Friday, JUNE 19, 2026
INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST for READERS OF SAVING MARIETTA BOOK 1
Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom, Book 1 released in February as the first book in my new historical romance series set in early America when the soon-to-be-a-state Ohio was THE frontier. Untamed, expansive, and dangerous, military officers from the American Revolution were awarded free land in the wilderness to live and populate…and sell. The first known settlement in The Northwest Territory was Marietta when 88 pioneers floated down the Ohio River dodging ice chunks and high water to establish this settlement. True, there was already a military base called Fort Harmar located at the point where the Ohio welcomes the Muskingum River, but no real commerce or civilization until a group of retired soldiers formed The Ohio Company with grand plans to settle the wild frontier.
My series titled Saving Marietta follows three women I imagined could have been among the industrious and brave gals who wanted the freedom to follow their dreams. Desires that set them in contrast to what the system expected women of the period to pursue. Doctor, tavern owner, and legislator were among the careers that put up resistance to women. My gals, Molly, Vina, and Sarah Jane meet in the first book then the series follows them individually as they refuse to back down or throw in the towel once they arrive in Marietta. Along the way they encounter bigger problems like being captured by Indians, the beginnings of the underground railroad, and political backroom deals. It’s about gender, economic growing pains, and prejudice in a time when I believe women played a huge role in the development of America.
I did a ton of research. That’s perfectly fine because I enjoy doing research. It helps me include details of everyday life as I try to give readers an authentic look into what living in the past was like. And hope that a reader will come away with an appreciation for what was then and what is today. To give you an idea of the research I did for the book, I created an internet scavenger hunt contest that will guide you through some of the steps I took to arrive at the plot. The scavenger hunt will explain the motivating factor that inspired the storyline and motivated the actions of one of the main characters.
THE INTERNET SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST-SAVING MARIETTA BOOK 1
Instructions: Open the link to the Google doc. Answer the questions in the doc then hit Submit at the bottom to be entered into a drawing to win a bookmark, signed bookplate to put into your print copy of Saving Marietta, and a custom-made embellished paperclip. The instructions and details are in the Google doc.
Google doc link:
https://forms.gle/STwDp149ym8GXvxm6
Have fun and good luck!
Write on!
~Joy
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JOY E. HELD is a busy author, educator, editor, book coach, entrepreneur, and literary citizen responsible for this site and its contents. She is the author of
Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2020)
Writer Wellness Workbook: A Guided Workbook and Journal to Accompany Writer Wellness: A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity (Headline Books, Inc., 2023)
The Mermaid Riot (Fire and Ice YA, 2024) Young Adult Historical Fantasy
Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom (Headline Books, Inc., 2026) Adult Historical Romance
She is the winner of multiple writing and book awards:
West Virginia Writers, Inc. Annual Writing Contest, Honorable Mention, Novel, 1998.
New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention, Writer Wellness, 2020.
Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Finalist, Writer Wellness, 2021.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, Member of the Year, 2020.
Northeast Ohio Romance Writers of America, First Book Award, 2020.
She is an adjunct faculty member in the Southern New Hampshire University Online MFA Creative Writing.
She is a proud graduate of Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA with an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.
She is a member of The Authors Guild and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Joy is the founder and CEO of My WRITEDAY Subscription Box for writers and readers.