It’s with much excitement that I announce the release of The Journey of Runs-Far.
Did you think you’d seen the last of the Kindred characters with October’s publication of Shiloh?
No, indeed! There’s more to the story. Three story questions went unanswered, simply because there wasn’t space in the pages of Shiloh to explore those answers to the degree I felt they deserved:
1. What has Thomas Ross been up to since he walked off the pages of Mountain Laurel, leading Hugh Cameron’s slaves on a daring escape to freedom? He’s mentioned in a couple of letters in Shiloh, but readers haven’t had a chance to see exactly what’s been keeping him busy. Thomas has a major role to play in this novella!
2. What about Esther, left behind enslaved at Chesterfield Plantation when Ian, Mandy, Naomi, Malcolm, and Ally left North Carolina for Boston? Seona is worried about her. So should readers be. Chesterfield is no safe place for any young female left unprotected from its prowling tomcat of a master, Gideon Pryce. Esther also has a major role to play in this novella.
3. Last but by no means least, will Lily and Seona ever learn anything about their Cherokee relations? Who was Lily’s mother? Where did she come from? What’s her story? The answers to these questions form the backbone of this novella.
After you read Mountain Laurel and Shiloh, let The Journey of Runs-Far put the final flourish on the Kindred novels. And if you’ve also read The King’s Mercy, Many Sparrows, and The Pursuit of Tamsen LIttlejohn, all the better. You’ll be treated to a visit with some of the characters from each of those books (and their descendants), several years out from those books’ endings. I won’t spoil it for you by naming names, but here is how far out from each book’s final pages you’ll be landing with this novella:
The King’s Mercy: 50 years later
Many Sparrows: 24 years later
The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn: 10 years later
If you’re wondering exactly how my novels are connected in this sprawling 18th Century world I’ve created over the past ten years, this flow chart should be of help.
