"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)