SIEGE OF AZALEA PLANTATION by B. J. Robinson

 

 

Historical Romance

Alexis thought she’d never love again until Reese Armstrong made her want to live.

Reese Armstrong never thought he’d fall for a belle or any other woman after what happened to him. He stood staring after the buggy as it rolled away, dust flying from beneath the wheels. His heart went out to the young woman, but she sure was a feisty one. Would she always hate all Yankees? He hoped not. Those haunted blue eyes showed passion and love for the husband she’d lost and her beloved South. He felt a twinge of envy race through his heart. To be loved like that. 

Left with nothing but a war-ravaged plantation after the invasion of an ocean of blue, would Lexie find trust and faith? A young widow has to learn to let go of the past to claim a future.

Interview:

TIP:  Tell us something topical, interesting, or something we wouldn’t expect about the writing of this novel?

B.J.:  Houmas House Plantation and Gardens is the lovely home used for the cover. It is the Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s River Road, refurbished with twenty-one rooms on thirty-six acres on the Mississippi River not far from New Orleans, Louisiana. It offers visitors a unique, historical glimpse into the world of the Civil War era through what was once Louisiana’s largest sugar cane plantation. Tours are available in Louisiana’s Plantation Country on historic River Road.

TIP:  If this novel is part of a series, tell us about the series.

B.J.:  This is the first novel in the Azalea Plantation series covering the siege of Vicksburg. Reese and Alexis are brought together in this one, but must soon part again when he is called to fight in a different location involving Sherman’s March to the Sea. In a third novel, Azalea Plantation will be restored. Will Lexie be left to do it alone, or will Reese return to help her?

TIP:  Can you give us a sneak peak or preview into the next work in progress (WIP) you’re working on? When do you expect to release it?

B.J.:  I’m working on the second novel in the Azalea Plantation series titled Azalea Plantation, and it will be released during February. Below is a short sneak preview:

 Suddenly, there was a banging at the door. “Oh, I’s so sorry, Mrs. Lexie, but dat Sherman man is here.” 

Lexie sat straight up in bed as Reese opened his eyes and rubbed them. Her heart hammered. The man promised Reese two weeks to honeymoon. What was going on? 

Reese sat up, slid off the bed, and pulled on his pants and shirt. He bent and kissed her. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. Promise.” 

“Oh Reese, he wouldn’t come to the house unless he planned to move out.” Lexie pulled him down for a kiss and clung to him not wanting to let him go. 

Reese returned her kiss and held her just as tightly. “He promised me two weeks, and I aim to have it. Let me see what he wants. Maybe he’ll let me meet him later.” Reese yanked on his pants, threw on his rumpled shirt without bothering to button it, and drug himself out the door. 

Lexie stared at the door her new husband had exited hoping one night wasn’t all they’d have together before duty called him to leave and continue fighting a war that never ended.

Excerpt From SIEGE OF AZALEA PLANTATION, Chapter On 

            Her heart hammered, but she made herself open the door to meet the surge of ocean in the form of men in blue uniforms as they rode down the lane of oaks. Dust settled. Mosquitoes swarmed when she stepped into the light of the veranda. A shiver raced down her spine as she crossed the wide battleship gray deck, stopping at the top of the steps between two huge white columns.

Lexie squared her shoulders as she raised the shotgun. It was up to her, but she knew she couldn’t shoot them. She’d put on a good show and hope and pray it worked.

Her gaze fell upon the first soldier, but her eyes riveted and fastened on the officer. She heaved a heavy sigh. Her fragile arms could barely hold the heavy gun, and she had no clue if she could fire it if need be, but prayed it would be enough to detour the enemy. That’s when she saw him. That man Reese from town. That blasted Yankee. What was he doing here? How dare he invade her plantation!

A forage cap covered molasses-colored hair that tipped the collar of his coat. He tipped the leather visor, and she noticed brass numbers, but was too nervous to read his regiment across the top of the cap. Tall leather boots said he was an officer since only officers could afford them. She couldn’t shoot him, could she? But, he and his kind had killed her Luke. Still, she didn’t want to kill anyone unless she had to. She should be able to pull the trigger without even thinking about it, but his eyes beseeched hers as they caught and locked.

Her arms grew tired holding the heavy gun, but she lifted her chin, tucked the gun into her shoulder, and aimed it straight at his chest. “You are not welcome here. Get off my plantation.”

B. J. Robinson, award winning author

FLEE FROM EVIL, Book 1 in the Water's Edge Series by Connie Almony

Christian Romantic Suspense with a thread of Women’s Fiction

A pastor with a past uses his underworld connections to try and save the child of the woman he wronged many years ago.

Pastor Vince Steegle thought his destructive beginnings were ancient history, but the ramifications of his prior choices just walked in the door of his church. Is Romans 8:28 really true? Can God really make all things good? Or is Vince's past just too ugly?

After the death of her much-beloved husband, Cassandra Whitaker is looking for security for her children. One, a teen on the cusp of womanhood. The other, a young boy struggling with the effects of autism. But there are those who seek to destroy them. Can Cassandra keep her family safe, or must she flee from evil?

Interview:

TIP: H ow do you get inspiration for your stories (plot, characters, etc.)

Connie:  My inspirations for novels include a hodge-podge of experiences. The first book I wrote, One Among Men, about a woman who lived in an all-male dorm at a major state university, was inspired by my semester running an all-male dorm as a grad student at the age of twenty-four. It was an experience that needed to be written about through the eyes of a new-Christian whose faith was often mocked by those around her.

In contrast, my current release, Flee from Evil, was originally inspired by a question I asked myself almost twenty years ago while watching the movie, Ransom. I wondered, “How could this story be turned into a Christian romance?” The answers swirled in my head since that time, taking many twists and turns, until it formed into something that doesn’t resemble the movie in the least. Though the story was inspired by Hollywood, many of the characters came from templates in my own life: The spiritually wise and generous hair dresser. The tattoo-laden, Harley riding elder of the church. The crusty retired dirt-track race car driver with a soft—and well protected—heart. And last, but not least, the sweet ten-year-old boy struggling with autism who brings peace with a single word (that’s my son!). It was a lot of fun writing these very colorful real-life people into my stories.

TIP:  What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Connie:  I love listening to Contemporary Christian music. In fact, I’m such a Third Day fan that I’m in the fan club Mac Powell (the lead singer) affectionately calls the “Psycho Fans.” We call ourselves “Gomers,” after the song by that name from one of their early albums. We’re the people (usually near the front row) wearing orange shirts, proudly displaying the name of a biblical prostitute across our chests <grin>. It’s a great conversation starter when stopping in convenience stores on the way to concerts, and has even led to Gomers sharing their testimonies with people on the street.

Because I am such a music fan, each of my books has a different “muse.” Third Day was my first muse, and will always be dear to my heart for that reason. David Crowder (both old and new bands) was the muse for Flee from Evil. Others include NEEDTOBREATHE, Tenth Avenue North, and for my next novella coming out as part of an anthology next summer, the smoky sounds of Lauren Daigle.

3.     TIP:  Do you read much? Who are your favorite authors? Do you read across genres?

Connie:  Do I read much????? I read a ton!!! I’m so glad you can get ebooks for reasonable prices today. Otherwise I’d be destitute!!! Though I currently read almost exclusively contemporary Christian fiction, my very favorite authors of all time are mostly from the 1800s and 1900s—Jane Austen, George MacDonald and Georgette Heyer. I crave colorful characters in my fiction and these authors served those up in all their glory. My current favorites in contemporary Christian fiction are so vast (remember, I read a LOT), I don’t think I could list them all here. I read mostly indie now, because, when you read as much as I do, you need the stories to be very different. Indie authors give me that—like a breath of fresh air!

Excerpt (From the middle of Chapter One)

Cassandra stopped at the closed sanctuary door. The minister’s voice murmured from the other side. Not the familiar rasp of the senior pastor, Pastor John, whom she’d grown accustomed to as a child attending Water’s Edge Community Church. Something about the tone gave her gooseflesh. Smooth and silky—like a scam artist’s voice, selling a bill of goods she didn’t need to buy. Boy, she was predisposed not to like this guy. Was it because her mother wanted to fix them up?

A greeter wished her a good morning as he opened the door. If only Mom didn’t have to sit near the front—probably to ogle the minister she’d been raving about for years now.

Cassandra accepted the Bible from the gentleman in the back, and walked down the center aisle as the pastor’s voice praised his Creator. Too embarrassed at coming in late, she focused on straightening her pencil skirt and finding her family in the second-row pew.

But that voice …

So familiar, it drew out memories she’d hidden deep—dark memories.

This time more than gooseflesh erupted from her skin. Her knees threatened to buckle. She didn’t want to confirm her fears, but she had to. She pulled her gaze from the carpeted floor, up the steps of the altar, ascending from the loafers, crisp jeans, tidy polo, dark goatee … into the eyes of …

Satan!

~*~

Whoa! That was worse than the knife that nearly killed him so many years ago. Vince knew the congregation noticed too. They shifted in their seats waiting for him to continue what had formerly been an unblemished sermon.

The woman looked up and stole his sanity.

Cass …

Man, she still looked good. Those auburn curls cascading down her shoulders. But it was more than that. Her green eyes blazed as she caught sight of him in the pulpit. He thought she might take the rest of the aisle and hammer him dead.

Instead, she froze. Jaw clenched. Hands balled. She stepped back like she was going to flee the enemy, until a young girl called out to her.

“Mom,” the dark-haired teen whispered forcefully. “We’re right here.”

Cass thawed. Vince could almost see the icicles breaking off her shoulders and hitting the ground. She managed a weak smile, but her eyes were filled with something else. Probably the memories he’d given her. Memories he wished he could cherish, but he’d ruined them. Instead, they held themes of betrayal and hurt.

I am forgiven. He had to say that to himself in a way he could believe it. He shuffled through his sermon notes and saw those words scribbled on the sides. When had he written them?

A peace washed over him, but the cloud still hung over his head. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death …

He sensed he was headed to that valley again. A different path this time, but shadow and death lurked all the same.

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