Book Review: “The Return Of Catesby” By Bob O’Connor

It isn’t every day that I come across a book that inspires me on several levels.  The Return Of Catesby by Bob O’Connor did just that.  The rest of my review will explain how and why.  If you enjoy historical fiction, I can’t recommend The Return Of Catesby enough.

Over the last few days I’ve spent some time thinking about how The Return Of Catesby inspired me.  First, I have to admit the style in which the book is written is one of my favorites.  I love journals and believe this technique is particularly suited for this type of historical fiction.  As a reader, I am always looking for my next book.  After learning a little about Bob O’Connor’s work, I knew I wanted to read more.  The Return Of Catesby serves well as a sequel to Catesby:  Eyewitness To Civil War, as well as a stand-alone read.  While I don’t feel the need to read Catesby:  Eyewitness To Civil War to fully appreciate The Return Of Catesby, I am now compelled to read the first book due to Catesby’s experiences discussed in the sequel.  All other content aside, the topic, genre, and organization of the book would’ve been enough to draw me in.  But there is so much more.  I simply don’t remember the last time I read a work of historical fiction with such heart.

Why The Return Of Catesby inspires me is an easy question to answer.  There is, of course, the character of Catesby himself, a fictionalized version of a real blacksmith who lived during the Civil War era.  In the book, he comes across as the most authentic, inspiring teacher imaginable, despite having never stepped foot in a classroom prior to his first day of teaching.  His wife, Marcia, truly comes into her own at the end of the book and is Catesby’s constant helpmate in every sense of the word.  Perhaps most inspiring of all is the insatiable appetite for learning exhibited by some of Catesby’s students.  They simply couldn’t get enough, despite the fact that the town of Harpers Ferry wasn’t exactly welcoming.  I envy the community created around the school.  They truly cared for one another and even sought to learn the history of the tension between the community of Harpers Ferry and the school.

Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia

The Return Of Catesby by Bob O’Connor will stay with me for some time.  I am honored to have hosted an interview with him and to have had the opportunity to review the book today.  If you have any interest in historical fiction at all, I highly recommend The Return Of Catesby.  Do not be surprised if I review more of Bob O’Connor’s work in the future.

Antietam National Batllefield

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Author Interview: Bob O’Connor, Author Of “The Return Of Catesby”

Today we learn a little more about Bob O’Connor, author of The Return of Catesby, in this author interview. Bob is currently on tour with Walker Author Tours. Enjoy, and pick up your copy of the book at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/product.aspx?ISBN=0-7414-8206-1.

How did you get started on your writing career?

My writing career officially started in 7^th grade when an article I wrote got published in the Illinois Historical Society’s student magazine.

If you could describe yourself in five words, what would they be? Focused, determined, believable, creative, imaginative.

Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction to read? To write?

I read both. I write both. But I prefer to write historical fiction because I can be much more creative.

How do you build your character world?

I keep a notebook. I observe people in the grocery store, in church, etc, and try to pick up interesting behaviors I can incorporate into a character.

Tell us about your favorite character you have written and why.

Catesby is by far my favorite character and is the subject of two of my books. He is a fighter, having overcome so many troubles to find freedom. I admire his courage and “stick-to-it” spirit, his observations and his “never give up” attitude.

Do you think that the future is ebook or print?

Obviously the trend is e-books. But the industry encourages us “little guys” to give away our e-books in hope that people will buy or next one. I am not convinced that is a good idea. I actually think people who give away thousands of e-books will find that the person reading them will seek someone else’s free e-book the next day. It is also discouraging that although we (authors) make 70 percent on e-book sales, the price of e-books keeps going downward. I hope they never figure out how authors can autograph e-books. I am a HUGE fan of books that are printed and hope they never go away.

Where have you had the most success in selling your work?

It is always easier to sell books when I have given a talk. But I am also successful anywhere there are large crowds of people including at fairs, festivals, Civil War reenactments and the like.

Tell us about your book.

My book is the continuing story of Catesby – a real colored blacksmith who lived originally in Charlestown, VA as a slave to Colonel Lewis Washington, a descendant of George Washington.  In the first book Catesby struggles to find his freedom. He runs away from the operation of a blacksmith shop under a cruel owner who permanently cripples him. He flees on the Underground Railroad to Pennsylvania.

This book follows Catesby’s new adventures leading up to his teaching position at Storer College, a new school to teach newly freed blacks to become teachers. Ironically, the students’ first day in the classroom was Catesby’s first day too, because he had been taught at home by his mother. Catesby’s vast experience is helpful in encouraging his students and helping them believe that if Catesby, a man with a bad leg who had been a slave could accomplish greatness, they could too.

Where can we find out more about you and buy your book? On my website at http://boboconnorbooks.com/synopsis.cfm#Return

Interested readers may purchase the book here.

An Update …

No, I have not fallen off the face of the Earth.  No, I have not given up blogging.  Early in February my Grandma was admitted to the critical care unit of the local hospital.  To be blunt, for a while it did not look good at all.  Fortunately she is doing much better and was transferred to the skilled nursing area of the hospital.  Watching everything unfold with my Grandma has only reconfirmed my belief that my Grandma is quite possibly the strongest woman I know – and one of the most giving.  I’m sharing this because I’ve been dividing my time between work and the hospital, as well as spending time with family, running errands, and gearing up for the camping/canoeing season.

I miss writing, I miss blogging, and I just need to do it.  Unfortunately I tend to over-think anything I write here.  That needs to change.  There is much going on in my life that I would like to share here.  Moving back to my hometown after living elsewhere for well over a decade continues to amuse me.  Each day I am more grateful than the last for the wonderful childhood I had.  Much more soon.

Lindsey

Why I Write: Every Life Has A Story

Let’s start at the very beginning: Why Write At All? « The Collaborative Writer

As of late I’ve come across some great material that got me thinking about why I write in the first place.  The article above from The Collaborative Writer gets it exactly right.  I admit it:  I am my own worst enemy.  I tend to over-think everything and spend too much time planning what I’d like to do when I really should be writing.  I.  Just.  Need.  To.  Write.  Why is that so difficult in practice?

The thing is that I truly believe everyone has a story.  No one has a perfect life.  Everyone is struggling with something and conflict is the heart of any great story.  Not only does that simple premise – everyone has a story – get to the heart of why I write, it is also the reason why I love to read.  I am drawn to biographies and autobiographies or any good plot driven by realistic conflicts dealt with by well-rounded characters.

Again, I keep going back to asking myself why it has to be so hard.  I love to create.  I know what I like to write.  I always feel more myself when I write.  Why don’t I write more?  I think we all need to ditch the excuses.

The video included below I came across as part of training for my position as a clerk.  I love the message of the video.  It is all too easy to forget that everyone is struggling with something.

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Welcome September

I’m hoping to make some decisions regarding my writing soon.  I need a fresh start.  I have all these wonderful ideas, and then they just fall away because I don’t make the time to follow through.  I can do so much better.

The Story Of Us

America The Story of Us — History.com TV Episodes, Schedule, & Video

Sometimes fragments and germs of ideas are bounced around in several different ways before they truly come together.  When they do finally come together, it can be downright magical.  It all started with the simple notion that I am a writer and I love genealogy.  Once those two things became known, a cousin suggested I write about the history of the family business on my Mom’s side of the family.  That idea has been kicking around for a while, I am far from ready to go there for a whole host of reasons, but it was something important, an idea.  By the way, if you are reading this L., I haven’t completely given up on that idea.

Fast forward a couple of years and all of a sudden my parents and siblings are aware of my blog.   Not only are they aware of my writing, they actually think I am a good writer.  No bias there, right?  Here’s the thing:  I think the biggest praise was from my Dad.  He is not the type to give praise for just anything, whether or not you are his child.  The fact that he is even aware of my writing is huge.  But I digress.

So, as my Mom is boosting my ego by telling me my entire nuclear family is at least somewhat impressed by my writing, she completes the idea.  She thinks I should write the history of our family business, the history of Russell Canoe Livery.  I like to think of it as The Story of Us.  The thing is that Russell Canoe Livery is such a family oriented business, and I hope it always will be, that it will be impossible to write about the livery without writing extensively about the history of my Dad’s family, as well as our own.  The entire idea gets at the very heart of our family, the reason I decided to study business in the first place, and even who I am as a person.  I want to make this clear:  I can’t imagine my family not owning the canoe livery.  I can’t imagine growing up not working for my parents.  It will always be very near and dear to my heart.

Aside from all of that, it is a compelling story.  It is a story of entrepreneurship.  It is the story of a mother and son working together to keep a business running under less than ideal circumstances.  It is the story of two baby-boomers raising a family of three kids.  It is also the story of the love between grandparents and grandkids.  It is also the story of an extremely small town that likes to keep to itself.  It is also the story of friendly competition and a changing society.

I have to do this.  If nothing else I have to do this for my nephew and any future nieces and nephews.  They all deserve to know the story.

Oh, and not to get political, but:  Yes, my family did build this.  We did it DESPITE government actions.

By the way, if you’ve never had the pleasure of watching America The Story of Us on The History Channel, it is wonderful, even if long.  It is a unique look at what makes the US what we are today.

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Happy Sunday ~

 

Happy Sunday everyone!

I’m just glad that the rain quit here for a while.  Lots of great posts coming up today.  I know I’ve featured this particular Beatles video here several times, but still gives me goosebumps.  It just seems to foreshadow the music and videos I grew up with in the mid-1990s, mainstream “alternative” rock ~ i.e. Oasis, Green Day, the White Stripes, and many more.

 

Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads ~ Oh My

Lately I’ve been spending my time filling out the Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde Facebook page, which you can find here.  I’m hoping to eventually create a community there that wants to have in depth conversations.  Right now, as I’ve just set up the discussion boards, I’m having a conversation with myself!  I visualize it as a place for readers to plug their blogs, discuss what books they just finished, and share ideas as to what they’d like to see here.  I want to make Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde truly interactive.  Currently I have 50 members, myself included.  There is always room for one more.

In addition to finally fleshing out the Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde facebook page, I’ve also spent some time developing my Twitter account, @russelllindsey.  If you take the time to follow me, I follow you back.  Currently Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde, each and every post, is broadcast to 162 Twitter followers.

Twitter and Facebook aside, I’ve also gone through my GoodReads account.  You can find me on Goodreads here.  While I don’t have the details right now, a conversation or two I had on GoodReads may have a huge impact on the future of Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde.  Stay tuned!

Even though it has taken me a lot longer than I would’ve liked, I’m glad I’m finally starting to truly use social media to promote Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde.  So, I’m curious – to all those writers out there:  What social media sites are you using?  How often do you use it?  How do you create an audience for your work?  I’d love to hear about all of your experiences.  Good, Bad, and Ugly.

 

Summer Reading/Summer Blogging

English: Photo of Bonnie Jo Campbell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As usual, I’m not sure where to begin.  This summer has personally held some nasty surprises for what passes for my life.  Then again, I suppose I have to start somewhere if I am going to achieve anything at all.  I’ll spare everyone the details for now, so I’ll get right to the point.

Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde has unfortunately suffered as a result.  I’m trying to get things back on track.  It just may take a while.  I’ve sorely neglected the feature that inspired so much this year:  My Life In Pop Culture.  I’ve also neglected to do my part for two new blogging award nominations I received as of late.  Blogging awards are a wonderful way to show appreciation to those bloggers nearest and dearest to your heart.  I’m honored to have received them.  Thank you for the nominations!  I’m looking forward to correcting this error on my part as soon as possible.  Also, I’ve been haphazard in sharing some of my favorite bloggers here.  I’m finding it difficult to balance my own blog posts with reblogging wonderful posts from the likes of Childhood Relived.  I somehow have to strike a balance.  I love creating my own content, of course; at the same time, I come across so many wonderful/funny/inspiring posts, I instinctively want to share it with the most wonderful audience of all:  my readers.  When I reblog, I do it out of sheer admiration.  I just want everyone, readers and bloggers alike, to realize that fact.

And then there are books.  I’m not sure if many of you’ve paid attention to my running reading list stuck to the top of my blog, but I’ve had my nose stuck in various books for the last two months.  It can be blamed on learning how to borrow e-books for my Nook Color from the Bay County Library System.  I’m getting a lot of mileage out of my Nook Color.  I love it to the point where I’m seriously considering asking for a Kindle Fire for Christmas and/or my birthday.  I love to compare/contrast.  It isn’t that I favor e-books over hardcovers or well-loved paperbacks – nothing will ever replace the feel and heft of a physical book – I just read that much more with an e-reader.  My next experiment:  Audio books on my laptop and/or Nook Color.  This may sound stupid, but at times I wish I could commute via Metro instead of having to personally drive 40 minutes each way to work every day.  Think of the reading time I could get in if I lived in a large city!  Ah well.

The books I’ve read so far this summer will have a lasting impact on me, my writing, everything.  I love them that much!  Each one deserves its own post and review.  The problem is that I never feel I do a book justice when I review it.  I always seem to leave something important unsaid – and that infuriates me.  Just don’t be surprised if I finally establish a series of book reviews here.

I hope to soon create a flexible schedule/outline for content.  Stay tuned, as always.  I still plan a series on Linda McCartney’s photography, Paul McCartney himself, and more.  That, of course, doesn’t even begin to cover politics.  I also, regrettably, haven’t written a personal post about Turner Syndrome, outlined my thoughts on reproductive rights, and so much more.  I just need to get organized and go for it.  What saddens me is that people are clicking on those links to Turner Syndrome and Reproductive Rights only to find nothing there.

By the way, I’m well on the way to achieving my reading goals for the year.  I’ve read 17 of the 25+ e-books I pledged to read in 2012.  I’ve read a total of 28 books, both traditional and e-books, out of the 60 I hope to read in 2012.  With five months to go, my goals are in sight!  That is a wonderful feeling after coming so close to my goal of 48 in 2011.  Oh, and congrats to Bonnie Jo Campbell, one my favorite Michigan authors and the author of one of my favorite books, Once Upon A River.  Once Upon A River was selected as a 2012 Michigan Notable Book!  Well deserved.  I discuss Once Upon A River here.

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Yep, I’m Still Here

It’s been an interesting spring/early summer, to say the least.  Despite my best intentions and carefully laid plans, I seem to be getting nowhere.  This is the quietest I’ve been in a while.  All I can do at this point is charge ahead.  Isn’t that all any of us can do?  Well, I’ll spare you the details of my off-line life.  Suffice to say things aren’t going as planned, nothing ever does.

As always, I have a lot planned here @ Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde.  First up is a small tribute to my Dad.  It is Father’s Day after all.  Also, today I was pleasantly surprised to learn Ramblings of a Misguided Blonde has been nominated for another blogging award, once again, by Becoming Madame.  More details and a post to follow.

Things become more interesting all the time.  So much to say, so little time.