About the Books:

In His Eyes

She pretends to be a Yankee officer's widow in order to survive. But what will she do when he returns home to a wife he didn't marry?

Ella Whitaker rescues a newborn from the dying arms of a woman of ill repute and at long last she has someone to love. In need of a wet nurse, she arrives at Belmont Plantation just as Federal soldiers demand to speak to the owner. Thinking quickly, Ella masquerades as a Yankee officer's widow in order to have a roof over her head and a home for the child. But now she must work even harder to hide her Scottish immigrant roots and play the part of a refined Southern lady or risk losing her only hope to keep her new son.

Union Major Westley Remington has dedicated his life to serving his country. The Civil War divided his family, tore his thoughts of glory, and left him with a wound that may never heal. Westley returns home to settle his father’s estate at Belmont Plantation, only to find his house is being run by a fiery and independent woman—one many believe to be his wife. Now he is faced with a conflict he’s never been trained to fight, and one she has yet to conquer.

A reconstruction ear romance with a feisty heroine and a love to overcome the odds.

Eternity Between Us

Two sides. Two hearts. And a gulf between them as deep and wide as eternity.

Virginia, 1861

After being forced to use a pistol against invaders, Evelyn Mapleton is no longer the timid girl her extended family expects. The more her aunt and cousin resent her new independence, the more Evelyn is determined she'll make her missing father proud by taking up his cause and aiding Confederate soldiers--even if she has to outmaneuver the Yankees guarding her home to do it.

Samuel Flynn's life is consumed with two priorities: learning to become a proper guardian for the young orphans he's adopted and obtaining his physicians license. When his final testing sends him to a Federal Army field hospital, the last thing he expects is to be entranced by a mysterious woman. But when Evelyn's misguided exploits put her life in danger, will he risk everything he's worked for to save a woman he thinks is his enemy?

Based on first-hand accounts from the Civil War and with a strong romantic thread, this is a tale of faith, espionage, hope, and courage historical fiction fans won't want to miss.

And all three books in the Ironwood Family Saga

*Each book in the series can be read as a stand alone title, but you will understand the family history more by reading the books in order.

The Whistle Walk

In a time where unity seems impossible, two women will forge a friendship in the fires of redemption and thrust Ironwood into a new future—where the battle for freedom has merely begun.

Mississippi - 1862

Stolen from her home and forced into the disgrace of being sold, Ruth refuses to let go of the faith that holds her heart together. Determined to survive in her new role at Ironwood, Ruth never expects to find any common ground with the plantation owner’s wife. But when God keeps nudging her to speak up for her race and forge an unlikely friendship, she makes a dangerous choice that could cost more than she’s ready to give.

Bride to a man she barely knows and bound by her secrets, Lydia is struggling to step into her new title as the mistress of Ironwood. Inspired by the fiery spirit and quiet dignity of an enslaved woman, Lydia’s eyes begin to open to the harsh realities of the world around her. But if there is ever going to be a new future for Ironwood, she will have to start with shedding her own pretenses.

Heir of Hope

150 years after the Civil War nearly tore a nation asunder, the battle for freedom still rages in the heart of Ironwood's newest mistress.

Emily Burns grew up an orphan, so she never expected to inherit a southern plantation. When she discovers an old diary hidden in the attic, her life becomes strangely entwined with her Civil War ancestor and she soon begins to wonder how a woman long dead can keep showing up in her dreams.

Torn between her strange desire to honor Lydia's wishes and practicality, Emily cannot decide if she will keep Ironwood. Yet the house calls to her like a melancholy siren, and Emily cannot resist its tune. Resolving to stay only for a little while, and telling herself her decision has nothing at all to do with the handsome handyman helping with restorations, Emily begins to unravel the history of Ironwood – A tale of love and loss, hope and redemption. When the story seeps into her heart, Emily finds that two women separated by centuries can share the unique bonds of family ties, and that both her past and her future reside in the soul of Ironwood.

Note to reader:
Heir of Hope is the second in the series, but can be read entirely as a stand alone book. However, for those that read book one first, because of the ties that bind this book and The Whistle Walk, there will be some redundancy in the sections that deal with Lydia’s diary. This is done to allow the reader who read the first book months or years earlier and the reader who has not read the first book to be grounded in the story. While some of the scenes from The Whistle Walk are experienced again within the diary, they are usually from a very different point of view, allowing those who read The Whistle Walk to see pivotal events in a new light. For those who read Heir of Hope first or on its own, these diary scenes are essential to the story, yet still leave more to be learned in The Whistle Walk. For that reason, these books stand on their own and can be read in either order, but do closely tie together.

Missing Mercy

The venture ahead could leave their friendship behind.

Made a safe-haven after the Civil War, Ironwood Plantation is a refuge of equality for former slaves. But twenty years and a new generation later, they have become an isolated community with little contact with the rest of the world.

Mercy Carpenter is everything the world thinks she shouldn’t be. Educated and adventurous, she longs to make a life for herself beyond the beautiful prison of Ironwood. When she secretly submits an article to the Boston Globe under a man’s name and receives an enthusiastic response and an offer for employment, she’s determined to take advantage of the opportunity. But she isn’t prepared for a startling world that won’t accept her color or her gender, and her ambitions soon land her in grave danger.

The privileged daughter of a plantation owner and an aspiring suffragette, Faith Harper is determined not to marry. Especially not her father’s opportunistic new business partner. She doesn’t want any man telling her what to do, least of all the annoyingly chivalrous Nolan Watson. But when Mercy goes missing, Faith will do anything to find her best friend, even if it means trusting a man she doesn’t understand. In a time where prejudices try to define them, Mercy and Faith must push the boundaries of their beliefs and trust in the God who holds the keys to freedom.

*Includes discussion questions

Captured and mistaken as a spy, can she unravel a conspiracy before her secrets cost a man his life?

★ The Accidental Spy Series is a 2020 rewrite of the previously published Liberator Series.

Book One: An Accidental Spy

Some secrets change the world

Once a privileged heiress, Annabelle Ross is now struggling to hold her home and her life together through the devastation of the War Between the States. But with a forced marriage and a desolate future on the horizon, her hopes are beginning to dwindle. When she discovers an encrypted note on a dying soldier, she seizes the opportunity to use it to deliver a message of her own. Instead, she’s mistaken for a spy and captured. Now her only chance to escape is the handsome soldier in charge of discovering her secrets.

After his brother is captured by enemy soldiers, Matthew Daniels vows to rescue him at any cost. When a secret society offers him a chance for retribution, Matthew must decide between his loyalties and his convictions. To prove himself, he’ll have to first unmask the spirited spy holding the key to their plans or risk losing his brother forever.

Book Two: A Dangerous Performance

History can change in the blink of an eye

Annabelle’s bravery unraveled a destructive plot and saved the president, but now the thwarted conspirators grow desperate. While trouble turns more deadly in Washington, Matthew and Annabelle escape to New York, where they have finally succeeded in finding Matthew’s brother. But breaking him out of Elmira prison is about as likely as saving her fractured inheritance.

Protecting Annabelle put Matthew on the wrong side of some very dangerous men, but he’d do anything to save the woman he loves—even if it means keeping her from the truth. With time running out and an unexpected miracle testing what remains of his faith, Matthew must confront his fears or risk losing her heart forever.

Book Three: A Daring Pursuit

To form a future, they must reconcile the past

When Annabelle failed to stop the nation’s first presidential assassination, not only did the country plunge into chaos, but she’s mistaken for one of the conspirators. Imprisoned and berated while waiting for trial, she wants nothing more than to return to Rosswood Plantation. But in order to gain her freedom she must decide between trusting a man from her past or keeping her faith in the increasingly distant soldier she’s come to love.

Forced to choose between his allegiances and the safety of the people he loves, Matthew finds himself swept into the most massive manhunt in history. John Wilkes Booth has disappeared, and everything Matthew holds dear rests on finding the assassin. But to finally bring the conspirators to justice, Matthew must first conquer his own demons. Can he discover the power of redemptive love, or will his future with Annabelle be another casualty of war?