War Horse

Hubby and I watched the movie War Horse last weekend. What a great story! I was so pleased to see it had a happy ending. I love animals and always have. In college I had studied pre-Vet, but I didn’t get the chance to go to Vet school. So, I like to have animals in my novels. If you like horses, you might like to check out my book, “Jenny’s Passion.” Captain David Reynolds has this amazing cavalry horse named Napoleon. Here is an excerpt from the book:

“A few hours later, forced by rain and nightfall to stop their demolition work, David and his fellow cavalrymen were back in the saddle heading for the James River. Water ran off his new hat and down his back. It was difficult to keep sight of each other in the blinding sheets of rain and total darkness. Mostly he let Napoleon have his head. Horses could smell each other and instinctively sought the company of other horses, even in the rain.
His heart continued to pound hard in his chest from the day’s activity as he tried to settle into the rhythm of the brigade again. He laid his hand against Napoleon’s wet neck, stroking the sleek hair, gathering his humanity back around him as they rode away from the wreckage.”

I hope you liked the excerpt. Animals are wonderful friends to mankind, aren’t they?

Links to buy JENNY’S PASSION:

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Jennys-Passion-Diane-Wylie/dp/0981559247/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226580656&sr=1-4

Barnes and Noble
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=Jenny%27s+Passion

Books-a-Million
http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9780981559247?id=4274521420512

Cavalry Horses in Action

Secrets and Sacrifices Booktrailer

The 25 Best Books for Studying the Civil War

If you are interested in studying the Civil War, one group has put together a list of what they feel are the 25 best books for studying the U.S. Civil War.

Here is the link:

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/01/09/25-books-studying-civil-war/

Wonderful Review for Adam’s Treasure

www.thewildrosepress.com
E-Book/Paperback
$7.00/ $14.99
318 pages
Historical Romance
Rating: 4 cups
Marilla Logan is looking for a way out. Being forced to work as a tavern wench after the death of her father, Marilla is seeking revenge for the loss of her family, fiancé and family farm on the Confederates who frequent the tavern. The only thing she has been able to do so far is spit in their drinks, until one day she steals a package she hopes will be worth a pretty penny when she sells it to the Federals
A Pinkerton agent, Adam Skelding is trying to find documents that lead to the gold and silver that General John H. Morgan stole from people and churches. The ex-Confederates are hoping to use these coins to finance the re-start of the Civil War.
Adam catches Marilla stealing the packet of papers. He lies in wait for her to return to her room, but he gets a nasty surprise when she assaults him. One event leads to another until they are on the run from the men Marilla lifted the packet from…together. With the help of another agent, Adam uses a Confederate deciphering disk to unravel the coded documents. When Allan Pinkerton hires Marilla as an agent, he assigns Adam to go undercover into the Knights of the Golden Circle, a Confederate alliance. With one week, Adam has lessons to teach her, and Marilla is willing to learn. A trip into a secretive underground and the couple finds they are on the adventure of a lifetime.
For me, sexy men who live life on the edge are a must have when it comes to romance. Adam Skelding certainly fills that requirement. When you add Marilla to the mix with her humor and adventuresome nature, you get a story that is fun and exciting. It was only as I turned each page that I was able to catch my breath. Ms. Wylie has managed to pack quite an entertaining tale between the covers of this book. I devoured this book within a very brief period of time. I encourage you to add Adam’s Treasure to your collection so that you, too, can follow Adam and Marilla in their journey.
Kimberly
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/adamstreasurebydianewylie.html

Jenny’s Passion

Thank you to Victorian Era Lovers

Click to visit the Victorian Era Lovers Website

Lila’s Vow – Awarding Winning Civil War Novel

Lila's Vow by Diane Wylie

Reviewer’s Choice
Award

 

Lila lives with her mother in the little town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania when the Union army faces off with the Confederates in the summer of 1863.  Among the wounded is Captain Jack Montgomery, a man she will never forget.  As the battle rages, Lila and her mother care for the overwhelming numbers of wounded and the many who die in spite of their efforts.  Lila and Jack marry in the midst of the brutal war but their honeymoon is short lived.  Jack returns with the Seventeenth Calvary and is captured by the Confederates and taken to prison where he suffers from starvation and malaria. Lila believes Jack has died and, to avenge him, becomes a spy assisted by a Pinkerton agent named Andrew who becomes enamored with Lila.  But Lila’s heart is taken and Jack fills its entire space even if he is dead.  She doesn’t care that she’s in imminent danger as long as she can avenge Jack’s death.  Meanwhile, Jack’s best friend, David, who was also wounded, ends up in prison with Jack.  Together, they manage to escape but Jack is very altered by the consequences of war and imprisonment.  There is only one person on earth who may be able to make him happy again, his wife, Lila. This is where the adventure really begins. Lila’s Vow is a fantastic ride through history and a love that would not surrender to the devastations of the most terrible war America has ever known. Ms. Wylie captured the Civil War in vivid detail and I believe I learned some things I did not know before I read this book.  Ms. Wylie created  a story of great joy and absolute sorrow.  I could not put this book  down.  At times the sorrowful events ripped at my heart and, at others,  it soared with the ability of the characters to overcome impossible circumstances.  The characters were flawed and beautiful in their strength of purpose and pure grit.  Ms. Wylie made me believe in them as if they were breathing people with all the defects and wonderful spirit of humanity. Lila’s Vow is an unforgettable story.  I look forward to reading about Jack’s friend, David, in her upcoming book, Jenny’s Passion. Bravo Ms. Wylie, Lila’s Vow is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

http://www.twolipsreviews.com

I hope you’ll try LILA’S VOW.

Diane Wylie

http://www.dianewylie.com

Knights of the Golden Circle

Have you seen the History Channel show, Brad Meltzer’s Decoded? There was an episode of the show that came on at the end of December about hunting for buried gold. Legend has it that the Confederates amassed a fortune in gold and treasure and buried it with the goal of using it later to fund an insurrection to get the South out of the Union.

http://www.history.com/shows/brad-meltzers-decoded/episodes/#slide-5

How I wish that I could get Brad Meltzer to read my novel, ADAM’S TREASURE. What treasure was Adam searching for in my book? Why, the exact same Confederate gold featured in the TV show!

If you get a chance to watch that show, you will find it fascinating that the Knights of the Golden Circle was a secret society formed to protect the gold. Rumor has it that the society still exists. Hmm, maybe?

So, if you like this topic, check out ADAM’S TREASURE, and read a fictional account of how it could have turned out.

~Diane Wylie

http://www.dianewylie.com

Message from a Reader

We received the following lovely note from a reader. I hope you will check out her website for more information on the U.S. Civil War.

Diane

Hi!

My name is Lauren Jackson and I wanted to provide feedback on your page, http://acwbeyondscarlettandrhett.wordpress.com/. I’m not sure if you’re the right person to contact, but I wanted to tell you that since I have been working on creating some new Civil War resources, your page was a great source of information.

As a thank you, I thought I would pass along this additional resource I have been using as well in case you were looking to add more to your page. I have been using material from this page, http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/library/civil-war-teachers. It has a ton of great Civil War resources that you and your users may find useful!

Thanks Again
Lauren

Civil War Curiosities

I’ve been reading a book called, More Civil War Curiosities by Webb Garrison. Thought I’d post one of these interesting facts. I’ll be back with more from time to time.

On August 23, 1861, Allen Pinkerton placed Mrs. Rose Greenhow O’Neal, an attractive widow, under house arrest. He suspected that someone in Washington D.C. had been providing a steady flow of vital information to the enemy. Mrs. O’Neal was implicated after checks of letters and telegrams she’d received and was sent to the Old Capital Prison by a military guard.

Mrs. O’Neal’s parties were the talk of Washington. Everyone who was anyone attended them. She’d entertained many high Union officials. 

During a search of her home, a large packet of love letters was discovered signed only with the initial “H”. It was suspected they were from Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts, but no conclusive evidence was found to confirm it. It was thought Mrs. O’Neal may have forged the letters to implicate the senator.

She was held, with her 8-year-old daughter and a few other women, as a political prisoner in custody of the Department of State. But while in prison, she was able to continue her correspondence with Confederates. She may have doomed the Federal assault of Bull Run, the first battle of the Civil War, by informing General P.G.T. Beauregard of their plans.

Although she was obviously guilty, no one, including Abraham Lincoln, initiated any action against her. It seemed most Federal officials feared embarrassing information regarding them would emerge if she were interrogated. They decided instead of convicting her, she should be banished from the Union for the duration of the conflict.

Along with two other women prisoners, O’Neal was taken to Fort Monroe, Virginia. After a short period of detention, they were led to the Confederate lines and released.

Mrs. O’Neal traveled to England and returned on the blockade runner, Condor. The ship was forced aground by Federals. She jumped ship to avoid capture and drowned near Wilmington, South Carolina on October 1, 1864.

From the book More Civil War Curiosities by Webb Garrison, available at Amazon.com.