The Roll of the Dice, Excerpt by J.A. Quarles

As the fires of war spread across a divided nation, three brothers from Louisiana are swept into the storm that will decide the fate of the Confederacy-and perhaps the future of America itself.

In the bloody aftermath of Fredericksburg, young Confederate officer Johan Lutze escapes Union captivity through courage, cunning, and sheer determination. Returning to General Robert E. Lee’s army just in time for the Battle of Chancellorsville, Johan performs an act of heroism that saves the life of the legendary General Stonewall Jackson and thrusts him into the inner circle of Confederate power.

Now, with Vicksburg under siege and the Confederacy teetering between survival and collapse, Johan’s bold strategic ideas begin to influence President Jefferson Davis himself. But in Richmond, ambition and politics can be as deadly as bullets, and not everyone welcomes the rise of the young officer from Louisiana.

While Johan helps shape daring military campaigns alongside Generals Lee, Beauregard, and Johnston, his brothers wage battles of their own. Paul Lutze Jr., maimed at Shiloh and fitted with a prosthetic leg, enters the shadowy world of Confederate espionage, where secrets and sabotage may alter the course of the war. Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Jacques Lutze marches north with the ferocious Louisiana Tigers, consumed by grief, vengeance, and a burning desire to kill Yankees before they kill him.

From the fields of Pennsylvania to the banks of the Mississippi, from the halls of Richmond to the courts of Europe and the rising empire in Mexico, the war expands into a conflict of global consequence. Armies maneuver. Governments scheme. Brothers bleed.

And as the summer of 1863 approaches its reckoning, the Lutze brothers will stand at the center of history-where triumph and tragedy walk hand in hand.

Excerpt: May 19, 1863, 10:00 PM, Passenger car on Route to Jackson, MS

A haze lingered in the private cabin for General Beauregard and his two new staff officers. Taking a moment to savor his cigar, Beauregard let out a satisfied puff. “Colonel Lutze, that is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard. But I believe you are telling the truth. The President would not give a liar this much authority and responsibility, godson or not. Now, you must prove you are not a spy for that spiteful man.”

Sitting across from Beauregard, Johan continued to speak in French: “Well, General, I won’t argue the fact that Uncle Jefferson can be a tad persnickety at times.”

Andre let out a loud laugh. “Johan, I always thought you were meant to be a lawyer. If you downplayed the personality of dear Uncle Jefferson anymore, a judge would charge you with perjury.”

“I think I am getting a liking for your cousin, Colonel Lutze.” Beauregard smiled sincerely, giving the first hints of his suspicions being cracked almost 10 hours after meeting his two new ‘staff’ members. “But back to the business at hand. Obviously, the President was unsatisfied with General Johnston’s performance in commanding forces in Mississippi and the Western Department in general. My god, I requested my first transfer because of that man. But we are entering a delicate situation. I know the morale of Johnston’s troops must have suffered from their defeat at Jackson. But I have no desire to pull the rug out from under him either. The last thing we need to do is arrive, and my first act of business is to destroy any of the morale remaining within the army.”

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Meet Justin Quarles

Born and raised in New Orleans, Justin has always had a passion for storytelling. This writing process has always been important to Justin, a lifelong history nerd, who received a Bachelor’s in History from the University of New Orleans.

After he is done with his day job, Justin loves to come home and play with his two wonderful kiddos and watch movies with his wife.