It is my great pleasure to introduce y’all to today’s featured author, she is a historical fiction enthusiast and a super sweet lady!
About the Author
April W. Gardner writes history with a Christian perspective and a little imagination. She is a copyeditor, military wife, and homeschooling mother of two who lives in Texas. She writes Christian historical romance with a focus on our Southeastern Native Tribes.
In no particular order, April dreams of owning a horse, learning a third language, and visiting all the national parks. April loves to hear from her readers at: aprilgardnerwrites @gmail.com
website | facebook | twitter
Five Favorites
1. Who is your favorite secondary character?
April: Charles Dickens is the absolute king of secondary characters. I could never choose just one! And their names… How did he come up with them? They’re fantastic. So very colorful! Magwitch, Grimwig, Chuzzlewit, Pecksniff. Priceless!
Beth: Looks like I’ll be adding some Dickens to my tbr…
2. What is your favorite book?
A very sigh-worthy knight! Hmm, maybe I should read it again…
Beth: Maybe I should read it, too!
3. What is your favorite genre and time period?
April: Anything romantic, historical, and different. No western, civil war, or Amish for me. They’re too common. Give me medieval, Spanish Inquisition, pirates, conquistadors. But of course, my all time fave is Native American. 🙂
Beth: I like your style!
4. What is your favorite outside activity?
April: Favorite outside activity: walking my fur babies! We have two German Shepherds, one white, one black. Two years ago, we said, “No dogs!” Now, we can’t imagine life without them. They’ve brought us together as a family and gotten us outdoors.
Beth: hmmm… my furbaby is perfectly content snoozing at my feet or under blankets. We both need more outside!
5. What is your favorite time and place to write?
April: My best writing ideas come at 3 a.m. Strange how that works! I usually pick up my phone and send myself an email with the ideas or lines that come to me. As far as actual writing time, first thing in the morning is best.
Mentally, I can write anytime, anywhere. Physically, I have to be at a table, sitting properly. My neck will fuss at me if I try anywhere else. Silly neck. 🙂
Beth: Perhaps if I sat properly, my back wouldn’t snap, crackle, pop so much…
Books
Tell us a little bit about your books!
April: Beth, your reviews of my saga have been such a blessing! Thank you!!
The Creek Country Saga starts in 1813 in what was then the frontier but is now Alabama. Under it is (1) Beneath the Blackberry Moon, a three-book story that covers the little-known Creek War and is seen from the eyes of Totka, a warring Native, and Adela, a white settler.
review part 1 | review part 2 | goodreads | amazon
Beth: Reading and reviewing this saga has been my great pleasure!!!
April: And (2) Drawn by the Frost Moon, a trilogy that kicks off this month with the release of Bitter Eyes No More. Yippee! It picks up in 1817 with the inciting event of the First Seminole War. Although the experience will be fuller if you read Blackberry Moon first, it isn’t necessary. Bitter Eyes stands on its own two feet. Here’s a little about it:
A man of abiding honor, tested by a woman of ruinous passion. A woman of unspeakable sins, pursued by a God of unquenchable mercy.
Spanish Florida once sheltered Lillian McGirth from her fears. Now, it feeds them. Mercy is for the deserving; for Lillian, an unwed mother accused of treason, there is only battering and defeat, but her fall breaks softly in the arms of an unexpected arrival, a man too beautiful of soul to stain with her lost character.
Captain Marcus Buck sails in on a pledge to save Miss McGirth from herself and from a ruthless don, the father of her child. All the while, he’s to regard her as virtuous and worthy of protection and to guard said virtue from pilfering. He soon learns the terms are flawed since he must first guard her from himself. But he is determined. He will free her, repair her name—simple labor compared to dodging the army’s noose, mending wounds three years deep, and navigating a host of rebel Natives bent on inflicting more.
Through the steady crumble of his pledge, their friendship becomes a consolation, for she knows his pain as no other can or will. Their scars are one; their paths, however, might irrevocably become two…
Beth: I just love all these gorgeous covers!!!
Beth: Thank you so much for sharing your latest bookish news and five favorites with us today, April!
Giveaway
April has generously offered to giveaway an ebook box set of Beneath the Blackberry Moon to one fortunate reader! Let’s spread the word!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Which Native People groups have populated your corner of the world?
Faithfully Bookish 
Absolutely loved reading all of April’s books in the set of Beneath the Blackberry Moon! If you love history…she’s got it down. If you love romance…she’s write the swoony-ish books out. If you want a meal of a deal…this set is it! No skimping when she writes! Love Love Love it!!! Excited for your new release of Bitter Eyes No More. Thanks for doing the Spotlight on April today…It’s always fun to read fun tidbits about favorite authors!!!
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And I Love Love Love your enthusiasm and oodles of excitement, BHRIV! Thanks for the endorsement!!
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I agree! April’s stories are so rich and intoxicating! It’s a joy to have her (and other great authors) visit with us on the blog!
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I live in Utah which is named after the Ute native Americans. The Paiutes, Goshutes, Navajos, and Shoshones also have populated parts of Utah. Thanks for the fun spotlight, Beth and April. April, you are a new-to-me author. Your books sound fascinating.
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Winnie, I didn’t know that about Utah/Ute. Very cool! Glad to have connected with you!
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Great information, Winnie! Thanks for sharing!
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I’m not sure exactly which Native Americans are from my area. I live in south central Virginia. I know there is Cherokee in my family heritage. I guess I didn’t listen well enough in my history classes ????
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Hi Connie! I think maybe the Catawba and Powhatan were in Virginia. There are none there now. There were some Cherokee in N. Carolina, so that’s a strong possibility for heritage if that’s where your family is from. Very cool!
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We live on the Virginia/North Carolina border. I am blond and fair skinned, so you really don’t see the Cherokee in me, except maybe that I’m short.
My father had dark, shiny hair and would tan a reddish brown in summer, and my uncles had that complexion, also. I think it’s quite a few generations back, so I guess the DNA was diluted with all the heritages in our family line by the time it got to me.
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That’s very interesting, Connie! Thank you for sharing!
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I’m in Illinois known for the Illini and Shawnee tribes 🙂
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Congratulations on your new release…. I would love to read all these too!! 🙂
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The Shawnee mostly but on the very east of the state the Cherokee
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Amanda, would that be Ohio?
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Not Ohio but close: Kentucky.
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Just shared this giveaway! I know the Shawnee were once in our area (West Virginia) but I have some Cherokee blood.
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Thank you so much for sharing, Heather! How cool to have Native American ancestry!
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Cherokee blood here and from southern WV. Also from south GA and have Seminole grandparents.
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That is fascinating, Nikki!
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