Excerpts
Book Excerpt: Send ‘Em South
The main protagonist, Lisa, a 12 year old runaway slave, and her father Jack are headed for Boston via the Underground Railroad. They made it from Savannah to Baltimore smuggled on a merchant ship. At this portion of their dangerous journey they are on foot in Connecticut…) ———- They walked most of the evening, Lisa again following the North Star but this time they were walking a little slower than they had before. Although they were both excited to be only one state away from their destination, they were not as worried now that they had experienced a friendly face. By the time it was dawn they had covered very little territory and were even...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: On The Trail of John Brown’s Body
John Adams (George’s abolitionist uncle and David’s father) is on his way to join the mysterious John Brown and after a long chase, George and his father Sean have finally caught up to him. Sean is trying to convince his brother John that what he is doing is wrong. ——————— “But hundreds, maybe thousands will be killed,” Sean pleaded. “An eye for an eye Sean,” John answered coldly. “As it says in the Bible. These slaveholders have been destroying the lives of thousands of blacks since the first days of our country. They sit back and make money while people who get nothing for all their...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: Off To Fight
George Adams has joined with the Army of Northern Virginia. To pass the time while they await their call to action, George and the boys engage in a snowball fight to pass the time. He is soon to make a discovery which will change his life and the way he looks at the developing war. ——————— George reached down, made another snowball and placed it down next to Eric. “Great,” Eric said gleefully, “we’re just like the artillery boys. You supply the ammo and I’ll do the firing. Keep up the good work. They seem to be falling back.” The snowball fight was becoming larger as news of it spread...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: Nowhere To Turn
“This war is a joke,” Joey said angrily. He had lived up North all his life and still he couldn’t understand why so many of his friends had gone off to fight for Lincoln. “It all started because Lincoln wouldn’t let the Southerners do what they wanted and then you idiots run off and join up just cause he asks us to.” “We joined to defend our country!” Thomas yelled back. He was beginning to get angry. It was one thing to criticize the way the war was fought but it was a completely different story to make fun of he and his family and friends who had risked their lives to join up. “What country?” ...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: No Girls Allowed
Wounded at the Battle of Antietam, Lynn Rhodes (known to her commanding officer as Private Lawrence Rhodes) is depending on her new friends Mary and Thomas and her twin brother Daniel to keep the secret that she really is a girl disguised as a soldier. “Where’s Mary?” “I don’t know,” Thomas answered as he looked around the room. He could see a few nurses and other soldiers visiting but no sign of Mary. “She told me she had to take care of some things.” “I hope she shows up soon,” Daniel whispered. He looked around the room, trying to find Major Hyde again. For a military hospital set up in the middle of...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: Crossroads at Gettysburg
July 1, 1863 Somewhere near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania(About 25 miles Northwest of Gettysburg) “Don’t tell me any more of your lies!” George yelled as he smashed another post on the old man’s white picket fence. “You Yankees have been hiding your food from us ever since you heard we were coming. Now show me where your bacon and flour are or I’ll smash more of your fence!” “I’m telling you we don’t have any,” the old man yelled back. He was dressed in simple blue overalls and his hands were shaky as he slowly backed away from the angry soldier. “The group that came...
Read MoreBook Excerpt: Breaking the Rules
After being kidnapped from his home in the free state of Pennsylvania, Randy has been taken to the Castle Thunder Prison in Richmond, Virginia. He is in a large cell occupied by many other African Americans awaiting their fate. ———- “Hey kid,” a voice said, “mind if I sit here?” Randy looked up to see a small man standing above him. He gave a smile that surprised Randy. Not only because of the large amount of teeth the man was missing but also because of the warmness behind the smile. Where does this guy find the joy to smile like that? Randy thought to himself. “Sure,” Randy replied with a wave of his hand at the empty...
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