I hope you enjoyed this spring's event! The contest has ended, but there's no reason not to enjoy author Beth White's post below about her new release, Creole Princess. Happy Monday!
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! I am a part
of TEAM PINK and this is Stop #4.
[If you’re just joining us, there are two
loops—pink and purple—and they begin at Lisa Bergren’s
site http://lisatawnbergren.com/2015/04/christian-fiction-scavenger-hunt-stop-1-purple-team/ and Robin Hatcher’s
site http://www.robinleehatcher.com/christian-fiction-scavenger-hunt-stop-1-pink-team fhttp://www.robinleehatcher.com/christian-fiction-scavenger-hunt-stop-1-pink-team for stop #1 for either stream.] If you complete either the pink
loop or the purple loop, you can enter for a Kindle paperwhite and the 17
autographed books from that loop. If you complete BOTH loops, you can enter for
the Grand Prize of a Kindle Fire HDX and ALL 34 autographed books (by adding up all the Secret Numbers). So write everything down as you go--if you run out of time, you can return to it later.
The hunt begins at NOON Mountain Time on April 16 and ends at MIDNIGHT Mountain Time on April 19, 2015. That means you have 3.5 days to complete all 34 stops, to enter all individual, pink, purple, and Grand Prize contests, and to maximize your changes for a prize. Winners will be announced on April 20, 2015.
ALSO, please don’t use
Internet Explorer to navigate through the loops. Some web sites won’t show up
using IE. Please use Chrome or Firefox—they’re better anyway!]
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| Beth White |
Without further ado, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to my
guest for the Scavenger Hunt, Beth White. It’s been my personal joy over the
years to cheer on Beth’s talented music students (her day job is teaching music
at an inner-city high school), and now it’s a blessing to introduce you to her
books.
Beth is the award-winning author of The Pelican Bride.
A native Mississippian, she teaches music at an inner-city high school in
historic Mobile, Alabama. Her novels have won the American Christian Fiction
Writers’ Carol Award, the RT Book Club Reviewers’ Choice Award, and the
Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.
Here’s the summary of her latest book, The Creole Princess
Torn
between loyalties to family and flag, one young woman is about to discover that
her most important allegiance is to her heart.
It
is 1776 and all along the eastern seaboard, the American struggle for
independence rages. But in the British-held southern port of Mobile, Alabama,
the conflict brewing is much quieter—though no less deadly.
Lyse
Lanier may be French in heritage, but she spends most of her time in the
company of the ebullient daughter of the British commander of Mobile. When a
charming young Spanish merchant docks in town, Lyse is immediately struck by
his easy wit and flair for the dramatic. But is he truly who he makes himself
out to be? Spies abound, and Spain has yet to choose a side in the American
conflict. Is Lyse simply an easy mark for Rafael Gonzalez to exploit? Or are
his overtures of love as genuine as Spanish gold?
Beth
White invites you to step into a world of intrigue and espionage from a
little-known slice of the American Revolutionary War.
And here’s her EXCLUSIVE content, that you’ll only find in
this hunt!
Five Fascinating People from the American Revolution You’ve Never Heard
Of
I
researched the Colonial period for the second book of The Gulf Coast
Chronicles, The Creole Princess, I
kept running across information that had me thinking, That is amazing!—Why have I never heard of this person before!?
Some of those amazing people became characters in my novel, some inspired mixed
versions of themselves, and some even triggered major plot twists. Even if
you’re not a history nerd like me, I thought it might be fun to introduce some
of those folks.
At the
onset of hostilities, England actually possessed fifteen American colonies. We automatically think of the thirteen
rebellious colonies located in New England and along the eastern seaboard, but
East Florida and West Florida both remained loyal to the mother country until
they were invaded by Spain in 1780-1781. Recent release of documents held in
Spanish archives reveals the significance of Spanish colonial involvement in
the American struggle for independence.
So
without further ado, meet my Top Five: Bernardo Gálvez, Feliciana Estrehan, Oliver
Pollock, Elias Durnford, and James Willing. Hopefully, these brief
introductions will whet your appetite for further study of this fascinating and
little-known slice of American history.
Brigadier-General Don
Bernardo de Gálvez—Appointed
governor of the Spanish colony of Louisiana in 1777, Gálvez was son of one of King
Carlos III’s most trusted military advisors and nephew to respected minster of
the Indies José de Gálvez. A strong, charismatic leader, Bernardo demonstrated
a genius for secretly funneling funds, supplies, arms and ammunition to the
Americans. Via a well-developed network of spies, he gathered, absorbed and
disseminated vital intelligence. His strategy for invading the ports of Baton
Rouge, Mobile, and Pensacola succeeded despite catastrophic weather conditions
and miscommunication from the chain of command above him. Though he remained a
loyal Spanish administrator and military commander, Gálvez held a deep sympathy
for the American cause and maintained lifelong friendships with their leaders.
María Feliciana de
Saint-Maxent Estrehan—This beautiful New Orleans widow of French-Creole
extraction won the heart of the dashing young Governor Gálvez. They married in
December of 1777, and Feliciana proved to be a powerful influence in
Spanish-American politics during the Revolution.
Oliver Pollock—A
merchant of Irish descent who early threw in his lot with the American
experiment, Pollock invested his entire significant fortune in the Cause—to the
point that he ended up bankrupt and in debtors prison. Only after his death
were his debts forgiven by Congress and his status as a major Revolutionary
financier recognized. Pollock, appointed as an official agent of the
Continental Congress, served as one of Gálvez’s most trusted aides-de-camp.
Colonel Elias
Durnford—This cultured and educated British
officer and civil engineer laid out the city of Pensacola, Florida, after it
was ceded by the Spanish in the 1763 treaty of Versailles. Durnford spent a
short stint as acting governor of West Florida until the arrival of Governor
Peter Chester in 1770, when he became Lieutenant-Governor. Durnford was tapped
to command Fort Charlotte in Mobile during the Spanish invasion of 1780.
Captain James Willing—Willing’s
name rates many mentions in the annals of Gulf Coast history, and it appears
people either loved him or loathed him. A passionate American patriot, Willing
began his career as a merchant in the settlement of Natchez and ended as
commander of several lucrative American raids of English plantations along the
Mississippi River. He would swarm ashore with his troops, scoop up slaves and
anything else salable, and continue to New Orleans, where he would put the
merchandise up for auction and funnel the proceeds to the American cause. He
also took it upon himself to sail into the British port of Mobile and
distribute copies of the controversial Declaration of Independence among the
citizens, in an attempt to proselytize—which landed him in the Fort Charlotte
guardhouse for an extended period.
* * *
THE SCAVENGER HUNT SKINNY:
Thanks for stopping by! Before you go, make sure
you WRITE DOWN THESE CLUES:
Secret Word(s): dangerous.
Secret Number: 99 (chosen because it feels like I rewrite every page of my work-in-progress at least that many times before I'm remotely satisfied with the story)
BONUS GIVE-AWAY FROM STEPH:
Win both of Stephanie’s FaithWords titles A Captain for Laura Rose and Daughter of the Regiment)
PLUS be one of
the first to read a copy of Stephanie’s fall novella in the Civil War
collection A Basket Brigade Christmas
as soon as it’s available this September.
To be entered in the drawing to win, do two things:
That’s
it! If you win, Stephanie will contact you by e-mail for a shipping address. Winners will be selected and announced the afternoon of April 20. The drawing has been made. I am awaiting confirmation and will post the winner's name as promised this afternoon.
