Before the First Amendment, three courageous women helped shape its
soul.
The Radiance of Grace is the powerful, true story of Mary Dyer, Katherine
Scott, and Anne Hutchinson—three extraordinary women whose faith,
friendship, and moral courage challenged the rigid Puritan authority of
17th-century New England.
More than 150 years before the American Constitution, these Boston women stood
for freedom of religion, conscience, and speech, refusing to surrender their
personal relationship with God to institutional control. Their
activism—rooted in scripture, compassion, and community—sparked
social and political reform at a time when women were expected to remain
silent.
Leading Bible studies attended by more than 150 people each week, they became
influential voices within their communities. When Puritan leadership responded
with harassment, exile, and public punishment, the abuse meant to silence them
instead strengthened their resolve. Their lives intertwined with men who
admired them, men who despised them, and families who endured the cost of
conviction.
Drawing from **extensive historical research—including journals, court
records, letters, and firsthand accounts—**and woven together with
informed imagination, Margaret Cotton brings these overlooked women vividly to
life. Their story reveals the deepest roots of American liberty and challenges
modern readers to consider:
● What does it mean to live faithfully under unjust authority?
● How far are we willing to go for freedom of conscience?
● What is the personal cost of standing for truth?
The Radiance of Grace is an intimate, inspiring historical narrative for
readers of:
● Women’s history
● Early American and colonial history
● Faith-based and Christian nonfiction
● Social justice and religious freedom
● Readers drawn to untold stories that shaped the foundation of America
These women were nearly erased from history—but their legacy still
calls us to courage, purpose, and grace.
It is time to hear their true story.
About the Author
Margaret Cotton is an author and lifelong storyteller who writes books
she longs to read—stories of compelling characters facing complex moral
choices. The Radiance of Grace is her first historical narrative. It is an
invitation for readers to engage with history, conscience, and transformation.
Margaret describes her writing process as both surrender and gratitude—a
deep immersion where research, imagination, doubt, and discovery converge
until clarity emerges.
Her writing journey is rooted in both scholarship and wonder. A recipient of a
National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for Independent Study, Margaret
spent years researching female faith activism in 17th-century New
England—a topic that would eventually become The Radiance of Grace.
Although she attempted the story earlier, she paused for two decades, trusting
that the time was not yet right.
Her confidence grew during the writing of her first book, Raised!, a true
miracle memoir that revealed an uncanny alignment between informed imagination
and the creative flow of unexpected truth. With advice from a seasoned New
York editor and an evolving sense of purpose, Margaret subsequently returned
to this historical work—where, she says, “The story finally
developed as it was meant to be told and at the right time.”
Margaret Cotton was a featured presenter at reading and writing workshops,
professional conferences, and continuing education events in multiple states
and Central America. Her copyrighted educational materials emphasize the value
of a cognitive conversation between the writing and comprehension processes
for middle grade students. She is equally comfortable speaking to book clubs
and historical societies.
As a Certified Professional Photographer (PPA), Margaret photographed more
than 250 weddings, including international venues—an experience that
deepened her understanding of human connection, resilience, and the deep
longing for story within all cultures. She lives with her husband of over
fifty years, is the mother of two, grandmother of seven, and believes that
curiosity, faith, and purpose only deepen with time.
Ancient chess pieces. A centuries-old diary. And a modern killer closing
in.
When Icelandic forensic geneticist Brynja Pálsdóttir,
haunted by her family’s dark legacy, is drawn into the search for the
missing Lewis Chessmen, she becomes a pawn in an assassin’s deadly
game.
A centuries-old diary, written by a woman abducted during the brutal
Barbary pirate raid on Iceland in 1627, lands on her desk. Brynja soon
realizes the woman’s story may hold the key to finding the priceless
medieval artifacts.
As Brynja digs deeper, she becomes the target, surrounded by
deception and unsure of whom she can trust: the NYPD colleague hiding her
own motives, the sculptor whose family lays claim to the chessmen, the lover
she has spurned, even her own assistant.
As the past and present collide, betrayal, loss, and survival transcend
time and place.
Ivory Bones: The Lewis Chessmen Murders is a gripping blend of Nordic noir,
historical intrigue, and murder mystery, where ancient secrets and modern
dangers force Brynja to face a dark, inner truth before the assassin makes
their final move.
Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military
scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide an
attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.
After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for
peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate
with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing
over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three
young daughters.
Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of
strength and survival: Benjamin, driven by love and remorse to rescue his
family; Martha, forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect
her children; and Ashpelon, willing to risk everything to ensure the safety
and freedom of his people.
Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and
unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in
North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of
Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground;
equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness
were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.
About the Author
Laura C. Rader earned a BA in psychology from San Diego State University,
where she minored in history and took creative writing and literature
classes. She drew on those passions in her thirty-year career as a history
and English teacher of elementary and middle school students. Now, a
full-time historical fiction writer, Laura also enjoys studying genealogy,
attending neighborhood book club meetings, taking forest walks with her
Rough Collie, and visiting her adult daughter in Brooklyn. Originally from
California, Laura lives twenty miles north of Raleigh, North
Carolina. Hatfield 1677 is a work of historical fiction inspired by a
story Laura discovered about her ninth great-grandparents while researching
her family’s genealogy.
Colonist Benjamin Waite, a devoted husband, father, and skilled military
scout in King Philip’s War, reluctantly obeys orders to guide an
attack against a camp of Algonquian Natives.
After the catastrophic event, Benjamin is burdened with guilt and longs for
peace. But the Algonquians, led by the revered sachem Ashpelon, retaliate
with vengeance upon Ben’s Massachusetts town of Hatfield, capturing
over a dozen colonists, including his pregnant wife Martha and their three
young daughters.
Hatfield 1677 is a tale of three interwoven yet diverging journeys of
strength and survival: Benjamin, driven by love and remorse to rescue his
family; Martha, forced into captivity and desperately striving to protect
her children; and Ashpelon, willing to risk everything to ensure the safety
and freedom of his people.
Based on the lives of the author’s ancestors, this riveting and
unforgettable novel gives voice to three vastly different experiences in
North America during a time before the creation of the Declaration of
Independence. Then, the land was but a wilderness and a battleground;
equality was not yet perceived as self-evident; and liberty and happiness
were nothing more than dangerous pursuits.
About the Author
Laura C. Rader earned a BA in psychology from San Diego State University,
where she minored in history and took creative writing and literature
classes. She drew on those passions in her thirty-year career as a history
and English teacher of elementary and middle school students. Now, a
full-time historical fiction writer, Laura also enjoys studying genealogy,
attending neighborhood book club meetings, taking forest walks with her
Rough Collie, and visiting her adult daughter in Brooklyn. Originally from
California, Laura lives twenty miles north of Raleigh, North
Carolina. Hatfield 1677 is a work of historical fiction inspired by a
story Laura discovered about her ninth great-grandparents while researching
her family’s genealogy.
In The Bastard Prince of Versailles, a factually based historical novel, a disowned gay prince struggles to redeem himself through heroism and self-sacrifice at war in 17th century France.
Blurb
Author Will Bashor portrays the intrigues of the 17th-century French court with fantastic detail and a passion for atmosphere, filling every page with rivalries, betrayals, and political maneuvering. The character of Louis is sensitively drawn, and readers witness his struggles with identity, love, and the demands of royal life. The Chevalier de Lorraine's manipulation and the gay society subplot add depth to the narrative, highlighting the complexities of sexual identity and society's prejudices of the time. As Louis is exiled and later given a chance at redemption through military service, the novel delves into themes of heroism and self-sacrifice with some deeply compelling emotional scenes that tug at the heartstrings and help us relate to human beings from centuries ago on a modern personal level. Overall, The Bastard Prince of Versailles is a compelling historical novel that not only entertains but also educates about a lesser-known aspect of French history, and I would not hesitate to recommend it. 5 Stars.
The gathering of nobles and courtiers in the marble-tiled courtyard gasped when fifteen-year-old Count Louis of Vermandois collapsed after the final blow of the whip, his body dangling from the ladder’s frame. King Louis XIV, his expression grim, raised his hand to end the spectacle and motioned for his son’s lifeless body to be carried away.
Hours later, in a dungeon cell reeking of rat urine and pipe smoke, Count Louis woke up on a cot with vermin-infested straw prickling his bare stomach. Despite the sounds of vicious dogs growling and drunken jailers cursing in the corridors, his mind wandered back to his idyllic youth, trying to understand how he ever ended up in a dank, dark prison cell.
CHAPTER ONE: The Dance of Faeries
Château of Sceaux, January 1674
In a peaceful country château, far from the constant intrigue of infidelity and adultery that tarnished the Palace of Versailles, lived a young prince who, despite all that he’d ever been told, was not a true prince. Even though his father, King Louis XIV, had named him Louis de Bourbon and ennobled him under the titles of Count of Vermandois and Admiral of France, he was still not a true prince. Not yet.
From his chambers on the second floor, seven-year-old Louis gazed out of one of his two large windows encased with leaded panes and carved wood, overlooking an imposing courtyard. The enchanted château and its seven pavilions were linked by ornate galleries with gardens, a basin showered with waterfalls, and a grand canal flanked with trellises of greenery. The view always offered Louis a sense of harmony and serenity.
But today was different. His foxlike, deep brown chestnut eyes were wider than usual as he waited anxiously at the window for the first of the royal coaches to appear. His mother, Duchess de La Vallière, and the king rarely visited but were expected to pay a visit to Sceaux on this twenty-eighth day of January. Even though the king had legitimized him and his sister, Mademoiselle Marie-Anne de Blois, at an early age, recognizing them as his natural children, Louis never understood why they didn’t live at Versailles. Still, he dreamt of one day living at the fairy-tale palace and maybe even inheriting the crown. What he was too young to understand, however, was that a decree of legitimization only ensured him a certain number of limited rights.
Louis’ foster family, the Colberts, also chose this visit for a special event—his breeching. Like most princes before the age of seven, Louis had grown up in the company of women, and as such, court tradition required him to wear a girl’s gown. Until today. Today, the valets in his chambers were meticulously laying out his crisply pressed chemise with ruffles, embroidered breeches, and silk stockings in preparation for his rite de passage.
When Madame Colbert entered Louis’ room to check on their progress, Louis, after wiping the foggy window with his sleeve, looked up at her with an innocent smile. He knew there was something in his brown eyes that could melt any woman’s heart. He’d often admired himself in the mirror and his eyes offered him a sense of solitude. Or was it loneliness? With his parents living at Versailles, and the beautiful and graceful eight-year-old Marie-Anne caring little for her younger brother at Sceaux, he often felt quite alone.
Madame Colbert ran her fingers through Louis’ hair. In the window’s reflection, he noticed how his hair spilled down his neck like ink on a tilted piece of parchment. The subtle rays of light reflected an indigo blue on his curly locks, contrasting with the moonbeam paleness of his face. He remembered courtiers who’d visited Sceaux and found themselves speechless when searching for words to describe him, often deferring to “pretty” or “lovely.”
“Stop wriggling, Count Louis,” said Madame Colbert. “Remember, you have royal blood running through your veins.”
Still, he thought, Madame Colbert never really treated him any differently than her other three sons. Her youngest, the impetuous Jules-Armand, was only four years older than Louis and, unlike his older brothers, still lived at Sceaux. Jules-Armand often invited Louis to play with him and his friends, but Louis had nothing in common with Jules-Armand. Instead, he preferred playing on his own in his chambers, shying away from the rough-and-tumble diversions in the courtyard. Because Jules-Armand’s bedroom was just across the hallway from his, he could sneak into Louis’ bedroom at night to play games. Or at least Louis thought they were games.
About the Author
From Columbus, Ohio, Will earned his Ph.D. from the American Graduate School of Paris, where, in his spare time, he read memoirs and researched the lives of royals and their courtiers. He hopes to share his fascination with the Bourbon dynasty and its quirky inhabitants and, at the same time, weave the historical record with creative fiction. He has written articles for the Huffington Post, Age of Revolutions, BBC History Magazine, and Carine Roitfeld’s CR Fashion Book.
