Book excerpt: "I'm going to warn you now that this book is not going to be a 'straight line journey.' I don't believe anyone's life is a straight journey. I believe we all travel many twisted roads to get to where we are right now. It could be that my journey is more twisted than most, but if that is true, it's what was necessary to prepare me to write. I savor and appreciate every moment now; even the ones I thought would destroy me. You'll learn about the day I decided to never write again. And, the bedridden period of my life that finally made me write my first book. You'll learn about my years of living with a prejudiced family, enduring the bigotry and rioting of the Charlotte school system in the 60's and 70's, and my defiance that taought me the truth. You'll learn the family secret that almost devastated me when I discovered it. You'll learn just why I decided to write about the Civil War & Reconstruction. You'll learn how long The Bregdan Chronicles will last. My readers are part of my family, I look forward to sharing the adventure of this book with you."--Back cover.