Greetings from North Carolina!

I am happy to be aboard and I am looking forward to making your acquaintance. I am a long time reader and recent author of an historical novel entitled Scarecrow in Gray. I am a big fan of good literature of most types, particularly that which is historical in nature.

Having just turned sixty, I am a leading edge boomer, who grew up on that great sixties rock and roll. Seeing that this is a British web site, here is a big nod to The Beatles!

I am a hard working banker type, a North Carolina native, whose family came to this country from Scotland and England in the early 1600's.

Other than that, howdy ya'll and ask me anything you like.

Hi there, Tarheel.

What period is your book set in and how did you do the research for it?

(You said to ask anything, so just taking you up on that. Hope you don't mind.)

Hi Novella,

You are in a lovely part of the world.

I was being a bit facetious about asking me anything, but since you did ask I am more than happy to oblige. As a first time author I am always happy to talk about my work.

My book is a Civil War novel based on the life of my great grandfather. I tried to create a literate piece that reflected positively on the common people of the period, unlike many other novels of the era. It was a labor of love and people say very nice things about it, though my sales have been modest. You can check it out on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Hope your weather is not too dreadful just now.

Welcome to BAR!. Be sure to add some of your missives to our writer's section. I don't contribute, though I do enjoy reading a lot of the entries. Civil War history is quite fascinating, I'm not certain that a lot of folks know exactly what a "tarheel" is, but we'll leave that for enquiring minds.

Enjoy your stay and post often.

Thanks, SFG75.

I will try contribute from time to time.

The term Tarheel has several supposed origins. We usually pick the one we like the best. Here are a few:

North Carolina was a major supplier of tar pitch which was used to caulk the boards of wooden ships.

It is said that General Robert E. Lee, while watching some North Carolina troops engaged in a fierce fight, said "God bless the Tarheel boys."

It is also said that Civil War governor Zebulon Vance praised the troops of the state by saying, "Our boys stick like they've got tar on their heels."

I personally like them all and of course UNC Chapel Hill uses the name for their sports teams.

The Civil War is endlessly fascinating. I highly recommend reading anything by Shelby Foote, fiction or non-fiction, and Howar Bahr, one of the greatest living American writers in my opinion.

Have a great evening!

Hi and Welcome Tarheel! I'm a bit of a history buff myself so I bet we'd like some of the same books. Are you interested in genealogy as well?

Hi Abecedarian!

Thanks for the reply. In answer to your question, I do appreciate genealogy but I do not pursue it like I do history.

The Civil War period is of course my favorite and is the setting for my novel, Scarecrow in Gray, which is based on the life of my great grandfather.

History books I have read recently include 1776 by David McCullough; The Wilderness, by Gary Gallagher; Look Away: A History of the Confederate States of America, by William C. Davis.

I also appreciate good historical fiction. My favorite writer in that genre is Howard Bahr who wrote The Black Flower, The Year of Jubilo and The Judas Field.

Happy reading!

Welcome! Hope you enjoy your time here!

Scarecrow in Gray -- I'm going to check it out. I too, have just published my first novel, also an historical, but marketed to young adults. (See my new post which I'm about to make, after I finish talking to you!) My family too (or most of it) came from the British Isles. Being from the South, you are in that revered ilk of "Southern Writers". Can't wait to go to Amazon and read about Scarecrow in Gray. Best of luck with marketing (I'm finding that to be more daunting, and more important, than I ever dreamed!) Best of luck.

Thanks, Chewie. Great name. I have a yellow lab mix who makes a sound almost like Chewbacca when he's hungry. It's hilarious!

Thanks, LS. What is the name of your book?

Regarding Southern writers, of course everyone seems to be compared to Faulkner, who is actually NOT a favorite of mine. I like more poetic, literate writing than Faulkner's. I find his work somewhat claustrophobic, even if it is brilliant in its own way.

Howard Bahr, who was formerly curator of the Faulkner estate and museum, is a brilliant writer of the Faulkner tradition, though I find his work more poetic and moving than Faulkner's.

I would like to take a look at your book as well.