A Nest of Hornets is moving right along!

The third novel in the Gideon Hawke series is set in New Jersey in the winter of 1777. The action includes several skirmishes from the “Forage War,” during which the Continental Army and militia forces harassed, and in some cases outright defeated, British efforts to collect food and forage from the New Jersey countryside.

This novel is a bit different from the two prior books (This Glorious Cause and Times That Try Men’s Souls) in a few ways:

• It is more relational. We spend more time with Gideon and Ruth. The reader will find more about their characters, and the ways in which they complement each other.
• It is a little darker. Times That Try Men’s Souls covered some bleak times in both the Revolution and in Gideon’s state of mind, but A Nest of Hornets explores themes of temptation, division, and betrayal.
• It is historically less precise. Not that I didn’t try! Many of the actions described in the book are “historical footnotes;” for example, there are no historical parks dedicated to the actions at Quibbletown or Spanktown (good luck even finding those place names on a modern map). There was a bit more estimation, guesswork, and artistic license involved in developing those chapters.
• You don’t know how it ends. Cause and Times were centered on well-known historical events. The main plot line of A Nest of Hornets is less clear cut, and the climax may come as a bit of a surprise.

Hopefully by now you are looking forward to reading it. The good news: that time is drawing nearer! I am done editing the First Draft; The Second Draft goes to the editor this week!

Then, as I wait patiently, I can focus on the yet to be named Gideon Hawke #4. I can’t tell you much about it, except to say that in a few weeks I hope to visit the Saratoga National Historical Park.

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