Today we celebrate Independence Day, the perfect time to celebrate freedom, history, and heroes—and the cover reveal for Patriot at the River!
I love the Fourth of July. It’s a wonderful opportunity to remember how our country started and the principles it was founded on. I love having a day set aside to look modern politics in the eye and say, No, this is America. That little boy playing soldier to the booming of the fireworks. This church picnic on a family farm. The Bible on a pulpit and the monument in a city square, quietly reminding a loud world what freedom really means.
And on that note, I am thrilled to give you the cover reveal for Patriot at the River. Freedom, history, heroes, and a good book—coming your way in September. Cue the fireworks!
THE FIGHT HE GOT WASN’T THE FIGHT HE WANTED.
It’s 1780, and North Carolina is a battleground. Backcountry scout Benjamin Woodbridge is guarding a Patriot camp when he sees the king’s men pursuing a civilian. Never one to stand by while someone is in trouble, Benjamin steps in to help the stranger and finds an unexpected ally.
But the same British officer who targeted the stranger is also targeting Benjamin’s settlement. After Benjamin is wounded on a lonely mountain trail, he watches Sunrising fall to the man who crushed his father’s cause nine years earlier. Benjamin’s fight has come home to the very people he wanted to protect—his shy younger sister and the woman who has given them both a home.
Now, with the help of some unlikely comrades and the indomitable Aunt Kate, Benjamin must fight for what he loves before Sunrising goes up in flames. But only if he can fight himself first.
Why a river?
A river appears in both the title and background scenery. North Carolina is veined with rivers. One crossing after another, just like our hero’s life. In particular, the race between the British and American armies to reach the Dan River was a bit of history that I found fascinating and too little known, and I’m excited to share it with you as part of Patriot at the River.
As you can see, the colors in this cover are much more vivid than for Preacher on the Run. We’re in the throes of revolution now, as the British march across the Carolinas in the fall of 1780, ravaging Patriot settlements and threatening to cut American supply lines.
My other favorite element of the cover? The hat. It’s not the familiar three-cornered hat displayed on the cover of Preacher on the Run. This one is a rifleman’s hat, cocked only on the left.
But why cock the brim at all? Because a longrifle is just that—long—and a rifleman standing at attention, rifle at his side, could very easily knock his hat off if the brim wasn’t folded up out of the way. (I wonder who was the first backwoods recruit to discover that.)
Save the date
So now that you’ve seen the cover, when should you expect the book? The scheduled launch date for Patriot at the River is September 25 (if the Lord will, as James 4:15 says). Also, if you’d like to support the launch, a couple of ways to help are (1) donating to the launch fund or (2) PRAYING!
Finally, thank you to everyone who has helped Patriot at the River along its journey. I can’t wait to get this book into your hands.
Happy Independence Day!
Jayna Baas is the author of Preacher on the Run and director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. Learn more about Jayna here or join her email list for more recommendations.