I’m excited to announce my upcoming release, spine-tingling historical romance novel Traitor’s Curse, book three in my Traitor’s Legacy Series, and the sequel to historical romance novel Traitor’s Legacy.

The series opens with award-winning historical romance novel, Enemy of the King, Unlike the first two novels, Traitor’s Curse is set shortly after the American Revolution, and has a ghostly, Gothic flavor. Although, come to think of it, a ghost also figures in Enemy of King. I can’t seem to keep away from them. But Traitor’s Curse has a darker paranormal bent. Mystery and carefully researched history are strong elements in both Traitor’s Legacy andTraitor’s Curse. Enemy of the King abounds with adventure. And all three books pulse with the unpredictable and exhilarating scintillations of the heart. And humor, I always incorporate touches of humor.

Blurb for Traitor’s Curse:

Halifax, North Carolina, 1783. Captain Stuart Monroe returns home from the Revolutionary War to find Thornton Hall threatened by a peacetime foe: debt. He knows the location of a treasure amassed to pay for the capture of Benedict Arnold that would restore his manor to its former glory. The catch, it’s hidden in the graveyard, and coveted by old enemies. Hettie Fairfax inherited the Sight from her Cherokee ancestors, and her otherworldly visitors warn her, and Stuart, away from the buried treasure. Half-dead from fever, she delivers a message: the treasure is cursed. But will he believe a girl half out of her mind with illness? Even when a very real enemy attempts to poison her? Stuart soon wants to marry Hettie, but she fears her “odd ways” will blemish his reputation. The spirits have their own agenda, however, and the battle against darkness tests everything the couple holds dear, including their love for each other.

Colonial American historical romance novel Traitor's Legacy

Blurb for Traitor’s Legacy:

1781. On opposite sides of the War of Independence, British Captain Jacob Vaughan and Claire Monroe find themselves thrust together by chance and expediency.

Captain Vaughan comes to a stately North Carolina manor to catch a spy. Instead, he finds himself in bedlam: the head of the household is an old man ravaged by madness, the one sane male of the family is the very man he is hunting, and the household is overseen by his beguiling sister Claire.

Torn between duty, love, and allegiances, yearning desperately for peace, will Captain Vaughan and Claire Monroe forge a peace of their own against the vagaries of war and the betrayal of false friends?

Blurb for Enemy of the King:

1780, South Carolina: While Loyalist Meriwether Steele recovers from illness in the stately home of her beloved guardian, Jeremiah Jordan, she senses the haunting presence of his late wife. When she learns that Jeremiah is a Patriot spy and shoots Captain Vaughan, the British officer sent to arrest him, she is caught up on a wild ride into Carolina back country, pursued both by the impassioned captain and the vindictive ghost. Will she remain loyal to her king and Tory twin brother or risk a traitor’s death fighting for Jeremiah? If Captain Vaughan snatches her away, he won’t give her a choice.

All novels in the Traitor’s Legacy Series are published by The Wild Rose Press and available in print and eBook from their online bookstore, in kindle and print at Amazon, in Nook Book at Barnes & Noble and in eBook from all major online booksellers. Local bookstores can order the paperback in as can libraries. Release date for Traitor’s Curse TBD, but probably late summer.

Graphic Artist Debbie Taylor did the covers for Traitor’s Legacy and Traitor’s Curse. Rae Monet designed the cover for Enemy of the King.

 

I can't seem to stay away from ghosts. They keep popping up in my stories, difficult to justify to my historical editor who considers them paranormal. Fortunately, I also have a paranormal editor who's all about visitations from the departed. But you see, ghosts are not that unusual in Virginia. We have more ghost stories than any other state in the union. I could share half a dozen paranormal accounts without venturing beyond my neighborhood and family. Those of you who don't believe in this sort of thing, move to the Shenandoah Valley and get back with me. Yes, it's gorgeous here. Maybe that's why some ghosts don't want to leave. Just last week, my son and I saw unexplained greenish-yellow lights up on the hill behind our farm, in the dark, moving around the Old Order Mennonite Church/schoolhouse, then--nothing. Some kind of flashlight, we wondered? Where did it go? If someone needed the light to find their way in, why not back out? It's rural countryside and pitch dark.

Did I go investigate? No. I only like to write about ghosts. And I suspect the lower end of the farm behind us is haunted. There's just a creepy old barn and a burned out, nothing left of it, home, and falling into ruins outbuildings. I once found a scrap of newspaper while poking around that site and all it said was 'The devil.'

(Image of old barn at dusk by Elise)

I'm not comfortable with the idea of something skulking about, springing at me, shouting, 'Boo!' If I get the notion anything might, I'll be loudly singing hymns and reciting the Anglican Exorcism prayer sent to mom and me by a lovely English lady named Dorothy Evans. We requested it after she shared an account of their parish manse being haunted by a violent poltergeist and the new priest calling the faithful together to recite the prayer and banish it. She told of paintings flung down from the upstairs hallway and furniture shoved against doors. But the detail I remember best is the saucepan lid she says flew across the kitchen and landed at her feet--thrown by an unseen hand. Fortunately, the faithful were successful in dispelling the offender. Years ago, my son and I held hands and recited this same prayer in the old farm house he and his soon to be wife were renovating, to out the poltergeist banging about, opening doors, and alarming the cat, people, etc. It worked, btw.

There are several camps of ghosts. The most common are those who have unfinished business. In my stories, once they complete their mission, they move on. They may need help to accomplish their task from the hero or heroine. Some ghosts are seemingly lost--didn't get the memo the war is over, (the Civil War)--or some such confusion, and need encouragement to move on. Some phenomenal occurrences are an echo from the past--a chink in time opening to reveal a brief glimpse of the people and era in which they lived. They're not ghosts. Poltergeists, unseen except for their volatile effects, are more common than visible ghosts. The real bad asses are the ones I worry about encountering--ever. Steer clear of them, unless you bring a group of faithful with you to pray them out.

In my recent release, historical romance novel, Traitor's Legacy, set during the American Revolution, I made it through the novel with mystery, intrigue, and adventure, no ghosts. However, in writing the sequel, Traitor's Curse, I'm already onto my second ghost, and the story has a delicious Gothic flavor. This one will likely wind up with my paranormal editor. I tried to keep the series straight historical, and the period details are, but there's no keeping the ghosts out. So the series will be, in the words of a local country woman describing her two-year-old, 'right mixy.' Say that with a Southern accent for the full affect.

I'm back working with the Wild Rose Press. I like my editors, and what the company can do with the books that I can't, including more with audio and now they're getting stories translated into other languages. Fortunately, they tell me to write the story that wants to be told and they'll find the spot for it within the company in one of their lines. This isn't to say I won't do any more indie titles, but I like working with the Wild Rose.

For those of you chomping at the bit for the Anglican Exorcism prayer, here it is: Do not try this alone if the presence you sense is evil, only with a strong group of Christians, the more, the better. And join hands. Even if you think I’m nuts.

“In the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost, may this distressed soul be relieved of his obsession with this world and sent to where he belongs.”

I added, ‘go to the light,’ although a truly evil presence won’t, but a troubled, restless one may. Seems only right to offer that as an option.

Stories I've written with ghosts thus far include Somewhere My Love and Somewhere the Bells Ring (Christmas). These two are the most overtly ghostly. However, Enemy of the King is historical, but the H&H are haunted by his late wife (Traitor's Legacy is the sequel to Enemy of the King). Through the Fire is historical, but the heroine sees her late uncle. Kira, Daughter of the Moon, sequel to Through the Fire, has a poltergeist, but overall, it's historical. Red Bird's Song is strongly historical, but the heroine glimpses her departed brother. The Bearwalker's Daughter is carefully researched historical, but has a strong paranormal element, including the departed returning. And a Shawnee warrior who can 'bear walk'. But that's another phenomena entirely.

 

A final sharing from June of this year. As my dear Aunt Moggie lay dying in the old family homeplace in the valley where she'd lived her whole life, including her married life, the hospice nurse roused from where she'd nodded off in a chair, to see a man seated on the bedside. He was holding Moggie's hand and she was speaking quietly with him. The nurse assumed he was my aunt's younger son, Henry. When the man she took to be Henry stood up, nodded at her politely, and left the room, she followed to see for certain who he was. She discovered Henry asleep in a chair. It wasn't him. My aunt spoke matter-of-factly about her late husband, RW, being with her. And Henry looks a lot like his father did as a younger man. When I heard the man sitting with my aunt had nodded politely to the nurse before leaving the room, I knew it had to be my uncle. That was exactly like him. I believe he returned to be with his beloved wife as she was passing from this world to the next. The veil may be thinner than we think.

Chapel Hill, pictured above, is the old family homeplace in the Shenandoah Valley and the setting for my ghostly Christmas romance, Somewhere the Bells Ring.

My stories are available from various booksellers, but Amazon has them all.

Visit my Amazon Author Page.

I'm having challenges.

 I'm having challenges.

As if ragweed season isn't enough to battle with major allergies and being a 'lifer' on the shots, I got sick on top of this infamous time of year. Came down with sinus, bronchitis, and bronchial spasms, so I'm back on the inhaler and an antibiotic. Herbal remedies failed me. Sigh. Unless I would have been that much worse without them. Like dead.

It's hard to write when you're blowing and coughing your head off. Inspiration fades and there's no snap, crackle, and pop (except in my chest). This is when I long for the writing elves to come and work on my novel while I doze in between bouts of hacking. An insightful dream would be most welcome, but mine are weird, cold med induced hallucinations. Nothing useful. 

I'll just have to make something up, I tell myself. Which probably sounds odd because that's what most people assume authors do. Actually, I don't. I have this deep sense of the story and of being led in its creation. Just making stuff up doesn't happen with me. The characters speak, if I can hear them over the honking.

Meanwhile, I have good news to share. My latest historical romance novel, Traitor's Legacy, is out this month. Published by the Wild Rose Press. A big book signing event is in the works for Historic Halifax, NC in October. The bulk of the story is set in that area. The event coordinator tells me the interview I had with the editor of North Carolina's Eastern Living Magazine is out, and he did a fabulous job with it. I'm waiting for my copies to come in the mail. The story I'm struggling with is the sequel to Traitor's Legacy, entitled Traitor's Curse. 

I was sailing along. Then my grandbabies found two abandoned kittens for me to care for, which I undertook with exhausting devotion. Resulting in a lack of sleep, which may have led to my hack, sniffle, honk derailment. But the kittens are doing well. I've named the buddy brothers 'Peaches and Cream'. Perhaps they will inspire me. Possibly show up in the novel. I don't know when readers will pick up on this, but I have an orange tabby cat in nearly everyone of my stories, unless the characters are on the run in the frontier and can't take care of a cat. The orange tabby makes an appearance in Traitor's Legacy, in the wonderful old home featured in the story called Thornton Hall.

“A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long a comedy is played out by an incomparable actor.”
― Champfleury, The Cat Past and Present

Two kittens, double the delight. And the work.

“A kitten is, in the animal world, what a rosebud is in the garden.”
― Robert Sowthey

Yep, you're getting kitten quotes. Because this is a random post.

“The only thing a cat worries about is what’s happening right now. As we tell the kittens, you can only wash one paw at a time.”― Lloyd Alexander, Time Cat

Traitor’s Legacy, the sequel to award-winning historical romance novel, Enemy of the King, is finally out in eBook and print!

Journey back to the drama, intrigue, and romance of the American Revolution, where spies can be anyone and trust may prove deadly.

Traitor’s Legacy Blurb:

1781. On opposite sides of the War of Independence, British Captain Jacob Vaughan and Claire Monroe find themselves thrust together by chance and expediency.

Captain Vaughan comes to a stately North Carolina manor to catch a spy. Instead, he finds himself in bedlam: the head of the household is an old man ravaged by madness, the one sane male of the family is the very man he is hunting, and the household is overseen by his beguiling sister Claire.

Torn between duty, love, and allegiances, yearning desperately for peace, will Captain Vaughan and Claire Monroe forge a peace of their own against the vagaries of war and the betrayal of false friends?

Traitor’s Legacy is available at Amazon, The Wild Rose Press, Barnes & Noble, and other online booksellers.

“There’s rosemary that’s for remembrance. Pray, you love, remember.” ~ Hamlet

Rosemary is the herb that we leave on graves and a fitting one for Memorial Day. I love the scent of rosemary and the wealth of history behind it. Known as the herb of remembrance from the time of ancient Greece, it appears in that immoral verse by Shakespeare. 

My fascination with herbs plays a significant role in my historical-light paranormal romance novel Somewhere My Love, as does Hamlet, for that matter. I always wanted to write a murder mystery with a focus on herbs and parallels to a Shakespearean play, and so I did. Ghostly, murder mystery, time travel romance novel, Somewhere My Love, is interwoven with Hamlet and herbs.

Rosemary is considered a tonic, astringent, diaphoretic (increases perspiration), stimulant. Oil of Rosemary has the carminative (induces the expulsion of gas) properties of other volatile oils and is an excellent stomachic and nervine (has a beneficial effect upon the nervous system), curing many cases of headache.

“As for rosmarine, I lette it runne all over my garden walls, not onlie because my bees love it, but because it is  the herb sacred to remembrance,  and, therefore to friendship..” ~Thomas Moore

Beloved by the ancients, rosemary had the reputation for strengthening memory. On this account, it became the emblem of fidelity for lovers. And holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to it. Not only was rosemary used at weddings, but also at funerals, for decking churches and banqueting halls at festivals, as incense in religious ceremonies, and in magical spells. It was entwined in the wreaths worn by brides, being first dipped into scented water. 

Anne of Cleves, fourth wife of Henry VIII, and fortunate to escape with her life due to an annulment, is said to have worn such a wreath at her wedding. Maybe it protected her. She outlived his other wives, two of whom were beheaded, and the sixth one, Catherine Parr, might have been had he hung on much longer. Such were the vagaries of his moods. But I digress.

A rosemary branch, richly decorated and tied with ribbons, was also presented to wedding guests, as a symbol of love and loyalty. Rosemary was one of the cordial herbs used to flavor ale and wine. It was also used in Christmas decoration. Together with an orange stuck with cloves it was given as a New Year‘s gift. Rosemary came to represent the dominant influence of the lady of the house, “Where Rosemary flourished, the woman ruled.” I add, to prove their dominance, some husbands would damage the flourishing plants. (A Modern Herbal)

Rue Allyn is visiting with the Pink Fuzzy Slipper Writers today. Please help me make her welcome. Rue decided to treat us to an interview with the perfect hero of her latest novel, A True and Perfect Knight. Welcome Rue!

“Getting to Know You”

Most of my author friends have characters who talk to them (mentally that is). I seem to be the exception to that rule. I write like I read, discovering the story and the characters as I go. Not until the book is finished (that’s after several rounds of revising) do I really have a handle on my characters, sometimes not even then. Frequently the characters hold something back. So I thought I’d give you and me a chance to pick the brain—so to speak—of one of my most reticent heroes, Sir Haven de Sessions from A True and Perfect Knight (recently re-issued from Samhain Publishing). Please say hello to Lord Haven de Sessions

1)      What do you do for work?

I’m a knight in the service of Edward I of England. He recently rewarded my service with an Earlship.

2)      Where are you from?

My parents lost their lands and lives during an uprising in Normandy where I was born, but I was fostered at the Dreyford demesne north of York.

3)      What is the one thing about yourself that you would like us to know?  

I am very serious—some say too serious—about my duty and had real difficulty when my loyalty to Edward I and my friendship with Roger Dreyford came into conflict.

4)      When was your last relationship and how long did it last?  

Before I met and came to know Genvieve very well, I didn’t have relationships. Most noblewomen, like those at court, are too shallow in their beliefs. Other women deserve more than I was willing to give.

5)      Do you want to marry or have you ever been married?

I never expected to marry, and I’d say that Genvieve was the last person I could imagine falling in love with. But she’s so strong and cares for everyone equally. How could I not love her.

6)      What do you do for fun?

I play with our children, hunt, and make love to Genvieve.

7)      What are you most proud of?

My wife.

8)      Do you believe in love at first sight?

No. Although I suspect I fell in love with Genvieve at first sight, I was blinded by prejudice and grief for the death of my friend Roger. He was Genvieve’s first husband, and I blamed her for his fall from grace.

9)      What is your most treasured possession and why?

After my family, my horses. A good horse is essential to a knight and almost impossible to replace.

10)  Do you like animals/keep pets? I value my horses and dogs highly but they are working animals. I don’t coddle them, so I wouldn’t call them pets.

11)  How do you spend your spare time?

I’m too busy surviving and keeping my family secure to have spare time. (I told you I was serious.) Thank the Lord for Genvieve. She forces me to sit down and relax with some mead at least once a day.

12)  Where do you see yourself in five years time?

I hope I’m just where I’m at. I can’t ask for more than a loving wife, good lands, good neighbors, peace and a just king.

13)  Do you believe a cup is half empty or half full?

My metaphorical cup is overflowing. J

14)  You have got six months to live, what will you do first?

Provide for the security of my wife and family.

15)  Is sexual compatibility important to you?

It is very important.

16)  Are you a morning person or a night person?

I’m always available, but I enjoy moments shared with my family most.

Thank you Lord de Sessions for taking the time to answer our questions.

“You’re welcome, Ms. Allyn, please tell readers a little bit about the story you gave me, A True and Perfect Knight.”

A True and Perfect Knight—Haven De Sessions knows a hundred reasons despise the widow Dreyford.  The widow is entirely too independent, and a suspected traitor.  Worst of all, she had been married to his best friend—a man Haven arrested for plotting against the king.  Haven believes the treacherous widow should have given up her head, not his childhood friend.  Now an oath to that same friend forces him to protect a woman he does not want and cannot trust.

Genvieve Dreyford has her own reasons to detest De Sessions.  The man is far too handsome, and his reputation as Edward I's most 'true and perfect' knight has swelled the baron’s head.  Worst of all, Gennie believes he betrayed his friendship with her husband to curry favor with the English king.  Now, because of Haven De Sessions, Gennie has lost her home, her title and nearly everything she held dear.  Only for the sake of her family, will Gennie place herself in the power of a man she fears and mistrusts.

So why does King Edward I of England believe theirs will be a match made in heaven?

You can read an excerpt from A True and Perfect Knight at my website or purchase directly from Amazon.com.

About Rue Allyn

Author of historical, contemporary, and erotic romances, Rue Allyn fell in love with happily ever after the day she heard her first story. She is deliriously married to her sweetheart of many years and loves to hear from readers about their favorite books and real life adventures.  Learn more about Rue at http://RueAllyn.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RueAllynAuthor

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/RueAllyn

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5031290.Rue_Allyn

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rue-Allyn/e/B00AUBF3NI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 [Good link for purchasing any or all Rue Allyn books]

Blog:  http://rueallynauthorblog.com/

After numerous years of writing, I am thrilled to announce my first release as a debut author under the pen name, Josie Riviera. "Seeking Catherine" is a novella, Tudor romance. Check it out on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/9cka84m

This is a short, sweet novella. (no sex) Sensual content. Approximately 58 pages. He’s hurt her in the past. Can she trust her heart to him again? After all, they were childhood sweethearts, planning a future together in Tudor England during an age of chivalry. Headstrong and proud, Catherine Sudfield remembers everything about Stefan Boswell. She didn’t care about his poverty, his drunken parents, nor his lack of nobility. The restless Gypsy rogue’s powerful good looks and promises of love were more than enough to satisfy her youthful dreams. But then Stefan left without a word and Catherine was bargained away by her uncle to a brothel. Sometimes, bonds between a man and a woman, however young, are meant to last a lifetime. But two guarded, wary lovers may need an extra dose of Gypsy magic to chase away any lingering doubts after five long years.

'Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.'

~JOHN ADAMS, letter to Abigail Adams, Jul. 17, 1775

In these troubled times in America, it’s wise to remember where we came from  and what our founders envisioned for this great nation. Being an American is a sacred privilege, our hard-won freedoms, fast eroding, should never be taken for granted, and preserving these inalienable rights, a call to arms for all who cherish liberty. With that in mind, I highly recommend watching the excellent HBO production that came out several years ago featuring the indomitable John Adams–appropriately entitled John Adams. Not to be confused (as I’ve done) with an earlier production, The Adam’s Chronicles, (not that this wasn't also a worthy series).

What John Adams and his remarkable wife, Abigail, and their entire family suffered and sacrificed in the forging of America is unbelievable. Not only them, but countless others as well.  I wonder if I’d last a day in that turbulent era, and yet, my forebears did.  So did many of yours.  If your ancestors were not yet in this country at its birth, no doubt they played an important role in making America what it is, or is intended to be, at its finest. Let us not forget, or our children and grandchildren will pay the price. Theirs already is a vastly different America than the nation envisioned by its outstanding founders with their mind-boggling perseverance.

As an author with several stories set in early America, and currently at work on the sequel to my Revolutionary War romance novel Enemy of the King, I’m particularly mindful of our roots.  Join me in the quest to remember.

***Enemy of the King banner by my talented daughter Elise.

A 2012 EPIC EBOOK FINALIST

Two years ago in September Red Bird’s Songwas released. As a tribute to my favorite novel, I am revisiting the first book I ever wrote, and rewrote, and learned how to write in the process of all those endless revisions. It’s also the story I’ve cared most deeply about and connected with on various levels. Part of me is still seated around the circle at the fire with my Native American brothers and sisters.

“This is a beautifully written story filled with adventure and suspense…This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating. “

--Night Owl Book Review by Laurie-J

The initial encounter between Charity and Wicomechee at the beginning of the story was inspired by a dream I had on New Year’s Eve–a highly propitious time for dreams–about a young warrior taking an equally young woman captive at a river and the unexpected attraction between them. That dream had such a profound impact on me that I took the leap from writing non-fiction essays to historical novels and embarked on the most amazing journey of my life. That was years ago and the saga continues.

I also met the prophetic warrior, Eyes of the Wolf, in another dream at the advent of this adventure, so when I describe him in the book I’m envisioning a character I know. He became a spirit guide and spoke to me throughout the writing of this book, and several others. He is there still, though not as vocal as earlier in my life. Perhaps my journey with him is complete. Perhaps not…

 I am working on the sequels to historical romance novel Enemy of the King and Scottish time travel romance novel Somewhere My Lass, but after that, I hear the faint call of Indian drums in the distance. Meanwhile, stay tuned for the release of the sequel to Through the Fire, and the third in my colonial Frontier trilogy, historical romance novel Kira, Daughter of the Moon, out Nov. 2nd. And, my colonial American historical Christmas romance novella, A Warrior for Christmas, is out in early Dec. So lots happening.

Back to Red Bird’s Song. The setting for much of the story is the same as my other strongly Native American novel, Through the Fire, the spectacular Alleghenies. Much of the history depicted in the story was inspired by accounts I came across while researching my early American English/Scots-Irish roots and the Border Wars. The French and Indian War is the most well-known, but there were others. Pontiac’s War followed on its heels, and is the war taking place inRed Bird’s Song. Dunmore’s War came after that one and so on it goes. Life in the frontier was unsettled even after The American Revolution had ended and warfare a reality. The boundaries of the frontier just keep shifting farther west.

The ruggedly beautiful Alleghenies are also the setting for my historical-paranormal romance novel, The Bearwalker’s Daughter and my short historical romance, The Lady and the Warrior. I see the ridges of these mountains from our farm in the Shenandoah Valley. The foothills are only a hop, skip and a jump away from us. The ever-changing panorama of the seasons never fails to inspire and console me–the mountains are constant. 

 (*Images of the Alleghenies taken by my mother, Pat Churchman)

In the early mid 18th century, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and surrounding mountains was the colonial frontier and only hardy souls dared to settle here. The bulk of these were the tough Scots-Irish.  If the Indians had only had to fight regular British troops they might ultimately have won because they scared the crap out of men trained for conventional warfare, but the long knives were another matter.  They weren’t easily intimidated and soon learned from their cunning enemy.

Although Hawk Eye in The Last of the Mohicans is an adopted Mohican, his lifestyle and behavior is that of a colonial frontiersman.  The more rugged of these men dressed as he did, much in the Indian way.  They hunted and fought with muskets, tomahawks, and their famous knives.  Indians acquired these knives as well. They blended traditional weapons and ways of living with newfound tools and weapons of Western man.  A highly adaptable people.

The attack at the opening of Red Bird’s Song in the Shenandoah Valley is based on one that occurred to my ancestors and is recorded by Historian Joseph A. Waddell in The Annals of Augusta County. A renegade Englishman by the last name of Dickson led the war party that attacked them.  Initially I’d intended to make the Colin Dickson in Red Bird’s Song a villain but as soon as he galloped onto the scene I knew differently.

Wicomechee, the hero in Red Bird’s Song, is based on the Shawnee warrior by that name who lived early in the nineteenth century and to whom I have ties. The Moffett’s, an early Valley family I’m related to, include a reference to him in their genealogy. Wicomechee’s father, John Moffett, was captured in Kentucky by the Shawnee at the age of eight and adopted into the tribe. It’s said he was a boyhood companion to the great war Chief Tecumseh, a chief for whom I have enormous admiration. The accounts of John Moffett and Wicomechee are recorded by Waddell. It’s also noted that during the Black Hawk Wars Wicomechee recovered the captive daughters of a Dr. Hull and brought them safely into camp, which reminds me of Hawkeye in The Last of the Mohicans. I’ve included more on this amazing warrior at the end of the novel as a bonus for those who read it.

“With “Red Bird’s Song”, Beth Trissel has painted an unforgettable portrait of a daring and defiant love brought to life in the wild and vivid era of Colonial America. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and romance lovers alike!” Amazon Reviewer Virginia Campbell

Red Bird’s Song is available in print and eBook at the Wild Rose Press,Amazon, Barnes&Noble and other online booksellers.