Award-Winning Novelist Highlights Beauty of Written Word and Romance in Valentine's Giveaway

    GETTYSBURG, PA, February 04, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Award-winning historical fiction author Jessica James highlights the beauty of the written word in her book "From the Heart: Love Stories and Letters from the Civil War", which she is giving away in honor of Valentine's Day and the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.

Readers can warm their hearts with these letters from such well-known Civil War heroes as Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, JEB Stuart, and George Pickett, among others.

James, who ran across the letters while doing research for her Civil War novel "Shades of Gray", says she wants to bring attention to the art of letter writing before it entirely disappears.

"I still write letters, but I'm afraid it's a form of communication that is falling to the wayside over the faster method of text messaging," she said. "I picked the letters in the book because they are written by some of the greatest warriors this country has known. I think men and women alike will be amazed at the poignancy of the sentiments expressed."

Gen. George Pickett wrote one of the letters included in the book at 3 p.m. on July 3, 1863, to his wife-to-be. That would be just before his famous "Pickett's Charge," and still in the midst of the artillery bombardment that began at 1 p.m.--the largest in North American history.

"Now, I go; but remember always that I love you with all my heart and soul, with every fiber of my being; that now and forever I am yours--yours, my beloved," Pickett wrote.

James knows a little something about romance. Her Civil War novel "Shades of Gray" has garnered national attention for its sweeping portrayal of the War between the States and its passionate description of the private lives of Virginians forever changed by war. Winner of numerous awards, the book temporarily swept ahead of the well-known classic Gone with the Wind on Amazon's best-seller list by hitting #1 in its category.

Released in January 2008, "Shades of Gray" is an epic love story that takes readers on a journey across the rolling hills of northern Virginia. The emotional and moving plot illuminates the fine line between friends and enemies at a time when traditions and principles were worth defending at all costs. "Well written and expertly executed," says The Book Review Journal. "You cannot leave this book unchanged in your understanding of the souls of the Civil War."

The free e-book, "From the Heart: Love Stories and Letters from the Civil War," is available through the author's website at www.jessicajamesbooks.com. It can also be purchased through Amazon for Kindle owners.

James' latest novel, Noble Cause, is set for a May 2011 release.

Patriot Press publishes books that reflect the values and traditions of our nation's past, including the award-winning Civil War novel Shades of Gray by Jessica James. For more information, please visit www.patriotpressbooks.com or www.jessicajamesbooks.com.

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