Newest Historical Fiction – A Place Called Home
When the Great Depression came calling, fellowship and community were often in short supply. It was each man for himself, as the saying goes. Untested survival skills initiated courage, endurance, and a fair amount of creativity—which is not to say that wisdom always attended the bright ideas.
Her brother calls it opportunity.
She dubs it half-baked nonsense.
Whether they give-and-take or push-and-shove,
It’s time to hit the highway.
Spring 1937. When their landlady kicks Millie and her unemployed brother to the curb, they load up their decrepit Tin Lizzy and search for work, a place to sleep, the means to eat, and maybe a friendly face or two to welcome them along the way. In their wake is the weight of abandonment, of leaving a loved one behind.
Everything in the rearview mirror is lost to them, and the future looks as dim as the path illuminated by the rattletrap’s old headlamps. Every stopover bears evidence of hard times, and no matter where they travel, bad things come in waves.
Millie knows plenty about dance and bicycle marathons that pay out big rewards for the determined few who hold on until the end, but her big brother’s latest idea takes the cake, and Millie isn’t biting. Not this time. Who in their right mind would attempt to travel 2,000 miles or more on a pair of roller skates? Something better is bound to turn up. It has to.
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At the Crossroads Collection
The number of Americans who lived through the Great Depression is dwindling, but the hard-pressed folks who navigated through the uncertainty and upheaval that plagued the country during the 1930s left a legacy that transcends the era. Their stories are packed with daunting losses, hard truths, and lessons learned. This collection of novels invites you to come alongside some characters who are determined to overcome their circumstances, come what may. What’s coming, though, is often not what they expect.
Books in the collection are stand-alone novels, each with unique characters and story lines.
The Great Depression looms heavy and dark,
but beneath its shadow,
hope takes root and struggles to bloom.
Indianapolis, 1933. Life has been at a standstill since the 1929 stock market crash crippled the economy, and Mae Lewis is tired of going nowhere. Government officials keep launching recovery programs, but the results are as fickle and unpredictable as a bride who is anxious to set her wedding date. Leo, her dearest darling, is holding fast to a practical path that fails to give notice to the dreams and possibilities that walk beside him every day. Her patience is teetering toward bitterness, and if they wait much longer to say “I do,” their picture-perfect future might fall apart.
Leo Coyle’s fiancée is in a lather over postponing their nuptials, but a man who is living on the low side of “for richer or poorer” doesn’t have any business walking down the matrimonial aisle. They both have jobs, and that’s terrific, but working for a company that operates as a democracy is better still. Employee ownership, though, can instigate unrest and uncivilized behavior as easily as it inspires optimism. It’s often hard to imagine that Columbia Conserve Company will ever be prosperous again, but Leo’s holding onto hope. Joy is just around the corner, and he and Mae will savor it together as soon as the country rights itself again.
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Amelia Earhart was on staff where?
Who knew?
Autumn, 1935. Daisy Blake doesn’t fancy herself another Amelia Earhart, but any modern woman would be smart to take a cue from the famous flyer, the Queen of the Air. When the unstoppable trailblazer joins the staff at Purdue University, opportunities and an inconceivable friendship emerge, and if Daisy pays attention, she might learn how to reach a dream few females dare pursue.
Grandpa Harvey is a giver, a man whose priorities are well defined and whose duties are engrained. He’s a fixer, a pragmatic optimist, dispenser of wisdom, and a loving family man who gives an afterthought to discipline. He’s scraping by while the Great Depression lingers and making do with aging bones and stiff joints, but when memory lapses threaten to turn his wife into a stranger, love falls short, and he has nothing more to offer. He needs mercy to fall upon his parched and weary soul.
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Two thriving, world-famous resorts.
One shattering event.
An unyielding aftermath.
November 1931. Folks in French Lick Springs, Indiana think Lucy Nash’s husband left in search of work. In truth, Abner hasn’t sent so much as a postcard since he slipped out of town almost two years ago. Lucy is as weary of living a masquerade as her children are tired of going without. She wants to tell him that love and forgiveness will greet him when he returns, but first she has to find him.
In a plot to pen the scoop of a lifetime, a reckless, big-city newshound sticks his nose where it doesn’t belong, and he has the nerve to manipulate a hard-working Western Union telegraph operator into being his accomplice. If not for the innocent mistake that could jeopardize his job, Kevin McNary would tell the meddler to hit the road.
The blustering reporter has the power to stir up enough trouble to destroy reputations, deflate dreams, and trample fragile hope. His interference is as absurd as it is uncontainable, and every attempt to stop the snoop adds another layer of secrecy and makes matters worse.
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The Crossroads of America Collection
I love history and I’m captivated by 1920s Indianapolis. While the city thrums to the beat of opportunity and the roar of engines, folks throw caution to the wind or cling to tradition. Wall Street sizzles, suffragettes rally, and bootleggers smuggle. Eyebrows rise in tandem with hemlines, and syncopated tunes blare over time-honored waltzes. Whether one dives headfirst into the prosperous era or adheres to convention, shadows of the Great War test a person’s mettle. How does one make way for contentment and love in a rapidly changing, unrecognizable world?
Books in the collection are stand-alone novels, each with unique characters and story lines.
May 1920. When best friends Emmett Sterling and Archie Jackson set their sights on the same female, the outcome is as prickly and contentious as the action taking place on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway bricks. In race-speak, one beau finds himself an Also-Ran, a Did Not Finish participant who sputters to a standstill while his opponent races toward the checkered flag.
One contender’s rigid personality might leave him susceptible to disaster, but his rival uncovers some faulty steering that could prevent him from carrying his bride across the finish line. Add another dame to the mix while the leader limps around the track, and spark plugs fly.
As Emmett and Archie aim for the prize, their personal defects and vulnerabilities prove to be as perilous and costly as the risks taken by the racetrack daredevils who chase their dreams.
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July 1919. When the train deposits Odette at Indianapolis’ Union Station, tucked among her belongings is a special commendation signed by General John J. Pershing, Commander in Chief, American Expeditionary Forces. Another priceless memento rests in the crevices of her heart. He has a name, but she isn’t at liberty to speak it. Not yet.
Though she left the Great War behind her, unanticipated skirmishes arise on the home front. The War Department seems incapable of processing paperwork related to her Signal Corps service, and her parents’ urgent quest to steer her down the matrimonial aisle is in direct opposition to the promises she made while she served in France.
She puts off everything and everyone while she waits for the remedy that will set her future on its perfect course, but nothing prepares her for the ambush that follows.
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March 1924. Mattie Duncan has a word for every occasion and a cryptic clue to define each one, but when she is accused of a crime that carries a severe punishment, the situation leaves the crossword puzzle creator D-U-M-B-S-T-R-U-C-K, ten letters; astonishingly silent.
Hugh Duncan wrestles with an unreasonable work assignment that keeps him from investigating his sister’s legal woes. He can’t afford to hire an attorney, but he’ll cough up the dough and sacrifice some shut-eye until he wrings the truth out of the eyewitness or tracks down the guilty party.
Olive Thayer’s daughter claims her mother is dead, but the living, breathing widow just landed a job. The spine-chilling incident that led her to the Indiana Woman’s Prison makes her wonder if she’d be better off without the room and board. The way she sees it, the differences between being down on her luck and living a nightmare are the locks and keys that separate the two.
When trouble leaves no room for escape, what’s a body to do?
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More Historical Fiction . . .
“During the Great Depression, 165 West Virginia families were chosen to leave the desolate coal fields and were given a chance to become homesteaders in the new town of Arthurdale. Often called Eleanor Roosevelt’s Little Village because of her commitment to its success, this deeply researched novel imagines one family’s experiences in this exciting change to their fate and fortunes.” — Jeanne Goodman, Archivist and past Executive Director, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc.
September 1936. Sam Corley is staking his family’s future on the President of the United States, but if he has to wait two more years for FDR’s promises to come to fruition, he and his will starve. With the coal company teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, life in Scotts Run, West Virginia is going from precarious to ruinous.
Hazel Corley is fretting over the arrival of another child as much as she fears another winter in a dilapidated house that shudders when the winds howl through the hollow. Folks who work hard shouldn’t suffer so much empty: empty pockets, empty shelves, and empty bellies. If their relocation to Arthurdale, a place of self-sufficiency and full employment, turns out to be an empty dream, sorrow stands ready to overwhelm the void.
Although hope seems but a slender lifeline, Sam and Hazel refuse to let it slip from their grasp.
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“Valerie Banfield has cleverly woven and captured the spirit of the Charleston Ballet’s early history in her book Wish Me Joy West Virginia!” —Kim R. Pauley, Artistic Director and CEO, the Charleston Ballet
1955. Fern Bigler has weathered storms and suffered loss, but the air hovering above her beloved hills and hollows carries an unmistakable warning, something akin to the hair-raising static that ushers in a lightning strike. When the former danseur étoile—star dancer—of the Royal Opera of Brussels sets off a spark that threatens to consume her family, Fern is determined to extinguish the fire. But, what if the flame resides in her daughter’s heart?
Leland Dugan’s good intentions don’t amount to much, not when one blunder or unavoidable crisis follows another. His wife’s spirit seems to gravitate toward empty. Empty arms, abandoned dreams, aimless days. Although Muriel chose to live in Elizabeth, West Virginia, for better or for worse, it’s plain to see she’s itching for more. Just once, Leland would like a taste of joy in the morning, a promise so precious but beyond his reach.
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“From the moment I set foot in Bigler’s General Store, I felt like I was home. Valerie Banfield paints the hills and the people from them with gentle grace. I can hear the whippoorwill and feel the breeze through the sycamores. As they say from my neck of the woods, ‘You done good.’” — Chris Fabry, award- winning author of A Piece of the Moon and the Dogwood series
July 1933. Percy Bigler is a contented, homespun boy from the hills and hollows of Elizabeth, West Virginia, but as the Great Depression lingers, necessity leads him to enroll in the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC’s projects require an army of hard-working laborers, and Percy doesn’t shy from hazardous duties, but he finds himself in unfamiliar territory more than two thousand miles from home where egos, innuendos, and a particularly stubborn female test his determination to provide for his family.
Percy dodges pitfalls, battles to protect his heart, and suffers an acute case of homesickness while everything he loves in West Virginia begins to fray. He wants to heed his father’s wise words, “When life gets tough, do likewise,” but it’s hardly that simple. Duty tells him to stay the course. His heart calls him home. Either choice wields an immeasurable and irretrievable loss.
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“No collection of historical fiction is complete without this Korean War-era gem by Cascade Award-winning author, Valerie Banfield.” —Lisa Grace, author of The 15th Star
May 1950, Appalach1a. DALE JENNINGS’ future is made in the shade. He’s just months away from earning his college degree, and a promising career as a linguist will set his life on a grand course. He’s smart, he’s enthusiastic, and even better . . . he’s got a girl who sets his heart aflutter. If he could get her to buy into his potential, he’d be in Fat City.
CARLA LOVELESS’ dream hit a sour note when her father failed to return from his World War II assignment. When the post-war era ushers in prosperity, it sidesteps the Loveless household. Yet . . . try as she might to accept her downgraded situation, Carla can’t squelch the rhythm and the melody that nourish her soul.
Carla savors the informal, jazzy duets that characterize the stolen hours she spends with Dale. She thrives on his attention and affections, but he’s a smooth-talking college boy. Better to beware than to contemplate his unreal world.
The invasion of South Korea by its northern neighbor earns some headlines, but like everyone else, Dale disregards the event. It’s no big deal. Carla’s mother, shrew that she is, harbors the greater threat to Dale’s picture-perfect plans. He’ll figure it out. It’ll be copacetic. Everything will be swell.
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Cascade Award Winning Novel
“The presentation of the Costa Rican involvement in WWII was fascinating. It’s a new perspective that I suspect few people have and it deserves a wider audience. This is a book I will recommend to those who love historical fiction, especially WWII enthusiasts.” —Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times and CBA bestselling author
“Banfield accomplished the difficult task of finding a little-known fact of history and bringing it to life. Well done! She carefully, successfully, balanced two stories and made them work—alone and together.” —Kay Marshall Strom, author and speaker
Spring 1940. Muy Bella, Costa Rica. SAVANNAH HAMILTON isn’t looking for love—she’s watched that commodity vanish too many times to care—but she’s frantic for a mate. As the deadline approaches, things look hopeless. Then he shows up.
MICAH KELLER isn’t too keen to learn that the predicament described by the prospective bride held more illusion than fact. Nothing at Misión de Cacao resembles his expectations—especially her.
While two imperfect people make a go of an unlikely pairing, war erupts. With the speed and intensity of an epidemic, fear and distrust ignite the globe. Costa Rica is not immune, and when it’s time for countries to name their allies, Micah and Savannah find themselves in the path of an unimaginable firestorm. As distance and time render their tenuous relationship unrecognizable, is the promise to honor their hasty commitment far too costly, or will love abide all things?
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DECEMBER 1895, near the shoals of Nantucket. When an urgent need trumps a perilous passage, the fare is costlier than anyone imagined. Crew member Thomas Burton, stationed aboard the lightship Nautican, is no stranger to risk and loss. In the aftermath of a shipwreck, he plucks survivors from the wintry Atlantic waters, only to have them turn his world upside down. When calamity and evil follow the victims ashore, what’s the man to do?
PRESENT DAY, departing Phoenix. When a relocation annihilates plans and promises, and jeopardizes the future, all that remains is his faith. Dustin Turner braces himself for a miserable senior year at Heritage High, where the social misfit faces affluent teens who own heavy doses of attitude. When he realizes the student body is blind to the lies and deception loitering in the hallways, will Dustin shrink into the shadows or will he take a stand?
When the tempest roars, where lies the safest course?
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Contemporary Fiction
WHAT’S A LITTLE SHORTCUT . . .
WHEN IT LEADS TO A PRIZE . . .
THAT PROMISES SO MUCH MORE THAN THE RISK?
The path to position, prestige, and the perfect mate looms in the distant future, but Audrey Taylor has the prerequisite moxie and cravings to secure her trophies now. Tucked away in her arsenal is an array of persuasive attributes, any of which may prove effective in her quest.
JoDee Remington swears it’s not an addiction; it’s entertainment with an upside. After the downside catches up with her, she promises to quit. When she discovers another game that delivers the same thrill, she sidesteps the vow she made to her husband and schemes for the means to skirt discovery.
Audrey scores massive victories as she employs her strategies, but when her beau uncovers her methods, she falters. JoDee, faced with a staggering incident, devises a plot in self-preservation that promises an “all or nothing” outcome. It’s about risk and reward . . . isn’t it?
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“Banfield takes us on a journey with Zach Hoyt who is Caucasian; his wife, Juanita, who is American Indian; Stan Benton, who is African American, and a diverse cast of secondary characters. I would have loved this book alone for that reason, but Ms. Banfield added another element: Juanita is deaf, a condition that ties the stories together. I also loved the faith element found in this realistic and captivating book.” —Toni Shiloh, author of the In Search of a Prince and the Maple Run and Freedom Lake series
Maybe Zach Hoyt’s expectations were overly optimistic; the business he inherited from his father wasn’t exactly booming. He might also concede that he was a tad naïve to imagine that his past would remain buried, along with his sullied reputation.
Juanita Hoyt wants a do-over. She shouldn’t have yielded to her husband’s unrelenting pleas to move to this ghastly community. Now Zach has hatched a harebrained scheme to save the business and, once again, he hasn’t heeded her objections.
Stan Benton collects trouble like a magnet picks up stray nails, and he reaps disorder as often as he dispenses justice. Every little thing fuels his bitterness and his anger—dangerous traits for an officer of the law.
When hoodlums set out to overturn the good intentions of the neighborhood watch, why do they heap their efforts at Zach’s feet? Why him? And why does Stan get stuck babysitting the community where his notoriety makes him about as welcome as the hooligans he’s charged to deter? Is anyone in control here?
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The rock star. Before Nate Fowler fled from the spotlight, his fans saw the soul of an honorable man. It’s been three years. Where did he go? Does he really think he can make a comeback without spilling his secret?
The writer. Samantha Hill is desperate to get the scoop. But what makes her think she has any hope of interviewing the reclusive musician? After all, she’s been hiding too.
When Sammi imposes herself on her target, she ventures far enough to glimpse Nate’s burdens: he’s human; he’s vulnerable. And she’s temptation.
If Sammi wants to pen a story, she has to expose her past and unmask her heart. As long as yesterday’s shadows overpower the present, how can either Sammi or Nate hope to begin anew?
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Sixteen-year-old Luke Samuels wants to leave his nightmares behind and start a new life. He plans to flee during a teen retreat held at a church campground.
Andy Wooten already left his past behind. To help develop his new reputation, he volunteers to be a camp counselor for the retreat. When Luke goes missing, Andy joins the search.
In the midst of a wicked storm, Luke encounters three bank robbers and their hostage. Someone has to forfeit his carefully planned future. How far will each go to take what they want?
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Brian Mowery stakes the reputation of Ten-Tenth’s Top Gear on a perfect manufacturing process. Race car drivers stake their lives on his reputation. When a series of mishaps, innuendos, and allegations wander through his shop’s front door, Brian has to act before the incidents wreak havoc on his good name.
Six-year-old Mia Nelville sweet-talks her parents into giving her a trial run as a quarter midget race car driver. Her racing career promises to run full-tilt—as long as Uncle Brian’s headaches don’t upend his commitment to be her pit boss.
When complications multiply, the man known for gifting second chances finds himself in need of redemption. As Mia witnesses Uncle Brian’s attempts to fix his shattered world, she wonders if his future is destined for the dreaded black flag, or if his choices will earn him the victory lap.
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“Banfield’s unique and different voice allows the reader some oohs and ahs throughout her writing. Her book includes suspense and romance, and is storytelling in its truest form.” —Linda K. Rodante, author of the Dangerous series
He’s everything she ever wanted; she’ll do whatever it takes to keep him. But when her masquerade unravels, is she willing to pay the price of her deception?
When Diane Cooper, invites her best friend, Gina Brandt, to her Venezuelan wedding, little does Gina know that her maid of honor duties include duping the groom. Diane’s timing couldn’t be worse.
Gina celebrates the close of a miserable chapter in her life and the onset of what promises to be a better narrative, but in the midst of Diane’s sham, Gina struggles to safeguard her integrity and newfound faith.
When a chunk of Diane’s veneer crumbles, she attempts to cover her dishonest steps and unwittingly exposes a series of betrayals and deceit, perpetrated decades earlier by a ruthless pretender. With his misdeeds exposed, will blackmail sooth the vindictive deceiver’s hunger, or will he resort to something more ominous and deadly to silence his accusers?
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When Alzheimer’s hijacked her father, Disorder upended Connie’s world. When a stranger uses her as a pawn, danger lurks and chaos simmers.
Evan Nichols has the evidence; an unsavory pair wants it back. If he’s caught? He hasn’t much at stake. He’s already lost his wife and kissed his home goodbye. He drives a disintegrating rattletrap; his business is on life support.
Since the Alzheimer’s diagnosis, confusion and turmoil override Connie Thompkins’ routine life as a CPA and part-time basket weaver. When Evan’s misdeeds spiral into Connie’s realm, his antics challenge her faith and steal her contentment.
The immediate distaste they hold for each other leaves them flailing in a tangled web of distrust and discord. He needs a willing accomplice. She wants the sneaky interloper to right his life’s ambitions and choose an honorable path. They can’t undo the past. Can they salvage their futures?
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Valerie Banfield Books 