When was the last time you wrote a letter?
Website: www.jinabacarr.com
Blog: www.jinabacarr.wordpress.com
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Love Me Forever is on sale for the month of December for 99 cents!
Women Soldiers in the Civil War from “Love Me Forever” from Jina Bacarr on Vimeo.
Christmas during the Civil War in 1862 from “Love Me Forever” from Jina Bacarr on Vimeo.
Christmas is the time of year when we put aside our differences and celebrate the joys of the season.
Even during the Civil War.
No better place to do that than Rosebriar Plantation on Christmas Eve 1862.
The beautiful antebellum house in Virginia has been turned into a battlefield hospital after the Battle of Fredericksburg with Union Army surgeon, Major Flynt Stephens at the helm. There they treat the wounded from both the North and the South.
There’s also a mystery afoot in the major’s eyes. He swears there are two women playing the role of his fiancée and the mistress of Rosebriar.
Identical twins.
But which is which?
Liberty (his lady in gray and a time traveler).
Or:
Pauletta Sue (belle and spy).
I hope you enjoy this excerpt from LOVE ME FOREVER, my Kindle Scout winner.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
~Jina
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December 24, 1862
Christmas EveLater that evening . . .
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Love Me Forever is on Kindle Scout |
The Civil War ended this week 150 years ago…
We hear so much about how the Civil War was a conflict about brother against brother.
What about the women of the North and South?
Sister against sister?
In “LOVE ME FOREVER,” my story on Kindle Scout, two women with very different beliefs learn to accept each other for who they are.
They’re not only separated by what they believe in, but by more than 150 years when my heroine travels back to 1862.
Here is an excerpt when my heroine, Liberty Jordan, a re-enactor from today disguised as a Confederate officer, meets up with Pauletta Sue Buckingham when Liberty escapes from the clutches of a dastardly sergeant in a Union prison camp. Pauletta Sue sees her running across the field and races after her in her buggy and carriage. Believing her to be a young Southern man, she offers her refuge:
“You must be brave, sir. The cause needs you,†the woman whispered with urgency, startling Liberty.
So that’s why she helped her. She was a Confederate sympathizer. Here? In a Union camp?
Would they both be shot?
“Hurry, get in,†she ordered. “The bluecoats are coming.â€
Holding onto the side of the carriage, Liberty lifted herself up when suddenly she felt her feet give way from underneath her. Damn, she hadn’t counted on the slippery step glistening with dew. It caught her unaware and threw her off balance. She lost her footing on the soggy, wet earth, staggered, then with a loud plop, landed on the ground, the wind knocked out of her.
Her officer’s wide brim hat flying off her head.
Liberty heard the woman gasp when her long reddish-blond hair tumbled down her back like a cascade of corn silk popping up out of its stalk.
“You’re a woman,†the Southerner cried out, her hand going to her mouth.
“Haven’t you ever seen a girl in pants before?†Liberty said, a weak smile curling over her lips. She was surprised the woman didn’t faint.
“Dear Lord, the soldiers mustn’t find out you’re a female,†she said, taking charge. “No telling what they’d do, seeing they have the manners of a country hog.†Holding up her skirts, she climbed out of the carriage to retrieve Liberty’s brim hat.
“Then you won’t give me away?†Liberty asked, surprised. The Southern belle was no pushover.
“You fool girl. I admire what you’re doing, but the Yankees will never understand what we women will do for the cause. Even if we suffer from a broken heart, we’ll never give up,†she said with an emotion so deep it surprised Liberty. She handed her hat back to her. “Run! I’ll hold them off. You can take shelter in the old mill down the road till morning. There’s a secret hiding place behind the pantry.â€
How did she know that?
Liberty had no time to ponder the belle and her cause. Instead, she pulled the soggy hat back onto her head and muttered her thanks. She lifted her chin, the sun hitting her cheeks with its fading rays and revealing her face. Before she could pull down the brim of her hat, the woman grabbed her hand.
“Wait,†the dark-haired beauty muttered with surprise. Or was it shock? “Who are you, Missy?‒
“Nobody, ma’am—†Liberty began, her breath catching in her chest when she saw blue-uniformed soldiers on horseback racing toward them, kicking up dust. She had to get out of here, now.
“I demand to know who you are, where you’re from.†The Confederate woman pulled the veil off her face framed by dark hair. “And why you look like me.â€
Yes, that’s Pauletta Sue on the left and Liberty on the right in the graphic at the top of the page. The two women are twins except for their hair color. Not only are they on opposite sides, but they both vie for the same man…course, I can’t tell what happens…but sparks fly and it isn’t just on the battlefield…
LOVE ME FOREVER is on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. If you nominate my story and it’s published by Kindle Scout, then you’ll receive a free copy! It’s a saga of love and romance and war. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.â€
This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!
Thank you for stopping by…………..
~Jina
PS — As I post tonight LOVE ME FOREVER is Hot & Trending!
PPS — COMING next month: a full account of my experience with Kindle Scout.
0 0 Read moreMy favorite things are anything vintage.
Stuffed away in my closet I have a blue parasol trimmed with white lace, a pair of old lace-up, pointy boots.
And a hoop skirt.
As flighty and unpredictable as any belle from the Civil War.
But the reality of the role of women during the War Between the States is more than flirty belles twirling a pretty parasol. Women worked as nurses, volunteered as soldiers, risked their lives as spies. They were The Women of the Civil War: North and South.
This is the 150th Anniversary of the end of the Civil War. I’ve always loved this era since I first saw Scarlett sitting on the front porch at Tara with the Tarleton Twins and pooh-poohing the idea of war coming. So I’ve just finished my own Civil War novel–a time travel…more about that coming up. I’ll update as things progress.
One thing the women of the North and South had in common was their love for the men fighting. They became nurses, took wounded into their homes, sewed blankets and uniforms, baked breads and jellies, and fought beside them. They did everything they could to help their cause.
Can you imagine living in a time when wearing a corset day and night was required? Women found themselves not only hampered by stays, but petticoats and those hoop skirts. I got my hoop skirt from the costume department in a theater where I worked years ago…they were throwing it away!! No, I couldn’t have that. I was thrilled to take it off their hands. Since then, I’ve worn it under a Civil War era gown to commemorative events, book signings, and costume parties.
When I was writing my CW time travel, I put it on again. Just to get the feel of what it was like.
Floating…is how I would describe it.
It’s so important to walk the walk, talk the talk of the time. I’m fascinated with the women who fought as soldiers. Imagine trying to keep your identity secret among a bunch of rowdy troops. Not easy. According to reports, many women signed up to get a regular paycheck. How about being a nurse? You had to be over thirty and plain.
And what about being a spy? Sounds glamorous…but dangerous. Imagine hiding a letter written in cipher in your pantaloons.
Thanks for stopping by…and as I mentioned, more about my Civil War time travel when I have news!
Best,
Jina
http://jinabacarr.com
@JinaBacarr
UPDATED:
I’m very excited to announce that my Civil War Time Travel “LOVE ME FOREVER” is up on Kindle Scout website for a month long campaign beginning Sunday, March 29, 2015.
For more info on the Kindle Scout Program CLICK HERE. This is where you, the reader, can choose which books are published. A super idea and fun for both readers and writers.
LOVE ME FOREVER on Kindle Scout — you can read the first 5,000 words HERE. You’ll meet both my heroines and both my heroes in the excerpt. If you nominate my story and it’s published by Kindle Scout, then you’ll receive a free copy! It’s a saga of love and romance and war of more than 500 pages. Believe me, I walked every road, fought every battle with my characters, even walked around in a hoop skirt to “get it right.” This is a book of the heart…any questions? Please ask!!
0 0 Read moreI can’t find my blue parasol.
White lace ruffle, long white handle.
I’ve looked high and low, in closets, in the garage behind old lawn tools, everywhere.
Oh, fiddle de dee, as Scarlett would say. This charming piece of Southern femininity is an important symbol to me as I work on my Civil War romance time travel, “The Bride Wore Gray.” It’s a prop I’ve had for years when I worked in the theatre. A symbol of the attitudes and mores of ladies in a time gone by.
Can you imagine maneuvering your parasol over your shoulder while trying to text on your smart phone?
Not a pretty sight.
But don’t the dismiss the uses of a parasol too easily. These ladies knew what they were doing. A parasol can be used for:
Flirting.
Protecting your skin from the sun.
Whacking a gent over the head if he makes an unwelcome advance.
A quick cover in a rain emergency.
And certainly, a parasol is at its best if you’re Mary Poppins.
No, that was an umbrella, but you get the idea. But I believe a parasol has the same magic as Mary Poppins’ brolly when you pop it open and sling it over your shoulder in a sexy manner. It gives that provocative Southern charm to any woman. And makes flirting more fun.
That’s why I need my blue parasol. When I’m writing the character of Pauletta Sue Buckingham, the Southern spy in “The Bride Wore Gray,” it evokes that era and the slow, easy living of the time, as well as the seductive nature of her character.
Last time, I posted the beginning of the Prologue for “The Bride Wore Gray” with Pauletta Sue trying to out ride the Yankees hot on her tail. She remembers her first night with her beloved, Captain Colton Trent:
Here is the next installment of “The Bride Wore Gray:”
I’ll keep looking for my blue parasol.
After all, in Scarlett’s words, tomorrow is another day.
Best,
Jina
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