Can you imagine how a locket could play a role in the work of a spy? Well, guest author Shanna Hatfield is here today, letting us in on how she incorporated into her newest story. It’s pretty intriguing. Take a look!
When we think about spies during the American Revolution, we often picture daring men carrying secret messages behind enemy lines. Yet some of the most effective intelligence gathering came from an unexpected source—women.
As I researched For Liberty and Love, I learned about the important role women played during the struggle for independence. While they rarely wore uniforms or carried weapons into battle, many found clever ways to aid the Patriot cause.
In fact, women often made excellent spies precisely because no one expected them to be.
During the eighteenth century, society placed the focus of women on home and family. Because of that, and assumptions often made about females in the 1700s, women could move through social circles, shops, markets, and gatherings without attracting the same suspicion men often faced. They listened to conversations, observed troop movements, carried messages, and passed along valuable information.
A well-known example is Lydia Darragh of Philadelphia. According to historians, she secretly overheard British officers discussing military plans while occupying her home. She then found a way to warn Patriot forces, helping them prepare for an upcoming attack.
Another remarkable woman was Agent 355, a member of the Culper Spy Ring operating in New York. Although her true identity remains a mystery, historians believe she played an important role in gathering intelligence for General George Washington.
Women used everyday activities as cover for their efforts. A trip to market, a visit with neighbors, or delivering household goods could provide opportunities to gather information or carry messages. Letters often contained coded language, and secret information might be hidden in seemingly ordinary objects, like a button or a locket.
The more I learned, the more I realized that intelligence work during the Revolution didn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looked like a woman carrying a basket through a crowded market or busy street while quietly observing everything around her.
That realization helped inspire Lucy Carlson, the heroine of For Liberty and Love. As the daughter of a Philadelphia goldsmith and a jewelry designer in her own right, Lucy has a front row seat in her father’s shop to listen to a city buzzing with rumors, uncertainty, and growing rebellion. Like many women of her time, she isn’t a soldier. She doesn’t march with the Continental Army. Yet she finds herself in a position where courage, quick thinking, and determination matter just as much as a musket.
One of the challenges historians face is that many women’s contributions were never fully documented. Their work was often secret by nature, and historical records frequently focused on military leaders and politicians rather than ordinary citizens. As a result, we may never know the names of countless women who quietly helped shape the course of the Revolution.
What we do know is that America’s fight for independence wasn’t won solely by the men whose names appear in history books. It was also supported by wives, widows, daughters, sisters, shopkeepers, servants, and countless ordinary women who risked their safety to support a cause they believed in.
Their stories remind us that courage comes in many forms.
Sometimes it marches into battle with a musket.
And sometimes it carries a secret message hidden where no one would think to look.
Release Date: June 16
Book 1: Petticoats & Patriots series
She never intended to become a spy … or fall for one.
Philadelphia, 1776
As whispers of revolution turn swell into a roar for freedom, Lucy Carlson is no longer content to simply watch from behind the counter of her father’s jewelry shop. When a mysterious woman—none other than Martha Washington—leaves behind a locket, Lucy discovers the piece is more than a pretty keepsake. The necklace is a secret vessel for the revolution that carries the promise of love.
Drawn into a dangerous spy ring, Lucy begins crafting coded messages concealed within the locket’s clever design, living a secret double life and risking everything she holds dear in a time of sacrifice and war.
Continental soldier Branch Barton is a man defined by duty. Tasked with rooting out traitors, he moves through the shadowed world of deception and divided loyalties. He’s trained to trust no one, yet he finds himself drawn into a slow-burning connection with the jeweler’s spirited daughter.
But when Lucy begins to suspect Branch may be a Redcoat in disguise, their fragile bond is tested by mistaken identity, growing mistrust, and the threat of betrayal.
In a war where even allies can become enemies, Lucy and Branch must navigate a world of hidden truths and guarded hearts. With the fate of the colonies—and their hearts—hanging in the balance as Lucy delivers a message in enemy territory, will they find the courage to trust each other and choose love?
Courage built a nation. Love made it worth fighting for.
Throughout 250 years of American history, a well-loved locket finds its way into the hands of eight spirited heroines—each standing at the crossroads of love and destiny, and each inspired by a true patriot. As it journeys from one heart to the next, these stories unfold with sweet romance, unwavering hope, and a deep love of country, proving that even in uncertain times, love is always worth the risk. Start reading the Petticoats & Patriots series today!
USA Today bestselling author Shanna Hatfield grew up on a farm where her childhood brimmed with sunshine, hay fever, and an ongoing supply of learning experiences.
Today, Shanna draws on her rural roots to create sweet and wholesome romances brimming with hope, humor, quirky characters, realistic heroes, and women of strength.
When this award-winning author isn’t writing or baking, Shanna cherishes time at home in the Pacific Northwest with her beloved husband, affectionately known as Captain Cavedweller.
Connect with her on online:
Website: http://shannahatfield.com
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/shannasnewsletter
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/shanna-hatfield
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Thank you so, so much for hosting me today! I’m so grateful!
My pleasure!
Hello! Loved the books it was such a neat twist to history
I think we need a replica of this to purchase for ourselves.