Progress Report

Book 5 has taken longer to get ready for print than any of the previous volumes, but at last we’re making real progress. The text has been finalized and combed through for errors, with the help of several very gracious readers. My illustrator, Jim Brown, is working on the final versions of the 2 maps for this volume: one of New York Harbor in 1777 (the one to the left is the original we’re working from), and one of the Philadelphia area from the same period that includes Valley Forge.

Marisa created the preliminary full cover so I can run a proof to see how the color is going to turn out. It should print very well because we have a very large high-res image of the painting featured on the front. I just ordered the proofs this morning and can’t wait to see how they look. Then I’ll do one last careful read through the book to catch any errors that were missed, and it’ll be ready for the printer. And also to be converted into the various ebook formats we offer, which may publish in August, ahead of the September 1 print-edition release date.

This past week I received the first endorsement for this volume from Louise Gouge, and also some wonderful feedback from one of my readers, Patricia Gaddis. You’ll find those below. My thanks to both ladies for their very kind words and encouragement!

“Reading J. M. Hochstetler’s The American Patriot Series is like watching a thrilling historical television mini-series. With each new season, something new enthralls the reader and keeps her coming back for more. In the long-awaited Book Five, Valley of the Shadow, Hochstetler maintains her gripping action, suspense, and star-crossed romance. Once I started reading, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this latest installment in a very fine, meticulously researched American Revolution series.” —Louise M. Gouge, author of Then Came Love

“I adore the way you portray the emotions of your characters while keeping the historical aspect pure. I love the delicate balance of the romance, and how you managed to keep the tension going without it driving the reader (me) over the edge. This is really a powerful book and I can hardly wait to read the next installment.” —Patricia Riddle Gaddis

Endorsements

Here are the first two endorsements I’ve received for Wind of the Spirit! I wanted to share these, and there are more on the way.

With rich, vivid descriptions that draw you back in time, characters that become your best friends, eloquent language that will leave you breathless, and a romance that warms you from head to toe, Wind of the Spirit is a stunningly beautiful story about the fight for freedom, survival, and love in a savage land.

—MaryLu Tyndall, author of The Falcon and the Sparrow

A captivating tale of love and courage skillfully woven into the Revolutionary War, revealing all the human passions and valor that made America great.

—Louise M. Gouge, author of Then Came Hope

Wow—that’s pretty encouraging! I really appreciate their kind words, and I hope the rest of my endorsers are as enthusiastic! LOL!

Of course, there’s still lots of work to do before WOTS is ready for the printer. I’m waiting for my editor to return the manuscript with her corrections. At that point, I’ll enter the edits in the file and make sure nothing was missed. I’m also going to have my daughters proofread it. They’re very detail oriented, and if there’s anything wrong, they’ll spot it. I want to have the text as near perfect as we can get.

I also need to have the maps made so readers can follow the action. Since I don’t know anyone who does this kind of thing, I’m going to try a query on elance.com and see if I come up with anybody. It’s kind of scary to do that, but I ended up with a terrific designer to do Alice Arenz’s cover for The Case of the Bouncing Grandma, so my fingers are crossed that lightning strikes twice!