Contact: Deborah Heal, 618-939-1717

WATERLOO, Ill., Nov. 7, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Merrideth Randall's day job is teaching history at McKendree College. But after hours she turns to her first love, historical research. And she has a tool other historians can only dream of—a computer program that rewinds time. 

"Once Again: an inspirational novel of history, mystery & romance" tells the historical adventures of the earliest pioneer settlers of southern Illinois.

"Like all my novels, Once Again is an inspirational Christian romance with a combination of southern Illinois history and modern technology, Sci-fi melded with Christian historical. I like how one Amazon reviewer described my premise--Back to the Future with a little dash of Seventh Heaven thrown in," Heal said.

"With her characteristic energy and wit, Heal presents her story with a lively pace and engrossing details to make readers feel as if they have 'gone virtual' along with the program that brings history to life for Merri," said Laura Merleau-McGrady, author of "In Answer to the Sun's Prayers."

In Once Again, Professor Merrideth Randall's goal is to discover where Fort Piggot was located on the Kaskaskia Trail, while staying clear of her attractive, single colleague so as not to commit career suicide. Along the way, Merrideth gets a first-hand look at the lives of the courageous pioneers of the Illinois Country, who withstood Indian attacks, hardship, and loneliness to settle the rich land.

One of the settlers is James Garretson, who risks his life to take the Gospel to the very tribe that wreaked havoc on his family. Merrideth is amazed that he could forgive a crime so huge. Hero or fool, James Garretson is the ancestor of her colleague Brett, a physics professor at McKendree College.

With her findings, Merrideth is able to help Brett with his genealogy, but she can't tell him everything she learned—like that he inherited his black hair and green eyes from James Garretson, or that his aunt's poetry is eerily similar to the verse Garretson's wife Isabelle used to compose at her spinning wheel.

Visit the author's website to learn more about her books and the history behind them.

Once Again: an inspirational novel of history, mystery & romance (ISBN-13: 978-1503014824)is available on Amazon.com.