Bestsellersworld.com just posted its review of Tempting Skies.

Thanks to Teri Davis who reviewed the novel and to Nancy Eaton who manages Bestsellersworld.com. I excerpt portions of the review below. To see more of the review or other books they’ve looked at, visit bestsellersworld.com.

The review starts off with a question:

How would you like to read your ancestors’ journals about their lives while living through the Civil War? Would you be able to understand the perspectives of both sides?

Just recently in the year 2012, while searching through the attic of a mansion in Lexington, Kentucky, scheduled for demolition, a manuscript and letters revealed the history of this estate beginning in the 1820s. These documents are the foundation of the third book of [The Beyond the Wood] trilogy.

Barnard Cooter Union Grave in Knoxville National Cemetery. Photo courtesy of findagrave.com.

Davis’s introduction reminds me of an unrelated family history experience Susan and I had in the early 2000s. At the time, we were researching Eastern Tennessee family and reached out to people through the Internet. We made contact with a woman who miraculously had a copy of a letter Susan’s fourth great grandfather John Cooter (from the German Kuter), born in 1804 in Virginia, had written to siblings in Missouri touching on his Civil War experiences in East Tennessee. We felt at that moment that we had unearthed an invaluable, enriching treasure, so the lead off question seemed particularly interesting to and meaningful for me.

Just for fun, I’m including an excerpt from John’s letter with original spelling and punctuation. An interesting disclaimer and maybe an indication of how strongly John supported the Union, John tells his siblings all his sons sided with Federals, with one, Barnard, enlisting and dying in the war. However, a family historian reports that another of John’s sons, John Adam Cooter, fought for the South. Confederate records indicate that John A. Cooter enlisted in 1862 and fought for the Confederacy in the First Regiment, Tennessee Cavalry [Carter’s]. Here’s a bit of John’s letter as best we could transcribe it:

I can tell you that I have had a great deal of trouble since the commencement of the war we had hard times her threw the war. My boys all stayd home by scouting and hiding but my sone Barnard he went to the Federal army and volantiored in the serves of his country and he was taken sick and died on the 18 of may 1865 at Knoxville. . . .you wanted to hear of the times her. Money is scars here. Produce is plenty such as corn wheat and oates. Wee have made more corn and oates this year then wee have made for a good many years. weat worth two dollrs for bushel. corn 50 cents oates 25 poark from 7 to 8 cents now. Sara came by to tell you of some of the old sitisens you one node that was kild by the Rebels. old Jesse Mays old Hiram Smith James Mcolam Jaoh Rutherford Thomas Mclane A gardner two of esteps(?) Sons Jon William Hendry and his brother Edward and a great many more . . . tell Polly Brown that two of dimons boys was kild. John was a Fereral and was kild by the Rebels. Jim was a Rebel and was kild by the Federals. Jim was a bad boy for plundering and taking property. . . .I would wrote sooner if I had nown where to direct to. . . . The post oficises have been tore up so that wee never new where or who to write to.

Back to the review. Ms. Davis answers a question that worried me as I wrote Tempting Skies:

Can anyone read Tempting Skies and understand the characters without having read the previous two books? Definitely. Each character continues in their development with a quick, but not distracting background established in the previous books. By reading the third book first, I found myself wanting to know more about each person’s past when mentioned.

In the end, Ms. Davis concludes:

Tempting Skies is a brilliant novel revealing the day-to-day, unglamorous existence during the Civil War. Showing everyone has some losses during a war, the characters become realistic through Roueche while exploring the sites, smells, and sounds of Washington City in 1864, as well as the dangers.

Michael Roueche is a masterful storyteller creating a Civil War masterpiece in Tempting Skies.

Thank you, Teri, for your kind words.

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