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 or intimacy is implied between a married couple. 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: None.
Religion: Light, general Christian themes.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence. Murder and mention of genocide.
Other: A character’s backstory includes sexual assault. Some supporting characters smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol.
Defiance
Defiance
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: 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
Swearing/profanity: None.
Religion: Characters are people of faith.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence. Murder and mention of off-page mass executions.
The Spider and the Sparrow
The Spider and the Sparrow
Swearing/profanity: None.
Religion: Light, general Christian themes.
Romance: Passionate kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence, battle scenes.
Sworn Enemy
Sworn Enemy
Swearing/profanity: None.
Religion: Christian themes specific to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Romance: Kissing.
Violence: Wartime and action violence.
A Waltz with Traitors
A Waltz with Traitors
Swearing/profanity: None.
Religion: General Christian themes.
Romance: Kissing, implied intimacy between married couples.
Violence: Wartime and action violence, including battle scenes. On-page attempted sexual assault. Off-page sexual assault.
Other: War injuries, childbirth, miscarriage.
Wartime Christmas Tales
Wartime Christmas Tales
My short story, “The Christmas Spy,” is squeaky clean.
Swearing/profanity: 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 