Anyways, the new idea is a Civil War historical fiction set in 1864 Louisiana entitled "The Cross and the Bayonet". This is a unique story in that it incorporates a cornucopia of people from different races fighting for different things in a war they were avoiding. It takes place when a rogue Union general is given the 'black flag' to wage war on the southern populace in conjunction with other Union operations to bring the Confederate army to its knees. When the main character, Horus Cain, a free black man and successful business man has his family murdered by Jayhawkers and other pro-Unionists, his view and the life of many are changed. His Christian principles are challenged when he and the surrounding townsfolk enter the war to defend family, home, and Louisiana.
This becomes fairly interesting and tricky in that I have to keep voices, accents, and views separate as I write about the men involved. Speaking as an educated black man, switching to a French Creole, jump to a poor southern slave, then a Greek, perhaps an Italian, and even an Indian will make for a very creative story and dialogue. Since I'm Greek, and being around conversations where Greek and English was spoken between various people, I shouldn't have too much fuss writing this.
As of now, I'm on chapter five, and I may post a rough draft writing sample for you all to peruse through. I've finished a Teutonic knights novel and begun its second story. It will be a duology, but unsure if it will go to a trilogy. Trilogies are a lot of work. I also am nearing the end of the first draft of a historical fiction "A Haunt of Jackals", the story of Jeremiah with a medieval twist. For some reason, I've stalemated on this, and ended up switching to "The Cross and the Bayonet". I'm hoping to get plenty of human emotion an the tragedy of the Civil War across to the reader. My novel Enemy in the Ranks did a pretty good job doing so.
Oh well, enough for now. Drop a line if you'd like.
Take care,
Nick