Words Heard in Silence by T. Novan; Taylor Rickard

Words Heard in Silence

T. Novan; Taylor Rickard

In the midst of the Civil War, two people come together to establish what will become a southern dynasty…

Culpeper, Virginia in the fall of 1864 was at a dark time in this once bustling town. Feisty Rebecca Gaines, widowed by the conflict that had torn the nation apart, struggles to single-handedly manage the family farm. Life is hard in the beleaguered South, so when a troop of Union soldiers rides in to winter over on her property, Rebecca is grudgingly glad of the extra income.

Their dashing commanding officer, Colonel Charlie Redmond, is courteous and gentle in his dealings with her, and she is drawn to this intriguing professional soldier. But he is still the enemy, and Rebecca finds it difficult to come to terms with her feelings. For his part, Charlie is alarmed to realize he is becoming romantically involved with the lovely Southerner, for he hides a secret that, if discovered, would mean social disgrace and the end of a distinguished military career. For Charlie is really a woman.

In this meticulously researched novel, T. Novan and Taylor Rickard have captured the agony and devastation of the War and its impact on soldiers and civilians alike. With its moving love story, powerful scenes of battle, and memorable characters living in and around the war-torn community, Words Heard in Silence is an enthralling work that lays the foundation for the rest of the Redmond family saga.

About the Author

T. Novan

For years, Theran Novan wrote for her own amusement. A true child of the seventies, she often wrote scripts for television shows, reaching back to classics like ‘Get Smart’ and other comedies. The television and the stories in her head were often her only companions, as she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of eleven, and spent much of her childhood and teens in therapy. Adulthood and remission coincided, and TN, as her friends call her, pursued two careers – first managing major conventions and events in the Columbus Ohio area and then going back to school to become a police officer. Unfortunately, her cancer re-emerged and one day, while undergoing treatment, her friends brought her a computer. At the same time, she became addicted to a new television show – Xena, Warrior Princess. The whole world of fan fiction opened up, and a supportive global community came to recognize her as a real talent.

TN quickly found her own voice, writing original stories and novels. Her quality work, realistic characters, and sense of humor all combine to create quirky, charming, compelling stories. Her works have made both the Open Book and the Lambda Literary Society bestseller lists.

Taylor Rickard

Taylor Rickard, co-author of Words Heard in Silence with T. Novan, grew up a southerner with a grandmother who guaranteed that Taylor knew her southern history. By the time she was twelve, her grandmother had taken her to every Revolutionary and Civil War battle field east of the Mississippi. Where most children were read fairy tales, Taylor got to listen to the likes of Bruce Catton, James McPherson and Douglas Freeman. So when T. Novan first started writing the short stories that eventually became the basis for Words Heard in Silence, Taylor was an obvious choice as a writing partner, where she got to use her extensive knowledge of Southern tradition and Civil War politics and battles to bring reality and historical veracity to this sweeping historical novel.

Taylor has worked in many industries in her life. She says it is because she is easily bored. In her youth, she ran restaurants and bars for a major hotel chain. Becoming tired of that, she served a stint with the Federal Government while getting her college degrees. That was sufficiently interesting that she hung around and got a masters degree as well. More than ten years in the television industry resulted in numerous awards, including a Peabody, two Emmys, a Cleo and several New York Film Critics awards for news, documentaries and public relations productions. Nowadays, she works as a consultant specializing in high technology management for Government and large corporations. She also provides technical consulting for T. Novan’s writing and advises in other areas.

Born and raised a southerner, Taylor resides in Virginia with her partner, her seventeen year old stepdaughter, two dogs, two cockatoos and three snakes.

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