![\"FAITH\"](\"http:\/\/booksbylyncote.com\/SWBS\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/Faith-683x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Today I am posting an excerpt of my latest book FAITH. Last Friday I posted the Prologue where we witness why Faith goes to serve in the Civil War–though the doctors at that time didn’t want or respect female nurses. But what of her counterpart?<\/p>\n
Let me introduce Col Devlin Knight of Maryland. If you recall, the border states were slave stares that refused to secede but also wanted to keep their slaves. This is Dev’s conflict. He’s a slaveowner fighting for the Union and now the Emancipation Proclamation has made it clear that Union victory will mean emancipation. He is a man torn between two opposites. How can he go forward in a much different future?<\/p>\n
Chapter One begins with Dev, a Union cavalry officer, engaged in a skirmish in Mississippi near Vicksburg. And in the midst he sees on the other side, his own cousin Jack. What’s a man of honor to do when he sees his “blood” fall?<\/p>\n
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter One:<\/p>\n
After shoving Jack\u2019s distinctive hat with one side folded up and pinned with a miniature lone-star flag into his jacket, Dev slid one arm under Jack\u2019s shoulders and one under his knees and rose. Jack struggled, cursed and then passed out.<\/p>\n
Just as well. Dev managed to sling him face down over his saddle and then he mounted his horse, grasping his reins and turned away to head back to the Union lines.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop where you stand,\u201d a voice from the trees behind Dev barked.<\/p>\n
Dev raised both hands. \u201cI\u2019m taking my cousin with me to get him medical help.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYour cousin<\/i>, Yankee?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, we\u2019re from Maryland.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat man\u2019s from Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, but he was born in Maryland on the Carroll Plantation ten miles from Baltimore.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you do know him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, now are you going to shoot me in the back or let me help my cousin?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you\u2019ll shoot at him but then come back to help him?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sums it up.\u201d Dev choked on the irony of it, but he\u2019d faced this over and over, meeting men he\u2019d grown up with and taking aim at them.<\/p>\n
An ominous silence hung over the three of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cOkay. But God help you if you do him harm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGod help me in any event.\u201d But he doubted God would help him. Dev headed back to his camp, expecting to be shot by a sniper or Rebel straggler at any moment.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d fought in the Mexican War nearly twenty years ago and his goal then had been to serve with honor and survive. He didn\u2019t think any man could expect to live through two wars. His lone goal now was to serve and when the time came, die with honor. That\u2019s what kept him going.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
When Dev neared his camp, his cut off his cousin\u2019s gray military jacket and stuffed it along with Jack\u2019s hat under his own jacket. He met the sentry, identified himself. Then as he picked his way to his tent, he felt conspicuous as if he\u2019d be stopped at any moment. Fortunately, more than one skirmish had take place today so the camp was busy with injured.<\/p>\n
His man Armstrong stepped out of Dev\u2019s tent before he reached it. Armstrong always did this, heard him coming and was there waiting for him.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp me get him inside,\u201d Dev said, glad of help.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s Master Jack,\u201d Armstrong said in obvious surprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Armstrong didn\u2019t say another word just helped carry the unconscious man into their tent. Then he looked at Dev, asking without words what he thought he was doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will turn him in but first I need to see if at least one of his arms can be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Armstrong gazed at wounded man, obviously thinking. \u201cThe surgeons won\u2019t think twice about cutting them both off for sure. But I heard about one of the nurses. They say she better than the doctors. Miss Faith Cathwell.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA nurse? A woman nurse? Better than the doctors?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey say her patients mostly live. Not all but enough where some notice the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you know this because?\u201d<\/p>\n
Armstrong looked him in the eye. \u201cYou know why, sir.\u201d<\/p>\n
You found out in case I\u2019m wounded<\/i>. Dev gripped his servant\u2019s shoulder. \u201cHow can I find Miss Cathwell?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe tall with blond hair. And if what I heard is true, she\u2019ll be in the thick of things near the camp hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dev nodded, turned to go and then glanced over his shoulder. \u201cCheck his pockets in case he still has weapons on him. Keep him here.\u201d<\/p>\n
*************<\/p>\n
So the Dev goes in search of Faith Cathwell and his life will never be the same. What do you think of him as hero material? Does he act like one?<\/p>\n
Have you read either HONOR or BLESSING? If you haven’t signed up for my enewsletter (see box on top right), you should. I’ll be resending Friday’s issue this week and you can find out how to enter a drawing for a copy of FAITH.–Lyn<\/p>\n
PS-Last week’s winner of Susan Page Davis’s book is Laurene. Congrats!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"