He died on June 30, 1862 in a field near Charles City Crossroads, a rural area of fields and woods 13 miles southeast of downtown Richmond, Virginia. His remains are still there, buried where he fell or reburied at the national cemetery a mile away. There is no way to know. Sergeant John Williamson is … More “I will remember them”
If you’ve seen my most recent posts, you know that I’ve recently written a book about the Court House Deer of Wilkes-Barre. He was interviewed for articles in a local newspaper in the late 1800s and became quite a celebrity. While I was writing the book, I did research about the reporter who wrote the … More Deer fandom and crazy serendipity
I’ve had the honor of literally putting something on the map. Google Maps, to be exact. Merriam-Webster Dictionary’s definition of to put (something or someone) on the map is to make (a place, person, etc.) famous or well-known. What I’ve put on the map definitely fits into the “etc.” category—a life-size iron deer. It all … More The thrill of putting something on the (Google) map
When I stumbled upon one of the articles on Newspapers.com, I knew I had to write a book about him. A life-size talking deer made of iron who was wise, funny, and sometimes sarcastic–I loved it. This deer was a big celebrity in his early days and is still a prominent figure in his hometown. … More The talking Court House Deer of Wilkes-Barre
I’ve now written two nonfiction books about the coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania. The first, “Coal Country Connections” is based on the over 70 signatures in an autograph album from the 1880s owned by a woman from the region, and the book is about the lives of the signers of the album. The second book, … More “Coal Country Connections” & “You Dream Every Night That I am Home” are now available in bookshops
One of my grandmother’s favorite sayings was “Everything happens for a reason.” In an article on the Psychology Today website, this phrase is described as a standard reply to “remarkable synchronicities.” Although I’ve never totally bought into it, this bit of philosophy has come in handy to explain hard to explain events or “remarkable synchronicities” … More Remarkable synchronicity and goosebumps
The ability to self-publish on Amazon is an amazing thing. I’m proof that it can be done—I just published my second book, You Dream Every Night That I am Home. It’s incredibly rewarding to be able to pull up your own book on your Kindle, or to open a package from Amazon to find a … More Self-publishing means self-promotion
It all started with the letters. Letters found in family records, written by a doomed young Civil War soldier to his wife. John Williamson was 22 years old, six months married, with a wife three months pregnant when he was mustered into military service as a sergeant in the Union Army in October 1861. The … More You Dream Every Night That I am Home
I’m just full of announcements. Back around the holidays I announced that I would be imminently unpublishing my book This, Their Friendship’s Monument (TTFM) on Amazon and publishing a new and improved version of it called Coal Country Connections (C3). A quick recap—I had decided that I wanted to change the black and white images … More Writing prognostiphobia–yes, it’s a thing
On Christmas, I got the best present ever. I’ve had other best presents ever, including a shoebox crammed full of wonderful paperback books when I was a preteen, sweaters, afghans, wall art and other beautiful handcrafted items, and other gifts that weren’t handmade but were incredibly thoughtful. As we all know, this is Christmas #2 … More Best. Present. Ever.
ChessieWriter 