Winter’s Ghosts

A blizzard has buried the Virginia frontier under an unforgiving blanket of snow. It’s the brutal winter of 1776, and at Dickinson’s Meadow, a solitary settlement clings to existence. With the Virginia militia on winter furlough during the second year of the American Revolution, the fort’s already sparse population has dwindled to a hardy few. Among them are David Smithfield, a man haunted by personal loss and sense of duty; Henri Thevenin, a French-Canadian woodsman whose easy charm belies a steely resolve; and a mysterious trapper, new to the area, who brings news of a gruesome massacre in the snow-laden forest.

Meanwhile, within the heart of the Shawnee Nation, a different kind of storm is brewing. Chief Cornstalk, his sister Nonhelema, and the ambitious young warrior Blue Jacket grapple with a burgeoning internal threat. Whispers of dissent and dark practices spread like wildfire among the clans, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of their society at a time when unity is paramount. As the shadow of war darkens their borders, the Shawnee must confront this insidious danger from within. The future of their people, their traditions, and their very survival hinges on their ability to quell the unrest and stand together against an increasingly hostile world.

As Smithfield and his companions delve deeper into the mysteries of the massacres, they unwittingly draw closer to the heart of the turmoil gripping the Shawnee. And as Cornstalk, Nonhelema, and Blue Jacket fight to contain the growing threat, they too will come to understand the interconnectedness of their struggle, nature’s wrath, and man’s darkest impulses.