Meet Bob O'Connor, author of 'Return of Catesby'

Today we have an author interview with Bob O'Connor as part of his virtual book tour for The Return of Catesby with Walker Author Tours. Enjoy, and pick up your own copy at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8206-1.

Tell us about your book.

My book is the continuing story of Catesby – a real colored blacksmith who lived originally in Charlestown, VA as a slave to Colonel Lewis Washington, a descendant of George Washington. In the first book Catesby struggles to find his freedom. He runs away from the operation of a blacksmith shop under a cruel owner who permanently cripples him. He flees on the Underground Railroad to Pennsylvania.

This book follows Catesby’s new adventures leading up to his teaching position at Storer College, a new school to teach newly freed blacks to become teachers. Ironically, the students’ first day in the classroom was Catesby’s first day too, because he had been taught at home by his mother. Catesby’s vast experience is helpful in encouraging his students and helping them believe that if Catesby, a man with a bad leg who had been a slave could accomplish greatness, they could too.

Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

On my website.

Where did you get the idea for the story?

It is a continuation of a previous book “Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War”

What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

The feedback I get from my readers is what keeps me going. I have many who read every one of my books. I get notes from them wanting to know when the next one is coming out.

Tell us about your previous work.

I have published 9 books to date – 8 on the Civil War. Five are fiction. Four are non-fiction.

What other projects do you have coming up?

My next book is about a soldier who I consider the most significant man today from the Civil War – James E. Hanger. He is an unlikely candidate, as he only served his unit one say and was wounded. He has however, contributed greatly as he invented the modern prosthetic. There are 670 hospitals in the U.S. today with his name on them with 700,000 patients – Hanger Orthopedics.

Do you write full time? If so, tell us how you manage it.

Yes I write full time. I am retired from over thirty years in the tourism industry. Writing, research and promotion of my books comes easily to me.

What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

My books all follow the chronology of what really happened. In that sense, the chronological outline is already provided by the actual history of the events themselves. But I am also confined by those actual events.

What have you done to develop your writing craft?

I have written all my life. Along the way I have had editors make suggestions and corrections. They have all helped my writing develop and improve.

What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

Publishing is the easiest today – though I am sure in the past it was probably the hardest. I find the writing part and the marketing part challenging, but due to my background, I do not find either of them difficult for me personally.

Thank you for your time!

 

Author’s Bio:

Bob O’Connor has been a life-long student of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. He has published six books about the Civil War era and has given over 500 presentations about his subjects in the last six years.

Title of Book: The Return of Catesby

Publisher: Infinity Publishing

Length:  242 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Brief Synopsis: 

The Return of Catesby is a sequel to Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War published in 2008. In this account, Catesby, a former slave, becomes the first colored teacher at Storer College in Harpers Ferry, WV. Storer was one of the first schools in the country to be established for the purpose of educating former slaves. Catesby, a real historical character, brings his experience as a blacksmith, a veteran of the Union Army, and his survival of the famed Andersonville Prison to his students. The historical fiction story is based on Catesbys journals, papers and letters.

Buy it on Amazon:

Review of 'Return of Catesby' by Bob O'Connor

Title of Book: The Return of Catesby

Publisher: Infinity Publishing

Length:  242 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Brief Synopsis: 

The Return of Catesby is a sequel to Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War published in 2008. In this account, Catesby, a former slave, becomes the first colored teacher at Storer College in Harpers Ferry, WV. Storer was one of the first schools in the country to be established for the purpose of educating former slaves. Catesby, a real historical character, brings his experience as a blacksmith, a veteran of the Union Army, and his survival of the famed Andersonville Prison to his students. The historical fiction story is based on Catesby's journals, papers and letters.



**My thoughts**

Yet again, Bob O'Connor has found a way to share his passion for the Civil War with readers. His excitement for the topic shines through in the prologue, where he tells the tale of how he came upon these writings to create the second story about Catesby. The passion continues to shine through as he details Catesby's story as a former slave who is now teaching others how to build a better life for themselves. 

It's a different version of the Civil War times, as Catesby isn't a prominent historical figure as many of the people about whom most of us have read. That lends a feeling of fiction to the story, though Catesby's experiences are real.

It isn't going to be a page-turner that keeps you up at night, but it is going to be thought-provoking. It is going to take some time to go through it, as you digest each one of Catesby's experiences and relate them to your own or to your ideas of the Civil War. It's an alternative way to learn more about our nation's history, and one of the most intriguing times that I adore to explore.

~~Buy links: Amazon \ Bob O'Connor Books \ Infinity Publishing~~

Bob O’Connor has been a life-long student of the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. He has published six books about the Civil War era and has given over 500 presentations about his subjects in the last six years.

Developing Historical Fiction Characters by Bob O'Connor

Today we have a guest post from Bob O'Connor about his books Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War and The Return of Catesby as part of his tour with Walker Author Tours.

As a historical fiction writer, my basic style is taking real characters, researching their lives, following an actual time line and then writing a story around that.

In my book “The Return of Catesby” the story centers around a real colored blacksmith who was the slave of Colonel Lewis Washington. His plantation was in Charlestown, Virginia (now Charles Town, WV). The book is the sequel to “Catesby: Eyewitness to the Civil War.”

In this second book, Catesby meets with General Robert E. Lee again. He had shoed Lee’s horse Traveler twice during the war. Catesby is also asked to give a deposition in the trial of the commandant at Andersonville Prison, Henry Wirz, who was tried by the federal government for war crimes in the late summer of 1865. Catesby had been captured in Florida and was a prisoner at Andersonville prison.

Catesby’s varied experiences and dogged determination to become a free black led to his hiring as a teacher at the new school (Storer College) set up for the teaching of newly freed blacks at Harper Ferry, Virginia.

I do extensive research on what really happened and then add the historical fiction part to fill in the blanks and to offer authentic sounding dialogue.

“The Return of Catesby” is available on line at www.boboconnorbooks.com or at amazon.com. The author may be reached at author@boboconnorbooks.com.

Read an excerpt from 'The Return of Catesby' by Bob O'Connor

Today I have the honor of kicking off the virtual book tour for The Return of Catesby, by Bob O'Connor with this excerpt from the book. Enjoy, and pick up your copy at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8206-1.

August 25, 1865

We went to Washington City on the train. Mr. Quinn got us a room at the Willard Hotel. I was not so much in awe of the hotel as I had been when we visited with Mr. Lincoln before to going to Andersonville Prison with the special committee earlier this year.

 

Mr. Quinn arranged for Major Delany’s letter to be taken by courier to Major General Lew Wallace. He told the courier to return here with the reply.

Mr. Quinn wanted to know what I was going to say when they called me to testify.

“I am going to tell the truth. Allen Means, my friend the prison guard, told me several times that Captain Wirz wrote to Richmond on a regular basis asking for more food and medicine. They refused to send it to him. Allen said it wasn’t Captain Wirz’s fault we were starving. The guards and their families weren’t getting any food either. That’s what I am going to tell them. And I’m going tell them if something horrible like a killing took place while I was there, I would have seen it and recorded it. And I am also going to tell them that I didn’t see anything of the sorts.”

“Do you think they are going to like what you have to say, my friend?” he wanted to know.

“I don’t much care if they like it or not. I’m pretty sure they won’t like it. Major Delany just wants me to tell them what I saw.”

We went down to the dining room and ordered supper. Before we were finished eating, the courier brought the message we were waiting for.

Major General Lew Wallace invited me to participate. He asked me to report to the steno at the hearing room at ten the next morning. They would take my deposition and then call me in to testify.

“See, Catesby. They are waiting to hear from you. I’m sure you will do great.”

“Thanks, Mr. Quinn. I am glad that you came along.”

~~Also available from Amazon~~

Review of 'Celeste' by Michelle Devon and Giveaway

Kyle McRoy doesn't know who to trust. He became a wealthy man after his parents died in a freak accident, but Kyle lost control. A mental breakdown led to hospitalization in what his brother called a Behavior Therapy Center, but something about his brother tugs at the back of his fragile psyche. While at the center, Kyle meets the lovely Celeste but soon discovers there are things about Celeste he doesn't know. Things, perhaps, no one can ever know.

No, Kyle McRoy doesn't know who to trust... least of all, himself. After all, it's hard to know who to trust when you're not even sure what's real.


**My thoughts**

Kyle's story was an interesting one with a Twilight Zone kind of a twist. I have watched enough of those episodes and read enough of those kinds of stories that I was quickly able to figure out what really happened. Nevertheless, it is a quick and fun read. There are a lot of unanswered questions. Not all loose ends are neatly tied up at the end, leaving the reader to speculate as to what could have happened. In a way, it also leaves an opening for a potential sequel.

Kyle's angst is painful to read. Your heart cries for him as he swirls through self-doubt and the healing process. You try to imagine how crazy you would be if you went through the same situation. And you hope that you never will.

Michelle Devon, sometimes affectionately (and sometimes not so affectionately) known as Michy. That’s pronounced Mickey, like the mouse, and not Mishy, like a fish; not Mitchy like the guy on Baywatch; and no, it doesn’t rhyme with bitchy, though she can sometimes be that too.

Michy has two children, a daughter (24) and a son (18), who refuse to finish baking. Michy is also in love with an identical twin (4?), though she’s not sure which one he is. Her best friend, lovingly known as Buffy (??), rounds out her perfect family of choice, along with three kitty cats, two dogs, and a few invisible friends, along with the people who live inside her head.

Michy was faced with making a choice between her head exploding or becoming successful as a novelist. Determining that the latter would be more painful, she nearly chose the explosion, until she was reminded that the kids were bad at cleaning up messes so she'd just have to do it herself. Novelist it would be.

Diagnosed with congestive heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2011, she has spent most of the past two years learning how to live again. If asked what she does for her ‘day job’, she’ll answer, “I’m a full-time professional dreamer…”

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Interview With 'Celeste' Author Michelle Devon

Today as my stop on the 'Celeste' tour for Walker Author Tours, I am interviewing author Michelle Devon. Here she talks about her story, her upcoming works, and writing in general.

~What was your inspiration for Celeste?

The story has been on my mind several years. It's really about questioning the nature of reality perception is reality, for each individual, even if it's not reality for others. Seeing is believing is reality.

I was inspired by a documentary about a woman in a mental institution who saw spiders crawling all over her, but no one else saw them. She frequently had to be sedated to keep herself from scratching and hitting herself to kill the spiders. They were treating her to get to the point she couldn’t see the spiders.

That got me to thinking: What if the stimulus that no one else could see was not unpleasant, was, in fact, pleasant, and the person was self-sufficient and functional? Would they still treat the person to stop seeing the thing no one else could see?

So really, it's questioning that reality and treatment of people who might not necessarily see reality the way the norm does that inspired the story of CELESTE.

~Is it going to turn into a series?

I've thought about it. I've been asked to write 'more' to the story. There's certainly more I could tell that isn't addressed in this book, such as how and why Kyle's parents died. Also, there is still the question of what exactly is going on with Celeste herself. There are many other things that could be told. I'm just not so sure they should be told. The story leaves people with their own ponderings about reality, and I wonder if it's not better that way rather than trying to tie it up in a bow and present it as a neat, final package.

~You have been particularly proud of this story. What is it that makes you so proud?

Of any short story I've written, this is my favorite thus far. Then again, I seem to think each one is my favorite when I'm working with them, so I'm sure ABDUCTED will become my new favorite next month. CELESTE excited me because it's the first story I've written where I really wanted to know what the reader thought, not so much about the story or the quality of the story or my writing, but rather, what they thought about what had happened in the story itself. I just love the interactiveness of what readers are telling me about how they perceived the story, and I find that exciting and interesting at the same time.

~What is your favorite story you have ever written? Favorite character?

You know, I think that every story I'm working on is my favorite at the time I'm working on it and for a short time afterward. Favorite character is even tougher. I love them or hate them all for different reasons. I honestly don't think I have a favorite. I haven't yet found one I couldn't let go, though, and that's why I probably am not writing a series using one lead character. I do have series ideas, but usually it's the universe or the setting that is constant, and not necessarily a character.

~What are you working on right now? What can we expect over the next year or so?

I have a new release coming out the end of this month called ABDUCTED, which is a psychological suspense novella. The cover on this one was recently revealed, and I absolutely love, love, love it. I'll have three more novellas out before the end of this year.

I have various pokers in the fire with literary agents and a novel I'm running through the submission ringer. I have a few shorts out with fiction mags or lit journals, and I have entries into a couple of major literary unpubbed novel contests too. We'll see if anything comes of them.

I plan to have one more novel finished this year, and I’m hoping to land an agent soonish. Mostly, I plan to just keep doing what I'm doing, because I'm loving it.

~How has your health situation molded your writing style?

What it's done for me is to solidify my need to write. It's taken the desire I've always had and made it even more urgent. I could have died—twice—and I think about that and realize there is so much more I want to write, so much more I have left to tell, so I have to do it. I can't keep playing around and say it'll happen some day. I have to do it, now. So I am. Or at least, I'm trying. The concept for ABDUCTED actually came to me the last time I was in the hospital, while they were wheeling me back from surgery to my room. It's been writing itself in my mind ever since.

~What are you reading right now?

The next major publisher's book on my list is CLOUD ATLAS. Just waiting for it to arrive in the mail. Other than that, you can see what's on my reading list by seeing my book reviews website at  http://michysbookreviews.com

~Do you prefer ebooks or hard copies?

You know, I used to be a die-hard book lover, stating I would never, ever switch to ebooks. I loved the feel and the smell of a book, etc., but since the advent of ereaders, and getting a Kindle Fire for Christmas, I'm hooked. I'm totally hooked. I read faster, more frequently and better on the ereader than I do a paperback book. I will still get hard copies of my favs for the bookshelf, but I’m a total ebook addict now and take my Kindle Fire with me literally everywhere I go.

~What is the best writing advice you ever received?

The best advice I've ever read or been given is: To be a writer, you have to write. You know, like, actually WRITE.

~What is your favorite bit of writing advice to give to others?

Write in the flow and edit later. It seems so many people are so concerned about writing perfectly the first time out, and that's just not going to happen. Every author—no matter how famous or popular or good—has to edit. Sure, we get better and have to edit less as we practice writing, but we always have to edit. Always. So quit worrying about the editing during the writing process. Just write. Get it out and finish it first.

~What is your biggest pet peeve in the indie publishing world?

Authors who use self-publishing as a means to bypass the process of learning the craft and perfecting their skill. Self-publishing should be a conscious decision, based on logical choices about the process and your part in it. It shouldn't be the first thing an author jumps to when a story is finished. Authors who choose to do the indie route should take the time to perfect their craft, get a professional cover artist and hire a
professional editor who does more than just proofread the document for grammar and spelling. There's so much more to a good story than just being grammatically correct and available to read. I have a lot of respect for indie authors who publish the right way, and the ones who don't really are doing a disservice to all indie authors.

Thank you so much, Michy!

Michelle Devon, sometimes affectionately (and sometimes not so affectionately) known as Michy. That’s pronounced Mickey, like the mouse, and not Mishy, like a fish; not Mitchy like the guy on Baywatch; and no, it doesn’t rhyme with bitchy, though she can sometimes be that too.

Michy has two children, a daughter (24) and a son (18), who refuse to finish baking. Michy is also in love with an identical twin (4?), though she’s not sure which one he is. Her best friend, lovingly known as Buffy (??), rounds out her perfect family of choice, along with three kitty cats, two dogs, and a few invisible friends, along with the people who live inside her head.

Michy was faced with making a choice between her head exploding or becoming successful as a novelist. Determining that the latter would be more painful, she nearly chose the explosion, until she was reminded that the kids were bad at cleaning up messes so she'd just have to do it herself. Novelist it would be.

Diagnosed with congestive heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension in 2011, she has spent most of the past two years learning how to live again. If asked what she does for her ‘day job’, she’ll answer, “I’m a full-time professional dreamer…”

Celeste by Michelle Devon

Book Blurb:

Kyle McRoy doesn't know who to trust. He became a wealthy man after his parents died in a freak accident, but Kyle lost control. A mental breakdown led to hospitalization in what his brother called a Behavior Therapy Center, but something about his brother tugs at the back of his fragile psyche. While at the center, Kyle meets the lovely Celeste but soon discovers there are things about Celeste he doesn't know. Things, perhaps, no one can ever know.

No, Kyle McRoy doesn't know who to trust... least of all, himself. After all, it's hard to know who to trust when you're not even sure what's real.

Review of A House Divided Against Itself

A House Divided Against Itself is technically fiction, though it is based on the true stories of several men and women during the Civil War. Crafted from dozens of letters, journal entries and research of official documents, the story is told from the points of view of four key characters.

John Wesley Culp is literally the little brother, as he stands a mere five feet tall. He and the other characters in the book grew up in Gettysburg, PA. John's job ended up taking him down south to Virginia, where he felt more at home and more accepted than he ever did in Pennsylvania. As a result, when it came time to choose sides for the Civil War, he chose the Confederates.

William Esias Culp is the older brother, who has been disgusted with his younger brother for most of their lives. John's status as a traitor to the family is firmly cemented in his mind after the war begins and they lose their parents. William is fiercely dedicated to the Union Army.

Johnston Hastings "Jack" Skelly, Jr. is John Culp's best friend, but has chosen to remain faithful to the Union army. He is, however, also still faithful to his best friend, though they are on opposing sides.

Mary Virginia Wade, also known as Jennie, is Jack Skelly's girlfriend.

All four of these people really lived. Their lives as depicted in the book are fairly accurate. The historical events, which are described in great detail, all really happened. If you have ever studied the Civil War, particularly Gettysburg, their names are going to be familiar to you. What is fictionalized is some of the personal interactions and thoughts that they may or may not have had. Sometimes it is difficult to discern between the fiction and the nonfiction, but you can trust that the story is a true one.

Each character takes turns telling their story. Oftentimes their stories are the same, just told from different points of view. For example, there is a battle in which brother is actually fighting against brother, which apparently didn't occur as frequently as the Civil War has been romanticized to have happened. You hear about the battle from each brother's point of view, as well as Jack's perspective. Each one is telling essentially the same story, but then as has more to add about other events surrounding it. The stories also begin at the start of the war, from enlistment, all the way through the famous Battle at Gettysburg.

Chapters are meant to cover an extended period of time, but sometimes the narrator inserts a couple of paragraphs that deal with a specific day. The language used by each character is meant to reflect how people actually spoke back then, so some spellings and grammatical structures are a little different than you may be used to. At the same time, it also feels somewhat modernized for ease of reading. The inclusion of numerous photographs, drawings and maps add to the validity of the stories. Its presentation as a collection of memoirs is also designed to feel less dry and oppressive than reading nonfiction can be for some people. Bob O'Connor has clearly done his homework.

A House Divided Against Itself is available on line at www.boboconnorbooks.com or at amazon.com. It is also available on all e-book formats.

Guest Post by Bob O'Connor, Author of A House Divided Against Itself

Today I am honored to share with you a guest post by Bob O'Connor, author of the Civil War novel A House Divided Against Itself.

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It is often said of fiction writers that we don’t have to do any research because we can make everything up. I do not operate that way. I spend months and sometimes years gathering information from individual soldier’s military records, personal letters, regimental histories and the like to gather information I need. I find undiscovered “nuggets” in military records, diaries, etc. I build my story around that information.

When I write I actually add footnotes. That allows me to go back at any time and check figures or specific information. I delete all the footnotes on the final draft before the book is published.

In my novel A House Divided Against Itself, I follow the story of four Gettysburg characters through the Civil War. The book is based on a true story. I know what happened.

A historian asked recently why I spend all that time researching and then write fiction. The answer is complicated. First and foremost, fiction gives me creative license that I would not have with non-fiction. Secondly, it allows me to fill in holes in the story. Thirdly, it is much more fun to write fiction. And finally, more people purchase and read fiction than non-fiction.

My information is based on the record. As an example, Jack talks about the accidental killing of John Colehouse from Company F, the 87^th Pennsylvania Infantry. That incident is described in detail in one of Jack’s letters to his mother.

I talk of the 2^nd Pennsylvania Infantry re-enlisting after their 90-day enlistments were finished. But Nicholas Codori, one of their friends from Gettysburg, did not re-enlist. I know that because I read Nicholas’ service record.

A House Divided Against Itself is a mostly true novel. I try hard to make the story interesting and believable. Many historians cannot tell when I am telling the truth and when I am making something up.

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Bob O’Connor, a native of Illinois who now lives near Harpers Ferry, WV, has been a life-long student of both the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln. As a 7^th grader he attended the Centennial of the Lincoln Douglas debates at Galesburg, Illinois. One year later he portrayed Lincoln in his school play. Today he is the author of six Civil War era books. His subjects are Abraham Lincoln’s bodyguard, John Brown the abolitionist, the U.S. Colored Troops and brothers fighting against brothers.

O’Connor’s books (two non-fiction and four historical fiction) depict real people and real events. His research has uncovered a never before published drawing of the hanging of John Brown and a complete 500 page unpublished manuscript written by Lincoln’s bodyguard. He has made over 500 appearances in 18 states and the District of Columbia in the last six years to talk about his books.

A House Divided Against Itself is available on line at www.boboconnorbooks.com or at amazon.com. It is also available on all e-book formats.

Excerpt from A House Divided Against Itself

Welcome to the first stop on the tour for A House Divided Against Itself by Bob O'Connor. Here is the synopsis of the book:

A House Divided Against Itself is a historical fiction account based on a true story of four Gettysburg residents during the Civil War. Two of the characters are brothers. They fought against each other two different times during the war.  The book is based on over 90 letters from the participants and from regimental records. This is the unpublished beginning of a story for those who know of the Battle of Gettysburg may already know the ending.

Excerpt:

After several hours of fighting, the artillery was still hammering us. When the first rays of sunlit lit the field, Company F and others were ordered to wheel into the battle. Our orders were to attack the battery to protect our line of march. I was on the right flank with Company F and most of my friends from Gettysburg.

When the fight began, we fought gallantly. But we did not make much progress. As we charged ahead, a rebel unit surprised us by hitting our flank. We were unguarded on the flank. Our line crumbled. We were surrounded.

I looked around. Several of the Gettysburg men including myself, William T. Ziegler, Billie Holtzworth, Jacob Rice, David Culp, H. H. H. Welch and my brother Edwin were ordered to surrender.

We had talked often about this very situation. If we got captured, we intended to act like we were surrendering. We were to count silently to five. When one of our boys yelled “five” we were all supposed to run like hell. We had laughed about the plan. We thought the rebels would be so surprised that we would have a few minutes to get away before they recovered from their shock.

One of our boys yelled “five.” I started running as fast as I could. For about ten strides I thought the idea was a good one and that we were getting away. But some lucky rebel boy fired into our boys. I took a hit in my right shoulder. The ball knocked me down. I tried to get back up, but I couldn’t move. Blood was spurting from my shoulder. Billie Ziegler stopped to help.

I laid face down on the ground in intense pain. I had never felt pain like that in my life. When I looked up, everyone I saw standing around me had gray uniforms on except for Billie. The rebels boys told us we were their prisoners.

At that moment, I was not sure whether the other Gettysburg boys got away or not. We had been told that if we ever got captured, we would be exchanged for rebel prisoners within a short time.

I had never planned to become a prisoner of war. I had never planned on being wounded. Now I was both. I wondered if today, June 15, 1863, would be my last day on earth.

The rebels took Billie with them and promised to send back some medical help. I was not trusting that a rebel soldier would keep his word.

As I lay there, I started thinking about the rebel soldier I had shot. Had he laid on the field and thought about home and his family and loved ones. Or had he just fallen dead.

I thought about mother and Jennie mostly. The pain increased as the time went by. Mother. When I gave you my ambrotype and said “If I fall in battle, you will know how I looked before this war brought sorrow upon our land.” I had no idea that I had done it just in case this very thing happened to me.

I thought of my wonderful Jennie. Was this the end of me? Would she now marry someone else? I couldn’t stand that thought.

And for the first time I actually thought about all the men, dressed in blue and gray, who had fallen, like me. I wondered if they had gotten a chance to think about their life like I was doing now. I was thinking about who I had become and whether I had made a difference on this earth.

I started to pray with more fervor than I ever had, asking the good Lord to have mercy on me. I asked that I be given a chance to live and to return home, if that was His will. I was thinking along the lines that in returning home, perhaps I could be a better husband and father than I had been a soldier. And that perhaps I might become a minister and spread His word. Even with that, I knew it wasn’t my decision.

I finally decided that all I really could pray for was a chance to get a message to mother and Jennie. After that, God could take me if He decided that was best for everyone. And that was my prayer.

I don’t know how long I lay on the field. It seemed like a long time. The blood continued to flow. The pain did not go away like I was hoping it would. I was thought I might not make it off this field.

A House Divided Against Itself is available on line at www.boboconnorbooks.com or at amazon.com. It is also available on all e-book formats.

Review of The Opium Equation: A Cat Enright Mystery

The Opium Equation: A Cat Enright Mystery by Lisa Wysocky is a cozy mystery that kept me company several evenings after a long day at work. Cat Enright owns her own stable and boasts some of the biggest local celebrities as her clients. A dispute with Glenda, the retired movie star gets everyone's feathers ruffled. Cat goes to Glenda's house to confront her one more time, only to find the diva dead in the fireplace. At the same time, Bubba, the son of the local competition, has come up missing. Cat finds herself in some hot water thanks to her connection to both victims and attempts to solve both of their mysteries on her own.


Cat is a great character. She comes from a troubled past and has worked hard to build herself up to where she is today. She is a firm believer in caring for other people, especially when no one else is doing it. She tells her story in first-person, which really allows you to get inside her head and to see the action unfold as she sees it. I enjoyed putting the pieces together as she collected them. When the final resolution comes into play, I wasn't surprised, yet didn't have that person pegged as early on as I would have in other books. Short chapters allow for easy reading for busy people, but do not leave the book choppy. Everything flows nicely.

An interesting aspect of the book is how it teaches readers about horses. At the end of several chapters, Cat gives one of her horse tips. Each one is somehow related to something that has just happened involving one of the horses. Lisa Wysocky's love for horses is obvious through her character of Cat. The horses come into play just as much as some of the human characters.

I really enjoyed reading this book and hope that Lisa has some more adventures for Cat coming up for us soon!



As a tour host, I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Guest Post by Lisa Wysocky, Author of The Opium Equation

Today I am honored to have Lisa Wysocky, author of The Opium Equation: A Cat Enright Mystery, as a guest blogger.

Steady Determination Eventually Makes Dreams Come True

by Lisa Wysocky

When I was twelve, my mother handed me a Dick Francis mystery. For the uninitiated, Dick Francis was a former steeplechase jockey who rode for Britain’s queen mother, After retiring from the track, he became a sports reporter and eventually turned to writing mysteries. I had grown up a typical horse crazy kid and loved the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. But until my mother handed me the Francis book, I never realized one could combine mysteries and horses. Wow, I was hooked!

I’ve wanted to write a horse mystery since the second I finished my first Dick Francis book. But, as often happens in life, life got in the way. I went to school to become a horse trainer. I trained professionally for ten years, then became a newspaper reporter and a freelance writer after returning to school to study communications and journalism. I became a music industry publicist and a therapeutic riding instructor. It wasn’t until I was in my late thirties that I wrote my first horse mystery.

When my manuscript was finished I didn’t know what to do next, so I contacted an author friend who referred me to his agent. The agent signed me and sold the book right away––to a company that went bankrupt just as fast. I experienced major excitement and major disappointment in the same month. The book sold again, this time to a publisher who had huge staff changes. As soon as my editor left, my book was dropped. Discouraged, I began writing nonfiction. I did a successful book on country music stars and their horses and co-authored an autobiography with a man who has Tourette syndrome. That book eventually became a Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie. A book on horse training and a second book on country music stars and their horses followed, as did other co-authored and ghostwritten projects. But, no mystery publisher loomed in sight.

I re-wrote my horse mystery once, then twice, then a third time. An agent passed, then another. After that I went to mystery publishers directly. They all passed. I was getting ready to self-publish when the small but mighty Cool Titles said, “We love the book. We love The Opium Equation.” I couldn’t believe it, but they did!

The Opium Equation, my first horse mystery, was published seventeen years after I originally wrote it, Since then I am thrilled to announce that the book has won four prestigious awards. When I work with horses I always try to find a personal lesson in my interactions with them. One of those lessons has been that solid, steady plodding eventually brings you to your destination, and that is how it has been with The Opium Equation. So for anyone out there who has a dream, please don’t give up on it. Your dream may have to be tweaked or refined or updated along the way, as mine was, but slow and steady really does get you there in the end.




The Opium Equation is also available for your Kindle.