GOLD MEDAL WINNER for BEST PUBLISHED HISTORICAL FICTION!
Florida Writer's Association 2022 Royal Palm Literary Award Competition

"... a well-written novel full of suspense, heartache, romance, and intrigue. Readers will be swept away..." Historical Novel Society

Scotland and Ireland in the 17th and 18th Centuries
— an age of unrelenting civil wars, religious conflicts, natural disasters, and treachery at the highest level

Fulfilling a once-abandoned dream, young Alexander Moorhead and his mother risk their lives on a perilous voyage to America in 1764. During the long months at sea, Alex is befriended by Mary Morrow, a free-spirited girl who will change his life forever. Recognizing his deeply hidden pain, Mary eventually convinces Alex to tell his family's history during their many evenings together.

Beginning in 1649 with his great-great-grandfather, the fierce warrior John James Muirhead, Alex reveals the extraordinary 100-year saga of the soldiers, smugglers, and scholars who came before him — Four generations of men and women who struggled to survive during the Civil Wars, witnessed the betrayal at Glencoe, thrived during the Scottish Enlightenment, suffered through Irish famine, and dreamed of a better world.

Then, as the crew fights to save the ship during a violent hurricane and Mary is ravaged by disease, Alex must summon the courage shown by his ancestors to protect those he loves and fulfill his family's destiny.

Based on the family history published by the author's great-great-grandfather in 1901, The Heart of the Run is an epic tale of five generations of courageous Scots who struggled against the wars, famines, and political upheavals that engulfed their lives.

"While we are learning so much, we are also experiencing a well-written novel full of suspense, heartache, romance, and intrigue. Readers will be swept away to other times and places by these stories within a story. Those interested in European history will enjoy this captivating novel." - Historical Novel Society Reviews
"The book's a winner." – David Linzee, author of the Renata Radleigh Mysteries
"A great companion piece to West of the Alleghenies" – Richard Kirkpatrick, author of 'Fergus Moorhead, Pioneer''