Ann Nolder Heinz
Ann Nolder Heinz holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Washington with a major in Sociology. When she is not writing, she works as the office manager of her husband’s civil engineering and surveying firm. They reside in East Dundee, Illinois where several “depots” on the Underground Railroad were said to have been located.
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Last Stop Freedom
Historical Fiction
Julia Bigsby is the repressed daughter of a widowed parson in 1850's Troy, New York. Desperate to escape her dreary life, she agrees to marry Nathaniel Hamilton, who owns a cotton plantation in South Carolina. She soon finds herself a virtual prisoner in a life she increasingly abhors. The only bright spot is her growing affection for her slave maid Fanny. When Nathaniel’s lust for Fanny leads to family chaos, he prepares to sell her away. Agents of the Underground Railroad help Fanny plan her escape to freedom. Julia cannot bear to remain behind, and she decides to flee as well. Thus begins a harrowing journey that tests the ingenuity and resolve of both women. Sample Last Stop Freedom Reader Reviews |
Refiner's Fire
Historical Fiction
Lizzie Hamilton’s life as a pampered belle in the antebellum South is over. Alone and destitute due to the disintegration of her family’s fortunes, she makes the mistake of trusting a handsome but unprincipled professional gambler whose silver-tongued promises lead only to disgrace and virtual servitude. Danger and misfortune stalk her as she travels from Charleston, South Carolina to the gambling dens of New Orleans, up the Mississippi River, and across the broad prairies to the gold fields of California. Will her experiences drive her to bitterness and despair? Or will they change her heart—and open it to the love and redemption she craves. Sample Refiner's Fire Reader Review |
A Light Within
Historical Fiction
Two people, twins by birth, are destined for the medical profession in 1859 America, one motivated by expectation, the other by passion. Carl Fielding is acquiescing to his physician father’s bidding even though his heart and talents pull him toward the arts. Cora Fielding longs to attend medical school despite a cultural bias against people of her gender. Her fight for the freedom to fulfill her dream is in direct opposition to the destructive behavior in which Carl’s frustrated talent leads him. Although they seem to be on irreconcilable courses—Cora’s experiences in medical school lead her to join the abolitionist movement against slavery, Carl’s discontentment plunges him into acts that land him in the criminal court system—Cora is determined to use all of her resources to heal their natal bond and help her brother find the same inner light of fulfillment that she is forging in her own life. Sample A Light Within Reader's Review of A Light Within |
Wilt Thou Be Mine
Psychological Suspense
Nora Hartmann is struggling to cope with life as a recent widow, a single parent, and a small business owner. The last thing she needs is the unwanted attentions of her neighbor Rudy. As Rudy’s interest deepens into obsession, those close to Nora, including her new lover, begin to suffer—and die. Nora realizes Rudy has become a dangerous predator, but the authorities refuse to take her seriously. Meanwhile, her continued unequivocal rejection triggers Rudy’s final descent into madness. He reasons that if he cannot possess her in this life, he will settle for the eternal bonds of the next. He sets his trap, using Nora's daughter as bait. Cornered, Nora must summon an arsenal of ingenuity, courage, and fierce resolve to fight for her own life and that of her child. Sample Wilt Thou Be Mine |
Final Victim
Psychological Suspense
Dr. Abigail Potter has come home to take over her dying father’s medical practice. When her estranged sister Rona Lee unexpectedly reappears, Abigail is brought face to face with the cunning ruthlessness and dark secrets that drove her away twelve years before. The struggle between the sisters turns ugly. Then Abigail discovers Rona Lee’s butchered body and realizes she is the primary suspect. In a race against time, she must plumb Rona Lee’s murky past to clear herself and stop the killer before she herself becomes the final victim. Sample Final Victim |
Free Fall
Psychological Suspense
Best-selling author Leslie Anne Galloway leads the perfect life — until it inexplicably begins to fall apart. Her husband dies. Her pregnancy fails. Her career tanks. Unfortunate coincidence? Or is some unknown enemy working to engineer her downfall? All doubt disappears when an arsonist sets fire to her house and she narrowly escapes two brutal assaults. Since the police are unable to protect her, she must use her own intellect and determination to unmask and thwart an opponent who will not stop until she is brought to the very brink of destruction — and beyond. Sample Free Fall |
Extreme Influence
Psychological Suspense
Divorced civil engineer Hannah McPherson is making a new life for herself in a small Illinois town where she has been appointed as village engineer. She manages to stay aloof from local politics until a sinister cabal begins to meddle in the decision to bring a controversial entertainment complex to the village. As dissension mounts, murder and mayhem stalk the little town with Hannah at the center of it all. She must use her unique knowledge and skills to thwart a conspiracy that imperils not only her own life but everything and everyone she holds dear. Sample Extreme Influence |