Heart of the Frontier

It's been far too long since I posted.  A lot has been happening, but today I just want to bring you up to date on the Heart of the Frontier series.

All three books are now available.

Book One - Treasured Grace introduces three sisters on the Oregon Trail. Grace is the oldest and as such is responsible for her two younger sisters Hope and Mercy.  The setting for this story is 1847 at the Whitman Mission and deals with the massacre that took place there.

Book Two - Beloved Hope carries the story forward with the focus on Hope and the trial of the Cayuse who were deemed responsible for the Whitman Mission attack.

Book Three - Cherished Mercy completes the series with a focus on Mercy and her desire to serve God and the native peoples.

The setting for all three books is the Oregon Territory and spans the years of 1847-1856.

A lot of research went into the series and I had so much fun in visiting various places and speaking with folks who knew a whole lot more about the history there than I did.

Here are some of the photos I took.

  Vinegar was very important to my characters.

 Whitman Mission site in Walla Walla, WA

Floor plan for the mission house

Cayuse warrior   

The history of this area is so fascinating and I encourage you to check it out. There are some great books related to the Whitman Mission massacre and the Cayuse.  Marcus Whitman M.D. - Pioneer and Martyr is an older one by Clifford Merrill Drury. A fun one is On Sidesaddles to Heaven by Laurie Winn Carlson. 

The following photos are from around Oregon City where book 2 takes place.

The Willamette Falls

I learned  to spin wool while researching for Hope's character. Since she loved to spin, I thought it might be good to learn. I found out I enjoy it as well.

I also made it down to the Rogue River area and actually took a wonderful boat trip up the Rogue River in order to research the area.  The folks there are great.

Thank you to all my readers for making this another best-selling series.