My Name is John Singer-Romantic Historical Fiction on John Wilkes Booth

History tells us on April 26, 1865 the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth was cornered and eventually shot at Richard Garett’s barn at Point Royal, Virginia ….or was he? Then as now, the rumors and speculation of his escape from the fiery blaze of the barn and the Union gunshot still resonate even today. Based on that speculation, it enables one’s imagination on a story of desperation, an exodus, repentance and hiding in plain sight with an alias as John Singer.

This fictional representation of Booth has actual historical references and in some instances pertinent civil war and post-civil war situations woven into the fabric of the story. However, this fictional version romanticizes the complicated Booth yet never for the crime he committed. In this fictional account Booth is repentant for his crime.

Sometimes history writes endings we don’t always agree with…as a writer of fiction I gave Mr. Booth the opportunity to be repentant, and to love and live again. I romanticized the brother, uncle, son, actor up until the time he committed his most heinous act, I did this by following the trails left by history.

Nothing like this has ever been written before. Again, in this fictional account Booth is repentant, still in all wanting to die as he should have in that barn, but by some twist of fate, is given a second chance, to live and to love. For in the end isn’t love all there really is?