Historical Christmas Party

 

All of us at Colonial Quills blog and Colonial American Christian Writers welcome you to our party! We also have a Facebook Event from 2-4 pm Eastern Time Wednesday, December 15, where you can show off your party gowns and interact with our authors even more! We're sharing that event with friends from the HHH blog, too, so one or more will join us in the afternoon! 

Shannon McNear

Greetings and salutations, gentle readers! I am so excited to get to share this story with all of you.

The daughter of a renowned English artist and explorer, Elinor White Dare journeys to the New World seeking a fresh start and a place to put down roots. What she finds will shake the very foundations of her faith and yet rebuild what she knows of God’s goodness and mercy, even in loss.

This "what if" historical explores the possible fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island, the first attempt at English settlement in America, 20 years before Jamestown.

To celebrate the release of this novel, I am giving away a small "Reader's Retreat" gift bundle, with a signed copy of Elinor (or any of my other books of your choice) accompanied by an "adventure" journal, cranberry rose candle, and two other books by friends of mine, which I had signed at this past July's Mississippi River Readers Retreat. For a chance to win, please comment with your favorite place to curl up and read!

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Pegg Thomas

Merry Christmas!

I'm showcasing my newest release, Maggie's Strength, for today's party.

Maggie Kerr is a survivor. Taken captive at age eleven during the battle at Fort McCord, she's learned to adapt and to trust no one. Promised in marriage to a Huron warrior she fears, Maggie risks everything in a run for her freedom.

Content to ignore the rising animosity between the British and the Ottawa villagers he calls his friends, Baptiste Geroux plants his fields, limping behind his oxen and waiting for his brother to return from the west. Until the day a woman in danger arrives on his farm.

When more tribes join Pontiac in an all-out war, Maggie and Baptiste take refuge at Fort Detroit. He’s distrusted for being French. She’s scorned for being raised by the Hurons. Together they forge a fragile bond—until Maggie's past threatens their chance at happiness.

Follow me on my newsletter for updates and announcements! 

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Naomi Musch

Many happy returns of the season to one and all! I'm happy to hang out with you here today and over on the FB event page. My featured NEW book that releases in just a couple weeks is called Song for the Hunter, and I'm giving away a Kindle copy here on the blog.

30% off through Dec. 16 at the
publisher's site with the
code BESTFRIEND

Song for the Hunter is a sequel to my 2019 Selah and Book of the Year finalist Mist O'er the Voyageur. Here's a brief description of the story:

Métis hunter Bemidii Marchal has never played his flute to court a maiden but considers the possibility at Fort William’s Great Rendezvous. However, when rescuing his sister causes an influential man’s death, the hunter becomes the hunted. Bemidii flees to Lake Superior's Madeline Island. Carrying a secret, Camilla Bonnet travels into the wilderness with her husband where tragedy awaits. Left alone, she fears Bemidii but is forced to trust him. Friendship grows and turns to deeper feelings. Then Bemidii discovers more about the man he killed. Now the secret he hides might turn Camilla’s heart away—and demand his life.

You can read the first chapter on the publisher's site here: https://shoplpc.com/song-for-the-hunter/ or if you want to listen to me reading, you can hear the first few pages (not the whole chapter) on my Youtube channel: https://youtu.be/qtogfNVqTsQ

To enter for an e-copy of Song for the Hunter, just leave a comment about your Christmas plans--what you're excited about, what you're reading, your favorite food, anything! And don't forget to mention your interest in Song for the Hunter!

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Gabrielle Meyer

Merry Christmas, to one and all! I'm thrilled to be back at Colonial Quills sharing in the Christmas festivities. I can't wait to join everyone at the live Facebook party.

Today, I'll be chatting about my upcoming release, When the Day Comes. It will release on May 3, 2022 with Bethany House Publishers. Here's a little more about the story.

How will she choose, knowing all she must sacrifice?

Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other forever--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?

In honor of my new release, I would like to give away an advanced reader copy. They won't be available until February, but the winner will be one of the first to get a copy in the mail! I will choose a winner from among the comments on this blog post. Merry Christmas!

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and subscribe to my newsletter!

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Carrie Fancett Pagels 

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas, as my English ancestors would say! 

Did you know that at the end of my colonial novella, Mercy in a Red Cloak, there is a Christmas scene? This book, like my two 2021 releases Behind Love's Wall and Butterfly Cottage, is set at the Straits of Mackinac and on Mackinac Island! I do have an audiobook of Mercy in a Red Cloak, also, and will be giving away reader's choice of format, including audio code if preferred! And in 2021 my pre-War of 1812 book, Holt Medallion finalist The Steepchase, released in audiobook and I have audiobook codes for Christmas giveaway, too!

From all of us at Colonial Quills blog, we would like to thank you for your readership! You're a blessing to us and we pray our blog posts have blessed you as well!

The wreaths pictured in the post are from Colonial Williamsburg. We hope you'll allow us to serve you a cup of tea, or a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, and bring around some trays of Christmas treats for you to enjoy! 

The blessings of the season to you all!

Father Marquette Burial Site St. Ignace Michigan

Where Father Marquette's Remains Rest 

by Carrie Fancett Pagels

This past summer, while researching some novels, I had the privilege of staying in St. Ignace, Michigan, which is not far from where I grew up. Situated in the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, St. Ignace sits partially on Lake Michigan and also Lake Huron, with a beautiful bay in downtown. Michiganders know it as the place they first arrive (unless they've made a stop on Mackinac Island) in the Upper Peninsula. The Mackinac Bridge spans the gorgeous water here between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas.

Situated in downtown St. Ignace, is the Museum of Ojibawa Culture. This is a great place to visit when you are in the U.P.  I am ashamed to admit that I did not know that this famed priest's remains are at this location, with a lovely monument to the Jesuit priest.  

The St. Ignace Mission, established by Father Marquette in 1671, ministered to the Native Americans in the area. This is a beautiful area on the shores of Lake Huron and Father Marquette requested that when he died, he wished for his remains to be returned to area. I can't say I blame him. When Father Marquette died, at a relatively young age only 37 years old, he was quite a ways from St. Ignace. His body was buried but later disinterred and brought back to the place he requested to be buried. 

If you get a chance, on your next visit to Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, stop by the Museum of Ojibwa Culture and also visit Father Marquette's burial site, adjacent to the left of the structure in a beautiful little park.

Question: Do you visit burial sites other than for immediate family? What has been the most touching site you've ever visited?

Colonial Quills September Tea Party & New Releases

Blurb: 

When a deadly yellow fever outbreak draws Cornelia Gill back home, her new independent life must be abandoned. Injured veteran, Carter Williams, likewise must return to Dogwood Plantation when he suffers grievous family losses. Both become caretakers to younger family members. As the War of 1812 heats up, two wounded hearts begin to heal. But can they manage all that life has handed them?

Links to purchase:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Kobo

Be sure to enter the RAFFLECOPTER Giveaway! 

Connect with Carrie online:

Facebook Author Page

See images related to Carrie’s books on her Pinterest Boards

Contact Carrie through her website www.carriefancettpagels

& sign up for Carrie’s newsletter

Twitter 

Instagram 

Carrie's giving away a copy of Dogwood Plantation in ebook or paperback (USA only unless Book Depository ships to your country) to one commenter on this blog post! 

A Cord of Three Strands

As 1756 dawns, Isaac Lukens leaves the Pennsylvania wilderness after two years with the Lenape people. He’s failed to find the families of his birth parents, a French trader and a Lenape woman. Worse, the tribe he’s lived with, having rejected his peacemaking efforts, now ravages frontier settlements in retaliation. When he arrives in Horsham, the Quaker community where he was reared, questions taunt him: Who is he—white man or Lenape? And where does he belong?

 Elisabeth Alden, Isaac’s dearest childhood friend, is left to tend her young siblings alone upon her father’s death. Despite Isaac’s promise to care for her and the children, she battles resentment toward him for having left, while an unspeakable tragedy and her discordant courtship with a prominent Philadelphian weigh on her as well.

 Elisabeth must marry or lose guardianship of her siblings, and her options threaten the life with her and the children that Isaac has come to love. Faced with Elisabeth’s hesitancy to marry, the prospect of finding his family at last, and the opportunity to assist in the peace process between Pennsylvania and its Indian tribes, Isaac must determine where—and to whom—the Almighty has called him.

LINKS TO PURCHASE:

Amazon (paperback)

Kindle/Kindle Unlimited

Barnes & Noble (paperback)

Be sure to enter the RAFFLECOPTER giveaway!

CONNECT ONLINE:

Christy's Website & Sign up for Newsletter

Facebook Author Page

Pinterest Board

Twitter

Instagram

Donald Duncan joined the Patriot cause for noble reasons, battling the British while enduring deprivation and hardship on every side. The war has changed him, and now the battle is internal. Returning home to Virginia is in sight where a new life and his Mary wait for him.

Mary Stewart spends the war years with her family at Stewarts' Green, helping them operate their ordinary. Daily, she prays for Donald's safe return, eagerly waiting for him ... until that day the evil side of war touches her.

Two hearts changed by a war that dragged on for six years. Two hearts left hurting and struggling to find the love and trust they once knew. Is there a path for them to rekindle what was lost; Setting Two Hearts Free?

Buy Now: Setting Two Hearts Free ~ Releases October 6, 2020

Purchase on AMAZON    

Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas   

Barnes & Noble   

 You can connect with Janet on:

Janet's website                                                                                                                    Facebook                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

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Twitter                                                                                             

Pinterest 

 

A beloved family nativity set follows four generations through time. In 1899, a mysterious newcomer helps Pastor Seth Shepherd save Christmas. In 1919, while journeying by train, Stella Shepherd befriends a war veteran and finds a reason to cease her wanderings. In 1945, Elodie Wise plans a fundraising ball with the help of her friend, a swanky Hollywood headliner. In 2020, Benjie Gabriel thinks the chef’s position she’s just taken at an award-winning bed and breakfast is temporary, until she gets to know the owner. And as the Shepherd family grows through loving relationships, the nativity set also expands with new treasured pieces.

Released September 1!

Buy links:

• Amazon
  
• Christianbook
  
• Barnes & Noble

Connect with Shannon online at shannonmcnear.com (and don't forget to sign up for her Very Occasional Newsletter!) or at any of several social media sites:

• Facebook
• Pinterest
• Goodreads
• Twitter
• BookBub 

To celebrate this new release, Shannon is giving away one paperback copy of this collection, which she is thrilled to share with three very stellar authors!

The Black Rose

About the Book

1893 ~ Logging has reached its golden era in the growing stated of Wisconsin, and twin sisters Jesilyn and Coriann Beaumont enjoy a comfortable live with family in the bustling, Great Lake city of Superior--until jealousy incites Jesi to seduce Cori's fiance, certain she can claim his heart. When things don't go as planned, a flight and fall from grace lands her in a boom town brothel where a fresh start is denied her.

Camp preacher Paul Winter longs to offer hope in the carousing lumber and mining towns of northern Wisconsin, but his successes have been few, and he's begun to question his calling. Then his ministry is challenged in an unexpected way when he meets a lost and broken red-head he calls Pie Girl. Though willing to offer rescue, he's never had to battle his own longings quite this way before. 

Meanwhile, stung by Jesilyn's betrayal, Corianne finds refuge in refusing to forgive, but bitterness might separate her from a second chance at happiness. When tragedy causes fresh sparks between them, will love fail forever? Or is there a way for both women to begin new lives--and find budding love blooming in places neither of them expects?

Buy the book here, or read for FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

Enter Naomi's Rafflecopter drawing to win a copy.

Deadline to enter Naomi's drawing is Sunday night, Sept. 20th.

Let's connect! I always try to follow back.

Naomi's Website 
FB
Bookbub
Goodreads
Amazon
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
Monthly Newsletter

 Heart of a Warrior

by Angela K Couch

The Man She Fears Is Her Only Chance For Survival . . .

All Christina Astle wants is to reach Oregon before her baby is born, but the wagon train is attacked, and her husband killed, stranding her in a mountain labyrinth. Raised in the East, within civilization's embrace, survival is not a skill she's learned. Neither is evading the lone warrior dogging her trail.

Disgusted by the greed and cruelty of men like his white father, Towan has turned to the simpler existence of his mother's tribal people. He is not prepared for the fiery woman who threatens to upturn his entire life ... and his heart.

Connect with Angela: www.angelakcouch.com

Amazon

Goodreads 

To celebrate this release Angela will be giving away a $5 Amazon gift card! 

  

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Be sure to come over to our Colonial Quills Online Facebook Party, too, tonight from 7-9 Eastern Time!

Panis at Fort Michilimackinac--The Forgotten Native American Slaves

Interpretive Assistant LeeAnn Ewer at Colonial Michilimackinac

Colonial Michilimackinac is operating during the Pandemic and is offering new programs this year. I love to visit this colonial-era fort when I am up North researching my books. On one of my visits, I looked through a record of the people baptized by the French priest. There were places where the person was referred to as a "Panis" which I learned was a captured Native American slave from a different tribe. And I was, I admit it, shocked to read of the baptism of babies born to Panis (enslaved) women and the father's name being listed (their owner). We don't think too much about the enslaved Native Americans when we think of slavery in our county.

This year, there is a specific program about the Panis in colonial Northern America, from the early days before European arrivals, to the French, English and finally Americans. We were able to hear LeeAnn Ewer, Interpretive Assistant for the Mackinac State Parks, give a presentation July 1, 2020, at Fort Michilimackinac. We've been privileged to hear her before, and she does an outstanding job. (She has an amazing Pinterest page, too, with Boards of all kinds of colonial-era goodies.)

Some touchpoint about the Panis:

• They were called Panis based on the Pawnees captives taken in as slaves but later referred to any Native American captive who was from "away" from the area to where they were taken.
• They are often the forgotten Indian slaves because there are few records of them.
• Church records of baptisms have been helpful in learning a little of their stories.
• The way in which they were introduced into households changed over time.
• Modern people don't know much about the history of the enslavement of captured Native American slaves but it was widespread and led to later legislation.

Ms. Ewer recommended the book Bonds of Alliance by Brett Rushforth, which has won multiple awards, as a great resource for more information on Native American slave trade. 

Fort Michilimackinac

If you're planning a trip up North, be sure to plan to visit Fort Michilimackinac and all of the parks in the Mackinac State Historic Parks. If you're fortunate, you'll get to hear Ms. Ewer's wonderful presentation. You can also check the schedule ahead of time to see what topics are covered that day.

Colonial Williamsburg During Pandemic: The Greens Are Empty

A sight you may never see again --
Colonial Williamsburg greens by the Courthouse, empty during the pandemic

Colonial Williamsburg During Pandemic

Part 1

The Greens Are Empty!

Living here in the Historic Triangle of Virginia I and my family have been blessed to be able to visit Colonial Williamsburg regularly.  We have splendid re-enactors and incredibly talented craftsman. During this shut-down in Virginia, ordered by our governor, we are limited to what we can do and how we can do it. But we are still able to take walks and my son and I walked through Colonial Williamsburg. There were very few people there and those who were observed the new "social distancing" rule of six feet between yourself and the next person.

The Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse -- Empty during Pandemic

What a strange thing to walk up to the courthouse and have absolutely no visitors lingering on the steps of this popular site! This also gave me a chance to get some good pictures. In a normal April, this is a fantastic time to visit because the weather is usually good and the flowers are blooming. More about that in an upcoming post.

Colonial Williamsburg Mary Dickinson building -- Also empty during the Pandemic

Normally, the wonderful re-enactors are bustling about Williamsburg in their colonial-era costumes. We didn't spy any of those folks on our visit but we did run into one of the craftsmen carpenters who chatted with us, something I've never had happen in the twenty years I've been visiting. He pointed out to my son some of the craftsmanship on one of the building's exterior and said that the seven carpenters at CW are in charge of (the woodwork on) hundreds of buildings. That was interesting!

Peyton Randolph home at Colonial Williamsburg during the Pandemic

We took a nice walk and hope to go again sometime soon. The Peyton Randolph home usually has a line of guests waiting outside (on the side not in the front as in this picture) but of course no one there during our April visit.

Empty Street at Colonial Williamsburg during Pandemic

Above is a scene you'll not normally encounter in Springtime at Colonial Williamsburg. It was quite an eery thing to behold. Usually when I'm at CW, I have trouble getting pictures for the blog that don't have modern-attired visitors in them. Granted these are paved streets in the center for our modern times with some cobblestones on the side.

If you recognize the building above, from Colonial Williamsburg, you might remember we "hosted" a Colonial Quills blog Tea Party there (virtually!) a while back. Never fear, Colonial Williamsburg will endure beyond this pandemic. In the meanwhile, be sure to support Colonial Williamsburg with your donations.

Question: What historic locations are you still able to visit near where you live, during this Pandemic?

Christmas Tea Party & New Release

It's time to celebrate Christmas with a Tea Party to to celebrate a December new releases by Colonial Quills team member, Shannon McNear. Welcome Friends!

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December 1 marks the release of Shannon McNear's first Civil War novel, The Rebel Bride, #10 of the Daughters of the Mayflower.

From the back cover:

In the clash between Union and Confederacy, Tennessee farm girl Pearl MacFarlane is compelled to help care for Yankee wounded, but determines to remain unmoved by their cause—until she faces the silent struggle of Union soldier Joshua Wheeler, a recent amputee.

This story is set September-November 1863, against the backdrop of the Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga in southern Tennessee. As a side note--Pearl is granddaughter to Kate and Thomas from The Cumberland Bride, and Josh is grandson to Sally and Sam from The Highwayman (from The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection.) It was fun to work in hints of the connection!

About Shannon:

Transplanted to North Dakota after more than two decades in the Deep South, Shannon McNear loves losing herself in local history. As the author of four novellas and three full-length novels, with her first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, a 2014 RITA® finalist, her greatest joy is in being a military wife, mom of eight, mother-in-law of three, and grammie of three. She’s also a contributor to Colonial Quills and a member of ACFW and RWA. When not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the northern prairies.

GIVEAWAY! One signed copy of The Rebel Bride! Please comment if you're interested in winning this title to be entered. ❤

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MERRY CHRISTMAS to our Colonial Quills followers! I'm giving away free codes for my new audiobook of colonial novella Mercy in a Red Cloak!

And for my debut book in Christian Fiction on audiobook, too, Return to Shirley Plantation!

All you have to do to enter for these free codes (and I have a lot of them!) is to put "Audio" in your comment and indicate Mercy (for Mercy in a Red Cloak) Return for (Return to Shirley Plantation) or put Mercy Return for both!

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Pegg Thomas is giving away one paperback copy of A Bouquet of Brides that includes her Colonial-era story, In Sheep's Clothing, winner of the 2019 Romance Writers of America, Faith, Hope, & Love Chapter's Readers Choice Award. To be entered for this book, simply comment below and include the word SHEEP somewhere in your comment. Drawing after the close of the Facebook party.
AND THE WINNER IS: KATHY DANHEIM!

 ~*~*~*~

Naomi Musch will be giving away a copy of  Mist O'er the Voyageur, a 2018 Selah and Book of the Year Finalist, and NE MN Book of the Year Nominee. If you haven't yet read this romantic adventure, let Naomi know in a comment  below to be entered in the drawing. 




 

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Janet Grunst will be giving away a copy of The Highlanders, to a continental US blog commenter. This is a Smitten Historical Romance Collection just released in November of four stories that take place in different eras. Never underestimate the heart of a Highlander.  

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Jennifer Hudson Taylor will be giving away the first two novels of her colonial trilogy to one winner. Book 1 is For Love or Loyalty, set in 1760 and begins in Scotland and follows a highland family to Charleston, SC. Book 2 is For Love or Country, set in 1781 during the American Revolution in NC and carries the story of the MacGregor family to the second generation. To a second winner, Jennifer will be giving away a copy of the Backcountry Brides, eight novella collections set during the colonial period by many of the authors here on Colonial Quills.

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Angela K. Couch will be giving a way a winner's choice of her Hearts at War series as a e-book. For more information on these stories check out www.angelakcouch.com. Also, for the Christmas season, enjoy a short story set during the American Civil War. I Heard the Bells will be free for the week on Amazon!

 Virginia, December 1864
Three years ago, Gabriel Morgan left his home in Virginia to fight for the Union army, despite his family and his fiancée’s loyalties to the South. Now, with battle fresh in his mind, and the war still raging, he chances a quick trip home with one prayer…to make peace this Christmas.

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Please be sure to also come by our Facebook Party tonight, Tuesday December 17th from 6-9 PM Eastern Time! In the meanwhile, sit down for a spell and let us serve you a lovely Christmas tea!

Autumn Tea Party for CQ Authors' New Releases!

Welcome to our Colonial Quills Autumn Tea Party for our authors' new releases!!! Come on in and take a place by the fire as we serve you tea and treats!

Carrie Fancett Pagels:

Mercy in a Red Cloak audiobook

I'm delighted that my colonial-era suspenseful romance is available in paperback, ebook, and now audiobook! Set during the time of Pontiac's War, after the French-Indian War, it took me about seven years to finally have this story released. The audiobook narrator is Bill Anciaux, at fine narrator and he brought Shadrach Clark's and Mercy Clarke's story to life.

Storyline: Famed colonial scout, Shadrach Clark, is sought out in the Straits of Mackinac, when he has gone missing. His dear friend, Mercy, whose circuit-rider father is also missing, joins in the search. Set during the time of Pontiac's War, can love still blossom?

GIVEAWAY: An autographed paperback copy!

Four lovely stories in this collection from Barbour Publishing. I was delighted to write another Mackinac Island-set story. This novella begins right before my Maggie Award winning story My Heart Belongs on Mackinac Island. I had so much fun writing this story because I got to hang out with some of my favorite characters again, such as little Jack Welling.

In Desperate Straits by Carrie Fancett Pagels
Mackinac Island, Michigan, 1894

Desperate for work, Margaret Hadley dresses as a young man to secure a dray driver’s position. When soldiers at the fort threaten her, Mackinac Island’s newest teacher, Jesse Huntington, intervenes.

Denise Weimer:

Today I'm celebrating the release of The Witness Tree, my historical romance set in 1805 Cherokee Territory. 

Past betrayal has turned John Kliest’s passion to his work as a builder and surveyor in the Moravian town of Salem, North Carolina. Now, to satisfy the elders’ edict and fulfill his mission in Cherokee Territory, he needs a bride. But the one woman qualified to record the Cherokee language longs for a future with his younger brother.

Clarissa Vogler’s dream of a life with Daniel Kliest is shattered when she is chosen by lot to marry his older brother and venture into the uncharted frontier. Can she learn to love this stoic man who is now her husband? Her survival hinges on being able to trust him—but they both harbor secrets.

The Witness Tree on Amazon

I'll be sharing more about the Moravians and Cherokees during my 5:30 time slot on the Facebook party, when I'll also be giving away e-book copies of both The Witness Tree and my new contemporary romance, Fall Flip (Fall Flip on Amazon), plus a Moravian-themed goody pack. If you'd like to win a PRINT copy of The Witness Tree, leave a comment here on our blog (U.S.).

Janet Grunst:

Janet Grunst here. Thanks for joining us for our fall release party.

I’m privileged to be a part of THE HIGHLANDERS, the second Smitten Historical Romance Collection that releases November 15th. While the four stories are all about men from the Scottish Highlands, two are set in America and two are set during the Colonial period. They are all quite different from each other. My story The Year Without Summer takes place in 1816 in the Scottish Highlands and Northern Ireland. At the party, I'll share some fun details about the book's cover and more about the stories.

I will be giving away a signed copy of The Highlanders to one USA commenter on the blog. Enjoy the party. 


Naomi Musch

Hi there, Colonial Quills Readers! Everyone finished brewing their tea yet? I’ll just stir a dollop of honey into my cup while I tell you about my upcoming release, also in THE HIGHLANDERS collection, available for pre-order and going live on November 15^th. 

In this novella collection spanning two centuries and featuring Highlander heroes, my story A TENDER SIEGE is about grieving widow Lachlan McRea of his Majesty’s 42 Highlanders wounded during Pontiac’s War in the Battle of Bushy Run. Begging God to take him, and longing only to see his lost wife and child again, Lachlan is discovered by Wenonah, an Odawa widow living on her own precarious edge of safety and need. In aiding one another, Lachlan and Wenonah’s perils increase, but if he can let go of the woman he once loved, he might yet find healing for both body and soul.

The Highlanders Collection is four novellas spanning two centuries, with four distinct authors’ voices, settings, and story styles. Pre-order is available, and by signing up for my newsletter, you can get a sneak peek at the complete first chapter of A TENDER SIEGE.

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Another recent release of mine isn’t Colonial, but I hope you’ll take a peek. THE BRIGHTEST HOPE concludes my Echoes of the Heart WWI and post war series. 

Holly Allen is a well-adjusted war widow who’s developed a knack for running the family press. Her world is turned upside down when she hires “front man” Hugh Phelps to give customers the man-in-charge image they want. With the ghosts of his past, Hugh is anything but a white knight riding in to sweep her away from her cares. Yet when new beginnings finally do seem possible, old heartaches from the war come calling. Now it might only be in letting go of everything dear that they both discover what real love is.

Want to enter to win a signed, full paperback set of the series? Copy and Share the image below on social media and tag me in the post, and I’ll add your name to the drawing. (If it’s easier, you can go to my FB author page or Twitter profile page and share it from there.)

https://amazon.com/author/naomimusch

Angela Couch 

Nothing like a tea party to warm spirits. Not that there was much time for tea or parties in the middle of the war for American freedom. After three years, my Hearts at War series is complete:

It started deep in the Mohawk Valley with the Battle of Oriskany, where Rachel Garnet looses her father and stumbles upon (quite literally) a wounded British captain. They don't expect him to last the night, but when he starts to recover, how will they keep his presence a secret?

 Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility meets the wilderness of Colonial America.

Book two took us south with Daniel Reid. After three years service in the Colonial Army, and he's still not ready to go home to the Mohawk Valley. He takes a message to the legendary Swamp Fox, and finds himself in a tangle of spies and intrigue, where he can't be certain who he can trust.

Book four brought us home. Burying his wife is the hardest thing Joseph Garnet has done, until he's called to leave his young son and baby daughter to fight Iroquois raiders. When one of the marauders tries to steal his horse, the last thing he expects is to end up tussling with a female. The girl is wounded, leaving Joseph little choice but to haul her home to heal—an act that seems all too familiar.

And finally, it all comes together.

The war for American freedom is over, and the British have gone back to England. Not knowing what has become of his family since he was forced into the Continental Army nine years earlier, Myles Cunningham wants to go home as well. He returns to the Mohawk Valley with the understanding that he is believed to have been shot for deserting—fiction that might be made real if anyone recognizes him as the son of a Tory and a King's Ranger.
Everything is wonderful in the growing community along the Mohawk River, except Nora Reid is still alone. With her brother happily settled and both her younger sisters starting families of their own, Nora feels the weight of her twenty-four years. A long walk leads her to the overgrown rubble of the Cunningham homestead where a bearded stranger begins to awaken feelings she'd lost hope of ever experiencing.
With secrets abounding—including whether Myles even cares for her—Nora must determine what she is ready to give up and how far she will go to secure his affections. She begins to break through his defenses, but Myles can't risk staying. Not if he loves her.

Read more and find buy links on my website: www.angelakcouch.com 

Between here and the facebook party, I will be giving away an e-book of each of these stories!

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Our Facebook Party begins at 5 pm Eastern Time tonight, October 30th, 2019.

Click here to attend. 

Comment here on the blog for giveaways associated with this post and come by the Tea Party tonight for more fun and giveaways! As always, thank you so much for celebrating with us!