Michelle Isenhoff

Ella Wood Trilogy

Civil War Historical Fiction
Women’s / Young Adult 

Nominated for a 2016 Cybils award (Blood Moon).

Ella Wood (book one)

Ella Wood cover 2

Will Emily forego love for a chance at independence?

As slavery pushes the nation toward civil war, Emily must battle her father in her own bid for freedom. She’s prepared to pay any price to escape the plantation and attend a northern university newly opened to women.

Meanwhile Thaddeus Black, her handsome and unwanted suitor, simply won’t take no for an answer. While her mind is willing to strike out alone, her heart stubbornly refuses to accept that a choice for independence must be a choice against love.

  • For a pictorial representation of many of the historical characters and places mentioned in Ella Wood, visit the Ella Wood Pinterest board.
  • Get a behind-the-scenes look at some of the fascinating research that went into Ella Wood.
Ella Wood is now FREE everywhere!

Blood Moon (book two)

Hope rises from ashes. And love can take root in the most stubborn of hearts.

Charleston lies in ruins and so, it seems, does Emily’s future. Now that her father has banished her from Ella Wood over her vocal disapproval of slavery, independence looks far more terrifying. And without her father’s pocketbook, her ability to fund her education is in question.

Then, when Emily makes it clear that she intends to pursue the university anyway, Thad’s hidden sentiments come to light. She’s forced to a decision. Will she choose the man she’s come to love or the art she’s always loved?

  • For a pictorial representation of many of the historical characters and places mentioned in Blood Moon, visit the Blood Moon Pinterest board.
  • Get a behind-the-scene look at some of the fascinating research that went into Blood Moon.

Ebb Tide (book three)

Ebb Tide cover

Will Emily find the courage to make one final bid for love and freedom?

When the Union navy fires on Charleston, Emily must flee to Ella Wood—and to a father who has never forgiven her for attending the Maryland Institute against his will. There, she grapples with Jack’s secret plans for the plantation and his final admonition that she carry them to fruition. But as a woman under the authority of her father, evoking even the slightest change may prove too much to hope for. In the meantime, old jealousies place Emily’s life in danger, and her desperate hope for Jovie’s return begins to fade. As the war rumbles to its conclusion, she must draw upon every ounce of courage in one final bid for love and freedom.

Ella Wood Novellas

Lizzie, Jack, Jovie…you’ve grown to love Ella Wood’s characters. Now get to know them better. This series of novellas will fill in additional details in the Ella Wood trilogy’s main story line. Experience Lizzie and Ketch’s escape north. Follow Jack into the Confederate army. And find out exactly what happened to Jovie after Gettysburg.

*To avoid spoilers within the original Ella Wood trilogy, Lizzie should be read anytime after book 1, Ella Wood. Jack should be read anytime after book two, Blood Moon. And Jovie should be read following book three, Ebb Tide.

Lizzie (book one)

Fleeing Ella Wood and haunted by her past…

Lizzie has made it aboard ship without anyone guessing her deception, but many miles still lie between South Carolina and freedom in Canada. With two small children to hide, she and Ketch will no longer have their former master’s daughter, Emily, nearby to protect them. They’ll need to rely on their wits, their strength, and each other.

Though Lizzie loves Ketch and longs to merge their two small families, she’s still haunted by that violent night at Ella Wood nearly a year before that resulted in the birth of her son. Will she be able to put that nightmare behind her? Will the North hold the peace, safety, freedom, and love she so desperately desires?

But before the steamer even leaves Charleston harbor, fire breaks out in the city, threatening the wharf and their carefully laid plans…

Jack (book two)

Outdoor portrait of a young man

Keeping secrets is a lonely business when they’re as dangerous as Jack’s.

For the better part of a decade, Jack has lived a double life. To all appearances, he’s the spoiled heir to one of Charleston’s wealthiest plantations. But his life would be forfeit and his family in jeopardy if anyone knew what he’d really been up to. He’d be shunned from polite society if anyone guessed his plans for Ella Wood. So he maintains his lonely façade, with no realistic hopes of marriage and only slaves to confide in.

When war comes to Charleston, Jack enlists in the South Carolina Infantry. But military service brings him into contact with a beautiful and unlikely confidante. Will his dreams for Ella Wood outlast the war? Will his new love?

Jovie (book three)

Alone in enemy territory, anonymity means the difference between life or death.

After taking a bullet at Gettysburg, a clever maneuver lands Jovie in a Northern hospital instead of a POW camp. Staying alive means remaining unidentified. But when a devastating amputation claims his leg, Jovie loses the will to live. His best friend died at Antietam a year ago, and the woman he’s loved since childhood has made it clear that she doesn’t return his affection. Why not just blurt out his secret and let it claim his life?

A chance encounter with a Confederate spy offers him new purpose, and the rush of their subterfuge distracts him from despair. But adrenalin is a poor substitute for hope. Despite her refusal, Jovie just can’t forget the woman he still loves. Will he find the courage to renew his pursuit despite his disfigurement? Will it be enough to bring him home?

In this game of chance, will he even live long enough for it to matter?

Boxed Sets

Ella Wood Boxed Set

Includes all three books in the Ella Wood series in one easy download.

Ella Wood Novellas Boxed Set

ellanovellas

Get all three Ella Wood novellas in one quick, easy download.

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