"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."-- Edmund Burke; British Statesman and Philosopher who is generally viewed as the philosophical founder of modern political conservatism.


AmHis

The American Historical Christian Fiction blog hi-lights books by Christian authors who are led by the Lord to write about characters and stories set in America's past. They are exciting stories of romance, adventure and suspense, written to inspire and encourage.

If you're looking for a book for yourself, a loved one, or those who may need an uplifting message woven through an entertaining story, please consider new monthly releases in inspirational historical fiction found here--the kind that take you on a journey into our country's past (from early colonial times to WWII) and illuminates the trials, beauty and blessings of our great nation.

This week it's my pleasure to interview Author of the Week: Laurie Alice Eakes and to present her February release: Lady in the Mist.




Lady in the Mist
Author: Laurie Alice Eakes
Publisher: Revell


By virtue of her profession as a midwife, Tabitha Eckles is the keeper of many secrets.

Dominick Cherrett is a man with his own secret to keep: namely, what he, a British aristocrat, is doing on American soil working as an indentured servant.

In a time when relations between America and England rest on the edge of a knife, Tabitha and Dominick cross paths, leading them on a journey of intrigue, threats, public disgrace, and . . . love? But can Tabitha trust Dominick? Finding true love seems impossible in a world set against them.

With stirring writing that draws you directly into the story, Lady in the Mist takes you on the thrilling ride of love’s discovery.


I also had an opportunity to interview Laurie Alice recently regarding her writing background, and she graciously shared some of her thoughts and experiences...


When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a little girl, maybe five or six(?) I was already making up stories.


How did you prepare: Workshops, college courses, books on craft?

All of the above. I attended a couple of writers conferences and read several books, but when I went to graduate school for a master’s degree in writing fiction was when everything clicked into place for me.


Were you writing fiction before you got published?

Yes. I started writing fiction when I was a mere child, had some short stories published in school literary mags, etc. Later, when I knew what I was doing, I moved to novels.


How many years/stories did you write before the first one was accepted?

I don’t know. Honestly. I had a lot of fits and starts where school and work interfered, and I got addicted to research for a long time. Maybe four for each.

Why do you enjoy writing historicals? (and anything more you want to add to this--anything special about time/settings etc.)

I like history and enjoyed reading historicals, so it’s a natural progression to writing them. Somehow, the fantasy world of story, getting oneself lost in that world is much more effective when writing an historical. And sometimes I’m so out of the mainstream culture, I can’t figure out how I’d be cool enough to write contemporary, though I’d like to one day. I really don’t know what designers are in or what shoes are the hippest this year, and it’ll change before the book is out anyway. For me, I buy what I like and what suits me and don’t pay attention to labels, so would have really dowdy heroines trying to survive in the modern world. Of course, in full disclosure, I do have a Brahmin handbag.


What's your next book/release date we can look forward to? (A quick sentence or two of what it's about to whet our appetites? :)

Lady in the Mist releases February 1—Yay! A young midwife in 1809 Virginia encounters a mysterious stranger on the beach one morning on her way home from a disastrous “lying-in” and finds herself thrown into a world of intrigue, danger, and love. Baker/Revell and also has been picked up by Crossings Book Club.

Update: Laurie Alice's next book, Jersey Brides, releases in March 2011; A Repack of all 3 New Jersey historical books from Heartsong Presents (The Glassblower, The Heiress, The Newcomer).

Jersey Brides
Author: Laurie Alice Eakes
Publisher: Barbour Publishing



Travel back to the glory days of New Jersey where three women are having conflicts with wealth and status when attractive men enter their lives. Meg is being forced into marriage for riches when her heart longs for a simple artisan. Susan is powerless to use her fortune on the poor or to protect it from her future husband. Marigold is forced to work as a lowly nursemaid for orphans awaiting their uncle before receiving her birthright. Will God lead these women to loves that are even greater in value than money?



Thanks so much, Laurie Alice--and blessings on your future writing endeavors!

Thank you for having me. I’m happy to give the commenter drawn either a Lady in the Mist tote bag or coffee mug. Since I had nothing to do with it, I can say that this cover is gorgeous and looks great on these products.



Historic Flash Facts

Curious about what happened on your birth date one hundred years ago....(wouldn't it make a great theme for your birthday party?) Or are you searching for an historical event to include in a story you're writing? Check out Historic Flash Facts; new entries will be added weekly to keep you "up-to-date".


Jan. 23, 1789
Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.

Jan. 23, 1845
Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Jan. 24, 1848
James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter's Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of '49.

Jan. 25, 1915
Alexander Graham Bell inaugurated U.S. transcontinental telephone service between New York and San Francisco.

Jan. 26, 1861
Louisiana passed an Ordinance of Secession, 113-17, at the state capitol in Baton Rouge becoming the sixth state to break from the United States.

Jan. 28, 1915
The United States Coast Guard was created a President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill merging the Life Saving Service and Revenue Cutter Service.

Jan. 29, 1861
Kansas became the 34th state of the Union.

Jan. 29, 1845
Edgar Allen Poe's poem The Raven was first published in the New York Evening Mirror.

Jan. 29, 1936
The first members of baseball's Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown.

Feb. 1, 1861
Texas voted to leave the union, 166-8, at a Secession Convention in Austin.

Feb 2, 1848
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the Mexican-American War was signed.

Feb. 2, 1653
New Amsterdam--now New York City--was incorporated.

Feb. 3, 1913
The 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

Feb. 4, 1861
Delegates from six southern states that had recently seceded from the Union met in Montgomery, Ala. to form the confederate States of America.

Feb. 4, 1783
Britain's King George III proclaimed a formal cessation of hostilities in the American Revolutionary War.

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And to be in a drawing for a great Book Giveaway or other gifts, let us know by posting a Comment about a book, whether you enjoyed the Historic Flash Facts, or if you checked out some of the links and found the information helpful.

Note: This week, instead of a book, we're giving away a Lady in the Mist tote bag or coffee mug.




"May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Num.6:25-26 (KJV)

Historic Flash Facts

Jan.9, 1861
Mississippi became the second state to secede from the union, the same day that the Star of the West, a merchant vessel bringing reinforcements and supplies to Federal troops at fort Sumter, S.C., retreated because of artillery fire in Charleston Harbor.

Jan. 9, 1793
Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard, using a hot-air balloon, flew between Philadelphia and Woodbury, N.J.

Jan. 9, 1945
During WWII, American forces began landing at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines.

Jan. 10, 1861
Florida became the third state to break from the Union as it passed an Ordinance of Secession at the State capitol in Tallahassee by a vote of 62-7.

Jan. 10, 1776
Thomas Paine anonymously published his influential pamphlet, Commom Sense.

Jan. 10, 1901
The Spindletop oil field in Beaumont, Texas, produced the Lucas Gusher, heralding the start of the Texas oil boom.

Jan. 11, 1861
Alabama became the fourth state to withdraw from the Union, with delegates voting 61-39 in favor of an Ordinance of Secession during a convention in Montgomery.

Jan. 11, 1913
The first sedan-type automobile, a Hudson, went on display at the 13th National Automobile Show in New York.

Jan. 12, 1915
The U.S. House of Representatives rejected, 204-174, a constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.

Jan. 13, 1794
President George Washington approved a measure adding two stars and two stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Vermont and Kentucky to the Union. (The number of stripes was later reduced to the original thirteen).

Jan. 13, 1941
A new law went into effect granting Puerto Ricans U.S. birthright citizenship.

Jan. 14, 1784
The United States ratified a peace treaty with England, ending the Revolutionary War.

Jan. 14, 1900
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and French General Charles DeGaulle opened a wartime conference in Casablanca.

Jan. 15, 1929
Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia.


Books
Hi-lighted for the month of January 2011:



Surrender the Heart
Author: MaryLu Tyndall
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

A young mistrustful lady, desperate to save her family.

A man, burdened by guilt, desperate to please his.

Both caught in the brink of a war that could change the course of history forever

On the brink of the War of 1812, Marianne Denton must marry to unlock her inheritance. Without the money, her mother can’t receive medical care and her sister will be destitute. But Noah Brenin needs to sail his cargo to England before the war commences in order to prove his worth to his father and make enough money so he won’t have to marry at all.

But when Noah walks out on their engagement party, Marianne chases him down and ends up on his merchantman out at sea. The situation worsens when Noah’s ship encounters a British man-of-war and the couple is impressed into the British navy.

While a young lad’s prophecy of destiny looms over them both, Marianne and Noah are forced to face their darkest fears as they desperately try to find a way to escape and fulfill their destinies—destinies that could change the course of the war and history forever.







Sharpshooter in Petticoats
Author: Mary Connealy
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Mandy McClellen Grey has become the focus of a feud thanks to her husband,
who made this mess and then died. Far from home, Mandy, the best little rifle
woman in the west, has resigned herself to a lonely life under siege rather
than call for help and endanger her family.
Tom Linscott is fed up with waiting for Mandy who should have had the sense
to come to him as soon as she finished burying her worthless husband. In fact
he'd 've come fast enough to dig the hole if she'd 've sent for him. He goes to
round up his little woman and buys into a heap of trouble from a whole clan
of outlaws.
Between Mandy's deadly skill with her rifle, her determination to not bring
trouble down on someone she loves, and an ever growing crowd of varmints who
want to bury everyone named Grey—and anyone who sides with them, Tom may not
survive getting himself hitched.






Unexpected Love
Publisher: Realms/Strang Book Group
Author: Andrea Boeshaar

Nurse Lorenna Fields has always taken her job at Chicago's Mercy Hospital seriously, determined never to become personally involved with her patients. But when a mysterious man with eyes like onyx is admitted after a shipwreck on Lake Michigan, she develops a connection with him that she can’t deny.

Slowly her patient regains consciousness, but to Renna’s dismay he has lost both his sight and his memory. Dubbed “Mr. Blackeyes” by her, the two build a strong, trusting friendship as they search for clues to his past. But part of her dreads the day of his recovery, convinced that his memories will take him away from her and his regained sight will reveal a secret about herself that Renna has been trying hard to hide.






Tennessee Brides
Author: Diane Ashley
Publisher: Barbour Publishing

Can three women handle the drastic changes looming at their doorsteps in Nineteenth Century Tennessee? Rebekah Taylor’s long-anticipated wedding is threatened by war with Britain. Iris Landon becomes nanny to two Cherokee orphans who attract persecution from the townsfolk. Amelia Montgomery inadvertently becomes involved with the Underground Railroad. Will adventure and danger lead each into the heart of romance?







Caroline's Choice
Author: Martha W. Rogers
Publisher: Strang/Realms

After six years of waiting for Matt Haynes to declare his intentions, Caroline Frankston decides to begin a new life in Oklahoma City where exciting preparations are being made to usher in Oklahoma's statehood.

After she leaves, Matt realizes he misses her more than he wants to admit, but as long as Mrs. Frankston snubs him, he will not ask Caroline to be his wife. As the Oklahoma rushes toward statehood, Matt finds himself alone and missing Caroline. When a train wreck threatens her life, will Matt be willing to risk everything to bring Caroline home where she belongs?






Touched By Mercy
Author: Tina Pinson
Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Angelina!

She wasn’t Samantha’s daughter, but she should have been. Sam mothered her with love like she was her own. The child became heaven in her world.

Now the child was gone. Samantha felt her world slipping away. She had to find Angelina. She prayed. But doubted God would hear her. How could he when she was so dirty? And how could she trust a God who she believed abandoned her? Hopefully this God wouldn’t abandon Angelina.

God uses the gentle hands of another carpenter to strip back the layers of abuse that have tarnished her faith and worth to teach Sam there is mercy instead of shame, and love. And though it seems out of reach, she always had freedom in Christ.







Love On Assignment (N.A.for Giveaway)
Author: Cara Lynn James
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

While Charlotte is focusing on uncovering sordid information on columnist Daniel Wilmot, her heart leads her into uncharted territory. During the summer of 1900 Charlotte Hale, a native Newporter and secretary for the Rhode Island Reporter, accepts an undercover assignment as temporary governess to Daniel Wilmont's children in order to secretly gather evidence against him. As he helps her rediscover God, Charlotte learns that Daniel is an honorable man. They unexpectedly fall in love despite their different backgrounds and social positions. Charlotte soon realizes she must defend Daniel against the forces set against him—a willful student with a romantic crush and the newspaper editor determined to destroy his reputation.







Courting Miss Amsel (N.A. for Giveaway)
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Publisher: Bethany House

COURTING MISS AMSEL -- Miss Edythe Amsel arrives in the tiny farming community of Walnut Hill, Nebraska, with one goal in mind: ascertaining every child in her school room learns to read and write. But Edythe's unusual teaching methods--as well as her odd ideas about women's rights--ruffle the feathers of nearly everyone in town. Only Joel Townsend, whose innovative farming methods have set him apart from his neighbors, speaks in support of the teacher who's won the affections of his nephews, Johnny and Robert. But when Miss Amsel reveals her deepest beliefs--beliefs outside of the ones Joel holds dearer than any others--he can no longer speak in her defense...not even if she's stolen his heart.







"May the Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: may the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." Num.6:25-26 (KJV)