In Rebel Salvation, Kathleen Zebley Liulevicius examines pardon petitions from former Confederate soldiers and sympathizers in Tennessee to craft a unique and comprehensive analysis of the process of Reconstruction in the Volunteer State after the Civil War. These underutilized petitions contain a wealth of information about Tennesseans from an array of social and economic backgrounds, and include details about many residents who would otherwise not appear in the historical record. They reveal the dynamics at work between multiple factions in the state: former Rebels, Unionists, Governor William G. Brownlow, and the U.S. Army officers responsible for ushering Tennessee back into the Union. The pardons also illuminate the reality of the politically and emotionally charged post–Civil War environment, where everyone—from wealthy elites to impoverished sharecroppers—who had fought, supported, or expressed sympathy for the Confederacy was required by law to sue for pardon to reclaim certain privileges. All such requests arrived at the desk of President Andrew Johnson, who ultimately determined which petitioners regained the right to vote, hold office, practice law, operate a business, and buy and sell land. Those individuals filing petitions experienced Reconstruction in personal and profound ways. Supplicants wrote and circulated their exoneration documents among loyalist neighbors, friends, and Union officers to obtain favorable endorsements that might persuade Brownlow and Johnson to grant pardon. Former Rebels relayed narratives about the motivating factors compelling them to side with the Confederacy, chronicled their actions during the war, expressed repentance, and pledged allegiance to the United States government and the Constitution. Although not required, many petitioners even sought recommendations from their former wartime foes. The pardoning of former Confederates proved a collaborative process in which neighbors, acquaintances, and erstwhile enemies lodged formal pleas to grant or deny clemency from state and federal officials. Indeed, as Rebel Salvation reveals, the long road to peace began here in the newly reunited communities of postwar Tennessee.

Book three of The Defiance Series Luna is headed for trouble. She knows exactly what the men who run motorcycle clubs are capable of—the ruthless violence, the grabs for power, the brutal treatment of women. The one bright spot in her dark world is being held against his will by a rival gang after sacrificing himself for the sake of the club—without saying goodbye first. She needs to bring Bishop home to Defiance, both for the good of the MC and for herself. Keller's mafia has thrived in the fallout from the Chaos and their compound is a city of sin, a world of depraved excess where people live in fear with nowhere else to go. When Luna is taken prisoner, Bishop has no choice but to lie. As far as the enemy knows, she's his. It's the one thing that will keep her safe. Caught off guard, Luna follows Bishop's lead. And that's where the lines begin to blur, because what's been building between them for real is undeniable. But what Keller's protecting is something he'll kill to keep under wraps and with Defiance unable to come to their rescue, and only each other to turn to, Luna and Bishop may be facing their final goodbye. 57,000 words

David Paul follows in the tradition of spiritual thrillers pioneered by Charles Williams (War in Heaven) and Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness), and blends the realm of angels and demons with 21st century bio-warfare. The action is compelling and the stakes go beyond the world: souls hang in a delicate balance between heaven and hell. It takes great discipline on the part of the reader to set this book down at night and go to bed. As observed by Professor Emeritus Francis C. Rossow of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis MO, “If you like the novels of Stephen King, Frank Peretti, J.R.R.Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis then Plague of Terror is the book for you." "If you like the novels of Stephen King, Frank Peretti, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis then Plague of Terror is the book for you." Francis C. Rossow, Professor Emeritus, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. "Plague of Terror is one of those books that grabs you." Michael J. Chapman, author and national lecturer on public education and revisionist history.