Pegg Thomas is our guest today.
She wrote a book called Her Redcoat. It is part of the Backcountry Brides Collection, published by Barbour Books.
Today, she will share the story behind her story.
1763 – Fort Michilimackinac (Michigan) during Pontiac’s Rebellion
Laurette Pettigrew grew up in the northern frontier.
Henry Bedlow arrived against his will.
Their chance meeting changes everything.
Will a deadly clash of cultures keep them from finding happiness?
Learn more and purchase a copy.
What inspired you to write this story?
The uprising and massacre at Fort Michilimackinac happened on June 2, 1763. Part of Pontiac’s Rebellion, the local Ojibwe and Sauk tribes conspired against the British who had taken control of the fort when the French were ousted during the French and Indian War.
Survivor Alexander Henry wrote his first-hand account of this event. Henry was a British fur trader, not a soldier, but his survival is still extraordinary. Other than the British officers who were kept and traded for ransom, almost every other British man was killed. Henry was spared because he’d befriended Chief Wawatam the previous year. The chief saved his life.
The British held the fort with no more than 40 soldiers. The combined tribes in the area boasted somewhere between 400 – 500 members. The odds against the British were staggering. So how did they miss all the clues to be caught completely off guard?
Arrogance was the key factor. Major George Etherington was warned—repeatedly—by Charles Langlade, a Métis fur trader who was well-respected by the native tribes. But the major wouldn’t listen. He refused to believe that a bunch of half-naked savages could best the greatest army in the world. He also came out of a society in which warfare was waged under strict rules of engagement. Rules the local tribes didn’t adhere to. While he survived the massacre, Etherington was taken prisoner and later ransomed.
It was a challenge to place a romance in the midst of such strife, but I fell in love with the characters in Her Redcoat. They were a product of their time, and they found a common interest, even though they came from different sides of the battle.
Writing a story that places romance in the midst of strife is quite the accomplishment! Thanks for sharing the making of your story with us.
Pegg Thomas lives on a hobby farm in Northern Michigan with Michael, her husband of *mumble* years.
A life-long history geek, she writes “History with a Touch of Humor.”
When not working or writing, Pegg can be found in her barn, her garden, her kitchen, or sitting at her spinning wheel creating yarn to turn into her signature wool shawls.
Follow Pegg on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pegg.thomas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/@Pegg_Thomas/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15649848.Pegg_Thomas
Website: https://peggthomas.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Pegg-Thomas/e/B01M8KLB3Y/
Colonial Quills (blog): http://colonialquills.blogspot.com
Stitches Thru Time (blog): http://stitchesthrutime.blogspot.com
Pegg is hosting a giveaway one of her signature shawls. Read Pegg’s message below for details and follow her directions to enter.
To celebrate the release of The Backcountry Brides Collection, including my story, Her Redcoat, I’m giving away one of my signature shawls. Today the area around Fort Michilimackinac is known for its beautiful lilacs. One subscriber to my newsletter will win Northern Lilacs, my handspun, handknit wool shawl on May 31, 2018. Subscribe today to be entered!
Thank you for letting me on your blog today to share the backstory of Her Redcoat.
It’s good to know more of the back story for your novella. It was a tumultuous time in our country and it’s amazing that anyone survived that time period. Thanks for the additional information.
I’m so excited to read this book, particularly because my distant relative is George Etherington (whose arrogance was a key factor in the loss of his men) & I’m very interested to learn more about what life was like at that time & under those circumstances.
I would be interested in hearing from other ancestors of George Etherington 🙂
Merritt, I’m so glad you replied! Wow, I never thought I’d “meet” a descendant of George Etherington. Have you read the account of the attack written by Alexander Henry? He survived (he wasn’t a soldier, but he was British) and wrote his firsthand account. The children’s version is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Attack-Michilimackinac-1763-Adventures-Territories/dp/091187237X/ and I think his original writing is available via Google Books. Search his name and Michilimackinac.