Historical Fiction
Date Published: May 21, 2024
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military
scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide an
attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.
After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for
peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate
with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing
over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three
young daughters.
Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of
strength and survival: Benjamin, driven by love and remorse to rescue his
family; Martha, forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect
her children; and Ashpelon, willing to risk everything to ensure the safety
and freedom of his people.
Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and
unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in
North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of
Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground;
equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness
were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.
INTERVIEW
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Revision. I have to set my first draft aside for a month or two before I can bring myself to change or cut anything. After the first round, it gets easier.
What are your most played songs?
Music with lyrics distracts me when I’m writing, because I want to sing a longJ For Hatfield 1677, I did watch and listen to videos of dancers dancing 17th century songs, and for my current work in progress, I created a playlist based on the music my main character, a pianist and composer, either played or composed.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
Yes! I find it is crucial to have them. I shared scenes from Hatfield 1677 with read and critique groups at the Southern California Writers’ Conference and also was lucky to have my daughter, a good friend, and three author friends read the manuscript.
What book are you reading now?
The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland. The “House” in the title is the Richmond Virginia Theater House, and the fire took place in 1811.
How did you start your writing career?
I want to say when I was in sixth grade. I handwrote a thirty page fiction story from dual points of view of a hunter and the mountain lion mother and cubs he was pursuing through the Idaho wilderness. I won a Halloween short story contest in 7th grade, and had lots of letters to the editor published in local newspapers throughout high school. In college, I took creative writing classes and wrote short stories. But my career in writing didn’t take off until I retired from teaching, coincidentally three months after the COVID 19 pandemic began.
Tell us about your next release.
I am querying literary agents with Echoes, another historical fiction novel. This one explores the life of Paul Tietjens, a young man from St. Louis who moved to Chicago, met L. Frank Baum – the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – and worked with him on a comic opera version. Paul composed the music and Baum wrote the libretto and it The Wizard of Oz opened in Chicago in 1902 and Broadway in 1903. It was an overnight success and made Paul a millionaire.
About the Author
Laura C. Rader earned a BA in psychology from San Diego State University,
where she minored in history and took creative writing and literature
classes. She drew on those passions in her thirty-year career as a history
and English teacher of elementary and middle school students. Now, a
full-time historical fiction writer, Laura also enjoys studying genealogy,
attending neighborhood book club meetings, taking forest walks with her
Rough Collie, and visiting her adult daughter in Brooklyn. Originally from
California, Laura lives twenty miles north of Raleigh, North
Carolina. Hatfield 1677 is a work of historical fiction inspired by a
story Laura discovered about her ninth great-grandparents while researching
her family’s genealogy.
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