A Brand New Cover

Just wanted to show off my brand new cover for my Civil War romance, Confederate Rose, just contracted by The Wild Rose Press.

Isn't it gorgeous?

Here's the blurb:

Disguised as a man to serve with her husband as a soldier in the Confederate Army, Irish immigrant, Katie Rose O'Reilly, vows to remain in the ranks and seek revenge on Yankees after her husband is killed at Sharpsburg. As she's transporting mail from Richmond back to camp, a stranger startles her, causing her to fall and almost drown in a swollen stream.

Southerner Alexander Hart, a Yankee spy, saves Katie from drowning, then nurses her through a resulting fever. He must keep his identity secret from the beautiful Rebel soldier even as he finds himself falling in love with her.

Katie falls in love with the caring gentlemen stranger, only to later discover he's the enemy. Heartbroken, she turns him in to the Confederates, but then questions her goals and beliefs. Is it possible to put aside her quest for revenge to save the man she loves?

Battle of Gettysburg

Today is July 2nd. In the year 1863, one of the bloodiest battles lasting three days was happening in the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

The battle began on July 1st and ended on July 3rd with a Union victory. Before this battle, the Confederate Army had been winning most of the battles, likely why they tried to go so far north.

It's hard to imagine how it must have felt for the inhabitants of that sleepy Pennsylvania town. The closest the war had come to them had been the battle of Antietam at Sharpsburg, Maryland.

I've visited Gettysburg and heard the story of Jenny Wade, the only civilian killed in that battle. And the site where General Reynolds was taken after he'd been shot on the battlefield. Ghost stories abound of the many who died during those three days. There are also stories of the horrors the townspeople witnessed and how they rallied to try to nurse wounded and bury so many dead. Just the sounds of shelling and horrible smells had to be terrible.

Gettysburg is a fascinating site with loads of history. It's a place I like to visit again and again.

Decoration Day

This will just be a short blog. I'm having major problems with my computer, so I'm forced to share my husband's for the duration. But I wanted to touch on the origins of today's American holiday, Memorial Day.

It was originally called Decoration Day and, although there are many stories of its actual start, the American Civil War seems to have spurred on the tradition of honoring war dead.

During the Victorian era, at least in America, visiting the graves of loved one's was a popular activity and they decorated those graves. Thus the name Decoration Day.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868. Flowers were laid on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery.

By 1890 all of the northern states recognized Memorial Day, but the South refused to acknowledge it, and honored their war dead on alternate days until after the first World War, when the holiday changed to honoring all war dead, rather than just those who fought in the Civil War.

So, take a few moments today to reflect on all the men and women who've fought for our country and say thanks.

http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nyseneca/memorial.htm

http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/memorial.htm

My Civil War Weekend

I spent last weekend in the 1860s in a Civil War camp. In reality, it was the 28th Pennsylvania's annual Civil War reenactment at Neshaminy State Park just north of Philadelphia, PA.

The biggest challenge after not doing any reenactments for nearly a year was finding all my reenacting stuff. But being the super organized person that I am, I was able to locate all my dresses, underthings, shawls, wool cape, bonnets, hairnets and other essential things in a hurry. Meanwhile, my husband was going around the house saying, "Have you seen my brogans?"

Not only did I have all my stuff ready and packed by Thur day night, but I even baked a batch of muffins to take with.

We got to the campsite late Friday morning to set up our camp. The worst part was loading and unloading the truck. We have a large A-tent, a tarp we use as a canopy, and long wooden poles for both. Also wooden tables and chairs, a cast iron grill we set up for cooking over the firepit, buckets, a wooden box full of dishes, cast iron pans, utensils and other camp stuff, and two cots.

We also have to bring modern things that we hide in the tent, like a large plastic container to keep food in and the all essential cooler, as well as a modern sleeping bag for me. My husband, trooper that he is, just rolls up in a bunch of wool blankets.

Once our camp was set up, we went home so my husband could attend his bowling tournament. Modern life always seems to intervene. We went back early Saturday morning, changed into our reenactor clothes and started living life in a Civil War camp.

Our youngest son came out for the day to play soldier, as well as my husband's brother and nephew. I wore my hoop dress and best bonnet to go watch the battle and support all my men.

When I came back I wanted to change into another shorter day dress, so I could take off the hoop, and to my horror realized I'd forgotten to wear my under petticoat for modesty. So, every time I shifted my hoop, everyone got a view of my ankles, calves and the hem of my drawers. Oh my!

Once the sun went down it got downright chilly. But there was plenty of wood, so my husband built a bonfire to warm us up and hung two candle lanterns in the tent to take the chill off. I brought a warm, cuddly pair of jammies. I kept my cotton chemise on, though, a trick I learned from another reenactor. When you get up in the morning in a very cold tent, you not only have a head start on getting dressed, but you have a nice, warm chemise against your skin. My husband also made sure I had a winter weight sleeping bag to curl into. I snuggled inside and threw it over my head and stayed nice and warm despite the cold temps outside.

It rained overnight, but stopped just about the time we had to get up. When I stuck my nose out of the sleeping bag, I couldn't believe how cold it was in that tent. I pulled on my scruffy camp dress and apron to start the day. Because of the rain, morning camp events were cancelled, so we had a nice leisurely breakfast of bacon and eggs cooked over an open campfire. Yum!

I decided to change back into my 21st century clothing before the afternoon battle, so we could get packed up and home quicker. Of course, when I got undressed, I realized I'd forgotten to wear that petticoat again. Must be a mental block. I also didn't wear my corset, but that was on purpose. I'd had enough of that on Saturday.

I packed up all my clothing and gear except for what we needed for lunch. After the men formed up, I went with my husband's sister-in-law and his two nieces and a few of their friends to watch our men fight it out again.

We had a lot of fun and caught up with reenactor friends we hadn't seen in a long while. But, as always, it felt good to get home and into the shower. Although a weekend in Civil War camp is great, I wouldn't want to live there.

Today's the Day!

Release day! The day I've long been waiting for ... The Wild Rose Press released my short vampire romance story, Eternity Waits.

Here's an excerpt that I hope whets your appetite.

Alexandra Ivanov gazed with longing at the tall, manly soldier before her. His musky, masculine scent caused her to shiver with desire. Sandy-colored hair fell in waves on both sides of his tanned face. Alexandra had spied him on her forays through the outskirts of the army camp. Each time she'd seen him, he'd been alone, but she'd waited until tonight to approach him.

Since the war began, she'd not lacked for fresh blood. These lonely, young soldiers, so far from home, were all too willing to allow a strange, loose woman to wrap her arms around them. The army blamed the deaths on a vicious, nocturnal animal roaming the woods at night.

But this man carried the essence of her long lost love. Alexandra felt drawn to him, like to no other. Centuries ago, she'd lost the one and only man she'd ever truly loved.

She moved closer to the soldier, his long, lean-muscled form not unlike Dimitri's. He gulped, but lowered his rifle and didn't back away.

"Why are you here?" He clawed absently at his collar while his gaze locked on hers.

Heat swept through her at the sight of his throbbing pulse. Although hungry, she wouldn't take too much from him. She didn't want to kill him. Yet.

For more info on Eternity Waits click here.

Another Book Cover

Thought I'd show off my latest book cover. This is for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel.

This story features the Victorian hair brooch described in my last post as the catalyst that transports the heroine back through time. The brooch contains a lock of the hero's hair.

This story will also be a release from The Wild Rose Press.

Victorian Hair Jewelry

The Victorian period was a very sentimental time. This was evidenced in the popularity of jewelry made from human hair. Often, upon a loved one's death, a lock of the deceased's hair was taken and preserved by being chemically treated. The braided or woven lock was then set in a metal frame.

The American Civil War increased the popularity of this type of jewelry. A soldier going off to war could have a lock of his hair woven into a brooch or other piece of jewelry for his wife or sweetheart, so she could keep a part of him with her. Likewise, a woman could send a piece of her hair off with her husband or beau.

Beside brooches, hair was woven into rings, watch chains, necklaces, fobs or charms.

"Hair was boiled in soda water, then sorted by lengths and divided into working groups of about 20-30 strands. Palette work was done on an artist's palette... When the piece was finished it was sent to a jewelers for mounting." The Citizen's Companion, August 2006, p. 54.

'Godey's Ladies Book' and 'Peterson's Magazine' ran ads for hair jewelry.

Sources: Who Wore What? Women's Wear 1861-1865 by Juanita Leisch
'Jewelry: What should a Reenactor Know?' by Anita Lauramore, The Citizen's Companion, August 2006. p. 54

Here are some links where you can view photos of Victorian hair jewelry:

http://www.morbidoutlook.com/fashion/historical/2001_03_victorianmourn.html
http://www.morninggloryantiques.com/JewelChatVictJwl.html
http://victorianhairartists.com/HairworkTechniques.html

Perseverance Pays Off

I'm happy to announce I just got a contract for my Civil War time travel romance, Erin's Rebel, from The Wild Rose Press.

When I looked over my submission file for this manuscript, I realized I'd been sending it out for five years and getting nothing but rejections.

I actually wrote this story before joining RWA. This was the first novel I'd written entirely on my own. With my YA novel, I was in a writer's workshop with two published authors looking over my shoulder every step of the way. After I joined RWA, I started submitting ER, and was also entering it in RWA chapter contests as well as taking workshops. What I found was that the story and characters had problems. By this time, I'd starting work on another Civil War romance, Katie Rose. I thought maybe I should put Erin's Rebel aside and finish KR, but I couldn't get my mind off how to fix ER.

Since Erin's Rebel is the book of my heart and my biggest wish was for it to be published so everyone would have a chance to read it, I decided, whatever it took, I had to fix it to make it publishable. I went back to plot level, and taking what I'd learned in my workshops, I started from scratch with both character motivation and plot development coming up with a new and better version of the story. I then realized half the manuscript had to go, it no longer fit the new plot. I also had to move chapters around and write a lot of new material. My critique partners, all members of this blog, were a great help in getting my characters and those opening chapters right. After completing the revision, I submitted a partial to one publisher and got a request for the full. But in the end they didn't want it.

After yet another rejection, I decided to submit to The Wild Rose Press because I thought a small e-publisher might be the place for this story. With a lot of the bigger publishers, your story might be great, but if they feel they can't market it, because of the time period or setting, they'll pass on it without giving you a reason.

And The Wild Rose Press wants Civil War. Most publishers seem to shy away from it. The important thing is, this story will finally have the chance to be read by lots of readers and won't languish in my desk drawer. That's all I can ask.

At long last, my story's found a home.

Brother Against Brother

The preceding blogs about genealogy on this site got me thinking how little I know about my own family's roots. But several years ago, my huband did a search of his family to try to find an ancestor who'd fought during the American Civil War on the Union side and came up with very interesting information.

It all started about 12 years ago when my family visited Gettysburg, where we met a few Civil War reenactors. My husband was fascinated and set about finding a reenacting group he could join. He toyed with joining his co-worker's Confederate group based in New Jersey, but didn't want to go that far for meetings. He continued his search and found a local Union group, the 28th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment.

One of the requirements for male members of the group was to join the Sons of Union Veterans. Although members didn't have to have an ancestor who actually fought for the Union, it certainly was a perk. I think he got a special ribbon to wear.

My husband started research and found two uncles who'd fought for the Confederacy.

Wrong side. No perks there.

Besides, these Confederate soldiers weren't direct ancestors anyway. Continuing his research, he found Samuel Joseph Macateee, who not only fought for the Union, but was a direct ancestor. Ironically, Samuel was the younger brother of the two uncles who'd fought for the Confederacy.

He was sixteen when the Civil War broke out and living in Maryland with his family. After his older brothers joined the Confederate Army, his parents sent him north to York, Pennsylvania to live with an aunt, to keep him out of the war. Toward the end of the war, he joined the Union Army as part of Hampton's Battery.

So, while the American Civil War was said to have been a war of brother against brother, in my huband's family, it turned out to be the literal truth.

Weapons of the American Civil War

The American Civil War, like other wars both before and after, was responsible for a leap in technology regarding advances in weapons and military tactics in the space of a few years.

In the first years of the war, the generals used the same battlefield tactics as was used in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, when the smoothbore musket was the only weapon available. Fired at 100 yards, these muskets didn't inflict much damage on troops.

Early Civil War troops were massed together in a frontal attack just as in earlier times. The old smoothbore musket still in use necessitated such tactics. Unfortunately, as the war progressed, so did the deadliness of weapons. The . . . "Civil War musket was rifled . . . It completely changed the conditions under which soldiers fought." http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarweapons.htm

Troops in a Napoleonic style charge could now be killed at a distance of half a mile. The new technology made the military formations of the past out of date and greatly increased casualties. But it took Civil War generals a long time to change
tactics to match the advanced weaponry of the times.

Small arms carried by soldiers included muskets, rifles, carbines (short barrel rifles), and handguns, that included pistols and revolvers. The principal small arms of both sides were the .58 caliber Springfield musket and .69 caliber Harpers Ferry Rifle. They were muzzle loading arms that fired the minie ball.

Revolvers were used by both sides. The most common were the 1860 Colt Revolver and 1851 Navy. "The Remington New Model and the Starr Army Percussion revolvers were also purchased in large numbers by both sides." http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarweapons.htm

The development of the rifle bullet known as the minie ball revolutionized warfare. It caused high numbers of deaths making the American Civil War one of the bloodiest wars.

"In 1848 . . . French Army Captain Claude F. Minie created a smaller, hollow-based bullet that could far more quickly and easily be rammed into the bore, expanding when the weapon was fired to catch in the rifling and be shot spinning out of the barrel. That spin made the minie ball . . ." http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarweapons.htm

Artillery also went through a technological transformation, beginning in 1861 with pre-Mexican War smoothbores not much different than those used in the American Revolution and ending in 1865 with the Gatling Gun, a precurser to the modern machine gun. http://www.civilwarhome.com/artillery.htm

These weapons forever changed the tactics of Civil War armies, ending with trench warfare around Petersburg, Virginia in 1864-65. This also led to the foxholes of the early twentieth century wars.

The technology of the 19th century was fast moving, leading to many inventions we use today. And the American Civil War changed the weaponry and battle tactics for all future wars.

Sources:

http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarweapons.htm

http://www.civilwarhome.com/artillery.htm

Christmas In Time of War

As I reflect on what it must be like for our soldiers in Iraq and other far off places, as well as their families who had to spend Christmas without their loved ones, I have to wonder what it must have been like for families during the American Civil War.

The Civil War occurred during the height of the Victorian era. And Christmas was very important to the Victorians.

Here are a few links to give you a glimpse of what Christmas was like during the Civil War.

http://www.brotherswar.com/19th_Century_Christmas.htm

http://www.cartoonstock.com/vintage/directory/a/american_civil_war.asp

http://dburgin.tripod.com/cw_xmas/cwarchristmas.html

Religion and the Civil War

As in most wars, both sides like to believe God is on their side. This was certainly true during the American Civil War. Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis, as well as generals of both armies were convinced God approved their respective causes.

It seems both sides in the Civil War used religion for their own purposes. Northerners used Chritianity as a calling to eradicate social ills, while Southerners focused on a literal reading of the Bible, but ignored social problems.

During mid-19th century America, people as a whole were devout, and religious institutions brought people together on a regular basis. Almost every person believed in a Divine being. Not believing in God was thought to be an aberration. "The Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century in particular greatly impacted American society." http://www.brucegourley.com/civilwar/gourleyhistor1.htm

". . . no other antebellum group had as much power to influence the greatest number of citizens on a regular basis as did America's clerical religious leaders." Robert. J. Miller/The Citizens' Companion/October, 2007

But what was the prevailing religion of this time period? The country was originally founded by Protestant fundamentalists, but the 19th century saw a great influx of immigrants bringing their customs and religious beliefs with them.

Civil War armies were said to be "the most religious armies of all American history." The Citizens' Companion/October, 2007

But the major religions represented were Calvanist-based Protestants.

Mid-19th century America was rampantly anti-Catholic, born of fear of immigrants from Catholic countries. But the Irish emigration of the 18th and 19th centuries slowly began to transfer the face of American religion and it had a major impact during the Civil War. "The Civil War for the first time witnessed large numbers of Roman Catholic chaplains in the field . . ." http://www.usachcs.army.mil/history/brief/chapter_3.htm.

Although primarily serving in the Union armies, as depicted in the movie Gettysburg when a priest gives the Irish Brigade a mass benediction before going out into battle, Roman Catholic priests also served in the Confederate Army as chaplains, although to a lesser degree. " . . . historians are only slowly recognizing the contributions of Catholics and minority religions in relation to the Civil War." http://www.brucegourley.com/civilwar/gourleyhistor1.htm

Southern leaders, including Jefferson Davis, held a low opinion of clergy in the service. They valued fighting men over praying chaplains. They also believed in the strict separation of church and state.

But, it seems both sides took what religious teachings they could use to justify their cause.

Sources: Miller, Robert J. 'The Citizens' Companion'. October, 2007. Vol. XIV - No. 4. pps. 11-15.

http://www.brucegourley.com/civilwar/gourleyhistor1.htm

http://www.usachcs.army.mil/history/brief/chapter_3.htm