The Sun News
🔗 http://www.macon.com/2010/12/08/1367321/historical-creek-romance-novel.html
Story Behind The Book
April grew up hearing that her many times great-grandfather was Chief Red Eagle/William Weatherford. Turns out, he’s probably not, but she still cherishes the stories of his bravery in the face of Jackson’s overpowering army. It was the story of his extraordinary leap from the bluff that made her wish to read the account in novel-form. She’d never written more than a high school paper, but she figured that if this particular story was ever going to be written, why not do it herself? Eight years later, she held the book in her hands.
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Reviews
<div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">“Historical fiction, if done right, has the ability to slip a reader into another time and another place. In Wounded Spirits, April Gardner has skillfully blended research with fiction to create a story that entertains and educates. Main character Adela McGirth finds herself straddling two worlds—one as a dutiful daughter, the other as a woman in love with the man who saved her life--a Native American. Wounded Spirits has something for everyone: forbidden love and romance, brutal war scenes, sacrificial love, history of the 19th century, and a faith that triumphs over adversity. This is a debut novel to remember.”<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">--Suzanne Woods Fisher,<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">Bestselling Author of The Choice <br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">“Wounded Spirits is a powerful story of love, loyalty, the effects of war, and faith in God. The writing is vivid and compelling. The characters were so real I felt I knew them, and I was caught up in their lives and compelled to read on. The ending was sweet yet realistic. The story and its characters will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to reading future books by this talented author.”<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">--Melanie Dickerson,<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">author The Healer’s Apprentice<br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">This is a solid debut from Ms. Gardner, one that demonstrates not only her skill with words, but her insight into the human condition. The characters will grip your heart, the story will seize your mind, and the hope at the end will leave you with the surety that your God is bigger than any human troubles.<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">-Rosanna White,<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">Christian Review of Books<br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">“Wounded Spirits is an extremely well written story about a difficult time in our country. The characters are so well developed I connected with them immediately, and I could easily understand the emotions and fears of the people on both sides of the situation. With gripping conflict, believable dialogue and skillfully written descriptions that grabbed me from the first page, this book will be a treat for any lover of historical fiction. It’s a winner.”<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">--Barbara Warren,<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">Freelance Editor, Blue Mountain, Editorial Service<br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">"Wounded Spirits is an epic historical novel about a less explored time and place in American southern history. Author April W. Gardner tells the story from all sides caught up in the Indian wars of 1813 with sympathy and honesty. Her resourceful heroine, Adela, holds the family together in times of love, loss, and forgiveness. I look forward to the continuation of the story in future novels."<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">- Amanda Flower, <br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">author of Maid of Murder<br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">“In Wounded Spirits, author April W. Gardner, brings a little-known American historic period and native people to rich imaginative life. Not enough has been written about the noble Creek and their mighty Confederacy. As a writer and college history teacher, I welcome Gardner's contribution and look forward to the other books in this series.”<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">--Delores Topliff,<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">Pres. Minnesota Christian Writers Guild and<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">author Little Big Chief: The Bear Hunt<br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"><br /></font></div><div align="justify"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">“April Gardner has written a stunning first novel. The noble characters move right into the reader's heart, and their adventures are so smoothly crafted, the history so wonderfully woven, it's easy to forget that the story and the characters are fiction. A thoroughly enjoyable read from beginning to the end.”<br /></font></div><div align="right"><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000">--Deanna K. Klingel,<br /></font></div><font class="size10 Helvetica10" color="#000000"> author of Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog</font>