One year ago today, I launched my book, Threshold to Valley Forge: The Six Days of the Gulph Mills Encampment, at a wonderful speaking event at the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati in Washington, DC. It was so special to be surrounded by family and friends—old and new—and Revolutionary War history buffs as I embarked on this new venture of a deep dive into the Gulph Mills Encampment (GME), a pivotal microcosm of the Revolutionary War.
Since then, I have had a wonderful year of speaking to a great variety of other groups. You can see photos of theses events on my Photo Gallery, but I want to personally thank them here as well: King of Prussia Historical Society, Society for Military History, American Revolution Roundtable (AART) of Philadelphia, University of the District of Columbia Faculty Senate, AART of Northern Delaware AART of Southern Jersey, AART of New York, Pennsylvania Sons of the Revolution, the George Washington AART of the District of Columbia, Gulph Mills Encampment Memorial Rededication Ceremony of PA Sons of the Revolution, and Radnor Memorial Library/Radnor Historical Society.
I was nothing short of thrilled when I found out in March 2025 that my book won an award as a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Regional NonFiction Category. It was an honor to receive the award surrounded by many other inspirational authors who were published by independent, or small presses or who made their publishing dreams come true by self-publishing.
I ended 2025 with a moving, full-circle experience when I spoke at the Gulph Mills Encampment Monument Rededication Ceremony on December 16, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Society, Sons of the Revolution. As someone who grew up in Gulph Mills, it was great to see the monument moved back to where it used to be, close to the site of the Old Gulph Mill.
You can see more photos and a deep dive into the event in this post, Gulph Mills Monument Rededication Ceremony article, on my blog, https://sheilahvance.com.
And, I started 2026 with an engaging, welcoming, and interesting talk sponsored by the Radnor Memorial Library and the Radnor Historical Society. My next talk is March 28 for the Lehigh County Historical Society in Allentown, PA.
As I go into year two of my book and America250, I will be expanding the lens and analysis and looking at the Threshold to Valley Forge as an exercise in leadership with the Gulph Mills Encampment as a case study. I will be rolling out new speeches, documents, and other interesting things that will help people and, especially, organizations, higher education institutions, corporations, and law firms, look at their own thresholds and learn from the leadership lens of the GME. That means adding a layer to my analysis of General George Washington’s leadership, that of his generals and officers, the Continental Congress, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Ben Franklin and the American Commissioners in France seeking support for the Revolutionary War, and the other people who lived and led through their own thresholds.
So, again, thank you to everyone who invited me to speak last year and who came out to my talks. You gave me and my book priceless legitimacy and exposure. I will be happy to come back again this year to speak to your organizations through this new leadership lens. And, of course, anyone who would like me to speak to or work with your group in 2026 or beyond, please reach out to me at svanceauthor@gmail.com. You can see other upcoming events on my Upcoming Events page.
I’m looking forward to seeing you on the road!
P. S. I also must add that ten years ago in January, I released my other book on the Revolutionary War—the novel, Becoming Valley Forge, which won the Regional Fiction category in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards in 2016. This novel spans the Philadelphia Campaign from the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777 to the march out of Valley Forge on June 19, 1777 and the people who had to face this question—what happens when the war comes to your backyard? The book is still available in paperback and ebook on Amazon. See http://www.becomingvalleyforge.com.
So, I hope you’ll stay tuned to this ride into 2026, America’s 250th!
Peace—
Sheilah
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