Craig Pennington

Explore the captivating world of historical fiction

The Moorheads

Dive into the thrilling adventures of the Moorhead series, Craig's maternal family, where history and fiction intertwine seamlessly, captivating readers with rich narratives and well-researched plots that transport you to another time.

West of the Alleghenies: A Story of Survival during the Revolutionary War

Silver Medal for Best Published Historical Fiction and 4th Place Best Published Book of the Year, Florida Writer's Association Royal Palm Literary Awards 2021

Driven by the promise of a new frontier, Fergus Moorhead, his beautiful young wife, Jane, and a small group of intrepid pioneers challenge the treacherous road across the Allegheny Mountains to the untamed wilderness of Western Pennsylvania.
Soon, their fragile world is ripped apart by the realities of war. Fergus is captured by Indians and forced on a nightmare journey that takes him from one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War to the hell of a British prison ship. Not knowing if her husband is dead or alive, Jane and her children must face the dangers and heartbreak of the frontier alone.
Based on a true story, West of the Alleghenies is the epic tale of one man's struggle to survive in a war-torn land and return to the woman he loves.

"I recommend this well-researched and stirring Revolutionary adventure."

— B.J. Sedlock, Historical Novel Society

The Heart of the Run

Gold Medal for Best Published Historical Fiction, Florida Writer's Association Royal Palm Literary Awards 2021

Fulfilling a once-abandoned dream, young Alexander Moorhead and his mother risk their lives on a perilous voyage to America in 1764. During the long months at sea, Alex reveals the extraordinary 100-year saga of the soldiers, smugglers, and scholars who came before him — Four generations of men and women who struggled to survive during the Civil Wars, witnessed the betrayal at Glencoe, thrived during the Scottish Enlightenment, suffered through Irish famine, and dreamed of a better world.
Based on the family history published by the author's great-great-grandfather in 1901, The Heart of the Run is an epic tale of five generations of courageous Scots who struggled against the wars, famines, and political upheavals that engulfed their lives.

"The characters are well-written, and I connected with them right away. Through the stories of this family, we are transported to important events in Scottish, English, and Irish history... The amount of history and knowledge contained in this book is impressive." — Bonnie Reads and Writes, Historical Novel Society

"Pennington expertly weaves fiction and history together to portray events during this terrible time in U.S. history. This is so much more than a mystery." — Historical Novel Society

Murder on the Underground Railroad:

A Historical Thriller

   During the winter of 1826, the quiet Western Pennsylvania town of Indiana is shocked by the gruesome murders of two runaway slaves. Newspaperman James Moorhead and Dr. Robert Mitchell investigate, uncovering a twisted connection to events thirty years earlier during the 1793 Philadelphia Yellow Fever epidemic.

   This historical thriller weaves together the formation of the Underground Railroad, the horrors of the epidemic, and the life of the author's 5X-Great Grandfather, one of Pennsylvania's most famous abolitionists.

"…a fast-paced thriller that breathes life into each historic character…and captures the look and feel of nineteenth-century Indiana County." — Jonathan Bogert, Director, Historical and Genealogical Society of Indiana County

"...when it comes to storytelling, Pennington delivers."

— James L. Nelson, author of The Norsemen Saga