I’m so honored to find The Belle of Chatham among the finalists for the renowned Christy Award!

My first Christy final was for Love’s Reckoning back in 2013. I remember sitting beside my agent at that glittering gala in St. Louis. Though I didn’t win, simply being a finalist felt like such a gift.

Fast-forward a few years, and I’m deeply grateful for my wins—& now, another final.

I used to think I’d stop writing if I won just once. But I’ve come to see it differently. As long as God gifts me stories to tell, I want to keep trying to shine even the tiniest fictional light into a world of darkness.

For His glory. In the end, that’s all that truly matters.

Thank you to the Christy Award for your dedication recognizing and encouraging edifying fiction—& thank you, dear readers, for making these stories possible. 💛

The post The Christy Awards appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I got so tickled—tickled pink, or rather indigo!—when an author friend sent me this review she’d come across for one of my novels.

I tend to avoid reviews, though I know some authors read theirs carefully to learn how they might improve their writing. I’ve simply found that what one reader loves, another may loathe, so I don’t find reviews particularly instructive in that regard. Reading is so subjective.

I don’t enjoy sushi, but my boys love it. That doesn’t make sushi inherently good or bad—it simply means it isn’t to my taste. Reading is much the same.

That said, I deeply appreciate every positive review, even the very brief ones that simply tell me what a book meant to that particular reader. Those mean more than you know.

But every so often, a long—& in this case, lengthy—review comes along that is so delightful & hilarious that it simply begs to be shared.

I’m not sure which review site this came from, but thank you, thank you to the reader who took the time not only to read my book but then to craft such a stellar review. I do think there’s a book in you!

Juliet and Leith thank you, too. 💙

Thank you to all of you who take the time to post good reviews—or even gracious reviews when a particular book wasn’t quite your cup of tea. 

It truly is a way of helping share Christ’s message of redemption & hope.

If authors are “paper missionaries,” as Janette Oke so beautifully called them, then readers are bright lights shining clearly in a world of darkness (Philippians 2:15). Every thoughtful review helps make that light a little more visible, helping godly, edifying fiction reach another reader who may need the story—or the hope within it.

So thank you for reading, for sharing, & for being part of this little ministry of words. Your encouragement means more than I can express. 🤍

The post When an author friend sends you a review appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Reading the pages a final time before print! 393 in all. What to expect in modern literary lingo…

🌸 he falls first
🌸 cottagecore heroine
🌸 missing persons
🌸 forced proximity, slow burn
🌸 opposites attract
🌸 Georgian noir
🌸 happily ever after

Prayers appreciated. So hope you enjoy every word!

The post The pages appeared first on Laura Frantz.

An 1801 portrait by Rembrandt Peale

It’s truly Christmas in July for me as I’m close to turning in my first holiday novella to my publisher, Revell. I have a love for this story like no other {though I think I say that about every novel when I’m in the thick of it}. But I do adore this joyful, poignant, festive tale & the history behind it as well as the historical setting. The painting above is a large reason why. He’s not the hero in this story though he grows up to be one in real life. I won’t spoil it by sharing too many details ahead of time but suffice it to say, I cannot wait to put this book in your hands September 2027. Below is an image I created while writing the first draft of the 200+ page novella…

Only 13 months & 10 days till release!

The post Christmas in July appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’m honored to learn that The Belle of Chatham has been chosen for the KSDAR or Kentucky Society Daughters of the American Revolution’s reading list for my beautiful home state.

Thank you, thank you!

The post KY Society Daughters of the American Revolution appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Publishing milestones are fun things!

I’m so happy to share that Revell kept my working title for this next release once again. Titling a book can be tricky & many of my novels have simple names starting with my debut, The Frontiersman’s Daughter.

This portrait-like image above hints of the setting & shows the two character templates I had in mind while writing it. The letters of their first names are entwined in the wax seal at bottom right. But no spoilers for you!

Please watch for a cover reveal this summer, likely June, and details as to what this story of my heart is about…

The post My next Revell novel has a name! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Creativity is such a fascinating thing. One idea or research trail leads to another. Often novels birth more novels. As I wrote The Belle of Chatham, our hero’s sister, Bronwyn Harlow, materialized in my mind. Often these characters are unbidden & unplanned. They just appear in a scene & start talking or doing, especially if you’re not a novel planner but more of a wing-it-and-watch-what-happens like me. I found Bronwyn Harlow to be the most deserving of characters in the novel. She’d also suffered a grievous loss in the Battle of Great Bridge, December 1775, before the American Revolution officially began.

I’d written about that particular Virginia battle in The Lacemaker. I revisited it & remembered no Patriots died in that conflict. Only one was injured in the hand. The British had a death toll of one hundred or more in what was touted as a victory for the Americans, ridding Virginia of their last royal governor, Lord Dunmore, forever. So, Bronwyn’s loss may have not been as she’d been told yet she continued to mourn, thinking him gone, but there had been no body, no burial. This isn’t or wasn’t uncommon at that time. Truth really is stranger than fiction. I asked readers on my social media what they envision for Bronwyn. So many inspiring possibilities!

So, look for Bronwyn’s story down the road. It’s a bumpy one but has a hope-filled, happy ending!

The post Bronwyn & the mystery of the Battle of Great Bridge appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Another novel is on shelves!

This year is such a historic milestone. 1776-2026.

I’m so grateful to be American born that I wrote a book about it!

A tale of courtship & marriage, duty versus desire, faith & forgiveness.

In the spirit of 1776, happy reading!

The post The Belle of Chatham on shelves! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

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.

Thank you to PW for your review of

The Belle of Chatham! 

The post Publishers Weekly appeared first on Laura Frantz.