5 Star Review of NO DECORUM

FIVE STAR REVIEW by a Barnes and Noble Reader 

 During perilous times an unlikely pair rushes to form a more perfect union…

Juliet’s voice betrayed her alarm. “What’s wrong? What are you seeing?”

He slowly circled her. “Turn so your back is to the lamp. That’s it. Now I see what it is. Stand very still and lift your arms straight over your head. Right. Now look up at your fingertips.”

In a twinkling, Randolph grabbed the nightgown and whisked it over her head. Juliet stood naked in the middle of the room and Randolph swallowed at the vision. “Now, everything is just as it should be.”

Vivid descriptions, clarity of dialogue and plenty of action reveal the unusual response of a Southern family and their black servants to a handsome Yankee intruder. The tenuous position of a small Northern army occupying a town in the deep South forces secrecy and subterfuge.

With believable characters and intriguing situations the reader appreciates the values, the gentle banter, and the shenanigans as these good people face the harsh realities of war.

This talented writer is one to watch.  And Civil War fans should not miss NO DECORUM.

Four and a Half Lips from TwoLipsReviews

Northern Roses and Southern Belles

Authors: Susan Macatee, Mary Ann Webber, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Jennifer Ross, Isabel Roman, and Caroline Clemmons Publisher: The Wild Rose Press  Genre: Historical Anthology Publication date: July 7, 2009 ISBN: 1-60154-670-X Pages: 354 Series: n/a REVIEWED by Sal

Angel of My Dreams by Susan Macatee Civil War re-enactor Kyle Maguire, who is also a history teacher, meets a woman on a staged battlefield and believes her to be another re-enactor. The lovely Josephine Wentworth is however a woman living during the Civil War who has crossed the boundaries of time but only for moments at a time. Kyle finds himself dreaming of her and meeting her on those rare moments when their paths cross in time. Will time stand still long enough for their love to bind them? Ms. Macatee’s tale was a bittersweet morsel of a dream and a hope that Kyle and Josie will find one another in time.   Angel of My Dreams stole my heart and Ms. Macatee made this story all the more real by using her knowledge of history and creating characters with deep emotions that break your heart.   No Decorum by Mary Ann Webber Randolph Newton is a sergeant in the Union Army and the son of a minister. He falls in love with Juliet Burnham, a minister’s daughter but a Southerner, and marries her just before he is taken prisoner. Separated so early in their relationship, can their love last until the War Between the States comes to an end? Ms. Webber demonstrates her knowledge of American history on every page of her endearing story, No Decorum. I loved Randolph, nicknamed “Dolphie” by the heroine, Juliet and the servant, Patsy. Reverend Ambrose Burnham and General Steele were such tender secondary characters who worked toward helping the young couple even when all seemed lost. Are You Going to The Dance by Jeanmarie Hamilton It all begins when Lexie puts a note in Clay’s pocket asking if he’s going to the dance. But their love has barely begun when Lexie’s friends, Lipan Apaches, are blamed for attacks. The heroine, Lexie, in Ms. Hamilton’s post Civil War tale, doesn’t believe a word of it.  Even the hero, Clayton Majors, doesn’t believe Lexie when she tries to tell him the culprits are raiders. Lexie’s Lipan friend, Ynez, is injured during one of the violent attacks by the raiders but Lexie secrets him away in her home and nurtures him back to health. She even hides her dangerous activities from Clay until one awful night when both their lives may become forfeit. Lexie is one of the most courageous heroines I’ve ever read. In this adventurous tale, Ms. Hamilton brings the reader a raw taste of history and characters worth rooting for in Are You Going to the Dance.  The reader is sure to be swept away. The Colonial and The Cottontail by Jennifer Ross Ms. Ross has created a very different kind of Civil War story in The Colonial and the Cottontail. With a wonderfully different perspective, this story begins with the hero, a Confederate on a secret mission, and a widow and her son seeking their newly inherited home meeting on their similar journeys to Montreal, Canada. When Thomas, Becca’s son, discovers Cole in a field, he believes the man to be a rabbit changed into a man. Cole and Tom forge an immediate bond. But when Becca offers Cole a ride in her carriage to Montreal in exchange for his help, the heat turns up as they begin to fall in love along the way.  But Cole carries with him the secrets of the Confederacy and it is possible that he may have to betray Becca or lose his honor. It was truly a delight to read such a different perspective of the Civil War through the eyes of a Canadian. Ms. Ross brought to the pages of this deeply emotional story her own uniquely Canadian voice and won my appreciation in her delightful story, The Colonial and the Cottontail. In the Shadows by Isabel Roman Ms. Roman’s story, In the Shadows, takes place in Charleston at the beginning of the Civil War. Marion Shelton is an enthusiastic Union Spy up to her delicate eyebrows in intrigue. The Englishman, Jack Harrison, is a blockade runner and privateer for the Confederacy and the man Marion loves. Though her Aunt Glori, quite the southern belle, prefers another suitor, Marion is not deterred and she is one determined lady. One can only wonder how these two unlikely lovers can ever find common ground for their love to grow. I liked Jack immediately for his ability to protect and pursue Marion without compromising her enthusiasm. Although the resolution seemed a bit contrived, I found Ms. Roman’s tale a fantastically enjoyable story. Long Way Home by Caroline Clemmons The Yankees have come to town and Parmelia Bailey has sworn to help her brother Matt’s fiancé, Sarah, and her family.  This undaunted heroine and her ten-year-old brother courageously help the household of women leave their home in the midst of a raging battle to take them to the Bailey household where they hope to remain safe.  Derrick McDonald, the man she once loved but who left her four years ago, shows up in her barn to reclaim the horses she stole from the Union Army—and he’s wearing Union blue. There is little time to squabble about the past because Jeff Lawson, a spurned old beau is coming to town with his raiders to settle a score with Parmelia and her family. Ms. Clemmons  has written a story I could really sink my teeth into. With a fearless heroine and a determined hero, Long Way Home drew me into its heart from the first sentence. Ms. Clemmons won my regard with her endearing southern-fried drawl mellowing out every page of this exciting and witty tale.  It’s a marvelous story sure to delight any reader.

REVIEW from Long and Short Reviews

Each story in NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES has received a review from this wonderful group.

Our Civil War Anthology is also nominated for Book of the Week!

SIX ROMPS THROUGH HISTORY

AMAZON REVIEW: 3.0 OUT OF 5 STARS

The Wild Rose Press has released an anthology of six Civil War romance stories in a collection which they have titled “Northern Roses and Southern Belles.” Between its covers are tales of Union and Confederate soldiers and the women who loved them, ghosts, spies, Confederate raiders, and blockade runners.

This is not a book of “bodice rippers,” the tales are certainly appropriate reading matter for teenage girls, or any one else who may enjoy the historical romance genre. There are however, plenty of heaving bosoms, and men and women discovering their passions for each other. You will not find explicit or gratuitous sex scenes. Though it is not great literature, the characterizations are barely two dimensional, and the plots of forbidden love and the like seem to be pulled from the standard constructions of romantic fiction, with more than a casual nod towards Shakespeare. The book does not pretend to be anything other than what it is . . . a good romp through history, or more rather, six of them.

Is this a book that students of the Civil War would be interested in? It is likely not, but the holiday season is quickly approaching, and it may make a good gift for a wife, or girl-friend who may have a passing interest in the Civil War, or maybe better for a woman you wish that did.

JAMES D. MILLER. Civil War writer and reviewer

3.0 out of 5 stars Six Romps Through History, October 11, 2009 By JAMES D. MILLER (Murfreesboro, TN)   

www.civilwarnotebook.blogspot.com

FIVE STAR REVIEW 0n Amazon

Five * * * * * Review for NO DECORUM

Second story in the anthology

NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES

Link to “How to Shed DECORUM”

http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A2EJJACDCK71C8/ref=cm_pdp_rev_more?ie=UTF8&sort_by=MostRecentReview#R1XAYAMWOMZRI3

REVIEW from Night Owl Romance

Night Owl Romance has reviewed NORTHERN ROSES and SOUTHERN BELLES.             

Our Anthology received a rating of 4.25 HEARTS! Just .25 below their TOP PICK rating.

Please visit Night Owl Romance and read what they said about us! Click on their ICON!

See the Old South In Camden, Arkansas.

This romantic old town was founded in 1824 and called 

Ecore a Fabre for its first twenty years.

 It emerged as the economic center of southern Arkansas in the mid 19th century. CAMDEN provides the setting of my novella,

 NO DECORUM

The fictional story of JULIET BURNHAM and SERGENT RANDOLPH NEWTON takes place during the brief ”Camden Occupation” in  April 1864.

Steamboat, The CITY OF CAMDEN, fully loaded on  the Ouachita River

 A thriving river town in the day of steamboats, Camden played a unique role in the Civil War, and was a center for the bloody Red River Campaign.

LINKS TO CAMDEN’S HISTORICAL SITES

OUACHITA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

CAMDEN DAFFODIL FESTIVAL

CAMDEN’S NINE REDOUBTS

HISTORIC HOMES

OAKLAND CEMETERY

WE CARE NOT WHENCE THEY CAME

DEAR IS THEIR LIFELESS CLAY

WHETHER UNKNOWN OR KNOWN TO FAME

THEIR CAUSE AND COUNTRY STILL THE SAME

THEY DIED………. WORE THE GRAY

IN MEMORIAM 1861-1865
OUR CONFEDERATE DEAD

TEMPLE BETH EL EMETH

Although virtually all of them were foreign born and had not lived in the South for very long, many Camden Jews took up arms for the Confederate cause.

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: DAY 6

GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE

NORTHERN ROSES AND SOUTHERN BELLES

BLOG TOUR IS 

~ RACHEL GRIME ~ 

~ * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * ~

Thursday, August 6, 2009: JENNIFER ROSS will blog on ROMANTIC CRUSH JUNKIES.

Jennifer is Canadian and her story reveals some of the ways Canada was involved in the American Civil War. The famous St. Alban’s Raid is featured in this entertaining love story, “THE COLONIAL AND THE COTTONTAIL.”

 

Winner of the last blog stop at ROMANTIC CRUSH JUNKIES 

is

LORETTA CANTON

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: Day 5

Wednesday, August 5, 2009: MARY ANN WEBBER will blog today at ARKANSAS DIAMONDS.

Mary Ann will discuss “NO DECORUM,” her story in the Civil War anthology, NORTHERN ROSES and SOUTHERN BELLES. The Red River Campaign reached a turning point in April 1864, when many major battles were fought around Camden, Arkansas. 

WINNER of The Wild Rose Press Gift Certificate is

KERI FORD

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: DAY 4

Tuesday, August 4, 2009: CAROLINE CLEMMONS will blog at SLIP INTO SOMETHING VICTORIAN. 

She will discuss her story, “LONG WAY HOME,” based on a family incident which took place in Georgia. It’s part of the Civil War anthology, NORTHERN ROSES and SOUTHERN BELLES.

Winner of the BLOG STOP FOUR Gift Certificate from The Wild Rose Press is

~ YVONNE HERTZBERGER ~

JOHNNY REB and THE REBEL YELL

SHOCK AND AWE !

“If you claim you heard it and weren’t scared

that means you never heard it.”

CONFEDERATE CHARGE AT SHILOH

Confederate  soldiers were known as “Johnny Reb,” while their Union counterparts were called “Billy Yank.”

The average soldier (in both armies) was a white, native-born, single, protestant, male farmer between 18 and 39 years of age.

He stood about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed about 145 pounds.

Union soldiers had several nicknames for Confederates including “butternuts”, because of the color of their uniforms, “Johnny” that was short for “Johnny Reb”, “rebels” or “rebs” because they were considered to be in rebellion, and “greybacks” based on the color of the Confederate uniforms.

Most Confederate state troops had nicknames. Florida troops were dubbed the “Gophers.” Georgia troops were named “Goobers,” while North Carolinians were “Tarheels,” and Tennesseans were called “Volunteers.”  Many of the nicknames live on in state mottos and some are the names of sports teams.

THE REBEL YELL

The sound of the yell has been the subject of much discussion and debate. The rebel yell has been likened to the scream of a catamount. In media such as movies or video games, the yell is often portrayed as a simple “yee-haw” and in some parts of the United States, “yee-ha”. The yell has also been described as similar to Native American cries. One description says it was a cross between an “Indian whoop and wolf-howl”.

Though hardly a definitive description, having been published some 70 years after the war ended, Margaret Mitchell’s classic Civil War novel has a character giving the yell sounding as a “yee-aay-eee” upon hearing the war had started. The film version, by contrast, has the yell sounding as a high pitched “yay-hoo” repeated several times in rapid succession.

Several recordings of possibly accurate yells exist. One, from a newsreel documenting the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, documents several Confederate veterans performing the yell as a high-pitched “Wa-woo-woohoo, wa-woo woohoo.”

Given the differences in descriptions of the yell, there may have been several distinctive yells associated with the different regiments and their respective geographical areas.

In Ken Burns’s Civil War documentary, Shelby Foote recounts the story of an old Confederate veteran invited to speak before a ladies’ society dinner. They asked him for a demonstration of the rebel yell, but he refused on the grounds that it could only be done “at a run”, and couldn’t be done anyway with “a mouth full of false teeth and a belly full of food”.

ALREADY CLIMBING THE BEST-SELLER CHARTS!

Northern Roses and Southern Belles

NOW in e-book and print 

Join Our BLOG TOUR August 1-6

Win fabulous prizes!

 

6 authors + 6 blogs =

Mayhem and Madness.

Tour Calendar:

Saturday August 1: Isabel Roman is at Night Owl Romance

Sunday August 2: Jeanmarie Hamilton is at Petticoats & Pistols

Monday August 3: Susan Macatee is at Love Romance Passion

Tuesday August 4: Caroline Clemmons is at Slip into Something Victorian

Wednesday August 5: Mary Ann Webber is at Arkansas Diamonds

Thursday August 6: Jennifer Ross is at Romantic Crush Junkies

Everyone who leaves a comment on the day of the post for each of the six days will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Northern Roses and Southern Belles signed by all six authors!

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: DAY 1

Saturday, August 1, 2009: ISABEL ROMAN launches our Blog Tour on NIGHT OWL ROMANCE. 

The author of a 4 volume series, DARK DESIRES OF THE DRUIDS, she will get things rolling by posting at NIGHT OWL ROMANCE.  Her Civil War story, “IN THE SHADOWS” is a highlight of NORTHERN ROSES and SOUTHERN BELLES.  It centers on a dashing blockade runner.

Prize Winner at the NIGHT OWL ROMANCE Blog is

LORETTA CANTON!   

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: DAY 2

Sunday, August 2, 2009: JEANMARIE HAMILTON will continue the Tour with a stop at PETTICOATS & PISTOLS.

Jeanmarie, author of SEDUCTION, an AMERICAN  TITLE II FINALIST, will be discussing her Texas-based story, “ARE YOU GOING TO THE DANCE?”  It’s based on a true incident involving the Lipan Apache people at the close of the Civil War.

Winner of PETTICOATS & PISTOLS gift certificate is ROBYN LEE

BLOG TOUR COUNTDOWN: Day 3

Monday, August 3, 2009: SUSAN MACATEE will blog at LOVE ROMANCE PASSION.

Susan will discuss “ANGEL OF MY DREAMS,” her Civil War story about reenactors and time travel. In addition to her NORTHERN ROSES and SOUTHERN BELLES story, she is a multipublished author who often mixes paranormal elements into her Civil War stories.

Winner of the LOVE ROMANCE PASSION blog stop prize is MARY RICKSEN.