Being a re-enactor has added richness to my writing, although I started because I love history. I’ve found friends that also love to be here.

The reasons people participate are as varied at the soldiers and their wives. Some honor their ancestors who fought bravely for a Cause they believed in. Some want to keep history alive, portraying it accurately. The men are soldiers, medical, or civilians like a funeral director, sepia toned photographer, muleskinner, blacksmith, carpenter, hat-maker, the list is as long as the occupations of men in that period.

Women portray laundresses, cooks and seamstresses. One makes lace on a hand loom, another cooks soap from lye, while mothers herd their children out of the way of drilling soldiers.

It’s a love that crosses generations.

The battle spread across miles as the Union tried to gain control of the railhead. The intention was to cut the supply lines from the south. Florida was providing beef and food to the starving Rebels. The Confederates used Cavalry to decimate the Union troops.

Almost three thousand men were killed or wounded during this battle. It makes no difference any more if they were Confederate or Union, they were all patriots, Americans to the last drop of blood.

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Ancient Awakening

Buy hyperlink Ancient Awakening http://www.wildrosepress.us/maincatalog/index.php main_page=product_info&cPath=177_136&products_id=4511

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TG4NFG

By the time Emma meets Quentin, a man she could care about, she’d convinced she’s the latest victim a family curse. Emma is determined to avoid love. She has enough problems. Her sisters won’t agree to sign over the family home so she can convert it to a Bed & Breakfast although this is her dream. Quentin is a building contractor who volunteers his time to help her after finding his sister is her best friend.

Quentin’s lost four fiancées by jumping into relationships. Meeting Emma, he’s convinced she is the one, but he’ll woo her, not rush her. He’d determined to do it right this time.

An accident at the house hurts both women. Quentin discovers it was deliberate and insists Emma stay with him until they discover the person behind the threat.

Seeing Red is a nicely woven tale with a well developed cast of characters.

I’d recommend it to my friends.

I haven’t done a lot of reviews. I can count them on one hand, but I liked Maggie Toussaint’s book and decided to start with it. I have several books on my to-be-read pile that I’m hoping to share with you.

Drop by my website for excerpts from my books.

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Spring arrives

In Florida, the promise of spring is more subtle. Green creeps across the brown fields. Red Bud trees blossom with a spray of pink/lavender flowers. Pine cones make a thunking noise on the roof as they drop from the trees. Squirrels chitter like maniacs as they chase each other around and around.

This camp is on the migration paths of hundreds of different bird species. I have an Audubon book to identify them but I’m not quick enough most of the time to see all the details.

Late this afternoon, we took a soda outside and watched the sun going down.

The flutter of wings filled the air.

A thousand robins landed in the open field in front of our camper.

Did you ever see so many robins in one flock? I didn’t know they traveled like that.

This was a gem of a moment.

We watched the birds for almost an hour. One robin yanked a fat grub from the soil and ate it with relish. They poked and pulled at the ground, hunting for more grubs or insect eggs. This is nature’s way of balancing the species. If the birds don’t stop, there can be too many insects to infest the forest.

A pair of red-headed woodpeckers pecked at the bark high on a slash pine. Then they left as quickly as they had arrived.

The robins left in smaller groups. By dark not one lingered.

So we finished our drinks. It’s nice to know that all those birds will be in someone’s yard in a few days. And a child will shout, “Look, Mommy, the first robin of Spring is here!”

Another Love

Check out my Historical Romance: Another Love at my website.

Some promises are made to be broken.

Caught in a web of political intrigue, graft and threats to a beloved child, Meg Warren and Drew Larkin hunt the men threatening the downfall of President Cleveland and the economic fabric of America. From a poor farm to the ostentatious world of New York’s elite, they sift lies, discover trust and an attraction they cannot resist. The last thing they expect to find is a love worth more than gold.

“Quote.” – Pat Potter, award winning author calls Another Love…“A real page turner with wonderful characters and a unique plot. You can’t miss with this one.”

Review from Romantic Times Magazine **** 1/2 (four and one-half stars)

http://www.amazon.com/Another-Love-Barbara-Edwards/dp/1590888332/

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Ancient Awakening

Primitive camping is a far cry from my usual fifth wheel comfort. What are you talking about, you ask? Why aren’t you working on your book? Since everything can be fodder for a writer’s grist mill, I have to share our latest adventure.

The Osceola National Forest is a quarter million acres of pine forest, swamp and undeveloped land in the Panhandle of Florida. It stretches to the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. The forest is dotted with camping areas. Some like Ocean Pond, a lovely fishing

Sunset at Ocean Pond

lake, offer electric and water hook-ups, the others are primitive camping.

So how did I end up at West Tower as a camp host? West Tower is primitive. There is no water on the sites, no electric and certainly no sewer. There is a single seat sanitary facility (outhouse) with a sink and exterior water faucet.

After finding the host site did have these amenities, my husband volunteered and I agreed, thinking the quiet would be good for my writing.

Firefighting equipment in the Osceola National Forest

It takes about five miles of driving on graded dirt roads to reach West Tower. We’re fifteen miles from the nearest city limits. There are times when I wonder what would happen if we broke down.  No cell phones work. That should have been a hint my air card wouldn’t work on my computer. Like most people, I take the modern conveniences for granted.

So what are the duties of a host in the real wilderness? Clean the toilet. Not hard since it’s not used much. Pick up the campsites, remove trash, and empty the fire pits. It’s a little more demanding, but not overwhelming since most people are neat campers. The camp host also clears the trails. West Tower is the trail head for more than fifty miles of equestrian trails, the blue trail, The Florida Trail and the gold trail go past. There are ATV trails marked for people who enjoy riding through the forest.

We’re not here during hunting season, but the place is packed with eager hunters and their dogs. The hunters seek everything legal in its season. There’s black powder and turkey hunting, deer, and even wild hogs. These are serious hunters who butcher and eat their prey. It gives you a different perspective than shopping in a grocery store.

I’ve found West tower to be a remarkably busy place. Forestry people stop to talk about their work. Hikers pass through regularly. Backpackers are frequent campers. Horseback riders use the trails and after parking their horse trailers stop to talk.

The nights are dark, the stars so clear you want to touch them. And something howls in the late hours that sounds like a wolf.

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The murdered do haunt their murderers, I believe. I know that ghosts have wandered on earth. Be with me always — take any form — drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!

EMILY BRONTE, Wuthering Heights
Do you believe in ghosts? Paranormal activity? Whether one admits it or not, ghosts fascinates us? Paranormal activity attracts us to a story, draws us in to wanting to why. Why are we drawn to the unknown?

 Ghost stories are meant to scare. Admit it- everyone loves a good ghost story. For that matter, everyone knows a good ghost story. So is it the fear and the thrill that attracts us to books with paranormal elements? Ghosts are an unexplained occurrences to most of us, but in some aspect I believe we empathize with these lost souls. Most ghosts have a tragic tale associated with them. When I was inCharlestonlast summer, I went on one of the ghost walks and was told a sad story about a mother who lost her baby. I was touched by the story of a woman who died over a hundred years ago.

Daughter of Deceit

Daughter of Deceit is my second book with paranormal elements within it. So does that mean I believe in ghosts? The short answer is yes. The long answer…for another time.

When I write, I never use an outline. I let the story take me. When I was writing the first draft of Daughter of Deceit, something bothered me. Something just wasn’t right. I was at the last action scene that it hit me exactly what I needed to do. I went back and revised the whole of the book.

Can spirits cross back over from the other side? Are they searching for closure? Good or malevolent? With purpose or simply lost?

Daughter of Deceit, set in Regency England, is a historical romantic suspense book with paranormal elements. It has it all. Love, mystery, ghosts…

Blurb-

Shunned fromLondonsociety for being the daughter ofEngland’s most notorious spy, Alyce Hythe desires only to clear her father’s name. But strange things have been happening causing old rumors to be whispered of mystic ghosts and demons. Only one thing is certain for Alyce…someone wants her dead.

Long has Lord Julian Casvelyn lived with guilt brought on when his brother was murdered by England’s most infamous traitor. But one eventful night has changed everything Lord Julian believed about his brother’s death. Never did he suspect the woman he has just saved from certain harm is the daughter of that man. Now Julian is caught in midst of a conspiracy and desire for that woman.

Thrown together by fate, the two search for answers long denied them and along the way discover a love that can free them both.

Visit Carrie James Haynes’ blog- Castles in the Air

http://carriejameshaynes.blogspot.com/

Daughter of Deceit

http://www.amazon.com/Daughter-of-Deceit-ebook/dp/B0072UNDH8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328008797&sr=8-2

Living the good life

I am a writer. It isn’t a hobby. I have no choice about putting those whirling ideas and thoughts onto paper. I can turn into a beast, chewing on my own leg, if deprived.
To save my sanity, I learned to arrange my surroundings to allow me to indulge.
For days when the road is long and winding, I have an alphasmart to write on. I can blockout the country music or talk-show hosts as I dive into my plot. This is also a handy tool for when I want to sit outside and take in the sun or the beach.

Reason to head South

Inside the fifth-wheel, I have a corner with a tiny table, a comfortable chair and my lap-top. I can’t say its easy to adjust, but I have a burning need to finish my latest manuscript. It won’t wait until a good time or a better place.

So I ask my husband if he needs anything at the store or if the dog need to take a walk. He can find something to keep him occupied for a few hours and I can write.

It comes down to that old question: do you write even when you’re not in the mood?
In my case, that’s a resounding YES!!!

Ancient Blood

Barbara Edwards Amazing Author Event
Thanks for joining me to find the answer to today’s question for a chance to win amazing books. I’m adding a ebook copy of Ancient Blood to the basket.

Starting Jan. 12, thirteen AMAZING AUTHORS  hosted a blog tour. Visit each author’s blog and read through their post carefully. At the end of the tour there will be a test – but instead earning an A or, gasp, an F, you can earn PRIZES: amazing stories by these AMAZING AUTHORS, as well as some other cool giveaways. Read to the end for a complete list.

Don’t forget: Jan. 24. Ginger Simpson - http://mizging.blogspot.com for questions and prizes.

Writing a paranormal series was an unexpected turn for me. I wrote Another Love, a historical romance set in New York in 1892 and Annie’s Heart set in 1872 Kansas. Both books reflected my love of history. I thought I’d found my home, but along came Rachel’s Rescue, a contemporary romantic suspense. www.barbaraedwards.net  and I wondered where I really wanted to be.

Old cemetery

Ancient Awakening started with a nightmare. I’ve told this story many times and have no problem repeating it. In my nightmare I revisited the cemetery next to my childhood home and the village of Rhodes End came into being.
All my paranormal characters live in Rhodes End, a place in New England. It incorporates many of the features of a true village. Two churches bracket the town green like towering bookends. Small shops cater to tourists. The townspeople have normal lives unaffected by the paranormal creatures inhabiting Rhodes End alongside them.

In Ancient Awakening, Police Officer ‘Mel’ Petersen investigates a death only she believes is murder. By disobeying direct orders from the Rhodes End Chief, she risks her career to follow clues that twist in circles to her backyard and lead the killer to her.

Her neighbor Stephen Zoriak is a prime suspect. Steve worked for a major pharmaceutical company where he discovered a weapon so dangerous he destroys the research. He is exposed to the dangerous organism. He suspects he is the killer and agrees to help her find the truth.

In the course of their investigation Mel and Steve find the real killer and a love that defies death.
Excerpt:
Legend gave him many names, but the wide halls of his mountain retreat no longer echoed with countless worshipers. He could have ruled the world had his ambition not died with the passage of time. The endless whispers were from the cold winds and the few praying priests. He didn’t care that he couldn’t remember his real name or birthplace.

Paranormal Romance

For an eon he’d regretted the loss of softer emotions. Love had been the first feeling to die, along with the woman who had insisted he would never harm her. He couldn’t recall her features just the merry tinkle of her laughter and the bright smile she had greeted him with every morning. He licked his lips. She’d tasted sweet.

Fierce need flared in his gut and he sniffed the air. Outside his chamber a single acolyte in long brown robes waited to escort him. His mouth curved with a mirthless smile. The silent servants had ignited the flickering wall torches. Shadows jumped and shivered in the drafty halls like nervous virgins

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Blood-Finding-Rhodes-ebook/dp/B0052NUR12/

Ancient Blood, Book Two in the finding Rhodes End series is available.

Lily Alban escapes a murderous stalker, but his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Try as she might to deny her growing desire for Cole, she seeks his help but soon discovers the man she loves is not a man at all.

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. A botanist researching the healing herbs to find a cure for Lycanthropy, he’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself even in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes to his inner beast.

Together they must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he attacks again, but revealing their secrets to one another could destroy their growing love or save them both.

“What makes you so important? Or is this another secret?”

Cole’s eyes darkened. “Lily. I’m pushing the line with you. Give me some slack.”

“I want answers, Cole.” She grabbed his arm as he turned and pulled him to a halt.

He gently, carefully drew her fierce grip into his grasp. His golden eyes heated as he lifted her hand to his lips. “I already told you, Lily. You’d have to mate with me to learn all my secrets.”

Urgent need raced from his lips to her center. His scorching gaze melted her from the inside out. All her being longed to step into his arms, to become one in a way she’d never known. She trembled as she recognized the danger

Buy  Ancient Blood

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Here’s the AMAZING AUTHORS lineup:
Jan. 12. Caroline Clemmons – http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com
Jan. 13. Beth Trissel – http://bethrissel.wordpress.com|
Jan. 14. Roseanne Dowell – http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com
Jan. 15. Cathie Dunn – http://cathiedunn.blogspot.com
Jan. 16. Maggie Toussaint - http://mudpiesandmagnolias.blogspot.com
Jan. 17. Patsy Parker – http://plparker.blogspot.com
Jan. 18. SG Rogers – http://childofyden.wordpress.com
Jan. 19. Linda LaRogue – http://lindalarogueauthor.blogspot.com
Jan. 20 Jacquie Rogers – http://romancingthewest.blogspot.com/2012/01/jacquies-amazing-authors-event.html
Jan. 21. Karen Nutt – http://kmnbooks.blogspot.com/
Jan. 22. Anna Kathryn Lanier – http://annakathrynlanier.blogspot.com/
Jan. 23. Barbara Edwards – http://barbaraedwardscomments.wordpress.comJan. 24. Ginger Simpson - http://mizging.blogspot.com

Paranormal Romance

A continuing part of writing is doing research. An editor asked about the information I used in Ancient Awakening and I had to assure her that I had researched the facts I used. Building a novel takes more than one fact. I took information from many areas and used my imagination to recombine the ideas into my plots.

Immortality is alive and well in fiction. In my paranormal Ancient Awakening, I used the obsession with immortality to add layers to my villain’s character. The individual’s desire to live forever is recorded throughout history.

Several decades ago, the world was amazed by the discovery in China of an immense grave site. Thousands of terra-cotta figures stood in ordered array.

Archeologists discovered that Emperor Ching Shi Hwang-Di spent his life hoping to avoid death. He commissioned doctors to concoct potions and sent ships out to sea in search of islands where immortals supposedly lived.

Fearful that his efforts might ultimately fail, he conscripted more than a half-million men to build a magnificent underground tomb. He had the tomb surrounded by over seven thousand life-size terracotta soldiers in military formation.

Upon the emperor’s death, he ordered his living servants buried with him.

I was fascinated by his creation.

The idea of being immortal is common in fiction. In the ‘Lord of the Rings,’ Sauron is immortal.

Many fictitious characters are said to be immortal if they cannot die of old age, even though they can be killed through other means, such as injury. Achilles was such a character. He had only one place where he could be hurt and was ultimately killed.

Another example of this obsession is in the first know writings of man. Gilgamesh, the hero of ancient Mesopotamian mythology, searches for the magical plant or herb of immortality.  He provides one example of how stories use plants as symbols of life and of the healing power of nature. I used this idea in Ancient Blood. My hero searches for the way to use Wolf’s Bane to cure his curse.

Ancient Blood

Ancient Blood by Barbara Edwards

Lily Alban escapes a murderous stalker, but his vicious attack leaves her with the ability to see auras. She finds safety in the tiny hamlet of Rhodes End where a stranger stands out like a red light. Try as she might to deny her growing desire for Cole, she seeks his help but soon discovers the man she loves is not a man at all.

Werewolf Cole Benedict resists his attraction to Lily. A botanist researching the healing herbs to find a cure for Lycanthropy, he’s determined to protect Lily from her stalker as well as himself even in human form, but instinct takes over when he changes to his inner beast.

Together they must use their extraordinary gifts to catch Lily’s stalker before he attacks again, but revealing their secrets to one another could destroy their growing love or save them both.

“What makes you so important? Or is this another secret?”

Cole’s eyes darkened. “Lily. I’m pushing the line with you. Give me some slack.”

“I want answers, Cole.” She grabbed his arm as he turned and pulled him to a halt.

He gently, carefully drew her fierce grip into his grasp. His golden eyes heated as he lifted her hand to his lips. “I already told you, Lily. You’d have to mate with me to learn all my secrets.”

Urgent need raced from his lips to her center. His scorching gaze melted her from the inside out. All her being longed to step into his arms, to become one in a way she’d never known. She trembled as she recognized the danger.

Buy link http://tinyurl.com/3f627vh

Please visit me at:

Author Website: http://barbaraedwards.net

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