April is Confederate Heritage Month

Those who live in Southern states may be aware that next month is Confederate Heritage and History Month. But if you're not lucky enough to live in Dixie, you likely won't hear a word about it.

If you are like me and have an interest in Confederate history even though you live above the Mason-Dixon line, I encourage you to visit the Web site of the Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (www.confederateheritagemonth.com) as they honor their ancestors and pay tribute to their valiant past.

The need for this month of remembrance in this time of political correctness is great. Education is the only weapon that can be used now to combat the constant and deliberate alteration of history. Truth and facts must be pitted against misrepresentations and distortions in order to protect the South's most precious symbols, traditions and beliefs.

Though some might say this issue is a "Southern" one, they could not be more wrong. Any attempt to denigrate the history of the South should be viewed by all as an insult to the honor and heritage of our nation. To ignore or disregard the lives of some of our nation's most valiant heroes is to leave blank some of the proudest pages in American history. Likewise, to disrespect the symbols of that sacred past is an affront to the legacy of a brave and conscientious people who offered their lives and their possessions in defense of their beliefs.

Since I can claim no ancestral link to the Confederacy, it is not for me to convey to the historically challenged, the emotions evoked, the feelings induced, and the pride aroused by the banner that continues to be cherished today as an honored emblem of the South. But I can say that I find it offensive and insulting to hear slurs against a flag under which so many brave men served and died.

In any event, Shades of Gray is my feeble attempt to correct some of the mistruths that seem to have become "accepted version" of events. By examining the human side of the War for Southern Independence, I aim to pay tribute to the memory of the South’s past, and to honor the men who fought and defended their homes — not in the spirit of anger or of hate — but in fulfillment of duty and a conviction for honor.

In that spirit, I will donate a portion of every book sold in April to an organization that honors or strives to protect Confederate heritage (I've not made up my mind yet which one - your suggestions are welcome).

Ir is my hope, however, that the value of Shades of Gray will be more for its contribution toward the understanding of the past than for any monetary donation.

Fredericksburg's role in Civil War novel

People often ask me where the inspiration for Shades of Gray came from. Those familiar with where I live assume that I write about the Civil War because I reside in Gettysburg.

Truth is, it was a house in a Civil War town in Virginia that really inspired me to take the time to research and write an emotional story of love and war.

I don't really talk about this experience much. Number one, it's hard to explain. Number two, it's kind of embarrassing and probably sounds a little corny. But it really happened and it really served as the impetus for Shades of Gray.

What occurred took place at Chatham Manor, which served as a hospital after the Battle of Fredericksburg. I stumbled across the site on a trip to Fredericksburg in the early 90s, and being an "old house" enthusiast, decided to take a look.

Upon entering the house, I paid the attendant who sat inside the door, and then began to look around. As soon as I entered a small room to the right of the main hallway, I began shaking and became overwhelmed with such a feeling of grief that I had to grab hold of the doorway. I can only describe it as a physical weight of intense -- really indescribable -- despair hitting me from out of the blue. I suddenly had tears running down my face and I had no idea why.

Now, a normal person would probably be frightened, or want to know what could possibly be causing this. Me? I worried about how I was going to get out of the house I had just entered two minutes earlier without embarrassing myself by running past the attendant with tears running down my face.

When I heard the voices of more visitors arriving, I seized the opportunity. I ran out the door, got in my car and drove away... still shaking.

My Chatham experience probably lasted all of five minutes -- but it has never left me. I knew that experience happened for a reason. I began to read everything I could about the Lacy House, and, the more I read, the more interested I became in the human side of the chaos of the War Between the States. I became driven to write something that would harness those emotions and let other people feel them the way I felt them that day.

I am hopeful that I succeeded. As one reviewer wrote, "The anger and fear depicted in Shades of Gray is at times almost palatable; the intense sorrow, frustration, and ultimately love, seem to transcend the pages to settle in the very marrow of the reader’s bones."

And it all began in Fredericksburg...

Let me know your thoughts! writefromthepast(at)yahoo.com