Good morning, Eliza! It’s so good to have you here in Character Cafe. Oh my goodness, from the first page of your story, I felt like we had so much in common. Like you, I spent a large portion of my childhood exploring forests and allocating names to boulders. My brothers and I had a whole wild western town represented by boulders, plus a castle and a split rock that was our schoolhouse. Then, like you, I had a little dog — Copper was a hound dog and chihuahua mix. One difference — we had a love/hate relationship, whereas your little buddy seemed to be your best friend.

Was Copper your fierce protector like my Merrylad is mine?

Oh yes. Copper had a very big attitude in a tiny body, and he had his own sense of what might be a danger to us — from wood chucks twice his size to fighter planes flying over our house. But you probably have no idea what a fighter plane is.

No, I’ve never thought of flatlands flying. [Looks bewildered]

[Chuckles] Well, let’s change the subject since you live in 1812 ,and it will be at least half a century before the planes I’m speaking of are invented. Your opening scene certainly is intense. I cannot believe you had never seen a human face besides your “father’s” until the moment there is a man chasing you through the woods.

Felton Northwood. And when he took me on his horse, leaving Merrylad behind, I had never been so afraid or heartbroken. Being kidnapped was worse than all the nightmares that would wake me up screaming until Captain would come and frame my face with his hands and whisper, “Hush, love. Ye’re only dreaming again, see?”

I was so surprised when Felton asked you if you remembered him, and then said you’d talk more when you arrived at Weltworth. It sounded like a fancy home. I wondered if he were your long lost brother or something. That maybe he had just discovered where you’d been hidden by Captain after being kidnapped years prior.

You were partially right. Felton is definitely not my brother and Weltworth is only a village, but you could say I was kidnapped. Though I cannot imagine Captain as a kidnapper. He loved and protected me. He comforted me during each and every nightmare over the years. When Felton told me he was taking me to Monbury Manor to meet my father, Lord Gillingham… I was fiercely glad that his hand was swollen and bloody from Merrylad’s bites. That certainly seemed too incredible to be believable.

I don’t want to give too much away since readers DO NOT like spoilers. I’ll leave it for them to discover why Felton is so intent on bringing you back to Monbury Manor — for them to see what your new life was like and to have their hearts race at the unexpected dangers you will face.

The readers will be grateful, I am certain. May I have some tea and something to break my fast? I refused the bread that Felton offered me as he was bringing me to the manor so…

[Laughs] I just heard your stomach growl. Of course, I’d love to offer you a tea and a treat that represents your novel. Hmm. You know, prior to your novel, I’d never heard of Caudle.

Oh yes, I used Mrs. Eustace’s recipe to help nurse Minney back to health. It contains cream, ale, honey, butter, cinnamon, egg yolk, and some ginger, if I remember correctly.

I read that at times oatmeal was added to the mix to give more nourishment to the weak. Well, we have a cake with many of the same ingredients. It’s simply called Oatmeal Cake https://ansonmills.com/recipes/426

Oatmeal Cake

That sounds delicious, and I could use something nourishing and comforting with my life being in danger right now.

Yes, you poor dear. Though, I’m sure it will all turn out just fine in the end. Now, let me think of the perfect tea… Oh my goodness, yes! Forest Floor Herbal Tea goes perfectly with your novel’s title. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1564379480/ I found it on Etsy, and the ingredients work together beautifully to give a wild, woodsy taste. It’s meant to be an autumn tea, but I would drink it all year round.

Both sound delicious. Thank you for inviting me to your cafe.

Thank you, Eliza. Readers, you are going to find The Girl from the Hidden Forest quite fast-paced. It’s got a gothic tone to it, but Hannah Linder’s lyrical prose shines through. Her phrasing is just gorgeous, and you will feel torn between stopping to reread a lovely phrase or moving on to see what will happen next. Here’s more about the novel:

Eliza Ellis has stayed hidden in Balfour Forest for as long as she can remember. Perhaps her only friends are the trees, or her little dog, or her story-telling father called Captain. But at least she is safe from the cruel world outside, a world Captain has warned her against and protected her from.

That is, until a handsome stranger named Felton Northwood invades her quiet forest and steals her away. Why does he tell such lies? Why does he insist that her name is Miss Eliza Gillingham, daughter of a viscount, who disappeared fourteen years ago after the murder of her own mother? A murder Eliza is said to have witnessed.

When Felton returns Eliza to Monbury Manor and reunites her with a man who is told to be her father, all she remembers are the strange nightmares that have plagued her since childhood. Why have they suddenly grown worse? Are the answers hidden inside her own mind?

As danger mounts and lethal attempts are made on her life, Eliza and Felton must work together to uncover the identity of a killer who has stayed silent for fourteen years. When she finally uncovers the horrendous memories trapped in her mind, will divulging the truth cost her the man she loves—and both of their lives?

About the Author

Hannah Linder resides in the beautiful mountains of central West Virginia. Represented by Books & Such, she writes Regency romantic suspense novels filled with passion, secrets, and danger. She is a four-time Selah Award winner, a 2023 Carol Award semi-finalist, a 2023 Angel Book Award third place winner, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Also, Hannah is an international and multi-award-winning graphic designer who specializes in professional book cover design. She designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors, including New York Times, USA Today, and international bestsellers. She is also a self-portrait photographer of historical fashion. When Hannah is not writing, she enjoys playing her instruments—piano, guitar, ukulele, and banjolele—songwriting, painting still life, walking in the rain, square dancing, and sitting on the front porch of her 1800s farmhouse.