Episode 122: The American Revolution and Family Bonds with Laura Frantz

Award-winning, bestselling author Laura Frantz is passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying. Proud of her heritage, she is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Special Guest Co-Host Heather Tabers

Today we have someone special joining us. Since Darcy was unable to join for this recording, our friend Heather Tabers stepped in to cohost with KyLee. Heather writes Historical Romance and Children’s Fiction, and she also hosts The Hope-Filled Romantic—a podcast where faith and fiction meet real-life love stories.

And now for the interview with Laura Frantz, discussing her latest novel, The Belle of Chatham. (pronounced “chat-um”)

Is there a word or goal that’s inspiring you in this chapter of life?

Laura: You hit it on the head when you opened and said, “How do we pursue God through our writing?” I’m eighteen novels in now, and my pursuit for the Lord is stronger than it was even with my debut novel back in 2009. I just want to honor him with a gift.

He gave the writing gift–it wasn’t one I asked for or really wanted, but it was a sign to me. We’re here to bless and minister to others, and I think the written word does that. So my desire is just to press on. Life is often a spiritual fight, and I just want to finish well.

We don’t know how much time we have. I’m old enough to remember the nation’s bicentennial, which was 1976 and now we’re at 2026. So this is a huge milestone, historically for us as a nation, and personally. Whatever time I have left, hopefully it’s many more years and many more books, I want to pursue God with everything that is in me and try to honor him with every story I write.

KyLee: Wow, I admire that. Just to press on, to move forward–whatever’s in front of you, whatever comes your way–just to keep moving towards God.

And you’re speaking specifically towards the books you’re writing, but really that’s applicable to every area of our life, as parents, and spouses, and at work, and everywhere we go. And when I think about pressing on with God, I picture that light in front of us, guiding us.

What is one book that you read last year that really stuck with you and why?

Laura: You know, I read a lot of historical fiction, mostly for research, but one thing I’ve gotten invested in is a 24-book series in the general market – Anne Perry’s William Monk Victorian Mysteries. And there’s a reason I invested in that.

My book that releases next January is set in London. I wanted to see how another author, even in a different time period, handled that same setting along the River Thames, and with the police force at that time. So I thought, “Oh, I’ll just read one book.” But there’s a reason Anne Perry is so wildly popular and prolific. She has some of the smartest writing I’ve ever read. So the William Monk series is clean, although a little bit bloody or gruesome at times, but so eye-opening into Victorian England.

Do you have a favorite historical figure who inspires you?

Laura: George Washington and also Daniel Boone. Men who were both totally intrepid and stalwart.

George Washington didn’t know that he’d be on our currency now, or we’d name our capital after him. He had no idea he was the great “George Washington.”

And Daniel Boone plays a big part in my heritage. I’m from Kentucky, and recently, I read a document that listed my ancestor as coming into Kentucky with Boone in the latter 18th century. And also George Humes, my ancestor, is credited with teaching surveying to the very young Washington from 1748 to 1750 in Virginia.

So to see how the Lord has allowed me to write so close to my ancestry is such a beautiful thing to me. I don’t understand it, but just seeing my people come alive in history, and with such an amazing godly historical figure like Boone, is truly amazing. This crazy woman in the 21st century is writing about these amazing historical figures, and there’s actually a link. Only God could have done that.

Heather: My family is the McFeeders family, and we came from the Hume Clan, so I have to believe that we’re cousins somehow.

Laura: Long-lost cousins! I love it!

KyLee: You never know what you’ll find when you start digging into your genealogy. I have chills just hearing you found out that one of your ancestors came over with Daniel Boone. Digging back and finding out where your people come from is very exciting.

And is there anything especially interesting that you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us?

Laura: Years ago I decided that in 2026 my hope was to write a book honoring our country and our founders. Because I’m very proud to be American.

The Lord said He sets us in the times, the seasons, and the places where we’re supposed to be. And to be an American is certainly a privilege, and He’s blessed this country so much in the past, since our founding. So, like I said earlier, I want to press on in the spirit of 1776 and continue carrying that forward and honoring Him.

Our nation is great because it was based on godly principles. That’s why I’m proud to be an American, and hopefully that shines through The Belle of Chatham‘s pages.

In 1777, caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon’s quaint New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers in their home. Rebellion ripples through their family as members take opposing sides–Patriots and Loyalists–causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond.

As Mae’s friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Torn between her growing love for the general and suspicion that her sister is a British spy, Mae leaves the only home she’s ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the heart of the wilderness, she’s forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name of liberty.

Can you tell us a little more about Maebel and Coralie (and their love interests)?

Laura: I don’t have a sister; I have a younger brother. So it’s fun to create these fictional sisters. In The Indigo Heiress, the bond between my heroine and her sister was extremely tight.

That’s not the case in The Belle of Chatham. You have two very different women, almost the same age, who are nothing alike—different in looks, personality, loyalties.

And their love interests are very different. Mae is in love with a rifleman, who’s from a very different world than herself, and her sister Coralie is infatuated with a British soldier. Which is indicative of where their loyalties lie, Mae with the Patriots, Coralie with the British.

I tried to make it as true to history as possible. Not everyone is close to their sisters, so I wanted to bring that out. How wartime issues can fracture and fray that already-strained relationship.

KyLee: That’s so like real life. As we traverse those long-term relationships, it’s not always easy.

I think sibling relationships are special because you start out so young and go through so many seasons together. I hope that, in the end, Mae and Coralie can find something in common. I have three sisters, and I’m very close with one. With a couple of my little sisters, we’ve had moments where our differences created distance. Now, when I look back over the seasons, I see things she does very differently from me, and I value them. I’ve learned from her and her very different approach to things.

Laura: A beautiful, open-hearted concept. And that bears pondering: “How would Jesus love this person that’s different than me, or that I really want to condemn or distance myself from?” Jesus says we’re to love them anyway, leaning heavily on Jesus to do it.

I don’t know that Mae, in this novel, does that well. She tries. It takes practice, right? And Coralie makes it very interesting.

And it’s relatable to today. We might not be in a war, but we definitely have different political opinions in our nation right now, stronger than they have been in a while. It’s not uncommon to see siblings falling on either side of the aisle.

One thing that grieves me very much, that is even mirrored in this novel, is how people cease to talk to each other. There’s just no relationship anymore. And that’s heartbreaking. That’s a wound that too easily festers.

If we have to be the one that breaks down that wall, in Jesus’ name, to ask for His help and an opportunity to do that, I believe He’ll give it. Just because you’re distant from loved ones, that doesn’t mean it’s forever. Ask the Lord to help you mend that relationship, even if you have to make the first move.

KyLee: Absolutely. Something I keep seeing, that really hurts my heart, is when people are so upset by things that are disturbing, and there’s a sense of powerlessness.

And I’ve found myself saying to other adults what I’ve said to my children for years: Look at your circle. You start small, and it gets bigger. Siblings, spouse, children, friends, church, community, work, and it moves out from there. Pray for the big things, that’s important, and if you are one of those people who has an opportunity to go to a far-away place and make an impact in that circle, do it.

But don’t let what’s so far away from you distract in the circle where God has placed you. Be present where you’re at, and you can make a difference. You can be loving, you can be understanding, you can have respectful conversations, and trust God and encourage other people to trust God.

Heather: That’s such a good word, KyLee. So many times, my heart is so burdened by everything I see on the news. And my husband is faithful to remind me, “Heather, you’re not supposed to know every person that died in North Carolina and California.” People have suffered atrocities all around the world forever. But it wasn’t until recently that we’ve had the technology to know every single one of them, sometimes in real time. And he’s like, “You’re just not supposed to know all these things.”

So I love that you tell people to focus on their circles. I can’t go help everyone, but I can help the people next to me.

KyLee: And every generation has its own burden to bear. God knew that you would be born in this generation with this technology, and He’s equipped you like He’s equipped me.

Laura: I recently heard an author say, “We’re not meant to be omniscient. That’s God’s job.” Social media and the internet have us almost omniscient, so to speak, in a human perspective. We have access to everything around the world.

And I kept hearing him say, “God doesn’t mean for us to be omniscient because it’s very burdensome.” I thought that was a really interesting point.

What’s next for your writing?

Laura: Right now is a busy, busy season! I just handed in a 400-page novel set in 1798 London, releasing January of next year. I’m also halfway through a Christmas novella that will be releasing September of 2027, but it’s due this fall. And then I’m beginning another novel set in Colonial America 1733, a totally new setting. So that has me quite busy.

I will also be traveling to England next January.

And then in 2027, I’m leading a tour of some historic sites in the United States. I’ve done England and Scotland, and had a wonderful time with readers. So I’m excited to do a stateside trip this time, and I hope readers can join me.

If you head to my website, LauraFrantz.net, and sign up for my newsletter, about halfway down the home page, you’ll get the tour news and details, as well as book updates. I work hard on my newsletters and try to keep them fun and fresh and interesting.

And where else can readers connect with you?

I’m very active on my Facebook author page, and on Instagram. I post every couple days or so on X, but I’m not very active. But most of my followers, interestingly enough, are on Pinterest.

And, I just love my readers. How ever they want to come–through my newsletter or my website or socials–is always welcome to me, a delight.

BOOKWORM REVIEW

The Mistress of the Macabre has penned another five-star stunner!

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The authentic characters of Effie and Norah will make readers feel seen and heard, especially those who suffer with anxiety, and the absorbing plot will keep readers turning pages into the wee hours, eager to navigate the mystery’s winding paths of intrigue. The final plot twist ripped a gasp straight from my chest. A literal, audible, GASP! Good gracious, was I well and properly gobsmacked! Wright has truly outdone herself with this haunting tale’s jaw-dropping, mind-reeling, gut-punching conclusion.
If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts and gothic fiction, be sure to visit Predicament Avenue . . . preferably, before night falls!

Read more about Jaime at her website. (www.jaimewrightbooks.com)
~ Angela Bell, author of A Lady’s Guide to Marvels and Misadventure

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Thanks again for joining us for this episode of the Historical Bookworm Show! Join the conversation in the comments, and be sure to connect with Laura Frantz, and our special guest Heather Tabers.

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Until next time,

KyLee and Darcy