October Tea Party - New Releases

Ladies, welcome to our October Tea Party, held today in the The General Phillip Schuyler House, set in the breathtaking Saratoga National Historical Park in upstate New York. I do hope you ladies did not have difficulty traversing the countryside to get here. If your gallant consorts assisted you by carriage, please let them know they may join the other gentlemen in the Dining room where they are sipping on punch.

But come sit by the fire here and warm your toes. We have both tea and coffee—the patriotic drink, of course—and an abundance of fresh biscuits and desserts provided by our lovely hosts.

Please let your eyes take in the exquisite English creamware, so popular in both England and America during the late 1700's.

This beautiful country estate of General Schuyler is actually the rebuilt home, following the savage burning of the original by British General John Burgoyne in October of 1777. General Schuyler loved his country refuge so much that he immediately began rebuilding. The home was restored in just 29 days in November of 1777. He managed to salvage much of the original glass, hinges, nails, and locks from the burned wreckage.

Although General Schuyler had a mansion in Albany, his spirits were refreshed by this home in the lovely countryside, situated to the west of the capital city.

"My hobby horse has long been a country life; I dismounted once with reluctance, and now saddle him again...and hope to canter him on to the end of the journey of life." General Phillip Schuyler, November 1777

(Thanks to Christine Valosin, Curator at Saratoga National Historical Park, for the photos)

* * *     

New Releases

Saratoga Letters by Elaine Marie Cooper
-->

It is 1777. The Battle of Saratoga, a turning point of the Revolutionary War, encourages the American Continental Army with their first great victory. But there seemed little to celebrate for one patriotic woman forced to nurse wounded British soldiers right in their war camp. Thrust into deception by a cruel Loyalist uncle, Abigail is forced to lie in order to survive, all the while dealing with fears that challenge her faith. Danger stalks her everywhere, yet her salvation springs from an unexpected source.

Then…

 Two hundred years later, on the anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, thousands arrive from Europe and the United States to celebrate the event—including descendants from the war. One young American, Abby, meets another offspring of a British soldier. When her life is threatened, Abby turns to the only person she knows at the event—her British ally. Can she trust him with her life? Or will he betray her in the same way Loyalist spies betrayed her ancestors? Perhaps letters from long ago will reveal the truth. 

-->

Author Bio:

Award winning author Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of Saratoga Letters, Fields of the Fatherless, Bethany’s Calendar and the historical trilogy called the Deer Run Saga. She has been captivated by the history of the American Revolution since she was young. She grew up in Massachusetts, the setting for many of her historical novels.

Her upcoming release is Legacy of Deer Run (CrossRiver Media, Dec, 2016), Book 3 in the Deer Run Saga.

Elaine is gifting one paperback copy of Saratoga Letters to someone who comments on this blog. Be sure to leave your email address. 

***

"Requilted with Love" by Carrie Fancett Pagels in The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection (Barbour Publishing) 
Michigan State Fair, 1889
Mistaken identity leads Grant Bentley to help Sarah Richmond with her quilt display at the state fair. But when he learns she has lost two fiancés to accidents, can he dare tell her of his real job as a balloonist or will the revelation of danger cause her to flee from their developing romance?

&

Carrie's Maggie award finalist in Romance Novellas, "The Substitute Bride," is part of the O' Christmas Town collection (Forget Me Not Romances). Available in ebook only from Amazon.

Bio – Carrie Fancett Pagels, Ph.D. Carrie Fancett Pagels is a multi-published award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!   

Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com 

Blogs: www.Overcoming With God.com and Colonial Quills 

Facebook Author Page 

Amazon author page     

Carrie Fancett Pagels’ newsletter link https://www.facebook.com/Carrie-Fan...

Giveaways: A paperback copy of Blue Ribbon Brides and an ebook copy of the O' Little Town of Christmas collection (or winner's choice of a paperback copy of The Substitute Bride)! 

***

Gina Welborn also has a novella in The Blue Ribbon Brides collection, entitled "Altered Hearts."  
Turner County Fair,  South Dakota, 1908

Reba Diehl dreams of opening her own tailor and millinery shop in the city, and winning at the county fair encourages her to take the leap. She thinks she can leave behind farm life ant the farmer, who'd always thought they'd marry. But has she underestimated Levi Webber -- and her own heart?

Bio:   Gina Gina Marie Welborn worked for a news radio station until she fell in love with writing romances. She's the author of ten inspirational romances, including “All’s Fair” in ECPA-bestselling Lassoed by Marriage Romance Collection. She serves on the ACFW Foundation Board by helping raise funds for scholarships. A lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum, she helped form the Southwest Oklahoma Corvette Club. Gina lives with her pastor husband, three of their five children, several rabbits and guinea pigs, and a dog that doesn't realize rabbits and pigs are edible.      

WEBSITE      www.ginawelborn.com   

FACEBOOK (author) https://www.facebook.com/ginawelbor...     

TWITTER http://twitter.com/gina_welborn (@gina_welborn)   

PINTEREST www.pinterest.com/ginawelborn   

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE https://www.amazon.com/author/ginaw...   

Facebook Party: Be sure to go by the Colonial Quills New Release Facebook Party Friday October 28th from 6-8 Eastern Time for more fun and giveaways (click here to attend.)

Spinning Tales - Weaving a Novel

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Watching an expert spinster on a spinning wheel reminds me of how writers weave a story. Instead of using flax or wool to create yarn however, a writer uses words to form the sentences and chapters that, hopefully, will form a tale that draws readers to peruse the pages through the end.

A good writing desk is essential.

Proper illumination a must...

Toasty toes definitely makes the creative process a warmer experience.

And caffeine is a critical necessity.

Housework MUST be temporarily ignored ("What dust bunnies?")...

Colonial American music can be inspiring when writing about Colonial America...

...but not too loud.

Photos of  battlefields inspire visions of long again in autumn, when the forests were red and amber, and the scene not so peaceful.

Back then, the sounds of fife and drum were nearly drowned out by the blasts of cannon.

Yet in the midst of describing the horrors of war, love wove its way into the words and what seemed to be a story of death, was instead, birthed into a romance.

And thousands of words later, a tale of war is spun into a drama of affection, where love triumphs over hate. And a novel is born.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of Bethany's Calendar and Fields of the Fatherless. Please visit her website here

Memorials to Veterans of the American Revolution

by Elaine Marie Cooper

As we pause this week to remember the sacrifices and bravery of our veterans of war, it seems fitting to recall those veterans who were there at the beginning of our country. They are the men (and women) who helped birth this nation. They are the heroes of both yesterday—and today.

                                                     *     *     *     *      *

It all began at the Lexington green on April 19th, 1775. It was a beautiful spring morning but it quickly turned into a day of terror in that small Massachusetts town. Eight Minutemen were shot and killed there, "the first victims to the sword of British tyranny and oppression."

A short distance away in the town of Concord, the British troops marched onward, looking for hidden gunpowder and arms. Instead of finding these, the King's army discovered a well-armed band of Minutemen, mere farmers by trade, fighting back.

Startled by the resistance, the British troops retreated back toward Boston. But on the way, they encountered more resistance as the troops were picked off one-by-one. The Minutemen, armed with the skills developed through years of fighting native Americans, hid behind stone walls and trees, attacking the weary British troops. Reinforcements from Boston helped the King's Army re-group. Outraged by the colonist's attacks, the war broke into the worst battle of the day in Menotomy Village, six miles west of Boston. More Americans and British were killed in that community than any other that first day of the war. Here is the monument to Jason Russell and ten other Minutemen killed in Menotomy Village.

The war was just beginning and soon spread throughout New England and New York. One battle occurred in Oriskany, New York on August 6, 1777. General Nicholas Herkimer led a brave group of American soldiers into an intense battle which resulted in great loss of life. The general himself died a few days later. An incredible monument on his estate in Little Falls, New York, gives honor to his memory.

Some soldiers survived battles and lived to tell their children about the tales of war. Solomon Peirce was one. He was wounded at the Battle of Lexington and fought at Bunker Hill. His gravestone is engraved with the words, "Patriot sires teach civic virtue to their sons."

Then the great turning point of the war occurred in 1777: The Battle of Saratoga. Under British General John Burgoyne, a plan was attempted to divide the colonies and defeat the Americans once and for all. That was the plan. But once again, by God's grace, the King's Army was thwarted in their efforts. And on the fields of colonial farmers in eastern New York Colony, heroes were born.

One of them, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, came all the way from Poland in 1776 to help with the American cause. His military training in his homeland helped prepare him to mastermind the key British defeat in Saratoga.

Timothy Murphy was the son of Irish immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. As an adult, he became an expert marksmen, which qualified him to join Daniel Morgan's riflemen. His monument on the fields of Saratoga was dedicated by the Ancient order of Hibernians of Saratoga County. The granite memorial reads: "A celebrated marksmen of Colonel Morgan's rifle corps whose unerring aim turned the tide of battle by the death of the British General Fraser on October 7, 1777."

A beautiful memorial in Saratoga commemorates the numerous unknown American soldiers who perished in the battles of Saratoga. They were honored by this monument provided by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1931, in celebration of the bicentennial of George Washington's birth.

In 2009, I was escorted to a very special veteran's memorial by a local historian in western Massachusetts. When this historian was a young boy, he had followed a man deep into the woods of Williamsburg, Massachusetts and watched the man chisel words onto a large, triangular stone. The inscriber was the great grandson of a British soldier who had fought under General Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga.

Years before, this great grandson had been escorted to the site by the son of the soldier, who returned to visit his birthplace.

The inscription on the memorial, still easily visible when highlighted by chalk, reads this: "Site of log cabin built by Daniel Prince, a Burgoyne vet." At the very top, was the Union Jack.

And as I visited this memorial to a veteran, I was overwhelmed with the deep family connection to the man who left the King's Army in 1777 and decided to become an American. Daniel Prince. My fourth great grandfather. It was an unforgettable moment, difficult to put into words—even for an author.

He may not have been a hero to America. But he will always be a hero to me.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of Fields of the Fatherless, as well as the soon-to-be-released, Bethany's Calendar.

Researching Saratoga

by Elaine Marie Cooper

Researching for a historical novel set in Colonial America is both daunting and fun. Daunting because you don’t want a knowledgeable reader saying, “Aha! That isn’t accurate!” Fun because seeing how the people lived so long ago is both amazing and, at times, frightening (think: Colonial medicine).

And then there are the moments that bring a pause with a sigh, when a researcher longs for the simpler times. When you envision dinner by candlelight—every night—a warm fireplace to warm your toes, and the faith cradled in prayer that seemed so much stronger then. God was looked upon as the Great Defender. Along with a musket and gunpowder. :)

There is something even more inspiring to me, personally, when I tread on the ground where my great grandfathers trod—literally. Such was the case last May when my husband and I visited Saratoga National Historic Park.  It was the location of the turning point in the American Revolution that led to the colonists winning freedom from England.

It was also the turning point in my lineage. One of the British soldiers escaped after the surrender. He met and married my fourth great grandmother in western Massachusetts where they settled and raised a family.

While visiting this National Monument, small seeds of a novel began growing in my mind. It slowly took root in the next days and weeks until the blooms of characters and dialogue were ready to burst from the fields in my head. I knew the novel was ready for harvest, and the writing has now begun.

 

View near Freeman's Farm

My focus on this current historical fiction is not my grandfather nor solely about the men who fought in the battle. It is mostly about the many people who were caught in its web of weariness, destruction and pain. There were not just soldiers who fought; there were women who nursed the wounded, washed the clothes, raised their children and tried to survive the war just like the men did.  There were surgeons, surgeon’s mates, cooks—an entire entourage of individuals functioning as a transient city run by a military general responsible for the success or failure of the mission.

There are several nonfiction titles that cover the details about this campaign. My favorite is simply entitled “Saratoga” by Richard Ketchum. The battle took place in September and October of 1777, and the British hoped to divide the New England colonies from the rest of Colonial America. The endeavor was a miserable failure, partly due to English pride. It was assumed that a band of farmers couldn’t possibly win a war against the best-trained army in the world.

There were some who did not underestimate the abilities of the Continental Army however. The much loved Baroness Riedesel , wife of the German general fighting with the British, was far more astute in her observations of the Americans:

“The thought of fighting for their country and for freedom made them braver than ever.”

So this author reads books, double-checks facts and sits at her laptop creating characters that I love or hate (or sometimes both). I hope and pray that my readers love them as well. Mostly I hope and pray that my writing is pleasing to the One who created the craft of writing and planted the passion for it in my heart.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the author of the Selah Award Winning Fields of the Fatherless. Her upcoming release, Bethany's Calendar, will be available in December.