Follow two 18th-century Irish families through four generations and two continents of struggles. A haunting tale of love, murder, and betrayal.
New release!
Don’t find yourself wondering what happens next. Buy the COMPLETE SET.
(And save money while you’re at it!)
trailer by Candace J. Carter
Book One: AROON
Ominous clouds loom over Duncullen Estate.
Young heir Richard yearns for an academic life. But his father insists he abandon his foppish dreams and run the estate like a man. Will he defy his father’s tyrannical demands? Or is he destined for a dismal life that is not his own?
“Great read! Loved the way the author develops the characters. You don’t want to leave them when finished.”
“Twists to the story that I didn’t expect. The research the author did for authenticity is evident on every page.”
Finalist for 2018 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award 2018 Semi-Finalist in the Kindle Book Awards–Literary FictionWinner of Carrie McCray Literary Award for Novel First ChapterFinalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s Literary Contest for Historical Fiction
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trailer by Candace J. Carter
Book Two:
Harps Upon the Willows
Nan and Father Alistair walk a treacherous road.
One that leads directly to the gallows.
Landowners are evicting family after family. The result is homelessness and starvation. Irish peasants have had enough. But can the gentry be stopped?
Fifteen-year-old Nan is hell-bent on doing her bit. Little does she know her greatest enemy, Sir Richard Lynche, is her father.
Father Alistair spurs the rebels on, reminding them they are children of God. He becomes the gentry’s prime target in their quest to squelch the revolt. Will the priest’s own demons do him in first?
You’ll be swept up in this fast-paced saga based on actual incidents that rocked eighteenth-century Tipperary.
“I enjoyed every word and had a hard time putting it down. This is a sequel worth reading! I would give it more than 5 stars if it were possible!”
“WOW!!! A wonderful second story in this series. I was not disappointed. The story flowed. Loved every minute of it. I ended with a sigh, sorry to see it go.”
2018 Winner of the Kindle Book Award–Literary Fiction
2019 Bronze Award Winner for Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards
A Candace J. Carter trailer
Book Three:
Patience Can Cook a Stone
The government is in shambles.
Battle lines have been drawn.
In the lawless backcountry of 1780 South Carolina, no one is safe.
Mr. Tom, of Kilkenny Plantation, is dead. His sons, Carlton and Alden, clash over loyalty, patriotism, even the very definition of freedom. Is the homestead cursed? Unless the evil is lifted, everyone from the slaves to the master will pay the price.
Nan and Joe Dillon, as free servants, wish only to raise their family in peace. Can they avoid being sucked into this savage conflict? Or will they be ripped apart?
Book Three of the award-winning Duncullen Saga is based on the memoir of Revolutionary War Patriot, Tarlton Brown. Experience the fierce fighting along the frontier of the Savannah River during America’s first civil war.
“A fantastic read. A historical account of life along the Savannah River woven with fictional (as well as some actual) characters that give the reader a true feeling of South Carolina living during the American Revolution.”
“The perfect conclusion to a beautiful, heart-wrenching, and powerful series.”
2020 Semi-Finalist in the Kindle Book Awards–Literary Fiction
Finalist for 2020 Wishing Shelf Independent Book Award
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I just finished Aroon!! Wow! I could not put it down from the very beginning. Now I need the next book. I have to know what happens to little Nan. Historical fiction is my favorite genre of literature. You did an excellent job writing this one. Thank you for entertaining me with your talent!!
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Thank you. I’m thrilled that you liked it. Don’t worry–more Nan to come!
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Mary Beth, just finished reading your book and it was excellent, couldn’t but it down and can’t wait for your next one. Your folks would be so proud of you!
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Thank you, Ann. It means so much from someone who has known me as long as you have!
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Can’t wait for book 2!!
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WOW! Mary Beth, I just finished reading both books. They were certainly page turners. Historical fiction is one of my favorite! Can’t wait for number 3! You did a wonderful job. Thank you for giving us another great
southern author to follow.
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Thank you, Aughtry! That means so much and spurs me on even more to get Book Three finished.
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It was so great meeting you in Augusta! I’m reading Aroon. It’s wonderful! I can’t wait to continue the series.
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So glad you’re enjoying it! Meeting you in Augusta made the day a pleasure. I’m looking forward to Gentleman of Misfortune!
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Greetings from Skeheenarinky, Co. Tipperary. You know my husband, Ed.
Just read “Aroon”. First of all, the book is user friendly: the paper, the print size, the short chapters, the story-telling through conversation rather than paragraphs of explanation about Penal Laws, landlords, etc.
It was fun to see local names and places in “Aroon”: John “Jack” Bridge, Mr. Hogan, Kilmacthomas, Clonmel, the Galty mountains, etc.
My familiarity is with 19th century landlordism. “Aroon” has opened my eyes to that of the 18th century. Thanks for that.
Although I had heard ‘Shule Aroon’ several times, I had never paid attention to it. Thanks for broadening my knowledge there, too.
As everyone else has said, I couldn’t put the book down. Stayed awake long into the night, reading it. Don’t recommend reading about Maeve and Tara’s departure from Duncullen if the reader is just about to try to get to sleep.
Thanks for “Aroon”, Mary Beth. Now, on to “Harps Among the WIllows”.
Karol DeFalco
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Karol,
I’m so excited to hear from you, and especially pleased that you enjoyed the book. From your comments, I think you will find Harps Upon the Willows even more interesting as it incorporates many events I learned about from Ed’s book on Nicholas Sheehy. Thank you for reading Aroon. I look forward to hearing from you again. Merry Christmas to you both!
Mary Beth
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Hi Mary Beth,
You said you looked forward to hearing from me again, so here goes. Just finished “Harps Upon the Willows”. Unlike “Aroon” which I seemed to read non-stop, it took me a long time to read Harps/Willows. I wonder if this slowness was because I was already intimately aware of the Fr. Sheehy story and didn’t want to get to the gory bits or if I just didn’t want the book to end. For whatever reason, the reading was slow but intriguing.
When I read the description of the location of the Griffith house and the stone wall in relation to Shanrahan cemetery and masoleum, I knew you had been here. That knowledge does not come from looking at maps. Too bad we didn’t know you then. Next trip…
Although I have been to the masoleum dozens of times – even going down into the crypt – your description of Alistair Moore’s time in there was eye-opening – the complete darkness so that he wasn’t even able to see his hand, the stone coldness. Now I understand the phrase ‘stone cold’.
As you know, there are several thoughts about what might have happened to John Bridge. Your story of a kidnapping was fantastic!
On to “Patience Can Cook a Stone”. I am chomping at the bit to get my teeth into this book. I’m sure I’ll meet Joe Dillon and Nan. I wonder if Maeve and Tara will make an appearance.
Karol
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Thank you for letting me know your thoughts about Harps Upon the Willows. I am pleased that you enjoyed it. You are the only person I know who’s read it while familiar with Nicholas Sheehy’s life, so your thoughts are particularly meaningful to me. One more time, I look forward to your thoughts on Patience Can Cook a Stone!
And if I make it to Ireland, I hope to meet you and Ed for a drink.
Mary Beth
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I was recently visiting family in Aiken when I came across the Duncullen Saga trilogy. It is my quest to purchase books by local authors and these books fit the bill. So not knowing anything about you or the stories I purchased all three.
It was a great adventure and extremely enlightening about the lives in different areas of the world that I am not familiar with. I came to feel for the characters and picture the situations they found themselves in. Great story telling and well presented history. It was easy reading and enticing to know what would happen next. I also almost felt a personal connection since my mother always called me Nan. Don’t often see the name in writing.
Prior to reading several historical novels I was never much interested in history but your writing has stirred the desire to find more to delve into.
Not knowing what your future plans are in regards to writing I do hope you keep it up since I would be ready to read your next endeavor.
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Hello Nancy.
First, thank you for supporting local authors wherever you go. Second, thanks for choosing my books. I’m so excited that you enjoyed the stories, especially as a “Nan.” I don’t know if you noticed, by Nan is the only character who appears in all three novels. I am working on another book right now that is set in 1830s Natchez. It’s requiring a lot of research but is coming along. Best of everything to you in 2022.
Mary Beth
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