We Hope for Better Things

We Hope for Better Things

By Erin Bartels

The topic of this novel is race. But wait! Don’t stop reading! I know, it can be a touchy subject, but Bartels paints an incredible tableau with a very steady hand. We follow three female protagonists living in three separate eras: Civil war, the 1960s, and present day. Each woman ends up living in the same house, adding to its secrets. You almost get three stories for the price of one, but truly, they are all parts of the same story, and that story revolves around the 1967 Detroit riot.

If you’re looking for a little light reading, don’t despair. This story is truly all about the women. Each era depicts a bi-racial love story and the repercussions which vary depending on the times.

It’s fascinating reading. From the first slave who finds refuge on this northern farm during the civil war, to the elderly woman who refuses to remember what she has tried so hard to forget, to the woman who cut up her fancy dresses to make an exquisite quilt, these people will find a place inside your heart. And trust me, when you read the last page, you will not be ready to let them go.

In a time when race is only one of many lines that seem to divide us, this book does exactly the opposite. It's a story about humanity and coming together and loving against all odds. 

We Hope for Better Things is a brand new book with fresh writing and a refreshing look at an age-old problem. In fact, as the title states, it makes me Hope for Better Things. 

New Release, The Captain's Challenge

Ever since I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time I wanted to write my own civil war story, but what I was most interested in was the aftermath. So many mistakes were made by North and South. The hatred was even worse than during the war. If Lincoln had lived, things would probably have been different.

But history is what it is. The truth isn’t going to change by those who wish to rewrite the story.

My new release, The Captain’s Challenge, set in three major Georgia cities (modern-day Savannah pictured here) is my take on some of the conflicts experienced by those living in the post-civil war South. I’ve rewritten this story more times than any story I’ve written, but the central theme of love overcoming hate remains the same.

This is Book 3 in the Wolf Deceivers series, but it’s really a stand-alone story. Like Books 1 and 2, the hero and heroine must expose a wolf in sheep’s clothing. There is romance with a heavy dose of suspense. It’s my hope that everyone reading The Captain’s Challenge understands how God can bring enemies together and defeat hate with love.

To celebrate the STT Birthday Bash, I’m offering an e-book copy of The Captain’s Challenge. Any comment will win. To spur you on, tell us your favorite civil-war book or movie.

Gillian Carey has spent the last eight years studying music in England. During that time, the American civil war has claimed two brothers and her mother. Another brother is still missing. She returns to her Georgia home and a dangerous world with her family hiding secrets and her father a broken and brooding man. She turns to Alex Blaine, a union captain, rooming in her ancestral home, to find her missing brother, not realizing Alex is investigating her father for insurrection.

An army intelligence officer, Alex, is on a dangerous assignment to identify anarchists responsible for the unrest in post-civil war Georgia, and all clues lead to Gillian’s father. Alex is attracted to the spirited redhead, but he has secrets of his own other than his army mission. He may have been responsible for her missing brother’s death.

As Alex races against time to expose an enemy bent on starting another war, Gillian is torn between her loyalty to her family and her growing love for the handsome captain. Is he worthy of her trust, or will he betray her as others have?

***FREEBIE ALERT*** Book 1 of this series, The Chieftain's Choice, is free on Amazon now through Aug 19. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP39G5D

Revealing Light: A Book Review

I've been an avid reader since I was a young child. The family photo album hold myriad pictures of me each Christmas nestled in a corner reading one of the books I received that year. As a member of CelebrateLit Blogging team, I have the opportunity to review lots of books, many written by authors who are new to me. I've also met authors through Facebook and other social media outlets.

An author I met recently thanks to a Facebook party is Marilyn Turk, who writes historical fiction set in the Civil War and WWII eras (my two favorite time periods). When she asked if I'd be willing to review her novel, Revealing Light, I jumped at the chance. Here is a bit about the book and my review:

Revealing Light: 
Sally Rose McFarlane follows her dream of being a teacher when she accepts a position as a governess in post-Reconstruction, Florida. A misunderstanding of her previous experience in Ohio forces her to keep a secret to retain her job. When she learns about the recent Jim Crow laws, she realizes she also has to hide her bi-racial ancestry.

When Bryce Hernandez, former Pinkerton agent, becomes a law partner to Sally Rose's employer, he and Sally Rose become involved with each other to stop a smuggling operation involving their employer's dishonest business partner.

What will happen when the family Sally Rose works for leans the truth of her work experience and her parents? How will Bryce react when he finds out? And will anyone find her when she's captured by smugglers, or will it be too late?

Purchase Link: www.amazon.com/dp/B07DJ1217X

My Review: This is the first book by Marilyn Turk I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. I love historical novels that do more than entertain, and Revealing Light is a well-written exploration of the issues bi-racial individuals had to deal with after the Civil War combined with elements of romance and mystery. Sally Rose is a realistic mixture of strength and insecurity. I’ve been researching the Pinkerton detectives and enjoyed meeting Bryce who is heroic and manly, yet sensitive. The villain is wonderfully creepy. Dialogue and description immersed me into the era. The action and suspense kept me turning pages. Themes of acceptance, God’s love, and forgiveness are woven through the story without being preachy. Highly recommended.

Linda Shenton Matchett is an author, speaker, and history geek. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, she was born a stone's throw from Fort McHenry and has lived in historic places all her life. She is a member of ACFW, RWA, and Sisters in Crime. She is an At-Large Member of for the Sisters in Crime New England Chapter and a committee member for Crimebake Writing Conference. Linda is a volunteer docent at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Visit Linda at www.LindaShentonMatchett.com. Sign up for her monthly newsletter to receive links to free ebook sites, book reviews, historical tidbits, news about Linda's latest releases and more!

Harvesting Fruit from the Family Tree

No-no-no ... not the crazy kind of fruit! (Although my family tree has plenty of that.) The helpful kind. The kind that leads you to use an ancestor in your story. 

Pictured here are Ellen and John Lewis, my great-great-grandparents. The photo was taken in 1908 on their 40th wedding anniversary and is still in our family 110 years later.

John was a Civil War vet who mustered into the Union forces as part of the Michigan 7th Cavalry (Yup! Custer's bunch.) on March 2, 1865. He was 18 years old. 

The Michigan 7th Cavalry was engaged a few times after John mustered in, including:
Five Fork, VA, March 30 - April 1, 1865
Duck Pond Mills, VA, April 4, 1865
Sailor's Creek, VA, April 6, 1865
Appomattox Court House, VA, April 8-9, 1865
Even though we don't have any direct evidence that he was or wasn't involved in any of these engagements.

However, he was transferred west at the close of the Civil War to serve during the Plains Indian Wars. He survived, returned to Michigan, and sired the crop of ancestors that leads down to me.

My current work in progress involves a Civil War vet who I've decided knew my great-great-grandfather. How fun is that?!

Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.” When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.

Follow her on Facebook or visit her at PeggThomas.com.

TEXAS in the Civil War

In 1861, about twenty-two thousand families populated the State of Texas, and one in four of them owned slaves. Most of them lived in the eastern part. In January that year, tough Sam Houston tried to forestall it, the state convened a convention, and delegates voted one hundred sixty-six to eight in favor of seceding from the Union. The vote was stacked because seventy percent of those men voting owned slaves.

By March, Texas joined the Confederacy, but its governor remained pro-union, and Sam Houston refused recognize their authority or to take an oath to the new government, so they declared his office vacant. Lincoln offered to send him union troops to resist, but he declined. So his Lieutenant Governor Edward Clark from Marshall, a Confederate supporter, stepped up and into the top position as the eighth governor of the Lone Star State.

General Twiggs

Benjamin McCulloch

The Union’s ailing General Twiggs in San Antonio surrendered all the federally held lands to veteran Texas Ranger Benjamin McCullouch and then evacuated his twenty-seven hundred troops. By the end of the year, twenty-five thousand Texans joined the Confederate army, two-thirds of those as cavalrymen, since no one in Texas liked to walk. The majority served in the southwest part of the state under the leadership of the colorful Rip Cord who commanded the Rio Grande division against Union invaders, Comanche and Mexican raiders.

The region became the Confederacy’s backdoor and a huge financial support through Laredo, a main route to export cotton to Mexico. On March 18, 1864, Union Major Alfred Holt led about two hundred men from Brownsville, Texas’ most southern tip, to destroy five thousand bales of cotton stacked at the San Agustín Plaza. Rising from a sick bed, Colonel Santos Benavides commanded forty-two Confederate soldiers and repelled three Union attacks at Zacate Creek. Benavides secured passage of the five thousand bales into Mexico.

After only five other Texas battles, on June 19, 1865, Union Colonel Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and declared the war over and all slaves free by the Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Sure do love my research for the historical Texas Romance series! Hope you found this tidbit interesting and have a blessed day! Hey, I'd love a comment! :)

In JUST KIN, book six of the Texas Romance series, Henry Buckmeyer takes his men to fight for Texas in the spring of 1861. He’s fully against slavery and hoped Texas would be a Republic again, stay out of the war, but when he saw that wasn’t going to happen, he accepted the rank of General in the Confederate Army. Major Levi Baylor and Wallace Rusk along with Charley, Houston and Bart joined with him, so he could keep them safe.

As they're leaving, a stolen kiss ignites a fire that burns all the way from Texas to New York City. Torn apart by war, rejection, and a letter with news she never wanted, Lacey Rose Langley--half Comanche--takes her shredded heart and runs. Charley figures out something isn’t right, but is duty-bound to the Confederacy until a deathbed order sets in motion a series of events that tests his love, honor, and commitment to the breaking point.

Can the two lifelong friends see past the pain to finally realize God’s plan for them to be more than just kin? 

One thing is certain: Love covers a multitude of sin.  

JUST KIN debuts January 2, but is available now for 

      PRE-ORDER     

Blessed and highly favored

Caryl McAdoo is all about loving God! She currently writes four series: the historical Christian ‘Texas Romance’; a contemporary ‘Red River Romance’; and The Generations, her Biblical fiction, and the newest Days of Dread Trilogy for mid-grade readers. Known as the Singing Pray-er, she loves praising with new songs the Lord gives her and prays her story gives God glory! In 2008, she and her high school sweetheart-husband Ron moved from the DFW area—home for fifty-plus years—to the woods of Red River County. Caryl counts four children and fourteen grandsugars life’s biggest blessings believing all good things come from God. Besides glorifying Him, she hopes each title will also minister His love, mercy, and grace to its readers. Caryl and Ron live in Clarksville, the county seat, in the far northeast corner of the Lone Star State with two grandsons.

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Fun at the TX Civil War Museum

What do you consider fun? History, art, sports? Do you have fun planned for the summer?

Hey y'all, Crystal here. Call me crazy, but I have fun wandering through historical places---be they museums, national landmarks, or old books. Throw in some state parks, hiking, and antique shops and you got yourself one great getaway. :)

Not too long ago, while attending a Gaither Fest concert, I got to visit the Texas Civil War Museum. We were short on time, so I took over a hundred pictures that I could go back and enjoy later.

Here are a few you might find interesting...

Victorian Maternity Dress

Friendship Fan

Here's what the card under the Friendship Fan says, "Dated 1872, the brown wooden fan was signed by many and includes short phrases of remembrances to Emily. This was a fan custom of the times." How cool is that? I think I need to find one to take with me to my next writer's conferences. Wouldn't that be a great way to bring home memories? :)

The layout the museum was pretty cool too. As you walked through the uniforms, weaponry, and such, the north wall held all the Union artifacts and the south wall--yep, you guessed it--the Confederate artifacts. :)


Here are just a couple of pics of some of the weaponry.

Cannons, anyone?

I took many more pictures. I'm talking miniature reactions of battles, ships, and homes, a slew of dresses and uniforms, and General Ulysses S. Grant's presentation sword. I'm sharing some of these on my blog today if you'd like to stop by and see more. :)

So, what about you? Do you find history fun? Do you have any exploring planned for the summer?

(Remember, all those who commenter and leave their email address will be entered in our weekly drawing. Check out our Prizes Galore page for more info.)

The Quaker And The Rebel - A Book Review

I’m excited to tell you about a wonderful historical romance by Mary Ellis, The Quaker and The Rebel. Since yesterday was Lincoln’s birthday and tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, I thought it would be fun to review a romantic adventure set in the Civil War period.  

In this story, Emily Harrison loses her Ohio homestead to foreclosure and accepts a position as governess with a family in slaveholding Virginia. Despite the danger, she continues her efforts as an underground railroad conductor to rescue slaves from her new home.

Alexander Hunt, the owner's nephew is attracted to Emily, but he is a man loyal to the Confederacy and has secrets of his own. He is the elusive Gray Wraith who steals Union supplies and diverts them to the Southern cause. As Emily and Alexander grow closer, danger and betrayal brings complications to their relationship and they must trust God to carry them through challenges they never expected.

Mary Ellis is a multi-talented author and I’m a big fan of her award-winning Amish romances. Eager to see how she used those talents in a different genre, I couldn’t wait to read this book. I wasn’t disappointed. I loved it. Romantic Times Book Reviews must agree since they gave it a 4 and 1/2 stars review. Stop by Mary's website, www.maryellis.net  for some behind-the-scenes insight about her writing journey for this story.

I won’t be surprised to see The Quaker and The Rebel receive awards this year. This is a great read and I hope you will pick up a copy to enjoy.

Don’t forget to look for her novella, Always in My Heart, released on Kindle for 2.99 at Amazon. Please note, if you bought the anthology, An Amish Miracle, you don’t need to buy the novella, since it's included in the anthology.

Do you like to read historical romances? If you do, what do you like best about them?

 

 

Quilting Circle Wisdom

Put yourself in the 1800's. Let's get more specific--let's say you're a woman living in the 1860s. Why might you join a quilting circle?

1. To support the war effort, making quilts for the soldiers. During the Civil War in 1861-1865, women in quilting and sewing circles where among the many who joined forces with various aid societies to help provide for the needs of soldiers on the battlefields and in hospitals, many of them converted homes and schools.

2. To keep your hands and mind busy. My Sis Linda calls quilting her therapy. Quilting is comfort food for her spirit. Quilting was an opportunity to make some beautiful in turbulent times.  

3. To hear and share news. No telephones, Facebook, or Twitter--word of mouth was the most consistent source of news for most women left behind in the war.

4. To learn the craft of quilting and to share your own skill with others. 

5. To participate in a sisterhood that shares joys and sorrows, doubts and faith...with one another.

Did you come up with other reasons to partake in a sewing or quilting circle?

Meet the Saint Charles Quilting Circle in my new book, The Quilted Heart omnibus--3 Novellas in 1.

Once a week, Elsa Brantenberg hosts the Saint Charles Quilting Circle at her farmhouse on the outskirts of the riverside town of St. Charles, Missouri. The ladies who gather there have all experienced heartache related to the intense hardships of the Civil War, and together, they are facing their painful circumstances with friendship and prayer. Can the tattered pieces of their hearts be stitched together by God’s grace? 

Click here to order your copy of The Quilted Heart omnibus, the prequel to Prairie Song, Book 1 in the Hearts Seeking Home Series.

What would be your reason for joining a quilting guild, sewing circle, or knitting klatch? Are you part of a group of women who lend each other spiritual and emotional support?    

Please save the date for THE QUILTED HEART release party! When: Friday, January 24th from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. (Mountain Time) Where: My Facebook Mona Hodgson Author Page / Notes Section As we mingle to celebrate this new release, I will answer questions, give away prizes, share behind-the-scenes stories, and more! Please plan now to join me for this great time of fun and fellowship! If you haven't already "liked" my page, you'll need to like it to participate.

RSVP for the Facebook Release Party for The Quilted Heart