An April to Remember

I received the release date for An April to Remember. Both the e-book and print version will become available on April 3, 2009.

This book came about in October of 2006 when we went to Memphis to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Graceland was wonderful, Sun Studios, unforgettable, but if anyone travels to Memphis, I would highly recommend taking a river boat ride. During our trip on the Island Queen, the tour guide, “Rooster,” shared the remarkable story of the Sultana, a river boat which exploded near Memphis in 1865. More passengers perished in this accident than any other maritime disaster including the Titanic. However, due to the time of its demise, (the same month Lee surrendered and President Lincoln was assassinated) the story of this remarkable ship was swept into history along with many other Civil War tragedies.

Upon our return home, I couldn’t get the ship out of my mind, and began to research the Sultana. I was amazed and somewhat overwhelmed by all the information. While trying to hold as much history as possible, I began to create a romance story around the ship’s fatal voyage. It was my son Dallas, who gave me the title. He’s a history buff, and while discussing the story he suggested I change the name of my heroine to April and title the story An April to Remember.

The actual demise of the ship remains in controversy even today—some claim it was a coal torpedo, and some claim it was a faulty boiler. (You’ll have to read the story to see what happens in my version.)

I’ll be blogging at The Wild Rose Press Cactus Rose blog this Thursday, so please stop by and leave a comment to be entered in a contest for an e-book of Shotgun Bride that I will give away on November 14th.