Secret Lady Is Out In Pre-order #CivilWar #TimeTravel #Romance

Secret Lady (Book 3, Ladies in Time) is a mystery/adventure time travel romance with carefully researched history and enough paranormal to categorize the story as fantasy.  

I drew inspiration for Secret Lady from events that occurred to my ancestors and my husband's Mennonite forebears and their peers during the Civil War. The setting is the beautiful richly historic Shenandoah Valley where we live on a farm that has been in his family for four generations. Familiarity with earlier releases in the series isn't necessary as I began a new thread.

Blurb:

Torn apart by time, reunited by flames.

At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house "warbles" between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she'd paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?
Against the background of Sheridan's Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

(Image from our farm)

New Excerpt

“They brought the draft back?” This was it. She had officially lost her mind.
“It never went away. Where have you been, miss? More to the point, who are you?” His gruff demand stirred the hair at her cheek.

She tilted her face at him. Only the barest outline of his strong features was visible, and yet… Man, was he hot. Focus Evie. “I told you. I’m Evie McIntyre. I live here with my grandmother. Didn’t you realize?”

“That so? I don’t suppose you would be a spy in a Mennonite house. Still. Never know. I best get a good look at you.”

“Who would I be spying for?”

“Rebs. Neither side wishes me well. I’m in no man’s land.”

Her heart drummed wildly. “Where does that leave me?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” He steadied Evie on her feet
.
 Was it? She had no idea what was going on and watched dazedly as he took something from the leather pouch hanging over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

“Lucifers.”

He’d lost her again. There must be a powerful resistance movement at work. She didn’t follow politics. Maybe she should. Had matters come to an explosive head tonight? Why hadn’t her grandmother said something?

He drew what resembled matches from a small metal container and struck one. Sulfurous sparks added pungency to the room. He lit the stubby candle in a tin lantern on an end table. Shadows danced from the pale taper glowing through the punches in the metal. Pretty, how the light made patterns on the ceiling.

 Wait. Where had that lantern come from?

The stained-glass lamp Grandma G. treasured was just there before she went to bed. Dear God in heaven. What had happened to the room?~

(Our farm)

Release date for Secret Lady is 2019-01-09.  The novel is in pre-order at Amazon now: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B07KNL7K3Z/

***On release day, Secret Lady will be available in print as well as kindle and in eBook from all other online booksellers.

Fascinating Story Behind Secret Lady (Book 3 Ladies in Time)

Many stories lie at the heart of my upcoming January 9th release, time travel romance Secret Lady (Book 3 Ladies in Time) from The Wild Rose Press. The characters in this mystery/adventure aren't related to the first two releases in the series as I began a new thread. While strongly historical, Secret Lady has enough paranormal in it to categorize the story as fantasy.

The setting for Secret Lady is as close to home as I can get, our old farm-house (with a slight upgrade) in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I transformed our lush dairy farm into ‘Lavender and Lace Herb Farm’ and relocated it several miles up the road on the farm we once rented. During the Civil War, horses were hidden in the Alpine like woods beyond the house.

(Our house with the wild midsummer garden by Elise)

(Behind our farm by hubby Dennis)

(Our pond by Dennis)

I gleaned inspiration for the story from events that occurred to my ancestors and my husband’s family, and their peers during the Civil War. My great-great-grandfather fought at Gettysburg and was captured at Pickett’s Charge, but the focus of this story is our richly historic valley. I grew up hearing about The Burning (autumn 1864) when Major General Philip Sheridan brought hard war to our green valley, called The Bread Basket of the Confederacy. In Sheridan’s ruthless destruction of farms, livestock, and supplies that might sustain Rebel troops, he unleashed Hell on countless innocents. Among the greatest sufferers in Rockingham County were the peaceful Mennonites, my husband’s ancestors among them. These plain, hardworking people are my adopted people and a vital part of the book.

(Old-Order Mennonite Buggy Passing our farm. Image by Dennis)

Our farm stands where the worst of The Burning took place, and it occurred to me that our Victorian house might have been built soon after the Civil War because its predecessor was destroyed. We knew our home dated at least to the mid 1870’s from an elderly woman who visited here decades ago and said she was born in the house. We dated our home even earlier after finding it on an 1866 map, plus our bank barn has original features that pin it to that era.

(

Our old barn. Image by Beth. It used to be red.)

This past spring, in what was my last conversation with my father-in-law before his death, I asked him if he knew of a farm that once stood on our land that might have been destroyed during The Burning. His adamant ‘yes!’ surprised my husband who wasn’t aware of its existence. However, hubby never asked.

Dad Trissel told us he used to walk back the long lane that leads behind our farm up to the wooded hills beyond and there he saw the remains of a burned-out farm (woods have since overgrown the site). He also told us our farm used to encompass that land which was later parceled off. We decided to walk back to the woods and search for any remnants from the past. Fortunately, we chose April for our exploration as the only trace of earlier dwellers our untrained eyes could detect were the faithful daffodils outlining what must once have been a house, barn, and outbuildings.

(Daffodil discovery in dry early spring before rains came with me and granddaughter Emma.)

 

If we had chosen any other season for our walk, we wouldn’t have noted anything. We later learned foundation stones and usable timber were reused in rebuilding homes and barns after The Burning. Scavengers must have been at work, and nature has taken a toll over the years. I’m not sure what my father-in-law saw in the nineteen forties, but more than we did. The daffodils are an heirloom variety that used to grow in my garden, likely from those same bulbs. Not appreciating their historic value, I replaced them with more attractive varieties and must restore these blooms to a spot in the yard.

More research is needed to determine whether the farm behind us was, indeed, burned during Sheridan’s infamous valley campaign and whether that family built our present house or fled, and another took their place in the building. We learned the road that runs in front of our house used to cut through the meadow, which would account for a farm being located back there. The stream ran beside it those days, and springs also provided water. It could be as Dad Trissel said.

A strong sense of history hangs over the woods, our farm, and our fair valley called Shenandoah, ‘Daughter of the Stars.’  Fiery war once raged here, but we survived and rebuilt. Of course, we did, we’re Virginians.

(

(The valley much as it would have looked then. Image by daughter Elise)

Secret Lady Story Blurb:

Torn apart by time, reunited by flames.

At Lavender House, Evie McIntyre is haunted by the whispers from her bedroom closet. Before she can make sense of their murmurs, the house "warbles" between times and transports her to the Civil War. Past and present have blended, and Evie wishes she'd paid more attention to history. Especially since former Confederate officer, Jack Ramsey, could use a heads up.

Torn between opposing forces, Jack struggles to defend the valley and people he loves. Meeting Evie turns his already tumultuous world upside down. Will solving the mystery of the whispers return her home, and will the handsome scout be by her side?
Against the background of Sheridan's Burning of the Shenandoah Valley, Jack and Evie fight to save their friends and themselves – or is history carved in stone?

Excerpt:

She took a steadying breath, turned the brass knob, and stepped into the room. The fragrance of lavender greeted her. Grandma G. had tucked sachets under her mattress to help her sleep and left small cloth bags in the drawers of an antique dresser. A sachet of apricot scented agrimony lay beneath her pillow.

This age-old herb was thought to induce slumber and offer protection against the dark forces. Other powerful herbs scented the room. Angelica, St. John’s Wort, and sage were in the bunch on the bedside stand beside the antique brass lamp with an ornamental white shade.

The walk-in, but duck your head, closet at the far side of the room summoned her. Boxes of Christmas decorations, a Santa, and reindeer figures stored inside the slanted nook partially hid the steps leading to the attic and the presence she swore was there. She hadn’t encountered the being in question. Yet. It wasn’t cool for a nineteen-year-old to harbor terrors of a closet, but she did.

She threw her hands up after a particularly loud summons. “What do you want from me?”
There was a rap on the downstairs door. ~

Secret Lady will be out in kindle and print at Amazon and in eBook from all major online booksellers. The novel is available in pre-order now at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Lady-Ladies-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B07KNL7K3Z/

Follow this blog and my Amazon Author Page.  https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6

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***If you are interested in reviewing please contact me: bctrissel@yahoo. com

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(Old barn behind our farm.  Torn down now, sadly.)

My Kitten Muse

I am greatly entertained by my new little furbaby buddy, Sparky McGee. Big kitties like him and Puppy Cooper plays and plays with the baby. Our rescue dog, Jilly, is on board. When I sit on the couch with my laptop to write I often have a purring kitten curled beside me, a second cat humming in my ear, a third tucked in as closely as possible, and a fourth perched overhead. The dogs each have their spots. Oh how happy we all are cozied up together. The only challenge with writing is staying awake because these sleepy rumbling kitties make me drowsy. I often end up tucked beside them for a nap. 

(Sparky McGee surveying his kingdom from his perch)

You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals. ~George Mikes

A kitten is the most irresistible comedian in the world. Its wide-open eyes gleam with wonder and mirth. It darts madly at nothing at all, and then, as though suddenly checked in the pursuit, prances sideways on its hind legs with ridiculous agility and zeal. ~Agnes Repplier

(What I see when looking down beside me as I write)

A catless writer is almost inconceivable; even Ernest Hemingway, manly follower of the hunting trophy and the bullfight, lived waist-deep in cats. It's a perverse taste, really, since it would be easier to write with a herd of buffalo in the room than even one cat; they make nests in the notes and bite the end of the pen and walk on the typewriter keys. ~Barbara Holland, The Name of the Cat, 1988

If I called her she would pretend not to hear, but would come a few moments later when it could appear that she had thought of doing so first. ~Arthur Weigall

(Sparky McGee admiring my autumn arrangement)

For more on me visit my Amazon Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/

New Release! An Enchanted Holiday Digital Boxed Set!

I'm excited to have my time travel fantasy romance, The White Lady, in the new holiday boxed set release from The Wild Rose Press. Available in preorder now--out November 8th.

Blurbs for An Enchanted Holiday:


Mr. Jack Frost by Amy Hahn
Once upon a wintry evening she made a wish on Christmas snow…
Reagan Thorton never expected her wish to come true, even when Jack Frost appears on her doorstep. She doesn't believe such nonsense or in happy endings.
Jack has until Christmas Eve to make her rediscover happiness in life and joy in the holiday season. But Reagan is falling in love and Jack knows that once Christmas Eve arrives he'll vanish forever in a swirl of snow. Or will he? After all, he has become the reason for her happiness.

The White Lady by Beth Trissel
It's just two weeks before Christmas, and Avery Dunham cannot change Ignus Burke's mind. They must travel back in time to rescue the White Lady in the portrait above his fireplace. The magic-wielding wizard is obsessed with her. Avery was right: this adventure is not going to be like any other.

A Witch's Holiday Wedding by Tena Stetler
Elemental witch Pepper McKay happily agrees to marry former SEAL Lathen Quartz. Planning a wedding and operating their wildlife rescue on enchanted McKay land takes a toll. Will the nosy McKay ghosts, Lathen's werewolf pack, Pepper's parents, and her best friend help or hinder the wedding and holiday plans?


A Magical Highland Solstice by Mary Morgan
Laird Cormac Murray has vowed to never take a wife. When a lost path in Scotland leads Eve Brannigan to a handsome but gruff Highlander, she fights the temptation to allow love to enter her heart for the first time. Can the Fae and the magic of the Yule season bring together two souls who have forsaken love?

The Christmas Star by Roni Adams
A holiday fling with Nick Christopoulus on a Greece Isle is just the vacation Chrissy Star needs from her world of elves. When she disappears after a night of magical sex, Nick is determined to track her down. But how can Nick, a non-believer, find a magical place called Christmas Town? 

Available in kindle at: https://www.amazon.com/Enchanted-Holiday-Digital-Boxed-Set-ebook/dp/B07J4BB8JW/

Kitten in the House -- Author at Work

See the laptop. See the kitten. See the challenge. I'm writing. Sort of. Sparky McGee wants to play. Kitty Peaches and Cream are napping with a do not disturb label. Even Puppy Cooper is snoozing. Our older dog, Jilly, idly lifts her head and Kitty Pavel hides. So I'm it. That's me in the pink shirt with the laptop and this is who I see when I glance down. I took a lot of pics to get one where he wasn't a busy blur. :)

I can't really blame all my writing challenges on Sparky McGee, though. The H&H in my current work --an older YA paranormal time travel romance-- have had their hand on the doorknob for weeks. I've left them standing on the porch of the mystery house while I try to plot out who will answer their knock. Everything hinges on who and what lies on the other side of that door. I have researched various time periods--exhaustively--because I'm not even sure what era we are in yet. And I've schemed different ways this story can go, but I can't make up my mind. It seems to boil down to that inner leading. Sometimes, I just have to open the door and walk through. Only then, will I discover what awaits my characters. Only then, will I know how the story goes. And this is the whole problem with me and plotting. I can only scheme so much. The rest I have to learn. I think I know how this story will go but invariably the characters chart a different course. Fear not, I am prepared. Research helps me jump here or there.

What of you? Plotters or pansters?  Or a combination of both, like me?

Back to Sparky McGee, he has moved on to cruising the bookshelves, furniture, etc, and attacking anything that moves which includes my toes. A thing doesn't even have to wiggle for him to pounce. He's on the prowl.

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." ~Author unknown

"There is no more intrepid explorer than a kitten. "~Jules Champfleury

"Kittens believe that all nature is occupied with their diversion." ~F.A. Paradis de Moncrif

"Who would believe such pleasure from a wee ball o' fur?"~Irish Saying

Sparky McGee below when he's my contented writing buddy in sleepy mode.

Kittens happen.

For more on my work, visit my Amazon author page at: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/

New Audiobook--Historical Romance Novel Red Bird's Song!

I am delighted to have the first story I ever wrote in audio! Narrator Paul-Alexandre Petit did a fabulous and painstaking job.

More about the story.

In the Beginning: Years ago, while researching family genealogy, I gained the courage to take the leap from penning non-fiction essays about rural life (I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia) and plunge into historical romance novels set in early America. That first story, Red Bird’s Song, (written and rewritten multiple times) is the book of my heart.

"I loved the descriptions...I felt I was there...Many mystical episodes are intermingled with the events...The ending is a real surprise, but I will let you have the pleasure of reading it for yourself." --Seriously Reviewed

“This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating.”
~ Laurie-J Reviewer for Red Bird’s Song at Night Owl Romance
Red Bird’s Song is a 2012 Double Epic Award Finalist.

(Image of the Alleghenies taken by my mom, Pat Churchman)

My fascination with Colonial America, particularly stirring tales of the frontier and the Shawnee Indians, is an early and abiding one. My English, Scot-Irish (we called ourselves the Scotch-Irish, but are often corrected, so whatever) ancestors had interactions with this tribe, including family members taken captive. In Red Bird’s Song, I honed in on my early American roots in a story featuring the Scots-Irish and an Indian attack that happened to my ancestors.

My award-winning Native American themed historical romance novel Through the Fire is also based on research into my colonial forebears and the French and Indian War.

Though written to stand alone, historical romance novel Kira Daughter of the Moon is the sequel to Through the Fire. These three novels, plus The Bearwalker's Daughter comprise my Native American Warrior Series.

(Image of family musket, hunting pouch, and powder horn by my mom, Pat Churchman)

Red Bird’s Song (Native American Warrior Series):

Blurb: Taken captive by a Shawnee war party wasn’t how Charity Edmondson hoped to escape an unwanted marriage. Nor did Shawnee warrior Wicomechee expect to find the treasure promised by his grandfather’s vision in the unpredictable red-headed girl.

George III’s English Red-Coats, unprincipled colonial militia, prejudice and jealousy are not the only enemies Charity and Wicomechee will face before they can hope for a peaceful life. The greatest obstacle to happiness is in their own hearts. As they struggle through bleak mountains and cold weather, facing wild nature and wilder men, Wicomechee and Charity must learn to trust each other.~

“With “Red Bird’s Song”, Beth Trissel has painted an unforgettable portrait of a daring and defiant love brought to life in the wild and vivid era of Colonial America. Highly recommended for lovers of American history and romance lovers alike!” ~Review by Virginia Campbell

RED BIRD'S SONG was purchased from The Wild Rose Press by Amazon for republication under their Encore line. Look for it in kindle and print and now audio at Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Red-Birds-Song/dp/B07HBBXBT1

RED BIRD'S SONG audiobook at Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Red-Birds-Song-Audiobook/B07HBC72YS

Kittens Happen

Last Friday, I was given a tiny kitten to care for--for the weekend--but his stay is now indefinite. Sometimes, you just need a kitten, and you didn't even know it. Hubby would appreciate my finding a home for the baby when he's older. Meanwhile...I'm getting attached, as are the grandkids and Puppy Cooper. Cooper loves this kitten and frequently checks on it. If the baby mews, he rushes to its box to see if it's OK, and when I let the tiny toddler explore, Cooper is on its tail. The grandkids are building the kitten a playhouse run out of Amazon boxes with connecting tunnels. Very creative and he has rewarded them by darting through their maze like a hamster. Just between us, I think hubby is destined to have another cat in his life.

When I first began Furbaby Friday, it was as a tribute to my dear little dog and best friend, Sadie. Her passing tore me up more than words can express. I still miss her terribly, and tear up thinking about her, but Cooper, Jilly, our farm dog, Luca, and my kitties are a big comfort. Peaches and Cream have been my babies since they were two week old kittens granddaughter Emma found abandoned. Cream was left in a mud puddle, so dirty we couldn't tell he was a white kitten. He and Peaches are buddy brothers. Funny bird Kitty Pavel is attached to me in his own way. All my furbabies are rescues, and give back so much to me and the family.

(Sadie and Percy)

About a week after Sadie crossed the rainbow bridge, Kitty Percy followed her. A very sad time for us all, especially me. This little kitten that has come into our lives looks a lot like Percy did. Percy and Sadie were pals and snoozed on the couch together. They kept me company through many a writing project and the ups and downs of life. I have missed Percy a lot too, and wonder if this new kitty might be like him. You can't replace a dearly loved furbaby, but newcomers have a way of finding a place in your heart you didn't even know you had. They create their own warm home in the deepest recesses of our sentiments, maybe even our soul. Those people who do not love furbabies will never understand. Those who do, need no explanation. We know what our furbabies mean to us. Yes, they are a handful to care for at times, but I cannot imagine my life without them. Nor do I wish to. They are my dear friends and an essential part of my life.

(Peaches and Cream)

(Cooper and Jilly)

As of yesterday, the kitten has been named Sparky McGee.

Time Travel Romance Somewhere My Love–Free Kindle Thru 8/18

Somewhere My Love (Book 1, Somewhere in Time) is the story that began my preoccupation with time travel. It spun into the Somewhere in Time series, and now I’ve added a new series with Ladies in Time. Both series are similar and have historical, paranormal, and often ghostly elements. I like a good mystery in my time travels so that’s also an important feature. And above all, romance. These are love stories.

Blurb:  

Two hundred years ago Captain Cole Wentworth, the master of an elegant Virginian home, was murdered in his chamber where his portrait still hangs. Presently the estate is a family owned museum run by Will Wentworth, a man so uncannily identical to his ancestor that spirit-sensitive tour guide Julia Morrow has trouble recognizing Cole and Will as separate. 

As Julia begins to remember the events of Cole’s death, she must convince Will that history is repeating, and this time he has the starring role in the tragedy. The blade is about to fall.

***Somewhere My Love is free in kindle through August 18th, so snap yours up now at:  https://www.amazon.com/SOMEWHERE-LOVE-Somewhere-Time-Book-ebook/dp/B00AFJ7DZ6

Free Kindle–The Bearwalker’s Daughter (Native American Warrior #1)

Free in kindle from 7/26 -7/29 at: https://www.amazon.com/Bearwalkers-Daughter-Native-American-Warrior-ebook/dp/B007V6MA22

‘A change was coming as surely as the shifting seasons. Karin McNeal heard the urgent whispers in the wind.’

Historical romance novel, The Bearwalker’s Daughter, is a blend of carefully researched historical fiction interwoven with an intriguing paranormal thread and set among the clannish Scots in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies. The story is similar to others of mine with a western colonial frontier, Native American theme, and features a powerful warrior or two. My passion for the past and some of the accounts I uncovered while exploring my early American Scots-Irish ancestors and the Shawnee Indians is at the heart of my inspiration.

A tragic account is the driving force behind the story, the ill-fated romance of a young captive woman who fell in love with the son of a chief. As the result of a treaty, she was taken from her warrior husband and forced back to her white family where she gave birth to a girl. Then the young woman’s husband did the unthinkable and left the tribe to go live among the whites, but such was their hatred of Indians that before he reached his beloved her brothers killed him. Inconsolable and weak from the birth, she grieved herself to death.

Heart-wrenching, that tale haunts me to this day. And I wondered, was there some way those young lovers could have been spared such anguish, and what happened to their infant daughter when she grew up? I know she was raised by her white family–not what they told her about her mother and warrior father.

Not only did The Bearwalker’s Daughter spring from that sad account, but it also had a profound influence on my historical romance novel Red Bird’s Song. Now that I’ve threaded it through two novels, perhaps I can let go…perhaps….

The history my novels draw from is raw and real, a passionate era where only the strong survive. Superstition ran high among both the Scots and Native Americans, and far more, a vision that transcends what is, to reach what can be. We think we’ve gained much in our modern era, and so we have. But we’ve also lost. In my writing, I try to recapture what should not be forgotten. Remember those who’ve gone before you.

As to bearwalking, this belief/practice predates modern Native Americans to the more ancient people. In essence, a warrior transforms himself into a bear and goes where he wills in that form, a kind of shapeshifting.

Blurb:

Autumn 1784: Karin McNeal hasn’t grasped who she really is or her fierce birthright. A tragic secret from the past haunts the young Scots-Irish woman who longs to learn more of her mother’s death and the mysterious father no one will name. The elusive voices she hears in the wind hint at the dramatic changes soon to unfold in the mist-shrouded Alleghenies in Autumn, 1784.

Jack McCray, the wounded stranger who staggers through the door on the eve of her twentieth birthday and anniversary of her mother’s death, holds the key to unlock the past. Will Karin let this handsome frontiersman lead her to the truth and into his arms, or seek the shelter of her fiercely possessive kinsmen? Is it only her imagination or does someone, or something, wait beyond the brooding ridges–for her?~

*Cover by my daughter Elise Trissel. She also formatted the novel for print.

***The Bearwalker’s Daughter is a revised version of romance novel Daughter of the Wind Publisher’s Weekly BHB Reader’s Choice Best Books of 2009

“Ms. Trissel’s alluring style of writing invites the reader into a world of fantasy and makes it so believable it is spellbinding.” –Long and Short Reviews

For more of my work, visit my Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Beth-Trissel/e/B002BLLAJ6/