1865).

The core conflict was the issue of slavery and states rights.

The war took place during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president.

 

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As you can see from this extremely brief history lesson, the wars occurred in completely different centuries and had conflicts born of varying concerns.

As a writer of historical fiction set in the American Revolution, I hope that my work brings to light the issues that led to the birth of the United States.

 

Winner, YA Fiction, 2014 Selah Award; Best Religious Fiction, 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Winner, YA Fiction, 2014 Selah Award; Best Religious Fiction, 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

And on this 4th of July weekend, please take a moment to thank God for the sacrifices that our forefathers and foremothers made in establishing this nation in 1776 when the Declaration of Independence was signed. It was an astonishing announcement—the concept of a free and independent country ruled by the people, of the people and for the people.

 

May that freedom continue to ring.

 

Huzzah!

 

You can purchase Fields of the Fatherless 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.

Free Gift for Friends of “Fields of the Fatherless”

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I want to tell all of my friends, family members and fans of  Fields of the Fatherless how grateful I am for your support. You are the reason that this novel has been as successful as it is and I cherish your efforts to promote my writing.

To thank everyone who purchased, reviewed, and encouraged me on my writing journey, I wanted to let you know that Fields of the Fatherless is now available (for a limited time) as a free audiobook from Audible.com and Amazon.com. (Scroll down to my book) Just request a coupon code to get your free audiobook.

And THANK YOU! You are a blessing to me.

 

Winner, YA Fiction, 2014 Selah Award; Best Religious Fiction, 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Winner, YA Fiction, 2014 Selah Award; Best Religious Fiction, 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

There Are Some Unknown Heroes – Nicholas Herkimer

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One of the first historical stops on my long research journey this spring was in Little Falls, New York. It is where the home of Nicholas Herkimer is found.

So who is Nicholas Herkimer, you might ask?

You can find out by reading my blog at Colonial Quills. 🙂

Click here.

 

 

Nicholas Herkimer home, Little Falls, New York
Nicholas Herkimer home, Little Falls, New York