Lynne Tagawa on Let’s Chat!

Welcome, Everyone

Lynne Tagawa honors us with a chat today. Lynne is married with four grown sons and four marvelous grandbabies. A biology teacher by trade, she discovered a love of history later in life. She wrote a Texas history curriculum in narrative form, Sam Houston’s Republic, and three novels, A Twisted Strand, The Shenandoah Road, and The Heart of Courage. Lynne lives with her husband in South Texas.

A Word From Lynne Tagawa

When I pick up historical fiction, I want to be plopped down into another world. What would it be like … Can you fill in the blank? What is your favorite time period or location?

So when I began my own series, I asked the same sort of questions. What would it be like to live in the time of the Great Awakening? That was the springboard question for the first book of the Russells trilogy. The Shenandoah Road is set during the 1740s.

For my next installment, The Heart of Courage, I fast-forwarded ten years, to the time of the French and Indian War. What would it be like to be there? And not only from the point of view of my characters in the Shenandoah Valley—what about the Shawnee, who raided, captured, and killed during this period? Why did they do what they did?

I had great fun recreating Braddock’s defeat, colonial Williamsburg, and even a Shawnee village. And I discovered an event that—although neglected by history books—may explain exactly why the Shawnee did what they did.

I also enjoyed introducing my readers to some of our nation’s heroes, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry, all of whom were quite young at this time.

And I dropped in a totally fictional element. It could have been this way—and we know it did happen, on a small scale, later. But no spoilers!

The Russells series is (largely) set in the Shenandoah Valley, and I’ve been asked if I’ve been there. The answer is no. I have had to rely on sources as diverse as primary source documents and satellite images. I love the feature on Google Maps where you can drop the yellow avatar to street level and look around. I’ve walked the streets of colonial Williamsburg that way.

The Heart of Courage  by Lynne Tagawa

No one would understand. But he had to obey his conscience.

It’s 1753, and troubling news comes to Russell’s Ridge . . .

Susanna Russell longs to escape her valley home. When war breaks out, she gets her wish to study in fabulous Williamsburg. But she realizes she’s lost something important along the way. Something—and someone.

James Paxton is studying for the ministry. But when violence threatens the valley, his path becomes clouded. What is God’s will for his life? The answer is alarming—and impossible.

Red Hawk spies white surveyors near his home, a harbinger of trouble to come. Shawnee chiefs go to Philadelphia to treat for peace, but the unthinkable happens, and Red Hawk loses all he once held dear. Then he has a strange dream. What can it mean?

War, romance, and gospel truth unite in this remarkable sequel to The Shenandoah Road by Lynne Tagawa.

Excerpt from The Heart of Courage 

“Oh, George, it’s you.” Susanna slumped in relief. “You startled me.” She eyed the fish, still flapping wildly on the bank.

“Here, young’un, lemme help you.” The huge man bent and scooped up the fish like a mere bluegill in the great paw of one hand. He grabbed a rock, struck the fish’s head, and the bass lay still. George squatted, withdrew a knife, and in moments the fish was gutted.

She smiled her thanks. “Where’s your mule?” George Morgan came through the valley at least once a year, exchanging skins and salt for goods he could trade with the Indians. George himself was an Indian, or maybe part Indian. He was dark, but very tall, spoke like a white person, and wore a shapeless hat over his black hair. In her mind, he wasn’t really an Indian.

George turned. Behind him a half-naked Indian stood silently, watching her.

Susanna froze.

Lynne’s Giveaway: The Heart of Courage

Print or ebook, your choice

The print version is available at multiple booksellers and on Amazon.

For Kindle, go here:

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Dear Lord, please bless each word Lynne writes for You. ~ For Jesus’ sake