Whether it's a conversation with a friend, a word that is penned, or a craft that is made, everything we do leaves a stitch in the fabric of time. Join us as we investigate the stitches of the past and present...
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ... a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7).
My new novella Love in Pictures started with one sentence.
I wrote the sentence in response to Cheryl Wyatt’s TOTW (Topic of the Week) writing prompt on Jan. 3, 2017. Cheryl is the TOTW Coordinator for ACFW. She asked us to share the opening to our latest work in progress. Since I don’t like to share what I’m working on publicly but still wanted to participate, I made up an opening line. One sentence that read:
"Michelle Hadley stared at the Adobe Photoshop editing screen on her computer and sighed, lost in her thoughts and bemused by the fact that she was an award-winning wedding photographer who’d never been in love." ~Opening line for my latest story/work in progress, "Love in Pictures."
Within minutes, I’d made a new friend who responded to my e-mail. She said: Love that your character is a wedding photographer! So am I!!!! Here is my website: http://www.jessicamaephoto.com - if I can ever help with any photo questions, don't hesitate to ask!!!! :)
I took it as a sign from God that I was onto something and needed to keep writing the story. So I did and that one sentence turned into a paragraph then that paragraph turned into a scene and the scene continued into a chapter. Long story short, I finished writing this story in September 2017.
Writing this story was not smooth sailing. There were plenty of moments where it felt like writer’s block and other real-world struggles were suffocating my creativity but thanks to the help of God-fearing friends, God helped me see my story through to completion.
I hope and pray that Love in Pictures inspires your heart and teaches you that there are no limits to God’s love for you!
Alexis A. Goring is a writer at heart who loves the arts and the color blue because of its serenity and soulful beauty.
She’s an established author, blogger, editor, writer, and photographer who enjoys exploring matters of the heart.
As a freelance writer, she covered President Barack Obama, wrote the Growing Up column for Collegiate Quarterly (CQ), which reached readers around the world, and served as the editor of a county newspaper. Blogging is one of her favorite pastimes, and she founded the mission-focused blog God is Love.
Love in Pictures is her second book published by Forget Me Not Romances. Alexis hopes that her writing will connect readers with the forever love of Jesus Christ.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys spending quality time with loved ones, shopping, dining in her favorite restaurants, reading, listening to music, and baking for her church.
It’s with pleasure that I write a piece for the Stitches Thru Time Blog. I began years ago as one of its regular bloggers. But, alas, I can never keep up a blog. I’m terrible with keeping up journals and/or diaries too. Instead my time seems better spent writing books.
Two of the books I’ve written in the past 4 years are the first in my series, titled A Thousand Shall Fall and Too Deep for Words. The third book will release some time next year and it’s titled, There Is A Season. All three books take place in the Shenandoah Valley, home of the famed Shenandoah River.
What is it about rivers anyway? Stop a moment with me and think about my question. Rivers evoke emotions, of course. Serenity and longing, sadness and fear. They inspire songs like “Moon River,” “Old Man River,” and “Proud Mary” who’s “rolling on the river,” just to name a few tunes. There’s also “Oh, Shenandoah,” an early nineteenth century folk song about the Shenandoah River. Most of us have heard it, but if you’re not familiar with the song, below is a YouTube link to a lovely, heart-tugging rendition.
Figure 1: The Shenandoah River taken from a Mountain Lookout
Indeed, the same elements of romance and mystery surround the Shenandoah Valley or “Daughter of the Stars,” as the Native Americans called it, and a couple of years ago my husband Daniel and I decided to take a road trip and explore it. We picked the perfect time of year, October. The trees were just beginning to turn.
The year we went was 2014, which also marked the 150th anniversary of the Battles of Winchester III and Cedar Creek which some would argue ensured a Union victory during the American Civil War.
Figure 2: Historical Marker on Old Valley Pike (US 11)
Figure 3: Marker and the place where both Union and
Confederate troops bivouacked
Battles for control of the Shenandoah Valley involved legends of the Civil War—men like Turner Ashby, also known as the “Black Knight of the Confederacy,” and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson on the Confederate’s side. On the Union’s side were notable officers like Phillip “Little Phil” Sheridan and George “Autie” Custer, two men who went on to fight Indian wars in the west after the Civil War ended. General Sheridan was also instrumental in the preservation of the land now known as the Yellowstone National Park.
I’m an American History enthusiast, so the Valley’s rich history beckoned me. It was the second day of our road trip, a perfect autumn day, warm and sunny when Daniel and I visited historic Winchester. I walked past the Taylor Hotel that often served as a hospital for wounded soldiers. During the Civil War, the town was the center of three battles, one in May of 1862, the second in June of 1863, and the last in September, 1864.
Why so many? Winchester is the gateway to the Shenandoah Valley.
Figure 4: The Taylor Hotel which served as a hospital during the CW
Figure 5: Historic Winchester
I had no problem imagining the ladies of Winchester, Virginia, caring for soldiers who had been wounded in those conflicts. But no matter how gruesome the task, these courageous women rolled up their sleeves and tended to bloodied, wounded warriors. During America’s Civil War, their town, located in the lower Shenandoah Valley, was no stranger to cavalry raids, guerilla ambushes, and clashes between the North and the South.
Diarist Laura Lee lived in Winchester. She was age thirty-eight when she wrote the following on October 19, 1864: “Heavy cannonading was heard here from daylight this morning. It was distant but very distinct. By 10 o’clock, news came that (General) Early had made the attack at Middletown and had been very successful, cutting up the 6th and 19th Corps badly and capturing a large number of guns and prisoners” (excerpt from Winchester Divided, p. 173).
But the Confederate successes were short lived. The famed “Sheridan’s Ride” took place that day, and the commander sufficiently roused his war-weary troops and led them on to victory. The Shenandoah was then in control of the Union Army and stayed that way until the end of the war.
You can see more pictures of my road trip and some historical images on my Pinterest Board, “A Thousand Shall Fall.” Click on the link below.
Later that morning, Daniel and I decided to spend time cruising Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park. It’s known for its spectacular views, and that’s no understatement!
We stopped at Signal Knob, a place on Massanutten Mountain where Confederate soldiers spied on the Union Army. Southerners watched Yankees’ movements, and then signaled their commanders as to the enemy’s location. At just the right time, the Rebel Army would attack.
Figure 6: Andrea at Signal Knob (on a windy day)
Afterwards, Daniel and I paused on the Old Valley Pike (US 11) to glimpse the historic Stickley farm (now private property). The home once belonged to Colonel Daniel Stickley. During General Jubal Early’s pre-dawn attack on October 19th, the Stickley property became a battlefield. Later, the Stickley’s home became a hospital. The sturdy pine kitchen table was used for surgical amputations.
Figure 7: The Stickley Farm
In his book, From Winchester to Cedar Creek, Historian Jeffry Wert quotes a soldier who survived the Cedar Creek battle. “Here one of our boys, Anthony Riley, was shot and killed…His father was by his side; the blood and brains of his son covered the face and hands of the father. I never saw a more affecting sight than this; the poor old man kneels over the body of his dead son; his tears mingled with his son’s blood. O God! What a sight.” (Kindle e-book edition, location 4781).
The next day, Saturday, our final visit was Middletown and its annual Civil War Weekend. The majority of events were held on the Belle Grove Plantation grounds. Some 5,000 re-enactors descended on the plantation’s grounds, and about the same number of attendees were expected, making this particular Civil War event one of the nation’s largest.
Figure 8: The Cooley Mansion (aka Belle Grove Plantation)
Figure 9: This is the office inside the mansion that General Philip
Sheridan used when Belle Grove served as Federal Headquarters
Figure 10
Figure 11: Andrea with two “living historians.”
Figure 12: Reenactors pose for a picture
But before we left for home, I asked Daniel if we could stop and see the Shenandoah River once more. I was particularly drawn to its north fork near Front Royal where a skirmish between Yankee and Rebel cavalries took place in August of 1864. The river was shallow last year, but its banks were just as hallowed as ever.
As we drove home to Wisconsin I realized that rivers are living entities, life sustainers, and, most importantly, God’s creation. Like these rolling waters, remnants of history will continue to ebb and flow throughout generations. However, it’s up to us to keep them alive.
Figure 13: Andrea at the north fork of the Shenandoah River near Front Royal
Leave a comment below to be entered in this post's giveaway. One blessed winner will receive a copy of A Thousand Shall Fall AND Too Deep for Words.
Winner's choice of print or ebook, although outside of the USA will get an ebook. Winner will be announced in the Weekly Wind-up post on Monday, Aug 14 so be sure to check back to see if you won!
AUTHOR BIO
Andrea Boeshaar has been married for nearly 40 years. She and her husband, Daniel, often brag about their 5 precious grandchildren. Andrea’s publishing career began in 1994. Since then, thirty of her books have gone to press with nearly one million copies in print! Additionally, Andrea cofounded ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and served on its Advisory Board. In 2007, Andrea earned her certification in Christian life coaching and she and her husband operate Steeple View Ministries which strives to eradicate illiteracy throughout the United States and the world by providing wholesome alternatives with clear Christian messages to readers.
I hadn't planned it this way, but God knew. Then again, doesn't He always?
My mentor, a sweet woman from my old church in Kansas City, and I had planned our phone
conversation nearly a month prior. Three weeks before my startling, confusing, and flat out
discouraging hiccup had hit. My inclination was to mope, to retreat, a default tendency God is
working out of me.
But then, in our conversation I learned my precious friend was dealing with much more than a
hiccup. She was, in fact, awaiting news that had the capacity to level her family. Knowing this,
her words to me held such power and challenge.
She said, "Recognize this moment, where you're at, is good."
Chew on that. Chew on it in light of whatever you are or might soon be facing, and chew on it in
light of God's character.
If you’re honestly trying to follow and honor God, where you're at, wherever God has you in this
moment, is good.
You did nothing wrong. You're not being punished. God's not done with you, or displeased with
you. To the contrary, He's passionately in love with you and only has your absolute best in mind.
Even in the hard, disappointing, or painful.*
So I say to you, live in the good of now. Soak up every blessing that comes your way. Don't let
the hard or disappointing keep you from the beautiful. And use every moment, every event, as an
opportunity to lean harder on Christ as you recognize your utter dependence on Him.
Meditate on this promise, spoken by God Himself:
"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you: He will neither
fail you nor abandon you" (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT).
At this moment, regardless of where you are or are not, God is going before you, working
everything out for your good and according to His perfect plan. So relax, trust, and keep moving
forward, remaining fully present in the present.
If you're in a time of waiting, rest. Relax. Enjoy each moment, knowing God will reveal your
next step, in His perfect timing.
If you're trudging through the mundane, rest. Relax. Ask God to open your eyes to the hidden
blessings He provides each day.
If you're in the hard, rest. Draw near, and let this time, as painful as it is, be a sweet, intimate
moment between you and your Savior, a chance to come to know Him on a deeper level.
If you're standing at the top of a mountain peak after a long treacherous climb, pause, rest, and
rejoice in the God who brought you through.
When you read God's promise in Deuteronomy 31:8, what thoughts came to mind? How does it
feel knowing, at this moment, God is going before you, leveling mountains, breaking down gates
of iron and cutting through bars of iron. (Isaiah 45:2) Share your thoughts or insights with us in
the comments below, because we can all learn from and encourage one another.
*Please note, this post does not apply to those living in sin or dealing with the consequences of
sin. This is for those who, as they’re walking with God, have experienced a setback,
disappointment, or difficult time.
Author, speaker, and ministry leader Jennifer Slattery writes for Crosswalk.com, is the
managing and acquiring editor for Guiding Light Women’s Fiction, and the founder of Wholly
Loved Ministries, a ministry that exists to help women experience God’s love and discover,
embrace, and live out who they are in Christ. She and her team travel to various churches to
speak to women and help them experience the love and freedom only Christ can offer. When not
writing, editing, or speaking, you’ll likely find her chatting with her friends or husband in a
quiet, cozy coffeehouse. Visit her online at JenniferSlatteryLivesOutLoud.com and connect with
her and her Wholly Loved team at WhollyLoved.com
Genre: Women’s fiction with a strong romantic thread
Dual setting—Southern California, and El Salvador
A news anchor intern has it all planned out, and love isn't on the agenda. Brooke Endress is on the cusp of her lifelong dream when her younger sister persuades her to
chaperone a mission trip to El Salvador. Packing enough hand sanitizer and bug spray to single-handedly wipe out malaria, she embarks on what she hopes will be a once-in-a-lifetime
experience. But Brooke is blindsided by the desperation for hope and love she sees in the orphans’ eyes. And
no less by the connection she feels with her handsome translator. As newfound passion blooms,
Brooke wrestles with its implications for her career dreams. Ubaldo Chavez, teacher and translator, knows the struggle that comes with generational poverty.
But he found the way out – education – and is determined to help his students rise above. When he agrees to translate for a mission team from the United States he expects to encounter a
bunch of "missional tourists" full of empty promises. Yet an American news anchor defies his
expectations, and he finds himself falling in love. But what does he have to offer someone with
everything?
Howdy y'all! Crystal here and today I've got a special guest for you--my sister!
Jeanna and Crystal - Then
Jeanna & Crystal - Now
Jeanna is like super-crafty. She can sew, quilt, crochet, bake, cook, and make just about anything, even jewelry. Oh and did I mention she loves decorating for almost every major holiday on the calendar. :)
Well, yesterday she sent me a picture of her newest crafty creation--an Easter Bunny Pompom Wreath. I thought it was so cute I asked her to share it with y'all today. Generous gal that she is, she agreed. :)
So here it is...
Easter Bunny Pompom Wreath
Materials Needed:
1 - large Plastic Canvas Sheet
1 - pink sheet of felt
1- 6" Wooden Embroidery Hoop (for the head)
1 - 10" Wooden Embroidery Hoop (for the body)
1 - piece of crafting wire (~20 gauge)
Yarn to make pompoms
40 - Extra Small Pompoms (for ears)
Varying Numbers of Small, Medium, and Large Pompoms (for head and body)
Quick tips on Pompoms:
Extra Small Pompoms can be made using a fork:
Wrap yarn around the end of the fork prongs multiple times
Thru the middle gap, tie the yarn together with a small piece of string
Slide the yarn off the fork
Cut through the loops making the lengths as evenly as possible
Fluff the yarn into a pompom
Small, Med, and Large Pompoms
Pompom makers sold in craft stores come in very handy or you can look online for various ideas.
When you tie off the pompoms, leave an extra length to fasten to the frame.
Directions:
Ears:
Cut out 4 (four) rabbit ear shapes from the plastic canvas sheet.
Cut out 2 rabbit ear shapes from the felt that will leave a 1/4" of canvas showing all around the sides and top. the felt will need to go to the bottom of the canvas.
Take 1 felt ear and 2 plastic canvas ears. Center and Sew the felt to the canvas. Repeat for second ear.
Sew the extra small pompoms on the edge of the ears, leaving the bottom edge open.
Using crafting wire, attach the two embroidery hoops together and attach the ears to the smaller of the two hoops.
Securely tie the small, medium, and large pompoms to the loops using the extra length.
That's it! Feel free to accessorize with a stuffed carrot, Easter sign, eggs, etc.
Happy Easter, y'all!
Leave a comment for your chance to win Return to the Misty Shore by Bonnie Leon! Winner will be announced in the Weekly Windup on April 17th.
If reading transports one to another world, what does that
say about the book’s author? One might thing the act of writing is a sedentary
act, and at times, that’s true. But before the ink hits the page, the writer
often must embrace one adventure after another. From rock climbing to stained
glass art classes and visits to state penitentiaries (though they never let me
in and, well, I didn’t think it wise to force the warden’s hand), readers might
be surprised the lengths a writer will go to research a story.
Luckily, most times, our research trips are fun. And filled
with great food.
If you’ve read any of my novels, you may have picked up on
my severe coffee and ice cream addiction. It seems I can’t write a story
without including at least one coffeehouse and ice cream shop. And I love finding unique scene settings that
capture the flavor of an area.
Restoring Lovewas
especially fun to write as it’s set in my stomping ground—Omaha. My main
character’s journey had been pinging through my brain for a while, begging to
come out. She started in Kansas City, where her daughter’s story, Beyond I Do, is set. And I suppose I
could’ve kept her there, but then, well … Omaha.
Old Market
If you’ve never been to this city, I encourage you to make a
trip. We’re famous for our zoo, credited by TripAdvisor to be the best in the
world. (Mitch, my hero, attempted to take Angela there on a date, but, well,
his invitation turned incredibly awkward. And resulted in him painting a fence.)
We’ve also got an incredible downtown area called the Old Market.
This is my absolutely favorite Omaha location, and it’s a place my family and I
visit often. In fact, this historical area is so romantic, it’s one of my
favorite date night locations.
Since this does make it into my story, on the rare occasion
Mitch doesn’t flub the invite, I’ll share more about it.
The Old Market has brick paved streets, a passageway that
will make you feel as if you’ve stepped into an elegant Italian villa,
musicians playing on various street corners, and it houses some of the best and
most unique restaurants in Omaha, and perhaps all of Nebraska. My favorites are
the Twisted Fork and Plank.
Plank
The latter made it in to my story. I’d tell you more, but I
worry that’d be a spoiler. ;)
If you could visit any setting locations from one of you
favorite books, where would you go and why? If you’re an author, share one of
your favorite research trips with us.
Novelist and speakerJenniferSlattery has a passion for helping women discover, embrace, and
live out who they are in Christ. As the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries, she and her team put on events at partnering churches
designed to help women rest in their true worth and live with maximum impact.
She writes devotions for Internet Café Devotions, Christian living articles for
Crosswalk.com, and edits for Firefly, a Southern fiction imprint with LighthousePublishing of the Carolinas. When not writing, reading, or editing, Jennifer
loves going on mall dates with her adult daughter and coffee dates with her hilariously
fun husband.
Mitch,
a contractor and house-flipper, is restoring a beautiful old house in an
idyllic Midwestern neighborhood. Angela, a woman filled with regrets and recently
transplanted to his area, is anything but idyllic. She's almost his worst
nightmare, and she s also working on restoring something herself. As he
struggles to keep his business afloat and she works to overcome mistakes of her
past, these two unlikely friends soon discover they have something unexpected
in common, a young mom who is fighting to give her children a better life after
her husband's incarceration. While both Mitch and Angela are drawn to help this
young mother survive, they also find themselves drawn to each other. Will a
lifetime of regrets hold them back or unite them and bring redemption along
with true love?
Recalling the Christmas our family spent in Senegal, West Africa in the early ‘80’s and the way Army deployments kept my husband away for two Christmases reminds me of one of my heroines, who experienced Christmas in London in 1942-43.
Kate Isaacs, Addie’s best friend in my novel In Times Like These, spent this holiday season far away from home. Letters from Addie, who experienced a cold, lonely Iowa Christmas, too, buoyed Kate during her search for her husband, a Royal Air Force pilot.
But faith and friendship have the power to span seemingly insurmountable gaps. World War II began for most Americans just before Christmas of ’41, with the Pearl Harbor bombing. My mother-in-law, almost ninety-one, recalls the Sunday afternoon broadcast of the Japanese attack.
As a teen, she realized instantly that her brother, who’d already completed his basic training, would be called up. By 1942, many families had empty spots at their holiday table. And each Christmas, the number of deployed grew—as did the number missing in action or killed.
For Kate, bombed-out London did finally produce her husband, but soon after their brief rendezvous on Christmas, 1944, the Nazis shot his plane down for the last time. Crushed and grieving, Kate discovered that she now carried his child.
In an unselfish act of friendship, Addie digests this news and determines to help Kate somehow. Could she volunteer on a Red Cross ship crossing the mine-infested Atlantic to get to Kate?
Those who’ve read In Times Like These already know that answer, but there’s far more to Kate and Addie’s story! With Each New Dawn, releasing in February with Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, tells that tale.
But for now, let’s consider Christmas in Great Britain during the war. Many children spent Christmas away from home as evacuees. By the end of the war, thousands of families had suffered a loved one’s death, either in action or in the bombing.
Many had lost their homes and lived in London’s tube stations or some other temporary housing. Christmas luxuries were nonexistent, with even basic foods scarce. But people found substitutes for normal ingredients. Homemade, practical gifts abounded, and children’s toys rose from recycled materials.
In 1941, the Ministry of Supply decreed that “... no retailer shall provide any paper for the packing or wrapping of goods excepting food stuffs or articles which the shopkeeper has agreed to deliver.”
Creating loving gifts and keeping them a surprise became an adventure in ingenuity. Packages for soldiers contained hand-knitted socks and sweaters. And back in London, faith made all the difference as citizens carried out Winston Churchill’s wishes in his 1941 Christmas address:
“This is a strange Christmas Eve. Almost the whole world is locked in deadly struggle, and, with the most terrible weapons which science can devise, the nations advance upon each other. Ill would it be for us this Christmastide if we were not sure that no greed for the land or wealth of any other people, no vulgar ambition, no morbid lust for material gain at the expense of others, had led us to the field. Here, in the midst of war, raging and roaring over all the lands and seas, creeping nearer to our hearts and homes, here, amid all the tumult, we have tonight the peace of the spirit in each cottage home and in every generous heart. Therefore we may cast aside for this night at least the cares and dangers which beset us, and make for the children an evening of happiness in a world of storm. Here, then, for one night only, each home throughout the English-speaking world should be a brightly-lighted island of happiness and peace.”
It’s healthy to look back at Christmas in other times—we have so very much for which to be grateful.
Gail Kittleson taught college expository writing and ESL. Now she focuses on writing women’s fiction and facilitating writing workshops and women’s retreats. She and her husband enjoy family in northern Iowa, and the Arizona Ponderosa forest in winter.
“You will report yourself to Capt. D. Brown who will aid you in procuring quarters. You will then have liberty to walk in the roads in the said town to the extremity of its limits which will be designated to you by said Capt. D. Brown and you will report yourself personally to him at his house the Saturday of each week…And I do require, that all letters wrote or received by you , be sent for inspection to this office, and also notify you that conversations on the subject of a public nature, with citizens are expressly forbidden."
These were instructions to an officer from upper Canada, who was captured by Americans during the battle of Lundy's Lane during the War of 1812. As an officer, he received a sort of parole, though, as you can see, this parole was highly limited. Not to be able to talk to those he might pass on his limited strolls through the town is sad and unnatural. He had a family. At least one letter to his father was preserved. Other prisoners had wives, parents, and sweethearts.
“This is the first and only opportunity that may occur of my writing during the War.” This is from a letter by William Merritt, another officer fighting for the British during the War of 1812, to his fiancée, Catherine Prendergast, who was an American from New York State. “I embrace it most cordially although I do not conceive it to be very safe. The unhappy situation which our Countries are placed in will deprive me [from] time of the greatest pleasure I have ever enjoyed viz. seeing you, as we were actuated by no juvenile affection the world cannot convince me you will ever forfeit that confidence I have ever placed in you, and which my life consists.”
When I read things like this during research, my heart aches for the pain of separation and uncertainty that a happy future will ever be possible for the couple. My heart also warms to see that distance, war, division between their two nations does not dim their affection for one another.
Love can transcend the division of nations.
Why we went to war with Great Britain in 1812 and kept going even after they burned our capital city in 1814, will forever be debated. We fought over trade rights. We fought over impressment of our sailors into British ships. We fought over a determination to prove that we were a sovereign nation that could not be pushed around. Half the country was against the war. Much of the reasoning behind the declaration was perhaps exaggerated.
We were certainly unprepared. Our Army was ill-trained and small. Our Navy was miniscule, but our men could sail and were willing to fight. Privateers took to the sea to make their fortunes and helped us gain an advantageous treaty despite us losing most of our land battles and going up against the greatest Navy ever known.
We got our trade rights clarified. We stopped losing our sailors to British ships. We gained the Northwest Territory, which includes what are now Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, a bit of Minnesota, and my native Michigan.
Perhaps because I grew up in Michigan, this little taught, often confusing war has always fascinated me. My newest release, My Enemy, My Heart, flips William and Catherine’s story, with my heroine being a noncombatant prisoner of war in Great Britain, who marries an Englishman for protection, while planning to free the crew from her father’s merchantman from a British prison. Because she is married to an Englishman, the act is treason, and Deirdre is torn between loyalty to the only family she has ever known, and the man with whom she is falling in love.
The human toll of war—divided lives, divided loyalties; broken hearts, and broken promises. Because this is a romance, I get to create a happy ending. I hope William and Catherine had one as well.
My Enemy, My Heart
The sea has always been Deirdre MacKenzie’s home, and the crew of her father’s Baltimore clipper is the only family she loves. She’s happier wearing breeches and climbing the rigging of the Maid of Alexandria than donning a dress and learning to curtsey. But, when the War of 1812 erupts, the ship is captured by a British privateer . With her father, the captain, dead, Deirdre sees her crew herded into the hold as prisoners-of-war. Their fate is the notorious Dartmoor prison in England. Her fate as a noncombatant prisoner is uncertain, but the one thing she knows—she must find a way to free her crew.
Kieran Ashford has caused his family one too many scandals. On his way to exile in America, he is waylaid by the declaration of war and a chance to turn privateer and make his own fortune. But he regrets his actions as soon as the rich prize is secured. Kieran figures his best chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of his family is to offer Deidre the protection of his name in marriage. He has no idea that secrets from his parents’ past and Deirdre’s determination to free her crew are on a disastrous collision course.
Love and loyalty clash, as Kieran begins to win Deirdre’s heart despite her plot to betray him and his family. While Kieran works to mend the relationship with his family, he begins to love his bride in spite of what lies between them.
About Laurie Alice Eakes
“Eakes has a charming way of making her novels come to life without being over the top,” writes Romantic times of bestselling, award-winning author Laurie Alice Eakes. Since she lay in bed as a child telling herself stories, she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a published author, with more than two dozen books in print and several award wins and nominations to her credit, including winning the National Readers Choice Award for Best Regency and being chosen as a 2016 RITA®
She has recently relocated to a cold climate because she is weird enough to like snow and icy lake water. When she isn’t basking in the glory of being cold, she likes to read, visit museums, and take long walks, preferably with her husband, though the cats make her feel guilty every time she leaves the house.
A Guest Post by Alexis A. Goring
