Down Salem Way Wins the B.R.A.G. Medallion
In some exciting Wentworth-related news, Down Salem Way, a novel of the Salem Witch Trials, has won the B.R.A.G. Medallion.
I’m so glad that readers have connected to the story of how James and Elizabeth Wentworth fell in love. I knew I was taking a chance with writing the prequel to the Loving Husband Trilogy in a completely different style than the first three books, but I’m never one to shy away from a challenge so I went with it.
The first three books in the Loving Husband Series are written from third-person point of through either James or Sarah’s eyes. Also, the first three books have dual timelines in the past and the present. Down Salem Way is strictly historical fiction since it only has one timeline during the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. It’s also told in first-person by James.
I had intended to write Down Salem Way in the same style as the first three books. I wrote a couple of drafts of the story with the dual timeline but it just wasn’t working. Once I realized that James needed to share his thoughts as the madness of the witch hunts spins out of control around him, I decided that this would be his diary from that time. I’m so glad James had his chance to share his side of the story. For Loving Husband Series fans, the eternal love between James and his wife makes more sense with this back story. We understand now why their love spans time.
If you haven’t read the other Loving Husband books but you’d like to read Down Salem Way, go right ahead. Even though Down Salem Way is the prequel to Her Dear & Loving Husband, I wrote it as a stand-alone so you don’t need to read the other books to understand it. Readers have told me that they hadn’t read any of the other books in the series before they started with Down Salem Way and they had no trouble following the story. It makes my heart sing when a reader tells me that they read Down Salem Way and now they want to read the other three books.
In fact, the only book in the Loving Husband Series that doesn’t work as a stand-alone is Her Loving Husband’s Curse. I do think you need to read Her Dear & Loving Husband first to get the most out of that story.
The Duchess of Idaho, Book Five of the Loving Husband Series, is also being written as a stand-alone, so if you’re interested in the Oregon Trail with a little time travel on the side, you can jump right into the story without reading the other books. Of course, if like other readers you decide you’d like to read the rest of the series, you’d make me very happy indeed. I’ve had a few more questions about the publication date for The Duchess of Idaho. No official publication date yet, but early 2022 is a good guess.
Yes, there will be more Loving Husband books after DOI. Grace’s story will be a trilogy, and I have a few other tricks up my sleeve for the Wentworths. I’m so excited to be bringing Grace’s story to life. I think her adventures are just as fascinating as her parents, and I hope readers will think so too.
Thank you to the Book Readers Appreciation Group for adding Down Salem Way to their list of medallion winners. And thank you to the Loving Husband Series fans who have supported James and Sarah through the years.
