About the Book

Book: Before the Dawn

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Release Date: February 10, 2026

A determined wife and a blind mining engineer—separated by fear, connected by love, and tested by darkness that threatens to tear them apart.

David Mackenzie was the most capable mining engineer in Colorado until a cave-in left him blind and filled with guilt over the deaths of his workers. Now he fears he’ll never be worthy of love or respect again. When his fiancée returns from nursing her sick aunt, he must find the courage to break their engagement before she wastes her life caring for a broken man.

Karen refuses to give up on the man she loves, but David has built a wall between them that grows higher with each passing day. When he tries to call off their engagement, she forces him into marriage through an unconventional lawsuit. Now she must find a way to break through his bitter shell and prove that her love hasn’t changed—before his fears and pride drive them apart forever and she loses not only the man she loves but also her chance at the family she’s always longed for.

When David’s cousin reveals a deadly secret about the cave-in, Karen and David find themselves trapped underground, forced to work together to survive. In the darkness, they must confront the fears that threaten to destroy them both. But even if they survive, can they find their way back to the love they once shared?

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Guest Review from Mindy

I am thoroughly enjoying going through Erica Vetsch’s backlist of shorter historicals set in America. I enjoyed meeting the Kennebrae brothers of Duluth, Minnesota in early 1900s and the McConnell brothers of Money Creek, Idaho in early 1880s. Now we’re in Martin City, Colorado in early 188os with the Mackenzie family. This was a bit of a different love story, with David and Karen already engaged but battling obstacles in their love. The helplessness and hopelessness and the anger and bitterness overwhelmed David in the aftermath of losing his sight and feeling the weight of his failures. His plight was easy to empathize with and I cheered him on every step of the way when he decided to step out of his self-pity and move forward in the life God wanted for him. Karen’s love for David was admirable and her steadfast character made her shine. I didn’t love his mother’s meddling but realized that it was needed to pull him out of the dark self-imposed pit. I learned quite a bit about the world of the blind in the late 1880s and how schools were set up to educate and equip the blind to integrate into the society.

If you enjoy heart-warming historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy this book. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

More from Erica

My story, Before the Dawn, is set in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. As a girl born and raised in Central Kansas, the first time I visited mountains, I was in awe…and also a little worried. Having grown up in a land where you can watch your dog run away for three straight days, not being able to see very far when in between mountains was a bit claustrophobic.

My children, growing up in SE Minnesota, had a similar experience. We were able to take the kids to Colorado several years ago, which is where I first became interested the history of Colorado Mining.

We took the kids to Idaho Springs, where we toured a mine and ore processing facility from the 1880’s. The Argo Mine was fascinating. When I ask my kids about what they remember, it’s always the panning for gold. My daughter reminded me that I was the first in the family to find any gold in my pan, a few little bright flakes, upon which many an adventurer has wagered his life.

The kids also got to sift through a box of sand and dirt to find colorful stones. As my son was enamored with agates and polished rocks at the time, this was the highlight for him.

When I wrote Before the Dawn, I tried to make the setting a character. The story is so tied to the setting, that if I changed where the story took place, it wouldn’t be the same story at all.

I hope, as you read Before the Dawn, you are drawn into the mountains, that you can feel a bit of the same sense of awe that I felt the first time this prairie girl saw the Rockies.