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!

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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!

So Just When Was the Colonial Era?

I had the idea to look into what exactly the colonial era meant as far as actual dates in world history. Well, at least in “North American” history. According the Library of Congress, the colonial era is nearly 200 years long.

Wikipedia - the classic Boston Tea Party painting

Here on the Colonial Quills, we include the post-1776 Revolutionary era up to the War of 1812. (Thanks to Carrie who knows many of us love writing in that time period as well!) After all, there was still a very thin line separating loyalists and the 'new' Americans along the border with Canada. The War of 1812 made a significant change in how those on both sides of the border viewed themselves.

The idea for this post also came from the recent social media promotion of a history project called 1619 by its creator, The New York Times. The year 1619—in fact it was August of that year—is considered the first recorded introduction of African slaves to the shores of the New World.

QUOTE: The 1619 Project is a major initiative from The New York Times observing the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. It aims to reframe the country’s history, understanding 1619 as our true founding, and placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of the story we tell ourselves about who we are.

Here’s a quick overview of what I found and adapted from multiple history websites:

It certainly wasn’t just the British. The London Company might have sent out their first expedition in December of 1606, but the French Huguenots had already built a colony near Jacksonville, Florida in 1564. This didn’t please the Spanish who were quick to establish a military fort at St. Augustine. (Our oldest city on the continent, so they say…)

Who knows how long fishing fleets and explorers from the Nordic nations and European coastal countries were passing by and setting up semi-permanent camps along the present-day Canadian Maritimes and the “New England” coast? It seems that these fishermen and hunters had decent relationships with the indigenous people (though whether they introduced diseases or not is another story). “American” history looks back to the 1580s when the English colonized Roanoke Island (now part of North Carolina), leading to one of the better mysteries of the era. (The Lost Colony of Roanoke.)

Wikipedia- Jamestown Settlement Museum

Wikipedia- Massachesetts Bay Colony

Throughout the early 1600s appeared Jamestown (England), Quebec (France) and New Amsterdam (Holland). By the 1650s, colony-makers like Plymouth Company, the Massachusetts Bay Company, the Company of New France and the Dutch West India company had sent out families and men skilled in all aspects of agriculture and trades. It was a true competition to land-grab the continent's rich resources…
With NO CONSIDERATION of those people already living here, nor the use of slave labor. And slave labor did not always mean Africans taken against their will. As we all know, slavery would ultimately be the center of an agricultural economy. 

Wikipedia: 'slave ship'

Throughout the 1700s, wars were raged on this continent and around the world for ownership of Americas. What we’ve been handed down is a rich history of multi-culturalism as well as the more base hallmarks of human nature—taking advantage of those less fortunate, and ‘might makes right.’ It all leads to more story fodder than we could ever address. 

So thank you, readers, for your support our desire to celebrate stories of our long colonial era.

Eight Year Blog Anniversary!

Message from Administrator Carrie Fancett Pagels: Eight years and so many posts later (OVER one million three hundred page views!!!), we're still sharing our love of colonial America with our readers! Welcome to our celebration! With wonderful new contributors and ongoing fantastic colonial-era authors we are really blessed. Come sit down and enjoy a lovely high tea with us! Leave us a comment and you may find one of our many contributors pouring you a cup of tea or offering you a lovely tray of fine sandwiches, savories, and sweets . . . or one of our author giveaways!

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J.M. Hochstetler

Hello, everyone! It’s hard to believe that Colonial Quills is eight years old already. And what a wonderful journey it’s been, full of friends and fellowship and learning new things about the colonial period! It’s a real privilege to be a part of this fun and congenial group, and I’m so grateful for our talented leader, Carrie Fancett Pagels, who started this crazy ball rolling, to all the members who contribute to the blog, and to all our faithful readers!  May there be many more years ahead of us.

For the party I’m giving away a copy of my upcoming June release, Refiner’s Fire, Book 6 of my American Patriot Series—or any of the previous books in the series, if preferred.

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ROSEANNA WHITE

What a joy it's been to be part of the Colonial Quills blog! I've been working primarily in the Edwardian and WWI eras for the last few years so haven't been popping up on here much, but I still consider CQ one of my blog homes. =)

For the party, I'd be happy to offer a reader a signed copy of my June 4 release, The Number of Love.

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SHANNON MCNEAR

Welcome, gentle readers! What a huge blessing Colonial Quills has been to me for the past six years. From my first novella, Defending Truth in A Pioneer Christmas Collection, which had the amazing honor to final for a RITA® award, to The Highwayman (originally The Most Eligible Bachelor Collection and now re-released both as a single title and in a smaller collection, To Catch A Bachelor) and The Counterfeit Tory in Backcountry Brides, I've had the joy of writing colonial fiction. My first full-length in print, The Cumberland Bride, #5 of Daughters of the Mayflower, is set in 1794 Tennessee and Kentucky, technically the early Federal Era but a natural extension of my colonial research as it traces some of the early beginnings of Westward Expansion. My next release, The Rebel Bride, is a Civil War story (coming December 2019, #10 of the Daughters of the Mayflower series) but the release after that will be a return to early Federal Tennessee and Kentucky (The Blue Cloak, #5 of the True Colors series). I'm currently hard at work on The Blue Cloak, with an August 1 deadline, but in appreciation to our CQ following, I'm offering one reader's choice of my stories in print! 

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JANET GRUNST

Janet Grunst

Thanks for joining us, Colonial Quill Readers, for our eight-year anniversary. I was honored in the fall of 2011 when Carrie asked me to join this group of fellow Colonial era writers. I’ve learned so much from the other contributor’s blog posts and been touched by the encouragement and contribution of our faithful readers.

A Heart Set Free is set prior to the Revolutionary War and A Heart For Freedom picks up the characters in the early years of the Revolution. I’m hoping the final part of the series will be available before too long. This fall, I’m privileged to be a part of a Highlander collection of novellas releasing. Fellow Quiller, Naomi Much will also have a story in it.

For our Colonial Quills celebration, I will be giving away a signed copy of A Heart Set Free to one USA commenting on the blog. Enjoy the party, everyone.

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Pegg Thomas 

Hi Everyone! I'm excited to be part of this blog and this anniversary party. I don't have any new Colonial stories out - yet - but I have some exciting news! My novella In Sheep's Clothing, part of A Bouquet of Brides, is a finalist in the Romance Writers of America's Faith, Hope, & Love Awards. And it's set in Colonial Connecticut. I'm so exciterated!!! I'm giving away a paperback copy for the party. 

Comment HERE on the BLOG to be entered. But visit the Facebook page too, because there will be other fun things going on there. 

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DEBRA E. MARVIN

Debra E. Marvin

Hello Friends!

Here we are again, thrilled to celebrate with you all. So many stories and wonderful tales of history have passed across this blog's page and we believe there's a lot to come. On the blog, I'll be giving away a book cozy (book sleeve) I made, so please comment if you'd like to be entered in the random drawing. Don't you love this tall ships fabric I found?

2019 will see at least three new stories from me, and I have one with a Colonial setting waiting for a contract! Your friendship and support have been a priceless gift through this writing journey!  Thank you again Carrie and all the CQ authors and friends!

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NAOMI MUSCH

Hey there, CQ readers! I'm probably the newbiest member on the CQ team. I've been here about a year, though I've been a follower for quite a long time. I write in a few different time periods, with the colonial period and early 20th century being my two favorite. (Check out my WWI/1920s books if you enjoy that segment of history.) My last release, Mist O'er the Voyageur, is an historical romance set in the Great Lakes wilderness of the voyageurs and fur traders. It was recently a Selah Awards finalist and one of only a handful of books to receive a judge's perfect score! Mist was also nominated for a NE Minnesota Book Award. In November, watch for another American wilderness romance novella called A Tender Siege releasing in a collection called The Highlanders, in which my Scottish hero is caught up in the French and Indian Wars during the time of Pontiac's Conspiracy.

For our CQ party, I'll be giving away TWO ebook copies of Mist O'er the Voyageur. Comment on the blog to be added to the drawing, and don't forget to join us on the Facebook page on the 29th!

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CARRIE FANCETT PAGELS

I'm excited to announce that I have my first colonial release out since our The Backcountry Brides Collection released in 2018, with numerous authors from the Colonial Quills blog! I have a novella, Mercy in a Red Cloak, releasing in early June in e-book form and later in the summer in paperback! Set in the mid-1700's in Pennsylvania and in the Straits of Mackinac, my colonial scout story features Shadrach Clark who also appeared in my novella "Shenandoah Hearts" in the Backcountry Brides Collection! Shad is a sweetie and I pray readers will love reading his story!

One of my giveaways is this copy of Colonial Michilimackinac: Michigan State Parks, by David A. Armour. It's a great book and I've used it as a great research resource over the years. My own copy is well-highlighted!

Colonial Michilimackinac: Michigan State Parks, by David A. Armour

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CARLA GADE

I'm so thrilled about the Colonial Quills blog 8th Anniversary! Every year we have had a wonderful tea party to celebrate and give you updates on our writing journeys. So much has happened for us all and with the support and encouragement of all of our followers and readers. We appreciate you all so very much and offer you a great Huzzah!! 

When we first started, my debut novel, The Shadow Catcher's Daughter had just released. Although that was a 19th century western setting, my heart was really in the Colonies. I soon enjoyed a visit with our fonder, Carrie, to explore Colonial Williamsburg. With that and some additional research, my first Colonial era, Carving a Future in Colonial Courtships, novella was published and hence republished in The American Dream Romance Collection. Since first becoming published I am now the author of 11 books, including another Colonial, Pattern for Romance.

For nostalgia's sake, I'm offering Colonial Courtships to one of our commenters! By the way, my characters from Carving a Future are included in Colonial Quill's original A Forted Frontier Holiday anthology, along with other CQ author's, available for free reading here on the blog!

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Facebook Party tonight, Wednesday May 29th, from 4:30 to 5:30 PM Eastern Time. Another giveaway at our Facebook party is a copy of The Backcountry Brides Collection. This collection includes all colonial-era Christian Fiction novellas from CQ contributors!

All contributors of The Backcountry Brides Collection are
members of Colonial American Christian Writers!

Far from Home. American Prisoners of War during the War of 1812.

Dartmoor Prison/ Wikipedia

It should come to no one’s surprise that there is an endless amount of information to learn in history, even if you focus on a few decades. While I’ve done quite a bit of research into the era of the War of 1812, it was only recently that my browsing took me (figuratively) to HM Prison Dartmoor.

Devon County, England / Wikipedia

I was quite surprised that American prisoners-of-war were sent that far away.

His/Her Majesty’s Prison at Dartmoor was built in an out-of-the-way location high on a moor in Devon county when prison ships used during the Napoleonic war couldn’t hold any more. Built from 1806 to 1809, by 1815 Dartmoor held almost 6000 prisoners, both French and American.

Wikipedia

Some of the prisoners were Americans who’d been impressed into British naval service during the war with France, and a fair number of them were free blacks who’d crewed Privateers.

Dartmoor seemed to work as its own town. Even the prisoners had their own form of government, and were allowed to create a market, casino and multiple churches. Life was hardly pleasant as floggings were commonly handed out for the least of acts. Surviving meant you were healthy enough to handle pneumonia, smallpox, and frequent food poisoning. For those that did survive, there was boxing and music lessons, or you might join a theater production. 

HMS Victory / Wikipedia

Trouble boiled over after the Treaty of Ghent was announced in December 1814. Much like the famous Battle of New Orleans that occurred after this date, the American prisoners’ release was dependent on ratification of the treaty and the time it took for news to travel. By April of 1815, American prisoners revolted and were fired upon. Conditions were so bad inside the jail that it was closed after all French and American surviving prisoners were gone. 

Newspaper archives, Marblehead, MA

One thing that didn’t surprise me was the fact many black prisoners chose any option other than taking a ship back to any seaport in the southern states.

Dartmoor in the 21st Century /Wikipedia

Dartmoor reopened in 1850 as a jail/gaol for British criminals and closed again in 1917 when it was used to house conscientious objectors. By 1920 it returned into service as a jail in 1920 and was notorious for housing the worst of Britain’s offenders. Now it’s both a historic site and, in parts that have been renovated, used as a “category C” facility for non-violent offenders, and is home to a museum with exhibits focusing on its use during those early 19^th Century decades.

I’m not sure I can imagine the trials of being taken prisoner, shipped to England and then held in such a facility as a prisoner of war. No wonder few came out unscathed by permanent injury and health issues as well as what we now call PTSD.

For fans of our colonial history, we'd love to share our novella collection, Backcountry Brides, available in paperback and digital ebook.

As one completely comfortable with our modern conveniences, what aspect of confinement in Dartmoor Prison of the early 1800s most bothers you?