Dear readers,

I invite you to step back in time with me and explore the drama and danger of the 18th-century when George III became the last king of America. The Belle of Chatham began with my own ancestry and those Patriots and Loyalists in my family line who fought against each other. What must it have been like to choose sides and watch the world as you knew it implode?

This story takes you to three unique settings—New Jersey, New York, and then the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, all rife with conflicted loyalties, intrigue, and romance.

Family, friendships, and freedom are in play when the Bohannon family is fractured as the American Revolution begins. Maebel finds herself at odds with her only sister, Coralie, a situation made more tenuous with their very different romantic ties. Mae’s determination to keep the peace while still choosing sides backfires badly, nearly costing her a future with the man she loves.

On the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, I offer a novel of divided loyalties, patriotism, sacrifice, sisterhood, and love—born from a time when every choice carried a consequence. The Belle of Chatham is historical romance that explores the true nature of freedom, and what that freedom means to us today.

Your support and preorders mean so much ahead of release day in January!

Thank you,
Laura Frantz

The post Baker Book House Pre-orders! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Recently it came to my attention that the best way for an author to connect with reading friends is through a private group… So, Gorgeous Georgians it is! Isn’t the image lovely? I have the amazingly gifted Hannah Linder to thank who is a fellow author as well as a stellar designer! Here’s both her lovely sites: Hannah Linder Designs   Hannah Linder Books.

You may be thinking what I did – “Oh no, not another group!” But I’ve realized that YOU can post on this new page, unlike my Facebook Author account which doesn’t allow for that. This new endeavor will be more of a conversation than a monologue. I think dedicated readers may like it & I’ll be sharing creative things there like videos & giveaways unlike my other social media accounts.

Please join me if you’d like!

Gorgeous Georgians

The post Gorgeous Georgians appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’m so surprised & delighted to learn The Rose & the Thistle made the ECPA bestseller list for January. It’s not often you see new titles on this list so it’s a double blessing. What makes a bestseller? The cover, for a start, then a stellar marketing team. I’m never quite sure. But I do know my faithful readers cared enough about the book to buy it & read it & share about it either by word of mouth or online. No words for how I feel about that!

HUGE, heartfelt thanks!

The post Novel news! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’m so happy to learn A Heart Adrift is the book club pick for BEYOND THE BOOK book club this coming January! Discussions are every Tuesday through the month and I’ll be there on Thursdays to share some special features, chocolate recipes, & more.

Please join us!

BEYOND THE BOOK

The post Beyond the Book Book Club! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’m always delighted when someone asks me how they can help launch a new book. Discoverability is hard for even established authors & it’s such a joy to reach new readers while celebrating reading friends who’ve been faithful from the first…

Here are a few creative ways to help spread the book joy!

• Write a review of the book on a retailer site like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Christian Book, Books-a-Million, Apple Books, Google Play, etc.
• Write a review of the book on Goodreads and BookBub.
• Write a review of the book on Hoopla, Overdrive, and Libby.
• Add the book to your Goodreads shelf.
• Add the book to your BookBub shelf.
• Vote for the book in any Goodreads lists it’s a part of.
• Share a review of the book on your blog or website.
• Share a review of the book on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, Litsy, etc.)
• Suggest the book to your book club/group (online or in-person).
• After reading the book, give it away as a prize on social media or your blog.
• Pass the book along to all of your family and friends that you think might be interested in reading it. Ask them to pass it along when they’re done.
• Buy the book as a gift for a holiday or birthday.
• Think about the themes in the book and how they might connect with people you know and care about. Consider recommending the book to them or gifting them a copy.
• Request the book at your local or church library for purchase.
• Post a photo of the book when to social media and say how you are excited about the release.
• Take a selfie with the book and post it on social media.
• Share about the Goodreads giveaway.
• Share a preorder post.
• Share early reviews from trade publications for the book.
• Share endorsements from other authors for the book.
• Share a countdown post.
• Share comments about the book on social media while you’re reading and what you like about it.
• Share about different formats of the book (ebook, audiobook, large print, etc.)
• Create a meme with a memorable quote from the book.
• Create fanart for the book.

The post How to help with a book release! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

No words for once with this INSPY win for A BOUND HEART. Huge, heartfelt thanks to readers, judges, & all who are the heart & soul of this very meaningful award.💛 Congratulations to the other winners who make a wonderful reading list!

2020 INSPY AWARDS

The post INSPY Award Win appeared first on Laura Frantz.

It’s that wonderful time of almost summer when I just pressed SEND and returned galleys of Tidewater Bride to my publisher & am now almost ready to share the new cover while awaiting the final pages to read one last time before the book goes to print. I usually run out into the garden and pick flowers to decorate those pages before prayerfully going over the novel before it reaches your hands.

So many book events that I’d looked forward to this year have been cancelled. Staying home is good but getting old. But I must admit that all this quarantining does wonders for writing. I’m beginning to think of ideas for future books. But first there’s another for Revell in my current contract that I’m nearly finished with and is due this November.

And I’m wondering what kind of stories and settings you are hoping to read? Anything you have a heart for but can’t find? Any history you’d love brought to the page?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The post At my desk out west appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Recently I ‘sat’ down with readers for a day in December and invited their questions. We talked Christmas and books! I’ll be doing these chats once a month on my Facebook author page and would love for you to join me next time in January.

Here are a few fun questions from last time…

Carey: I love to talk about books! How do you come up with different names for the heroines? I would love one of your characters to be named Carey.

Laura: I’ll remember that. You just might just find yourself in those pages 🙂 I always try to find period-appropriate names. Not anything remotely modern but not the tried-and-true 18th-century names like Ann, Martha, Mary, Jane, etc. I draw from ship’s logs and census records, old documents and family genealogies, even my own family. Finding unique, memorable names like Lael and Morrow and Lark is a delight. My hero names are more traditional though you’ll find no Georges or Johns!

Kim: I’d love to know how you’re inspired to write a particular character and their story. What triggers a book idea?

Laura: It always starts with fragments – scraps of dialogue or a name that comes to mind out of the blue, or even an image like I’m watching a movie – often when I’m out on a walk or even in the shower which is maddening since I don’t have pen & paper. Usually I find something fascinating in research that makes me think, what if? In An Uncommon Woman, I relied on my lifelong fascination of Indian captivity narratives for the bones of that story. Sometimes I know the end of the story before I begin.

Looking forward to a New Year’s chat in January!

The post Winter Chatp appeared first on Laura Frantz.

So I’m about to begin another novel. Years ago, when the publishing door opened, I felt I’d be blessed to publish one book. Now, ten years later, I thought it might be fun to revisit those first lines of past novels if for no other reason than I don’t want to repeat an opening but start fresh. Here goes…

The Frontiersman’s Daughter: In the fading lavender twilight at the edge of the clearing stood half a dozen Shawnee warriors.

Courting Morrow Little: Morrow paused on the river trail to wipe her brow with the hem of her linsey shift.

The Colonel’s Lady: This is madness.

Love’s Reckoning: ‘Twas time for his daughters to wed, Papa said.

Love’s Awakening: “You’ve a visitor, sir.”

Love’s Fortune: For the rest of his life James Sackett would remember this moment.

The Mistress of Tall Acre: On this day, 8 August, 1778, a child was safely delivered…

A Moonbow Night: What cannot be cured must be endured.

The Lacemaker: Elisabeth took a breath, breaking an intense hour of concentration.

A Bound Heart: As the sun slid from the sky, Lark pressed her back into the pockmarked cliff on the island’s west shore.

An Uncommon Woman: Why could she not quit pondering that flounced petticoat?

Next time it might be fun to do last lines. Thankfully, all my books are happily~ever~afters! 

The post Chapter One… appeared first on Laura Frantz.

SO happy to share novel eleven with you! Here are my cover thoughts from my newsletter…

I love the up-close image of Tessa Swan, our heroine. She has a simple beauty and strength. I asked that her hair be messy and those dangling strings of her cap be left untied. In the novel, our hero says her pale cap is the only ruffled thing about her. For the sake of accuracy, Revell’s design team hunted down a ruffled head covering which is quite 18th-century as is the linen fichu about her shoulders. Her indigo dress was also a very familiar color back then. Framed by the western Virginia wilderness setting, she is as authentic as the landscape around her. Since an Indian captivity theme is central to this story, that element is included with more Indian motifs to come on the back cover and possibly the spine, too.

Thank you, Revell!

PREORDER LINKS:

AMAZON   BARNES&NOBLE

The post An Uncommon Woman appeared first on Laura Frantz.