Therefore, a curse consumes the earth.
Its people must pay the price for their sin.
They are destroyed by fire,
and only a few are left alive. Isaiah 24:6
The bloody Pequot war shifted power from the unorganized tribes of the western frontier to the New England colonies. Without threat of reprisal from the savage Pequots, nothing hindered colonial expansion. Massasoit had been the colonist's friend, but his son Philip broke with the colonies, inviting Indians from all over New England to an ongoing powwow at his seat at Mount Hope. After refusing to re-appear in court over this outright challenge to peace, Philip’s former secretary and confidant, John Sassamon, was murdered. The two-year conflict that followed, King Philip's War, pitted native Americans against English settlers in the bloodiest conflicts, per capita, in U.S. history.
Fire Storm picks up where Heat Lightning & Nor'easters left off. You'll get better acquainted with Captain Ned James of the Plymouth militia as he accompanies his childhood friend Ben Church into battle in this rousing tale of colonial expansion. Ben and Ned building and leading America's first army ranger unit, an integrated combat team of English militia and Indian scouts, adds an intriguing dynamic to the story. They enter into the colonies' second great conflict with the unique perspective for the time. If the English wanted to win, they had to adapt their tactics to effectively combat their Native American adversaries, adding depth and complexity to a captivating tale of colonial expansion, friendship, and the challenges faced during this tumultuous time.
Fire Storm has grown to over 117,000 words and well over 500 pages. I hope to publish a digital version in 2024. Next up, writing the historically accurate sequel, Lightning & Thunder, the turbulent tale of war and conquest on the colonial frontier. In this 4th James family novel, Zack James teams up with John Alden Jr., smuggling trade goods to the people settling in Acadia. He finds Cali Brachoa, now Princess Cali, leading Weetamoe's bodyguards after her death. And he follows Ben Church into King William’s & Queen Anne’s Wars. The research is ongoing, but I have enough to begin what all writers must eventually do: WRITE!
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