October 29, 2014

Finding Mercy (Michael Landon Jr & Cindy Kelley): Not Your Typical Historical

Written by the Love Comes Softly screenplay-writing duo Michael Landon Jr and Cindy Kelley, Finding Mercy picks up where the suspense of Traces of Mercy leaves off. The lovely young Confederate sharp-shooter, still suffering from amnesia, is on the run from bounty hunters and driven by a need to find out who she is, in spite of what uncomfortable truths she might uncover. She finds Captain Elijah Hale a maddeningly stubborn companion, and, though she doesn't care to admit it, a genuine friend.

Through the smoldering rubble of what was once a thriving South, Mercy presses on in search of her past. The south is being rebuilt, slowly, laboriously, in a changing culture and by the hands of men and women, once slaves, now freedmen living by an unfamiliar new code, confusing new rules.

Soon, Mercy begins to become acquainted with who she was before the war, before losing her memory—and she isn't sure she likes what she finds. It seems a twist of Providence has now given her an entirely different view of life and people, and finds she is no longer the person she was raised to be.

This saga plays out like a movie, full of drama, suspense, bits of humor, and a growing romance. It’s woven with intriguing twists and new conflicts as Mercy unravels more difficult truths. And in the midst of her soul-searching, her life continues to be in danger. And the Yankee officer who gallantly escorted the lovely Confederate soldier home has battles of his own—his heart not the least of them.

With or without the aid of memories, Mercy must take a dangerous stand. Since she can't rely on knowing her past, she must stand on what her heart tells her. If only she could be sure she can trust what it’s saying . . .

This is a powerful story of coming to terms with prejudice and ignorance, of rising above the clash of culture and conscience, and having the courage to do what’s honorable even if it means risking all you have left—like the tiny token of mercy you hold in your hand. It’s a gripping saga of post-Civil War south and real characters you feel you know as friends. It’s a story that settles into your bones and lingers long after you close the book.

Not your typical Historical series, Finding Mercy is Historical Drama/Suspense at its finest!

Find this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and check out the discussion on Goodreads.

Follow @CindyAKelley and @MLandonJr on Twitter!

And be sure to check out their other works such as The Silent Gift (a novel), the Love Comes Softly series, and the new original Hallmark TV Series When Calls The Heart entering its second season spring 2015.

2 comments:

Cindy said...

Wonderful review, Camille! Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review the book!

Camille Eide said...

I'm happy to do it, this is a really intriguing story! God's very best to you both!

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF. . . .

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

I've published five novels and 2 novellas (more about those on my website.) I've been writing all my life, but decided in 2007 to get serious about being published.

I love action movies and Jane Austen. (she’s dead, I know. I found that out when I tried to get her to endorse my novel)

They let me play Bass guitar and sing in a worship band.

I can produce 4 dozen homemade cinnamon rolls in a flash for a crowd of drooling young adults. Or publishing house editors.

I used to have a Harley. Now we have seven grandkiddos. Decent trade, really.

I am a proud Grammy. Don't even think about taking candy from my babies.

I hate shopping (Yes, I'm aware that I'm a girl)

MY ROOTS:
I've lived in Oregon all my life, spent time in Eugene (Go DUCKS!), Springfield, Reedsport, and Smith River. Which is not really a town, but a river, about 70 miles long, a tributary of the Umpqua River in southwest Oregon.

Although it's not a town, it is a community with a strong sense of pioneer history. It's cool to say you've lived there, especially if you lived there during the days when you had to take a boat to school. No joke! The old farmhouse my grandfather and my mother grew up in still stands, nestled into a narrow, pasture carpeted valley, complete with a swimmin' hole and its own 'crick'. It may turn up in one of my novels.

There's a rumor that my ancestors had a connection with the Mafia back in Sicily. I used to fantasize as a kid about a big black limo with tinted windows pulling up and whisking me away from school. Ahhh. So THAT'S why I'm having so much trouble conjugating my dangling participles now.

NOT RANDOM: I am challenged by the truth and amazed by the grace of God. And it's either in spite of or because of that grace that I hold a PhD in Learning Stuff the Hard Way.