Genre: Adult Historical Fiction
Word Count: 104,000Pitch: When Confederate nurse Annabelle risks her reputation to help starving Union soldiers, she meets one who might hold the key to the life she dreams of after the War.
Excerpt:
“I wonder what this one did,” I said as I halved a slice of cold cornbread and wedged a piece of smoky pork inside.
“I can’t imagine. He looks too young to be a soldier.” Mama turned her back to the window, and I knew she was thinking of Josiah again. My brother, killed somewhere in Virginia two years ago this month. I hadn’t swum the creek since he left. I hadn’t climbed a tree. Would he recognize me if he came back?
There was no profit in thinking of it – he wasn’t coming back.
“Come eat, Mama,” I said. “We can’t be late on my first day at the hospital.”
She smoothed my hair behind my ear as she sat in her chair beside mine, the way she had since I was a little girl.
“It’s not too late to change your mind, Annabelle,” she said carefully. “You could wait another year and see.”
“A year!” I said, spluttering cornbread onto the homespun tablecloth.
face down, head turn, foaming at the mouth. An empty martini glass is clutched
in his hand, a smudge of red lipstick staining the rim of the glass.