Paths to Freedom by Paul Bennett
Publication Date: November 22, 2019
Hoover Books
eBook & Paperback; 233 Pages
Series: Mallory Saga, Book 2
Genre: Historical Fiction/Military
The French and Indian War is over, but the aftermath widens the gulf between the colonies and King George III. A hard handed approach by the King and Parliament fuels the flames of resistance; flames that soon engulf the Mallory clan, consuming the frontier, shattering their hopes for Mallory Town, and changing their lives forever. Revolution is nigh.
"Paths to Freedom (The Mallory Saga #2) exceeded anything that I expected. It is, without a doubt, one of the most moving and most compelling historical fiction books that I have ever read." - Author MaryAnne Yarde
Available on Amazon
Excerpt
The skiff glided over the agreeably calm water, the oars were wrapped in cloth to muffle as much of the splashing noise as possible. The two boatmen pulled in unison while Revere kept his eyes on the warship that loomed above them, a dark ghostly presence, the creaking of its wooden planks matching the slight rocking motion of the outgoing tide. These next few minutes would be the most dangerous; the full moon was thankfully behind a cloud bank otherwise they would be visible to anyone looking down from the bow of the ship. Revere found he was gripping the sides of the skiff such that it was becoming painful. Finally they found themselves beyond HMS Somerset, just a short pull from the shore off Charlestown. Revere helped pull the boat up on the beach and jogged toward where he saw Colonel Conant.“We saw the signal,” Conant greeted Revere, “I took the liberty of sending young Thomas on his way.”
“Many thanks,” replied Revere, “I see you also procured me the use of Brown Beauty. I doubt the Regulars have any mounts that can keep pace with her.”
“She is the finest horse in the colony, and that’s a fact,” Conant added, “but we’ve had word of patrols on the road to Lexington, so, you need to be on the alert.”
Revere nodded his head, grabbed Brown Beauty’s mane, and hauled himself up in the saddle. He gave a wave of his hand to Conant, his spurs goading the mare into action, and soon he was at a full gallop heading north toward Medford. It was just a short distance to the junction with the road that led west, and Revere gave Brown Beauty her head, the mare eating up the distance while Revere settled into the smooth, rhythmic gait.
Thomas had reached that junction about a half an hour before Revere, and was now heading west. The moon had cleared the cloud bank, lighting the road ahead of him. The noise of the mare’s hooves caught the attention of Whitby and the two sentries. Without a word they left the shadow of the woods, and spread out across the road. Thomas couldn’t see them yet but the mare’s ears perked up, alerting him to the three horsemen now blocking his way a few hundred yards ahead. He pulled hard on the reins, and came to a stop. Thomas took a quick glance at the patrol, moonlight revealing the faces of the three waiting British troopers. He was stunned to recognize Whitby among them. “A fine night for a gallop,” Thomas yelled to the sentries, “don’t you think so, Mr. Whitby?”
The Lieutenant Colonel was certain he knew that voice, and ordered his men to stand to, “I’ll deal with this,” he told them. “Stay where you are, Mr. Clarke,” he shouted to Thomas, “your time for galloping has ended.” He urged his mount forward, pulling his pistol, cocking it as he drew closer.
Thomas patted Becky on her neck, pulled her hard to the right, and headed into the woods. This stretch of land was heavily wooded so he kept Becky at a trot knowing from his previous reconnaissance that there was a clear meadow up ahead where he could pick up speed. Whitby, unfamiliar with the ground, cautiously followed him into the trees, firing a shot at his fleeing foe. Thomas flinched at the sound of the gunfire, hearing the bullet strike a tree behind him. Becky needed no command from her rider, and she gained speed immediately. In the space of a few heartbeats she was in the clearing, going down a gentle slope; the sound of Mill Brook just ahead. Whitby could now clearly see his quarry, digging his spurs into the sides of his gelding; he raced out of the trees. Thomas, with no hesitation on his part, or that of Becky, drove toward the rushing water. Becky gathered herself, and in full stride made the leap. Her back legs caught the far bank causing Thomas to have a moment of panic, but the mare soon found her footing, scrambling up the bank. Thomas, the exhilaration of the jump made him whoop for joy. He directed Becky slightly to the east, and was soon following the Mystic River north to where it met the road to Menotony.
Whitby, though unfamiliar with the terrain, would not let his mount slow down. He was soon going down the slope at a full gallop. His mount was a fine horse, but was not much of a jumper, so when it reached the brook it balked, and reared, catching Whitby by surprise. He found himself on the wet ground, and had to roll away from the horses front hooves as they came down almost catching him in the back. Unfortunately for him his motion carried him into the creek, and to make it worse the gelding bounded away, back up the way it had just come.
About the Author
Paul’s education was of the public variety and when he reached Junior High he discovered that his future did not include the fields of mathematics or science. This was generally the case throughout his years in school as he focused more on his interest in history; not just the rote version of names and dates but the causes. Paul studied Classical Civilization at Wayne State University with a smattering of Physical Anthropology thrown in for good measure. Logically, of course, Paul spent the next four decades drawing upon that vast store of knowledge working in large, multi-platform data centers, and is considered in the industry as a bona fide IBM Mainframe dinosaur heading for extinction. Paul currently resides in the quaint New England town of Salem, Massachusetts with his wife, Daryl. The three children have all grown, in the process turning Paul’s beard gray, and have now provided four grandchildren; the author is now going bald.For more information, please visit the Mallory Saga Facebook page. You can also find Paul on his Blog, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Blog Tour Schedule
Tuesday, January 28Excerpt at Passages to the Past
Wednesday, January 29
Feature at CelticLady's Reviews
Thursday, January 30
Review at YA, It's Lit
Feature at Broken Teepee
Feature at I'm All About Books
Friday, January 31
Interview at Passages to the Past
Sunday, February 2
Review at Historical Graffiti
Monday, February 3
Review at Books and Zebras
Tuesday, February 4
Guest Post at Nurse Bookie
Giveaway
During the Blog Tour, we are giving away paperback copies of Clash of Empires and Paths to Freedom! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.Giveaway Rules
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Paths to Freedom
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