book release announcement

Announcing the Release of Make-Believe Matrimony!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m excited to announce Wild Heart Books’s release of Make-Believe Matrimony!

Wild Heart Books selected my book, A Musket in My Hands, to be part of this 4-book eBook collection. What a thrill it is for my book to be in a collection with Susan Pope Sloan, Denise Weimer, and Misty Beller!

Four fake marriages. Four chances to discover true love in the face of danger.


From the frontier to the battlefield, witness the transformative power of love and faith in these four captivating pretend marriage historical romances.

Here are blurbs about each story:

Seeking Simon by Susan Pope Sloan
When a mysterious stranger claims to be her fiancé, Daviana Spalding’s fight to save her family’s land turns into a battle for her heart. Simon McNeil, haunted by his past and the horrors of war, finds himself drawn to Daviana’s strength and beauty. But as their fake engagement becomes all too real, escalating threats—and an unexpected return from Simon’s past—could destroy everything they’ve built together.

A Conflicted Betrothal by Denise Weimer
Ansel Anderson, a King’s Ranger on Georgia’s frontier, is determined to win favor with a powerful ally by proposing to the aloof Temperance Scott. But Temperance hides a dangerous secret—her support of the Liberty Boys’ cause. As war looms and loyalties are tested, Ansel and Temperance must decide if love is worth risking everything they hold dear.

A Musket in My Hands by Sandra Merville Hart
Callie Jennings is desperate to escape an arranged marriage, but joining the Confederate army disguised as a man is a shocking alternative. Alongside her sister Louisa, Callie faces the harsh realities of war and must wrestle with her beliefs about honor, love, and loyalty. When the man she loves reappears, will their bond survive the battlefield, or will their secrets tear them apart?

Pretending to Be the Mountain Man’s Wife by Misty M. Beller
Jess McPharland is trapped in her father’s dangerous mining operation in the Montana wilderness. Desperate to escape, she convinces Gil Coulter, a stranger searching for his missing brother, to pose as her husband. As they navigate treacherous terrain and unravel deadly secrets, Jess and Gil must confront the growing love between them—and the deadly danger that threatens to tear them apart.

Four captivating fake marriage stories of love, courage, and second chances set against the backdrop of war, wilderness, and the fight for freedom.

Pick up your copy today!

Announcing Spies of the Civil War Series Book 4 Release Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m thrilled to announce the release of Streams of Courage, Book 4 of my Spies of the Civil War Series today, March 26, 2024!

Books 4 – 6 of the series are set in historic Vicksburg, Mississippi—a city the Union is as determined to capture as the Confederacy is to retain. Much happens here during the Civil War, not the least of which is spying.

The city’s population swells when the war begins. Southern citizens try to wipe out Unionist support. Fear silences some of the Unionists. Others are emboldened to spy for the North, like our hero.  

Here’s a bit about the book:

In a world turned upside down by war and betrayal…will his role as a spy bring them closer…or tear their future apart?

The war that Julia Dodd prayed to avoid is now reality, and with it, her world has been turned on its head. Her fellow citizens, who stood with her in their support of the union, have crossed firmly to the side of the south. And her mother, lost in her grief over the loss of her husband and children, can think of nothing but protecting Julia’s brother’s inheritance. She insists that her daughter seek a wealthier husband than Ashburn Mitchell.

Ash knows what his fellow citizens think of him when he refuses to fight for the Confederacy. Shouldering the accusation of being a coward and refusing to hide behind his limp, Ash remains in Vicksburg to support his family as a saddler while his two best friends join the fight. Struggling to increase his business so he can marry the woman he loves, Ash becomes a spy in support of the Union. He can’t fight for the South but won’t raise a musket against them.

As tragedy instigates Ash to risk greater danger to speed the end of the war, Julia can only pray it won’t cost them everything. She’s already lost her father and two siblings. Must she lose the man she loves too?

Order your copy today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, and Books2Read.

A Not So Peaceful Journey Releases Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m excited to announce that A Not So Peaceful Journey, Book 3 in my Second Chances series, releases today, June 13th!

Join characters you love on a journey from Ohio to California in 1884! Trains had opened up the West to travelers. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed on May 10, 1869 when the Central Pacific met the Union Pacific in Promontory, Utah. It was important because it linked the East to the West.

Small frontier towns shot up along the railroad tracks, providing water and coal stops for the trains. They also provided meal stops for passengers.

Readers will catch early glimpses of familiar and unfamiliar towns along our journey to San Francisco. Come along for the ride!

Here’s a bit about the book:

Dreams of adventure send him across the country. She prefers to keep her feet firmly planted in Ohio.

Rennie Hill has no illusions about the hardships in life, which is why it’s so important her beau, John Welch, keeps his secure job with the newspaper. Though he hopes to write fiction, the unsteady pay would mean an end to their plans, wouldn’t it?

John Welch dreams of adventure worthy of storybooks, like Mark Twain, and when two of his short stories are published, he sees it as a sign of future success. But while he’s dreaming big with his head in the clouds, his girl has her feet firmly planted, and he can’t help wondering if she really believes in him.

When Rennie must escort a little girl to her parents’ home in San Francisco, John is forced to alter his plans to travel across the country with them. But the journey proves far more adventurous than either of them expect.

Available on Amazon,  Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, and Books 2 Read.  

Announcing A Not So Convenient Marriage Book Release!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I wanted to share the exciting news that my next series begins releasing today! A Not So Convenient Marriage, Book 1 of my “Second Chances” series, releases today, November 8, 2022!

This series begins a dozen years after the end of the Civil War. The first book is set in 1877 in three Ohio locations: Hamilton, Harrison, and the train town of Bradford Junction.

The second book, A Not So Persistent Suitor, is set in Cincinnati in 1883—84. It was fun to share a few recognizable locations in this novel.

I am writing the third book, A Not So Peaceful Journey, so stay turned for details!

Here’s what reviewers are saying about A Not So Convenient Marriage:

“The depth of emotion is off the charts!”

“It may seem cliche to say that this should be a Hallmark movie, but I do believe that it is worthy of the original Hallmark Hall of Fame presentations!”

“I couldn’t put the book down and read it in one day!”

“This is a story that will tug at your heart. It is well written and easy to read and imagine.”

“This historical work of Christian fiction drew me in and caused me to want this family to come together. With strands of forgiveness, mercy, and generosity, the author weaved together a memorable and moving book.”

“WOW, this book is amazing and has really touched my life!”

“I will be thinking of it for months to come!”

“A Not So Convenient Marriage is such a great novel. I loved the characters and their story. They gripped me and wouldn’t let me go.”

“I loved, loved, loved the book and Rose will be one of my all-time favorite heroines forever!”

“Thank you so very much for writing this book. I can’t put into words how much I adored it!”

Back Cover Blurb:

A spinster teacher…a grieving widower…a marriage of convenience and a second chance with the man she’s always loved…

When Samuel Walker proposes a marriage of convenience to Rose Hatfield so soon after the death of his wife, she knows he doesn’t love her. She’s loved him since their school days. Those long-suppressed feelings spring to life as she marries him. She must sell her childhood home, quit her teaching job, and move to a new city.

Marrying Rose is harder than Samuel expected, especially with the shadow of his deceased wife everywhere in his life. And he has two young children to consider. Peter and Emma need a mother’s love, but they also need to hold close the memories of their real mother as they grieve her loss.

Life as Samuel’s wife is nothing like Rose hoped, and even the townspeople, who loved his first wife, make Rose feel like an outsider. The work of the farm draws the two of them closer, giving hope that they might one day become a happy family. Until the dream shatters, and the life Rose craves tumbles down around them. Only God can put these pieces back together, but the outcome may not look anything like she planned.

Available on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Books 2 Read.

A bit about Sandra

Sandra Merville Hart, award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of inspirational historical romances, loves to discover little-known facts from American history to include in her novels. In fact, many of her stories are inspired by visits to historical sites such as battlefields. Sandra treats all her vacations with her husband as an adventure for she never knows where inspiration for a story willarise. Her desire is to transport her readers back in time. Sandra is also a blogger, speaker, and conference teacher.

Spies of the Civil War Series Book 2 Releases Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m thrilled to announce that Boulevard of Confusion, Book 2 of my new “Spies of the Civil War” releases today, May 10, 2022!

Though the series is about a fictional family, there are actual historical spies who touch the stories.

Boulevard of Confusion is set in the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, in 1862. Citizens establish new hospitals to care for wounded Confederate soldiers and new prisons to house Union prisoners. The city’s population swells and Southern citizens don’t know who to trust—and rightly so, for many Union spies now roam the streets and sleep in Richmond hotels.

Here’s a bit about the book:

In times of war, is anything as it seems?

Her aunt’s invitation to Richmond is just the change Beatrice Swanson needs after her brother’s release from a Union prison. Bea’s father agrees to the trip with a condition—one that tosses her emotions into swirling confusion.

Though Jay Nickson wants to serve his country as a Confederate soldier, his work is too important to the government. Bea’s interest in his job, which includes secrets that would benefit the Union, arouses his suspicions. Is she spying for the North? His growing feelings for her are hard to squelch.

Though she participates in activities to benefit Confederate soldiers, Bea struggles with her own loyalties and her father’s demands. Where does her cousin, Meg, go on her solitary errands? Bea’s own growing love for Jay, a Southerner, only adds to her confusion. Tensions escalate in Richmond as the Union army approaches, drawing her into more secrecy. Where does her allegiance lie? And how will she be forced to prove it?

Nothing in war is simple…especially when the heart becomes entangled.

Order your copy today on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble!

Civil War Novel Releases Today!

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by Sandra Merville Hart

I’m thrilled to announce that Avenue of Betrayal, Book 1 of my new “Spies of the Civil War” releases today, February 8, 2022!

Though the series is about a fictional family, there are actual historical spies who touch the stories.

Avenue of Betrayal is set in Washington City (Washington DC) in 1861. Union soldiers came to the capital to train. There were so many regiments camped in and around the city that citizens saw a sea of tents in every available field. Soldiers drilled daily so the sounds of marching feet, bugles, drums, and musketry permeated the atmosphere.

And there was a lot of spying for the Confederacy that happened within blocks of the White House.

Here’s a bit about the book:

Betrayed by her brother and the man she loves …

whom can she trust when tragedy strikes?

Soldiers are pouring into Washington City every day and have begun drilling in preparation for a battle with the Confederacy. Annie Swanson worries for her brother, whom she’s just discovered is a Confederate officer in his new home state of North Carolina. Even as Annie battles feelings of betrayal toward the big brother she’s always adored, her wealthy banker father swears her and her sister to secrecy about her brother’s actions. How could he forsake their mother’s abolitionist teachings?

Sergeant-Major John Finn camps within a mile of the Swansons’ mansion where his West Point pal once lived. Sweet Annie captured his heart at Will’s wedding last year and he looks forward to reestablishing their relationship—until he’s asked to spy on her father.

To prove her father’s loyalty to the Union, John agrees to spy on the Swanson family, though Annie must never know. Then the war strikes a blow that threatens to destroy them all—including the love that’s grown between them against all odds.

Order your copy today on Amazon and other retailers!

Civil War Romance Novel Releasing Today!

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Releasing Today!!!

Sandra Merville Hart’s third Civil War romance, A Musket in My Hands,  follows two sisters as they disguise themselves as soldiers and join the men they love in the Confederate army—just in time for the war to grow progressively difficult for Southern soldiers.

Tough marches lead them to the Battle of Franklin. How can anyone survive?

There are about four hundred known cases of women serving as Civil War soldiers on either side. What are some reasons that women chose to fight? What challenges  did they face? They feared discovery and rightly so.

Find out what two sisters faced on their dangerous journey leading to a fearsome battle, the Battle of Franklin, in A Musket in My Hands.

Back Cover Blurb

Can I count on you in times of great need?”

 Callie Jennings reels from her pa’s decision that she must marry his friend, a man older than him. Her heart belongs to her soldier hero, Zach Pearson, but Pa won’t change his mind. Callie has no place to hide. Then her sister, Louisa, proposes a shocking alternative.

Zach still hears his pa’s scornful word—quitter. He’s determined to make something of himself as a soldier. He’ll serve the Confederacy until they win the war. If they win the war.

Callie and Louisa disguise themselves as soldiers and muster into the Confederate army in the fall of 1864. Times are tough and getting tougher for their Confederacy. For Callie, shooting anyone, especially former countrymen, is out of the question—until truth and love and honor come together on the battlefield.

Available on Amazon

Endorsements for A Musket in My Hands:

I don’t always read Civil War novels, because I’m not into graphic battle scenes. Sandra Merville Hart’s A Musket in My Hands is a wonderful book. The characters grab your heart right from the beginning and they take you through a unique story line right into battles, where I followed willingly. The book isn’t battle-driven. It’s character driven, and the reader becomes intimately acquainted with these people who had to face things they never dreamed about happening. This is my favorite Civil War novel. I highly recommend it.

Lena Nelson Dooley – bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of Great Lakes Lighthouse Brides. 

Sandra Hart, author of the acclaimed A Stranger on My Land and A Rebel in My House has done it again with her third and best novel to date, A Musket in My Hands.  In this brilliant historical fiction, Sandra has sat against the backdrop of Confederate General John Bell Hood’s Tennessee Campaign a study of the little known but genuine phenomenon of women masquerading as men to serve and fight in the opposing armies of the Civil War.  An excellent and well-researched read, this is one of the first books I’ve read to put a touchingly human face on the horrendously bloody Battle of Franklin. 

Kevin Spencer – author of “ON THIS DAY in North Carolina History”

“A Musket in My Hands shines with Sandra Hart’s talent for historical romance. Vivid historical details highlight the romance and adventure, excitement and heartache of those desperate to survive the Civil War, while an endearing collage of characters evaluates their own allegiances to God, country, and their fellow man.”

Carrie Del Pizzo – Del Pizzo’s Pen Editing “Words have value … use them well”

What would make two sisters escape the only home they’ve ever known to join the Confederate Army, disguised as men? Prompted by both love and fear, Callie and Louisa are caught up in the War between the States in a way they never imagined. It soon became a nightmare they couldn’t possibly foresee.

In “A Musket in my Hands,” author Sandra Merville Hart has penned a thrilling, well-researched novel set in the latter months of the Civil War. Her characters are believable, likeable, and, at times, frustrating in their decisions. But readers will find themselves rooting for the protagonists and anxiously awaiting resolution, not just in the fighting field, but in the battleground of their souls.

Inspiring and exciting, this novel will capture your heart as well as speed up your heartbeat. A historical romance well worth the read!

Elaine Marie Cooper – Author,  Saratoga Letters

Through A Musket in My Hands, Sandra Merville Hart brings to life the last months of the Confederacy as experienced by two Tennessee sisters who become soldiers for the South. Detailed research contributes to the realism in a tale of courage and strength during a tumultuous time in America’s history. I was moved by the despair and deprivation yet inspired by the characters’ resolve. A captivating read for historical fiction fans!

Sandra Ardoin – author of the award-winning historical romance A Reluctant Melody

 

Announcing Next Book Release for Sandra Merville Hart

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I’m thrilled to announce my next book release! From the Lake to the River: Buckeye Christian Fiction Authors 2018 Anthology releases on September 1, 2018.  Nine Ohio authors writing novellas/short stories set in Ohio. What fun to be part of this anthology!

 

My novella in the collection, Surprised by Love, is set during the 1913 Great Miami River Flood in Troy, Ohio. Here’s a blurb about my story:

Lottie’s feelings for an old school crush blossom again during the worst flood her town has endured in years.

Lottie shoulders the burden for her siblings after their mother’s death. Her seventeen-year-old brother’s disobedience troubles her, especially since she also cares for the boarders in their home. When the flooding river invades not only the town of Troy but also her home, Lottie and her family need to be rescued. 

Desperate circumstances throw Lottie and Joe, her schoolgirl crush, together. Can tragedy unite the couple to make her long-buried dream of winning his love come true?

And there are eight other stories in the anthology!

“Whether you like romance, young adult, women’s fiction, a touch of mystery or danger, some humor, some holiday cheer, a second chance at love, set in Ohio’s colorful history or the present–there’s something for nearly everyone in this collection.”-per the Editor at Mt. Zion Ridge Press, Publisher.

The collection From the Lake to the River is available for preorder on Amazon!