Sneak Preview of Azalea Plantation, B. J. Robinson’s second novel in the Azalea Plantation series.
Blurb:
Reese Armstrong has been called to continue fighting the Civil War with General Sherman as he plans to take Atlanta. He must leave his newlywed wife, Lexie, back in Vicksburg where he met her during the Siege of Vicksburg. He leaves his cousin Bill and his wife Betty to help her with Azalea Plantation in his absence, but decides later she’d be safer in Louisiana at his uncle’s plantation. He’s worried about chaos in Mississippi, drifters, and trouble because he knows things will get worse before they get better.
Lexie has to leave her beloved home behind to honor her husband’s wishes and go to a strange place she’s never been. She leaves little Reese with Betty and Bill because she’s heard about how the fever strikes the city. Her cook, Molly, insists on going with her, despite leaving her butler husband Sam behind. Lexie wonders if New Orleans will be any safer than Mississippi. Both Vicksburg and the city are under Union control, but she’s told the uncle’s plantation is fifty miles from New Orleans.
She wants to remain at Azalea Plantation and wait for Reese’s return. After all, he promised he’d come back when the azaleas bloomed, but Lexie understands he needs a clear focus while fighting if he is to return, so she goes along with his plan. On board the Natchez on the way to New Orleans, she meets the Confederate President Jefferson Davis. Trouble strikes soon afterward, both on the steamboat and again upon arrival in the city, and she’s left to wonder if she’s made the right decision and if she’ll ever see her beloved home, little Reese, or her husband again.
To be released the end of February. Below is a short sneak preview:
Suddenly, there was a banging at the door. “Oh, I’s so sorry, Mrs. Lexie, but dat Sherman man is here.”
Lexie sat straight up in bed as Reese opened his eyes and rubbed them. Her heart hammered. The man promised Reese two weeks to honeymoon. What was going on?
Reese sat up, slid off the bed, and pulled on his pants and shirt. He bent and kissed her. “Stay here. I’ll be right back. Promise.”
“Oh Reese, he wouldn’t come to the house unless he planned to move out.” Lexie pulled him down for a kiss and clung to him not wanting to let him go.
Reese returned her kiss and held her just as tightly. “He promised me two weeks, and I aim to have it. Let me see what he wants. Maybe he’ll let me meet him later.” Reese yanked on his pants, threw on his rumpled shirt without bothering to button it, and drug himself out the door.
Lexie stared at the door her new husband had exited hoping one night wasn’t all they’d have together before duty called him to leave and continue fighting a war that never ended.
The first novel has received wonderful five-star reviews and been on Amazon’s bestseller’s list for paid books in several categories. Readers are anxiously awaiting the second book, Azalea Plantation. It will be worth the wait and even better.
About the Cover: Beautiful Houmas House Plantation was used for the cover in both books. We have Kevin Kelly to thank for fulfilling his lifelong dream by acquiring the property in the Spring of 2003 and opening it for tours. The lovely home sits in a big bend of the Mississippi River. Houmas Indians were the first owners through a land grant, and they later sold the property. In 1963, Betty Davis stared in “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,” filmed on the property. Part of today’s Houmas House tour showcases the room where she stayed. It is a Greek Revival plantation.
Houmas House Plantation and Gardens is the lovely home used for the cover. It is the Crown Jewel of Louisiana’s River Road, refurbished with twenty-one rooms on thirty-six acres on the Mississippi River not far from New Orleans, Louisiana. It offers visitors a unique, historical glimpse into the world of the Civil War era through what was once Louisiana’s largest sugar cane plantation. Tours are available in Louisiana’s Plantation Country on historic River Road.
In the first book of the series, Siege of Azalea Plantation, the story is set in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and covers the siege of Vicksburg. The second novel picks up when Sherman attacks Atlanta. While both may be read as stand-alones, the experience will be better if the first one is read in advance.
I hope all my readers had a happy, blessed Valentine’s Day. Thank you so much for your continued support. I am blessed to have such wonderful readers who can’t wait for my next book. Thank God for letting the words flow, giving me the gift and ability for writing, and my heart’s desire.
Bio: B. J. Robinson is the author of over twenty books as well as short stories and novellas. Many have ended up as Amazon bestsellers. She writes in a variety of genres to allow reader selection. Three dogs and a cat are her writing companions. She is blessed with five children, thirteen grandchildren, and four pets.
Amazon Link for Siege of Azalea Plantation: http://www.amazon.com/Siege-Azalea-Plantation-Book-ebook/dp/B018JOIFRI
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/B.-J.-Robinson/e/B007DNJIKU/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1452521584&sr=1-2-ent