Author Staten M. Rall immerses himself in Confederate lore to bring a soldier's struggle to life
NASHVILLE, Tenn., June 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Staten M. Rall has immersed himself in Confederate lore, family histories and military knowledge, which endeared him to share a new version of a soldier's struggle. True Blue Confederate is a Civil War novel featuring the Battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro), Tazewell, Tennessee, and action in the Cumberland Gap.
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(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130625/PH37292-b)
In the modern novel, True Blue Confederate, prepare to be instantly transported back to 1862 in the poignant opening pages of this classique nouveau, with a letter from a father to his son serving in the Confederate infantry. From this entrancement, we are dropped into the cold aftermath of the first day's fight near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where the man's son, Confederate Sergeant, Jon Lyhton, is lost amid scattered skirmishers. Not so unusual in true Civil War accounts. Lyton obtains a Union overcoat to survive a freezing night. His desperate attempts to survive backfire in a horrid twist that only war can deliver.
Disillusioned with himself and the lack of Confederate efforts to win the battle, Jon is confronted with failure and dishonor. For atonement, he must take heroic, but drastic action to avert the very judgment of God and his faith is tested to the limits of the human will.
In vivid contrast are Jon's experiences of the previous summer at the Cumberland Gap in Eastern Tennessee. While in the 11th Tennessee Regiment, he is introduced to garrison duty, first combat and the cold realities of war. Unionist partisans populate the nearby hills and there, Jon meets Bethanna, the daughter of German farming emigrants. As her serene valley is threatened by the encroaching sectional conflict, she must find a way to rise above the chaos of love and war.
Three themes roll onward like cannon balls toward an explosive end – Jon's desperate bid for atonement – Bethanna's struggle to follow God's directive of mercy – and finally, the heart-clinching final day at Stone's River (Murfreesboro). Crafted in expert detail and brought to life through the actions of real participants, this harrowing finale thoroughly astounds and entertains. True Blue Confederate is a dynamic historical fiction surging with action, morality, and compassion during extremely difficult circumstances. Staten M. Rall proves that passionate characters still live and breathe in deeds of chivalry and honor.
True Blue Confederate
Staten M. Rall
List $18.99
ISBN 978-0-989-3796-0-1
Trade softcover 443 pages, also available in nook, and Kindle editions
Publisher: ABC Book Publishers, Inc.
Available online. For more information visit www.trueblueconfederate.com or www.statenrall.com
About the Author
Staten M. Rall was born in San Luis Obispo, California in 1966. The War Between the States or The American Civil War had always been a personal family experience for Staten. His two grandmothers are direct descendants of Confederate soldiers, one from Alabama, and one from South Carolina. His father's family emigrated from Germany to Iowa in the 1850's and married into families that provided soldiers for the Union. True Blue Confederate is a child of this legacy.
Over the last twenty years, Staten has immersed himself in Confederate lore, family histories and military knowledge, which endeared him to share a new version of a soldier's struggle. Creativity is plentiful for Staten and he is a commissioned artist, songwriter, musician, and writer. He lives in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.
From the short stories he fashioned, the novel True Blue Confederate began to take shape.
Review copies, interviews and photography are all available upon request.
Contact: Kim Benton 904-422-0490 Email.