Michelle Shocklee is the author of several historical novels including COUNT THE NIGHTS BY STARS, winner of the 2023 Christianity Today Book Award in Fiction, and UNDER THE TULIP TREE, a Christy Award & Selah Award finalist. As a woman of mixed heritage—her father's family is Hispanic and her mother's roots go back to Germany—she has always celebrated diversity and feels it's important to see the world through the eyes of one another. Learning from the past and changing the future is why she writes historical fiction. With both her sons grown, Michelle and her husband make their home in Tennessee, not far from the historical sites she writes about. Click the "Influences" link in Michelle's profile to read more about why the theme of forgiveness is important, even in fiction. You may also be interested in the non-fiction and greatly inspiring modern-day story of an unlikely friendship between two women—one black and one white—whose connection goes back to the days of slavery. Cousins is available at: https://www.amazon.com/Cousins-Connec....