The Backcountry Brides Collection Review, Guest Post and Giveaway!

Posted by abakersp in Historical / 17 Comments

The Backcountry Brides blog tour

 

 

Welcome to the blog tour and giveaway for The Backcountry Brides Collection, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

 

 

the backcountry brides collectionTitle: The Backcountry Brides Collection
Author: Angela K. Couch, Debra E. Marvin, Shannon McNear, Gabrielle Meyer, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, Pegg Thomas, and Denise Weimer
Publisher: Barbour Books
Release Date: May 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Historical Fiction collection

Travel into Colonial America where eight women seek love, but they each know a future husband requires the necessary skills to survive in the backcountry.

Living in areas exposed to nature’s ferocity, prone to Indian attack, and cut off from regular supplies, can hearts overcome the dangers to find lasting love?

PURCHASE A COPY: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | CBD | Book Depository

 

 

 

 


 

ABOUT THE NOVELLAS

Shenandoah Hearts by Carrie Fancett Pagels
1754 – Great Wagon Road, into the Shenandoah Valley (Virginia)
As the French-Indian War commences, Magda Sehler wonders if Jacob Owens lost his mind to have abandoned his Philadelphia business and moved to the Shenandoah Valley. Or has he lost his heart?

Heart of Nantahala by Jennifer Hudson Taylor
1757 – (North Carolina)
Joseph Gregory plans to buy a lumber mill, but Mabel Walker becomes a formidable opponent. When she’s forced to make a painful decision, she must choose between survival and love.

Her Redcoat by Pegg Thomas
1763 – Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan) during Pontiac’s Rebellion
Laurette Pettigrew grew up in the northern frontier. Henry Bedlow arrived against his will. Their chance meeting changes everything. Will a deadly clash of cultures keep them from finding happiness?

A Heart So Tender by Debra E. Marvin
1764 – (New York)
As thousands of Native warriors converge on Fort Niagara, jaded British Lieutenant Archibald Walsh and idealistic schoolmistress Susannah Kimball learn the greatest risk lies in guarding their hearts.

A Worthy Groom by Angela K. Couch
1771 – Sapling Grove settlement on the Holston River (Tennessee)
The Cowden temper has been Marcus’s lifelong bane. A trait Lorinda Cowden curses. Now, winning the heart of his bride hinges on fighting a war without raising a fist.

Across Three Autumns by Denise Weimer
1778-1780 – (Georgia)
Fighting Loyalists and Indians, Jenny White settles for strength over love . . .until Scottish scout Caylan McIntosh leads her family on a harrowing exodus out of Georgia’s Revolutionary “Hornet’s Nest.”

The Counterfeit Tory by Shannon McNear
1781 – (South Carolina)
Tasked with infiltrating an infamous Tory gang, Jed Wheeler has no wish to endanger the leader’s cousin, Lizzy Cunningham. He risks not only his life. . .but his heart.

Love’s Undoing by Gabrielle Meyer
1792 – Fur Post on the Upper Mississippi River (Minnesota)
When Englishman Henry Kingsley meets Abi McCrea, the daughter of a Scottish fur trader and Indian mother, will their worlds keep them apart, or have they finally found somewhere they truly belong?

 


 

MY PERSPECTIVE

I cannot say enough good things about this collections of novellas and the authors. I enjoy visiting Colonial America and these stories brought me there in an instant. Each story showcases a strong and fabulous heroine. I imagine in real Colonial America these women lived but were hidden in the shadows, as it was not too popular for a woman to be strong in those days. But what sets these women and their stories apart is the way the Lord helps them get through the tough hands life has thrown at them. Although this time period is different then ours today, we can learn from these women.

What amazes me about a collection like this is the way the stories all go together, as if they were written by the same author. You can see little differences in writing styles, but overall I did not feel as if I was reading several different stories – it just felt like one really big story with lots of different subplots. I imagine that is difficult to do, but these ladies seemed to bring their stories together with ease. And a few of these authors were new to me, but I can honestly say that I felt like I’d been reading their stories for years. I was easily brought into Colonial America with the setting, the speech and the dress. I may have imagine myself among the streets in a colonial dress a time or two!

Bottom line is that this is a fantastic group of stories that historical fiction fans will devour. Seeing a taste of Colonial America from several different settings across the country was a welcome treat that I would revisit any day. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 


 

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

b390c-carrie2bfancett2bpagels

 

Carrie Fancett Pagels is an ECPA bestselling and award-winning author of Christian historical romance. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn’t “cure” her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!

 

TO CONNECT WITH CARRIE: websitefacebooktwitter

 

 


jennifer hudson taylor

 

Jennifer Hudson Taylor is an award winning author of inspirational fiction set in historical Europe & the Carolinas. She provides keynotes and presentations on the publishing industry, the craft of writing, building an author platform & digital marketing.

Jennifer graduated from Elon University with a B.A. in Communications/Journalism. When she isn’t writing, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, visiting historical sites, horseback riding, cycling, long walks, genealogy and reading.

TO CONNECT WITH JENNIFER: website | facebook | twitter

 


pegg thomas

 

Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years. A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.” An avid reader and writer, she enjoys fiction stories threaded through historical events and around historical figures. Civil War and Colonial are her favorite eras.

Pegg is a regular blogger at both QuidProQuills.com and ColonialQuills.com. When not working on her latest novel, Pegg can be found in her garden, in her kitchen, at her spinning wheel, tending her sheep, or on her trusty old horse, Trooper. See more at PeggThomas.com.

TO CONNECT WITH PEGG: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


Debra E Marvin photo 2016

 

Debra E. Marvin tries not to run too far from real life but the imagination born out of being an only child has a powerful draw. Besides, the voices in her head tend to agree with all the sensible things she says. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime, and serves on the board of Bridges Ministry in Seneca Falls, NY. She is published with WhiteFire Publishing, Forget Me Not Romances, Journey Fiction, and Barbour Publishing…and a judge for the Grace Awards for many years.

Debra works as a program assistant at Cornell University, and enjoys her family and grandchildren, obsessively buying fabric, watching British programming and traveling with her childhood friends

TO CONNECT WITH DEBRA: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


angela couch

To keep from freezing in the Great White North, Angela K Couch cuddles under quilts with her laptop. Winning short story contests, being a semi-finalist in ACFW’s Genesis Contest, and a finalist in the International Digital Awards also helped warm her up. As a passionate believer in Christ, her faith permeates the stories she tells. Her martial arts training, experience with horses, and appreciation for good romance sneak in there, as well. When not writing, she stays fit (and warm) by chasing after three munchkins.

TO CONNECT WITH ANGELA: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


denise weimer

 

Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. She writes time slip romantic suspense, as well as both contemporary and historical romance.

A wife and swim mom of two daughters, Denise always pauses for coffee, chocolate, old houses, and to write any story God lays on her heart.

 

TO CONNECT WITH DENISE: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


shannon mcnear

After more than two decades in the South, Shannon McNear now makes her home on the windy northern plains with her husband, four of their eight children, two German Shepherds, four cats, several chickens, and a noisy flock of guinea fowl. She serves in worship and youth ministry, and has been writing novel-length fiction since age 15. Her first novella, Defending Truth, from A Pioneer Christmas Collection, was a 2014 RITA® nominee.

When not sewing, researching, or leaking story from her fingertips, she enjoys being outdoors, basking in the beauty of the Dakota prairies

 

TO CONNECT WITH SHANNON: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


gabe

 

Gabrielle Meyer lives in central Minnesota on the banks of the Mississippi River with her husband and four children. As an employee of the Minnesota Historical Society, she fell in love with the rich history of her state and enjoys writing fictional stories inspired by real people, places, and events. She loves connecting with readers!

 

TO CONNECT WITH GABRIELLE: website | facebook | twitter

 

 


GUEST POST FROM DENISE WEIMER

 

Heroines Who Overcome

 

I’m a rebellious writer. I don’t stick to one genre.

Like most authors of whom that is true, certain consistencies do span my stories, whether they’re categorized as contemporary, historical, or time slip. For me, it’s the message of God’s healing power, as seen through heroines who overcome trials, personality weaknesses, and emotional wounds.

The habit took root in my first novella, Redeeming Grace, where an opera singer heals from her absentee father while vacationing in the 1886 “Niagara of the South” and falling in love with a local minister.

The Georgia Gold Series (https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B00YVVV116/)—Eugenia Price-style historical romance with a touch of mystery—follows four families from the Georgia Gold Rush through Reconstruction. Both of my heroines overcome weaknesses: Carolyn Calhoun, shyness and insecurity, and Mahala Franklin, prejudice against her mixed white and Cherokee blood.

In The Restoration Trilogy (https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B0719FYYLZ/), historic preservationist Jennifer Rushmore pushes outside her comfort zone as she helps brooding bachelor Michael Johnson restore his family’s property. She’s forced to rise above her introverted tendencies to interact with the eclectic Southern community, as well as face her fear of relationships. Jennifer’s spiritual renovation mirrors the physical restoration project as she learns God can heal her from a past of neglect and abuse.

My heroine in Across Three Autumns, my novella in the Backcountry Brides collection (https://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Brides-Collection-Colonial-America%C2%92s/dp/1683226224/), is certainly no exception to the rule of the overcoming heroine. Jenny White, modeled after Georgia’s Revolutionary War legend Nancy Hart, uses her strength and cunning to hold starvation, disease, Indians, Loyalists, and British Regulars at bay. Unfortunately she also spends a lot of time trying to hold Scottish scout Caylan McIntosh at bay as well. With Jenny convinced she’s too gawky and unattractive for any man to love, Caylan encounters more of a battle earning her trust than fighting the British!

This trend of heroines growing in the Lord’s might doesn’t stop with my writing. The concept peppers each of the stories of Backcountry Brides:

  • In Carrie Fancett Pagel’s 1754 Shenandoah Hearts, Magda Sehler overcomes the transition from Philadelphia city life to the dangers of frontier life.
  • In Jennifer Hudson Taylor’s 1757 Heart of Nantahala, young North Carolina widow Mabel Walker overcomes grief and pressure to marry a stranger for financial security.
  • In Pegg Thomas’s 1763 Her Redcoat, mixed race Laurette Pettigrew overcomes loneliness and isolation near Michigan’s Fort Michilimackinac.
  • In Debra E. Marvin’s 1764 A Heart So Tender, Susannah Kimball overcomes opposition against a woman teaching Indians on the New York frontier.
  • In Angela K. Couch’s 1771 A Worthy Groom, Lorinda Cowden of Tennessee learns to trust men after a history of abuse.
  • In Shannon McNear’s 1781 The Counterfeit Tory set in South Carolina, Lizzy Cunningham overcomes neglect and abuse to accept the love of a good man—and God.
  • In Gabrielle Meyer’s 1792 Love’s Undoing, Abi McRea overcomes prejudice against her mixed Scottish and Indian blood to find love and a lasting home in Minnesota.

Looks like women overcoming through God makes a relatable story arc! What challenges do you love to see heroines stand up and fight?

 

 

Denise Weimer holds a journalism degree with a minor in history from Asbury University. A former magazine writer, she is a substantive editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas as well as an author represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A wife and swim mom of two daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses!

https://deniseweimerbooks.webs.com

https://www.facebook.com/denise.weimer1

https://twitter.com/denise_weimer

 

 


 

GIVEAWAY

 

backcountry brides blog tour giveaway

 

(1) Winner will win a prize pack consisting of one print copy of The Backcountry Brides Collection, a pair of handmade earrings from Carrie Fancett Pagels and book swag plus CHOICE of (1) copy of any book by Carrie Fancett Pagels OR a $25 Amazon (or Barnes & Noble) gift card. (US only, however the gift card is also open to international winners except where prohibited by law. Giveaway is subject to policies found here.

To Enter, use the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Be sure to stop at every post on the tour for additional entries!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


During the month of May 2018, the authors of The Backcountry Brides Collection are also hosting a giveaway that includes a print copy of the novel, a Kindle Paperwhite, and lots of Colonial-themed goodies!

 

To enter click on the image below.

BCC Rafflecopter Giveaway

 

tour schedule

Launch Page @ JustRead

17 responses to “The Backcountry Brides Collection Review, Guest Post and Giveaway!

  1. Debra E. Marvin

    I loved your review, Jessica, and Denise did such a great job with this post that I would go out and buy it if I didn’t already have it!
    I think our stories came together well because of our collective love of this era and dedication to the details of life then. And such a rich storehouse of story ideas in this period of history!

    I keep forgetting to tell you how much I love the new look of your blog!

  2. James Robert

    Congrats on the tour and I appreciate the book description, review and the great giveaway as well. Love the tours, I get to find books and share with my sisters and now my twin daughters who all love to read. We have found some amazing books for everyone. So, thank you!

  3. Kay Garrett

    Thank you for your review and for being part of the book tour for “The Backcountry Brides Collection”. I enjoyed reading about the novellas and authors as well as the guest post by Denise Weimer on heroines who overcome.

    I’d very much love the opportunity to read the book!

  4. Lori Smanski

    such a lovely cover. thank you for your review. these stories look fantastic. well, duh a great group of authors.

  5. Lori Smanski

    thank you for being a part of the tour
    Heart of Nantahala by Jennifer Hudson Taylor sounds like a great story. Choosing between survival and love. oh my, that would be such a tough decision. I love this cover. A great group of authors.

  6. Pegg Thomas

    You mention that the strong women probably lived in the shadows, and that may have been true in the settled parts of the colonies, but in the backcountry – which we’d now call the frontier – it was the strong women who survived.