Above and Beyond is finally here!

Yes, it's official!

My new Civil War novel Above and Beyond will be officially released in e-book format on May 23 and in print on August 15.

I will be running a contest next week to help spread the word so check back here or learn the latest news on my Romantic Historical Fiction fan page on Facebook.

Here is a short blurb:

A raging war

An unexpected love

A selfless sacrifice

 

Charismatic Confederate cavalry commander Douglas Benton would much rather flirt with a woman than work with one. But Rebel spy Sarah Duvall teaches him that faith is more important than glory—and love more important than life.

Can't wait for next week!

Jessica

 

 

 

Flowers, flowers everywhere

Blue bells

Those of you who see me on Facebook know that I post a Flower Friday photo every Friday from March through the fall.
This time of year, there are so many different flowers blooming at one time, I thought I'd post a few photos on my blog as well.

It's fun to go out every morning and see what has sprouted up from Mother Earth over night!

There is always something new. After it rains, it seems like you can almost see them growing, they come up so fast.

In addition to the flowers, I have asparagus, lettuce, onions and garlic coming up so far. It's been too cold to put anything else in, but lima beans, string beans, and tomatoes will be next, along with sweet potatoes, peppers, horseradish, and regular potatoes.



Forsythia - another early bloomer.

I planted one bed of wildflowers, but decided to wait until it gets a little warmer to put any more in.

I love how wildflowers continue to bloom all summer and add color to areas that I would otherwise have to mow or trim.

This morning I saw that the azaleas are getting read to bloom. The Red Buds and Dogwoods are bursting, and I have flowers on my blueberry bushes and fruit trees. Don't you just love the beauty of spring?

Tulips and daffodils.





 



Hyacinths - some of the first
flowers. I have white, pale pink,
dark pink and lavender.



Tour of historic Waveland



Waveland, Marshall, Va.

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of volunteering with the Mosby Heritage Area Association for a fundraiser that included a tour of historic Waveland.

 

This beautiful house was home to John Augustine Washington, III, the great-great-nephew of George Washington who sold Mount Vernon to the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. It has remained essentially unchanged since Washington’s time - which is striking.

 

I have been in many, many old homes, but this one is very unique because of the unaltered interior. It was really like taking a step back in time!

 

The history of Waveland began in 1727, when Lord Fairfax provided a large grant to Scottish Reverend Alexander Scott. Scott’s grandson built the two-story brick home he called Waveland.

Upstairs hallway.

George Washington’s great-great nephew, John Augustine Washington III, then purchased Waveland in 1859.

In the waning days of the Civil War, Colonel John S. Mosby, who is the model for my main character in NOBLE CAUSE and SHADES OF GRAY, often visited Waveland where he found the "amiable and patriotic lady" of the house and her "beautiful, graceful and refined daughters and nieces" most hospitable and entertaining.

According to Mosby's surgeon Dr. Aristides Monteiro, Waveland was a "place of light and life, of music, laughter, beauty and bliss."

He says in his book War Reminiscences: "Whenever Mosby was sad or disheartened by misfortunes to his command or his country; whenever he was depressed in spirits or any disaster cast its shadow of gloom across his pathway of duty, he would invariably visit the delightful precincts of Waveland and have there he dark foreboding of sad thoughts laughed out of him by the bright and cheerful magic of that charmed circle of lovey and lively young ladies."

Some of the interesting parts of the property include:

 

Indoor bathrooms installed by the same plumbers as the White House.

• John Augustine Washington’s enormous, walk-in, double-iron vault brought from Alexandria.

Built-in bookcases installed to accommodate the Washington family papers.

 

Unbelievable 360°views of wave-like rolling hills. (Absolutely beautiful)!

 

Typical rolling countryside of Virginia as seen from Waveland's back porch.

John Augustine Washington III, enlisted in the Confederate cause and served as Lee's Aide-de-Camp. He was killed at the age of 40 at Elkwater, WV on September 13, 1861.

His wife, Eleanor Love Seldon Washington, died in 1860 from childbirth.

 

The couple had seven children. After being orphaned, they were taken in by John's brother.

I tried to envision in which room the oldest child, Louisa, read the following letter from Robert E. Lee.

 

Camp on Valley River

Sept. 16, 1861

 

My dear Miss Louisa,

 

With a heart filled with grief, I have to communicate the saddest tidings you have ever heard.

 

May 'Our Father, Who is in Heaven' enable you to hear it, for in his Inscrutable Providence, abounding in mercy and omnipotent in person, he has made you fatherless on earth.

 

Your dear father, in reconnoitering the enemy's position yesterday, came within range of the fire of his pickets and was instantly killed. He fell in the cause to which he had devoted all his energies, and in which his noble heart was enlisted. My intimate association with him for some months had more fully disclosed to me his great worth than double as many years of ordinary intercourse would have been sufficient to reveal. We had shared the same tent in morning and evening as his earnest devotion to Almighty God elicited my grateful admiration. He is now happy in Heaven. I trust with her he so loved on earth. We ought not to wish them back.

 

May God, in His mercy, my dear child, sustain you, your sisters and brothers under this heavy affliction. My own grief is so great I will not afflict you further with it.

 

Faithfully your friend

R. E. Lee

 

A night at "The White Castle"

Nottoway

Can you imagine my delight when I first laid my eyes on the majestic Nottoway Plantation outside of Baton Rouge, La.? The 64-room, three-story palatial mansion is sometimes referred to as an "American castle," and it's easy to see why.
 
I walked all over this plantation, including at 1:30 in the morning and at sunrise. I didn't want to sleep and miss a single minute!

Nottoway was completed in 1859 for John Hampden Randolph and his wife, Emily Jane Liddell Randolph, and it became home to their eleven children. The mansion boasts 53,000 square feet, and originally sat on 400 acres of highland and 620 acres of swamp.
 
Thankfully, Nottoway survived the Civil War, and is now one of the most visited plantations in the South. That survival is a testament to its original owner. It was Randolph's business savvy that fostered his tremendous wealth, and his business savvy that saved Nottoway during the hard times during and after the Civil War. Both his sense of grandeur and love of his family brought Nottoway to life -- and has kept it that way for more than 150 years.



Nottoway in the evening.

Randolph wanted a more "fitting home" to honor his position and stature, so acquired the land for his future castle in 1855.

The beautiful property faces the Mississippi River, which was a major transportation waterway of the time. Passing steamboats and showboats made river watching an exciting pastime -- then and now.

I walked down to the levy early in the morning, and watched little tug boats push huge barges down the river.

When Randolph began to compile the materials for his castle, he used cypress, which was cut and cured under water for four years. The most unique feature of cypress was not its durability, but its resistance to termites. Considered a "junk wood" back then, it is almost impossible to buy now because it's so highly valued. 



Nottoway - Photo taken from on top the levy.

Randolph made it clear that no expense would be spared in the construction of his new home, which was completed in 1859 at an estimated cost of $80,000. (We were told the cost today would start at $40 million). Nottoway has 64 rooms in its 3 floors, 6 interior staircases, 3 modern bathrooms, 22 massive square columns, 165 doors and 200 windows.

Designed in the Greek Revival and Italianate style, it features 15½ foot high ceilings and 11 foot doors. Its most unique room is a semi-circular white ballroom with Corinthian columns and hand-cast archways.  (I have some great photos of that for a future post!)

When it was completed, Nottoway included a massive entrance hall, the grand white ballroom, a formal dining room, a gentlemen's study, another dining room, music room, numerous bed chambers, master bedroom, wicker room, bowling alley, library, Hall of their Ancestors, front parlor, sitting rooms, breakfast room, wine room, dairy, laundry and servant rooms, and boys' wing. The kitchen was located in a separate building adjacent to the house so that a fire in the kitchen would not destroy the main home.



Nottoway and Live Oak.

As you can see, massive columns three stories high support the immense castle. Its exterior includes spacious balconies from the second and third floors, providing wonderful viewing arenas for the activity on the Mississippi River. Gracious curved granite steps lead to a grand entranceway at the front of Nottoway.

 

Randolph hired New Orleans resident, John Nelson, to draft a landscape plan for the property. With the house as the centerpiece, Nelson incorporated 120 fruit and citrus trees, 12 magnolia trees, poplar and live oak trees, 75 rose bushes, 150 strawberry plants and a variety of flower and vegetable gardens. Unfortunately, most of Nottoway's beautiful gardens are gone today, since the Mississippi River has taken about six and a half acres of land from the front of the property.



Nottoway at night.

Besides the massive home, Nottoway Plantation included acres of prime farmland, a variety of other buildings including slave quarters, a schoolhouse, greenhouse, stable, steam-powered sugar house, wood cisterns, and other necessary buildings for an agricultural operation.

 

After the family moved into Nottoway, Randolph continued to own Forest Home Plantation, with its additional 1,500 acres of farmland and substantial acreage.

Family graveyard at Nottoway.

I'll post some interior photos later, but here are a few of the other photos I took at night. The graveyard freaked me out a little in the middle of the night. It kind of glows from the lighting.

It just so happened that there was a full moon the night I was there, so that made everything brighter as well.

According to our tour guide, Nottoway is a busy wedding venue -- sometimes doing five weddings per weekend. It's easy to see why! The grounds, the house, the accommodations, the on-site restaurant, (5-star), are all spectacular.

I am in the process of reading the diary written by one of Randolph's daughters that talks about growing up at Nottoway.

Needless to say, I had a great time there, and can't wait to return!

 

Lookout Mountain: Battle Among the Clouds

Day 2: Magical History Tour

Lookout Mountain, looking over Tennessee River.


Continuing my posts on my Deep South tour, I visited Lookout Mountain before leaving Chattanooga, TN.

The day was actually cloudy, which made it look more like it probably did during the Civil War battle - which was called the Battle Among the Clouds. I took the photo at right on the return trip when we stopped again to see the view.

Lookout Mountain’s shape and location can in some conditions cause a unique weather phenomenon like it did during the Civil War. After dawn, fog will sometimes descend from the cooler mountain top to the valley below and stop about halfway down, hence the name, the "Battle Among the Clouds."
 



Bend in the Tennessee River seen
from Lookout Mountain.

From the mountaintop, it is said that seven states can be seen: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. In reality, on very clear days, some mountains in the Knoxville area of Tennessee can be seen at a distance of about 100 miles, but the curvature of the Earth's surface lowers anything in Kentucky, South Carolina or Virginia to below the horizon

For a little background, the Battle of Lookout Mountain was fought on November 24, 1863. The majority of hand to hand combat took place near the Cravens house about halfway to the summit.

In 1863, Union and Confederate forces fought for control of Chattanooga, known as the "Gateway to the Deep South." The Confederates were victorious at nearby Chickamauga in September. However, renewed fighting in Chattanooga that November provided Union troops victory and control of the city. After the fighting, a Confederate soldier ominously wrote, "This...is the death-knell of the Confederacy."

Rock formation on Lookout Mountain.

When you're standing on that mountain, looking down, it's amazing to think that anyone would consider fighting on it -- let alone actually attempt it, but that's exactly what happened on Nov. 24th. Aided by a heavy fog that enshrouded the slopes of Lookout Mountain, Union General Hooker's soldiers pushed the Confederates out of their defenses.

When the siege and battle for Chattanooga were over, Union armies controlled the city and nearly all of Tennessee. The next spring, General Sherman used Chattanooga for his supply base as he started his march to Atlanta and the sea.

My next post will be on my stay at the beautiful Nottoway plantation outside of Baton Rouge, La.

A side trip to a Confederate Cemetery

Confederate Cemetery outside Chattanooga with trees blossomed.

Magical History Tour

Continuing my posts about my trip to the Deep South, I wanted to share some photos of a Confederate Cemetery we visited outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

I probably would never have found it without the help of a Tennessee reader, who emailed me before I left and recommended it as a place to see. (Thanks, Brett).

I did a little research upon returning home and learned how the cemetery came into being:

In January  of 1900, the Nathan Bedford Forrest Confederate Veterans Camp at Chattanooga received a letter from a man who said he had an abandoned cemetery on his farm. The man wanted to know why no one was caring for the Confederates on his farm.

The veterans, not wishing any comrade to lie neglected, appointed a committee to investigate this situation. When they visited the home, they found that the soldiers were from General Bragg's army and that they had died in a nearby hospital.

According to the sign, there are about 155 Confederate Soldiers buried in the cemetery but due to deterioration of the wooden markers and lack of records, they are all unknown.

For a little background, General Braxton Bragg succeeded General Beauregard as commander of the Army of Mississippi shortly after the Battle of Shiloh and on July 21, 1862 ordered 27,816 men to Chattanooga in preparation for his famed Kentucky campaign.

Singled tombstone in the Confederate Cemetery.

These men had been in camps in northern Mississippi where poor water, shallow wells, and dysentery had made many of them sick. As a result, Brigadier General J.M. Wither's division, (which consisted of men from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Caroline), was placed at Tyner’s Station on the railroad 10 miles from town. It was discovered that the men buried at Silverdale Cemetery are from his division hospital.

The hospital contained about 100 tents, and remained at Tyner’s station until it was moved to Cleveland, Tennessee in December due to the weather becoming too cold for the men to survive with no real housing.

Gate to the Cemetery.

At a veterans meeting in 1903, attention was called to the neglected condition of the cemetery and a committee was appointed. The necessary funds ($75) were raised to purchase the lot, and by 1934 the highway commissioner had erected a large concrete archway over the drive.

A Chattanooga newspaper article on June 26, 1979, brought the cemetery to the attention of the Chattanooga Area Relic and Historical Association. This group has maintained its position as a trustee, and has worked diligently for the past 25 years to maintain constant care for the Confederates buried in Silverdale Confederate Cemetery.

They have certainly done a good job, because the cemetery is very peaceful and beautifully kept. I'm glad we took the time to make this extra stop on our journey.

My next post will be on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga.

All aboard the historic Delta Queen

Day 1: Magical History Tour 2013

Home sweet home after 2,581 miles and nine states in seven days. It's taken me a few days to get back into a routine, so sorry this is a little late in coming. I'm still a little overwhelmed with a whirlwind of memories and thoughts of some of the beautiful historic sights I got to see. I will try to share the most memorable of these with you over the next few days and weeks.
 

Delta Queen

If you read my earlier post, you know my first stop was Chattanooga, Tenn., where I stayed aboard the Delta Queen.

What an awesome experience! The quarters were small and the doorways were short -- as my forehead will attest -- but it was still worth it.

Small cabin.

Built in the 1920s, the boat is lavishly decorated and retains its historic atmosphere. Stepping aboard is like taking a trip back in time. As someone said, it's like staying at a Victorian bed-and-breakfast on water.

Tiffany-style stained glass windows, rich hardwood paneling, gleaming brass, and a beautiful Grand Staircase crowned by an elegant crystal chandelier are just some of the things that greet the eyes. (See photos below).

Lobby area.

Before my stay I was not aware of all of the notable people that have been on the Delta Queen, including President Herbert Hoover; President Harry Truman, President Jimmy Carter, Princess Margaret, John Wayne and Elizabeth Taylor.

 The afternoon we arrived was pleasant so we got to sit on the deck in rocking chairs and watch the boat traffic on the river. Although not as busy as the Mississippi, which I had the opportunity to see later in my trip, there were a few tourist boats on the Tennessee River.

Rocking chairs on the deck.

In the evening we went a few doors down to check out the bar and then checked emails while relaxing in the downstairs lobby in deep, comfortable leather chairs. (Sorry to say, I did stay electronically connected even while stepping back in time).

Carousel

Right behind where the Delta Queen is anchored is a park, complete with an old-time (indoor) carousel. The weather was not as warm as expected, but there were still many families there enjoying the outdoors.

From the Tennessee Aquarium, which is accessible by the world's longest walking bridge across the Tennessee River, to the city's Arts District and museums, there's something for everyone to enjoy in Chattanooga during a stay aboard the Delta Queen. I saw some great shopping places in an old mill nearby too, but didn't have time to check that out.



Fireworks over the water.

After dark, we were treated to a fireworks show over the water. It was spectacular! I didn't do very well in the picture-taking, but trust me, it was loud and colorful!

For all of the ghost hunters out there, I did get up in the middle of the night and walk around the deck, but I didn't see anything -- not even the spirit of the captain that supposedly haunts the boat.




Night view from my cabin on the Delta Queen.

Assorted photos from the Delta Queen.

Lights in the cabin.

Grand staircase on the Delta Queen.

Brass ring towel holder in the bathroom.

Front of the Delta Queen.

Light fixture in bathroom.

Door to cabin - watch your head.

Original chandelier from the Delta Queen.