Have you ever searched through reviews, trying to figure out if a book contained something you wanted to avoid? Or wondered if a book was appropriate for your child to read? I’ve been in that situation, so to help make things easier, here’s more information about content and themes that some readers might like a head’s up on.
Some book-specific information may involve slight spoilers, so I’ll also include general information here. None of my writing contains profanity or swearing, but I do use “bastard” in its historic meaning of an illegitimate child, some characters worry about being damned in a religious sense, and “hellish” occasionally appears as an adjective. I don’t write explicit sex scenes, but sometimes the kisses are passionate. I don’t consider the violence in my stories over-the-top, but nor do I sugarcoat warfare or other violence.
If you have a question about content that isn’t listed here, please send me a message through my contact page or via social media, and I’ll be happy to answer your questions and update this page.
Books are listed in alphabetical order by title. You can scroll through or click the shortcuts links below.
Before the Fortress Falls
Before the Fortress Falls
Language: None
Religion: General Christian themes.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Extended battle scenes. Wartime pillaging. Threat of pillage, with its associated rape and death. Combat with a variety of weapons including muskets, sabers, pikes, mining tools, cannon, and fists.
Other: Desecration of enemy bodies. Depiction of hospitals overcrowded with disease and battle casualties.
Deadly Alliance
Deadly Alliance
Language: None.
Religion: Light, general Christian themes.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence.
Other: A character’s backstory includes sexual assault.
Defiance
Defiance
Language: None.
Religion: General Christian themes. Protagonist is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence. Extensive battle scenes. Implied rape in a wartime setting. Abuse of war prisoners.
Espionage
Espionage
Language: None.
Religion: Christian themes specific to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence. Torture. Threat of sexual assault.
Heirs of Falcon Point
Heirs of Falcon Point
Language: None.
Religion: Light mention of a family’s belief in God.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Action violence, including fists, firearms, and knives. Murder and death.
Other: Characters in peril, including children. Car accident with pedestrian victims.
Of Daggers and Deception
Of Daggers and Deception
Language: None.
Religion: General Christian themes.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence, including use of swords and other weapons, with their associated wounds.
Other: Alcohol use (wine). Portrayal of a desecrated corpse.
Of Sword and Shadow
Of Sword and Shadow
Language: None.
Religion: General Christian themes.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence. Torture. Abuse related to slavery, including beatings, threat of sexual peril, and implied groping against a character’s will.
Other: Mention of sexually transmitted disease. Alcohol use (wine). Attempted seduction.
The Perfect Gift
The Perfect Gift
Squeaky clean.
The Redgrave Murders
The Redgrave Murders
Language: None.
Religion: Characters are people of faith.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Murders, action violence.
Other: A character has a backstory of childhood sexual abuse. A character faces racism.
The Rules in Rome
The Rules in Rome
Language: None.
Religion: Characters are people of faith.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence.
The Spider and the Sparrow
The Spider and the Sparrow
Language: None.
Religion: Light, general Christian themes.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence, battle scenes.
Sworn Enemy
Sworn Enemy
Language: None.
Religion: Christian themes specific to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence.
Wartime Christmas Tales
Wartime Christmas Tales
My short story, “The Christmas Spy,” is squeaky clean.
Language: A few of the other stories contain swearing and profanity.
Other: Alcohol use in some stories. One story includes light flirtation between two female characters.
A. L. Sowards 