Do you love historical romance where the defense of home and family sparks deep attraction across divided worlds? Laura Frantz’s The Belle of Chatham is a tender story of vastly different people drawn together by the timeless truth that history is truly God’s story.
In this exclusive author interview on the Christian Romance Book Nook, Laura shares what drives her characters at the beginning, the heart of their romance, the takeaway that God never changes, and the Psalm 139 encouragement she has memorized since girlhood and still signs in her books today.
Meet Laura Frantz
Laura Frantz has been writing for Revell Books since her debut novel, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, released. A Kentuckian, she currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State. She’s proud mom of a career firefighter and an American soldier.
Fun Fact: I love my readers and try to answer every comment on my socials personally. Writing is a gift and so are reading friends!
About the Book: The Belle of Chatham
The call for liberty creates a divide between family and country, desire and duty, love and loyalty.
In 1777, caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon’s quaint New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers. Rebellion ripples through their family as members take opposing sides–Patriots and Loyalists–causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond.
As Mae’s friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Mae, torn between her deepening love for the general and suspicion that her sister is a British spy, leaves the only home she’s ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the heart of the wilderness, she’s forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name of liberty.
On the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Laura Frantz offers a stirring friends-to-lovers historical romance of divided loyalties, patriotism, sacrifice, sisterhood, and love set during the American Revolution.
Tropes & Themes
Friends to lovers
Sisterhood
American Revolution
Defense of hearth and home
Vastly different worlds (geographically and socially)Historical fireworks and attraction
Laura Frantz delivers a beautiful historical romance that reminds us history is truly God’s story and though centuries change, He does not. Readers will be swept up in the spark between two people from different worlds and the powerful message of faith that endures.
Author Interview: Behind the Scenes
What inner struggle or desire drives your main character(s) at the beginning of the story? How does that shift as the story unfolds?
Laura: The defense of hearth and home at first. Then what makes a home, the people, foremost.
What would you say is the heart of the romance in this story?
Laura: They’re vastly different, from two different worlds both geographically and socially. Rather than drive them apart it sparks their attraction. Historical fireworks!
What is one takeaway you hope readers carry with them after finishing this book?
Laura: That history is truly God’s story and though centuries change He does not.
What Bible verse encouraged you during your writing journey or that reflects this story’s message?
Laura: My mom and I memorized Psalm 139 when I was a girl. I sign all of my books with that today. It’s Scripture that covers all of life and contains some of God’s most priceless promises.
About the Author
Laura Frantz has been writing for Revell Books since her debut novel, The Frontiersman’s Daughter, released. A Kentuckian, she currently lives in the Pacific Northwest, Washington State. I’m proud mom of a career firefighter and an American soldier. Visit her at www.LauraFrantz.net
About the Christian Romance Book Nook
Hosted by Kelly Jo Wilson, the Christian Romance Book Nook is your cozy, faith-filled corner of the internet for Christian romance. Kelly connects readers with uplifting stories, honest author interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the joy of knowing you’re never alone in your love for clean romance focused on Jesus.
Come join our growing community, new friends, new books, and plenty of bookish encouragement are always waiting for you!
Join the Christian Romance Book Nook Community
Want early access to Christian fiction author interviews, new releases, and exclusive book giveaways?
You’ll receive:
Christian romance book updates
Author spotlights
Early giveaway access
Behind-the-scenes goodies
🎁 The current Christian romance book giveaway is open now — subscribers always hear about giveaways first.
Discover post-WW1 Christian historical romance in Heather Tabers’ In Books and Battlefields — a gripping story of a spirited librarian, a haunted surgeon, marriage of convenience, rising danger, blackmail, betrayal, and the healing power of faith and grace.
Meet Heather Tabers
Heather Tabers writes Historical Romance, Children’s Fiction, and encouragement for weary souls. She resides in sunny Central Florida with her husband, Robert, whom many of her heroes are inspired by. She’s a hope-filled romantic who believes in second chances and redemptive love. Her own love story proves that life can be messy and beautiful at the same time, which is why she enjoys writing stories that show the goodness of God’s grace.
Fun Fact: One thing few people know about me is that, even though I know being an author is my calling, I have a burdensome itch to try everything. I want to be an event planner, an attorney, a prenatal sonographer, a journalist, a graphic designer, a teacher, a pilot, a competitive shooter. I’m thankful I get to live a thousand lives through the books I read and write.
About the Book: In Books & Battlefields
A spirited librarian with a guarded heart. A haunted surgeon battling the past. A quiet deputy who never stopped hoping.
Isabella Pearson isn’t looking for love—only a way to serve. In 1917, she leaves her privileged Denver life behind to volunteer as a librarian at Camp Sheridan, Alabama. With a suitcase full of books and a heart determined to remain independent, she never expects to find herself being pursued by two men: Nathaniel, her brother’s steadfast best friend, and Byron, the brooding Chief Medical Officer who makes her pulse race for all the wrong reasons.
Major Byron McDaniel has buried his heart with his late wife and plans to keep it that way. Yet Isabella’s courage and compassion rattle the walls he’s so carefully built. Meanwhile, Nathaniel Steele has followed Isabella to Alabama with hopes of finally winning the heart he’s long treasured in silence. But as tensions rise at Camp Sheridan—with a suspicious fire, a string of accidents, and whispers of sabotage—Isabella must navigate more than just her feelings. When loyalty, love, and liberty hang in the balance, will she trust her heart—or her instincts?
Heather Tabers crafts a tender yet gripping historical romance set against the backdrop of post-WW1 America. The story is full of emotional depth, noble heroes, and unwavering faith. Readers will be drawn to the resilient heroine’s journey, the layered romance that unfolds with patience and grace, and the powerful reminder that God redeems even the deepest wounds. This clean, uplifting Christian fiction offers hope, healing, and the beauty of second chances wrapped in a story that feels both timeless and deeply moving.
Author Interview: Behind the Scenes
What inner struggle or desire drives your main character(s) at the beginning of the story? How does that shift as the story unfolds?
I write from three separate POVs in this book (1 female, 2 male). But when all is said and done, the book really is about Isabella. She’s a volunteer librarian, living a comfortable life with her wealthy family in Denver, Colorado, at the beginning of the book. It’s the beginning of America’s entry into World War I. She wants to answer the call for volunteer librarians to serve in Army camps. She’s torn between her desire to do something honorable for the cause and fear. That fear stems from an unfortunate encounter with a ruthless man. As the story unfolds, Isabella finds herself being sought after by two very different, but very noble men, yet the wounds of her past keep her from wanting to be pursued by either one. It isn’t until Isabella learns to trust her own heart that she can learn to trust another.
What would you say is the heart of the romance in this story?
Isabella finds herself in what I call “not your average love triangle.” While she does walk away choosing one of the two main characters, I promise the other one still has a happy ending. With Nathaniel, we have the brother’s best friend trope. While I wouldn’t call Nathaniel her enemy, Isabella certainly isn’t overly fond of him at the beginning of the book. With Byron, we have a grumpy/sunshine trope. She’s not very fond of him in the beginning, either- though to be fair, he isn’t fond of her right away either. Time and proximity help Isabella begin to see the charming qualities of both men. Eventually, Byron and Nathaniel must team up to rescue Isabella, but she’s busy figuring out how to rescue herself. She finds true love with the man who finally gives her the space to make decisions for herself.
What is one takeaway you hope readers carry with them after finishing this book?
All three main characters carry hurts from their past, which produce fears for their futures. I want readers to walk away from this book with the hope and promise that God can redeem anything the enemy has taken from them.
What Bible verse encouraged you during your writing journey or that reflects this story’s message?
Joel 2:25 says God will pay us for the years the locusts have devoured. I’ve clung to that verse so much in my life. We see this promise played out in Isabella, Byron, and Nathaniel’s stories.
About the Author
Heather Tabers writes Historical Romance, Children’s Fiction, and encouragement for weary souls. She resides in sunny Central Florida with her husband, Robert, whom many of her heroes are inspired by. She’s a hope-filled romantic who believes in second chances and redemptive love. Her own love story proves that life can be messy and beautiful at the same time, which is why she enjoys writing stories that show the goodness of God’s grace.
Visit Heather online at www.heathertabers.com and sign up for her newsletter for updates, exclusive content, and more.
About the Christian Romance Book Nook
Hosted by Kelly Jo Wilson, the Christian Romance Book Nook is your cozy, faith-filled corner of the internet for Christian romance. Kelly connects readers with uplifting stories, honest author interviews, exclusive giveaways, and the joy of knowing you’re never alone in your love for clean romance focused on Jesus.
Come join our growing community, new friends, new books, and plenty of bookish encouragement are always waiting for you!
Join the Christian Romance Book Nook Community
Want early access to Christian fiction author interviews, new releases, and exclusive book giveaways?
You’ll receive:
Christian romance book updates
Author spotlights
Early giveaway access
Behind-the-scenes goodies
🎁 The current Christian romance book giveaway is open now — subscribers always hear about giveaways first.
In this episode, Kelly chats with award-winning Christian historical romance author Sarah Sundin about her newest World War II novel, Mists Over the Channel Islands. Set on the British Channel Island of Jersey during German occupation, this deeply emotional story weaves together courage, forbidden love, and sacrificial faith.
Listeners will fall in love with Ivy, a young female physician risking everything to help escaped forced laborers, and Garrett, a Dutch resistance fighter in disguise as a German engineer. Kelly and Sarah dive deep into the emotional tension of falling for someone in the enemy’s uniform, the historical realities of island occupation, and the incredible strength it takes to obey God even when the risks are high.
Don’t miss this heartfelt conversation about standing firm in faith when God’s goodness isn’t visible, loving sacrificially, and the power of unseen courage during history’s darkest days.
Sarah Sundin is the bestselling author of Midnight on the Scottish Shore, Embers in the London Sky, The Sound of Light, and Until Leaves Fall in Paris, as well as the popular WWII series Sunrise at Normandy, among others. She is a Christy Award winner and a Carol Award winner, and her novels have received starred reviews from Booklist, Library Journal, and Publishers Weekly. Sarah lives in Southern California. Visit SarahSundin.com
Bible Verse for Encouragement
Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Sarah Sundin’s New Book: Mists Over the Channel Islands
Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish.
The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.
Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?
Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me during the Kickstarter! I’m so grateful for you!
Finding Forevermore is available today!
Her family secrets. His guilt. One road trip that changes everything.
Raven Cunningham has built a quiet life between the shelves of a small-town bookshop, ghostwriting stories for others while hiding her own. She’s long believed her father abandoned her, until a letter from her late grandmother reveals a shocking truth.
Convinced the reclusive author J.C. Nevermore is her father, Raven sets out to uncover the real story. When her childhood friend Cole Walker, a former Army medic wrestling with his own scars, offers to help, she’s not sure if she can trust him . . . or herself.
As they chase clues and revisit old memories, what begins as a search for answers becomes a journey toward something deeper.
Finding Forevermore is a heartfelt story about faith, family, and the kind of love that’s anchored in God’s unfailing grace.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. They're not the kind that are delicious, I'm sorry. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
