Meet a lighthouse keeper & a Civil War veteran in
Jody Hedlund’s
historical romance
Hearts Made Whole
Bethany House
********
The Story
After her father’s death, Caroline Taylor has grown confident running the Windmill Point Lighthouse. But in 1865 Michigan, women aren’t supposed to have such roles, so it’s only a matter of time before the lighthouse inspector appoints a new keeper–even though Caroline has nowhere else to go and no other job available to her.
Ryan Chambers is a Civil War veteran still haunted by the horrors of battle. He’s been given the post as lighthouse keeper, and the isolation where he can drown in drink and hide from his past is appealing. He’s not expecting the current keeper to be a feisty and beautiful woman who’s none-too-pleased to be giving up her position. They both quickly realize he’s in no shape to run the lighthouse, but Ryan’s unwilling to let anyone close, ravaged by memories and guilt. Caroline is drawn to this wounded soul, but with both of them relying on that single position, can they look past their loss to a future filled with hope…and possibly love?
Introducing Ryan & Caroline
Brief physical description
Caroline Taylor: Willowy and slender, heart-shaped face, light blue eyes, straight brown hair that goes halfway down her back.
Ryan Chambers: After the war he’s thin and scraggly, sandy blond hair, brown eyes, scruffy face (that Caroline helps to shave in a very romantic scene!).
Resembles… 
Caroline resembles Alexandra Daddario
Ryan resembles Alex Pettyfer
Strengths and weaknesses
Ryan is coming home as a Civil War veteran. While he’s a kind and compassionate man, he’s facing some post-traumatic stress as well as debilitating war wounds that leave him addicted to his pain medicine.
At the same time the Caroline is struggling to act as both father and mother to her four siblings while holding down a position as light keeper. She has the overwhelming job of trying to take care of everyone and everything while always remaining strong.
Both characters come to a point where they recognize they can’t face all of their overwhelming troubles on their own and cry out to God their desperate need for Him.
Your inspiration for the character
Caroline Taylor is inspired by a real light keeper named Caroline Antaya. Caroline lived at the Mamajuda Lighthouse on the Detroit River a short distance away from Windmill Point Lighthouse.
Caroline’s husband served with honor in the Union army during the Civil War, losing several fingers on his hand at Gettysburg. Eventually after returning from the war, her husband was named as keeper of the Mamaju
da Lighthouse, but he passed away of tuberculosis.
Part of what really impressed me about Caroline Antaya’s situation was that she had been doing a fantastic job as a light keeper. But the district lighthouse inspector trumped up charges against her saying that she was in ill-health and incompetent. He took away her position simply because she was a woman and gave it to a man instead. Fortunately, her community rose to her defense and enlisted the help of a Michigan Senator to help her get her position back and she went on to serve as a light keeper for another three years.
Background to the story
In my first lighthouse book (Love Unexpected), the lighthouse was set at Presque Isle which is on Lake Huron on the north eastern side of the state. For this second book, I picked a lighthouse in a completely new location with the intention of giving readers a different flavor of climate, geography, and the population.
Windmill Point Lighthouse once existed on Lake St. Clair near Detroit, a much more urban and highly trafficked area than the remote wilderness of Presque Isle. Windmill Point Lighthouse was a strategic beacon that helped ships cross from Lake Huron over into Lake Erie as those ships transported raw goods from the Northwest states to eastern cities and seaports.
The lighthouse is named after the old ruins of a windmill where early frontiersmen brought their grain for grinding. Also, legends attribute the area to being an old battle field of a savage encounter between the early French settlers and Indians.
Today, all traces of the original windmill and lighthouse are long gone. If you visit Grosse Pointe in the Detroit area, all that remains is a small conical structure with a white flashing light.
Thanks Jody!
Relz Reviewz Extras
Enter Jody’s Afternoon at the Beach giveaway
Reviews of A Noble Groom, Unending Devotion, The Doctor’s Lady, and The Preacher’s Bride
Character spotlight on Patrick & Emma
Character spotlight on Carl & Annalisa
Character spotlight on Lily & Connell
Jody’s Pop Quiz
Q&A with Jody
Character spotlight on Eli & Priscilla
Visit Jody’s website and blog
Download Jody’s FREE novella Out of the Storm (Beacons of Hope): A Novella
Buy at Amazon: Hearts Made Whole or Koorong
June 5, 2015 at 2:00 pm
My favorite Jody Hedlund characters are Emma Chambers and Elizabeth Whitbread. They’re lovely, but not particularly beautiful and make the best out of uncomfortable situations.
June 5, 2015 at 3:28 pm
I just bought Love Unexpected, and I’m excited to start the series soon! As for my favorite character of Jody’s, I honestly think it may be either Rosemarie or Derrick from An Uncertain Choice! Though we didn’t get a super long book with them, they were both noble and brave characters, with Rosemarie’s sweetness and Derrick just being the perfect hero. So I think those two are my winners!
June 5, 2015 at 4:03 pm
I haven’t read any of Jody’s books, but there are a couple on my to-read list.
June 5, 2015 at 9:15 pm
My favorite Jody Hedlund thus far is A Noble Groom so I’d have to say my favorite character is Carl Von Reichert. Love Jody’s work!
June 5, 2015 at 11:53 pm
Oh hands down it’s Carol from A Noble Groom! Still one of my very favorite books!
June 5, 2015 at 11:53 pm
Sorry, Carl, not Carol. 🙂
June 6, 2015 at 12:53 am
I love all of Jody’s books. My favorite characters are Lily and Connell. Unending Devotion was sooooo good.
June 6, 2015 at 1:06 am
I have never really read any of Jody Hedlund’s books. Will be checking them out.
June 6, 2015 at 1:07 am
I think Annalisa and Carl from a Noble Groom are my favorites!
June 6, 2015 at 1:39 am
Can I have 2? I love Eli and Priscilla from The Doctor’s Lady. That is one of my favorite novels ever! I adore your books, but that one is definitely a favorite.
June 6, 2015 at 1:54 am
Benjamin Ross from “Rebellious Heart” is my favorite.
June 6, 2015 at 1:55 am
Lots of great characters in Jody’s books, but I’ll go all the way back to the Elizabeth and John in her first book, The Preacher’s Bride. Loved that book so much!
June 6, 2015 at 2:03 am
I don’t believe I’ve read any of Jody’s books, but would love to! I’m sure her characters are memorable 🙂
June 6, 2015 at 2:22 am
I just finished THE VOW and have begun AN UNCERTAIN CHOICE, so at the moment I’m enamored with Lady Rosemarie. I’m quite excited to see Ms. Hedlund entering the YA market because, even though I’m an adult, I almost always prefer YA stories to adult stories.
June 6, 2015 at 2:38 am
I loved reading about Lily and Connell in UNENDING DEVOTION. Jody is an AMAZING author!
June 6, 2015 at 2:54 am
Jody has created many memorable characters, but I have to say my favorite is Carl from A Noble Groom.
June 6, 2015 at 3:20 am
I’m reading “Love Unexpected” right now and I like Emma.
June 6, 2015 at 3:23 am
Hope I win!
June 6, 2015 at 3:47 am
Carl from A Noble Groom is one of my favorite Jody Hedlund characters. I have to say the cover of that book drew me in. In fact, all of the covers from that series are beautiful!
June 6, 2015 at 3:54 am
I’m not sure who my favorite character is. I’ve just discovered Jody Hedlund, but this looks like a good book. I’d love to start getting to know some of he characters!
June 6, 2015 at 4:14 am
Suzzanna Smith from Rebellious Heart is my favorite of Jody Hedlunds characters. Loved her. A close second is Carl in Noble Groom.
June 6, 2015 at 4:34 am
Wow, that’s really hard too say for sure, but one of my favorites is Carl Richards from A Noble Groom. Thanks for the awesome giveaway, I can’t wait to read this one.
June 6, 2015 at 4:37 am
Wow! That’s a tough question. I’ve never read a character of Jody Hedlund’s that I didn’t love… I guess if I had to pick just one it would be Angelique from Captured By Love. Oh, and Pierre from the book too. I loved both of them and how they interacted with each other. Angelique, sweet and thoughtful, who made Pierre, the reckless and carefree one, a better person…
June 6, 2015 at 4:48 am
My favorite character? I haven’t read any of Jody’s books yet, but Caroline Taylor sounds like an old girlfriend, so I’d say Caroline.
June 6, 2015 at 5:51 am
I just discovered Jody as a new author to me. I read An Unexpected Choice and I liked Lady Rosemarie.
June 6, 2015 at 6:20 am
My favorite character is Susanna Smith from Rebellious Hearts. I love how she is kind and strong willed.
June 6, 2015 at 6:41 am
I have not read a book by Jody! Yet! Thanks!
June 6, 2015 at 7:15 am
I don’t have a favorite character as yet because I have not had the pleasure of reading any of Jody’s books. But I hope to change that very soon. Thanks for the chance to win!
June 6, 2015 at 11:00 am
Elizabeth Whitbread!!
June 6, 2015 at 11:08 am
Pick a favorite…impossible. All of her characters are great.
June 6, 2015 at 11:22 am
I haven’t had the chance to read any of Jody’s books yet. Thanks for a chance!
June 6, 2015 at 12:02 pm
Hi Everyone! It’s been fun to read all of your responses about your favorite characters in my books! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
June 6, 2015 at 1:07 pm
Lily Young from Unending Devotion! I feel like I really connected with her!! 🙂
June 6, 2015 at 5:31 pm
Emma Chambers!
June 6, 2015 at 7:25 pm
Hmm … Right now it’s Sir Derrick. =)
June 6, 2015 at 7:26 pm
Oops, this is Zekkaina on Rafflecopter. =)
June 9, 2015 at 1:23 pm
I can’t name a favorite character because I’ve never read one of Jody’s books! I am planning on reading several of them as I have bought some of her ebooks! I’ve been reading several to give a review and haven’t had time yet! She is on my TBR list of books! Hope to win this one in paperback! I still love the paper!
June 10, 2015 at 1:25 am
I have not had a chance to read any of Jody’s books yet but they all sound great. I would love to have a chance to start with this one. I love stories about lighthouses.
June 10, 2015 at 1:53 am
My favorite Jody Hedlund character is Lily Young from Unending Devotion. She’s so courageous.
June 10, 2015 at 2:35 am
I loved Oren, the protector, in Unending Devotion! That was a wonderful book.