I took my first trip to the Gettysburg Battlefield when I was 11 years old. My parents and I took a bus tour and the tour guide was so enthusiastic about the war, the battle and the era that he instilled in me a love and passion for Civil War history which grows stronger every day and deepens with each visit to that "hallowed ground." Since that day almost 30 years ago I have toured Gettysburg and many other battlefields on foot, by car, on buses and even on horseback. Each time I walk those fields I find something new to learn. I have a new experience that deepens my appreciation for history and for those who spent four years apart from family. My love of Civil War history, and my appreciation of those who fought on the battlefront and the homefront, spurred me to write a historical fiction/romance novel entitled "Dearest Issabella." The book is set in present day Philadelphia, but flashes back to 1861 and 1862 through the use of love letters from a soldier in the actual 23rd Pa. Regiment to his wife at home. These letters are discovered by a woman who is fighting a war of emotions while her husband is fighting in Afghanistan. I feel the book will resonate with Civil War enthusiasts, as well as fans of romance novels. I think that everyone who has ever been apart from the ones they love will appreciate the story. This book, which has its deepest roots on the Battlefield of Gettysburg, is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.