Heart of Honor, by Connie Stevens - FREE BOOK

Tell us about your book.


HEART OF HONOR is releasing very soon and it is the first in a three-book historical series (published with Heartsong Presents). Heart of Honor takes place in the north Georgia mountains in 1838—at the time of the Trail of Tears. The heroine, Abigail Locke, is the daughter of an army colonel. Her father feels it’s unsafe for Abby to remain at the fort during this uncertain time, and sends her to stay with a spinster aunt. All of Abby’s arguments won’t change his mind. The guide who is to escort Abby and her traveling companion to Raleigh is a dishonorably-discharged army officer, Nathaniel Danfield. Nathaniel thinks Abby is head-strong and spoiled. But when they run into difficulties on the trail and Nathaniel is shot by bandits, he sees a whole different side of her. When Abby loses items that are dear to her, Nathaniel wants to prove to her that he is an honorable man, regardless of the way the army has branded him.

Can you give us a sneak peek?

Father cleared his throat. “Mrs. Cobb, where is this man you’ve hired to act as your guide? I must satisfy myself that my daughter will be in good hands.”

Abby bit her lip to restrain the grin that was tugging the corners of her mouth. “If he doesn’t meet with your satisfaction, does that mean I can stay, Father?”

As expected, his jaw muscles twitched and his chin jutted out. Father turned a stern glare in her direction and with a purposeful shove, maneuvered her satchel into the back of the wagon. His lips, pressed into a tight, thin line, almost disappeared under his mustache.

At that moment, a tall, slender young man stepped out the door of the sutler’s store carrying a large crate filled with supplies and food stuffs. Abby’s breath caught. Mesmerizing hazel eyes glanced her way and held her captive for a split second. His sandy brown hair curled over his collar and the breeze blew one lock in his eye. He stepped around her, carrying the box toward the tailgate.

“Excuse me, Miss.”

The intonation of his voice rippled through Abby as she watched him heft the load with ease. Staring was impolite. Abby mentally reprimanded herself but her gaze refused to listen. The young man stepped to the side of the wagon and checked the lashings securing the water barrel. It wasn’t his muscular build that she studied. Abby couldn’t take her eyes off his uniform. Darkened areas of material on his shoulders and arms traced the places where epaulets and rank insignias had been removed. Even the brass buttons bearing the army crest were missing, replaced with wooden pegs inserted through the buttonholes to keep his shirt closed. Raised on a dozen different army posts, nobody had to explain to Abby why his shirt was devoid of military displays.

The young man tugged the brim of his hat at Abby. “Miss Locke?”

Before Abby could reply, Father stepped between her and the man. “What is the meaning of this? Mrs. Cobb, do you know who, or should I say what, this man is?”

Florrie lifted her hem as she stepped down from the boardwalk. “Well, of course, I do, Colonel. This is--”

“I know who he is.” Father’s voice lost its usual bellow. Instead, he lowered it to an ominous cross between a hiss and a growl that raised the hairs on the back of Abby’s neck. “His name is Nathaniel Danfield. I had business at Fort Reed the day he was stripped of his commission and dishonorably discharged.” Father’s back was as rigid as a flagpole. “Mrs. Cobb, surely this isn’t the man you’ve hired to act as an escort for my daughter and yourself all the way to Raleigh.”


What inspired this book? I live within shoutin’ distance of the north Georgia mountains. The area is rich in history and legends. One of the threads of the Georgia tapestry is the Cherokee nation and the way they were stripped of their land and forced into the long journey we know as the Trail of Tears where so many died.


What has been your most challenging experience writing a book? You mean other than having to stop to do laundry, cook meals, and run errands? The biggest challenge for me is also one of the biggest joys. I love doing the historical research, but it can also take over my entire focus. When I was researching for HEART OF HONOR, I needed information about sawmills in the 1830’s. How were they built, what kinds of blades did they use, how were the blades powered, how did they feed the logs in, what kind of timber did they use to make planks for housing? The questions were endless. I also needed to know what the sawmill sounded like, and I found a website where they had a video of a working restored sawmill from 1837. I played the video over and over, listening to the machinery clacking away. Suddenly I was startled by a strange noise and I momentarily didn’t know what it was. The telephone rang.


What is your favorite thing to write about, (i.e., forgiveness, rebellion, etc)? One of the things that God has taught me over the past seven years is one of my favorite things to write about—trust. I’ve tried to show through my stories that God is worthy of our trust, even when we can’t see around the bend in the road.


What do you hope readers will take away from this book? When circumstances appear bleak, they aren’t hopeless. God is our strength and refuge, even when we don’t understand “why”.

What is your favorite color? Hmm, the past few years I’ve been learning to like purple, but I think I’d have to say my favorite is sage green.


Do you have a favorite recipe?

HOT CHICKEN SALAD



3 or 4 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup chopped onion

¾ cup chopped celery

½ cup slivered almonds

Salt and pepper to taste

A few dashes of poultry seasoning

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar

1 seven-oz bag potato chips



Mix chicken, veggies, almonds and seasoning in large bowl. Combine soup and sour cream in small bowl. Blend in half the cheese. Pour soup mixture over chicken mixture and blend well. Spread in a lightly greased 9X13 casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Crush potato chips and sprinkle over the top. Return to oven for another 15-20 minutes.


If you could travel back in time when and where would you go? Wow, what a question! There are so many eras of our country’s history that intrigue me. I love the Revolutionary period when America was struggling for independence. The Civil War era was so tragic for our country, as was the Great Depression. So hard to choose, but I think it would have to be the late 19th century when the country was recovering from war and making great strides toward what and who we are today.


What project are you currently working on? I am currently working on the third book in my historical north Georgia series. HEART OF HONOR, which releases in a few days, is set in 1838. Book two, HARVEST OF HOPE, is set 22 years later in 1860, just before the outbreak of the Civil War. I’m working on book three of the series, HARBINGER OF HEALING, which is set in 1870, 6 years after the war. HARBINGER OF HEALING is schedule to release in September.


Come visit my website at http://www.conniestevenswrites.com and look for me on Facebook.


Connie has been nice enough to offer one free book to a lucky winner. At least 10 people need to leave a comment with an email address for there to be a contest. OR you can email me at srstormo@yahoo.com and put "contest and the book's name in the subject line. Winner announced March 4th.


This book can be purchased by clicking on this link.
http://www.barbourbooks.com/