Photo Friday: Quantrill's black flag

Here's yours truly with a reproduction of Quantrill's famous black flag the rebel guerrilla supposedly flew as a sign that he'd take no prisoners. It's in the Clay County Savings Association bank museum. This bank, of course, was the first target of the James gang. This photo was taken by Rex Dickson, who shows no patience whatsoever with my obsession with Missouri's Civil War, but has seen a lot of the sights anyway. I wrote about the Liberty bank as part of my Gadling series on our Jesse James road trip.

Quantrill was the baddest of a bad crew. His gang slaughtered civilians, scalped soldiers, and raised hell generally. Frank James rode with him during the Civil War, as did famous outlaw Cole Younger. Jesse James may have ridden with Quantrill too before joining Bloody Bill Anderson in his own group.

This is an interesting flag for several reasons. You'll notice that Quantrill's name is misspelled. During the war his name was generally spelled with an "e", and the bushwhacker leader didn't exactly have a strong motive for correcting people. It's debateable whether he actually had a flag like this, though. There are several references to Quantrill's black flag, but both Frank James and Cole Younger said there never was one. At the time, "raising the black flag" meant that you'd show no mercy, so perhaps Quantrill's flag was only metaphorical.

Starting on book number 11

Last week I finished the page proofs for my tenth book, a title for Osprey Publishing's new Raid series. Ride Around Missouri: Shelby's Great Raid 1863 continues my research on the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. There'll be more to come! It's available for preorder if you want to be nice to me.

This week I'm starting research on book number 11, another title in Osprey's Raid series. Osprey is good to me so I keep writing for them. The Last Ride of the James-Younger Gang--Jesse James and the Northfield Raid 1876 is taking Osprey in a new direction with Wild West books. Mine is the first and I'm sure it won't be the last.

This is what it's like to be a midlist writer. You finish one project and start the next one. Year in, year out. Eleven books is small potatoes compared with some midlisters. In an article I wrote about midlisters, I interviewed half a dozen midlisters about their careers. Three stood out. Jane Toombs has published more than 80 novels, the majority of them romance, with big names such as Silhouette and Avon. Lawrence Schimel has published more than 90 books and almost 200 short stories. Sally Odgers beats them all with about 300 titles in virtually all genres.

I'm only 41, so I figure I have at least thirty years of active writing life ahead of me. When I think of the number of books, articles, and blog posts I'll do in that time, sometimes I get really excited, and sometimes I feel exhausted!

Ah well, back to writing!

Photo Friday: Willie's grave

Call me weird, but I love graveyards. So much history, so many memories. This gravestone is in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Kearney, Missouri. I took this shot while on a Jesse James road trip last month. This isn't one of the James family; they're buried on the other side of the cemetery. In fact it's hard to tell exactly who this person was. It's probably a child's grave considering he doesn't have a last name. Unfortunately the graves nearby that might have given a clue to his family have disappeared, so now he's only Willie. That's the most important thing graveyards can tell us--that our time is short.

So stop reading this blog and get busy chasing your dreams!

On the trail of Jesse James: a new travel series

Hi all! As you can see from the margin on this blog, I've written a lot of series for the travel blog Gadling. Now I've started a new one on Jesse James. Join me as I explore the real history of America's toughest outlaw, with lots of photos of where he lived, the places he robbed, and where he met his end.

Shifting focus as a writer

I've been a bad blogger. I haven't written for a few days, and even skipped my regular Monday feature Websites for Writers. This was partly due to going on a Jesse James road trip around Missouri. I'm writing a series called On the Trail of Jesse James for Gadling. Check it out if you want the real story of America's baddest bad man.

The other reason for my silence is I've been getting deep into a new book proposal. It's a travel narrative about Harar, a medieval walled city on the border between the Ethiopian highlands and the Somali desert. I had an intense experience there and I'm writing a proposal in order to drum up funds to go back. I miss Ethiopia!

It's been a while since I've written a travel book that wasn't a guidebook. My very first book proposal back in 2001 was about my time spent at the Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela. I landed an agent, but she wasn't able to sell it and eventually dropped me. She was young, a very junior partner in an established agency, and I have a feeling she was in over her head. She certainly had piss-poor communications skills with yours truly, so I can't imagine she was much better with the publishers.

Despite this disappointment, I steadily climbed the writing ladder, writing a couple of guidebooks and then landing a regular history gig and a job as a travel blogger. Not a bad bunch of work, but I'm not content. Never be content as a writer or you're doomed. I've been wanting a change for a while now and was wondering why my fiction wasn't flying out of my brain like it usually does. Now I'm going back to what originally got me into this business: creative nonfiction about travel.

As writers we need to be flexible. Not only do we need to move with the market (if we're doing this as a living) but we also have to be flexible with our sources of inspiration. Right now my well of ideas for fiction is a bit parched, but I'm full of ideas for the Harar book. Instead of fighting it, it's best to embrace it. I suspect that I'll have several more shifts in the course of my career.

Historical research in Missouri

As you might have guessed from my previous post, I'm back in Missouri researching my next book for Osprey Publishing. It's for the new Raid series and will be about Confederate General J.O. Shelby's 1863 raid into Missouri. This was one of the longest raids of the war and an important chapter in the history of the war west of the Mississippi.

Osprey is one publisher doing well in the recession thanks to its strong hold on the military history niche and its willingness to expand into new territory. Another new series, Weapons of War, includes my latest book.

I'm based in Columbia, a city in the center of the state that has the State Historical Society of Missouri and the Western Historical Manuscripts Collection, two great sources of information with very helpful staff. They're used to me and my endless questions by now! The two institutions are on the University of Missouri campus, where I took this shot of Thomas Jefferson thinking great thoughts. His leg warmers are courtesy of a local underground knitters group that likes decorating telephone poles, parking meters, and anything else they fancy. They haven't yet been named a terrorist group, but in this political climate that might be coming soon. I was surprised Jefferson's leg warmers actually lasted a whole two days before being removed!

Besides working on the book I'll also be going on a Jesse James roadtrip for Gadling. That should go online near the end of the month. My first stop will be this weekend when I visit the site of the Centralia Massacre, one of the bloodiest episodes of Frank and Jesse's war years.

Websites for Writers: Shakespeare Quotes

It's Monday, so it's time for Websites for Writers. This week's site is courtesy of enotes and is a database of famous and not-so-famous quotes from Shakespeare. Quotes are organized by theme, play, and the character who said it.

As one of the greatest writers in the English language, The Bard is eminently quotable. He seemed to have come upwith a pithy phrase to suit any occasion, from the dangers of gossip ("Done to death by slanderous tongue") to meditations on beauty ("Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind.")

Not only is his use of prose both inspiring and edifying for any writer--or reader for that matter--but you can find a quote to fit almost any situation. I've mentioned before on this blog how my Missouri Civil War novel got tied up with the whole James gang legend. Well, Frank James loved Shakespeare as many did back in those days and would often quote his favorite passages in casual conversation, or even when robbing trains! This site came in handy when writing his dialogue. It made me look much more literary than I actually am. :-)

So check out this site for quotable quotes for your own work. Shakespeare is in the public domain, so go to town!


[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

My next book contract

Osprey Publishing has just sent me a signed contract for my next book.

It's another military history--that's what Osprey specializes in--and it's for a new series called Raid. This series focuses on important raids, examining how they were planned, what their goals were, and what could have been done better. The editor is a big fan of the Wild West and so I'm doing the Northfield Raid by the James-Younger gang. This ill-fated attempt to rob the First National Bank of Northfield, Minnesota, left all the robbers dead or in jail, except for Frank and Jesse James of course.

OK, so this isn't really military history. Osprey has been doing good business in the recession by playing to their strengths while not being afraid to break into new territory. The Wild West is one of them. Plus there are some military aspects. Most of the robbers were former Confederate bushwhackers and used their hit-and-run tactics to rob trains and banks and elude the law. I mention the James brothers in my previous Osprey title American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics.

Frank and Jesse James have cropped up in my fiction too. In an earlier post I talked about my Missouri Civil War horror novel and how because it was set in that time and place I couldn't avoid have the James brothers as characters. They've crept into the plot of the sequels too!

Here in Midlist land we're pretty busy, so we try to save time as much as possible. Writing novels set in periods you're already researching for paid work is an efficient expenditure of time. Now if I could only get those novels published!

Still in the running for a publishing contract

My Missouri Civil War horror novel A Fine Likeness is still in the running for a publishing contract. It's a finalist in Dorchester Publishing's Fresh Blood Contest. After making it through the slush pile, I and the other eight finalists had our first chapters analyzed by the judges. Only five made it over that hurdle, and now it's up to the public to decide.

For this round the public is judging cover copy, often called the back cover blurb. The judges were pretty positive with mine, although they made some fair criticisms. Drop on by the contest website and check it out. If you like my stuff you can vote by sending an email to freshblood (at) chizinepub (dot) com with the subject line "Fresh Blood Vote: A Fine Likeness by Sean McLachlan". You should get a confirmation that you voted. Voting ends this Wednesday, April 14.

I've put a lot of work and research into this novel, which inserts supernatural horror into real history. Jesse James even gets a bit part. I'd love to see it get into print!

You can also check out the book's fanpage here.

Missouri Civil War novel A Fine Likeness gets a fan page

As I mentioned in my last post, my Civil War horror novel, A Fine Likeness, is a finalist in Dorchester Publishing's Fresh Blood contest. This novel covers the Civil War in Missouri and includes historical figures such as Bloody Bill Anderson and Jesse James alongside the fictional protagonists.

Since I can only win through public support, I've started beating the drum early and have created a Facebook fan page called (go figure) A Fine Likeness deserves to be published! More than just a way to blab about my literary greatness, I'll be talking about the history behind the novel, something I've written about in several nonfiction venues.

Voting doesn't start until Mach 2010 but I have a lot of promo to do. I'm very happy that in the first nine hours I got 24 fans. Most are personal friends, of course, but I've noticed a few friends of friends in the bunch, and that's encouraging. My first fan was David Lee Summers, a fellow writer who I haven't seen in way too long. He just won himself a copy of the book if it ever sees the light of day.

So check out the fan page. I'll love you for it.

American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics out now!

My latest book, American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics, is now available from Osprey Publishing. I recently got my author's copies and they look great. Osprey is a very professional outfit and everyone on the team--the artist, the layout people, editors and copyeditors--all do their job very well and really care about what they do. It's no wonder I signed up to do another book with them!

This book covers the other Civil War, the one fought by desperate bands of guerrillas and partisan rangers, both Union and Confederate, against the standing armies of the other side. I delve into the tactics and weaponry of these unconventional fighters and what effect they had on the war. The bushwhackers and Jayhawkers of the Border Wars get a lot of coverage, of course!

This is my first book concentrating specifically on the Civil War, but it won't be my last, so help me get established in the subject by buying lots of copies! Reviews would be nice too. :-)

Why readers preorder books

In a previous post back in April I wondered why people were preordering my American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics, which comes out this month from Osprey Publishing. Why preorder something months in advance when doing it a week in advance will get you the book just the same? I've discovered the answer.

I went to The Gameskeeper, the local gaming store here in Oxford, to convince them to stock my book, gamers being big Osprey fans. The owner and I got into a long conversation about publishing and I brought up the subject of my preorders. She said gaming books often get very early preorders too, and it's because fans want to signal to publishers that they like a certain subject or title. They want to support the process. It's kind of like voting with your money. Apparently military history buffs do this as well.

This makes me feel good about my preorders. Some people started preordering my book back in February! :-)

Cover and release date for my next book!

Barnes and Noble just put up the cover for my next book, American Civil War Guerrilla Tactics. In a previous post I had shown the initial cover art, also done by Gerry Embleton, but this was from another book and only put there as a place holder. The image to the right is what you'll get. It's a bird's-eye view of a guerrilla attack on a courthouse. This was a common scenario, especially in the Trans-Mississippi theater.

Courthouses in the region tended to be built of brick and be in the center of town surrounded by an open square, making them the perfect place to fortify. Confederate guerrillas, lacking cannon, had a hard time taking these and fortified courthouses became one of the more effective Union counter-insurgency measures. The problem was, that while the bluecoats were holed up in the courthouse, the rebels were free to loot the town and countryside. Guerrillas used to joke that the Union controlled the courthouse square and they controlled everything else!

Osprey Publishing also gave me a relase date for this book. It will be available on September 10 in the UK and September 22 in the US.

Stuck with Jesse James, Part 2

In my last post, I talked about how I had to deal with Jesse James, a famous historical figure who I had to have in my novel but who I didn't want to dominate it. I managed to keep him and his brother Frank from stealing the limelight for the whole book by letting them steal the limelight for a couple of scenes.

That worked, but I have a new problem. The novel they were in is the first in an anticipated trilogy, and the more I map out the plot for the next two books the more realize just how entangled I am with the James brothers. The second book takes place in Missouri in the months right after the Civil War, and the third also occurs in Missouri, this time in the late 1860s, the very time Frank and Jesse James were turning themselves into the most famous outlaws in American history. Since one of my main characters already knows them, it's hard to ignore them, especially with the plot as I have it.

These guys are insidious! You can't have a novel set in post-war Missouri that doesn't deal with the James brothers. They affected the entire state. And what's more, they are fascinating characters. Both were hardened Confederate guerrillas who claimed they were fighting for the Lost Cause and had been driven to outlawry because of Yankee persecution. The fact was, they weren't persecuted after the war, but they did occasionally take revenge on former Union officers.

I've read a couple of the better biographies and a lot of primary source material and the more I learn about these two the more multifaceted they appear to be. The simple myth of them being American Robin Hoods is an enduring one, but the reality is even more fascinating.

I guess that's what makes a good story.

Stuck with Jesse James, Part 1

On another blog I contribute to, I was talking about how I dealt with weaving fictional characters into a historical background in my Civil War novel. One unanticipated problem I had was what to do with America's most famous outlaws.

I wanted one of my fictional protagonists, a Confederate guerrilla, meet up with Bloody Bill Anderson, a very real and very bloodthirsty guerrilla leader who terrorized Missouri. The book takes place in 1864 when Bloody Bill was on his deadliest rampage. He's an interesting character and the events surrounding him in that year make for good fiction.

The problem was, riding in his guerrilla band were two brothers from Clay County named Frank and Jesse James. At this time they hadn't achieved fame; they were just better-than-average guerrillas. But any fan of Civil War or Wild West history (i.e., my core readership) would know that they were riding with Bloody Bill at this time.

I didn't want them to dominate the plot, but I couldn't ignore them either. So I decided on a happy medium and put them in a few scenes (such as the Centralia Massacre, which may have been their first train robbery) and then gave them one kick-ass gunfight. Being who they are, they tend to dominate any scene they are in, but by limiting the number of scenes I keep the focus of the book from shifting to them. Rather, I use them as foils to compare with the morals and abilities of my protagonist.

And since Frank James liked to quote Shakespeare, I got to throw in some telling quotes from the Bard that illuminate my protagonist's condition. I lifted them from a handy website. There's nothing like a quick bit of Internet research to make you look more educated than you are!

Outlaw Tales of Missouri Is Published!

This week TwoDot Press, a subsidiary of Globe Pequot Press, released my latest book, Outlaw Tales of Missouri. The last in what I call my "Missouri trilogy" of state history books, it covers the famous and not-so-famous characters that gave Missouri the nickname of "The Outlaw State".

I've dredged the files of the State Historical Society of Missouri to find forgotten stories and little-known facts, like the tale of the Yocum brothers, who made their own silver currency in the Ozarks that was valued more than money issued by the federal government. I've also looked at familiar tales from new angles. No book on Missouri outlaws would be complete without a chapter on the James brothers, but rather than focus on Jesse, I concentrate on his older brother Frank, who got into outlawry earlier and got out sooner. Unlike Jesse, he managed to die a peaceful death.

It's a fun read, if I do say so myself, and fans of Missouri history and the Wild West will find a lot here they like. Civil War buffs will like it too, since there are chapters on the notorious William Quantrill and a lesser-known rogue who went under the alias "Harry Truman" but who was definitely NOT related to the president from Missouri!

The book is available here. My other Missouri history books include Missouri: An Illustrated History and It Happened in Missouri.