Colonial Quills 4th Anniversary Party!

 Welcome to Colonial Quills 4th Anniversary Party!

The Colonial Quillers (contributers) would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to our fearless leader, Mistress Carrie, for all she does to encourage us and help promote our work! She is looking particularly lovely today, don't you agree?

(CFP: Someone will please escort Carla to the stocks for making this picture!!! After her lashing I will thank her for her kind comments ;) !!!) 




CFP: Ahem! And we thank Mistress Gade who designed the Colonial Quills website--can I get a hearty huzzah? (And you will note I did NOT put her face in a hole, lol, therefore I shall not be placed in stocks!)  Someone go let Mistress Gade out of the stocks so we can 
PAR-TAY Colonial Style!!!!

We are at Colonial Williamsburg today (virtually, of course!) So take a seat in one of the shield-backed chairs.

Please enjoy some tea and a slice of Martha Washington's famous Great Cake as we share with you about our writing during this year past. And of course some delicious colonial punch!

Several other colonial dessert options to choose from! Help yourself!

Enjoy the party!!

 
What our Contributors have been up to in the past year:

Circle of Spies by Roseanna M. White

Culper Ring Series, Book 3

Drawn into her family's spy ring by secrets in her late husband's family, Marietta must help an undercover Pinkerton agent infiltrate a Confederate secret society...before they can kill the President.

Spiritual Arc - struggling with the guilt of her past, Marietta needs to embrace the gift God has given her and embrace the true meaning of redemption--knowing that it doesn't do away with consequences but does give her freedom of the soul.

Circle of Spies is a finalist in the RT Book Awards, Reviewer's Choice for Best Book of 2014 in the Inspirational Mystery/Suspense category.

A Soft Breath of Wind
by Roseanna M. White

Sequel to A Stray Drop of Blood

An amazing spiritual gift has left Zipporah scarred...but will it be enough to save the church of Rome from an enemy that attacks from within the safety of its walls?

Spiritual Arc - Zipporah can see beyond the veil, into the spiritual world of angels and demons. But what she can't see is her own worth. Her faith in God never wavers, but she needs to learn to trust the rest of His people and learn her place among them.

Roseanna blogs here on the CQ the 4th Wednesday of every month. You can also find her on her website, her blog, her Facebook personal profile, her Facebook author page, her Facebook page dedicated to her design business (she designed the cover of A Soft Breath of Wind), and on Twitter.

Laurel by Susan F. Craft 

Searching for their toddler and her Cherokee aunt kidnapped by slavers, Lilyan and Nicholas trek from their North Carolina vineyard, through the South Carolina backcountry to Charleston, a tinderbox of post-Revolutionary War passions. There Lilyan, a former Patriot spy, faces a grand jury for murdering a British officer during the war. They follow Laurel’s trail by sea and are shipwrecked on an Outer Banks island. Will they be reunited or is Laurel lost to them forever?

Spiritual arc for Laurel: Separated from her husband, Lilyan Xanthakos digs deep inside to re-ignite the courage and faith that helped her survive the Revolutionary War.  Determined to free his wife at any cost, Nicholas finds himself forced back into a life of violence he thought he’d left behind. Will their love for each other and their faith sustain them as they await word of their missing child? 

Laurel is the sequel to The Chamomile, Susan's Revolutionary War romantic suspense that won the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Pick Award.

Susan can be found at the following: on her   Personal website,  on her personal blog, on Facebook, on Pinterest, and on Twitter

THE PROMISE KEEPER 

by Lisa Norato 

A reclusive lighthouse keeper sworn to secrecy….

A sea captain’s daughter in search of answers….

When tragedy brings Keeper Jonathan Mayne out of seclusion to Iris Moon’s doorstep, will he be able to protect her from danger while keeping her father’s secret about the mad Englishman bent on revenge against her family? The Promise Keeper is a seafaring romance of suspense, intrigue and tested faith. For those who enjoyed Prize of My Heart, a new Federal-era novel set in Duxbury, Massachusetts 1825.

Spiritual Arc:  Iris’s and Johnny’s story is one of conquering fear, of trusting God through the storms of life. Fear robs our peace and steals hope, but as Johnny and Iris will learn, God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Like a lighthouse stands tall against the elements to guide ships to safety, Jesus Christ is our light in the darkness, directing our paths.

Lisa Norato can be found here on the Colonial Quills blog on each 5th Wednesday of the year. For more information about Lisa and her books, please visit her personal website or check her out on Goodreads or Facebook. 

Author Rita Gerlach

Rita Gerlach has made an amazing recovery from breast cancer and is back in the writer's seat, praise God! She has a writer's conference event scheduled this summer in Maryland and has also recently completed work on a manuscript with the acclaimed author, Gilbert Morris! What a honor that had to have been!!!

 

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by CACW member Lori Benton

Lori Benton has the distinction of having SWEPT the Christy Awards last year!!! Best book for her debut novel, Burning Sky, best historical, and best overall!!! How thrilling for Lori who worked so very hard for these honors!

Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series

by J. M. Hochstetler and Bob Hostetler

Nominated for 2015 Christian Small Publishers Association Historical Fiction Book of the Year

In 1738 Jakob Hochstetler and his family arrive in America, seeking sanctuary from religious persecution in Europe and the freedom to live and worship according to their Anabaptist beliefs, including the doctrine of nonresistance. They settle in the Northkill Amish Mennonite community on the Pennsylvania frontier along Northkill Creek, for which their community is named. Eighteen years later, early on the morning of September 20, 1757, as the French and Indian War rages, the Hochstetlers’ way of life is brutally shattered when their home is attacked by a party of Delaware and Shawnee warriors. Facing certain death with his wife and children, Jakob makes a wrenching choice that will tear apart his family and change all their lives forever.

Northkill is closely based on an inspiring true story well-known among the Amish and Mennonites. It has been documented in many publications and in contemporary accounts preserved in the Pennsylvania State Archives and in private collections. 

Spiritual Arc: When his home is attacked by Indians, Jakob Hochstetler must make a wrenching decision: Will he take up arms to protect his wife and children—or will he remain true to his nonresistant beliefs and allow all of them to face almost certain death?

An Amish Christmas Quilt includes a
novella by CQ member, Kelly Marie Long

Member Cynthia Howerter has just returned from the Florida Christian Writers' Conference and WON in the Historical/Biblical Category for her as-yet-unpublished colonial Pennsylvania manuscript.

The Marshall's Pursuit by Gina Welborn

Janet Grunst continues as Tidewater Christian Writers - North, co-hostess with Carrie.

She is represented by Linda Glaz (a nominee for Best Agent of 2014 by ACFW) of Hardline Literary Agency in Pittsburgh. Linda is currently shopping one of Janet's colonial era manuscripts with publishers. Janet has another manuscript she will be sending to Linda this spring. 

"Proving Up" by Carla Olson Gade in The Homestead Brides Collection, Nine Pioneering Couples Risk All for Love and Land

A young Swedish widow applies her scientific theories to growing trees on the barren Great Plains intruding on a handsome homesteader’s hard work and experience. (1885)

Spiritual Arc: Nils Svensson learns that his work isn't a solitary effort, but a partnership with the God who enables him to reach his goals. Elsa Lindquist learns to trust God for His provision and care. Each of them also relinquish their fears and grief to a God who provides comfort and hope.

The Homestead Brides Collection is #5 on the ECPA Christian Bestseller List for March, 2015.

Also by Carla, "The Memory Shop" in A Cup of Christmas CheerThe proprietor of a Main Street memorabilia shop finds his own cherished memories rekindled and relationships renewed at Christmastime.

Spiritual Arc: In this short story, the theme is forgiveness and reconciliation between an estranged father and adult son.

Connect with Carla on Facebook, her blog, and newsletter! 

We've been so blessed to have the incomparable MaryLu Tyndall with us on the CQ blog for the last several years! Her pirate blogs are amazing! We're sorry she's leaving us but we wish her the best! MaryLu has several new releases out in the past year plus she re-released one of her colonial novels, which was a nominee for Family Fiction's Book of the Year!  

Author Tammy Kraft

Tamera Lynn Kraft has kept busy this past year with her blogs such as Word Sharpeners, contributing to CQ, researching her upcoming stories, and promoting her current publications.

Elaine Marie Cooper's Young Adult novel, Fields of the Fatherless, won several awards in 2014: Selah Award, Next Generation Indie Book Award and Moonbeam Children's Book Award. This book was also a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.

Spiritual Arc: Betsy Russell has seemingly lost everything on the first day of the American Revolution, including her ability to forgive her enemy. But an unexpected journey of compassion reveals that God's ways are not our ways. This novel is based on a true story.

Elaine also released her first nonfiction book, Bethany's Calendar, a memoir of her daughter's battle with brain cancer. It is a story of fear and faith, commitment and compassion, told with gut wrenching honesty.

You can connect with Elaine on Facebook or Her Website/ Blog

Vicki McCollum

Vicki McCollum continues as a freelance editor for Barbour Books and others. She has multiple manuscripts set in colonial to late 19th century settings and is represented by Jim Hart, of Hartline Literary Agency in Pittsburgh. Vicki won a contest in the past year, too!

Carrie Fancett Pagels' Christmas novella release as part of the Christmas Traditions Series. The Fruitcake Challenge was a long list nominee for FamilyFiction.com's Book of the Year for 2014!

Can a cocky lumberjack win the heart of a spunky camp cook, when he proposes a challenge she can't resist?

Spiritual arc: Josephine Christy is hanging onto HOPE by the slimmest thread, but she persists. My inspiration song reflects her emotions: Danny Gokey's Hope in Front of Me. 

Carrie also blogs at www.OvercomingwithGod.com  If you'd like to be added to her newsletter, which includes special giveaway opportunities to her readers, email Carrie at carriepromo@aol.com!

Giveaway: A copy of The Fruitcake Challenge novella (ebook on sale right now for only 99 cents through St. Patrick's Day and the cover reveal of my upcoming novella, The Lumberjacks' Ball) and the gifts below:

Scarf from Colonial Williamsburg  (Square, $20 value) and Quill Pen & Ink

DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

Introducing our new Colonial Quills members: Christy Distler, Pegg Thomas, Gabrielle Meyer, and Denise Weimer!!!  WELCOME ladies to the blog!!!

Christy Distler, Contributor at Colonial Quills

Christy Distler – Writes historical fiction set in southeastern Pennsylvania’s 18th-century Quaker community, as well as contemporary fiction. She owns Aspire Editing Services and also works for a small publishing house. Her short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry have been published in denominational periodicals, literary magazines, and anthologies. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and children, and is represented by Ruth Samsel of William K. Jensen Literary Agency. Christy has previously been a guest on CQ. 

Pegg Thomas, Contributor for Colonial Quills

Pegg Thomas is a life-long history geek, so it’s no surprise that historical fiction is her genre. Colonial America and the Civil War era are favorite time periods to both read and write. Her favorite type of book centers on a great fiction story surrounded by factual historical events. 

Her current WIP (work-in-progress) is the second novel in a trilogy set around the turn of the 19th century in America. The first novel is the hands of her agent, Linda Glaz with Heartline Literary Agency. Pegg has been a finalist in the 2013 ACFW First Impressions Contest and the 2014 Clash of the Titles Olympia. 

When not working on her latest novel, Pegg can be found in her garden, in her kitchen, or on her trusty old horse, Trooper. Pegg is in the process of moving from her hobby farm on the eastern side of Michigan to the western side with her husband of (mumble) years.

Gabrielle Meyers, Contributor at Colonial Quills

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four young children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people and events. Gabrielle can be found at www.gabriellemeyer.com where she writes about her passion for history, Minnesota, and her faith.

Author Denise Weimer, Contributor on Colonial Quills

Denise Weimer is the author of The Georgia Gold Series of four historical fiction novels set during the mid-1800s. She holds a journalism degree from Asbury University with a minor in history. Her magazine articles have been featured in numerous regional publications. She is currently researching for a colonial through 1920s/modern crossover trilogy set in the Georgia Piedmont.

Colonial Stairs

What will our guests do upstairs at the tavern? 

Shall we clear the floor so all can dance? 

Shall some stay overnight with us and awake to take their carriages home in the morning? 

Or shall an evening feast await the latecomers above stairs?
Aha! Look who favors us with a visit?
Our hero, George, a handsome Virginia gentleman if ever there was one! And he's a very good dancer, ladies!

Young Officer George Washington

The kitchens of Colonial Williamsburg (click on the picture to be taken to the post.)

Giveaways:   Lisa - two autographed copies of The Promise Keeper; Roseanna - a set of 3 biblical fiction ebooks (winner's choice of format); Susan Craft, two copies of Laurel; Joan - 2 copies of Northkill, Book 1 of the Northkill Amish Series, choice of print or ebook edition; Carla - 1 autographed copy of The Homestead Brides Collection; Elaine Marie Cooper - 1 signed copy Fields of the Fatherless, 1 signed copy Bethany's Calendar, Carrie's--see above.

Hear Ye!!! Hear Ye!!! ANNOUNCING our new Facebook page. Please follow us on FB (and you'll receive an extra entry in the giveaways!) https://www.facebook.com/colonialquills

Extra entries ALSO to those who post a gown and/or a comment on the Facebook party page, where we encourage our readers to post pictures related to this Tea Party!  Click here to go to the Facebook party page!

Guest Review of Lisa Norato's The Promise Keeper by Lynne Erickson Valle

The Promise Keeper

by Lisa Norato

a Sea Heroes of Duxbury novel

Danger reunites a sea captain's daughter with her childhood protector,

who is now a reclusive lighthouse keeper on an island across the bay.

Review by Guest Reviewer, Lynne Erickson Valle

Lisa Norato’s masterfully written inspirational romance novel, The Promise Keeper, is utterly captivating. This intriguing tale of the truest of love transpires in nineteenth century Duxbury, Massachusetts. The story unfolds two lives that were impacted by one remarkable man of valor-Captain Ezra Moon. In his character Norato eloquently demonstrates how one individual exemplifying Christ can make a monumental difference in our world. Her characters and scenes are so vividly depicted that the reader can’t help becoming eagerly invested in the great mystery that shadows Captain Moon’s daughter, Iris, and the promise that a young lad vowed to keep. One of the many aspects of this book that makes it stand out in the sea of Christian fiction is how Norato-true to real life-reveals the full spectrum of God’s power in the lives of believers. I enjoyed this book to such a high degree that The Promise Keeper has earned a place on my “Favorites” list in my home library.

and now for a quick peek into the novel:

     Johnny withdrew his spyglass from his waistcoat pocket and trained it across the deep waters of Duxbury Bay at Captain Moon’s rooftop. As expected, the visage of a young woman took focus in the lens. Pale ash blond hair, the color of moonlight, swirled around her, obscuring her face. It spilled to her waist, straight and unbound, then blew and danced around her head on a fresh breeze. Ethereal as an angel, a finely-made dressing gown billowed over her tall figure. Surely that garment was not warm enough to ward off the chill of this late December air.

     A moment passed, one quick glimpse, and then she disappeared. Johnny lowered the glass in disappointment.

     “Two things keep me sane on this island, Salty. Your faithful companionship and the Bible that was once my mother’s.” He tossed the rapt and eager gull another meat strip.

     It was a welcomed relief to exercise his voice, to hear the sound of it aloud and watch his breath steam in the frosty air. “Sometimes I find this tower lonelier than prison.”

     Pilgrim Light was an isolated place. There were no roads on the eighty-acre Clark’s Island. No homes, except for the Watson farm on the southernmost tip. The family raised hay and turnips and were in the process of replacing their farmhouse with a twelve-room Dutch Colonial.

     A two-day liberty was granted him every three weeks. More frequently Johnny found himself rowing to Duxbury to spend his earnings on grog in the old ordinary. He liked to sit quietly by the fire and listen to tongues wag. It mattered little what they said. It was the hearty rumble of other men’s voices that soothed him after weeks of nothing but silence.

     “What do you make of her, Salty? Iris has grown into an extremely beautiful woman, yet she remains the wide-eyed sea urchin I remember. Imagine her rowing out here alone to have a look at me and assuage her curiosity. How would she have reacted, do you think, had I told her we were once warm friends?”



The Promise Keeper is available on Amazon in trade paperback or ebook and on Barnes & Noble as an ebook.

GIVEAWAY! Lisa will be giving away a kindle or nook ebook of The Promise Keeper to one commenter. To enter, please be sure to include your name and email address with your comment.

Lynne Erickson Valle is a lyricist, storyteller, inspirational writer and the author of The Double Rose, a contemporary, Christian romance of predestined love.  Over two hundred of her articles have been featured on SUSIE magazine, King Cat Christian Music and Examiner. com.







Review of "The Promise Keeper" by Lisa Norato

by Elaine Marie Cooper

I am delighted to review Lisa Norato's latest release, "The Promise Keeper." I give it a resounding Five Stars!

Here is the Back Cover Blurb:

The new keeper has manned Pilgrim Light for a year now, and though her father recruited him for the post, Iris Moon has never seen the fellow nor will anyone discuss him. Rumors circulate he was once a pirate and had been imprisoned. Lured by the secrecy, Iris rows out to the light to meet the solitary keeper. He's a curmudgeon who remains as mysterious as ever, until confusing dreams haunt her, causing Iris to suspect they share a past connection.

Jonathan Mayne sailed with Captain Moon's family as a young cabin boy during the earliest years of Iris's life. A grown woman, Iris holds no memory for her childhood friend, who now guards the bay from a lonely lighthouse tower. When a shipwreck survivor bent on revenge washes up on the shores of the Moon family mansion, will Johnny be able to protect Iris from her dead mother's secret while keeping a promise to her father never to expose it?

Here is my review:

From the opening lines to the final scenes of The Promise Keeper, I was captured by the story, the characters and the twists and turns that kept me reading, long after I should have been asleep. Lisa Norato has a winner on her hands!

The plot weaves a complicated yet easily followed tale of intrigue involving two continents, two generations, and two love stories. Lisa’s writing flowed like a smooth running brook with descriptions of settings that made you envision them as if you were there. 

Her knowledge about the sea and ocean going vessels was so clear, even to a landlubber, but not so much as to overwhelm a reader with technical details. It all blended into the story.

The characters in this novel were so well crafted and believable with dialogue befitting the times that added just the right flavor to make you realize you were reading about the early 19^th century.

The Promise Keeper is more than just historical romance—it is filled with intrigue, suspense, and realistic characters whose faith is tested.

The author obviously did painstaking research for every detail that found its way into her narratives. What a pleasure to read such a well-developed book. Bravo, Lisa Norato! 

Author Bio:

A native New Englander, Lisa Norato lives in a historic village with homes and churches dating as far back as the eighteenth century. She writes Christian seafaring romance of suspense and adventure set during New England's Federal Era. 

In the Sea Heroes of Duxbury novels, Lisa's goal is to spin stories rich in historical detail which will transport readers back in time and encourage Christians in their faith  and in finding the courage to place their trust in God.

She has received critical praise for her romantic fiction from reviewers such as Publisher's Weekly, Booklist and RT Book Reviews. Her previous novels include a western time travel and a contemporary romantic comedy.

To purchase The Promise Keeper, click here