Countdown to Book Launch on February 1!
In which I do a ten-day countdown to the book launch of A State Divided: The Civil War Letters of James Calaway Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri, 1862-65, and share photos and book excerpts along the way.
Exciting News ... "A State Divided: The Civil War Letters of James Callaway Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri" is Coming Soon!
In which I announce that my book A State Divided will launch on February 1 and that I will begin a 10-day countdown leading up to the big day; and I share “Poetic Thoughts on Missouri in the Civil War.”
Still Writing ... and Getting Closer!
In which I describe the writing process, which includes lots of research, drafting, editing, feedback, and revisions; and provide some examples of the assistance I am receiving on my book A State Divided from Andrew County Genealogist Kathy Ridge.
Telling My Story to Los Gatos Rotary
In which I describe the presentation I gave to Los Gatos Rotary in November 2022 about my book projects and share photos as well.
Some Family Members Move West - A Letter from Walla Walla, Washington, 1864
In which I share an excerpt from my nonfiction book, A State Divided, that explains some family history, as well as share a July 1864 letter from Jane Kennedy Hale, now settled in Walla Walla, Washington.
GGG Grandfather James Calaway Hale's first letters from Benton Barracks General Hospital
In which I share some of the first letters James Calaway Hale wrote from the General Hospital at Benton Barracks in St. Louis in June and July, 1863.
Missouri: A State Divided Long Before the Civil War Began
In which I share an excerpt from my book, A State Divided, and explain some Missouri history leading up to the Civil War - including the Missouri Compromise of 1820, the Compromise of 1850/Fugitive Slave Law, the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, the “Bleeding Kansas” Border Wars, and the Dred Scott Decision.
Missouri Civil War Museum at Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis
In which I relate some history of Benton Barracks and Jefferson Barracks, both in St. Louis, Missouri; share my initial thoughts and sights upon arriving at the museum; and explain how this turned into a TWO book project - a historical fiction book titled Missouri Daughter and a nonfiction text titled A State Divided: The Civil War Letters of James Calaway Hale and Benjamin Petree of Andrew County, Missouri.
Kirksville, Missouri: A Visit to the Cemetery & Some Petree Family History
In which I describe my visit with my parents to two cemeteries in Kirksville where various family members are born and provide some history of the Petrees