I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because when you're writing the West, you never know what outlaw adverbs will ambush your prose!
Welcome to this week's edition of Weekend Writing Warriors!
I have been absent for a few weeks ... between an interstate move, sick kids, my Master's work, writing, and getting a new house in order time has been more than scarce, but I am so glad to be back here with all of y'all now loud and proud from my native Lone Star State!!
A Heart on Hold is up for the 2012 RONE award for best in American Historical Fiction, sponsored by InD'Tale Magazine! The award will be presented in Las Vegas in August.
In honor of this, today's eight will come from A Heart on Hold, bestselling book 1 of An Everlasting Heart Series.
***Here we are in Alton Confederate Prison in Illinois where the Gypsy girl Minerva Dika is tending to Confederate prisoners.***
“Hey, Gypsy, some of my men could use some help doctorin’.” It seemed that the big Lieutenant, who always spat tobacco juice and spittle as he talked, was always yelling at somebody, just now it happened to be her. Minerva rose from where she had been sitting next to a man whose chronic diarrhea had made it impossible for him to survive any longer. "Do not worry, soldier, you are not alone in your journey into death ... I am here,” she whispered. The big man didn’t care that she was helping one of his prisoners die. Lieutenant Lantz seemed to care about nothing aside from his tobacco. Minerva glanced down at the dying prisoner, lying in a puddle of brown liquid of his own making, muttering incoherently and patting ground where her hand had been holding his moments before. “Leave that sorry Reb and tell your pa I said to get your people and get on out to the Island.” I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from A Heart on Hold. Follow along with Charlotte and Sanderson's adventures in the subsequent books that make up the An Everlasting Heart series:
Their love survived the Civil War, but can it survive Sanderson's murder trial?
Gold. Massacres. Indians. Soldiers. Can Charlotte survive life on the trail or will the wildness of the west tear her family apart?
Stay tuned for my debut Amish Historical Romance, Rebekah's Quilt, coming November 16th from 5 Prince Publishing!
Lovely snippet! I could really picture the characters here because of the specific and vivid details you put in!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lauren! Wrote this book when my hubby was deployed to Afghanistan and some of what he told me made the diseases I put in the book seem tame ...
DeleteCongratulations on your upcoming award! Your character sounds like she's got an amazing heart, and what a great way to contrast it against the tobacco-chewing gentleman with no heart... I'll be back for more snippets!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan! Yes, LT. Lantz has no heart -- and his heartlessness lasts well into the series, too! I'm glad you enjoyed the snippet!
DeleteGreat story...so awful in the prison!
ReplyDeleteYes, and all based in absolute fact. The records left regarding Alton Prison were horrifying.
DeleteA sad piece of history.
ReplyDeleteSo sad indeed, and all based in truth in this book. :-(
DeleteVery vivid picture you painted. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Millie :-)
DeleteThis is wonderful, Sara! And best wishes for the RONE award! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Teresa! If A Heart on Hold wins, I vowed to karaoke LOVE SHACK somewhere nearby the Vegas hotel ...
DeleteLieutenant Lantz sounds like a terrible man.
ReplyDelete