Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 26

Welcome to Day #13 of the blog tour for The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) by Michael L. Ross #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelLRoss7

              

 

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
Head over to the Eclectic Ramblings of Author Heather Osborne for a fabulous review!
Click HERE!

#BookReview - The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci #HistoricalFiction #WW2 @KathrynGauci

 

Publication Date: 1st December 2020
Publisher:  Ebony Publishing
Page Length: 272 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction / World War II
February 1944. 
Preparations for the D-Day invasion are well advanced. When contact with Belvedere, one of the Resistance networks in the Jura region of Eastern France, is lost, Elizabeth Maxwell, is sent back to the region to find the head of the network, her husband Guy Maxwell.
It soon becomes clear that the network has been betrayed. An RAF airdrop of supplies was ambushed by the Gestapo, and many members of the Resistance have been killed. 
Surrounded on all sides by the brutal Gestapo and the French Milice, and under constant danger of betrayal, Elizabeth must unmask the traitor in their midst, find her husband, and help him to rebuild Belvedere in time for SOE operations in support of D-Day.

Someone had betrayed them. That much was clear: but who?

When Elizabeth Maxwell was summoned to 64 Baker Street, London, she had hoped to hear news of her husband. To her horror, she learns that the Gestapo and the French Milice had ambushed an RAF airdrop of supplies to the Belvedere Resistance. Many Resistance fighters had been killed, and there had been no communication from the head of the Belvedere Resistance - Guy Maxwell, Elizabeth’s husband.

Having at first frowned upon Elizabeth’s marriage to Guy (for emotional entanglement between agents was discouraged) Colonel Maurice Buckmaster, the head of F Section of the Special Operations, now wants Elizabeth to go back into the field and find out exactly what had happened.

Desperate to find out if her husband is dead or alive, Elizabeth willingly agrees. She had worked as a courier for the Belvedere Resistance six months previously, and she knew the area well. It soon became apparent to Elizabeth that there was a traitor in their midst. But unearthing the traitor seemed nearly as impossible as finding out what had happened to her husband and the other members of the Resistance who had survived the vicious attack.

Elizabeth is all too aware that time is against her. The Belvedere Resistance must be in a position where they could support the Allied forces by use of sabotage and subversion to undermine the German occupying forces in time for D-Day.

Inspired by historical events and people, The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci is an enthralling story that held me captivated from the very first sentence to the final full stop. Gauci has depicted an extremely violent time with an intuitive understanding of what makes history worth reading. This is a novel that does not threaten to mesmerise, it does.

Elizabeth is a character that I came to adore. She is a remarkably strong woman who takes incredible risks to find out what exactly happened. Her determination to discover if her husband is alive or dead was heart-rendering. However, Elizabeth tries to put her personal fears aside, for she has a job to do, and she is determined to do it. I don’t think I would have been as brave as Elizabeth if I found myself in such a situation, but Elizabeth remains clear-headed throughout, which saves her life on more than one occasion. She also gets on with life, despite what is happening around her. If she needs a new dress, she will make one. If a friend needs help with a medical emergency (Elizabeth is a trained nurse), she will change her plans to ensure those in need, received her help. However, there were moments where Elizabeth surprised me. For someone who came across as exceedingly gentle, she could also be coldly ruthless.

The other protagonist in this novel is Guy, but to speak of him would be to give away some spoilers and that I will not do. If you want to find out the truth about what happened that terrible night, then you will have to read the book!

Throughout this novel, Gauci explores the chaotic, not to mention the senseless brutality of warfare. The German occupying forces are determined to keep control of the populous - their weapon of choice being fear by using threats, torture, deportation and, in many cases, murder. However, there are times where the Resistance is equally brutal, as unfeeling and unforgiving. Thus reminding the reader that this is a war story, and that society’s normal rules, society’s code of morality, are swept aside. On both sides, there seemed to be a dehumanisation of those who threatened, or at least might threaten, their end goal. This meant that the general populous found themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place with no control of their destiny, let alone their immediate future. But still, they try to get on with life. They try to bring some normality to this abnormal time. With hindsight, it is remarkably easy to judge those who collaborated with the enemy, but Gauci asks her readers if it was your family that was threatened, what would you do? Being a patriot may sound romantic and heroic, but when you are faced with an unimaginably difficult decision, it is easy to see why patriotism flew out the window, along with honour and loyalty.

Gauci has depicted this era’s immense suffering with an accomplished author’s skill and an empathetic understanding of human nature. So, although the Germans and the French Milice are the antagonists in this novel, Gauci does not whitewash the actions and the lengths that the Resistance were prepared to go to. There are some scenes of torture and murder in this novel that are incredibly distressing. But this was a brutal period of history, and although I deplored what the Germans did, I found myself not wanting to forgive what the Resistance did either. And although it is anger and betrayal that is behind the Resistance’s lack of humanity, it does give the reader pause for thought, and it also reminds them that there were unforgivable and deplorable acts carried out on both sides.

Gauci also explores the question of morality in this novel. The fact that there were some people who were more than willing to exploit others for their own financial gain should come as no surprise, but for some reason, I actually found it surprising. We often hear stories of remarkable courage where members of the general population hid their Jewish neighbours and friends at significant personal risk, but I have never read a story where there were unscrupulous people who exploited those whose situations were precarious. Although this type of profiteering is mentioned only briefly in this novel, it certainly struck a chord.

The distinction between appearance and reality is often a profoundly blurred line throughout the length of this book. The Resistance was successful because of its secretive nature, and because of its skill of its agents in infiltrating and gaining the trust of the enemy. The emotional terminal and abuse that these people endured from the very people they were actually helping really drove home the fact that appearance was not always what it seemed.

The attention to the historical detail has to be commended. The hours of research that have gone into this novel shine clearly through every carefully crafted sentence. Gauci knows this era well, and her dedicated research has certainly paid off, for it is a vivid and historically accurate world in which she has placed her characters.

This novel is an emotional read, and yet it is also a profoundly truthful depiction of the era and the role that the Resistance had to play in the success of the Allied invasion of France.

The Secret of the Grand Hôtel du Lac by Kathryn Gauci is a novel that once started is extremely difficult to turn away from. This is a book that demands to be read in one sitting. If you enjoy quality Historical Fiction set during World War II, then this book should certainly have a place upon your bookshelf.

Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Amazon UK • Amazon US


Kathryn Gauci was born in Leicestershire, England, and studied textile design at Loughborough College of Art and later at Kidderminster College of Art and Design where she specialised in carpet design and technology. After graduating, Kathryn spent a year in Vienna, Austria before moving to Greece where she worked as a carpet designer in Athens for six years. There followed another brief period in New Zealand before eventually settling in Melbourne, Australia.
Before turning to writing full-time, Kathryn ran her own textile design studio in Melbourne for over fifteen years, work which she enjoyed tremendously as it allowed her the luxury of travelling worldwide, often taking her off the beaten track and exploring other cultures. The Embroiderer is her first novel; a culmination of those wonderful years of design and travel, and especially of those glorious years in her youth living and working in Greece – a place that she is proud to call her spiritual home.
Her second novel, Conspiracy of Lies, is set in France during WWII. It is based on the stories of real life agents in the service of the Special Operations Executive and The Resistance under Nazi occupied Europe. To put one’s life on the line for your country in the pursuit of freedom took immense courage and many never survived. Kathryn’s interest in WWII started when she lived in Vienna and has continued ever since. She is a regular visitor to France and has spent time in several of the areas in which this novel is set.
Connect with Kathryn: Website • Twitter • Goodreads.

Welcome to Day #3 of the blog tour for The North Finchley Writers’ Group By Richard Tearle, with Helen Hollick #ContemporaryRomance #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @lordf34 @HelenHollick

 

February 15th – February 19th 2021

Publication Date: 2nd February 2021

Publisher: Taw River Press

Page Length: 142 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

When a group of north London writers meet each month for a chat, coffee, and cake – what else is on their agenda? Constructive criticism? New Ideas? An exciting project? And maybe, more than one prospective romance...? Eavesdrop on the monthly meetings of the North Finchley Writers' Group, follow some ordinary people with a love of story writing, and an eagerness for success. Discover, along with them, the mysteries of creating characters and plot, of what inspires ideas, and how real life can, occasionally, divert the dream...
Check out the fabulous blogs we are stopping over today: Candlelight ReadingI got lost in a bookMary’s Bookcasefor a sneak-peek between the covers!

Welcome to Day #3 of the blog tour for Beware the Lizard Lurking (The House of the Red Duke, Book 2) by Vivienne Brereton @VivienneBreret1 @wilaroney

  

February 15th – March 5th 2021
Publication Date: 12th February 2021Publisher: Yuletide PressPage Length: 302 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction
Welcome to the candlelit courts of Europe!
Uninvited guests at a secret wedding.  A frozen River Thames.
 May Day celebrations to remember.
 The young HenryVIII, with the aid of his chief advisor, Thomas Wolsey, and against the counsel of Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, is hellbent on a so-called holy war with France. This puts him at odds with his Scottish brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland, and his older sister, Margaret. 
Both Tristan and Nicolas know that time is running out for them before they have to…enter the Church - and into an arranged marriage, respectively. In the meantime, they remain at loggerheads over pretty Ysabeau de Sapincourt, the spoilt young wife of the hapless Robert.
At La Colombe, near Ardres, in Picardy, spirited little Valentine is still making mischief as she sees fit.
Across the Narrow Sea, Cecily is perfectly content in her beloved Zennor Castle, in Cornwall. 
None of them know what Dame Fortune has in store for them. Will she allow them to follow their own paths…or has she got other ideas?
Today, we are stopping over on Amy Maroney’s Official Blog for a fabulous interview!
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #1 of the blog tour for The Dark Shadows of Kaysersberg (Book Six in The French Orphan Series) by Michael Stolle @MichaelStolle16 @cathiedunn

 

February 16th – April 20th 2021
Publication Date: 27th December 2020Publisher: Independently PublishedPage Length: 223 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction / Romance / Adventure
It’s 1646 and infant King Louis XIV reigns over France; wily Cardinal Mazarin holds the reins of power - but he needs money, desperately.
Armand de Saint Paul, the younger son of a great and rich noble house, is leading a carefree life in Paris, dedicating his time to such pleasures as gambling, hunting and amorous pursuits.
Unexpectedly, Armand has to defend the honour of his house in a duel that transpires to be a deadly trap, set up by a mighty foe of the house of Saint Paul.
Will Armand be able to escape the deadly net of intrigue that soon threatens to destroy him?
How can a young man deal with love, when it’s no longer a game, but a dream beyond reach?
The leading question is: What is going on behind the façade that is Castle Kaysersberg, where nothing is as it seems to be … until the day when the dark shadows come alive?
We are so excited to start our tour over on Ruins and Reading, where you can have a sneak-peek between the covers.
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #12 of the blog tour for The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) by Michael L. Ross #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelLRoss7

 

 

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.
Head over to Zoe's Art, Craft and Life for a fabulous review.
Click HERE!

#BookReview — The Norse Queen (The Norsewomen Book 1) by Johanna Wittenberg #Vikings #HistoricalFiction @JoWit5

 

Publication Date: 11th February 2020Publisher: Shellback Studio Page Length: 318 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction / Vikings
Ninth-century Norway, the dawn of the Viking era, -- a land shattered into thirty warring kingdoms. A woman could seize power, if she was bold enough.
Daughter of a Norse king, fifteen-year-old Åsa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. When she spurns a powerful warlord, he rains hellfire on her family, slaughtering her father and brother and taking her captive. To protect her people, Åsa must wed her father’s killer. To take vengeance, she must become his queen.



“The daughter of this house has a proud destiny in the web of fate.”
The Norse Queen is fast-paced adventure loosely based on legendary Viking Queen Åsa of Tromøy who lived in the 9th century. We delve into a world of warriors and strong women who meet their fate head-on, and a light touch of magic that adds to the storytelling part of this engrossing novel.
Fifteen-year-old Åsa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. Living in the small kingdom of Tromøy, on Norway’s southern tip, she grows up with a relative degree of freedom and responsibility. Following her mother’s death in childbirth, she is now the lady of the settlement, welcoming visitors and ensuring the household is run smoothly, especially when her father, King Harald, is away. But in her free time, she loves to best her brother, Gyrd, in play swordfights. Trained by old Jarl Borg, a longterm fighting companion of her father, she revels in honing her skills, like a true warrior. 
When handsome young Olaf – the son of Harald’s former friend but now enemy, Gudrød of Borre – visits Tromøy, she is instantly smitten. Her head full of romantic dreams, she is horrified when the true nature of Olaf’s visit is revealed: she is invited to wed not Olaf, but his old father, Gudrød. Angrily, she refuses the offer, as is her right, and Olaf is sent back to Borre, empty-handed. But little does she know the chain of events her reaction has caused. 
The arrival of the völva Heid, a highly respected wise-woman and shaman, in Olaf’s wake doesn’t change Åsa’s intentions, and eventually, even the healer leaves, frustrated, her parting words a soon-to-be-fulfilled warning.
Back in Borre, Olaf faces his father’s wrath. Despite his growing feelings for Åsa, yet keen to impress his harsh father, his failure sees Gudrød leave him behind when he raises his followers, including Olaf’s half-brother, Hrolf, and travels by sea to attack Tromøy. 
When Gudrød kills Åsa’s father and brother in face-to-face combat, his incredible Serkland sword cutting through their weapons like cheese, her fate is sealed. Her people dead or fleeing, she is taken to Borre and locked up by Heid in the bower, safely out of Gudrød’s clutches, whilst awaiting the auspicious date of her wedding. When she manages to escape only days before, it is Olaf who rescues her from danger. Yet even a night of frantic love-making does not stop him from taking her back to Borre. 
But an unexpected surprise awaits Åsa on her wedding night…
“But I will have my revenge.”
Åsa is a brave young girl growing up with dreams of being a shield-maiden. Yet fate has conspired against her. From the tranquil, peaceful setting in Tromøy, where she enjoyed the respect and indulgence of her people, her enforced journey to Borre to wed her father’s murderer is a steep learning curve for her. But she is also aware that these things happened all across the Viking realms (for there were many small kingdoms and earldoms). Daughters are meant to wed for political gain, to seal deals. But in her head, she is quite content to stay as her father’s host, the lady of Tromøy. When she is suddenly torn from this warm embrace of safety and security, her mind is set. She knows her life is not safe, but she is more concerned about the people left behind who – with the harvest and food stores burnt by Gudrød’s men – face starvation. This is one of her prime motivators for her escape, even though she knows, deep down, that Gudrød would chase her and wreak his revenge. 
It’s great to see a strong female character in Åsa, who, after her teenage bubble of happiness is burst, is aware of her position as daughter of a king, although fate can change swiftly. Gudrød still seeks to sacrifice her even after their wedding, but aided by the völva Heid, she realizes that there are greater forces at work, forces she can use to her advantage. Heid keeps her safe, but for how long?
Heid, the wise-woman, is another strong female character. She is highly respected amongst Viking communities. Her visions feared by ordinary men and leaders, influencing important political decisions. Her high rank is obvious from the beginning. Of indeterminate age and crippled, we learn very little about her background, until near the end, when an intriguing link to her past is revealed. Like Åsa, I remained uncertain about Heid’s true intensions, which are cleverly weaved into the plot. Heid and her apprentices keep Åsa safe – for the moment, but the völva has her own agenda.
Meanwhile, Olaf – whilst fantasizing about Åsa – still wants to impress his father, showing that he is a worthy heir. When Gudrød goes on campaign to reclaim the ancient ‘Shining Hall’ of his ancestors from the Danes, Olaf joins proudly, but when he is separated from his host during battle, and attacked, it becomes clear to him that his half-brother, Hrolf, has sinister plans for him. Olaf’s long, enforced, journey east is one of self-discovery and revelation. He has come into his own, and dreams of returning home with riches beyond his father’s dreams. At a market in Bolghar, he sets eyes on wootz, a metal used to create Gudrød’s miraculous sword and which the king has always wanted to use to arm his huskarlar – his followers. Finally back in Borre, Olaf revels in his father’s gratitude on his return with the precious gifts.
To me, Olaf is the weakest character in the story. Not weak in terms of the author’s writing, but by his own indecisiveness and eager-to-please attitude towards his father. He grew up bullied by Hrolf, laughed at by Gudrød. A boy desperate for his father’s approval. Not of harsh warrior material like Gudrød or Hrolf, Olaf has struggled all his life to gain his father’s respect. This affects all his actions, and at times I wanted to shake him for not accepting what an ogre his father really is. By the end of the novel, I still don’t trust him.
Ulf is one of the captured people from Tromøy, a true friend to Åsa. A smith, he is a quiet character who keeps his head down and gets on with the work Gudrød assigns to him in the smithy, much to the annoyance of the resident smith, Arne, who would rather see Ulf dead. And Ulf knows that his life hangs in the balance, until he can forge a sword made of wootz steel. With the precious metal finally in his hands, he must act swiftly to secure his survival – and that of Åsa.
“I must learn all I can, and protect the innocents.”
Johanna Wittenberg conveys the way of life in southern Norway beautifully. The landscapes are vivid, with all their magnificence and dangers. She recreates the seasons well, and shows us how precarious life was when stocks are destroyed or shared by force. Both at home in Tromøy as well as in Borre, Åsa’s life becomes a routine that sees her deal with the relevant duties, especially during the seasonal festivals – Jøl, and the spring, summer and autumn equinoxes, all very important to Viking life with their rituals to appease the gods to grant them a successful harvest or to keep them safe and fed during the harsh winters. The rituals form part of the visual narrative, which evoked in me a sense of wonderful, old-fashioned storytelling. Whilst the author doesn’t spare some gory details, she does this with the respect the Vikings would have accorded to the animals they slaughtered.
The smallest details bring the setting and the characters to life. Ms Wittenberg dispenses with clichés so often found in novels featuring Vikings, but instead draws on her excellent, clearly in-depth, research in creating a world full of challenges and dangers, but also beauty, joy and glimpses of happy times. Even the tiny touch of magic feels natural in the overall context of the ancient Viking communities.
The Norse Queen by Johanna Wittenberg is a wonderful novel, a saga about the challenges a young woman faces to finally fulfil her destiny. With flesh-and-blood characters, a vibrant setting, and a fast pace throughout, it really pulls you into the Viking past. Although there are two sequels, The Norse Queen can easily be read as a standalone novel as all loose strands are neatly tied up at the end. But I’ll just have to get the sequels to see what happens next.
A highly recommended read!
Review by Cathie Dunn.The Coffee Pot Book Club.

Amazon UK • Amazon US

Like her Viking forebears, Johanna Wittenberg has sailed to the far reaches of the world. She lives on a fjord in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, whom she met on a ship bound for Antarctica. For fascinating facts about the Viking Age, visit Johanna’s website.
Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • BookBub.
 

Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for The North Finchley Writers’ Group By Richard Tearle, with Helen Hollick #ContemporaryRomance #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @lordf34 @HelenHollick

 

February 15th – February 19th 2021

Publication Date: 2nd February 2021

Publisher: Taw River Press

Page Length: 142 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

When a group of north London writers meet each month for a chat, coffee, and cake – what else is on their agenda? Constructive criticism? New Ideas? An exciting project? And maybe, more than one prospective romance...? Eavesdrop on the monthly meetings of the North Finchley Writers' Group, follow some ordinary people with a love of story writing, and an eagerness for success. Discover, along with them, the mysteries of creating characters and plot, of what inspires ideas, and how real life can, occasionally, divert the dream...
Check out the fabulous blogs we are stopping over today: LoupDargent.infoLet your Words Shine…Gwendalyn’s Booksfor a sneak-peek between the covers!

Welcome to Day #2 of the blog tour for Beware the Lizard Lurking (The House of the Red Duke, Book 2) by Vivienne Brereton @VivienneBreret1 @wilaroney

 

February 15th – March 5th 2021
Publication Date: 12th February 2021Publisher: Yuletide PressPage Length: 302 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction
Welcome to the candlelit courts of Europe!
Uninvited guests at a secret wedding.  A frozen River Thames.
 May Day celebrations to remember.
 The young HenryVIII, with the aid of his chief advisor, Thomas Wolsey, and against the counsel of Thomas Howard, the Earl of Surrey, is hellbent on a so-called holy war with France. This puts him at odds with his Scottish brother-in-law, James IV of Scotland, and his older sister, Margaret. 
Both Tristan and Nicolas know that time is running out for them before they have to…enter the Church - and into an arranged marriage, respectively. In the meantime, they remain at loggerheads over pretty Ysabeau de Sapincourt, the spoilt young wife of the hapless Robert.
At La Colombe, near Ardres, in Picardy, spirited little Valentine is still making mischief as she sees fit.
Across the Narrow Sea, Cecily is perfectly content in her beloved Zennor Castle, in Cornwall. 
None of them know what Dame Fortune has in store for them. Will she allow them to follow their own paths…or has she got other ideas?
Today, we are stopping over on The Books Delight for a 5 star review!
Click HERE!

Welcome to Day #11 of the blog tour for The Search (Across the Great Divide, Book II) by Michael L. Ross #HistoricalFiction #BlogTour #CoffeePotBookClub @MichaelLRoss7 @jroberts1324

 

February 1st – February 19th 2021
Publication Date: December 15, 2020Publisher: HistoricalNovelsRUSPage Length: 217 PagesGenre: Historical Fiction, Christian Historical Fiction, Historical Romance
Where do you go when home is no longer an option?
The guns of the Civil War have ceased firing, and the shots are but an echo... yet the war rages on, deep inside Will Crump's soul. His "soldier's heart" is searching for peace, and in that quest Will joins the westward movement, setting his path on a collision course with adventure, loss, and love.
The Westward Expansion floods the sacred, untouched lands with immigrants, bringing conflict to the Shoshone, Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Amidst the chaos Will finds safety in the shadow of the US Army, but the army brings battle-hardened troops into Red Cloud's War, pulling Will into a tornado of conflict. Broken treaties and promises leave both sides searching for answers. Will's search leads him to a battle for survival, and there he finds a love that could change him forever.
Dove, a young Shoshone woman, is a survivor of the Bear Creek Massacre. After being kidnapped and escaping from the Cheyenne, she joins Will's search, seeking where she belongs. Dove longs for more than the restricted role placed on women in her tribe. If she can learn to trust a white man, he just might help her find home... and hope.
Together, Will and Dove must search for understanding, and reach Across the Great Divide.


Head over to The Books Delight for a sneak-peek between the pages.
Click HERE!