A couple of years back, while writing A Bloody Day’s Work, I came to know fellow author Tracy Lawson. We shared an interest in the American Revolution, and were both working on novels that took place in part at Valley Forge. In comparing notes we discovered that our stories overlapped, if only briefly. One of us (I don’t recall who) remarked that it would be fun if our characters, Gideon Hawke and Anna Stone, met. One thing led to another, and Anna Stone made her print debut in chapter one of A Bloody Day’s Work!
Since then, Tracy has been busy! Her novel, Answering Liberty’s Call, is now available for purchase! Here is a little bit about it:
War may be men’s business, but that doesn’t stop Anna Stone from getting involved in the fight for liberty. When her soldier husband and brothers face starvation at Valley Forge, Anna is not content to pray and worry. She gets on her horse and strikes out alone over two hundred miles of rough roads to bring them life-saving supplies.
Eighty miles from her destination, Anna learns of a plot to overthrow General Washington and replace him with a commander who will surrender. With the fate of the American Revolution in her hands, she agrees to carry a message of warning and races to reach Valley Forge before one of the conspirators, whop is in hot pursuit, can intercept her.
Tracy Lawson
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? It was a privilege to collaborate with Tracy, and to get to meet Anna before everyone else. Having written a few scenes with Anna in them, I can tell you she is a strong woman, and I can not wait to read more!
You can purchase Tracy’s novel here: Amazon, Unison Books, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million.
For more on the Revolutionary time period, check out Tracy’s video series: Answering Liberty’s Call Video Series.
Compared to these other pandemics and epidemics, in 2020 we have many advantages. Science and medicine have come a long way: we are taking the measures necessary to slow the spread and expand capacity to treat those most severely affected. Critically, we see people coming together and finding ways to support one another. We are rising to the occasion, and we will endure.
subject matter: conveying the nuances of a noble but long-gone culture seemed an insurmountable obstacle. The change recently seems to lie in my own understanding of this novel: it is less about the Haudenosaunee than it is about the inward journey of my protagonist, Gideon Hawke. In the course of this story Gideon learns a great deal about himself, and realizes he longs to be part of something greater than himself. He also struggles with the competing priorities in his life. The cultural backdrop is important, and I want to do it justice, but it is not worth hand-wringing.
Research is a critical part of writing historical fiction. I consider it critical to “get it right” when it comes to things big and small: weather, terrain, the sequence of events, language, uniform and clothing, and so on. For the first five books in the Gideon Hawke Series, research was mostly a matter of finding information.
Some writers might find it counterintuitive to plug other writers’ work, but for me it is only fitting. Rick Atkinson is a best-selling author and has won the Pulitzer Prize for both Journalism and History. I have had the pleasure of interacting with Mr. Atkinson on two occasions, and both were rewarding.
Robert Krenzel 