Michael Willever

An ordained Baptist minister and a graduate of the Faith Bible Institute in Corpus Christi Texas, Michael Willever has been an avid writer and Civil War enthusiast since childhood. Having read and reread Michael Shaara’s The Killer Angels when the book first came out in 1975, Michael says he was permanently affected and longed to someday write his own Civil War historical fiction novel. Research for the book series, A Dark and Bloody Ground, began earnestly in early 2004 and the first installment, A Dark and Bloody Ground: Sowing the Wind, was completed in late 2007. The second and final installment, A Dark and Bloody Ground: Reaping the Whirlwind, is still a work in progress with an anticipated release date in the fall of 2010. 

A Dark and Bloody Ground chronicles the week of October 4-9, 1862, when the fate of Kentucky lay literally in the balance. As vast foraging armies swept the countryside, soldiers from the North and the South lived, fought and died staining Kentucky’s soul with their blood and fulfilling Kentucky’s prophetic sobriquet as “A Dark and Bloody Ground.” Michael Willever takes the reader back through time and into the heart of the battle, the reader witnessing events through the eyes of seven protagonists, four Southern and three Northern. This novel for the first time brings to life such historical figures as George Thomas, Leonidas Polk, Joe Wheeler, and Patrick Cleburne to name but a few.

 Kurt Holman, manager of the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site says, “I really like this! It’s much more fun than ‘The Killer Angels.’ It’s a real page turner. It puts you right there.”

Michael is a member of The Civil War Preservation Trust and The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association for he understands the great importance of preserving our Civil War heritage for future generations. Michael also reenacts as a member of the Bohemian Brigade by personafying Murat Halstead of the Cincinnatti Commercial Newspaper. The infamous "Bohemian Brigade" was a band of reporters, artists who formed a social and working group during the Civil War. A Dark and Bloody Ground: Sowing the Wind is Michael’s first novel. He, his wife Sharon and their two daughters live in Greenwood, Indiana.

 Michael R Phelps

Michael R. Phelps is the Co-Author for the book series,   A Dark and Bloody Ground. In this role, Michael coordinates, manages and provides the author with detailed information found in many facets of literature, documents, memoirs and archived items. As a Liaison, Michael coordinates and schedules all book signings and lectures.

Michael Phelps is no stranger to researching and writing and spending several years in these various capacities has taught him the importance of detail, accuracy, and originality. Drawing on years of experience in public service, the US Army, and his religious activities, Michael now focuses mainly on his research and serving as the author’s liaison. Michael has had poetry published in the past and has done extensive research for this book.  A big believer in Civil War Preservation, Michael is a member of The Civil War Preservation Trust, The Indiana Historical Society, and The Perryville Battlefield Preservation Association.  Michael is an Army veteran and a Life member of the Greenwood VFW Post 5864. Michael is a member of The Vineyard Community Church in Greenwood where he is the leader of the Writer's Group and participates on the Prayer Team.  Michael has a son, two daughters and two grandchildren and lives in Greenwood, IN, his hometown of 53 years.