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Elaine Cougler

Elaine’s award-winning historical novels are about the lives of settlers in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution. She used the backdrop of the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Rebellion of 1837 for page-turning fictional tales where the main characters face torn loyalties, danger, and personal conflicts.

Her Loyalist trilogy is comprised of The Loyalist’s Wife, The Loyalist’s Luck and The Loyalist Legacy. The prequel to this series is The Loyalist’s Daughter, where 14-year-old Lucinda Harper and her father witness the dumping of tea chests into Boston’s harbour, an act which precipitates the American Revolutionary War.

Elaine wrote a different kind of history in the creative non-fiction book about the last (at the time) surviving member of the Canadian Cancer Society team, Ronald G. Calhoun, who managed Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope in 1980. The Man Behind the Marathons: How Ron Calhoun Helped Terry Fox and Other Heroes Make Millions for Charity is a recipient of the Book Excellence Award and is an Amazon #1 Bestseller.

 

My Story, My Song tells the fascinating tale—sometimes sweet and sometimes not—of the eldest daughter in a family of thirteen children, nine boys and four girls, growing up in the fifties and sixties in rural Ontario. The memoir shows a close and caring society in the midst of a burgeoning post war economy, and the changing world that provided them all so much opportunity.

This author’s most recent publication is Canada: Brave New World, her anthology of stories from and about people who had to leave their home country and chose to come to Canada. Hear how their contributions make this country the vibrant and sought-after place to live that it is. (www.elainecougler.com for updates)

Elaine’s writing journey has led to speaking gigs, cruises, trips, and also to her giving workshops on a variety of writing related subjects. She says you learn a lot when you embrace your dreams.

She and her husband have two grown children.

Books

The Man Behind The Marathons

In today’s fast-paced and often difficult world heroes are sometimes hard to find. Ronald G. Calhoun helped Terry Fox and four others become heroes with their selfless giving of themselves. This is the behind-the-scenes story of how one man can make a difference that affects the whole world. In the process that man becomes a fascinating hero himself.

THE LOYALIST'S WIFE

When American colonists resort to war against Britain and her colonial attitudes, a young couple caught in the crossfire must find a way to survive. Pioneers in the wilds of New York State, John and Lucy face a bitter separation and the fear of losing everything, even their lives, when he joins Butler’s Rangers to fight for the King and leaves her to care for their isolated farm.

THE LOYALIST'S LUCK

When the revolutionary war turns in favor of the Americans, John and Lucy flee. They begin again in a badly supplied British outpost surrounded by endless trees. He is off on a secret mission for Colonel Butler leaving her behind once again. In the camp full of distrust and hunger, word seeps out that John has gone over to the Americans and only two people will associate with Lucy–her friend, Nellie, who delights in telling her all the current gossip, and Sergeant Crawford, who refuses to clear John’s name.

THE LOYALIST LEGACY

When the War of 1812 is finally over William and Catherine Garner flee the desolation of Niagara and find in the wild heart of Upper Canada their two hundred acres straddling the Thames River. On this valuable land, dense forests, wild beasts, disgruntled Natives, and pesky neighbors daily challenge them. The political atmosphere laced with greed and corruption threatens to undermine all of the new settler’s hopes and plans. William cannot take his family back to Niagara, but he longs to check on his parents from whom he has heard nothing for two years. Leaving Catherine and the children, he hurries along the Governor’s Road toward the turn-off to Fort Erie, hoping to return in time for spring planting.

THE LOYALIST'S DAUGHTER

Young Lucinda Harper and her father are taking a late-night walk on Boston’s Long Wharf when disguised men run past their hiding place, jump into small boats, and rush out to the Dartmouth anchored in the harbour. As the Harpers watch, the masked men scramble up its sides and begin throwing chests of tea into the water, a warlike act that escalates the conflict. The British forces occupying Boston and the new Continental Army harrying the British come to blows. All the while William struggles to solve his business problems and ensure his daughter’s future happiness. Tea becomes the least of their problems.

My Story, My Song

My Story, My Song tells the fascinating tale—sometimes sweet and sometimes not—of the eldest daughter in a family of thirteen children, nine boys and four girls, growing up in the fifties and sixties in rural Ontario. The one-room schoolhouse and the church on the hill with the huge steeple both affected the lives of all who lived in that Embro community. The memoir shows a close and caring society in the midst of a burgeoning post war economy, and the changing world that provided them all so much opportunity. Those changes wrought challenges for everyone.

CANADA: BRAVE NEW WORLD

‘Canada: Brave New World’ is a celebration of the resilience and strength of the human spirit, showcasing how individuals can overcome adversity and thrive in a new environment—a timely, uplifting message to lift readers’ spirits this Canada Day. The anthology, the seventh book by best-selling author Elaine Cougler, features the true stories of immigrants and their families who have made Canada their home.

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