The Radiance of Grace Book Tour

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Book Details

Historical Novel / Literary

Date Published: October 22, 2025

Before the First Amendment, three courageous women helped shape its soul.

The Radiance of Grace is the powerful, true story of Mary Dyer, Katherine Scott, and Anne Hutchinson—three extraordinary women whose faith, friendship, and moral courage challenged the rigid Puritan authority of 17th-century New England.

More than 150 years before the American Constitution, these Boston women stood for freedom of religion, conscience, and speech, refusing to surrender their personal relationship with God to institutional control. Their activism—rooted in scripture, compassion, and community—sparked social and political reform at a time when women were expected to remain silent.

Leading Bible studies attended by more than 150 people each week, they became influential voices within their communities. When Puritan leadership responded with harassment, exile, and public punishment, the abuse meant to silence them instead strengthened their resolve. Their lives intertwined with men who admired them, men who despised them, and families who endured the cost of conviction.

Drawing from **extensive historical research—including journals, court records, letters, and firsthand accounts—**and woven together with informed imagination, Margaret Cotton brings these overlooked women vividly to life. Their story reveals the deepest roots of American liberty and challenges modern readers to consider:

What does it mean to live faithfully under unjust authority?
How far are we willing to go for freedom of conscience?
What is the personal cost of standing for truth?
I have crossed this neck of dry land without a glance. Today, I look around knowing I’ll remember
the smallest detail forever, I wait for her; so, do they. Ch 1
“Even as a young child, I felt set apart. I knew no home where I truly belonged. I was just contently
waiting for my story to begin.”
Chapter 9
Honestly, I do not know if they are all genuine memories of actual days or memories I created with
my childish, imaginative play. I imagined myself as Queen Marie. …I imagined that my attending
ladies took long walks with baskets of sweet kittens, danced in the gardens, released many colored
butterflies, and decorated their hair with countless shades of ribbons and exotic blossoms.” Ch. 9
“Finally, Rev. John Wilson cast me out to Satan and shouted that as a leper, I had been removed
from access to my Savior. I stood taller, looked them in their eyes, raised my chin, and defied their
shame. Then I felt Marie had come forward, stood next to me, and slipped her hand into mine. … I
confidently said, “ Better to be cast out of the church then to deny Christ.” Hand in hand, Marie and I
walked swiftly, confidently down the crowded aisle. Chapter 46
“You break God’s law to honor your Elders, those in authority over you,” Governor Winthrop
declared.
“I fear the Lord first, and my Elders when they do not.” Anne replied.
I would use various examples for specific audiences. This not just a historical romance… it has
diverse appeal, and I need to be strategic. I am counting on you being so also.

The Radiance of Grace is an intimate, inspiring historical narrative for readers of:

Women’s history
Early American and colonial history
Faith-based and Christian nonfiction
Social justice and religious freedom

Readers drawn to untold stories that shaped the foundation of America

These women were nearly erased from history—but their legacy still calls us to courage, purpose, and grace.

It is time to hear their true story.

Excerpt

I have crossed this neck of dry land without a glance. Today, I look around knowing I’ll remember
the smallest detail forever, I wait for her; so, do they. Ch 1
“Even as a young child, I felt set apart. I knew no home where I truly belonged. I was just contently
waiting for my story to begin.”
Chapter 9
Honestly, I do not know if they are all genuine memories of actual days or memories I created with
my childish, imaginative play. I imagined myself as Queen Marie. …I imagined that my attending
ladies took long walks with baskets of sweet kittens, danced in the gardens, released many colored
butterflies, and decorated their hair with countless shades of ribbons and exotic blossoms.” Ch. 9
“Finally, Rev. John Wilson cast me out to Satan and shouted that as a leper, I had been removed
from access to my Savior. I stood taller, looked them in their eyes, raised my chin, and defied their
shame. Then I felt Marie had come forward, stood next to me, and slipped her hand into mine. … I
confidently said, “ Better to be cast out of the church then to deny Christ.” Hand in hand, Marie and I
walked swiftly, confidently down the crowded aisle. Chapter 46
“You break God’s law to honor your Elders, those in authority over you,” Governor Winthrop
declared.
“I fear the Lord first, and my Elders when they do not.” Anne replied.
I would use various examples for specific audiences. This not just a historical romance… it has
diverse appeal, and I need to be strategic. I am counting on you being so also.

Virtual Book Tour – February 23 – March 20

February 23 – RABT Book Tours – Kick Off

February 24 – Books 1987 – Spotlight

February 25 – Deal Sharing Aunt – Excerpt

February 26 – Lisa’s Reading – Spotlight

February 27 – The Faerie Review – Spotlight

March 2 – My Bookmarked Reads – Spotlight

March 3 – Nana’s Book Reviews – Spotlight

March 4 – The Indie Express – Review

March 5 – Sarandipity’s – Excerpt*

March 6 – My Reading Addiction – Interview

March 9 – Liliyana Shadowlyn – Spotlight

March 10 – Texas Book Nook – Review

March 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – Spotlight

March 12 – Momma and Her Stories – Excerpt

March 13 – The Avid Reader – Interview

March 16 – Crossroad Reviews – Spotlight

March 17 – On a Reading Bender – Review

March 18 – Novel News Network – Review

March 19 – Tea Time and Books – Spotlight

March 20 – RABT Reviews – Wrap Up

Author Details

Margaret Cotton is an author and lifelong storyteller who writes books she longs to read—stories of compelling characters facing complex moral choices. The Radiance of Grace is her first historical narrative. It is an invitation for readers to engage with history, conscience, and transformation. Margaret describes her writing process as both surrender and gratitude—a deep immersion where research, imagination, doubt, and discovery converge until clarity emerges.

Her writing journey is rooted in both scholarship and wonder. A recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant for Independent Study, Margaret spent years researching female faith activism in 17th-century New England—a topic that would eventually become The Radiance of Grace. Although she attempted the story earlier, she paused for two decades, trusting that the time was not yet right.

Her confidence grew during the writing of her first book, Raised!, a true miracle memoir that revealed an uncanny alignment between informed imagination and the creative flow of unexpected truth. With advice from a seasoned New York editor and an evolving sense of purpose, Margaret subsequently returned to this historical work—where, she says, “The story finally developed as it was meant to be told and at the right time.”

Margaret Cotton was a featured presenter at reading and writing workshops, professional conferences, and continuing education events in multiple states and Central America. Her copyrighted educational materials emphasize the value of a cognitive conversation between the writing and comprehension processes for middle grade students. She is equally comfortable speaking to book clubs and historical societies.

As a Certified Professional Photographer (PPA), Margaret photographed more than 250 weddings, including international venues—an experience that deepened her understanding of human connection, resilience, and the deep longing for story within all cultures. She lives with her husband of over fifty years, is the mother of two, grandmother of seven, and believes that curiosity, faith, and purpose only deepen with time.