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Marsha Ward

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Gone for a Soldier (The Owen Family Saga Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Marsha Ward (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.1 34 ratings

Book 1 of 6: The Owen Family Saga

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Book 1 of The Owen Family Saga

Rulon Owen loves two things more than life--his country and Mary Hilbrands.

When Virginia secedes from the Union, Rulon enlists, and finds himself fighting foes both in battle and in his own camp. He struggles to stay alive against all odds, with a knife-wielding tent-mate and a Union army that seems impossible to defeat. It will take every ounce of vigilance he has to survive and, with a little luck, he might make it home to his wife and the son he's never seen.

Forced to live with her parents for the duration, Mary faces a battle for independence. With a mother whispering that her husband won't come home to her and a son who needs her to be both father and mother, Mary has to dig deep for strength to overcome her overwhelming loneliness and the unknown future ahead.

Separated by war and circumstance, Rulon and Mary discover that not all enemies wear the Union blue.

“GONE FOR A SOLDIER tells the fate of members of three families living in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley during the onslaught of the Civil War. Marsha Ward brings to life characters whose hopes and dreams, and everyday cares are overshadowed by war-torn events spinning their lives out of control and changing them forever. GONE FOR A SOLDIER will make you laugh, and bring a lump to your throat.”
~Bill Markley, Civil War reenactor and author of Deadwood Dead Men

“While the men left their families to fight for the Confederacy, the women soldiered on at home. A very moving tale of tragedy and triumph.”
~Pat Decker Nipper, author of Love on the Lewis and Clark Trail and articles about the west

“I was transported to another time and place. GONE FOR A SOLDIER is well-researched and has the feel of authenticity with living, breathing characters. Heartbreaking, enlightening, tragic, and ultimately hopeful.”
~C. David Belt, the author of The Children of Lilith series

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

First of all, I changed the book order for THE OWEN FAMILY SAGA in 2016 to conform to the chronology of the events. Many authors have written books of a series out of order. It only becomes evident once the series is complete what the optimal reading order should be. Now that THE OWEN FAMILY SAGA is finished, I strongly recommend that you read the books in this order:

BOOK 1 - Gone for a Soldier
BOOK 2 - The Man from Shenandoah
BOOK 3 - Spinster's Folly
BOOK 4 - Ride to Raton
BOOK 5 - Trail of Storms

As I worked on the novels that turned out to be the Owen Family Saga, I became very familiar with my characters. Once I finished Spinster's Folly, I wasn't sure there was another book for the series. However, very soon, Rulon Owen, the eldest son of the family, "came to visit me" and strongly suggested that I needed to tell his story. Yes, authors may tell you they experience manifestations such as visits from their characters. No, we're not insane. We're merely immersed in our work.

It became clear shortly thereafter that this new book would have to be set during the American Civil War, and fear overtook me. There are a great many Civil War enthusiasts, and they are renowned for their knowledge of that era. They can be quite critical of those who get the facts wrong. Knowing this filled me with terror. What if I messed the facts up?

Rulon persisted in his desire that I write his story, so I set to work, spending quite a lot of money on research materials, and then vast amounts of time in reading them, and searching out particular areas of interest on the Internet, as well. At one point, I discovered that my thoughts on what unit Rulon should join were entirely wrong. I had to discard my initial research and begin all over to find the appropriate branch of service and unit in which he would serve.

I began to write as I researched, and after more time than I expected, and after writing more words for a novel than I ever had before, I finished Gone for a Soldier to Rulon's satisfaction. I hope you will find it to yours, as well.

Remember, Gone for a Soldier should be read first, followed by The Man from Shenandoah, Spinster's Folly, Ride to Raton, and Trail of Storms.

About the Author

Marsha Ward was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in the southwestern United States; and grew up with chickens, citrus trees, and lots of room to roam. She became a storyteller at an early age, regaling her neighborhood friends with her fanciful tales during after-school snacks. Her love of 19th Century Western history and literature was reinforced by visits to her cousins on their ranch and listening to her father's stories of homesteading in Old Mexico and in the southern part of Arizona.

Over the years, Marsha became an award-winning poet, writer and editor, with over 900 pieces of published work, including her acclaimed American historical novel series, The Owen Family Saga. She is the founder of American Night Writers Association, and a member of Western Writers of America, Arizona Professional Writers, Indie Author Hub, and LDStorymakers. She makes her home in a tiny forest hamlet in Arizona. When she is not writing, she loves to travel, give talks, meet readers, and sign books. Visit her website at marshaward.com.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00MSV681Y
Publisher ‏ : ‎ WestWard Books (September 2, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 2, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2295 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 310 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,986,793 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #10,172 in War Fiction (Kindle Store)
- #20,040 in Military Romance (Kindle Store)
- #22,555 in War Fiction (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.1 34 ratings

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Marsha Ward

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Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, including the Western Migration following the Civil War. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time, somewhere in the middle of seven children. That may account for her love of large, boisterous families, and her OWEN FAMILY novels and stories.

With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees on her family's property, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums until her mother rang the cowbell at nightfall, but she always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

THE OWEN FAMILY SAGA series, currently containing a novella and five novels, is ongoing because the Characters in Marsha's Head keep begging for their own stories. Marsha continues to add new adventures to the OWEN FAMILY Universe, and companion stories to the spin-off world labeled SHENANDOAH NEIGHBORS.

For maximum reading pleasure, stories in the THE OWEN FAMILY SAGA and other OWEN FAMILY and SHENANDOAH NEIGHBORS stories are best read in the following order:

* That Tender Light: An Owen Family Novella (the Origin Story - 1840)

* The Apple Pie Prize: An Owen Family Story (1850)

* Gone for a Soldier: The Owen Family Saga Book 1 (Virginia, 1861-1865)

* Mended by Moonlight: A Shenandoah Neighbors Novella (Virginia, 1865)

* The Man from Shenandoah: The Owen Family Saga Book 2 (Multiple locations, 1865)

* Spinster's Folly: The Owen Family Saga Book 3 (Colorado Territory, 1866)

* Scandalous: An Owen Family Story (Colorado Territory, 1866)

* Ride to Raton: The Owen Family Saga Book 4 (Colorado & New Mexico Territories, 1866)

* Trail of Storms: The Owen Family Saga Book 5 (Multiple locations, 1866)

* Ned's Choice: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story (New Mexico and Colorado Territories, 1867)

* Surprising Charity: Shenandoah Neighbors (New Mexico Territory, 1867)

* Broken: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story (Colorado Territory, 1875)

* Bloodied Leather: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story (California, 1886)

Connect with Marsha at:

http://marshaward.com

https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward

Email: marshaw@marshaward.com

Join Marsha's VMA Readers email list to be notified of new releases:

http://is.gd/rBXkA4

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5

34 global ratings

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Cinderella 7

Very Interesting and Wonderful!

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2017

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Why do men look for wars, I think deep down they enjoy fighting until they see the horrors and devastating effect it brings. I enjoyed this book very much, it portrayed strong men, stronger women who loved them. It was very interesting to see that war from the perspective of the people from the south. I don't believe in slavery, but I understand their wanting to keep their own country. The trouble with that is there is always someone else to come along to take what they think belongs to them.

If you haven't read the book please do so, I'm sure you will see things differently too. It's a book well worth reading.

6 people found this helpful

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F. Miner

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2015

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Was a very interesting book. I'm sure the events in the book were very mild in comparison to reality.

6 people found this helpful

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mysterywriter6

Riveting to the End

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2014

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It's a time when the country is torn apart, Yankees vs Rebels, and being from Virginia, the Owens stand firm with their neighbors against "them Yankees" invading their homeland.

You will sympathize, cry, and root for the wellbeing of the Owen's family as the Civil War tears at their very lives. Will body and soul survive the conflict?

Marsha Ward weaves a compelling story, one worth reading. I've read and enjoyed all of her books in this series and find Gone for a Soldier is the best one yet. It gives us a history, and an even better insight, to the characters than we had before.

12 people found this helpful

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Edwin Jones

Four Stars

Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016

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Should have been book one instead of five

3 people found this helpful

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Daleystein

fantastic!!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2014

Verified Purchase

Words can not describe how wonderful this book was! The characters ripped my heart out, and Marsha had me stealing every little extra second I could squeeze out of my day, so I could go back in time and be a part of that horrible war. Now it's only a few minutes before -am and I've got a horrid book hangover that will punish me something awful in the morning.

10 people found this helpful

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Bob Sawyer

I was very disappointed in the writing of this book

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2016

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I was very disappointed in the writing of this book. The sequence was totally out of order to the main story line. This book listed as no. 5 in the continuing Saga, should have been no. 1. This at least would have correctly followed the main story line.

One person found this helpful

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Meesha

Gone for a Soldier

Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2014

Verified Purchase

I have to break this novel into sections to give it a fair review.

The research done for this book earned 5 stars. I have a lot of respect for those that do their homework and Marsha did hers. She really made the social behavior in 1860's a realistic portrayal of the 'American' family at that time.

She wrote about the Confederate side. Since I have ancestors that fought on both sides, I appreciated reading about the side that lost.

I also enjoyed reading the different point of views from all the family members - men and women. She didn't stay stuck with one character for the whole novel.

Now for the reasons behind 3 stars.

-1 star: too much sensuality. I asked myself whether or not I would feel comfortable if my daughters got this book in their hands. The answer was no.

-1 star: I found myself skipping around which means she didn't hold my interest like her last book did.

5 people found this helpful

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Saguaro Blossom

Captivating

Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2014

Marsha Ward has out done herself. Gone for a Soldier begins at a fast pace, and never lets up on the action, the love stories, and the anguish of the Civil War.

If you liked Marsha’s first four books in the Owen Family Saga, you’re going to love this prequel to them all. Her innovative style follows the stories of the parents, the sons, and the women they love as the war they expected to last only a few months continues for five arduous years.

Marsha expertly weaves the tale of each individual’s hopes and dreams, sorrows, and growth throughout the deprivation of war and a changing way of life. She clearly defines each person’s point of view and compels the reader to care deeply about each character. She takes us into their private lives with sensitivity. She depicts inevitable suffering and loss with courage, yet allows the reader an anxious apprehension that everyone may not survive the war.

Though set in the Confederate South during a war the South will not win, this is not a war story. It is a love story. It is several love stories, bound together in an imperfect family—much like yours and mine—full of wisdom, folly, courage, triumph, and most of all, transcendent loyalty.

The story centers around two of the Owen boys and their sweethearts: Rulon and Mary, for whom the war hastens marriage plans; and Ben and Ella Ruth, for whom it doesn't. You'll be riveted by the joys, trials, and growth that ensue from their decisions, as well as the effect the war has on the parents and extended family.

You will be so captivated by the story that you will not notice that this is the longest book in the Owen Family Saga. Five stars and two thumbs up! Rated PG 16. Spoiler alert: You may shed a tear or two along the way.

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