Spotlight: The King's Mercy

The King's Mercy

"When captured rebel Scotsman Alex MacKinnon is granted the king's mercy--exile to the Colony of North Carolina--he's indentured to Englishman Edmund Carey as a blacksmith. Against his will Alex is drawn into the struggles of Carey's slaves--and those of his stepdaughter, Joanna Carey. 

A mistress with a servant's heart, Joanna is expected to wed her father's overseer, Phineas Reeves, but finds herself drawn instead to the new blacksmith. As their unlikely relationship deepens, successive tragedies strike the Careys. 

When blame falls unfairly upon Alex he flees to the distant mountains where he encounters Reverend Pauling, itinerate preacher and friend of the Careys, now a prisoner of the Cherokees. 

Haunted by his abandoning of Joanna, Alex tries to settle into life with the Cherokees, until circumstances thwart yet another attempt to forge his freedom and he's faced with the choice that's long hounded him: continue down his rebellious path or embrace the faith of a man like Pauling, whose freedom in Christ no man can steal. But the price of such mercy is total surrender, and perhaps Alex's very life."


“My hope is that [readers are] drawn closer to the Lord through Joanna and Alex’s story,” Benton says, “and that they turn that last page of The King’s Mercy more in love with our merciful Jesus than when they began.” - Lori Benton

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Award-winning author LORI BENTON was raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history going back 300 years. Her novels transport readers to the 18th century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of American history. She is the author of Burning Sky, recipient of three Christy Awards; The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn; Christy nominee The Wood's Edge; A Flight of Arrows; and Christy nominee Many Sparrows. When she isn't writing, reading, or researching, she enjoys exploring and photographing the Oregon wilderness with her husband. For more information visit www.loribenton.blogspot.com or www.facebook.com/AuthorLoriBenton.

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PRAISE FOR THE KING'S MERCY

“With heart-pounding realism, The King’s Mercy draws readers into the web of plantation life, where the price of freedom is hammered out at the hero’s forge and in the lives of every compelling character that surrounds him. Lori Benton pens a remarkable story of mercy and grace, the chains that bind us, and the ultimate freedom to be found in Christ.” —LAURA FRANTZ, Christy Award–winning author of The Lacemaker

“The King’s Mercy is a compelling tale of the early frontier, where the wealthy flourish and the poor serve, but sometimes the lines between slavery and freedom are not what you think. Lori Benton is a master at weaving together a beautiful tapestry of cultures and traditions, and her characters will live on in my heart for years to come.” —KAREN BARNETT, award-winning author of Where the Fire Falls and The Road to Paradise

“In this beautifully written novel, Lori Benton sweeps readers back to North Carolina in the 1700s to a slave plantation that’s hosting a terrifying evil. Lori is an expert at capturing time and place, and her dual skills give us a powerful glimpse into the longings of both an indentured servant who craves his freedom and the much-loved daughter of his master. The King’s Mercy is an intriguing, compelling story about God’s mercy and poignant redemption for those who choose to follow Him.” —MELANIE DOBSON, award-winning author of Catching the Wind and Hidden Among the Stars

“Lori Benton is a master storyteller. She breathes life into her characters and historical settings, drawing you in so deep that when the phone rings, you find yourself saying, ‘What be that wee sound?’ Highly recommended!” —KAREN BALL, writer and editor