Jennifer Vido: In the enchanting narrative of THE SEAMSTRESS OF ACADIE, the threads of inspiration intertwine with the vibrant tapestry of cultural heritage and the storied history of Acadie. What served as the muse behind your latest release? Laura Frantz: I’ve always been fascinated by Canadian history and how it intersects with the Cajuns of Louisiana who have their own dialect/patois and distinct culture derived from Acadie (French spelling). Acadien history is full of historical fireworks – war, expulsion, divided loyalties, loss, resistance – yet few people know of that lost, very tragic history today. In writing this novel I hope to keep this history alive, not only to learn from it but to never repeat it. I find it noteworthy that in 2003, a Royal Proclamation was signed in Canada wherein Queen Elizabeth II acknowledged for the first time the wrongs committed in the name of the English Crown during the Acadian deportation of 1755.   Jen: Please delve into the details of your research journey and unravel the most fascinating nugget of information you stumbled upon during the process. Laura: There are some excellent nonfiction works I mention in my author note at the back of the novel as…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Laura Frantz!   Writes: Laura Frantz writes award-winning historical romances with emotional intensity and unexpected twists like her 14th novel, The Rose and the Thistle. Amid the Jacobite uprising of 1715, an English heiress flees to the Scottish Lowlands to stay with allies of her powerful family. But while castle walls may protect her from the enemy outside, a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting allegiances, and temptations of the heart lie within.   About: Young-at-heart Kentucky native seeking readers who love historical romance novels with emotional intensity and authentic detail & who are capable of soulful character connections. Happy endings guaranteed though it may be a rocky road to get there. Must have a passion for Scotland if not Scottish ancestry & the capacity to be charmed by an assortment of endearing characters & picturesque castles, including the ability to scream PLOT TWIST at least 20 times during the novel’s 400-plus pages.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Admires clever, titled…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A HEART ADRIFT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since my ancestry is based in Virginia (via Scotland), I’m always drawn there. My favorite U.S. historic site is Colonial Williamsburg and my newfound love is historic Yorktown so it was wonderful to set this story in both places. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! I would be happy to hobnob with this heroine for a day, including visiting her sister in Colonial Williamsburg and tempting visitors at Shaw’s Chocolate along Yorktown’s waterfront. Esmee Shaw is a foodie like me, my first plus-sized heroine, Don’t be fooled by that beautiful cover which shows her in her younger, svelte, pre-chocolate shop days 😉 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Capable, faithful, and worldly in a way that has made him wise. 6–What’s something you learned…

1–What is the title of your latest release? Tidewater Bride 2–What is it about? A young woman who is the head matchmaker for a 1634 Virginia colony yet lacks her own match. Selah Hopewell is tasked with bringing ‘Tobacco Brides’ to the male-dominated New World but she never realizes by doing so she is arranging her own nuptials.  3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Early Virginia is an explosion of all the things that make pages turn – a brave New World, handsome tobacco planters, treacherous politics, precious few women, ships, Indians, and the accompanying tumult that settling a new nation brings.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Sometimes they did things I wasn’t expecting, taking a scene in a direction I hadn’t thought of or anticipated. The mystery of creating! There’s even a bit of humor within.  5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Their faults and foibles became very apparent to me. We all have them and characters should have them, too. Pride and false assumptions play a large part in this story, as troubling then as now.  6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  Keeping…

The cloudless August day dawned with a sky so blue, the air so crisp, it bespoke the change of seasons. Tessa rose before first light, swinging the kettle on its crane over the ashes she’d banked carefully the night before. Breakfast was a blur of bowls and mugs and terse words as her brothers hurried to their tasks at field and ferry. Ma was never so missed as at peep of day. But she’d made peace with Ma’s going just as her brothers would make peace with her going in time. Six days had passed since she’d seen Clay. Would he ride in on the Sabbath like last week? Or would some fort matter keep him rooted? She filled a wash bucket with lye, scrubbed her brothers’ shirts clean, and set out her own Sabbath best. Draping the laundry across a near fence, she pondered what needed doing next. Taking the whetstone she’d gotten from the creek bed, she began sharpening knives, the sound rasping her nerves. Next she gathered the last of the greens from the garden, braiding the onions to hang from the rafters. For supper she’d make fried mush with maple sugar that Zadock had expressed a…

Welcome to the final day of the Fresh Fiction Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! Every day this week, some of our favorite authors have been on our blog chatting about their new books, their main characters, and sharing recipes for a meal or treat those characters would enjoy while celebrating Valentine’s Day. Today we have inspirational authors from Revell! We’ve had so much fun this week, and hope you have, too! Missed our previous roundup posts? Check them out here! Mystery Authors Contemporary Romance Authors Historical Romance Authors   Paranormal Romance Authors Suzanne Woods Fisher, MENDING FENCES Have you met Luke Schrock? Picture a guy who is drop-dead gorgeous, appealing, endearing, exasperating, unreliable, undependable…and hard to stay mad at. He’s on a bumpy road to manhood. That’s our Luke.   He’s back in Stoney Ridge after a stint (or two) in rehab, and he’s looking for some quick fixes. Luke plans to buzz back into Stoney Ridge, make a few apologies, and then take off for greener pastures. Not so fast, Luke. You’ve got some work to do, first. And then he meets Izzy Miller. Like Luke, Izzy has had a bumpy road to adulthood. But she’s settling into the Stoney…

Happy New Year, Fresh Fiction folks! Thank you so much for inviting me to join you today and for helping celebrate the release of my tenth historical novel, A Bound Heart, with a three-book giveaway! When I’m not writing and traveling, I’m at home in the kitchen baking. As an author, I enjoy reading about as well as including culinary details in my own historical novels. Doing so lends a richness and authenticity to the story. My characters are historical foodies, for sure! And so, I’m delighted to share this Scottish shortbread recipe from my heroine, Lark MacDougall’s, humble hearth on the Isle of Kerrera in Scotland. This shortbread pairs deliciously with a steaming cup of tea or even coffee. Sláinte! Classic Scottish Shortbread 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar or superfine sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup oats, traditional or quick 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8″ round cake pan. 2. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor. If you don’t have a blender or food processor, use quick oats, rather than traditional. Combine the oats with the remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix…

When I first began writing historical fiction as a young girl, I was a blank slate about petticoats, bum rolls, stays, jumps, busks, stockings and garters, and whatnot. Fast forward many years and nine published novels later, and I’m still learning with each novel I write, and have discovered that the best way to dress my heroine is to dress myself. I don’t want to create heroines who dress in fashions and underpinnings I know little about. The best way to authenticate a character is to dress like she would, for a day, an hour, or whatever time and event inspires you. Historical dressing is surprising and delightful and educational! And I have a confession. I love stays, the 18th-century equivalent of the 19th-century corset. Stays provide a lovely silhouette and improve my posture, plus they are excellent back support. The stay naysayers, I think, may never have been laced up in them. I highly recommend them and gladly dress my heroines in them! During the recent holidays, I was made merry with the acquisition of a striped petticoat from Fort Boonesborough, and a lovely pair of clocked stockings and straw hat with paper flowers from Fashions Revisited, a beautiful…