Frank A. Mason's Journeyman: Heart of Tempered Steel won the coveted 2023 Gold Royal Palm Literary Award from the Florida Writers Association. The year is 1778, and the American Revolution has been raging for nearly three years. Will Yelverton, a 19-year-old master gunsmith with dreams of a life on the frontier, has been reluctantly pulled into the fight. All Will ever wanted was to marry his sweetheart, open a small gunshop serving the needs of fellow pioneers, raise a family, and live in peace. Now, the Revolutionary War has interceded to put Will’s dream out of reach, at least for now. Through a series of desperate actions, Will Yelverton has been thrust into a journey through war-torn Georgia. Will chances to meet Colonel Samuel Elbert, commander of the Continental Army forces in Georgia. Will’s travels introduce him to other famous Americans including Lt Colonel Francis Marion, the man who will later become the legendary Swamp Fox. Both Elbert and Marion influence Will to put his frontier dreams once again on hold. Will’s journeys in Georgia take him to battles in the marshes, swamps, and red clay hills of Georgia. Each fight makes Will a better leader but also takes him farther from his native North Carolina and the woman he loves. Will Yelverton needs a Heart of Tempered Steel to survive the battles that force him front and center into the cruel war for the future of the new American nation.