Featured Author, Linda Swift.

Linda Swift iscurrently contracted with seven digital publishers and has eight ebooksavailable, seven also in print. Two additional books, two short stories and acollection of Haiku are scheduled for release later this year. Linda writesboth contemporary and historical fiction. Another historical, set in 1573England involving Mary Queen of Scots is among her releases this year followedby its sequel in 2012.
Hello, Stuart. Thankyou so much for inviting me back to tell you and your readers about my recentlyreleased historical. I have often heard the expression "the book of myheart." And THIS TIME FOREVER fits that description for me. I have beenfascinated with the Civil War since I first read Margaret Mitchell's book andsaw the movie of Gone With The Wind. Later, I avidly watched the TV mini-seriesNorth and South. And I think I knew even then that someday I would have towrite my own story about the Civil War. You can well imagine my joy when the firstreview by Manic Readers (rated five stars) said:
"This Time Forever isa sweeping tale of two extended families as they endure the horrors of theAmerican Civil War…I was reminded both of Gone With the Wind, and the TVsaga of North and South. Both sides, thinking the war would be short andconvinced of the rightness of their respective causes, continue for some timeto have balls, parties, and generally live life as if there was no war, but amere diversion in their neat little lives…It doesn't take long before sense andsensibility are violated on both sides as the war encroaches on their lands,plantations, houses, money and food supplies…It is easy to 'see' the scenesdescribed, from ballroom to battlefield, and to truly understand how this war,pitting families against each other, is a psychological challenge many cannotput behind them."
I think this is themost tragic period in the existence of the United States of America. Familieswere divided, with brothers fighting and killing brothers. The outcome changedthe way of life in the South forever and its repercussions are still being felteven today.I do not pretend to be a scholar of history. However, I did researchthe facts in this book and I believe the times and events to be accurate butsome Civil War buff will no doubt prove me wrong!
This historical has ahistory of its own. I began the story fifteen years ago and my agent sent asynopsis and first five chapters to a Harlequin editor. I met the editor at anational writers' conference and she asked me to send the complete manuscript.I was elated, but there was one small problem. I didn't have a completemanuscript, only the chapters already sent, however I promised to send it rightaway. I went home and began a marathon writing project. I work better underpressure but this was beyond my comfort level. I had not yet developed thehabit of doing research online and I had thirteen books of Civil War historyspread out on the bed in my office which also serves as the guest room. I wouldwrite furiously, come to a place where I needed information, search the booksuntil I found it, and resume the story. In two weeks I completed seventeenchapters and sent them in. The editor wanted the story but lost the battle withsuperiors because the story was more mainstream than romance. She asked me tosend it to another imprint and they kept it almost two years, finally rejectingit because I wasn't a "name" author which would guarantee sales.
My agent continued tosend it out with various responses, most of which reflected the fact that CivilWar books were not selling well. At one editor's suggestion, I cut the firstseven chapters to have the H&H meet in Chapter One. It was finally acceptedby an ebook publisher in 2006, who vanished overnight before I could sign acontract. I changed the name of the book three times, the last time when Isubmitted it to the publisher who accepted it with all the chapters intact.
As fate would haveit, THIS TIME FOREVER, is being published in the first of four years commemoratingthe Sesquicentennial of the Civil War. So I feel its time has come. There iscurrently a plethora of C.W. books, both new and reprints, on the market. Itseems ironical that this story about the American Civil War is being publishedby a Canadian publisher. And I doubt that anyone outside the United Statestruly appreciates the deep emotions this war still elicits, especially forSoutherners. (As an aside, an English publisher released Cold Mountain, anotherC.W. story).

  The 4th of July was a veryspecial holiday for me, this year, as my Civil War saga, THIS TIMEFOREVER, was due for release by Champagne Books. Its publicationcoincides with the four year commemoration of the Civil WarSesquicentennial and although I didn't plan it this way thetiming is perfect. And isn't it ironical that a story of such significance toAmericans is being published by a Canadian publisher? The ebook is availablenow from the publisher for $5.99 at http://www.champagnebooks.com/shop/index.php andat Amazon. The print book is released in August.  Instead of telling youabout the story, I want to share part of the book's first review. If youonly read one new book about the Civil War this year, I hope you will read thisone. It will take you behind the battles into the hearts ofboth Yankees and Rebels as they live and die for the cause they believein.
 MR Review
Rating: 
Reviewer: Alberta
Review: This TimeForever  is a sweeping tale of two extended families as they endure thehorrors of the American Civil War. The primary characters are Philip, a newlyminted surgeon who is enmeshed in the war as an idealistic young man, andClarissa, an expectant mother in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They meet underextenuating circumstances as Philip is captured by the Rebel forces and made toact as a medic to southern forces for much of the war. He ends up with Clarissaas a medical assistant. He has left a fiancée in Oswego, New York and herhusband is away acting as a courier for the Rebel side.I wasreminded both of Gone With the Wind, and the TV saga of Northand South. Both sides, thinking the war would be short and convinced of therightness of their respective causes, continue for some time to have balls,parties, and generally live life as if there was no war, but a mere diversionin their neat little lives.Thesecondary characters are just as well-developed and fascinating as Philip andClarissa. They move from feelings of patriotism to despair as the war causesmore and more upheaval in all their lives. The order of things has turnedupside down, and that which might have been unthinkable for ladies andgentlemen in the recent past, now becomes the norm as fighting rages on,leaders are questioned, and death becomes very personal for all the families.It iseasy to 'see' the scenes described, from ballroom to battlefield, and to trulyunderstand how this war, pitting families against each other, is apsychological challenge many cannot put behind them.

THIS TIME FOREVER isavailable from: http://www.champagnebooks.com  and www.Amazon.comOr you may find outmore about it from my website at www.lindaswift.net