JocelynGreen.com newsletter

Exciting news! But first, a bit of housekeeping: dear blog subscribers, I know we've had some formatting issues with the blog posts that arrive in your email inbox. We're working to resolve these. In the meantime, if the paragraph breaks aren't showing or the hyperlinks aren't working, please click the title of the blog post and read the content on my Web site--that should be a much less frustrating experience! Thanks for your patience! And now--hip hip hooray! The Message in a Bottle Romance Collection is now available for pre-order at Amazon, ChristianBook, and BarnesandNoble, AND for adding to your "want to read" list on Goodreads. (Psst, adding it on Goodreads is a big help for the book!) Here's the blurb: Join the journey as one word etched in Latin on an ancient bronze bottle travels through the centuries to reach five young women who are struggling to maintain their faith in God and love. An Irish princess, a Scottish story weaver, a Post-Colonial nurse, a cotton mill worker, and a maid who nearly drowned each receive a message from the bottle just when they need their hope restored. But will the bottle also bring them each to a man whose love will endure? I'm honored to be included in this collection along with four other fantastic storytellers: Joanne Bischof, Amanda Dykes, Heather Day Gilbert, and Maureen Lang. My particular novella, A River Between Us, will take you to Civil War Georgia as we explore the plight of a cotton mill worker evicted from her homeland when Union General William T. Sherman sweeps through on his way to  Atlanta. The seed for this story was planted by Amy Reed, curator for the Marietta Museum of History, when I was visiting for a book signing of Yankee in Atlanta. (Thank you Amy!)  Release date for this collection is March 2017! 

Recently I sat down with a really, really successful publishing editor who gave me some advice for my writing career. It was terrible advice. The worst ever. If I didn't already have ten books published and several national awards, I would have been crushed. As it was, however, I was just stunned. So stunned in fact, she cocked her head at me and said, "Are you OK?" I wasn't, at the moment. What she had told me to do went against my entire purpose, and against my nature, and against my integrity. She told me in no uncertain terms that I needed to add a certain degree of smut to the book I'm writing right now so that it will make a lot of money. "That's where the money is," she said, "so that's where you want to go!" Did I mention this appointment took place at a Christian conference for Christian writers? Maybe you, too, have been surprised by bad advice from someone you thought you could trust. It's jarring, isn't it? This wasn't the first time I'd received terrible advice from a really successful person. A few years ago, I paid for a phone call with a bestselling author who sold her time to authors like me who wanted a little help brainstorming plots and characters. After I'd been sharing with her for a while, she stopped me and said this: "You keep talking about history. Your book is not about the history. It's about your story. Don't do so much research. I write my stories first and then check the research to make sure it fits." Well, dear reader, if you have read any of my novels, you know that my stories are, in fact, about the history. My stories are born from the history, my characters reflect the lives of people who really lived. Needless to say, though this author was helpful in other ways, that was one piece of advice I didn't take. It can feel weird to disagree with someone who is really successful. It's easy to think that whatever they say must be true because it's worked for them. But if their words don't ring true in your spirit, if they don't resonate, forget it. My children's violin teacher taught them how to tell if their instruments are in tune with this concept of resonance. When you play a note that has the same name as one of the strings, after your bow leaves the string, the open string with the same note name should vibrate, or ring. That's resonance. This guy in the video clip explains it a little better: You probably weren't able to hear the ringing through the video, but if you hear it live, it is so cool. I think the Holy Spirit works the same way with us. When we are in tune with Him--by spending consistent time in the Word and in prayer--if we hear something that resonates with us, we can feel good about that. But if it doesn't resonate with what we know to be true, we know it's not in line with what God wants for us. We hear a lot of voices in our culture, don't we? Some we invite to speak into our lives, like the examples I mentioned. Some are just constantly bombarding us--facebook, twitter, television, radio, even well-meaning people, be they strangers or otherwise. We need to train our ears to hear one voice over all the rest. Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." ~John 10:14-16 We need to be listening for the voice of Christ in our lives. Very often, God uses people to speak truth into our circumstances (There is wisdom in the counsel of many, right?) but we need to be discerning as we sort through all the advice. In John 10:14, Jesus makes a point of saying that He and His sheep know each other. The worst advice I've received in life has been from people who don't know me at all. For example, the editor who told me sexualize my novel didn't know I'm a mother trying to raise my children to be modest, respectful and pure, and that I care deeply about not tempting my readers to impure thoughts. The bestselling author who told me to not care about the history so much was a contemporary romance novelist* who didn't know that our fascinating history is the very reason I write fiction in the first place. Thankfully, our Good Shepherd will never steer us wrong. What about you? Have you ever received advice that didn't resonate with you? Was it easy or difficult to decide whether to follow it? *I have nothing against contemporary romance novelists. Just saying we had different goals with our writing. :)

Today in 1863, Gettysburg began to experience a second invasion. The armies had withdrawn on July 4, and now it was time to pick up the pieces of shattered homes--and bodies. Last week I shared the perspectives of housewife Sarah Broadhead and of teenager Tillie Pierce. Today I'd like to share from the perspective of Sanitary Commission nurse Georgeanna Woolsey. The following is excerpted from my nonfiction book, Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front: Friendly Enemies [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"671", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-216 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"124", "height":"179", "alt":"BB-homefront-cover_125"}}]]When the armies moved out, they left behind 21,000 wounded Union and Confederate soldiers. The town of Gettysburg, with its 2400 residents, was taxed beyond their limit to feed, clothe, house and otherwise care for the men. Waves of volunteers from the U.S. Sanitary Commission and the U.S. Christian Commission flooded the town to help, bringing storehouses of food, clothing, and hospital supplies, plus manpower to relieve the townspeople of their nonstop cooking and nursing. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1287", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-medium wp-image-2890", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"279", "height":"300", "alt":"Georgeanna Woolsey"}}]] Georgeanna Woolsey   Among the Sanitary Commission volunteers was Georgeanna Woolsey, who distributed fresh food and drink to the men on ambulance trains. She recalled: I do not think that a man of the 16,000 who were transported during our stay, went from Gettysburg, without a good meal—rebels and Unionists together, they all had it, and were pleased and satisfied. “Have you any friends in the army, madam?” a rebel soldier, lying on the floor of the car, said to me, as I gave him some milk. “Yes, my brother is on -----‘s staff.” “I thought so, ma’am. You can always tell; when people are good to soldiers they are sure to have friends in the army.” “We are rebels, you know, ma’am,” another said; “Do you treat rebels so?” It was strange to see the good brotherly feeling come over the soldiers, our own and the rebels, when side by side they lay in our tents. “Hullo, boys! This is the pleasantest way to meet, isn’t it? We are better friends when we are as close as this, than a little farther off.” And then they would go over the battles together: “we were here,” and “you were there,” in the friendliest way. Many on both sides found it impossible to cling to demonizing rhetoric about the opposing army when they ate and talked together, and slept side by side. Resident Liberty Hollinger later said, “Many romances were developed during the stay of the soldiers. One of our most intimate friends (a northerner) married a southerner who her mother had nursed back to health.” As friendships and marriages bonded Yankees and Rebels together, the people hoped the country would soon be reunited as well. Prayer: Lord, help me tear down any division among my brothers and sisters in Christ. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” ~Psalm 133:1 ___________________________ Georgeanna Woolsey's pamphlet, entitled "Three Weeks at Gettysburg", can be read in its entirety online, and provided the inspiration for a few scenes in Widow of Gettysburg. Georgeanna herself was the inspiration for my first novel, Wedded to War, and she does come back to make an appearance as a nurse at Gettysburg in Widow of Gettysburg. The young woman named Liberty Hollinger, quoted in the excerpt above, inspired me to name my heroine of Gettysburg "Liberty." (Such a great name!) If you liked meeting Georgeanna Woolsey, Tillie Pierce, and Sarah Broadhead, you may also enjoy 3 Heroines of Gettysburg. View the live-action trailer below for a better glimpse into Wedded to War, my Civil War novel inspired by Georgeanna Woolsey:

[[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"771", "attributes":{"class":"media-image alignright wp-image-891 size-full", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"125", "height":"193", "alt":"Widow cover 3 125"}}]]Both Hollywood and history books tell stories of valor from the battle of Gettysburg. But before the word "Gettysburg" was synonymous with battle, it was simply the name of a town where ordinary people lived—until extraordinary circumstances brought out strength and courage they did not know they possessed. These stories of resilience inspired me to write my novel Widow of Gettysburg, book 2 in the Heroines Behind the Lines series. Today I'd love to introduce you to just three real women of Gettysburg. Sallie Myers [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1278", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3260 size-medium", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"201", "height":"300", "alt":"Sallie Myers"}}]] Sallie Myers   Gettysburg school teacher Sallie Myers never could stand the sight of blood. But on the morning of July 2, 1863, the second day of battle, she could not ignore the desperate cries of the wounded lying in a church across the street. Kneeling by the first man inside the door of the church, Sallie asked what she could do for him. "Nothing," he replied. "I am going to die." Overcome with emotion, Sallie ran outside and wept. With great effort, she finally calmed herself and returned to the soldier, where she learned he was Sgt. Alexander Stewart of the 149th Pennsylvania Volunteers. With the surgeon's permission, she then had Sgt. Stewart brought to her home where she could better care for him. Though a bullet narrowly missed her where she sat fanning her patient, she refused to leave him for the safety of the cellar. After Sgt. Alexander died on July 6, 1863, Sallie took in eleven more soldiers while continuing to work in the make-shift hospitals of the town for weeks after the battle ended. "The sight of blood never again affected me and I was among the wounded and dying men day and night," Sallie recalled. "While the battle lasted and the town was in possession of the rebels, I went back and forth between my home and the hospitals without fear." The next summer, Sgt. Alexander's widow and his brother Henry came to visit her. From that meeting, Sallie and Henry began a relationship which resulted in their marriage in 1867. Sadie Bushman Nine-year-old Sadie Bushman was running to her grandparents' house for safety when the battle roared into action. I don't have a picture of Sadie, but I do know what nine looks like. My own daughter is currently the same age Sadie was when the following story took place. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1279", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3258", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"400", "height":"270", "alt":"This is my 9-year-old daughter looking on as my 6-year-old is being treated for his broken arm. "}}]] This is my 9-year-old daughter looking on as my 6-year-old is being treated for his broken arm. Little Sadie had a much different experience, as the youngest nurse in the Civil War.   Sadie tells the story in her own words: "There came a screech and a shell brushed my skirt as it went by. I staggered from the concussion of it and almost fell, when I was grasped by the arm and a man said pleasantly, ‘That was a close call. Come with me and hurry,' he added in a tone so commanding that I meekly followed. [That man was Dr. Benjamin F. Lyford, a surgeon in the Union army]. He led me to . . .  an army corps hospital and then he put me to work. Wounded and dying men were then being carried to the place by the score. . . "As I reached the hospital tent a man with a leg shattered almost to a pulp was carried in. ‘Give him a drink of water while I cut off his leg' was the command I got. How I accomplished it I do not know but I stood there and assisted the surgeon all through the operation. I was in that field hospital all during the three days of the battle, climbing over heaps of bodies six and eight deep and always with the doctor helping him in his work. Then my father found me and took me home. Soon, the Christian and Sanitary Commissions set up a hospital on the scene of battle, and Sadie nursed there, too. "I was placed in charge of one of the wards and I was so small I had to climb up on the beds to attend to the sick and wounded men," she said. Having conquered her fear, Sadie served in that hospital nearly five months, though her father whipped her for nursing against his will. Elizabeth Thorn [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1280", "attributes":{"class":"media-image size-full wp-image-3259", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"260", "height":"357", "alt":"Peter and Elizabeth Thorn"}}]] Peter and Elizabeth Thorn   Elizabeth her husband Peter were caretakers of Gettysburg's Evergreen Cemetery, and lived in the cemetery gatehouse with Elizabeth's parents and her three small sons.  With Peter away as a soldier, Elizabeth tended the cemetery in his absence. She was six months pregnant in July 1863. Like most other Gettysburg women, she gave food and water to passing soldiers in both blue and grey before fleeing to safety during the battle. The Thorns returned to find their home severely damaged. But there was work to do. The cemetery president instructed her to bury the soldiers as fast as she could. The stench from the bloated corpses, both human and horse, was nauseating, but she and her father, aged 63, had little choice. The longer the bodies lay sweltering in the sun, the more of a health hazard they became. Elizabeth and her father buried 102 soldiers in Evergreen Cemetery. She was never compensated for her work in the aftermath of the battle, or for the damages to her home. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1281", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3179", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"500", "height":"375", "alt":"Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery."}}]] Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery.   These women, and so many others (Sarah Broadhead, Tillie Pierce, Hettie Shriver, etc.), did not ask to be heroines, but when war demanded it of them, they quietly filled the role. Their courage, sacrifice, and ability to love their enemies inspired Widow of Gettysburg, and I hope the book, in turn, inspires you. *Visiting Gettysburg soon? Don't miss these 9 Must-See Sites (Plus 5 Spots for R&R)!

Gettysburg is one of my favorite spots on earth. I've visited to research for my novel Widow of Gettysburg, and then my husband and I went in 2013 for the 150th anniversary of the battle (and to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary!). For those of you considering a Gettysburg vacation (do it! do it!), check out this list of must-see sites I put together with the help of my readers and fellow history lovers. (If you have read Widow of Gettysburg, you'll be interested to know that almost all of the following were mentioned in the book.) Explore 1. The Seminary Ridge Museum, housed in the original Lutheran Theological Seminary building. I had the privilege of seeing this museum the night before its grand opening, and I cannot say enough about it. If you only have time to see one "in-town" site, let it be this one.  [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1255", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3172", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"381", "alt":"The seminary building in 1863."}}]] The seminary building in 1863.   [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1256", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3173", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Seminary Ridge Museum today."}}]] Seminary Ridge Museum today.   2. The Shriver House Museum. I adored the Shriver House Museum! To get a full picture of Gettysburg in 1863, don't limit yourself to the battlefield. Or rather, realize the town itself was part of the battlefield. Confederate snipers fired from the attic of the Shriver House. The docents here are wonderful, and really bring the personal story of a Gettysburg family to life. The home of Hettie Shriver's neighbor, Tillie Pierce, is now an inn: The Tillie Pierce Inn. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1258", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3174", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Shriver House Museum"}}]] Shriver House Museum docent   3. Christ Lutheran Church.  The church, used as a hospital during the battle, is usually open during the day. If at all possible, attend one their Saturday evening Songs and Stories of a Civil War Hospital performances. This was one of my most meaningful experiences at Gettysburg! Bring the kleenex.  [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1260", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3175", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"601", "alt":"Christ Lutheran Church. The red flag signifies its use as a hospital during and after the battle. (Most buildings in town had a red flag out front!)"}}]] Christ Lutheran Church. The red flag signifies its use as a hospital during and after the battle. (Most buildings in town had a red flag out front!)   4. The historic Gettysburg Train Station. This is the station Lincoln rode into to deliver his famous Gettysburg Address. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1261", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3177", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"326", "alt":"Photo courtesy Peggy Detweiler"}}]] Photo courtesy Peggy Detweiler   5. The Jennie Wade House. Jennie Wade was the only civilian killed during the battle. (Many more were killed in its aftermath, from contaminated water, exploding shells, etc.) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1262", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3178", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"The Jennie Wade House"}}]] The Jennie Wade House   6. The David Wills House is a National Park Service museum which tells the story of David Wills (a Gettysburg lawyer), Lincoln, and the Gettysburg Address. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1263", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3180", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"337", "alt":"davidwills"}}]] The David Wills House   7. Evergreen Cemetery, which is adjacent to the National Cemetery. The monument to the Gettysburg Address is in the National Cemetery, but the location of the speech was actually in Evergreen Cemetery. Evergreen Cemetery is the burial place for Elizabeth Thorn, Rev. Schmucker, Jennie Wade, and others. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1264", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3179", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery."}}]] Monument to Elizabeth Thorn, the pregnant gravedigger, in Evergreen Cemetery.   8. Experience the Gettysburg National Cemetery with a free walking tour courtesy of licensed battlefield guides. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1265", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3181", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"300", "alt":"Sunrise at Soldiers National Cemetery, by Bill Dowling."}}]] Sunrise at Gettysburg National Cemetery, by Bill Dowling.   9. National Military Park and Battlefield  Start with the National Park Service Museum & Visitor Center. It's new since 2012, and features the restored, and famous, Gettysburg Cyclorama. Ranger Programs range from battle history to medical practices of the Civil War, "Visit to the Past" living history presentations, and battlefield hikes. Programs are offered at the Museum and Visitor Center, on the battlefield, and in the Soldiers' National Cemetery, with lengths between twenty minutes and two hours depending on the subject matter and location. Special programs and activities are also available for kids. Living History events are so much  fun. Check this schedule of events page to find out what's happening when. My family (and many others!) really enjoyed the audio auto tour, but there are several ways to tour. "We actually LOVED the driving tour (CD that plays in the car) that is offered through the museum! I think it was our favorite activity because it was educational, not hard on the little ones and we felt like we got an amazing overview of the town and war simultaneously!"~April Lakata [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1266", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3183", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"501", "height":"501", "alt":"Pics from our auto tour! So much fun."}}]] Pics from our auto tour! So much fun.   "I love wandering around Gettysburg and trying to get off the beaten path. I like the equestrian statue of General James Longstreet in Pitzer Woods  [below], notice the trail ride in the background. If you look close you can see where people have left coins on Hero's raised hoof." ~Peggy Detweiler (Check out the horseback riding trails.) [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1267", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3184", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"447", "alt":"Photo courtesy of Peggy Detweiler"}}]] Photo courtesy of Peggy Detweiler   Favorites sites of the battlefields include Little Round Top, the Wheat Field, the High Water Mark, Devil's Den, and a multitude of monuments. [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1268", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3185", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"600", "alt":"Meghan Gorecki perched atop Little Round Top."}}]] Meghan Gorecki perched atop Little Round Top.   [[{"type":"media", "view_mode":"media_large", "fid":"1269", "attributes":{"class":"media-image wp-image-3186", "typeof":"foaf:Image", "style":"", "width":"450", "height":"338", "alt":"My husband Rob at Devil"}}]] My husband Rob at Devil's Den.     Before you go, be sure to check out Gettysburg's Events Calendar to see what's happening! Enjoy your visit, and please send me a photo or post one to my Facebook page! I LOVE seeing my reader friends in Gettysburg! If you've already been to Gettysburg, what were some of your trip highlights?