Like her brother Joe, Maureen longed to serve her adopted country. An Irish immigrant, she had found a home in the Maryland farming community of Sharpsburg. Instead of famine, she had found abundance. Instead of English troops marching by, she had found peace. She and her family had a new life filled with such promise.…
Maureen and her friends, Eliza and Amy, who lived on the next farm, didn’t know what to expect when they ventured out away from their homes. They weren’t even sure they wanted to see after they’d heard the thunder of battle for a long, horrible day. Amy, married to a Union soldier, led the way…
Divided Loyalties begins in the summer of 1862. It’s been a difficult summer for Maureen, an 18-year-old Irish immigrant, and her brother, Joe. After their father was injured in a fall earlier in the season, care of the farm became their responsibility. And then they begin to see troops, Union and Confederate, on the road…
7 days to publication While I count down the days until publication of DIVIDED LOYALTIES, I have created a short book trailer to give a hint of what my book is about. Since my website doesn’t support video, here’s the link to my Facebook page where you can see it. Thought it’s not for a…
Even though release day for my book DIVIDED LOYALTIES isn’t for two more weeks, impatient readers can preorder it at a 10 percent discount. It is available only here, on Black Rose Writing’s website For purchases made before the publication date of July 27, use the promo code: PREORDER2017 to receive a 10 percent discount.…
Hooking into a significant small event in your past is a way to open your heart and connect with your readers. I came across this sentence in a wonderful post by Fae Rowen in the blog Writers in the Storm. As I think about my upcoming book, I wondered how my summers past fit into…
I have to stop doing this. Every time I turn around, I’m saying goodbye to Maureen. Again. This time, she was minding her own business, saving the world she lived in, the world of Sharpsburg at the time of the Civil War. And this time, for a change, I didn’t want to disturb her. This…
I got up early on Saturday to drive the 60 miles to Boonsboro for a book signing at Turn the Pages Bookstore featuring Nora Roberts, along with bestselling authors Mary Kay Andrews and Christine Trent and local authors Ed Maliskas and Steve Heske. I had heard these were major events with long lines and lots of…
I have realized her purposeful stride is a symbol of the strong girl she is.
Change The World By Being Yourself! How’d Amy Poehler know that’s exactly what Maureen was going to do in my book, DIVIDED LOYALTIES? It’s a great sentiment no matter what you’re doing or who you are, isn’t it? ❤️ Thanks, Amy SaveSave
Mary K. Tilghman, writer 