Would you like to know what’s hidden in the Blue Ridge Mountains? Well, if you love a good mystery/romance, you’ll want to read this book! Today, September 19th, through Thursday, September 21st, you can download the eBook for free on Amazon!
Here’s a little bit about the book:
Jason Williams is fortunate to be a stable worker at Biltmore Estate—one of the most luxurious homes in the country. He’s a troubled soul, and he’s hiding something. The obscurity of the Blue Ridge Mountains seemed like the perfect place. However, now that Mr. Vanderbilt, the owner of the estate, has married a woman who brings countless newcomers to the manor, Jason fears that what he has hidden will be unearthed.
Maisy Fulton, a kind and caring laundress, is intrigued by Jason. He’s handsome and dedicated to his work, but he avoids interaction with others as much as possible. He rarely speaks to anyone. She’s determined to find out why, even though her desire to befriend him isn’t well received.
Her loving heart pushes her to persevere, yet she soon discovers that the mystery of Mr. Williams may never be solved. Secrets and lies, heartache and loss, plague their lives and compound their troubled friendship. Only when the stakes are at their highest do their revelations heal the past and forge a path toward an unexpected future.
If you haven’t had the chance to read “His Heart’s Long Journey,” this is the perfect time to grab a copy of “Forsaken by Love,” which is the first book in the three-book series. May 7th thru May 11th, you can get a free eBook copy on Amazon! And don’t worry…book one doesn’t end with a cliffhanger like I do in several of my other series. You’ll be happy to find a satisfying ending. However, I hope it will inspire you to move on to book two and three for the continued story of Vern Harpole. He has some incredible adventures!
This series is based on the true story of my friend, Ann Wood’s, ancestor. Annie told me the story when we met for lunch one day, and she kindly gave me permission to write about Vern’s life and helped me with as many details as she could remember from things passed down through the family.
Vern Harpole was only eight years old when his mother left him on the porch of a bakery in Kansas City. She abandoned him and disappeared. Though Vern was taken in and raised by the kind baker and his wife, Vern still struggled with his abandonment. Once he became a grown man, he felt compelled to go West.
This story tells how he found his true love–who had her own troubled past–and how they supported each other and found a way to move forward together.
When I started writing, more than one person told me to “follow my muse.” I understand. My heart and mind will often lead me in a particular direction, and stories will come to me out of the blue.
My writing journey began with a dream that led me to write historical fiction. I love history and stepping back in time, so this genre fit. However, at one point, my muse had other ideas!
I spent a little over a year writing a medieval fantasy series called Shrouded Thrones. You can read more about it on my main page. Just click the Shrouded Thrones tab. Initially, I had only planned to write Island in the Forest, which was a rewrite of a children’s fairy tale I wrote when my son was young. I “grew it up” and made it into a novel. That single book led to four more. I found myself fully immersed in the realms I created, and the story simply took off by itself. My muse went wild! This particular series is darker than my historical fiction, but I’m still passionate about it. I found that many readers who love my historical books, weren’t as impassioned, and I decided to go back to my roots. I stuffed that other particular muse in a box, but it often begged me to be released.
I’m happy to say that I’ve recently been given the opportunity to reopen that box! My publisher, Jumpmaster Press, asked for short stories for a Fantasy Anthology that they were putting together, with proceeds going to charity. We were given specific parameters for the story, and I found it incredibly fun to write. That first anthology is called, “Realms of the Fantastic.” My contribution is: Riches of the Stone. You can find the anthology here: https://www.jumpmasterpress.com/product-page/realms-from-the-fantastic
Now, Jumpmaster Press is putting together another Fantasy Anthology called, “Enchanted Realms.” The story I have in this one is: A Noteworthy Enchantment. It tells the tale of a young girl who is under a spell to always sing. The story takes place in the same realm as in the first anthology. I’ve had so much fun writing these stories, and I have a strong feeling that there will be more to come that are set in Shanavar–the realm I created.
I was thrilled to be invited as one of the featured authors at the Civil War Reenactment scheduled for this coming weekend in Ridgetop, Tennessee!
Most of my books are set either right before the war, during the war, or after the war at the time of Reconstruction. When I first started writing, agents, other authors, and publishers cautioned me against choosing this time period to set my stories. However, if you’ve followed my blog, you know that a dream inspired my first series, and from then on, I’ve felt compelled to write about the struggles this nation went through during that difficult time. I believe wholeheartedly that although this was a sad time for our country, it’s crucial that what happened isn’t forgotten. Hopefully, by remembering these events, we can learn from them and prevent them from happening again. If you’re in the area this weekend, come by and experience something you’ll not soon forget!
Here are the books I’ll be featuring!
The Smoky Mountain Secrets Saga. Book one, “Whispers from the Cove,” takes place at the end of the Civil War in Cades Cove, Tennessee. You’ll learn about the struggles of the poor farming families as they try to cope with soldiers from both sides coming into their cove and helping themselves to whatever they please. The families are affected by the war in more than one way, and it forever changes their lives. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZYYY5WKA Confederate soldier returns to his Atlanta home to find it burned to the ground and his family gone. Distraught, he hops a train, thinking he’s going west, but wakes up in a hospital bed in Boston, Massachusetts. He fearfully pretends to be mute, so those caring for him won’t know he’s from the South. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PB84TTOFollow five families in the Southern Secrets Saga as they learn to cope with life in Mobile, Alabama after the war. This seven-book series spans two generations. This series is my dream-inspired work and definitely the steamiest of all my books! This is by no means a ‘typical’ romance series. It takes many surprising turns. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0139LASFSThe River Romance series begins prior to the Civil War, and a good portion of the stories take place on steamboats on the Mississippi River. Each book is a stand-alone and comes to a conclusion. Yet, the series continues the stories of characters you’ll meet along the way. In book three, “Forgotten,” young Billy goes to fight for the Union Army. He’s fallen in love with a mixed-race slave who works for his family, and he’s determined to fight for her freedom. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZYCQIP0
For more detailed information about all of these books, be sure to check out my book tab!
I’m excited to say that my publisher, Jumpmaster Press, is featuring my book, “Regenerates,” this month at a 10% discount!
This story is probably one of the most unusual books I’ve ever written, and it was inspired by an article I read online about a cat at a nursing home that could predict when someone was about to die. First, I have to say that I highly respect people who work in senior care facilities. I cared for my mother-in-law in the final months of her life. It wasn’t easy, but the experiences I had with her at that time far outweighed the difficulties of the task. It often seemed she had one foot here on Earth and the other in Heaven. I suppose my experiences with her would be a good topic for its own blog. 🙂
“Regenerates” has more than one quirky cat, but my favorite is Mr. Blinky–the nursing-home cat. The book was written for the young adult market, yet it’s an enjoyable read for anyone, thirteen and up! It deals with death and centers around a serial killer who’s preying on teenage runaways. Oddly, the killer dresses them in fine clothes, makes them up to look like fashion models, and positions them in the city parks. The story is set in Spokane, Washington–a place I lived for a few years when I was very young.
Two teenagers become sleuths and uncover what they believe is really going on, but they’re afraid to tell anyone for fear they’d be called crazy.
I’ve lived in Tennessee for almost thirty years, and I have a confession to make… I’ve never been to the State Fair. I’ve attended the Robertson County Fair several times, and it was great, but I’ve heard that it pales in comparison to the enormous state-wide event.
Needless to say, I’m super excited to be attending the State Fair this coming Sunday. What finally got me off my tail and headed in that direction? An invitation to participate in Author’s Day! If you live in Tennessee, (or even if you don’t and want to travel to a fun, family event), I hope you’ll join me at the fair.
You’ll find me, along with many other authors of an assortment of genres, in the Fiddler’s Grove Picnic Pavilion on Sunday, August 21st, from 2:00 till 5:00p.m.
It’s the perfect time for summer traveling, but with today’s high gas prices, it’s not always feasible. So, here’s an alternative!
Take a journey with me through the pages of “His Heart’s Long Journey!” This series is based on the true story of Vern Harpole. At the age of eight, Vern is abandoned by his mother and left on the porch of a bakery in Kansas City. The kind baker and his wife take Vern in after they’re unable to locate Vern’s mother.
They teach Vern everything he needs to know about baking and running a business. They also grow to love him, and vice versa. Yet, the need to know why he was abandoned troubles Vern, and he can’t let it go. In addition, something keeps compelling him to go West. His life’s journey takes him on quite an adventure.
Today thru Tuesday, July 26th, book one, “Forsaken by Love” is available as a FREE download from Amazon. Here’s a little more about the book!
Since you’re reading this blog, that tells me you do read! Excellent!
I’m curious, do you read books? I’m not asking as a means to tell you to go out and buy mine, (although if you decide to do that, that’s okay, too😊), I’d like to know because I hear more and more that people swear books are becoming a “thing of the past.”
Simply pondering that idea hurts my heart–and not only because I’m an author. Books have played a big part in my life. I have my favorites from my childhood like the “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” by C. S. Lewis. I used to love getting those little flyers in school with the order forms allowing us to be able to buy books and have them delivered right to the classroom. What a wonderful treat! I don’t know if they even do that anymore.
As I got older, I still read the previously mentioned books (many times), and expanded to “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings.” The list of what I’ve read is vast, so I’m not going to put you through reading that. However, I treasure every hour spent with my nose in those pages.
I’ve discussed the subject of declining readers with several of my author friends, and they’ve told me that at in-person events, people will ask them, “When’s the movie coming out?” and go on to say, “I don’t read.” Ouch!
We’d all love to have our books turned into movies, and I hope I see that happen before I leave this earth. However, even if that does happen, I can guarantee that there’s so much more to experience by reading the book and not just seeing the movie. Movies have a limited amount of time, so a lot of details are whittled down to accommodate the time constraint.
I understand the entertainment value of movies. I happen to LOVE movies. They’re a quick entertainment fix. Maybe people are reading less because they feel it takes too long, or perhaps they feel pressured to keep busy and won’t allow themselves the time for it. I sure hope that society hasn’t made people feel that they’re not permitted to slow down long enough to indulge in the experience of really “living a story.”
When you open the pages of a book, or fire up your e-reader, your mind will take you to another place, and maybe even another time. It’s important to keep our minds sharp and active, and extremely crucial to use our imaginations. Movies offer the interpretation of the screen writers, directors, set designers, and actors. As a reader, you become those people and even the costume coordinator if the author doesn’t go into a lot of detail in that regard. Some are more descriptive than others. You paint the picture in your mind’s eye, and if the author has done their job, you’ll also feel what the characters are experiencing.
I refuse to believe that our need to have everything quickly in our grasp means the death of reading. There are thousands of books that will never be made into movies, and if you only allow yourself that format of experiencing a story, you’ll miss out on so much.
So please, pick up a book and remind yourself what it’s like to dive headfirst into an adventure. The original “virtual reality.” No helmet required, just your brain. You might be surprised to find that you have an amazing imagination!
When I first visited Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountains, I was taken back in time. If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ve likely seen many posts about the smokies and my passion for the history of the cove and the people who lived there.
I’m excited to share this beautiful video produced by Vince Pinkerton! He captured the feel of my story and gave me abundant chills in the process. It’s incredible to see this come to life, if only for a brief 30-second clip!
If you’ve not yet delved into the Smoky Mountain Secrets Saga, I hope you’ll consider giving it a read. Book one is just the beginning. After all, the series is a ‘saga.’ My prayer is that we’ll learn from our history and not repeat the same mistakes.
I had the privilege of being able to preview Vince Pinkerton’s debut novel, The Devil Plays Six Strings. Making me even happier, Vince allowed me to edit it, putting me even deeper into the incredible story. I told him that it was fine as it was, (he’s a brilliant writer), and that it just needed a little polish. Kind of like putting wax on your favorite fancy sportscar. I wanted his book to shine.
It’s not the sort of book I typically read, but I couldn’t put it down! There are parts that get very dark and disturbing, but what can you expect when a down-on-his luck man sells his soul to the devil in order to provide food and a home for himself and his infant son?
This story opens in 1930–a time when racial tension was even worse than it presently is. The main character, Elijah, is a black man who loses his wife after giving birth to their son. She possessed a deep faith that made her shine, and she wanted Elijah to grasp onto that faith, make good choices in his life, and pass on all things good to their baby boy. Unfortunately, Elijah doesn’t choose wisely, even though he tries to do what he thinks is best.
This isn’t a feel-good book, but it’s definitely thought-provoking. You’ll find yourself cheering the good characters on and cringing whenever the evil ones come onto the page. Mr. Pinkerton paints imagery with words almost too well!
Jeanne Hardt 