The Lawyer’s Luck by Piper Huguley

The Lawyer’s Luck

1844 – Ohio

Lawrence Stewart is a rare man. Raised with his grandmother’s Miami Indian tribe, he’s a Negro with brown skin, and has consistently walked between two worlds most of his life. He devotes his time and study to becoming a lawyer, fully intending to obtain justice for the ousted Miami Indians. No Negro man has accomplished these things before, but he is not daunted. He studies for his exams as he rides circuit through the backwoods of Ohio, handing out justice to people who cannot easily reach a courthouse. His life is perfectly set until one June day…. Aurelia “Realie” Baxter made her way from enslavement in Georgia to the free land Lake Huron in Ohio. Far from happy as a slave doing the bidding of a woman cooped up in a house all day, Realie is a bona fide tomboy with a special gift with horses. Now, she is so close to freedom in Canada, she can smell it, but her plans are interrupted when Lawrence shoots her…by mistake…. Lawrence cannot study encumbered with the care of an enslaved woman, but he’s responsible for her injury… Realie wants to get to Canada, but Lawrence won’t let her get away in trying to help her…

A Hero’s Promise by Roseanna White

A Hero’s Promise

1835 – Maryland

This free e-romance novella is an exclusive bonus from the Culper Ring Series by Roseanna M. White, set in the intervening years between Whispers from the Shadows and Circle of Spies. Fans of the series will enjoy this chance to revisit the men and women who were part of the legendary American spy ring. Their fascinating exploits are further explored in the series’ full novels, which includes Ring of Secrets, Whispers from the Shadows, and Circle of Spies. January 29, 1835 in Baltimore, Maryland. Twenty-year-old Julienne Lane eagerly awaits the return of her fiancé and naval officer, Jack Arnaud, but she has not been idle. She and her best friend, Freeda Payne, have been working hard to support the abolitionist movement. Their efforts have been clouded in secrecy, but when Freeda shows up in Julienne’s cellar with a runaway slave, the need for secrets becomes imperative. When Jack returns home, will Julienne threaten his career in the Navy by including him in their plans, or will she hide news of the slave from him and put his trust to the test? Moreover, why does her fiancé appear to be hiding a secret of his own? Despite a harrowing tour of duty in the North Atlantic, Jack’s hopes for rest and recuperation are put on hold. His wedding to Julienne is in two days, but a more pressing matter comes to his attention from his associates in the Culper Ring. Should he ask his beautiful fiancée to postpone the wedding for the third time in two years? How will he and the Culper Ring foil the malicious plans they have uncovered? And why does Julienne blush so brightly when he asks her about the cellar? The clock is ticking. Danger looms. Can justice prevail? Will their love survive?

Keeping Faith by Hannah Alexander

Missouri to Kansas

The wagon train ride from Missouri to Kansas territory is rife with perils. But there are bigger obstacles for Dr. Victoria Fenway than cholera or creek floods. Years ago, she and wagon-train captain Joseph Rickard were deeply in love. Now, Victoria is tracking the man who killed her late husband, and she is determined to continue his work rescuing slaves. She can’t allow herself to fall for Joseph again—not when he abandoned her once before. Joseph told Victoria he’d love her forever, and he’s been as good as his word. Misunderstanding led to her marrying another man. But with dangerous slavers on their trail, he’ll do anything to keep her safe until they reach a new home—and a second chance.

Return to Shirley Plantation by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Return to Shirley Plantation

Civil War – Virginia

Abducted against his will, Matthew Scott is conscripted into the Confederate army because of his Copperhead father’s political leanings. Injured at Malvern Hill, Matthew is taken by the Union army to Shirley Plantation in Virginia where he is tended by seamstress Angelina Rose, a freed slave. Given an opportunity to leave the South and start a new life for herself, Angelina remained for the sake of her sister’s orphaned twins who are still enslaved. Will Matthew’s return to Shirley Plantation settle a mystery concerning his father’s past? And help Matthew find the family he longs for.

Paths of Freedom by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

Path of Freedom: Quilts of Love Series

1858 – North Carolina

When Quakers Flora Saferight and Bruce Millikan embark on the Underground Railroad, they agree to put their differences aside to save the lives of a pregnant slave couple. With only her mother’s quilt as a secret guide, the foursome follows the stitches through unknown treachery.

As they embark on their perilous journey, they hope and pray that their path is one of promise where love sustains them, courage builds faith, and forgiveness leads to freedom.

Gideon’s Call by Peter Leavell

Gideon’s Call

1860s – South Carolina

Author Peter Leavell forges an unprecedented tale of tragedy and triumph amid the backdrop of the Civil War through the story of Tad, a very clever slave boy who comes of age as America’s war reaches the sea islands of South Carolina. Tad’s desire to better himself is obstructed by the color of his skin, until Northern soldiers force the evacuation of white plantation owners, setting 10,000 slaves free in a single day. These circumstances seem like a dream, except that the newly freed slaves have no money, no education, and little hope for the future—unless someone rises up to lead them. Based on true events, Gideon’s Call is the dramatic tale of a young man who battles the shame of his past and faces the horrors of war and unimaginable prejudice to become the deliverer of thousands of freed slaves.

The Face of Heaven by Murray Pura

thefaceofheaven The Face of Heaven (Snapshots in History)

1861 – Pennsylvania

In April 1861, Lyndel Keim discovers two runaway slaves in her family’s barn. When the men are captured and returned to their plantation, Lyndel and her young Amish beau, Nathaniel King, find themselves at odds with their pacifist Amish colony.

Nathaniel enlists in what will become the famous Iron Brigade of the Union Army. Lyndel enters the fray as a Brigade nurse on the battlefield, sticking close to Nathaniel as they both witness the horrors of war–including the battles at Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, and Antietam. Despite the pair’s heroic sacrifices, the Amish only see that Lyndel and Nathaniel have become part of the war effort, and both are banished.

And a severe battle wound at Gettysburg threatens Nathaniel’s life. Lyndel must call upon her faith in God to endure the savage conflict and to face its painful aftermath, not knowing if Nathaniel is alive or dead. Will the momentous battle change her life forever, just as it will change the course of the war and the history of her country?

When Shadows Fall by Tina Pinson

whenshadowsfall When Shadows Fall

1862 – Virginia/Maryland

Their lives torn by war, Matthew and Rebekah fight to keep their worlds intact. Rebekah wishes she could turn back time, and go home. Matthew wishes his arms could be the home she runs to.

Love on the Range by Jessica Nelson

Love on the Range

1918 – Oregon

Any other socialite would view being packed off to a remote Oregon ranch as a punishment. But Gracelyn Riley knows that this is her opportunity to become a real reporter. If she can make her name through an interview with the elusive hero known as Striker, then she’ll never have to depend on anyone ever again.

Rancher Trevor Cruz can’t believe his secret identity is being endangered by an overly chatty city girl. But if there’s one thing he knows, it’s that Gracie’s pretty little snooping nose is bound to get her in trouble. So he’ll use her determination to find “Striker” to keep an eye on her…and stick close by her side.

Ruth’s Redemption by Marlene Banks

Ruth’s Redemption

1830 – Virginia

Set in the 1800s, Ruth’s Redemption, is an unusual depiction of the lives of slaves and free blacks in pre-Civil War America. Bo, was educated while a slave. He was given his freedom and now owns a farm buying slaves for the sole purpose of giving them their freedom. Bo is also a man of God and widower whose life is destined to change when he meets the proud and hard-hearted slave girl, Ruth.Ruth has known nothing but servitude and brutality since being separated from her mother at age thirteen. Purchased and sold primarily for breeding, Ruth struggles to adjust to life outside of bondage. She wants no part of Bo’s Godly devotion. Yet Bo is unlike any man she’s known and her experiences with him will leave her forever changed.A gripping slave era novel, Ruth’s Redemption is a story of love, forgiveness, and redemption. Set against the backdrop of the Nat Turner Rebellion in Tidewater, Virginia, this novel shines the light of God’s unconditional love in the darkness of a culture’s cruel socially accepted inhumanity.

The Loom by Shella Gillus

1835 – Maryland

A slave owner’s wife harbors a secret that threatens to unravel her marriage and the lives of those around her.

Caroline Whitfield lives in the world she dreamt of as a child. Married to Jackson, a plantation owner, in the quiet hills of 1835 Montgomery County, Maryland, she enjoys a simple life, until new slaves, seven-year-old Sadie and her father, arrive.

When Sadie’s daddy is taken from her, the young girl is forced to serve the master and mistress she holds responsible for her loss. With her grandmother, fellow slaves in the “Loom Room,” and a young man bent on obtaining his freedom, Sadie struggles to make sense of God’s will in the midst of pain.

But Caroline harbors a secret that could bring her world crashing down, and her love for Sadie, the daughter no one knows she had, threatens to tear it all apart. Meanwhile, Caroline draws closer to an old friend, an empathetic and dependable married man. Now she must douse the raging flames of a jealous husband and fight to keep her perfect world intact. The Loom is a colorful tale of three families linked by a lie and their discovery that the truth is not always black and white.

Her Rebel Heart by Shannon Farrington

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1861 – Maryland

There was a time when Julia Stanton’s fondest wish was to be Samuel Ward’s wife. But that was before the war. As pro-Confederacy sentiments clash with the Union troops occupying Baltimore, fear and suspicion turn friends to foes. Julia chooses the Confederacy…Samuel does not. And his decision is one she’s sure she’ll never forgive.

Samuel would gladly give his life for Julia. Still, he cannot go against the certainty he feels that slavery is wrong—even after his beliefs cost him Julia’s love. Yet as they work to comfort a city in turmoil, Samuel prays God’s guidance will lead them to common ground. For where there is courage and faith, two divided hearts may come together once more.…

Yahshua’s Bridge by Sandi Rog

Yahshua’s Bridge

88 – Rome and Cappadocia

An amethyst stone draws him to his past. An elusive maiden draws him to his future.

Alexander is born into slavery under an abusive master: a master of his own flesh and blood . . . a man he will never call Father. Determined to break away from his master’s hold, Alexander devises a plan to purchase his freedom. But what’s he to do when he finds himself shipped off in shackles to Egypt, disappearing from the lives of everyone he knows and loves?

The Resurrection of Nat Turner: Part 1: The Witnesses by Sharon Ewell Foster

The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses

1831 – Virginia

The truth has been buried more than one hundred years . . .

Leading a small army of slaves, Nat Turner was a man born with a mission: to set the captives free. When words failed, he ignited an uprising that left over fifty whites dead. In the predawn hours of August 22, 1831, Nat Turner stormed into history with a Bible in one hand, brandishing a sword in the other. His rebellion shined a national spotlight on slavery and the state of Virginia and divided a nation’s trust. Turner himself became a lightning rod for abolitionists like Harriet Beecher Stowe and a terror and secret shame for slave owners.

In The Resurrection of Nat Turner, Part 1: The Witnesses, Nat Turner’s story is revealed through the eyes and minds of slaves and masters, friends and foes. In their words is the truth of the mystery and conspiracy of Nat Turner’s life, death, and confession.

The Resurrection of Nat Turner spans more than sixty years, sweeping from the majestic highlands of Ethiopia to the towns of Cross Keys and Jerusalem in Southampton County. Using extensive research, Sharon Ewell Foster breaks hallowed ground in this epic novel, revealing long-buried secrets about this tragic hero.

Promise of Yesterday by S. Dionne Moore

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1878 – Pennsylvania

Escaping the horrors of slavery, Chester Jones returns home after many years. After meeting the enigmatic Marylu, sparks fly as he gently pushes his way into her heart.

As love blossoms, secrets from Marylu’s past arise, causing her to question her newfound feelings. And then what about those rumors linking Chester to a murder. . .? Will Marylu allow God to heal her heart or will it be shattered again?

The Voyage of Promise by Kay Marshall Strom

The Voyage of Promise – Grace in Africa series #2

1792 – Africa

She is safe, and she is free . . . but she is still alone.

Slavers burst into Grace Winslow’s life with guns blazing and tear her family apart forever. She watches in anguish as her husband is led in chains aboard a tightly packed slave ship bound for America. An old enemy has a more sinister plan for Grace and prepares her for a different kind of servitude in London. But Grace will not be enslaved. And she will not give up on the man she loves. In her determination to be reunited with her husband, she finds God reaching out to her.

A Stray Drop of Blood by Roseanna M. White

A Stray Drop of Blood

30 – Jerusalem, Rome

Beautiful is a dangerous thing to be when one is unprotected. That is a lesson Abigail learns well when her master s son, Jason, takes her to his bed. Jason s mother, Ester, may have educated her as a daughter instead of a slave, his father, Cleopas, may have obeyed Hebrew law rather than Roman in the running of his household, but none of that matters to their son. At least, it doesn t until he has a child of his own on the way.

Over her seven years in the Visibullis household, Abigail has gotten accustomed to being a slave. She loves her fellow servants, she adores her mistress, and she respectes her master. She does not welcome change, neither when Jason decides she is better fit for a lover than a handmaid nor when he discoveres he loves her too much to leave her as anything but a wife. But she carries his child, so she can hardly argue. And maybe, given time, she could come to love him too….

Israel s unrest finds a home in her bosom, but their rebellion tears apart her world. Death descends with Barabbas s sword, and Abigail is determined to be there when he is handed the penalty for the crimes that destroyed her family. But when she ventureds to the trial, heavy with child and heavier still with hatred, it is not Barabbas that the crowd demands be crucified. Instead, it is the teacher Cleopas and Jason had begun to follow, the man from Nazareth that some call the Son of God….

She was born free, made a slave, married out of her bonds. But she never really knew freedom until she felt the fire of a stray drop of blood from a Jewish carpenter. She was disowned by Israel, despised by Rome, desired by all. Yet she never knew love until she received the smile of a stoic Roman noble.

The Gladiator by Carla Capshaw

81 – Rome

He won his fame–and his freedom–in the gory pits of Rome’s Colosseum. Yet the greatest challenge for once-legendary gladiator Caros Viriathos comes to him through a slave. His slave, the beautiful and mysterious Pelonia Valeria. Her secret brings danger to his household but offers Caros a love like he’s never known….

Should anyone learn she is a Christian, Pelonia will be executed. Her faith threatens not only herself, but her master. Can she convince a man who found fame through unforgiving brutality to show mercy? And when she’s ultimately given the choice, will Pelonia choose freedom or the love of a gladiator?

The Call of Zulina by Kay Marshall Strom

The Call of Zulina (Book One of the Grace in Africa Series)

1787 – Africa

The Grace in Africa series is a sweeping three-part historical saga of slavery and freedom that takes the reader from an island off the west coast of Africa to Southern plantations and finally on to Canada. All her life, Grace Winslow, the daughter of a mixed marriage between an English sea captain and an African princess, has been sheltered from the truth about the family business–the capture and trade of slaves.

Set in 1787 in West Africa, The Call of Zulina opens as the scorching harmattan winds blow. Desperate to avoid marriage to an odious suitor, Grace escapes the family compound only to be caught up in a slave revolt at the fortress of Zulina. Soon, she begins to grasp the brutality and ferocity of the family business. Held for ransom, viciously maimed by a runaway slave, and threatened with death, Grace is finally jerked into reality and comes to sympathize with the plight of the captives. She admires their strength and courage and is genuinely moved by the African Cabeto’s passion, determination, and willingness to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his people’s freedom.

The Runaway by Melanie Dobson

1850 – Indiana

In a divided town during a dangerous era, who can be trusted? Liberty, Indiana, is home to a stop on the Underground Railroad operated by Anna Brent and her father, covert abolitionists who harbor runaway slaves traveling toward freedom. The Brents must be very careful; anyone caught aiding runaways is subject to imprisonment under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. So when Anna begins to write columns denouncing slavery in the local newspaper, she must adopt a pen name. Even the newspaper’s editor, Daniel Stanton, does not know the author’s true identity. Daniel takes a risk publishing the columns—his job, his newspaper, and his very life might be in danger. When Anna’s work on the Underground Railroad is threatened, can she turn to Daniel, a man she barely knows, to ensure the safety of the slaves so dear to her? Will she and Daniel be willing to risk everything for their beliefs—including their personal liberty?

Dream of Love by Michael Phillips

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1852 – Carolinas

As the Civil War rages on, plantation owners Richmond and Carolyn Davidson continue to follow the path God set out for them—as an important link in the Underground Railroad, helping runaway slaves flee to the Northern states. Meanwhile, their older son, Seth, is working as a war photographer for the North—and their younger son, Thomas, is a Confederate soldier. Torn by war on both sides, the Davidsons pray for both of their sons to come home safe—even as they struggle to keep their land in the face of financial troubles.

When Seth is reported missing and feared dead, the family despairs. But his new love, Cherity Waters, refuses to accept the news passively. She sets out on a dangerous journey through the war-torn South to find Seth—and bring him home safe.

Then Came Faith by Lousie M Gouge

Then Came Faith

Post Civil War South

An edgy novel that runs many parallels with the current day tragedy of Katrina to the aftermath of the Civil War. Moreover, this gritty novel from a gifted writer addressees the greater healing that begins in life, when we are courageous enough to lay aside our preconceived notions and personal prejudices.
The Civil War is over; Elizabeth wants to help the South heal and repent of its past…Andre swears never to forgive the North for what they did to his family.
Elizabeth has traveled to this war-ravaged city to minister to the people devastated by the conflict—having been a strict abolitionist who was part of the Underground Railroad—she seeks to help the South understand the transgression of slavery. Andre and Elizabeth’s attraction is immediate and obvious, but they quickly discover how diverse two people can be in their values and beliefs.
Even in the midst of their warring points of view, Andre cannot help but notice Elizabeth’s courage and resilience—and remarkable impact—in the face of fierce opposition. Through the commitment of three former slaves, he discovers secrets from his family’s past that force him to face head on his own views of the intrinsic worth and dignity of all people.

William Henry is a Fine Name by Cathy Gohlke

William Henry is a Fine Name

1859 – Maryland and North Carolina

Thirteen-year-old Robert is torn between loyalty to his abolitionist father and his mother’s slave-holding family.

After his best friend, WIlliam Henry, is trapped in a deadly scheme to protect secrets of the Underground Railroad, Robert vows never to get involved again. But when he discovers his grandfather’s plan to sell his own son, born of a slave woman, Robert must decide whether to stand idly by or risk everything to help him escape.

“William Henry is a Fine Name” is a coming-of-age story, a tale of friends–and a nation–caught in the chaos of slavery, forced to take a stand.

The Noble Fugitive by T. Davis Bunn and Isabella Bunn

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1832 – England

Serafina, daughter of a Venetian merchant prince, is desperate to be reunited with the dashing tutor her father banished. As her family sets sail for America, she secretly abandons ship. Alone in England, she finds herself as a lowly chambermaid. A world-weary ship captain is also forced to seek refuge, hiding from henchmen determined to silence his shocking revelations about the slave trade. The lives of these two characters become intertwined, and a place that once seemed only a dreaded detour becomes a sacred venue for the unveiling of God’s Providence.

Dream of Freedom by Michael Phillips

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1855 – Carolinas

In the antebellum South, Richmond and Carolyn Davidson live lives of ease as wealthy plantation owners. But even though their prosperity and livelihood depend on slave ownership, their Christian consciences speak against the practice.

When the Davidsons decide to follow their own moral conviction and God’s will by freeing their slaves, they face consequences they never could have anticipated. Risking their lives as an important link in the Underground Railroad, helping runaway slaves escape to the northern states, the Davidsons must rely on their wits—and God’s protection—to stay alive.

Hannah Rose by Louise Gouge

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1847 – Massachusetts

Captain Ahab is dead, the victim of his own pride. Hannah, his widow, and their son flee Nantucket to escape the infamy of his maniacal behavior that caused so the deaths of his entire crew. Visiting old friends in Boston, Hannah meets kind and warm Captain Lazarus and the dashing Captain Longwood. But before she can consider remarrying, Hannah has another encounter that shakes the very foundation of all she believes, slavery. Before she can go on with her life, Hannah must face her own convictions.

Fire by Night Lynn Austin

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1861 – Virginia

Two young women in a land shattered by war test the limits of their strength.

Lovely Julia Hoffman has always enjoyed the carefree life of her well-to-do Philadelphia family. But when she fails to attract the attention of Nathaniel Greene, a fierce abolitionist, she shocks her family by becoming a Union nurse. Will that be enough to win Nathaniel’s heart?

Phoebe Bigelow, from western Virginia, has always been a misfit, and when her brothers join the Union army, she also enlists–under false pretenses.

Soon, both have their eyes opened to the realities of war and suffering. Neither is quite ready for the demands of her new life, but their journeys of sacrifice and love are sure to change them in unexpected ways.

Candle in the Darkness by Lynn Austin

Candle in the Darkness (Refiner’s Fire, Book 1)
1860 – Virginia

CAUGHT in a nation splitting apart.

ANGERED by those who would enslave others.

EMBOLDENED by a passion to make a difference.

TORN between the one she loves and a truth she can’t deny.

Here is Caroline Fletcher’s story.

Candle in the Darkness, Book One in the Refiner’s Fire series, tells the story of a timid southern girl who finds her voice as she begins to tell the truth about the atrocities around her. A short stay in the North confirms her abolitionist feelings, but when she returns to the South she finds herself torn between her home, a beloved suitor who doesn’t share her feelings, and the principles she knows are true. Standing for right may mean standing alone. Does she have the courage?

The Dark Sun Rises by Denise Williamson

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1800s – South Carolina

Set in 19th century Charleston, South Carolina, The Dark Sun Rises is an inspirational work of historical fiction. With impeccable attention to detail and a strong conviction in God, Williamson leads the listener into the complex world of slavery.

In this novel, Joseph, a manservant of Abram Callcott, begins a journey of faith. One of Abram’s passions is teaching the slaves about the Gospel. He is shocked, however, by the realization that Joseph has taught himself to read and write. Joseph’s abilities show Abram that he may have misjudged his African slaves, but nothing can prepare either man for what is to come.

Through strong, colorful characters, Williamson examines slavery from various perspectives and explores the growth and change in the antebellum south.