And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
and not unto men . . . for ye serve the Lord Christ.
--Colossians 3:23,24
and not unto men . . . for ye serve the Lord Christ.
--Colossians 3:23,24
Dear Reader,The American Dream Romance Collection, includes a previously published book, Colonial Courtships (2012) with my novella, “Carving a Future”, along with five other novellas (nine in all).
In my novella, Carving a Future in Colonial Courtships (Barbour/2012), I tell the story of a ship's figurehead carver who is
working as a journeyman and on his way to become a master carver. He is commissioned to carve the image of the story’s heroine, an indentured servant who works at his family’s inn in 18th century Connecticut.
In Carving a Future, Constance was “spirited away” against her will and put on a ship from England to the Americas. How frightening that must have been for her, especially as she was finally putting her life back together after experiencing the loss of her guardian uncle and means of living. She had already lost both of her parents earlier in her life. How alone and helpless she must have felt, especially in the hands of the cruel sea captain who intended to sell her indenture. These types of circumstances can often set us reeling.
At first, Constance was ready to take things into her own hands, but as she learned to trust God in her situation, she realized that He had a plan for her life. Although life circumstances, and the sinful actions of other, can cause us great distress, the Lord never wastes our sorrows and in fact, shows us His love redemptively. Just as Nathaniel bought Constance’s indenture for a price, so did God through His son’s sacrifice on the cross. It cost Him much, but was worth it all because of His great love for us.
Reviews
"This is a good and interesting story filled with historic detail. It had been a while since I read a story set in the Colonial era, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy this historic period of American history. The women are sweet and charming, but also industrious and sincere. I particularly like Lucy, who is the Ingersoll’s servant and becomes a good friend to Constance. I love all the cooking details and it was also fun learning about the figurehead carving trade." ~ Kay M, Goodreads
"CARVING A FUTURE by Carla Olson Gade is the story that pulled me in to read this anthology. Constance Starling, a Lady of means, is captured in London and transported to Connecticut as an indentured servant in 1753. Nathaniel Ingersoll, a carver, barters his services with the ship captain who plans to sell Ms. Starling's indenture. Starved and barely alive, she will work her way out of his debt and into Nathaniel's heart. CARVING A FUTURE reminds me of the POLDARK series I've been watching on PBS. Great story and I'll look forward to reading more by this author." ~Dorine, Goodreads
"This is a good and interesting story filled with historic detail. It had been a while since I read a story set in the Colonial era, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy this historic period of American history. The women are sweet and charming, but also industrious and sincere. I particularly like Lucy, who is the Ingersoll’s servant and becomes a good friend to Constance. I love all the cooking details and it was also fun learning about the figurehead carving trade." ~ Kay M, Goodreads
"CARVING A FUTURE by Carla Olson Gade is the story that pulled me in to read this anthology. Constance Starling, a Lady of means, is captured in London and transported to Connecticut as an indentured servant in 1753. Nathaniel Ingersoll, a carver, barters his services with the ship captain who plans to sell Ms. Starling's indenture. Starved and barely alive, she will work her way out of his debt and into Nathaniel's heart. CARVING A FUTURE reminds me of the POLDARK series I've been watching on PBS. Great story and I'll look forward to reading more by this author." ~Dorine, Goodreads
"This was a delightful novella with lots of colonial details that history lovers will enjoy. Readers who enjoy colonial era Christian romance will be THRILLED with the authenticity of the information included and the lovely heroine and strong hero. Carla has created compelling characters and a lovely tight storyline for this novella." ~ Carrie Fancett Pagels, Colonial Quills.org
Carla's Articles
Research
The research that I did in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia and in Mystic Seaport, Connecticut was fascinating. I so enjoyed looking at the beautiful carvings and learning about the process. At Mystic Seaport I was able to interview a few interpreters at the ship carver's shop. I did further research with a famous figurehead carver, Martin Jeffery, from Australia. Conducting the research for this book was an absolutely wonderful and favorite experience!
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| Historical home as inspiration for The Red Griffin Inn located in historic Glastonbury, CT, called Glassenbury in Colonial times. |
where I visited the Ships carpenter shop and the museum
which displayed many wonderful extant figureheads.
Thanks for traveling with me back in time. I hope you will pick up a copy of The American Dream Romance Collection where you can enjoy reading Carving a Future along with 8 additional novellas.
