Travelers of the Gray Dawn by Paul Grimshaw

To say that Tommy Fuller has a major problem is a gross understatement! His day began with a challenging, as well as frightening, situation that was not destined to rapidly improve.

Tommy, Greg Jackson and Mike Phillips are all Civil War enthusiasts,  participating in a major reenactment event. Circumstances bring them together on a journey that transports them into the actual Battle of Gettysburg and into a time where they discover that the Civil War seems to have concluded very differently than their knowledge of history represents.

Embroiled in a situation where they are ultimately living as fugitives in this very different society, they must claw and scratch their way back to their own time and lives. Can they trust anyone to help?

I read this book with particular interest, as I have a old friend who is an expert on Civil War history and happens to be an active reenactor. He performs a one man show in which he dresses in uniform and tells his story of being in the Civil War, describes the physical conditions, the emotional conflicts, the governmental/moral issues of the time, and is so convincing in his performance, one would believe he had really been there in that capacity. Many historical society chapters invite him to speak, and I must say that hearing him is an intriguing experience. A room in his house has been effectively converted into a museum of Civil War memorabilia, and visiting him and his home is unforgettable.

Reading Travelers of the Gray Dawn is a similar experience. It is far more than a step back in time. It takes the division of the north and south states one step further and considers what life might have been like if the outcome of the war had been significantly different. The book is a combination of time travel, history, fiction, and science fiction with a touch of romance included for good measure.

Author Paul Grimshaw educates us about various aspects of the Civil War, while painting a vivid picture of the social implications of such a horrifically divided time in our nation’s history.  Reading the book caused me to pause and ask the question, “What lessons did we learn from the Civil War?” As much as I love friends and family from both the north and the south, I am very much aware that there are still people who harbor resentment toward “those Yankee northern aggressors.”  And there are northerners who still think of the southerners as unsophisticated “Rebels.” How much progress has been achieved in erasing the division and disrespect? Will these stereotypes ever be eliminated?

On another note, this book also sheds some light on what the eager reenactors really do on those battlefields--something that always sparked my curiosity. I could definitely visualize this story as a possibility for the big screen. I hope that Paul Grimshaw will let us know when the movie will be released and if we are invited to its debut!!

Book Description

What if...? What if the South had won the American Civil War? What might the world look like in 2013 if, in 1863, the Confederated States of America won the Civil War? These issues are considered in the action-adventure time-travel thriller "Travelers of the Gray Dawn." This fast moving, movie-like story has been said to be as if "Cold Mountain" meets "Back to the Future" with a little "National Treasure" thrown in for the "fun factor." Join three modern day Civil War reenactors who begin their morning at the 150th Anniversary reenactment of The Battle of Gettysburg, and accidentally stumble through time and space finding themselves in a world that seems familiar in some ways, but is very different in others. This novel, from freelance journalist Paul Grimshaw, takes aim as part cautionary tale, part mystery, and part cops & robbers with a love story at its heart.

A Mini-Interview with Paul Grimshaw

What prompted you to write the story? “I’ve always been a big Sci-Fi fan (too much Twilight Zone as a kid) and an American history buff.  When I saw my first Civil War reenactment in Franklin, TN 25 years ago, I had this crazy notion about a fun story involving time travel and the South winning the Civil War.”

How long did it take you to complete the project? “Who knows? I worked on it in fits and starts over the past 25 years, dropping for 10 years  at one point, picking it back up, stopping for 2 or 3 years, etc. But with the approach of the Sesquicentennial (150^th) of the Civil War approaching, I made a mad dash to finish in 2012, just before the 150^th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg (2013).”

Are you currently working on Volume II? “Yes and no! I’ve decided on a prequel, and have the rough story idea mapped out in my head, but no actual words to paper (or computer screen) yet. But soon!  I should note that I have a new book deal almost wrapped up with Arcadia Publishing in Charleston. It will be a non-fiction Civil War history and photo archive project, released in 2015. Arcadia is huge – international, 9,000 titles in print, and they are the distribution partner that’s been selling my book at select Walmart stores.”

About the Author

Freelance journalist / musician Paul R. Grimshaw is a lifetime amateur historian, with distant ties, like many Americans, to the U.S. Civil War. Born in Syracuse, New York, Grimshaw has traveled extensively and lived for extended periods in Nashville, TN, Central Mo, and South Carolina, where he currently resides. His debut novel, Travelers of the Gray Dawn, combines his love of sci-fi and history to answer the "What if?" questions of a modern world, in the wake of a Confederate victory. Grimshaw is an active Civil War reenactor, participating in as many 150th Anniversary reenactments as his schedule will allow. He was a part of the historic 150th Gettysburg Reenactment in July, 2013, along with 15,000 reenactors and 100,000 spectators.

Paul Grimshaw

Visit his Amazon page at:  http://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Gray-Dawn-Paul-Grimshaw-ebook/dp/B00DH3J8UK

For additional information visit:  

http://www.travelersofthegraydawn.com

AND   http://www.paulgrimshawmedia.com

PLEASE NOTE--Paul Grimshaw and Travelers of the Gray Dawn will be featured:

·       September 6, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Barnes & Noble in Market Common, Myrtle Beach, SC

·       September 27, 2014 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Clock Tower Books, 105 Screven Street, Georgetown, SC

Stop by, visit the author, and purchase a copy that he will graciously sign!

I will be taking a summer break from blogging on this site, but will periodically feature some particularly interesting books. Check back for updates!

Mary Anne Benedetto

Author of Eyelash, 7 Easy Steps to Memoir Writing: Build a Priceless Legacy One Story at a Time!, Never Say Perfect, From Italy with Love & Limoncello and Write Your Pet's Life Story in 7 Easy Steps!

Visit http://www.awriterspresence.com

*****

Confederate Gold and Silver

The 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg will be celebrated in July, 2013 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Author Peter F. Warren has been invited to participate in three separate book signings in connection with this event, and he is energized and honored to have been included in the extended invitations!

It is obvious from reading Confederate Gold and Silver that Warren spent considerable time and effort in researching the facts for this historical novel. The truth is that there is still much speculation about the possible locations of the gold and silver coins representing the Confederate treasury that was buried to withhold it from “those damn Yankees.”

Warren offers his own twist on this story and turns it into a mysterious page-turner that is written in an interesting format of alternating each chapter’s era from protagonist Paul Waring’s discoveries in 2011 to Captain Judiah Francis creating Civil War history in 1863.

Waring’s determination to utilize the clues he has stumbled upon to at last uncover this hidden Confederate treasury is laced with a perpetual reminder of the fact that this war was filled with such horror and philosophical impasse that should never have killed the estimated 360,222 Union soldiers and the 258,000 Confederate casualties of the Civil War. These numbers have been written in stone for many years, but in 2012 a New York Times article indicates that those statistics are understated and could very well exceed 20 percent more.

Being a Murrells Inlet, South Carolina resident, I appreciated the local setting where Paul Waring and his wife Donna have chosen to retire from their busy Connecticut lives and where Paul’s initial inadvertent discovery propels him on an insatiable path of research and treasure hunting.

One does not necessarily need to be a Civil War enthusiast or Reenactor to become engrossed in the premise of this book and the shroud of secrecy that is gradually exposed. Knowing that the story is based on an age in our country’s history that should never be forgotten, reading Confederate Gold and Silver is a solid reminder of exactly how deeply entrenched political and philosophical gridlock can turn a nation upside down.

It brought me back to a time in 1980 when my deeply Southern rooted family members met my New York born and raised husband for the first time. After chatting with my husband for quite some time, my uncle Jack pulled me aside and quietly whispered, “That Fred’s a really nice guy…for a Yankee!”

Hopefully, time has mellowed folks who viewed each other as Yankees and Rebels. We are, after all, proud Americans. And, by the way, I’d certainly like to unearth that gold and silver treasure!

ABOUT PETER F. WARREN:

A former resident of Connecticut, retired from the Connecticut State Police Department after serving for many years in several command assignments, Peter is a graduate of the University of New Haven, the FBI National Academy and an honor graduate of the Connecticut State Police Academy. He currently resides in South Carolina with his wife, Debbie.

Peter is a Civil War enthusiast and an avid golfer, choosing to combine those interests and his law enforcement experience into his first book, Confederate Gold and Silver.

Recently, Peter, along with his co-authors, Roy McKinney and Edward Odom, have released The Journey North. This is a fictional story about the Battle of Little Round Top on Day 2 of the epic three-day battle at Gettysburg. While the book describes the actual brutal fighting that took place between the 20th Maine and the 15th Alabama, it also is a story of two opposing soldiers who accidentally met on the field of battle and became lifetime friends.

Visit Peter Warren at  www.readpete.com for more information, Peter’s upcoming events including The Moveable Feast on May 24, 2013 at Kimbel’s in Wachesaw Plantation in Murrells Inlet where he will feature The Journey North (call 235-9600 for details) and various links to purchasing sites and book formats.

See you soon with another opportunity to learn about amazing authors and their intriguing books!

Mary Anne Benedetto