Bio:
Laura Frantz is a Christy Award winner and the ECPA
bestselling author of fifteen novels, including The Rose and the
Thistle, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow
Little, The Lacemaker, and A Heart Adrift.
She is the proud mom of an American soldier and a career firefighter. Though
she will always call Kentucky home, Laura lives with her husband in Washington
State.
She is well known for her meticulously researched novels. In her
newest work, The Seamstress of Acadie, Frantz spins a gripping
tale of an Acadian woman caught between the warring French and English during Le Grand Dérangement of 1755. Filled with history, intrigue,
and romance, The Seamstress of Acadie is sure to win the hearts
of historical romance fans.
About the
story: Gifted seamstress Sylvie Galant and her
Acadian family desire to live peacefully and remain neutral in the upcoming war
between the French and the English. But the proximity of their land on Acadie’s rugged shores makes them an easy target.
While tensions escalate, Sylvie encounters Major William Blackburn. Although he
is a British Army Ranger, Blackburn warns her that the British are poised to invade. But the
warning cannot counteract the plans or stop the tide of
English soldiers.
William Blackburn has seen firsthand the
atrocities that the British have done to the Acadian families and their villages.
Rather than participate in the heinous expulsion, Will resigns his commission
before a charge of treason is brought against him.
When Sylvie is forcibly
removed from her homeland, she finds herself on a ramshackle ship headed to
Virginia, where she crosses paths once again with Will. Together they must work
through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the
present and forge an enduring future.
Welcome
back to my blog, Laura. What was the inspiration for The Seamstress of Acadie? I’ve
always been fascinated by Acadian history, which is the most heartbreaking I’ve
ever researched. I was disappointed to find few novels that deal with Acadie,
which, aside from Longfellow’s poem Evangeline, seems to have been
buried since the eighteenth-century expulsion.
Your
two protagonists, Sylvie Galant and William Blackburn, are on opposing sides in
Le Grand Dérangement of
1755. How did they first meet? Sylvie and William have a
rather charming first meeting by a well in Acadie that is based on a bit of
subterfuge and secrecy. Their attraction is instant and mutual, as it so often is
inexplicably even in real life.
Sylvie and William later find themselves on ships
headed to Virginia. Can you provide a brief summary of the events leading up to
their departure from Acadie? Acadie, present-day Nova
Scotia, had long been a battleground between the French and English since its
founding in 1604. The conflict worsened in the eighteenth century as each nation
fought over contested territory. In 1755, the Acadians were deprived of their
weapons, detained as prisoners, and then forced onto ships to destinations
unknown. In the novel, William leaves Acadie first with his Rangers on a sloop
in late summer 1755 before the deportation of the Acadians begins. Sylvie
follows on a ramshackle transport ship in early fall.
What led to William’s decision to resign from the
British army? William has a profound change of heart and purpose. A
spiritual awakening as a prisoner of war among the French led to an about-face
in terms of his military career, culminating in his refusal to take part in the
Acadians’ deportation.
Prior to the British invasion of Acadie, Sylvie
Galant was a seamstress. How did her profession play a part in your story? Each
of us is gifted with the ability to do certain things well. Sylvie is no
different. Since childhood, she has plied her needle in a way that causes other
people to take notice. To her, it is just routine until she begins to see her
skill as a means to navigate her new, unwanted life in a hostile land. Personally,
I grew up with a grandmother who was an accomplished seamstress and sewed my
clothes, even historical garments. I don’t sew myself but am in awe of those
who do!
Can
you please describe the setting for your novel and why this is important in the
overall plot? If you visit Nova Scotia, you soon realize why the British
fought hard to win it and why the Acadians took strong measures to keep it.
Epic in scope and beauty with forests and fields and mountains, coastlines and
islands, it’s truly a one-of-a-kind place and makes the ideal novel setting. I
hope readers experience some of that beauty within the novel’s pages.
What
are some of the themes found within The Seamstress of Acadie? Love,
loss, trust, new beginnings. Life is one of continual change. How we navigate
those changes is a constant challenge both in fiction and in real life.
What
do you hope readers will experience when reading your novel? That
beauty can be seen amid the heartbreaking history and cause us to look at the
heartaches and hurdles we face today in a different light.
Where can readers purchase a copy of The
Seamstress of Acadie? The book is available in
paperback and e-reader on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book online retailers.
If your local bookstore doesn’t have it, you can ask them to order it for you.
How can readers connect with you? I’m
active on these social media channels and regularly post on my website’s
journal page:
www.laurafrantz.net
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/laurafrantzauthor/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LauraFrantzAuthor/
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/laurafrantz/
Thank you for
sharing The Seamstress of Acadie with my blog readers and me. We love to learn about historical
events.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Seamstress-Acadie-Historical-Romance-Beginnings-ebook/dp/B0C9RLWP5Y/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2ZFBV2Y7QZ5J9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.94W47k8kkRg-_JHwuf4kG8KgLhKUOO2JiBDj6Npg9bn3DRUbWk5Qs3hLd4__GQEoaxNTXA2k2f0kFmBwpQxK0qrNHFR9hs22Tjgadx8B1OoDaGkgnBCmBQw2RlledXfw1urtuHaSwH7WVoOlthFl-XE5MYqzUVIiiL6S2O8iZ5f1kezyTsy8L8MbcYrw2OJ0_LcmwSahRMZ77o3kVYVn2QivvchnPnIfmGKJABqyt0k.vrQMrN4DSFz6fxRkg4pWqIFr-ofrqHG7QZhHHyH0Q3U&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+seamstress+of+acadie+laura+frantz&qid=1710526086&s=books&sprefix=The+Seamstress+of+Acadie+%2Cstripbooks%2C95&sr=1-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1
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Bio: Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary
romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor
and the Acquisitions and Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A wife and
mother of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old
houses
Welcome back, Denise. What are some of the spiritual
themes you like to write about?
That’s a great question! I often find themes of emotional
healing and redemption weaving into my stories. In A Courageous Betrothal, the theme has to do with accepting
ourselves as God made us. The heroine is inspired by a real-life Revolutionary
War Patriot heroine, Nancy Hart, who was six feet tall, red-haired, big-boned,
pock-marked, and cross-eyed. She was also a crack shot the local Indians called
“War Woman” and successfully spied on and captured Loyalists and British
Regulars in the Georgia backcountry…all while defending her family. My heroine,
Jenny White, is a bit softer, but she feels gawky and unattractive next to her
pretty, petite little sister. The hero, Scottish militia scout Caylan McIntosh,
has a hard time convincing her that he finds what she thinks are her weaknesses
to be strengths, especially on the frontier.
What other books of yours are coming out soon? The
Scouts of the Georgia Frontier books continue to release into 2024. Book three,
A Cherished Betrothal, just came out
in January and follows the beginning of Revolution on the Georgia/South
Carolina border. There will be two more coming later in the year, as well as my
novel about the 1865 sinking of the Sultana,
When Hope Sank, part of Barbour’s A
Day to Remember Series. Plus, my first-ever novella, Redeeming Grace, will re-release this July in Wild Heart Books’
Romance at the Gilded Age Resorts Series with a new cover and title, A Summer at the Niagara of the South.
If you could spend an evening with one contemporary person
(not a family member of yours), who would it be and why? You know, it would
be interesting to learn from Francine Rivers about her publishing journey.
I met Francine over a decade ago, and she gave her
testimony. I bought the CD of that session. It was very interesting. What
historical person would you like to meet (besides Jesus) and why?
I never know how to answer that one since there are so many
fascinating historical people. I’d have a hard time choosing between religious
leaders, military leaders, brave pioneers, and the American founding fathers.
How can you encourage authors who have been receiving
only rejections from publishers? First, I’d encourage them to make sure
they have a solid grasp on the writing craft and the industry expectations for
submitting proposals. Read up on those things and ask experienced,
traditionally published authors or editors. Once that is in place, it’s important
to make sure they are submitting to publishers seeking the same genre, length,
and style of material…and then, following submission guidelines. One hurdle I
find with submissions I review as Acquisitions and Editorial Liaison at Wild
Heart Books is that some authors are still writing in narrative style rather
than deep POV (point of view). Or submitting historical fiction rather than
historical romance…or are truly unfamiliar with industry expectations or
formula for historical romance.
Finally, it’s more than possible that they just haven’t
found the right fit yet. Publishers will often favor certain tropes, time
periods, or settings. They may be seeking lighter material or more serious
material. They may have just accepted something very similar. At other times, they
may have just received a glut of submissions, and their production schedules
may be filled for the foreseeable future. Editors who wear more than one hat
sometimes struggle to have time to read through lengthy proposals and sample
chapters. If they are deep into projects with current authors, they may put off
manuscript review for a specified time in the future.
There are so many factors at play, but ultimately, none of
these things take God by surprise. He knows just which editor needs to open
your email on the right day. He knows just what you need to learn and where you
need to be in life before you are ready for publication…or before the world is
ready for your book!
That’s very valuable information. Please tell us about
the featured book. A Courageous Betrothal
is a short but action-and-romance-packed 20K-word novella originally entitled Across Three Autumns and included in
Barbour’s Backcountry Brides Collection. Because of the short word count and
long time span covered, I chose to use only the heroine’s point of view.
Red-haired, freckle-faced, and almost
six feet tall, Jenny White has resigned herself to fame over love. Possessing
the courage and wits to guard her younger siblings against nature, natives, and
loyalists in Georgia’s “Hornet’s Nest” gives life meaning until she meets scout
Caylan McIntosh.
From the time Jenny nurses the young
lieutenant back to health after the Battle of Kettle Creek, she can’t deny her
attraction to the vexing Highlander, who seems determined to dismantle her
emotional armor. But when Georgia falls to the British and Caylan returns to
guide Jenny’s family on a harrowing exodus into the North Carolina mountains,
will his secrets prove stronger than his devotion? Or will their love be
courageous enough to carry them through the battles ahead?
Please give us the first page of the book.
Prologue
Late June, 1778
Wilkes County, Georgia
She first sensed someone watching as a prickle of awareness
on the back of her neck as she and Hester floated, shift-clad, in the creek.
Even in the cool waters, the fine ginger hairs from Jenny White’s nape to her
arms stirred, and she froze.
Casting a glance over her shoulder,
she saw him—a brown bare-chested native, his face smeared with black-and-red
war paint. He did not even attempt to conceal himself. After all, the White
family may have brought their livestock out from Augusta and built a cabin four
years prior. They might have planted their small patches of corn, wheat, and
flax alongside the vegetable garden Jenny and her sister had been weeding in
the fork of Long and Dry Fork Creeks before yielding to the urge to cool down
from the sun’s blistering rays. But this had been his land. Whether Hitchiti
Creek of the first people in these parts, or Muskogee who came from the west
many years ago, he belonged and she did not.
But the brave’s alliance with the
British made him Jenny’s enemy. She was old enough to remember from North
Carolina what the British could do. She had given up too much—her little
brother’s life and her best years to make a good match, for starters—to just
hand over this land.
Thank God Gabriel had not taken the
Brown Bess hunting today. She’d left it propped against the giant oak that
marked the ford. With the steady diagonal trajectory of a water bug, she waded
toward Hester and the tree.
Hester’s head—curly
strawberry-blonde hair darkened and dripping—broke the surface. She started to
let out an exclamation of delight but gave only a gasp when Jenny’s firm hand
encircled her wrist. Green eyes wide, she allowed herself to be towed toward
the shore.
“Hester, run for the house. Make
sure Ma and the baby stay inside.”
How can readers find you on the Internet?
Connect with Denise here:
Monthly Newsletter Sign-up
Website
Facebook
Twitter
BookBub
Thank you for sharing A
Courageous Betrothal with us.
Readers,
here’s a link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Courageous-Betrothal-Scouts-Georgia-Frontier-ebook/dp/B0CHMXGLJG/
Leave
a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void
where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants.
Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of
the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining
local/federal/international laws.
The
only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook,
Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment
if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY. Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win. Pam (OH) is the winner of A Summer on Bellevue Avenue by Lorri Dudley. Cherie (FL) is the winner of Into the Fire by Irene Hannon. If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author. Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you. Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email. If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
Bio: Shelley Shepard Gray is the New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author of more than 100 books, including Her Heart’s
Desire and Her Only Wish. Two-time winner of the HOLT Medallion and
a Carol Award finalist, Gray lives in Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes
too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike
trail.
She introduced readers to A Season in Pinecraft series with Her
Heart’s Desire. This was followed
by Her Only Wish in June 2023. Now Gray wraps up her heartwarming
series with her final installment, Her
Secret Hope, which explores the theme of facing one’s past in order to make way
for a brighter future.
About the story: Two years ago, Lilly Kurtz left her home in Middlefield for a much-needed
vacation in Pinecraft, Florida, where she could escape her feelings of always
being an outsider within her community. Little did she realize that this trip
would be such a life-changing experience. Not only did it lead to a fresh start
in Florida and a new set of friends, but a budding romance has started to bloom
with hardworking farmer Eddie Byler. However, secrets from Lilly’s past may
threaten to destroy her new relationship.
Eddie Byler values honesty and trust. He sees Lilly as a breath of fresh
air, but he is mystified about her past. Although they grew up only thirty
miles apart, Lilly remains silent about her time in Middlefield, which makes
Eddie wonder if Lilly is hiding something.
As Eddie and Lilly’s relationship deepens, she must decide whether she is
willing to return to Middlefield—a place where she never felt accepted. Will Lilly have to give
up on love in order to find peace? Or could it be that love is actually the
solution to all of her problems?
Welcome back
to my blog, Shelley. It’s always a pleasure to host you. Please provide a brief
summary of Her Secret Hope. Lilly
Kurtz decides to take a job at the Marigold Inn in Pinecraft, and she’s eager
to spend more time with her best friends and make new friends who know nothing
about her past. When guests Eddie Byler and his grandmother befriend her, she’s
sure she made the right decision. However, as her romance with Eddie blossoms,
she soon learns that everything in her past cannot be erased, just as Eddie
must come to terms with the fact that his views on what is right and wrong
might not be as correct as he believed. Only by being completely honest with
each other—and with themselves—will Lilly and Eddie learn that their secret
hopes and dreams can become their realities.
Readers
were first introduced to Lilly Kurtz in Her Heart’s Desire, the first
book in your series. Can you please explain why Lilly left her hometown in Middlefield,
Ohio, and went to Pinecraft? Lilly
Kurtz first leaves her hometown in an attempt to live her life without the
stigma of her birth parents’ mistakes.
Lilly has
a budding relationship with Eddie Byler, who highly values honesty and trust.
But Lilly’s past could threaten their future. What do you feel readers can
learn from Lilly and Eddie’s relationship? This
novel focuses not only on the themes of honesty and trust but also God’s grace.
It’s my hope that readers will be able to connect with one of the characters in
the novel who is searching for the Lord’s acceptance and love.
In
addition to facing one’s past, are there other underlying themes found within Her
Secret Hope? I think another theme is friendship and
accepting God’s grace. So many of the characters—whether they are in their
twenties, forties, or seventies—are often reaching out to others for support or
guidance. I loved that each character is eventually reminded that he or she
needs not only God’s love but their friends’ and family’s support and love as
well.
Her
Secret Hope is the final novel in the A Season in
Pinecraft series. What was the connecting element for all of the books in your
series? From
the beginning, I was eager to highlight three women who felt like “wallflowers,”
who felt like they didn’t really click with their peer group in their
hometowns. I wanted to empower them and have them not only find acceptance but
learn to value their unique selves. Pinecraft, Florida, a place where Amish
from all over America vacation, felt like the perfect spot. So, I strived for
each novel to be a different play on “an Amish wallflower on vacation.”
Are there any threads that run through the whole series that will be
wrapped up in this book? No. Each book was written to stand alone.
How have
you personally been impacted by this series? I
love to write novels about things that could happen to anyone—my characters
just happen to be Amish. Writing this series, with each woman looking for acceptance,
love, and friendship, reaffirmed this belief. On a personal note, I truly
enjoyed writing this series. It was an upbeat trio of stories highlighting
positive themes. It made for a lot of happy writing days!
Why did you choose Pinecraft, Florida, as the
setting for your series? Pinecraft is one of my favorite settings for novels
because it’s the only place where Amish from all over the world come together.
It’s a unique setting rich with possibilities for new stories. Honestly, I
could happily write a dozen books set in Pinecraft—there’s such a fun mixture
of people there!
How can
readers connect with you? I’m on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Twitter. I have
a private FB group called Shelley Shepard Gray’s Buggy Bunch, which is easy to
join and I post often. I also have a “short and sweet” monthly newsletter that
readers can sign up for on my website, www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
Thank you for sharing Her Secret Hope with my
blog readers and me. I love your stories, especially those in Pinecraft.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book. https://www.amazon.com/Her-Secret-Hope-Season-Pinecraft/dp/0800741692/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3A3DAOD23Y9IZ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6mK-g-tg4bjD5LqYVCEIeLeWYVUtQWn_PrnP9X8-ekWb0EZ8OIp9o9NOBmMeAbrFELl__u2Tyw-Ow8z6aAoMKqY0ob2Ds8rHLnNYRUVjDJM-IcyguTSc1kdrI9sEFr3MEttNfheMN1rqEscJLs9SxgLJcISlO_7-MzgsaLRai_WyArWPIaZ1f9c6nEK6VnqA.e8rTIG_pyBAGa0xCHJ7Bs81DIRWy8M6-8y_65wdoT-Q&dib_tag=se&keywords=her+secret+hope+shelley+shepard+gray&qid=1709750079&s=books&sprefix=Her+Secret+Hope+%2Cstripbooks%2C97&sr=1-1
Leave a comment
for a chance to win a free copy of the book. You must follow these
instructions to be in the drawing. Please tell us where you live, at least
the state or territory or country if outside North America. (Comments
containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where
prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the
giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer
in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only
notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to
check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 2 weeks from
the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading
this on Goodreads, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please
come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the
drawing. Here’s a link: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
IMPORTANT: Instructions for winners - When you send me the email, make sure your subject line says this: Winner - (book title) - (author's name) If you don't do this, your email could get lost in my hundreds of emails per day. I WILL SEARCH FOR POST TITLES STARTING THAT WAY. Some people don't read the instructions of how to enter. Unfortunately, they don't have a chance to win. so next time you come and leave a comment, be sure to read all the instructions if you want a chance to win. Holly (KY) is the winner of Reclaiming the Spy by Lorri Dudley. Caryl (TX) is the winner of Against the Wind by Amanda Cabot. If you won a book and you like it, please consider giving the author the courtesy of writing a review on Goodreads, Amazon.com, Christianbooks.com, Barnes and Noble, or other Internet sites. Reviews are such a blessing to an author. Also, tell your friends about the book you won ... and this blog. Thank you. Congratulations, everyone. If you won a print book, send me your mailing address:
Click the Contact Me link at the top of the blog, and send me an Email. If you won an ebook or audio book, just let me know what email address it should be sent to. Remember, you have 2 weeks to claim your book.
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