Welcome Shannon!!
I had
no particular inspiration for this story, besides the dozens of accounts I’ve read
of loyalists and their side of things during the American Revolution, and of
the many conflicts that took place within the Carolinas over the course of the
war. It was fun, of course, to get to come up with a story for the
devil-may-care cousin from The
Highwayman. I knew that after five years of war, Jed Wheeler would have
grown wiser as well as older, and far more world-weary. He needed an adventure
that would appeal not only to his craving for excitement, but for significance
as well. And years of trolling South Carolina Revolutionary War history has
taught me that the time period of the Southern Campaign and after is a very
lightly mined era. I love South Carolina history in particular, having lived
there for more than 20 years and walked a lot of historic sites. (And what area
in that part of the country is NOT a historic site, really?)
I
also love stories that present some sort of moral dilemma but are firmly
redemptive, even if they don’t present, you know, the explicit gospel of
Christ. So while I’m not fond of the level of historicity of films like, say, The Patriot, I like the moral complexity
portrayed there. And I love stories where a guy goes in to just do a job and
finds himself emotionally entangled by a different cause than the one he expected.
For
my heroine’s journey, it was the idea of her suddenly being thrown a strand of
hope in the midst of an otherwise hopeless situation … opening a well of
vulnerability in an otherwise tough girl. For my hero, it’s the gift of a fresh
hope as well, after years of fighting a war in which he lost many of those
closest to him.
Thanks so much for visiting, Shannon! I love how you point out that every part of the country is full of history...if we just want to find it! I'm certainly intrigued by your prequel! What a great idea!
Thanks so much for visiting, Shannon! I love how you point out that every part of the country is full of history...if we just want to find it! I'm certainly intrigued by your prequel! What a great idea!
BUY LINKS:
Shannon's BIO:
After more than two decades in the South, Shannon McNear now
makes her home on the windy northern plains with her husband, four of their
eight children, two German Shepherds, four cats, several chickens, and a noisy
flock of guinea fowl. She serves in worship and youth ministry, and has been
writing novel-length fiction since age 15. Her first novella, Defending Truth, from A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA®
nominee. When not sewing,
researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors,
basking in the beauty of the Dakota prairies.
Colonial Quills
Love on Colonial America’s Frontier
Travel into Colonial America where eight women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry. Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love?
Shenandoah Hearts by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1754 - Great Wagon Road, into the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia)
As the French-Indian War commences, Magda Sehler wonders if Jacob Owens lost his mind to have abandoned his Philadelphia business and moved to the Shenandoah Valley. Or has he lost his heart?
Heart of Nantahala by Jennifer Hudson Taylor
1757 - (North Carolina)
Joseph Gregory plans to buy a lumber mill, but Mabel Walker becomes a formidable opponent. When she’s forced to make a painful decision, she must choose between survival and love.
Her Redcoat by Pegg Thomas
1763 - Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan) during Pontiac’s Rebellion
Laurette Pettigrew grew up in the northern frontier. Henry Bedlow arrived against his will. Their chance meeting changes everything. Will a deadly clash of cultures keep them from finding happiness?
A Heart So Tender by Debra E. Marvin
1764 – (New York)
As thousands of Native warriors converge on Fort Niagara, jaded British Lieutenant Archibald Walsh and idealistic schoolmistress Susannah Kimball learn the greatest risk lies in guarding their hearts.
A Worthy Groom by Angela K. Couch
1771 - Sapling Grove settlement on the Holston River (Tennessee)
The Cowden temper has been Marcus’s lifelong bane. A trait Lorinda Cowden curses. Now, winning the heart of his bride hinges on fighting a war without raising a fist.
Across Three Autumns by Denise Weimer
1778-1780 – (Georgia)
Fighting Loyalists and Indians, Jenny White settles for strength over love . . .until Scottish scout Caylan McIntosh leads her family on a harrowing exodus out of Georgia’s Revolutionary “Hornet’s Nest.”
The Counterfeit Tory by Shannon McNear
1781 – (South Carolina)
Tasked with infiltrating an infamous Tory gang, Jed Wheeler has no wish to endanger the leader’s cousin, Lizzy Cunningham. He risks not only his life. . .but his heart.
Love’s Undoing by Gabrielle Meyer
1792 - Fur Post on the Upper Mississippi River (Minnesota)
When Englishman Henry Kingsley meets Abi McCrea, the daughter of a Scottish fur trader and Indian mother, will their worlds keep them apart, or have they finally found somewhere they truly belong?
Love on Colonial America’s Frontier
Travel into Colonial America where eight women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry. Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love?
Shenandoah Hearts by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1754 - Great Wagon Road, into the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia)
As the French-Indian War commences, Magda Sehler wonders if Jacob Owens lost his mind to have abandoned his Philadelphia business and moved to the Shenandoah Valley. Or has he lost his heart?
Heart of Nantahala by Jennifer Hudson Taylor
1757 - (North Carolina)
Joseph Gregory plans to buy a lumber mill, but Mabel Walker becomes a formidable opponent. When she’s forced to make a painful decision, she must choose between survival and love.
Her Redcoat by Pegg Thomas
1763 - Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan) during Pontiac’s Rebellion
Laurette Pettigrew grew up in the northern frontier. Henry Bedlow arrived against his will. Their chance meeting changes everything. Will a deadly clash of cultures keep them from finding happiness?
A Heart So Tender by Debra E. Marvin
1764 – (New York)
As thousands of Native warriors converge on Fort Niagara, jaded British Lieutenant Archibald Walsh and idealistic schoolmistress Susannah Kimball learn the greatest risk lies in guarding their hearts.
A Worthy Groom by Angela K. Couch
1771 - Sapling Grove settlement on the Holston River (Tennessee)
The Cowden temper has been Marcus’s lifelong bane. A trait Lorinda Cowden curses. Now, winning the heart of his bride hinges on fighting a war without raising a fist.
Across Three Autumns by Denise Weimer
1778-1780 – (Georgia)
Fighting Loyalists and Indians, Jenny White settles for strength over love . . .until Scottish scout Caylan McIntosh leads her family on a harrowing exodus out of Georgia’s Revolutionary “Hornet’s Nest.”
The Counterfeit Tory by Shannon McNear
1781 – (South Carolina)
Tasked with infiltrating an infamous Tory gang, Jed Wheeler has no wish to endanger the leader’s cousin, Lizzy Cunningham. He risks not only his life. . .but his heart.
Love’s Undoing by Gabrielle Meyer
1792 - Fur Post on the Upper Mississippi River (Minnesota)
When Englishman Henry Kingsley meets Abi McCrea, the daughter of a Scottish fur trader and Indian mother, will their worlds keep them apart, or have they finally found somewhere they truly belong?
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Thanks for visiting, Shannon! I love all the history in this collection!
ReplyDeleteWaving hi to Shannon! It's so fun learning what inspired the stories in this collection. Thank you, Shannon and Deb!
ReplyDeleteThank you both!! It's been so much fun getting to host each other and read all these tidbits! <3 And such an honor to be part of the collection. :-D
ReplyDelete