BATTLE OF MCDOWELL

I am pleased to announce that the Highland County Museum Gift Shop in McDowell, Virginia (insert photo above)  is now carrying Hiram's Honor  plus a pamphlet/CD  (The Battle of McDowell: Reliving One Soldier's Experience).  McDowell was the site of Private Hiram Terman's first battle and is one of our favorite sites to visit.  The Presbyterian Church in town has the initials of soldiers carved into the bricks, just one of the poignant things to see in this special town in the mountains.

Civil War Roundtable Salina, Kansas

It was a pleasure to tell the story of Hiram's Honor to the Salina, Kansas Civil War Roundtable on Thursday, May 6, 2010.  Every author should be so fortunate to have such an interested and insightful group of people to address about their writing.  Many topics surfaced about the journey of Private Hiram Terman through the Civil War but what it was like at Andersonville prison was a common question.  Actual photos of the conditions at Andersonville helped me in this difficult task of portraying the grinding misery.

HIRAM'S HONOR BOOK REVIEW

I appreciate the excellent book review written by Scott Mingus which can be viewed at http://scottmingus.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/book-review-hiram/ .  Scott is an author of  highly acclaimed Civil War books and his home web site is at http://www.scottmingus.com/.  His review mentions my description of  the death of a soldier on a prison train from Richmond to Andersonville.  To help you imagine what this was like, place yourself into this sketch from the Florence Military Prison archives.

ANDERSONVILLE BOOK SIGNING

Our trip to Florida and Georgia promoting Hiram's Honor is now over and was a success.  One of the most interesting events was the meeting of Dr. Sam Mozley, a retired ecologist from North Carolina State University who is planning a book about two of his ancestors who were at Andersonville--one was a Confederate guard and the other was a surgeon.  My ancestor may have interacted with them!  What are the chances of meeting another college professor, same academic field, retired, and writing a book similar to mine--rare events do happen.  In the photo Sam and I are talking about our interests as we sat at the book signing table at the Andersonville National Historic Site visitors center.

Civil War News book review of Hiram's Honor

A recent book review of Hiram's Honor by historian Kenneth D. Williams can be seen at http://www.civilwarnews.com/reviews/2010br/january/hiram_terman_b011004.html.  Williams is an accomplished writer as can be attested by the last statement in his well-crafted review:

"Read this novel and you can feel like you are cold, hungry, footsore and afraid just like so many of those young boys of old."

This sketch from Battles and Leaders of the Civil War gives me this feeling as much as any I have come across.  Very much appreciate the good words Ken.

Upcoming trip to Andersonville

I will be leaving soon for a book signing event at Andersonville National Historic Site in Georgia scheduled for 11 am to 3 pm Saturdary February 20, 2010.  The first Union prisoners of war from Belle Island in Richmond, including my ancestor Private Hiram Terman, probably walked through the gate (see gate replica in above photo) at Andersonville in late February 1864.  It should be quite an experience signing copies of Hiram's Honor at Andersonville 146 years after Hiram's arrival there.  

Kent Dorr Contacts Me

Kent Dorr of the McLaughlin Camp 12, SUVCW, Mansfield, Ohio contacted me and said he had visited Hiram Terman's grave site (see photo) in Rome, Ohio which led him to order and read Hiram's Honor.   His kind comments about the book "bringing these soldiers to life" is very gratifying.  It is the main reason I wrote Hiram's Honor.  Thanks Kent.