Life in the Past Lane
Official blog of award-winning romantic historical and military fiction author Jessica James
Shades of Gray part of Op. Desert Swap
I keep wondering if my package has arrived yet in Iraq as part of Operation Desert Swap. In case you haven't heard of it, authors all across the country have donated a copy of their book and "adopted" one of the 83 soldiers in Company C 3/25 Aviation Regiment, a...
‘Tis the season: Book signings & blog tours
I have a busy week preparing publicity for my Remembrance Day book signing with Jeff Shaara at the National Park Service Visitor Center on Nov. 21, and finishing up interviews and posts for my blog tour in December.As a tease, here is a picture of the basket of Civil...
Welcome Fellow Authors!
Want to get your book in front of readers who are in your target audience? I believe I've come up with a way to do just that. My hope is that self/independently published authors can promote their work to a wider audience by helping each other through social media...
Historical fiction book review: The General
The General and Monaville, Texas By Joe G. Bax168 pagesEmerald Book CompanyTouching on a piece of history that I think is too often overlooked, author Joe G. Bax successfully paints a vivid picture of a small Texas town during the tumultuous period that followed the...
Taking a step back in time with sealing wax
Being an historical fiction author, I enjoy doing things the old-fashioned way (maybe that's why I haven't caught on to text messaging yet). Pictured at right is my wax seal set - a wax candle, "J" stamp and spoon.I bought the set from an estate auction because I...
The golden season of autumn
Love this time of year - though I don't feel I'm getting a lot done. My eyes are constantly drawn to the leaves tumbling and frolicking outside as if some giant being from above has cast golden tickets into the air and sent them spiraling to the ground.I took a few...
Civil War etiquette in the Ballroom
When doing research for my historical fiction novel Shades of Gray, I was always intrigued by the rules of etiquette that were observed during the Civil War and Victorian era, and amazed at how far away from "polite society" we've moved. Here are a few examples of how...
19th century etiquette tip of the day
In meeting a lady, it is optional with her whether she shall pause to speak. If the gentleman has anything to say to her, he should not stop her, but turn around and walk in her company until he has said what he has to say, when he may leave her with a bow and a lift...
Remembrance Day weekend book signing
Just found out I will be doing a signing of my Civil War novel Shades of Gray at the new Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center on Nov. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is Remembrance Day weekend so there will be a lot going on, including the must-see parade that starts at...
A Southern Spy in Northern Virginia
Book Review: A Southern Spy in Northern VirginiaThe Civil War Album of Laura RatcliffeBy Charles V. MauroIt's not often that an historical fiction author runs across a book that provides the perfect combination of war, romance, history, espionage, and famous...
