A Weekend Special—Beyond the Wood for 99 cents (a nearly 90% discount) September 13-16, 2013 to celebrate the release of its sequel, A River Divides.
Beyond the Wood, Book One—award-winning historical fiction, full of action and romance, but not too much war—engages you in history fraught with intrigue and twisting love. Virginia 1862: a Rebel widow, a Yankee soldier, roving thugs, smooth con men, and a few muskets and canon. It's great fun for Civil War fans and novices alike.
A rejected marriage proposal propels young Hank Gragg into a turbulent and uncertain future. He abandons family, security and the South to enlist as a Union soldier, and later refuses retreat from his first bloodied action without proof he has been there. He takes it from a dying enemy.
Fed by the compassion he finds in the Confederate's last letter and his own unsettled dreams and troubling memories, Hank imagines a romance that drives him relentlessly toward an impossible rendezvous.
All the while, Elizabeth, the widow, struggles with burdens left by her husband, even as neighbors conspire against her. And what is she to make of this Union soldier — this enemy — so set on coming to her? Is there hope? Or is it merely a young man's futile fantasy?
Reviews:
"War, romance and mystery collide in this deeply researched Civil War novel" Denver Post
"This is an excellent read. I found myself turning page after page and finding a new adventure on each page. Mr. Roueche has included enough history for the Civil War enthusiast, a good love story for the romantic, and a lot of action for everyone else." Kindle Reader
"I would sit down for a few minutes to read and find that 50 pages went by so quickly! I loved every minute.... Anxiously awaiting Book Two!" Amazon Reviewer
"You know that feeling when you are really into a book and then when it ends you feel sad because there isn't more to read? Well, that is how I felt when I finished!"Goodreads Reader
"A tale of personal intrigue and a unique brand of romance, recommended" Midwest Book Review
Beyond the Wood was recipient of the 2012 John Esten Cooke Fiction Award which is given annually for "effectiveness of research, accuracy of statement and excellence of style" in depicting Southern History.